Alkimiya - A Fantasy Mystery Series

FORTY - The Return (Part 3)

"Drive!" shouted Inspector Hatwig.

Tires squealed as the roamer peeled away from the lone reporter. More flashes followed them until they were speeding down the street to Core Clinic with only the lights from the lampposts shining in. After weeks of not having to worry about the Hive, Zenetra's racing heart and clenched muscles took an unusually long time to calm.

It was a short drive. Core Clinic was more of a compound than a singular building. There was the old wing, built well over seven hundred years before using a yellow stone from a now defunct local quarry. Windows weeped with dark stains from years of rain. Two centuries later, the north wing was added to support the clinic during a severe outbreak of the poxypluck. The windows of that addition were narrow and uninviting. Core Clinic was updated again just before Guild Nation was overthrown with a large, rectangular building and after the war, a final addition had been made. Called the Loop, the newest portion ran along the outskirts of the clinic, forming a sort of barrier wall with arches and blue glass windows that reminded Zenetra of Renavolena's ring of raging water.

They avoided walking past the gaggle of reporters waiting outside the clinic by driving under the main archway of the Loop and parking at the entrance. Flashes and shouts from reporters filled the night air. From within, healers watched them enter with interest.

A thin man who wore the white coat of a healer approached. "Zenetra Noire? I'm Healer Clotthall. We're going to put you in the same room as Scarlett Burn. Inspector Hatwig," he said, giving the bruise on the alchemist's face a concerned appraisal before pointing down a hallway. "They're waiting for you in observation room three."

"My head is fine."

Healer Clotthall pretended like he hadn't heard the comment. "If all goes well, you'll be moved up to floor five with the others." To Zenetra, he motioned to the lifts. "This way, Ms. Noire. Healer Pilluck informed us about your injuries. We're all set up for you."

Inspector Hatwig walked away, her one eye darting back now and then to watch Zenetra, until a healer-in-training guided her out of sight.

Healer Clotthall led Zenetra to the fifth floor via a lift, where they heard Onnan shouting from a room.

"You have to what? Break my already broken leg? No, I will not calm down! You bag of—Get away from me with that needle! This is a conspiracy! You're all in this together!"

"He sounds pleasant," whispered Healer Clotthall. "In here, please."

Scarlett and Zenetra had indeed been roomed together, although a tasteful curtain separated them for privacy. Healer Clotthall examined her wounds, declared the scabbed strip up her leg on the mend, and after some prodding of the burns, those were found to be healing well too.

"Those creams of Healer Pilluck's are incredible," said Healer Clotthall. "I wonder if she'd be willing to give me the recipe."

"You'll have to stop that shouting man," Zenetra told him. "He wants her license revoked."

Healer Clotthall's eyebrows raised as he re-dressed Zenetra's hands. "Does he? We'll see about that. There. I'm all done. You're free to leave whenever you please." He handed her a brown glass bottle of pills. "Take one at a time for pain and come back and see me if it gets worse."

When the healer left, Zenetra pulled back the curtain separating the beds and found Scarlett sitting cross-legged on the bed. 

"All done?"

"They want to test my blood." Scarlett chewed her finger. "I think because I am foreign. They do not have my health records."

"How long will that take?"