Justice swiped her staff card through the door scanner and finished pulling on her white coat while she waited for the door to open. The beginning of another shift at the hospital, with nothing to do once again. She had some paperwork to do and then rounds, but that was standard and boring. She needed something of interest after Rodger showing up at the pard house peppered with silver shot the other day. She needed something that required her to think.

Walking into the Surgical Assessment ward, she slipped her stethascope around her neck and drew a pen out of the breast pocket, picking up the first chart. Facial burns, waiting for skin grafts, standard drug cocktail. She checked his vitals then moved onto the rest of the patients.

42 minutes and three gunshot repairs, one racial reconstruct, five plastic surgery botch corretions and one lycan attack resulting in the need for corrective surgery later, Justice left the ward and walked into A&E to see if she could be useful.

A faint sound emits from Adriana's purse. She reaches for her cell phone as she is driving to meet her new-found rookie partner. The caller ID of the phone read “Dumbass”, she smirked as she answered the call from the rookie. “I'm almost there. You can't wait 5 more minutes till I get there before pestering me?”
“I tried to start without you, but it doesn't feel right. Something is wrong. What the...what is..Oh my God a pack of ghouls!” The phone drops with a thud and all Adriana hears is a fading “Shit, shit, shit shit...”

She floored it, heading to Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery. She arrived in time to see her partner running for his life in front of a pack of ghouls. He disappeared under a mass of decaying flesh and rotting mouthes. She ran to her car to get the gun she kept in the glove compartment for emergencies. This qualified as an emergency. Her aim wasn't very good, but she caught one right off the shoulder. The mass turned to her and began running to their next meal.

She tried to run, but wasn't dressed for the occasion wearing a dress and heels. Dumbass was suppose to do all the work and I was to supervise, I see this didn't work out as planned. Her heel got caught in a wet patch of grass and she tried to wiggle herself free before her assailants were on top of her. One daring ghoul jumped at her, she threw up her arm so he didn't attack anything truly vital such as her neck. She screamed out in pain as his teeth sunk into her arm.

-*-*-*-*
Jonathan heard the distinct sound of a a gunshot coming from the cemetery. Normally one or the other wouldn't cause Jon to veer of course from where he was heading but together could mean only thing. Another animator had found the pack of ghouls that were on the News this morning.

“Why cant people mind their own business about the dead and just let them rest... but noooooo they had to go mucking around in something that wasn't theirs. Fine fine fine fine fine fine fine you win I get to be the hero again.”
He quickly brought his beat up pick up off to the side of the road and jumped out of the car that was when he heard the quite feminine scream. He couldn't help but judge by the pitch and length of the scream that it had to be a cute, petite animator of some kind.

“At this rate i might actually get laid this century”

His muscles started to slide in and out, replacing some of the more human ones so that he could move quicker then even the average lycanthrope. Partial shifting did come in handy. No sense scaring the poor girl and ruining a good pair of jeans. Bounding over grave stone, shack and through wooded area he was there within seconds of the scream. He answered it with a roar of his own. Leaning his head back he let his beast flow to the surface and bellowed a long leonine roar.

The ghouls, cowardly as ever, ran. He darted over to the petite frame smelling blood, flesh and food. She smelt like food. Pushing the beast down he grabbed her and picked her up into his arms in one powerful stroke.

“Stay calm miss, we will get you to the hospital.”

He turned with her in his arms to his still running pick up truck to head to the hospital.

_*_*_*_*

“The name is Adriana and we better hurry before whatever made that roar starts heading toward us, it did scare the ghouls away.” she said weakly. As he began to drive to the hospital she would grip his arm with her left hand both in agony and in fear of how much blood she has lost and may loose. Her silver bracelet was pressed against his skin while she held his arm and when they finally arrived at the hospital he also had fingernail marks in his arm as well.

_*_*_*_*_*

Jonathan could not help but tense when he felt the silver of the bracelet touch his arm. He could feel the rash all ready begin to surface. That rash turned into a delightful imprint of a near open sore by the time they arrived at the hospital. He drove the truck practically on the sidewalk of the emergency room doors slipping out of the car and away from that evil bracelet

He then picked up the hopefully unconscious woman and ran into the ER.

“I need a Doctor STAT”

He didn't know what stat meant but it sure did sound good from what he heard about it on T.V.



[ooc = Co written and approved by Johnathan]

The sound of squealing tires and the scents of a lion and a human drew Justice at a sprint to the front doors of the A&E. The first thing she saw was the man, who was also the source of the lion scent, holding a woman with a large bite on her arm that was bleeding freely.

Resisting the temptation to roll her eyes at the TV-inspired phrase, she led the man to a bed and dragged a trolley with bandages, needles and other needed things. Lifting the semi-concious woman out of the lion's arms easily, she gently laid her on the bed and propped her arm up so that the bloodflow would at least slow long enough for her to get gloves on and a tourniquet. As she was pulling the gloves on she spoke in a stern voice, a warning that should she not get the truth about what happened then she was in posession of sharp objects.

"What happened to her?"

Without pausing she swiftly started cleaning the wound, using her lycan speed to get it done before the woman bled out on her.

As she felt herself being lifted, she forces her brain to clear as she hears the words “What happened to her?”

She begins to speak but it comes out quietly, then she tries again with her voice louder and more audible. “My name is Adriana and its an occupational hazard. I was attacked by a ghoul after they attacked my partner...he didn't survive, I am sure of it especially after that thing roared they must have ran the other way to finish what they started.”

As the doctor began to work on her arm she winced at the pain, but said nothing and let the doctor work.

She closed her eyes and tried to not concentrate the pain and instead notices a different feel around her, an energy flowing on her skin. But this was different than when she walked into a graveyard and felt the dead. She opens her eyes and noticed the swiftness the doctor was working with. Her eyes widen, but not in fear, they widen in intrigue of this other energy flow.

"Ok Adriana, I got you. You are in the hospital...you have and still are loosing a lot of blood so I am working as fast as I can to get this patched up before you bleed out on me. Try to stay awake...and don't close your eyes again. Focus on my face or this gentleman's, or on the lights...anything that will keep your brain working and away from passing out."


Continuing to move at a blur of speed, Justice had finished cleaning the wound and was half done with stitching it up by the time she had finished talking. The job was not rushed...her stitches were perfect and the wound cleaner than the hospital itself, but she just happened to have done it at a blinding speed.

Jonathan stepped back from were the nurse was working. She smelled of leopard of that he was sure and she was good, real good. This place was lucky to have her but like most things had they found out what she was that would be it. The law said it was wrong but they could always find something that would force the ones trying to help out.

Jon's lion rose with that anger before the man reigned it and his anger in. This was not the place to let that out. He would have to go hunting and soon, it was one of the few ways he could let the beast out and the two of them could truly run. He instead watched the leopard work, noting her confidence and strength. He stopped the lion before it could react to that thought, he understood it though all too well.

He instead took a step back and watched, speaking softly in the native tongue of the pueblo Indians. It was a chant he had learned for when a hunter had come back injured, the tribe would sing the chant as the medicine women worked on his wounds.

Finishing the stitching and breaking off the thread, Justice slowed as she felt the first prickle of energy coming from the lion before it was hastily shoved back down. Turning to look at him, she frowned slightly then started to wipe the wound with a cream to keep the germs off and the skin supple in the stitches before moving onto the bandages.

Jonathan gave a slight shrug as the the nurse looked back to him. He could not keep control of his beast at all times especially with the extraordinary events that have happened in the past few days. He gave his most disarming smile and reached to his back pocket to pull out one of his business cards.

“I am just in the way, I don't belong here that much is obvious make sure when she is fully conscious she gets this for me. I have a feeling she is going to want to know what happened out there.”

He set the card on the edge of the bed, turned and left the hospital. If anyone there knew what he was he would have been forcibly escorted out. It was far easier this way.

Adriana, now stitched up and no longer losing any blood, fell, not into something in between sleeping and unconsciousness. She awoke, not knowing how long she had slept, to a nurse bustling about the many machines to make sure she was still alive. Adriana glanced around the room for the man who had, well she hated to use the term, but rescued her, and did not find him.

She started to think of all the events that happened, but much of it was a blur of rotting flesh trying to eat her. She stopped thinking about that as soon as it had entered her mind. Adriana forced a glance down toward her bandaged arm and winced, but not from pain, she hated being helpless and having her dominate arm injured she would have to reschedule many of her clients that she had missed because of her incident this morning.

At the thought of work, she immediately looked around for her cell phone, her boss Rick must think she just up and left her clients stranded for no good reason, after all she hadn't been working in his office for more than 2 weeks.

Politely she asked the nurse if she could have her cell phone. The nurse rolled her eyes and shook her head. Adriana reached for the bedside phone to call Rick and let him know his newest animator was in the hospital and the rookie he hired yesterday is dead. The thought sobered her up and she shook her head to get rid of the memory. Adriana thought to herself, it is the hazards of the job. She made one more phone call to the Miami PD and decided she would like to speak with her doctor to thank her.

Nodding and motioning for the lion to put his card on the trolley along with the bloody gauze, thread and salve or on the bed, Justice turned back to her now sleeping patient with only a slight thought about that smile of his.

"I will contact you as soon as she wakes up, do not worry."

---------

Upon being alerted that Adriana had woken up, Justice called the man who was apparantly called Jonathan according to the card, and told him that she had woken up and was alright, she went in to check on the woman and came in just as she was hanging up the phone.

"Good morning Adriana...how do you feel?"

At he sight of the smiling doctor, Adriana herself couldnt help but smile as well. Looking down at her arm, “I could be better” then added “but I could be worse as well.”

“May I have your name? You did an excellent job and you worked so fast” she said in praise.

“I have one more question for you, do you know what has become of my rescuer? He seems to have disappeared and I have not given him the proper thanks either.”

Moving to check her arm and change the bandage, Justice smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you lost much more blood and you would of been amongst your dead friends. My name is Justice, and thank you. I had to though, and it was nothing for me as you know in terms of speed."

Pausing midway through taking the bandage off her arm, she looked at Adriana for a moment then shrugged.

"Your lion friend left just before you passed out...said he was just in the way but to call him when you woke up. He left his card and I called him before coming to check on you, here you go."

Handing her the card to her good arm, she lifted her other by the wrist gently and examined it. The stitches looked fine, she was healing well. She couldn't smell any infection or fresh blood, so it seemed it would be alright if not for the long but thin scar that was going to form.

Adriana took the card smiling at Justice. As she examined her arm she read the card, “So he is a lion…that explains a lot that happened. I can usually tell with lycans, but I didn’t feel anything from him.”

As the doctor finished her examination Adriana tilted her head toward the doctor, “I am sorry to be such a business woman right now, but when will I be released? I have some very upset clients I need to reschedule with and my boss is not too happy about what happened today.” She laughed a little “And I will be able to get back to work right? I am right handed, but I can use my left as well, its just a tad bit slower.”

[ooc - loving the new signature...beautiful scenery]

"I thought you realised he was a lion...you didn't seem worried when you noticed I was a shifter too and I just assumed you knew him from before. As for work...you will be released later today, but I don't want you slicing up your arm anymore than you have to please...I will have to track you down and drag you back here if you get yourself into a state like that again."

Frowning slightly as she taped the last of the bandage down, Justice tried not to get angry and ask who her boss was but merely spoke in her usual firm but soft tones.

"I would think your boss would be able to excuse you for being attacked and being rushed to hospital...i'd like to see him working after something like that..."

[ooc- Thanks! Glad you like it!]


“I have never met him before, but I definetley want to meet him again. I do not get worried by such things as shifters or other world-ly things. Being an animator I know how it feels to be a little different,” Adriana smiled up at the doctor.

“Well, to be honest its not just my boss who wants me back at work” she looked down away from Justice as to not get a lecturing look. “I promise I will be careful and not injure my arm any more.”

After signing her release papers and telling Justice thank you and good bye one last time, Adriana walks out of the hospital to go home forgetting one tiny little detail...her car was still at the cemetery. She walks back inside the hospital cursing under her breath and spots Justice again.

“Justice,” she hesitates “I know this is awkward, but you are the only person around here I know, is there any way you could give me a ride home?” She hurriedly adds, "If not I can always call I cab, but I would prefer to share the ride with someone I know."

Smiling, Justice stood back and let Adriana's arm back onto the bed gently. Watching her leave a short while later, she was just filing away the papers when the rather flustered looking necromancer came back and spoke to her.

"Oh no it is no problem, just give me five minutes and my shift will be over. You can sit over there while you wait...I will be back soon."

Walking briskly towards her locker, she tossed her coat into her locker and pulled on he street jacket of soft brown swede, matching the brown trousers, boots and cream wool top. Walking back out to find Adriana, she smiled and stood while she waited for her to stand.

"Ok, follow me."

Walking out to Justice's vehicle Adriana explained that her car was left at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery. While Justice drove to the cemetery, Adriana made small talk. “I hope to not seem rude, but the man who brought me in” she looks down at the card “Jonathan, you said he is a lion. Are you the same?” She also asked about how she came to be a doctor before arriving at her car.

She thanked Justice for helping her far more than a doctor should have and gave her her business card if she ever needed a animator or a friend. Adriana climbed in her to go home and rest before facing her office tomorrow morning and all those clients of hers.

"You mean am I a lion or another shapeshifter? I am a leopard...but we are both cats so I knew it wasn't a cat bite. Cats go for the stomach or legs mostly, dogs the throat, same with foxes but they also try for the tongue. Cat bites are wider and have longer canines so the front looks more teared and is deeper than the back...and wow..really not helpful. What did attack you then?"

Answering questions and at the same time learning about ghouls, Justice found the drive to the cemetary one of the nicest ones she had had in a while. Taking her card with a happy smile, she made note to call Adriana at some point before sliding it into her pocket and driving back to the Pard house.