𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 ✓

Chapter 3.1 | New Bonds

𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐏.𝐎.𝐕

"It's okay to see her now right? I don't want to overwhelm her or anything." My ears perk up when I hear a female voice from outside my room. It doesn't sound like Charlotte and I know it's definitely not Cleo. I watch as the room door slides open and a familiar face pops in, relief clear as day when they see me.

"You know it was really scary hearing my very first friend almost died, well almost died again," Camryn says from the doorway and I hold back my laughter before waving her inside. She rushes over to my side and stops beside my bed, contemplating something for a moment before a determined look takes over her face. Before I can even question what's wrong with her she moves forward and gently wraps her arms around my shoulders.

"I'm really really glad you're okay Victoria, I wish you never had to go through that. Scratch that I wish no one would ever have to go through what you did," she tells me, her voice thick with sadness.

"Trouble seems to follow me wherever I go," I answer as I hug her back before she lets go and sits in the vacated chair Jason was in only ten minutes earlier. He mentioned to me that someone came to visit me periodically when I was moved here, I guess it was Camryn. I did tell her that I'd give her one chance at being my friend. From what she said last time about not having any or not being able to keep any, it seems she could really use one.

"But you're really okay right? I heard from your boyfriend that something serious happened yesterday," she starts. "But then when I was passing by some nurses they said someone tried to kill you right after you woke up."

"Of course I'm the main talk of the hospital again. Why am I not surprised everyone is gossiping about it," I sigh. If it was any other time, I wouldn't have minded if someone was talking about me, but I'd rather people just kept quiet in this situation.

"Well you work here right, can't you talk to your superiors about getting them to stop? Otherwise people like me will hear about it," she suggests and I shrug my shoulder.

"I don't really care if you know but even if I did talk to them it'd just fuel them to talk about it more," I reply, leaning against my pillow. "Now if anyone comes to try and confirm whatever story they heard then I'm at no obligation to say anything," I finish with a smirk.

"Yeah for sure, by the way, the students miss you at school," she tells me as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a bunch of cards. "They wrote a bunch of get-well cards for you," she tells me as she hands them to me.

"They're so cute," I comment as I look through each card, skimming the words as I remember each face who wrote it. Some are from students I helped treat, others are from the ones that stop by my office just cause they want to.

"It's going to be some time before you come back to school right, hopefully it's before the end of the year," she laments and I put the cards down before looking at my hands.

"Yeah, I'm hoping they clear me soon but in any case, while I'm still recovering you can still come visit me here and when I go home," I tell her and she perks up in excitement.

"Don't worry, I was planning to do that already," she says with a wave of the hand. It's strange, she doesn't have a bad personality but she has no awareness for social cues at all.

"I need to ask and I hope I'm not intruding but why is it your bad with people? We've talked with one another for the last fifteen minutes and honestly I'm not even pissed," I ask her and she grimaces for a second before a small smile takes over her face.