Werewolves in the Big Apple

6

The closer Julie got to John's door, the more the doubts started to tumble into her brain.

What if he really was going to fire her? What then?

Rent was up-coming. After her third extension already, she really couldn't afford to go begging to Alpha again.

Had she always managed to pay him back?

Yes, yes she had.

Did that mean she could afford to get fired?

Absolutely not. She just managed to pay off her car. She couldn't afford another hit to her credit score if John fired her and she was forced to live off her credit cards.

Would three even be enough?

The better question was, if she got fired, where the hell would she even work? There was only one hospital in the entire town. There was nowhere else to work.

Not in the medical field, at least.

And she sure as hell worked too hard for her pride to allow her to go back to working at McDonald's.

That was her first job. Been there, done that. Flying cheeseburgers, cranky customers, and dipping her hands into ketchup smeared containers were not on her bucket list.

She'd rather go take out another loan than go back into that hell. Especially in a everybody knows everybody kinda town.

By the time Julie reached his office door, she couldn't control the jitteries that striked through her.

Hesitant, she brought her hand to the handle.

Calm down, Julie, her mind told her. You're not gonna get fired.

With that, she turned the handle. It clunked mid-way, refusing to open.

Locked.

Well, at least she tried. That was good enough for her and her cowardly brain.

With her imaginary tail tucked between her legs, she walked back to the entrance of the hospital, making her way home before anybody could try and make her cover another shift.

She'd have to figure out some other way to complain about the rules around here. Preferably without getting fired.

Maybe she could complain to HR?

Not that they'd do much for nobodies like her. They were practically for show, siding with whatever John said every damn time.

Maybe...maybe she could email him.

Yeah, she'll do that.

Way to go Julie, her brain told her. You're a real hero now.

She scowled to herself, her hand digging around her pockets for her car keys.

Oh, shut up brain!

On the ride home from the hospital, a different idea popped up into her head.

What if she asked Ryder to complain for her? At least deliver him the message so she wouldn't get fired...?

Though, she had no clue if he would even be nice enough to do it. He didn't know her, she didn't know him, it wasn't exactly the most ideal situation.

Still worth a try.

Butterflies danced around the insides of her belly at the idea of asking Ryder.

***

She was back at work. It was a new full shift of coffee, hell, and screaming children. And, of course, Ryder was accompanying her.

Was she able to gather the courage to ask him to question his dad about the rules and regulations of the hospital?

No, no she hadn't.

But were her and Ryder checking in for their shift, her clinically going over her patient's board, slowly trying to teach him?

Yes, yes she was.

Because she was a coward. And Ryder was an utter goofball. She could feel her cheeks start to heat up under his goofy grinning gaze, his blue eyes twinkling and holding hers as if she said something funny.

She did not say anything funny.

"We'll be going to do basic check-up procedures first. First on our list is room 109."

"Ay, ay, Captain." Ryder jokingly saluted her, his goofy grin stretching wider.

She didn't even try to hide her eye-roll. She was still much, much too tired and stressed out to be joking around. If anyone wanted her in a good mood, they were going to have to buy her Starbucks.

But her attitude didn't even seem to damper his the slightest. It was incredibly different, so much more energetic from the last time they talked during the emergency shift.

As they walked through the halls, Julie could feel Ryder's gaze on her, constantly shifting around but still finding its way back to her.

Her back was ram-rod straight the entire time. For some reason she was just so aware of him.

"So...slept well?"

Julie pressed the button to the elevator. She did not look at him. "No." She answered.

No, I did not sleep well because your dad is too much of a prick to run a hospital correctly, is what she wanted to say.

But he still got the memo, the air between them quiet as they stepped into the elevator.

At least, that's what Julie thought.

"I slept well." Ryder said next to her.

Julie gave him a side-eye, glancing for a second at his somehow still happy expression.

"Good for you." Her voice did not sound like she was glad for him.

She did not care.

This time he finally got the memo and gave her the peace of silence while they walked to the patient's room.

Much to her fear, the hospital was in a large bustling state. It was just the normal hospital environment, the sounds of babies crying, nurses scuffling around, and always, the front desk trying to gossip in-between paperwork.

Right before Julie opened the door to her patient's room, with her hand held on the doorknob, she briefly turned to Ryder.

"Listen to what I say very closely: don't do anything stupid."

His teeth were pearly white. "Yes ma'm."

When she turned the door handle, Julie desperately tried to ignore the sudden presence of butterflies swarming around inside her, fluttering and flapping and making her feel things she did not usually feel.

And if there was one thing she knew: that feeling did not happen because of the patient. She did not want to admit it, but somewhere in the back of her small, up-tight brain, Ryder was having some form of an effect on her.

For what reason? Who knew. The sudden on-ness of the feeling happened much too quick for her to feel comfortable. There was no reason for him to cause such an effect on her, and yet her body did not listen.