Shadow

Doctor McCall

Outside Starling City, Zoo City

Thea found herself on the back of Scott's motorcycle once again, their destination Zoo City, and true to his word, they reached the zoo in thirty minutes instead of the average fifty minutes.

"Doctor McCall, I didn't know that you were coming tonight." Ben, one of two of the zoo's gatekeepers, greeted, and commented with a friendly smile upon their arrival at the closed entrance.

"That's Doctor McCall for you, newbie." Tsatsi, a veteran and the second gatekeeper, said. "He shows up randomly at odd hours to sharpen his animal whisper skills for when the zoo needs his help. But in the two months you've been coming here, you have never brought someone with you, Doctor McCall."

"I, uh, she's a friend. Thea, this is Ben and Mr Tsatsi." Scott responded, handing Tsatsi his access card to be processed and allowed into the zoo, and made introductions before he added. "I asked you to call me Scott."

"And I told you that's never going to happen, son." Tsatsi responded. "It isn't everyday that one as young as you are is a fully fledged doctor. You earned that title and I'm not going to take it away from you and neither will Ben, if he knows what's good for him.

Now, go show your 'friend' around and stop keeping things from her. Wear your title with pride, you earned it."

"Thanks, Mr Tsatsi." Scott replied, taking his access card back before Zoo City entrance gates were opened and he drove in.

Thea was more than a little surprised by the revelation that Scott was a fully fledged doctor, a revelation that was confirmed when she realized that they used a staff only entrance and not the usual one for visitors. She wondered how that was possible.

"You have questions." Scott said once they parked.

"I do." Thea replied, getting off the motorcycle before handing Scott the helmet and she couldn't help but add. "Doctor McCall."

She received a sigh from said doctor who got off the motorcycle and secure the helmet and motorcycle before they began to walk with him leading the way.

"Ask away." Scott said.

"Are you really a doctor?"

"Yes. A veterinarian. I received my licence about six months ago."

"How?" Thea asked.

"I was an assistant to the only veterinarian in my hometown since I was about fourteen/fifteen years old until I reached seventeen and something happened to my town." Scott began, and Thea noticed a pained tone to his voice when he spoke about his hometown.

"Since he hoped that I would take over his practice and I aspired to become a veterinarian to help animals like my mother helped people as a nurse, he taught me everything he could in the time I worked for him but...

But something happened and the only thing I had left was my aspiration to become a veterinarian and desire to help people like my mother did.

My experience, knowledge and skills were recognized pretty quickly and I was taught what I lacked and then advanced a few times until I graduated and earned my licence to practice. I have been traveling and visiting animal shelters and clinics and zoos around the world since then, offering my services."

"Wow." Thea commented, and though she wanted to know what happened to Scott's hometown, mother and the veterinarian she restrained herself from asking since they just met a few hours ago. "Wait, does this mean that you'll be leaving the city soon?"

"My initial plan was to spend a few weeks in Starling and then leave for another place, maybe country, but after I saw the state the city is in..." Scott replied, looking around and it was only then that Thea noticed that they were in the canine section of the zoo. "I'm going to stick around.

Starling City is dying and if no one does anything to revitalize it soon it will die and I can't let that happen. That's why I'm..."

"That's why you found Beacon Fundraisers and do the weekly Starring Glades shows." Thea completed, pleasantly surprised as she saw more of Scott's bigger picture. "And you're using the shows to clean up the Glades and unite its community by giving it a common goal; the emergency shelter."

"What do you mean I'm using the shows to clean up the Glades?" Scott inquired, turning his attention to Thea.

"Exactly what I said." She replied, smiling. "I'm aware that tonight's show was in the middle of the most crime infested area in the Glades and since Mason explained how things are done at your shows, security wise, I suspect that the previous shows were also in crime hot-spots.

You lure gangs and criminals to your shows by doing the shows in an environment they are most active and comfortable in and have the security pick them off every week, either ending with their arrests and/or their weapons and drugs being taken off their hands and the streets."

"Whoa. You have me all figured out." Scott said.

'I'm only beginning to.' Thea thought, and she hoped to learn more about the complicated and mysterious boy she met just a few hours ago.

Although Roy crossed her mind a few times tonight, she found herself finally ready to move on. Tonight, Thea cried and danced and let go of everything she has been keeping inside and gave Speedy a break so that Thea Queen could resurface for an entire night for the first time in months.

She enjoyed herself these past few hours, crying and all, and she intended to enjoy herself and Doctor Scott McCall's company for the rest of the night, starting with the private zoo tour the youngest doctor she knew was giving her.

For Scott, what started out as a strategic move for his plans became an enjoyable night and since he left all that he has been keeping inside on the stage, he felt a little like the Scott McCall he was before, but he still had plans in mind and motion and he wasn't going to lose sight of them.