Affinity

Dianna

Dianna eyed the woman opposite her with piqued interest. There were fourteen other doctors in the cabin, some speaking to each other in hushed tones, occasionally stealing glances at Eleanor. Dianna heard the word 'failed' murmured a few times, and wondered what Eleanor Friss had done to gain such notoriety among her colleagues.

Eleanor herself did not seem to mind the stares. She gazed unfocused out the window, seemingly unaware of her surroundings.

Dianna had tried pulling up Eleanor's file only to discover her credentials could only access her team's doctors. Dianna had handpicked Dr. Konchesky as team lead, but with him away, Eleanor would have to step into that role.

"You're staring," Eleanor said suddenly, facing Dianna with a hint of a smile.

"Huh?" Dianna replied.

"I didn't think looking like I just rolled out of bed would earn me this much attention," Eleanor chuckled.

"It's not about your looks," Dianna said flatly.

"Is it my brain?" Eleanor joked. "It's the only part of me everyone seems to like."

Dianna gave Eleanor a sweeping glance, about to disagree when the plane rumbled, breaking her train of thought. She gripped her safety belts as the shaking continued.

Eleanor's gaze flickered for a moment, eyes losing focus and then refocusing on Dianna.

"First time flying?" Eleanor asked.

"I usually work from my station," Dianna replied nervously. "Fieldwork was never my forte."

Eleanor cocked her head. "And what exactly is your forte?"

"To put it simply, figuring out the bad stuff before they happen."

Eleanor glanced around the shaking cabin, pressing a palm against the wall. "It's just turbulence, nothing serious," she reassured Dianna. "I read airplanes going down due to emergencies are about 1 in 11 million."

"How long ago was that?" Dianna smiled.

"I don't know," Eleanor grinned toothily. "My mom got me a book on aviation disasters to make me hate flying."

"That didn't help, did it?"

"I've wanted to fly all my life," Eleanor said wistfully. "If not a doctor, I would've tried the Air Force."

"If you wanted to fly your whole life, why not try the Air Force before med school?"

"I did," Eleanor said simply.

The plane shuddered again then settled. "Coming up on base," the pilot announced. "Prepare for landing."

Dianna looked out the window, and her eyes widened as she took in the scene of utter devastation before her. Smoke billowed up from countless fires still burning amidst the wreckage. Entire city blocks had been leveled, concrete and steel reduced to rubble. Here and there, jagged remnants of walls and buildings jutted up at crazy angles like broken teeth.

Streets that had once been crowded with life were now choked with debris and twisted metal. Burned-out carcasses of cars, buses, and trucks dotted the thoroughfares. Dianna's gaze landed on a tanker truck that had been split in half, its charred shell emitting a thin plume of smoke.

The bulbous wreck of what had once been a huge dragon came into view, its hide blistered and blackened, massive wings shattered. Even from a distance, Dianna could make out tiny burn marks and tears in the dragon's flesh - evidence of shrapnel and debris that had perforated its body during the blast.

Beyond the ravaged city streets, entire neighborhoods had been flattened. Where once had stood apartment buildings and homes rose only piles of splintered wood and crumbled masonry. Clothes, furniture, and other remnants of ordinary lives floated eerily amidst the ruins.