"Well, that's the last of the so called 'psychics'," Emma said as they left the last shop on the list.
"We have an hour before our last appointment," Henry told them. "Can we get lunch first? I'm hungry."
"How about if we grab a slice on the way? I'd like to walk, if that's okay with you two. I've already had too much of sitting around today to want to take the subway or bus."
"That's fine with me, love." Killian had also complained of the sitting. Weeks of sitting around listening to absurd comments and predictions from charlatans, weeks of sitting around the apartment making phone calls and looking at maps, weeks without a single life-or-death situation. For her part, Emma vastly preferred the lack of danger. But I'm pretty sure my ass had gone flat from all the damn sitting.
Since Henry also agreed they stopped in at a pizza parlor and ate their lunch while they walked. Unfortunately, they made it to the office of the 'alternative medical remedies specialist' a full half-hour before their scheduled appointment.
"Okay, what was our story for this one again?" Henry asked when they reached the door. They chose a different ailment and took turns playing patient for each of the 'healers' that they saw.
Emma sighed. "I can't even remember. Whose turn is it to be the faker?"
"Killian's."
"Wonderful, and what shall I be afflicted with today?" Killian didn't enjoy playing patient. None of them did really, but he had a particular aversion to it.
"Migraines?" Emma offered.
"Seizures?" Henry threw out.
"I'm not faking a bloody seizure."
"I vote migraines. You've had enough headaches lately that you'll hardly have to pretend," Emma pointed out. It was true; the incense smoke that many of the psychics seemed to think was necessary to maintain their mystique almost always gave him a headache.
"Right you are. Migraines it is, then," Killian agreed as he opened the door and gestured for them to enter first.
Emma approached the reception desk. "Hi, we have an appointment at two o'clock, I know we're early."
"Can you confirm the name you made the appointment under?" The receptionist, a woman that Emma was pretty sure wasn't old enough to go to a bar (and had red and purple streaks in her dark hair, reminding Emma painfully of Ruby), pulled out a large datebook and looked at Emma expectantly.
"My name is Emma Turner, but the appointment is for Killian James." She indicated Killian, who was looking around the reception area with Henry. It wasn't like most of the other places they had visited; it lacked the supposedly soothing music (which had always grated Emma's nerves even before she was forced to listen to it multiple times weekly), nature sounds, scent of essential oils, and all the other things that many 'healers' had put out to encourage people to be calm and pliable. Because essential oils and annoying music apparently make people gullible. They see what they expect, I guess. This looks more like an actual doctor's office. Only without the outdated magazines and overwhelming smell of disinfectant.
"Yes, I have you here, you called three weeks ago?" At Emma's nod the receptionist (her nameplate read "Divina" Really? Is that supposed to be mysterious?) brightened up. "I'm glad we could get you in for a consultation so quickly!"
"Three weeks is quick?"
"Yes, Kyle only does initial consultations twice a week, since he never knows how long the first one might take. We're usually booked months out for new patients, but we'd just had a cancellation when you called." Emma didn't miss Killian's pointed glance at that. I already admitted I was being melodramatic and ridiculous, no need to rub it in.
"Why don't you take a seat? I'll let the doctor know you're here. One of his patients went into a difficult labor this morning, but he called a bit ago to let me know he'll be on time." The girl swiftly sent a text message and received a reply almost immediately. "Yep, he's already getting cleaned up and will be here shortly. I need to run out and grab something for the office before he gets here, will you be alright on your own for a few minutes?" Without waiting for a reply she locked the appointment book away in a cabinet and grabbed her purse.
"Yeah, we'll be fine." This is different…
"Great! I'll be back in just a minute. Feel free to snoop! Just don't break into anything," Divina tossed over her shoulder as she left the office.
Emma, Henry, and Killian looked at each other in silence for a minute.
"This is a different kettle of fish from what we've dealt with to date," Killian commented.
"Yeah, this place is weirdly normal," Henry added. He seemed to have taken Divina's words about snooping to heart, as he immediately started poking around. Emma joined him as he looked behind the reception desk.
"The weird part is right at least. There's no computer." Huh, she must keep everything in that cabinet. Aside from some standard office supplies the desk held what looked like Divina's personal stuff. A couple of classic novels and a few textbooks with corresponding labeled binders. Biology, chemistry, calculus… The world religions book is the only thing that comes close to fitting the alternative medicine stereotype.
They only spent a few minutes snooping. There wasn't all that much to see. And besides, it had grown insanely hot before even ten minutes had passed. Emma estimated that it was at least eighty-five degrees, which was abnormal not only for indoors but also for late fall in New York. Is this some sort of strategy? Get people delirious from heat stroke and they'll believe you when you tell them that they have some sort of infection of the aura?
"This reminds me of that healer we saw last month. The one who worked out of a sauna?" Henry told them, looking up briefly from the comic book he had sat down to read.
Emma snorted even as she peeled her shirt away from her sweaty skin. Seriously? It should not have gotten this hot, this fast. "Ah yes, the purging of impurities through the pores."
Killian was pacing, which probably wasn't helping with the overheating thing. "Never mind impurities, I'm sweating my dignity off."
"Not to mention your guyliner," Henry quipped, he voice totally even. Emma could see the tiniest lift at the corners of his lips. She had to press her lips together to hold back her own smile. He looked up from his book with Killian didn't respond. "You look like a raccoon."
Killian stopped his pacing. "Is it that bad?" He asked Emma. She laughed outright at his expression of near horror.
"Not quite, but it's getting there." She stood and took his face in her hands, wiping under his eyes with her thumbs. "Maybe we should start carrying around makeup removal wipes for you." His only reply to her teasing smile was a narrowing of the eyes. "You'd think a pirate would use waterproof eyeliner, at least."
"The general idea is to stay dry by not falling overboard," he informed her.
Divina chose that moment to reenter the office, kicking the door open. She set the bags she was carrying next to the door and propped it open with a brick. "Gods, I'm so sorry! The thermostat must be broken again." She pulled a couple of water bottles out of one of the bags and handed them to the group. She selected a contact on her cellphone and argued heatedly with someone Emma assumed was a repairman on the other end as she loaded several more bottles from the bag into a mini-fridge under the desk. "Absolutely unacceptable! You 'fixed' it just last week, and it's already broken again. Either you come back and do the job properly, for free, or you give us a refund for your incompetence! Good, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning. Don't you dare be late." I think I like her.
"Divina, what is the fee for this consultation? It wasn't on your website and I forgot to ask when I called."
The girl looked surprised when Emma called her by name, then picked up her nameplate and scowled. She pulled a permanent marker from behind the desk and proceeded to blacken out the 'ina' portion of her name as she answered Emma. "I'll have to remember to fix that. Initial consultations are free unless Kyle provides some sort of treatment. He negotiates fees for that beforehand, though."
"Negotiates? He doesn't set his prices?" Killian asked, intrigued. Emma was as well; nearly everyone they'd seen before had their fees set in stone. A few had even had spa-like menus of services rendered with prices listed (Chakra realignment: $250, spirit cleansing: $125, various herbal remedies: $15-75, etc.).
"It's hard to set prices when every treatment is different. It's not like you can just say 'here, drink this tea and say this mantra seventeen times daily'. Even people with the same problem might need different treatments. Speaking of problems, what did you need to see the doctor for? I seem to have neglected to ask before."
"I've been experiencing horrendous migraines. I've seen several doctors and none have been able to determine a cause," Killian told her. Divina looked skeptical but pulled out her datebook and wrote something down next to their names.
"Hopefully Kyle will be able to do something more."
"That's why we're here," he replied. "Divina-"
"Please call me Div." A hated name rather than a chosen one, then.
"Div, what kind of remedies does this Kyle provide?"
"Like I said, it depends on the problem. He actually refers a lot of people to medical specialists, especially if they hadn't seen a doctor yet."
"You'd think he wouldn't turn clients away. That's hardly a way to turn a profit."
"He doesn't really make a profit here. That's what his day job is for." Div sat down and put her feet up on the desk.
"Day job?" Henry asked.
"At the hospital."
"You mean he's an actual doctor?" Even Henry was interested now.
"Yeah, he just finished a residency for internal medicine. He's being considered for a fellowship for… I can't remember what. Some diagnostic thing. I think he watched too much House, M.D. when he was in med school." Well, she is a font of information. I wonder how much more we can get in the next ten minutes.
"I noticed your textbooks earlier. What are you going to school for?" Div turned to look at Emma.
"Snooping, were we?" She smiled though. "Chemistry right now. I'm thinking about joining the pre-med program, but I haven't decided yet."
"I'm surprised someone so scientifically inclined would work at a clinic for alternative therapies."
"My boss is a doctor, and he works at a clinic for alternative therapies." Point taken. Not much time left for questions.
Emma decided to just jump right in with what she wanted to know. "Some of the reviews I read online were left by people who seemed to think that your boss worked some kind of magic." Div was expressionless. "Do you think he works magic?"
"Magic is just science that hasn't been explained yet. Or maybe science is magic that has been explained. I can never remember." Still unreadable.
"I'll rephrase. Do you believe in magic, and do you think your boss has it?"
Div was saved from having to come up with another not-answer by the door opening. "Just in time!" she told her boss.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, emergency caesarians aren't considerate of appointments." Emma looked over the doctor/healer/potentially-magic-guy. He was younger than she'd expected, around her age. He was dressed casually, jeans and a sweatshirt. Good, I've had about enough of robes and linen tunics. She looked over at Killian, who had stilled upon seeing the doctor.
The doctor took a quick look at the appointment book (Emma assumed to check their names and the reason for their visit) and gestured at a door opposite the entrance. "Right this way and we can get started." He opened the door, revealing a room reminiscent of a physician's exam room, though less impersonal and far more welcoming.
As Killian and Emma passed Henry she ducked down and whispered "keep asking questions" with a subtle nod at Div.
"What is it?" Emma murmured to Killian as they followed the doctor.
"He looks very familiar," he told her, his voice also low.
"Bad?" Henry asked from his chair.
"I can't place it."
"I guess we'll find out."
A/N: Reviews are apple pie and constructive criticism is cup-pies! (Like cupcakes... only with pie instead of cakes... Totally worth the time it takes to cut out dozens of mini-crusts.)