Chapter 4 #2
“You’re one of those idiots,” a voice snarled from the doorway.
I turned, hiding my surprise and keeping a serene expression, even as irritation bubbled to the surface. An older man with ratty gray hair stood in the doorway, hunched over a walking stick. His face was twisted into a snarl.
“Healer Jenkins, I take it?” I asked coolly.
“It’s Doctor Jenkins. You’re not needed here, girl,” he growled.
My hand twitched with the urge to slap him. He was not the only medical professional in the room, and he knew it. It was too early in the morning for misogyny and prejudice to be rearing their ugly heads.
“My name is Rowan. I’m just trying to help. Research has shown—”
“Screw your research. You are comparing this boy to a common animal! These medications work well; I’ve been using them for years.”
“I disagree.” I did my best to keep my tone polite, but given the horde was struggling severely with their health, his methods clearly left something to be desired. “And, furthermore, the outcomes do not support your hypothesis.”
“Jenkins, be nice. Rowan is here by invitation of the Alphas,” Griff warned the old man as he hobbled toward the bed.
“Leah, Donald. Don’t listen to this girl. She shouldn’t be here.” He glowered at Rory’s mother, and I didn’t like how distressed the boy’s parents looked.
This is ridiculous.
“You’re a purist, aren’t you?” I asked with a quirked eyebrow.
I had encountered a few folks like this before who had explained their thinking.
A few decades ago, some old-school dragons had decided that modern medicine was the best there could possibly be, and the traditional ways of healing were obsolete.
Except, it wasn’t that black and white. Modern medicine was amazing for some things, but in others, it could actually hurt shifters.
Weighing all the options equally was the right move.
“And you’re one of those new-age healers who doesn’t understand modern medicine. I bet you didn’t even go to medical school,” he snarled.
I rolled my eyes. “I did, actually, for three years, but that’s irrelevant here.”
While I highly doubted the stubborn old dragon would consider three years of nursing education as medical school, it sure as hell was medical in my book.
We glared at each other, the energy in the room much too tense. I could already tell Jenkins was one of those men who thought his fancy degree made his word law. My visit to Griffin’s horde was already more complicated than I had hoped.
“Get out!” he shouted, his frame vibrating, eyes turning red.
I took a step back, worried he would shift in the tiny medical suite.
“Jenkins!” Griff growled, stretching to his full height, barely contained anger painted on his face.
“She’s not allowed near my patient! Get her out of here. I’ll be calling the Alphas!”
I backed away. Jenkins was dangerously close to shifting, judging by the way his body was trembling.
He may have been frail in human form, but his dragon form was likely a different story.
Worse, I worried he’d knock Rory to the floor or accidentally thrash into him in the process. Rory’s safety came first.
I looked at Griffin and shook my head, silently telling him this wasn’t the time.
“We’ll leave for now, but we will be back later,” Griff snarled, grabbing me gently by the arm and escorting me out of the room.
I was seething. While I appreciated Griffin getting me out of the situation, I couldn’t deny how pissed I was that the old man was being so pigheaded. Everything in me wanted to scream at the man for being a stubborn fool, but that wouldn’t help Rory.
“What a goddamned ass! What, because he’s got a degree, he’s more knowledgeable than the generations of healers who came before him? Are you kidding me?”
Griffin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yep. He’s a crotchety old bastard. Are you sure you know what’s going on with Rory, though?”
I dropped my head, trying to breathe. “Not a hundred percent, but I’ve had so many cases where dragons got sicker because of human meds. You guys heal so fast, usually all you need is a little herbal help.”
“Like that paste you kept shoving down my throat?” Griff asked. He’d come down with a nasty bug not long after I’d healed his physical wounds. I’d treated it with mainly natural remedies.
“Yep. I also applied honey to your wounds. Naturally anti-bacterial and no chemicals to harm you. Don’t get me wrong, modern methods of securing broken bones and stitching up wounds are amazing, but modern pharmaceutical medications contain so many synthesized ingredients that they do more harm than good in most cases. ”
Griff stepped closer, lowering his chin to meet my eyes. “So, what do you recommend for Rory?”
“A few days of rest without those medications, some root teas to help his body fight infection and gain strength, and Jenkins far, far away.”
“Leah and Donald aren’t unreasonable. We’ll talk to them. First, we need to feed you, though. Ma mentioned hash browns and bacon, and we aren’t missing that.”
I laughed, the tense mood breaking. “Still food-obsessed, I see?”
“Always.”