Chapter 3

Age 18

It took a few months of living on the streets until I turned sixteen, but once I did, I got an ID and a legit job as an animal hander for some small care clinic that was just starting up. After another two years, I went to get my GED and passed with flying colors as I had been studying whenever I wasn't working. The people at the clinic had no idea that I was living in one of the abandoned warehouses down by the docks, but were very supportive when I said that I wanted to purse a degree in animal science. The real trouble was in that I didn't have an address when applying for the different scholarships, loans and colleges. I ended up putting the clinic's address for them all so that I could push things through.

One day when I was filling out the last of my application to Johnson College though, Lucy, our head veterinary technician looked over my shoulder and noticed the address I had put in for my home address. "Um, G, I think you got your home address mixed up with work address. You may want to fix that or you won't get in." she suggested, making me whip around way too quickly and almost topple the chair.

"Uh, wait, you mean that they actually check the addresses on these things?" I choked.

"Well, yes, but along with that, I'm from Johnson and they will likely recognize the address as where I did my internship honey. Why?" She was starting to look concerned.

I dropped my head to my hands. "I'm so done." I sighed.

"What's wrong G, honey?" she came over and rubbed my back.

"I put my address as this place on all my applications and scholarships. No wonder I haven't heard back from any of them." I groaned into my wrists.

"Why would you do that? Are you trying to hide what you're doing from your parents or something?" she was quite confused.

Raising my head, I decided on a whim it was time to finally spill. "Lucy, I'm actually living on my own in one of the warehouses by the shore. I don't actually have a home and I don't have a bank account, so I don't know how I'm gonna afford any of these." I turned away, ashamed as I realized just how out of my league I was. "Who am I kidding? How am I going to do this?" Hearing nothing behind me, I turned and saw that two of my other colleagues had come in and heard my whole confession. "I'm. So. Fired." I groaned.

Harold, the awesome guy that would give me a ride to the other end of town every day, was the first to react. "Why didn't you say something sooner? I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would have helped you get on your feet." He looked at the other two and they nodded, meeting his gaze and then mine. I was astounded. "Until you get a place, you are staying with me. We'll go grab your stuff after work tonight, and then you are done living on the streets. Clear?" he demanded.

"Uh, sure, I mean, if you are okay with it, I'd love that, but uh, are you really sure?" I asked. I hadn't had help in almost three years now. I didn't know how to take being offered help without anything expected in return.

He nodded. "It's settled then. We'll handle anything legal in the meantime and get you set up with a decent bank.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of worried looks and way too many files as two emergencies came in near the end of the day. After closing, as we were straightening and getting ready to leave, I glanced at a tv monitor that had been left on and dropped the trashcan I had just emptied making Sharron and Lucy look up. Lucy went back to writing out the last of her prescriptions, being our only doctor.

"Is everything okay G?" Sharron called and made her way over.

"Did, uh, was he actually caught?" I stammered, eyes not leaving the screen. On it was a full profile, listing charges from drug trafficking, to life trafficking (i.e. monster, human, and livestock), and murder. I couldn't hear the newscaster as I was too focused on taking in the detail of his face.

She glanced up at the television, "Yeah, I saw something in the paper last week about it." After a few seconds on looking over the bullet points on the screen, I heard her breath catch. "G, he isn't, by any chance, related to you? Is he?"

I fell into the chair that was to the side a little and it rolled a few inches before stopping. "That's my father. He finally bit it. Heh, serves him right." I started to giggle, then laugh, quickly falling to the floor in full body shaking cackling as I went into hysterics uncontrollably.

Lucy and Harold came rushing in, hearing the noise and were astonished at the scene. "What is going on in here?" demanded Lucy

Sharron looked over at them with shadowed eyes. "That's his father." She said, choking on the last word and pointing up at the screen. It finally changed a few seconds later as they changed topic to a house fire.

In the meantime I started to choke and gasp for breath and curl up in a ball. It was all just too much. I felt a hand on my back, flinched, and felt a pull in the base of my spine I hadn't felt since that time in the hospital. The frayed bracelets on my wrists snapped along with the chain around my neck as my magic forced itself out, in a blast of energy. The explosion of wiped me out and I promptly blacked out.

I blinked rapidly and immediately recognized the room. It was the hospital, again. And what do you know, room 666. Back when I was last here I hadn't know the significance of that number. Now I could only huff a laugh as I realized I was in the same room I had been before. I heard somebody shift next to the window and sat up. Harold was there. "You okay G? You sort of blew up in the office."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I actually feel a bit better than I have in a while. I can't quite place it tough." I said as I rubbed the back of my skull. That was when I noticed the absence of the bracelet. Looking at my other wrist, I saw that it too was gone. I felt at my neck and chest for that amulet and again, gone.

"They sorta blew up right before you did. What were they, G?"

"Uh …" I glanced at the doorway to make sure nobody was there and Harold noticed.

He walked over to the door, put his head out, said something, then came back. "I told the girls to come in." At this point the other two came in. "They deserve to know too."

Lucy gave us both a sharp look and immediately shot off, "Know what? How long has he been awake?"

Eyes widening, both Harold and I made calming gestures and said at the same time, "Calm down." We traded looks, grinned, and shrugged. It happened a lot at the office too. She was a worrywart.

Harold opened, "He just woke up and the first thing he looked for was that weird jewelry he always wears. You know, the stuff that blew up. Well, when I asked him about it, he checked the door, so I figured I'd better grab you two." He shrugged at my glare. "We're just trying to help G, don't look at me like that."

"Well fine, if we're putting me on the stand, can it at least wait until we are somewhere more private. I don't need more audience walking in." I snapped, throwing my arms wide. "It's not all legit." I grumbled in a lower tone, my hands settling back in my lap and calming down. I immediately noticed their eyes on my hands though. I quickly looked down, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "What's up with you guys?"

"Um, your hands were just glowing green. Like there were little flames on your fingertips or something." Sharron actually stuttered.

"Great." I grumbled and folded my arms.

A guy came in to check what the commotion on the monitors had been about and found us all in here. It was the same guy that had helped me those three years ago as well. He stopped the moment he saw me laying on the bed. "It can't be."

"Yo doc. Long time, no see. Everything seems to be fine, so can I go?"

"I'm afraid not Gaster, I need some paperwork filled out first. Same stuff as last time." He was sort of pale and his eyes never left my face.

I grinned. I knew the effect the cracks that had been left from the attack had on people. It usually annoyed me, but this was the guy who patched me up. He was getting to see his handy work after so long. "What's wrong. I think they healed up pretty nicely." I ran a hand over the one that went right over my crown.

"You disappeared the same day that you woke up. Nobody ever knew what had happened to you." He finally looked away from my face, looking me over entirely as he stepped fully into the room. "How'd the rib heal?" he asked conversationally.

I shrugged and pulled the edge of my sweater up to show the sheared off, missing fragment of my chest. The last rib on my right side ended abruptly halfway to the sternum. "It doesn't give me any pain anymore except when the weather gets really cold or if we have a bad rainstorm. I think it healed pretty well considering my circumstances."

His gaze darkened. I should never have made that deal. Would you mind telling me what happened after that? Or how you even came to be in that condition?" He looked me in the eyes.

"And fill us in too." Chimed in Lucy behind him, making us both jump as we had forgotten them.

He looked back and forth between them and me. I sighed. "Okay doc, what time you get off? I'll tell everyone a tale." I turned to my group in the corner, "I guarantee it will make your toes curl. Chinese, and it's on me." Two fists went in the air from the corner.

"I get off at eight and thank you." Doc told me. "Now, onto current business, I'll update your profile and get you out of here as soon as possible." Glancing at the clock it was already six.

Two hours later we were finally leaving and the doc, apparently his name was Ivan, had gotten tied up with an emergency. We left a number for him and headed out to grab my stuff from the warehouse so I could start settling in with Harold. Upon arriving at the warehouse, we saw the wrecking crane and I was grateful to know that I was getting out tonight. Coming home to a building that wasn't standing anymore was depressing. I didn't have much. My clothes for work and some street clothes. I quickly grabbed my blankets from where they were stashed in a forgotten crate of mothballs and ran back outside. I'd kept light since leaving home. This was my seventeenth location. The less I had, the easier it was to relocate. Stepping outside, I automatically scanned the area for anybody. My awareness of others had only increased after leaving the gang and joining the streets. Deeming it clear, I moved to Harold's car, the trunk popped and I tucked my stuff in quickly and got in the passenger seat.

"Is that seriously all you got G? That's hardly anything." He looked over to me worried.

"It's easier to move with less and people are less likely to steal if you have nothing. Just a fact of the streets." I shrugged.

"This is nuts." He grumbled and turned the radio on as we drove off to upper city. I was finally moving up.

Once there, we got out and he offered to help me grab what little I had, so trying to keep things light and amiable, I tossed him my rolled up comforter. "Here, I got the clothes, but that's a little bulky."

He caught it and after a few moments, found the strap keeping it wrapped together. "Is that everything?" He had a hand on the top, ready to close when I was done.

I stood and nodded, "Thanks again man."

"No problem, still can't believe you were living in an abandoned warehouse all this time." He shook his head as he walked into the condo and up to the second floor. This was a better section of town, so the stairway was actually lit and the walls reflected the golden color of the luminescent lightbulbs. He turned to one of the two whitewashed doors on this level and started fumbling in his pockets, passing the comforter to me as he presumably looked for his keys. Finally he pulled them out, only to make a strangled noise. "I grabbed the wrong ones. Shoot shoot shoot." He muttered.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. I could guess the problem, but wasn't going to push him.

"I seem to have locked myself out again." He sighed pulling out his phone.

"I can get it if you want." I offered. He spun to look at me strange. "What? The locks in places like this are usually pretty low quality, they're easy." I shrugged.

He stared at me a moment longer, glanced at his phone, sighed, and flipped it closed. Go ahead. If the girls get here and realize I locked myself out, I'll never hear the end of it."

I smirked, "Yeah, that is a bit embarrassing." I agreed as I pulled a set of picks out of my sleeping roll that he had just been carrying and proceeded to unlock his door in seconds. "Done." I announced, even as the door swung in.

"H-how did you? Nevermind, I don't wanna know." He sighed, grabbing my blanket back and stepping into his apartment.

"Wouldn't tell anyway, I'd have to kill you." I slung off easily. It was just joking, but I honestly couldn't answer where I had learned or who had taught me. That was info from the dark world, and had no place in the light. The look he gave me told me he half believed me. Whatever.

"I've got a spare room off mine in the back if you want to drop your stuff there." He said over his shoulder as he made his way to said room, passing through what was obviously his bedroom. "Bathroom's out connected to the main room we came into, so is the kitchen. If you need anything, just let me know until you get settled. Since we both have off this weekend, we can talk about balancing who pays what. If you are going to college soon, there is no point in you getting your own place. It's just too much work, trust me."

We stepped into the room and he looked around before setting my stuff in a corner. It was actually decently furnished and clean looking. All the condos I had ever been in had been a bit ratty, some even had rats. This room though, it had thick shag carpet, a queen sized bed in the center of the room, some nicknacks on wall-hung shelves to make it more homely, and a window on two of the walls, though the one only showed the condo next door about six feet away. "Thank you, this is really nice. You scored good." I told him, taking it all in.

"Are you kidding, this is low class…" he caught himself and looked back at me and then down. "Ah…"

"I wasn't always on the streets. I had a place once, this is nice. It's a bit bigger than what we had. Now that I know what Dad did for a living though, we probably could have lived a lot better." I had to look away. Changing the subject, I looked toward the door, "When do you think the girls will get here?" a knock sounded just then.

"That's probably them." Harold responded, laughing a bit hollowly, trying to bring back a bit of cheer.

This is gonna be a long night. I groaned. I'm glad it's Friday. I set my clothes on the bed and quickly changed from my scrubs and thermals to one of my better tees and a set of worn jeans that were pretty comfortable. Making my way out, hearing my new roommate usher the girls in and I heard Ivan's voice too. Stepping into the living area, I smiled and greeted everyone. "Hey, so are we ordering before all the good places close? I'm starved!"

Sharron cheered while Harold ran to find a few menus kept in the kitchen, Lucy and Ivan sat on opposite ends of the couch. He still was in his scrubs, having not been able to get out of them. The girls were in casual attire as well, and Harold always wore his clothes under his scrubs in the winter, so he'd stripped sometime before I'd woken at the hospital. He came out and passed around the menus for a place that was close and pretty cheap and everyone ordered, getting rice or noodles as was preference. I personally liked the pork lo mein at this joint. Once the order was set, everyone got settled, just chatting and getting to know Ivan for the most part. He was the only one of us that none of us really knew.

"So, what exactly do you do?" I asked. Ever blunt and honestly curious. Sharron snorted in the background on her cola.

He smiled at her. "I'm a nurse in the supernatural department of magical rehabilitation and internal medicine." At our blank expressions, he laughed. "Okay, yeah, I get that a lot. Basically, I make sure vitals are steady and record the data on how the magic levels of monsters," He nodded at me, "affect recovery time and influence their vitals. I also help in surgeries every so often when we are short a person, which is how I ended up getting your case all that time ago. It had been quiet and was late, there were only a few of us and then we got a call that a skeleton monster with a heavily damaged cranium and major damage to his ribs, possible trauma to other areas came in, I was instantly recruited to help. We honestly weren't sure you would make it and when monsters pass, it's quite hard to figure out who to notify when we have no records. It's a lot of paperwork, so I was relieved when you woke, not just because you did, but because it saved me more work. Its selfish, but there it is." He gave a little self-conscious laugh, rubbing the back of his neck at that admission.

"Naw, we get ya," Sharron broke in, adding her two cents, "I always hate doing the wrap and notes on the cadavers after a patient passes. For one it's hard on us to see a patient pass, especially an emergency case with no tags, and then the paperwork is just annoying."

Well, she almost gave an out. The look Ivan gave her was priceless though and had me rolling back laughing. I had taken a seat on the floor. I was more comfortable there anyway. They all jumped, I wasn't known for being boisterous.

"You okay G?" asked Lucy, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved her away, then noticed the pulling at the base of my spine and sobered up immediately, looking at my hand. "Shit." It had little purple flames that turned sapphire even as I watched, but thankfully didn't grow. "Uh, any idea as to how to handle these?" I asked the air.

Ivan immediately took charge. "Just breathe. Take deep, slow breaths and imagine it returning back into you. Close your eyes if it helps."

I did as I was told and felt the pull disappear. When I opened my eyes, the flames were gone once more. "That is going to get annoying quick." I groaned.

His expression dark, Ivan asked, "You never got a tutor for that, did you? You were still using those inhibitors."

My group from the clinic were looking between us again. "Okay, somebody fill us in here already." Demanded Lucy. Harold and Sharron just looked worried.

Ivan looked at me, but I was busy studying the way the shag of the carpet stood and the threads were spun. I didn't like talking about my past. Especially not to people who only knew my present. I heard him sigh, but still didn't look up.

Ivan looked up, meeting the other three's gazes. "About two years ago" he started.

I interjected. "Three."

He looked back at me. His brow was probably lifted, but I didn't look up. "Two and a quarter." He countered. I nodded. That sounded more right. "About two and a quarter years ago," He restarted, "I was working my shift when we were called as I explained earlier. When we finally got him, his skull was covered in blood, as was his shirt and jacket." He paused after every sentence, giving me time to interject again or for any of us to tell him to stop.

It was Lucy who interjected. "We are from the animal medical field, we can handle the squeamish bits Ivan. If Gaster really wants us to not tell the story, he can stop us at any point since he isn't sharing anything."

I could feel her glare on my skull. I just nodded.

"Oh, okay. Well then." I had glanced up just in time to meet his eyes, but quickly dropped them again. He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, he came in a real mess. Once we got him into the ER and got him stripped down so we could see the extent of the damage, we were amazed he hadn't dusted already. Three of his ribs had been cracked, the last one was barely hanging on and we knew there was minimal chance of saving it, but we tried anyway. With the cracks on his skull, we made sure there wasn't any damage inside, that was the first time I realized that skeletons really are just all bone." He was rubbing his neck again. A nervous habit.

At some point I had looked up and was watching as I listened. I had never heard an account of what happened after I passed out or while I was out those nine days.

Then we realized that there were spots that the impact had caused spider-webbing fractures inside his cranium as well, we were amazed." I flinched at the mention of spiders and webs, he didn't seem to notice, but did look at me as he made his next statement. "The kid had one really thick skull. Whoever hit you, they meant business. Had you been human, that hit in the back would have killed you." The vet team's eyes got big. "Then the crack on his face, we never did figure out how he managed that, but we were afraid he would lose his sight." Ivan looked down at me.

"Nope, I can see fine. Occasionally the nick on the bottom messes with me, but otherwise, full color vision with perfect depth." I replied to the unasked question even as I pointed out the small v where the crack started in my socket. "Hurt a bit to eat for a while though."

"Well, that's good to hear. Once we had done what we could, wrapped his head and ribs, making him look more like a one-eyed zombie than a skeleton. He remained comatose for another week or so. Then one day I walk in and he just starts cracking jokes like he hasn't been on the knife's edge of death for the past week. I'll admit, I've seen some strange things in my line of work, but seeing a skeleton start cracking jokes was the last I even expected. Yours is a race in the minority and it was, ah, I don't want to say a pleasure working on you. That would be creepy, but, I guess it was a pleasure meeting you?"

Sharron burst out laughing, slapping her knee. She had no such qualms about carrying full conversations with the animals she worked on as they were under anesthesia. She would continue them even as they went and came again, making her the labeled nut of the clinic.

Ivan was understandably taken aback, humans after all, were usually more touchy about such talk. "What is so amusing?" he demanded.

Even I couldn't help chuckling. "Sharron is just being her, take no mind." I said, but couldn't stop the escape of another chuckle, her laughter becoming infectious.

Harold shook his head. "In our field, we don't often have to look into how the patient feels emotionally about what we say. Its more how we act. When we talk to the patient about their operations, the clients, or owners, typically relax as well. Our different ways in dealing with patients is likely what set her off. I apologize."

"Thank you Harold." Said Lucy, shooting a glare at Sharron, who was finally starting to calm down.

"So what happened next?" pushed Sharron, the main reason we had stopped the story. She was like a child sometimes, I swear.

"Well, I started asking him general questions to fill out his medical file and when I found out he was only fifteen, I was amazed. He's grown quite a bit since then, but still, that was pretty tall for his age."

I blushed white, not noticing when little flames popped up next to my head until Lucy gave me a look. "What?" I protested.

"You're burning again."

I checked my hands, but nothing, so looked back up quizzically.

"They're gone. You had a small flame on each shoulder. They were white this time." Was all she said.

I slumped. "I'm such a freak." And dropped my head in my hands.

It was Ivan who responded. "No, you just never received proper training. I'm sure the colors mean something as well, but the way it comes and goes will just take practice."

"What about work? Or school?" I groan.

"We'll figure it out." Lucy told me.

I just nodded.

"Back to the story," Ivan spoke up, "Once I had gotten all his info, I left to go file it, but before taking a few steps, my pager went off alerting me to magic in use in the area. His room to be precise. When I entered, he was just sitting there staring at his hand engulfed in flames entranced. I was of course terrified that I had gotten a looney pyro or something. I asked him to put them out, and he did, though he didn't seem very used to do it as he had to concentrate, as it appears he still has to. I explained that using magic was affecting his monitors and would affect his healing, which he seemed to understand readily enough. Then he asked me something I didn't understand. He wanted the wraps and necklace we'd had to take off him earlier. I figured they were important, like an heirloom, and had left them in the stand next to him. I retrieved them for him, but when I offered them to him, he explained I had to put them on for him. They were magic blockers, meant to keep a monster from having any access to his magic at all. Then he told me that his father required that he wear all three of them all the time due to his magic being too strong or some nonsense. The items themselves where illegal, but to force them on a child was beyond cruel. I was about to confiscate them when he went nuts, almost lighting the room on fire."

I had to interject here. "I didn't go that nuts. It was just my arm, and you were taking my only protection. I'm still not sure what's going to happen not that I've lost them. Finding another set that strong will be hard and expensive." I grumbled.

"You shouldn't be looking for them at all, or even know how to look for them!" Ivan seemed a bit mad and scared. "They are only sold in the lowest of the black market according to the police reports."

"There are a few lower. Monster parts sell nicely for higher if you can get them without them going to dust. It's very hard, but the payout is huge." I shrug. All eyes are on me and horrified. "I just did what I was told. I was a kid. Think the worst I had to transport was a.." Harold was the one to cut me off, surprisingly.

"Dude, that's just wrong. That you did it and that as a kid you were made do it. Please tell me you don't still do that stuff." He was almost as white as me.

"Naw, when I got kicked out, I stopped. I went to lighter stuff, the meth and weed sellers. Still profitable, but not nearly as dangerous, usually. I stopped shortly after I joined you guys though. Figured if I was gonna get clean, might was well start there." I shrugged again. They all still looked horrified.

"Well, I don't know what to say to that." Was Ivan's declaration. "So I'll just wrap my part up. I couldn't get him to calm down and went to call back up when a spider lady came in and had him calm in seconds. Then he just passed out. I figure it was probably from the exertion. I'm ashamed to admit that she convinced me to burn your file and give back the amulets. She bribed everyone who had seen, dealt with, or seen you to never say a word, plus payed all the bills on top of it. She really wanted us to keep quiet. She took you and left. That was the last I saw or heard about you to I walked in today. I've always felt bad about taking that bribe and wondered what happened to you. We all did. Before I left, I know I heard a few of the other nurses and doctors talking about how relieved they were that you survived. I'd like to take them news of what happened, if you'd allow it of course."

By now, I'd curled up with my arms wrapped around my knees, rocking slightly. I took a shaky breath to start to answer when there was a sharp knock on the door. I looked to Harold, but he seemed confused, then Sharron shouted "Foods here!" and dashed for the door, almost stepping on me. I got up as she thanked the man and took the food before he knew what hit him. I came up behind her, but stayed clear as she turned and barreled back in. I paid they guy, with good tip, and apologized for my friend. He left quite happily with tip in pocket. Coming back to the living area, food was spread everywhere as people tried to find their particular dishes and complained about particulars missing as was always the case in large orders. I was the only one to order something with a dark sauce, so it was easy to pick out and sat back to watch, enjoying the break.

Once we finished our respective dishes and had our fortune cookies, I relayed my side of what had happened, avoiding their eyes the whole time as I tried to avoid my past, by not looking at it. When I was done, I finally looked up and was astounded to see even Lucy, who was an unmovable rock, to be on the verge of tears.

"Oh G!" She stepped forward, enveloping me in a rose scented hug and starting to sob. Following her lead, everyone else joined. Definitely not what I expected.

As everyone stepped back, Sharron took my shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. "We will definitely get you into one of those schools. I swear it. You will be an amazing technician, I just know it." And gave me another hug, before returning to her seat sniveling.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I could sure use a drink after all that." I laughed.

In unison, they all said, "You're underage."

I laughed and they joined me. We all ended up drinking a little and watching some movie marathon on tv about a skeleton in a sleigh pulled by pigs. I guess it was close to the holiday, being December and all, but it was still really strange.

Ivan ended up going home via taxi, but turns out that's how he got here anyway. The girls crashed on the couch, both too intoxicated to drive, and both Harold and I retired to our respective rooms. It was good to finally tell someone about my life, but I didn't think I'd be retelling the story anytime soon. I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.