Echo was laying on the floor, face down in a pile of what she now identified as her running sweater, three socks, and a new pair of underwear with the tag still on. She was exhausted. Days like today were becoming more and more common. How Kit had managed without her she had no idea. They seemed to always be busy with patients or walk-ins or paperwork, none of which Echo particularly liked. She had escaped the evening madness by running up to her room under the guise of needing to go to the bathroom, although that wasn’t really a lie. After a very relaxing visit to the bathroom where she did some very serious introspection and life-choice reflecting, Echo had ambled back into her room and fallen face-first onto the floor. With her ear pressed to the carpet, she could hear the continued commotion going on downstairs. She needed to get out. Everything was so suffocating here.
She perked up. Kit totally had things under control here. She could just slip out and take one of his house calls. Technically that was still “working”, and he was always going on and on and on about how she should have better bedside manner. A personal house call would be just the thing to get him off her back. "Look Kit, I totally handled this on my own. I am a grown up. Give me a raise." With this thought in mind, Echo went to her closet and pulled a heavy coat over her flannel and tights, then changed from her indoor ballet flats into a pair of solid boots. It was still a little chilly outside, and she had no idea where she was going.
Echo skipped down the steps two by two, and snuck behind Kit’s secretary’s desk. She seemed to have stepped out for a second, so Echo quickly, sneakily, rifled through his files. Which house calls did he have scheduled? Her fingers flew through the papers until she found one. She quickly wrote the address on her arm in pen and memorized the supplies she would need to bring. After scribbling a sassy note down for her mentor, and gathering her supplies, Echo flew out the door and disappeared with a loud crack.
Following the directions, Echo found herself wandering somewhere in the woods of London. It was late in the afternoon, with the orange sun just barely hanging onto the horizon. She had to watch where she was going, as the roots and bumps underfoot were unpredictable. She looked at the scribbled address again for the fifth time. Yeah, this was the right direction. Echo had always wanted to live in a cabin somewhere far, far away from the world, but now that she was seeing it, the idea was losing its charm. It was getting dark and the woods seemed a little sinister. Echo pulled her feathery blonde hair into a loose ponytail and pulled out her wand. “Lumos,” she mumbled quietly, and a little ball of light emerged to illuminate the darkening forest.
She had been in dark woods loads of time. She’d been fighting in the Forest of Deen while it was crawling with Snatchers and other nasty people. This should be no problem. But as the sky grew black and the noises around her started sounding a lot closer and creepier, Echo decided that wandering the forest alone was a lot scarier when there wasn’t a squad of guerilla combat medics watching her back. She pulled her bag closer to he and started walking faster. And then jogging casually. Okay, then running.
After what seemed like way too long, she finally arrived at the address. It was a quaint little cabin deep in the forest, isolated from other people. Not a great sign. That was a little creepy. She leaned against the wooden door, panting slightly and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Straightening her coat and then clearing her throat, the blonde medic knocked on the door. When it finally opened, she put on her best, most polite smile.
“Good evening. My name is Echo. I work for Kit Emberton.” She tried to remember what the file in Kit’s office had said. “I’m here to take care of a bird.”
