The Doctor

20

Their Christmas was a quiet one spent at Stella's house. They were both invited to a Christmas Eve party held by one of the nurses but they didn't go, they headed to an expensive restaurant and then to a screening of an old Christmas movie. They sat hand in hand together in the old cinema, it was so empty, there was only one other person in there and they were only in there to stay out of the cold. Stella fiddled with the rings on Anna's fingers and thought about home, she would call up her sisters tomorrow morning, it would be around 3 pm by the time she got around to it and they'd probably be at her mum and dad's house, if she was talked into it, and she felt up to it, she supposed she'd be able to talk to them. She really missed her Aunty, though, she wanted to go and visit her for in the holidays but she in all honesty just wanted to curl up in bed and never move again. The year had been long and tiring for both Anna and Stella, especially the last couple of months when everything was being worked out between them and after that, keeping it a secret. Anna looked up at Stella and smiled, she'd been sober for a while now and a lot of credit had to go to Stella who put up with Anna when she was in the worst moods (happening frequently) and shivering at night. But she wanted a drink so bad and she was in awe at how she'd coped for so long, if she'd been working for a day longer she knew that she'd have had a breakdown from everything she was seeing. 

When the movie ended, Stella and Anna put their coats on and headed out into the freezing night, their gloved hands clutching each other's hand and walking quickly to get home and into the warmth. 

"What did you think of the movie?" Anna said, smirking because she knew that Stella was hardly paying attention.

"It was good, I was too busy watching you though."

Anna nudged her and laughed.

"Cut it out."

"I'm serious, I wish I'd made a move on you sooner."

"I wish I had too, but I didn't even realise I was checking you out."

"I wish I caught you looking at me, I would ha-"

The last of Stella's words were cut out by a piercing scream from behind them. They twirled around and search the street, people all around them were looking around with panic on their faces.

"Help!" cried a voice. "Someone call an ambulance!"

Stella let go of Anna's hand and ran to the voice, Anna closely behind. She wished she didn't have to see it, not tonight, not when she had been doing so well. A woman was on the ground having a seizure, but she was also bleeding from the nose. Anna took a deep breath while Stella started ordering people around and performing things on the woman.

"Anna," she hissed, "help me!"

Anna got down on the ground and looked at the woman, she had no clue what was going on, but she checked into her doctor headspace.

"Put her on her side," Anna said firmly.

"Airways," Stella muttered as she turned her, "right. What else?"

People were milling around, there was an ambulance wail in the distance and everyone was wishing it would just hurry up. Anna shook her head and bite her lip, looking down at her watch. 

"There's nothing we can do."

The woman who was the other woman's friend was crying on the outskirts, she was distraught and hardly breathing.

"What's happening?" she cried.

"Is she epileptic?" Anna said, eyes not moving from her watch and the body having an attack of some sort.

"I... I don't know. Yes, I think so."

Anna nodded and heard the ambulance arrive, Stella told the paramedics what had happened and the woman was loaded up. Anna moved to her friend and put her hand on her back.

"You're her friend?" she asked gently.

She nodded, wiping her tears. 

"I didn't even know she was sick."

Anna smiled at her and took her to the ambulance.

"Well, you get up in there and make sure she gets to the hospital."

"Thank you, I never got your name."

"Anna, that's my girlfriend, Stella." Anna pointed Stella out who was talking to the paramedic.

"Will she be ok?"

Anna looked at the woman, she had stopped having the seizure but she didn't look well. 

"I don't know," Anna said honestly, "I don't know anything about her or her sickness."

The lady nodded and climbed into the ambulance, sitting beside her friend and holding her hand. The paramedic closed the door and Stella came over to Anna, grabbing her hand and pulling her back home. 

"How did you do it?" Stella said quietly.

"Do what?" Anna said, faded out and in her doctor frame of mind, which was how she dealt with most things.

"You just snapped into helping that woman, I couldn't even think for myself."

Anna shrugged, she was tired, she wanted to cry.

"I've learnt to have two different minds, it's rare that they're combined."

Stella watched her, she knew that AA wasn't helping in the way of what Anna felt.

"Do you think that maybe you should go see someone?"

Anna nodded, she just wanted to break down into Stella's arms. Dealing with that woman and not knowing what was going to happen to her and the uncertainty her friend felt ruined her. She shouldn't have to feel like this without drinking, how would she go back to being a doctor if she couldn't deal with something like a seizure without zoning out. 

"I could go with you," Stella said softly.

They turned into her street, Anna was biting down on her lip so hard to stop from crying out. She only had to get to the bathroom and into the shower. Stella opened the door and turned the heater on, Anna made her way to the stairs, but she didn't make it. A howl escaped her lips and she sunk to the floor.

"An?" Stella walked back out from the kitchen and saw Anna on the ground. "Anna?"

"I'm sorry," she howled.

Stella ran over to her and put her arms around her.

"Don't cry it, it's ok."