Together
Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction
Singingfrogs
No copyright infringement intended
The soundtrack of St Bartholomew's was occupied with the contented mumbles of doctors conversing with other professionals or patients screaming for nurse attention. The intricate rifts of bleeping machines or the hums of medical technology caused a constant disquiet within the hospital. A young woman however was neglecting her hearing as she dawdled down the long corridor; her attention solely focused on the McMuffin that she was quickly devouring. She smiled towards one of the Doctors who nodded his head in acknowledgement, his eyes hard with authority as he studied her with animus indifference. He simply turned back towards the woman who eyed her viperously, whispering in hushed tones which sparked a queasy insecurity to the base of her stomach.
Nevertheless Sophie, one of her close colleagues skipped into step next to her; a smile pressed to her features as she looked to the young woman who mentally recognized her friend's daily routine before the track of the hospital lifted with the sound of the perfectly even voice of Sophie. She couldn't help but smile as she listened to her friend enthuse over trivial anonymous tasks; her level of excitement was faultless, her energy focused on her work as she had become an impeccably skilled physician over the last few years.
The young Doctor continued to smile into her beverage; the two of them sweeping down the long corridor as they altered their location and took a sharp left into an adjourning corridor. The young woman twisted, reaching into her canvas bag for the orange juice bottle she had purchased less than an hour ago while placing her rubbish into her bag.
She moved her eyes towards Sophie, momentarily blinded by a handsome man who flashed her a brief smile on his way pass the two of them. Her heart palpitated within her chest as her mind drifted to a close friend overseas. She knew her pack understood her reasons for staying in England to work and hunt; her family still tormented over concerns of her safety as she consulted with mutts, vampires and other conniving supernatural individuals. It seemed the packs 'bodyguard' Clayton was the only confident one to demand she think about the trouble she could get into. She heeded his words, understood the wisdom behind his arguments, but she was the closest she had ever been when it came to locating and identifying the creature that has haunted her past.
How could they suspect her inability to protect herself? She had survived years on her own, learning to control her changes and discovering remarkable methods in how to use her small size against her larger opponents. Besides, she wasn't totally alone; the two werewolves that governed the grand total of three mutts in England aided in her longevity and provided a small ounce of protection, even if she held her own far better than the boys could. In her mind she had plenty of protection.
She knew the peace between the pack and their wild counterparts was uneasy, and plenty of mutts seemed to disrupt this peace by conducting inappropriate assassinations of innocents. However, being one of only two female werewolves meant mutts and male werewolves tended to be drawn to her, her overwhelming scent of a 'bitch in heat' tended to be too much for mutts, causing them to loose control of their urges. Many times she had been unfortunate enough to face a un-pack wolf that could not control his impulses. It was one of those things she could not help but inwardly joke about.
However, the young Doctor was still unsure about her commitment to the Pack and her life at Stonehaven; this left her feeling lost and indecisive as her mind was packed with conflicted thoughts and ideas about how her life would differ if she became a mutt. The last year had not solved her heartache about the strained relationships she had left damaged between the occupants of her Pack, making her feel far more segregated from the people she classed as her family.
Nevertheless, the werewolf was driven from her conflicting thoughts when she felt a small hand pressed to the back of her shoulder. She snapped her head towards the offending appendage before lifting her eyes; she immediately recognized the form of Sophie's curious expression.
"Riley? Are you even listening to me?" Sophie questioned, her eyes sparkling with emotion as she abruptly pulled Riley from her reprieve.
"I'm sorry?" Riley asked, an embarrassed smile on her lips as her friend repeated her question.
"Why is it whenever I see you, you're eating?"
"What can I say, I'm a growing girl." Riley said with a smile, rejoicing in the sound of Sophie's humorous snort.
"You're thirty-four."
"Good point." Riley replied but frowned when she noticed a look of unease shining in Sophie's eyes as they walked into the Staff area.
Riley couldn't stop her heart from reacting to the conflicted emotions that kept flittering over Sophie's features. The normally well composed and enthusiastic woman held nothing but melancholy and discomfort deep within her heart stopping brown eyes as she looked down towards her phone.
"What is it?" Riley asked with concern. "Sophie" Riley voiced in a warning tone, eyes hard with worry as her friend continued to gaze down at her mobile.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you." Sophie defended, trying to make Riley understand how repentant she was for interrupting their conversation by her text message. Riley simply smiled gently at her, detailing to her with her eyes that she needn't apologies for something she deemed important.
"Something is obviously bothering you." Riley started as she calmly folded her arms across her chest as she smiled a small smile towards Sophie. "Not much is able to upset you. Come on, what is it? You can tell me." She finished, her eyes narrowing as she observed her close friend. The older woman seemed to relax a little more at Riley's statement, knowing that she did not care for the intrusion; obviously looking at her friend's expression and her own worry for her was overruling any other emotion she maybe feeling.
"Do you remember Howard?"
"He's your cancer patient right? Been with him since he was diagnosed the first time."
"Well, I gave his wife my mobile number. I know it's against regulations and deemed as inappropriate conduct but there was just something about his family. They're the main reason why I rush off to the other side of London at a moment's notice." Sophie stammered, trailing from topic as she struggled to organize the frantic ideals that were swimming around her mind. Riley just raised her eyebrows, trying to keep up with the conversation as she listened to Sophie.
"Where's this going Sophie?" Riley questioned as she abruptly pulled her from her thoughts and back to reality.
"Right." She started as she brought in a lungful of air to compose herself before she looked down towards the ground and towards her friend who was pulling on her pristine white lab coat. "I went to visit Howard at the weekend like we had arranged but when I got there the house was in complete darkness and the washing up from a few days ago was still in the sink. Now it's not like him and his family to just disappear without informing me first if they were to be out of town. He's not really well enough to travel." She explained as she ran a frantic hand through her hair.
"How long do you think they could have been missing?" Riley voiced, her concern etched into the deep layers of her voice as she pulled her shoulder length russet hair into a bun.
"No longer than five days ago."
"And that was the last time you saw them?"
"That's right. I had gone over to check him over. They were both acting like they normally did which is why I'm concerned about them."
"And you're sure they weren't acting peculiar?"
"Absolutely."
"No suspicious phone calls or distracted statements?"
"Well, Howard has always been obsessed with anything magically out of the ordinary."
"Magically?"
"He was a superstitious man, collecting things about UFO's and believed in the prospects of vampires and werewolves. I guess he must have found something to support a theory about witchcraft."
"You don't really believe in stuff like that do you?"
"Hell no. I mean I'm a scientist." Sophie scoffed, immediately comforting Riley as her mind frantically tried to relax considering what she was. Riley rested a hand on her hip as she looked down at the ground, absentmindedly playing with the bottom of her lip before she raised her attention back to Sophie.
"Maybe you should get in touch with the police."
"You know I can't do that. Not with this breech in protocol."
"You could always bend the truth; say he missed an appointment or something."
"How you think of these things so easily astounds me. You could get into trouble you know that right."
"Meh, I watch my back." Riley said with a smile before resting her hand on Sophie's shoulder. "If you are really that worried, I'm always here to help come up with a solution." Riley finished before wrapping her stethoscope around her neck and headed towards her patients.
0-0-0
The trees that dominated the patient's garden were blowing dangerously in the wind, the leaves rattling thunderously as the plants, shrubs and flowers swung. She knew the birds would have hidden within the maze of tree branches covering their partner as they prepared to locate food while other larger mammals retreated to the safety of their underground burrows. Even in the dense streets of the city the wildlife seemed to thrive.
It was at that moment that Riley wished she could forget everything that was happening with her hunting, shift into her wolf form and hide from the rest of the world. It was times like these when she wished she could be like any other human being; a person that stressed over monotonous troubles and not having to worry about when the next situation would wreak havoc with their lives or feeling the anxiety of whether your pack would remain unharmed.
The young Doctor removed herself from her reprieve as she continued to walk further down the familiar corridor that held one of her more important patients. She could see nurses were empty bins or cleaning equipment, she could see ward managers bossing their staff to hurry in their duties and sisters eager to please their managers.
However, Riley moved a smile onto her lips as she took in the bewildered expression of the ward manager. It seemed the stern older woman wasn't expecting the young Doctor to walk onto her ward, but as Riley continued to move along the rows of beds and towards one of the side rooms she simply ignored their expressions.
She lugged at the door handle and lowered her speed as she slowly and calmly heaved her figure through the door before coming to a stop; covered by the sheets of the bed was Jeffery, an older man with white bolding hair and shining emerald eyes. He was also an aged Shaman.
She couldn't help but smile to herself when she noticed his peaceful slumbering, taking in the wrinkles of his forehead, symbolizing to her of his communication with his spirit guide; Riley failing to notice the straggling branches of the tree clanking against the glass of the hospital room window. The young Doctor headed towards the end of his bed, taking in the recorded observations on his medical chart before moving towards the chair that was positioned at his bedside.
Riley wasn't surprised to see Jeffery looking at her; his dark brown orbs voided of all humor and energy as he gazed towards her. The Doctor just gave him a weak smile as she repositioned her posture, sitting to the edge of her chair as she comfortingly took his hand.
"Hey Jeff." Riley mused. "How you feeling today?" The Doctor finished as her patient slowly came to life, his own smile moving to his lips as he took in Riley's long hair tied back and her grey eyes shining with companionship.
"A little better. But still feeling under the weather." He mumbled resting his hands to the side of his hips as he slowly dragged himself into a seated position with Riley's help, his Doctor remaining vigilantly at his side as she made sure he was comfortable.
"Not surprising considering the seriousness of your operation." Riley smiled before she ducked her head to remove her stethoscope and motioned for her elder to lift his shirt. He complied and barely flinched when he felt Riley's warm hands pressed to his shoulder and the cold bud of her stethoscope that covered his heart. They were silent for a little while, Riley giving orders of when to breath in and out properly as she listened to his heart and lungs, the pair of them knowing that she did not need her equipment. But, with the ward sister observing the young Doctor and her patient, Riley knew she needed to keep up with appearances.
"You're heart murmur sounds much better and I can't detect any abnormalities within the contractions of your heart. I would feel a little more comfortable with you staying a few extra days so we can keep a close eye on you, making sure that the operation was a success before we send you home."
"Anything you say Doc." Jeff replied with a smile as he clasped his hands together around his waist. Riley glanced over her shoulder, noticing how they were on their own and took a seat, Jeff never moving his eyes from her as the young Doctor turned to talk to him.
"Is Kera not helping? I thought Shaman's we're natural healers."
"They are when it comes to others. But we do not revel in our own healing properties. But Kera is indeed with me, guiding me and helping me. She's remarkable company." Jeff said with a smile. "And your conversations about your world are remarkably fascinating. Surely you must have known there were other races out there."
"I suspected, I knew about Sorcerers and I guess that means I believed in witches too, but Demons and Vampires? I guess the situation that my pack was involved in three months ago only confirmed my theory."
"You're right; I just wish your arrival into the Supernatural world did not have to involve the kidnapping of one of your own. We're not all like that you know."
"It wasn't even the Supernatural races' fault. It was the human race. And they think werewolves and vampires are predatory."
"They do pose some significant problems at times."
"And they wonder why we try to remain hidden." Riley mused but the pair of them were abruptly pulled from their conversation when the ward manager headed towards them, Jeffery smiling at her keen hearing and carefully moved into answering medical questions, which Riley was carefully jotting down onto the chart in front of her.
"Doctor Thompson?" The sister questioned, her eyes narrowing as she observed the two of them, trying to find any abnormalities in the meeting. Riley knew she would find none. "It's ten past five; it's time for Mr Walker's medication.
"Of course." Riley smiled before turning towards Jeffery who was flashing her a knowing smile. "I'll see you on Monday Mr Walker. Have a good weekend." She stated, saying her goodbyes before heading through the doorway and towards the staff room of Bart's Hospital.
0-0-0
Riley felt the concrete steps of her front porch underneath her converse as she used her hand to tug at her keys and place the correct one into the lock. Clayton and Jeremy had shipped to her many different magazines and newspapers clippings of apartments or flats over the years, highlighting the world-class security systems and guards. Why they felt the need to see her move from an apartment she loved, with a fairly decent alarm system, she didn't know. Well, thinking about it, deep down she understood why; they worried about her and considering she lived in the busy city, they all knew that London was far from the safest city in the world.
But she didn't care for materialistic things. She didn't care if her apartment was by a train line or under the paths of planes; she was just lucky that she had found this place when she did. She really didn't care that the apartment was a simple, elegant little place that was ideal for a single inhabitant or a couple. She liked the quaint little building due to its personality. The pristine white walls and open floor plan housed bright beech wood panels that travelled to the base of the wall; the main wall a large window that overlooked a beautifully kept garden terrace. The place was ideal, for it was only five minutes from Liverpool Street and the building backed onto a wooded park.
She heard the lock of her front door clicking open that allowed her to push the door inwards as she entered into the cool, air-conditioned residence. The rooms were growing dark, shining with elegant pinks and oranges as the sun was descending into the west. A bright warm glow was vibrating over the furniture and the floors of the living room that was directly in front of her while the cream walls of the open kitchen and living area shone under the bright rays of the sun.
Riley set her alarm, moved her body over the few steps and turned to the left as she placed her keys and bag onto the wooden table that was placed in front of her kitchen and next to her sofa. She unclipped the large buttons of her coat and shrugged the jacket from her form and draped it over the back of her dining room chair. It was in that moment that the doorbell rang. Riley swept her long sleeves to the crook of her elbow, a deep frown pulling at her eyebrows as she timidly headed towards the door, uncertainty shining in her eyes as she tried to think of anyone who would come to visit her after a long day at the hospital. She peeked through her peephole and immediately relaxed as she recognized the bubbly persona of Sophie.
"Sophie? What are you doing here?" Riley exclaimed, taking in Sophie's immaculate brunette curls and sparkling brown eyes as she lifted what it was she was holding in her hand.
"I come baring Fish and Chips and some gloriously tasty cocktails." Sophie enthused as she pushed passed her friend and over towards the small modern kitchen that was tucked to the corner of Riley's apartment, helping herself to cutlery and plates that were neatly tucked to the wall cupboards or cabinets. "I didn't really fancy going back to my empty flat considering Ryan is out of town. How you do it every day I don't know. You must get so lonely."
"Shame I don't have a brother then isn't it." Riley said with a smile as she tried to judge Sophie's methods when it came to preparing their food and tried to gage her next move. It didn't work and she just ended up getting in the way. She wasn't surprised when Sophie banished her from her own kitchen and politely ordered her to make the cocktails. Riley happily obliged by falling into one of her dining chair, knowing her back was facing her comfortable sofa that was calling her. She tried to hide the growling of her stomach as her best friend placed her heaped plate in front of her and encouraged her to dig in.
"Have you ever considered getting a roommate? You have that spare bedroom after all." Sophie asked as she shoveled a chip into her mouth.
"I thought about it, but then when my friends from America come over to visit I wouldn't be able to sleep them all." Riley replied coolly as she dug into the large battered fish that was engulfing one side of her plate, her eyes focused intently on her food compared to Sophie who was curiously staring at her.
"Talking about your friends from America, how's that guy who surprised you a few months ago?"
"A few months ago?" Riley trailed, her eyes clouded with confusion until understanding washed into her eyes.
"Yeah, you know the guy who phones and texts you." Sophie stated again with a knowing smile, now moving her eyes away from her friend who had stopped eating to train her attention purely too her.
"You mean Nicholas?"
"That's it."
"He surprised me six months ago." Riley scoffed, bewildered by her ability to remember Nick's untimely visit half a year ago.
"Oh come on, how could you forget a good looking guy turning up on your doorstep with no invitation, but holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers and telling you he missed you."
"Trust me, that's just the kind of guy Nick is."
"Wish I had that kind of guy in my life."
"You want a laid back, philandering Casanova?"
"Well you do!" Sophie jeered with a knowing smile, guzzling with laughter as she took in Riley's wild blushing expression.
"I do not!"
"You can deny it all you like my dear Riley, but when you can admit to that without blushing I will start to believe you."
"I don't." Riley warned; Sophie simply smiled.
"What did you do when he came to visit?"
"Touristy things."
"What kind of things."
"You know, the London eye, the aquarium, a show. Touristy things." Riley retorted.
"And before and after the show?"
"Dinner and then a walk down by the Thames."
"You mean a fancy expensive dinner which he paid for before you took a moonlit stroll by the river."
"No, that's what you think happened when actually it happened in a mere friendly way."
"Sure it did." Sophie hummed knowingly before chuckling when she watched Riley helping herself to another pile of chips.
0-0-0
Riley hated to admit it, but deep down she knew Sophie was right. She knew her ability to keep her emotions hidden was becoming more like a chore than her natural callous way of remaining indifferent. When Nick was involved her mind was fogged with various thoughts and sensations. The careless enthrallment from human customers in the Victorian bar down the street and the capricious contemplations of nurses and doctors whom have gotten in contact concerning one of her patients were becoming more infuriating; irritation washed onto her features as his usual professional manner of dealing with nurses and self-assured doctors was not helping to keep her frustrations under control as she lay within the confines of her medium-sized bedroom.
She knew she had fallen for the forty-three year old werewolf; it wasn't just because of is build. His eyes, his skin, his immaculate brown hair. Sure those things help and it wasn't even his annoying ability to charm her, no deep down Nicky was just one of the most lovely people she had come to know, it's just a shame he couldn't see this, or anyone else for that matter.
But how could she know if both her and Nick were uncomfortable with an affiliation that may see them into something more than Pack siblings. Clayton and Elena made it work, baring the years of ferocious fights and banishment. Riley knew that both Nick and herself were very different compared to the Pack's golden couple. Nevertheless, with Sophie verbally declaring Riley's deeply buried emotions and pronouncing obvious signs of affection the young werewolf had no idea whether she would come to terms with her feelings.
However, as she thought back to the time she had spent with Nick, she remembered the small touches, the gentleness of his voice and the sheer wanting to please her. When she had spent time with him and his father over at their property in New York, Nick had never displayed these subtle behaviors to the woman he was seducing into bed as a one-time affair. Could she just been reading into this too much or was Nick indirectly trying to display to her his own affections. These conflicting emotions had her heart thundering in her chest, her stomach churning with anxiety and her mind unable to switch off. Riley just let out the huge lungful of air, threw her pillow from the bed before turning over to her side, ignoring the late hour and tried to settle down for the night.
From what seemed only minutes after, Riley's eyes snapped open. Her breathing was shallow, her heart was aching and she had not realized her tossing and turning as she drowsily looked at the ceiling. The long netted curtains were blowing in the night wind, the pale walls lined with the elegant decoration she cherished.
However, after what only felt like a few minutes, she realized what had stirred her from her dreams. The ringing of her mobile, the object clattering to the tabletop as the strong vibrate caused the phone to shudder to life. She frowned as she struggled to detangle herself from the thick duvet that covered her form as she rolled her body to the other side of the bed and reached towards her nightstand.
"Doctor Thompson." Riley managed to say, her voice hoarse with exhaustion as she rolled back onto her back, eyes firmly closed in enervation as she rested her palm to her forehead as she tried to force her foggy brain to concentrate.
"Riley, I realize it must be late." A familiar even voice sounded, his baritone vibrating over the grill of her phone as Riley tried to wake.
"Jeremy?" Riley managed to stammer before taking a glance towards the digital clock next to her. "It's three o'clock in the morning. Couldn't this wait till a reasonable hour?"
"I would have called sooner, but with the time differences and everything that has occurred over here I am afraid there hasn't been much time." Jeremy voiced, giving her as much of an apology as he would ever give her.
"What's going on?" Riley expressed as she finally moved into a seat position and turned on her bedside table, the warm glow of the bulb blinding her sensitive eyes as she tried to untangle her body from the blankets.
"There's trouble brewing here in Bear Valley. I'm calling you home."