Shifting Destiny

The admissions forms have been sitting on my desk since I arrived, and I have barely made a dent in them. I straighten the stack against the edge of the keyboard and check the next page for missing information. Someone has filled in the patient's weight but left the intake time blank. I put that form aside and reach for another. The fluorescent light above my desk has been buzzing all morning. I could put in a maintenance request, but there are three other things in this office that need fixing first. I am glad to have the office at all. The paycheck from Crescent Moon Sanctuary covers most of my rent, and I can usually stretch what's left to groceries if nothing breaks in my apartment. Kayla comes in with another stack pressed against her chest. She nudges the door closed with her hip and places the forms beside my keyboard, careful not to knock over my cup of pens. "I've got more admissions for you. Sorry." Kayla pulls a pen from behind her ear and checks the top page. There is a smudge on her sleeve that looks like dirt from the intake yard. "You apologize every time you bring me work." I move my half-finished pile out of the way. "How bad is it out there?" "Busy." Kayla leans against the side of my desk, but she keeps glancing toward the door. "We got several rescues in at once. Alis is trying to sort out who needs treatment first." Before I can find out more, a snarl carries through the hallway. Something heavy strikes a hard surface, followed by two sharp yelps and a man's voice I can't make out. I look toward the window, but it faces the parking lot. The intake area is on the other side of the building. "That doesn't sound good." I set the page down without entering its information. The sound came from farther away than the office next door, but I can still hear movement in the corridor. Kayla pushes away from my desk. "One of the new arrivals is a wolf. He's hurt and scared, and the staff are getting him into isolation. Stay in here until Alis says it's safe." She reaches for the door handle, then pauses to make sure I heard the last part. "A wolf?" I look past her into the hallway. We have had wolves at Crescent Moon before, but not many since I started. Most of my work is records, supply requests, and calls. I know the patients from their forms and the occasional glimpse through a window. "Is anyone hurt?" "Not that I've heard." Kayla slips her pen behind her ear again. "They had trouble getting him out of the transport crate. Alis went straight in with them." Something thuds farther down the corridor. Kayla's mouth tightens, and I wait for her to look away from the hall before I speak again. "Can Alis treat him if he's fighting everyone?" I watch Kayla's face for an answer. She's worked beside Alis through arrivals I only know from the paperwork. "She'll sedate him if she has to." Kayla shifts her grip on the door handle. "Right now she needs room to work. I'll come back once I know more." I glance at the unfinished forms. The entry can wait. If I went down the hall without being asked, I would add one more person for the staff to keep safe. I stay at my desk while Kayla opens the door. "Thanks for warning me." I pick up my pen again, though I am still listening for the wolf. "Don't go wandering down there," Kayla tells me, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze on her way out. She heads toward the intake wing before I can remind her that I never wander anywhere when I have this much paperwork. For several minutes I hear doors opening and closing, someone giving directions, and the rattle of a cart. Then the hallway quiets. I enter two records into the system and have to correct the second one when I put the first patient's date on it. I rub my eyes, check the paper against the screen, and fix the mistake. Each time footsteps pass the office, I look up. A knock comes at the open doorway. Alis stands there with her sleeves pushed above her elbows. There is blood on one forearm, and she looks more tired than she did when I saw her this morning. She doesn't come inside. "Feyre, I need another pair of hands." Alis looks at the forms covering my desk, then back at me. "Can you come with me?" "Me? I don't know how to handle a wolf." I put my pen down so I don't keep clicking it while she waits. The sounds from the intake wing have stopped, but I have no idea what happened there. "I won't leave you alone with him. He's sedated now." Alis rubs a spot on her forearm with the back of her hand, sees the blood, and stops. "I need you to pass supplies and help keep him steady while I work. I'll tell you where to stand and what to touch." My hands have started to sweat against the edge of the desk. Alis knows I haven't assisted with treatment before. If I misunderstand her at the wrong moment, I could make things worse. "If you're not comfortable, tell me," Alis adds, staying where she is. "I can find someone else, but it'll take longer." "I'll help." I get to my feet and pull my chair in so she can pass the doorway. "Just don't assume I know what you need." "I won't." Alis waits for me in the hall and points toward the treatment wing. She walks quickly, but slows enough for me to stay beside her. I follow her past the supply room. The farther we go, the stronger the smell of disinfectant becomes. A metal cart stands outside isolation with bandages, gloves, and a sealed tray on it. Alis takes two pairs of gloves and hands one to me. I pull them on while she checks the latch on the heavy door. "He's still under?" I watch her hand on the lock. The gloves pull tight across my knuckles when I curl my fingers. "He is. Keep your hands away from his mouth unless I tell you otherwise." Alis turns to face me fully. "If he starts to wake, step back and let me deal with him. Understood?" "Understood." I tug at the cuff of one glove where it has folded against my wrist. My pulse has picked up, but I can remember those instructions. Alis opens the door. I follow her into the treatment room and stop a few feet from the examination table. The wolf lies on his side, much larger than I expected, with black fur matted around the wounds along his body. One hind leg is held at an angle that makes me wince. His chest rises and falls, but each breath takes visible effort. Alis sets the tray down beside him. I stay where she told me to stand, watching his injured leg and the movement of his ribs. As she reaches for the bandages, I glance at his mouth and make sure I am well out of its reach.