Bloodlines Ch.04

"It looks most impressive, Steven. I almost thought I was in a hospital at first."

"Ah, yes, we decided it was easier to go for a familiar look as quite a few of our staff also work shifts at the local hospital. The patients usually do not see this corridor as the rooms' main entrance are from the other side of the building. Let me give you a quick tour before the staff meeting in twenty minutes."

Steven led him down the corridor and showed him the various rooms along one side, storages, break room, toilets and so on, all for staff only. At the observation post he could see a double row of monitors showing the treatment rooms' interiors, most inhabited by what Garth assumed must be the patients. At his look, Steven elaborated.

"Yes, we have cameras in every room to better survey the patients, both during therapy sessions and when they are alone, to prevent them from harming themselves, mostly. It is all consensual; of course, they are informed of the cameras upon admittance." Garth only nodded, seeing the sense of that precaution.

"I assume the cameras have proven their relevance?" He asked.

"Yes, not two days ago we prevented a suicide in the middle of the night. They have saved an untold number of lives over the years." Steven seemed quietly satisfied at that, which made sense, Garth thought.

After the brief tour, Steven led them to the staff room, where the morning briefing was. Garth sat on the front row, off to the side farthest from the door after helping himself to a cup of surprisingly good coffee. All the equipment he had seen appeared to be more or less new and of excellent quality. Coupled with the choice of coffee, he decided a medical profession was not an unattractive option, at least not when it came to money.

A number of doctors, nurses and administrative staff filed in over the next few minutes, and soon the room was close to full, with only a few seats remaining empty. Steven began the meeting by introducing Garth as a new recruit of The Organization to nods of approval from several in the room. Their approval increased markedly when Steven told about his involvement in Alex Summers' recent breakthrough. Garth struggled to contain a smile at the praise.

Next, Steven informed them that Garth would be joining in therapy sessions in the clinic, as an observer first, and later taking active part if any of them judged him ready to do so. He then introduced the two other senior psychiatrists who would be part of his training, Dr. Smith and Dr. Sievert. They both nodded to Garth in acknowledgement as they were introduced to him.

The rest of the meeting was a lengthy report on the status of the various patients, fifteen in total at current, and their ailments ranging from severe depression to complete mental breakdowns, the patient in a near catatonic state. Steven concluded the meeting with a division of tasks to the staff, assigning Garth to follow Dr. Sievert on a tour of the least severe cases.

The rest of the day flew by in a flurry of activity, one patient after another as Garth watched how Dr. Sievert, then later Dr. Smith, expertly and deftly manipulated the patients' emotions during the day. They were constantly modulating emotions at all times, both during routine checkups and later in therapy. They were both very skilled at their work, both as psychiatrists and neuropaths, Garth decided, though neither were close to Steven in finesse and skill. He also noted, with a certain amusement, that neither of the two senior nor the three junior doctors limited their manipulations to the patients; all were tweaking some of the nurses throughout the day as well. They were not overt, but judging from the looks some of the nurses cast back, it was a common occurrence. It did however lead to a quite distinctly charged atmosphere in the staff areas.

Garth was not in the least surprised when one of the junior doctors led a voluptuous nurse into the far storage room for a lunch break. Their emotions clearly showed their intentions, and the nurse laughed softly as the young doctor swatted her ass as she passed in front of him.

"I do not discourage relationships between my employees," Steven said softly from behind him. "So long as they stay professional when with the patients, and not slack around on the job, I have found that not only levity is conducive to a healthy work environment." Garth noted the gleam in Steven's eyes as he finished.

"Have you had time for lunch yet?" He asked, and Garth shook his head. "Will you take lunch with me? We can talk a little about what you have learned and I will answer any questions you have."

They walked to the break room, helping themselves to some sandwiches and sparkling water. Over lunch, Garth told about his first round with the patients, how he had watched as Smith and Sievert used their power in combination with pharmaceuticals and other forms of therapy. Steven smiled at Garth's mention of the difference in skill ha had observed.

"That is why I am the boss," Steven said confidently. "False modesty aside, I am one of the very best at my particular line of work." Garth believed him.

"Now, I want you to sit in on a few more therapy sessions today, and I want you to start visualizing how to control the flow of your powers, both the intensity and how to separate the flows to modify several emotions at once. It will be a good exercise to prepare for next week. Come Monday morning, I mean to have you try your hand at a patient." Garth beamed at the prospect, very pleased that Steven judged him ready so far ahead of expectations.

"Should you wish to practice a little beforehand, several of the nurses are more than happy to receive your attentions. I have been approached by two already who said, in no uncertain terms that they would be happy to act as test subjects for you. Just keep in mind that some of our staff are married and not to be manipulated. You can view it as a test of your merit if you can point out the two nurses to me by tomorrow afternoon." Steven winked at him as he rose to leave. "I do not mean to presume, given the apparent nature of your relationship with Miss Frei, but I remember how it is to be young and new to the Power. Should you wish to pursue, certain activities, with my staff, I only ask that you do not over-exert your power, and never around patients or outsiders. Happy hunting!"

Garth spent the rest of the day trying to get a good feel for all the younger nurses, the older ones all had marriage rings on their fingers. He wanted to have a feel for their baselines before he would start looking for his would-be test subjects the next day.

At four thirty, he all but stumbled through the door to the beach house, hardly having the energy to do much more than eat a quick supper and fall into the sofa with a cold beer. Erica sat down on her knees in front of him and unzipped his fly, fishing his limp cock out and taking it into her mouth. After a few minutes she gave up and sat back on her heels, frowning at Garth's closed eyes and gentle snore.

Erica sighed to herself, annoyed yet sympathetic as she watched Garth sleep on the couch. She took the half-full bottle of beer from him before it spilled and sat down next to him. She had been ready for him to punish her for all her transgressions throughout the day! How unfair of him to be so tired, falling asleep as she sucked his cock, even. She contemplated her options, which were not many. Garth was obviously in no state to give her any satisfaction today, and Elsa had left that morning after using her talented tongue to give Erica a string of orgasms first. Ever the good host, Erica had of course returned the gesture. They had even made a few plans for the coming beach trip. Garth was in for a little surprise. That meant little here and now though.

Without exactly meaning to, Erica let the cold bottle slide down and connect with her exposed nipple. She was not even sure if Garth had noticed she was completely naked. How rude! Her hardening nipple drew her focus back to her own body and its needs. She sighed in pleasure as the cold sent shivers down her spine, collecting in a titillation in her pussy. She drew a finger slowly across her pussy lips, smiling at the sticky strand of juice that trailed it as she tasted herself. An idea struck her and she finished the beer in three quick gulps before gripping it by the neck.

Erica moaned softly as her labia parted and her lips stretched as the base of the bottle slid inside her wet pussy. She pinched a nipple savagely and reveled in the pain and started to slowly fuck herself on the empty bottle. Her juices slicked the bottle until it became a struggle to hold on to it, but she tightened her grip and increased the pace. She looked down and saw how the clear green bottle gave her a view of her insides as her pussy stretched around the slender bottle. She watched in fascination as her lips slid back and forth along the glass, flaring out and pulling back in as she moved it in and out of herself. Her orgasm was getting close and her breathing became ragged as the bottle flew in and out. Suddenly she hit the top and stiffened as her body shook with convulsions, her pussy squeezing the bottle so hard she could almost imagine she heard cracks form. Just before she too collapsed in an exhausted sleep next to Garth, she heard a clinking sound as the bottle tumbled from her and bounced on the carpet.

Sometime later in the night, it was dark outside, she woke to movement around her, as strong arms gripped her and gently lifted her from the couch. Garth's scent filled her nose as she nuzzled against the coarse hairs on his chest and languished as he carried her into their bedroom. He put her gently down and slid in behind her, then drew the cover over their bodies. Erica's final sensation as she drifted off to sleep again was of Garth's finger slowly and methodically caressing her soft pussy lips from behind and she fell asleep with a satisfied sigh.

Garth continued to gently stroke her pussy slowly as he watched her emotions ebb into sleep. He slid a finger carefully inside her and drew it out again, tasting her sweet nectar. His cock woke a little and hardened, though not all the way, he was way too tired for that right now. He slid his almost-stiff cock in between her cheeks and pressed the head gently against her tight opening, feeling the slick lips part slowly as his cock slid a little inside her. Garth fell asleep like that as well, halfway inside her and a firm grip on one of her breasts.

They both woke to the gray of dawn, neither having moved at all. Garth's cock had risen on its own accord, growing to full hardness inside her, and as he arched his back he slid all the way inside her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the intimacy, not speaking, just murmuring softly as he slowly began fucking her from behind. He felt her fingers brush his shaft as she started rubbing her clit and moaning softly. As her pussy began to contract around him in orgasm, he grunted and filled her as his own orgasm rolled over him like a slow wave. They both fell asleep like that again, only to be woken a while later by his alarm.

Garth had a definitive spring in his steps as he walked to the clinic that morning. He was freshly showered and shaved, his balls pleasantly empty after he and Erica had taken their time in the shower. He thought about how much his life had changed over the recent weeks and decided life was definitely good to him. Excitement at the prospects in his near future, and a little apprehension at it as well, filled his mind as he walked. His feelings towards Erica were deepening, and he was quite possibly falling in love with her, he thought analytically. Then he chided himself for going about it in such a rational fashion and shrugged the introspection off. Erica had been quite clear that she was in no way ready to bind herself to anyone, and Garth did not relish the idea either; there were way too many possibilities he had yet to explore.

He shifted his thoughts to the day ahead, both the therapy sessions and opportunities to learn more about his power, as well as the hunt for his would-be test subjects. Although Steven had not said so aloud, Garth was quite certain the testing of his powers gave promise of more fun to come.

He began methodically going over what he had seen and sensed from the various nurses the day before, narrowing down the list of probable women to four. Next, he started formulating a plan for how to find out which two Steven had meant.

After a brief meeting with Steven to go over the day, Garth was off with Dr. Sievert again, going through rounds to the same patients as the day before. Dr. Sievert questioned him about his thoughts regarding their change from the day before, helping point out what could be attributed to drugs and what to Neuropathy. Garth excelled at the questioning, drawing upon his experience with Alex Summers to point out what he thought was drugs and not. Dr. Sievert was not one to praise much, but Garth had the distinct impression he was surprised at Garth's insight. On one occasion they walked by one of the junior doctors as he was treating a patient, and Garth was surprised to see the flows he wielded; he was quite sure he would manage just as well. He kept that to himself, though, not wanting to come across as boasting before he had a chance to prove himself.

Garth sat down in the break room with a cup of coffee between two sessions, thinking about what he had learned, when two nurses walked in, apparently also taking a quick break. They were talking softly as they helped themselves to some coffee, both smiling pleasantly at him as they walked past and sat by the windows.

Both were on his list of four potential subjects. Their name tags proclaimed them to be Tina and Lucie. Both appeared to be a few years older than him, in their mid-twenties at most. They were both lovely if not quite beautiful, Lucie with a slim body and Tina a little heavier, though only by comparison.

Garth popped open his box of capsules and downed two with a sip of coffee. He started sputtering and coughing as he inhaled a little of the coffee, doubling over a little by the small table. Both nurses were at his side in a rush to help, and he smiled a little that his ruse had worked. Concern, a hint of Alarm and Focus were at the forefront of their emotions, he saw. There was also a prominent spike of Interest, Curiosity and, to Garth's surprise, Arousal. Especially from Lucie. On an impulse, he spread his power out to them both, a little astonished himself at the sheer number of flows he used. Where before he had to use a wave to reach that many emotions, he was now sending forth an array of separate threads, all very fine and tightly controlled. Nowhere near what the senior doctors or Steven did, of course, but considerably more controlled than he had seen the junior doctor use just minutes before. Very carefully he began modulating them both, again a little surprised at how effortless it was, almost as if he was handling dozens of fishing rods at once, raising and lowering all individually.

He tried to just get a feel for their emotions first, not really adjusting anything, just testing and sensing their willingness to yield to his touch. There was a certain amount of resistance that varied, both between individual emotions and between the two women. Garth had not been able to detect this before, at least not consciously, but now he could clearly feel it. Experimentally, he pulled a little harder on Arousal in both of them. Lucie responded easily, her emotion rising slightly at his pull, while Tina was more or less unaffected. Wanting to test a theory, Garth looked at Tina and asked for a glass of water, putting an extra note of gruffness in his voice and tried to look worse than he felt. As soon as she turned to get it for him, he looked Lucie straight in the eyes and pulled on her Lust firmly, wanting to make it obvious to her, at least if she was expecting it.

Her reaction was instant; eyes widening a little, her nostrils flaring a little as she drew in a short, sharp breath. Then her eyes narrowed a little and a wicked smile spread across her lips. She waggled a finger at him, and she mouthed 'naughty' at him. Garth gave her his best smile and was rewarded with a completely natural spiking of Lust. He was a little surprised he could not see any sign of her obviously hard nipples, though that could just be because of a padded bra. The exchange was over in seconds, and by the time Tina came back with a glass of water, he had stopped his pulling on Lucie, just maintaining the connection.

Garth never noticed Steven as he observed the exchange from the doorway.

Two more patient sessions followed before lunch, and Garth was beginning to become quite convinced he would not be judged harshly for exerting his power openly a little. He was certainly not going to embarrass himself at least, judging from what he had seen the doctors do with their power throughout the day.

The final two nurses on his list were at the lunch, he saw. They were part of a group of five with Lucie and two others he had not seen the day before. He settled himself alone where he could see the group clearly and began to eat his sandwich. After a few minutes he opened himself to the well of power and sent fort a small amount of threads towards the five. He latched onto a selection of emotions he could see, a few in each, and just established contact. Dr. Sievert looked at him intently and nudged Dr. Smith with his elbow to get his attention. Garth saw the exchange and nodded to them, seeing their eyebrows rise a little at his casual show of skill. Little did they know he had used more than three times the amount of flows earlier. No point in showing off too much, however, this was not about them anyway.

Garth began by very slowly pulling on random emotions in all five of them, getting the same feel of different resistances, noting with satisfaction that Lucie was still very much susceptible to his touch. The other four gave off varying degrees of response, but one was decidedly easier to get a rise from. He could not read her name tag, but it was a name beginning with S, he saw. She was quite tall, blonde with long hair in a loose ponytail and nothing short of stunning. He could not judge her body apart from that it seemed to be quite average as she sat. His cock lurched at the prospect of fucking her throat while he pulled her long hair.

Satisfied that he had with a reasonable amount of certainty identified his two prospective test subjects, he switched all his flows to Lucie in a smooth motion. Sievert and Smith were whispering and looking his way, obviously tracking his flows as he exerted his power on the, as yet, unsuspecting Lucie.

Garth ate methodically as he focused on his flows, managing to make them ever so slightly more gentle as he began pulling on her emotions, deciding to prime her for future exploits. Lucie did not look his way, but Garth could easily see how she began to squirm a little, her hands gliding up and down her thighs, her breathing a little deeper. He kept a steady, gentle pull until he was quite sure she was feeling thoroughly horny and aroused. A firm pull on her Lust caused her to double over quickly and snap her head his way, an incensed look in her eyes as they met his. She covered the motion with a cough, but her eyes were locked on his, smoldering and full of unspoken promise. Garth gave her another bright smile and winked, then cut off the flows abruptly. Lucie sagged and had to feign another cough to cover herself.

Garth rose smoothly, covering his bulge with the tray, then walked passed the stunned senior doctors and winked at them.

The rest of the day passed in another rush of consults and brief lectures with the two senior doctors. Garth could sense they had an increased respect for him after his display. The downside was, of course, that they now demanded much more from his answers as they asked and probed. He passed both Lucie and Sofia, he found out later, making sure to briefly, but carefully, connect with their Lust in what he came to think of as something between a nod and a swat to the rump. Sofia seemed to be unaware, but Lucie had his number, so to speak. She did not look displeased in the least.