Don't Shoot the Messenger

1 - Delivery

* edited 

Claire was nervous as she lay on the narrow table waiting to slide into the machine. It was not the test that frightened her so much as what the results might be. Her vision had changed from color to black and white some time ago. As her world turned grey she at first attributed it to a sign of grief. Grief and depression had pushed her thoughts to morbid speculation, but not for long. She was too young and healthy for it to be anything serious, she was certain.

She had only a small inheritance, intended for college, and no family to rely on. Money had been another excuse to put off going to the Dr. even when she knew that she should. A fainting episode had frightened her enough to sell her car. She determined to use the funds for medical tests and treatment.

After several minutes of clunking and whirring, she slides out of the machine. She is told that the results will be sent to her doctor, and to "Have a nice day." "Thank you." she answered. It wasn't the technician's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. Maybe it wasn't as bad as ... she forcibly turned her thoughts away and headed out of the hospital towards the bus stop.

Anyone watching would have seen an eye catching young woman. Her face was narrow with an elfin chin, small nose, and high cheekbones. Her deep red hair was a rare shade close to Karen Elson or Scarlet Johansen paired with chestnut brown eyes... but her clothes were an eclectic mix that both drew the eye and repelled it. The scarf was ice blue and her knit top was a warm, bright coral. She wore moss green jeans and mis-matched socks of pink and lime. Her purse was a brown that should have been neutral, but with everything else... didn't seem to fit. 

As the chill October air nipped at her exposed cheeks, she tucked her scarf into her neon green jacket and zipped it up. It was over a week to the mid month bills that she split with her roommates. She paid a little less because she had agreed to take the couch in the overcrowded space. Even before her 'health issue' the subject of bills was a sensitive one. She was on her own for the first time in her life, and she had no family to fall back on. 

A tragedy as sudden and mundane as a drunk driver swept her parents from the face of the earth. She got dumped on her Godparents, as she thought of it. They had hardly met the depressed teenager when she was thrust into their household. They didn't know quite what to do with her, and it showed. Her arrival had strained their family somewhat, of course. The Rossi's tried to be welcoming. They accepted the responsibility thrust upon them by a half-forgotten promise they never expected to fulfill... but they were her parents friends, not hers. They were never close.

 She had chosen NYU in part because it was too far away to live at 'home' while she attended. The Rossi's were too polite to imply that they were glad to see her go. They might even have missed her, in fact. Still, she was certain that it was as much of a relief to them as it was to her. She promised herself when she moved out that she wouldn't bother them further. Now she was truly on her own... Though she tries not to show it, she is scared.  

She headed to work at Urgent Express delivery service with her new bus pass. She checked in at the office and, after getting her first assignments for the afternoon,  picked up her bike. Traffic in New York is as bad as usual. 2 life threatening near accidents with inattentive drivers leave her biting back curses. Hours later the sky was dim as her mood and she was ready for the day to be over.

"One last package, can you take it?" Claire groaned in reply but could hardly afford to say no, especially now. "Where to?" She typed the address into her app and got directions for the most direct route to the pickup point. Google map showed a short cut through a park on the way. It wasn't as close as she hoped, but at least the delivery wasn't the opposite direction from home. She was going to be sore. I wish the apartment had a tub to soak in. I won't have to wait my turn though if the others are already out on dates and whatever she thought to herself.