With only three days into their trek out of Zion, Ash was already feeling exhausted; after many months spent recuperating and relaxing from their last trek from New Vegas to find her family in Zion, she had forgotten how taxing long hikes in the wastes could be on the human body. It never occurred to her to be making the trip back to New Vegas… that was until Courier Six recounted her ordeals at the second battle for Hoover Dam, three months after their own drawn-out battle with the White Legs. While she was recounting the events, Six spoke of a woman who was an escaped slave from the Legion and had joined the NCR to help them in the war and how she had been eagerly searching for her younger brother who had been forcefully taken away from what was left of their family to be trained as a Legionary. It was this information that piqued Aelius's interest. Ash remembered how he had hung on every word the Courier spoke and urgently pressed her for more information. Ash knew that there was no doubt within him that he had to go back and find out what happened to the rest of their family; that he couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least make the attempt. And so another journey began, a journey back to where it all started. Though she had no intention of ever going back to New Vegas and its surrounding territories, Ash felt she couldn't hang back and let Aelius go it alone with the Courier, especially after all the trouble he had gone through to get her and her son Gael back to their family safe and sound. The dangerous nature of their journey, however, meant that she had to leave Gael behind with his uncle, Joshua Graham, and her mother Dawn. The memory of that day when she said goodbye to her boy sent a wave of guilt and longing that brought fresh hot tears to her eyes. She could still feel the tight hug Gael gave her, heard the echo of his little voice pleading her to stay; it took all her willpower to resist the urge to stay behind with him. Part of her knew she needed to go with Aelius, not only because he'd risked his life getting her and Gael back to her family, but because she loved him, and it was only fitting that she would be the one to help him get back to his family.
Shaking her head and swiftly wiping away the tears that had left wet streaks down her cheeks, Ash shifted the heavy pack on her back and took a calming breath. Ash had thought about taking Gael with them; then, upon remembering the stress and dangers they faced the first time they made the trek to Zion, Ash didn't want to put Gael through anything like that again. Though it would be difficult for him in the short time, he had other children there to play with, as well as their family to care, love and protect him.
'It's just for a short time', she comforted herself with that thought, 'Once we find Aelius' family and they get a chance to reconnect, we'll be on our way back home'.
'But what if he decides not to come back with you?' a thought crept up in the back of her mind, 'What if he decides to stay with his family, rather than going back to Zion with us? And is Zion our home?'
Ash pursed her lips, not amused by the 'what if' scenarios that were playing out in her mind. As silly as it was, she never liked not knowing what would happen, or the prospect of a big change; but most importantly, she couldn't imagine what her life would be like without Aelius.
"We're almost there", Aelius's voice roused Ash from her reverie; she hadn't realised she was lagging behind.
Shifting her pack over her shoulders to a more comfortable position, Ash nodded and picked up the pace – the sooner they got to their destination, the sooner she would be reunited with her son.
The sun was beginning to set over the horizon by the time the trio arrived in the centre of Manti, the town where Ash, Gael and Aelius took shelter once from a Deathclaw that had been stalking them. To Ash it felt like a lifetime ago, but in reality almost a year had passed since that day.
'A lot's happened in a year', Ash thought to herself as they walked up to their old host's door.
"You sure about this place?" Six whispered, feeling uneasy, "It looks abandoned".
"I'm sure", Aelius reassured her and knocked on the door.
Several silent moments passed before they heard some shuffling behind the door.
Aelius gave another knock.
"Who's out there?" a raspy voice called.
"Your old guests, Aelius and Ash. We have a Courier friend with us as well. May we come in?"
The door swung open and Donna, the proprietor of the old inn, stood in front of them with a shocked expression.
"You! What on Earth are you doing back here?!" she exclaimed in her familiar raspy voice, pulling both Ash and Aelius in for a tight hug, "What happened? I thought you were on your way home".
"We were…", Ash added, her eyes darting from Aelius to Six, "But something's come up and we need to get back to New Vegas".
"I see", Donna answered pensively, ushering the group inside, "In that case you'll need to get all the rest you can. Come in and drop your things anywhere you'd like, we've just had our dinner but I can warm something up for you".
Aelius protested but Donna waved his comments away, insisting they all sat down at the table to have some food and catch up. Ash was more than happy to tell their story of how they'd made it back to her family, the long trek they had from New Canaan to Zion, and the recent struggle they had with the White Legs tribe while Six and Aelius listened and dug into some food. Donna sat opposite them at her dinner table, immersed in the story Ash was recounting.
"I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you", she replied after Ash had finished, "Finding your home under attack and having to flee with what was left of your people, only to be stalked to your new homes and having to fight so hard to keep it".
Aelius nodded, "It was… but it was worth it. Now Zion and its people are safe".
Donna heaved a heavy sigh as she ladled another generous portion of roasted tatoes, steak and string beans into her guest's emptied bowls, "Seems like you and your folk have been through some tough times".
"It's tough times everywhere", Six commented, her eyes hungrily focused on the food Donna serverd up.
"Hmmm….too true", Donna replied pensively, taking her seat once she set the last plate down.
"Speaking of tough times…", Ash shifted in her seat, somewhat hesitant to speak her question, "What happened… that night after we left?"
Donna chuckled and shook her head, "You mean what happened with those boy scouts in skirts that were chasing after you?"
Ash nodded, though judging by Donna's demeanour it looked like they didn't have much trouble.
"Well, they wanted to know what was in our warehouse, so…we showed them", Donna shrugged and grinned sheepishly.
Six's eyes shifted from Ash and Aelius to Donna.
"Err… do I even wanna ask?…"
Donna gave Six a serious glance and shook her head, "I'd suggest you all stay away from there, unless you want to be greeted by the rest of Manti's surviving population. They're not nearly as friendly as I am".
Six gulped down her mouthful and gave a nod of understanding.
The group finished their meal and were ushered up the stairs to their respective guest rooms.
"You two'll be in your original room", Donna opened the room to their door, "And you, my dear, can take the cozy attic room if that's alright?"
Six grinned happily, "Considering my bed over the last couple of months has either been the floor or a hay bed, this'll be like staying at the Tops in New Vegas".
The two women continued up the stairs having an animated chat about their own experiences in Vegas, and Ash overheard a snippet of that conversation Donna recounting how she met her first flame in Vegas several centuries ago and smiled as she closed the door behind them.
"It's good to know that the people of Manti got through alright", Ash commented, turning to Aelius who was already getting ready for bed. He'd stripped down to his underwear, folding his shirt and trousers in a neat pile on one of the armchairs in the room before sitting himself on the edge of his side of the bed. She felt her face flush and wondered whether she'd ever get used to the feeling of being with him in such an intimate way. Taking her coat, boots and trousers off, she got under the bedcovers and tucked her right arm under her pillow so she could still face him. After a few silent moments when she noticed Aelius made no move to join her, she sat back up and placed a soft hand on the inside of his elbow.
"Hey…you alright?"
Aelius gave a muffled chuckle in response, "Yeah, yeah… This place…it brings back memories".
Ash smiled and scooted over to him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, "Y'know, I was just thinking that too", she sighed, looking around the room. Apart from some of the furniture being re-arranged and getting a much-needed dusting, it was still the same place she remembered.
"I was so nervous sharing the bed with you", Aelius turned round, his eyes connecting longingly with hers, "I could barely think straight. I don't think I slept that night".
Ash grinned, "I was out like a log".
"I know, they could hear your snoring all the way downstairs", Aelius quipped.
"Ha ha", Ash mock laughed, rolling her eyes playfully, "Sorry I kept you up".
Aelius shook his head, "It wasn't your snoring that kept me up".
"Oh yeah? Then what was?"
Aelius's ears turned bright red, "It was the thought of being so close to you, being a finger's breadth away and all I could do was think about how much I wanted to touch you".
Ash's gaze turned sultry and she nuzzled his neck, "Is that so?"
"Mmhmm", Aelius sighed in response, leaning into her slightly.
"Nothing stopping you now", she whispered tantalisingly, her soft lips grazing his.
Aelius turned and leaned over Ash, resting his elbows on the mattress as she lay underneath him and began to pull her top off when a knock on the door made them freeze.
"I'll be in the downstairs room if you two should need anything", Donna's voice called from outside before they heard her footsteps go down the creaky wooden staircase.
Ash placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, but Aelius wasn't going to let one little interruption ruin their romance.
"Shh, we can't, she'll hear us", Ash whispered between giggles.
"So?" Aelius grinned as he left a trail of soft kisses down her neck.
"So it's…it's gonna be awkward in the morning when we come down for breakfast", Ash countered, though she showed no signs of wanted him to stop.
"Hmm…Then we'll just have to be as quiet as we can", Aelius answered with a wide grin, making Ash laugh out loud.
"No promises", she answered, mirroring his grin as she pulled the covers over them, relenting to his magnetism.
Dark, dusty and claustrophobic – those were the words Olivia thought best described Dr. Usanagi's treatment facility. It wasn't the poor Dr.'s fault however, she and her limited staff did what they could in an attempt to make the treatment environment more inviting. It made Olivia wonder whether NCR head office even cared for the wellbeing of their soldiers and staff.
With the battle with the Legion at a conclusion, many soldiers and officers of the NCR, as well as civilians and freed Legion slaves, frequented Dr. Usanagi's services to help them get through the trauma they witnessed and experienced. Though their wounds were not of the physical type, the long and torturous conflict with the Legion took its toll on everyone. Olivia was not immune to the dangers and torture she endured, and for the most part she felt that she was able to hold herself together despite being handed some of the worst troubles and perils one could face in life; however, things took a turn for the worse when she was paid a visit by two NCR soldiers at her door almost two weeks ago. Elizabeth, the woman who had cared for her and was like a second mother to her in the Legion camps, had died suddenly in the night. The memory of the day came back hard as she sat in the musty old chair and Olivia's mind couldn't help but recount the experience.
Lying on the frigid steel examination table was Elizabeth's body, her skin almost as white as the modesty sheet that was covering the rest of her slender and beaten figure; lips a frightening shade of grey blue. When she got a knock on the door to her mother's and sister's apartment early that afternoon, she worried that maybe she'd lost track of her free time and was going to receive a stern word from her superior officer back at McCarran for being so negligent…she never thought that there would be two officers informing her of an unbearable loss.
"How?" was all that Olivia could muster without her voice giving away her grief.
"We believe she suffered an aneurism sometime in the late hour, after she'd turned in for the night. We'll find out after doing a full autopsy", the mortician answered her question succinctly.
That was when Olivia's composure and resilient demeanour came crumbling down. Olivia pursed her lips as the image of Elizabeth haunted her mind and fastidiously wiped the tears welling in her eyes. Just as soon as she was beginning to feel her anxiety building up, Dr. Usanagi's door swung open and Olivia straightened herself in her chair, putting on a weak smile to greet the doctor.
"Good afternoon Olivia", Dr. Usanagi gave a warm though hurried smile, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, how are you?" She asked, quickly making her way to her desk and rummaging in the drawers for Olivia's file.
"I'm… alright, I guess", Olivia shrugged, the inflection in her answer ringing more a question than a definitive answer. She didn't know where her talk with Dr. Usanagi would take them, or what she was supposed to do. Somehow the idea of sitting down and casually talking about her trauma and experiences didn't seem like it would help at all.
"Have you been sleeping alright?" Dr. Usanagi persisted.
"Um… Sometimes. My nephew likes to wake us up all hours", Olivia added, which made Dr. Usanagi smile widely.
"Ah, how is the littlest member of your family?"
"Well… growing quickly", Olivia gave a little nod and smiled as a memory of him cooing in her arms came flooding back, "My mother's sure that his teeth'll be coming in soon".
The answer made Dr. Usanagi chuckle as she shuffled her papers in order and placed her elbows on her table, leaning forward to give Olivia her full attention.
"I know last week we talked about some techniques to help you control the panic attacks and the negative feelings you've been having", Dr. Usanagi got straight to the point, flipping over her notes, "Did you find it helpful at all?"
Olivia took a breath in and felt the familiar frustration building up within her. She had read all the material Dr. Usanagi had parted with from her limited library, but none of the exercises seemed to do anything.
"Honestly...No, not really", Olivia answered.
"Have you had other incidents of panic attacks and anxiety?", Dr. Usanagi's expression turned to concern and she flipped a page in Olivia's file, making notes as they spoke.
Olivia nodded hesitantly, feeling her hands going clammy and her heartbeat quicken, "Several…"
Dr. Usanagi's eyes lifted from her page to give Olivia a strange look – a combination of concern and compassion.
"I see…", she pursed her lips, thinking of the next steps, "I know last time we met I brought up the option of medication-"
"No", Olivia shook her head adamantly, "I don't want medication, it can't help me with this".
Dr. Usanagi took a breath in and tried a different tactic, "I know that's what you believe, but trust me when I say I wouldn't be bringing it up unless I thought the medication would help Olivia".
An awkward silence spread between the two women; from Olivia's stiff posture, Dr. Usanagi could tell that she was uncertain and reluctant to the idea of using medication to help with her mental struggles.
"You remember when I asked you about that bandage around your palm the first time we met for our consultation?" Dr. Usanagi pointed to Olivia's right hand, which was now free of the bandage but a permanent scar was left over to remind her of the incident.
"Yes", Olivia nodded, looking down at her hand and tracing the length of the fresh scar with a fingertip.
"As I recall, you didn't refuse treatment from Dr. Wilks".
The comment caught Olivia off her guard.
"No, but… that's different", she countered.
"Is it? How?"
Olivia gave a look of astonishment that the Dr would ask her such a question, "Because it was a physical injury… If I didn't get it treated it could have gotten infected".
"Right", Dr. Usanagi nodded in agreement, "But what do you do when you don't have a physical wound? What if the injury is unseen…invisible to the naked eye, so to say?"
Olivia didn't know how to answer that question; all she could do was give a slight shrug.
"Mental health is just as significant as physical health, Olivia. We all have to check in with ourselves once in a while, especially military personnel who have seen and paid the toll that war takes…and even more so survivors of long term physical, emotional and mental abuse", Dr. Usanagi leaned forward slightly, a look of empathy in her dark, weary eyes, "And the symptoms of this type of injury are panic attacks, insomnia, feelings of despair and hopelessness – all things you said you are experiencing yourself".
A silence spread between them again as Olivia, still hesitant, considered the doctor's words of advice.
"So… How do I find a way to treat my...invisible wound?"
"Here's what I recommend, and I know you said you didn't want to consider medication, but I am certain that in your situation it will be invaluable… if you are willing to keep an open mind and give it a try, I will write down a prescription for you", Dr. Usanagi persisted, pulling out her pen and scribbling some words and values on a notepad.
"What kind of medication is it?" Olivia asked tentatively, still uncomfortable with the prospect of taking an unknown drug.
'You could just not take them', a thought popped in her head, making her feel slightly more comfortable.
"Back before the great war they used to call it Zoloft. But now we just call it sertraline", Dr. Usanagi replied, eyes still fixated on the prescription she was writing down, "It's a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or a messenger chemical that carries signals between nerve cells in the brain, and it is naturally produced by our bodies but sometimes when we go through a lot in life our serotonin levels can get out of balance. This should help make you feel a bit more normal – even though I know right now that might feel like an impossible task".
Olivia pursed her lips but gave a curt nod that she understood and accepted the hand written note from her.
"Take one a day, preferably at the same time during the day. It'll take a couple of weeks before you feel the full effects kick in, but it should put a stop to the panic attacks fairly quickly at the very least. I suggest we have a check in next week to see how you're doing".
"Um…sure", Olivia gave a half-hearted nod, "So…does that mean we are done for today?"
Dr. Usanagi gave Olivia a friendly smile and nod, "For today yes. But if you feel worse or start to experience any side effects from the medication, come see me straight away".
With that, Olivia's brief appointment with the doctor came to an end and she found herself feeling like she hadn't made any progress – again. Standing outside Dr. Usanagi's small building, Olivia shielded her watering eyes from the harsh daylight and examined the prescription scribbled almost unintelligibly by the doctor.
'So much for going with not taking the medication', Olivia furrowed her brow in frustration. Now she felt she almost had no choice in the matter but to go and get her prescription filled.
Folding the piece of paper haphazardly and stuffing it in her breast pocket, she made a bee line back to McCarran airport. Although her session with Dr. Usanagi was brief and Olivia felt it didn't help much, at least she still had time to get to the canteen and have lunch.
'Maybe it'll sort itself out', she thought as she walked back to work, 'Maybe I just need time… Elizabeth used to say time heals all wounds'.
The day went on uneventfully and, much to her relief, Olivia found that the monotonous humdrum of work kept her mind from her troubles, so when her shift ended she decided to take on another shift and help out the night time patrols that evening.
"Are you sure?" the duty officer raised an eyebrow at her as he flipped through her duty roster, "That would put you at 24 hour duty, and we haven't needed to implement those since Hoover Dam. Besides it's Saturday night, wouldn't you rather go to the strip and have some fun?".
"I'd rather be on this side of New Vegas...the strip isn't really my thing", Olivia replied, desperate to carry on in the fear that if she stopped her mind would get the best of her.
The duty officer gave her an uncertain look, as if doubting her decision, though entered her hours into the system just like she requested.
"Alright, suit yourself", he exhaled, printing off her approved new roster, "That's all done, you're set to start in an hour. I've booked you with 1st Recon, they're a man short tonight and could use another pair of good eyes to keep watch tonight".
"Great, thanks", Olivia took the printed copy and pocketed it safely in her trousers, ready to present it to the duty supervisor at the start of her shift. To kill some time she grabbed some dinner for herself and extra food and supplies for her mother and sister, stashing it in her pack before heading over to their accommodation to give them the extra supplies, check up on them and let them know she was doing an extra shift. On her way back from their apartment, Olivia's mind wandered over to the piece of paper Dr. Usanagi scribbled down her prescription and the words her mother left her with when she told her how her session went.
"I don't like this doctor", Olivia remembered her mother huffing, "How dare she... Pills? That's her solution? Seems like a lazy doctor. I hope you don't go seeing her again, what you need is to throw yourself into work, and if taking the extra shifts will help then do it".
Even though she was hesitant to get her prescription filled out, a heavy weight sat with Olivia and she could feel her shoulders and back slightly slumping under the mental toll.
'It'll just take time', she thought to herself, 'It's hard now, but it'll get better with time. No pill can solve my problems'.
With the heavy thoughts weighing down her mind, Olivia began her shift in a daze, going through the motions of her duties helping the 1st Recon team; though as time went on, her daze thickened and it felt like every task was an insurmountable challenge that she couldn't get over.
"Hey, you alright?" a familiar woman's voice broke through the fog clouding her mind and Olivia almost jumped out of her seat as she was cleaning some rifle parts in the Recon tent.
"Oh! Crap...sorry", Olivia blustered, knocking the scope to the ground and hearing the glass crack, "Aahh...shit", she hissed through clenched teeth, turning the broken component over in her hand. She looked perplexed when she saw one side of the scope wet, until her hand reached up to touch her face and she realised she'd been crying.
"Don't worry about that, we got replacement parts for everything", Corporal Betsy waved Olivia's concern to the side.
"No it was stupid of me", Olivia replied, her voice strained as she tried to hold back more tears, "Ugh... Seems I've got butterfingers tonight".
"Hmm, looked more like your mind was on other things", Betsy added, pulling a chair to sit next to her, "Something...or someone got you mad?"
Olivia shook her head fervently, brushing away the tears and hoping Betsy wouldn't pry into the matter.
"Was it Andrew?" Betsy lent back in her chair, furrowing her brow as she tried to figure out what had gotten Olivia so upset, "Was he being a jerk? Coz I can take care of him for you, y'know?"
Betsy's last comment made Olivia stifle a chuckle, "No... It's not Drew. It's nothing".
"Uh huh", Betsy glanced at Olivia sceptically, "Well... If it is him, or anyone else in the camp, don't hesitate to name them. If anyone's being a dick they'll need to be put in their place and reminded that we're all serving together".
A silent moment passed between the two women as Olivia focused all her attention on the rifle she was working on, feeling Betsy's concerned gaze linger on her.
"I'm not one to pry if you don't wanna talk about it, but...if there's anything I can help with, just shoot them problems my way".
Pushing back from her seat to get back on her feet, Betsy reluctantly started making her way out of the tent when the words blurted out of Olivia's mouth.
"You've been to see Dr. Usangi in the past, right?"
Betsy stopped in her track, turning to face Olivia.
"...Yeah... Still do every once in a while".
Olivia gave a little nod in acknowledgement.
"Why you ask?"
"Just...asking", Olivia shrugged, "I've... I went to see her today. To talk about some things".
Betsy could see where this was going, but stood rooted in place, "That's good. Talking can be very helpful...especially when you've got a lot on your mind".
Olivia gave a little chuckle and shook her head, certain that Betsy couldn't begin to understand the things she meant, "You have no idea..."
"Did it help?"
"What? Talking to her?", Olivia turned to face Betsy.
"Yeah. She helped me a lot when I was in a dark place", Betsy added, sitting back down on the chair next to Olivia, "Don't know if you've heard the story from the others, but... a while back, when the Fiends were the boogeymen 'round these parts, me and Spades were ambushed while out on a patrol", Betsy started, leaning on her elbows on the table. Even though it had been years since she thought about that night, the weight of what had happened to her still took her aback at times.
"What happened?" Olivia's eyes searched Betsy's glum expression.
"This one Fiend...they called him Cook Cook...he and his gang ambushed us in the middle of our patrol, knocked Spades out cold, then turned on me", Betsy heaved a heavy sigh, "Cook Cook went first... took his time with me, even though I fought tooth and nail I just wasn't strong enough to stop him".
Olivia held her breath in, realising what Betsy was talking about.
"That whole night was like out of my worst fucking nightmare as they all took their turns", Betsy gave a shake of her head, "So... I get where you're coming from, that reluctance of needing to talk about what happened to you... but trust me when I say that once you do, life gets better".
"Are you...do you feel better now? After speaking with Usanagi?" Olivia asked hesitantly.
Betsy cocked her head, a grin on her lips as she realised this was her opportunity to try to get through to Olivia.
"I suppose...yeah", she replied, moving to sit back down next to her, "Got my good days and bad days... It's mostly good now, but it took a while to get over - mostly because I was so stubborn in the beginning and refused to take my medication".
"Medication?" Olivia's eyes widened slightly at hearing Betsy's confession. She would never have guessed that a 1st Recon sniper like her would be on medication.
Betsy gave a nod and grinned, "Yeah, I'm off it now, haven't needed it for about a year or so; but honestly, I don't know what I would have done with myself if I hadn't finally given in to her incessant nagging. It felt like I was losing my mind".
"And... when you took the medication?", Olivia questioned, wondering if Betsy was the clue to her answers.
"At first it was weird, not gonna lie", Betsy chuckled and rubbed her chin as she traced back her memories of those early treatment days, "I remember feeling dizzy occasionally, but the very first thing I remember when I took the pills was this overwhelming sense of..." she wiggled happily in her seat, making fluttering motions with her fingers as she ran her hands up and down her arms and over her torso, "It was like having butterflies all over... Kind of a mild euphoric sensation. For several days I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face. That was the best part. The worst was the constant yawning".
"Did it affect your work?"
Betsy shook her head, "Not really, I just took it easy for about a week while my body got used to the new normal. After that I could focus on getting through the trauma I went through".
Everything Betsy told her made Olivia wonder if she was doing the right thing by refusing the medication she was prescribed.
'If it helped Betsy, maybe it can help me too...'
"Can I give you a piece of advice?" Betsy asked.
"Sure".
"Learn from my mistakes and don't do what I did", Betsy leaned forward, her brow furrowing as she observed Olivia, "Listen to the Doc, she knows what she'd talking about... and go get that prescription filled out", she pointed to Olivia's breast pocket, where her hands were inadvertently toying with the button.
"What?... how did you know?" Olivia's eyes widened in surprise.
"I saw you open your top pocket at least a half dozen times tonight and read a prescription note. Looked like the same ones Usanagi wrote up for me, on yellow paper", Betsy commented.
"Thanks for the input, but... I don't think I need them", Olivia replied, now feeling conscious of everything she did around the 1st Recon team. If Betsy noticed her being off tonight, she wondered how many others had too.
"Need and want are two different things", Betsy shook her head, "And, yeah I know it's none of my business and all, but those are my two caps - you can either make life harder for yourself by suffering in silence, refusing help and trying to pull extra shifts to try and keep your mind off your problems; or you can actually do something about it". With that, Betsy gave Olivia a curt nod and left her alone with her thoughts in the tent.
Though a big part of her wanted to argue her case, deep down Olivia knew that Betsy was right. After all, if a toughened 1st Recon sniper like her needed help and was able to find some semblance of a normal life after her trauma, maybe...just maybe there was hope for her.
Flipping her top pocket open to pull out the note Dr. Usanagi had written down for her, Olivia considered her options. She knew she wouldn't be able to carry on this pace of ignoring her issues, it was an unsustainable lifestyle.
'Elizabeth would want you to get help', a voice in her mind chimed in, breaking through the fog of doubt.
"You're right", Olivia whispered to herself. With that thought fresh in her mind, she took her note and left the tent, making her way inside the building and to the medical wing. One way or another, Olivia was determined to get better... if not for herself, then for Elizabeth.