vickie dunne

abuickandbloodyknuckles-ste

Vickie wasn't often observed in any other place besides Hawkins General Hospital, gliding between every patients room. But it wasn't because she was a homebody or that her shifts were every day, all day—no, it was because she was off wandering around where most people weren't.

Today, Skull Rock was her victim, and she certainly wasn't expecting to see a former football player there—much less, one alone during broad daylight. She jumped when he noticed her, not exactly trying to hide but not exactly trying to be seen either.

"Sorry," she apologized, raising her eyebrows. "You, uh... don't like company? Or are you waiting for someone—sorry, that's not my business. Sorry." She shook her head, the tips of her ears turning pink from embarrassment.

"Say sorry again, I didn't hear you the first 2 times." The words come out in a voice that's thick with amusement, an easy smile on his face as he watches Vickie's face turn pink. "You can relax, Vickie. I'm not expecting anyone, though the assumption I'm that desirable is a nice ego booster, so thanks for that." Conrad said with a chuckle, setting his sketchbook aside and pulling a cigarette from the pack from the pocket of his jacket, quickly lighting it and taking a drag, blowing the smoke through his nose before looking up at her "You don't have to leave if you wanna stick around. I'm not against the company, I just didn't hear you walk up." he assured, before shifting into a more comfortable position against the rock and patting the spot beside him. "Plenty of stone for you too, if you want to sit down."

Vickie laughed nervously, another sorry on the tip of her tongue, and tried to relax her tense body. "Um, you're very welcome," she shook her head, returning his easy smile with a soft one, "but I can't imagine that you're seen as undesirable by anyone."

Standing there in silence for a moment, Vickie debated just stepping away and leaving him alone, writing off the interaction as an embarrassing encounter. She started slightly when he spoke again, her mind having drifted. "Oh, uh, sure."

She moved forward and sat beside him stiffly. She watched him smoking for a beat before admitting, "I've never... I've never smoked before. At all." She paused, considering the offer and her sobriety. "But it doesn't hurt to try, does it?"

#ft.conrad

Vickie was already frightened, her breath already rushing in at an uncomfortable rate, but seeing the former Chief of Police approaching her after her latest episode somehow made her pulse climb even higher. But he was just there, a few feet away, carefully watching her and trying to calm her down.

She followed his instructions, shifting her feet to ground herself back to the ground, attempting to calm her breathing. If it weren't for the terror still crawling up her skin, she might have felt embarrassed, this interaction only proving how insane she was becoming. Vickie took a long, slow breath, closing her eyes tightly—then thinking better of it, opened her eyes wide. It was just too dark.

She stammered at Hopper's observation—how could he be so right? How did he know? She hadn't told anyone about this, not even Robin, who was quickly becoming her closest friend. But she took another breath, swallowed past the dryness in her throat, and opened her mouth. "I—I, um, I... it was dark. I just—my imagination was probably running wild. With it being this late. And working at the hospital. I'm, uh, fine. It was fine. It was nothing."

But she knew Jim Hopper wouldn't believe her sweep-it-under-the-rug explanation. Because it wasn't just nothing. It was something. So she took another breath, feeling guilty. "I'm not crazy, alright? It's just—well, I really did go somewhere else. At least, it felt like it. I was still here, in Hawkins, but it was... darker. Wet, almost. The sky was all cloudy and dark and—and the hospital had vines everywhere, crawling up the sides like it was alive, and—and please, I swear I'm not crazy, at least, I think. Hope." She shook her head, covering her face with her hands. "I can't go to an asylum, I have so much work to do!"

jhopper-ste

Hopper didn't move. He didn't sigh, and he didn't give her that "standard procedure" look he used on people who’d had too many drinks. He just stood there, a heavy, silent presence in the dark of the parking lot, letting her words tumble out until they hit the inevitable wall of panic about the asylum. "Hey," he said, his voice dropping into a low, commanding rumble that acted like an anchor. "Look at me. Look at me, Vickie." He waited until she lowered her hands, his eyes steady and devoid of any judgment. He didn't look at her like she was a patient or a headcase; he looked at her like a soldier looking at a scout who’d just come back from the front lines with bad news. "First off," he started, hooking his thumbs into his belt, "you're not going to any asylum. I’ve seen what passes for 'sanity' in this town, and believe me, you’re doing just fine. Second..." He paused, his jaw working as he glanced toward the hospital, then back to her. "The vines. The dark sky. The feeling like the air is heavy and wet? I know exactly what you’re talking about." He took a slow step closer to make sure she heard every word.

"You aren't imagining it, and you aren't crazy. Unfortunately for both of us, it’s very real." He let that sink in for a second, watching her reaction. "You’re seeing leaks. Thin spots in the fabric of this dump. Most people can't see 'em. Some people... some people are more sensitive to it." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a crumpled pack of Camels, but didn't light one. He just turned the pack over in his hand. "Does Robin know?" he asked, his tone shifting to something more protective. "Because if you’re seeing this stuff while you’re on shift at a hospital, we need to get you somewhere safe. Or at least somewhere with a lot more light. You can't be wandering around all alone Vickie."

Vickie felt like she was about to faint, but she slowed her breathing and listened to Hopper carefully. And, surprisingly, he didn't seem to think she was as much a headcase as she thought herself. Then her brows furrowed. "You... you know?"

It was real. Not a trick of the light, but real, and confirmed by one of the most trustworthy people in Hawkins—in all of Indiana, probably. "Some people... are there others who... see things?" Gosh, now she was sounding like someone who pretends to be a psychic. "Uh, I mean, no," Vickie flushed at the mention of Robin, but tried not to show it. "I haven't, um, told many people, exactly. On account of me sounding like an insane person."

"But, but I'm fine! Really. I don't think anything is going to jump out at me from that... other place," she insisted, though part of her wanted to surround herself in all the bright lights she could find. That was the rational, logical part—the side of her that understood what the right course of action should be, that she needed to be surrounded by people, not alone by herself. But she also had that embarrassed side, the one that told her she was making a big fuss out of nothing.

"W-Well what should we do now?" she asked hesitantly.

#ft.hopper

Vickie eyed the device skeptically, but trusted Nicky enough that she was sure they wouldn't go inside if something was wrong with the building. Then again, maybe they would just have to face the consequences of their investigation. She glanced away from the girl at her question, suddenly feeling like she's the crazy one.

"Well, um, I've been having visions too, I guess," she shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Not of your cousin—of another reality or something... that's actually what was freaking me out, when you first came to the hospital." She opened her mouth to elaborate more, when the device started making a noise. "What's that mean?"

"Visions?" Nicky paused, turning back to the other woman. She hardly believed in her own visions, let alone someone else's. "Another reality? What do you mean?" She asked, still keeping an eye out but she was enraptured by Vickie's experiences.

She stopped as soon as her Geiger counter started making noise. "It's low level radiation... we can walk around it and still be okay." Her pace slowed, letting the other woman know she was not putting them in unnecessary danger. "It's probably the government testing something new," she explained.

Nicky was no conspiracy theorist, but she was sure that the government was too smart to reveal all its secrets.

"Oh, okay. Radiation that won't kill us," Vickie nodded, understanding. "Um, well, it's like—like I get this weird feeling before it starts, and then I blink and everything is different. The world is all dark, and almost wet," she shuddered just thinking about it. "And I can hear screeching sometimes, in the distance, like there are... I don't know, animals, or something."

She glanced at Nicky, convincing herself there was skepticism in the other girls eyes. "I'm not lying, I swear. But I also don't know why it started. Or why I keep seeing it..."

"It's probably not related. I mean, well, maybe it is. I have no clue."

Vickie crossed her arms, her face scrunched up like it always was when she was thinking, as she listened to Nicky.

"Well," she said finally, "I don't think you're crazy. People around here are notorious for coming back from the dead." Vickie chuckled a little, shaking her head. "So... so do you think she's in there? And isn't it, like, radioactive?"

"I don't think any of them were ever really dead," she corrected, still searching for logic amongst the weird. Nicky held up a device that looked like a radio with a handle. "That's what this is for. We won't get closer than necessary," she assured. The device was used to measure radiation, so she held it out in front of her, scanning the area with it like a lamp.

"You might be the first person that's... listened." She wasn't the talkative type, but even when she came close to approaching the subject of those who had disappeared, everyone was so quick to give condolences and believe the vague excuses they had been fed. "Why?" She asked, slowly leading the way through the forest.

Vickie eyed the device skeptically, but trusted Nicky enough that she was sure they wouldn't go inside if something was wrong with the building. Then again, maybe they would just have to face the consequences of their investigation. She glanced away from the girl at her question, suddenly feeling like she's the crazy one.

"Well, um, I've been having visions too, I guess," she shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Not of your cousin—of another reality or something... that's actually what was freaking me out, when you first came to the hospital." She opened her mouth to elaborate more, when the device started making a noise. "What's that mean?"

loction: woods behind the lab for: @vi-ckiedunne

somehow, a checkup on her stitches had turned into a partner in crime. vickie had surprised nicky, she was easy to talk to, and before she knew it, she was divulging her investigation into her cousin, barbara.

"i need you to tell me if i'm seeing things," she asked of the other woman. her most recent vision of her cousin had been at the memorial parade, but she swore she heard her say "lab'. it could have easily been something she misheard, but if vicky was willing to hear her out, nicky had no problem asking for a companion on her most recent investigation.

Vickie crossed her arms, her face scrunched up like it always was when she was thinking, as she listened to Nicky.

"Well," she said finally, "I don't think you're crazy. People around here are notorious for coming back from the dead." Vickie chuckled a little, shaking her head. "So... so do you think she's in there? And isn't it, like, radioactive?"

abuickandbloodyknuckles-ste

Skull Rock was quiet, during the early afternoon.

The sun still hung high in the sky, and couples weren’t usually as interested in coming when it was this well lit.

Took away some of the hot and heavy mystique, Conrad suspected.

Conrad could feel the chill of the rock even through his AC/DC tshirt and worn denim jacket, as he rested against it from his place seated on the ground. A notepad sat in his lap, the pen working away as he focused on each line he added.

The sound of a foot breaking a stick jolted him from his revelry, and he snapped the notebook shut with the speed of a bear trap.

“Fuck, you scared me.” Conrad said, clearing his throat as he heard a touch of rasp to his voice, “I uh, didn’t think anyone would come out here. Most of the action happens closer to sunset.”

@sterpstarters open

Vickie wasn't often observed in any other place besides Hawkins General Hospital, gliding between every patients room. But it wasn't because she was a homebody or that her shifts were every day, all day—no, it was because she was off wandering around where most people weren't.

Today, Skull Rock was her victim, and she certainly wasn't expecting to see a former football player there—much less, one alone during broad daylight. She jumped when he noticed her, not exactly trying to hide but not exactly trying to be seen either.

"Sorry," she apologized, raising her eyebrows. "You, uh... don't like company? Or are you waiting for someone—sorry, that's not my business. Sorry." She shook her head, the tips of her ears turning pink from embarrassment.

#ft.conrad

Lucas was getting real close to becoming Vickie's favorite teenager. Not that there really was any contest—unlike some people she knew, Vickie Dunne didn't go around Hawkins befriending children every few steps. Well... maybe she should, with how good she's been getting along with Lucas. But not all teenagers would be as kind and mature as Lucas seemed to be.

Vickie smiled, watching him slowly getting the hang of it. It was unconscious, at this point, the way her hands moved deftly, a new creation beginning. She chuckled at Lucas' compliment-question, shaking her head.

"Years of practice. Seriously. I think I was worse than you when I started to learn," she teased him slightly. "You're already doing really good, trust me. You look like a real professional knitter."

She moved on to the second row of her hat, reaching over to tighten and untangle a bit of Lucas' yarn for him. "Some people just don't have the patience for it, you know. But you're one of the good ones. I can tell." Vickie settled back into her knitting, eyes barely watching her hands dance through the movements, the bright day settling around them nicely. Birds chirped nearby, wind rustling the trees.

And, wanting to make more conversation, Vickie asked, "What kind of music do you like?"

rangerlucassinclairx

Lucas would be so proud if he knew how quickly he’d worked his way up to becoming Vickie’s favorite teenager. But honestly, the feeling was totally mutual. He was really glad she had so much patience with him and kept encouraging him in such a sweet way. It actually made knitting kinda fun, and he could already see some small progress in what he was making.

“I don’t think you were any worse than me when you started,” Lucas laughed, “but thanks for believing in me like that! With your support, I kinda feel like this might actually turn into something really good in the end!” He kept trying his best, even though every row he knitted took forever. Still, he kept sneaking glances over at Vickie, trying to copy her hand movements and follow what she was doing as closely as he could. It was still pretty impressive how easy she made it look, though, and how fast she was.

“Music?” Lucas asked, pausing for a second as he thought about her question. “I’m actually into a lot of different stuff. If someone shows me something cool, I can get into pretty much anything. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Kate Bush, since that’s Max’s favorite, and I always play it for her. Even though I gotta admit… I’m kinda starting to get sick of those tapes.” He laughed softly, then looked at Vickie with interest. “What about you? What kind of music do you like? Got any recommendations for me?”

"I was so bad, I quit for two weeks before trying again," she laughed, embarrassing herself, "and of course it's going to be good! I'm your teacher, after all."

"Kate Bush is cool. But listening to the same songs over and over can get old pretty quick," she agreed, turning her needles to start another row, "I like, um, rock music. Stuff like The Psychedelic Furs and," Vickie laughed softly, shaking her head, "The Cure. My friend likes to make fun of my music taste—she says I'm not niche enough."

She looked back at Lucas, offering, "Maybe next time you visit Max, you could show her some of the music you like. I'm sure she'd be okay with it for a day." She could imagine why Lucas would play her the same music over and over, but it couldn't hurt to change it up every now and then, could it? After all, it wasn't like her favorite song could help her wake up or save her life. That would be crazy. "Maybe you'll even get her to enjoy something new."

#ft.lucas

Vickie shook her head as she snapped out of her trance, and nearly fell over when she heard Ava Byers' voice. Not that it was scary or anything... but after that, hearing someone call her name just felt off. "Ava," she said, relieved, and couldn't help the shake in her voice. She tried to loosen her grip on her keys, but it felt as if her fingers just weren't ready to give up yet. Vickie's eyes widened at her question. Because she couldn't just tell her what she'd seen. She'd gone insane again, and telling another person would get her sent off to the insane asylum. "A g-ghost? Uh, no, no, I'm—fine. It's, um, nothing."

She watched Ava carefully as she approached her, letting her take Vickie's keys, despite not being able to really move her hand. She listened, closed her eyes slightly—but still too afraid of the dark to close them completely—and breathed. As smoothly as she could, which really wasn't smooth at all. And then—Ava had heard it too. But... that would mean it had actually happened. That would mean... she wasn't crazy. Or... perhaps her brain had turned someone calling her name into a full hallucination, and she really was just insane.

Vickie didn't answer Ava. What even was an Echo-slip? But she followed her to Ava's car, climbed in the passenger side, and just sat in the car, silent as the night. She waited a minute or two, the both of them sitting together in the quiet, before opening her mouth, her voice a little more sure than it had been. "Did... did you see anything, or just hear it?" And then, after waiting a beat more, she continued, "I was just—I just got off of work, you know, I'm probably just tired. I'm going to be late, at this point. But, um," and she finally looked, really looked, at Ava, "what do you mean by 'echo?' And... how do you... know?"

avabyers-ste

Ava didn’t start the car right away. She just sat there with Vickie in the dim glow of the dashboard, letting the silence settle without letting it swallow them. Her own pulse was still thudding in her ears, but she kept her breathing slow, steady, something Vickie could match if she needed to. When Vickie finally spoke, Ava turned toward her, her expression softening at the tremor still clinging to her voice. “Just heard it,” she said gently. “Clear as day. Like someone was standing right behind us.” She didn’t add and it sounded wrong. She didn’t need to. Vickie already knew. Ava rested her hands on the steering wheel, grounding herself before she continued. “And you’re not crazy,” she said, voice low but firm. “You’re tired, yeah. But that wasn’t your brain making things up. I heard it too. Exactly the same way.”

She let that sit, the validation, the shared reality, before she turned fully in her seat to face Vickie. “You asked about Echoes,” she said softly. “It’s… complicated. And weird. And honestly? I’m still figuring it out myself.” A small, rueful smile tugged at her mouth. “But I know enough to know this: sometimes Hawkins… glitches. Like pieces of something else bleed through. Sounds, shadows, memories that don’t belong to us. People hearing their names when no one’s there. Seeing things that shouldn’t exist anymore.”

Her eyes softened even further. “And some people feel it more than others.” She didn’t say you. She didn’t have to. Ava reached out, gently brushing her fingers over the back of Vickie’s hand, not taking, just offering. “I know because it’s happened to me,” she admitted quietly. “And to Will. And to other people who’ve been close to… all of this.” She hesitated, then added, even softer: “You’re not alone in it. And you’re not losing your mind.” A beat. “You can tell me what you saw. Or you don’t have to. But whatever it was? I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

#ft.nancy #//figured it would be most natural for them to meet here!

After hiding what she was going through for so long, it was hard to accept that Ava already knew what was going on—what she was talking about. It was crazy. But as she kept talking, Vickie was starting to believe it. And believe her.

"You... its happened to you, too?" her eyes widened in recognition. This changed everything. She wasn't going crazy, she wasn't losing her mind, and someone else could relate to her. "Will—Will Byers? Him, too? Is that... wait, when he disappeared—is that related too? You—he—I..." Vickie was sure her head was going to spin right off of her neck. "Others?"

Now she was just ready to explode. There were others who could see what she did. But that brought another question... was what she saw actually real? "Do you see the darkness—the vines and the screeching and... and feel the dread?"

#ft.ava

dinah-lance

#visage #ft.robin

dinah-lance

#visage

starter with: @nancyfiles

Vickie blew out a puff of air, resting her chin in her hands, elbows on the front desk of the hospital. It was a slow day and the receptionists' day off, so Vickie was posted at the front. She'd rather be running between rooms, chatting with patients and brightening their days, but here she was, stuck staring at the door in an empty room.

Except, it wasn't empty for long. A girl with curly brown hair and sharp, angular features entered the hospital, and Vickie shot up in her chair, straightening her posture and smiling warmly. She recognized her, not that it was a surprise—everyone knew Nancy Wheeler.

"Hello," she started, "how can I help you?"

Vickie nodded her head quickly, thankful for the distraction. Caring for people—that, she could do. "Yes, of course. My car's right here..."

She waited until the girl was situated in the passenger seat before sliding into the driver's side, buckling her seatbelt—safety first—and pulling out of the parking lot. "Just, uh, direct me where to go," she told the girl. The girl. She forgot to ask her name.

"Um, what's your, ah, name? Sorry, I'm bad with faces," she chuckled. It was the typical lie all doctors and teachers told their patients and students when they had no clue who they were. That, or a soft 'oh, yeah, I remember you! Definitely!' She only hoped her companion didn't notice. Although, she did seem like the quiet-observant-type, not unlike some other people she knew. So Vickie wasn't confident.

"I'm Vickie, by the way," she introduced herself, realizing she'd forgotten that as well, "one of the nurses at the hospital. Sorry, I'm not usually so frazzled, but... well, I've just had a long day. Stress can really affect a person like that."

"Great," Nicky commented as she got into the stranger's car. She did consider it could be risky to trust a stranger, but the other was a candy striper who she assumed bled rainbows, given how cheery they often seemed. It may be their job, but she trusted her instincts, and nothing about the woman screamed dangerous.

After buckling up, she started to direct the woman to her home.

"My name is Nicky. I don't stick out," she stated bluntly. She was usually quiet and to herself, especially outside of school, so she was not one of the teenagers who were well known simply because they made for good gossip fodder.

"Nice to meet you, Vickie," she offered honestly. "Yes, people underestimate how often stress can lead to physical symptoms." She glanced at the other after gesturing for her to make another turn.

"Candles with the right scent make good relaxers. Lavender and eucalyptus fragrances have worked best for me," she remarked, trying to be helpful in her own way since the other was doing her a favor.

Vickie nodded along to the girl's voice as she spoke, glancing at her while attempting to focus on the road. She was very... matter-of-fact. Very to-the-point in the way she spoke. Not that Vickie disliked that.

"Candles, really?" Vickie questioned lightly, following Nicky's directions. "I've never tried that. Guess there's a lot of things I haven't tried. I usually just spiral inside my head until I had to physically stop myself—shout something like 'Stop it, Vickie!'" She laughed at herself a little, shaking her head. "Or I just throw myself into doing something else. Distraction works wonders for me."

The car slipped into a bit of silence and feeling the need to fill the space, Vickie started speaking again, "Not to intrude, but what were you doing that you ended up at the hospital this late?"

"Oh, absolutely," she grinned. "The most trouble to ever trouble."

Vickie hadn't expected to find a new friend today. And yet, that's exactly what awaited her—a strange newcomer who talked with her easily and made her laugh.

"So, what sort of trouble are you in the market for?" she asked, her voice dropping in pitch, imitating a salesman. "We have... what do we have?" Vickie paused. "We don't have anything actually, trouble is off the market," she shook her head at herself, unable to think of anything that wouldn't land them both with huge consequences.

willowmvrs

Willow laughed, loud but friendly and carefree. Despite being a mystery of a man at times, he was well known for being able to make friends with almost anyone.

"That's the million dollar question. What kind of trouble am I looking for?" He repeated, considering it for a moment as he took a couple of drags from his dwindling cigarette. "Maybe something spooky? I've heard rumors about abandoned places around town and the woods, supposedly." He shrugged. "Any truth to it?"

"Abandoned places?" she repeated his question, turning her eyes to the sky as she thought. "Well, I mean, there aren't too many around here, but there is... well, the Creel House, of course."

She looked at him, judging his reaction. Most people knew about the Creel Murder House, and most besides stupid preteens tended to steer clear of it. Vickie followed the majority most of the time... but she wasn't above sneaking around every now and then. "We could go check it out," she offered, then smiled teasingly, "unless you're too scared of getting your eyes torn out and your bones all broken by ghosts."

#ft.willow

harryharvelle

☏ ring, ring... connecting to @vi-ckiedunne

"hi, vickie. sorry to bother you, but i accidentally picked up a journal of yours from work. i'm not sure about your schedule, but i do have tomorrow off, so i wasn't sure if you would need it sooner."

"hi, dr. harvelle... oh, yes, that's fine, it isn't too important. wait, uh, you didn't look at it... did you, doctor?"

#ft.harry

Vickie let out a soft laugh at his answer. It was honest and true. Hawkins wasn't the most entertaining place to be in, and it certainly wasn't filled with a lot of things to do. Boring was the best way to describe the small Indiana town.

"Me? Well, I guess, the same as always. Nothing really goes on here anyway..." And that was true for the most part. Except, the whole reason why she'd gone out into the park was because her friend hadn't picked up her calls. And Vickie had been persistently annoying, dialing her number four times before she finally gave up and angrily drove out to the park to release her frustrations on a quiet world as she knitted away.

"I guess when people are bored, they go outside to enjoy nature. Very 'Romanticism period' of us, isn't it?"

willowmvrs

Usually, Willow only needed himself for entertainment, but something about Hawkins made him want to keep everything reeled in. Similar to the feeling of being watched, but more like the feeling of being warned. Being warned about what, he had no idea, not yet, anyway.

"Birds of a feather," he mused in response. "Usually, boredom invites trouble. Found you instead, unless—" he paused and lowered his voice as if he was telling the most important of secrets. "Are you trouble?" He asked, expression serious for a brief moment before he broke into another grin.

"Oh, absolutely," she grinned. "The most trouble to ever trouble."

Vickie hadn't expected to find a new friend today. And yet, that's exactly what awaited her—a strange newcomer who talked with her easily and made her laugh.

"So, what sort of trouble are you in the market for?" she asked, her voice dropping in pitch, imitating a salesman. "We have... what do we have?" Vickie paused. "We don't have anything actually, trouble is off the market," she shook her head at herself, unable to think of anything that wouldn't land them both with huge consequences.

#ft.willow

Vickie turned at the sound of another voice, whipping around, forgetting the world wasn't as dark as it just had been. She stared, wide-eyed and still clutching her keys tightly, at the dark-haired girl on the curb. And she relaxed slightly, remembering catching a glimpse of her and a bleeding arm just a few moments ago, inside the hospital. So at least she knew she wasn't hallucinating now.

"Uh, yes—yes, I'm, I mean—no, nothing's wrong, I'm alright." Vickie took in a shaky breath, glancing around at her surroundings to remind herself where she was. Parking lot. Hospital. Car. Just a simple, quiet night. No vines, no swirling stormy sky. Everything was normal. "Are you—are you alright? Taken care of and everything?'

She could breathe easier now, calm herself down. "Do you need assistance or anything? Do you have someone to take you home?"

A candy striper. She studied the young woman. The other had clearly been disturbed by something, but Nicky doubted she wanted to tell all her worries to a stranger. She definitely would not. "Yes, the doctor, or I should say the nurse, did a firm job with my bandages." She lifted her arm to show she had already been treated. The doctor had stepped in to reassure her that the nurse was capable, but she could tell the woman who had treated her was experienced by her demeanor.

It took her a second to contemplate whether or not she wanted to trouble the girl for a ride, but she decided she would rather waste the time of a kind stranger than her overworked parents. "I'm fine, but I could use a ride home. My neighborhood isn't far," she assured, putting away her textbook. "Would you mind taking me home?"

Vickie nodded her head quickly, thankful for the distraction. Caring for people—that, she could do. "Yes, of course. My car's right here..."

She waited until the girl was situated in the passenger seat before sliding into the driver's side, buckling her seatbelt—safety first—and pulling out of the parking lot. "Just, uh, direct me where to go," she told the girl. The girl. She forgot to ask her name.

"Um, what's your, ah, name? Sorry, I'm bad with faces," she chuckled. It was the typical lie all doctors and teachers told their patients and students when they had no clue who they were. That, or a soft 'oh, yeah, I remember you! Definitely!' She only hoped her companion didn't notice. Although, she did seem like the quiet-observant-type, not unlike some other people she knew. So Vickie wasn't confident.

"I'm Vickie, by the way," she introduced herself, realizing she'd forgotten that as well, "one of the nurses at the hospital. Sorry, I'm not usually so frazzled, but... well, I've just had a long day. Stress can really affect a person like that."