thrcttles

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After one more sizeable bite, which all but guaranteed she'd coast to the end of the shift, Madhavi wiped her mouth, sanitized her hands, and flopped back onto the hospital bed. She'd have to change the sheets later, but honestly, sometimes she just needed to flop. "They are all sucking and fucking, which, power to them, I guess, but do it at home so I don't have to sleep in any more supply closets." Last time, she'd woken up with the imprint of forceps on her face. Not a good look.

At Layla's admission, she was gripped by an immediate sense of relief. "I'm so sorry, but I can't tell you how happy that makes me." Not only was Layla competent, she was actually good. Amazing, even, which was particularly impressive on a service that wasn't her specialty. "Most of our regular ER nurses called out tonight, so half the people assisting are nursing students. They don't know where anything is, how to read a label, how to keep the station organized. It's been driving me nuts. I wish I was hammered."

layla was just pleased to have a moment off of her feet, the food was just an added bonus. she'd become accustomed to long shifts, hours without a break, that food was just a commodity that she couldn't always acquire. this however, was a moment of pure bliss that she had to make sure she savoured. "you might be right, because some of the noises from inside those rooms –– there's definitely some sort of violation happening in there." she couldn't help but chuckle.

"peds is –– well, easier than down here, that's for sure." there was a certain joy to spending most of her time on a ward with kids, but she also liked being able to dip her toe into other departments when they needed her. "and at least the kids aren't hammered. but it means that they're sending us nurses to help you out, so you get to see my face all day." wide smile pulled at her cheeks, but only for a moment before another bite of the burrito was to be taken. "you coping okay today, though? what time are you meant to be out of here?"

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Though Doctor Nandamuri was preferred, at least he hadn't inadvertently suggested she was a nurse. Even with the white coat on, people had made that mistake before. "Doc is fine," she allowed, primary focus on securing the pressure dressing. There was likely a brief moment of pain as she secured the bandage, but one good thing about bikers — they could take a lot. "It stops the bleeding while I figure out if you have internal injuries."

She had already paged for a portable imaging machine to be brought, she resolved to recheck his vitals while they waited. "You got stabbed while dancing? You must not be very good." Though, frankly, it didn't surprise her. Pavan and Keshav had been to that party; the looks of joy on their newly misshapen faces was a painful memory. "It's been a busy fucking night, DC. Your family's idea of a party involves a lot more broken bones than mine."

DC grinned widely, clearly a little drunk (maybe even a little high) and playfully pulled out some karate hands to humor his current savior. Fighting was always a part of who he was, from a young age, and pain was nothing but an old, beautiful friend sometimes. It helped him feel less void and more like himself, more like someone that cared. "I'm always alert, doc. You're a doc, right? Can I call you that?" He asked curiously, never one to shy away from questions. He didn't answer a lot, but my god, could he ask them.

"Alright, what is a pressure dressing?" The biker wondered out loud, his eyes following her hands as she began looking for supplies. Her hands were firm and clearly familiar with everything she was working with, that made DC relax even more than the weed in his system already had. "Mhm. I was dancing. My family is throwing a huge party tonight. How's your shift going?"

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His lips twitched in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and he felt an accompanying twist of something unpleasant at the pit of hist stomach. Maybe it was because he actually did know how to make her feel special, not that long ago. Or he thought he did. At this point, who knew. "Sounds right to me, but I spent most of sophomore world history napping or throwing spitballs at you." Spitballs that were secretly love notes, which meant they had taken double the time, because he had to first compose them.

A more genuine amusement crept onto his face, the kind he specifically got when he was about to say something he knew would piss her off. "If you even can," he shrugged. "I'm a lot better than I used to be. I box now." But some of that bravado fell away when she touched him, when looked down like she couldn't quite bear to meet his eyes. His jaw worked for a moment, conflicted. "My life would be so much easier if I hated you." He tilted his head, slightly, into the hand on his cheek, even if it meant unintentionally putting a bit more pressure on his bruise. "Come on. It's just one night, right?"

“  a  nag  ?  you  always  did  know  how  to  make  a  girl  feel  special  .  ”  an  exaggerated  dreamy  sigh  slipped  from  her  lips  .  he  did  have  a  point  ,  though  .  she  was  badgering  him  ,  treating  him  as  if  he  couldn’t  take  care  of  himself  .  as  someone  who  hated  that  herself  ,  she  should’ve  been  able  to  understand  why  someone  else  might  find  her  helicopter  hounding  to  be  a  buzzkill  .  if  it  was  anyone  else  she  wouldn’t  have  cared  .  but  she  knew  jay  ,  cared  for  him  .  she  knew  how  much  being  a  diablo  meant  to  him  .  her  mind  wanted  to  pretend  like  it  didn’t  know  why  he  would  risk  being  seen  to  come  see  her  ,  but  she  knew  .  if  she  was  braver  ,  she  would've  taken  the  same  risk  .  but  vulnerability  seemed  to  find  him  a  lot  easier  than  it  found  her  .  “  just  call  me  mother  teresa  .  she  was  a  pothead  too  right  ?  ”  despite  him  previously  removing  his  face  from  her  hold  ,  isa  reached  up  again  .  tenderly  ,  she  touched  cool  fingertips  to  the  bruised  area  and  hissed  swollen  tight  area  .  “  you  really  should  be  at  home  icing  this  .  ”   the  worries  continued  to  bleed  through  as  she  took  a  step  toward  him  ,  wanting  to  get  a  better  look  ;  his  words  giving  her  pause  as  she  looked  to  meet  his  eyes  .  “  you’re  not  scared  to  go  somewhere  private  with  me  ?  what  if  i’m  the  one  who's  going  to  beat  your  ass  for  taking  a  risk  like  this  ?  ”  she  taunted  as  her  body  worked  to  exterminate  the  butterflies  taking  residence  in  the  pit  of  her  stomach  .   “  i  thought  you  hated  me  .  ”  she  looked  away  ,  not  wanting  to  see  his  face  a  the  confirmation  .  “  i  mean  ,  shouldn’t  you  ?  ”

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Not not having fun wasn't exactly a glowing review for a party, and for no reason whatsoever, Jay felt a quiet pang of guilt. He wondered if there was anything he could do to make her night less sucky. "I'm good — been drunker and will be drunker, god willing." He winked, absently tugging at the cross around his neck at the slightly blasphemous statement. Whatever, most of the Catholics he knew were low-grade alcoholics. "What would make this actually fun for you? A different drink? Better music? You know, I kinda have an in with the DJ."

　　༄　　𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗦  𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘  𝗔𝗧  𝗧𝗛𝗘  𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗩𝗘  𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧,  unable  to  fathom  finishing  her  own  basket  of  five,  let  alone  fourteen.  “  oh,  wow.  ”  camille  looks  back  at  her  untouched  drink  at  the  mention  of  fun,  lips  pursing  into  a  thin  line.  was  she?  “  i  mean  …  i'm  not  not  having  fun.  ”  she  shrugs. so far, her night has been quite uneventful, as far as parties go.  “  …  are  you  okay?  ”  she  asks,  getting  up  to  steady  him.  ‟  you  look  about  two  seconds  away  from  falling  over.  ”

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this show is so funny kdsfsagks

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He shrugged, hand falling back to his side. Though he was struck with some faint urge to reach out again, he didn't — that was the mistake, right? That was how he had driven her all the way to this side of town in the first place, by being... too clingy, or too honest, or expecting too much. "A few. It's a party, Acevedo," he laughed, quiet, so as not to draw attention to them. He could tell she was freaking out, and he didn't want to be that much of an asshole. "Almost forgot what a nag you are. Are you honestly telling me you're stone cold sober tonight? And making only good decisions?"

There had been plenty of pretty people at the Diablos party, the Reapers party, and the messy spillage between the two. He had every opportunity to go home with one of them, but he didn't. He had turned up here, to put the both of them at risk, on the twelve percent chance that she wouldn't tell him to fuck all the way off. "You know, if you're so worried that I'm gonna get my ass beat, we could always get out of here." Really, it would be the responsible thing to do. That was what the mirthful glint in his eye suggested, anyway. "Go somewhere private."

isa  willed  her  body  not  to  betray  her  .  with  a  silk  tipped  touch  resting  on  her  waist  ,  she  had  to  remind  herself  of  all  the  danger  she'd  be  putting  him  in  if  she  allowed  herself  to  melt  beneath  him  .  “  and  you  ?  how  much  have  you  had  to  drink  ?  ”  there  was  no  point  in  trying  to  play  nonchalant  ;  she  was  worried  .  he  may  not  have  been  hers  then  ,  but  he  once  was  .  there  was  a  time  where  she  wouldn't  be  seen  without  him  .  she  baked  him  cookies  and  doodled  on  the  knee  of  his  jeans  .  there  might  still  be  jackets  buried  in  the  back  of  his  closet  that  she  sewed  little  black  hearts  into  the  sleeves  of  .  the  necklace  he  bought  her  still  rest  on  the  smooth  of  her  chest  beneath  her  shirt  ,  and  she  wondered  if  he  could  feel  it  calling  out  to  him  .  he  may  not  have  been  hers  ,  but  there  was  as  many  echoes  of  her  around  him  as  there  was  of  him  around  her  . she  hated  that  she  smiled  .  his  compliment  finding  her  ears  with  acceptance  ,  and  she  tried  to  roll  her  eyes  to  play  it  off  .  forced  out  a  scoff  of  a  laugh  to  make  it  seem  like  she  was  in  disbelief  .  “  it  better  be  terminal  .  ”  she  landed  on  ,  her  arms  folding  across  her  chest  as  she  took  a  step  back  from  him  .  “  whatever  it  is  ,  whatever  you  have  .  it  better  be  fatal  ,  i'm  talking  three  weeks  left  to  live  fatal  because  there  is  no  way  in  hell  you  took  a  risk  like  that  to  come  over  here  and  tell  me  that  you  think  i  look  pretty  .  ”  a  harsh  slap  came  down  on  the  side  of  his  arm  to  showcase  her  disapproval  .  “  what  ?  no  pretty  people  at  your  party  ?  what  torture  that  would've  been  for  you  .  ”

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Madhavi was too tired to put much effort into suppressing her smile. As much as she wished Isa would stop showing up in the ER with moderate to severe injuries every few weeks, she was powerless against the tide of begrudging affection that hit her in moments like this. "If I had the power to speak into existence a future for you, believe me, I'd have chosen... " She paused, thinking. "Columbia. Rice, if you wanted to stay in Texas. UT Austin, bare minimum." When she was finished irrigating, she reached for the local anesthetic, flicking the syringe to test the flow. "Lidocaine. You know the drill, it's gonna hurt for a second, then you'll be numbed."

She spared a moment to give Isa a deeply unimpressed look. As far as covers went, it was pretty bad, especially given how intently he was staring at the two of them. "Ah huh. I'll send an intern to give him an update in a bit. Though it can't be a good sign, that you're hiding him over there." He was too far away to see tattoos, but Madhavi had to assume Isa had met him through the Reapers.

“  so  it  was  you  !  ”  poorly  exaggerated  and  dramatic  gasp  followed  her  exclamation  .  “  you  manifested  this  ,  you're  why  i  need  stitches  tonight  .  ”  isa  was  going  for  a  middle  of  the  day  soap  opera  vibe  .  anything  to  lift  the  mood  from  the  thundering  cloud  hanging  over  their  head  .  she  hated  making  madhavi  worry  .  the  reapers  made  her  feel  protected  ,  secure  ⸺  but  madhavi  made  her  feel  cared  for  ;  like  if  she  disappeared  tomorrow  someone  would  take  immediate  notice  .  not  because  of  what  isa  did  for  her  ,  but  just  be  isa  existed  around  her  .  “  if  you  wanted  to  see  me  we  could've  met  under  much  better  circumstances  .  ”  her  act  was  brought  to  an  abrupt  end  as  her  injury  began  to  scream  in  protest  at  being  dealt  with  .  isa  had  a  high  pain  tolerance  ,  but  a  gaping  wound  never  got  easy  to  deal  with  . “  would  you  believe  me  if  i  said  it  was  a  pickleball  accident  ?  ”  she  asked  with  a  hiss  .  the  grimace  on  her  face  slightly  alleviating  at  the  mention  of  a  boy  who  could  still  be  watching  .  no  way  he  stayed  .  it  took  most  of  the  strength  she  had  left  ,  but  she  didn't  look  .  didn't  want  to  give  too  much  away  .  she  knew  she  could  trust  madhavi  ,  but  she  also  knew  madhavi  would  never  approve  .  isa  could  only  handle  one  lecture  at  a  time  .  “  well  clearly  ,  he  loves  a  woman  in  uniform  doctor  .  i'd  stare  at  you  too  if  i  wasn't  concerned  about  my  arm  falling  off  ,  so  what  do  you  think  ?  am  i  going  to  make  it  through  the  night  ?  ”

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Madhavi snorted softly, peeling back a little more foil on the burrito and drizzling the spiciest Cholula in the bag on top. One thing she had actually missed from her hometown when she'd left? Good TexMex. "Please. Based on how often people lock on-call room doors around here, Human Resources has way bigger problems than me." No way they were just napping in there. Although, with how overrun the ER and the NICU were on any given night, she had no idea how people found the time.

Oh yeah. McWeepy, as she had dubbed him in her head. It was a lot funnier after a twenty hour stint in the ER. "I hear that," she murmured. Never knew when a favor could come in handy in Stratford. Southern hospitality, people tended to get pretty principled about paying it forward. "How's your shift been? My kingdom for one patient who isn't drunk, deranged biker."

so perhaps it wasn't the most appropriate way for them to be sneaking in their breaks, but if there was one thing layla had come to learn the hard way, it was that sometimes being creative in getting some food on shift was the only way to really survive. "i should really complain to human resources about that comment –– " she joked, letting the words hang in the air for a second before she chuckled to herself.

nimble fingers tugged at the foil on her own burrito, hunger pangs stronger than ever now that she was so close to actually being able to eat something. "oh god no, could you imagine? it was the new guy, the little one that looks like he'd cry if you spoke to him too much." thankfully, the blonde had known just how to play it, and on the promise of lunch for himself too, he'd been more than happy to go and retrieve it for the girls, it seemed. "besides, the creepy one i'm saving in case i need a bigger favour. you've gotta do what you can in this place, you know?"

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The winking felt too instinctual to stop, though Isobel was right that he probably should. If his mom was around, she'd be mixing up some cayenne and Vaseline to smear over the bruise. Right now, he was far too drunk to get that ratio right; Isobel's solution sounded a lot better. "Ice would be great, to be honest. I know where they keep it, wanna go on a little field trip?" He slid out of the booth, wiping his hands off on the little moist towelette Miss Cougar at the bar had given him. "I can probably get you some not watered down vodka."

He laughed, shaking his head. "All talk, I can't play for shit." His musical talent began and ended with shitty shower singing. "But, I mean, hard to grow up around these guys and not get a little pretentious about dad rock."

isobel’s lips curled into a playful smirk as she took in the sight of jay, clearly entertained by his antics. "you know," she began, her voice light and teasing, "i think the bruise actually makes you look more badass. you should keep it. just tell everyone you got it in a bar fight or something. adds to the mystery." she couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, her eyes dancing with amusement. "but hey, if you want, i could patch you up real quick. i mean, it's not like you need any extra help looking tough, right?" she winked, leaning back casually, still chuckling at his antics. "but, seriously, you might wanna stop winking so much unless you’re trying to make that bruise even worse. not that it would be a bad thing, i guess."she took a step closer, glancing at his eye with mock concern before shrugging nonchalantly. "but if you're really worried, i can grab a little ice for you. wouldn't want your sister to add 'slacker' to her list of complaints when she finds out, huh?" she raised an eyebrow, playfully curious. smile widened as she leaned in a little, her curiosity piqued by a different thought. "so," she started, her voice light and playful again, "you still trying to convince everyone that you're a rockstar, or did you finally give up on the whole 'secret guitar god' persona?" she raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the teasing. "i swear, every time i see you, you're either winking at someone or quoting jim morrison. i gotta know if you’re actually living the dream, or if it's all just talk."

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Madhavi blinked in surprise, heat rising in her collar at Mew's presence and insinuation. It was difficult for her tired brain to process this reality; for her, Mew was so tied to the familiar walls of Miss Gina's, to sharp, strong coffee and murmured conversation into the early hours of the morning. Unwittingly, her lips tugged into a soft smile. "If I had known you'd be my patient, I'd have dragged a brush through my hair before answering this page."

Her eyes dropped down to Mew's hand, concern furrowing her brow. Supporting her wrist, she examined the wound with a gentle touch. "How did this happen?" She braced her hip against the edge of the bed, reaching for the sterilizing materials. "Are you in any pain?"

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀she told her boss that it wasn't anything serious. just a minor cut: no big deal. mew's put enough pressure on it and is nearly positive that the bleeding has stopped and all was well, but that didn't seem to stop the amount of concern pouring in from the head in charge — enough that she gave in and promised to take a trip to the hospital. mew's sitting on the hospital bed, legs kicking lightly until the door finally opens. eyes instantly lighting up when she notes who her doctor was for the night.

“ well i'll be damned. if i had known you'd be my doctor, i would've popped in sooner, ” then her mind shifts to why she's here and can't help but to chuckle softly, “ under different circumstances, of course. maybe with a coffee and not a bloody hand. ”

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Madhavi, who had been zoning out in the general direction of the clock on the wall, is grateful to Mare for pulling her out of the static crowding her head. Whether it was fueled by exhaustion or the suffusion of secondhand trauma throughout her cases that evening, she couldn't quite say. With a hint of veiled frustration, she clicked the screen of her tablet off. "That's.... fucking perfect, isn't it? I can't believe they let him leave with a GSW. That's Straton, I guess."

She reached into the pocket of her white coat, supplying a small bag of chocolate covered pomegranate seeds that had served as two of her three meals that day. She popped open the Ziplock, offering the contents to Mare with a slow, dry smile. "When's your shift up?"

pinpoint:  stratford county hospital, er nurses' station — saturday, 3:00 pm. tagging:   madhavi nandamuri —  @thrcttles.

the slow hours in the nicu passed in a flash. mare particularly liked the dead of night, in which the babies slept in their incubators and she had time to add little ears to newborn hats or read to the slumbering babies aloud from her own book (currently northanger abbey, borrowed from oracle books) in between rounds. in the er, the slow hours passed in a languid ribbon, like cold molasses. standing at the nurses station, mare eyes the clock on the wall opposite the desk. its second hand might as well be standing still, taunting her with the remaining 30 minutes of her shift. rolling her eyes, mare catches a glimpse of madhavi. " they didn't call you back? " by they, she means the nurse who'd called for a surgery consult. she didn't want to throw her co-workers right under the bus. but she was alright with standing on the curb and watching it happen. " the patient up and left. " she shakes her head a bit, picking up a chart and holding it to her chest. " his heart was real set on fightin' darwin, i guess. "

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Jay needed absolutely no persuasion to accept an additional wing. Right now, to his inebriated brain, they were absolutely the best things he had ever tasted. "Hell yeah, I want one!" He accepted the offering, brows suspended in surprise, that Camille would even give it to him. "Five wings is nothing. I think my record is, like... fourteen? And Cam's is even higher." Despite the fact that the room was spinning a little bit, he couldn't help but notice Camille's glass hadn't been drained. She also seemed to have considerably more of her faculties about her. "Are you having fun?"

　　༄　　𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘'𝗦  𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦  𝗪𝗔𝗦  𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟  𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬  𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟,  with  a  vibrant  cocktail  she  can't  seem  to  remember  the  name  of,  and  far  too  bitter  for  her  taste  (  she  thinks  the  bartender  might've  put  too  much  alcohol  in  it,  but  she  barely  drank  anyway  so  she's  not  too  sure.  )  one  thing  she  does  know  is  that  jay  is  clearly  drunk  out  of  his  mind,  and  in  desperate  need  of  something  to  sober  him  up.  “  do  you  want  one?  ”  camille  offers,  pushing  her  basket  of  wings  towards  the  edge  of  the  table.  “  i  don't  think  my  appetite  is  big  enough  for  five  wings.  ”

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A biker nickname if she'd ever heard one. She couldn't exactly be surprised; this was Stratford, and tonight was... well. She knew what tonight was. "Nice to meet you, DC," she murmured, examining his wound with precise, clinical interest. "Sounds like a rough night. It's a good sign that you're alert and talking." She never promised life, even as it looked like a shallow, run-of-the-mill knife wound. Luckily for DC, this ER saw a lot of stabbings. She had the protocol down pat. "First order of business is a pressure dressing."

She pulled open a drawer on the nearby cart, supplying bandages and other materials to sterilize the wound. Much as she was loathe to hear about club business — or club leisure, based on tonight's stories — it was better, to keep him talking. "Were you having fun? Before the accidental stabbing."

DC couldn't remember or figure out how he'd hurt himself. Had it been someone else? Truthfully, he didn't know and very much did not care to find out. Normally, he had people to go to in such cases; he hated the questions, and he especially hated when the doctors or nurses at the hospital side-eyed him and the club when he showed up wounded up. But the alcohol in his body simply led him to the nearest building: a hospital and next thing he knew, the reaper found himself looking up at the woman, his hand keeping pressure on the cut right on his left side, near his ribs, probably in need of stitches or a patching up of some sort.

"I'm DC." He responded, removing his hand from his side. He wasn't in much pain; this was almost nothing compared to his usual injuries. "I think I partied too hard and may have almost stabbed myself with own knife, doc." The male added as an after thought. "Do you think I'll survive?"

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Upon registering that it was Isa in the bed, Madhavi was caught between concern, anger, and persistent, begrudging fondness. She shook her head. "How'd I know I'd be seeing you tonight? I must be a fucking fortune teller." Diverting her attention to Isa's arm, she carefully considered the wound, pulling the overhead light a bit closer. It was long, flecked with dirt, and actively bleeding. "This looks bad, kid. What the hell happened?"

She didn't wait for an answer to get started, positioning Isa's arm over a small trough and preparing to irrigate the wound. In spite of her exhaustion, she remained a deeply paranoid and hyper-aware person. As such, it had not escaped her notice that, in spite of the privacy curtain, they didn't appear to be alone. "There is a boy staring at us."

one  selfish  decision  and  she’s  in  the  er  .  kitchen  towel  grabbed  in  a  panic  was  pressed  against  tightly  against  the  bleeding  area  .  the  throbbing  was  a  lot  fuller  than  it  had  been  after  the  initial  flaw  .  the  knots  of  humiliation  only  getting  tighter  in  her  stomach  hurt  worse  than  the  physical  wound  ,  anyway  .  from  her  position  on  the  crinkly  paper  sheet  over  the  hard  patient  mattress  ,  she  swung  her  feet  .  even  trying  to  stay  as  close  to  the  edge  as  she  could  her  feet  didn’t  touch  the  floor  ;  the  night  couldn’t  get  anymore  embarrassing  .  at  least  she  hoped  so  .  despite  forcing  herself  to  keep  looking  straight  ahead  ,  she  swore  she  could  still  feel  jay’s  concerned  eyes  peering  over  at  her  from  the  place  she  asked  him  to  pretend  he  didn’t  know  her  in  .  the  thought  made  her  sit  up  a  little  straighter  ;  try  and  shake  the  fringe  from  in  front  of  her  face  .  of  course  that  was  when  madhavi  pulled  the  curtain  back  ,  revealed  herself  . “  dr.  nandamuri  ?  ”  isa  offered  with  a  slight  pout  .  “  do  we  really  have  to  be  so  formal  ,  it’s  only  a  little  cut  ,  you  can’t  be  that  mad  at  me  right  ?  ”  she  held  up  her  wounded  arm  as  the  sarcasm  coated  her  words  .  it  was  the  only  way  she  knew  to  break  the  tension  .  isa  was  well  aware  of  madhavi’s  feelings  towards  her  affiliation  with  the  reapers  .  as  much  as  she  promised  madhavi  that  she  was  safe  ,  that  the  older  woman  had  nothing  to  worry  about  ,  she  continued  to  end  up  in  front  of  her  with  a  wound  for  her  to  patch  up  .  “  i  was  going  to  go  home  and  just  pour  some  lighter  fluid  on  it  and  hope  for  the  best  but  .  .  .  ⸺  what  do  you  think  ?  you’re  the  one  with  the  degree  .  ”