block me out | station 19

III

Carina found herself peering through the small window in the beanery at the small teenager that they had somehow managed to convince to walk back to the station. She hadn't put up much of a fight, much to the doctor's surprise, who had endured the girl's attitude the past two times. She was worried— the fourteen-year-old hadn't uttered a single word the whole way there. The doctor hadn't had a chance to talk to her wife about what had happened. She knew there had been a call that Maya had responded to. She had guessed, by Vada's sudden take-off, that she probably knew someone there. And, lastly, she knew that it hadn't gone the way they expected it to. However, she didn't have all the details, especially regarding Vada's relationship with the patient. 

Meanwhile, Maya was talking to CPS. It had been a struggle, but she had finally gotten the young brunette to tell them her last name. "Yes, Vada Huxley," she answered to the lady on the phone. "Fourteen." Nervously, she paced through the hallway, listening attentively. "Okay. Great, thank you," she nodded, bringing her hand to her forehead. "We'll be here."

"So?" Carina startled Maya as she entered the beanery, visibly anxious.

"They told me her social worker should be here in an hour or so," Maya replied, walking closer to her wife and wrapping her arms around Carina's waist. She let out a long breath, resting her head on the taller woman's shoulder.

They remained in that comforting position, relishing in each other's touch, which they both desperately needed. Their thoughts couldn't help but be consumed by the silent fourteen-year-old sitting in the adjacent room, lost in her own world.

"I'm gonna bring her some water," Carina sighed, breaking away from the blonde's embrace. "And maybe check if she's hungry," she pressed her forehead against Maya's, planting a kiss on the firefighter's nose.

Vada felt like she was on autopilot— her body moved, following Maya and Carina wherever they directed her, but her mind remained fixated on that particular scene. She couldn't stop replaying it— the image of Finn lying lifeless on the floor while the paramedics desperately tried to revive him. It was consuming her.

Feeling her breathing accelerate, she attempted to ground herself by clenching her fists. Her nails left small marks on her palms, but she didn't know any other way to stay calm.  Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked up at the ceiling, determined to blink them away. No crying. She reminded herself. A knock on the door startled her, causing her to sit up straight. She quickly wiped away a tear that had escaped and diverted her gaze to the floor.

"Hi, bella. I brought you some water," Carina spoke softly, settling on the coffee table in front of the young girl. She noticed Vada's anxious state— her rapid breathing and clenched fists. However, she just stood there, in silence, not wanting to overstep, and gave the teen a few minutes to calm down before speaking. "Are you hungry?" she asked, to which the girl shook her head. "Are you sure? Because it's no problem, really. You should see how much food these people have. I'm always sneaking some," she tried again, hoping to change her mind, or at least alleviate the tension in the room.

"I'm not hungry," Vada whispered. It wasn't intentional, but her body allowed no more than a whisper at that moment.

"Okay, well, if you get hungry later, just let me know, sì?" she told the girl, who this time nodded, slowly. "Maya has made some phone calls," she began, studying the fourteen-year-old closely for any reaction. Seeing none, she continued, "Your social worker should be here soon."

That got a reaction from the girl, it was subtle but the doctor noticed. Vada's fists had clenched even tighter, prompting Carina to place a comforting hand on the young brunette's knee.

Vada, unwilling to be soothed by the gesture, retreated further into the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. "Cool," she replied in a dry tone.

Carina saw through the girl's façade, but she knew that being gentle wouldn't get her talking. So, in their mutual interest, she decided to meet Vada's level of conversation— sarcastic and filled with attitude.  "When they arrive, should I introduce you as Vada, or should we come up with another name together?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow.