block me out | station 19

III

The green-eyed girl glared at the doctor. "Are you offended that I lied?" she pointed out, unamused. "Or are you just offended that you believed it?" Her raised eyebrows mirrored Carina's expression.

"Oh, bambina, don't get me wrong," Carina chuckled. "I'm used to people giving me fake names all the time. I'm a doctor," she winked at the girl. "I'm just curious about your reasoning."

"Aren't doctors supposed to be smart?" she questioned bluntly. "Figure it out yourself."

Carina kept silent, realizing that the closed-off teenager before her wouldn't budge anytime soon. "Can I sit?" she asked, pointing to the empty spot on the couch beside the girl.

"Do I have a choice? It's your couch."

"Well, technically, I don't work here, so it's not my couch," she stated. "And secondly, you always have a choice, at least in here," she said softly.

Waiting for Vada's response, she stayed seated at the table. Vada, who was so used to people giving her orders instead of asking, remained silent for a minute, lost in thought. But finally shrugged her shoulders, conveying to the woman before her it was okay, but without having to actually voice it.

The Italian sat down next to the younger girl, silently grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. She knew that if she asked the younger brunette if she wanted to watch something, she would refuse, so she skipped the question altogether. Flipping through channels, she eventually found something they both could enjoy— an episode of Friends.

Vada couldn't hide the small smile that appeared on her face and felt grateful that the doctor was watching the show, giving her some space. She loved Friends. When the Woodlocks would leave the house, she would always turn on the TV to pass the time, and Friends was always playing.

They remained in silence, both enjoying the show and the peaceful atmosphere that had enveloped them. The young girl struggled to keep her eyes open, the fatigue taking over, but she fought it, knowing that falling asleep there would relinquish the little control she had over her well-being. Carina could see from the corner of her eye how much the teen was struggling to stay awake, and sadness washed over her as she wondered when was the last time the girl felt safe enough to truly rest.

A knock on the door frame startled both women. "Hey, the social worker is here," Maya informed them.

The comfortable atmosphere that the doctor had finally established was shattered as a middle-aged woman entered the room, causing the girl beside her to tense up once again, her eyes fixated on the floor. 

"Vada Huxley," the woman sighed, taking a seat on an empty chair in the room. "I've been looking for you," she said, prompting the teen to huff and roll her eyes.

"We'll wait outside," the firefighter said as she grabbed her wife's hand to pull her out of the room.

"Where were you?" the social worker questioned sternly.

She cared about Vada, but trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went. She knew it wasn't always the girl's fault. Vada was as unlucky as anyone could be, but even when she was placed in good environments, she would run away or find a way to get kicked out.

"Taking a walk," the brunette retorted sharply.

"For a whole week?" the woman rhetorically replied, unamused by Vada's response. She was accustomed to the girl's attitude and knew she wouldn't get the truth. "I'll make some calls and see if I can figure this out, okay?" she said softly.

Vada stayed silent, not caring for any more conversation, and the social worker sighed, getting up to meet the couple waiting outside the room.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Carina DeLuca," the Italian introduced herself, shaking the older blonde's hand.