304
Matt
I did my best not to laugh, cry, or growl with frustration on the ride there. That woman was still hanging around. Moon Goddess, my ass. Instead, I asked Quillan about which Power Ranger he wanted to be. The Crescent Festival would be the day before Halloween, so we had a bit of time.
Tony pulled up to walk Quillan inside the daycare, and my communication watch chimed with a message.
Do you have time today?
I narrowed my eyes. Depends on what for?
I'm taking you to get fitted for the Festival.
I grimaced and glanced out the window. I haven't decided to go.
Do you really think that Tony isn't going to go? I was under the impression you weren't going to let him walk into that shitstorm alone.
I bit my lip. I'll check with him, but I'll need a ride, probably.
Done. I'll pick you up.
Tony got back in the car with a deep breath, resting his head on the headrest.
"That bad?"
He shook his head. "Just… Getting oddly easier and harder… I still haven't told him. "
I nodded. "I think it'll be easier to tell him after you get some more information; maybe ask for alternatives?"
"Like what?"
I looked out the window. "Maybe a restraint."
"A what?"
"I've been thinking about it," I said. "Probably all this training and stuff, but if the virus is killing her, maybe because she was already so weak when she was turned, maybe restraining it and healing her the rest of the way would work."
I looked at him. I could see that woman, whatever her real name was, sitting behind Tony, whispering to him. I didn't know exactly what she was saying or what he heard, but it didn't matter.
He cranked up the car, his brow furrowing.
"You think so?"
She looked surprised. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me, though I pretended not to see her.
"I think it's worth a shot."
And hell, maybe, just maybe, it would work.
Tony drove me to Yellow Ridge and parked. I almost laughed as he walked in with me.
"You haven't been this overprotective of me in… a long time."
Tony looked uncomfortable. The woman trailed along behind us, glaring at me.
"I think… Well, you've gotten so thin… So quickly, and…"
My lips twitched. "I know. My clothes are practically falling off me."
"It's not funny, Matt."
"It's not. Come on. I'll even be nice and let you meet my doctor if you have enough time. Maybe you'll listen to him when he tells you that I'm recovering just fine."
He didn't look convinced. I walked in, waving at the nurse at the desk before drifting over to the kiosk to check in. Tony hovered nearby, narrowing his eyes at the kiosk. I typed in my hospital record number and hummed as my name appeared. I filled out the questionnaire, whistling almost. The woman looked almost furious.
"Since we're standing here, should I set you up one too?" I asked. "With everything going on, you probably need a check-up."
I glanced at him. "Especially with all those headaches, hm?"
He hesitated. "You think so?"
I shrugged. "Couldn't hurt. Quillan is a toddler. He definitely needs a check-up."
Werewolf children, while very resilient, weren't quite as resilient as adults.
His eyes softened. "Do… they have doctors who see kids?"
Her eyes bulged, and I grinned, flicking through the display.
"Let's take a look. Maybe I can find one who will see you both."
He chuckled. "I'm sure he'd like that."
We flipped through, and I added his and Quillan's information in and chuckled.
"Look at that, we can group our records together…"
Tony leaned closer as I linked mine, Tony's, Quillan's, and Ginevra's records together under a family account. I could see in his face how much comfort it gave him. Even if he didn't ever try to access my records, knowing that I trusted him enough to do so was going to undo a lot of that anxiety he had.
He wouldn't understand half of it anyway, and I had a feeling that it was because of whatever this woman was doing to us both.
We walked to the seats nearby, and Tony sat across from me.
"I thought you had a meeting?"
"I've got time," Tony said. "It's not until eleven."
"Anthony Chance playing hooky?" I asked. "Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?"
He scowled. "Shut up. I'm not playing hooky."
"Sure."
Tony shifted a little. The woman settled in his lap, whispering in his ear. It was kind of odd to see this ghost all over him, but I didn't say anything.
"So… this treatment. Is there an end time? Is this just the first stage?" He winced, looking around the waiting room. I could tell he was feeling antsy, but I couldn't exactly place why.
"You've… never been in a hospital, have you?" I asked.
"Of course not," he said. "Why would I need to go?"
I frowned. Didn't he remember Oren breaking his leg when we were kids? I set my jaw. The healer we'd had the time wasn't even a witch. Then again, I wasn't sure how long Tony had remained unconscious. Maybe he'd remember in time, or maybe not at all.
Instead, a tower of bright indigo hair caught my eye. I smiled and lifted my hand to wave at her. She waved back and then stopped looking between me and Tony. Before I could say a thing, she walked over.
"Nurse Greenleaf," I said.
"You're looking a hell of a lot better," she said, looking at me. Her eyes were bright and almost glowing in her face. "Amazing what some proper meds can do, isn't it?"
I laughed. "Yeah. I guess. This is my brother, Anthony, Tony, for fun."
"Anthony…" Arwen said, offering her hand to him. The woman glared at her, too, as Tony shook her hand. "I've yet to meet an Anthony I haven't liked. I've heard a lot about you from Matt. I hope you're planning to keep an eye on him."
"I've been trying."
Arwen snorted. "Not hard enough."
She looked at me. "I'll see if Dr. Mountainheart can get a move on." She looked back at Tony. "Are you staying for the appointment?"
"If I have time," Tony said. Something in his pocket chimed, and he winced. "Actually… it seems like I don't."
He sighed and stood. "I'll come get you around lunch if you need a ride."
"Before you go," I said. "Are you… planning to go to the Festival?"
He blinked and winced. "I… Well, I sort of have to, don't I?"
"Why would you have to?" I asked.
"Business," he said vaguely. "Blue Moon…"
He frowned as the words came out of his mouth. Before I could say anything, a woman stormed over. She looked like an older version of Ginevra, dragging a suitcase along with her. Her eyes were narrowed into sharp points.
"Anthony Chance!"
My gut lurched as she drew back. Tony turned. Arwen gasped as she decked Tony in the face, making his face snap to one side.
Oh, shit.
He turned back slowly, revealing the trickle of blood from the scratch on his face. I bet it stung like hell. Her ring had to be silver.
He growled. "Who the fuck—"
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" She asked. "Three years? Three fucking years, and you think you have the right to do this to me? To us? To Quillan?"
I jumped up, stepping between them, hands up. "Miss, I can see that you're upset, and I'm pretty sure you have every reason to be, but if you could calm down, just long enough to tell us what your… personal grievance against my brother is?"
She sneered at me. For a moment, I wondered if she was going to punch me, too.
"Your brother is a piece of shit," she spat. "I don't give a damn how much money he and your family have. He doesn't have the right to keep me from my sister. You’re lucky I haven’t gone to the fucking press!"
I blinked. "Sister?"
"Nora," she growled. "Ring a fucking bell?"
I blinked and looked up at Tony, whose eyes went wide. The anger had mostly vanished from his face.
"Ginevra's sister," he said, his voice haunted. "I… I hadn't even…"
I winced and turned back to her. "Nora, I promise that it wasn't intentional."
She snarled at me. "Not intentional that I can't see her? What the fuck else could it be?"
I bit my lip. "It's a bit of a story, but it can be fixed immediately, alright? Just…take a deep breath, and let's talk. If you don't, there's a good chance you'll be thrown out, and that's definitely going to make it harder for you to see Ginevra."
Her jaw wobbled.
"And that's what you want, right?"
Her eyes glossed over, and the anger on her face seemed to soften. Her shoulders slumped. I could see the rim of red around her eyes and the darkness in them.
She looked exhausted, and I looked back at Tony, who seemed to be at a loss.
The poor, helpless sod.
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