Before Her

Jane 11

Jane
Over the next few days, I worked each day at a different job. The routine stayed the same. Newt and I never talked about that night again, it seemed more appropriate with understanding and worried glances. Nobody can stop the nightmares, and so they came, though not as bad. The first few nights after Newt's nightmare, both Newt and I had nightmares. I'd reach out for him, after waking, letting my hand flop off the bed down to where his body lay peacefully in the sleeping bag and find his warm hand. His palm would always be open, facing up, as if welcoming me. I'd slip mine in his, and without opening his eyes, he'd lace his fingers with mine.

~~~

'Today, you work with the med-jacks, our doctors. This is Andrew, he's the keeper.'
I reach out and shake Andrew's hand. His hand was warm, his smile was too. He was skinny and tall, his fingers were long and slender, perfect for bandaging wounds. He had a mop of brown hair that was just long enough to keep in a small ponytail and stormy grey eyes.
'Glad to finally meet you, Jane,' he grins.
'Nice to meet you too.'

Andrew showed me how to wash and bandage a wound, how to clean the blood off nasty cuts and how to measure medicine for each treatment or sickness. I was surprisingly good it and Andrew was very calm and patient, when I didn't understand something, he'd talk me through it again and ask if I still didn't understand or have any questions. By the end of the day, I was almost as good as Andrew. He'd said I was a fast learner, really patient, didn't faint at the sight of blood, and that I would make a good doctor.

The med-jacks had been the last job I hadn't done, besides the runners. Alby said he'd talk to all the keepers as soon the runner's keeper had finished mapping and let me know after dinner. Newt took longer than usual since he was a keeper, so I sat with Minho.

I was halfway through my meal, while Minho had already finished and was telling me hilarious stories, the keepers all came in and went to the counter for their food. Alby came over to me with Newt by his side.
'Hello Jane.' I finished chewing my food and tried no to burst out laughing from the previous story that Minho had just told me and nodded at both of them.
'It took us a long time to discuss where you would work. You got a lot of compliments from most keepers, don't know why since you weren't that good at most of the jobs. After lots of debating, we've decided to make you a med-jack. Congratulations.'
'Thanks,' I reply, grinning up at Alby.

'Don't know how you survive the med-jacks. Few people can stand it, let alone be good at it,' Minho says as he eats some of the food that he had sneakily taken off my plate.
'Andrew said I was good at it, and I think I did very well. Most people said that to be nice, but I did wrap bandages pretty well.'
'Well good for you, though I don't think I'd ever become a med-jack, I was awful at it. Hands shaking, knees wobbling. I tripped and almost stabbed myself,' Minho grins as if he was proud he almost died.
'And your proud of that?' Newt says between gulps of food.
'Oh, darling, I'm proud of everything I do,' Minho beams. 'Okay, well, enough about me, let's talk about Jane! I think we should celebrate!'
'Celebrate? How?' I ask, thinking aloud.
'There's only one way to celebrate,' says Minho grinning at Newt, sharing an inside joke that I didn't understand. Newt frowns at him disapprovingly. 'Come on, please!'
'No, you've done this enough times, and you almost got caught last time, we're not going through this again.'
'Well, who said anything about getting caught?' he smirks.