The Beauty in Eternity

Chapter 80.

I swing open the door to the break room, marching myself over to my usual spot and throwing myself down beside Matt. He cocks his head and shuffles over, allowing me more space on the seat.

"You look like shit." he announces through a mouthful of food.

"I've been so busy, I haven't even had time to pee all morning," I groan, feeling moderately sorry for myself.

"That's what being the smartest in the room gets you." he taunts, nudging my shoulder.

I sigh as I lean my head on his shoulder. "My intelligence will haunt me forever."

Matt and a few others laugh, before I see a scrunched up nose and a cocked head looking my direction. "Is that blood on your scrubs?" he chuckles as he opens a fresh yogurt.

"What?" I mumble as my eyes scan my body. "Oh, come on!" I groan as they land on a splatter of blood directly under my chest.

"I've changed them twice today already," I whine, running my fingers through my hair.

"Better get changing them again," Matt smirks, earning him a swift elbow to the ribs.

"Feel free to do it here," the other male voice calls after me as I exit the room.

"Still have a boyfriend, Quentin." I call back, shaking my head.

"Still gonna keep trying." he retorts.

After my third change of the day, I rather exhaustedly make the decision that during the ten minutes I have free, I should check up on someone I made a promise to. As I walk into the room her face lights up.

"My favorite girl," she cheers, reaching her arms out for me.

I return the hug, before taking a step back and crossing my arms. "I was hoping you wouldn't be here anymore."

"I had an infection." she tells me, her face looking exhausted and her voice tired.

"In your blood, again?"

"No, from the operation, dear." she informs me.

I furrow my brow, "Your incision site?" I ask with confusion. I pull the curtain around and lift her gown to examine the wound, it's been redressed and seems clean.

"It's getting better now, I've been here all week." she mumbles, her eyes examining the covered wound.

"Did you take your follow up medication? Follow the post-op steps?"

She nods her head, "I did, dear. They told me it just happens sometimes."

"You ought to move your stuff in here, Barb." I joke, earning a small laugh from her in return.

"How are things?" she asks.

"Busy, very busy." I chuckle.

"And with that boy? How are things with him?"

"Elijah? He's okay, he started a new job recently at the bank-"

"No, no. Not him," she shakes her head. "The dead one."

I shush her with my finger as I muffle my laughter. "He isn't dead, Barb."

"Yeah, that was the problem." she shrugs nonchalantly.

"Let's not even go there, I only have ten minutes," I chuckle. "How's your son?"