Elijah Mikaelson Collection

Study Stress

A frustrated groan passed your lips as you tossed the stack of flash cards down onto the desk. Bringing a hand up, you ran it through your Y/H/C hair while taking a deep breath. No matter how many times you told yourself that you knew all the information that had been on the flash cards, they seemed to be proving you wrong in that moment.

This was the last bit of studying you needed to do before it came time to take your final. The very last one before you were completely done with school. After the long process of learning every medical terminology, protocol and procedure over the course of the last few years, you were sure your head was going to explode with all the information it now contained.

But with the worry of passing your finals and as well as the stress that comes from focusing on said finals, it was making for a difficult study session. It didn't help that the current stack of pathology flash cards, that you had memorized at one point, was seriously throwing you off seeing as you hadn't gotten the last few right.

Sitting back in the chair, you stared at the now slightly scattered mess of the cards. You got this. You mentally told yourself as you continued to look at the cards for a moment longer. Reaching for a random card from the stack of cards that you hadn't gone through yet, you grabbed it and pulled it towards you.

The amount of information on the back already told you it was on the worse end of the spectrum when it came to pathology. You took in the details, one at a time. Each word ringing a bell in your head. Its right there on the tip of your tongue.

But when you turned the card over to check your answer, you were wrong once more. While you weren't that far off from being right, the feeling of defeat was overwhelming in that moment. Tossing the card over your shoulder, not caring where it landed, you sunk further into the chair.

"I'm going to fail." You said out loud to yourself.

"I highly doubt that." Elijah's voice filled the room causing you to sit up and look over towards him.

He had been leaning against the door frame watching you for the last few minutes. He watched as you had concentrated on the cards, watched the small looks of defeat that had formed on your face each time you had gotten one of them wrong.

A scoff passed your lips as you shook your head. "Tell that to the several flash cards I've gotten wrong. If I was going to pass, I would have had these down by now."

"Maybe you're testing yourself in the wrong way." He said as moved away from the door frame and began making his way towards the desk. His eyes ran over the mess of cards that had taken over. "You've been reading the information trying to place a name to it. Let's try it this way, shall we?"

You watched as he picked up a card and showed you the name of one of the pathologies that you had been struggling to name. You sighed before you began listing every detail that you believed went with it. Once you were done you watched him, waiting for him to tell you how you did.

"Correct." He said with a small smile before picking up another. "And this procedure?"

Again you listed every detail you could think of once more. He nodded his head with every fact that you listed. Every detail you gave matched word for word on what you had written on the back of the note card.

The process continued for several more random note cards. He'd ask you about a specific pathology, you listed every characteristic of it. He asked you about a protocols and you listen in order each step, each terminology you had it all down.

"Shall we continue?" He asked as he tossed the note card he had in his hand back onto the desk. "Or do you believe that you've done all the studying you've needed?"

"It doesn't hurt to study, Elijah." You noted as you leaned forward and rested your arms on the desk.

"Too much studying leads to self doubt." He began. You opened your mouth to disagree but he shook his head. "Before I helped you were over thinking everything and getting them wrong."

You sighed softly. "This is the end of it all. I just want to make sure that I'm going to pass with flying colors." That was what you were the most stressed about. It didn't matter that you had been stressed about your clinicals or even all the paperwork that came with getting ready for graduation. It was the damn final that was just days away that had you freaking out beyond belief.

"And you will." He said as he moved to sit on the edge of the desk. "You just have to let yourself breath in between study sessions so you don't overwhelm yourself like you have been."

"Easier said than done." You noted with a chuckle.

"How about we make a deal?" He asked and it caused you to raise an eyebrow. When it came to deals with Elijah, neither of you went back on it. "You get to study one more day, a day of your choice before your exam. If you pass, like I know you will, we'll go where ever in the world you'd like as a graduation present."

"And if I fail?" You asked curiously.

"Doubt it." He said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"Come on Elijah, there is that possibility of me failing if I only get one more day to study." You already didn't like the idea of only getting one more day. You wanted to be able to pick up your note cards, your study guides and any other material you had and be able to study them daily. "So what happens if I fail?"

"If you fail, which the probability is slim, I will be at your beck and call to do whatever you wish for two whole months to make up taking away your days to study."

You laughed and shook your head slightly. "Anything I want? Whenever I want?" He nodded his head. "It is tempting to just fail now." You said with a smile as you watched him.

He laughed and gave you a smile. "We both know you wouldn't intentionally fail something like this. Not when you've worked so hard."

You sighed softly before nodding. "I really wouldn't."

"Do we have a deal?" He asked watching you.

You thought about it for a moment. After deciding, you stood up from your seat and leaned over the desk, kissing Elijah softly on the lips. "Deal."

He smiled at you and nodded. "So where would you like to go after you've graduated?"

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. "We'll discuss that after my final."

No matter how much you you will stress over the final in the next few days, you knew in the back of your mind that Elijah would be right once again.