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When Lulu arrived, the sky was still high in the sky. A clinic like this worked business hours (except Thursdays). Once upon a time, Doctor McKenna felt guilty about that. As if she belonged in something of higher octane. That only occasional emergency calls made her job somehow less important. But, as her daughter grew, she was grateful. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle Mikky on top of everything else.

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Still, that guilt drove the young doctor to play a doormat. A volunteer was needed to go do field work? A more experienced doctor wanted help with paperwork? Aubre wouldn’t hesitate to take the figurative bullet. That team-player attitude explained why she was still hard at work in the back when the knocking echoed back. That and she always tried to give the people the benefit of the doubt.
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Which, in this case, worked out to roughly 20 minutes.

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As the doctor jerked her eyes up, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Was that her patient? She glanced down at her watch—as if it’d matter that the woman was late. It wasn’t like she’d left the exam room yet. “Al, can you let them in?” With an exaggerated sigh, the lizard pushed himself from the doorframe. “Lisk.” He flashed a thumbs-up in return for her gratitude.
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Like an animal at the zoo, the electric type peered out at Lulu. A scaled brow jerked upward as he spotted the dead Joltik on her head. From his little pouch, he pulled out a little notepad. Pretending like he didn’t see her, he wrote a little message on the paper. “You’re late.” His frill expanded irritably. If this shit went on, he’d miss 90 Day Fiance. “We’re closed.” The notepad was changed to a smartphone. He yawned and tapped away.

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Then, he smirked.
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Through the door, the Rocket could hear a song: [break][break]



Look over here, we’ve got an analog clock[break]
It has hands that go around and do not stop[break]
And look right here, we’ve got a digital clock[break]
With more numbers, and it can talk![break]
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Unfortunately, so could Aubre. An uncharacteristic annoyance was audible. “Alastor!” With narrowed eyes, the Heliolisk turned the lock. The automatic doors slid open. With a shake of his head, the little dragon held up three fingers. He pointed down the hall: Exam Room 3. The redhead’s voice echoed down the hall. “You can come on back, Miss Amsel.”
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Alastor’s breath escaped in a defeatist sigh. Whatever. If his sister wanted to be a sucker, that was her right.

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Hopefully, this place had other channels.

NOTES

✦ Please leave Al a review on Yelp.