Page 36 of The Healing Dragon (The Red Book #2)
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JANELLE
I ’m certain the Fates are not awake this early in the morning. It’s immoral and almost disrespectful to start before the sun is out. The view from my window is pitch black.
It’s not beyond me to admit that I’m more than likely being dramatic. I love early mornings, but on my own terms. Being compelled to wake up early for work is something I don’t enjoy. Whatever Amy Bee has in store for me is work-related. Certainly something to do with my healing gift.
As I approach the clinic, I hear a crowd of people. When I enter, I’m not surprised to see a gathering of about twenty just inside the doors.
“It’s five fifteen. I was about to go get you,” Amy Bee says with a chirpy voice.
The room is full of the senior citizen staff from the looks of it. I never noticed how many of them have canes. The selection of canes is impressive. Some are the standard black or wood, but others have fancy decoration wrapping.
“I’m here,” I groan.
“As I was telling everyone, Janelle has a very special gift that helps alleviate chronic pain.” Amy Bee gestures to Pad. He’s sitting on one of the chairs set in the middle of the room. “Pad, can attest that getting help with this gift was better than the herbs.”
Pad rises to his feet and does a little shake. “I feel brand new.”
I know he’s exaggerating. At the very most, he feels himself soothe off pain. What I don’t get is why they have to sell the idea to these people. Living in pain and only having herbs to alleviate some of the symptoms should make my gift sound like a gift to them. No pun intended.
“I’m not letting that fire breathing demon touch me,” a woman in the back yells. She is wearing big thick glasses that cover most of her face.
I almost forgot who I was to these people. It’s not about accepting help. It’s about accepting help from me. Allowing my blood-stained hands to help them is no simple thing.
“Alright,” Amy Bee says as she reaches for the basket on her desk filled with herbs.
She takes a bag and hands it to the woman in the back.
“You can take your herbs and suffer in silence. As for the rest of you. If you wish to relive the old glory days where you walked pain-free, please make a line.” She gestures to the side. “Janelle will see you in that room.”
Inside the room, I find there is one observation chair and a stool. I take the stool and sit. For some reason, I pull on the sleeves of my shirt and wonder how many people are actually going to stay.
“Are you ready?” Amy Bee asks.
I give her a double thumbs up.
An old man enters the room. His cane is a deep green color. He says nothing as he hops onto the examination chair. I move to crack the door closed. I can’t help but peek at the number of people who have lined up like Amy Bee told them to .
“Martha always has to make a fuss about nothing.” He clears something from the back of his throat. “I didn’t fear your kind back in the day, and I sure won’t do it now.”
I smile at the old man. Regardless of telling me I don’t scare him, he’s looking at me like I’m a person. He’s also right that the old lady, Martha, is just making a fuss over nothing. Most of the people seem to stay.
“Back in my day, they called your kind coals,” the old man says.
“Is that so?” I ask, taking a seat back on the stool. “I’ve never heard of that. Is it the name for my family or the city of Ignis?”
When people say “your kind”, they usually refer to one or the other. I used to be able to tell which one by the topic but lately it has been hard to tell.
“The city, of course. Your kind are known to sustain fire far more than any other. The name went out of fashion and dragons came to be.”
That name I’ve been called all throughout my life.
“Do you know about what year that was?” I ask.
“With my memory, I hardly remember to complete all my daily duties and I do them every day!”
Of course. I reach the old man and place my hand on his arm. I close my eyes and send healing energy to him. When I’m done, I open my eyes and find him staring at me with wide eyes.
“I hope that helps,” I say genuinely.
“About fifty to sixty years ago.” His words come out in awe. He touches his head and the smile on his face is bright. “I was in my twenties, so it must have been around that time.”
“Thank you,” I say.
The man takes my hand and grips it tightly. “Thank you.”
I walk the old man to the doorway and let the next person inside. Amy Bee supervises the whole time but tends to her usual tasks of the day simultaneously.
I finish in the clinic before I’m expected to be in the nursery and I decide to stop by the library.
Santiago wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t at least research something regarding yesterday’s newly gained information.
If he's anything like I think he is, he is probably already at it. I can’t deny I am curious.
The halls are quiet this early in the morning. Only a few guards are walking their perimeters as I cross the castle. When I arrive, I notice that the library doors are slightly ajar.
“You’re lying.” Jesse crosses his arms.
“Why would I do that?” Santiago waves his hands in the air. “I have no idea where she is, and if I did, you would hear my lies.”
When I cross the threshold, his eyes snap in my direction. A curve at the edge of his lips kicks up.
“Why do you even need to know where she is, anyway?” he asks Jesse.
“That is not your business,” Jesse shoots back.
Santiago rolls his eyes, then turns to me. “Hey Janelle, where have you been?” He leans over the desk and holds his face in his fist. “The masses want to know. What could you possibly be doing so early?”
I look between the boys. “I was at the clinic.”
“Are you sick?” Jesse looks me over.
“No.”
Santiago goes around the desk and takes my arm in his. “You can fill us in during breakfast. We are getting food.” He looks over his shoulder to Jesse. “Are you coming?”