Secrets

Rachel Wood

Rachel Wood stood in front of the full-length mirror in the female's locker room at Oceanside Regional Medical Center: Magic Division. She leaned forward in the mirror to line her eyes. She liked to call them a gift from her father, they were a typical blue. However, her pupils were perfectly round and black with bits of gold shooting from the north and south edges, giving them the illusion of having the eyes of a cat.

They complimented her lightly tanned skin beautifully. As the moon got fuller her eyes became more golden. He always told her she was batty for observing such things, that it was her mother from whom she had inherited her iris', she always just shook her head with a laugh at the notion.

The man had no self-esteem sometimes.

Rachel sighed and shook her head as she slid on her lime green training coat over her dark slacks and blouse.

"Three more days," she thought to herself, "three more days."

Three more days until she could take the analysis exam and start her work.

Rachel pocketed a few extra pens and clipped her employee badge to her lapel, closed her locker and walked out to the adjoining break room.

"Finally," snapped her best friend, Megan Ballias.

Megan was Rachel's first real friend and probably the only person who knows more about her than just her name. She was smart as a whip but too shy for her own good. It's no wonder she chose to work in the maternity ward. Adult interaction was limited.

Megan was married to Ben Ballias. Rachel was still unsure of how that happened. All she knew was one day Megan had tripped over her feet in front of him and one dorm party later they were inseparable. They married just after they finished at the academy, he graduated top of the class in law enforcement, and they just welcomed their first beautiful little one Chase Matthew.

"It's your first day back from maternity leave and you're already on my case?" Laughed Rachel as she went to pour herself a cup of coffee. "How is Chase?"

"I'm excited to be back!" Megan exclaimed loudly, "he's doing well. The nanny has all the contact information on how to get a hold of all of us..."

"All of us?"

"Yes, all of us, you're his godmother you dolt, of course you need to be contacted if she can't get a hold of Ben or me," Megan said with a huff.

Rachels retort was cut short by the appearance of Madam Reinhold. She was the floor supervisor in the maternity ward and a tough bird to work for. Rachel always enjoyed Megan's rants about her on their girl's nights. A soft smile graced her lips as she looked at the girls fresh and ready for their twelve-hour shift.

"Doctor Wood, I've acquired orders for you to work in our ward this evening," she said with a nod. Rachel's eyebrows rose with interest, she had never worked in the maternity ward. It was a specialist only area.

"I've been watching you these last few months and your spell skills and knowledge has impressed me. It's time to add another field to your growing resume. Also, our resident analyst is out ill with the dragon pox for the next week and we need an expert in the field."

"But I'm not a registered..." She began but Madam Reinhold cut her off.

"My dear you may not me a fully registered analyst just yet but you're all we've got on shift tonight. I've seen your work dear, you're a shoe in for the position."

"I'm honored Madame Reinhold, thank you," Rachel said still slightly shocked at the revelation.

"Don't let it go to your head dear, you're an extra on the floor downstairs tonight. It was either send you up here or send you home. You still have a required number of hours left on your residency before you can move on," The woman said with a nod as she turned on her heels to walk away.

"Wow," Rachel mouthed to Megan and they both shared a silent giggle while walking to the nurse's station to get their orders for the day.

"Ben and I missed you at dinner last night," Megan hinted lightly at her best friend.

"That was not a dinner Meg," Rachel pointed out, "it was another attempt to hook me up with yet another mindless troll of a friend of your husbands disguised as a social gathering."

"Rach we just don't like seeing you alone. Besides, how do you know he was a mindless troll?"

"When are they not? Two words for you Deidrick Valentene"

"Well for all you know last night it could have been his best friend," Megan said matter-of-factly not even looking up from the file in her hand.

"Bull shit," scoffed Rachel, "he's got enough going on with all his, what is it they call it 'baby mamma drama' that he hasn't a moment for some silly little dinner party."

Megan sighed "look, Rach, you're beautiful and you know all you have to do is say the word and Ben will introduce you. Besides he's eighty-five percent sure the baby isn't his."

Rachel held back a laugh "just eighty-five? Meg, I had a schoolgirl crush. The graduation party was almost four years ago. My pride has been healed there is nothing more to it."

"Yeah but..."

"No sweetie, no buts I wasn't enough back then I won't be enough now. Not that big of a deal. Thank you for worrying about me. I know that you and your meddlesome husband only mean well," Rachels smile grew serious, "but I beg of you please, let it go."

"But Rach..."

"We have work to do deary, we best get to it," with that the subject was dropped.