"Make sure that you don't leave without this! Senna is also waiting nervously for you out on the steps. I think that you should do what we said alone with her. Senna has never acted like this with me, so I think the two of you should spend some time alone," Trina said as she handed me the sandwich.
"That is probably a good idea. Thank you for the sandwich, and I will see both of you girls this evening for supper," I said with a smile and then gave Trina a quick kiss before turning to leave.
Trina giggled as I left, pressing fingers to her lips, kissing them, and blowing them at me. I looked back at the sound, caught the imaginary kiss, and put it in a pocket, making Trina and Eliza giggle at me.
The door closed, and Senna was standing straight and rigid, waiting for me.
I walked up to stand directly beside her, facing Senna's shoulder, making her screw up her face nervously. I reached over and grabbed her by the waist and started to tickle her.
Senna squawked in surprise and then fought to pry off my hands, but I was like fighting a mountain.
"Stop! Ahhh! That… Tickles! What… Why?!" Senna gasped, and then I stopped, making her collapse into my chest.
"You are too rigid, and I know you like me. It is no secret, so stop acting so strange around me. This isn't the girl that I have got to know," I said, wrapping my arms around Senna.
She didn't return the hug, but after a moment, Senna rested her head on my chest. I stood there with her for a moment, but then I broke the hug.
"Sorry, I will try to relax. I know there are more important things to be worrying about," Senna said as she straightened her uniform.
"That is the spirit! Who knows? We might find ourselves with some extra time later!" I laughed, and Senna nodded, looking off to the side. "Let's get going. You are going to have to lead me to where everyone is being kept."
"We should go to the doctor's office first," Senna said as we started to walk to the front gate.
"Oh? Do you have hospitals?" I asked, and Senna stopped and turned to me with a strange look.
"What is this word?" Senna asked.
"Hmm. Well, the word comes from the French, whatever that means. House of sick people in trauma or labor is an acronym for the word, not the original, or I don't think it is," I said, scratching my head. "My mind gets a bit jumbled when thoughts and memories try to mesh. This is one of those things where the word must be specific to a life I lived, and it is tied to memories."
"Well, the place that we are going to is called a Care House. Each of them has an Automaton Doctor that looks after sick people. Not all races use care houses, but not all can get sick like humans do. We are the lesser of the other races because we have the shortest and most fragile life spans," Senna explained as we started to walk again.
That was true.
Humans were exceptionally short-lived compared to all the other races. Even Dog Folk lived to be nearly four hundred years old if my memories served me correctly. I would have to ask Penny how old she was, or maybe not. Women are sensitive about that question, but maybe Penny would be better?
"What are you thinking about? You seem to have a lot on your mind?" Senna asked.
She seemed to be doing better than before now that she has gotten all of her emotions under control. I was glad. Senna was starting to look silly as some flustered little girl like Wispy, who I need to check on later. Too many things to keep track of!
"I have a maelstrom of thoughts flying around my brain right now, but most of them are just things that aren't important right now. I need to focus on getting ready to help these women," I said, slapping my cheeks.
We were just turning west to the market, and I could see a large crowd that had formed in the south section. It was going all the way down the street with women packed shoulder to shoulder, talking with each other.
"I think you had better focus on the group up ahead. Looks like most of the town is here, and the Care House is beside the Theatre, which is down that lane," Senna explained as we slowed down, but I put up my hand for a moment to stop her from talking.
It was already hard enough to hear with all the women nattering, and I thought I could hear something disturbing. When Senna stopped speaking, I could hear screams coming from up, so I turned to Senna.
"I am going to pick you up and fly over these people, okay?" I asked Senna, and she nodded at me as Golden ethereal wings burst from my back. "I don't have time to try and get everyone to move, so we will just force them to back up as soon as I find a place to land."
"I understand," Senna said, and I walked over and picked her up.
There were other women watching, but most of them concentrated on what was going on down the street.
Seeing all this was stupid and made me frustrated. These women should know better, and now I was going to have to clear everyone out of here.
Honestly, didn't these women have work they should be doing?
Once Senna was in my arms, a gust of wind shot us up, making Senna hold on tighter to my neck as I rose into the air. Within seconds I was far above the ground and flying south over the rooftops.
"The Care House is there!" Senna shouted, pointing down at a small building that was pressed between two buildings, but there was nowhere to land.
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