After Season 14

Chapter 23

*two days later*
JULIANA'S POV

Carina hasn't spoken about her father since the study failed at the hospital. I can tell she's very conflicted and is at war with herself. We're sitting at her kitchen table.

"Carina.. it's okay. Whatever you need. Tell me. I am here." She meets my eyes, very watery. Some part of me is preparing myself for the inevitable, that she has to go back to Italy. She takes my hand in hers, I'm looking at her hands, feeling her cold finger tips.

"You want to go don't you?" I ask. She sniffles,

"Not only that, but, I don't know for how long. And it isn't fair to you. You've been here for me, and trying and trying. I am so grateful for that. But it's not fair to you, waiting for me to fix all of this when I can't put you as a priority." She explains. She breathes out heavily. She's right, as much that this saddens me she's right. Our relationship isn't being prioritized, for more than a month since she left the last time. I bite my inner cheek and clear my throat,

"It's okay, you go. When you come back, and need a friend I'm here. I understand you need to look after your father. Especially in the manic state that he's in." I say soothingly. She smiles and laughs lightly, she stands up.

"What's so funny?" I ask confused,

"My ex girlfriend did the same to me, just with her daughter and now I'm doing it to you." She rubs her temple, "I was angry, and it doesn't make sense why you're not."

"Well, I saw this coming don't get me wrong. It's just how things go, i do feel hurt, but it'll be okay." I knew this would happen, I was right not to get too attached. There's a still silence between us, she has her arms crossed in a self soothing way; I'm just tapping on the table in patterns.

"Wh-- when do you leave?" I break the silence,

"One of these weeks possibly, following up with patients and doing paper work for a leave of absence." She says wiping tears away quickly.

I keep biting my inner cheek, I stand up and walk towards her, I cup her face gently, I press my lips onto hers one last time. A moment after wanting to pull away she pulls me back in, her smell of citrus fumes reaches to my sense of smell. I can taste her dry tears trying my best not to cry too.

Our breathing becomes heavy when our kissing is getting carried away, we fumble back to one of the counters. My hands trail down her back and hers on my neck pulling me in much closer.

"I.. uh.. have to go." I pull away slowly. Our noses still touching. She nods and still keeps her eyes closed. "Take care of yourself, if you need anything, you know where to find me." I hug her, and she hugs back. I back away and head for the door,

"Juliána?" I open the door and stop, I hum in response,

"Don't let everyone be outside your walls." I don't turn around, just stay there a moment and close the door behind me.

———

Jo meets up with me at the hospital floor, catching me up on our patients.

"So I covered Link's service while he was gone for the conference and Schmitt stayed up with your rounds." She fills me in, I nod and scratch my head,

"Good." She stops walking and look back at her, giving me a face,

"What?" I ask

"You've been really weird recently, what is going on, did something happen with Carina?" Jo asks, I just stare at her blankly and continue walking. She catches up and wait for me to say something,

"Carina is leaving to Italy again, and we ended things. So yeah not a big deal—"

"It was just a one time thing!" I get interrupted by Shepherd coming out of a.. blue room? And a new cute hair cut. She gets startled and looks at the both of us,