The coffee shop, the medical school, the library. Weiss had searched everywhere. No Blake. She had called about three more times. No answer. Straight to voicemail each time.
Her phone had to be off. She understood if Blake wanted to ignore her, but she knew that Blake wasn't answering for Yang either.
Weiss had called Yang and told her to stay at the party and just have fun with friends and that she would look for Blake. And after a few minutes of convincing, Yang gave in.
Racking her brain for ideas, Weiss finds herself pulling into the hospital parking lot. In all their time together, Weiss had only been here once, maybe twice.
Not exactly sure where to go, Weiss parks and walks into the reception area of what she assumes is an emergency room. Some people are walking briskly by her as she steps up to the counter, peering over the edge at the few nurses seated below.
"Hi there. I'm looking for someone and I'm hoping you can help me."
"Honey, all patient inquires are handled at the check in desk down the hall." The woman barely looks up from her paperwork, pointing to her left towards a long brightly lit hallway.
"I'm not looking for a patient. I'm actually looking for a student. Or well, a doctor now, I suppose."
"And who would that be?" The tone of the nurse's voice remains one of disinterest.
"Blake Be-"
"Belladonna?" There is now a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"Yes." Before Weiss can elaborate, the woman jumps back in.
"I haven't seen her in the last half hour. I think she was trying to leave after that incident that happened. Said she had some party to go to because she thought that- wait, are you Weiss?"
"How do you know-"
"Silly question. Of course you are. Blake talks about you enough, I should be able to recognize you from a mile away, I'd like to think."
"She, she talks about me?" Weiss feels herself stand up a little straighter.
"Of course! She is so smitten with you, honey. But I will say, lately she has been a little down in the dumps. Even for her. She still seems to perk up a little bit when we mention you, or she talks about you." Weiss feels a lump form in her throat as the woman continues on. "She worked so hard to get her residency and I know she's been super excited to tell you. She was so nervous."
"Her residency? The one in Vacuo?" She feels her heart drop in her chest.
"No, no dear. She had decided that one wasn't the right fit for her. She spoke to the director there and after the other news, she declined to even look there. She changed specialities, and applied for the one here. We have the best emergency room and trauma residency program in all of Remnant. She didn't think she would make the cut. But she said with all the studying, and you pushing her to do her best, she was able to get it. Beat out over a hundred other candidates. All the nurses were so proud of her." The woman senses the uneasiness in Weiss' silence. "But you already knew all of this, right?"
Weiss clears her throat, if only so she can choke back the tears.
"Of course." She lies, hoping she can redirect the conversation so she can remove herself from the situation. "Do you happen to know where Blake is now?"
"She left the hospital in a rush about half an hour ago."
"Thank you so much." She says as she takes a few steps backwards from the counter. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Same to you as well." She hears the woman yell after her as she walks quickly back to her car.
On her walk to the car she calls Yang, confirming that Blake still hadn't arrived at the party. Not knowing where else to go, Weiss makes her way home. Feeling defeated and foolish. When she pulls into an empty parking space in front of her apartment building she notices a familiar black car that hasn't been there all day.
Blake was home.
The first thing to wash over her as she climb out of her car is relief. But it's followed shortly by anxiousness. It was been weeks since she's spoken to her. And all of the attempts to contact Blake throughout the day had gone unanswered.
With hesitation, Weiss begins to climb the set of stairs to their floor. And for the first time in what feels like forever, she stops at her neighbors' door and knocks.
No answer.
Weiss can't help but hang her head and close her eyes as her first falls to hang beside her. She feels tears finally begin to fall from her eyes as she solemnly turns to go home. But what she sees on the ground, slouched against the front door of her apartment is not what she expects.
"Blake?"