by Mel Todd
I forced a smile and headed to the computer. Looking at the badge, I clipped it on my scrubs and managed to login to the system. Go me. It was the last thing that went right that day.
One lady was so large the scale couldn't weigh her and the other one was broken, so she yelled at me for being discriminatory against her weight.
Half the time the system refused to pull up patients for me and I had to go get Melanie to figure out why the system blocked my access.
A mage, Chaos from his necklace, came in for a gash across his arm and would barely look at me, though when Lyndie showed up he suddenly became polite and asked if she could take a look at his arm.
At least three people refused to tell me why they were there and then Melanie explained to me I need to work on getting the patients to communicate with me better.
One male patient got in my face, threatening me if I didn't get him pain drugs now, I'd be the one needing them. As I tried to explain that I didn't have access to anything, he swung his arm backwards, hit the oxygen valve on the wall and it went through his arm. I screamed for Lyndie and my voice might have contained something, because she came at a run. He ended up getting his drugs, and I got to see a mage at work healing someone. That was fascinating, though she was pissed at having to offer up part of one of her braids for an idiot who was seeking drugs.
I hadn't realized I needed lunch, and I had nothing to buy anything from the vending machine in the tiny vending area. I was starving by the time the day rolled to a close.
"Well, you sucked. But for a first day it could have been worse. Be better tomorrow," were Melanie's parting words.
The rain had stopped during the day and I climbed back on the bus just wanting to go home and cry. But I had reading to do and needed to get ready for the quiz on Monday. The only bright spot I could think of was only two more days until Saturday and I had Marisol's home cooking waiting for me.
That thought almost gave me energy and I clambered up my stairs to go into my apartment. Warm dry clothes that fit and hot food would go a long way to making me feel better.
I froze as I stepped into my apartment. Sitting on the couch were Jo and Marisol.
"Finally! I thought you'd never get home," Jo said, glaring at me.
Chapter 17
Over the years it has been referred to as branding, marking, creating ownership tattoos, and even discrimination. After the horrors of World War II, backlash against it became even more severe, but no one has been able to think of a better way to identify mages to everyone. Anything else can be too easily removed. The idea took hold back in 1876, when an irate husband, mad about his wife's refusal to obey him per the story, created and branded her on the side of the face as an effort to let everyone know she was a mage, or witch at that time. The current theory was that he thought she'd be shamed and stay home, dependent on him. Instead she colored it with dyes and make up as available at the time, and went out proudly showing off her powers, using it as an advertisement as to her skills. ~ History of Magic
She's here. What does that mean?
The thought matched the spurt of joy in my heart as Jo got up and stalked towards me. Her long dark hair cascaded around her, but there at the temple I saw her new tattoo. The colors didn't surprise me. Solid blue, the line in bright green, then hash marks in light blue. Unable to stop myself I reached up and touched her tattoo. The Order mage symbol bright. The familiar layout told me she was strong in Transform, pale in Air and Earth. Nothing that surprised me.
"What rank?" My voice came out as a whisper. I knew she wasn't a merlin, but anything else was possible.
Jo squeed. My laid back friend squeed and grabbed me in a bear hug. Her strength and height had her easily picking me up and spinning me in a circle.
"An archmage! An archie!" Her words so loud in my ear I flinched, even as I hugged her back. Happy for her. But it crumbled what hopes I had. It meant college, probably a PhD. People that would fascinate her. And there would be me. Not a mage. No college. A memory.
She let me go, pulled back to look at me, and groaned.
"Merlin's cajones, Cori. Stop it. I know your parents left. But you're my best friend for life. I'm not going anywhere. Remember?" She pulled down her pants to expose her hip and the BFF tattoo. The one that matched mine. "You are mine. I'm still planning on growing old next door to you and letting our kids grow up together."
"Tattoos? Really?" Marisol's voice cut across our intense stares and Jo flushed, pulling her pants back up. "Both of you?" Her voice told me she wanted to see, and it was easy enough to tug down the scrubs to reveal mine. "Oh well. I suppose if that is the worst you two did as young adults I'm not going to complain. At least it isn't as tacky as it could be. Now come sit down Cori. Jo, tell her the rest."
I dropped my bag of wet clothes—they hadn't dried at all—on the floor and took my desk chair while Jo danced around the room, her excitement all but sparking off of her.
"They had to do lots of tests, which is why it took so long. And I'm sorry but I didn't want to just call you and tell you. That would be wrong. Then you weren't here, so I said I was going to wait and Mami said just as well, so yes." She paused and swallowed. "I'm going to GA MageTech. They are super excited about my skill set and babbling about all sorts of degrees. And if I do well, it will guarantee me access to the PhD program. The recruiters I talked to mentioned a job with the Army Corps of Engineers. They said Transform mages are really rare and there will probably be a battle between departments if I get a PhD and do well in my classes. But it means I'm staying here in Georgia. Atlanta is only an hour away. I can't start until the winter semester, but they will let me decide where I want to live and what I want." She took a deep breath and stared right at me. I tensed expecting the worse. "I want you to get a job in Atlanta. Near the college. And room with me. They said if you emerge it could be guaranteed. But if not, if you pay half the rent, they can do that."
"She was a bit insistent," Marisol said, her voice dry. But when I glanced over at her, there was only humor and love in her gaze.
"Hey, I'm not leaving you here. Not for anything. And besides, you like my cooking and someone needs to look after you."
"I love anyone who can cook. Which means anyone not me," I pointed out. But deep inside I wanted to cry with relief. Surely with all the skills I was learning, I could get a job in Atlanta. It would take a bit more money. My brain stopped at that point and I realized if I was moving in with her, the government would cover the first and last. I wouldn't have to come up with it. It was a good thing I was sitting down, because my knees might have given out if I was still standing.
"Jo, I, I…" The words wouldn't come and she just grinned.
"BFF. That is what it is. Now we just need to get you to graduate with honors or at least certifications."
I groaned. "Oh, I'll graduate, but I tell you, whatever I did in a past life I'm sorry for. The amount of negative karma is becoming ridiculous." I explained the day I had, and Jo growled in annoyance.
"Want me to go talk to them? That is just tacky."
The offer delighted me, and I wanted to hug her again. "Everyone would think you were my girlfriend, and frankly, I'm not in your class. Nah. I'll have to get used to dealing with this. But still, thank you. This means maybe I can afford the scrubs and everything else I need with my hours being all but destroyed." I brightened and told them about the other two groups putting me on, so I'd get some money.
"Excellent. I knew Laurel could come through with something. I swear there are days I wanted to just take you away from your parents, but every option would have made life so much worse for you." She sighed and I frowned. The chief had said something similar. Oh well, it didn't matter now.
"It's all good. I'm fine. I have the best best friend in the world, and now I think I can manage to get by for the next few months without living off ramen."
Marisol looked horrified at that. "I think not. No hija of mine is living off that that merde. It doesn't qualify
as food. I'll make sure you have lunches and enough food that you don't need to worry about anything other than breakfast and snacks."
"Oh, wait that wasn't what I meant, you don't have to." My protests were probably weaker than they should have been. It really hadn't been what I intended. The idea of Marisol's food for lunches and most dinners removed my ability to truly protest.
"It isn't up for discussion. But we need to talk about your family." She made the statement the same way I'd expect someone to talk about dog shit on their shoes.
The lump that formed in my throat wouldn't go away no matter how much I swallowed, so I nodded at her to go on while I got up to get some water.
"As you weren't here and I saw your parents were home, I told Jo to stay and I went to talk to them." I didn't know how to decipher the look on her face. Annoyance, pity, dislike? It was a strange look. "Apparently they had taken the day off to attend a school event and had gotten home with Kris. I told them I needed to talk to them about their daughter. What I find fascinating is Kris froze, looking at me as Estella and Rafael went pale. For a minute I thought they would pass out. They tried to get me out of there, but I wasn't having any of that. I pushed in and told them to sit. Rafael was so amusing." I'd never seen Marisol smirk before. It looked wicked on her. "He tried to say he would call the police and have me removed. I encouraged him, pointing out that Laurel would love to have a chance to address their treatment of their daughter with them. They both sat on the couch. Then they tried to order Kris to his room. That kid is going to be something else. He looked at both of them, shook his head, and sat on the far side of the room staring at them." Marisol sighed and took the water I brought her. Jo had shaken her head at me when I offered. Marisol sipped it, thinking.
"I won't bore you with the details, mainly because I still can't decide how I feel about them. Here is the bottom line. They never told Kris the lady living in the apartment was his sister and he wants to meet you badly. Preferably this weekend. But that being said, I let them know exactly what problems you were facing and that while you might be an adult now, they have not lived up to the spirit of having a child and had walked away when Stevie died." Marisol sighed and shifted in her chair. "I swear when I said that they looked like they were about to crumble in grief. I have lost a child, more than one. I get it, but madre dios, you don't quit on your other children. You don't walk away."
"It's okay. I don't need anything from them."
Marisol turned eyes on me that sparked with fire, literally. Her ability to control it, to make it obey her commands flicked in her eyes. I had no idea how that was even possible and pulled back a bit in surprise.
"Freaky, isn't it? We found out the hard way as kids when she spanked us her hand would get hot. Gave new meaning to the term hot ass." Jo's comment had me choking and Marisol heaving a sigh.
"It is not okay, and you and Sanchez were enough to try the patience of a saint. Well I chewed on both of them, pointing out that giving an apartment at what sixteen?..."
"Fourteen," I muttered, looking away from her.
"Fourteen?"
Marisol turned her gaze to Jo who shrugged.
"She begged me not to tell you.” Jo looked at her mother with a steady gaze. "She was safe, had food. I didn't see a reason to break my word."
"Very well, but still. That was not parenting, it was forcing a child to be an adult. It is a credit to you, Cori, that you pulled it off. Got out of school with a 3.8 GPA. You are making something of yourself, and they deserve none of the praise. But I laid all that out and said you needed more money to be able to finish school. That you'd done everything by yourself so far. They came around to my way of thinking." Marisol dug into her pocket and pulled out a check, handing it to me.
I almost choked when I looked at it.
"It isn't enough, not by far. Money and things aren't a substitute for love. I wish you had told me more, but it took me a long time to realize exactly how much they had abandoned you. You put on a good show, Cori. And I'm sorry we didn't pry earlier." Marisol's gaze caught and held me, like a bug trapped in amber.
It took me forever to pull away from her eyes and look at the check. I choked when I realized what I held. "This is a check for five thousand."
Marisol snorted. It was a strangely inelegant sound from her. "It should have been for twenty, but they said it was all they can afford and I figured this would get you started, and help the two of you set up your new apartment this summer.” She grinned at her daughter.
"Yes!" Jo jumped up, doing her hip shimmy. "Told you I had the best mom ever."
"Yes, you both do. Now come on, Cori. Let's go get you some scrubs that fit. Those look awful on you."
I gave in to temptation and went over and pulled Marisol into a hug. "Thank you, for everything."
She hugged me back. "Never forget how amazing you are. And take care of my daughter. She's a bit of a spaz." We both looked at Jo still doing a hip shimmy in my living room.
"I think I can do that. After all, she seems to want to keep me."
"Until end of time, Cori. BFF. Learn it, love it, live it. Oooh, an apartment. This is going to be fun."
I started laughing, I couldn't help it. Her joy was contagious and some of the fear that had haunted me vaporized.
Chapter 18
The Chaos class of magic is a bit of a misnomer, and there have been strong lobbies to change it to Elemental or Variable class, but it has never changed. The branches within Chaos each have flavors that make sense and are often described as Chaotic, but even now, people think of evil when they hear Chaos and there is nothing in magic, or in any of the classes that has anything to do with good or evil. ~ Magic Explained
I need to learn to work with people I can't stand. I need to learn to work with people who are jerks. Treat this as another test.
If I kept repeating that in my mind maybe I wouldn't lose it and strangle Lyndie. While technically you can't be discriminated against due to magic or the lack thereof, just like you can't stop someone from getting a job because of their skin color, none of that stopped people from caring. Lyndie was one of those "I'm a mage so I'm better than you" people. She flaunted it, making sure her tattoo was always visible, plus she usually wore jewelry that jingled and jangled and basically made so much noise I wanted to rip it off her.
But the worst part was that she was useless unless it interested her. Some weird medical thing, she was right there, acting like her Transform abilities meant she could heal anything. It didn't, by the way. While it helped, it also could create issues. Unfortunately, she was a skilled nurse. Just lazy, condescending, and a general pain in the ass. And Melanie ignored it all. She was aware of it, I could tell by her tightened lips every time something was left undone, but then she just assigned it to me.
I didn't care, but I did. I was the equivalent of a student MA. Which meant I shouldn't be doing anything other than the basics. But I was now muddling my way through returning calls, , giving shots, (that at least was easy), and being the chaperon for any gynecological stuff, which just made me uneasy.
I still didn't know if I was, or wasn't bi, straight, or gay, but the condition of some of those women's lower parts made my skin crawl and did absolutely nothing to make me want to be sexually involved with anyone. Male or female. Just ewww.
But as the weeks went by, I got better. They really needed to work on actually training people. I made it only because I needed to make it more than I needed just about anything else. That, and I had lunches made by Marisol with me each day. That helped too. Most nights I went home and studied and wrote the papers assigned and got ready for the tests. I also went through a few more EPIC training vids, but Friday and Saturday nights I was at the Guzman's. We apartment hunted, or at least apartment window shopped, argued degrees for Jo, gave her a bad time for her latest girlfriend, and for the first time in a very long time I felt like life was going really well. Even all the unexplained incidents had lowered in frequency. Saturday and Sunday mor
nings, I worked at Grind Down from six to two and then closed. My parents' money in my account made a huge difference.
I had two more weeks of MA, then I'd be on the police rotation, and frankly I couldn't wait, but that wasn't what had me tied up in knots that Friday. Via email, because calling me would have been too personal, my parents had agreed to let Kris come see me tomorrow after noon. In my apartment. I couldn't wait and the excited jitters carried over into work. Where there had been a respite in weird things happening, today saw them all come back with a vengeance.
My trek to the urgent care clinic was normal, at least it hadn't been raining, but the first patient set the tone for the day.
"Mr. Jones?" I asked as I stepped out the door looking around the lobby. I scanned, looking for who responded to that name.
An older man, late fifties at least, pushed himself up and moved towards me. His gait was odd enough that I glanced at his foot. Sure enough, the left one was a prosthetic. I made a mental note and opened the door a bit wider just as Lyndie walked by.
"See if you can do your job today without causing more drama," she said in a sotto voice I was meant to hear and did.
My shoulders stiffened as I tried to ignore her and focus on the patient, but my head itched fiercely in my normal reaction to stress. And she'd already given me a bad time about snow on my clothes—I didn't need any more grief from her today.
"Morning, Mr. Jones. Let's get you weighed and checked in." He nodded, his shaven scalp showing slight stubble as he moved down the hall. I pointed to the scale and when he went to step on it, his prosthetic snapped in half. With a half gasp I grabbed him and tried to support him, but he was a foot taller than me and we both went down. The chair there for people to sit in caught me in the shoulder as I fell, his weight on top of me.
