quietly killing the time

[attitude]

With everything that's happened on the island as of late, Faye Valentine's concern about her health has ranked low on her list of priorities. A little bit of fatigue and soreness isn't much to worry about; delayed menstruation is probably just time catching up with her at last, now that she's arguably settled, and now that there's enough air to manage a breath or two. More important than her problems is attending to Dean, watching over Castiel, overseeing everything that Edward does. It at once runs contrary to her nature, and yet doesn't at all— to watch over others hasn't been Faye's modus operandi since she was a child, the years thereafter spent too wholly on herself, on making sure that no one would stamp her out of existence. That she wouldn't be shackled to a debt she never asked for. But it had been her nature, once, to watch out for others.

Maybe that's what makes the transition easier than what anyone might expect.

She passes a shallow breath between her teeth, steps into the clinic when she knows Dean isn't around, hand lingering on the wall and unsure how to do this, how to ask someone about her health when she hasn't truly set foot in a clinic or hospital for years.

"I know I didn't set up an appointment," Faye says uncertainly, leaning over the counter, "but I was hoping someone would have a few minutes to talk to me about some symptoms I've had recently."

Comments

[attitude]

There's something undeniably sweet about this doctor, Faye thinks. Sweet without being overly cloying in the way that some doctors are. No need to hold Faye's hand too much through the process, no need to whittle everything down to the tiniest of details. Just simple instructions and a frank assessment of how sound Faye's own thinking is. She can come to appreciate a woman like that, Faye knows, all too rare in hunting circles.

"Guess I've done worse things for an exam than pee in a cup," Faye concludes, the tension in her shoulders easing a bit. "Mind if I ask what you'd be testing it for?"

[drownondryland]

"Well, there are shifts in chemicals and hormones in your body when you undergo menopause," Meredith says. "I can have one of the lab people test the levels of various things to see if the sample indicates that's what's going on or if there's any suggestion it could be something else we need to look out for. Have you had any pain in your uterus, anything out of the ordinary like that?" Pregnancy is a possibility, as is menopause, but they're not the only things they have to watch out for. She doesn't want to overlook the possibility of cysts or other such difficulties that could cause similar symptoms, but she doesn't necessarily want to bring it up yet either. Faye doesn't seem like the kind of patient who needs to be handled delicately, but she doesn't need a list of baseless diseases to worry about either.

[attitude]

It all makes sense, as much as anything medical tends to make sense to Faye. On the bright side, she reminds herself, the chance of being manipulated in a free clinic is next to none. They've got nothing to gain from it. No money to swindle. Licking her lips at the thought, and asking herself as ever if that kind of security makes this island worth it, she nods.

"Sounds great to me. I haven't had any pains that I know of," she remarks with a shrug. "So I guess that means we'll have to wait and see what the numbers say."

[drownondryland]

"On the bright side," Meredith says, "there are a lot of scientists and very few patients. Results tend to come through pretty fast." She steps back, gesturing for Faye to step down. "We should know by tomorrow, or at least have a starting point." She doesn't want to make her wait any longer if she can help it, which she can, one of the few things she can say in favor of this place.

"If you'll follow me this way..."