The Alpha's Healer

13 | Every debt

The same scene took place in at least six different stores. Iris walked out of the store behind him, covered by the broad shoulders as he stretched them a bit. "They had a better collection this time. My mother was not happy the last time we came here."

Iris discreetly eyed the staff carrying three heavy bags of clothes out of the store. It was beyond their capacity to carry them all around, so Sebastian asked the bags to be sent to his car itself.

"Now let's get some things needed for the apartment." Sebastian habitually reached for her. Iris raised her hand without a second thought, like the attraction of a magnetic pull towards his waiting hand, and let his warm fingers clamp around her wrist.

The shopping trip took them a while. Iris tried to peek into the bills more than once, every attempt either ended in failure or being stared at. She couldn't tell which was worse.

Back in the car, Iris was itching on the seat to ask how much in debt she was. Sebastian made it clear at every store that he didn't want her to know.

But if she didn't know, she wouldn't know what to pay back. To Iris, being indebted was just another chain tying her to the place, to a person. The idea of it was unnerving.

Mate bond aside, Iris never wanted to owe anything to anyone. She never owed her own father anything but the life he gave her, going as far as to give up everything she saved until the last six months, to Amanda.

Iris repaid every debt.

It was one less shackle tying her to a place, a person. It was hard enough to leave the fire mane. She didn't want to relive all of that in the future if Iris had to leave shadow ridge as well.

At least nobody would be chasing her for money.

Sebastian shut the door after a quick inspection, causing her to fly an inch off the seat in surprise. It took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Her lungs filled with the concentrated scent of musk and pine, pulling her taunt body into relaxing.

Evidently, Iris was the only one sweating out of the monetary issues between them, because the next second the man handed her a sleek black box bigger than her palm.

"We are mates but we don't share a mind link yet. I noticed that you don't have a phone so I ordered one for you so we can contact each other. I've already added a few important numbers and some apps that Zachary recommended." He explained.

The weight suddenly increased by ten fold on her palm. Iris' panic response was to make an excuse and return it. However, when she looked up, she met Sebastian's eyes and the little smile hanging on his lips.

"No take backs. It's already used. Can't be returned. Everyone around me already has a phone, so you can't donate it to them either. Just keep it. You need a form of contact anyway."

His words were so well knit that Iris fell into the trap. She sighed a silent breath and slowly unboxed the phone under his watchful gaze. It was a new glossy black phone, similar to the one she'd seen Sebastian use at home.

The engine roared back to life, drowning out the word of gratitude from her. Iris didn't say it again, knowing he won't appreciate it.

"I'll drop you off at the hospital and make a quick trip to the apartment to unload in the stuff in the back. I might have to take a detour for some work as well, text me when you want to be picked up."

The itinerary had been pre-decided. Iris had nothing more to say about it. The hospital was a ten minute drive from the mall. Sebastian stopped the car by the entrance.

Iris raised her hand to open the door, then paused briefly and sneaked a glance at him. Sebastian nodded in approval, got out and opened the door for her.

The Alpha certainly attracted many eyes. The hospital, in any part of the world, was a place filled with people. Sebastian stood there holding the door like he didn't care who saw him, or who didn't. Iris on the other hand cared too much.

She kept her head low, presence small and face covered with hair.

"Thank you." She stopped next to him and whispered. The morning sun had revealed its sharp edges, growing intensely with heat and pricking the exposed skin of her face.

The sunlight was always a warm blanket whenever it shone in the fire moon pack. At shadow ridge, it came with an attitude.

"Should I walk you in? Will you be able to find your way?" He asked, frowning from the head, clearly a bit bothered.

A drop of sweat rolled down the Alpha's forehead, down the cheeks and into the valley between his collarbones, disappearing into his shirt.

Iris gulped, feeling thirsty all of a sudden. She shook her head like a rattle. "I'll ask the nurse."

"Will you?" He raised an eyebrow. "You don't ask for help, which is why I offered."

"I-I will ask."

"Alright. Let me know if you need me. I'll be at your side right away." Sebastian stepped closer, the scent of his body mixed with the saltines of sweat made her mouth dry. "I'll see you soon. Text or call when you're done. I'll come get you. Maybe we can grab lunch together at a nice restaurant?"

Iris didn't hear anything but nodded nonetheless, too preoccupied by the closeness to utter a single word.

Sebastian left after he got a satisfactory answer. Iris stumbled her way into the hospital building, found the reception and stuttered out the information about her appointment.

The receptionist called for a nurse to take her up to the fifth floor. Maintaining a three step distance from the nurse, Iris took the opportunity to look around a little.

Iris never visited hospitals as a patient. Her limited knowledge came from the occasional hospital visits arranged by the University affiliation.

But it did nothing to prepare her for the real world.

The nurse knocked on the cabin door and opened it to let her in. Iris mumbled a faint thank you and walked in. Dr Carlos was busy with his specimen jars when Iris saw him.

"Doctor..." Iris called softly as to not startle him. Her concern was nothing but the product of overthinking. After all, the nurse had just announced her arrival before she walked in.

Dr Carlos' smile curved upwards when he turned around. He placed the specimen jar back in its place and plopped on his chair, gesturing for her to take a seat as well.

"Where is the medicine?" He cut straight to the point. Iris reached into the pocket, pulled out a neatly folded paper and opened it on the table. Inside were three white pills.

"I have made a short version of my notes as well. In case you might want to see them..." Iris hesitantly offered the little notebook she always kept on her. It was for nothing but jotting down random thoughts, some information she'd run into or simply to record something she might forget.

Last night when sleep didn't come, Iris wrote down a simpler version of the notes she had referred to when tweaking the medicine. At that time the bold idea had crossed her mind. She wanted to offer the information to the doctor, actually thinking he might want it.

Now, as she held the little book with both hands over the table, her heart shook with uncertainty, waiting for the decline her mind had already started preparing for.

"You made it specifically for me? So that I can understand it without having to refer to a gazillion books?"

"Y-Yes. I mean no, it took three books, but yes, to save time..." She fumbled with the explanation but managed to get it out in a way that was comprehensive.

Her head hung low, eyes squeezing at the ends, she added, "If you don't mind..."

The weight on her palms suddenly disappeared. Looking up, she saw Dr Carlos already reading the page she had book marked. The rest of her sentence went back the way it came.

Iris kept the information as concise as possible, still couldn't keep it less than three pages. Dr Carlos read each word with utmost seriousness, and went over it more than once. Iris observed him for as long as he read it, which felt like a long time, but in fact only amounted to twenty minutes.