give her love » james potter

25

"How did you break your nose again?"

Rachel lets out a deep sigh, tired of the judgemental nurse who keeps asking her this question. "I was sitting on my bed, then my friend ran in and jumped onto it," she pauses, wondering if she should add the new part, "it was also dark and she didn't turn a light on. But since it's five in the morning you've probably realised that. Oh, fuck," she squeezes her eyes as the nurse continues to poke and prod her nose, "that hurts like a bitch."

The nurse gives me a sour look. "Maybe we shouldn't jump on other peoples beds during the middle of the night."

I shrink into the chair and say, "She's my best friend."

She doesn't respond or acknowledge that I've even spoken, instead she's writing down something and telling Rachel to be patient for another hour. Then she leaves us alone in the room.

"I've never liked my nose that much," Rachel mumbles, staring at the mirror that hangs near her. She turns her head, examining her side profile. "Maybe this is a sign that the universe wants me to get a nose job."

"Your nose is great," I say. "I think it's a sign from the universe telling me to never go to a party again or drink vodka when I'm stressed."

Rachel frowns. "It wasn't completely horrible, right?"

I think of Harv and the way he cried, but then I remember his heart beating so hard as I told him things that I didn't really know I felt. Remus telling me how he would've probably died a long time ago if it hadn't been for his friends also comes along, I think I feel the same way when I heard him put it into words.

Pain is a magnet. Pain is a magnet that pulls people together like nothing else because when humans are hurt and bruised, we want company. We want to share it with others so it can exist somewhere else than inside us forever, the more you let out the less it all hurts.

I feel like I've poured so much out but it still hurts a lot. So maybe i'm the exception to that rule.

"It wasn't horrible, it just wasn't what I expected it to be."

Rachels falling asleep, a large yawn escapes her, "Lina."

"Yes?"

"One day we're gonna work together in this hospital," she says, and she sounds so sure of it, even though the pain potions are getting to her. "One day we're gonna be older and life will be sooooo good. 'Cause we deserve that, I think we really deserve that."

I rub her back gently. "I think we deserve that too."

Richard Boot sits down beside me and we both stare at Rachel's sleeping figure.

He's in his scrubs, I'm pretty sure he finished up with one of his own patients before coming. But I'm a bit scared to ask him because even though he's one of the nicest people I've ever met, I kind of broke his daughter's nose.

"I've never gotten to talk to you," he says, finally. "You've been a guest at my house for the past two weeks, Anglina, and I haven't had conversation with you."

"I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "I don't like sorry's, especially when there's nothing to be sorry about. You and I both have busy scheduales it's understandable and this," he nods towards Rachel, "it's an accident, nothing a potion won't be able to fix. A fun story to tell during Christmas in the future."

I don't say anything back so he continues to talk.

"Jane and I have been married for twenty years, we've known each other for nearly fourty. She basically went through healer school with me, helping me study and listening to my go on and on every night about patients. She's not upset about the nose either, she knows it's not gonna leave a scar or anything."