The Pitttt

- 💚

meanwhile Victoria thought that she and Cassie were going to get their own room so she was ready to jump her girls bones so she’s so pent up and complaining to Santos via text (who tries to convince her to get Samira to just join them duh) and Cassie has to be like “down girl” cus she’s really not trying to get found out by the coworker who seems like she’d be the least likely to be okay with them dating

The crowd boos. I begin to walk off in shame, when voices speak and command silence of the room.

"She's right." They say. I look.

There in the 2nd row stands: Dana Evans. Victoria Javadi. Baran Al-Hashimi.

"Mmm," Cassie hummed, touch drunk, nuzzling deeper into Victoria's stomach where her shirt had ridden up.

Victoria always felt powerful when she was able to get her girlfriend like this, so needy and pliant. She knew it stemmed from Cassie feeling like she had to be "on" all the time, as a recovering addict forever battling the occasional craving, as an overworked doctor, as a mother feeling the lingering guilt of incomplete custody. She never wanted to be part of the long list of things that made Cassie's life harder.

Clearly, in this moment though, she'd spent too much time deep in thought, because Cassie made a displeased sound suddenly, rolling over to stare up at her, face half obscured by her bangs. "Sorry, baby," Victoria giggled. Resumed essentially petting the older woman's head. Cassie immediately relented and closed her eyes. But Victoria didn't think she'd dropped down far enough yet...and she wanted Cassie to really, really wind down tonight.

So she gently tugged at the short hairs at the base Cassie's neck, and reassured her, "you don't have to be all pretty for me, huh? I like you just like this. Just be a good, dumb boy and relax. I've got you."

Said again with fondness in her eyes as her girlfriend's breathing slowed and she immediately began to drift,

Hear me out: Victoria can tell Cassie is lonely and starts inviting herself over to study. Eventually starts bringing little pieces of the world in with her like bubble tea (which Cassie has never tried...she hated it), or a bootlegged copy of a recently released movie on her laptop.

Hear me out LOUDER:

Cassie's basically been in literal horny jail for the past 11 months and her hand is just not cutting it anymore. It's really, really stupid to have Victoria be her babysitter for Harrison for those rare days where she's allowed to go out (usually with Mateo somewhere nearby on a day off, she's not allowed too far from home, or out late at night...hence the needing to get laid...)

because the moment she set eyes on Victoria she was attracted to her. Felt absolutely sick over it. But couldn't deny it at all.

"Mmm," Cassie hummed, touch drunk, nuzzling deeper into Victoria's stomach where her shirt had ridden up.

Victoria always felt powerful when she was able to get her girlfriend like this, so needy and pliant. She knew it stemmed from Cassie feeling like she had to be "on" all the time, as a recovering addict forever battling the occasional craving, as an overworked doctor, as a mother feeling the lingering guilt of incomplete custody. She never wanted to be part of the long list of things that made Cassie's life harder.

Clearly, in this moment though, she'd spent too much time deep in thought, because Cassie made a displeased sound suddenly, rolling over to stare up at her, face half obscured by her bangs. "Sorry, baby," Victoria giggled. Resumed essentially petting the older woman's head. Cassie immediately relented and closed her eyes. But Victoria didn't think she'd dropped down far enough yet...and she wanted Cassie to really, really wind down tonight.

So she gently tugged at the short hairs at the base Cassie's neck, and reassured her, "you don't have to be all pretty for me, huh? I like you just like this. Just be a good, dumb boy and relax. I've got you."

Said again with fondness in her eyes as her girlfriend's breathing slowed and she immediately began to drift,

The conversation that follows is both blurred and sharp in her mind, distorted by anger and dissasociation.

She takes a deep, ragged breath, unable to calm herself.

Fuck. She goes back into the bedroom to wake her fiancee.

"Vic - hey, Vic,"

"hhhn. What, baby? Is everything ok?"

Cassie begins to pace, "no" she snaps. Victoria quickly feels the curtain of drowsiness fall away. She sits up, and she listens. Within minutes, she's getting dressed. She's sending a warning text to Trinity already as Cassie finishes with, "I know he's my responsibilty, I'm his mom. But if I go down there to bail him out...I'll kill him.. Or myself"

"Hey, he's mine too. And no, you wouldn't. Don't ever say that."

She drops a practically shaking Cassie off at Trinity's front porch.

And then she heads down to the police station.

---------------------------------------------

The car ride back home is...tense, for sure.

Victoria tries to ask 16 year old Harrison a question, something stupid, almost small talk really...and the way his voice slurs...

She clenches her fingers on the steering wheel, tight, and can't speak or look at him again until she's settled him onto his bed, like he's somehow even younger now than when she used to babysit him.

She sits next to him as he curls his legs to his chest defensively, "Where's mom?" he demands, talking into his knees, practically.

"Harrison, look at me, please"

"Where's mom?" He demands again, eyes snapping to hers with uncharacteristic hostility.

"Buddy...you know she can't see you like this. I dropped her off at Aunt Trinity's."

She's met with silence. Victoria can't take it anymore. Trying not to sound angry, she bursts out, confused and concerned,

"What were you thinking?? Drinking in public, smoking weed behind the 7-Eleven, like you're some - some - " she can think of no adjective that doesn't also belittle the love of her life. Snaps her mouth shut and tries again.

"Look. I know you're a teenager. But you know your mom's history. It's part of your history, too. You don't get to do that. Not without nearly killing us both from stress. I'm not trying to guilt you, sweetheart..." "I know," Harrison mutters, relaxes a little bit, feet hitting the floor instead of resting on the bed. "when is she coming back?"

"When you're sober," Victoria soothes, "and she's still going to be mad. But she knows she's out of control right now from being triggered, and she doesn't want you to see that."

When Baran first meets Trinity, she's providing care to far too many people for one doctor to manage. Trinity has only just qualified, and Baran is loath to trust someone so new at this with her cases, but there's no-one else.

She's surprised when it turns out the new girl's living up to her cocky attitude, and also seems to have a genuine care for her patients hidden under that abrasive exterior.

She also, privately, thinks that Trinity suits the MSF- branded baseball cap very well indeed.

———————

When Trinity first meets Baran, she sees a doctor with the world on her fucking shoulders.

Baran doesn't seem to have any patience for her own mistakes, even when she's providing care to almost twice the patients she could reasonably be expected to be responsible for.

Trinity wants to relieve some of that burden and give her new co-worker some room to breathe.

She also gets a near-instant crush which manifests itself in bad puns and brash overconfidence. Eventually she’ll ask Baran out, but they don’t have the time for that yet.

-💚

(yeah expect a lot of msf barantos im gnawing on it)