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A nearby voice echoed in her ears as Cassie stood over one of the nurses' desks, deliberately taking deep breaths in a poor attempt try and get the dizziness that was currently threatening to buckle her knees to pass.
“McKay?”
There was that voice again, it sounded closer now. That was literally consolation however, not when everything already sounded like she was 10 feet beneath water. She felt awful. How long was left on her shift again? 4 hours? 3?
“McKay!”
That snapped her out of it. Her head snapped towards the source, shaking off the brain-fog that had settled over her mind. As she turned around, she instantly recognised that hands-on-hips, all business pose by the charge nurse before her.
“Shit, sorry.” Cassie forced herself to make eye contact. Dana was a particularly perceptive woman - 30 years of nursing will do that to a person - and she just knew that if she was to find out then Cassie could kiss goodbye to working the rest of her shift. The doctor shuffled uncomfortably as she tried to read the nurses expression, “Did you need me...?”
“Not exactly.” The older woman’s eyes were visibly scanning over her. Her brow furrowing ever so slightly.
“I really should get going-“
“Not so fast.” Dana’s eyes narrowed, stopping the woman in her tracks. She took a breath, seemingly to think for a moment before softening her tone and asking, “Are you feeling alright?”
Cassie nodded, an excuse already on her lips. She really didn’t want a fuss. All she had to do was make it through this shift. 3 more hours than she could collapse onto her sofa for the rest of the night.
“Yeah, I’m all good.” Of course, her nose chose that exact moment to prickle. She pressed her lips together, willing it away. Please, not now.
Dana raised one eyebrow.
The doctor exhaled through her nose. Big mistake. The tickle intensified, sharp and impossible to ignore. She turned slightly, bringing her elbow up just in time.
“-hHt’schh!”
The sneeze snapped through her, small but forceful, leaving her eyes watering and her head swimming harder than before. She sniffed, wincing at the congestion she’d been pretending wasn’t there.
Silence.
Cassie looked back up slowly.
Dana’s expression had shifted from suspicion to confirmation. “Bless you,” She said dryly. “Want to try that answer again?”
Cassie shifted her weight, instantly aware of how heavy her limbs felt, like someone had swapped her blood for wet sand. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed just a little too bright, the background hum of monitors a little too loud. She folded her arms, partly to look casual and partly to attempt at hiding faint tremor running through her hands.
“I’m okay.” She insisted, however the congestion in her voice threatened to betray her.
Dana’s gaze flicked over her face - eyes lingering on the faint flush across Cassie’s cheeks, the slight shine to her eyes, the way she kept swallowing like her throat hurt.
Dana sighed, somewhere between concern and exasperation, “You have an awful poker face Cass’,” The nurse took a step forward reaching out with one arm to hold her still whilst using her spare hand to press the back of her palm against the younger woman’s forehead. She knew it.
That warm sticky heat only confirmed her suspicions. “You’re running a fever love. What were you thinking, running round and what? Hoping it’d just go away on its own?”
Doctor McKay mumbled something inaudible but the way her eyes dropped to the floor and the small shrug she gave during it, Dana could make a pretty good guess of what it would’ve been. She’d seen firsthand how easily Cassie would push her own discomfort aside if it meant continuing with work. As empathetic as she was, she never seemed to show herself any of that same compassion.
“Come with me, you look dead on your feet.” Taking her by the shoulder, Dana guided her into one of the empty side rooms and instructed her to take a seat in the empty chair. Cassie did as told, no longer having the energy or strength to oppose. She sneezed again, down into her elbow and groaned afterwards at the pressure in her head. She really did not want this turning into a sinus infection.
Cassie hadn’t even realised that Dana had left the room. “Bless you.” She said politely as she returned holding a cup of ice water, “Drink.” She instructed as she handed it over. Whilst the doctor drank her water, Dana grabbed the thermometer from a nearby cart and gently slipped into her ear.
“Is that really necessary?”
Dana chose to ignore her question as they waited for the familiar beep. It came a few seconds later to announce its verdict. “38.4.”
“Fuck… I guess that means you’re sending me home?”
“You would be correct.” The charge nurse confirmed, her face softening slightly at the small pout sitting on the doctor’s face, “You’ll feel better there I promise. All this noise and chaos can’t be making you feel any better, I’m sure you’ve got a big enough headache as it is.”
“Throbbing.” Cassie muttered, rubbing her eyes as she sniffled.
Dana’s expression softened further at that. “Thought so.” She reached over and gently pulled Cassie’s hand away from her face. “You’re no good to anyone if you pass out in the hub, McKay.”
“I wouldn’t-“ Cassie began, only to be cut off by another sneeze that bent her forward in the chair. “-hH’TSHhhu!” She groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples as the movement made the room tilt unpleasantly.
Dana waited a beat. “You were saying?”
Cassie let out a weak huff that might have been a laugh. “I wouldn’t pass out in the hub,” She corrected hoarsely. “Probably the corridor, or the bathroom. Less dramatic.”
“Oh, don’t tempt fate.” Dana shook her head, though the corner of her mouth twitched. She crouched slightly to catch Cassie’s gaze. “Listen to me. You’re running a temperature, you’re dizzy, and you look like you haven’t slept in about a week. Go home. Take some paracetamol, get some of that tea you swear by. Just rest, alright?”
Cassie hesitated, stubbornness flickering in her tired eyes. “We’re already short though..”
“We’re always short,” Dana replied as she squeezed Cassie’s shoulder. “I’ll reshuffle, we can handle it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I promise.” The nurse nodded, offering a hand to help her stand up, “All you need to worry about is shaking off that bug of yours. I’ve got my key so I’ll be round later to check in on you, alright?”
Cassie nodded, her shoulders slumped as she finally conceded, “Okay.” She turned to leave but stopped short at the door, “Thank you…”
“Anytime.”