by Ashley West
Clearly this one was declaring her shift over.
“What’s your name?” Khaos asked her as he slipped into the cool darkness of the inner arena with her.
“Briselle,” she said in that throaty voice, eyes raking over him. “You fight so well.”
“It’s the practice,” he said, and when they were alone, he showed her what else he was practiced in.
Over two hours later, Briselle waved goodbye with a lazy grin on her face as Khaos pulled his shirt over his head and set out, whistling under his breath as he went. He had that buzzing feeling that came from a victory and a good workout coursing through him, and a spring in his step. He was also starving.
The years of him living in the orphanage were over, and while he’d always be grateful for the women who had taken care of him, even when he made it harder than it had to be, when the opportunity to leave had come up, he’d taken it.
Now he lived in a boarding house sort of place, with his own room and space, and it was paradise compared to the often cramped and unpleasant orphanage where he’d grown up.
Blessini was a small planet, divided into four quadrants. He’d heard that humans called them countries on their planet, though the term didn’t make much sense to him. Each of Blessini’s quadrants was different from its fellows. Cinto was a sprawling jungle type place, all heavy humidity and thick air. The people who called it home lived in massive trees and hunted for their food, mixing technology and more primitive measures.
Alges, by contrast, was mostly desert. The land was dry and thirsty, and it was perpetually hot. Khaos had never been there, and he didn’t really have much desire to go. Not much was known about the people who inhabited Alges, and they kept to themselves for the most part.
Artres and Lio were similar in that they were the more industrial parts of the planet. They were responsible for most of the technology and modern advances that helped all of the inhabitants of Blessini. Artres was laid out more like a sprawling community, houses and buildings taking up most of the space. Roads cut neat paths through neighborhoods and factory complexes, dividing the whole place into a grid shape.
Lio was much the same, only instead of large houses occupied by single families, they had buildings that housed multiple. Units were stacked on top of each other, and it was rare to find a building that only had one family living in it, unless it was on the outskirts of the quadrant where the poorer people tended to live.
Khaos lived in a house that had once housed a single family more than likely, but now it housed seven different people who were all singled and had their own rooms.
With the Sickness killing off people indiscriminately, it was always easy to find housing in Lio, and there was always work to be done. Lio was made up almost entirely of Kaspersi, one race of beings that called Blessini home. From what the scientists and medics could tell, it was only the Kaspersi who were plagued by the Sickness, and because of that, not many other races would come to Lio, preferring to move to Artres where it was more diverse and there were fewer cases of the Sickness.
Khaos couldn’t say he could blame them.
All of that aside, he liked his home. The house was familiar now that it had been almost eight years since he’d moved into it, and he knew all of the occupants of it. There was Maeve, the woman who ran it, tall and thin, and more snake like than any of the other Kaspersi Khaos had ever met with her pale skin and almost reptilian features. There were rumors that she was older than the Sickness itself, though no one, not even Maeve, could or would confirm that.
Other than her, there were six other tenants including himself, and as he approached the house, axe swung over his shoulder as he walked, he could see that three of them were gathered on the front steps talking and eating ripe fruit.
Khaos could smell the sticky sweet juice from the fruit as soon as he got close enough to hear their conversation, and he was reminded that it had been ages since his last meal. He disliked fighting on a full stomach, so he hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and it was fast closing in on dinner time already.
“What’s the verdict, then?” called Kasha, a plump, pretty woman who was apparently immune to Khaos’ charms. She grinned, tanned face bright with good humor from where she was reclining against the steps.
“What do you think?” countered Danvar, leaning against the front of the building to the left of the door. “He’s got that look.”
Hylin laughed and licked his fingers clean of juice before tossing a fruit to Khaos. “When’s the last time you lost anyway?”
Khaos caught the bright yellow fruit in one hand and let his axe swing down to thump to the ground. He shrugged and bit into the sweet, soft fruit, mouth flooded with the flavor that was tangy and delicious. “Can’t remember,” he said through a mouthful. “It’s been a while.”
Kasha laughed. “That’s an understatement. You’ve come out on top the last ninety-seven bouts in a row. Ninety-eight if you count today’s. That has to be some kind of record.”
“You think?” Khaos asked, arching an eyebrow. “If it is, no one’s said anything.”
Danvar shrugged and pushed off from his spot. “It’s impressive either way. Just make sure you keep it up. I’ve got thirty silver credits on you getting to a hundred in a row without losing one. I could use that money.”
“I’ll do my best,” Khaos laughed.
It was always like this when he came home. Easy, relaxed. The people he lived with had all lost people from the Sickness, but they knew better than most that life had to go on for the living. Getting caught up in mourning and wishing for things and people who were gone and not coming back was an easy ticket to wasting away yourself.
The long day and physical exertion was catching up to him, and Khaos polished off the last of his fruit and then stretched, arms overhead as he cracked his back with a groan. “I’m going to take a nap. Who’s on dinner tonight?”
Hylin made a face. “Viv is. I’d head out for something if I were you.”
Their meals at the house were communal, and everyone took a turn cooking as well as cleaning up after the meal and in general. Khaos was an alright cook, definitely not the best, but he managed to get good meals on the table.
The worst cook was definitely Vivala, who seemed to be able to burn anything and everything she touched. Instead of just purchasing meals the way the others who couldn’t cook did when it was their turns, she insisted on trying again and again to make something edible.
While Khaos had to admire her dedication, his stomach was never happy after he tried to muscle down something she’d made.
He’d definitely be going out later then. All the more reason to get some rest now.
The axe went back up and over his shoulder, and he tried not to feel too prideful at the awed looks on the faces of his housemates. They knew him well by now, but it was kind of nice that they were still impressed by him.
He said his goodbyes and made his way up two flights of stairs, calling a loud hello to Maeve as he passed her domain.
His room was simple, but comfortable. A bed, a desk, and a dresser were the only furniture, and a holo screen took up one wall completely while windows lined the wall adjacent. He shared a bathroom with Hylin, and the door that led to the connected bathroom was closed.
His axe was stowed in the corner and Khaos yawned and stretched again, his muscles pleasantly sore from the fight that afternoon and the romp after it. Briselle had proven herself to be both flexible and fun, and he was hoping that he’d get a chance to see her again.
Winning fights definitely had its advantages.
Khaos stripped off his tunic and pants and flopped onto his bed, making himself comfortable with a yawn. From there, he could see the picture of his family that sat on top of the desk across the room, and he looked at their faces for a moment.
His father was smiling, his mother with her arm around him, her green eyes bright. Even after all this time, missing them was a constant thing, and he let himself think about how things used to be as he dr
ifted off to sleep.
Chapter 2: Busy, Busy, Busy
The Avondale Clinic was located smack dab in the middle of the city. It wasn’t as popular as the larger hospital only a few miles up the road, or the general practice doctors that had their offices on the other side of town, but the patients who came in were dedicated and always left happy. Well. Some of the kids left in tears, but that was part of the nature of the job, really.
Doctor Kayla Abernathy knew that better than anyone, and it was one of the reasons why there was an industrial sized bucket of lollipops in her office, ready to be dipped into when necessary.
Though young, she had plenty of experience and was one of the most beloved doctors the clinic had seen, popular with children and adults alike.
On Monday morning, the clinic was already packed, and she let herself in through the front door, stopping to greet her receptionist and the patients in the front room with smiles and kind words as she headed through.
Christina, one of the nurses, followed her, charts already in her hands. “It’s gonna be a busy morning,” she said, leaning against the door frame as Kayla changed into her work attire. “Waiting room’s already packed and there’s more appointments for the afternoon.”
Kayla smiled at her. “Sounds like a Monday. Everyone built their issues up in their heads over the weekend, and now they’ve got to know what’s wrong with them.”
“And seven times out of ten there’s nothing wrong with them at all.”
“That’s not fair. It’s more like six times out of ten, and you know it.”
The two women laughed, and Christina pushed her hair out of her face. The choppy red bob suited her, but it seemed to always be in her way. “Amanda Broughton is in room six,” Christina said, handing Kayla a chart. “Her mother’s fit to be tied, too.”
“So same as usual, then.” Amanda was eight years old, and her mother was one of the most overbearing parents Kayla had ever met, a fact which seemed to make her daughter even more rambunctious and apt to get into trouble than a normal eight year old. When she looked at the chart, it appeared that this time was no different. “Dog bite,” she murmured under her breath. “Fantastic. Wish me luck, Chris.”
The nurse laughed and waved her off. “You don’t need luck. You’ve got that charm that makes all the parents love you instantly.”
It was an exaggeration, but Kayla couldn’t deny that she did have a way with patients. Her bedside manner had been commented on by everyone who’d ever supervised her, and she was proud of it.
Remembering her lessons, she took a deep breath, pasted a smile on her face, and let herself into room six.
The sight inside was familiar. Amanda sitting up on the exam table, little legs swinging, while her mother paced back and forth in the small room, expression grave.
As soon as Kayla walked in, she looked up, relief in her features. “Oh. Dr. Abernathy, thank god,” she said. “I have no idea what possessed her, but Amanda has gone and gotten herself bitten by the neighbor’s dog, even though I have told her time and time again to leave the beast alone. The thing is massive and dirty, and they promise he’s had all his shots, but you never can tell, can you? I certainly wasn’t going to take any chances on the thing having rabies or some other kind of disease.”
“Is that so?” Kayla asked, pretending to be absorbed in her chart before looking up and giving Amanda a little wink. “Well, I highly doubt he was a rabid dog, but I will definitely have a look, Mrs. Broughton. You did the right thing by bringing her here.”
Mrs. Broughton looked mollified by that, and she stepped back and let Kayla move in.
“Good morning, Amanda,” she continued with a smile for the little girl, who grinned, showing off gaps where she was missing teeth.
“Morning, Doctor Kayla,” she said back. “I got bit.”
“So I hear. Why don’t you let me take a look at him, so we can make sure you won’t get sick or anything?”
The fact that the girl was smiling and not crying or writing with pain made her pretty sure that there was nothing wrong, but she had to do her job properly. Amanda held out her arm, and there was indeed a red, raised area where a set of teeth could have been.
Kayla put on her gloves and poked at it with gentle fingers, asking Amanda to tell her where or when it hurt. The discomfort seemed mild, and definitely didn’t give off any sign of infection.
“Good news, Mrs. Broughton,” Kayla said, crossing to one of the cabinets to pull down a few things. “According to Nurse Elliot’s notes here, Amanda shows no sign of a fever, and there aren’t any signs of infection around the wound either. I’m going to give it a good disinfecting and bandage it, but be sure to keep an eye on her. If she starts feeling feverish or the wound gets discolored or hot, take her to the hospital immediately.”
“Of course I will, thank you,” Mrs. Broughton said, hand flying up over her chest.
It was easy work to clean and disinfect the small bite mark and then cover it with gauze. The whole time she was working, Amanda looked at her hopefully, and when Kayla produced three different flavored lollipops and told her to pick one, her little face lit up.
By the time they were leaving, Amanda was sucking on a bright blue lollipop and getting a lecture from her mother, and that was how Kayla’s Monday began.
There was hardly time to rest or relax until lunch time rolled around. The waiting room was empty, finally, and she had an hour and a half to herself before she had to attend to the next appointment.
After sending the nurses to get their lunches, she went into her office and dropped into her chair with a low exhale.
She’d packed her own lunch that day, leftovers from dinner the night before, and she took a breather and time to rest her feet before digging out the tupperware and going to heat up the casserole in the microwave.
It didn’t take long before the nurses were coming back with their lunches, food bought from the fast food places around the clinic, and Kayla debated for a bit before going to join them in the small lounge in the back.
“I swear if Tobias Hendricks tries to bite me one more time,” Christina complained, digging into her lunch. “I don’t know what his mother thinks she’s doing, but half the time she’s probably encouraging the little brat.”
“Whatever happened to doctor patient confidentiality?” asked Hayley.
“I’m not talking about what was wrong with him,” Christina insisted. “Just that something is wrong with him.”
They all laughed at that. Kayla mostly listened to them talk, enjoying the chatter as she ate and washed down her food with a can of soda. They were easy company, and since she lived alone and didn’t have much time to see people with how busy work kept her most of the time, it was nice to be able to sit and socialize, even if she wasn’t the one talking.
“So,” Christina said, and Kayla could feel that her eyes were on her as she hunted in her tupperware for a piece of chicken in the casserole.
“So what?” she asked, wariness entering her tone. She didn’t really like the eager look on the nurse’s face.
“You know the man who just opened that flower shop across the street?”
Kayla knew of him. She passed his shop on the way in and out of the parking lot of the clinic every day, after all. “What about him?”
“Well, I did some digging, and--”
She groaned, cutting Christina off. “I already don’t like where this going, Chris. Digging sounds profoundly like being nosy.”
“I wasn’t being nosy!” she insisted. “I went in there to get some flowers for my mom, and we just got to talking, you know how it is.”
Kayla was pretty sure she didn’t know how it was, but she let Christina continue. “He’s new in town, and he was a florist in Chicago before he moved here. His name in Dean, and he’s got some really nice arrangements, if you know what I mean.” The laughter pretty much proved that they all knew what she meant. “You should go in there, Kayla.”
“I don’t nee
d any flowers, though.”
Nina rolled her eyes. “And you don’t need to be in there looking for flowers anyway. Look at him. I saw him this morning when I got in, and girl, he is fine. Dark hair, light eyes, nice body. If I weren’t dating someone, I’d go in there and arrange something for myself. But you’re single and beautiful, and he would be lucky to have you.”
Kayla smiled at the compliment. Beautiful was probably a strong word for what she was. She knew she was attractive enough with her golden skin and masses of black curls, showing her mixed heritage. She was average height and had plain brown eyes, though, and her face was nice looking, but there were plenty of women who were far more lovely than she was.
Some of them were sitting in the room with her at that very moment, actually. If Nina were to go in there and try to flirt with Dean, he’d probably fall for her in a minute flat, and Kayla just didn’t anticipate those kinds of results for herself.
She knew they meant well, really she did. They thought she was lonely and wanted her to be happy, but the thought of going in there and trying to get the florist to… to what? To go out with her? Whatever she was meant to try and do sounded embarrassing.
And it wasn’t like Kayla needed a date anyway. She was fine as she was. Yes, some nights she was lonely, and sometimes she wished that she could have someone to cuddle up to at night, but with the hours she worked and the time she had to devote to her job and keeping up with the other things she needed to do, there just weren’t enough hours in the day to let her be a good partner for someone.
Every relationship she’d ever been in had ended because the man ended up feeling neglected, and there wasn’t much Kayla could do about that.
In school, her studies had come first, and now her job was her main priority. Her mother had often told her that she was going to work the best years of her life away and then wake up one morning and be old and alone if she didn’t make some changes, but it wasn’t like she could just stop working.
So really, she didn’t know what she was supposed to do to fix it. Not that it needed fixing because it was most definitely not a problem.