»—— act one. twilight
☽⋅── ONE ──when the sun is out ─⋅☾

Forks' weather was consistently rainy and dull, but on the rare occasions when the sun peeked out, the town transformed into a completely different place.

As Eve walked into the Forks Community Hospital for her first day at work, she was immediately overwhelmed by the workload, one of the reasons being that a doctor had unexpectedly been out. It wasn't the doctor's usual day off, but he had taken his children hiking, which he often did on sunny days.

Eve didn't even protest, as the idea of using the precious sun-filled days for hiking in Forks was something she herself would have done given the chance.

Meanwhile, Eve had just exchanged a friendly greeting with Brett Warner, an EMT who had just finished handing her a stack of paperwork detailing the patient he had just treated.

"Dr. Demeter," he had addressed her.

"Please, just call me Dr. Eve," Eve requested, taking the papers from his grasp.

"Right, Doctor Eve," Brett acknowledged, "that's everything filled out."

She carefully scanned the files and nodded, satisfied with the information.

Brett turned towards the window and commented, "Your first day ended up being on a sunny day. Tough luck," his tone laced with mild sarcasm.

Eve chuckled in response, "I know, I've heard about it all day long," she glanced at the sun outside, "But it's not so bad. The hospital is small and manageable, and the workload doesn't seem too overwhelming, which is a relief compared to the bigger cities."

Brett smiled in reassurance before departing, "Dr. Cullen should be back soon. That'll get things more balanced."

Eve chuckled softly to herself as she continued to review the documents. She patiently waited for her pager to go off, her thoughts wandering as she waited.

She had been informed by the nurses that Dr. Cullen was young, blond, and incredibly attractive, earning him the title of the most desirable man in the small town.

Earlier during her lunch break, Eve listened to the nurse's complaints, she couldn't help but let out a gentle laugh, amused by their lamentations and the missed opportunity.

The pager in her coat emitted a distinct buzz, jolting her from her thoughts. Taking care to silence the device, Eve withdrew it from her pocket to read the notification that flashed on the screen.

As Eve read the notification on her pager, a smile of satisfaction tugged at the corners of her lips. She found satisfaction in staying on her feet, attending to her duties rather than sitting idly in a chair, poring over piles of documents.

As she rose from her seat, Eve navigated her way through the hospital. Her demeanour exuded a sense of determination and purpose, a quality that was both endearing and slightly intimidating to Eleanor, who found it equally captivating and slightly unnerving.

The remainder of Eve's first day at the hospital had no major surgeries or serious emergencies. As a result, the day felt rather uneventful.

However, she had the opportunity to interact with many of the town's residents, some of whom she had known in the past. The staff were a mixed bag; Dr. Snow had been there during her time as an intern, while other new additions had come after her departure. Eve got along with most of her colleagues, but there were a few who were not as welcoming. Despite the friction, Eve remained unperturbed and hopeful that things would improve in time.

The heavy door creaked open, revealing Eve and Dr. Snow strolling down the same hallway. The sound of their footsteps filled the air as they made their way towards each other.

Dr. Snow greeted Eve with a warm smile, his voice tinged with genuine interest, "Good afternoon, Dr. Eve. How has your day been so far?"

Eve returned the smile, a pleasant tone in her voice as she replied, "It's been quite nice, actually."

Dr. Snow nodded in agreement, his smile unwavering. "Glad to hear it. You've met a lot of the residents here, right?" He glanced over at her, his gaze observant and friendly.

Eve nodded in affirmation, her gaze returning to Dr. Snow's glance.

"Yes, I've had the chance to meet quite a few of the people," she confirmed a hint of a smile on her lips.

Dr. Snow chuckled softly, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "And how have they been treating you? I hope they're being welcoming."

"A few of them have been quite welcoming, but there are a couple of them I've not been able to get on the same wavelength with," Eve admitted, a slight note of discomfort colouring her tone. "They've been pretty cold and distant."

Dr. Snow's expression shifted to one of disappointment at her words. "I'm sorry to hear that," he replied genuinely. "I hope they'll come around."

Eve chuckled, waving off any concerns. "I'll be fine, I'm older and more experienced now." She then smiled warmly, adding, "And I have a moody teenager to handle, which prepares me for anything."

Dr. Snow laughed heartily in response, obviously relieved that Eve was handling herself well. "I guess I worried unnecessarily," he admitted.

Eve sighed, her voice filled with reassurance. "I won't experience anything like that again. And I know I can trust the staff here."

Dr. Snow smiled, visibly at ease, as he replied, "That's reassuring to hear."

He looked at Eve for a moment, studying her, before speaking again, his tone slightly curious. "How is your... what did you say - 'moody teenager'?"

The topic shifted to Eve's daughter, "She's in her junior year of high school," the doctor explained, and they took a seat together.

Dr. Snow inquired, "Isn't it the middle of the school year? How was her first day?"

Eve sighed, her voice tinged with resignation. "Not so great. She said one guy at school made it seem like she was infectious or something, in her own words."

Dr. Snow frowned in concern, a look of empathy on his face. "Did she tell you what happened?" he asked, leaning a bit closer as if genuinely interested in the situation. He nodded subtly, encouraging Eve to continue.

Finally, Eve sighed deeply, leaning her head against the wall behind her. "She ended up in detention for throwing out a series of... colourful words," she explained, closing her eyes as the memory flooded back.

Dr. Snow's frown deepened, his brows furrowing slightly. "That's quite a turn of events," he replied, his tone laced with both surprise and empathy.

Eve and Dr. Snow's conversation was interrupted by the distinct sounds of their pagers going off simultaneously. They both understood the silent message—it was time to attend to their duties.

The day progressed with no major incidents, and before long, Eve concluded her first shift, clocking out of the hospital.

After clocking out from work, Eve joined Charlie and Eleanor at a diner. As the sun had fully set, they sat down together to enjoy a meal. The atmosphere inside the diner was warm and inviting, the faint hum of conversation from other patrons filling the air.

As they sat down, Eve glanced at her daughter. Eleanor's arms crossed over her chest, and she seemed to be deep in thought, an expression of mild annoyance on her face.

"You seem off," Eve observed, a note of curiosity in her voice. "What's on your mind?" She took a bite of her own dinner, casting several discreet glances in Eleanor's direction.

Eleanor shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly not wanting to delve into her thoughts. "It's nothing," she said dismissively, shifting in her seat to look out the window. She was clearly thinking about something, but she wasn't ready to share it yet.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Eve's lips, sensing her daughter's reluctance to open up. "You know, you can always talk to me if something's bothering you," she assured, her voice gentle yet earnest.

Eleanor chuckled, a sarcastic edge to her words. "That's the thing. Today was the most boring day ever."

She looked up and continued, "You know the guy I, uhhh, swore at?"

Charlie nearly choked on his burger, looking utterly shocked. "What?" Eve stifled a laugh, giving a brief explanation to Charlie.

Eleanor sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Well, today was awful. He and his siblings were all out, apparently, their dad takes them out hiking. At first, it was kind of nice, but then everyone at school just got annoying. They all acted like a cat died, it was ridiculous. And to be honest, I think them being in school is way better. They're pretty to look at but just being at school is ten times better," she concluded, waving her hand airily.

With a slight blink of surprise, both Eve and Charlie exchanged a glance, sharing a look of mild bewilderment at Eleanor's words.

Eve's thoughts drifted, and she couldn't help but consider that maybe the family Eleanor was referring to were the kids of the doctor who was out that day.

Eve chuckled as she looked at Charlie, who also cast a questioning look her way. She then looked back at Eleanor, who appeared nonchalant after her rant. She shrugged and continued eating, Charlie giving Eve another glance, unsure if they should say anything. But she just shook her head and mouthed 'teenagers', and the two grownups shared another quiet laugh, resuming their meal.