More as promised :) We've had quite a bit of Meena, so here have some more.
"Hey Molls, how are you holding up?" Meena, Bart's best maternity nurse, strolled casually into the pathology lab that, but three months ago would have had a brooding sociopath curled in the corner examining blood cultures with the lab's most expensive 'for hospital staff's use only' microscope.
"Hi Meena. Okay, just to clarify… although my once upon a time, kitten covered blog, my plaited to the side hair and my distinct lack of adult fashion may allude to the idea that I am nothing more than a teenage girl. And although, yes, I did have a 'crush' on him, and it still feels weirdly empty around here without him; Me and Joh- Me and – I have been holding up pretty damn well for the past couple of months over Sherlock's death and you know that." Although Molly's rambled words seemed affronted, yet her mannerisms toward her best friend, lacked any anger or anguish.
"Oh, I know… I was just hoping you'd slip up, and tell me how John's been, I don't know… holding you up against the kitchen table to kiss you rotten. Or is that a little presumptuous?" At this comment Molly spluttered on the coffee she'd been drinking; she should have known better than to a) tell Meena that she had feelings for John, b) consume fluids around Meena, especially when she had that devious glint in her eye and c) tell Meena that she had feelings for John.
"Goodness Molls, I love how I can still catch you off guard," Meena was chuckling to herself, "How is the good doctor?"
"John's fine, absolutely fine. My day's are a little blurred, but I'm pretty sure he has work today."
Meena had known of Molly's feelings toward a certain ex-army Doctor, ever since the moment Molly had 'accidentally' mentioned how adorable he looked in his PJ's when they were watching Doctor Who. Her suspicions only grew when he became a more permanent fixture of their little friendship group; and on the days they'd spend with John, Meena would gain a lot less conversation for both other parties. The two months after she had met John, Meena had managed to grasp a confession from the never-quite-subtle-enough Molly, when teasing her, at an atrocious 60's night.
Since that conversation 3 weeks ago Molly and, as Meena would call him, 'The Good Doctor' had become far closer, much closer, so much closer, in fact, that they were about to venture out on their first real date, this coming Saturday evening. Molly, in want to practice her willpower around her devious and truly persuasive friend, was hiding this nugget of information from Meena; she was really only doing so because the woman who had been attempting to persuade Molly to "jump on 'The Good Doctor'/ask out 'The Good Doctor'/ for God's sake Molly he likes you, just nudge him in the right direction… you're bedroom", did not currently deserve the gossip she was withholding. So, in her best effort to make Meena suffer, just a little, to give as good as she got; she... crumbled almost instantaneously, adorning a childish and exuberantly happy grin, that would give the Cheshire Cat a run for his money.
"Molly Anne Hooper, I have seen that sneakily enthusiastic, 'I'm so happy I could die' face four times in the time I've known you, all but one of those times involving men. First, there was the time Jeremy Tucker asked you out to the hospital charity ball. Second, the day you slept with said Jeremy Tucker, then it disappeared along with him until; third, a certain Mister Sherlock bloody Holmes apologised and kissed you on the cheek, at which point it was worn for over a week, and of course, fourth, the day you got Toby. Now here it is again, and unless you've acquired yourself another cat, the only man in your life currently is a Mister John. Hamish. Watson… SPILL."
It was a testament to their friendship that, although Molly was loathed to 'spill' to most people, this was Meena and so she caved in, like she always would. Then again, she simply couldn't care less, because Meena would listen and being secretly happy is nothing compared to sharing your joy with at least someone other than the person putting the smile upon your face.
By this point the excitement behind her news had taken control of Molly and she was visibly buzzing with adrenaline, no longer able to hold onto her words, they fell from her lips like a stream of consciousness, breathing and other verbal necessities ignored. "He asked me out, me of all people, ME! I suppose that means you were right, he does like me; but thankfully I didn't have to do any of the asking or the jumping that your advice would have lead me to believe. We're going out this Saturday, and I'm going to need a new dress, but I don't care because I finally get to indulgently look at him without it being weird or inconspicuous, and we can hold hands across the table and…"
"Snog him, until neither of you can breath, and finally make sure that your spare room, is once again spare." This of course was not the natural progression of thought in Molly's head; she was thinking more moonlit walks and cuddling on the sofa watching 'Back to the Future'. Trust Meena.
"Mee," Molly's voice mirrored her eye roll, "that's just, no, we're going to take things slowly, neither of us are the type to just dive into something as big as this; especially not just from a sudden influx of emotion."
"Yes, but Molly dearest, you seem to forget that for the past 2 months you and 'The Good Doctor' have been taking things slowly, even if you weren't quite aware of it yet. Also 'sudden influx' my arse, those emotions have been sitting and festering, like the body parts Sherlock would forget to return, for those months… and that's on both sides, I should know John told me -"
Meena's hands violently clapped over her parted lips, in an overly dramatic, seen only on TV, gasp, trying her hardest to capture and return the words she had so carelessly let fall from her mouth, dropping like dusty red bricks onto Molly's delicate mind.
"He, umm, he said what now?" Molly's questioning glance towards her companion, was full of the confusion her mind was battling against.
"Oh, bugger…" Meena exhaled, accepting her fate she continued, "Okay, so Greg may have mentioned that when they were having a few pints, you seemed to pop up in conversation quite an amount. Of course, I said something very Meena of me, like 'Nooo, don't tell me you've taken a fancy our Molls? I mean she is quite the catch.' And he totally did a you and spluttered and denied and finally crumbled, telling me how he'd liked you, and quite a bit more than a friendly sort of like, but he didn't want you to know because of all the Sherlock stuff and him being old or something…" pausing Meena tried to gauge Molly's reaction and was unsurprised to be faced with a goldfish impression, mixed with a stern 'you-could-have-told-me' glare. It was comical, but she knew not to laugh.
"C'mon Molls, you should be proud of me, I kept one hell of a secret for a friend without blurting it out until said friend no longer needed me to keep hold of it." She added with a falsely innocent smile.
Although she huffed a little, Molly couldn't stay mad at the cheeky nurse for much longer, I suppose she was technically being a good friend to John and it is all out in the open now.
"Yes!" Menna exclaimed, "I know that look, that's your other famous look, the I'm-so-angry-well-not-incredibly-so-but-I'll-forgi ve-you-even-though-based-on-the-facts-I-shouldn't- really look. I love that look, that's my favorite look... ever." Then unable to hold in the rampage of questions about Molly's up and coming love life a tirade flew from her.
"So… where's he taking you? What are you going to wear? Will you really be wearing it for very long? Oh, will you be wearing it at all? Will he finally be migrating to your room? Don't give me that stare; will you at least kiss him? If not for anything else than to shut me up and stop me pestering you on the matter. Are you going to confess your undying love for him? Is he? Can I be your maid of honor? Although I will not wear any variation of a pastel colour or floral print!"
Molly's mild nature made it so that she could not glare at many people in the world, but the glare she was giving Meena could have killed, or at least shattered glass from 100ft. "Fine, fine, you're giving me the I'm-loosing-all-thoughts-of-friendship-and-forgive ness look, have you ever noticed that you have many 'looks' Molly Hooper? I'll quit my jabbering; but for one final question, not a joke, look at me, I'm serious Meena now… Molly, is he your soppy Rom-Com cliché 'the one'?"
The colour of Molly's cheeks blossomed into a bright scarlet only seen in moments of 'girl talk' with the rather crude Meena. The answer to Meena's question lay of the tip of Molly's tongue, ready, but held back by her sealed lips. A bright, glaring, luminescent 'YES!' spilled across her vision, there was no need to think about it, but if she said yes, if she even murmured or thought 'yes' for more than one second it would jinx it. So, she carefully formulated her response, even though Meena was more than fully aware of the 'Yes!' that obscured Molly's vision.
"I like him, I really, really, do, but we've not even had one date yet Mee, and it could end horribly…" Molly's interest now lay solely in the limp lettuce of her sandwich, looking Meena in the eye had the tendency to cause her heart to rule her head, and those moments always ended with unnecessary confessions or unfortunately worded comments.
"Whatever you say Molls, it's not as if you already know, have lived with, and accept each other's flaws, and you've practically been in a relationship for long enough… No, no, no! We have to wait 'til after the first date, and many sleepless nights in the near future…"
Molly could only manage to give Meena a glimpse of 'the look' before the voice of the brash maternity nurse crashed through her resentful thoughts.
"Oh, go on Molls, you will, at least, tell me all the gory details, wont you?"
Molly knew not to dignify that with an answer, she dignified it with a 700-page pathology textbook flung in Meena's general direction, thankfully for Meena, Molly's aim always had been atrocious. But, if looks or books could kill, a fresh body would be rolled into the morgue and upon Molly's list it would read 'Meena Shawnsy – COD Unknown'.