ACROSS WORLDS

Part 1

Dominique's head throbbed as she stared at the blinking cursor on her screen. The migraine, sharp and unrelenting, clawed at her concentration. She squeezed her temples, willing herself to focus, but the words in her report blurred and danced, mocking her.

"Damn it," she muttered, slamming the laptop shut.

The sound echoed through her office—a small, glass-walled sanctuary perched high above Washington, D.C. Dominique leaned back in her chair, her breath shallow. Outside, the hum of the city persisted, taking no notice to her unravelling.

Her phone buzzed on the desk. A reminder flashed: Team Presentation: 3:00 PM. A glance at the clock confirmed it—barely an hour left. Dominique cursed again, more at herself than the looming deadline. She wasn't one to miss deadlines, not after years of clawing her way to the top.

Grabbing the nearest file, she flipped through the pages, hoping something—anything—would spark the breakthrough she needed. The research was solid; she knew that. But the constant migraines had eroded her clarity, and for the first time in years, doubt whispered in the back of her mind.

Doubt, a word she was not familiar with. She sighed, ready to throw the content of her desk in frustration and scream some obscenities.

A knock on the door pulled her from her spiral. Before she could respond, Nathan stepped in, holding a paper bag and wearing his usual patient smile.

"Thought you might skip lunch again," he said, setting the bag on her desk. His eyes softened when he saw her pale face. "It's the migraine, isn't it?"

Dominique nodded, rubbing her temples. Frustrated at Nathan's persistence and mad at his sweetness. "It's worse today. I can't think."

She moved to check inside the bag, and winced as a sharp pain tore through her.

Nathan crossed the room in three strides, "Are you okay? Tell me, what hurts?" he asked, guiding her to the couch—the first thing she'd brought into the office, knowing she would need it for late nights.

"My head... it won't just stop." She grimaced, hating the weakness.

Nathan sat beside her and gently placed her head in his lap. "You need to take a break. I don't want you to burn out."

"But I'm not done with the research. If I could just finish—"

"The research can wait. You need to rest, especially since the doctors didn't find anything serious. It's stress, Dominique. You've got to take care of yourself."

He was right. The tests had shown nothing out of the ordinary. The doctors had told her to rest, but Dominique couldn't imagine taking time off. Even when she tried to relax, her mind wouldn't cooperate. If the constant migraines didn't knock her down, the haunting dreams would.

Lately, she had relied on sleeping pills just to get through the night. Without them, she couldn't sleep, and her work was starting to suffer. Her memory was slipping, and her colleagues had noticed. Her boss had been patient so far, but Dominique feared it wouldn't last. That's why she couldn't give up now—she had to keep pushing.

"Nathan, you know I can't do that," she said softly.

"Your health is more important than anything else, Dee. Just take it one day at a time. Start by resting today. Tomorrow can wait."

Dominique sighed. "Thank you. I appreciate how much you care."

"You don't need to thank me," Nathan said, stroking her hair. "I love you, Dee. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know." She had never said those words back to him. In fact, she wasn't sure she knew what love really meant. The only thing she felt passionate about was her work. If love meant that same level of dedication, she wasn't sure she could ever feel it for Nathan—or anyone else. But she wasn't cruel enough to tell him that.

Just then, the door swung open, and Stacey burst into the room. Dominique's best friend was the only person who never bothered to knock.

"Is she okay? What happened?" Stacey asked, her eyes darting between Nathan and Dominique.

"It's just the migraine," Dominique reassured her. "Nathan brought me lunch after I stood him up again."

For the first time, Stacey seemed genuinely grateful to Nathan. "Thank you," she said, surprising Dominique. Stacey had never been Nathan's biggest fan.

"It's no problem," Nathan replied, standing to leave. "I've got to be in court in an hour. But, Dee, please go home and rest, okay?"

"I'll drive her," Stacey said, already helping Dominique to her feet. "No arguments."

"Thanks, Nathan," Dominique added, giving in to the exhaustion. "And thanks, Mum," she teased.

As Stacey guided her out of the office, Dominique stole a final glance at the view—the towering high-rises, the distant Capitol building. The city she had conquered felt suddenly distant, a reminder of how far she'd come, and how much farther she still had to go.

For now, she would rest. Tomorrow's battles could wait.