Zeno leaves to check out the hospital and bring back a status report as Philip and his family dig into the food still left on the table. I learned that his wife's name is Emily and the two kids were Nova and Charlotte. Both girls, the youngest one being only eight months old and the older one being a whole 'three fingers' as she put it.
Nova has not even the slightest clue how on edge her parents were as she shoves cut up pieces of pancake and strawberries into her mouth with a huge smile. "This is yummy!" She says, trying to get her mother to eat.
Emily forces a smile, "That's for you, dear. Mommy will eat later."
"Zeno cooked them." Fletcher says. He had already drained his cup and gotten rid of any evidence of what may have been left in the cup when he rinsed it out and popped it into a dishwasher. He was facing away from them and washing up the dishes, the window above the sink covered by a thick blanket nailed over it to keep the sun out. "I couldn't begin to tell you his secrets. But, he's a dam-" He coughs, looking over his shoulder at the kids, "He's a really good cook. I heard he worked at a restaurant for a while. Don't know if it's true or not though."
It was weird to picture a werewolf working in a restaurant. But it was equally weird to picture a vampire doing dishes. Yet here I sat, with my head propped up on my hands, my elbows resting on the back of the chair as I sat backwards, watching Fletcher, one of the most powerful vampires in existence, wash a pan in the sink while he slips plates and cups into a dishwasher.
My life has gotten so weird.
The front door opens and Fletcher instinctively jumps to the side to avoid sunlight that couldn't possibly reach him from this distance. "The hospital isn't empty." Zeno says, slipping a shirt on over impossibly built abs. I look away, feeling my face redden. He must have ran over in his wolf form, opting not to use a car, "There's someone who has already taken over. He's checking people as they enter to check if they're human, so I didn't wanna chance getting too close. But, I asked around. His name is Isaiah. Apparently he's a hunter, but the people seem to trust him well enough. He seems to be allowing regular folk in, but I'm worried DMHS might be in charge or will take over soon."
"Isaiah wouldn't abandon people. He's a flirt, but he's a good person. He'll take in Philip and his family." I say.
"You know him?" Fletcher asks, drying his hands and turning around to join in the conversation.
I nod, "So do you. You kicked his a-" I glance at the kids eating a little ways away, "Butt a couple days ago."
He makes a face, "Broken arm and leg?"
Zeno rolls his eyes, "You broke his leg?" Zeno gasps, sending Fletcher a glare.
I nod to Fletcher as Fletcher nods to Zeno, looking guilty, "He was in the hospital last time I saw him." I say, "Probably why he's there now. Took it over in the chaos. I can go talk to him."
"I'm going with you." Fletcher says, "If he's decided to side with DMHS-"
"Absolutely not." I say, breaking him off.
"But-"
"What part of 'absolutely not' is too difficult to understand?" I question, wagging my finger at him, "He's already seen your face. He knows your face as the one who beat the everlasting shit out of him." I hiss, glancing towards the kids again, realizing I'd stopped paying attention to my words. "Not to mention it's still daylight out. Early in the morning, at that. We're not waiting around for night to fall so you can come with me."
"Take Zeno then." Fletcher suggests. "You've only just woken up, you're still pretty injured."
I hesitate looking back at Zeno. He could pass as human as long as Isaiah doesn't check him. "Did he see you snooping?"
"If he did, I wasn't aware of it. I tried to keep my head down as much as possible while I looked around. The last thing I wanted to do was create chaos in the middle of a bunch of innocent people seeking shelter."
"Good thinking." I quickly tell him. "Fine, I'll take Michelle and Zeno, if that makes you happy."
Fletcher sighs in relief, "I don't trust too many people more than Zeno. He'll make sure to look after you properly."
"I don't need 'looking after.'" I snap.