EVERMORE ─ marvel ⁷

VII. The Beginning Of The End

Chapter Seven
Analiese

Livy's hands are shaking as she washes them for the third time, trying to get every germ off her hands before she touches any patients. Or maybe she isn't doing it to kill germs, maybe she just needs to be doing something with her hands while we wait for the battle to commence, for patients to come flooding in. I saw her moving around tools and pacing around the room we are assigned to earlier. I think the suspense is really getting to her, to the other as well. Everyone is pretty on edge, myself included. I just hide it better.

I think me hiding my fear is the reason why I'm getting so many death stares. Scientists and doctors from Wakanda and D.C. are here, including the scientists I work with at the Institute, aka the scientists who hate me. They probably think I feel no fear because I don't care about human life, that I have a face of stone because I've taken so many lives already and don't care about the patients who will come in here today. None of that is true. I'm hiding my fear and keeping a stone face because if I let myself acknowledge the fear I feel, I won't be able to do my job. I'm compartmentalizing. They would benefit from doing the same.

"Livy, take some deep breaths." I urge her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nods, drying her hands on her lab coat. "I'm trying...it's just difficult right now."

I squeeze her shoulder, offering her a sympathetic smile. "I know, but it's best to just keep a clear mind and take things as they come, especially in our profession. If you let yourself freak out and shut down, we can't save lives. I need your mind in here, not out there. You got that, Doctor Barnes?"

Livy takes in a few deep breaths, nodding to me firmly. "Yeah, yeah I got it."

Shuri, who has also been assigned to this room, comes in, saying before we can ask: "No, nothing has happened yet. But I'm sure they'll arrive any minute now."

Livy's breathing hitches again, but she immediately rubs her eyes and tries to focus, trying to take my advice. Shuri walks over to her niece and places her hand on her other shoulder, giving me a knowing smile. Shuri has seen war, seen death and destruction. She knows that compartmentalizing is key, that focusing on the here and now is imperative.

Since nothing has happened yet, all that's left to do is wait.

-

Josephine

Dad and Baba weren't aloud down here, they had to say goodbye to me from outside the White House. They both crushed me against them, hugging onto me so hard my sides hurt. I didn't mind though, I hugged them back just as hard. Daniel was up there to meet us, and he shook both of my parents hands and wished them luck before bringing me inside the building. I watched Dad and Baba the entire time I walked away from them, and waited until we got to the elevator to take us to the bunker before bursting into tears. I needed to get it all out of my system before being forced to guard the president. There was no way I was letting him see me cry.

Daniel stood awkwardly for a few moments before placing his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me the only way he knows how. Over the past six months our relationship has gotten to a pretty stable place. I've been going to his house every Wednesday night for dinner and every Saturday we go do another activity together. I haven't lashed out at him in a while, he's been working his way through the reading list I gave him, and we actually have some nice conversations about our lives. I don't think I hate him anymore. I think I may even like him. I'm not going to tell him that though, I'm not ready for that. As I cried I placed my hand over his, a silent way of appreciating his affection. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smile.