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To Victoria, there was something ironic about getting sick. She was sure this was just a her thing, that most doctors probably didn’t think about it that deeply. Just another Victoria-brand anxiety, like she didn’t have enough of those already. But in her mind, it made sense. A doctor getting sick, like the parable of the barber cutting their own hair. Fortunately for her, Pittsburgh was a big enough town to have more than one barber.
And Victoria had her very own barber (see: doctor, at risk of this analogy having gotten out of hand) called Cassie Mckay.
She was resting in Cassie’s bed, laying on her side and tucked under her warm sheets, grateful that she’d gotten herself sick during the winter months. She liked to sleep under thinner sheets, despite Cassie’s insistence on the opposite. And there, at the third utterance of her name, like speaking her into existence, Cassie stepped into her bedroom.
“Hi baby.” She mumbled, her eyes focussed on the mug of something steaming in her hands as she made her way to the bed. Victoria’s eyes quickly shot from the TikTok playing soundlessly on her phone to Cassie’s face, catching her sitting on the bed, just by her knees.
“You feelin’ okay?” She asked, leaning forward to place the mug on her night stand, that reassuring smile Cassie always shone her direction plastered on her face.
Victoria, relaxing into the hand she felt Cassie place on her leg, groaned out an answer. “I told you, I’m fine.”
“Mostly fine.”
“Same thing! I’m really not that sick, and it’s really better if you take me home soon. I told mom I’d be home “late”, if I show up tomorrow morning she’s gonna kill me for it.”
“Hmm.” Cassie hummed, pursing her lips as she thought back. She’d noticed Victoria coughing a lot earlier that day, had urged her to go home early. Of course, Victoria didn’t listen. Now, here Cassie was, playing doctor at home instead of enjoying those 2 to 3 hours of alone time they could squeeze out every week or so. “I really think you should stay in bed, honey. Have you really never stayed the night somewhere without telling your mom?”
“Once… last month. I fell asleep at Trinity and Dennis’ place while we were watching… some movie, I don’t remember.” Victoria let out a frustrated groan. “She showed up at 1 in the morning, knocking on the door like she was the cops and hauled me back home. Didn’t even tell her where I was. Just tracked me down. I don’t think you want a repeat of that happening here.”
Cassie ran her hand up Victoria’s side over the sheets, before finding her hand and grasping softly through the fabric. Victoria reciprocated. “You promise you’ll take it slow? If I take you home? Just try to sleep, drink plenty of tea, all that?”
“Cass.” Victoria squeezed her hand. “I’m a doctor. We’re both doctors. My mom’s a doctor. I’ll be fine with a cold. I can handle it.”
Somehow, that one got a chuckle out of Cassie. “No, you’re right, I’m being overprotective.”
“Yep, you are.” Victoria smirked a smirk that quickly disappeared when she felt a cough swell up in her throat, letting it out into her elbow. “I don’t mind, though. You’re like my shining knight.”
“And you’re my princess.” Cassie leaned in, giving Victoria a quick peck on the forehead before standing up and stretching her back. “Alright, drink up that tea. I’m gonna get my stuff so we can hit the road. Because my princess has a curfew.”
Victoria sat up in bed, grabbing the mug from the night stand and taking a sip. She winced. “You really put too much sugar in here, Cass.”
“I know.” Cassie exhaled from her nose, before exiting the room. Victoria, after a few moments of staring at the open door frame, gripped the mug with both hands and took another sip. Of course. Cassie loved being sweet to her.