Chapter 22
Rowan
Finally. It was time to open my clinic.
It’d taken a couple of days to get the cabin suitable for seeing patients, given the years of caked-on dust and grime.
I’d also been looking after Rory in the interim, making sure he continued to improve now that his system was clearing out all the harmful medications Jenkins had prescribed.
Thankfully, he was well and truly on the mend.
Griffin was as good as new, too, and had even been helping me move a few boxes.
I had been so focused on my little project for the past few days and trying not to dwell on Orsen’s words.
Was I truly safe? That was all I wanted, more than anything.
Could I believe it? I would think about it again and again at night, keeping me awake.
Eventually I had to shove those thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on the clinic.
Part of me expected no one to show up when I opened the doors.
Even though several dragons had expressed an interest in seeing me, they already had a healer.
Sure, the healer wasn’t exactly their favorite person, but he was their healer, nonetheless.
And everyone knew how he felt about me being here.
Only, that morning, I’d found a line of dragons waiting outside the front door, smiling or meeting my surprise with gratitude. All because of my new clinic.
“Hello, Rowan!” A dragon I hadn’t met waved excitedly as I approached.
“Morning,” I said with a smile, nodding politely.
God, there were so many of them. My heart pounded against my ribs, and I felt a distinct clamminess waft over me as I approached the entrance, ready to unlock the door and get to work, which would at least distract me from the sheer number of people here.
But I stopped. The clinic was already open. I had the key; who would have another one and just let themselves in?
Ma sat in the small reception area, greeting me with a warm smile.
Of course.
“Hello, my dear girl. I decided to come down and help you out for the first few days, ’cause it looks like you’ve got quite the line.”
“Yeah,” I replied, looking toward the door, my brows knitting together. “I thought I’d have one or two patients. But this…” I trailed off.
Ma shook her head. “Oh, honey. People haven’t been happy with Jenkins for a while. I think you’re going to be rather busy. Is that okay?”
There was a hint of worry in her tone, making my pulse noticeable in my throat again.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Well, it’s more than I prepared for, but I’m not going to turn anyone away. The entire point is to help.”
“Would you like some coffee? I had one of the boys bring over one of the fancy machines to keep you caffeinated.”
A grateful groan escaped me, my eyes closing as I nodded. “That sounds amazing. Thank you.”
She waved me off. “Go get settled in your new office. Just let me know when you’re ready for the first patient. I’ll bring you a drink shortly.”
“Have I mentioned that you’re my favorite lately?” I praised as I headed to my office, smiling and feeling much lighter.
“You have, but it’s always nice to hear it again.” Ma laughed, that warm grin on her face as she walked over to the coffee maker.
Thankfully, I was pretty much ready to see patients. It was far from perfect, but since I was just a visiting healer, I didn’t need an ultra-professional setup, with charting computers and medical equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.
There wasn’t much to prepare, so after grabbing a notepad and pen, I nodded through the window at Ma. She ushered in a patient, closing the doors behind them.
“Hi, I’m Rowan. How can I help you today?” I used my friendliest voice, gesturing at the chair opposite my desk.
The middle-aged dragon took the seat with a faint smile, his hands squeezing his hat for dear life. “Hi, I’m James. I just wanted to get a rash on my back checked out. Doc insisted it was nothing to worry about, but it’s been making work difficult. And it hasn’t gone away.”
Still wearing that practiced smile, I stood up and walked to the newly refurbished exam table. “Of course. Just hop on up here and remove your shirt, please. I’ll take a look.”
“Should I feel embarrassed that a girl is asking me to take my clothes off?” he asked, smiling.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a girl. I’ve seen everything. Nothing fazes me. Nothing,” I said, giving him a pointed look.
The dragon did as I asked, blushing slightly as he pulled his shirt off.
At first glance, I noticed two things. The rash was angry, with several red bumps, but it wasn’t oozing or releasing a strange discharge.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared contained to a single area, and it wasn’t hot to the touch.
I leaned around to face James. “Have you been using anything on this?”
He nodded. “Doc gave me a steroid cream, but it stings. I’m pretty sure it’s a poison ivy rash, but everything’s been making it worse.”
“I see. Well, steroids aren’t the best for dragons. Occasionally, they’re useful, but I find those instances are pretty few and far between.”
I moved over to my desk, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a salve I had prepared. It was basically a catch-all for the skin problems Kiki had taught me about. It used several natural anti-inflammatory herbs, which tended to work wonders when it came to rashes, scrapes, and stings.
“Here.” I handed him one of the pots. “Use this for a day or two, and if there’s no improvement, come back to see me.
It should help with the itching and allow your skin to heal.
If it does work, I can give you some extra or teach you how to make it so you’ll have some on hand if you run into poison ivy again. ”
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said with a polite smile, taking the jar from me and hopping off the table before quickly replacing his shirt.
It was always strange to hear myself being called “ma’am.” Even though it happened often enough, and terms of respect were common among dragons, particularly when I was their healer, it never felt right to have an older dragon use the term toward me.
At my desk, I quickly scribbled down a few notes: the patient's name, the issue, and what I did to treat it. After putting my pen down, I turned back to the reception area, where Ma was still happily lending a hand, and called for the next patient.
My day quickly fell into a familiar, comforting routine of seeing patients with steady efficiency and helping people heal.
Most of the horde’s issues were small. There were cuts that hadn’t healed properly because the antiseptic solution Doc had been using was too strong, preventing healing.
There were a few sniffles and tummy bugs, which I quickly dealt with.
In between patients, I focused on building my stores. There were several herb mixtures, teas, and poultices that were often used in healing, so I had a small table where I mixed all the various things and got them prepared in neat little glass bottles kept within easy reach.
As the day progressed, I began to realize just how inadequate Dr. Jenkins was.
At first, I was annoyed, but my annoyance quickly gave way to genuine anger.
Jenkins had been doing a massive disservice to his horde.
They trusted him with their health, and all he was doing was putting them in harm’s way.
If he wanted to get all “medical degree,” “real professional” with me, this would clearly be systemic malpractice.
After the third cut that simply wasn’t healing, I wanted to scream, seriously considering throwing something at the wall—or maybe Jenkins himself.
Even though the prospect was extremely unappealing, I made a mental note to discuss the situation with the Alphas as soon as possible.
They needed to be aware that their horde’s healthcare was significantly below subpar.
In my opinion, the doctor who they were funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into was a fraud.
A well-educated, arrogant fraud.
Once the flow of patients had stopped, and I was getting ready to leave for the day, I sat at my desk and wrote out a few more notes. Making sure I had a record of everything was crucial in any type of medical situation.
As I was writing the last line, a soft knock drew my attention toward the door, and I turned my head to see a young woman standing there.
She couldn’t have been much older than me, maybe in her mid-to-late twenties. Her blonde hair was woven into a neat braid, and she wore a sundress covered in daisies. If it wasn't for the deep furrow of her brow, I would have thought she was about to go to a picnic.
“Hi, I’m so sorry to disturb you. Are you still seeing patients?” Her voice was so quiet, and she pulled into herself, as if she was terrified of me.
“I can,” I replied with a smile, gesturing for her to take a seat. “What can I help you with?”
She looked uncomfortable, fiddling with the strap of her messenger bag, like she was mentally psyching herself up to enter the room. I couldn’t help but think of Jenkins. How was he talking to these dragons that made them scared to seek out medical care? Ugh, more reasons to hate that jerk.
“I won’t bite,” I promised.
She sighed deeply before striding into the room and sinking into the chair with a solid plop. “There may be no point in me talking to you, but I thought, as there was a healer here—one who is well-known—that I might as well ask about, umm, my fertility issues.”
Her tone got quiet at the end of the sentence, like she was ashamed to even say the words fertility issues.
I nodded, doing my best to keep my face calm, even as intrigue surged within me. “Yes, I heard there have been some issues with a lack of births in this horde over the last few decades. Do you have any idea why? Oh, gosh. Where are my manners? What’s your name? I’m Rowan.”
“I’m Celia.” Her voice was so soft and sweet. “And we don’t really know why. We’re all just unable to get pregnant, it seems.”
“When you say we, how many dragons are we talking about? Those unable to conceive, that is?”
She grimaced, her stare tracking down to her bag. “There are at least eight women I know who have been trying for years with no luck. Those are just the ones I’m close to. I have to imagine there are more, though.”
“Does Dr. Jenkins have a theory as to why this is happening?” I asked, doing my best to keep my tone polite and not insinuate that I thought he was a stubborn idiot.
She sighed, shaking her head. “He says our horde is just weak and needs to be stronger. He says he’s helping, giving us fertility medications, but they make us sick. Still, I know most of us take them religiously. In fact, I’ve been taking them since the day I was mated.”
“I’m sorry, since the day you were mated? Just like that? Had you even experienced fertility issues at that point?” I asked, frowning as I leaned over the desk.
Celia shook her head again, but then nodded—maybe a little overwhelmed by my questions.
“Doc likes to get anyone who is going into a relationship on fertility meds right away to increase their chances of getting pregnant. It’s standard procedure around here.
I hadn’t tried to conceive before then. My mate is Tanner, one of the enforcers. ”
“Wait. Celia, has anyone tried to get pregnant naturally, without any help, in the last few years?” A sickening feeling settled in my stomach, and that anger flared once more, forcing me to be careful with my tone and words.
Celia shook her head. “No. The birth rate was so low, and with what Dr. Jenkins had said, none of us wanted to risk it. We want a family so badly…” she admitted, her voice cracking.
I took a deep breath, trying my best to restrain myself, when what I wanted to do was storm out and give that bastard a piece of my mind.
“I’m sorry to bother you with all this. I just wondered if there was a second opinion. We all respect Dr. Jenkins. He’s been our healer for so long, but…” Celia trailed off.
I held up my hand to assuage her concerns. “You’re absolutely not bothering me. I have my own opinions on Dr. Jenkins, and I’m… trying my best to be professional.”
With my notepad open again, I quickly jotted down what I’d learned, then stopped, an idea occurring to me that I needed to follow through with.
“Celia, would you be willing to bring me the medications he’s had you taking?”
Her eyes widened, but Celia nodded quickly, determination filtering in through the worry.
“I have them in my room. I’m helping with dinner service tonight, but I can bring them to you tomorrow morning.
If that’s all right? I can also grab old bottles from the other girls using his medications, if that would help?
I haven’t got my bottle of fertility medication at the moment, I just have a few of the pills, but the doc will prescribe me more soon enough and I’ll bring it straight to you. ”
“That’s perfect and would help loads. I appreciate it so much.”
Celia nodded again, standing from her chair and walking toward the door. “Thank you for talking to me. I know we should trust Jenkins, but… well, it’s nice to have another opinion. Maybe you’ll see something he doesn’t.”
“I just might, Celia. I just might,” I assured her with a smile.
“The Alphas are really lucky to have you. If you stick around, I think you will be very well liked around here.”
I chuckled. “If I stick around, I’ll need a gym to work off all the pastries and treats Ma keeps feeding me!”
Celia bit her lip. “Well, there is an easy solution to that. Four mates means a lot of cardio… if you know what I mean. Tanner and I get a lot of good workouts in…”
“Okay, that’s enough from you!” I laughed. “Go help Ma before she tracks you down—but if you want my medical opinion, those workouts are very good, keep it up, especially if you want a family!”
“Fine, but keep it in mind…” She trailed off, gliding out of the room with a sneaky smile on her face.
On my own again, I studied my notes. First Rory, then the numerous cases of wounds not healing, and now this.
The health of the North Oak Horde was worse than abysmal, and I was starting to think I was taking on an impossible task. Luckily, I was stubborn and refused to walk away from a challenge.
Jenkins was clearly a danger to this horde. The question was… had he done it knowingly, or was he just a moron?