Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 84 Ava: Doctor's Care

Dr. Ellison never appears before me again.

My new doctor is an older woman who smells like a mix of raw meat and chocolate chip cookies. Like a bunny-slaughtering, chubby grandma. It's an odd mix that makes my nose wrinkle a little.

"Good morning, Miss Grey," she greets me, her voice gentle and sweet, belying her stocky frame. It only adds to the Disney grandma effect, still with a side of vicious killer. "I'm Dr. Annise Beaumont, and I'll be taking over your care from now on."

She moves closer, and I flinch without thinking, tensing at her approach.

The rational part of my mind knows she's here to help, but after the disastrous encounter with Dr. Ellison, I can't shake the sense of unease that settles in the pit of my stomach. I don't want to be touched by people who hate me.

Dr. Beaumont seems to notice my apprehension, knitting her brows together as she watches me. "I've heard of your issues with Dr. Ellison. He's well known to be a bit of a problem child. Too big for his britches after heading off to university.

No need to worry, dear. I don't care what pack you're from. I'm just going to check your vitals and take a look at those wounds, make sure everything is healing properly."

Of course. All important things a normal doctor would do.

I force myself to relax a little beneath her ministrations. She leans over with another whiff of bloody cookie grandma scent, her fingers surprisingly deft as they press against my wrist to check for my pulse.

gentle, almost maternal touch

more to herself than to me. "But that's to

clucking her tongue at my blood pressure. "That should go up with some medication changes," she says, before launching into a casual story about how her daughter had spent a day in

shouldn't, and there was no horrifying

cadence, the tension slowly ebbing from my body as

my abdomen, angry and raw, has my breath catching in my throat. Vivid memories of the fight with Todd flash through my mind, and I have to squeeze my eyes

back to the present. "Just

open, fixing my gaze on her face as she carefully peels back the soiled dressings. Her expression is one of calm

her fingers ghosting over the edges of the wounds, just shy of touching them. "They cleaned it up well. We'll need to keep them clean and change the dressings regularly, but you're on the mend. I know it probably looks awful to you, but it looks

in silence for a few minutes, her movements sure and efficient as she applies fresh dressings to my wounds. When she's finished, she steps back, giving me an appraising look that makes me feel like I'm

she says at last, her voice laced with sympathy. "But you're a

to respond, but she holds up a hand,

anything now," she says with a shake of her head. "Just rest and heal, Miss Grey. We'll have plenty of time to talk later. I'm going to reduce the

nod, because she pauses as though she's waiting for my

with you, so she'll be checking on you daily. Most of our healers are on par with doctors, but without the required licensing of the government. I'm not sure how it was in your

now, but you'll be able to go home