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“She wasn’t picking on you, just the doctor being so detached from reality,” I hurried to interject. I realized I needed to explain a bit when Ha-joon looked worried. “Obviously, this goes no further and we’re not going to say who—”

“Of course not,” he accepted.

“The doctor walked in here and basically gave us a list of things we already do,” I told him dryly, nodding when he blinked at me.

“It was rather difficult to be professional and not tell him ‘no shit’ repeatedly,” Carla drawled. “Like the git probably looked up ‘best hospital policies’ on Google and presented them as his ideas. ASH is probably who Google is referencing.”

“Well, glad I’m not that stupid,” Ha-joon muttered. “My ideas might not work, but I know it’s nothing you already do.”

Fair enough, and I was glad for the lead-in to get back on track.

Ha-joon started off with a bang. “I was bouncing an idea with my father when I was home recently, and not to influence ASH implementing it, but so you know it would work, he committed to being part of it. Not because I’m his son or involved, but he agrees that vampires are overlooked too often and pushed to… Middle-class jobs.”

“Yes, we know how often our kind are edged into becoming soldiers, police, and jobs that are too volatile for shifters,” Alan said evenly, but I could see the anger in his aura.

“The argument always being that we have more strength than witches and warlocks but without the risks of shifters turning into animals and making situations worse.”

Ha-joon nodded. “It’s an argument that’s not wrong, but—we know there’s more to it. I think it’s time we—in the medical community at least—show that we value them. I know London’s pack is in, and if they are—people follow leaders.”

“You want to broaden the blood drive,” I muttered. “Your mother hinted at that and she was available to help more.”

“Yes, but—” He let out a long breath. “I’ve heard it time and time again in the pack even getting them to get physicals is impossible.

Supes are stubborn. They think they’re above medicine too often.

Only the younger generation is really embracing the change, and too many are stuck in the way of hiding in the shadows still. ”

He seemed relieved when we all snorted or made noises of agreement. He was definitely speaking to the right audience.

“Many times they just need to know where the line is to see someone. Once they get the care they should have—people like being taken care of.”

“Yes, the studies about how once people get into the health care system after needing it, they don’t take the risk again,” Renee muttered.

“You’re right that it’s breaking the old mindsets and ways even if it’s been over a hundred years.

Fear isn’t always rational, and a lot of us even remember that fear of being outed. ”

“So you propose some sort of outreach program to get around that?” Alan pushed.

“He does,” Sean cut in. “Saturdays for…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, Clark. Go ahead.”

Ha-joon nodded to him and then brought up his presentation and the information to show us. The idea was basically to have pre-screening events, quick questionnaires and short sit-downs with baby doctors for training. And the price?

Donate blood that we would either put our additives into and sell or contribute directly to police and military around the world.

I shared a look with Alan. This was the missing piece we’d been looking for. We’d long since wanted to give a discount to vampires who were in such blue-collar service jobs.

There just hadn’t been a good way to do it. Not without too much blowback and accusations of favoritism since some people knew the owner of ASH was a vampire.

Sean knew the issue as well and waited until Ha-joon was done.

“Now, to add to his idea, I think it would be best if we worked in conjunction with local hospitals. This shouldn’t be something for the glory of ASH or of course only ASH could pull this off with our funding.

Frame it all as teaching moments so we always have the best doctors available to our world . ”

“And shifters finally getting off their asses to really show they value our fanged friends who save our asses all of the damn time,” Carla added.

She shared a look with Alan and then Ha-joon, doing a double take at whatever she got from him.

“Off the record, your dad’s of the same opinion as more wolf Alphas right? ”

“You would need to be more specific,” he hedged.

“But I am of the opinion—off the record—that if we don’t start taking better care of vampires, shifters could have a serious problem since vampires control the military and police on every continent.

My father understands every serious issue and is a wise man. ”

I bit back a smile at the answer, amused when Alan snorted.

“You and your father are both wise to be worried.” I shrugged when the shifters and magics in the room froze.

“You all know I would never push for violence, but I’m also tired of my kind being constantly treated like security guards and meter maids while other species get wildly rich. ”

“And so are a growing number of vampire leaders,” Alan warned. “I can’t say this will heal all the hurt, but it’s at least something. Long overdue, but I think it will make a powerful statement that its origin came from the son of a very powerful Alpha.”

I interjected when Ha-joon looked a bit pale. “We’re not saying to use your family or back your father into a corner.”

“No, but you’re right on the framing if it’s also going to be political and try to mend a growing issue,” Renee muttered.

“More he was raised right and clearly such a powerful Alpha teaches his pack and children to respect the sacrifices vampires make. It’s a smart message.

” She shot me a worried look. “One that will epically backfire if they are the only ones to do this.”

“Still, he wins for the best presentation and idea so far,” one of the other department heads said firmly. “I thought the mopping robot was going to be the only decent one this week, so good job, Clark.”

I heard her loud and clear that it was time to move on.

He nodded and cleared his throat as he leaned over and tapped the keys on his laptop a few times. “This next idea was presented to my last hospital and rejected. Harshly.”

And obviously that had left a mark on him.

“ASH is more open-minded than others,” I reminded him, flicking off a few people when they made kissy noises.

Ha-joon ignored them and gave me a grateful look.

But it was hard not to cringe and withdraw my earlier comment when he told us the idea.

“Hear him out because he also talked to me about this and I think the idea has promise,” Carla interjected. “And I think I see where Sean’s head is about involving Renee and it’s brilliant.”

“Yes, bringing in dermatology would be smart,” Sean muttered. “I went right to mental health and—”

“ASH is never going to have a medical spa,” Alan interrupted. “It would shatter all of our credibility and—”

“Then it wasn’t launched correctly, and you still have too much toxic here that would undermine growth,” Ha-joon interjected, not backing down when Alan was annoyed.

“Even your own hospital rejected the proposal,” Alan threw back.

Ha-joon winced but seemed nervous. “I apologize for not being clearer. They rejected it because it wasn’t money-making enough in the current state.

They’re planning to implement it now that I’m gone in the way I wouldn’t be a part of.

I told them I would walk if they went with the way they wanted it. ”

I knocked on the table when several people opened their mouths at once. “Let’s all calm down.” I met Ha-joon’s gaze and ignored the puppy dog look he was giving me. “The sensitivity in this room is because too many have looked down on ASH and accused us of being a medical spa basically.”

“Corporate charlatans making up problems supes don’t have to cure them like we’re all humans,” Alan grumbled, his tone mocking.

Yes, because we’d heard that too often especially when ASH first opened.

And that was bullshit because it all came from people who were upset they hadn’t come up with the idea first or didn’t control it. But they were people with power and reach, so their bad intentions had been the least of our problems.

“We’re all going to give this conversation and idea a clean slate,” I said to everyone there.

“His first idea was too good to brush off a different one because of our biases. I put myself in that category, and you all know how I feel about medical spas.” It was the truth even if I felt bad saying that for Ha-joon.

“Now, explain it to us in crayon-eating terms.”

That made him ease down a bit and he nodded. “I’m not saying doctors recommend back rubs, here’s a punch card for you, and don’t forget to hit the gift shop on the way out. No, none of that.”

“You’re saying…” Someone started to interject but sighed when I shot him a shit look. “You said conversation , Ellie. We don’t need a lecture. We need a conversation and yes, I will try to be open to it. But I think I see his point.”

“Sorry.” I sighed when that wasn’t enough and rubbed the back of my neck. “The board tried to beat this idea into me every other month. This whole thing is tense for me.” That worked, and I was glad we got back on track.

“You’re saying sometimes there’s a need for something between ortho appointments and physical therapy,” the department head said as he focused on Ha-joon.

“My mind is immediately on wolves since you are one. There are too many times I’ve heard ortho say they told the parent of a young wolf that physical therapy isn’t needed—”

“And they immediately hear everything is fine and the problem is done,” Ha-joon finished for him, nodding.

“But really take-home exercises were prescribed along with massaging joints and soaks.” Several of us nodded, knowing the situation well.

“In my perfect world, the standard of care after a first shift would be the following—”

My mouth wasn’t the only one that fell open when he clicked for the next slide. There was a whole flowchart next to a questionnaire.

“The child is brought in as soon as possible after the shift. They are asked questions that the parents do not answer, especially when we know they will give certain answers out of embarrassment. From there, each child is given a full and specialized health plan. Girls that age will start their menstruation if they haven’t already. ”

“Or our menstruation changes and certainly our sex drive which is always a dirty secret that hurts especially wolves,” Carla muttered, her tone a bit haunted. She’d seen too many be hurt and abused.

Just as I had with vampires.

“Exactly,” Ha-joon agreed. “They are then enrolled in a free seminar about what to expect and how to handle it. Not the pack, pride, sloth—any of that bollocks. Parents won’t pay for it, but we know they’ll accept free.

We all know female shifters who would gladly come in and help if they had a way. ”

Carla snorted, clearly meaning she would do it for every female shifter if she could.

“Males are enrolled in a different one about their aggression and need to hunt.” He sighed when most of the women in the room flinched or went tense.

“Men are more aggressive. We also don’t handle it as well.

My sisters are very strong wolves—could take my older brothers if they worked harder, but I’ve never, not ever heard them say they were itching to hunt. ”

“I want to defend them that maybe they don’t feel comfortable saying such things, but that seems like a slight against your parents,” Carla admitted, glancing at me when I snorted.

“I’ve spent enough time with his mother that if her daughters wanted to hunt, she’d set up outings and source the best animals for them. She’s a doll like that. They would accept it.” I gestured to Ha-joon. “They have a special child and pushed him to thrive. Daughters hunting would be fine.”

“Yes, thank you,” Ha-joon whispered, seeming touched I thought so highly about his family.

Or his parents at least. I had choice words for his siblings.

“Fair.” Carla studied him. “Off the record, how often do you truly get the urge to hunt? I have it maybe once every six months.”

“Weekly,” Ha-joon answered immediately, nodding when even Sean seemed shocked. “My wolf gets anxious and acts out if I don’t have a large takedown weekly. A real hunt, not just a lamb left out that can satisfy some. He needs to hunt .”

“That’s not normal,” Sean muttered.

“No, it’s not, but again, would most shifters know that they’re not alone if they felt that, or do they self-destruct because they hide it?” Ha-joon pushed, proving his point. We all agreed, and he continued.

We were all stunned when he was done, but I recovered first. “You’re not suggesting a medical spa, but a whole way to revolutionize how we handle a sector of medicine— create new specialties and programs to certify.

You want there to be a new board-certified doctor who specializes in first shifts and transitions. ”

Ha-joon slowly nodded. “Yes, I guess I do.” He kept nodding. “Yes, you’re right, that is what I want.” He tapped a few keys. “And I have more.”

Yes, yes, he most certainly did.