Shooting Stars

Chapter 81

Aria stood in front of the mirror in the residents locker room, staring at her reflection with a mixture of exhaustion and anxiety. Her fingers gently massaged her temples, the dull throb of a headache making her squint. She had been getting them more often lately, especially in the last few weeks. Between the stress of the boards, work, and figuring out fellowship interviews, she hadn't been able to catch her breath. And now, there was something else gnawing at her.

"Aria!" Arizona's voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. Arizona was already dressed in her scrubs, a small, encouraging smile on her face as she entered the bathroom. She put a hand on Aria's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Hey, relax. You've got this. You've been working so hard. This is just one more step. You're going to do great."

Aria offered a tired smile, grateful for Arizona's pep talk, but it didn't do much to quiet the voice in her head. She nodded, not trusting her own voice. Arizona, ever perceptive, gave her a nod of reassurance before heading out the door.

"I'll catch you later. I'm going to track down Alex. He's late to the bus," Arizona said as she left, her words filled with a mix of amusement and mild exasperation. Aria could hear the sound of Arizona's footsteps fade down the hall as she went in search of Alex.

Aria rubbed her temples again, the headache still lingering like a storm cloud. It wasn't just from the stress. There was something else too, something that she couldn't put her finger on.

Just then, the door opened, and Lexie appeared in the doorway, a bright smile on her face. "Good luck with your board exam!" she said, her voice cheerful. But as she stepped into the room, her smile faltered slightly, and she paused when she saw the look on Aria's face.

"You okay?" Lexie asked, stepping closer, her brow furrowed in concern.

Aria quickly waved it off, trying to push the worry from her mind. "Yeah, just a headache. Nothing I can't handle."

Lexie wasn't convinced, though. She squinted, clearly seeing through the façade. "Are you sure? You've been looking a little... off lately. Stressing out about the boards?"

Aria sighed and rubbed her head again, then nodded. "Yeah, a little. But it's fine. Just a lot going on."

Lexie, not one to let things go easily, pressed further. "Aria... are you—" She stopped, her voice turning thoughtful as she looked at her sister with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Are you at that time of the month?"

The question made Aria pause. Her period. She hadn't even thought about it, not with everything else going on. She felt her chest tighten, a small flicker of unease hitting her.

"I don't think so..." Aria said slowly, shaking her head. But then, as soon as the words left her mouth, her mind started to race. It had been... a couple of weeks late. She'd pushed it out of her mind, chalking it up to the stress of everything going on. But now, with Lexie's question, the thought had settled uncomfortably in her stomach.

Lexie could see the sudden shift in her sister's expression. She didn't need to say anything for the question to hang in the air.

Before she could say another word, Aria suddenly grabbed Lexie's hand, pulling her urgently toward the small exam rooms near the E.R.

"Take my blood," Aria said quickly, her voice low, almost frantic.

Lexie blinked in surprise, her brow furrowing. "What? Aria, what are you talking about? Why—"

"Just... just take my blood, okay? Please. Don't ask questions," Aria insisted, her eyes wide with an emotion that Lexie couldn't quite place.

Lexie hesitated, clearly concerned but also intrigued by her sister's odd request. As the older sister tugged her toward the lab kit, the pieces started to click. "Wait... you think—" She started to ask, but Aria silenced her with a raised hand.