Prayer of the Refugee

Chapter One: Don't Hold Me Up

A/N: So uni stress has made me return to old habits, and that includes fanfiction. So inspired by an old, unfinished story I read on here I am going to write my own! Few notes, Eli and Clare's relationship did not happen like in the show, they had a very stable relationship after getting back together after Eli crashed Morty. And Fitz never went to Degrassi. Sorry if they seem OCC, I haven't written anything that isn't a research essay in years.

Working at the rehabilitation centre was cathartic. Seeing patients come in at their lowest point and then seeing them leave with a renewed sense of hope. It made Clare smile. Sure, some patients would eventually find their way back to the facility but that was to be expected. Addiction is an illness, and some illnesses take longer to heal than others. Even so, Clare remained hopeful for all her patients. It also helped that she got to work with the love of her life, Eli. It made getting to work for the both of them easier, and it gave her a guaranteed lunch buddy.

It was strange. Eli went into university with big plans of becoming a writer but left as a therapist. It made sense to Clare when she thought about it. Eli wouldn't be the person he is today without the help of therapy and medication himself. That made Clare happy too. It had been tough to continue their relationship after he had crashed Morty, but she was glad that they tried again and even more glad that their relationship lasted through university as well.

It was going to be a quiet day, or at least that's what Clare thought to herself as she entered the centre and sat down at her spot in the nurses' station.

"We have a new patient today. Voluntary, but the police are escorting him. From what I've heard he tried to stab a dealer. Failed, but still." Emma, another former Degrassi alumni, told her as soon as her butt had found the seat of her chair. "Oh, and you're in charge of meeting him and showing him around when he arrives."

"Why is it whenever there's a violent patient, I'm assigned to the case?"

"Because, you're the only one capable of working with them. Everyone loves Saint Clare. Anyway, I have to sort our files today."

Clare scoffed at the nickname. Emma had already graduated before she went to Degrassi yet somehow the nickname was so infamous she had heard of it as well. It had followed Clare through high school, into university and now her work. She just couldn't shake the ultra-goody-two-shoes persona. However, Emma was right. She had the best patient-nurse relationship out of any of the nurses. She liked to think it was because patients could tell her concern was genuine. Eli said it was because she was cute. He's just biased.

"I thought you sorted files last week."

Emma ignored the remark and continued, "He'll be here in a half hour. I've put his file on your desk."

Clare sighed and cracked open the file she just realised was sat at her desk. Mark Fitzgerald. 26. Arrested for attempted assault of a dealer. Recreational pills found on his person. Nothing out of the norm here. Except Clare found herself intrigued by the mugshot attached. If it wasn't for the myriad of bruises on his face and busted lip he would be a very attractive man. His bright blue eyes sparkled even behind the glossy, hazy sheen that accompanied being high. She hoped by the time he arrived he was sobered up so she could see his eyes properly. Shaking the thought from her head, Clare began work on getting ready to meet her new patient.

Fitz sat in a cold jail cell while the police waited for him to be sober enough to take to the rehab facility. He hadn't meant to try and stab the dealer, he only took the knife out to scare him a little. It was his fault anyway. He had ran out of the good shit and Fitz needed more. Sure he had his pills but nothing felt as good as snorting cocaine. His head hurt. His comedown was hitting him hard and he needed something, anything to fix it. He'd even take a goddamn aspirin. He was hoping to be out of this place soon. Ready to have yet another stay at yet another facility. Better than prison he figured.

"Alright punk. Get up. It's time to go to the funny farm."

Fitz could've said something about the less than lovely term for the facility he was about to make home for a few weeks, but decided to bite his tongue instead. What did it matter to him what some pig thought of a place he didn't even really want to go? He choose to stay shut up, following the cop out of the jail and into a car waiting outside for them.

The drive was nice really, at least the place they were shoving him had a good view. A pretty sight of fields of flowers and crops. He didn't care much for girly crap like that, but he decided it was plenty better than the last place they stuck him. God, it was close enough to prison. In fact he was sure it had been used as a prison before it had been turned into a rehab centre. He wasn't invested enough to find out anyway.

"Alright. We're here. Get out."

As soon as he was out of the car he was grabbed by both the cops. They "escorted" him to the door, which really meant he was pushed and shoved and manhandled while they made their way into the facility. Only to be met with a disapproving and upset face of what he was sure was an angel. Maybe he was still high.

"Let go of him. That's no way to treat anybody. Especially someone who needs help." The angel spoke, her voice soft but stern.

"If you say so nurse."

The cops let go of him but instead of finding himself on his feet he only found the cold hard ground. He wasn't down for long though, as the angel struggled to help him to his feet. Looking closer at the figure he realised that she wasn't an angel, but a nurse. She was so tiny, so much shorter than himself. Her kind face was round, and soft, just like her voice. Framed by tiny delicate curls of auburn hair. He couldn't stop staring and she finally slid her arms off of him and he was steady on his feet.

"Hi, Mark is it? I'm Clare, your resident nurse. I'm who you will be seeing for check-ups, breakfast and everything in between."

"It's Fitz."

"Fitz," she said with a smile "it's nice to meet you."