Dr Perry Cox stepped out of his car, and strode across the car park. It was quite empty at this time of the morning. The sky was only just the palest indigo, and the sun had barely just risen. He stepped inside, straight into the reception area. Laverne was sat behind the desk, as always, sleepily swilling her coffee with a spoon. She didn't look up as Perry entered.
"Good morning, Dr. Cox" She called on the last minute, as he was disappearing down the corridor.
He waved a hand to her in acknowledgement.
The locker room was empty, which Perry was pleased about as he really didn't have the patience for any newbies at this hour. Scratch that; he didn't have the patience for the newbies at any hour. He opened his locker and took out his white coat, slipping it on.
Next he went to the cafeteria, to have his morning coffee and plate of scrambled eggs. It was quite empty, and Bob Kelso sat in the very centre table, buttering a slice of toast. Perry gathered his breakfast and made his way over, sitting in front of the grumpy old man. Bob raised an eyebrow.
"Are we feeling ill this morning?" He enquired.
"Nope, but ask me again after I've eaten these eggs" Perry replied, sprinkling salt over his plate. He was about to take a bite, when he groaned, "Oh no, ask me round about now" He said.
JD was breezing through, whistling. How was that kid always so cheerful? And annoying.
"Well if it isn't the two people I aspire to most!" JD said, holding his hands to his chest in mock admiration.
"Hush up, Shirley, I'm tryna eat here" Perry huffed.
And so the morning had began.
---
It was exactly eleven o'clock that morning when it happened. When Perry Cox's life changed forever.
He never would have guessed that it was about to. It was a fairly ordinary scene. Perry passed the reception, engrossed in his clipboard. "Dr. Cox!" Laverne's voice broke through the air.
"Mm yeah?" Perry replied, distractedly looking up from his papers.
"Do you have any idea where this girls medication could be?" Laverne asked.
Perry looked over. Stood at the desk was the most intriguing oddity he had ever seen. A girl who might have only just started college was smiling at him. She was stick thin, with long wavy blonde hair, pale skin and huge, goggly brown eyes. She wore a knee length, baggy sleeved white dress, pale pink tights that glittered, and white laced up heels.
"I don't even know who this girl is" Perry confessed irritably.
"Her name is Verdé Hartley? Its for depression" Laverne explained quietly.
"I can take a look for you, gimme a minute" Perry sighed, dumping his clipboard on to Laverne's cluttered desk and turning back the way he had came. Half way down the corridor, Perry was aware of the tapping by his side. Verdé - what kind of name was that anyway? - was following him. "Uh, ma'am, you can go back and wait if you like" He said.
"Oh, its okay. I enjoy the walk" Verdé's voice was soft and floaty. It took a few seconds for her words to process properly.
Perry just nodded slowly and sped up his pace. They had arrived at the storeroom now, where the prescriptions were kept. Perry took out his large ring of keys and opened the door. Shelves beyond shelves of white boxes greeted him. He flicked through the different names, until he found the one he was looking for. Turning around, he passed Verdé her medication. She dropped it into the tatty bag that was slung over her shoulder.
"Is that all?" Perry asked her warily.
"For now. Thanks" Verdé smiled and waved, disappearing quite quickly.
Perry blinked and shook his head.