chapter seven: seven

Iandore, or Ian as he preferred, was a slim yet tall young man. Anna could immediately tell that he was a kind person and not even his never-ending awkwardness could eclipse that.

He reminded her of herself when she was young – hell, even of the Anna she was now. The trying-too-hard schemes and the people-pleaser actions, Anna knew it well.

Maybe that was the reason why she got him to open up not two weeks after his arrival. Ian didn't leave his room much on his first few days. He was encouraged to, but the boy knew himself more than others. Under observation with his new medications, he stayed in his room sleeping, and when Anna asked if he wanted to take a walk, he'd refuse ardently.

It was because he knew he would see his brother again. Ian told Anna that one Thursday morning, and she listened as if it was the last time he'd talk. The hope, that would get squandered every time someone would say that it wasn't him, was a killer.

Ian still couldn't accept the truth.

Fregoli delusion was rare. Even rarer was Ian's, for he was sure that it was his brother he was seeing. He claimed his brother was not an abuser and this curious case was made even more unusual.

Gran Pabbie hadn't suggested therapy yet for the boy was still in shock. According to his observations, anyway. Anna spent most of her time watching from afar, sometimes even talking to him, and shared the Director's conclusions.

Ian looked normal, if you weren't looking closely, but Anna had been a registered nurse for five years now. She knew what to look for. The subtle mood changes, unnoticeable if you were to pay attention to one thing more than the other. The inconspicuous blinking that would have seemed normal if it weren't for the unremarkable twitching of the facial muscles. The breaths, held and detached, told more than what was being said.

That's what she'd learned in her time in the field, especially in psychiatry.

And that's why she knew there was something up with Elizabeth as she was startled awake by a video call at two in the morning.

"'ello?" Anna muttered without even looking at the caller, too out of it to even open her eyes.

"Anna?"

Hmm. Sounds familiar, but not overly for her to immediately know who it was. And then it was her. Green eyes widened as she brushed her dishevelled hair aside, Anna looked into her phone with disbelief in her face.

Elizabeth was smiling at her from the screen, hair tied up in a messy bun as she waited for a reaction, large blue eyes waiting for a response.

"Elizabeth?" Anna muttered as she tried to fix herself as quick as she could, opening her bedside lamp as the golden glow illuminated her face for the blonde to see.

Anna wondered what made the blonde call her. After almost a month of being ignored, she couldn't muster the happy smile she usually would give people (even at two AM). Instead, Anna stared at the screen, pondering if she was still dreaming.

"Hey, Anna," she replied with a small smile, scratching the back of her neck as she did so. "Is this a bad time?"

Would it actually be worth it to talk to a literal stranger who ignored her for days, at two in a Sunday morning, on her day off after working her ass off for a week?

The answer must have been yes for sleepy Anna as she replied quickly. "N-No, uhm, not really. I'm just sleeping – yeah, just a nap. Uh, what's up?"

Elizabeth was absolutely delighted as she nodded at her with a grin, but it weakened as her question sunk in. "Umm, not much. I, uh, I'm sorry for not answering your texts and calls, I've been… busy." Straight to the point. Not just appearing out of nowhere. Elizabeth seemed unconvinced with her own reason as she shook her head. "Umm, I… was undergoing some things and I… couldn't reach you because I… can't."

Anna didn't think she was worth an explanation but the blonde's nervous mutterings told her Elizabeth thought she was. That was… comforting. At least, Anna knew the girl felt a bit guilty for the ghosting she did.

Anna had to stop calling it that.

She did feel the blonde's absence in her life and had spent days wondering what she did wrong but her days were filled with so much activity that it didn't hurt as much. Anna believed in second chances, though, and so she sighed with a disproving shake of the head.

"I was sure you got tired of me or something," she quipped, and it lessened the awkwardness they both felt.

Elizabeth laughed but it came out as a tense sigh. "Or something… It's – it's definitely something else."

Okay. Anna could work with that (even if a voice in her mind said she shouldn't). Rubbing her eyes, she waved a hand in front of her, gesturing gracelessly. "It's fine. It's… stuff. Don't sweat about it, but I would appreciate a head's up."

Seeing her throat bob up and down with lips pressed into a thin line, Anna knew Elizabeth got the memo. She didn't really have it in herself to be mad, or anything really. She just shrugged her shoulders and went with the flow.

"I… yeah, I know." Lips getting worked in between teeth, Elizabeth nodded at her. "I'll… I'll try not to do that again."

"Was it work?"

Anna didn't know if she was lying when she replied, "Umm… yes. With the videos and… stuff."

Elizabeth didn't look like she knew why she called Anna in the first place as their conversation stalled after that. Anna was just content staring at her from her screen and waiting for something to be brought up naturally but when nothing happened at her silence, she figured she'd have to make an effort to talk the uneasy glances sent her way.

"So… are you making new music?"

Elizabeth said nothing, just tilted her head to the side and moved her head in confirmation. Without anything to really distract Anna from shamelessly gawking at the woman, the blonde's appearance filtered through her brain.

The blue shirt she was wearing seemed too big to fit her so it hung on her neck loosely. Her platinum hair was bundled up behind her head, face bare of any noticeable makeup. Anna concluded she looked more like the person she met at Myer's… that without the accent.

Her accent was still boggling Anna's mind.

"What are you doing up this early, El?"

Elizabeth seemed to like that nickname as it brought forth a beautiful grin, the ones that made her cheek bunch up and the corners of her eyes crinkle. "I just woke up and… I wanted to talk to you."

How cute. Anna was staring love-sickly at the expression on Elizabeth's face and had to snap herself out of it if she wanted to not weird the blonde out.

"That's sweet." It had to be Anna's crush that was doing the talking, so she cleared her throat and changed the subject quickly. "Did you eat already?"

"I… think so?"

"That sounds like a question."

Elizabeth shook her head with a smirk. "Yes, I think I did."

"You're still not sure."

"Okay," the girl huffed light-heartedly, "I ate already. Better?"

"Much better," Anna agreed with a smile of her own. "If you're not gonna ask, I, too, have eaten already."

Elizabeth scrunched her nose. "I wasn't going to.," she laughed. "But thank you for telling me."

"Anytime."

This was what Anna missed. The light conversation, the kind useless banter. It was actually enough to keep her mind of what happened the last time she met, although not completely. There was just something different with Elizabeth sometimes. Subtle changes, and not-so-subtle ones, had passed before Anna's eyes and they were hard to miss, especially when she was looking for them.

Those changes happened again, but not in the way Anna expected them to minutes later. Their conversation had somehow gone from what dinner they had to breakfast in Disney World and that was when Elizabeth stalled.

Like, really stopped in the middle of a statement about how food in the park was actually good. Her eyes were zeroed on what appeared to be the bottom of the screen and Anna didn't know what she was looking at.

Glancing down at her shirt, nothing was amiss. Elizabeth must be looking at her own device.

"Elizabeth?"

Nothing. She was still staring at it, blinking slightly as seconds passed.

"El?"

Anna would've thought that her screen froze if not for the girl's steady movements, leaning back as she laid her head on the couch behind her. Scratching her scalp, she was left to watch what's happening on her screen.

She counted as she breathed, in sync with Elizabeth as time passed.

One.

The blonde seemed to snap out of it but come back to the same state she was in. Again and again, it happened as quickly as the seconds ticked by.

Two.

Three.

Anna was holding her breath, too focused on the woman to actually think about what was happening.

Four.

Elizabeth finally managed to come out of her stupor as her eyes wandered back up, brows furrowed curiously as she exhaled.

Five.

A smile widened from her lips and her mouth opened but was closed in a moment, blues darting from her left to the screen.

Six.

The blonde actually giggled this time, waving a hand on the screen as she shifted on her seat.

Seven.

"Hi!"

Anna was sent back to the present. Elizabeth seemed energetic, her movements turned more noticeable than it was just seconds ago. Cocking her head to the side, Anna trailed off. "Hello…?"

"What happened?" was the innocent question, maybe even high pitched. Anna didn't know what she was asking about.

Elizabeth frowned in just a second, lips moving as she read something out of shot. Anna was about to ask what the actual hell happened but the blonde pursed her lips, spared her a glance, and proceeded to shut the laptop she was using, the line getting disconnected instantaneously.

Anna stared at her screen for seconds before murmuring, "What the actual fuck?"

..

Elizabeth gave her an explanation later but Anna wasn't satisfied with it.

She should be since, first off, her texts, even if it took longer for the blonde to respond than her initial messages, were answered. Anna thought that maybe she was busy, she was a singer, after all, and wrote it up to that.

But when Elizabeth called her, it seemed that there was something else going on. The blonde looked like she actually wanted to talk to Anna and was apologetic with the delay in her messages and the discontinuing of their usual FaceTime conversation.

Citing something about recordings, or writings, or meetings, Elizabeth sounded genuine whenever she talked to Anna, albeit a little unbelievable as her explanations were… inconsistent, so to speak.

Like the other day when she asked her why she hung up the call, the woman said something about the internet cutting off, but Anna had legitimately seen the blond reach to close the laptop lid.

And after asking in their texts if the blonde saw the thunderstorm warning and Anna was actually confused when Elizabeth brought it up the same day later via call.

Anna just decided one day that the blonde was weird. Telling herself to not think about Elizabeth too much – and dissuading herself from liking her any further than a crush – which was a daily occurrence.

It proved ineffective as Anna realised how attached she was when Elizabeth told her one day that she wouldn't be able to talk with her for a while.

"What do you mean by a while?" Anna quizzed gloomily. "A week? A month?"

"I… don't know." Elizabeth looked down to her hands, their late night conversation made early by the rising sun on the windows. "It might be months."

Anna didn't know what to say to that. She felt hurt nipping at her and a small ball of anger hit her in the chest. "But why?"

Elizabeth was stunned by her question, inhaling rather deeply as her face fell. Fair enough for it was the first time Anna actually asked outright for a reason, but she should do it now, or never at all, since the blonde didn't appear to want to answer her question.

"I thought we had something going on."

A little farfetched really. There was never really anything going on between them except useless conversations about nothing at all, but Anna had grown attached. Elizabeth suddenly cutting their communication hurt.

And Elizabeth wouldn't even give her a reason why she was doing it so.

Anna might not have been the most interesting conversationalist there was, heck, she might not be an interesting person at all, but getting cut off just like that was just plain mean.

"What… what do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, peering at her from behind the screen.

Oh, great. She doesn't even feel the same.

It was the bitterness getting the better of her that Anna sputtered, "Nothing. It was nothing."

Elizabeth bit her lips, looking at her pleadingly and Anna wanted to tell her that if she wanted to say something, she should just spit it out, but the blonde stayed silent.

It didn't seem like Anna was actually waiting for anything anymore. "Okay." She swallowed the disappointment in her throat and nodded one last time at her. "Goodbye."

And then she hung up.

Anna didn't answer the calls that came afterwards.

..

"You look like somebody ran over your dog."

Anna gave Tiana an unamused glare. "Ha ha."

Cassandra quickly came to the other brunette's rescue, shaking her head at Anna. "No, she's right. You do look like you got your heartbroken." Anna didn't answer her, just stared forward to the back of Ralph's head as he sat at the table before them. "Is it the Keaton's girl?"

Anna didn't answer, opting to shove a bunch of instant noodles in her mouth as she tried to evade the question. Tiana gasped at that, eyes widening as she leaned closer in Anna's space. "It is, isn't it?"

At her semi-angry glower, her two friends shared a look of realisation before coming down on her hard. "Did she break up with you? When? And why?"

"Wait," Cassandra halted, "Were you official? 'cause if you were then I'm gonna beat your ass for not telling us."

"Cass, they obviously weren't. They went on one date. One date."

The short-haired woman gasped, further irritating Anna with her overdramatic schemes to get a rise out of her. She didn't react, just continued boring a hole into Ralph's head. The boys on the next table were awfully quiet. No doubt they were tuning into this week's rumour mill.

"But they've been talking for almost three months now, wait… three months going on four," Cassandra stated with fingers held up in the air. Anna didn't know why she was keeping track of someone else's relationship but the dedication was astounding. "There was bound to be something there. I doubt Anna would just let a girl string her along with nothing."

Tiana sent Cassandra a look – you know, the one where you chastise the other person for being way meaner than what was acceptable. Anna hoped it just went under her radar.

Her friends were sometimes really incorrigible.

As she got bombarded with questions, Anna decided to throw an internal pity party for herself. A part of her was guilty for not telling her friends about Elizabeth but now she was relieved. The teasing that they'd put her through if they knew Anna did get strung along would be horrendous to endure.

But they were good friends. Obviously so unlike Elizabeth who couldn't even give her a reason for cutting her off. This was what Anna got for giving too much time to people who don't deserve her, but maybe it was just karma for what she did when she was younger.

Anna had no idea why the guilt of not being there for Elsa was so strong, but once she had thought of the girl not a year ago, she was hit with realisation, hit with all the puzzle pieces coming together. Which was, well, unexpected since younger Anna couldn't give a shit about her more than what was normal. But now she was obsessing about what could have been and thinking everything was happening to her was a punishment from a cosmic god.

The mind's so weird.

Checking her phone as she slipped from Cassandra and Tiana to the garden outside the hospital to provide relief to her aching heart and ringing ears, Anna sat herself on a bench right under a thick lustrous tree. The shade would be amazing against the sun if the sky ever decided to let it through its blanket of greyish clouds.

Elizabeth's last messages to her dated back to two days ago.

'Anna, I'm sorry about this. Really. I really like talking to you and hearing from you.'

'I can't tell you what's going on because it's confidential. I hope you understand.'

'If you have time, will you please answer my calls?'

'I have to go now. I'm really sorry about disappearing like this.'

'Take care, Anna.'

Groaning as she tried not to feel bad for the girl, she shook her head awake.

"Anna, you have a right to be mad," the little devil on her shoulder crooned. "Just ignore her and block her number forever. That would show you're not a pushover."

She was about to nod and listen when a white poof on her right said, "But what if she really has a reason for doing this? Don't be mean, Anna. Try to understand her."

"No. She's thinking she could just put you on the back-burner and return when it's convenient. Move on. She doesn't like you," the devil rebutted.

Anna must have been going crazy.

But yeah, both of the mythical creatures on her shoulder made sense. Anna realised that she should just learn who to befriend or not. Approach people who were more thoughtful! Be friends with the literal people around her so they wouldn't be able to disappear without a trace.

She sighed. She couldn't really just shrug it off this early. Then again, Anna had done this before in just a couple of weeks. Maybe after a while, she'd forget about the blonde.

Crushes never went well for her, anyway.

Somehow, as her day passed waiting by Merida, Anna couldn't get rid of thoughts of Elsa. It was silly. For real. But thinking about Elizabeth was futile and thinking about Merida suddenly running off was stupid, so her mind fixated on her blonde childhood friend.

Anna was really excited for her hard work to pay off. Maybe someday in the near future she could finally satisfy her interest about her. Sutterton would be a long drive from Middleton, but still, Anna would someday get her butt in her car and ask around for the girl.

Maybe to reconnect, or maybe to just talk for a while, but Anna was sure she'd meet Elsa again. Smiling, Anna recalled how she ran through golden fields near sunset, and how she'd be so wild and free. She couldn't do that now, but remembering was enough to bring sunlight to her day and ward off any negative thoughts that threatened to cross the lawn.

..

Anna spent the day chatting with Merida and taking note of her vitals. When Gran Pabbie had brought up malingering, she was actually a bit suspicious. Now that she could see sudden changes and burst of instability with the girl, she was getting more or less the same impression.

But something still didn't add up.

Merida, a bright and sprightly teenaged girl, somehow sounded like she was giving an exaggeration of her symptoms. Anna definitely could see ADHD symptoms in her but not to the extent that the girl was complaining about.

Her first hospitalisation was due to a car accident and with that, her parents had both agreed that treating her would make a 'better person' out of her. Anna had a few things to say to them if given the chance but alas, she should just do her job.

There must have been a reason why Merida was doing this, and Anna had a hunch that it was nothing as complicated as Factitious Disorder. Their patient was not hurting herself in a way that could be considered mutilating. Aside from her own statements that, yes, her emotions and thoughts were out of control, Merida didn't seem to be, in fact, deeply affected by it.

Her temper did flare up on more than one occasion and she seemed to be highly concerned about her body image. Anna had taken notes on it and was told to keep a closer eye since there was a chance something else might be determined.

Reading the notes on her chart as she walked to the nurses' station, Anna thought over what everything could mean. She was curious about Merida's case but she also knew that only time could give her the answer to her questions. Humming to herself, her attention was quickly diverted when she saw a frantic Gran Pabbie walking down the hall. Frowning, Anna was about to see what was going on when he spotted her. The sigh of relief that he gave was a huge indication that it involved the redhead.

"Nurse Anna," he greeted with a smile as he pulled her to the Director's Office. "Please come with me."

Sending a concerned look to Mrs. Megara and Eugene behind the desk – both nurses just as confused as she was – Anna meekly followed him.

Doctor Pablo never looked so frantic as he closed the door behind them and rummaged through his drawers looking for something.

"Uh," Anna drawled as she watched the man scamper around. "What's happening?"

"Nurse Anna," he said in between pants, "Would you actually be mad at me if I told you that we've got a new inpatient coming now?"

"Well, if they're actually assigned under me, it would be a half-yes and a half-no." Gran Pabbie's words caught up with her a second later. "Wait… what do you mean inpatient?"

"I mean exactly what you think."

Oh no. Inpatient admissions tended to be a little… challenging. Anna's body went on alert mode as she scrutinised the Director who almost looked like a headless chicken with the way he was running around.

"Are they here already? What are they here for?"

"No, not for a few more minutes, but they'll be here sooner than later." Managing to finally find the file he was looking for, he sprang up to Anna. The man's franticness turned out to be enthusiasm as he neared the nurse with a nervous smile. "Read this. This patient will be assigned to you from Monday to Friday, until they get discharged or their admission changes."

Anna blinked. Well, that was sudden. And unexpected. Were they his patient already?

"But I already have–"

"–Nurse Anna," Gran Pabbie interjected, "You're the only one I trust this much in this hospital." Anna swallowed due to the intensity of his gaze. "I would really appreciate it if you could help me with this patient."

Quickly, the man turned to the door, rushing his old bones out as Anna stared at his back.

"But–"

"No buts," he called back, looking at her finally as he slipped out the door. "Read it now. They'll be here."

Ah, Jiminy Cricket.

Slumping on the closest couch, Anna had no other choice but to follow the Director's order even if it was made in what appeared to be an impulse. She'd have to go and break the news to her two new patients if this was truly the case.

Wishing for the strength that would help her get through this, she closed her eyes and nodded, exhaling as she calmed herself down.

Looking at the clicking clock on the wall, the time showed 7:13. Anna's shift was over thirteen minutes ago, but she was in for an overtime today. If she was meeting a patient as unprepared as she was, the auburn-haired nurse knew it might be long before she went home.

Moreover, it was the first time she saw Grand Pabbie get frenzied like that. This must have been an important patient, or a case study for him. Anna just prayed that it would end well for all the parties involved, including her.

Butts. Well, guess it can't be helped.

She was really looking forward to binging her favourite show for the umpteenth time, but she chased Monica and Chandler out of her mind for the meantime and faced the folder in front of her.

Turning the page, she read the name on the file and thought over what greeting she should make to not make a fool out of herself. Hopefully, their new patient was a voluntary one. God knew how hard it was to handle those who were not.

Anna started with an enthusiasm she had mastered from so long ago and the words written on the page didn't register until she was already on her way down the page. Her movements stilled and the nurse was unbelievably frozen as she stared at the name, trying to make sense of the tightening in her chest.

Elizabeth L. Arendelle

At first, she was hit with the most curious case of breathlessness. Elizabeth? The chances were slim that it could be her Elizabeth, right?

Anna might have been correct with that one, but the last name… her memory stirred like a fraudulent child faking sleep. It had been so long since she last heard it, said it even, but she was sure that she'd never met anyone with that last name recently.

Only one, a long time ago.

The possibilities were appalling. It couldn't be. No. It was definitely not that Elizabeth and not that Arendelle.

Anna might have skimmed through the page in her hands but nothing had entered her mind, an unspeakable feeling in her lungs overtaking her. It tasted like foreboding and Anna tried to shake the intrusive thoughts in her head as she steadied her breathing.

It couldn't be.

It was a sick joke the universe was playing on her, that was for sure. As green eyes hesitated going through the words, the dread in her chest crawled further and further, to her stomach, in which it stayed and made a burrow for itself.

Elizabeth L. Arendelle, female…

Anna felt her throat constrict.

Twenty-seven years old.

Problems consisted of: Complex-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Somatization Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Antisocial tendencies, Dissociative Amnesia… and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Holy fucking shit.

There were a couple pages more attached to the record but Anna was feeling faint already by the first page. She closed it silently, fingers shaking as she wished and prayed and hoped that it wasn't who she thought it was.

That would be too much, a punishment, and Anna knew her childhood friend didn't deserve it. Even the blonde woman she grew so accustomed to didn't. No. It couldn't be.

It was through knowing herself most that she recognised the reaction she was giving at the moment. Sweat was littering her forehead and upper lip, breath came in short as she forced herself to slow down. Her heart was threatening to burst out of her ribcage. Anna took several measured breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Standing up, Anna went and opened the large window behind the Director's desk. The cold breeze indicated rain soon and it was familiar enough to ground her to reality. She was still in complete denial, though, and she had convinced herself that no, her new patient was none of those girls she knew.

C'mon, Anna. Toughen up. You can do this.

She wasn't convinced by her own pep talk but it had to do. Game face on, she steadied herself as she inhaled loudly and expelled it out heavily.

She could do this.

Seconds later, Anna heard the jiggling of the doorknob and she paled. The door opened and came in Doctor Pablo. A familiar blond man followed right after.

Jack recognised her as soon as he came in but he didn't react much save for the widening of his eyes. He swallowed, turning and assisting Anna's new patient.

Thinking that made her heart ache immensely.

Elizabeth – her Elizabeth – was staring Grand Pabbie's back as she entered the room, platinum-blonde hair tied into a ponytail and a thick, brown jacket around her form. The woman seemed oblivious of her presence as she slowly walked towards the couches. Anna knew she was nervous from what the subtle crease in her forehead showed, but Elizabeth was calm as she followed the two men before her.

When blue eyes wandered up to green ones, Anna watched everything unfold in real time.

It was quick. The switch happened the very moment the blonde saw her. Her movements stilled, blue eyes clouding for a moment before she blinked and suddenly, Anna knew that there's a different person driving the wheel. It was more obvious now that she knew what changes to look out for, what it all really meant.

Cases like this were shrouded with mystery but it was not an unknown disorder, it was actually more common than what people would normally think. Anna had yet to see one for herself but her heartbreak seeing it on the one person she didn't expect was enormous.

It really was her. Elizabeth. Maybe even Elsa. And now that she was faced with her patient, Anna didn't know what to do. For the first time in a long time, Anna didn't know what to do. She had always been quick witted regarding what was supposed to be done, but now, the redhead was at a lost.

Whoever it was that entered the room wasn't the one sitting on the couch across from her as Doctor Pablo invited them to sit. Jack was sparing glances at her and Elizabeth… whoever this was, was biting the inside of her cheek.

The blonde recognized Anna, that was for sure, as she was sent a guilty smile thereafter. Gran Pabbie was quick to notice the change. He looked at the blonde like seeing a new person enter the room, acknowledging her with a bright nod.

"Have we met before?" the Director seamlessly asked. Anna was impressed with how smoothly he handled the transition, especially since he didn't see it happen right before his eyes. He just knew.

The blonde chuckled, licking her – their? – lips with a bob of the head. "'course, we have, Doc."

Ah. Anna's mouth dropped open. This… explained the accent.

And whoever it was that was sitting right in front of her, was who Anna met at Myer's with the damned butterfly.

"Do you know why you're here right now?"

"Yep. One way or the other," the blonde answered, looking at him directly. Doctor Pablo nodded at her, sitting straighter.

"Can you tell me who I'm talking to?"

"It's me." The smile that appeared on the blonde's face was bright, polite. "Seven."