Chapter 5
Grayson
When Grayson awoke the following morning, it took a solid minute to figure out where in the hell he was. The mattress was far too soft, the duvet too puffy, and the sunrise…
Right… I’m in Miami.
Grayson watched pink clouds creep beyond the horizon, coloring the sea with diluted flame. He had to get up—it was his first day of work—but the bed and sky held him fast. He gave himself five more minutes to bask in the glory of his new life before rolling out from under the covers.
He spent more time than he’d like to admit at the bathroom mirror. He’d never had the luxury of putting effort into his appearance before. The fine people of Mineral Bluff would have called him a choice selection of slurs.
Today, he styled his cornsilk hair to give the illusion of volume and donned a set of baby blue scrubs that brought out his eyes.
A tentative knock rang out from Grayson’s front door.
He tossed a heat suppressant into his mouth and stuffed his feet into the brand new orthopedic shoes he’d packed in the dead of night before his family could see.
The stark white probably wouldn’t last long at the birthing center, but Grayson was desperate to wear anything other than black, gray, or camo.
He was still hopping on one foot, trying to get his heel in, when he pulled the door open.
Aureli smiled. “Rough time getting out of bed? Me too.”
He wore forest green scrubs, which complimented his bronze skin. Upon closer inspection, there were even little leaves printed across the fabric.
“Nice scrubs,” Grayson said breathlessly. He shouldered his bag and let the door fall shut behind him. “Ready for our first day?”
The two men made their way down into the courtyard between the four buildings. Jenna was already waiting, in pink, spangled scrubs and matching star earrings.
“Morning,” she mumbled. “Coffee. Need.”
“That bean stop place Jaime mentioned is on the way to the center,” Aureli said, scanning his phone. “I checked last night, because same.”
“Is Jaeyong coming?” Grayson asked.
Jenna waved a limp hand toward the road. “Lunatic went in early. First day nerves.”
A door opened behind them, and Tara popped out of building C. Her short, sleek pixie cut was artfully mussed and her scrubs were butter yellow, covered in chubby bumblebees.
“Good morning, gang!” she said. There was an unnatural bounce in her step, considering it was 7:20 a.m. “We ready to go?”
“How are you so peppy?” Jenna demanded.
“Cocaine! Now, let’s go!” Tara led the way through the complex’s little parking lot, wafting something that smelled like peonies in her wake.
“Careful,” Aureli warned. “Humanity already got the Mer hooked on caffeine, the last thing we need is for them to discover hard drugs.”
Tara snorted.
“Don’t let me order anything with whipped cream,” Jenna mumbled from Grayson’s left. “Last thing I need is a sugar crash forty minutes into training.”
Grayson laughed. “I might need you to order for me. I’ve only ever had drip coffee.”
At that, Jenna snapped to attention. “You what?”
Grayson shrugged. “No fancy coffee shops where I’m from.”
Aureli scoffed. “Heaven forbid us good country folk drink something pleasant. Black coffee and beer only, right?”
Jenna wrinkled her nose. “Disgusting. I wouldn’t last a day.”
The four nurses made their way along the sidewalk, ocean breeze rolling in from one side, and violet, alien plants landscaping the other. Grayson couldn’t help but reach out to touch a velvety, maroon leaf from a gnarled tree overhead.
“Kinda freaky,” Jenna commented, pinching a wide blade of tall, lilac grass. “But beautiful.”
“Coffee ahoy!” Tara hollered from several yards ahead.
The little drive thru had a pickup window at its center and a menu that made Grayson go cockeyed.
“There’re so many drinks!” he said. “I have no idea what half of these are!”
“Ooooh, cherry blossom cream latte—” Jenna started.
“No sugar.” Aureli reminded her.
She pushed her lower lip out in a pout.
“It’s for your own good.” Aureli gestured to the espresso section of the menu. “You like milk in your coffee, Grayson? Sugar?”
Grayson shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure. But something a little sweet sounds good.”
“How about starting off with the basics? Vanilla latte? Or hazelnut?”
Grayson perked up. “Hazelnut.”
“I want that, too,” Jenna whined. “That’s only a little sugar!”
“You’re acting like I’m the one who won’t let you have sugar!” Aureli laughed. “Fine, but you’re only getting one pump.”
“Good morning,” a sleepy voice said through the pickup window. “What can I get you?”
Tara jumped in before anyone else could speak. “Hello! Can I get two hazelnut lattes, one with half syrup, one cherry blossom cream latte, and…” She raised a brow at Aureli.
“Oh—Uh—plain latte, extra shot. But you don’t have to—”
Tara had already handed over her card and waved off the resounding protests. “We’re going to be doing this a lot. We can just take turns so the poor girl doesn’t have to take separate payments every morning. Cool?”
The barista, despite her apparent grogginess, pulled espresso shots with alarming speed. It took mere minutes for all four drinks to appear on the window’s little counter.
“Thanks!” Jenna said. “Have a nice day!” To Tara, she whispered, “Can I please, please have just a tiny sip.”
Tara handed over the strange, opaque cup. “That’s why I got it, girl.”
“I love you,” Jenna said, taking a pull on the sensible, rice starch straw. “Oh fuck that’s lethal. Quick take it away from me or it’ll be gone.”
Grayson raised his own steaming cup to his lips. It was unbelievable. Lightly sweet, creamy, and not even a hint of the sour bitterness he’d come to expect from coffee.
Aureli was watching him over the lid of his drink. “Good?”
“I’m never drinking drip coffee again.”
Despite pacing himself, the latte was nearly gone by the time their group had reached the front doors of Brighid’s Well Midwifery.
The waiting area was unlike any other medical facility Grayson had ever seen.
It was cozy, decorated like a seaside cottage with driftwood tables and antique-style chairs.
It was empty, thankfully, other than a kind-faced receptionist who stood to greet them.
“Good morning,” she said. “I’m Amari, and you must be the new hires.” She looked to be in her forties, with a puff of natural hair haloing her face.
Tara beamed back and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Tara, and this is Jenna, Aureliano, and Grayson.”
“Welcome to Brighid’s Well,” Amari said, tone bright and cheery. “Come on back and I’ll introduce you to your team lead.”
The doors opened up to a wide, well-lit hallway that more closely resembled the medical environment Grayson was used to.
Tile floors with doors on either side, though the rich wood of each door maintained the cottage aesthetic from the waiting area.
They passed four birthing rooms before the nurses’ station came into view.
Grayson’s stomach swooped at the sight of a Mer in a white coat, chatting with a second Mer over the counter. They both straightened as the group of nervous humans came to a halt in front of them.
“Everyone, this is Dr. Makma Obian and Head Nurse Rorith Weiru. You’ll be training with them today.” Amari grinned at the two Mer. “Good luck.”
Dr. Obian’s face was a shade of brown similar to Amari’s and her scales glittered a muted teal. Her ear fins flared out toward them, the membranes pale green.
“Welcome to your first day,” she said with a smile. “I will be your team lead for the next few months. May I know your names?”
The doctor spread her fins with each self-introduction. Grayson wondered what it meant.
“It is very good to meet you all,” Dr. Obian said. “You are lucky today. We do not have any patients currently, and so we may focus on training for now. Rorith will be assisting me.”
Rorith leaned back in a bizarre-looking chair behind the nurses’ station. It appeared to be pumping water through the backrest and seat. His scales reminded Grayson of brown satin—light and shiny, blending with his face in a monochrome.
“We don’t have many human nurses yet,” Rorith said. “The center only opened last year. But with hybrid births on the rise…” He smiled faintly. “We’re glad for the help.”
“How many births do you see per week?” Jenna asked. With caffeine in her bloodstream, she was back to her usual, enthusiastic self.
“Around four has been the usual until recently.” Rorith shook his head. “We have seven in the books with due dates next week, and six the week after.”
“The number is rising, slowly, but steadily,” Dr. Obian agreed. “It is good to see.”
The sound of a door sliding shut echoed down the empty hallway.
“Hey guys.” Jaeyong joined their group, a clipboard already in hand.
Rorith got to his feet, stretching his arms overhead. His clothing caught the light in a strange way, and somehow seemed perfectly dry despite the water coursing through his chair. A sliver of cool brown skin peeked out from his shirt. Grayson quickly averted his gaze.
“Jaeyong here got a head start,” the Mer said, moving out from behind the desk. “Let’s get the rest of you caught up.”
Grayson stared up at Rorith as he passed. He wasn’t as tall as Vuos had been, and his fins seemed smaller. His tail was nowhere to be seen, and his fingers were free of their webbing. A partial shift?
The air conditioning blew a gust of something sweet and warm across Grayson’s face. It reminded him vaguely of cocoa butter. Rorith was an Omega, then.
“We’ll do a little tour first,” the Mer said over his shoulder. “Follow me.”