The Golden Boy [Oksana]

[Sevrin]

The lobby was mostly quiet, which frankly was surprising for a veterinarian’s office. The only real sound in the room was the continual drumming of the tall man’s fingers against the counter as he waited patiently for the receptionist to return to their desk. The seat had been empty when he’d come in, the big dog he had brought in with him laying at his feet as he stood against the little island desk that would normally have been a quick and easy check-in, had it been manned.

He turned, careful not to step on the tail of the big Retriever, his honey-brown eyes swiping over the empty room behind him. The place looked reputable enough, clean, modern, and most importantly; it had been close. The pup at his feet gave a wet wheeze and he frowned, lifting the drumming fingers to tap at the bell on the counter again, hoping to quickly summon the receptionist, or, better yet, the doctor. It was late, so it was to be expected that the overnight staff was a skeleton crew at best, and that even a single patient might require most of their attention, if it were serious enough of a case, but…

He glanced down at the big dog at his feet, big brown eyes looking back up at him as the long tail gave a little wiggle before flopping in the floor again as the poor thing let loose another long, keening whine through his nose at the movement. Sevrin frowned, and turned to lean across the desk and look down the long, empty hall and ringing the bell a third time. “Excuse me? Is there anyone here that can help me,” he called down the hall, hoping to catch the attention of someone that very likely overlooked the sound of the bell; that was entirely possible, having heard the thing day in and day out, that it would just become part of the background. He hoped that his voice might break through that monotony that clouded the fore of the mind of whoever might be in the office.

[Oksana]

“You poor thing. I am so sorry this happened to you,” she whispered, her hand slowly gliding through the German Shepard's fur. It was the first time in hours that she’d managed to find time to check on the canine, her tongue hanging out as she wheezed through the pain. Having made her as comfortable as possible after her surgery, now all either of them could do was wait. Wait for her body to stitch itself back together after the abuse it’d endured, wait for the medicine to work, wait for a miracle that meant she would survive the night. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, the blood thief lifted her hand and wiped beneath her eyes, catching the tears that escaped. No animal deserved this, and especially not a dog as sweet, as loving as Gretta.

A low, keening whine left the animal’s throat, and she watched as her eyes finally closed. Holding her breath as her body stilled, Oksana waited. “Come on, sweet girl. You have this.” Her words, though whispered, bounced off the sterile walls as she watched Gretta. A second, two, and then it was there, the smallest lift of her side as she took a breath in. Relief washed through her, nearly causing her knees to buckle, and she caught herself against the edge of the table. A choked laugh left her as a single, dark eye opened to stare in her direction, the emotion clear within the canine’s expression. Leave me alone, it said, and she smiled, fingers brushing once more across the fresh bandage that adorned the dog’s stomach.

Stepping away, she glanced to the clock, trying to piece together how many more hours she needed to stay. When she opened this office, she thought it would be… different. She expected to have to work, but without the help she needed, she was drowning. There just wasn’t enough hours in the day for her to get through what she needed, and she didn’t have the heart to turn anyone away. So, with each hour that passed, her workload grew. Pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she moved to the door, and paused as she tried to decide if she should check on the cats, first, or the wolf in kennel. Before she could make up her mind, she heard it.

It was a small chime, and at first, she thought she was just imagining it. It was late - the doors were supposed to be locked (did she remember to do that?), so no one should-- his voice broke through her thoughts, and she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden thunderous boom it created throughout the empty halls. Placing her hand to her racing heart, she took a breath, and headed to the front, her hands smoothing across her stained lab-coat. She’d barely had time to take a sip of water, let alone worry about cleaning herself up. Stepping from the back, she raised a brow, her eyes narrowing almost instantly as she felt the darkness that surrounded him.

Vampire.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to push aside the mix of emotions his presence woke inside of her, gaze shifting of his face, body, and finally to the dog at his side. “I’m sorry,” she started, her accent thick, voice quiet and melodic, almost like a midnight caress. “I am understaffed, and have so many patients, I did not hear the bell.” Without wasting a second, she stepped around the counter and moved to crouch at the retriever’s side, fingers pressing through golden fur.

“What is wrong?”

[Sevrin]

With a quiet gesture to the golden-coated dog at his feet, in the same instant that the woman reached out to pet at him, he offered a sort of sheepish grin. “Well, you see, I was just out late, riding my bike, and this big lug wandered out in front of me. I think I may have broken a rib, or something. He seems sunny enough, until you try and pet his side… so just be careful there.” He nodded, his gaze moving from the pitiful sounding dog to the woman kneeling in front of him. He gave her a little grin. She was gorgeous. He lifted a hand, and pushed it back across his head, passing over his long, dark mane as he gave a shrug.

“I tried to go around him. He just kept jumping in front of me, until I hit him. I think he was trying to get hurt.” He sighed, and lowered his hand to the big dog, that lifted its head to lick at his hand once before offering a keening whine on a huff, before he slumped into the veterinarian in front of him, begging for her attention. Whatever scraps of it she was willing to give him. The big, golden doofus obviously didn’t care.

“He didn’t have a collar, so I don’t know if he actually belongs to anyone. He’s awfully big, to not be a pet, I thought.” He scratched at the back of his head and gave a little laugh, before letting his gaze move from her striking face to the beast again. “I want to make sure he makes it home. No matter where that might be, yeah? He seems too happy to be a runaway, too. It’s a mystery.”

His gaze drifted back to her, then, and he offered her another of those little smiles. “So you think you can just take a look, and see what’s up? I want to be absolutely certain he’s going to be okay.”

[Oksana]

Her fingers stroked tenderly along the golden’s fur, her attention focused on the way he breathed, the way he moved. As she listened to the vampire, she swallowed back the bitter taste his presence left her on her tongue, on the way her body ached. It was distracting, this reaction she had to the man, and it was one she couldn’t afford. You must focus, Oksana, she mentally chided herself, just as her fingers brushed across the dog’s ribs. A sharp whine left the creature, the sound like a knife to her heart, and she tilted her head to gaze up at the man. The accusation was clear in her midnight eyes, and though she tried, she couldn’t soften her voice. “Instead of getting off of your bike, you decided to keep trying to go around him,” she repeated, her words slow as they left her, attempting to piece together the scene in her mind.

Beneath her hand, the dog trembled, his tongue lapping at her hand, her wrist, and she realized she still held it gently against his ribs. Diverting her attention back to the golden, she released a breath and calmed the rapid beating of her heart. “This is going to hurt, darling boy, and I am sorry,” she whispered, before applying a touch more pressure. The second she did, the dog jolted, his howl echoing off the stark walls of her practice. Tears built in her eyes, and she shook her head, easing back to her heels as the dog shot her a pitiful glare. Resting her hands on her thighs, she took a second to check the time as she moved to stand, always keeping the vampire in her peripheral.

“I do not think anything is broken, but I will have a scan ordered to be certain. I suspect it’s just severely bruised. Either way, I will get him a prescription for something to ease the pain, but you must monitor him carefully.” Her tone stern, she shot him another glare before disappearing behind the counter to type up the order. The entire time, her hands shook, and she fought the fierce hunger that nearly blinded her as it twisted within her stomach.

[Sevrin]

Shaking his head, he knelt down next to the dog and lifted a hand to scratch under his chin as she moved around the counter. “It wasn’t like that. He would be out of my way, and he would jump out in front of me. I tried to shoo him off, tried tossing a bit of food away from the bike, tried getting him to follow someone else down the street, and he just kept hopping in front of my bike. I didn’t think that he would just run out in front of me again if I took off, and I tried to make it around him and he just kept running. I stopped, but not early enough, apparently. It’s not like I was setting out to hurt the big guy. Was I, bud?” He looked down at the dog again, who was laying his head into the scratches beneath his chin. He smiled, and let his hand slip about his head to rub between his ears.

“If you don’t mind, can you check and see if he’s microchipped, too? He isn’t mine, and I don’t see a collar. But if he belongs to someone, and I think he might, as healthy and clean as he is, I wouldn’t want him to be lost from home, you know?” He gave a nod at her words, though, and turned back to the dog that had moved to take a sit, then. “But until then, I can look after him. He’s been a big, sweet lug so far.” He pet at the golden’s head, watching the woman as she moved about behind the counter. He could hear her heart beat. He could practically hear the way that the blood flowed in her veins. It was a distraction, even more so than her very overt attractiveness. He let his gaze fall away from her, before he let that line of thinking run too far.

It was hard enough, to keep from feeding on people. So far, he had managed to deal with rabbits, until he had better handled his strength, and had started to feed from bears, when he could manage to wrestle one down. He managed to only take what he needed, leaving most of the critters to tottle off, confused and weakened, and he felt badly enough about that. He couldn’t imagine having to take the life of someone just to feed himself. He couldn’t stomach that again. But she was temptingly delicious to look at, he would have to admit to himself.

[Oksana]

As her fingers flew over the keys, she allowed herself a moment to listen to the way his voice sounded. He was pleading his case, of course, but he wasn’t stumbling over his sentences in that way that those hastily trying to piece together a lie would. It remained steady and certain, and she found herself believing him, even as her heart continued to ache for the pain the creature was in. After a moment, she tapped her nails against the plastic of the mouse, dark eyes watching the cursor blink on the blank field that requested his information. No matter how friendly he may appear, I must remember that he is a vampire, she thought to herself, knuckles turning white as she gripped the device in the curve of her palm. If this was any other stranger in the middle of the night, she would ask his name without hesitation. Instead, she found herself torn between breaking protocol and filling it in with her own information, or scrounging up the last bit of her patience - and bravery - and asking him.

Her need for regulation won in the end, and she finally tore her gaze from the harsh glare of the screen to focus on the pair. “I believe you,” she sighed, her exhaustion clear as she lifted a hand to press her trembling fingers to her brow. “I will check if he is chipped, but before I do anything, I need your information.” Her tone remained cool and professional as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind the shell of her ear, and she found herself managing the briefest of smiles, even as her stomach twisted into painful knots. “Your name, date of birth, address and occupation. It is to ensure the safety of the animal, and to allow us to reach you, should the owners come forward.” It was more information that she needed to give him - any man, vampire or human - should know how veterinarian offices operated. Blaming it on nerves and lack of sleep, she gave the keys of the keyboard a few subtle taps as she awaited his response, her attention drifting towards the Golden.

“We should also have a temporary name for him. What would you like that to be?”

[Sevrin]

Scratching at his chin, the man watched her from over the top of her computer screen, knitting his brows as he thought. He let his hand fall to his side then as he gave her a smile. "I don't suppose that would be too terrible a questionnaire, would it?" He gave her a warm chuckle as he moved to lean comfortably against the counter and dropped one arm to let the Golden at his feet nuzzle at his hand before it started to lock at his fingers making him grin.

"Name is Jon Sevrin, born two, twenty-three, ninety-two, and I'm a barista at a local shop." He laughed, lifting a hand to run it back over his chestnut brown hair and smiled as he turned his hand to let the dog continue doling out affection. "Not very glamorous, sure, but it gets me out of my place. I live over in Walnut Groves, number 305. As for this bucket of love," he said with a laugh, stepping back to look down at the Golden's face, which had a tremendously dopey look as he scratched under his chin, and shook his head. "Let's call him Rufus. He looks like a Rufus."

He smiled brighter, then, at the dog, and knelt in front of him to pet at his head. "Rufus the Dufus, that's you, isn't it, boy?" The dog gave his tail a little wag, doing its best not to move around too much as it did. He sighed and patted the dog’s face before he looked up at where she was tapping away at the computer, her gaze on the computer screen as he continued to shower the injured pup in the affection he seemed to so desperately crave. He turned, and looked into the dog’s big brown eyes with his own honey brown stare, and took either of his ears in his fingers, giving them a flip and twirl. “Need to figure out what to do with you for the night, big guy. I bet you’re hungry. Big boys like you are always hungry.”

That earned a bark, clearly the big thing agreeing that food was a mighty persuasive option to spend the evening on, and that earned another laugh from the man as he looked back up to the vet again. “So if there isn’t anyone that comes forward, and he hasn’t got a chip, what should I do with the Dufus here?”

[Oksana]

As the old machine whirred and sputtered along with each keystroke, she glanced between the empty fields and the answers he had provided. There was more than she required, but she couldn’t bring herself to question him further. He had been kind enough so far, but she had come to learn that there was always a trigger, something to set them off, and she was in no position to deal with a rabid vampire on-top of everything else she had to deal with. Instead, she submitted her password to bypass the rest of the questionnaire and flashed him a smile.

“It was not too terrible, no, and the name Rufus will suffice,” she managed to respond, though the echo of the Golden’s bark nearly drowned out her words. Chuckling softly, she opened a drawer and pulled out a small paw-painted jar and plucked out a treat to hand to the vampire, before hesitating with her hand extended half-way across the counter. With a quick clearing of her throat, she placed the treat on the edge and quickly retracted her hand, before popping the lid back into place. “I need to run the scans, as well as medicate him for pain. That will take an hour. You can stay in the lobby or return to take him home with you, if you wish, until the owners are heard from. He is also more than welcome to stay here,” she offered, though her gaze drifted towards the back of the office as she worried on her lower lip.

As understaffed as she was, the thought of adding another animal to her ever growing list left her uneasy, but she would never turn the poor creature out to the streets. Pushing the thought from her mind, she dusted her hands across the white of her lab-coat and mustered another smile. Just keep pushing through had become her mantra over the years, and that wasn’t about to change. Sweeping her hair back into a more secure ponytail, she stepped from behind the counter and held her hand out for the leash, a touch of laughter warming her tired eyes as the Golden looked from her to the male, as if asking permission.

“That is up to you, Mr. Sevrin, as it seems Rufus has chosen you.”

[Sevrin]

The man gave a short chuckle at the dog glanced between them, clearly going nowhere until he was told. He lifted his hand and rubbed at the top of the Golden’s head, making his ears flop as he did, and watched the dog’s big brown eyes when they turned to him, awaiting his instruction. It was clear that they were going to have something of an issue if someone ever did step forward to take Rufus the Dufus home. He gave the dog a smile and held the leash up as Oksana came from around the desk, his other hand offering the big dog the treat that she had left on the end of the counter. He took it greedily enough. “Good boy, Rufus. Now, you go with the nice lady, and she’s going to check you out okay? And you better tell her thank you for the treat.”

Another bark rang through the lobby, Rufus turning to thrust his nose against Oksana’s hip, his tail wagging lightly as he looked up at her, waiting for her to take him, waiting to do as he was told. Sevrin gave his own short bark of laughter and stood again, brushing his palms against the thigh of his pants and offered the Vet a grin. “I can wait here, if you think it will be so quick. After such a detour, I don’t think I’m going to be in much of a hurry for the rest of the evening anyways. I won’t mind to take him home myself, though I’m going to have to get some things done to make the place more suitable for a pet.”

He smirked as he looked down at the dog who did his best to give a greater wag of his tail, though, with a wince, he stopped letting his butt wiggle with the wag and settled for a subtle swish of the appendage. He sighed and gave a little grimace. “I’m worried that if he really is hurt, that it’s not something I did. If it wouldn’t be terribly inconvenient, can you give him the full going over, just to be sure he’s healthy?” He let it go unsaid, hanging in the air between them, that he was worried the dog may have been abused before he’d come across him, and that was what weighed on him just as much as the little bump. “Just want to go over everything I can, while I have him here.”

[Oksana]

Curling her fingers around the tattered leash as it rest into her palm, she traced her nail across one of the faded design on the nylon and closed her eyes. “Of course, I can do that,” she affirmed, once again pushing aside the thought of sleep and food as she opened her eyes again to focus on the Golden. The vampire didn’t have to speak his concern outloud. She read it clear in his eyes, and the thought itself had crossed her mind a time or two since she had started speaking to them. With a comforting smile, she dropped her free hand to scratch behind his ears, before straightening to her full height and glancing back to the male. “That’ll take significantly longer, but I’ll ensure that he gets looked after. If you desire, you can take a look at the small shop down the hall and pick out what you need to make him comfortable at your home? We have bowls, toys, treats -- I do believe there is a bed left in his size, but it is up high. I have not been able to check.” With each word she spoke, her accent thickened, belaying her exhaustion despite the way she smiled to hide it.

Without another word, she spun on her heel and began to lead the Golden in the opposite direction, making it a full ten steps before a loud clang and the sound of frenzied meowing began to echo throughout the office. At her side, Rufus whined and stepped closer to her, his head bowing and his tail giving a slow, curious wag as his warm eyes searched the shadows for any sign of danger. Of course, there was none, just the skitter of claws and a ball of black and white spotted fur dashing across their path. “Sydney! Sydney, get back into your cage, young la--” The command was drowned out by the sudden wail as the cat found herself wedged between a cage and the wall, her body far too large to wiggle itself into the space she had tried to claim as her sanctuary from the newest patient. “This is why you are on a diet. You are fat,” Oksana scolded, carefully moving Rufus to her other side as she stepped into the exam room and bent to pry the furry boulder free.

Placing her back on the floor, she gave her backside a pat and motioned her towards Sevrin with a warning glare in his direction before she motioned above his head to the camera in a silent warning. She didn’t have to speak to let the immortal know that he was being monitored - and there would be absolutely no eating of the clinic’s animals. With that threat made clear, she placed a hand to her stomach as another hunger pang twisted within it, and finished leading Rufus down the hall to start his work-up.