Page 15 of Bitter Heat
Fan rolled his eyes and shot Janus a funny little grin, but then he turned to the stove and lifted the lid on a heavy, copper pot resting on top. A delicious meaty scent wafted through the room, and Dr. Crescent groaned. “My favorite? You’re determined I’m going to like this lad, aren’t you?”
Fan shrugged, a diminutive version of the one Dr. Crescent had made, and said, “I had some mutton left over, and I figured a hearty lunch would keep you in a good temper through the rest of the afternoon. We wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression.”
Janus blinked at that, realizing that he hadn’t had time to even consider his true impression of Dr. Crescent, the stables, the patients, or his new position. He’d simply gone to work and tried to stem the flow, like staunching the blood from an injury.
Two place settings at the table held sturdy, blue-flecked crockery, and Fan declined to join them, saying that he’d already eaten. He kissed the top of Dr. Crescent’s bushy head, whispered something in his ear, and then nodded to Janus. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other, I hope. I’m sure you have questions for Crow. I’ll leave you to it.” Then he vanished into a back room and shut the door.
“He’ll read his romance books and take a nap,” Dr. Crescent said with a fond scowl. “It’s quite the life of leisure he has.” Then he grinned. “But I’m the one who gets the pleasure of letting him live that way.”
Janus nodded politely.Érosgápewere an unreasonable bunch. Biologically determined mates who bonded instantly at a level most others could barely begin to comprehend, and who loved unconditionally, unreservedly, and irrationally. They often took pride in the very aspects of their mates that other men might complain about. Though, if the worst Fan did was read novels and nap, Janus could hardly imagine finding room to complain about that. He’d spent plenty of his time over the years doing much less reputable and much more harmful things. Besides, the man made a mean mutton stew. Or maybe Janus was just starving after the rush of working all morning.
“I reckon he’s right and you’ve got questions,” Dr. Crescent said, his thick, gray-black brows raising. “Never seen anything quite like that lineup before, have you?”
“No, I can’t say that I have. I’d been on a few observational rounds as part of my class curriculum last year, but I was sick during the months of hands-on work. I thought I’d made that clear in our correspondence.”
“So, you did.” Dr. Crescent shrugged. “I figured, with a city man like you, this would go one of two ways: either your balls were as big as they seemed, what with writing me for a position without the requirements for it in hand, and so you’d be fine. Or you were an egotist and an idiot, and in that case, one lineup like today’s would send you right back home to the city.” He eyed Janus carefully.
Janus took another spoonful of soup and said nothing.
“You’re not going anywhere, are you, son? You liked that bustle and chaos.”
Janus shrugged, considering. “I did. I felt useful.”
Dr. Crescent studied him a long, slow moment, and then he nodded. “You need the work as much as they need help. Well, that’s good enough for me. I hope when you’ve done your healing—” here he tapped his head and then his chest, right over his heart, making Janus feel exposed “—you don’t just take your learning and run off. I’m going to need someone to take over most of the doctoring around here eventually. I promised Fan a romantic decade or two of retirement. And, wolf-god, I’m not getting any younger.”
“Healing? I’ve been sick, it’s true,” Janus said, deliberately misinterpreting Dr. Crescent’s comment. “But I’m hoping this mountain air will strengthen my lungs.”
“I didn’t mean that kind of healing, and you damn well know it.” But Dr. Crescent’s tone didn’t hold any real bite, just an old man’s scolding. He rubbed at his eyes and then said, “Now that’s settled. Let’s talk about your pay: very little. And your hours: extensive. And your skills: need more of ’em. Don’t worry,DoctorHeelies. We’ll work it out.”
Janus didn’t argue the title even though the lack of earning it sat like a bur on his hide. He didn’t think Caleb would approve. He considered asking just what he could expect in terms of payment but thinking about the coin jar that was now more full of beans, bruised apples, and nuts than money, he didn’t think he wanted to know.
“Got any other questions?” Dr. Crescent asked.
“Where do we see patients in the snow and rain?”
“I got some tarps to throw over the open sides of the stable. Keeps it warm enough to work.”
“Oh.”
Dr. Crescent cocked his head. “If you’ve got the funds to build us a nice clinic up here, son, you go right ’head.”
“No. I…” Janus cleared his throat. “Your solution seems reasonable.”
“Anything else?”
Janus considered asking the doctor about Kerry. Would it be too nosy to request information on the pregnant omega at the boarding house? He wanted to know about Kerry’s alpha and what the situation was there. Was the alpha missing, dead, or what?
But he got the impression that, of the two men, he needed to have that kind of talk with Fan. Dr. Crescent seemed like he would be of no use in the gossip department. So, Janus shook his head, and Dr. Crescent looked pleased to be done with the business part of their conversation.
After Janus finished his stew, he cleaned the bowl in the sink and waited for Dr. Crescent to use the bathroom. When he emerged, wiping his hands on a fresh towel, he jerked his head toward the front door. “Back at it, Dr. Heelies. Once we get through this lot, we’ll be done for the day. But tomorrow we’ll start bright and early on rounds to check those who can’t make it down to my office.”
Janus followed Dr. Crescent out the front door, astonished to see that at least six more people had shown up for consultations. As they neared the stable, Dr. Crescent nodded toward the small, rocky pasture where three horses stood eating grass and watching the day turn. “How are you on a horse?”
Before Janus could answer, the clamoring for attention began, and an omega swept him up into a discussion about his alpha’s diarrhea—so bad that the man hadn’t been able to leave home to come for himself. He raided the dispensary in the stable for more tablets, this time of homeopathic amounts ofcuprum arsenicosum. Janus got paid in coin for a change, and then he was on to his next patient.
By the end of the day, Janus had stocked up his bag with a few commonly used medicinal herbs and tablets to keep on hand as a new doctor in the area. “You never know when a patient might turn up at your door,” Dr. Crescent said with a stern glare. “Best be prepared.” And he no longer blinked when addressed as Doc, either. But he was still determined to earn the title as soon as possible.
CHAPTER FIVE
