The light smell of disinfectant and other various states of patients filled the glistening hallways of the hospital. Anna fiddled with the knot at the back of her apron and the pins holding her white cap upon her curls – pure excitement showered her, quite as if this was her first day being hired for the position.
Many of the other healers of different ranks whispered behind their hands as she passed, but that was not going to dampen her sights today. In the weeks between her forced medical leave and now, Anna built her tolerance; she mellowed the swarming sea that was created by the constant paranoia of whether dragon pox would devastate another family.
Newt and the case had become her stable – her cornerstone. His light touches and snuck glances fueled her heart and the kind actions of the many creatures within his suitcase brought her beloved affection that got her excited to come home each day.
Her beautiful locket of fine craftsmanship hung lovingly from her neck – Newt's words etched deep within the side of the metal.
Anna rounded another corner and found Chief Abasi standing precisely where they designated to meet for the day's work.
"Chief," she greeted. "I'm beyond ready to start. I've missed my residents very..."
"You're to work in the clinic today."
She halted her smile, "What?"
"I'm assigning you to the clinic until I see it fit for you to return to your full position," he flicked his wand through multiple files before him.
Anna mumbled a few disoriented words before forming a proper sentence, "Alright." She huffed before disregarding the retort bubbling inside of her, "I understand. I'm sure Poppy will be happy to see me."
Abasi turned to her slightly with a skeptical brow at her poise of handling the request, "Just be sure she actually tends to the patients that come in." He shook his head and let a smile slip, "If I hadn't made a promise to her dear mother on her deathbed, I might've moved her on by now."
"Thank you, Abasi. Should I check in at..."
"There's no need. I'll get a full report from some of the heads," he finished waving over his paperwork and turned his stance towards her. "How are you doing, Anna? You certainly have more color in your cheeks since the last time I saw you."
She sighed at the smirk growing on his features, "Okay, okay – you were right. I just needed to take a well-needed break from the work."
He clapped his hands together, "Maybe me having the title of Chief actually means something."
They both shared a laugh before he excused himself to other meetings and matters, leaving Anna with a slight fuming fire in her chest. But she held her ground and instead felt the energy jitter into her fingertips, finding them bounce against her apron.
Within almost an instant, Anna turned on her heel and went not towards the adjoining clinic building, but down the hall towards the patient rooms.
Another minute later and she was right outside a very familiar residence, however it was now covered corner to corner with quarantined spells and charms. Only the highest of rank was able to enter the doorway.
"Adelaide?" Another familiarity struck her from behind as it continued. "Anna... what do you think you're doing here?"
She found Soren running a hand through his dark hair, "Oh, hello." She noticed the updated badge gleaming on his chest, "I see you've been promoted."
He glanced toward his shirt, "Ah, yes. I've become the head of... Miss. Sarah's care. I needed a higher rank to even get into her room."
Anna found herself biting her lip as she looked at the title, "Well, good for you. I've missed talking to you about the patients and the goings-on at the hospital." She smiled but found him still looking at her quizzically.
"I'm sorry, but aren't you supposed to be in the clinic?"
"Well... I was just – I was just visiting. It's been weeks and I haven't seen her at all in that time and I just wanted to see for myself, I guess," she found her twitching hands becoming more vigorous.
Soren noticed and took hold of one immediately, "Hey, Anna, you know I'd tell you in a heartbeat if anything ever happened. All my patronus messages have gotten to you? You know of her condition so far."
"She still has that low heart rate? Blood pressure? The oxygen is still being given and the hourly strength serums and immunity potions?"
"Yes, yes, and yes. You are still well informed," he smirked, willing her one hand to stop quaking. "Now you need to go to the clinic before Abasi finds you. But know that Sarah still isn't doing..."
Anna stopped him with her strong stance, "I understand. She has days, if not hours, left. At this point I just want to make sure she's comfortable."
Soren appeared to be taken aback, blinking rapidly and forcing a smile, "Alright, then. I'll see you for the lunch break, I hope?"
She smacked his arm and rolled her eyes, "Do you honestly think there's anyone else at this hospital I'd rather spend the period with."
With a wink he pushed her slightly back to where she came and waited for her to turn the corner. Anna stuck her hands into her pockets and descended into the next building, waltzing into the main room with the red-headed witch behind the check-in counter.
"Do my eyes deceive me or is that a Miss. Adelaide Goldstein!" Poppy flung from her chair, her wand flew out of the bun in her hair. "How have you been?"
Anna met her in a hug and drew away, "Better. Much better actually."
Poppy held her at arm's length and observed her appearance, "I will say you do look absolutely radiant. There's a brightness in your eye that... does this have something to do with your most recent date with Soren?"
"How do you find out these things?" Anna laughed, walking towards the clinic desk and occupying the normally absent second chair. "It's actually quite scary sometimes."
The forward witch sighed through her nose and scooted near the healer, "Soren isn't the subtlest man, Anna. And I simply am interested in the rumors that have been going around."
"Please don't tell me they're all around me?"
Poppy leaned forward, "Since your outbursts on the dragon pox cases people have been talking. Everyone in the hospital has been whispering about why you were forced onto medical leave. Of course no one really knows the real reason besides, me, Soren, and the Chief."
"That's good news, I guess," Anna huffed, but she pressed, "What else has been said?"
"You've been seen with a certain wizard, Adelaide," Poppy twirled her wand between her slender fingers. "No one knows who he is, but that he helped you during the attack on the No-Maj City Hall."
Anna's heart seized slightly, and her itching fingers found themselves climbing to the gold locket around her neck, "Is that so?"
"Is this that other man you were bringing up that one time forever ago?" Poppy continued, a glint in her eye.
Before Anna could answer there was a slam against the clinic counter as a man attempted to catch his breath across from it, "Excuse me, I'm sorry, but I need help."
Poppy rolled her eyes under her lids, but turned to face the red-faced man, "Yes? How may we help you?"
He swallowed hard, "I have this awful pain in my head."
"You came to the emergency clinic for a headache?" Poppy deadpanned and Anna couldn't help the snort that escaped her.
"Uh... no, no. I was struck in the head during a dueling lesson with a few undertrained wizards; at the back of my head." He craned his neck and the two witches gasped at the sight.
There was a wand sticking straight out from the base of his neck, fizzing as if something electrical was sparking out of his spinal cord.
Anna had a hand over her mouth, but Poppy kept a cool expression as she ushered him from the counter, "Alright, this way. I'll take you to one of the beds in the back for a head healer to see you."
The grateful, if not puzzled, man nodded towards her and followed, leaving Anna to her giggling thoughts.
Gazing around the waiting area before her, she found that there wasn't anyone in dire need of assistance, so she turned to the neglected paperwork by Poppy's hand. She smirked at the sight of the towering files, taking pleasure in the bizarre cases that they held within.
One woman was convinced she was with child when in reality she consumed a poisonous plant that expanded her stomach to deadly proportions. Another gentleman had actually slept walked all the way into the clinic and informed them that he was suffering from a sleeping disorder, only to wake up and to have forgotten the entire ordeal.
Turning to another page, Anna couldn't contain her laugher upon reading the description of how a woman was cursed to do the exact opposite of what people asked of her. She was found attempting to take illegal potions and trying to disarm healers when told not to. In the end multiple healers had to receive treatment themselves.
"Annie?"
She snapped her eyes towards the waiting chairs, dropping the papers in her hands, "What on earth..."
Queenie was standing there, supporting Newt at her shoulder. He was immensely pale and appeared to be leaning into Queenie ever so slightly. There was blood soaking his entire left side, shoulder and chest, his vest ruined.
Anna raced from behind the counter to the pair of them, worry plaguing her face, "What happened? Newt! You're bleeding..." She lifted her fingers to him but retracted them quickly.
Queenie gave a messy smile, "Honey, he was hurt by one of his creatures."
Newt gave a subtle smile, but didn't meet their eyes, "The Wampus Cat wasn't too happy about me coming onto its mountain rock." His voice sounded tired, "I ran out of dittany and Queenie figured it'd be easier..."
"If we came to see you," the sister said, holding onto Newt's good arm. "What should we do?"
Anna found her mind running wild – so many thoughts deciding to appear inappropriately at that moment. Newt met her gaze for a second, slight pain very evident behind the stare.
"Of course - come this way."
She led them to the back room, just as Poppy had with the previous gentlemen, and gestured to a bed before running for supplies and potions.
She hesitated at the shelves of the storage closet, her breath caught in her throat. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that Newt would ever get hurt - especially by one of his creatures.
Of course, there was no way that he could be indefinitely safe, but it was an interesting feeling seeing him in pain and relying on others to stay afloat.
Upon returning Queenie shut her mouth quickly and Newt had wide eyes whipping towards Anna.
"I'm sorry, Queenie, but protocol says that you need to wait outside while I fix him up. We can't have over crowding back here, especially with patients in need of emergency care."
Queenie gave Newt a squeeze on his good shoulder and nodded towards her little sister, "I'll be right outside when you're ready." They shared a smile and Anna advanced Newt slowly, hesitation in her steps. Newt noticed immediately the shakiness in her hands.
"You know t-the Wampus Cat can read minds..."
"And that they can perform hypnosis? I'm the one that told you that," he whispered, taking one of her hands, slightly panting from exertion. "Are you alright?"
She sucked in a short breath, "No... but I will be once you're better." He nodded at her words and lifted the corner of his mouth as she continued, "Um - I'm going to need you to remove your shirt and vest; only the one side at least." She rushed the words, avoiding his face as she assembled her equipment.
Newt was having a similar reaction, trying to will the growing blush on his face to stay away from his ears. He undid all the buttons, but was having difficulty extracting his arm from the sleeve. Anna didn't say a word, but went forward with light fingers against his skin.
She peeled away the bloodied fabric and folded it behind his back, exposing his full left arm and most of his torso. Anna had never experienced anything so tempting and terrifying all at the same time.
Newt was light and lean with no harshly sculpted muscles, but shaped enough to trace out his strength. His freckles spanned across his bare chest and down past his belly button. A strange warmth flew down Anna's chest and into her stomach, making it churn with delight.
Her mind leapt, but she pushed it away as her stunned gaze blinked to dispel the fiery desire flooding her senses.
Newt only snuck glances to her face, but her inner thoughts coursed extremely quickly and she recovered to her work expertly. He barely noticed that she remained on his exposed torso longer than a second. He was obviously immensely embarrassed, however couldn't deny that part of him wanted her to see him like that.
She now knitted her eyebrows while examining the damage. Multiple large and piercing gashes rounded from his chest over his shoulder and onto his back. Another set grazed horizontally from his abdomen to his back as well.
With a flick of her wand she was able to clear the sticky and semi-dried blood, finely defining the edges of the cuts. A light sweat broke on Newt's forehead as she neared him, her fingers touching his bare skin.
"If you simply used dittany you'd have to repeat it for days before these were healed. I have concoctions here that can do it within two," she smiled at him, giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Newt grinned back, "That's good, I suppose. I trust you're an expert at the c-care?"
She could sense the sarcasm behind the question, "You'll have no doubt once I'm done." Waving her wand, Anna called over the potions she extracted, "Drink these vials... one will bring back your strength and the other will boost the immune system to clot the wounds quicker."
He obeyed without hesitation and she admired the trust, "Tastes like peppermint..."
"I do that because the original serum tastes ghastly," she giggled. "And I figure people would rather taste an added ingredient than gritty sludge."
He made a face, "You'd be right about that."
Anna waited for the potion to begin the clotting process and she poured another concoction onto a few swabs. Some very strong-smelling liquid that sizzled bright violet when it left the bottle, "This may sting a little, but it'll heal them faster than you'll ever believe."
Newt nodded and gripped the underside of the table he sat upon, closing his eyes - he was determined not to show the pain he felt, but upon the application he gasped, "Hm... I don't think I like your way of healing injuries."
She scoffed, "But wouldn't you rather be completely able within a day instead of a week?"
"Yes, love." He widened his gaze, "I mean, yes."
She hesitated her cleaning, but smiled, "I don't mind being called that. Way better than Addie or Annie anyway."
Attempting to find something to change the subject with, Newt was suddenly struck with what Queenie had rushed to urge him to do before she left.
"Anna? Tina told me something i-interesting the other day and I was wondering... did you honestly believe that she and I fancied each other?"
Anna took a slight step back, "Um... well, yeah - it was somewhat obvious. Seeing as you spend a lot of your time with her I only figured that was the cause."
He studied her features, "But you know it's not true, right? I only see Tina as a friend."
She nodded slowly, "Yes, Newt. I understand."
He bit the inside of his cheek as she continued to apply different serums that didn't hurt as much as the first. It didn't take long for her to complete her work, rubbing away the remaining lines.
She traced her fingertips over where the cuts used to be and wasn't overly surprised to see other scars and marks running along his skin.
Newt quickly waved his wand at his clothing and saw to it that it was free of blood and hurriedly put back onto his body. Anna didn't mention the scars that she touched, only that the tips of her fingers burned from where they grazed his chest.
"Thank you, Adelaide." They gazed at each other for a few seconds before someone rammed into Anna.
"That man was absolutely bonkers!" Poppy yelled, leaning against her friend. "He was dead set on believing he could live with a wand in the back of his head - said he couldn't pay the bill. Oh, who's this?"
Anna stuttered for a moment before gesturing, "This is Newt Scamander, a close friend."
Poppy practically squealed, "This is the 'someone else'?" She gave him an up and down look before nudging Anna in the side, "He's down right attractive, ain't he? Nice work."
Newt found that blush exploding once again as Anna flustered to usher everyone out and into the next room. However, a pull on the arm tugged Anna to stay behind a few steps with Newt.
"Newt? What's the matter? Did I miss a cut?" she instinctively reached out to touch the collar of his shirt, but he took her hand instead.
"No, no... I just wanted - you see, Adelaide. I was wondering... wondering if perhaps..."
She waited patiently for him, noting painfully that he still had one of her hands in his, her fingers beginning to twitch again with nerves. She begged that he didn't notice.
"Yes?"
He gaped his mouth, but sighed out the breath he was holding, "I... nothing. Nevermind." He could have sworn there was disappointment in her eyes.
Poppy could be heard practically yelling at Queenie about paperwork, "Yeah! But we need him to fill these before you head out." Obviously it was spoken loud enough to know it was on purpose.
Anna became flustered again and ran out into the main room, finding Queenie grasp her away from Newt so he could place his signatures on the the required papers.
"What happened? How is he? What did you say? I mean I knew you'd say yes, but I still need you to confirm it for me. Honey, you okay?"
"What are you talking about?"
Queenie ran a quick scan of Anna's thoughts and smacked her forehead, "Nothing! Ignore that. Hey, I need to talk to you about Jacob though - soon. He's been acting real strange and I know he confides in you."
Newt appeared, "We should be going." He placed a light hand on Anna's back, sending shivers down her spine, "Thank you again, Adelaide."
She smiled lovingly and barely noticed the hard hit he took from Queenie's elbow.
"Oh, and Anna... I was wondering - I was hoping..."
There was a spark of want behind her eyes as she turned back to him, "Yes?"
Newt shuffled his feet again and used one hand to play with the ends of his hair at the back of his neck; she smiled at the cute quirk.
He couldn't stop the awkward smile gracing his lips as she stared at him with beautiful blue eyes. He could have sworn he could feel a ghost of her last kiss on his cheek.
"I was quite hoping that you'd go out on... on a d-date." His shoulders slumped slightly and not because there was still some tenderness in his left side. He completely butchered that request.
"With you?" she questioned, pure elation coursing her.
Newt coughed out the clarification, "Y-Yes...with m-me. Is that alright?"
She gave a small laugh and looked down at her now steady hand, "Newt, you know I..."
A burst from the double main doors sent everyone's eyes flying towards it. Soren came huffing and stood with a sympathetic frown.
"Anna. It's Sarah. She's died."