Dryhn Boyfriend: Bo (special preview)

I’ve been working in Amber Hollow for years now. The children’s clinic there was in desperate need for someone who could treat children of other origin. I had made it my specialty in school since most of my siblings were other in nature, and I watched first hand as most of them had gotten mistreated in youth by the family doctor. It made me angry, so I wanted to do something to assure their children never receive such treatment.

I love my job, as tough as it is some days, but the Amber Hollow children’s hospital has made leaps and bounds in treating children or all origins. It’s been the best place I have worked so far, and as it stands, the only place I wish to work.

Recently I have become the primary care physician for a young boy named Bucky. He’s a chimera child, and is recovering from neglect and malnutrition. From what his father has told me, Bucky had been kidnapped at birth and raised in a traveling circus. Since Chimera are rare, due to over hunting, it’s hard to treat them, but Bucky has been a trooper. It’s also thanks to his father’s care he’s doing so well.

His father, Bo, did not give off a great first impression. He’s quite tall and lean, giving him this willowy scarecrow appearance. But it’s his face that gave me pause upon the first meeting. It doesn’t move, and not in the too much plastic surgery kind of way, in just a sort of mask way. It stays in the same stern, hollow expression, never changing after all this time. He is handsome, I will say that, but the mask like quality of his face still is unnerving. But through all the visits with Bucky, I feel like emoting is not his strong suit. He cares very deeply for his son, and has done everything in his power to assure his son is healthy, loved, and tended to.

There is a day when I have to give Bucky quite a few shots, and for the first time I notice a change in Bo’s expression. He looks queasy in the eyes.

“Da doesn’t like needles,” Bucky replies.

“It’s fine,” Bo says sternly. “I’m here for you.”

Bucky tilts his head back to look up at him. “I’m not afraid, Da.”

Bo places his long, slender fingers over Bucky’s eyes. “I’m not leaving you. I need to be here for this.”

“If it helps,” I offer as I prepare the needles. “When I am administering them, just look at me and we can talk. It’ll distract Bucky, as well as you.”

Bo grimaces. “But I know they’re in the room. It’s like spiders or cockroaches.”

Bucky is just smiling. “Da doesn’t care for those either.”

“Don’t give away all of your Da’s secrets now,” I chuckle. “Tell me, Bo, what’s your job? We’ve met so often now, and I know so little about you. I know everything about Bucky.”

Bo clears his throat, that stern yet slightly queasy look on his face remains. “We’re in similar professions,” he says, his voice slipping into monotone nonchalance. “Although, I tend to treat familiars and pets, and magical origin species.”

I smile, wiping Bucky’s arm with an alcohol wipe. His arms are a little fluffy, with scales along the back sides. “Oh really? That’s amazing. We’ve been so close all this time and have never talked about it.”

“Da makes his medicine,” Bucky says excitedly. “I help him in his garden, and he lets me help him in his lab sometimes too.”

“Sit still, Bucky.” Bo and I say at the same time.

Bucky settles, a big smile still on his face. “You’d like it there, Dr. Winter.”

“So, you’re an herbalist too?” I administer the first shot. Bucky doesn’t seem to notice, but Bo’s expression grows a little more uneasy.

“Yes,” he says with a sharp nod. 

“I saw someone is opening an apothecary downtown,” I murmur as I prepare the second shot. “Have you seen it?”