Mate revealed

Meeting Mrs Winters

Gradually the wolf moved towards her. A hair's breadth away from her. Limbs knocking, heart pounding in her head. 

She held her breath. 

She should be running. 

She should be screaming. 

Just wait, the voice urged please.

And slowly he brought his nose just millimetres any from Ester’s face. 

He sniffed. The breath itched hair across her cheek. 

Without warning a giggled bubbled up from Ester’s throat. She clapped her hands over her mouth. The wolf jumped back, looking her over confused.

She lowered her hands. 

Whilst marvelling how absurd this scene before her was, and marvelling at how beautiful and huge this creature was, the wolf abruptly nuzzled into her arm. 

Ester froze. s**t s**t s**t. Was this how she died? Away from home, and eaten for dinner by a giant wolf?

But as he continued to nudging her gently, she slowly opened up.

She ran an almost steady hand through it’s mane. The wolf leaned into her hand and grumbled appreciatively. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be ripping my face off, or something, right about now?” She whispered at the wolf, scratching behind it’s ear. Instead, it licked her from jaw to hairline. 

Ester laughed, pushing it away. “You’re just a big dog really, aren’t you?” At that the wolf sat back and looked at her in dismay, as if it understood her. A low, short growl rumbled through it’s chest. 

“Ok, not a dog. Definitely a big bad wolf” The wolf sits, tilts it’s head at her and opens his mouth, pink tongue lolling out one side, far from the image Ester portrayed. 

She knew wolves had been known to raise human babies when they had their own litter, but naturally they were thought of as dangerous, carnivorous beasts. Yet, before her sat giant black teddy. 

“Maybe I could call you Remus, like from –“

A howl tore through her words. Sad and lonely it snaked through the trees, into the clearing towards them. 

The wolf turned his head to the forest behind, transfixed by the sound. When the howl came to an end. The whole forest stood still. Engulfed in silence, the crickets and cicadas paused, owls hesitated and small creatures lucking in the undergrowth held their breath. 

 "I guess that's your call"

Remus turned back to Ester and let out a whine, nudging against her legs – pushing her back towards the garden fence. "Ok ok! I'm going"

He trotted back to the edge of the forest.

“Goodbye” she breathed and waved mournfully. He looked back once more at her, before being swallowed by the darkness. 

The heartbeat of the forest was slowly restored by the shuffling’s of nocturnal animals. Ester waited another beat before turning herself homeward.  

Reflection of this would have to wait until tomorrow. Ester was flagging, her brain tired: She couldn’t squeeze anymore unnatural things into one day, witches, voodoo eyes, Pegasus and imaginary mothers had already worn out her. Yes, the wolf would wait. 

As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

                                                                *                            *                                  *

The next morning Ester woke up to a text from her sister. 

Penny:            Good luck today! You’ll be amazing, just make sure you get there on time. Ring me afterwards – screw the time difference. Love you, Pen xxx

Ester got there with 10 minutes to spare – albeit red and sweaty. 

“Finally, Ester” Doctor Collin’s barely looked up at her when she passed the threshold. “Better late than never, I suppose” She muttered under her breath. 

Ester frowned, checking her phone. Yes – a whole 10 minutes early – that was no mean feat for Ester. 

“Good morning Doctor Collins” She feigned cheerfulness. 

“Grab a clipboard. Get the patients to fill them out once they’re in. Answer calls and direct people into my office when I buzz you. Your key is on the desk.” Doctor Collins began checking through her medicine cabinet.

“Oh, but I, er, I applied for the nursing role-“

“- Yes I am well aware of your credentials and whatI hired you for” She interrupted, brusquely, now staring at Ester over her glasses, “But these are my patients and until I can personally vouch for your proficiency, I’ve given the secretary some time off”

Ester’s mouth gaped slightly for a moment, the only thing she could do, as Doctor Collin’s turned away was to nod numbly. 

“Opening in 23 minutes Ester. Open up not a moment before please” Doctor Collins called as she walked into her office and closed the door. 

The day was an odd one for Ester, opening up and welcoming in patients. She had never been adept at working computer systems or phone boards. But she muddled through, and by lunchtime she was ok on the phone - patching through to Doctor C, and Ok to Adequate on the computer at booking in patients on the computer system. One area where Ester always felt confident was dealing with patients. 

But she itched to be in her own consulting room, helping, advising, stitching, prescribing. She already missed her old patients, and her brained wandered over the pond to them, wondering how they were faring. 

The doorbell jingled and a familiar voice drawled across the reception room.

“Osh – she’s got you on reception duty huh?” Stevie smirked at her from the other side of the desk. 

“What’re you doing here? Stevie what is it you actually do, you must be the world’s taxi driver, you’re never in your car”

“A taxi driver?” He chuckled, “I’m not a taxi driver, I just was helping out that’s all, your sister got in contact with Jill at the Information Centre, who got in touch with Rosa who used to manage the buses, who got in touch with my mom.”

Ester’s brain spun. “Right – well again, thank you for the taxi ride! But… So…. what is it you actually do?”

He grinned, displaying his perfect white teeth and dimples. “Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that”

“Sounds suspicious” She mused, squinting at him. 

“Well, if suspicious makes me sound mysterious, I’ll take it” He place a small box before here “Here, I figured you probably hadn’t brought lunch, and Doctor Collin’s isn’t the best for staff being allowed breaks…”

Ester opened up a box to see a chicken sandwich. “Ah thank you Stevie, this looks great! How much do I owe you?” She delved into her purse.

“Nah this one’s on me!”

“You said that yesterday with the burger”

“Don’t you worry, I get discounts all over this town, this’ll just cost me a favour at Jo’s Diner”

Ester smiled “Thanks Stevie”

He leant on his elbows beside her “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask – you still sold on looking for your birth mother?”

The question took Ester by surprise, normally it wasn’t something that people brought up, at all, actually they actively avoided it. Ester didn't chose to tell many people, it was something that others found difficult to understand.

“Yes”

“Well, have you got any information perhaps? I could do some digging, see what comes up?”

“Ok” She bit her lip, she’d never said any of these things out loud before, never had enough hope to. “All I know is I was temporary called ‘Baby Cottonwood’, sounds kind of silly huh?”

“Cottonwood” He murmured to himself quietly “Any hospital named?”

“No, I looked over the papers with my dad years ago. They weren’t very clear – but all it said was ‘Montana/Wyoming border – Baby Cottonwood, born 4th April 1997”

“You’re 23? You’re a baby”

“Shut up!” She thumped him in the arm “This is serious!” She laughed. 

“Ok ok!” He held up his hands, “I’ll see what I can find”

“Stevie, what you doing there?!” Doctor Collins called from her open door. She wore are perpetual expression of disapproval.

He turned and pulled a ghastly expression then hopped to her door, “Just popping in on my favourite Aunt, how’re you?”

As the door closed, their words were muffled out. 

Could Stevie really help her find her birth mother? The border stretched far beyond this little town, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. 

Ester couldn’t help but think how naïve she’d been again, how ill-equipped and unprepared she’d been for this journey. She felt the guilt again grip her heart. Sometimes it felt as if she was tainting the memory of her adoptive parents for wanting to know her birth mother. Caught between what was safe and known, to the foggy unknown of her birth.

 It wasn't that she hadn't had a nice childhood, it had been almost faultless, her parents perfect. She'd been grown strong on their love, and happy on their support. But there were things we wanted, needed,  to know. 

Was her mother left handed too? Whose eyes did she have? Had her father loved to run also? Was her mother allergic to kiwi too?

Had either of her parents struggled with hearing voices that weren't there..?

The door jingled again, this time a elderly lady hobbled through, using the wall to keep herself. 

Ester rushed to help her.

“Oh there you are Patricia, I’ve just had an-“

The lady looked up in horror at Ester. She stilled.

“You’re not Patricia!” She wrenched her arm out of Ester’s supportive grip.

“No, I’m-“

“Who the heck are you?!” She pushed Ester away “Get away from me! Helena! Helen! Where are you? I’m being accosted by some stranger!” The woman collapsed against the wall. 

“Please – just let me help y-“

“Get off! Don’t touch me!” She screamed “Helena Collins!”

At this moment, Doctor Collins emerged from her office, and ran towards the two of them.

“Don’t just stand there Ester! Help me!” She commanded, gently pulling the woman’s arm over her shoulders “Ok Mrs Winters, let’s get you up.”

The elderly woman softened immediately “Helena, you’re here!” Then her expression soured, “this young woman accosted me!”

Over Mrs Winter’s head, with a furious face, Doctor Collin’s signalled for Ester to leave her to it. 

“She came out’ve know where, calling herself Patricia! She’s not Patricia!” She wittered into Doctor Collin’s room, finished with the slamming of the door.

Ester threw herself into her chair and hung her head in her hands. 

Breath… 

The last thing I need is you speaking up now, Ester thought to herself. 

The next hour scraped past, Mrs Winter left a new woman, but without so much as a glance in Ester’s direction. Ester booked in clients over the phone and saw them through to Doctor Collin’s room. 

Patients began to thin out as the sun decided to descend, and Ester began to tidy the filing cabinet behind her, reorganising the desk and replenishing the various different patients forms.

The door jingled again.

Be careful…the voice growled. Ester jumped at the interrupt and looked up. 

A woman with dark tresses breezed in with large, bug eyed sunglasses on. Her figure was tall and willowy, like a catwalk model. 

Don’t trust her.

“Hi, I need to see Doctor Collins.” Her eyes on her phone.

“Ok,” Ester smiled “What’s your appointment time?”

“I haven’t got an appointment” Her face remained bored, she pushed her glasses onto her head. Big grey eyes.

The voice in Ester's head growled.

“Oh, I’m afraid Doctor Collin’s hasn’t got any available slots for today, only for emergencies.” 

“It is an emergency” She bit out slowly and coldly. 

“Ok, what’s the emergency” Ester tried to keep her voice light and positive, and not judge a book by it’s cover. If she were judging a book by it’s cover, she’s totally believe that this ‘emergency’ was bullshit. 

“Er, I want to see the Doctor, not the secretary” 

Just as Ester opened her mouth to respond, Doctor Collins walked out, helping a patient on crutches reach the door. 

“Caroline Thorn” Collins nodded to the woman before Ester.

“Doctor Collins, I’ve got an emergency appointment”, the Caroline stated, wafting into the consultation room, leaving Collins looking questioningly at Ester.

Ester shrugged in response. 

By the time Caroline had left, the reception area was spotless, Ester had cleaned, organised and reorganised cabinets, shelves, draws. If only she could be this efficient in everyday life. Moment’s later Collins comes storming out.

“Ester, I don’t know how they did it in the UK,” Stream was practically come out of her ears. “But do not give out emergency appointments, unless, it is in fact, an emergency.”

“I-“

“You may go for today, I’ll see you tomorrow”

Ester’s eyes stung. She nodded “See you tomorrow”. She grabbed her coat and left. 

She decided to push her bike for a moment and ring her sister.

“Ester! You remembered! So, how was your first day! Tell me all about it!” Penny’s voice was sunny and warm, and it made Ester homesick. 

“Ester? You there?”

“Sorry” She croaked back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just a weird day. I just need to toughen up”

“Come on, what happened?” 

By the end of the rant, Penny was laughing “Well Mrs Winters sounds delightful, I’m sure you’ll grow on her. If you think about it, it’s pretty funny”

“You’re right” Ester smiled.

“Tomorrow will be better, I promise”

Ester didn’t respond. Silence grew between them for a moment, as the conversation cooled. 

“What else is it?” Penny asked, subtle anxiety tinging her words pale.

“Penny, I’m – I’m hearing the voice again”

“When?”

“Since I got here”

“Oh Ester,” Penny signed painfully, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice was soft, devoid of judgement just concern.