In Her Darkest Hour ✞ Theseus Scamander

xxi

It had been six weeks since Orsino's funeral. Six weeks since Orla had to say goodbye to her trusted friend and colleague. Her life was a wreck, her emotions had gotten the better of her and on her first day back at work following the funeral, Travers sent her home and told her to take the much needed time off.

That was five weeks ago and Orla had not stepped foot into her office since then, but not out of her own choice.

On this particular damp and rainy April morning, Orla found herself once again arguing with her fiance. Their arguments had been a daily occurrence during her time off from work, often happening in the early morning, much to their neighbours' annoyance. Orla was desperate to get back to work and continue the hunt for Archibald Carrow, the man behind the death of Orsino MacMillan. Orla needed to avenge her friend's death, but she was feeling pretty useless sitting at home all day when she could be in the office leading her team to victory.

Andrew, on the other hand, was fed up with Orla begging to be allowed back to work. He had endured a daily suffering of her fiery temper, which over the past six weeks had become more evident.

Orla's desire to return to work began after a week of being away, she had convinced herself that she was okay, despite the fact that each night she woke Andrew up with her screams. Every night, Orla relived the memory of seeing the roof of the subway collapse onto Orsino, digging him out of the rubble and watching Charlie reach for his deceased friend.

Orla wasn't ready to go back to work and Andrew was sick of fighting. He often spent his time away from home now, staying late at the office just to avoid a confrontation from Orla. But, it didn't save him from the morning fights before he left. They were getting on his last nerve and he was on the brink of a breakdown.

"Andrew, I am begging you," Orla pleaded. "Please speak to Travers and ask him to let me back to work."

"How many times are we going to have this discussion, Orla?" Andrew yells at her. His voice is harsh with anger, Orla can see the blood boiling within him, and she knows that it is bothering him every time she mentions work to him. "You are not ready, you wake up in the middle of the night screaming, crying, and in some instances vomiting, because you keep having the same nightmare." Orla scoffed at him, and her response caused Andrew to explode. "Don't you dare act like that! You lost a friend, Orla. And you act as though you are fine, when you are not. You are so caught up in this mess, that you feel that only you can avenge Orsino. If Travers allowed you back to work in this state, you will kill Carrow, you will ruin this mission for us all, and quite possibly destroy our chances of ever capturing Grindelwald."

"Why can't you be on my side, just for once in your goddamn life?" Orla screamed at him. "I have been stuck at home for six weeks, Andrew! Six weeks sat on that sofa doing fuck all. You make me feel like I have no purpose,you have been leaving me here to rot away by myself." Orla flung her arm as she pointed to the blue sofa, pressed up against the magnolia coloured walls of their living room. "The first week I was off, you barely spoke to me about work or my friends. And now, you don't even come home until well past midnight, I don't get to see you or speak to you until it's time for you to go to work and we have the same godforsaken argument every fucking morning. It's not fair, Andrew. I should be with my team, leading them to Archie, giving Orsino the justice he deserves. My team could collapse if they don't have a strong leader."

"Don't you dare accuse me of not being on your side," Andrew screamed back at her, "I am your partner, I will always be on your side. But right now, Orla, you're making it really hard for me to be on it. You refuse to even acknowledge that you're not well mentally. Work is the last thing you need right now."

"Oh, I'm making it hard for you?" Orla scoffed. "Tell me Andrew, how I am making it so hard for you to support me when you're not even here to support me?"