Dr Hoffstaff sat back aware that he had unconsciously been leaning forward over his desk, he interlaced his fingers and rested his balled hands on his chest, "Now, how can I help you today?"
"There is someone who wishes to meet you."
"Then I suggest they attend any one of my many free sessions."
Collins waved him off before continuing, "Oh, he does plan on seeing you. But given what I have seen I suggest you do so in sincere privacy."
"Does this mysterious stranger have a name?"
"David. That's all he gave me."
Chapter 3: The man in Tennessee.
Thankfully the flight from England to Knoxville, TN, wasn't as long as expected with no delays and quite a pleasant journey with the air hostesses' constant flirtations – much to the wary eye of Danielle. Yet as they stepped down from the plane finally touching solid ground neither spoke about the changed mood in the air, the international flight proving much needed refection time.
Now that he was finally on the other continent the realisation that he had almost no plan to find the man he was looking for weighed more heavily on his shoulders. Of course the most obvious course of action would be to look for doctors working under his previous aliases but knowing that his aliases change regularly throughout the decades as to prevent suspicion it was unlikely that he would be using an old alias. Still it was better than nothing, and at the moment nothing was all they had.
To spare the boring details, three phone books later and an internet search and David had four possible suspects, two of which had revolutionized practise within their respective fields, and a Dr Mendella who lived a high profile life unfitting a person such as Dr Hoffstaff who preferred secrecy and humility but still worthy of note due to his practise and facial similarities.
David leased a car from one of the many used dealerships surrounding the airport signing many warranty papers ensuring responsibility and ownership before he was actually handed the keys. Although he would have much preferred to bring his own V8 mustang he didn't want to waste time with the shipping costs and extra charges along with the further waiting for it to arrive, he didn't wish to use magic to transport it for using a large spell would use energy and could easily be traced and thus the secrecy would be ruined. Instead he rented a car for approximately $2,000 and drove it out the dealership within minutes.
Instead of waiting with David during the haggling for prices at the dealership Danielle had wandered around the block before settling down at a small coffee shop and ordered two cups of coffee, one with two sugars and cream and the other one sugar and black, before waiting outside the shop sitting at a small circular garden table with matching forest green plastic chairs that looked as if they had endured many days in miserable weather. She sipped at her coffee texting with her freehand without even the need to look at her screen while her face scanned the road and other customers of the establishment. She pressed the send key with her thumb after giving her message a quick look and pocketed her phone. It was only three minutes later that a blue Renault Clio rolled around the corner and stopped, she watched the car with unease shifting her weight ready to sprint away at the slightest cause. The window rolled down with a loud-enough-to-hear electric hum before she sighed in relief at David sitting at the wheel. She got in the passenger seat, handed David his coffee and strapped herself in with the seatbelt.
The first name on the possible suspects list lived only a short distance from the airport and once they rolled onto the U.S Route 129 northbound they made quick progress to the Southlake RV Park – a fitting location given Dr Hoffstaff penchant for helping those that lived below normal society. The park was nothing more than a dirt road surrounded by tall pine trees and a few random assortments of permanent brick houses and scattered rusted, beaten down mobile homes that looked highly unsuitable for housing. David parked the rental car just beyond reach of the park and cast a weak ignorance spell that would deter any person interested in the vehicle. Upon closer examination of the squalid RV park it became quickly apparent that: A) none of the rusted buckets of sheet metal these people called home had any numeric order, and B) the so called occupants of these homes were more than likely less than friendly towards those outside of its community, and probably inside too.
Nevertheless David knocked on the door of the first home closest to the road. After several seconds the door opened and there stood a rather large overweight man in a white tank top that looked as if it had been bought several years before and never cleaned – evidence by the food and dirt stains. The man himself looked unkempt, dirty black greasy hair, unshaven for days and clearly intoxicated by the copious quantity of liquor he had been consuming inside. Danielle couldn't help the guttural sound of repulsion that escaped her and quickly choked back her whimper and stood behind David as the man snarled and grunted in his own reply back.
"Excuse me sir, I was hoping you could help me. I'm looking for a doctor although I'm unsure of his name." David said.
"Why what's wrong wicha?" the man asked grumbling and slurring his words as he struggled to maintain his balance standing up before resting against the doorframe, the rancid odour of stale cheap alcohol permeating with every word.
"It's complicated." David replied. "Do you know of a doctor around this area?"
"Tell you what you give me that pretty little thing and I'll give you some stuff that'll make whatever you got go." The man chuckled lasciviously glaring at Danielle while he licked his lips.
David balled his fists but refrained from knocking the man out knowing it would only take a single solid strike given the inebriated state. He cast a quick sobering spell to ensure the man had lost most of his buzz and moved on to the next trailer simply ignoring the grotesque being standing in the doorway.
Needless to explain each trailer conversation their time at Southlake RV Park can be summarised by talking to a single mother of five children by four different fathers who were never around, an elderly gentleman with four visible missing teeth in desperate need of a bathe and hot meal, an obese African-American woman in a wheelchair with a very snappy attitude and two other residents who were not amiss the other rejects of civilised society.
The only substantial clue they gathered was that there was indeed a man known to the profession of medicine although he did not have an office but continued his practise at his home. Upon the last person it was found that the alleged doctor did not technically reside at the RV Park but lived in what could only be thought of in David's mind as a hovel, similar to his own house in England many years ago before he modernised it. The unkindly man even provided a path route through the treeline, albeit a vague route and only brought forth from a hint of persuasive magic from David.
The residence was exactly as David and Danielle had expected, a completely wooden structure, most likely built from the trees surrounding, but without any weathering the deep setting of wood rot and moss was evident all over the dishevelled structure. But on the plus side it looked sturdy enough to stand an extra week. The man who finally opened the door gave David a small involuntary shudder down the bottom of his spine – it was indeed the good doctor, "good" being a subjective descriptor, one David would neither agree nor disagree with.
"I was waiting for you to come here." The man said stepping to the side as a clear suggestion for them both to enter his home.
Stepping past the man Danielle finally got a good look at the man she hated but had never met. Just from looking at him it was clear to see how David would have seen him all those years ago, the effect of his immortality spell not being "true" and hence the slight notice of ageing in the right areas of his features.
The man motioned to what would be his couch, like most areas of the home this too showed signs of age, the once brown tanned leather faded with age showing a spider-web of cracking all over. David accepted the unspoken offer and sat down more so on the edge of the couch that resting back and hunched forwards elbows on knees, Danielle remained standing.
"So how did you know we were coming?" Asked David.
"Simple." The doctor replied adding a deliberate pause for effect. "Your mother told me.".
Chapter four: Ashleigh resurrection
Danielle had always loved hunting, true to his word David had indeed stopped by most weeks to deliver a basket of meat, bread and the occasional cheese with berries and fruits. He didn't do it because he was in love with her or trying to court her but because there had become an almost platonic sibling-ship between them that was amiss even with life with Ashleigh.
She skipped easily from one branch to another branch using her small size and frame to boost her natural agility, like a true huntress she knew exactly which hunt required which approach, for the heavier stay-and-fight type game the ground offered better attack with the weapon of choice being her spear or lanced stick; for those game who would rather flee at the first sight and were quick on their feet she preferred the trees to mask her sight and ranged attacks using her trusted cedar wood bow with horse mane string. While she did not directly look down she knew the hulking outline of David stalking around on the ground, if she wasn't already aware of him being there with her she would have thought it nothing more than a scavenger animal, too quick to hit and not bothersome enough to attack.
Spotting what might have been game ahead, possibly deer, she quickly nocked the arrow, drew and released in one successive fluid movement. The dull thudding sound of a dense mass hitting the ground confirmed her hit. With speed and agility she never left the trees as she ran to claim her score...
