Light ► JACKSON AVERY

chapter thirteen

"LAYNE?"

The woman in question had her back turned. She had just put away one of the charts, belonging to someone who had just gotten taken up to one of the operation rooms for an emergency surgery. Layne turned around, trying to stifle a yawn. Even though her shift had only begun a couple of hours ago, she was already tired to the bone. Her eyes, which were putting up a fight to keep themselves open, sprung wide open.

In front of her stood her best friend, Corinne Mitchell. Her blonde hair, which had been slightly curled, rested on top of her shoulders. She looked like she had somewhere to be. With the recent renovations, Corinne usually had paint splatters across her clothes. However, at that moment, her white blouse looked spotless. Her brown bell bottoms even looked like they had been ironed before she had put them on.

Layne on the other hand was her complete opposite. She had tied her hair up into a high ponytail to hide the fact that she needed to wash it that night. She was supposed to do it before going to work, but she had decided to sleep longer instead. The ponytail had lost its shape over the hours, since she rubbed her head in frustration quite a lot. Ironing her scrubs had been the least of her priorities and she was pretty sure she had a stain on her white shirt underneath.

"Corinne?"

Corinne nodded. "In the flesh."

Even their moods were totally different upon seeing each other. Layne looked ecstatic to see her best friend. Her eyes were brightly sparkling, like a star in the night sky. A genuine smile, which she hadn't been able to muster up for days, was gracing her features, making her look even more radiant. Corinne, though, looked less than pleased. Her arms were crossed over each other, with her fingers tapping against them. Her blue eyes held no affectionate emotion in them, while her lips tugged downwards.

"What are you doing here?"

"To talk to you," Corinne clenched her teeth together, trying to keep herself from lashing out at Layne. If they had been in a private setting, she would've, but she had decided to visit Layne at her workplace, so that limited the options. Layne was there most of the time lately, barely spending time at home, unless it was to sleep. (Corinne had tried to reach her at home, but no answer) "You said you would call back. It's been weeks, Layne."

Layne frowned. "That can't be."

"I'm not lying."

"Didn't I..." Layne fished her phone out of her pocket. She went through the call histories, going back a couple of weeks. (She didn't call many people, you know.) She found the initial incoming call from Corinne, but she never found her own. Her eyes quickly glanced at the calendar standing on the nurses' desk. All these weeks, she never... Layne's own smile faded quickly. "I forgot."

"I'm not even going to ask why, because I'm pretty sure that I won't like the answer."

"I'm so sorry."