A Little Help Along The Way

like the moon, we go through phases of empty to feel full again

Longest chapter yet :)

"Pick up two"

I frowned "dammit"

Beth laughed. We'd spent the past half an hour in the treatment ward where we'd been playing uno on the communial coffee table. So far Beth had won three games and I'd only won two.

"I've been here four months longer than you, that's four extra months of practice so I can kick your ass" They said, placing down a red 2

I countered their move by placing a red 6. Beth smiled mischievously

you have no idea how much it meant to me to feel the slightest bit of normality in this cursed hospital.

They snapped down a green 6 "uno!"
They leaned back in their armchair and folded their hands behind their head.
I shook my head. I only had two cards left. A yellow 8 and a red 2. There was no way I was winning this round.

Reaching for the pile on the side to pick up a card Beth let out a short laugh. They knew they'd won. With a final exert of energy they smacked a green card down, rectifying their fourth win.

"Jesus christ" I muttered "you have insane luck"

They shrugged. "I have a couple tricks up my sleeve"

"Yeah no shit Sherlock," I scoffed. I was quite competitive but it really depended on the situation, I wasn't upset about losing so many times but it did dent my pride a little bit.

"So-" I said, derailing the subject to avoid any further disappointment towards my losing streak "any names yet?"

They scrunched their face up "I was working on it last night, narrowed it down to three"

I gestured for them to list what they had, I also had a few in mind but I wasn't really sure how to identify if a name was gender nuteral enough so I decided to keep them to myself. They probably wouldn't've been that good anyway

"Okay so, so far I have Reed, Quinn and Blue" Beth said. They paused thinking about what fits them best.

"What do you think?" They asked

I sat silently for a second, gazing out the window behind them. The sun was starting to set and the street lights had turned on. Watching out the window I saw street lights blink for as far as I could see, they looked like stars. Little Earth stars. For a split second I let my mind wander.

Maybe that's what stars really were. Just diluted images of a parallel universe's street lights. Maybe somewhere up there, a parallel being was staring up at their stars, unknowingly gazing down at our insignificant planet's shiny lamp-posts

I drew my attention back to Beth, reluctantly pulling my gaze away from window over looking the city.

"I like Quinn" I said, taking a look at them and trying to imagine the name placed on their face.

They had dark brown hair, almost black and light freckles splashed their face. They had light hazel eyes and naturally shaped brows. Thin lips and a strong jaw line. The sides of their nose was always tinged red from allergies and a scar the size of a pea sat on the bride of their nose directly between their eyebrows.

They told me they'd got it from falling out a tree when they were younger.
Definitely a Quinn.

"Yes." I said again, more confident "Definitely Quinn"

They smiled "really?" The idea of changing their name to something more fitting starting to dawn on them.
I nodded, a grin appearing on my face. It was nice to see them so happy in such a shitty situation.