Like Teacher, Like Student /// A Doctor Strange Fanfiction

Chapter 19

Christine booted Stephen out and told him to go to the waiting room of all places while she took care of Casey's exam and x-rays. She had a good reason. People would ask more questions if he stuck around and was spotted since the last time most of his former co-workers had checked he hadn't been responsible for a teenager. Plus, if he had to guess, she probably wanted to grill Casey for information without him around.

Casey had simply shrugged and waved as Christine physically pushed him away from the exam area and back toward the dreaded, bacteria-filled, disease-infested, question-riddled waiting room. Nope. It smelled of disinfectant and day old coffee. He hadn't even liked waiting rooms back when he worked at the hospital, so there was no way he was sticking around one now.

Disguising himself with an illusion and hanging out in the break room to catch up on the current hospital hierarchy was tempting, but there were other options. Casey or Christine would text him when Casey was ready to go, which meant he could basically go wherever. And right now, honestly, he needed a moment of peace.

Stepping into the custodial closet again, he opened a portal to the Kamar-Taj library. Yes, he knew he wasn't supposed to do that, but did he really care right now?

The portal closed behind him as he moved into an aisle, looking for a book. However, he wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for.

Healing spells? Emergency enchantments to dispel magic? He needed a how-to-train-a-young-sorcerer manual. How was he supposed to keep his headstrong, foolhardy apprentice safe when she seemed so intent on putting herself in danger?

Geez, kid.

While he had put on his calm, cool, and collected face for Casey and Christine, inside he had been dealing with a bout of worry. Seeing Casey stuck in the floor had been...not fun. Nerve-wracking was a good phrase for it. He had nearly panicked himself when she started yelling for him, fear clear in her voice.

What if he wasn't cut out for this job? Well. He wasn't, which was why he was going to send her to Avalon when summer came. But he didn't want to send her off early and turn her world upside down all over again so soon. How had the relic even wound up in her room? Maybe it had been drawn to her. But if that was the case, why would it send her plummeting through the floor?

"You're still not allowed to just show up here like that. No portals in the library."

"Uh-huh." Stephen didn't look up from perusing the book titles as Wong stepped into the aisle. Wong had plenty of new responsibilities now that there was technically a power vacuum in the mystic arts hierarchy, but he always made time for his librarian duties. Because of course he did.

"What are you looking for?" Wong asked.

Stephen made a dismissive sound, mainly because he wasn't even sure what he wanted. Again, teenagers should come with a manual.

The book he had last pulled from the shelf flew out of his hands. He finally looked up and glared at Wong, who put the book under his arm.

"What's wrong?" Wong's eyebrows knit together.

"Nothing," Stephen said, turning back to the shelves. "Casey found a relic."

"What? Which one?" His friend stepped closer. "Did you give it to her? She's too young—"

"I said she found it," Stephen said, reaching up to press his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Do I really seem like someone who is going to grab the Staff of Last Annihilation or Salasan's Amulet of Lightning and give it to a kid?" He snatched a book from the shelf. "Nevermind. Don't answer that."

"Is she all right?"

"She's with Christine," Stephen said. He flipped open the new book, skimming the first few pages. Gardening spells. No good, unless he planned on making her grow roots to keep her in place. He didn't want to—he wanted her to have freedom but he wanted her to be smart about it. Shoving it back onto the shelf, he stepped farther down the aisle. "I'm hoping her ankle isn't broken."