Chương 10: 010

2021 The scent of antiseptic clung to the air in my clinic, sharp enough to sting the nose. Painfully white walls and floors reflected the overhead lights, broken only by the splashes of color I'd added. Painted animals mid-leap, forests frozen in perpetual sunlight... A flimsy attempt to soften the edges of a place commonly associated with fear and death. Judging by the way my current patient squirmed on the bed, it hadn't helped much.

Anna pressed into her father's side, dark eyes darting across the room like a cornered animal. Her small hands twisted the hem of his shirt, knuckles white. There's only so much you can do to make a hospital child-friendly, Karma murmured at the back of my mind. It's worked for dozens of other kids. Don't write it off as a failure. True. And Anna's situation had been especially rough. She sniffled, rubbing at her reddened eyes before finally glancing my way. When she spoke, her voice trembled.

"I don't like it when I can't breathe." I've yet to meet someone who does, kid. Pushing the thought aside, I bent until we were eye level, ignoring the answering twinge in my back. No matter how many years passed, that injury refused to be forgotten. A flicker of irritation sparked, then vanished as Karma sighed. It's to be expected. That piece of shit did serious damage. Focus. You've got a kid to soothe. Right, right. I smiled gently.

"Well, with your new inhaler, you should have a much easier time with that." I nudged it closer. She grabbed it immediately, curling it to her chest like a lifeline and giving a tiny nod. Her father finally spoke, voice tight.

"Thank you. I-I didn't know what to do. Without insurance-." I raised a hand.

"We'll talk payments later. For now, I think someone has been very brave and deserves a lollipop." I glanced at him.

"If that's alright with you?" Anna's head snapped toward him, eyes wide. He nodded, the copper tone to his skin still a few shades too pale even as he cracked a smile.

"Yeah, she's earned it after this mess." I reached into my coat and produced a lollipop with a flourish.

"Here you go." Her smile was small, but real. She murmured a thank you and popped it into her mouth, shoulders easing as she melted back into her father's side. I kept watching her anyway. The inhaler had done its job, no lingering wheeze, no signs of distress, but experience had taught me not to trust relief too quickly. Her dark curls were braided neatly, fingers worrying the end of it as if a question hovered just beyond her courage. When silence stretched for a beat and she didn't ask, I cleared my throat.

"If there's something you want to know, you can ask. I won't get angry." She stiffened, surprise there and gone, before glancing at her father again. He nodded.

"Go on." She twiddled her worn shoes together and muttered, barely above a whisper.

"Can daddy have one too? He likes strawberry." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He cleared his throat, waving it off.

"There's no need-." I was already holding out another lollipop.

"Of course he can." He opened his mouth to argue, but I continued smoothly.

"I'd say you both earned a treat after today's scare." He hesitated, then took it with a quiet, "Thanks." His free hand never left her back, rubbing slow circles, then stilling, feeling her steady breathing. Given his state until now, that was an improvement. Poor guy had nearly passed out right along with Anna when he'd first come running through the doors. His kid wasn't breathing. Karma spoke, tone softer now. That's a damn good reason to nearly faint. I wouldn't be any better in his place.

But now that the danger had passed, it was time to help them both relax. Anna's gaze drifted past me to the wall of photographs. She pointed.

"Are those your kids?" I didn't need to turn to know which frame she meant.

"Nope," I said, smiling as I lifted it from the wall.

"Those are my siblings. Sort of." The photo was old, taken just before I aged out of the system. The group home loomed behind us, a dozen kids piled around me. One clung to my arm. Another scaled my back like I was a jungle gym. It was one of the few pictures I'd allowed to be taken of me since the court case, and I was smiling, though the bags under my eyes stood out like beacons against pale skin. Given how little I'd slept after that mess, it was a miracle I hadn't looked like a raccoon for the photo.

Shaking that aside, I traced a finger over the photo and smiled, a pang of loss twisting through me.

"I had a lot of them over the years." Her father shot me a look rife with understanding, and she smiled.

"That sounds like fun! I don't have any siblings, Mama got sick when she had me, but I've always wanted some." I took the picture back and put it on the wall.

"You'll probably meet a lot of people who become your siblings as you grow up. They don't have to be related to you for it to count." Karma's laugh ghosted to the surface. And to think, you used to argue you weren't a brother. You've come so far! Not the time for 'I told you so'. I reminded. I should be done here soon if you want to talk more. She didn't respond, content now that she'd made herself known. Facing them again, I went on.

"If you'll come with me, sir? We'll sort out a payment plan." I flicked on the small TV and tuned it to the nature channel. Wolves padded silently across the screen. Anna's attention snapped to it instantly. He kissed her forehead and stood.

"I'll be right outside." She didn't look away from the screen, contently distracted with the show and her lollipop. I closed the door behind us and gestured to a chair.

"Now then, introductions. I'm Nik."

"Dennis," he said, shaking my hand.

"And thanks for taking her. I tried calling the other clinic nearby but they refused to even talk to me without insurance." If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard that, I would have more money than those fancy offices on main street…

"It's alright," I said quickly.

"We'll find something that works. I know how tough it is to cover hospital bills when you're on a low budget." He nodded, pulling in a breath to respond. A shrill scream cut through the air, sending ice shooting through my veins. That…had been Anna.