#rhett-meadows

Hove Lake, expansive and welcoming, held countless memories for Julia Escarra. She supposed that may be true for a lot of lifelong residents but she had always found a oasis within the piers of the lake and soft sound of moving water. With Asa’s passing, it seemed her mind had only been able to focus on the lake - it beckoned to her with a siren’s call. It might have worried her - a siren’s call had only ever brought her trouble, but for once, she knew it was just asking for the grief to be processed in peace. 

But Asa’s house was out of the question. The police had completely blocked it off and it seemed impossible to sneak past to get to the spot where Asa spent countless hours teaching her how to fish. With a defeated sigh, Julia shifted the six-pack of non-alcholiuc beers in her hands and thought of what to do. It dawned on her then - Rhett’s place. It wasn’t the first time she’d been there, finding solace in the company of her friend and the sound of crashing water against the pier off his back yard. In fact, for years, it had become habit. She knew his property like the back of her hand just like she had grown to known the man. Maybe it was that level of comfortability and familiarity that didn’t make her feel as if she had to text Rhett to let him know she was sneaking into his backyard. 

So, that’s where she found herself. Hidden away in the darkness, only illuminated by the limited light of the stars above her. Julia sighed as she laid back on the pier, honey eyes scanning through the constellations, she wondered which on was Asa now. Julia shifted to rest her weight on an elbow as she grabbed a beer bottle from the pack she had grabbed and unscrewed the cap, taking a sip. Non-alcoholic beer tasted so much worse than regular beer. Julia had been so distracted, that she had missed the sound of footsteps coming up behind her and towards the pier. 

Her shoes squeaked as Julia wondered through the hallways of General - it was early in the morning, too early. Julia wasn’t even fully awake or alert or even mentally stable to be here. In fact, she wasn’t even on rotation because she as supposed to be at home, grieving. Instead, she found herself with a raging handover, walking through the ER to get to the Peds ward. She kept her eyes down, people were looking at her since it was revealed that she, along with Jordan, could have been the ones found dead. She didn’t want to think about it.

But by keeping her eyes on her shoes, she ran right into a body. “Shit.” She muttered, stumbling back and her head exploding in pain. Julia rubbed at her temples before lifting her gaze to find Dr. Rhett Meadows looking down at her. She paled. He’d seen her this way before, five years ago, and she could only pray that he wasn’t as astute right now. “Sorry, Rh- Dr. Meadows; wasn’t paying attention.