Sometimes you just want someone at your back

[homeless_pard]

Who: Kirion, Khemrys, some hospital high ends and contributors.
When: A few months after Kirion gets residency at Mercy Hospital.
What: Premonitions and glad handing.

"Hey, hey Ki..." the cheerful call pulled him short in the hall, though he didn't look up from the tablet showing him the details of his next patient. Did he know that voice?

Ehhhh....oh, right, Bridget? Brianne? B-something? "Yes?" When in doubt play it safe? Oh hey that brunette bob WAS familiar when she caught up to him! "How can I help you Brenna?" By rights he should be calling her Doctor whatever but she was playing it informal so no reason he shouldn't.

And my but his mother's rules for speaking reared their head at odd times didn't they?

"Oh don't play coy," the orthopedic surgeon laughed (and what was she even doing on this floor?), "I heard! Who are you taking?"

Heard? Heard...what? Oh, right, "this really isn't the time I have a patient to see." Flirting later. Patients now!

That earned a sniff that practically dripped 'if we were dating you aren't getting laid tonight', good thing he hadn't bothered now wasn't it? "You should really think about it sooner rather than later. I know you're new, but a fundraiser dinner with the hospital heads can make or break you here..."

Oh, the 'older and wiser' card. He'd laugh but really, why waste the effort? "I have people in mind, but really my career isn't your concern is it? Or, waaaaait, you wanted to ride my coat tails huh?" A knee surgeon, and not the best the hospital had, wasn't going to get into that on her own now was she?

Okay, so maybe he wasn't always a gentleman, but really, it was war in hospitals. He'd known as he plowed through his internships and his emergency room shifts, that it was rough, but really earning residency had just taken him from a meat grinding and into a shark tank. He didn't blame his mom for keeping her specialty in shop and at the clinics with Lillian, not her cup of tea here at all.

And they'd laugh at her teas here no doubt. Idiots.

"You little...fucking..."

"Hey, language, children on this floor," he snorted, shooting her a cold look. "Now message duly delivered hmmm? Take your advice and go on back to your own cases." He. Had. Work. To. Do.

Granted, there was always work to do in a hospital, and he also turned his hand to emergency surgery at need, so it was days later before he even actually thought about it again. Going solo to a high end glad handing party was a different kind of hell. So who could he call up for a last minute high end event and...

...why was he getting an uneasy feeling when he pulled up his mental list?

Given his family, well, uneasy feelings usually meant something so he sipped from his tea mug, leaning back against the desk in the nurse's alcove and closing his eyes a moment. Why was he uneasy? A scent?

While his senses were sharper than mother's, they weren't as sharp as father's....so it was possible but nothing was immediately coming to mind, though there had been the vague 'rotten' scent that seemed more psychic than reality. He was pretty sure that was what his mother called 'the stench of the Left Hand path', and that made sense, hospitals held the best and worst of people. It was inevitable he'd run across monsters right?

So it wasn't a scent. Likewise with scent, sound, nothing about the upcoming event aside from the increased 'who are you taking? I'm free if you need...' had been out of the ordinary. That left intuition, or Power, and to be honest that was where he was far less confident. He liked his intuition and skill in medicine, he wasn't at all okay with some random Power. After all, there was no telling what it was going to do, what if he started melting people one day or something?!

Okay that was probably ridiculous but still. He found himself playing with the necklace he wore under his shirt, the dark stone soothing in his fingers as he contemplated people again.

And again uneasy.

Damn. Iri felt a bit better, she could help...

...help with what he had no idea...

...but better Khemrys.

Dad was going to kill him.

Might as well get it out of the way then. Eyes still closed he took his phone from his pocket and sighed, "dial mom". Yup.

"Kirion," her voice as ever was calm, and his unease faded even further.

"Hey, mom, I know Friday is date night but I...really need you."

He could hear her setting aside something, stoneware by the sound, likely she'd had mortar and pestle going, well, "for what child?"

This was like when he was younger and trying to bluff having done his homework wasn't it? Hell. "I don't know," he sighed. "I just need you there. It's a dinner, high end, you'll want silk and grandmother's jewels but...really I don't know." At least he was honest? They were a very honest household all told.

"I see," she mused softly. "I'll pack a bag."

He loved his mother, he really did. "It'll be checked with the coats but....that's a good idea." Why she'd need a medical bag at a dinner HE DIDN'T KNOW.

"You will have to tell your father of course," she chuckled softly.

"I will, honest, just not tonight?" Nope, next he was calling uncle Nat and telling him mom would need some complicated and amazing hair style that he didn't get to do often! Annnd then his next call was to Iri. Her job in this was to find him a nice three day, two night vacation thing for their parents to make up for date night!

Dad was still going to kill him.

He still hadn't managed to call Jason before he was picking Khemrys up Friday night, oops? He half expected to have Jason climb in the back seat with them annnnd...ran around the side of the car to get them moving before that occurred to the man! "I imagine you forgot to call," Khemrys noted dryly, heirloom hair pins in, earrings, necklace and jeweled belt chain that would make any person there weep in envy. It had been a while since he'd seen her dressed to the nines!

"Um, something came up?" he winced. "I swear I have something in the works though!"

"On your word," Khemrys chuckled softly.

Crap. Right, oaths. He was out of practice avoiding them! Oh hell, what if he started having the 'promises' effect?! THANKS BRAIN! He absolutely needed more to worry about tonight yes. "Aye," he agreed, "on my word. I'll make it up to dad."

"Good. Now...what else do you know of these eve?"

Hmmm, what did he know? "Board of directors has some real sleezeballs on it honestly. At least one or two are drug addicts I think, and they'll have either their spouses or their lovers on hand? And my job is to be charming and get money out of the donors?"

"Ah, such a harsh task," she teased. "A weapon in their hands, sending my son to woo."

"Mooom!" Sheesh. It was weird for her to tease him about how he dated! That was pretty much everyone else! "You'll make blush, then I'll trip over something!"

"Hence the statement now in the safety of the car," she chuckled.

Yes, blushing. "I love you. Dad and Iri will be sad they missed that comment," he snickered. Hell, they'd probably be ad he didn't record the whole night. The whispers started at the door when they passed coats and Khemrys's bag, just speculation, and then he was introducing her to the head of the hospital.

"Mother? Certainly not..." the oily man smiled in an attempt at charm.

"I assure you, I am far too aware of his childhood follies to be aught else," Khemrys smiled, though the expression faded slightly when the man insisted on a dance.

Ugh. he did not expect her to be immediately swept off and that made him kick himself. Yup. Death by dad, letting someone creep on mom..."did you see that? She's an immigrant I hear..." Ah, he blinked, shifting his attention. "Amazing an alien managed someone like Kirion, though it does explain the name..."

"My mother," he noted mildly. "Is a doctor as well." Yet more people to cross off his list yes, though the way the old beldame beyond the gossiping pair smiled meant he absolutely needed to dance with the older woman! From there it was her grandchildren, a charming young man and an equally charming young lady, and a pleasant interlude talking shop with the head of neurosurgery...

...then there was hushed tittering that caught attention. The air was gathering a coll edge he knew from the rare times his mother got angry, and sure enough, she was on the dance floor, a space clearing around her...

...though the laughter wasn't for her. No, that was for one of the shareholders who was turning an interesting shade of purple. It was with a hushed expectancy he watched her peel the man's hand off her arm, then turned his hand just as if she was reading his pulse. Another moment and lifted those fingers to her lips with a wince. Oh hell.

"It seems you are well drugged lord, and not in support of your loins," Khemrys noted softly. "My suggestion is that you sit and abide by common sense, not attempt to ask if I might blend you drugs as well as join a harem that likely only exists in your fantasy."

Go mom!

Still...yeah. He was stepping forward to cut in as the man gaped, amused, "people should be aware of the bonds a wedding ring shows," he agreed.

"Do...do you know who I am?! You insulted the wrong person bitch! I'll see you deported!"

"No," Khemrys noted simply. "A man who so poisons himself is of no consequence. I've no need to know who are."

"Well said," the beldame from earlier noted over the whispers. "Glad to see someone else who can put that old walrus in his place. Young man, I'd like to meet your mother!"

"Yes ma'am!" Ki grinned, sweeping Khemrys off to meet worthwhile people yes! At least things calmed a touch after that? Until it was a touch too calm...

..."nobody move!"

What? See, doctors and rich people didn't carry guns, they didn't...and yet, there was a doctor from Mercy, standing by the door and pressing a gun to a girl's temple. "And shut up!"

This. Oh shit this was why mom had to be here...

He didn't hear all of what the man said honestly, something about his wife leaving him and the damn long hours ruining his life, how it was everyone else's fault or something, then the shooting started. The man was just depressed and stressed and out of his mind...and aiming for the board of directors despite whoever was in the way.

The last shot he kept for himself though.

Then the screaming started. Really, far too much screaming for a room that had doctors in it, then the air chilled again. Thank gods. "If you are not aiding you will move," Khemrys growled, already kneeling by the nearest person bleeding. "My bag, Kirion! And then see to the man who is bubbling!" A center of calm in a panicked party his mother.

And as much as he wanted to be on his knees already helping, she was right, her medical bag would be more useful than an extra few moments from him. He got it at a run, then slid to the next patient, hands flying, "knife and forceps!" The metal found his hands and he nodded as Khemrys tipped something between her patient's lips then joined him. "If I can get the bullets..."

"I have the lungs," Khemrys agreed grimly. Normally they'd send someone with punctured lungs out immediately to the hospital, but there wasn't an EMS crew there yet, and otherwise the man was going to drown on blood before they arrived. Never mind it was the slimy guy who'd been embarrassed earlier.

Lungs.

Bone chips.

Bleeding, so much bleeding, though the others did start on emergency work. Many hadn't handled trauma care in ages, but they could aid at least some. There'd be a lot more DOA without Khem there honestly. Good as he was, well, he wasn't a healer...

...though he had to intercept her hands finally, shaking his head, "he doesn't want to live mom." The shooter had eaten a bullet yes, but given how skulls worked, he was taking a bit of time to stop breathing. "Time to call dad, unless Mattil already has him driving here." He wouldn't put it past the deity honestly. Likely the source of his unease this week.

Damn man could have been clearer in his messages though, for sure.

"I'll do my best to keep people from bugging you to join the hospital staff," he chuckled weakly as police and EMTs finally swarmed in.

"That wouldst be best dear," Khemrys sighed, shuddering slightly at the feel of people still damaged around her, but healing enough to live had been the best use of energy...

"Statements will be fun," he sighed. "Awesome party though right?"

"...you've your father's grim good humor at times," she chuckled softly. It was true!

"Thanks, mom."

"Family, Kirion, means we come at need."

"Aye." He could still thank her though!