Reid wasn't quite sure what to think of some of the reactions he had gotten upon being forced to return to his rounds while in his current form. Many of the patients had thought they were hallucinating. Not an unexpected reaction to seeing a small talking equine wandering around the hospital on its hind-legs while wearing a doctor's coat. What had the doctor baffled was those whose reactions were little more than the tired acceptance of what was more strangeness because as one nurse had said, "It's the night shift at the Pembroke. Things were always strange then."
And that was not even starting on how unflappable Nurse Hawkins was about the situation. Jonathan was just happy he managed to avoid running into any of the other doctors on staff that night. He didn't need the headache that would cause. Reid did have to admit that the sheer wonder and glee on the face of a young child who'd seen him was heartwarming. Though that didn't stop the tired sigh that left the ekon-turned-pony as he stood out of the way behind the reception desk. He was so lost in thought he hadn't noticed that he'd gathered quite the crowd of staff. At least until Pippa spoke up.
"So, Dr. Reid," the nurse began, amused by the startled reaction she got from him as something along his back thrashed under his coat. "What did you muck about with that caused you to wind up a little horse?" Hawkins couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face as the equine grumbled as he shuked his coat, revealing a small pair of bat-like wings that had been trapped under it.
A huff left him as he folded his coat over one fore-leg, shaking his wings out before folding them flat against his back again. "I was helping a friend sort through some very old items they had." He turned and balked a little at the number of staff watching him. Jonathan crossed his fore-legs as he lightly shook his head, ears turned down. "Suffice to say one of the items had a bit more of a surprise for us than we expected." He couldn't quite help the displeased curl of his lips, inadvertently drawing attention to his sharp fangs.
She hummed, fingers drumming against her arm. Pippa noted how much more pronounced they were while the doctor was stuck in this form. That, coupled with the bat wings and his pallor just caused her to shake her head, a rueful expression on Hawkins' face. "I suppose your current form will also make it rather hard to hide the fact you're a vampire, on top of everything else."
That statement caused the crowd to fall to a hush as Reid went rigid, ears slowly flattening to his skull as his wings fanned out unconsciously behind him. Face kept carefully neutral, Jonathan still couldn't stop the slightly breathless "What?" that slipped from his muzzle.
"Dr. Reid, you've hardly been subtle before all of this." Pippa stated, waving one arm towards the ekon, indicating his current appearance. She crossed her arms as she leveled a tired, yet amused glare at him. "Sir, on slow nights, we have a game of seeing who can get you to lift the heaviest thing without realizing it," she said bluntly. Hawkins shook her head, lightly massaging her forehead. "That's without counting how many staff members have caught you chewing on rats." She huffed, fists cocked on her hips as she observed the gobsmacked equine. "So, really, you've done a terrible job of hiding it to be honest."
Jaw working up and down, wanting to say something but unable to, Reid stood in muted shock and horror. Only for his ears to perk up as the staff began muttering to each other. He caught snatches of conversation. Snippets of "Oh, that explains the rat eating," another mentioned "Well, now we know how the Doctor's able to carry so much," and other similar remarks. A groan left him as he draped one fore-leg over his muzzle, once more thankful he was incapable of blushing. His wings curling up to hide his face though didn't help, however. Finally managing to get his embarrassment under control, Jonathan rubbed at his temple with one hoof, confusion and exasperation in his tone. "Why is everyone handling this so well?"
At that point Milton Hooks wandered in, looking for Pippa, and couldn't help but laugh at that question. "Because you go out of your way to help everyone, Dr. Reid." Continuing to chuckle, he added "And without asking a damned thing in return." The rough ambulance driver looked around at the small group, and sighed as he scratched at the back of his head. "I might not be the best at this, but that we now have an explanation for your strangeness doesn't change all the good you've done." A snort left the man, wyr amusement on his lips. "Although, I have to say, lifting the lorry up by its front bumper to get whatever you dropped under it didn't help you hide any."
He buried his face in his hooves to muffle his returned embarrassment, ears now pressed to his head as he wanted to just disappear. "I was so sure no one was around for that," could be heard despite the doctor trying to hide. Jonathan caught a few tittering laughs as the sound of the nurses returning to their rounds filled his ears. He slowly slid his hooves down, catching the looks of amusement and a few friendly waves from the nurses returning to their shifts. Which he returned with a sheepish wave of his hoof, sighing once it was just Hawkins and himself. Hook's having left, deciding it would be better to talk with Pippa another time. With a puff of exasperation, and the light tapping of his fore-hooves together, Reid had to ask. "Was it truly so obvious?"
Light amused laughter left Hawkins at that, though she quickly covered her mouth at the ekon's dejected expression. Once her shoulders stopped shaking and she got her laughter under control, Pippa shook her head. "Only because I know what to look for, Dr. Reid." She sighed as she took pity on the confused equine. "I'm an informant for Priwen, that's how I knew." She tapped one finger to her chin, "I've known since you first introduced yourself, to be honest."
"You're a what?" Jonathan breathed out, quite horror flickered on his face before his thoughts caught up with his emotions. His ears flicked back and forth as he ran one hoof through his beard. Reid carefully took in the nurse's calm demeanor. A hum left him as he remembered something. "Nurse Hawkins," he began, "am I correct in my guess that you purposely failed to inform the Guard of my presence here?" He recalled his first meeting with McCullum, and how surprised the hunter had been that he was working at the Pembroke.
Pippa hummed in affirmation, and, upon seeing his incredulous expression, the nurse shook her head. "A great deal of your behavior all but screamed confused newborn vampire." She idly drummed her fingers on her upper arm, looking over the doctor's curious tilt of his head. "However, I held off on reporting until I was sure." Hawkins huffed out a quiet, amused laugh. "Imagine my surprise when you showed not only a frankly amazing amount of restraint for a vampire, let alone a newborn one," she shook her head in disbelief, "but that you also chose to feed off rats, instead of the easy targets the patients would be." She hugged herself tighter for a moment before shrugging. "That, coupled with all the genuine help you've given not just the hospital, but others…" Pippa looked off to the side, a slight flush of embarrassment on her face. "The hospital needed you in one piece more than I thought the Guard needed you dead."
A quiet, breathy chuckle escaped Reid as he leaned back against the wall, nearly sagging with relief. Once he collected himself, he turned his attention to the nurse still standing nervously nearby. "Thank you, Nurse Hawkins, for giving me a chance when others may not have." A small, but genuine smile crossed the ekon's muzzle. Jonathan began to shrug back into his coat as his ears twitched and swiveled, catching the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching, and deeply irritated muttering. When he identified the familiar, but unwelcome scent and heartbeat, he bit back a sigh, and waved a hoof at Pippa. "You may want to flee now, Nurse Hawkins." He couldn't quite stop the grimace from finding its way to his face. "Dr. Ackroyd is on his way, and he sounds like he's in a mood."
Her grin morphed into a grimace as she blanched at that information, and quickly hurried off. She thought she heard Reid muttering to himself as she left, and couldn't help the wince as the poor pony doctor was bellowed at. "Sorry Dr. Reid, but better you than me." Pippa picked up her pace as Ackroyd picked up in volume.
Dr. Waverly Ackroyd stormed down the hallway, grousing to himself. He could not believe the sheer levels of incompetence and insanity the staff was entertaining, let alone perpetuating. Really, that any medical professional worth their salt should know better than to believe the sort of superstitious and fanciful nonsense. "Really, vampires and talking horses," he scoffed, and shook his head. "Has everyone else taken leave of their senses?" Waverly's scowl deepened further as he saw the gaggle of nurses moving past, whispering low to each other more of this ridiculous gossip.
He scoffed, and hastened his pace, heading for the reception area, ready to go up and demand Swansea do something, anything, about this, when he heard the distinct voice of their upstart head surgeon. As much as he disliked the man, he still felt it prudent to inform him of the drivel the nurses were spreading. As he approached, he noticed one of the nurses talking to Jonathan, and scoffed as she scurried away as he approached. The other doctor had his back to him, and seemed to have just finished having put his coat back on. Something seemed to be off about him, but Ackroyd dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him. "Dr. Reid, have you heard the absolute nonsense rumors the staff have been spouting about you?!" The sigh caught him off guard, and he could not help but freeze in shock as his mind refused to believe what he was seeing in front of him as Jonathan turned around.
"Which rumors would those be, Dr. Ackroyd?" Reid intoned, a neutral expression on his muzzle as he turned around, carefully watching the man as he stared at the ekon, mouth gone slack in shock. "The rumor that I am currently a small, talking equine of some sort?" He took a moment to tap at his chin with one hoof, feigning mulling over his options, "Or the rumor that I am a blood drinking creature of the night better left in the pages of pulp fiction?" Jonathan idly inquired, fangs glinting in the light as he gave Waverly an amused grin.
His mouth flapped open and closed like a fish's, absolutely unbelieving at the sight in front of him, before his jaw shut with a click, and his face reddened with indignation. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, Dr. Reid, but coming to work in this-this- mask, isn't funny!" He stormed forward, and grabbed the other by the lapels of his coat, trying to drag Jonathan towards him. Some part of his mind not occupied by anger noticed he was roughly eye level with Reid, and that was new. That was quickly pushed aside though, as Waverly continued to yell at the other doctor, volume steadily rising. "Enough is enough!" He bellowed, "For far too long you've either shirked your duties as head surgeon, or only bothered to do your rounds when it fancies you!" He tried to shake Reid, only for it to do nothing more than rustle the fabric of the other doctor's coat. "I demand you take that ridiculous item off this instant!" He tried to jostle the offending man again, only to freeze and stare at the hoof, of all things, that came up and laid across his wrist, a shiver running down his spine as the sensation of unseen icy fingers wrapped around it.
An unamused look sat on the ekon's muzzle as he reached up with his other hoof, and slowly, carefully worked Waverly's fingers free from his lab coat. Once he freed himself, Jonathan smoothed the lapels of his coat as he addressed the irate man before him. "Dr. Ackroy, as much as I wish otherwise, neither of those rumors are falsehoods," his lips curled in a snarl of displeasure, fangs flashing. The ears on top of his head slowly rotating back as he jabbed a hoof to point at his face. "Likewise, unfortunately, this is not a mask." Reid stepped back, crossing his forehooves across his chest, and leveled a glare at Waverly. "And before you again try to insist otherwise, when have you ever seen one that emotes anywhere near this well, if at all?" Snorting, he shook his head, "That's not even counting the fact I am a foot or so shorter than I should be, Ackroyd."
Sputtering, the man shook his head in vehement denial. "Why you insist on playing along with and perpetuating this insanity is beyond me!" Waverly lunged forward, determined to remove the ridiculous mask Reid was wearing. Only to stumble through a rolling mass of darkness. He caught himself against the wall as he passed through where Jonathan had been standing not even a moment ago. Ackroyd batted away the rapidly dissipating black smoke, confusion knitting his brow as he noticed a trail of it, leading to just a bit behind where he had been. He blinked at the bits of shadow that wisped off of Reid's form as he looked at the man with disappointment. "What did you just…?" His mouth worked soundlessly as he tried to put to words his confusion, finally he managed to ask "How?"
Jonathan just sighed, and checked to make sure none of his medical supplies had been damaged in his inadvertent scuffle with Waverly. "I already told you, Dr. Ackroyd." Satisfied that everything was still intact, he leveled a flat look at the man. "That you refuse to believe it is not my problem." He turned on one hoof, and slowly made his way down the hall. He threw a parting comment over his shoulder. "Contrary to what many think, even the dead tire." A self-deprecating snort left the ekon as the near-silent clicking of hooves echoed softly off the tile. "And I would rather like to have my rounds done before sunrise." Reid muttered low, but still loud enough to be heard in the stillness of the hospital, "I'd rather not traumatize a patient because I started burning from a stray bit of sunlight."
The mortal doctor was left standing in confusion in the hospital lobby, watching the impossibility that was the Pembroke's head surgeon take his leave. Ackroyd slowly slid down the wall he'd been braced against, a quiet utterance leaving his lips, "Has the world gone mad, or have I?"
An exhausted sigh left Jonathan as he finished cleaning up the aftermath of an emergency surgery, and staunchly ignored the itching of his elongated fangs. The ekon scrubbed his forelegs, trying to get the blood clean before it matted his fur. He shook his head as his mind wandered. The man had been unlucky enough to have fallen through a rotted section of floor somewhere, and had wound up with more than a few chunks of wood impaled through him. However, he'd somehow had enough luck that nothing vital had received more than a nick. Then that someone had found him before it was too late. Add to that, that the surgeon on duty tonight could easily find those little nicks and tears that could otherwise be lethal? He found himself idly wondering if the patient might be both cursed and blessed. He'd lived through stranger, after all.
An ear twisted back on Reid's head as he heard two of the nurses who'd assisted him tonight still in the room. He shut off the water after he'd determined he'd cleaned off the blood as best he could. Jonathan blinked in surprise as it registered to him that the pair who'd been working with him were Nurses O'Connor and Hawkins. "Ah, well, I suppose that explains the lack of screaming when using any of my ekon granted abilities during the surgery…"
Gertrude gave Reid a soft smile. "We thought it might be best if the two nurses with the most knowledge of vampires assisted you." She finished placing the tools she had been organizing down, and walked over to the sink to clean up herself. Her eyes briefly flitting to the doors, her gaze hard for a moment.
A scoff left Pippa. "What she means is despite the fact you've performed surgeries safely since you've been hired here, without snacking on the patients, mind you, a few people were nervous." She nodded to him, a smile on her face at his restraint and dedication to his oath. Though it briefly slipped to a frown when her eyes flickered to the doorway. She spoke louder, words directed at the doors. "That they now know you're a vampire has some of the other staff paranoid." The nurse moved to join O'Connor at the sink to wash the blood off. She scrubbed at the stains as if they had personally offended her. "In short, we were the only ones willing to assist you, Dr. Reid." Hawkins threw a glare back over her shoulder at the doors leading back into the hospital.
His ears twitched as he picked up the sound of more heartbeats outside the operating theater. Jonathan's ears started to swivel back against his head as he looked over and caught sight of more than a few of the other nurses and doctors outside trying to get a peak at what was going on. His wings tried to unfurl under his coat, causing the equine to shake himself out of the startled response and forced them to fold back down. He cast a quick glance at the pair of nurses still in the room with him, only the barest hints of tired resignation in his tone. "So, how long has that been going on?"
With an apologetic look, Nurse O'Connor stated "Since you ordered the man taken up to surgery, Dr. Reid." The sound of water running and soap scrubbing away covered the muffled sounds of conversation for anyone not in possession of enhanced hearing. She noticed the resigned look on the ekon's face. Once she finished cleaning up, Gertrude gave Jonathan a reassuring squeeze of his shoulder. "Don't pay them any mind, Dr. Reid." She gave the pony a warm smile. "It will take time for them to come to terms with what they know, what you are, and what you can do in spite of that." She gave him another quick squeeze of his shoulder before exiting the operating theater, a look of disappointment on her face at the staff milling about outside. "Well, are you going to continue just standing about, or are you going to move so we can get the patient out?"
Pippa finished soon after, and began to wheel the patient out. She gave the ekon a soft look. "We can take it from here, Dr. Reid." Hawkins reached over to give him a brief pat on the shoulder. "I know you have some way of dealing with your thirst, go ahead and do that." The nurse resumed moving the sleeping man out of the operating theater, a scowl on her face at the gaggle of people still standing outside. "Alright, you've seen enough, move along." Pippa was ready to run some of these inconsiderate louts over with the gurney if they didn't move.
He managed to hold back the grin the actions of the two nurses threatened to bring to his muzzle. Jonathan waited until Hawkins and O'Connor had gotten the gawking staff members to disperse some, and slipped away to his office, with just a bit of help from his shadow abilities. He didn't bother to hide the grin that split his face after the surprised exclamations his disappearing act caused the nosy staff.
The equine shut the door to his office with a quiet click, and slowly made his way over to his sink. He looked at himself carefully in the mirror, and his grin fell into a displeased curl of his lips as he noticed the state he was in after surgery. Reid observed how much further his fangs were protruding past his lips, and ran the toe of his hoof lightly under one eye, taking in how bloodshot they had become as his thirst pressed on him, and how starkly visible the veins in his face where, even beneath the pale fur on his body. Combined with the blood stains still on his clothing, and it painted a rather macabre picture.
"Well," the ekon murmured low to himself, turning his head this way and that to better assess his appearance, "I can see why Nurse Hawkins suggested I deal with my thirst." Another sigh left Reid as he moved about his room, shedding his bloodied lab coat, placing it carefully folded to be cleaned later. "To be honest, I'm surprised both of them handled it so well." He walked over to where he'd hung his coat up before his… discussion with Swansea. Jonathan snorted at the memory of the other ekon's actions as he went through the coat pockets, shaking his head as he pulled out a blood serum. "While there was no actual bet, I can't help but feel I owe McCullum something for being so on point about Edgar's reaction." The pony's ears twitched briefly while he thought about what he might get the head of the Guard, only to shrug and figure it would just be better to ask him when next they met.
He held the syringe up to the light, carefully tapping it with the back of his hoof while he depressed the plunger slightly, watching as the scant few air bubbles were forced out, and a part of him marveled that he was still able to do this despite his lack of hands. The ekon-turned-equine placed the needle in his neck, pushing the plunger down, eyelids fluttering as the damnable thirst lessened its hold on him. The itching in his fangs dying down as they retracted as much as they could while he was like this. Reid pulled the syringe from his neck, feeling the odd sensation of flesh quickly knitting back together. He recapped the spent serum, placing it in a separate pocket so he could clean and sterilize it later.
He went back over to the sink, pleased to note the redness in his eyes was quickly receding, and that the dark veins beneath his skin and fur were no longer quite as visible. A pleased hum left him as he moved over to the locker he kept his spare clothing in, only for his face to twist into a frown once he opened it, and remembered none of his usual attire would fit his current equine form. "Well, now this is a problem…" Jonathan had just managed to remove his bloodied dress shirt, as one of his ears twisted as he heard a knock on his door. He turned the sink on, setting the shirt in it, and began scrubbing the sleeves with soap. He called absently over his shoulder, focused on getting the only shirt that currently fit him cleaned. "Yes, who is it?"
A soft voice called from the other side of the door. "It's me, Dr. Reid." It was the rich lit of Gertrude O'Connor, waiting patiently. After receiving a quick "Enter!" from the ekon, she stepped inside, noticing Jonathan scrubbing away at something in the sink. "Ah," she said, and moved over to a corner of the room the equine had failed to check, collected something, and walked over to him. "Here, sir," she held out a bundle of fabric to him. "I figured you'd eventually return to the hospital, and given Dr. Swansea's disposition, thought having a bit more clothing that fit your current form would be a wise idea."
He shut off the tap after rinsing his hooves off, drying them before carefully taking the item held out to him. A laugh bubbled up as he unfolded the shirt Gertrude had originally tailored for him at the start of all this mess. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Connor, truly." Reid set the clean shirt off to the side, squeezing the water out of the shirt he'd been scrubbing prior, and setting it off to the side to dry before starting the process of getting his wings and forelegs into the other shirt. "Well, that's one issue solved." He began the tedious process of buttoning a shirt with hooves. "Was there anything else?" Jonathan gave her a small smile. "I doubt letting me know about this shirt was the only reason you came back up here."
Sighing, Gertrude rested her hand against her cheek. "Yes, well," she gave the transformed doctor a look. "Did something happen between yourself and Dr. Ackroyd?" She shook her head, her gaze briefly flitting back to the door. "He's been in a state for a while now." Humming, she turned her attention to the pony currently checking the vest in his hooves for blood-stains. "He seemed a bit skittish, which is rather unlike him."
Wincing, Jonathan nodded. "Ah, well…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with one hoof as he looked off to the side sheepishly. "While it could have been better dealt with, Dr. Ackroyd was rather annoyed by the rumors circulating about me." If the ekon could blush, there was no doubt he would be at that moment. He coughed into his hoof as his wings rustled, and he slipped into his vest. "Upon seeing my current state, he accused me of playing along with the rumors and became further incised."
With a sigh, Nurse O'Connor shook her head. She crossed her arms, and observed the equine's embarrassed posture. "I take it that was not the end of it?" She inquired, fingers drumming lightly against her arm.
"No, not exactly…" Reid hedged, tapping his fore-hooves together. He scuffed one hoof against the tile, trying not to fidget. Jonathan's ears pressed to his head as he admitted the next part. "Ackroyd implied my current appearance was a costume," he rubbed at his neck as he let one ear flick to check if anyone was nearby. Relieved that the only one still on the floor was Swansea, he continued. "When I told him that the rumors were not in fact false, he tried to forcibly remove what he thought was a mask." His wings unfurled as one tried to shield his face, the ekon scowling at the appendage as it reacted to his emotional state, and forced them to lay flat against his back again. "I think my shadow-stepping to avoid his charge may have been a bit too much." Jonathan had the sense to look a bit sheepish at that. "In my defense, that was more reaction than thought on my part."
A look of maternal disapproval sat on Gertrude's face, as she gave a slight shake of her head. "I suppose we should be glad your reactions as an Ekon are of a non-lethal variety." She responded dryly, humming, she asked, "and what do you suppose you should do next?"
Reid imagined if he could still sweat, his shirt would be stuck to his fur by now. "Um… Go talk with Ackroyd and make sure he's alright?" He gave the nurse a nervous grin.
"That would be a very good place to start, Dr. Reid." Nurse O'Connor said softly.
He looked up at the ceiling, gathering his thoughts. Jonathan tipped his head back down, a tired expression on his face. "Very well, I shall endeavor to speak again with Dr. Ackroyd."
Gertrude gave the pony a soft smile, and a light pat on the shoulder. "Thank you, Dr. Reid." She left, returning to the last of her duties for the night.
A silent sigh left the ekon-turned-pony as he finished buttoning up his vest, and grabbed his suit jacket, slowly putting it on as his mind turned trying to figure out how best to approach Waverly about the subject. His ears perked up as an idea struck him. "Yes, perhaps…" Reid trailed off, quiet hoof-steps clicking across the tile as he left his office, searching for Ackroyd.
Dr. Waverly Ackroyd was not having a good night. First, the staff were spreading absolutely ridiculous rumors. Then, when he went to inform the subject of said rumors about them, he found Reid in that ridiculous costume, playing them up! ...Except, was it truly a mask the other doctor had been wearing? Waverly shook his head, mentally scolding himself. What else could it be? To entertain that it was anything else was madness! But a costume couldn't explain away the fact Jonathan had been physically shorter then he should be. To say nothing of the trick he pulled with the smoke.
No, no! It was all some sort of ruse, some ploy. This was not the dark ages where that which could not be understood was hand-waved away as magic! ...It had to be some sort of trick, for the only other logical explanation was that he'd gone mad. The man was pacing, muttering to himself low under his breath as his mind went around in circles. He was so lost in trying to keep his world views from crumbling that he nearly jumped out of his skin when something hard and cold laid itself on his shoulder. As it was, he spun around as he jumped, his back colliding with the wall as he stared at what had startled him. "YOU! What do you want, Reid?!"
Jonathan blew a quiet sigh out through his nose as he straightened himself up, watching Waverly carefully. "Hello, Dr. Ackroyd." The equine gave him a measured look. "I think, perhaps, it would be best if we talked."