Later
Ava moved back into cubicles, abscenting herself as much as possible from anyone other than Vinnie or Carla.
James busied himself with patients and paperwork but he still couldn't shut out the part of his mind that kept turning Ava's words over.
Ava just worked, quickly and efficiently
It was nearing the end of his shift when James returned another chart to the station, checking to see what was still in the pile.
"Eleven please." Ava glanced up and bustled off to call another name.
James opened his mouth to say something but she was already gone. He shook his head and headed for eleven.
Ava put her last file down and yawned before heading for the lockers. For once she was keeping to her shift
James rested his head against the inside of his locker.
"Night," Ava muttered
"Huh?" James raised his head. "Oh. Night."
She turned to leave. "Get home quickly."
James frowned. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he turned back to grab his bag. "How are you getting home?" he asked before realising.
"I'm not going home."
"Oh. I thought... Why not?"
"I have that other job. Someone's coming to grab me."
"Aren't you still... hurt?" he asked, thinking on their earlier conversation.
Ava shrugged
James' frown deepened. "You should be resting. They should be letting you."
"What does it matter? She'll keep me safer than any angel."
James opened his mouth, shut it again and glanced at the floor. "Just... be careful."
"I need to go, before she drops all subtlety."
James nodded. "Right. Course. Night," he muttered.
"Just get home."
That was the second time. "Why? Something wrong?"
"There always is."
"Specifically? Or don't I want to know?"
Ava shot him a dark look
James sighed and shook his head. He shouldered his bag and moved to the door.
Ava wandered out behind him
James turned to look at her once outside the building. "I was going to offer you a lift home..." He scrubbed a hand through the back of his hair. "Don't get hurt, yeah?" he muttered before walking towards his car.
"Your car is far worse than mine."
"I'm aware. But you're not going home are you?"
"No, jobs to be done"
James nodded.
"Just go home, you've made it clear you're not bothered, so take care of yourself."
James sighed and turned away. He paused a few steps from his car. "Did you mean it?"
"Yes"
"Right. I. Why?"
"Because... you're real I suppose,"
James frowned. "I'm real?"
"Hell of a lot of front, but no fakery."
James opened his mouth, then shut it again, not sure what to say to that.
"Want to see?"
"See? See what?"
"The real me?"
James frowned. "I don't understand."
Ava shut her eyes and allowed her healer self to out
James took an unconscious step back, eyes widening.
"So that's me, or a big part of me."
"I, it's... Should you really be doing that, out here?" he asked, glancing back at the main building.
"They see what they want to see."
"What do you mean?"
"We've been around for thousands of years, but we're not well known."
"Right. So... this is... what you really look like?"
"One of the ways I really look, I suppose."
"One? Which do you... prefer?"
"The one everyone sees, just me," Ava replied
"So... why did you show me?" James asked slowly. As he asked the question, he wasn't sure whether he meant why she had changed her appearance, or just why him or all people. He probably meant both. He was also struggling to work out how he felt about it.
"I just...wanted to, I suppose you knowing properly gives me a real reason for...everything."
James frowned. "Everything?"
"Everything. I need to go."
"I still think you should be resting," he muttered but nodded and made to move to his car.
A woman wandered into the room. "Your security's shit," she glanced at Ava. "Put it away we need to go."