I've really made a mess of things now Who: Gio and Adam What: Doctor/Patient privileged knowledge When: Sunday Morning Where: Adam and Julianna's home Warnings: None really, talk about wounds
Gio had been in shock for the entire evening and though she'd cleaned up the wound as best she could, she was scared by the time the next morning rolled around. She had her theories, the whole time she'd known Carr playing over in her head as she tried to figure out why he'd bit her. What did it all mean? Was there something that she'd missed, something she'd been too stupid to realize. She always wore that bracelet that Julianna had charmed to suppress her visions and perhaps that was why she'd not been susceptible to figuring out what was going on in the mind of the Scotsman. She was terrified and worried, but more than that, she was confused.
She wasn't really sure what to think about what had happened, trying her best to push her thoughts away as she made the trek over to Adam and Julianna's home. She didn't want to upset her cousin especially since she was pregnant, so she had waited until she knew that Julianna would be at church. Adam was Jewish and he wouldn't have gone. Not wanting to go into the clinic to see any other doctor, not willing to trust anyone else, she parked her car in the driveway and made her way nervously to the door. Tapping lightly on it, she held her other hand over the side of her neck, where it met her shoulder. It was still painful, burning, but it was the dread of what that simple wound meant that had Giovanna nearly in a tizzy at that point. When Adam opened the door, she let out a shaky breath, the horror stricken look still upon her face. "Adam, I need your help. I've really made a mess of things this time."
Adam was relaxing at home while Julianna was at Mass. He was going to fix lunch here in a bit. On the weekends was about the only time his wife ever consented to letting him cook. He was setting up his easel, planning on luring Julianna into posing for him. She was starting to show and he wanted to capture that. He didn’t hear the knocking, but had glanced out the window when he’d heard a car approaching, since it was far too early for Julianna to be back from Church. He didn’t recognize the vehicle and went down to investigate. The last person he expected was his wife’s cousin. She was obviously distressed about something. “Gio?” he said, then stepped back so she could come inside. “What’s wrong?”
She entered the house and once the door was closed behind her, she drew in a shaky breath and let her purse drop to the floor, not really caring that it tumped over and her keys fell out. "Someone bit me," she said firstly, the words being spoken aloud for the first time causing her to feel like it was all happening all over again. "Yesterday, he bit me yesterday and I, I don't know what to do."
He used his powers to retrieve her purse and put everything back in it as he listened to Gio’s explanation. “Bit you?” he repeated. Not exactly a typical complaint, but it was serious enough to have badly shaken the cool lawyer and send her over here in a state. “You were attacked?” Why in the world would she wait for today? Not go to the emergency room when she was attacked...this didn’t make any sense. “Come on and sit down,” he suggested, handing her back her purse before levitating over his bag which was near the door. It sounded like he might need it. “Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”
Gio clutched her purse as if it held her life essence inside of it once he'd handed it back. For a long moment she didn't say anything but merely followed his instructions and sat down, trying to calm herself enough that she could explain. "I met this man in a bar a few days ago," she started. She honestly didn't care how horrible it was going to sound to this man with his beautiful and faithful wife with their fairytale life - well somewhat fairytale, complete with the crazy families and feuding religions. "We hooked up. A few times. And then I had this painter over. He painted and it was time to leave and he got really handsy and I was putting him in his place but the guy I've been sort of seeing showed up and scared him off in a jealous sort of growly thing and then things just started to get out of control. I didn't think anything of it at first because I mean guys get jealous and it was kind of hot and all and I teased him a little about the jealousy and I don't really know how it happened but he bit me."
How else could she really explain it all? "I think he's a were. Not really sure what sort, but as soon as he bit me, he freaked out. He just ran away. Terrified. Horrified. I haven't seen or heard from him since and I... I don't know what to do or what happened and I didn't know who to turn to. I couldn't just go into the hospital and give them this story. I wasn't attacked. I was a willing participant and it just got out of hand and it's not like he mauled me to death or something it was just..." And here she was making excuses without even knowing why. "I've lost my mind."
Adam wasn’t judging. Yeah, he had a beautiful, faithful, wonderful wife and they had a pretty storybook relationship. But they’d also pretty much consummated said relationship on her couch while dinner was cooking before their first official date. Not to mention running off and elope because Julianna had gotten pregnant before they could even get their families to agree on what kind of flowers to have. He really, really was in no place to judge anyone else’s life, even if he was inclined to.
He was much more concerned about infection, diseases, and worse still, if it was an were, if it was one of the animals that mated for life. Not only for Gio, but the were himself. If he had taken off, he could be literally going insane from the separation. “Let me see the bite,” he told her. “You don’t have to explain yourself. Or him. So long as it was consensual, that’s all that matters. You should have gone to the hospital last night. If you won’t press charges, there’s nothing any well meaning medical staff member can do about it. Just for future reference.”
Gio hadn't been doing much thinking the previous night, too confused and shocked from the situation to be able to coherently form thoughts. "I cleaned it last night, after I picked myself up and could think to do as much. I've been kind of in a haze since it all happened," she explained as she removed her turtleneck sweater to reveal the tanktop beneath. The tank hid nothing, not the fainter bruises from other romps with Carr and certainly not the bandaged bite. Slowly she peeled the bandage off, folding it up a bit as she turned her head, pulling her hair out of the way. "Is there a way to tell anything from the bite?" she asked. "Or anything else about him..?"
“You should have at least called me last night,” he said. “I know you don’t want Julianna to worry, but she’s pretty used to me getting called in at all hours.” Luckily they had some time until his wife was home from church. Adam shook his head at her question. “No, you when you cleaned it you would have washed away any DNA, sorry. “Unless you can think of anything from his behavior. Growly jealous and scaring people isn’t much to go on.”
The bite in question was fairly deep, and the most worrying injury. The other marks were basically typical of rough sex and not anything that wouldn’t resolve themselves with a few good soaking baths and some time. “The human mouth is full of nasty bacteria,” he explained as he started looking the injury over. “You don’t need any stitches, but it’s weeping, which means it might get infected.” He started digging out items to clean it properly with. “Worse still, it’s in an area where there isn’t much blood circulation. That doesn’t help it your body clean it either.” Still, it could be much worse. “Just make sure when you soak, your shoulder is under the water for at least 15 minutes. It’ll help keep it clean. Change the gauze if it becomes soiled and try not to aggravate it. Unpacking can wait a few more days. Or we can help you.” He carefully taped a new bandage over it. “Take that off at bedtime if you haven’t needed to change it beforehand. It’ll need to breathe.”
Gio let him clean the wound and bandage it again, trying to think of more personality quirks that might help her figure out more about Carr. "I'm not an encyclopedia for weres," she said after a moment. "But I know that him running off wasn't a good sign and he didn't attack me horribly enough for it to be a cursed situation so what was he running from?" The only possible explanation wasn't really one she wanted to think of, but it was the only one that really made any sense. "How many types of weres mate for life?" she questioned, eyes flicking up to her cousin-in-law. "What happens if they leave their mate?" She'd read about weres here and there but she'd never really needed to study them in depth, at least not until that moment.
Adam had been avoiding that part until he’d gotten her injuries dealt with. Closing his bag, he gave her a look. “I’m trying to help you here,” he reminded her. “No, running off wasn’t a good sign at all. I have no idea. He might have been upset because he mated himself to a nearly complete stranger. Lifemating isn’t something weres do lightly. For obvious reasons.” The list was pretty extensive. “Quite a few,” he admitted. “It depends on the animal type. It’s fairly common among birds especially. Wolves, some species of cats. I doubt anyone’s come close to making an exhaustive list.” The next question was harder. “They can’t,” he said simply. “The bond is too strong. The longer he’s away from you, the more insane it will drive him. If he’s a cursed were, it could force him to shift and go on a rampage. We need to find this guy, for his own good. Do you have his phone number or know his full name?”
Gio felt a little like she was going to be sick. Carr didn't seem to her to be anything like a bird or a cat, but the growling he'd done several times with her was more like a wolf than anything else Adam had listed. She wasn't certain, but that was the hunch she had at the moment. "I have his phone number but I wasn't really sure what to do. I mean if he ran off I didn't think he wanted to talk to me. And I have the name he gave me, first and last, but I couldn't even tell you if it was the truth or a lie. I honestly don't know much about him at all. He drives a motorcycle, he's been living in a hotel room or something like that. He'll come back if he's mated himself to me, won't he?" She hoped he would because regardless of what they'd have to do from that point on, she didn't want anything bad to happen to the man.
At least she could contact him if necessary. “I don’t think he’ll be able to stay away,” Adam said. “We don’t even know if that was a mating bite or if he just had a moment of near shifting and was afraid he’d hurt you and took off. Or combination of the two, if he’s a cursed were still having trouble with his control.” Adam shook his head. “I’m sorry, there aren’t a lot of hard and fast answers until you know what kind of were he is.” Not to mention if it was a mating bite, the overall repercussions.
Adam was right. It may not even be a mating bite at all. There was a good chance that he was just a cursed were of some sort, one that didn't mate for life, that had just gotten frightened because he'd almost shifted. That could be the simple explanation to the whole situation. Carr could have just been afraid he'd hurt her and unsure of what to do. "I guess the only thing I can do is call him and try and get through. Maybe leave a message. If he doesn't respond all I can do is wait and hope that he comes back."
Adam nodded. “Probably best,” he admitted. “Even to let him know you’re all right as well. I imagine he’s concerned, but expects you to be angry or afraid of him.” She had every right to be both if she wanted. But Gio seemed more concerned about the were than afraid or angry at him. “If you need anything, let me know. Especially if the bite becomes infected. I can do some research about weres for you, but really, your best information is going to be from the horse’s mouth. Or whatever kind of were he is.” He quirked a little smile, so she knew he was joking. “If it comes down to it, I know a good psychiatrist I can refer you to.” Which was also another half joke. Some levity was needed here. Oy vey.
Gio drew in a shaky breath, brushing her hand through her hair as she tried to let the gravity of the situation sink in on her. "This whole situation is absolutely insane. If it is a mating bite I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. Saying 'sorry, I'm not sure I want someone attached to me for the rest of eternity, can't help you' isn't something I think I could live with myself for saying. If it's a mating bite, we're going to have to figure things out and my whole life likely just got a hell of a lot more complicated." She shook her head a little as she let her hands fall into her lap. "Please don't tell Julianna about this whole mess, not until I know for sure whether it's a mating bite or not. I don't want to be the reason that she goes into a tizzy. Especially right now."
“That unfortunately isn’t really an option as far as I know,” Adam admitted honestly. “The psychiatrist I was talking about can explain the bond and it’s effects better, he specializes in mental healthcare for supernaturals. Part of the reason I made that comment. As far as I know, the bond is permanent and the were has no choice in the matter. That might have been part of the reason he bolted. He’s aware of what he’s done and the guilt possibly made him run away. I don’t know, I leave that kind of speculation to Rupert. I just patch people up, fixing their minds his job.” He wished he could be more helpful or reassuring, but he didn’t have that kind information off the top of his head.
“No, not telling Julianna any of this unless we have to,” he agreed. “I wasn’t planning on it anyway. She’s already trying to push herself too much because she can’t find a job. If we’re being honest, I’m about ready to bust her worldview by saying the expectation of two income household when there are children involved is a ridiculous one, especially considering I’m a clinical doctor and making more money than I have in my life. She doesn’t need to work, which will give her more time to be a mother and still have time for her research and whatever else she wants to do.” Adam hadn’t meant to dump on Gio, but Julianna’s insistence she wasn’t contributing because she wasn’t working and trying to make up for it by overcommitting herself was driving him insane. “Sorry, the last thing you need right now was all of that.”
"Honestly? I think I'd rather be dealing with Julianna's insane need to do everything than all of my ridiculous drama," Gio admitted with a little sigh. "I'll talk to her about the overworking. She's putting way too much stress on herself and it's unneeded. She should be focusing on thinking of names for the baby and buying maternity clothes than how many projects she can take on all at once." Gio loved her cousin, but that woman always had far too much on her plate at once for her own good. "Some things never change and Julianna's need to please is one of them. I love her, but she's the busiest little bee in the universe, I swear it."
It was so much easier to talk about Julianna than to think about Carr and what the bite meant. At the moment all she could really do was wait and see so worrying wasn't doing anyone any good. She'd call him when she got home and leave a message if nothing else.
“I bet,” he agreed. “To be honest, you are taking this whole mess incredibly well. If all my patients were as calm and rational as you, I wouldn’t come crawling home to my wife on Friday night thanking the Almighty for Shabbat requirements and giving her to me because of some of the things I deal with.” He gave her a wry grin, then sobered. “I’ve tried to be reasonable, I’ve tried pointing out that in a couple of weeks, there’s a good chance fatigue and morning sickness will take away her decision. I do not want to guilt trip her with being pregnant to get her to slow down. It’s just that one point that’s driving me nuts, because it gives her the perfect excuse to overcommit herself to a thousand things. I don’t want her to be bored, but for the love everything sane, she wants to come into the office I come home from everyday looking like I got run over from and work there to help out.” Yeah, Adam was overwhelmed here and not afraid to admit it. Now he apparently had an ally at least.
"I've spent years learning to look at things from every possible angle so I can attack them," she pointed out with a little laugh. "Being calm is my coping mechanism." And wasn't that the truth. "Freaking out isn't going to help me and it's certainly not going to help Carr and at the moment there isn't a damn thing I can do but wait and see and try and call him." She let out a breath and shrugged a little before pushing those thoughts away and focusing on Julianna instead.
"I don't want her to be bored either, but I don't know if working at the clinic would be good for her considering how much goes on there. It's a busy environment and it worries me that she might be putting herself in a position to be greatly overwhelmed." Which was an understatement to say the least. "Maybe I can talk her out of working at the clinic in favor of helping me with paperwork or something. I can keep her busy without shoving her into a situation that's too much for her. It'd just be the two of us at my house in my office. Compromise right?"
Adam nodded and opted to drop the subject rather than commend Gio on her positive, sane attitude again. Right now she needed to distract herself from the situation. And she was offering him a feasible alternative to Julianna’s need to constantly be busy. “You’d think keeping me organized was enough of a full time job for her,” he muttered dryly. “I am very absent minded. I have never been so organized, well fed and generally focused my entire life. Because of her. I don’t mind her volunteering for a couple of hours a week. But that’s not what she has in mind. And I do not want to the pull the ‘I’m your doctor too, and I said no.’ card every time it looks like she’s going even start overdoing it. As bad as this sounds, I am praying the latter part of her first trimester forces her to slow down. The last thing I want to do is put her on bedrest later on because she pushed herself too hard in the beginning. Also, right now, her chances of miscarriage are highest and she needs to rest and build up her reserves for the rest of the pregnancy. Not run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to make up for an ideal I’ve already told her I don’t put any stock in. Oy vey.”
Gio reached over and gently patted Adam's shoulder. "Julianna's always the one constant thing in my life that never changes. She's always put way too much on herself and I doubt she'll change that much now, but hey, you might not want to pull the doctor card, but I'll certainly pull the 'I'm your cousin and I said so' card," she smiled. "She might not like what I have to say, but I think she'll listen to me. Especially when she realizes that she could end up on bedrest because of all her overworking now. I'll talk to her. As soon as this has healed a little and I figure out my situation, I'll invite her over and have a nice long cousin to cousin talk." She hoped that would be enough to get Julianna to slow down a little. She didn't want her to stop entirely or anything of the sort, but a little less responsibility would be helpful for her.
“Thanks, Gio,” he said. “Take care of your business first. She hasn’t started overdoing it yet, so I have been holding back the ‘miscarriage and bedrest’ threats for when she does overcommit herself. I already laid down the law on the volunteering. She helps me enough with my work by consulting with magical solutions and alternative therapies for tough cases. Her mothers’ support group has all of my maternity patients in it and that’s helping all of them I’m sure. I just feel like something’s missing and she’s trying to fill that void and-” Adam shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m thinking, except I’m worried she’s going to overdo it and miscarry right now. Which would be devastating in about every way thinkable.”
"We won't let anything happen to her or to that baby," Gio assured him with a gentle smile. "If anyone can keep Julianna in line, it's me," she teased. "You don't worry yourself into fits over this either, you've got enough on your plate as it is. I'll handle Julianna's need to overachieve soon enough. Give her some boundaries or something. She's an organized little thing so she'll eat up a schedule to keep. Only so many hours a week doing somewhat strenuous things and what not. Then everyone will be happy and there'll be no risk to the baby and you can stop worrying your cute little head about it."
Adam looked a Gio a little woefully. “I’ll figure something out,” he said. “I don’t want to give her exact perimeters, because I am pretty sure she’s going to try to find loopholes. I am far outgunned in the organization area here. Plus its not an exact science. What I consider strenuous and what she does are two entirely different things.” Yeah, he was talking in circles. “It’s our first child. I might be a doctor and delivered more babies in my life than most people will ever see, but I am also a first time father and just as overwhelmed and out of sorts as every other first time father. So take some of my worry with a grain of salt. Because the more she tries to do, the more I’m going to worry.”
Gio smiled a little. "I understand," she told him. "But all that worry is going to just make you an even better father. You obviously love my cousin and that baby and as overwhelming as it is now, everything is going to work out just fine in the end. In a few months you'll be able to fuss over the baby instead of Julianna," she grinned. "And I get to spoil the baby unbelievably because that's what my job is." Gio was honestly looking forward to the impending birth of her cousin's child if only because she'd been planning to lavish it with attention from the second she'd heard of the pregnancy.
“No, then I’ll be fussing over both of them,” he corrected. “Because you know she’ll go right back into overdoing it. I’ve pretty much accepted this is going to be a lifetime struggle for us. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” He grinned a bit and patted Gio on the hand. “I’m glad you’re here. Julianna needs her family around more than she wants to admit. It’s one of the things I am sorry for. That our marriage alienated so many of them. I’m hoping the baby will mend some fences for her.” Even though it was just going to cause more with his family. It was a trade-off he could live with. “Thanks for listening to me vent when you came for advice and medical care. You help me more today than I helped you.”
He had a point. Julianna would be overdoing it always, from now until she was ninety likely. Gio chuckled a little and nodded. "You're absolutely right. She's been overdoing it since we were little and it isn't going to change." She smiled a little more when he patted her hand. "Thank you," she murmured. "They'll come around, I'm sure. Family is family and everyone loves a baby so I think that they'll suck it up and get over it. Once they see that cute little face, everything else will be unimportant." She firmly believed that all the fences would be mended as soon as the baby came into the world. "You're welcome. I guess I should get out of here before Julianna comes home," she said as she slipped her sweater back on, careful not to dislodge the bandages. "Thank you for all your help, Adam."
It was one of her endearing and still most frustrating traits. Adam didn’t want to change his wife, but he really did want her to slow down and worry more about herself and their baby than anything or anyone else. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Like you just said, family is family. Not a problem. But Almighty forbid, if this ever happens again, come see me right away. No questions asked, I swear. Having a doctor in the family comes with some perks. You’re allowed to take advantage of that.”
She smiled again and stood up, chuckling a little. "Well I hope that it doesn't happen again. Could you imagine if another were bit me? Talk about a love triangle. I don't want to have to go through this again if I can avoid it." She was just hoping that she could center herself a little and figure out where Carr had gone. Hopefully she could track him down and at least find out what sort of were he was. Picking up her purse, she slipped it on her shoulder and bent enough to give Adam a little hug. "Thank you again," she murmured. "I'll keep you posted. And I might need that therapist's number after all."
Adam chuckled dryly. “Oy, don’t even go there,” he said. “That’d end with a body. Let’s not do that.” He hoped Gio could track him down as well, and that he wasn’t a type of were that mated for life. That was the best case scenario. “You’re welcome and thanks again to you, too,” he said as he returned the hug, then stood up to walk her to the door. “Oh...” Adam immediately started digging through his bag again for where he’d put the cards he kept for referrals. “Oy vey. I told you I was forgetful.” Giving up, he dug out his phone and queued up Rupert’s number. “Cellphones are one of the most fantastic inventions ever. Here.”
Gio couldn't help but laugh a little as she took out her own phone and programmed in Rupert's number. "You two are certainly a match made in heaven," she murmured once she'd finished typing Rupert's name and saving it in her phone. "I'll see you later, Adam. Get some relaxation in before Julianna comes home."
“We are,” he agreed with a dopey little completely smitten smile. He tucked his own phone away when she was done. “I was setting up my easel when you came over. I’m going to try to get her to let me paint her.” Which wasn’t exactly all that relaxing, but it definitely was stress relieving. “See you later, Gio.”