heat of the moment

Poppy Fields (aka Poppy Thorn). Twenty-five. Nurse at Inova Hospital. Currently residing in Alexandria. [Disclaimer: this is a rp-blog, I have no affiliation with Hilarie Burton.]

[waltzingwithfire]

“I guess I’m just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch.”

[poppy-k-fields]

Prompt: Future

Characters ✘ Poppy Fields, mention of Kayla Stone. Location ✘ Unspecified Timeframe ✘ Autumn 2010 Warnings ✘  None I can think of, but let me know if there is something I should tag! Word count ✘ 322 Note ✘  Poppy reflects on the uncertainty turn her future took after her break-up with Kayla, and how scared it makes her. Also there's an El Dorado reference. Because I could. 

Back then, Poppy had never questioned her future. Back then, it had been a certainty that it would involve Kayla. Back then she’d always assumed that somehow they would stay together, and any problems that came along the way they would face together. Back then she’d taken their future for granted. She hadn’t known what her future would hold but she had thought herself to know that Kayla would be right there with her and they would not know together. And should it get messed up they would clean the mess up together. If she messed up Kayla would be there to help her clean up, and if Kayla messed up she would be there to help untangle it.

When they broke up, all those certainties went out the window. Suddenly, her future didn’t involve Kayla like she’d assumed it would. Suddenly, Kayla was nowhere to be found. And suddenly she was alone, and had to clean up her messes without her better half. Lost. Lost is what she felt. She didn’t know what her future would hold now either, but not knowing now was much scarier, because she didn’t have her person by her side. She didn’t have the Miguel to her Tulio braving the future together. She had to go on unfamiliar territory alone. Without anyone, without Kayla, to face the unfamiliar with her. Few things had ever scared her as much.  

She’d had a safety net, and within a matter of hours it had been ripped from underneath her. And as she stepped out on the thin line alone and looked down all she saw was air. Empty Space. No net, no pillows. Nothing.

One moment she’d had a battle buddy, a wingman, someone watching her six. The next she had to be her own battle buddy, wingman and watch her own six.

One moment she’d felt safe in the unfamiliar of the future, and the next she hadn’t.

[callie-richards]

Nocturnal || Callie and Poppy

[callie-richards]

Callie had never been very close to the birth of new life, aside from the videos she and her peers had been forced to watch in health and sex ed classes. And those videos…well…they didn’t focus on faces or joy or the beauty of it. Those videos were designed to scare kids into using protection or heading for complete abstinence. But the way the woman described the experience sounded lovely. The only comparison she could make was playing a brand new song for the first time, her hard work and pieces of herself all coming together to form one cohesive and tangible product. It had to be even better when the end product wasn’t a a melody but instead another human being. She hoped to experience that one day for herself. “That does sound very rewarding,” she mused softly.

Listening to the woman’s explanation of her journey into nursing, Callie couldn’t help but feel a bit awestruck. Out of tragedy this woman had cultivated a small ball of light, a desire to respond to something horrible with something wonderful, helping hands, hands that saved and calmed and healed. It was bittersweet, that the death of someone had caused a bulb of intention to explode within this other individual. But there was a strength in it, a purpose that touched the blonde. “I’m sure that your sister’s friend would be touched…to know that you took something horrible that happened to her and used it to catapult yourself into a field where you help people.”

She felt a little lost when the question was redirected towards her. Playing music seemed like a very weak career move in comparison to being in the medical field. “Ah well…I’m a music major,” Callie answered shyly. “Not as important a career as yours, but it was all I was ever really good at.”

[poppy-k-fields]

Poppy wasn’t one for heartfelt confessions, she wasn’t the type to go around hugging everyone, and she didn’t offer enough compliments to those she cared about: she knew this, and she was working on giving more compliments. But if there was one thing Poppy did, it was care. When Poppy cared, it was always with her whole heart. She cared deeply and truly, and in her own roundabout way she’d try to help the person to the best of her abilities. And if there’s one thing Poppy cares about it’s her work. It’s helping people, helping them stay in life, helping them come into life…ever since that day, she’s always known it’s her purpose in life, and that has given her comfort. So Callie’s comment was more true than she could’ve known, it was incredibly rewarding, but being Poppy, she didn’t know how to communicate just how rewarding it was so all that came out of her mouth was “It is,” while a genuine smile spread across her features.

“He is, he likes to brag about that fact, which is his way of saying he’s honoured,” she said and took a bite of her pie, only realising a moment later as the blonde’s words fully registered that that she may have forgotten to clarify that Colin was very much still alive. He was in the hospital for a month, but he was very much alive. Attempting to clarify now, without being awkward–which she wasn’t good at normally–she added “He spent a month in the hospital healing and being looked after by doctors. But he recovered.”

Poppy shook her head in defiance, “Music is very important,” she stated without a trace of doubt. “Music helps a lot of people get through the day, every single day. I can’t tell you how many people come in for a procedure or treatment and request to have a specific song or radio station playing throughout.”  

[poppy-k-fields]

How Do I Cook? ✘ Breanah & Poppy

[breanahboat-deactivated20150623]

A laugh escaped Breanah “Really, I never thought I’d see it, but she absolutely hates getting dirty. I don’t know when she turned so high maintenance.” It was a low enough maintanence that Breanah didn’t need to make trips to the groomers as often, but it still amazed her at how often she needed to give her dog a bath some weeks. “They are so weird. Wouldn’t trade them for the world though.” Breanah had become rather attached to her dogs, not that it wasn’t easy to do, they were arguably the best dogs she had ever seen. The two of them were a good fit with each other for when Breanah wasn’t at home and even when she was, they seemed to chase each other around without paying her any mind.

The thought had crossed Breanah’s mind before, to offer a lesson on how to make a quick meal, something as simple spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. Poppy wasn’t the first friend to ask Breanah for help and she knew she probably wasn’t going to be the last. The difference between Poppy and Xerxes was that Poppy seemed a lot more eager than Xerxes was in their first cooking adventure, but then, outside circumstances brought Breanah and Xerxes together. This could have been part of Breanah’s calling, helping those in need when it came to cooking help. If she wasn’t so set in her ways, Breanah almost would have considered becoming an instructor once she finished with her degree and got a bit of a reputable reputation.

“Got it.” she nodded, glad she remembered that Poppy had a gluten allergy. “Yes, that’s our first step. What I like to do, is fill the pot half full and put salt in it; it increases the boiling point and seasons the water so the pasta will cook better and absorb it.” As she spoke, she filled the pot with the water and sprinkled salt into it before setting it on the stove. “Now it’s really a matter a patience on if you want to add the pasta now and let it cook with the water or wait until it boils. I do both, usually the former so I can do something else and not have to worry about it boiling out, just boiling over.” Breanah shrugged a bit, “eh, it depends on the pasta you use, I personally like vodka sauce with macaroni but it all depends on what you want to use. Experimentation with what sauces go with what is never a bad thing. And if all else fails, add cheese.” Cheese was Breanah’s solution to just about everything. If it made any sense for the meal and she made a mistake (although it was a much more rare occurrence nowadays), she would use cheese to fix it.  

[poppy-k-fields]

Poppy nodded in amazement “She has priorities apparently.” She was quite amused at Breanah’s dog’s needs, clearly they were no ordinary dogs. “Of course,” she noted on Breanah’s comment. She wouldn’t trade Castiel for the world either, it was strange but the moment she’d formed a connection to him, she couldn’t even consider the possibility of parting with him, which was ultimately part of the reason why Holly and Colin stepped in to help her care for him.

With her specific food needs it wasn’t always easy getting by on non-homemade meals. So many things had gluten in them, even things you’d think wouldn’t have gluten like soup and soy. Some soups had little bread cubes in them, and some soy types had wheat in them, so whenever she was shopping Poppy had to be extremely perceptive. She often read the labels more than once, just to make sure they were in fact free from gluten. Part of the reason she ate so many meals with the Chase’s was because they knew how to cook gluten free, and they did it well. It was simply easier eating with them, than risk going to a restaurant where they didn’t know how to properly making a gluten free meal.

She closely observed what Breanah did and listened attentively to what she said, making sure to make mental notes of it all, and nodding at appropriate intervals to signal her understanding. “Okay, whichever is easiest, or–hardest to mess up I should probably say,” she said in response to which form of pasta cooking they would use. “Cheese,” Poppy said, pleased that there was such a simple plan B “I’ll remember that, I’ll probably need it sooner rather than later” she admitted, painfully aware of her lack of cooking skills. But cheese was a simple solution, she’d probably come to use it a lot. “But I’d like to try the vodka sauce today,” she added, deciding that trying new things in cooking was probably safer around someone who knew what they were doing.

[popculturebrain]

You wanna run away, run away, and you say that it can't be so. You wanna look away, look away, but you stay cause it's all so close. When you stand up and hold out your hand, in the face of what I don't understand, my reason to be brave.  

[poppy-k-fields]

The Importance of Breathing ✘ Annie & Poppy

[anniemayhew-blog]

She should have known. In retrospect, Annie should’ve known where she was. What would happen. What had happened. But the light had caught her off-guard. It was the light that Annie noticed first. The light, and then the air. The opposite of what it should’ve been – but it seemed like that was the way it was. Everything else, and then, finally, air. Then breathing. Always breathing, but always last. In all fairness, the light was distracting. It swirled her surroundings to the point of surrealism. The colours were too vivid, and too big. Everything was too big. Her vision was crowded, clouded, hazy and dream-like. Too much like the lighting. It was too much like a hospital’s lighting. Hospital. Lights. Was she in the hospital? It was hard to tell. It caught her off-guard, the hospitalness. It caught her breathing off-guard. And then, with the lack, came the air. It too was bright; it too was florescent. There was something sterile about. Too sterile. Too clean. Was she in the hospital? The hospital’s air was too sterile. Too clean. It was too much. It was too much at first. It was always that way with hospitals. And then: then, she could breathe. She could breathe. Oh. Right. She was breathing. Well. That was something, at least. She took in a breath, a big breath, with a shuddering gasp, her chest tight and burning. The corners of her mouth twitched; not quite a smile, but rather an acknowledgement of the pain. It felt like she had been running through smoke, running, running for so long, but now her lungs were clear. The air was clear. The air was clear, and she couldn’t get enough of it. But hadn’t she? Hadn’t that been what had happened? She couldn’t tell. It was hard to tell. It hurt too much. It hurt, but that was great. It meant that she could breathe again. Still, she felt slightly lucid, somewhere between the stages of living and something, but at least she was breathing. At least she could breathe again.

Off-kilter. Her inner clock was off-kilter. She was off-kilter. She knew that. But it gnawed at her all the same; a feeling of uncomfortable wrongness. She didn’t know how long she had been like that. How much time she had spent getting herself back in working order. But it seemed like one minute she was just waking up, and the next a nurse was knocking into her room. Annie blinked; confused. Lost. So, she was in the hospital, then. Okay. Okay. That made sense. She sat up, and then slumped back into the – hospital – bed, her bones suddenly heavy and weary. She jerked her head into a nod – not at any of the woman’s questions, but in confirmation to herself. “Poppy,” she murmured, her voice wrecked from disuse, and licked her lips into a smile, “hi. Nice to meet you.” She nodded at the nurse, again, but this time in response to her questions, and proceeded to give her social security details. “I feel. Great, actually. Yeah. I feel pretty great. I’m alive. That’s cool.” A laugh died in Annie’s throat in the name of honesty, a slight frown replacing it. “I mean, my chest? My chest kind’a hurts. And my sides, too. Like I’ve been in a fight. Or. Running a marathon. Or something. But – I haven’t. It doesn’t – I’m okay. It’s okay. Manageable. I feel okay. A solid six.” Her laugh returned as a smile, one that widened in a way that made her whole face light up, bright and kind and not-altogether-there. “Yeah. I’m okay. Um. Well – I don’t want to put you to any trouble, but – “ She frowned again, after a pause that seemed to be fraught only for her. “Does my dad? Know that I’m okay? And – um, my phone, is it here? There’s a bag in the back of my closet for these kind’a things. Is it here? Could you ask my dad to bring it? Please?” She asked, eyes large and striving for casual – her voice betrayed her, trembling and soft, so much so that Annie thought for a moment that it might shake out of her throat. “I need – I need to tell my dad, Brian. My grandma. That I’m okay. I need to – I’m sorry, I – I –“

[jessciachastain-blog]

[poppy-k-fields]

I told you. You don't love somebody because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them because they sing a song that nobody but you can understand.

James Rasmussen, Night World: Secret Vampire [L.J. Smith], p. 184

[poppy-k-fields]

Volunteer Coffee ▵ Poppy & Priscilla

[oliviaoliquino]

“Oh, really, don’t worry about it. You’re right to think of it in such a way: a day off,” Priscilla insisted as they walked over to the other room to get their coffee, “plus, with it being summer, I have lots of time to do the paperwork. No need to worry.” It was true: Priscilla was finding herself with too much time. Even between volunteer work, and the gym, and all the activities she pretended to busy herself with, there was too much time. There was always too much time. And, she knew, that that was never good. Having too much time on her hands can lead to idleness; idleness can lead to daydreaming; and daydreaming could lead to what she hated to daydream about the most: her wedding — or, at least, what would have been a wedding —, her failure, and her drop from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Priscilla needed to keep herself busy, and she did this by working, working, working. The paperwork would benefit the both of them if she did it.

Nevertheless, she did not let this show on her countenance. None of it ever did, for Priscilla had prided herself on being invincible. She was tough, and she was strong; her definitive tone did not give way for Poppy to object about the paperwork as they walked towards the other room to get their coffee. Even now, Priscilla had to mark her territory. She had to show she was alpha; she had to show she was on top. It was often tiring to think in such a way: to have a hierarchy in your head that no one else saw but you, and to always be on top when no one was in competition. But Priscilla could never stop doing it. She always had to be on top, and she always had to win — even if no one else knew. She swore it was what kept made her at night (though really, it was what kept her awake most mornings). As they entered the room and made their way towards the table with the coffee mix and styrofoam cups, Priscilla once more mustered a sweet smile at the woman.

She, too, began to prepare her coffee. Priscilla tore open the three-in-one sachet, poured it into her styrofoam cup, grabbed a stirrer from the table, and took from the water dispenser hot water. As ever, there was a smile on her lips as she did it; that was the way it always was with her. But, she only answered the woman’s questions when she was finished preparing her coffee. “Yes, I do. Especially now that it’s summer, as I’ve mentioned.” As she spoke, there was a hint of confident pride about her: in her words, in her tone, in the way she held herself. Nevertheless, her eyes remained on the woman who was still preparing her coffee (as Priscilla, like she always did, allowed herself to go first). “It’s very nice, really. Tiring work, but it’s all worth it, to be honest. Volunteer work gets me going.”

A smile was beaming on Priscilla’s lips when she finished speaking. If there was one thing Priscilla went by, it was that smile. So sweet. But also condescending. Hardly was it ever genuine, but that was something she could not help — not now at twenty-six when she’d been doing it all her life. “How about you? Do you plan to volunteer here often? We could certainly use more on the medical team,” she said, her tone now genuine despite the smile on her lips. “You should. It’s lovely. If you’ve got time, of course. I understand that it’s not everyone’s thing, or that people don’t make enough time for it. But it’s really, really good work.” If the way to heaven were lifting up volunteer shelters so that others may join, and if the way to heaven were volunteering yourself, then surely Priscilla now had a sure spot in it. Too bad she didn’t believe in a heaven or hell. Pity.

[poppy-k-fields]

Priscilla’s reply eased the tension that had compelled Poppy to state her relationship to paperwork, like a child wanting to prove themselves. She still felt a little on edge, which was common for her with new people, but there was an added tension because something about this woman made her feel like she needed to prove herself. Silly, perhaps, but she couldn’t shake the feeling. It made it even harder for her to know how to interact with this woman, and more than ever she didn’t quite know how to respond. After a short moment’s consideration she settled for dipping her head in a nod and letting the word “Thanks” slip out of her mouth.

It was only with people she was close to that conversation flowed naturally, with one or two exceptions, but she could hold a decent conversation with almost anyone, albeit with some difficulty on her part. Priscilla was difficult, but more so than usual. She had a hard time adjusting, figuring out who this woman was, which meant she had little to go on in terms of conversationing. Normally, there was something to work off on, but here, now, with Priscilla, the pressure of having to prove herself complicated what was already an uneasy situation for her. Luckily, the working part of the situation brought a small amount of comfort, and eased some of the tension. Work always made socialising easier.

The difference between people she knew well and people she didn’t know, however, was that in the former case she didn’t need the aid of work, because words seemed to come to her anyway. They were still blunt, or so she suspected, but people close to her must have adjusted to her manner of speaking somehow, and learned to account for it.

Nevertheless, Priscilla was not someone she knew, and somehow, she had to make due, because she did enjoy the company, even if she didn’t quite know what to say. To her delight, they entered upon a subject she knew how to orient herself around. If there was one thing she’d heard about over and over again with Kayla, it was volunteering. Volunteering was the apple of Kayla’s eye, her diamond in the rough, her heart’s joy, which is why when Priscilla described how volunteer work got her going, a reminiscent smile formed on her lips. Almost as if to say ‘I used to know someone else who gets her kicks from volunteer work.’ “It is nice, what I’ve experienced so far.” she agreed, the reminiscent smile slowly being replaced by a more conversational one as she met Priscilla’s gaze.

Poppy nodded in agreement to Priscilla’s words slowly but surely making themselves into her mind and nesting. Maybe she would try volunteering a little more often. “No, it isn’t everyone’s thing.” she agreed, but added “But it might be mine.” A new expression took place on her features, an expression of an idea brewing.

[poppy-k-fields]

Every Rose Has Its Thorn ✘ Mika & Poppy

The blind date a few days before left Poppy feeling more confused than she had in a long time. Kayla. Part of her wanted to run away, the other part wanted to run to Kayla. Which was a problem in and of itself, but the more prominent problem was that she couldn’t decide which part to listen to. On the one hand, the memories of their break up was enough to cause a surge of adrenaline through her: her body preparing her for running. But on the other hand the memories of their relationship slowed the rush of adrenaline, calmed her mind, tempted her to stay. It was in this mindset that she found herself outside the café where Kayla worked, pacing by the window and casting glances inside with every step.  

She tried to tell herself that she wasn’t there for Kayla, that she was there to try the café. But even she knew that wasn’t true, because with every glance inside her eyes automatically searched for a glint of red on the other side of the glass. For a moment she thought she caught a glance, but it turned out to be a red cup, not a top of red hair. Her pacing stopped and she simply stood outside of the window looking in, dropping her gaze every few seconds to avoid the creepy label–though probably with limited success. She couldn’t decide if she should go in or not, because again, even though she told herself she wasn’t there for Kayla it was rather obvious that she was. She didn’t even know if Kayla worked today. But if she did, what on earth would she tell her? She hadn’t had enough time to sort out her own emotions, let alone what she wanted.

Did she really want to relive the break up they’d had? Relive losing her best friend? No. But did she miss their late night talks, the middle of the night texting, the inside jokes, their love, their friendship, the way Kayla would light up whenever volunteering was mentioned, the way she laughed, the way she understood Poppy like no one else? Yes. Did she want that back? More than she let on.

[booksandhotchocolate]

[alex--reeves-blog]

Ex's Cool(?) Sister || Apples

[alex--reeves-blog]

Alex nodded at Poppy’s first question but barely managed to refrain from flinching at her second. He tried to laugh, at least a little bit, in order to lessen the discomfort in his stomach. It was also another effort to seem at ease about their run-in together. “Not anymore, but yeah, that’s me.” Maybe it was a good thing that he had run into Poppy. It was sometimes nice to meet people before his hectic life in Alexandria to reminisce, and the reunion also gave Alex a good reason to make friends with the people he was not able to befriend before. “What are you doing in Alexandria? Do you live here with Holly?” It was impossible to leave Holly out of the conversation, as much as he wanted to.

[poppy-k-fields]

Strange, fancy meeting him here. It was certainly not something she had been expecting. They hadn’t seen each other in years–not since he and Holly broke up, and last she saw him he didn’t even live in Alexandria, then again neither did Holly at that time. “Wow. Long time. Do you live in Alexandria? What brought you here?” she asked, feeling a little guilty about the way she had phrased her question about his identity, but not knowing how to express this.

She realised it might have been awkward for him, or not, to be honest she didn’t know how he felt about Holly now, she only had a glimpse of how he used to feel. They were together for almost a year, so there had to have been some sort of connection and adoration, if not even love, at least on his side. On Holly’s side it had been platonic, as she’d simply tried to suppress her true nature, tried to ignore where her heart truly lay. She held him dear, for sure, but she didn’t love him in a romantic way. Not the way she felt about Meredith, that much was clear.

“I have my own place, but I spend a lot of time at–with her.” She was about to say ‘at her and Colin’s place’ but bit her tongue when she realised that although it felt like the most natural thing to her, it might not to Alex. She may be blunt, but she wasn’t clueless. She knew that even though Colin and Holly belonged together as best friends and current roommates in her mind, they were a married couple to the outside world, and she wasn’t sure how Alex would take that. Then again, it might be a hard topic to avoid, seeing as they were in fact married, and living together. Colin may not be the love of Holly’s life, but he was her best friend, and thus very important to her, just as she was to him.

[poppy-k-fields]

Hiya peeps! 

Just a general psa that due to the uni prep happening atm (that will include this coming weekened), needing sleep, studying for my licence, and moving next month everything has become quite busy (like literally I was gone all day yesterday, I left 6.40am, came home 10.15pm. and now it's 6.30 and I have to leave soon. i am so tired.) so until september 7th, I'm going on full hiatus. I have two para replies written not proofread that I'll chunk out this week but other than that, I'll be MIA for the majority of the time until the 7th.

That was all I wanted to say! I'll see you when I see you!  

ange out ~

have a spn gif (very important tbh)

[anniemayhew-blog]

"All thanks to you! Seriously, though. Thanks." A smaller, softer smile settled on her curved mouth. "Veterinary science. I’m going for a PhD, and — wow. I can’t wait to be Dr. Annie. It’ll make my trips to the hospital pretty hilarious, huh?"

[poppy-k-fields]

It felt ridiculous that Annie was thanking her for doing her job, but Poppy liked Annie, she was kind, and thus, she decided to accept it. "No problem." she said while her smile grew. Poppy chuckled. "Yeah, it would. Veterinary science sounds nice though. Do you have any experience?" she inquired, and though it might not translate as such she was trying her best to continue the conversation.  

[poppy-k-fields]

Moodboard ✘ Poppy & Kayla; post breakup

Don't panic, no not yet, I know I'm the one you want to forget. Cue all the love to leave my heart, it's time for me to fall apart. Now you're gone but I'll be okay. // Maybe I'll burn a little brighter tonight, let the fire breathe me back to life. Baby, you were my picket fence. I'm miss missing you now and then. 

[anniemayhew-blog]

"Okay, honestly? I am 100% excited for school, and 99% of that is due to super cute stationary. I have no regrets. Only adorable notebooks and highlighters."

[poppy-k-fields]

"Glad to see you're feeling better." Poppy noted, a small smile gracing her features. "What are you studying?" she inquired after a moment.  

[callie-richards]

Nocturnal || Callie and Poppy

[callie-richards]

Callie had been to hospitals twice in her life, for reasons other than visiting someone else. The first had been after social services had come to take her from her foster family. A very nice nurse had taken her into a big white room and checked the small girl out, face growing tight when she counted two broken ribs and a sprained ankle. She’d given Callie a lollipop, the first the child had ever had, and she’d been too much in shock, too confused by the sudden changes around her to be afraid. The second trip had been when her father had died…and that time…that time the blonde had known fear. Each footstep had echoed in time with the blood racing through her veins, the sounds of machines, staff and patients talking, someone crying as she found her way to her mother and brother. Dead on impact, the doctor was whispering, there was nothing we could do.

She strayed from hospitals when she could, stepping into them made her anxious, though she knew that more people left them healed than harmed. Still though, the girl had a deep respect for people in any caregiving profession. Leaning forward against the counter, Callie smiled in response to the woman’s enjoyment of the pie, listening intently when she spoke of her work. ‘Oh that maternity ward? That must be such a rewarding job, getting to see all that new life enter the world, and helping them get settled. What’s your favorite part?” Callie grinned and made a mental note to look into getting a coffee cart from the diner into the hospital. There were higher ups she’d have to run the idea by, but the manager liked her and so did the owner, and it was fairly likely she could sway them both. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

At the question, a blonde head nodded. “Yeah I’ve worked here almost two years now. The flexible hours are really helpful while I’m working my way through school. What about you, are you new to the medical field or a practiced veteran? Did you always want to be in this field?” Callie clamped a hand over her mouth and then smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I’m too inquisitive for my own good sometimes.”

[poppy-k-fields]

To her memory, Poppy hadn’t had any bad experiences with hospitals in her personal life. She saw both death and life at work as was to be expected, and she dealt with that–albeit not always well. No one close to her had died, and apart from Colin no one had gotten badly hurt, so hospitals remained untainted for her. Which meant she could walk the corridors with peace, just like she had as a kid. Though when she was a kid, playing with the stethoscope was more fun.

A smile graced her lips at the comment. “My favourite part is when the parent’s get to hold their child for the first time, after we’ve cleaned them off. You can’t fake that kind of joy.” she said earnestly and took another bite of the pie. There was something special about a parent seeing their child for the first time, even more so for someone who’d been carrying the little nudger inside their belly for nine months. The purity of that joy was...something else. Bopping her head in a thank-you-nod a grin touched her lips before she took a gulp of the coffee.

A chuckle escaped her. “It’s okay.” she reassured the blonde woman. In all honesty, she didn’t mind people inquiring about her job, more often than not, people stopped inquiring because they found her too blunt. This blonde didn’t seem to though, an uncommon occurrence. “My mother’s in the field. I didn’t know I wanted to be in the field until my sister’s best friend was in a car accident though.” she explained while sneaking little bits of pie into her mouth as she spoke. “I’ve been a registered nurse for about two years. Still quite new.” she said, but after a moment’s consideration added “My mother brought me to the hospital a lot as a child though. I’m new to working as a nurse, but not to the field as a whole.” It was tricky trying to explain, but in short she was trying to say that she was used to hospitals but not working as a nurse. “What are you majoring in?”