Page 10 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)
CHAPTER TEN
Taron was sitting at Tony’s desk, being nosy because that’s the kind of person he was. He wasn’t hurt by Tony’s request that he wait outside. He knew the man was embarrassed by the scarring. If he needed more time to trust Taron before showing it to him, he was fine with that. But he got bored after fifteen minutes, and no amount of playing on his phone was helping. Tony was out of his sight, and it was making him antsy. He wanted to know how things were going. He distracted himself by poking through Tony’s desk to see what he’d accumulated.
The door to his office burst open and Doctor Chapman came out, fuming, his magic making the air hot around him. Taron shot to his feet, ready for a fight, though he wasn’t sure why.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Chapman spoke through gritted teeth, his voice low enough that Tony wouldn’t overhear them from the next room. “Did you know human medicine doesn’t include any magic? Not even for their military members. The extent of the damage, Taron. It’s cruel. They left him suffering like that for years. Years! It will take more than just one visit to get him even remotely comfortable. This will be lifelong thanks to how they handled his injury. It’s barbaric.”
Surprised, he didn’t question when Chapman beckoned him to follow the druid back into the office. Tony stood near the couch, shame overwhelming on his features. He was going to ask if Chapman had Tony’s permission for Taron to join them, but his eyes got stuck on Tony’s injury.
He knew it was bad. Tony wouldn’t flinch like that so long after it happened if it wasn’t. He had no idea just how far it went. And…
“You lost your leg,” Taron murmured. That was almost unheard of in the supernatural community. If the limb was intact, they had magic to reattach it. But from the looks of it, magic was never part of the equation in Tony’s recovery. The scarring was red and looked like it ran deep into the muscles. Taron was honestly surprised that Tony had survived. Not only the injury itself but being treated without magic. It was no wonder Tony was in so much pain.
Chapman threw out a spell, showing Tony’s energy lines. His entire right side was red to show pain. Lighter red, almost pink by his face, but darker the farther down it went. His thigh was so dark red, it almost looked black. Taron’s heart broke seeing it, and without conscious thought, he stepped forward, cupping Tony’s cheek gently.
“Breathe, a thaisce. We’re going to help you.”
Tony was shaking, his eyes locked on the floor like he couldn’t bear to see what they thought. He didn’t need to be scared. If he looked up, he’d see how brave and beautiful Taron saw him. No amount of scarring could take away from that. But now was not the time to discuss it. Not while Tony was so upset.
Looking over at Chapman, he asked, “Can he get dressed now? I think it will help him.”
Chapman pressed his lips together and sighed. “For now, yes. But he’ll need to come to my office as soon as possible. I’ll need a team to come up with the right spells and potions to help him.” His expression darkened. “I know very little about human insurance, but I doubt it will be covered. I will do the initial healing pro bono, because I can’t, in my right conscience, leave someone suffering like this, but with an injury like this, it will require lifelong care. It won’t be cheap.”
“Never mind that. I’ll cover it. Go ahead and–”
“No…” Tony’s voice was small and wobbled a little as he pulled on his clothes. He still wouldn’t look at Taron, even as he shook his head. “You don’t need to– I can handle it. I don’t need extra help. I’m fine.”
Taron turned fully to face Tony, cupping his cheeks again and forcing him to look up. Taron tried to show without words that he was on Tony’s side, that he wanted to help, but he could see the unshed tears. They were at Tony’s limit. It was unfair to keep pushing him right now.
“No, a thaisce. You’re not. But we will come up with an option you’re comfortable with. Okay?”
Tony’s hands came up, gripping Taron’s wrists gently, but he didn't pull away. His eyes flicked between Taron’s, like he didn’t understand why someone would want to help him. That pissed Taron off a little. Why would someone so sweet not get all the support in the world offered to him? Just how poorly did humans take care of each other in their communities?
“We’ll figure this out,” Taron reassured him again. “For now, we’ll get you dressed, so you’re more comfortable.”
Tony gave him a grateful nod without actually moving his face away from Taron’s hands. It was kind of adorable, and Taron had to fight back a powerful instinct to kiss the man. Now was not the time. He released Tony’s cheeks, stepping back and turning to give him privacy.
“Will you have time on Monday?” he asked Chapman, who stood nearby, making notes on his phone.
Chapman hummed and nodded. “I’ll make the time. This has gone on long enough. I don’t want him suffering all weekend though, so you should pick up a general salve for pain from the pharmacy. I’ll make one specifically tailored to him after we’ve done a thorough exam.”
“I’ll see to it myself. Thank you, Doctor, for coming on such short notice.”
“It’s my job, Cunningham. On a personal note, do me a favor and call your mother. If she finds out I went to your office, she’s going to assume it was to see you, and she’ll pester me to find out why.”
Ugh. Probably. His mother was a little overbearing at times. It came from a good place. She loved her children and wanted them close. But since Taron refused to join the family business and chose to work alongside Ozen instead, they butted heads a lot. He avoided calling her because it almost always led to an argument. Still, Chapman was doing him a solid, and he didn't want the man to suffer if the gossip mill somehow made it back to his mother. He was relatively certain no one knew, most of the office was already gone since it was Friday, but his mother had her ways of finding things out. It was better to cut her off before she had a chance to gain any traction.
“Understood. I’ll call. We’ll see you Monday.”
Chapman stalked away, still muttering to himself. As a healer, Chapman believed in universal health care. It wasn’t something he could always offer. Some communities refused to take part in the initiative, like the humans. They didn't pay a cent they didn’t have to into government programs like that. They took their fall from power quite sorely and refused to have anything to do with magic if they could avoid it. It wasn’t something Taron understood. He hoped in the future that would change, but with the animosity between the two groups, he doubted it would be any time soon.
Glancing over his shoulder, he felt a steady ache in his chest growing the longer he looked at Tony’s injuries. If they’d handled things better, come to some sort of agreement, maybe Tony could have been treated with magic instead of relying on human medicine. He might’ve come out of it with his limbs intact at least.
Not wanting to dwell on that and upset his assistant any more than he already was, Taron spun and offered Tony a sunny smile. “So. Do you like tacos?”
Tony looked uneasy as he lifted his gaze to Taron’s. His undershirt was back on and his button-up was mostly buttoned, but still untucked, and he hadn’t gotten around to the tie. It didn’t matter. The workday was done. Taron had no interest in separating from Tony, so he figured he’d drag it out with a meal at least. There wasn’t any reason they couldn’t be comfortable.
Tugging free his tie, he shucked his jacket and gestured to the door. “Come on. I know a lovely little hole in the wall run by the sweetest orc you’ll ever meet. I swear, he should have been born an angel.”
He put his hand out, waiting patiently. Well… as patiently as he could manage. He wouldn’t force Tony to go with him, but he wanted to make him feel better. Taron felt guilt for the turmoil he caused. In his defense, he had no idea it ran that deep. He thought Chapman would take a look at him and suggest a spell or a salve to ease the pain. He never realized…
A large, warm hand took his, pulling Taron back to reality. He forced himself to focus on anything other than the pain Tony was in. Food. Food and rest would help. And the salve. There was a pharmacy a few doors down from the taco place. He could take care of Tony’s needs all in one fell swoop. Maybe then his instincts would stop screaming at him to fix it.
What was wrong with him lately?
* * *
Taron had regaled Tony about the last time he saw Doctor Chapman and forgot to call his mother during the drive. It was a funny story now that it was no longer happening to him, but at the time, it’d been a pain to deal with. It wasn’t his fault a lover had cursed him. And it wasn’t something he’d wanted to share with his mother. But she found out anyway, and it became a whole thing. The story made Tony laugh, though, which was what Taron had been hoping for. The tension in his shoulders released, and by the time they got to the restaurant, he seemed better.
“Hello, Charlie!” Taron called as they entered the restaurant. The place was popular, despite being in a rougher neighborhood. Sometimes fancy food just didn’t do it for Taron. He liked more down-to-earth flavors, and Charlie did street food like no one’s business.
The orc chef, who was one of Taron’s old friends, turned at his greeting and beamed. “Taron! It’s been so long!”
Taron snorted. It’d been a whole week. He couldn’t resist Charlie’s food. It was his vice, especially after he’d been drinking. Tacos were the best hangover food.
Charlie came to join them, dodging little kids and servers like a pro, despite his massive size. Most orcs liked to do jobs that were more physical because it suited their dispositions, but Charlie was a gentle giant and preferred food and flowers over fighting like his brethren. He stopped in front of him, wiping his hands on a towel he had slung over his shoulder before pulling Taron into a hug.
Taron was never one to say no to a hug, so he squeezed his friend tightly before stepping back and gesturing for Tony to come closer.
“Tony, this is Charlie. He owns the best taco restaurant in the country. Charlie, this is Tony. My new assistant.”
“Temporary assistant,” Tony murmured, chagrined. “I, uh… I’m just around until he finds someone more qualified.”
Charlie didn’t blink at the distinction, but Taron frowned. He didn’t like that. Tony was his assistant. He didn’t want to think about losing him later. His lips pursed in thought. Actually… That might work out better than he thought.