House Call

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven perches on the edge of a stool, fascinated by a local newspaper. It's like something out of another era. There's no AP wire, no Reuters. The local news section is the thickest part of the paper. New York is a big town, but the paper is full of small detials: local middleweight boxing matches, the Shriners hosting a benefit circus, a Catholic church potluck, the death of a dockworker's union boss.

She keeps an eye on the front desk. People checking in, checking out, asking for directions. Finally the little crowd dies down. Before the clerk takes a breather, she slides up to the marble desk.

"Excuse me." Her voice isn't quite a whisper. "But where can I find a discrete doctor?"