I’m cuffed to a hospital bed barraged by the cacophony of crappy PA system, beeping machines, and sneakers on linoleum. The smells make me nauseous, bleach, vomit, sweat, worry, fear, and dread. Wait, how can I smell emotions? I was attacked, some kind of dog. All I remember is the muzzle coming at my face and the pain searing my arm as tried to keep it from giving me the worst facial ever. And now the mark on my arm was nothing more then a faded scar, as faded as the one from when I fell off my bike at nine.
The door opened, and the sounds from the hallway became a roar, until it was closed by the man who came through it. All in black. Black does, black pants, black trench coat, topped off with a black bowler hat, all of which made his pale face all the more notable. And he smelled wrong. Dirt and lifelessness. A growl tried to escape my throat. I don’t growl at people. That’s not a thing people do.
“Good to see you awake, miss Levi.” He had a slight accent, possibly Spanish. “I’m Antonio, I brought you here after you were assaulted. It does me good to see you survived.”
“Why do you smell like a cemetery?” I had many other questions but that smell. It was distracting.
“First, let us dispense with these.” He walked to the bed side and unlocked the hand cuffs binding me to the hard plastic. “You had an intense reaction to treatment. It was needed for your safety and that of the staff.”
I sat up, taking the small room. White walls, white ceiling, no window. And it was small, the bed, monitor, and two cheap plastic chairs made the space crowded. It's more like a prison cell then a hospital room.
Antonio sat on one of the chairs, perching on the end like a curious squirrel. “My smell is because I am a vampire. With normal humans I can mask it with a mild perfume. But no such trick will befuddle a lycanthropes nose.”
“You’re saying I’m a werewolf?”
“Indeed. I am sure you have already noticed your sense of smell is stronger, and far more informative.” He took his hat off, revealing curly brown hair. “And perhaps some misplaced aggression towards me.”
“And if I had?” I hate my voice. I sounded petulant.
“It would simply be a confirmation. Here is another.” He pulled a hand mirror from his bag and held it up for me. “Look at your teeth.”
I did, and had no words. My teeth had fangs, like a wolf's. And my eyes looked different to. Not much, but the iris was bigger.
“And another is this.” He opened a bag of dog treats, and with a delicate gesture, wafted the air towards me.
I salivated at the smell, and it took more self control then I wanted to admit to not snatch the bag from his hands. “How is this a thing. How are vampires and were wolves a thing. What about fairies? Big foot? The lochness monster?”
“Well until recently folks were afraid of the dark. With good reason. In the past five hundred years or so an organization called the silver circle created an international code which all para-humans follow. That’s what things like us are, were close to human, but not entirely.” He spoke like he was reciting a lecture he found boring.
“What happened to the thing that attacked me?”
“He is dead. Silver blade through the heart and a be-heading. Only thing other than fire and age that keeps a were-wolf down.”
“How am I supposed to deal with this? My whole world is a lie?” My voice shakes. I want to cry into my mom’s shoulder, something I hadn’t done for almost ten years. Vampires and ghosts are supposed to be megalomanic real estate moguls that get their masks pulled off by the Scooby gang.
“There are people at the the silver circle that can help.” He took several business cards from a coat pocket and placed them on the tray attached to my bed. “You may also tell direct family.”
“But what am I supposed to do? How do I make sure I don’t hurt people when I’m some kind of cursed monster?”
“If you wish to go back to your job, the circle will provide a reason you need particular nights off for your safety. In time I believe you will control the wolf shape, or at least tame it.” He added another card to the stake on my table. “Or you can call that number and find out about jobs within our community.”
‘Like a dentist for vampires?“ I laughed, a nervous laugh that turned into something manic that shook me. I’m actually just having a fever dream while I die of an infected dog bite. That’s got to be it.
‘Not vampires, but others like yourself, certainly.”
“Or I could be a dog catcher.” I fought another round of laughter.
“Indeed.” Antonio said. “There is a fund that can support you for a time while you adjust to your new life. But first paper work.” He drew out a hefty pack of paper from a bag I hadn’t even noticed.
I stared at the three inch stack of triplicate paper. No way a dream would have paper work, not this detailed. This is real. Some how that was exciting. There was a whole world I could explore. “After this can I go home?”
“Yes, though, it would be prudent to come back tonight. You may go through a change from how full the moon is.” He stood, putting his hat back on. “I think you’ll be alright ms. Levi. Give me a call if you aren’t.” He added one last business card to the stack.
I watched him leave then started the paper work. I wonder if they have a school so I can become a full fledged dentist for were-wolves? This would be a change. And maybe it could be a good change.