Page 41
Story: Protecting the White Bear
Then they pulled into the snowed-in parking lot of the large, one-story, white clinic, where a few cars were parked. A large arched window over the glass doors caught her eye, and they had a covered drop-off for patients in need. Andy hurried to get her car door and seatbelt.
“I know you’ve been doing this alone, but we didn’t have much choice considering our trouble. Now it’s time you had some pampering and got some rest.”
“What about your ankle?”
“It’s fine. It healed up. Bruised, I’m sure, but no more sprain.”
“Good.”
Craig and Andy walked inside the clinic with her. White walls and windows brightened the lobby and patient check-in area, making it feel clean and more expansive. A combination of aqua and pastel sky-blue trim work was added to give it a calming essence. She hadn’t ever been to a clinic this welcoming.
The nurse came out and called her name, then took her right back to an X-ray lab. “I’m Phyllis. Sara, our lab technician, will bring you to the exam room after she takes X-rays.”
Someone must have called ahead for Monica. Now that was more like it—immediate service. What amazed Monica the most was that Phyllis was a gray wolf, and Sara was an Arctic wolf. She loved that shifters ran the clinic.
Sara took X-rays. “We got word you’re an FBI agent, and you apprehended several bad guys and women. Were the injuries from that?”
“No, from the car accident beforehand.”
Sara shook her head. “If I had been so injured, I wouldn’t have been moving a muscle.” She escorted Monica to an exam room. “I’ll show your X-rays to the doctor, and he’ll be right in.”
“Thanks.”
Monica sat on the chair, waiting for the doctor, and it wasn’t long before he arrived.
“I’m Dr. Vaughn.” The blond-haired, bearded man, with smiling blue eyes, seemed amused to meet her. He was definitely a gray wolf.
“I’m Monica O’Connell, and I'm glad to meet you. It’s nice being treated at a clinic that is shifter-run.”
“Yeah, as soon as I came here on a trip and learned that White Bear is mostly shifter-run, I decided to set up my practice here.”
“I imagine everyone was thrilled about that.”
“Yes, and I was. I’ve heard all about Andy’s and your heroics. I’m glad you had no more injuries after all the two of you went through. His brother Ben called to say they had an emergency where an FBI agent needed immediate attention.”
Monica laughed. “We were lucky we didn’t get shot, but this wasn’t an emergency.”
“I know him well enough to realize he wanted the most expedient and best care for a fellow shifter.” Dr. Vaughn showed her the X-rays. “You don’t have any broken bones, which is the good news. The bad news is that you have strained and pulled ligaments in both your back and your hand, particularly the thumb region, which can take longer to heal.”
“Which means some time off from work. I have to try and look at the good of any situation.” Then again, they had to do an inquiry into her shooting Harvey, and she would have to surrender her weapon and take administrative leave for that also.
“Absolutely. You shouldn’t have been doing all you did while injured, though I understand the situation's urgency. I’ll give you a muscle relaxant that will help ease the pain and help you sleep. Don’t drive while you’re taking it though.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
“I’m putting you on leave for three weeks. Just give this note to your supervisor.”
Once the nurse had rewrapped her hand in an ace bandage, Monica was ready to go. She left the clinic with Andy and Craig. She hadn’t even thought she would be off work for three weeks. She had planned to continue doing what she was doing once the review of her firing a weapon was concluded.
“No breaks, right?” Andy worried it might have been worse than they had thought, and she’d injured it further.
“No, just strained ligaments. The doctor gave me a muscle relaxant. So after I eat, I’ll take the medicine and sleep. Hopefully.”
“Yeah, that stuff works,” Craig said. “I hurt my back skiing once, and the medicine made all the difference in the world.”
“Good. I need all the help I can get.”
“Right. After all we went through, we dealt with this stuff practically nonstop.”
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