The next morning Saffron was awoken early by Erica.
All she wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep, already missing the days when she chose what time to get up.
"Come on, you don't want to be late, trust me," Erica warned, walking out of the bedroom.
Rubbing her eyes and slowly rolling out of bed, Saffron slipped over to the wardrobe and opened it to find the uniforms that Erica said had been hung up for her.
They were a horrible pale orange colour and were a little baggy. Saffron slipped them on, and a white shirt under her top and slipped her wand in the pocket of her pants.
Back in Bulgaria she wore a long blue robe with white stripes and a matching hat. She sort of missed it.
After getting dressed and slipping on the matching orange shoes, Saffron plaited her birds nest of hair before winding it into a bun on the back of her head. She gave
her face a wash, hoping it would also aid in waking her up a little bit more. She hadn't slept well. She knew she was over reacting, maybe Charlie had just gotten held
up and he missed her by a minute? Still he could have come and explained. Saffron sighed and tried to push all thoughts of it out. Today was her first day, she needed
to be focused.
She was just wiping cream onto her scar, when Erica waltzed in.
"Hey, you ready?" she asked.
"Just a sec," Saffron said.
"That's a cool scar, how'd you get it?" Erica asked.
"Cool?" Saffron asked.
"Hell yeah. That's a killer one. You should see Curtis! His looks like that only it's on his side, up his ribs. Dragon attack," Erica explained. Saffron had no idea who
Curtis was, but she had a feeling scars like hers were accepted in this place. That would explain why no one looked at her funny or mentioned it at dinner that night,
and that Erica had hugged her upon seeing it. It made her a little more relaxed, after all there was a person underneath it.
"Thanks, uhh, yeah, dragon attack," Saffron nodded. She didn't know Erica very well yet, and even though scars were acceptable it didn't mean having once had a very
dangerous werewolf as an uncle would be.
"Wow, horntail?" she asked.
"Chinese Firebolt," Saffron shook her head.
"Wow," Erica said. "Anyway we'll miss breakfast and be late, come on."
"What time is it anyway?" Saffron asked.
"Four thirty, which means we only have half an hour, come on," Erica said. Saffron tightened the lid on her cream, nodding before following her out. How on earth she
was so cheery so early, Saffron would never figure.
They walked along to the dining hall, that wasn't so full at the moment.
"Just grab a tray," Erica instructed. "There have been a few morning incidents with food on the floor." Saffron nodded as she saw ladles and bowls flying around the
room.
Spotting Redge and Christiana, Saffron dodged a flying bowl and went with Erica to sit down.
"Morning," Christiana said, a bright smile plastered on her face.
"Morning," Saffron moaned, rubbing at her eye as a bowl appeared on her tray and a ladle poured in some porridge. A glass of pumpkin juice appeared at her right hand
and she took a quick drink.
"Someone not liking the early morning," Redge smirked.
"Just have to get back into a routine," Saffron said grabbing a silver spoon before it could drop and splatter her porridge.
"You'll get used to it pretty quick. Going to bed late, getting up early," Erica said. "You don't want to miss anything around here anyway."
"Where's the others?" Saffron asked taking a spoonful of her breakfast.
"Well Youta and Stefan are starting nightshifts tonight, so they'll still be in bed and I know Albana has gone to see Melody before work," Christiana explained and
Saffron nodded, filling herself up on breakfast.
"We best get going," Erica said, checking her watch as Saffron drank the last of her pumpkin juice.
"Let's go," Redge said and the four of them stood up, their trays and dirty dishes rising into the air and flying away.
"Get ready for a big day," Erica smiled as they headed out the door.
"I'm ready to get back into work," Saffron smiled. "It's been a while."
"Yeah, weren't you meant to start months ago?" Redge frowned.
"Yeah but you know, that whole thing with the wizarding world," Saffron said and the three laughed at how she almost shrugged it off.
"Saffron!" Saffron turned around, her chest closing as Charlie raced up behind them. He was dressed in army patterned pants, boots and a white singlet, in his arms a
jacket matching his pants.
"Charlie," Saffron said, enjoying the sight of him, all anguish from the previous night disappearing.
"I'm so sorry about last night," he said an arm sliding around her waist as he gave her cheek a kiss. "It was hard to get away from Lenard, a lot of things had to be
sorted."
"It's fine," Saffron smiled, although it wasn't really.
"You're wonderful. Hey I just wanted to see you before you started. You work that outfit," he smiled, glancing down at her orange uniform.
"And you thought I wouldn't?" Saffron joked.
"Course I did," Charlie grinned. "Anyway, I've got to get going, have a great day and I know you'll blow them away with your talents! I'll see you at dinner tonight,
unless I get injured and I see you sometime today.'
"I'll be seeing you at dinner," Saffron said sternly before breaking into a smile at Charlie's laugh. Charlie gave her lips a kiss, wishing her luck once more before
jogging off.
"Didn't he meet you last night?" Christiana asked.
"No," Saffron shook her head.
"That's why you were still out there. I thought you had just finished with him and waited for me," Erica said and Saffron shook her head.
"Lenard is hard to speak to though," Redge admitted.
"She's just a cow," Christiana frowned.
"She?" Saffron raised her eyebrows.
"Yep, she. Don't question it though. If she finds out she'll eat you alive," Redge warned.
"Oh, I just thought..."
"Yeah we all did at first," Erica pursed her lips. It seemed that no one seemed to like this Lenard. So what was Charlie doing going to see her?
"Who is she though?"
"She's one of the heads of the Dragon dealers. She is in charge of paper work and a field supervisor. ," Redge explained.
"So she works with the dragons?" Saffron asked.
"Yep," Erica said.
"I thought she and Charlie had something for a while?" Christiana frowned.
"So did everyone," Redge said and Erica shot them a look to shut up.
Saffron's stomach twisted and she recognized it as jealousy. She remembered this feeling all too well.
But surely there was nothing to worry. Charlie wouldn't be interested in her. Even if something had happened between them before he met her, it was exactly that,
before. It didn't have anything to do with now. Saffron was so sure he would have preferred to have come and seen her instead last night. She knew that Charlie would
never do anything wrong.
But she couldn't help the swirl of it in her stomach.
Pushing those thoughts aside she followed the others inside the Healers tent. She could talk to Charlie about that later.
"Morning Melody!" Redge called as he crapped orange hair hats and passed them out.
"Good morning now quick get to work," she ordered. "Redge west wing go, Christiana go help Albana clean equipment and be quick I need some. Now Erica take Saffron to the north wing and show her the kinds of things we will be dealing with. I'll be in the east wing if you need me," Melody said shuffling off.
"Yes, we get the good jobs, come on," Erica smiled.
"The good jobs?" Saffron asked.
"The North wings the good wing. It's hard work but it keeps you on your toes. It's where serious injuries are taken first and also injuries that need to be and can be fixed pronto," Erica explained. "You're lucky Melody is starting you off there."
The two strode up and entered a flap that had North Wing sown in shimmering red letters on it.
As soon as they entered Saffron could smell blood, hear a few cries and loud voices.
"Gloves," Erica passed her a pair.
"Thanks," Saffron slipped them on.
"Erica, great you're here," a tall skinny man walked towards them.
"Hey Eddie, this is Saffron," Erica introduced.
"Hi Saffron, I'm Eddie, head of North Wing. I could get you both over to 1o3e please. A few quick stitch ups," he said.
"No problem Eddie," Erica dragged Saffron off to a far right corner. Pushing aside Saffron saw three men and a woman.
"Faith, what have you done this time?" Erica smiled walking over to the girl.
"Just another scratch, Eddie ordered me here," Faith replied. She was tan, toned and had raven black hair.
"Good thing too, this is so much more than a scratch, merlin," Erica's eyes widened at the gaping strip in Faith's left arm. "Saffron, can you attend to Caleb please?" Erica asked not even looking up.
"Sure?" Saffron said confused looking at the three men.
"That'll be me," the one who was shirtless grinned.
"Thanks," Saffron said. "I'm Saffron."
"Nice to meet you Saffron, as you can see I have been sliced quite brutally," Caleb said pointing to his lower stomach where there was a gash.
"Brutally? It was your own fault for not moving," the blonde man said with a laugh.
"Shut it Oliver," Caleb grinned.
"It shouldn't be too hard to fix up and it definitely shouldn't scar," Saffron said getting out her wand.
"Aw damn. No battle scars," Caleb said. "Speaking of scars, how'd you get yours?"
"Dragon. Could you lean back please?" Saffron asked as he lay back on the bed he was sitting on.
"Sure. What kind of Dragon?" he asked.
"Firebolt," Saffron said before murmuring a few spells to clean out the wound.
"Wow, brave soul you are," The third guy who had a round face said.
"Thanks," Saffron nodded. She waved her her wand and numbed Caleb's skin.
"Can you feel this?" Saffron asked, pressing the skin a bit away from the cut.
"Nope," Caleb shook his head.
"Good now relax," she said and a kind of string shot out of her wand as she closed the wound up.
"Any allergies?" Saffron asked as she approached a first aid kit on the bench.
"Not one," Caleb said.
"Good."
Saffron grabbed a tube and came back and patted a tiny bit over his scar. Waving her wand over it, the gash closed itself up and the string disappeared. A small pink patch of skin remained.
"Look at that good as new!" Caleb grinned.
"Just be careful with it for a while," Saffron ordered, placing a patch over it. "Any puncturing and it will open again, so for now keep it covered."
"Yes ma'm and I right to go?"
"You most certainly are," Saffron smiled.
"Great, gotta go earn myself another scar," he grinned slipping on his shirt.
"Don't you dare," Erica said.
"I'm joking Erica. See ya Saffron thank you," Caleb jumped off the bed and left the room.
"You were very quick," Erica said to her as she moved onto the blonde.
"It was an easy wound," Saffron brushed it off as she attended to Oliver's leg. It wasn't very bad, another easy fix and once it was done, Erica had finished Faith and the third man and soon enough they had a few new patients.
They ended up halving the room and Saffron dealt with two patients whilst Erica dealt with two. It worked very well and both worked well in a team.
"Why don't you pop on over to Saffron. Hey Saffy, this is Curtis, who I was telling you about earlier," Erica said, getting back to her patient as Saffron turned from fixing up a patients bed.
"Crap that's quite a scar you've got there. I'm Curtis," Curtis held his hand out. He was tall and his skin, alike many others here, an olive brown. He was very buff, and hiss dirty blonde hair and green eyes gave him a very good look.
"Thanks? I'm Saffron, nice to meet you Curtis. What can I do for you?
"Just need this fixed," he grinned holding his other hand out.
"Far out, what happened?" Saffron asked pushing him onto the bed, carefully grabbing his hand. All his fingers were out at different directions and pointed horribly.
"Dragon stepped on it."
"Isn't killing you right now?" Saffron asked.
"Healers on site put something over it to stop the pain and they sent me straight in here."
"Thank goodness," Saffron said grabbing her wand.
"It did absolute kill when it happened," he said.
"I bet it did," Saffron said. "Now you are going to feel a little stab of pain in each finger, but it'll be quick."
"Let's do this," Curtis said. Saffron concentrated very hard. Confidently she pointed her wand at the thumb and suddenly it cracked stood straight and normal.
"Merlin!" Curtis yelled.
"Sorry!"
"No it's fine, do what you gotta do."
"Ok," Saffron nodded. She did it four more times, one for each finger. Each time Curtis yelled a curse word, only he muffled it by holding his good hand over his mouth.
"God, thanks," He said looking at his badly bruised hand and wiggling his fingers around.
"You're welcome, but be careful. They aren't going to stay like this, they'll possibly collapse sometime in the next hour, so to stop it, I'll bandage it up," Saffron said grabbing a white roll of material and ordering it to wrap tightly around his hand with her wand.
"That's amazing, thank you," Curtis shot her a grin.
"No worries," Saffron smiled. She liked the satisfaction of helping someone.
"Next time I'm injured, I want you," Curtis smiled and Saffron laughed.
"Good."
"Well you're free to go," Saffron said.
"Thanks."
"Wait! Curtis, show her your scar," Erica said. Curtis smiled, rolling his eyes. He pulled of his white singlet, revealing not only a very muscular chest, but a long mangled scar along his right side.
"Wow," Saffron said, going in closer to inspect it. Erica had been right, it was very familiar to her own.
"Impressive right?" Curtis asked.
"Painful looked," Saffron said.
"Not all the time," Curtis said. "Only when the dragons whack it too hard."
"Well, be careful. I don't want you back in here anytime soon with that open and spilling blood," Saffron ordered.
"No promises," he winked slipping his shirt back on.
"Thanks again." And he disappeared out of the room.
"Told you," Erica said as she cleaned up her area.
"Hey guys, lunch time, go go," Christiana appeared at the curtain and they were quickly replaced by two other healers, Demetria and Silvia.
"I'm starved," Saffrons said removing her gloves and hat as they stepped out of the tent.
"Same," Erica replied.
"I didn't realize that the day had gone so quick already," Saffron said checking Erica's watch which stated that it was one thirty pm.
"I know. Time flies in North wing," Christiana says. "It's fun in there. Though south wing is great."
"What happens there?" Saffron asked.
"It's where all the injured go during their last stages of injury. That's if they're severe. You see them out and do a last check up," she explained.
"I'll see if Melody will let us in there after lunch," Erica said.
"Saff!" Charlie called out as Saffron entered the room.
"Charlie," Saffron smiled before remembering the whole Lenard thing. Now wasn't the time to talk about it though.
"How you going? I've already heard that you've been showing some skill," he grinned.
"She's actually pretty amazing," Erica said. "Works really quick and does everything properly."
"I could have told you that," he said. "Just on lunch?"
"Yeah," Saffron nodded. "You?"
"I've got fifteen minutes left. Hey, do you ladies mind if I still Saffron for fifteen minutes?" Charlie asked.
"Go for it," Erica smiled and Christiana nodded.
Saffron grinned at them. "I'll meet you later." They nodded and Charlie dragged Saffron over to a far corner table.
"I already miss seeing you," Charlie smiled as they sat. "When I have a moment to let my mind wander."
"Me too. It's been so full on already," Saffron shook her head.
"I know, it's crazy but great," Charlie said. "I just want you to know I'm still really sorry about last night."
"It's fine Charlie. Well, actually it's not really," Saffron bit her lip. She didn't want to do it, but she needed to be honest.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"Well, I waited half an hour Charlie. And then I find out that Lenard is a female," Saffron said, it was pretty easy for Charlie to pick up on her feelings.
"Oh Saffron, I'm so sorry. We got so caught up. So many papers to go through, she had to explain plans and such, update me. I only went to tell her I wanted to take the paper work back to the house but she insisted on showing me and she;s hard to get away from. She's a little scary. But I promise you nothing happened with her. It was all dragon stuff."
"Is it true though that you used to have a thing with her?" Saffron asked.
"What? With Lenard? No way. She is definately not my type," Charlie said. "But you on the other hand are. She has nothing on you Saffron I swear."
"I believe you there. But you could have come over and told me," Saffron said. "After you finished."
"I know and I'm sorry. I should have but I thought you'd be asleep and knew you'd need it so I left you. I'm sorry."
"Stop saying sorry," Saffron smiled. "I feel bad."
"Don't feel bad. You're being honest and I like that you are and we can talk like this," Charlie said.
"Me too," Saffron nodded.
"But just in case you need a reminder on how much more I liked you," Charlie grinned and he leaned in pressing his lips to hers passionately and Saffron returned it. That was until a throat was cleared in front of their table. They pulled away blushing and Saffron looked up to see a tall, buff but pale guy with blonde curly hair.
"Hey! Saffron this is my friend Dan, Dan this is my girlfriend Saffron," Charlie smiled.
"I guessed as much," Dan smiled. "Nice to meet you Charlie's girlfriend Saffron," Dan shook her hand.
"You too Dan," Saffron smiled, though still blushing.
"We have five minutes Charlie," Dan said turning back to Charlie.
"I know, I'll meet you there. I just have to finish-"
"Your snog sesh got it," Dan winked. "See you Saffron."
"Bye Dan," Saffron giggled.
"Now where were we?" Charlie asked and Saffron giggled as he put his lips back on hers.
"By the way," Saffron pulled away for a moment. "I'm liking this uniform very much."
"Thank you. I like yours. No matter the orange," Charlie smiled, his lips returning to Saffrons as she put her hands on his bare, and muscular arms. They were soon interrupted again but this time by a loud beeping.
"Crap, that's me, gotta go," Charlie said pressing a button on his watch.
"Ok, I'll see you later?" Saffron asked.
"See you at dinner," Charlie smiled as they stood. "Love you Saffron." He kissed her forehead.
"Love you Charlie," Saffron watched him jog off, turning around to wave before leaving.
Saffron went and sat back down with Erica, Christiana, Redge, Albana as well as Youta and Stefan who had joined them.
Once their hour lunch was up they all stood and Saffron walked back with Erica, Redge, Albana and Christiana.
The five entered the tent and split up. Erica and Saffron hunting for Melody.
"I don't care where is this new healer? Everyone's been bragging and I'd like to meet her," a harsh woman's voice said.
"Right here. Meet Saffron Hawthorn," Melody said pointing to Saffron and her eyes widened as a short, slender woman wearing army pants, white singlet and matching jacket turned on her combat boots to face her. She was absolutely stunning, glowing mahogany hair and hazel eyes, a sweet smile and dimples.
"Saffron Hawthorn?" her rough voice asked.
"Yes," Saffron said confused.
"Nice to meet you," she held out a small, pale, calloused hand. "Lenard Billick," she smiled sweetly as Saffrons stomach dropped.
"Nice to meet you," she replied.
A/N Wow that was a bit but I got out what I wanted. I hope you all enjoyed lot's of love! xoxo