FRIDAY, I drove to the address Alexis had given me. It was in an area I wasn’t familiar with, and it took me a few minutes to find. I parked on the street, noticing the house was well cared for and blended into the neighborhood. I followed the front path and knocked on the front door. 

Hank answered, “Nickie. Alexis is in the clinic, it’s around back.” He stepped out the front door and pulled it closed. “Here, let me show you.” He led me along the walkway toward the driveway to a gate on the side of house. Opening it, he stepped through and held it open for me before letting it swing shut. We followed a stone path that led up to the guest house. 

Hank opened the door. “Alexis!” he shouted as I followed him inside. 

“In here!” 

“She’s in the lunch room. Come on, I’ll show you.” He led me down a hallway. Almost to the end of the hall, I spotted Alexis through an open doorway. She sat at a small table sipping from a cup. The scent told me it was an herbal tea. 

“Look who came to the door,” Hank said. 

“Oh, good. I was wondering when you would get here,” Alexis laid her hand on top of Hank’s where he stopped behind her and dropped his hands to her shoulders. She rubbed her cheek against his hand. “Thanks for bringing her around, dear. I was just thinking about what to do today should we get lucky and no one come in. Can I interest you in some tea or coffee, Nickie?”

“I’m good.” I smiled at their obvious affection.

“Where’s Caden?” Hank asked.

“He called, he’s running late but should be here soon.”

“Good. If the two of you are good, I’ll take off,” Hank said. “If Caden doesn’t show in the next thirty minutes, I want to know.”

“I’m sure he’ll be here, but if he isn’t, I’ll call.” Alexis stood and kissed Hank. “Thanks for bringing Nickie out, dear. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, babe. Have a good day,” Hank said and then left. 

“Is there somewhere I can put my purse?” I asked.

“Here, put your purse in this cabinet, next to mine. I’ve never had any problems.” 

I stuck my purse inside and turned back to her, ready to start the day. 

“Now what?”

“How about a tour? It’s a long one, you might want to take notes,” she grinned. “This is the break room slash lunch room. This fridge is the one used for food. Should you bring a lunch, this is where it goes. Put your name on it though, anything without a name is fair game.”

“I’ll remember that.”

“Across the hall is the bathroom, not the best place but it’s what we have so we make it work. The last room at the end of the hall is an old bedroom, which we’ve mostly left alone, it’s mainly used for the occasional patient who needs to spend the night. That doesn’t happen often but does occasionally with some of our slower healers. That room has a private bath, with a shower if you need one while working.

“We have two exam rooms, one on each side of the hall, they’re standard exam rooms but better stocked. There are a lot of things in here more commonly found in emergency rooms; splints, sutures, larger bandages, that kind of thing.

“We keep basic records, but nothing in depth. Just a history in case someone comes in repeatedly with the injury so we can go back over time and try to figure out what’s going on. We have an in at the local lab if we need something run, someone who will slip in samples and delete results after we’ve seen them. We’ve never had blood work from one of us turn up anything abnormal, but it’s better safe than sorry.”

“I’ve had blood work, is that going to be a problem?” 

“I asked Bill when he told us about you. I didn’t know, but he checked your test results when the tests were run. When you shifted he decided there was no reason to remove them, it would be odd for them to disappear now.”

“The pack’s been watching me that long?”

“Not the whole pack. As far as I know, only a few knew anything about you. I generally deal with our contact at the lab, but I knew nothing about it until I asked.”

“Is there anything else you don’t do here?”

“For what the average Kindred needs, very little. We have an x-ray machine and an ultrasound, but for more advanced imaging, CAT scan, MRI and the sort, you’d have to go to the imaging center. Though for a fast healer, it would be a waste of time unless it’s a severe injury. Most of us don’t need more than what we have here. We don’t get cancer or most diseases, so a lot of modern medical tests are unnecessary.”

“What is it you want me to do?”

“You just need to be here. Mostly it’s just that people are here in case someone gets hurt and comes in. We occasionally do ultrasounds for pregnant pack members, but our main function is Kindred Emergency Room. We deal with wounds, broken bones, that kind of thing. Things most Kindred aren’t going to heal right away or will heal wrong without attention. We get a few walk-ins a day, rarely anything serious, though the number tends to go up when school’s out.”

“When school’s out, kids have more time to get into trouble, we always did. I’m sure Kindred kids do more dangerous things, knowing they heal faster and can take more damage.”

“That’s what I’ve decided.” A door opened in the back of the building and I looked at Alexis. 

“That’ll be Caden. He’s an enforcer. He’s supposed to be here any time I am.”

“He’s your Gabriel or Terry?” 

“Kind of, but for different reasons. Bill and Karen have Gabriel and Terry because they’re Anikitos and Alekto, their rank all but demands it. I have Caden not because I’m Harmonia, but because I’m one of the few with any healing talent, and the strongest we have. It’s a valuable talent and that’s why I’ve got Caden.”

“Does healing endanger you?” I asked.

“Not in the way you’re thinking. No one is out to get me or to hurt me on purpose. When someone is hurt, emotions run high, or their animal form steps to the forefront. An injured person could inadvertently hurt me. More often though, it’s not the patient, it’s their nearest and dearest. Caden is here to handle that so I don’t have to. I can concentrate on my patient. Sometimes though, I physically need his help. I have the strength to set most bones, but sometimes it takes two people to get the right leverage.”

“I see.” 

“Caden, there you are.” She looked past me down the hall. I turned to face him. “This is Nickie Daniels, she’s going to be spending some time with us so I can teach her to call animal forms.” Turning back to me, she finished the introductions, “Nickie, this is Caden Bradley. He is to be here anytime we are, and if he can’t be, he arranges for a replacement. The rule for me, which I’m extending to you, is you never work a shift, or go out on a healing call without an enforcer. If something happens and you get called out without me, not something I foresee, but just in case, call Bill or the Theron and request someone.” 

The man headed our way was huge, easily 6’6” with chiseled features that accented his ice blue eyes. His hair was pale blond and long enough to be pulled back into a low pony tail, but I wasn’t sure how long it was. 

“Nice to meet you, Caden,” I held my hand toward him. 

He shook my hand firmly, but without crushing it. “Nice to meet you too. You the Anikitos’ Nickie?”

“Not the way I would put it, but yeah, I guess I am.”

“How would you put it?” His deep voice was suspicious but not unfriendly.

“I don’t know. Bill’s like a second father to me, but I don’t think of myself as his.”

“Okay. You’re not rejecting the Anikitos, you just don’t automatically relate yourself to him.”

“Exactly.”

“That may change, or it may not. Being able to claim such a relationship to the Anikitos is rare and you may want to take advantage of it.”

“Taking advantage of it will make me seem weak, won’t it?”

“Maybe to some, others will think it’s smart. It depends on how it’s done and whether it’s to protect yourself or shield you from any threat that might come along. Also, if you just use it until you learn how things are done and maybe establish some of your reputation, it wouldn’t be taken as an abuse, however if you never give it up, that would be.”

“Thank you.” My mind spun with what he’d said as I turned back to Alexis. “Are we through with the tour?”

“Almost, we only have the front room left.”

“If you need me, I’ll be in the back reading,” Caden put in.

“That’s fine,” Alexis turned back to finish the tour. “You may have noticed when you came in, we have a screen in here. It’s connected to the net, and you can find pretty much anything you care to watch there. You’re welcome to read, or study, or pretty much do whatever until someone comes in. The computer on the desk isn’t connected to anything outside the building, it’s where we keep our records. We also have a room with some gym equipment if you get bored.”

“Thank you, I’ll bring something to occupy myself next week.”

“That’ll be fine. As for today, I thought we could get to know each other a little better. I’m sure Bill and Karen have done their best to ease you into the new world you’ve found yourself thrust into, but I’m willing to answer any questions you might have. Maybe things you’d rather ask someone a little closer to your own age.”

“I do have a few questions, they’re not urgent, more I’m curious and nosy,” I laughed. 

“I’ll answer what I can.”

We spent the rest of the day chatting and visiting. I asked some questions and was glad to get straight answers. She talked to me like an equal. I appreciated it. We spent some time with Caden as well, were becoming fast friends. It was nice to discover a woman among the Kindred who was near my age. One to whom I could ask all the personal and embarrassing questions.