Emotional Connection

easy ride

Charlie tried a smile, but it was very clear that he was in pain.

"Come on, let's see the damage." James sat in the chair by the bed, looking over and healing his arm as best he could. "Now, other injuries? And don't even think of lying to me."

Charlie rolled his eyes, "just a bump to the head."

James glared before checking him out, trying a few tests on him in spite of all of his objections. "Damn it, Charl, you've given yourself a concussion."

"It's just a bump!" Charlie stood, backing away towards the door, "it's minor, nothing to bother you with-" He ran into something, so turned, jumping back as he saw Ashley-Rae staring him down with her arms crossed.

"Sit. Down."

Grinning, Charlie took a few more steps back. "What, no 'princess' this time?"

Ashley raised an eyebrow, pointing to the bed he'd just vacated, leaving Charlie to sit back down, a mix of emotions bubbling inside him.

Laughing, James walked over and greeted her, "so, you're my new boss. How've you been?"

"Please don't call me boss, I swear I'm younger than you. And I've been decent, finally escaped the clutches of my father. How have you been, holding up here ok?"

James shrugged, "better when Charlie was at his brother's wedding. Even stayed at home for a few days after they got attacked, which is not like him at all."

Ashley laughed, "you can thank me for that later."

"I'm right here guys!" Charlie complained, making the two Healers laugh.

"Sorry Charl. Anyway, I'm gonna crash on one of the beds at the back. Mind waking me a half hour before your shift ends?"

James nodded, turning back to give her a strange look as he saw her hood moving. "What on earth-"

"Oh," Ash reached back, a tiny pair of paws reaching out and latching onto her sleeve, "this is Callia. I didn't like living by myself so I got her a few months ago, in early September."

James softened completely as he saw the kitten, asking really gently to hold her.

Ashley smiled, handing her over. "She can hang out with you for a while if you like, if things get busy just put her back with me, she'll settle."

James smiled at Ashley, cradling Callia.

She closed the curtains around a bed, laying down, sleep taking over almost immediately after her journey. But all too soon, James was waking her up again with a cup of coffee made how she'd always liked it. "Thank you." She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Come on, you can shower in the back or change in the office."

Ashley nodded, trying not to burn her tongue on the coffee she was gulping down. She grabbed a few clothes out of her bag, a towel and went to the showers.

James stood to the back, watching as they'd just passed the shift change for most trainers and often those with minor injuries waited until the end of their shift to come through. It was good to have Ashley back, though. He hadn't worked with her too much, but he'd seen her work on her dad as often as he came through the hospital, often late at night, so they'd had a fair relationship due to that. James was definitely surprised when she'd gone with him to Scotland after everything he'd seen of their toxic relationship.

"Ok, that feels a lot better." She spoke from behind him, tying her hair now shoulder-length, mostly blonde hair back from her face.
James was still trying to get over the hair.

"Does Pete know you're coming today"?

Ashley shook her head. "he knows I'm coming this week, but I didn't know when I'd make it so I couldn't give him a solid date. So I guess I'll be sort of a surprise to him."

James sighed with a smile.

"So, tell me about the new Healer, what's her name, Abigale?"

He glanced at her before sitting down, watching Charlie getting bored at the front. "Yeah. She's good, sort of the average we get in here. Pete and I think she has a thing for Charlie."

Ashley laughed, "what does Charlie think?"

James studied her expression before turning away with a slight smile. "He's not noticed, we don't think. He's a lot more oblivious than he'd probably like to admit. Oh, here's Pete."

Ashley stood properly, pushing herself off the wall where she'd been leaning, grinning as she saw Pete walking in, shaking his head at Charlie.
"Wondered when you were going to show up," Ashley called to him, making Pete turn to her in surprise.

"Ashley-Rae."

"As you live and breathe." She laughed as he walked over, and returned the hug. "It's good to see you."

He grinned, giving her a tight hug, "you too. Ready to take over all of this?"

Ashley took a deep breath. "Yeah. But if anyone calls me their boss," she gave a pointed look to James who simply shrugged with a small smile, "I'm making their life hell."

James laughed. "I'm off to bed. I'll see you later, Ash."

She nodded with a smile as he left. "So, when do I get to meet Abi?"

"Um... maybe a minute? She's usually slightly early for her shifts." Pete grinned, "unlike you."

"I was early occasionally!" Ashley tried to hide her smile.

Pete scoffed, "yeah, when you were working here during the night as well."

Ashley rolled her eyes, "most I was late was five minutes."

Pete hummed, smiling as a smaller girl walked through the door, eyes landing immediately on Charlie.

"You stayed here overnight? Who managed to get you to stay here for so long?" She laughed.

Charlie looked a little embarrassed.

"Abi, this is Ashley-Rae," Pete said, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a wide grin.

Abi stared, and it seemed as though all her blood drained out of her face. "Oh, um, hi." She smiled briefly. "So you're the new boss, huh?"

"Oh, Merlin-" Ashley sighed in frustration, walking away as Pete burst out laughing.

Abi looked between eh two, "did- did I say something wrong?"

Pete shook his head still laughing.

Charlie looked amused, looking at where Ashley was having some sort of internal struggle with whatever Abigale had said.

"I'm twenty-two! Merlin's pants, I'm too young to be a boss."

"You-you're only twenty-two? But didn't you work here like two years ago? You wouldn't have even had your qualifications."

Ashley sighed, defeated by the fact she'd have to explain it all again.

"She graduated early," Charlie spoke up, "from Hogwarts and as a Healer. Due to all her experience and the fact she was practicing constantly, she graduated in... what was it, Ash?"

Ashley's gaze softened as she looked at Charlie, "a little over a year and a half. Just after I turned nineteen."

Charlie smiled, eyes shining.

"Oh." Abi still looked as though she wasn't sure what to do.

Ashley sighed internally. Well, this was definitely not going to be an easy ride.