Ch 3: No Mission Tonight
When Constance reached her room, she sighed as she looked at the stacks of boxes she would need to unpack, but they could wait. She inspected the clothes hanging in a garment bag on the door of the wardrobe. She wanted to make sure that they hadn't become wrinkled, as they were the clothes she had intended to wear for her first meeting with her employer. When she satisfied herself about the clothes, she made her way toward the bathroom that adjoined her room and found it to be well stocked with linens and various toiletries. Twenty minutes later, she exited the steam filled bathroom with a large towel wrapped around her body and a smaller one on her head. When she sat down to relax for a while after making herself presentable, her stomach gave an audible growl. With all the traveling and relative excitement of the day, she had forgotten that she had not eaten anything since mid-morning. "But how does one get a snack around here?" she thought. Just then, there was a light knock on the door and she heard Walter's voice call to her. She opened the door and swore to herself that Walter was a mind reader when she saw what he was holding. A large tray in his hands held a teacup and a small pot as well as a variety of sandwiches and teacakes. "I thought you might be hungry after your journey" he said with a little smile. "Sir Integra will meet with you in 45 minutes. I will return to show you to her office." "You're a life saver, Walter" Constance replied with a smile of her own as she took the tray from him. "I'll be waiting for you then."
While Constance was readying herself for her meeting, Alucard was at his master's office. He was disappointed when he found Sir Integra absent. He was even more disappointed when Walter, who he met while heading back to the basement to wake up the police girl, informed him that Integra had stated that there would be no mission tonight. Since there was no mission, it would be a good night to further train his fledgling in the ways of a proper vampire. "Time to wake up, police girl" he called to her in his mind as he approached the door that led to the dungeons under the Hellsing mansion.
When Alucard phased through the wall of his apprentices' room, he was pleased to see that she was ready to go, dressed in her uniform and her Halconnen cannon on her shoulder. He was even more pleased when he noticed that Ceras had already drunk her nightly ration. Of course the fact that she had drank her ration without being told might have had to do with the threat that Alucard had made in a moment of frustration. After repeating to her several times that she would become weak if she did not drink, he finally told her that if she didn't start drinking her ration, he would personally hold her down and pour it down her throat.
"Is there a mission tonight, master?" the short blond vampire asked, looking up at him. "Not tonight, police girl. A good night for training," he replied. "You won't need Halconnen," he added. Ceras sighed inwardly as she slid the cannon off of her shoulder, irritated at her master for his insistence on calling her police girl rather than using her given name. He gave her one of his trademark grins as her read this thought of hers and said, "Come along then.Ceras." The last word echoed in her head as he left her room for the training area. Ceras grinned and hurried to catch up with him.
Just as Ceras and Alucard were about to leave the house, Alucard spotted the mysterious woman he had seen before. She was following Walter as he ascended the stairs toward Integra's office. She was now wearing a straight blue skirt and matching blazer that was well tailored to her. Her hair was no longer braided, but now fell in a cascade of waves that reached to just under her shoulders. He stopped short, forcing his apprentice, who was loyally following him, to stop quickly to avoid colliding with the red- clad figure in front of her. Alucard concentrated again on the woman, but was still unable to sense what she was thinking. Ceras looked at the face of her master and then looked in the direction he was looking to see a strange woman. "Master, what is wrong?" Ceras asked, not understanding why he was looking at this woman so hard. Alucard knew that Ceras did not yet posses the ability to read thoughts, so he told his charge "nothing to concern yourself with, police girl" and continued to the training range.
"Come in" Integra called in response to the knock on her door. Constance stepped through the door Walter was holding for her and found herself in an impressive-looking office. As Constance looked around at the antique furnishings and bookcases that extended from floor to ceiling, she caught sight of a portrait on the wall. The subject was an older man with the same penetrating blue eyes as the woman standing behind the desk with her hands clasped behind her back. A relative no doubt. Constance was also able to smell the strong aroma of expensive cigars like the one Integra held between her teeth. The doctor in Constance wanted to give her boss the standard lecture about smoking being bad for one's health, but she restrained the urge.
"I'm sorry I was unable to meet with you earlier" Integra began, motioning Constance to an armchair in front of the desk "I hope you found your quarters to be in order." "They're perfect, thank you" Constance replied, smiling at the other woman as she took a seat.
"According to your records, you were employed as a surgical resident in an hospital in the United States, correct?" Integral asked.
"Yes, I worked in an emergency room in Detroit. Most of what I saw was gunshot wounds, stabbings and the like."
"But you did not grow up in Michigan" Integra queried as she looked at the sheaf of papers.
"I grew up on a farm in Montana with my father and four brothers. My mother passed away when I was young." As she offered this piece of information, she thought she saw a brief flash of pain in Integra's eyes, but it was gone so quickly Constance wondered if she might have imagined it.
Over the next half hour, Integra asked some more questions about the doctor's background and qualifications. Toward the end of the interview Integra slid a pager across the desk and ordered Constance to keep it with her at all times. "You never know when something is going to happen around here. Please report to the infirmary first thing Monday morning," Integra said as she stood up. Taking this as her cue to leave, Constance rose and shook Integra's hand. "Thank you Sir Hellsing. Good night"
As Constance walked to the door, Integra added, "By the way, Geoffrey wanted me to let you know that the car is running much better now. Thank you for your help."
"I'm glad I could help, Sir Hellsing" Constance replied.
"You may call me Sir Integra" Integra said, smiling at the new doctor of the Hellsing house as she Constance placed her hand on the doorknob.
"Until Monday then, Sir Integra" Constance answered as the fear that her career at Hellsing would be short lived evaporated.
When Constance reached her room, she sighed as she looked at the stacks of boxes she would need to unpack, but they could wait. She inspected the clothes hanging in a garment bag on the door of the wardrobe. She wanted to make sure that they hadn't become wrinkled, as they were the clothes she had intended to wear for her first meeting with her employer. When she satisfied herself about the clothes, she made her way toward the bathroom that adjoined her room and found it to be well stocked with linens and various toiletries. Twenty minutes later, she exited the steam filled bathroom with a large towel wrapped around her body and a smaller one on her head. When she sat down to relax for a while after making herself presentable, her stomach gave an audible growl. With all the traveling and relative excitement of the day, she had forgotten that she had not eaten anything since mid-morning. "But how does one get a snack around here?" she thought. Just then, there was a light knock on the door and she heard Walter's voice call to her. She opened the door and swore to herself that Walter was a mind reader when she saw what he was holding. A large tray in his hands held a teacup and a small pot as well as a variety of sandwiches and teacakes. "I thought you might be hungry after your journey" he said with a little smile. "Sir Integra will meet with you in 45 minutes. I will return to show you to her office." "You're a life saver, Walter" Constance replied with a smile of her own as she took the tray from him. "I'll be waiting for you then."
While Constance was readying herself for her meeting, Alucard was at his master's office. He was disappointed when he found Sir Integra absent. He was even more disappointed when Walter, who he met while heading back to the basement to wake up the police girl, informed him that Integra had stated that there would be no mission tonight. Since there was no mission, it would be a good night to further train his fledgling in the ways of a proper vampire. "Time to wake up, police girl" he called to her in his mind as he approached the door that led to the dungeons under the Hellsing mansion.
When Alucard phased through the wall of his apprentices' room, he was pleased to see that she was ready to go, dressed in her uniform and her Halconnen cannon on her shoulder. He was even more pleased when he noticed that Ceras had already drunk her nightly ration. Of course the fact that she had drank her ration without being told might have had to do with the threat that Alucard had made in a moment of frustration. After repeating to her several times that she would become weak if she did not drink, he finally told her that if she didn't start drinking her ration, he would personally hold her down and pour it down her throat.
"Is there a mission tonight, master?" the short blond vampire asked, looking up at him. "Not tonight, police girl. A good night for training," he replied. "You won't need Halconnen," he added. Ceras sighed inwardly as she slid the cannon off of her shoulder, irritated at her master for his insistence on calling her police girl rather than using her given name. He gave her one of his trademark grins as her read this thought of hers and said, "Come along then.Ceras." The last word echoed in her head as he left her room for the training area. Ceras grinned and hurried to catch up with him.
Just as Ceras and Alucard were about to leave the house, Alucard spotted the mysterious woman he had seen before. She was following Walter as he ascended the stairs toward Integra's office. She was now wearing a straight blue skirt and matching blazer that was well tailored to her. Her hair was no longer braided, but now fell in a cascade of waves that reached to just under her shoulders. He stopped short, forcing his apprentice, who was loyally following him, to stop quickly to avoid colliding with the red- clad figure in front of her. Alucard concentrated again on the woman, but was still unable to sense what she was thinking. Ceras looked at the face of her master and then looked in the direction he was looking to see a strange woman. "Master, what is wrong?" Ceras asked, not understanding why he was looking at this woman so hard. Alucard knew that Ceras did not yet posses the ability to read thoughts, so he told his charge "nothing to concern yourself with, police girl" and continued to the training range.
"Come in" Integra called in response to the knock on her door. Constance stepped through the door Walter was holding for her and found herself in an impressive-looking office. As Constance looked around at the antique furnishings and bookcases that extended from floor to ceiling, she caught sight of a portrait on the wall. The subject was an older man with the same penetrating blue eyes as the woman standing behind the desk with her hands clasped behind her back. A relative no doubt. Constance was also able to smell the strong aroma of expensive cigars like the one Integra held between her teeth. The doctor in Constance wanted to give her boss the standard lecture about smoking being bad for one's health, but she restrained the urge.
"I'm sorry I was unable to meet with you earlier" Integra began, motioning Constance to an armchair in front of the desk "I hope you found your quarters to be in order." "They're perfect, thank you" Constance replied, smiling at the other woman as she took a seat.
"According to your records, you were employed as a surgical resident in an hospital in the United States, correct?" Integral asked.
"Yes, I worked in an emergency room in Detroit. Most of what I saw was gunshot wounds, stabbings and the like."
"But you did not grow up in Michigan" Integra queried as she looked at the sheaf of papers.
"I grew up on a farm in Montana with my father and four brothers. My mother passed away when I was young." As she offered this piece of information, she thought she saw a brief flash of pain in Integra's eyes, but it was gone so quickly Constance wondered if she might have imagined it.
Over the next half hour, Integra asked some more questions about the doctor's background and qualifications. Toward the end of the interview Integra slid a pager across the desk and ordered Constance to keep it with her at all times. "You never know when something is going to happen around here. Please report to the infirmary first thing Monday morning," Integra said as she stood up. Taking this as her cue to leave, Constance rose and shook Integra's hand. "Thank you Sir Hellsing. Good night"
As Constance walked to the door, Integra added, "By the way, Geoffrey wanted me to let you know that the car is running much better now. Thank you for your help."
"I'm glad I could help, Sir Hellsing" Constance replied.
"You may call me Sir Integra" Integra said, smiling at the new doctor of the Hellsing house as she Constance placed her hand on the doorknob.
"Until Monday then, Sir Integra" Constance answered as the fear that her career at Hellsing would be short lived evaporated.