MEDICINE ➤ SPENCER REID

THREE

"From childhood's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone." - Edgar Allan Poe.

* * *

Time flew by for Louise - and she were finally discharged from a long few weeks in hospital after recovering from that damn fever.
Above all, the doctors even found no signs of organ failures (especially the lungs).
Everything seemed calm enough for Louise to leave the hospital.

Now, she stood behind the counter of the small coffee shop she worked at - apron tied tightly around her waist and hair clipped back in a bun messily. Her hands worked around the till nimbly, ordering food and drinks for people like second nature.

The shop was incredibly busy for a Monday morning, with people flooding in and out like water. Louise faced her back from the till, hands gripping at a steaming mug of coffee that she had yet to deliver. Blowing a strand of hair away from her face, Louise turned back around and made her way towards the customer waiting for her order.

In a rush, Louise placed the mug onto the round, wooden table. A smile present on her lips, Louise said, "enjoy." - to which the customer beamed, "thank you."

Louise nodded and heaved a deep breath of air, wiping her clammy hands down her jeans tiredly. Even though it were early in the morning, she had already felt her lungs clog with the thick mucus that produced so commonly.
Reaching her place back at the till, she heaved a cough - coughing into the inside of her elbow in a heap. With her ribcage rattling and lungs throbbing painfully, Louise grabbed a tissue - placing it over her mouth as she spat out a few large clumps of mucus.

Disposing the used tissue into a trash can beside her, Louise washed her hands and patiently stood behind the till as she viewed her surroundings. Workers zoomed around the coffee shop like flies, and customers entered and exited like a flash.
Louise flashed a smile as she saw people leave, waving them off.

"You alright?"

Louise felt a finger poke the top of her arm - she looked to see her colleague and close friend, Georgie Jones, staring at her with a kind smile. She sported bleach blonde shoulder length hair, and soft freckles that splattered over her nose delicately. Sky blue eyes dug into Louise's chocolate brown ones.

"I'm fine," Louise returned the smile, dropping her eyes to the till in front of her. But, Georgie shook her head, a little chuckle rising at her throat, "don't sound like you are."
Louise shrugged, "I guess I'm just stressed, to be back here I mean, it's super busy." - her voice bounced in a happy manor, sounding promising.

Georgie grinned and tapped Louise's nose softly, "we are all glad you're back," her voice was warm and comforting, "seriously, we all missed you... it wasn't the same without you."
Louise looked back up to Georgie, seeing as the blonde woman sadly smiled. "I doubt that," the brown haired girl shrugged.

"No!" Georgie chuckled, "honestly, it wasn't the same without you! I didn't know who to mess around with during lunch breaks."
A laugh both arose at the two workers lips.

Ding!

The bell rang at the door, indicating to Louise and Georgie that another customer had entered - and they instantly looked at each other with a sigh, knowing how tired one another were by the busy day already.