Fly With Me | ✓

19

When reading week was over, Everleigh found herself at clinical again. Their professor scheduled the class in the walk-in clinic to give them some hands-on time with anything they might have to deal with in a given day. Geriatric and children's was fine, but random injuries and ear infections and sore throats would give them a better idea of what a shift in emergency would look like if they got a job there. Going to the clinic was better than being in class, but only marginally. Everleigh had the feeling her professor didn't want them in there as much as she didn't want to be in there. It worked out. Everleigh was pretty sure she was close to graduation as well, she really needed to meet with an academic advisor.

"Everleigh?" The voice of Lennon James, Everleigh's shadow for the two weeks they were there, was evident.

Lennon was only thirty, but had decided to be in nursing right out of secondary school, unlike Everleigh. Lennon was damn good at her job at any capacity, so being able to learn from someone closer to her age was a welcome treat. Some of the people in her class had older nurses who simply expected them to know everything—Everleigh didn't need that kind of stress when she was still juggling giving away flights so she could attend clinical.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to overstep," Lennon said. "But you got a whole grey cloud hanging over you. You okay? Clinic floor isn't great for cloudy days."

Everleigh would sound insane if she told Lennon the actual reason she was upset. The man I wasn't actually dating kissed someone else and seeing it upset me and has for a couple days now. I'm bonkers, I know.

"I'm fine."

"You look like you haven't slept."

Not in days. "I have."

"Or eaten."

Not in days. Spare a handful of crisps to keep her upright. She had half a mind to know that Stevie would probably kill her if she found out she hadn't been taking care of herself in the slightest. It was lucky she'd showered that day for her shift. "I have."

Everleigh was aware how shallow her cheeks looked and how dark her under-eyes were. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it. She didn't have the energy to. Figuring out which kind of makeup was supposed to cover what part of her face was a terrible experience she didn't force herself to go through.

Lennon stared at her like her mother. Knowing she was lying and trying not to call her out. (Though, Lennon was better than Dawn at staying quiet.) "Tell me if that changes?"

Everleigh stayed quiet.

"Leigh."

"I'll try."

Lennon took her hand and dragged her off the floor, into a lunch area behind reception that nobody quite had the time to use because of how many people were there for walk-in. Everleigh wanted to put her feet down, but still felt like she didn't have the energy to. There was something to say that she'd let some man affect her to the point that her eating disorder recovery had been thrown out entirely. There were too many times she had Stevie or Juno's phone numbers dialled and couldn't make herself press call. Something to say about shutting herself away while she studied mental health and how it was okay to ask for help. Everleigh was a walking contradiction wrapped in hypocrisy gauze. Especially since the last thing Stevie had said to her before Everleigh returned to London was that she was only a phone call away.

Stevie would kill her if she knew any of that; the lack of sleep, the straying from eating, the general treating herself like ass. Everleigh was certain of it. If she had called her, the sound of Stevie's voice probably could've turned any dark day around, whether she admitted what was going on, or simply asked how the singer's day had gone. Everleigh was wonderful at playing therapist for everyone except herself.