Page 41 of Lightning Strikes

Chapter 15

Angela

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I kiss Mac’s forehead and hold a squeaking Scout to my neck on the way to the kitchen. I told Ronnie I’d be at the clinic at nine and I have half an hour to make it there before I’m late.

“Her bottle is ready and your food is in the oven.” Carter announces over his shoulder as he’s elbow-deep in washing dishes.

“You know, you guys aren’t my personal servants or anything, right?”

He chuckles and returns his gaze to the sink. I sigh as I pick up the bottle and turn Scout over in my hand so she can eat.

“We know, we don’t mind. Especially since you don’t expect it or order us around. During training, our superiors would tell us nightmarish stories about what they’ve endured during guard duty, especially for the alpha’s kids when they were living here. They would order them around, force them to scrub already clean floors, shine their shoes… Treated them like servants. We do this for you because youdon’texpect it and we enjoy making shit easier for you.”

I grimace at him and chew on my inner cheek. “Well, thank you. All of you. I appreciate you all and I just want you to be comfortable here.”

He grunts as a reply and I set the bottle on the side of the sink and grab my plate from the oven, proceeding to eat with one hand.

I can’t believe how big Scout is getting… Now I just need to have Melissa overnight me more formula and her next set of shots. Only a few more weeks of formula then she can be weaned off and on soft food. She’s even starting to walk around more, maybe another week before we try out a litter box.

“It’s Ryan and me with you today, just holler when you’re ready to leave.” Carter squeezes my shoulder on his way out of the kitchen and I focus on my food. Luckily the clinic is only a five-minute drive so I don’t feeltoorushed. I set my dishes in the sink and head back to my bedroom to place scout in her box.

“Mac.” I shake his shoulder and he growls at me. “Knock it off you overgrown pup. I’m heading into work for a few hours. Scout’s been fed.”

“K. I’m getting up now.” He groans as he sits up and scratches his chin. “Love you.” He leans forward to place a sleepy kiss against my lips and lightly shoves me towards the door. “See you later.” I chuckle as I grab my purse and knock on the basement door on my way to the front door.

“Let’s go!” I call out and busy myself with my phone as I wait in the spacious, bright foyer.

I follow Ryan and Carter into the front yard and we hop into one of the two SUV’s. Deacon offered us cars, unfortunately we would have to leave the community to drive to the closest dealership he owns, which is about an hour away. So I’m fine with using the SUV’s the guards use. Everything else is just a quick walk away, and I doubt Ella or Tom care about having a vehicle right now. Tom sold their suburban before he left, and Mac’s truck was totaled in the accident… So it’s not like they can ship it here. At least not until the insurance pays out once the investigations are complete, whenever that will be.

It’s not like I can go anywhere on my own anyway.

We drive through the neighborhoods and pull up to the clinic that’s in between one of the boutiques and a coffee shop. There are a few spaces available in front of the clinic to park in and I hop out as soon as the car’s shut off and head inside.

The clinic is much smaller than my vet office and I hope there’s a way to expand it or use another building if there’s a larger one available. I would like to have different rooms set up: one for pregnancies, one for deliveries if they don’t want to birth at home, a few rooms with beds for patients to sleep if they need a few days of recovery, a surgical suite, and then a few rooms with basic supplies for when someone needs first aid. I’ll have to write this all down for Deacon…

I look around for Ronnie and don’t see him in the reception area. No one is manning the desk or phones since they probably never hired help, and I sigh as I walk in between the metal chairs to find his office door open.

“Hey, I noticed last week that you don’t have a receptionist. Do you manage everything on your own?”

He nods and waves me in. “Take a seat… Yep, it’s just me.”

I frown and sit down in the chair in front of his desk. “Well, at least we’ll be working together until you leave the pack. Is there a timeframe on when you’d like to be out of here by? I can go full-time whenever.”

He smiles at me and shakes his head. His brown hair is parted on the side today with a thick piece swept over his forehead. His hazel eyes are bright and awake and he’s wearing a tight green t shirt and jeans.

I’m wearing lime green scrubs and tennis shoes, and I feel naked without my lab coat. I’m used to having the extra pockets. Or I just felt important and need to just toss out that mind frame here.

“Well, I’ll be in the office for most of the day dealing with all of this.” He waves his hand around and I hold back a chuckle. Every filing cabinet is opened and there are stacks of files on every surface, papers on the floor, and has two laptops open on his desk. “So get comfortable in and around the clinic and holler if you need me.” I shake his hand and walk through each patient room grumbling as I check out the meager supplies.

Each room is equipped with cabinets, a sink, a cot, and a few chairs against the wall.

I search the cabinets for the stock of items and find gauze, cleaner and sheets for the cots after each patient, a small first aid kit, scissors, and suture kits.

Not bad, but I’d like more, especially when every room is set up the same and this is what’s available for a pregnant female in labor. This is why I want to completely start over, gut this place and extend the rear to double the square footage. Have separate, designated rooms and make it feel more like a healer’s clinic instead of… this.

I sigh as I give up getting acquainted with the rooms and head to the front of the building and sit at the desk. There’s no computer, no planner, no phone… Is this walk-in only? I really should have asked more questions last week instead of listening to Ronnie talk about his parents and the hours he works.

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