#goddddddd

in light of recent events, i'm tweaking this. sorry for using you for evil, anon!

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Victoria gets off the elevator, excited to have a moment to visit the Pitt for the first time all week. The last few cases, Dylan had come down without her, insisted she get a jump on some of her chart work, since she'd been staying overtime too much.

It seemed like, outside of the ED, time management could actually be prioritized. Who would've thought.

She turns the corner by the breakroom, brushing an errant strand of hair behind her ear and smiling at the thought of Cassie maybe, if she was lucky, smiling at her brightly, or giving her a hug.

And then she stops suddenly, thoughts like that grinding to a halt.

The breakroom door is half ajar, and Cassie is standing in the corner nearest to it, perfectly in view because of the angle Victoria is at in relation to the entrance.

She has a sniffling, whimpering Emma Nolan wrapped securely in her arms. Is rubbing at her back and nuzzling at her hair.

Victoria's first thought isn't, "oh no, poor Emma!" But she knows it should be. Her first thought is a more of a devestated, ugly, panicked feeling. Was she too late? Had she waited too long? She imagines herself turning a nasty shade of green all over as she walks closer, almost hypnotized, so she can better understand her former mentor's faint murmuring. Stops when she's practically hiding behind the doorframe, when she can make Cassie's voice out.

"Shhh, I've got you kiddo. You're safe. This is nothing like the 4th. I got to you in time, alright? Do you want me to call someone?" Victoria's stomach clenches in guilt as she watches Emma shake her head against Cassie's sternum. Guilt that she's intruding. Guilt that she thought she could always keep Cassie's affection and care to herself, that she wants to own the way Cassie McKay acts when she's soothing someone.

Emma says something that Victoria doesn't catch, looking up slightly at the older woman. She smiles at her so gently, it's almost sickening.

Victoria probably needs therapy, or a kick to the head. Yep. Because she wants to protect this girl and also maybe kill her. And make it look like an accident. Especially when she hears Cassie respond,

"Yeah? Ok, sweet thing. Let's get you back out there all cleaned up."

She loosens her grip on the young nurse, brushing dark hair away from tear-stained cheeks. Then wipes the tears away too. She takes a step back toward the door and -