Tangled

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

C 84 Ava: Doctor’s Care

to be a bit of a problem child. Too big for his britches after heading

ng 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

1. do.

myself to relax a

over with another whiff of bloody cookie grandma scent, her fingers surprisingly deft as they press against my wrist to check

maternal touch is unfamiliar to

she murmurs, -more to herself than to me. “But

pressure. “That should go up with some medication changes,” she says,

ill from

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Doctor’s Care

something she shouldn’t, and there was no horrifying epidemic taking down little pups in

in by her soothing cadence, the tension slowly ebbing from my body as she works, carefully checking every wound on my face and neck before replacing each dressing.

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 shut to block out

a gentle anchor pulling me back

fixing my gaze on her face as she carefully

of the revulsion I would expect at the sight of

Ava: Doctor’s

nicely,” she comments, 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

for a few minutes,

dressings to my wounds. When she’s finished, she steps back, giving me an appraising

through quite an ordeal, haven’t you, dear?” she says at last, her voice laced with sympathy. “But you’re a fighter, I can see that.

open my mouth to respond, but she holds up a hand,

and heal, Miss Grey. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. I’m going to reduce the frequency of your pain medication, and now that you’re awake I’ll have you swallow them as

Doctor’s Care

them through the

she pauses as though she’s waiting for

quite taken 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 old pack, but here, we work

her no–nonsense summarization of my

your call light is…

Beaumont takes a

my bed, picking it up from behind

the floor. “Here. Nurses are around

more questions, let them know, and I or my colleagues. can come chat with you, okay?” Sᴇaʀᴄh