6:21

5:47 PM

❝You're ripped at every edge but you're a masterpiece
And now I'm tearing though the pages and the ink.❞

⚫ ◯⚫◯⚫ ⚫ ◯ ⚫ ◯ ⚫

Avnit reread the medical chart, making sure her notes were okay. Pleased yet still a little unsure, she handed the folder to the doctor.

"I finished charting this one. It was the five-year old with strep throat."

She nodded as Dr. Knight took the folder from her, scanning over it.

"Looks good."

Avnit grinned before turning back to the pile of charts beside her. "And there's like twenty more charts."

"Is it always this busy?" She tried to make small talk with the doctor. She was a nice doctor and even in just one day, she'd learned so much from her. But Avnit was still a little nervous.

There was still so much she needed to learn, to figure out and understand. 

"Yea, usually it is. It's an urgent care so you get to see a lot of different cases. It'll be helpful once you decide what you want to specialize in."

"I'm leaning towards oncology or internal medicine but I'm still deciding." Avnit grabbed another chart, scanning the previous medical documents in the folder. 

"My husband's an oncologist. It's a demanding field." Melissa smiled, turning to face Avnit. "But this will a good experience."

"Yea, I've learned so much just in one day." Nodding she got back to finishing her notes for the charts.

It was doing to be a long evening. But this, this was what she had worked for the last few years, it had all been for this.

◉ ◉ ◉ ◉ ◉

Karrissa pulled more of Ryan's weight onto her as he stumbled, mumbling and groaning.

The smell of hard liquor, the smell of weed, she'd gotten used to it now. Everything it was all too familiar, too routine.

She slowly opened the apartment door, pulling him alongside her.

"Prwetty Karrissie. Pretty bluew color." He reached out to touch the sky blue walls of the living room.

Ignoring him, she tugged him along to his bedroom.

"Oh my God, Ryan." She gritted her teeth just as he stumbled into her, unable to stand on his own two feet.

"I'm getting so fucking sick of this." She mumbled as she tried to steady him again.

Just a few more steps until his bed.

She sat him down on the bed, grabbing the water bottle from the nightstand and handing it to him. She had left it there earlier because she'd known that this was exactly how their night was going to be. 

He took the water from her, mumbling, before staring at her. Light blue eyes, hazy.

"You're so pretty Karrissa." He pouted, rubbing his forehead before taking a sip of the water. "So so pretty."

She took off his shoes and then pulled off his socks, tossing them aside.

He continued mumbling to himself, something about how pretty she was. And something about how annoying he'd thought she was at first.

Karrissa didn't say anything as he laid down on the bed, moving the pillow around.

A whimper escaped her lips as he stared at her, his eyes unfocused, his lips parted. She hated seeing him like this.

Yet, every night, more often than not, he was always like this.

She gently pulled the bed covers around him, making him comfortable.

"Get some sleep, Ryan."

Almost hesitantly, she leaned in and brushed her lips against his forehead.

It was something she would've never done if was awake, awake and sober. Because she knew he didn't like her like that. He just didn't. He never had.

She grabbed took his wallet, his phone and watch from the nightstand where'd she'd placed them earlier and opened the third draw to his table. She placed everything, in order, just as he'd know where everything is tomorrow.

Karrissa closed the drawer, freezing as she saw a Ziploc bag stuffed behind a few boxes. She slowly pulled out the bag, gasping as she stared at the white powder.

Her eyes widening and she stood frozen, staring at the bag, easily recognizing the contents inside.

Fentanyl.

She was more than sure.

She rummaged through the dresser, looking around for anything else. And she found it.

Another bag. With pills.

She wasn't sure what they were. He'd tried, he'd done, he'd been on so many different things that she didn't even know anymore.

A harsh whimper escaped her lips, both of the bags slipping out of her hands, falling to the floor. She turned, staring at him as he slept, wishing that it wasn't true.

Ryan had relapsed. Again.