Serena all but collapsed into the nearest office chair, which happened to be Bernie's, and closed her eyes, briefly soaking the precious moments of solitary peace.
When Bernie had appeared unusually quiet and a great deal more restless than usual, Serena had spent hours trying to subtly coax the issue out of her. She'd failed, miserably until they'd climbed into bed that night and Serena had wrapped her body around her lover, refusing to let her go until she'd got to the bottom of her problems.
"Serena, your arm is cutting of the blood from my hand." Bernie had groaned, trying to tackle Serena back onto the other side of the mattress.
"Don't care." Serena snapped back, though she did adjust herself, propping herself on her elbow to face Bernie's tired eyes. "What's wrong?" her challenging gaze softened, before narrowing again. "And don't give me that 'I'm just tired' crap, my love. It may work on Raf but then Raf doesn't know you like. I. Do." She punctuated each last work with a poke up Bernie's chest, receiving a short laugh from her.
Silence prevailed, Serena's demanding stare delving deeper into her partner's eyes, desperately trying to figure out what had kept her so reserved this evening.
"Okay..." Serena tried a new approach. "Work? Health?" Serena watched Bernie's expression intently, watching for any falter of her bloody stupid barrier. "Kids?" She tentatively approached the subject, knowing things remained fragmented between Bernie and her children, especially her daughter.
Serena felt her heart lift slightly in relief as Bernie's gaze fell. She'd finally cracked the puzzle that was Berenice Wolfe. Serena pulled from her forward grasp of her girlfriend and shuffled back to rest against the headboard, parallel to her, deciding not to press the issue.
"It's Charlotte." Bernie softly stated, cocking her head to face Serena's perplexed frown, though smiling. "She wants to meet me tomorrow evening." Bernie suppressed a grin to a weak smile, partly because she couldn't believe the spontaneous meeting could possibly mean anything positive but also because it was logistically impossible.
Serena sat back, slightly more relaxed now, for Bernie had shared her trouble with her, deciding not to say a word until she was sure her partner had finished. It was like getting blood out of a very insecure and independently prided stone.
"I'm not going." Bernie fiddled with the sheets before her, tangling her weaving hands through the cotton.
"Why ever not?" Serena jumped, her body facing Bernie now. "Ah." She struck the other half of the problem.
Bernie was on the night shift tomorrow. How had Serena forgotten that? She looked to the helpless bundle next to her; it was unbelievably ironic. Bernie Wolfe- esteemed trauma surgeon, formidable army medic, survivor of an IED, and it was her own children she was most anxious about.
"I'll take it." Serena had declared in a heartbeat.
Bernie's head shot up, though masking the delight was a terrible task, no matter how sick the prospects made her.
"Leave it with me," Serena hummed, before pulling Bernie back to her.
Now Serena was slightly regretting that. She'd been in surgery for at least 3 hours, after the red phone had- in its glory- shrilled as she had watched Bernie's car drive away that afternoon. Between that and her routine duties, her and Morven had juggled the rounds of infinite patients, seemingly on a never ending loop of bays. Now, half way through the night, Serena had managed to tackle only a fraction of her intended paperwork. She sent a silent prayer of thanks that she'd dropped the title of deputy CEO long ago: how she managed that amount of admin before was beyond her.
She glanced at her phone: 2am. Stifling a yawn, she wondered out into the ward, which seemed surprisingly tranquil for AAU. Serena surveyed the bays, nodded to the night nurses and took the chance to sneak away to the on call room, just to rest her eyes in true darkness for a while. Well, until the next admittance that was.
She padded gently into the room, flicking the beside lamp on that filled the room with a soft glow, and flopped down onto the mattress. It was no Egyptian cotton, but in that moment Serena felt like she was on the clouds. Exhausted, she pushed off her shoes, sighing as she pulled her limbs back into the bed. As she let her heavy eyelids droop, they stung with fatigue and a single tear of weariness fell to the pillow.
Half an hour had past before Serena woke with a start at the piercing buzz beside her.
Where are you? X
Bernie. Where the bloody hell did she think she was!?
Getting pissed in Albie's, you? XSerena smirked, picturing the fond roll of her partner's eyes at the remark.
Ha bloody ha. Miss you xx
Serena's head fell against the pillow, her gentle smile illuminated by the digital glow.
Miss you too. If you must know, I'm trying to get a couple hours kip but some inconsiderate woman keeps disturbing me! XThe reply came within a matter of seconds.
Lucky woman! I need a cuddle. X
Serena chuckled out loud, her heart swelling.
Ditto, but you're going to have to wait until 4 X
Serena kept hold of her phone this time, intently waiting for the reply.
"Well, that's a shame." Came a familiar, husky whisper from the doorway, open ajar and letting a strip of fluorescent light stream through the shadowed room.
"Mm," Serena audibly hummed, but before she could realise the reply had been spoken rather than typed, she felt Bernie crawl onto the bed and fall in behind her.
She felt two arms snake around her middle, pulling Serena back into her hold.
They fell into silence, rhythmic breathing the only light sound of the room.
"How was Charlotte? " Serena murmured, her eyes closed as she turned over to face Bernie.
"Good. Really good." Bernie hushed, "She wanted to let me know she's forgiven me. She said she understands that it wasn't all on my part that Marcus and I split."
Serena smiled back as Bernie's eyes glazed over, presumably tears of relief. For so long, Bernie had been convinced she'd lost her children to the vindictive divorce.
"It's going to take work, but I think she's open to being around a bit more," Bernie's wide eyes and perfect beam ornamented in the lamp's mellow radiance.
"Well, if there's anyone who'll fight for it, it's you darling." Serena lifted her chin to capture her lips in a kiss, before Bernie pulled her hoodie over Serena's side, pulling them both into a warmer embrace.
