With that, Aaron was gone, leaving her contemplating whether or not she should have apologized. She couldn't force him back on, though she could request a conversation with him. "Surely he knows I was just joking," she said aloud to herself. There were definitely times that she wished she felt that way--that she really wanted him gone. But she had momentarily faced a reality without him when he was shot protecting her early on, and the thought was unbearable. Ultimately, she decided he had to know she was just being a bitch, so she left him alone and contacted Cale instead to let him know she wasn't going to be able to see him that night after all.
"I'm in a consult right now. Can I get back to you in a bit?" he asked when she requested to speak with him via the IAC.
She was getting dressed, wondering how much time she might have, though she didn't really care if she made the driver wait outside the hospital for her. "Actually," she replied, "I have some bad news, and I was kind of hoping I could see you."
There was a pause. "Oh, okay," he finally replied. "Wow, that was quick. I normally make it to at least date two."
She would have laughed if he didn't sound sincere. "It's not that, silly," she responded. "But something has come up. If I head over there now, can you spare a few minutes?"
"Absolutely."
It didn't take her long to make the trip on her bike, and absently she wondered if he would let her keep it at his headquarters, which was also the hospital, until she got back.
Unlike the larger LIGHTS complex in Kansas City, many of the area headquarters were housed in one building, and the team members lived in apartments or houses nearby. Some of them, like Cale, actually had other jobs as well. Since he had opened the hospital, and was its primary financier, he kept his headquarters in the same building, as well as his apartment. The hospital was not large and mostly handled elective surgeries, though it was equipped to handle emergencies as well, and since Cale had purchased two helicopters recently, the number of calls had increased. Cadence had never been there before, but he was very proud of what he had built and spoke fondly of it often in the short amount of time they had known each other. As she pulled up, she was impressed with the architecture of the high-rise. Leaving her motorcycle in the parking garage, she made the short trip into the lobby, unsure of precisely where she was going.
"May I help you?" a thin, older woman dressed in a sharp navy blue uniform asked from behind a receptionist desk in the foyer.
Cadence smiled. "Hello, I'm here to see Dr. Cale Ryan," she replied.
"Oh, yes, you must be Cadence. He's waiting for you upstairs. You can take the elevator up to the fifth floor. You'll see the offices there on your left," she explained with a polite smile.
"Thank you," Cadence replied before turning and making her way to the elevators. Stepping in and pushing the button for five, she glanced down at her outfit one more time. White capris and an off-the-shoulder coral colored top with strappy sandals. It was cute, but not uncomfortable, something that would be important on the plane. She'd taken a few minutes to throw the rest of her belongings in her bag and hand it off to Aurora before she left so she could put it in the car to take to the airport. Normally, they traveled very light, generally buying new clothes in each new town and donating the old ones before they left, but if she was going home, she may as well take what she could.
She had no trouble finding the office, and she could see through the glass door that he was waiting with the receptionist for her arrival. She pushed the door open with a smile, which was warmly returned. "Hi," she said, stepping into his open arms. He returned her greeting and kissed her on the cheek.
"Wow, it is such an honor to meet you," the girl behind the desk said, with a large grin on her pretty face. She was young, possibly about eighteen or nineteen, with long red hair piled atop her head, and wore pink scrubs.
Cadence was confused. She had no idea whether or not the staff in Cale's medical practice was aware of what else went on there. There were rules about what humans were allowed to know. She smiled, but glanced at him, waiting for some sort of clue as to what she should say. "It's okay," he explained. "Adrian is the daughter of a Hunter and is actually thinking about Transforming soon."
"Oh, that's great!" Cadence exclaimed, taking the girl's outstretched hand. "I hope you decide to do so. You'll never get bored, that's for sure," she added, raising her eyebrows.
Adrian laughed. "From what I've heard, that's true. And Dr. Ryan has told me so much about all of the amazing kills you've had. It's just really cool to have the opportunity to meet you in person."
Cadence reddened. She wasn't used to such accolades, not yet. "Well, thank you," she said with a shy smile. "I hope to see you in the field soon."
Cale took her hand and led her down a hallway as she waved goodbye to the beaming teenager. "She seems nice," Cadence said as he opened the door to what she assumed must be his office.
"She's great," he replied. "My entire medical staff is amazing."
"Do they all know?" she asked, rather than commenting on how different that disposition was from his other team.
"Yes, they have to, or else this wouldn't work. But they all have a reason to know," he explained. "Most of them are related to a Hunter or a Guardian, and it's that family member who sends them in. A few of them are retired," he added.
