Becky opened the door quietly and poked her head in, then came in all the way. Rowan chuckled and shook his head at her.
"You don't have to knock," he said gently. "It isn't my office anymore."
"That makes me sad," Becky said. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it. "So you're really gone."
Rowan nodded. He hadn't bothered wearing anything official; he wasn't an employee anymore. Instead he was dressed in distressed jeans, black boots, and a grey sweater with a blue, dark red, and green stripe across the chest. He had a carryall over his shoulder, which had his belongings in it, and he felt happy to be doing this.
"I'll be working at Meridian now, where Cris works," he said, his voice belaying his contentment.
Becky regarded him levelly. "Does Cris know? That you're... you know."
"A vampire?"
Becky nodded. Rowan did too. "Cris knows what I am. The question is, how do you?"
Rowan kept his distance. Although Becky seemed to know about their kind he didn't know how much she knew, and he didn't want to come across as threatening. He opened himself up and read her, an unpleasant thing to do since he was still attempting to shove recent events down where they belonged. The taste of fire was still too near. He could feel himself sweating as fire rained down over his shoulders. He soaked Becky's feelings in quickly and then shut out his empathy like he wanted to shut out the last month or two.
She was a little nervous, but in the manner of someone who had been caught knowing what they shouldn't. There was no fear for him. In fact, he was gratified to feel her love and trust. He had thought she felt that way, particularly because of the way her son had been involved. She loved him like a brother, like a dear friend, not in a romantic way. Rowan wasn't sure Becky could love that way, with her past.
She spoke, then, and told him how when she'd left her husband just after Jamie was born she'd run to a shelter here in Nachton called Erasma. Rowan had never heard of it, but Becky told him it had been run by a woman named Sophia there, and she hadn't hidden her nature at all. There, Becky had also met and been examined by Dr. Tremaine, the beautiful and charming Jacqui. It was she who'd inspired Becky to attend school and become a nurse.
"That explains a lot," Rowan said. "So you're not... anyone's familiar?"
"Anyone's... oh no," Becky said. "No. I'm not. I don't know a lot about..." she waved her hand at him. "About you. I just saw the signs, and I put the puzzle together. That's all. You told me you were one of the good guys and I believed you then. More so when you saved Jamie."
Rowan smiled. "I'd have saved anyone in there if I could have, but it was Cris who did all the hard work."
Becky got a stubborn expression on her face. Rowan shook his head. "Okay, okay. I'm glad I could be there."
"Me too," Becky said. "I'm not going to tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about."
Rowan shook his head again. "I'm not worried," he said. "You had plenty of time before now to say something. I actually wanted to know - I mean, I have some openings on my staff. Would you be interested?"
Becky blinked at him. "In working for you?"
"Well with me, but yeah."
Becky considered. "Do I have to.. be your familiar? Is that what you called it?"
Rowan nodded. "No, you don't. Unless you want to be. Then we could talk. But I'm just looking for a good nurse. I'll have to talk it over with the powers that be but I can probably offer you a significant increase in your current salary. And I can try to arrange for your hours to coincide with Jamie's school a little more."
Becky worked a hectic schedule, like many nurses. Meridian's schedule wasn't nearly as taxing. They were a doctor's office, not a 24-hour emergency center. Rowan was always going to be on call, and there would always be a nurse in the clinic, but that was it. He already had one nurse who preferred the night shift due to her also being a vampire, so he didn't need Becky to cover that. Rowan himself would be working a schedule that spanned mostly day but also into the evenings. There would be little call for him at night as most of his patients would be human.
He knew it was a tempting offer for her. He intended it to be tempting. Of all the people he'd worked with, Becky was the one he most fervently wished to take with him. They got along together. Like peas and carrots. French fries and vinegar. If you were European.
Almost a Quiet Exit (private)
Rowan looked around his small office. He would miss it, and not miss it, here. On the one hand he had enjoyed his job here. The people were great, some of the best he'd ever worked with, and he'd loved working just for the pleasure of being able to help.
However, being here now brought back things he didn't want to remember. Rowan would admit that historically he was bad at keeping such memories close. He pushed away parts of his past that he didn't want to remember or found to frightening or painful and wouldn't revisit them. Maybe if he were different, he'd have tried to find out about his own human life more aggressively. But now, just like that life, this part of it too must go away. He didn't want it. He hadn't spoken of the events that had transpired here to anyone but Cris. Henri knew better than to ask and even Cris seemed content to let Rowan shove them out of the way.
Just being here, packing his things up, evoked feelings of fright that the normally confident redhead wasn't used to. He had been sleeping better and better in the last week or so and was beginning to do so without Evgeni's patient help but he sensed that today he would need it as badly as he had a week ago.
Hurriedly Rowan began to put things in his bag. He didn't have that much here; some papers, his diploma(s), various statements of certification. From his desk he picked up a strip of pictures, the ones he and Cris had taken in the photo booth down by the docks on their first real date. He held it in its narrow frame, smiling, fond memories banishing the unease he felt at being at the hospital now.
Just then there was a tap on the door.
"Come on in," Rowan said. He was expecting her; he'd texted her a little while ago after all.
Rowan Murphy
12 years ago
Rowan Murphy
12 years ago
Rowan watched Becky chew on her lip gently as she thought. He picked up his black bag, having put everything in it that he wanted to take with him.
"Cris and I are going away for a little while," he said. "A few weeks. Just to get out of the city for a while and be by ourselves. Why don't you think about it? If you want, I can call you when we're home and we can talk some more."
Becky nodded. "All right. I'll think about it. A little."
She smiled at him, and Rowan knew then what her answer would be. He reached out and hugged her, careful not to frighten her in the process but she didn't flinch or stiffen up. She just wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
"I'm glad for you both," she whispered. "You need a break. I know this job was rough on you."
Rowan laughed softly. "Nah," he said. "The job was fine. This one, though, will be so much better. I've been doctoring people for a long time now. It's time to balance that out with a life with Cris."
Becky pulled away and looked up at him. "Is Cris... he's not your familiar is he?"
Rowan shook his head. "No, I don't have a familiar. Cris is the person I love, and that's all he needs to be."
There was a serene look on Rowan's face, one that Becky had really only ever seen when Rowan spoke of Cris. The rest of the time he was cheerful, happy, boisterous, telling some story or another. This was a Rowan not everyone saw in front of her now.
"I'll have questions for you when you get back," Becky warned.
Rowan pulled his bag over his shoulder. "I expect you will."
They left the office together. Rowan paused in the hallway then turned and handed Becky the key to his office. "Will you give this to Lynn?"
Understanding, Becky took the key. "Yes. I'll make sure she gets it. And I'll tell everyone you said goodbye."
Rowan headed down the hallway not in the direction that would take him out to the lobby but the other way, toward the less-populated stairwell and the service exit. "Not goodbye," he said, "but tell them I'll see them later."
She watched him go with a smile on her face. There was a change in him, that was clear, but whether it would be good or bad was a mystery. Somehow, Becky suspected if Cris was there all would be well.
She returned to work after Rowan had gone, determined to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of one job over the other. But the night grew busier and busier. The new pediatrician wasn't anywhere near as cheerful and efficient as Rowan had been, although the staff were patiently trying to train her. Jamie was at Becky's aunt's house, where he spent his nights while she was working. Really, there wasn't much to consider. Becky could have suspected Rowan of using some sort of odd ability on her but she didn't think so... he had turned into a sort of older brother while they'd been working together, and his offer had made her happier than she'd felt in a long time.
She knew where she would be when he got back.
"Cris and I are going away for a little while," he said. "A few weeks. Just to get out of the city for a while and be by ourselves. Why don't you think about it? If you want, I can call you when we're home and we can talk some more."
Becky nodded. "All right. I'll think about it. A little."
She smiled at him, and Rowan knew then what her answer would be. He reached out and hugged her, careful not to frighten her in the process but she didn't flinch or stiffen up. She just wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
"I'm glad for you both," she whispered. "You need a break. I know this job was rough on you."
Rowan laughed softly. "Nah," he said. "The job was fine. This one, though, will be so much better. I've been doctoring people for a long time now. It's time to balance that out with a life with Cris."
Becky pulled away and looked up at him. "Is Cris... he's not your familiar is he?"
Rowan shook his head. "No, I don't have a familiar. Cris is the person I love, and that's all he needs to be."
There was a serene look on Rowan's face, one that Becky had really only ever seen when Rowan spoke of Cris. The rest of the time he was cheerful, happy, boisterous, telling some story or another. This was a Rowan not everyone saw in front of her now.
"I'll have questions for you when you get back," Becky warned.
Rowan pulled his bag over his shoulder. "I expect you will."
They left the office together. Rowan paused in the hallway then turned and handed Becky the key to his office. "Will you give this to Lynn?"
Understanding, Becky took the key. "Yes. I'll make sure she gets it. And I'll tell everyone you said goodbye."
Rowan headed down the hallway not in the direction that would take him out to the lobby but the other way, toward the less-populated stairwell and the service exit. "Not goodbye," he said, "but tell them I'll see them later."
She watched him go with a smile on her face. There was a change in him, that was clear, but whether it would be good or bad was a mystery. Somehow, Becky suspected if Cris was there all would be well.
She returned to work after Rowan had gone, determined to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of one job over the other. But the night grew busier and busier. The new pediatrician wasn't anywhere near as cheerful and efficient as Rowan had been, although the staff were patiently trying to train her. Jamie was at Becky's aunt's house, where he spent his nights while she was working. Really, there wasn't much to consider. Becky could have suspected Rowan of using some sort of odd ability on her but she didn't think so... he had turned into a sort of older brother while they'd been working together, and his offer had made her happier than she'd felt in a long time.
She knew where she would be when he got back.