Doctor Dolphin

—

"Boss, Dr Ivan is here."

A tall, taupe-haired man entered the bedroom with serene confidence. Kind, stone gray eyes hid behind round eyeglasses with thin, metal frames. Compared to his younger brother, Ignatius, who resembled a deadly shark, Ivan Teivel looked as friendly as a dolphin.

As soon as Ignatius saw his older brother, he sighed in relief. It was a good thing Ivan was currently free, or he would need to kidnap a disposable doctor to check on his beloved author.

"What happened?" Ivan asked as he opened his leather Gladstone bag. The patient was slightly unusual from the regular ones he treated under Ignatius’ care.

“Fever,” Ignatius responded without further explanation, causing Ivan to raise a brow. As a trained medical professional, that was obvious. He wanted to know the story behind it, but his stubborn little brother’s lips were tightly sealed.

Giving up the battle temporarily, the doctor noticed a basin of water and wet towel on the side table. Smiling slightly in relief, Dr Ivan felt thankful that the patient had received initial treatment. His brother followed instructions which would make his job a lot easier. The young lady would recover without mishaps under meticulous care despite the terrible fever.

“Good job, Nate. She’ll get better in no time.”

Unbothered by the glare directed at his back as he took Leona’s temperature, Ivan wondered who the young lady was. She couldn’t be a simple captive. Even if the members did not know Ignatius as well, Ivan knew his younger brother’s personality. He wouldn’t care if any of his subordinates fell ill. The cold-hearted mafia boss would simply throw a box of painkillers at them and tell them to finish the job. If this woman was a random captive, Ignatius would rather attend to his pile of work than stand around glaring daggers into his back to mask his worries. His snobbish brother hated strangers invading his personal space. If Ignatius let her lie down on his bed, she must be someone extremely special.

“Hmm… It’s still quite high,” he commented and put the thermometer away. “She’ll have to take medicine after waking up. Do you somehow know if she has any allergies?”

Ignatius recalled the extra chapter when gingeromance628 shared some trivia about herself. Ignatius learned that her favorite coffee was hazelnut, although she seldom bought it. She also revealed how she was not picky with food and had no known allergies.

“Not that I know about,” Ignatius responded, feeling slightly proud for paying such close attention to his favorite author. It might be borderline stalking, but Ignatius chose to see it as a fan’s act of dedication.

Behind the door, the guards who were eavesdropping gasped in amazement. Their boss was so amazing! He even memorized the captive’s weakness! Ignatius’ attention to detail made them vow to do better in the future.

There was only one person in the hideout who had a different opinion. Ivan’s eyes twinkled when he saw a silver of Ignatius’ gentleness and worry in his eyes whenever he looked at the sleeping captive. There was definitely more to it, but it was inappropriate to question him in front of his subordinates. Ivan could only wait for Ignatius to open up to him as he always did.

After doing some general physical assessment, Ivan prescribed some simple medication and searched his bag for the medicine pouch. Placing some ibuprofen tablets on the side table, he turned to Ignatius.

“Once your girlfriend wakes up later, give her this.”

Startled by the term that Ivan used to describe Leona’s relationship with him, the mafia boss quickly shut down the misunderstanding before rumors started spreading among his gang.

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

The strong denial made Ivan more suspicious, but he decided to drop the subject. Ignatius’ ears already gave him away even if the other guards were too far away to see it. There was nothing the mafia boss could hide from his older brother. Ivan knew him very well, and those reddening ears told Ivan about Ignatius’ secret adoration for the ginger head.

“Alright,” he cajoled the ruffled mafia boss with a chuckle. “It was my mistake. She’s not your girlfriend. Remember to give her something to eat before taking the medicine twice a day. Drink lots of water, and she will recover just fine. If she’s in any sort of discomfort, give her these painkillers. They can be a little drowsy.”

Seeing that Ivan was leaving already, Ignatius felt a sense of reluctance. Before he knew it, Ignatius grabbed his brother’s arm with an awkward stare, not knowing what to say.

He knew his older brother was busy with his other duties, including checking on the other hideouts as his second-in-command. Ivan was also responsible for checking on his members’ physical conditions. The mafia boss did not want to disrupt Ivan’s busy schedule, but he wanted to feel more reassured with a doctor around to check on his sick little bunny until she fully recovered.

“Can’t you stay here until tomorrow?” he asked.

It was rare for Ignatius to ask him for favors. Ever since their parents passed away and Ignatius became the next leader of their gang, the number of favors Ignatius asked could be counted on one hand. Who was this lady exactly?

Ivan felt conflicted. He needed to follow up on Einstein’s progress in the laboratory. However, he did not want to disappoint Ignatius.

“I can only stay until five today,” the busy doctor compromised.

“Why?” the mafia boss raised his brow. His brother hardly turned down any of his requests. Why now?

Sighing heavily, Ivan looked Ignatius in the eye. “Someone has to check on Einstein’s colleague. You know, the one who got a bad chemical burn on his elbow.”

Scowling, Ignatius felt irritation brew inside him. “He won’t die because of a burn. Can’t you just stay longer and check up on the captive?”

Anyone who could work with a mad scientist like Einstein should be fearless. To someone who lived with a psychopath, a burn should only feel like an ant's bite. If they could not even deal with such small problems, there would be no place for wimps in the famiglia.

Sensing Ignatius’ unspoken thoughts, Ivan patted the hand still holding onto his arm. “She will be fine. You’re here with her. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Fighting with himself, Ignatius finally loosened his grip. “Fine.”

He could not help but glance slightly guiltily at Leona. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be in this sorry state. Ivan was not obligated to stay with her and ensured that she recovered. That was his responsibility.

Giving Ignatius some time alone with the mysterious woman, Ivan called the guards at the door away. After receiving Ignatius's call, the underboss rushed here and missed his breakfast. Deciding to take a break and have his brunch in the dining room, Ivan pulled everyone on duty away and closed the door behind him.

Ignatius stayed beside his sleeping beauty and appreciated the space Ivan created for him. The mafia boss stared at Leona, wondering what she was dreaming about with furrowed brows. Was she having a nightmare? Should he wake her up?