Doc looked up over the rim of his coffee cup at the pair that entered. The boy was as eagerly anxious for his assistant's company as usual, and the other, furry one was busy shaking its head and glaring at its companion through the bouquet of weeds in its mouth. The veterinarian lifted his cup higher to disguise the smirk of amusement.
"The brat ain't here," he told the boy in his usual gruff tone. "Late, loud and utterly useless, as usual."
Everyone in that room knew this was a complete lie told only because the subject of the insult wasn't around to defend herself.
Doc lowered his coffee and glared at the wolf. "If you track dirt in here, I'll dock it from your friend's pay, Pest." 'Pest' was his nickname for the werewolf that always came in wolf form to his clinic- accurate enough, as far as he was concerned, but unsuccessful at getting the creature to become annoyed enough to leave him the hell alone. Royce had a nickname, too, just not one he was allowed to use in Charlie's presence.
However, since she wasn't around at the moment, he smirked and said, "And if you had more than two cents rubbing around in that head of yours, you'd get smart and leave the Brat alone, you-"
"OHCRAPIMSORRYISLEPTINAMILATE?" Charlie spilled out at once as she burst through the door, narrowly missing Abbey. "Sorry Abbey."
When she actually looked up to find the room's occupants staring at her, she blinked. "Um... hi? Did I miss anything?"