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“If it’ll get Dren off your back. ” Asher finished my thought as I ducked into my car. “I’ve never heard of it before, but I’ll look into it and get back to you. ”
“Thanks, Asher. ”
He performed a hand-twirling bow. “What kind of Grinch would I be if I didn’t escort lovely ladies safely to their cars?”
I gave him a wan smile and closed the door.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Most roads were empty, so hopefully the hospital would be slow. I’d noticed before my transfer to Y4 that on holidays our workloads seemed to go down. Even truly sick people would rather be at home than here.
I parked in the visitor lot and went in. Our Charlie Brown tree was slumped in the lobby, but there were some gift donations stacked beneath it, and somebody had thoughtfully added a pine-scented car freshener to its cheap ornaments and tinsel. I walked by and wound my way down to Y4.
* * *
There was a note from our nurse manager on my locker. You didn’t complete attendance of your mandatory safety class. Your new class is scheduled January 10. The date was underlined in red. I could feel the disappointment in her cursive. “I was only helping to save some guy’s life, and then covered in were-blood. Sheesh,” I said to no one as I pulled the note off my locker and shoved it into my bag. Maybe Charles and I would be rescheduled together. That would be nice. I took the knife out and settled it onto the top shelf of my locker just as Gina came into the room. She smiled as soon as she saw me.
“Merry Christmas!” She rummaged in a large red gift bag and pulled out a smaller one to give me. It said EDIE RN on the card.
I grinned for a second as I took it from her—and then realized I hadn’t even thought about getting my co-workers gifts. I should have. I’d been in denial about this entire holiday season, and now I felt like a heel. “Gina, I can’t take—”
“It’s nothing big. ” Her voice was muffled by her locker. She began humming “Up on the Rooftop. ”
I peeked inside the bag. Saran-wrapped cookies, oatmeal and chocolate chip. “Awww, Gina—”
“See? You’re welcome. ”
I teased the edge of the wrap up, and the scent of homemade cookies wafted out. “You’re awesome, Gina. ”
“I know. ” She pulled off her dirty scrubs and began pulling new ones on. “See you on the floor!” she sang after me as I left the locker room. I ducked into the bathroom to pull my hair into a ponytail in front of the mirror, my heart swelling a little bit with the spirit of the holiday.
* * *
Y4 wasn’t decorated for Christmas, but someone had found a small boom box and carols were playing.
Meaty’s head rose up as I came through the doors. “Edie! Happy holidays!” My charge nurse was a massive human being with an androgynous face and an indeterminate gender. As far as I was concerned, it didn’t matter—he/she/it had saved my life twice now, and I was pleased to see them.
“Merry Christmas yourself,” I said with a grin. I sidled up to see the assignment sheet. “Room one? I’m not a vet—”
“He’s two to one. You’re spotting Gina. Winter is strong as hell—and he’s important. The Consortium will be watching this one. ”
The Consortium was the insurance group in charge of us, some sort of HMO for the supernatural. I?
??d never seen any of their representatives, but I figured that was because I didn’t work day shift. I glanced back at the doctors’ charts behind Meaty. Room one still said NO INFO. “We know his name now?”
“Unofficially. He’s been here before. I recognize him. ” Meaty’s voice sounded unhappy about that fact. “Gina’s already getting report. Tell her he’s Karl Winter—but we’re not allowed to tell anyone else that yet. ”
“He’s seasonally appropriate at least,” I said.
Meaty snorted. “Get down the hall. ”
* * *
I hovered outside room one. Gina was getting a report from the prior shift’s vet-RN, and their spotter was inside the room, holding a tranquilizer gun. I knew what my job would be for the rest of the night.
“Psst, Lynn—” I whispered, and the gun-holding nurse looked back at me. Her back slumped in relief.
“Thank God, and it’s about time. ” She backed out of the room as I rummaged through the isolation cart outside the door, pulling on all my gear—a thin cotton smock, hair bonnet, gloves, and mask. Heat billowed out of the room, and I started sweating. It was going to be a long night.
I took the gun from her. She stretched and her back popped twice. I waved the rifle a bit into the interior of the room. “Is this really necessary?”
“Do you want to find out?” She stripped out of her gown and tossed it into the soiled linen cart. “The Domitor slows the change, but it’s not perfect. And every minute of the day the full moon gets nearer. ”
“True. ”
She caught me looking at her, instead of the patient. “Eyes on the prize there, Spence,” she said, pointing at her eyes then back into the room with two fingers. “Always keep him line-of-sight. ”
I nodded quickly, and did what I was told.
