Lexy x Sam x Tess

Calm Before the Storm

Lexy walked into her flat apprehensively, glancing around hoping not to catch a sight of Tess. She listened and there was just silence. She began to tip toe to her bedroom door. Suddenly, she heard the shuffle of socks on ceramic tiles. Tess appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hey," Tess chirped.

"Oh, hey, Tess. Wasn't sure if you'd be in or not," Lexy said.

"I have this morning off from rehearsals. Reward for a successful post-first night show and all that jazz," Tess smiled at her with wide, affectionate eyes.

Like a puppy, occurred to Lexy, Sadie's earlier words coming back to her.

"Was everything okay at the hospital?" Tess asked.

"The hospital...? Oh, yes! Yeah, just an emergency. Big car crash."

Tess glanced over Lexy's outfit. She was wearing the same clothes that she had worn the night before. "Did you only just get off?"

"Yeah," Lexy said nervously. She pointed towards her door awkwardly. "Really in need of a shower right now, I think. Then I'll probably head straight to bed to catch up on some sleep..."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Tess said awkwardly.

Lexy walked past Tess and into her room, closing the door behind her. She rested her forehead in her hands and cursed. She felt bad lying to Tess but she just didn't know how to tell her about Sam without hurting her.

***

A few hours later Lexy went into the hospital for a genuine shift. There, she saw her co-worker and friend, Declan. He jogged up behind her with a smirk on his face whilst she walked down the A&E ward.

"Hey, Lexy." His voice dripped with a tone of juicy-gossip-incoming. "I think radiology man has taken a real liking to me. Gave me his number, told me to call him. What did I tell you?"

Lexy recalled talking to the target of Declan's sexual prowess a couple of days before, encouraging him to give her friend a chance. "Ah, well, he must have just been spontaneously inspired by seeing your pretty face one more time."

Declan puffed his chest and grinned triumphantly. "And how about you... anything happen with Tess yet?"

Lexy stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him square in the face. She was wincing.

"Oh, God. I know that face. What's happened?"

"I kind of slept with Sam last night," she said under her breath so that the people around them wouldn't hear.

"Dr. Price wasting no time picking up the next broken woman that happens falls into her path," he said theatrically, mockingly.

Lexy sighed; her shoulders slumped and her eyes downcast for a moment. "It's not like I didn't like her before. I fancied her before she was broken too. She just... had a girlfriend then."

Declan shook his head gently. "Lexy, just make sure you don't get used and abused. You deserve better than what happened with your ex, and your ex before that... and your ex before that."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Lexy bit her lip, felt nervous.

Declan gave her a little squeeze on her shoulder and departed into a nearby cubicle to attend to a patient. Lexy blew hair out of her face and put his worries to the back of her mind.

***

Sam sat at home on her double bed. An open bottle of vodka stood by her foot on the bedside rug. She was staring at herself in a mirror opposite. The blinds were closed, making the room dimly lit. Faint sounds of the city outside – passing cars, voices, dog barks – went unnoticed by her. She went to take a swig of the colourless liquor when her phone began to buzz beside her on the duvet. On the screen she read the name "Lexy". Sam stared at the phone, debating whether to pick up. Her face was expressionless and stony. After a several seconds she turned away and took a large gulp of alcohol.

***