“Are you well enough?” Niki asked. “I am more than capable of going alone. I hardly require a chaperone.” The last was said with a huff of annoyance.
My grin was automatic. “Oh, Niki. It’s cute how you think I’ll let you out of my sight.” I flipped my tails and added a touch of swagger as I opened the door and headed to the garage. Predictably, Niki was right behind me. Far from annoying, I found his dissenting grumbles amusing. Without a doubt, following Niki to California was one of the best decisions of my long life.
Thirteen
Nikodemus
How did all hospitals, no matter their location, smell the same? And why was it so unpleasant? It was possible that no matter what the scent, one would find it off-putting simply due to the fact that it represented somewhere no one wanted to be. That scent was attached to misery and loss. Maybe it was a good thing the smell was unique. Otherwise, individuals would be triggered by the scent memory alone.
“Elevators are odd,” Hikaru mused. He’d absorbed his tails into his body, his description, not mine, and appeared far more human than his typical form. I could reluctantly admit that I missed the tails and tufted ears. Even Hikaru’s claws were gone, replaced by dull, humanoid nails. When I’d inquired about the change, Hikaru had shrugged and said now wasn’t the time to draw unnecessary attention. I’d found the statement strange considering Hikaru seemed to thrive on attention.
“How so?” I asked, unsure why Hikaru found this mode of transportation odd.
“They are small.” He gazed up at the ceiling, head tilted. “And this one seems questionably supported.” The handful of humanssharing our elevator space shifted uncomfortably, throwing worried glances over their shoulders.
“I believe the engineering has been proven sound,” I answered, attempting to calm the growing concern. The elevator stopped, its doors opening and allowing our human companions to scramble out. No one new entered.
“Ah, that’s better.” Hikaru leaned against the wall, a self-satisfied smirk tilting his lips.
I blinked as realization settled. “You did that on purpose.”
Hikaru shrugged. “It was too crowded. Now we have more space.” As if to prove his point, Hikaru spread his arms and did a little twirl.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered.
“What? It wasn’t that bad. Besides, taking the stairs never hurt anyone.”
I didn’t bother arguing that some had physical maladies that made stairs difficult or unsafe. My words would fall on deaf ears and some arguments simply weren’t worth the waste of breath.
Our elevator came to another stop at the seventh floor.
“This is us,” Hikaru said, barely waiting for the doors to open before stepping into the hallway beyond. I was starting to feel as if I were constantly following the kitsune. Hikaru was so eager. He often leaped before he looked. One of these days, that trait was going to get him into trouble.
“7153.” Hikaru stared down at the little piece of paper in his hands before glancing at the placards on the wall pointing us in the appropriate direction. Practically skipping down the hall, Hikaru took off toward the right. His dramatic wave as we passed the nurses station made me wonder how he thought that action was in keeping with a low profile. The nurses at the desk gave him a puzzled but fond wave. Those soft gazes grew warry when I walked past.
Unlike Hikaru, I couldn’t change my form. Warlocks were large, looming, and had presence. It was simply the way we were made. Humans often found us intimidating.
“Hurry up, Niki!” Hikaru was several feet in front of me, bouncing on the balls of his feet toward the end of the hall. “He’s in here.” Hikaru’s head tilted to the right toward hospital room 7153.
I waited until I was close enough to hear without shouting. “This is a hospital. Show some respect and keep your voice down,” I scolded.
Hikaru blew a raspberry my direction. “You’re too straightlaced, Niki. It’s a good thing you’ve got me now to loosen you up.”
My eyebrows shot upward but, as always, Hikaru was off before I had a chance to respond. Without waiting for me, Hikaru ducked into the room holding Aaron Detling.
I entered the room with more hesitation than Hikaru. I wasn’t afraid to walk inside. I simply wasn’t sure what I’d find. Cilla’s description of Mr. Detling’s current health didn’t bode well. The vision that met my eyes supported Cilla’s earlier statements.
Aaron Detling lay in bed with an IV hooked up to his arm and at least two different bags of fluids attached. Cilla stated that Aaron had a feeding tube. While I couldn’t directly see it, the odd bulge under his blankets indicated something more was there. Aaron’s skin appeared pallid and his lips were twisted into a grimace.
“Poor guy.” I jerked at the soft, feminine voice. Eyes wide, I dumbly stared at Hikaru’s transformed figure. Gone was the male I was used to and in his place was a dark-skinned female with close cropped hair and dressed in pink scrubs.
“What in Gaia’s name are you doing?” I hissed, keeping my voice low.
Hikaru didn’t even glance my direction when he answered, “You loom enough for the both of us. Trust me, Aaron will find this form less intimidating.”
“I—” I had absolutely nothing to say. Whether intentional or not, I’d used my natural intimidation to increasingly positive effect for the last forty plus years. However, I had to admit that Hikaru was correct. Sometimes, my larger-than-life form and heavy presence did not work in my favor.
Patting and tugging at Mr. Detling’s blankets, Hikaru cooed at the human. “There, there. We’ll have you all fixed up and on your way home in no time.” Hikaru’s tone sounded genuine, and I couldn’t decide if he truly cared or if it was just an act. If it was the latter, I needed to be on guard because the kitsune was damn convincing.
