Photograph ( Marina )

Chapter Twenty-Nine ( Part one )

Vic was a saint. She really was.

"V-Vic? Can y-you come get m-me, ple-please? I was wrong- I can't do this today." As soon as she heard Carina's hiccupped plea over the phone, the Polish-American made her way from her Economics class, directly to her car as she kept the young doctor on the line.

"Of course, Deluca, what's happening over there?" Vic asked concerned as she typed a message to Travis and Andy with Carina on speaker.

"Eve-everywhere I turn something reminds me of her, and I, I can't st-stop myself from crying each time I think of her face, her ey-eyes, Vic. It hurts." The tall Italian cried through the phone as she brought her knees into her chest. She was currently sitting in one of the comfier chairs in the lobby, hoping that this would make her journey home faster by not making Vic wait for her. But truthfully, all Carina wanted to do was curl into herself and drown in the smell of Maya's Calvin Clein perfume until the day she came home. She didn't want to be Doctor Deluca. Not when the love of her life was overseas battling some unknown evil.

"Make it stop, please." Vic heard Carina's whispered plea as she puts the car in drive and does her best not to get choked up at just how defeated she sounds. The Polish-American knew this would happen. She knew solely from the way the slightly older brunette crumpled in her arms earlier that morning. She knew it yesterday when they watched her play with Enzo in the apartment she now shared with Maya. And Vic knew she'd fall to pieces the night Carina called her and gushed about her and the lieutenant's first kiss. It wasn't that she regretted getting them together, because let's face it, she was the Captain of that ship for a reason and she wasn't about to abandon it; but she just wished that Maya had gotten the time home that she was promised. However, Vic was also smart enough to know that Carina would've ended up this way even if Maya had left two weeks later. It was inevitable.

"I'm on my way Car, just sit tight okay?"

"Okay.." It's hushed and Carina can feel her insides caving in as she buried her head between her knees in search of some relief as she heard the dial tone come through. She wasn't lying when she said that every time she turned around something would remind her of her blue-eyed lieutenant- who wouldn't be waiting at home for her with open arms for the first time since they've gotten together. Whether it was coffee or a child with the same emerald tint to their blue irises, Carina saw Maya everywhere. Even behind her eyelids.

It had to be her anxiety, it had to be. She hadn't taken any medication since her and Maya started dating because truthfully, she hadn't felt all that anxious with the lieutenant's arms around her each night. But now- now the symptoms where having their way with her mind and seducing her into a poisonous tango. Her chest was tight and she couldn't help but wonder if it was because with that last kiss, Maya had taken what was left of her breath away. Her hands were shaking and she deemed it to be because only a few hours ago, they were pieced together with those of her marine. Her eyes are bloodshot and tear-filled and she knows- she's certain it's because they haven't drowned themselves in emerald pools for far too long. The sobs were causing her upper body to convulse every now and again, and Carina just wanted it to end. She wanted to be able to wake up in bed the next morning and roll over into her lieutenant's arms and pray that it had all been some sort of sick joke. A horrible and debilitating nightmare. But she knew otherwise and somehow, that made her all the more nauseous.

Soon she felt a large hand on her shoulder and she didn't even have to look up to know it was Levi. The way he rubbed circles on her back was enough for her to allow herself to broke down. The older boy took a seat next to her and wrapped one are around Carina's shoulders and the other around her legs; then started to rock her slowly as she cried into his neck as he hummed old lullabies to her. She was so small compared to him that it hadn't been hard to move her onto his lap, and by the way Carina had gripped his shirt, he knew she was thankful for his presence. She was thankful for Levi all together.