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Nurse Ann sighed, shutting the medicine cabinet a bit harder than she meant to, accidentally causing it to shake and a loud slam to fill the room. She went quiet before she slowly let out a slow breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked over her shoulder to see Puppeteer staring back at her with a concerned frown.
". . . Annie?" the ghost enunciated, choosing his words carefully as he gave his friend a cautious smile. He didn't really understand what he did wrong, and as much as he loved Ann, she had a tendency to get frustrated at the little things Puppeteer did. He wasn't sure whether this was some small issue, one he could poke at to get at the woman's nerves, or a serious issue that would come with a long winded – and usually very necessary – lecture.
Ann winced as the nickname, her mouth making a thin line. With another heavy sigh, she turned to face Puppeteer, leaning on the sterile counter behind her. Her blood red eyes wandered as she stared at the tile below them.
"Sadie told me you two met," she finally said, trying to keep her voice level, though there was a hint of frustration and bitterness in her tone that Puppeteer really couldn't properly pick apart. Regardless, the ghost grinned at the mention of his recent company.
"Oh, she did? That's awesome, she's such a sweet kid. Did she say anything about me?" he questioned with a genuine smile. Ann could see his eyes light up as he talked about her.
Sadie had said a few things about Puppeteer. The time he comforted her through a breakdown. The walks through the woods together. The time he introduced her to one of his partners, Helen. Everything was surprisingly . . . positive.
Not that that was a bad thing. Puppeteer wasn't a bad guy in Ann's eyes. At least not anymore. She wouldn't be putting up with him nowadays if he was still the same asshole she met four years back. Ann could honestly say she was happy seeing him having positive platonic relationships with others, both considering his past romantic relationships and his progress of becoming the much kinder, gentler man she knew now. She did want to see her friend be happy. She was happy to see Puppeteer prove to himself that he could love others, and that he was allowed to change.
But along with the things she heard Sadie say about Puppeteer, she also knew the things Puppeteer absolutely didn't say to the young girl.
Particularly about a man named Zachary, Puppeteer's first attempt at being a good mentor figure to a younger child.
She knew how that ended. How Puppeteer had to leave Zachary behind with his ex girlfriend in order for any of them to move on. How much Puppeteer regretted ever meeting that boy. How Puppeteer wished he could fix things.
"Sadie is," Ann spoke deliberately, "a very sensitive girl, Jonathan."
Puppeteer frowned, tensing slightly. Ann was the only one who ever called him "Jonathan" anymore. Emra used to call him "Johnny" but he shut that down pretty fast after they died. Ann refused to stop calling him that name though. In her words, he chose that name for himself. He lived with it for years. He only started going by Puppeteer when he died. Back when his whole life changed and he compulsively changed with it to cope. Deep down, he did still love the name, it did still fit, he chose it for himself when he came out, but he still had a hard time believing the kind man he used to be was still him. That he still was capable of being him anymore.
"I know she is," Puppeteer said, conjuring some golden strings to fidget with while they spoke.
"I don't think you do," Ann impulsively snapped back. The ghost's shoulders fell as a look of frustration and annoyance crossed his face.
"What the hell is this even about?" Puppeteer reacted defensively.
"I just – !" The older woman stopped herself, realizing how loud she was talking. She hated getting angry like this. "She . . . already thinks the world of you."
How was that a bad thing? was the first time that crossed Puppeteer's mind.
"Sadie is...the sweetest kid I have ever met besides Isa," Ann slowly explained. Isa was Nurse Ann's young daughter who she visited often in Columbia every week with the help of Zalgo. "I would kill for her. I would die for her. Just like I would you, but . . ." Her voice trailed out. "I'm worried."
Puppeteer's face fell as the realization dawned on him. The strings in his hands flickered for a moment, losing their shimmer before they vanished. "Ann, it's been years – "
"I know! I'm so sorry, but I just don't want her to get hurt, especially not by you!"
The room went silent.
"Ann, I'd never put my hands on her, I'd never do that to her! She's just a kid! She told me about her father – "
"I'm not talking about that!" Ann's voice boomed as she grew more frustrated. "I'm worried you'll say the wrong thing to her! I'm worried you'll be reckless again! I'm worried about you putting another child in danger again! I'm scared you're just trying to find a replacement!"
"She's not a replacement!" Puppeteer snapped back, a voice crack echoing through the office. "She's a lonely kid and she . . . " His voice went quiet.
Ann's face softened slightly. "I'm sorry. I know you're getting better. I know you have gotten better, and I'm so proud you've gotten better . . . But Sadie doesn't even know that you had to get better. She doesn't know what could happen."
Puppeteer hugged his arms quietly, solemnly nodding. "I know. I . . . I can't tell her though. It would ruin her. She'd never want to trust me if she knew who I used to be. She deserves to have someone to look after her." He slowly looked up at Ann. "We can look after her, Annie. I won't let what happened happen again. She deserves to feel safe. "
"I know she does."
There was a long quiet between the two before Ann eventually spoke up.
"I'm not gonna tell her anything." The nurse looked up at Puppeteer with a glare. "But if I ever hear her go crying to me, Kate, or her girlfriends about you, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. If anything happens to her while she's under your care, so help me God, I will put you back in the ground myself. Do you understand me?"
Puppeteer stood across from her, stunned by the threat for a moment. He slowly nodded, standing up straighter "...Yes, ma'am."