Page 34 of Matched By the Dragon

“Yeah. Doctors say a lot of shit,” Clyde nodded. “Seriously. We do. If it’s Doctor Rictor Shan, tell him I said to go back to the nursery and suck his thumb and that’s the nice version of it.”

“What did Shan do to you?” the nurse blinked, while I held onto Durin the best I could. He was so big and I was trapped in the wheelchair.

“Doctor Shan is young. He thinks his degree means he knows more than those of us who have them plus field work. He hasn’t grown out of his binky and bibs yet,” Clyde said. “You’re young to medicine too. Talk to me in fifty years when you have some experience and you’ll know I was right.”

“About letting a patient with a head injury wander the halls?” the wolf scoffed.

Clyde rubbed the bridge of his nose before speaking.

“Don’t eat him, Grandpa,” Alby said, from his nearby seat. “He’s not worth it.” My friend was trying not to laugh.

“When was his last scan?” Clyde asked.

“When he came in. He cracked his noggin good,” the nurse said.

“Cracked his noggin good? Do you hear how you’re talking in front of patients? If you were working for me, I’d cuff you around the ears! It’s been two hours. He’s an alpha over fifty. He should have had a second scan between sixty and ninety minutes in to track healing. Do I have to do everything?” he growled and the nurse took a step back. So did a lady pushing a cart full of flowers. “Sorry, Lily,” Clyde said, his voice sounding almost pleasant as he spoke to her.

“Are the pups being pups again, Clyde?”

“Yeah, but this is a hospital not a nursery. There’s no room for that here,” he said.

“I just listened to the doctor,” the nurse said, defending himself.

“Well, you’ll learn doctors can be dumbasses. Sometimes you have to nudge them and ask what they want. It’s not technically your job, unless you consider it your job to heal the patients and get them out of the door,” Clyde said. “Don’t worry. Shan will hear it later.”

He stopped speaking and took a deep breath. For a second, I allowed myself to imagine that his mate was inside his head telling him to calm down before he ate the baby nurse.

“Durin,” Clyde said, the edge back out of his voice. “Would you please come with me? I think you need another scan.”

“For good or bad reasons?” I asked.

“Neutral. We just need to see what’s going on. You can’t be in with the machinery while they run while you’re pregnant or I’d let you come with us, Brad,” he said, patting my shoulder. “The nurse will take you and the babies and one friend to his room while we’re gone. He’ll do it or I’ll call his grandmother and tell her that he’s being pissy about doing his job. Thinks because he has a famous granddaddy that he doesn’t have to think for himself. Ignatius Hemlock is rolling over in his grave at seeing what his descendants are doing. Rolling in that tomb about to break out,” Clyde said.

No one laughed, because he was serious. I thought for a moment who his parents might be but let it go as Clyde lead Durin away.

“Xander and Zoey,” Lily the flower lady said. “He’s a Grim Howlers second generation baby.”

To his credit, the nurse did roll his eyes at the mention of his sire’s band. Their peak popularity happened before I was born, but when they did reunion shows they still sold out.

“Congrats,” I shrugged at him. “Usually, I’m not this mean.”

“He’ll have to get used to it,” Lily said. “He’ll see plenty of people on some of the worst days of their lives if he keeps working in the emergency room.”

Chapter 12

Durin

The Hemlock Wolf Pack, Star’s Territory

“Can you really even scan my brain if I’m in bear form? It wasn’t him who cracked his head,” I talked to Clyde over the group link while waiting for him to look at my scans.

“Well, it would be better if you shifted back but with modern magical technology we can get a pretty decent idea of what’s going on. Plus, your initial blood work wasn’t too concerning. You’re a healthy alpha bear. They’re going to want to keep you overnight for observation. I’ll let you know if that’s necessary.”

“Are you going to get into trouble for stealing that doofus’s patient?” I asked over the group link.

“Don’t call him a doofus, please. It’s complicated. I’ll chew him up one side and down the other, but I’ve been a young, stupid doctor. Some guys, you have to chew on to get your point across. Will I get into trouble? No. The hospital is owned by Star and his family. I don’t think Star wants to have to tell Brad we missed something because of a young doctor. Okay. I’m not saying you’re one hundred percent, but I’d feel okay with you walking around the hospital as long as someone is with you. I’d even let you have some soup, if you’re hungry. Maybe even something solid. I’d like you to be able to shift back before I go that far, though. If he’s holding you in your bear form, he might know something we don’t, but I don’t think so. I think he’s freaked out. Do you want something for anxiety? I can give you a wolf’s dose and it won’t knock you out.”

“Wolf’s dose?” I asked over the group link.