Thwapt. Thwapt. Thwapt. Millie sent three more tiny boxes up the pneumatic tube. “This is a much bigger sack of packages today, Guy.” She looked at Guy, the delivery guy, through her glass partition and held back a smile. His stout frame bulged with muscles, and a thick white-blonde crewcut set off his gold-blue eyes. Guy had all her attention, though she remained evasive.
“I don’t mind waiting, Millie.” He leaned closer to make sure she could hear him. “I always save this stop for last, so you don’t have to rush.”
Thwapt. Thwapt. Thwapt. “I appreciate that. You’re so thoughtful.”
The waiting room door swung open, and the Thatcher brood spilled in, filling the small space.
“Boys, please find a seat,” Gates ordered.
“Well, hello again Gates Thatcher. I told you I’d see you around soon.” Guy propped his elbows on the outside of Millie’s counter and beamed at the group.
“Yep. You did.” Gates agreed, and looked past him to Millie. “I called earlier. We’re here to see Dr. Babington for my son, Jasper.”
Millie didn’t stop sorting the packages. Thwapt. Thwapt. Thwapt. “Have a seat and I’ll be with you in a minute.”
“Absolutely. Do I need to sign anything or fill anything out?” Gates stopped a few steps shy of the counter.
“Mr. Thatcher, was it?” Millie raised her eyes to look at him, and her brows followed. Surprised by his tall, muscular frame, and piercing blue eyes, she softened, even though he wasn’t her type. “While we appear on the outside to be a normal office. That’s just to blend. Appointments and paperwork are unnecessary. We make a point not to track any of our patients. They prefer it that way.”
“I see.” Gates hesitated to turn away. “But, how do you…”
“You sure, you see?” Millie questioned, looking around his shoulder at his four boys seated next to Jack Wallbanger and his wife Barbie, who were busy cornering their twelve rabbit Shifter babies. “Has one of your pack ever been to a healer? Or a witch doctor?”
“Yes. Sort of. Once. Fin, my oldest, had a pretty horrible run in with some honey badgers and we went to see Zelda, the Shifter Whisperer.” Gates shook his head. “She does amazing healer work.”
“Get out of town, dude, Gates Thatcher.” Guy the delivery guy tapped Gate’s arm with a bro punch. “That’s so awesome. I’ve always wanted to go to Assjacket. I mean, how cool would it be to be the Colossus.com delivery guy out there. I can only imagine what kind of crazy stuff they get. Whew.”
Millie’s smile disappeared as she cleared her throat and sent three more small packages up the pneumatic tube. Thwapt. Thwapt. Thwapt.
“Well, I’m sure that was amazing. I mean, she is world renowned, and all. But none-the-less, I think Rabbit Hash is a perfect place to live,” Millie side-eyed Guy and tiny yellow sparks sprang from her arms, “and Dr. Babington is a great witch doctor dentist. Which are altogether different magical gifts than the Shifter Whisperer, by the way.” Millie’s agitation took over her hands as they flailed about with bigger and bigger gestures. The faster and louder she spoke, the thicker her Brooklyn accent became, and the more magical sparks went flying. “She is the only witch doctor dentist. Not that anyone cares. Because normally, no one needs us. Usually, this waiting room is empty. I mean, we don’t have a clue what all of you are doing here!”
Gates backed away from the glass partition, one small step at a time, and put his arms out in front of his four boys.
“Hey Millie,” Guy whispered. “You okay?”
“Of course, I’m okay.” She shook her head and twitched. “Don’t I look okay?”
“Honestly, you look… well, beautiful,” Guy whispered again.
Frank Sinatra jumped upon Millie’s desk and winked at her, “it’s okay doll face.”
The Police’s ‘Every little thing she does is magic, everything she do just turns me on,’ echoed through the speakers in the waiting room. No one moved. Millie sucked in a deep breath and huffed as her yellow flames extinguished.
Sliding open the glass, she handed Guy the large, empty burlap bag. “Sorry folks. Show’s over. Here’s your sack, Guy. Thanks for waiting for me.”
Guy nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Millie. First thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.” Taking the bag, he backed out of the waiting room, waving. “See ya, Gates Thatcher and Fin, Miles, Wilkes and Jasper Thatcher. Be good y’all.”
“How does he know our names, Dad?” Wilkes wondered.
“Guy knows everyone’s names,” Barbie Wallbanger rustled three rabbit Shifters into her arms. “We’ve begged him not to repeat our little guys’ names every time he sees us. Can you imagine the time it takes for all fourteen of us?” She rolled her eyes. “It took some pleading before he stopped.”
Gates scratched his head and let out a sigh.
“Jack and Barbie?” Millie called out, “Dr. Babington’s ready for all your little kittens.”
“Kittens? Aren’t those bunnies?” Jasper tugged at Gates’ shirt.
“Yes, Jasper. Those are bunnies, but… never mind. They’re rabbit Shifters. That’s all you need to know.”
“Awesome!” Jasper exclaimed, punching one of his brothers willy-nilly. “I was totally right.”
“This is a big room.” Fin paced the edge of the largest delivery room while his family waited for the doctor.
“Listen fellas. Please, everyone, find a spot—standing, sitting, pacing, I don’t care.” He eyed Fin and helped Jasper climb up in the blue dental chair. “I’d like this visit to go as smoothly and quickly as possible. I’ve got to meet up with a man about a cabin.” Gates shooed each of the boys into a seat.
Tap, tap, tap. “Hello,” Betty’s voice was soft and calming as she entered the delivery room. “I’m Dr. Babington.”
Standing to greet her, Gates stumbled. “Excuse me.” Holding out his hand to shake hers, he let his eyes wander from her brown eyes and red ponytail to the curves under her white lab coat. She was stunning. Somehow, he’d missed that fact in her file. Similar to familiars, mystic angels received files on the places, things, or beings they’re sent to protect or save. Gates was now the proud guardian of Rabbit Hash—all the things, places, and creatures included. The files weren’t complete profiles, like familiar’s have. But they’re a pretty good sketch of histories, who is who, and what’s what. Through his late-night reading, he had a good idea of who Dr. Babington D.D.S. was, but he didn’t have a clue he’d want her. This was a sensation he’d buried long ago, one he didn’t want or need to resurface. Desire was an emotion he wasn’t sure what to do with and wasn’t sure he could control. Looking beyond the lust raging through his veins, Gates honed in on the mystic side of his senses. The knowing was part of him. It happened in an instant. She was key to finding this rip. If he got distracted by his attraction to her, that tiny snag in the magical world could cause a world of trouble.
“I’m usually not clumsy,” he reddened. “I’m Gates.”
She stared back at him. He had an amazing smile. Perfect teeth and a tall, lean, muscled frame that called to her. His short beard outlined his jaw and framed his intense blue eyes. Her heart pounded, and her body heated.
“Well, I’m glad your name isn’t clumsy,” she moved to shake his hand, kicking herself for making such a dorky joke. Betty was a lot of things, but a comedian was not one. “Hi. I’m Betty. Nice to meet you.”
Their hands held on to one another longer than normal. No one spoke or moved. Time felt suspended. He wanted to pull her in and kiss her pink lips. She wanted to fall into his arms and let him kiss her.
Fin cleared his throat.
“Right, Let’s get started. Where’s our patient?” she turned to the small boy in her chair. “You must be Jasper?”
“Yep,” Jasper smiled. “My tooth doesn’t hurt right now.”
Betty laughed. “That seems to be a thing, especially when Shifters visit me. They miraculously feel all better.”
“I think he might be afraid of what you’re going to do.” Gates whispered near her shoulder, and caught the scent of her aura—a mixture of jasmine and gardenia that struck a rich aroma, heady with velvety tones. “I can’t imagine fearing that.”
She felt the prick of his breath on her neck and shivered. His voice felt like butter. His presence powerful and pure. There was something so serene about Gates Thatcher, she let all of her usual witchiness slide. Her body relaxed and her cognizance felt entranced. For a moment, Betty wasn’t sure she liked the quick effect this stranger had. “Um-hm. Well, I can assure you, Jasper, this will not hurt you at all. However, the rule of thumb in my office is, I need to examine your magical mouth.”
Jasper looked confused. “What’s magical about my mouth?”
Betty patted his small knee. “You’ll need to shift. You can go behind the curtain, right there. I see what’s going on with your teeth a lot better if you’re in wolf form. When you’re ready, we’ll have your dad sit right here next to me, and you.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Jasper hopped down out of the chair. “I guess that sounds alright.” Disappearing for a few moments of commotion, Jasper leapt from behind the curtain straight into the curve of Betty’s dental chair—a full-blown, golden brown furry wolf.
“Would you like to join me, Gates?” Looking back over her shoulder with a coy smile, she couldn’t help but flirt with him.
“I’d like to join you, very much.” Gates returned the subtle innuendo.
Patting a chair next to hers, Betty watched him stride over and settle as close as possible to her side.
“Jasper, I need you to think of all of your favorite things.”
“That’s easy. I’m going to think of candy, and running, and sleeping.” He smiled a broad wolf smile.
Betty agreed, “Those are some of my favorite things, too.”
Gates breathed her in again. “Thank you. I’m positive this helps him relax.”
“My pleasure. Let’s take a look.” Betty pulled the black-rimmed glasses from her pocket and made quick work of her targeted search of Jasper the wolf Shifter’s mouth. She didn’t want to absorb this little guy’s favorite things for too long, especially in front of his charming father.
She pushed the rim of the glasses to the bridge of her nose, lowered her LED headlamp and leaned into Jasper’s mouth. Her senses heightened as she allowed the young wolf’s thoughts to invade her mind. She picked through the images of wooden trails and wrestling with his wolf pack. His young teeth all set snug in their cozy wolf gums, burning with bright white magical energy. She heaved in a labored breath as her patient did the same. With this intake, a rush of new thoughts transferred to her brain. His pack scared and running away from a gapping hole in the earth. Nightmares of shifting earth beneath his paws. Feeling lost and abandoned. A cry for his mother and father. Betty found a flickering fang and pulled the glasses from her nose.
“His pain, I’ve found it,” she slowed her breathing.
Gates touched her knee, his hand tingling, feeling her sadness, and channeling that pain. Lingering there a moment, he lifted his palm then clinched his fist, crushing the twinge he’d absorbed.
Like clockwork, the three real teeth, tooth fairies, floated into the room. Things got loud.
“Wow. What the heck?” Wilkes swatted at them. The small fruit sized trio entranced Miles and even Fin.
King Molar, Cuspid and Innie chest bumped each other, twirled and somersaulted around the room, putting on a show for the whole Thatcher clan.
“Hey Cuspid,” yelled King Molar. “Two wise-guys were walking through the woods, and the first one says I tell yuz, I’m not afraid to admit to yuz I’m really asacred to walk in the woods. The second one says, that’s a relief, ‘cause now I can tell yuz how ascared I am too. And imagine how more ascared I’m a gonna be when I walk outta here alone.”
Molar, Cuspid, and Innie burst into a raucous laughter, floating around the boys blinking and smiling.
“Tell me some more! Tell more,” Innie squealed.
“I’m going to need some dust.” Betty said, holding a medium-sized fang between her pliers.
“On it.” Cuspid zoomed over to the transition station tray, chased by her pals.
“Betty, how did things go?” Gates’ magnetic voice was gentle and concerned.
She looked over her shoulder and winked, “perfect. He’s gonna feel much better now. It was a baby tooth. His first loss ever. So nothing to worry about.”
“I feel better already.” Jasper didn’t wait on anyone’s approval to sit up and start licking at the new tooth forming in his mouth. “How cool is that? Can I eat my chocolate bar now?”
“Jasper,” Gates half-scolded.
Betty tightened the lid on the new baby fang, tooth fairy and turned back to Jasper. “Okay, mister. Let me see that new pearly white.”