Figuring It Out PV Kelsey Brumby Finished

@Kelsey Brumby

The thank you that was first cut off by her overwhelming need to “let out all her feelings” was better enunciated and more felt when the Nurse cleaned her of all boogers, vomit, and snot products alike. The evidence of her short episode was partially erased, but she felt the wake of it to to her very core. Perhaps she was also feeling calmer, but her worship to the wicker basket had left her drained. And if she was being honest, she did not have much fight left in her to begin with.

She did not know how to feel when he told her that she really only had herself and her health. It seemed true enough, as all the things that had happened to her and her fellow students have proven. Perhaps whatever was looming over their heads meant many things would go wrong, and perhaps this would be a slightly regular occurrence as well. But she had to start taking care of herself. This was far too exhausting and far too embarrassing for it to be a regular thing. “But I how do I do that?” She asked in a weak voice. In those moments there was not much room for deep thinking in her anymore, and she was just tuckered out and emotionally drained.

When he suggested that she sleep, it seemed as though her body had already followed the nurse’s tip for the day before her mind bade it to. “Okay, I think I can rest my eyes, just for a bit.” She said as she laid down on the bed she sat on. Her eyelids seemed to agree with the sentiment, as they were now red and puffy, her tear ducts exhausted from the whole ordeal. The rest of her only sagged into the mattress in agreement when she felt the weight of a blanket on her like a hug of protection.

As she drifted between asleep and awake, she couldn’t help but utter something to Nurse. “We never planned on going to the bookshop, we only followed her there.” This was perhaps the first and only time she’d told anyone, anything about the incident, but in those moments it seemed her subconscious needed to tell someone before it drifted off into the abyss of sleep. Perhaps she would utter something about Brumby’s “hot nurse tip” being entirely misleading, but only if one was listening closely would they hear it.

A snore rang through the Hospital Wing as Maria got the first night of peaceful sleep she’d had in a long time.

[Maria Dee has fallen asleep.]