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Mel sits on the steps, head in her hands at what will happen soon. Her thoughts swirl with everything she's forced herself to remember, what the rights she has are as a doctor. How the kid is still alive and at school right now because of what she did. The right thing was done. Nothing was wrong, all was accounted for.
She fiddles with her fingers, watching them as she takes in breath after breath. Exercise after exercise. Mel king is okay, Mel king will do well talking, Mel king isn’t sick to her stomach with the lingering taste of bile in her throat. Without thought she rocks, gently rocking against the steps and it calms her.
Her head falls into her knees, and the dim lights around her keep her comfortable. Sigh, sigh, breathe in for eight, out for five. Breathe in for eight, out for five. Tap fingers, swallow.
A small sigh leaves her and it feels so much better than any other breath she had taken. Parker believes in you, you will do well. Everyone believes in you. You will do well. The kid is alive because of you. Dr Robby believes in you—
“Mel?”
Mel barely hears the voice, the hands over her ears have barely registered and the only reason she pulls them off is because of the main earring backing pokes at her skin. Her fingers moved to feel it, and it barely left a dent.
“I thought you left?” Her throat sounds like gravel, and Parker’s face morphs into a soft expression. She leans herself forward on the step right below the ones where Mel’s feet sit and bounce.
“I wanted to do one more check on you, see if you were holding up." She says, leaning over the step.
Mel swallows, looking away from the dark eyes staring down at her. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just paranoid, nervous a little, a lot.”
Parker laughs humourlessly, moving around to sit next to her and sit in her bag. A small distance stays between them, and Mel sits a hand on either side of her hips to ground herself.
“You will do well.”
Mel looks down at her knees, nodding at her words. “I– I'm just worried.”
Parker shrugs, “I know, I was worried too. It won't be long, and whatever they say to you isn't true. You keep that inside that beautiful brain of yours.” Cold fingers tap against her frontal cortex, and she flinches. Parker twists her lips, pulling her hand back. “They will make false claims, and bug you. But you have to stand your ground. You are Dr King, you are so insanely smart and everyone knows it.”
Mel taps her fingers against the stair, accidentally bumping Parker’s fingers. She nods, and lets the pointer finger interlock with her own. Squeezing it tightly and releasing on repeat like she had done it a thousand times.
Parker doesn't say anything, doesn’t seem to mind it and pats her knee gently. “You got this.”
Mel lets go of her finger, and folds them over her knees. She clears her throat, her glasses falling as she looks downwards. “Uhm thank you, yeah. Wish me luck Dr Ellis.”
Parker nods, her face stoic and eyes searching her face. A small smile tugs at her lips, and she moves herself in closer. Her fingers are slow, and reach up to push her glasses upwards. It makes Mel’s stomach jump, not with bile but with something other than that. Something more complicated and squirmy.
Only does Dr Ellis bring that out in her. Curse Dr Ellis. She swallows harshly, unmoving. Parker pushes herself off the step, standing in front of her once again and reaching her hand out. Mel stares for half a second, before grabbing onto her hand. Soft, but also slightly calloused and smaller than her own.
They stand side by side, feet touching and body heat forcing her to step back in case she sweats even more from the second hand warmth.
“See you later Mel.” Parker says, the smile spreading to a small comforting one before it's fully gone from her sight. The grey and red hiking backpack she uses and pony tailed locs kept holding up the only thing in her sight.
“Y-yeah, see you.” She mumbles, rocking on her feet as she watches Parker disappear before moving back towards the main bay.