“Star!”
There was Mrs. Tina in the doorway, her arm waving vigorously, her smile almost splitting her face in half. Her magnificent green hair bobbed as if it were saluting me, too. Like Teresa, she practically lived in the hospital. A werewolf lady without a medical background, she had been volunteering here for a couple of years and was as sweet as the apple pies she baked for us. Since I missed my grandparents so much, she was serving as a replacement until I could get to Scotland for a visit.
Mrs. Tina’s mate had passed away a few years ago, although thankfully, she had children and grandchildren to ease the scary void caused by the loss of her true love. While she still wore black to mourn him, she’d now taken to dying her hair different colors to express herself. Today happened to be green.
She also lived outside her original pack, Dark Diamond, near the forest close to the children’s hospital, which treated both human children and were-kids—or at least those were-kids young enough to have not yet had their first transformation.
“Mrs. Tina, how are you today?”
“My end is near. My legs are creaking like an old floorboard riddled with holes.” Yet she hurried to me, hence disproving herstatement. I doubted the end was near for someone who could run like that without getting out of breath.
Arching an eyebrow, I offered my elbow to her as we moved through the big room together.
“Star, you’re such an apple pie!” Mrs. Tina smothered down the tail of her black scarf. “I know I’ll just mummify alone. That’s fine.” Her shoulders slumped. “Last night, I only had some old bread for dinner.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Mrs. Tina, I remember you telling Teresa how you had fresh venison and your neighbors’ berry sauce waiting for you.”
She looked at me like a deer in headlights, probably the same way her own dinner had looked at her before it was killed.
“Damn werewolf ears.” She cursed like the sailor she tried not to be in front of me. “True, but then I was hungry again. And I just had old, measly, stale bread from the day before!” She covered up her lie like it was nothing. “Would you be an apple pie and help me out tonight? I only have the pain in my leg and loneliness for company.”
Guilt overwhelmed me. I wrapped my arms around her tightly. “Of course! I have the night shift for my practice tonight, but I can swap with Tiziano and cover his next one.”
“Oh no, I lied,” she deadpanned. No trace of remorse. “I justreallyneed you to meet my boy,” she pleaded, with that calculating look of hers. “It could improve my health! And my boy’s always so busy with that unnecessary training of his!” Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Why does he have to do all that?”
Was that question meant for me?
I opened my mouth.
“Isn’t he bloated with enough muscles already? What could he possibly do with more?”
I smiled.I guess not.
“And tonight, he remembered he has a granny and promised to come eat some old bread with me! And elk. I got some for him.”
Her grandson featured in all her conversations, and she tried to introduce me to him on at least a daily basis.
I moved to the second child with an alcohol wipe. Cleaned the area on his arm to get a blood sample. Inserted the needle into the vein above the left elbow, right where an old needle scar was and always would be.
“I just think you two are perfect for each other!”Here we go again.Next, she’d mention flower arrangements and bridesmaid dresses. “Your pups could win the Pup Beauty World Contest!”
She cupped her mouth, so the children couldn’t hear her, and whispered, “He’s really handsome, Ivy. Two girls came to my house to look for him and ask questions about his whereabouts!” Her shoulders shook with laughter. “My poor boy forbade me to talk about his business with all his girlfriends ever again! You see, I gave them his number!”
I doubted they were friends with her grandson, or at least not in the way she meant. I offered her my elbow, and we strolled down the hall together again. As I passed through the rooms, checking and taking notes, she was by my side all the way, handing me tools, jotting down data, or just chatting with the children.
Rudolph disturbed my mind, or tried to, and I felt a strange urge to check my phone. Had he texted me again? Then again, why would he?
“You could knock some sense into my Lolo. You’re exactly what that poor boy needs!”
I shook my head, checking the IV level.
“You want me to babysit him, Mrs. Tina?”
“Whatever you do in your married life is fine with me.” Her shoulders slumped. “Goddess knows he needs some love. His mom was a human…for a time, at least. Couldn’t bear life with wolves and ran away, leaving my poor son and grandchildren all alone.”
Tragedy. It happened all too often.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, I was glad to spot a spark of warmth in her eyes. Never underestimate the power of small gestures. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Tina. I hope your family’s recovered.”
