Shakedown
by Ellie Dauber (c) 2003

The Ace-High Lounge was in its early evening lull, between the “I’ll just stop off for a quick drink on the way home” crowd and the “Let’s go out tonight and have a few drinks” crowd. A few people were scattered here and there through the room, trying to decide which group they wanted to be in.

A beefy man, about forty, in a police uniform, walked in and headed quietly over to the bar. “Your boss around?” he asked the bartender.

“In the office,” the bartender said. “You want I should get him?”

CHAPTER 37
I must admit I have had many evenings a lot worse than that one, and very few better. By the time I got home (by way of the all-night shop for a tin of cocoa, of course) my laughter had toned itself down to smiles, but only just. Whatever Deb was doing was working. Only a few of the girls had given me any idea as to what had happened in their past, but they were all transgender and each one had been hurt,

Raben returned to the tabernae then headed to a bed in the men’s dormitory. The men in the drinking hall exchanged looks of mystification.

The next morning Raben ate a bit of bread and cheese in the tabernae then headed over to the centurion’s home. The new mother was awake cuddling her newborn. After checking mother and child he pronounced both were doing well. He also went over the mother’s restrictions concerning bed rest and lifting restrictions as well as again cautioning her to wait a full day after taking the mandrake potion before nursing.

At the infirmary the medicus warmly greeted Raben. While older than the young healer the military doctor recognized the youth’s obvious skill. Together they checked on the three soldiers who had been severely injured and then skillfully treated. The trio were allowed to get out of bed and move about the fort but were cautioned to take things easy and to spend a week sleeping in the infirmary.

Centurion Didius entered the infirmary as the bandaged trio exited giving them a withering gaze as he did so. “Well Raben, has their prognosis changed?”

[at a Student House in South Leeds]

"Fuck shit and double fuck," exclaimed the attractive young woman as she stormed into the sitting room of her house.

"What's up dude?" asked another of the occupants who was clearly 'high' after consuming his third joint of the day.

"Yeah, why the swearing Luce?" asked the third member of their household who was pouring over a laptop computer.

"I called home to wish my Mother a happy birthday only to find out that my frigging father is throwing a huge party in the summer for his fucking fiftieth birthday. It's going to happen during 'Cowes Week'."