These Trying Times • •

[Scarlett Heidi Kincaid]

Scarlett was a lot tougher on herself than she really had to be. It was why she often stayed at the hospital beyond her shifted hours and why passing out in her office wasn’t as uncommon as it ought to be. She knew that she was far too tense for any twenty-eight year old to be, but she wasn’t the kind of person who would admit to that or talk about her feelings. Scarlett never had been that kind of girl and it had only strengthened with age, leaving her as quite the sarcastic and feisty madam when she wanted to be. Not many people knew how to take Scarlett, so she wasn’t surrounded by friends when she did choose to hit the bars and clubs around New York City. Her life had never been like that; she had been quite the wallflower for most of her life, only exploding with a permanent bubble of frustration when she was in her late teenage years and preparing for the rest of her life.

Today had been one of those days that just couldn’t end quickly enough. She had found it tough; tough enough to have her heading to the closest bar rather than her apartment after work. Scar had stayed late enough to clear her desk of papers, but that was it. Her patients had kept her busy all day, with one undergoing complex surgery, another one looking a little worse than she’d have liked, and a third who kept lying about his lifestyle habits. She had snapped at him in the end, barking at him for his own neglect before leaving him in the care of the nurses. Nothing infuriated her more than a patient making information up or carelessly living their life as though they didn’t have a serious medical issue. It pushed all of her buttons at once and Scarlett was prone to exploding without that happening, too. For once, she had been quite happy to get out of the hospital as soon as she did.

Hooking her ankles around the legs of the stool she sat on, Scarlett ordered her usual Jack & Coke from the bartender and ran her fingers through her chestnut hair. These were the nights when she wouldn’t mind having a friend, but Scarlett was much too stubborn to ever ask someone if she chew their ear off for an evening. She didn’t quite know why or what, but there was something in her past that made her reluctant to give off even the tiniest of weaknesses. It was peculiar, but something the brunette didn’t dwell on for long, the thought slipping away with the first gulp of her drink. For a short while at least, she could forget about being the brash cardiologist and just let the guise fall away. It was a gift that usually only came with a drink or seven, but it was usually much needed by the young brunette who seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders until it threatened to break her back. It was the sound of someone pulling out the stool next to her that caught her attention, and Scarlett glanced their way with her eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity. The place wasn’t exactly full to the brim, so she was a tiny bit intrigued by who might choose to sit on that particular stool.

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• • •

TAGGED! Open!
WORDS! 564!
OUTFIT! Darling Doctor!
LYRICS! Carve Your Heart Out Yourself - - - Dashboard Confessional
NOTES! <3