Riza was awake for an hour before deciding to open her eyes. She wanted to sleep another day before facing the horrible truth but life wasn't fair. She understood if she sulked up here for another couple of hours, people would hunt her down. Based on the sun's warmth, it was mid to late morning. Depending on what happened last night, certain people would be waking up soon. That would not be good, Riza needed to put herself together for the day. She was not anticipating Mark's face to greet her when she opened her eyes.
"What the hell, Mark?"
"You were sleeping in my bed."
Riza kicked him off. "My house." She retorted and swung her legs over the bed to start dressing in her armor of scrubs and her lab coat.
"Actually, I wanted to asked you about that but first. How are you doing?"
"Better." Riza lied. "I'll deal with it better on the ship. I want to do surgery and I suspect that I should take advantage of the hospital while I can. Teach Redfern. What's your question?"
"I want to buy your house, I have the papers ready. Money. And you are still more than welcome to crash here, anytime. It is still your home just not legally anymore. Sorry, there wasn't a good time to bring it up."
Riza bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah. I agree, you were more of the owner than I was in the past year." She headed over to the bathroom to wash her face and make her presentable. "I'll sign."
"You don't even know the price."
"It's probably more than fair, especially with all the work you put into it." Riza pointed out. "Come on, I'll sign downstairs."
Downstairs was surprisingly empty, Jess was making breakfast while Mira and Lucy were enjoying coffee at the bar. "It's quiet." Riza remarked, joining the pair at the bar. Jess passed her her own cup. It was slightly worrying to not see a member of her crew in her home.
"I haven't let anyone of your crew in." Jess answered. "I turned them away after giving some of my butter rum muffins. I still turned them away."
Riza smirked over her mug at the thought. "I love you, Jess."
"I love you too." Jess hummed and set a plate of bacon pancakes topped with butter and maple syrup, grits and sunny side eggs in front of Riza with the previously mentioned Butter Rum muffin on the side. "Now, eat."
Riza grinned, her heart warmed and she dug in. She didn't deserve any of them. She signed the many papers and Mark handed her a duffle of the Beri owed. She turned to a thick envelope being shoved under her nose by Mira. "What?"
"Your part."
"My part?"
"For the articles and research. I can't put your name on anything but I can give you part of the reward money."
"I don't want your money, Mira."
"I don't need it."
"Well, I-" Riza squawked when Mira was fed up of her protests and shoved the envelope down Riza's scrub top. "Mira!" Riza smacked the envelope on Mira's shoulder and Mark snatched the money from Riza to place it in the duffle of the house money. She glared at the pair. Both glared back in victory. They had both given her a sizable amount and Riza was suspicious. "What are you trying to do?"
"Nothing."
"No funny business?"
Mark snorted, "No, Riza. Now, finish your breakfast. You are going to need all of your energy for later." He said with a wink which several objects were thrown at the plastic. One might've been a scalpel or a butter knife with butter and another was probably a whisk still covered in batter.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Riza had to face the music, eventually when the hospital came into view and she could see Shanks, Benn and Yasopp. She looked back to Mark who shrugged. "Have fun with that. I'll see you later in the on call room?"
Riza shrugged and nodded, that'll be the last of that for a while as well. She needed to make the most out of that too. "Yeah." She agreed, guiltily. Lucy and Jess simply cackled. "I'll see you in a bit." Riza told Jess. Jess had passed along an invite for a surgery with Alice and Jess.
She made her way over to her captain's side with a plate of muffins acting as a shield between her and the crew. "Sorry if I made you all worry any." Riza murmured. "I was preoccupied with Booth and I'm sorry that I-." Riza lost the word, cutting the sentence off. She meet Benn's gaze and Yasopp's and lastly, Shanks'. They didn't look angry, the tight ball of nerves in her eased, a little. "I'm sorry I failed. I did everything I could."
Lucy bumped into her and Riza nearly lost her muffins to the pavement. "We lost the patient and we exhausted all options at our disposal during surgery... Johnny, was it? He fought hard but sometimes, it's simply isn't meant to be. No matter the how well of a match it is or how skilled the staff." Lucy added, wrapping her arm around Riza's waist. Riza eyed her friend but said nothing else. She leaned into Lucy's side.
"No one is blaming you, Riza." Benn said. Shanks shook his head, quickly in agreement to his first mate. Riza could see a look of understanding in his eyes.
"I know that, truly. I do." Riza deflected. "This is my first lost in well over a year. My first in the crew. So, I am processing it, differently... but I have my people and I'll be fine... I was more worried for the crew. I'm not a shrink, so I don't exactly know how to help the crew. I'm dysfunctional at best with grief. This is one thing I can't fix but I'm okay."
"Don't worry about the crew, we've dealt with our own fair share of grief over our years at sea." Shanks reassured Riza, his arm falling over her shoulders in a half hug. Riza's mood brightened, a bit. That made a lot of sense. She wasn't sure why she didn't think of that at the start. "What are you doing to-." He trailed off, watching Lavinia approach the group.
Lavinia observes Riza for several moments, "What are doing today, Riza?"
"I am assisting Alice in a surgery with Jess and Redfern. First thing."
"Good, we can talk along the way."
"Is that really necessary?"
Riza answered Benn's defensive question as she slipped out of Lucy and Shanks' hold. "Like I said, I'm fine." Riza muttered, setting the tray of muffins in Yasoop's hands. "Gift from Jess. I'll see y'all later, Kay?"
"I know my student and what she can handle." Lavinia said, bristling. "Come on, Riza."
When the pair were far enough away, Riza said. "They didn't mean anything by it, Lavinia."
"I know."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After the surgery, Riza left the hospital for lunch. She had measurements to take of her medical bay. She had an idea of what she wanted to do with the house/research money. Some equipment for her medical bay. Of course, she had an allowance from the ship's treasury for herself and up keeping her medical bay. She kept a small savings from that allowance. Leftovers from her restocking or textbooks. So, she wanted some medical equipment and after the talk with Lavinia. Riza knew she would get a good deal and that the equipment would be reliable for her and Redfern.
Riza smiled as the Red Dawn came into sight, her mood was drastically improving as the day progressed. The crew completed the repairs from their recent battle and she looked ready to sail. Her gaze fell onto a figure and she tilted her head. "I thought you'd find something more interesting to do than cloud watching, Captain."
Shanks grinned at his doctor. "Here, I thought that you would've wanted to enjoy land while you had it." He retorted, helping her to get on the deck. "What brings you here?"
"Measurement." Riza explained. "Lavinia offered me a discount and I'm taking advantage of it. I'm thinking of converting one of the two private rooms for one of the pieces of equipment I want."
"How much is it?" Shanks asked as he followed Riza to her medical bay.
"I have a small savings with the allowance that Benn gives me and I recently came into some money with my research that Mira and Lucy have been publishing for me." Riza said, avoiding the house money. Shanks might've had an issue with that. "So, upgrades." She grinned, brightly. Riza shook a tape measure and went about measuring the private room next to her OR.
Shanks smiled back, "So, what are you planning?"
"X-ray machine and CT scan. Both will help me and Redfern, a lot." Riza paused. "CT will also help prevent what happened to me from happening to the rest of the crew. It'll help me and Redfern see."
Shanks nodded. She could see an odd expression appear on his face and he asked, "will it fit?"
"Yeah!" Riza chirped, excitedly.
"Hold on," Shanks said, leaving Riza behind. She started to move small items out and into the private room. "All right, let's go."
Riza stared at her captain. "Shanks, what's in the bag?"
Shanks has the audacity to look bashful. "It's a ship upgrade, isn't it? You don't need to spend the money that you got from your published work."
"Shanks..." Riza sighed. "Yes, it is money from the papers but it's also money from my house..."
"What?"
"I sold my house, Mark lives there and not being the owner is causing some issues for him. So, I agreed to sell it to him. I think that he's just worried on top of everything." Riza explained. "To be honest, I don't know what to use it for and believe me, this new-to-us equipment won't make a dent in my funds."
"Riz'..." There was the reprimand tone in his voice.
Riza's shoulders sagged. "I'm using it for myself too!" She blurted.
"You'll also be using it for the crew and to make your job and Redfern's job easier, right?" Shanks asked and Riza was starting to see his point in their debate.
Riza nodded, sullenly. "Yes."
"Then, we'll compromise. Halfies for it." Shanks said.
Riza laughed at the absurdity but nodded. "Sure."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The next couple days were extremely busy for Riza. She kept herself in surgery, teaching Redfern or just keeping herself busy. The last day, Riza enjoyed the biggest breakfast that Jess had ever made with her friends and crew. The ones that came anyway. Most wanted to make the last day at port... Well, last. Her captain was among them. Riza made a note to have a round of blood work done for the crew in a couple of months. Riza's mouth twitched in displeasure.
She had a productive day, at least. A day of surgery and fellowship with her peers as lame as it sounded. Redfern came to her during lunch to show her, the books and supplies that she amassed. Riza had to remind her student that she had already civilized the medical bay. Riza had one more dinner with Lucy, Jess, Mira, Mark, Keith and Alice. A small goodbye dinner with a few tears followed by an even more tearful goodbye on the docks.
"Don't be a stranger!" Mark told her as he wrapped her up in a tight hug. Riza laughed and gave him, a friendly kiss. "Save that for next time." Mark laughed with a wink.
Riza grinned and nodded. Keith offered a handshake but she batted his hand down to steal a hug. Alice swept her up into a warm hug. "Take care and call, okay?"
"Gotcha! See you later." Riza chirped and turned to the last four. She smiled, sadly. "This is goodbye for a while."
"Don't be like that!" Mira scolded as she took Riza in her arms. "I want you back here in time for my wedding."
"You're not engaged."
"Yet." Lucy and Jess joined in the hug. "I'm going to keep sending you invites until you respond! Bridesmaid, of course! All you need to do is to show up."
Riza laughed and extracted herself from her people when Benn called for her. "Bye!" She said, walking up the gangplank. Her heart ached, just a bit.
"Better take care of our Coldenheart Riza, Red Hair!" Lucy shouted.
Riza laughed again as she joined her crew on the deck of the Red Dawn, ready to set out for their next adventure.