"Nyxie, come grab coffee with me," Selene yelled as they walked to work. The small coffee shop was a minute's walk from the safe path Micah had told her to follow, and she chewed her lip nervously. "I- I can wait here." It was the last day of their first week, and dread grew in Nyx's gut.

"What? No, I need you to come. Your order always confuses me. Besides, I don't want to go myself. I have a weird feeling."

Nyx's head snapped to her friend, and she frowned. "Well then, let's definitely not go over there. We can just drink a coffee from work." Even Nyx cringed at her words as Selene scoffed.

"Ew, no. It's a weird feeling, not an 'I'm gonna die' feeling. Please! I need a good coffee for once!"

With one last look at the hospital looming at the end of the street, she quickly trotted after Selene in the direction of good coffee. "Make it quick, okay?"

They darted into the small shop, and Nyx casted her eyes around as Selene ordered. "Cafe au Lait, please. The largest size you have. Nyxie?"

Nyx snapped her gaze to the young man behind the counter and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, could I please have a large chai latte with oat milk?"

The tall blonde nodded, tapping in her order and requesting payment which Selene quickly offered.

"My shout, babes. Especially after you switched shifts with me."

Nyx smiled as they moved to the corner of the room, waiting for their order. Selene suddenly drew a sharp breath. "Oh, now I know why I had a weird feeling. There's two demons, outside."

Nyx almost fainted on the spot and grabbed the nearest table for stability.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, the blonde and the brunette holding the briefcase."

Nyx turned so they wouldn't see her face and whispered. "When they call the order, will you grab it for me? I don't want them to see me."

Selene stilled her cuticle picking and regarded her friend's face. "What is going on? You think they're here for you?"

Nyx's eyes flitted to the two demons, and she winced. "I'll tell you later, okay? Just grab our drinks, and we will sneak past."

The server called their names and left the drinks on the counter. "Okay," Selene whispered, snatching up their cups. She stared over Nyx's shoulder, lightly sipping her scalding drink before nodding. "They turned the other way. Let's go."

The pair hurried back to the main road, and Nyx sighed with relief once they entered the hospital. Agatha stood waiting in the break room with a smile. "Morning, ladies. A bit of a shift today, I'm afraid. Selene, you will stay with the small children on level four, and Nyx, you have been moved to the oncology ward on six. Six patients are checked in, five are under seventeen, and one is thirty-four. I know you requested to work with the children, but two of our regular nurses have called in sick."

Selene bit her lip and peered at her pale friend but nodded. "Sounds good. Thank you, Agatha."

Nyx nodded too. "Who will I be working with?"

"Emry will be on your rotation today. But he won't be here for a few more hours. Alright ladies, see you later." Agatha left the room in haste, and Nyx sighed.

"Apart already," she said.

"Come on, babe. It'll be fine. You'll do great. You aced your cancer papers." Selene took one last swig of her coffee and threw the styrofoam in the trash. "I'll see you at lunch, Nyxie. Love you."

"Love you too, Se."

Nyx stood alone in the break room, fretting her lower lip with her teeth before she pulled herself together. It was her first time making the rounds alone in an entirely new area with new patients. I can do this. She made her way to the sixth floor, through the rooms, checking vitals and organising a few tests for the youngest patient. Seven years old with stage three leukaemia. It was almost time for a break when she reached her final patient. Instead of eating and checking her after, Nyx entered room seven with a gentle knock.

"Yeah?" a tired voice responded.

Nyx flicked her eyes across the older woman's chart, and she swallowed the dry lump that formed. Iris Jameson, thirty-four, grade three brain cancer. Tumour.

"Good morning, Ms Jameson. My name is Nyx, and I will be your nurse for today."

The older woman smirked and rolled her dark blue eyes. "I'll have a new one by tomorrow, by the look of you."

Nyx relaxed her face when a smile threatened to tug at her lips. "How are you feeling after your chemo this morning?"

"Peachy," Iris' voice held so much sarcasm she started coughing.

"Any change in symptoms? Headache-"

"Listen, kid. I'm a dead woman already. Stop fussing. Your stressed face is making me feel worse."

Nyx's mouth dropped open before she snapped it shut. "Oh, um-"

"Oh, um," Iris mimicked with a scowl. "Unless you have a giant bag of take-out, then we have nothing more to talk about."

Nyx clicked her pen and closed the file returning it to its place by the foot of the bed. Iris wasn't on any orders to be nil by mouth, so it was within the realm of possibility that Nyx could get her something tastier than the hospital food. Despite Iris' permanent scowl etched into her ashen complexion, Nyx smiled at her.

"I'll see you soon," she said, turning on her heel and heading to the break room. Agatha was there, and Nyx bit her lip, wringing her hands as she finished her mouthful. 

"Do you need something, dear?"

"A patient has asked me to get her some food, and she is under no orders to fast, so is that fine?"

"Yes, of course, it is."

"Even if it's not hospital food?"

Agatha took a sip and offered a knowing look. "It will be from your pocket."

Nyx grinned, uncaring that the hospital wouldn't reimburse her. "Thanks, Agatha."

Without thinking, she darted from the hospital across the road to her favourite plant-based take-out food truck. The loveliest hippies ran it, and Nyx loved supporting their small business. The Butcher's daughter. "Excuse me, can I order your biggest burger with the Impossible patty? And your loaded fries. Um, and some onion rings." The man behind the till rang up her order, and she paid the exorbitant price. 

It's worth it, though.

Ten minutes later, she waltzed through Iris' door with a full bag of the most delicious smelling food Nyx had been around in weeks. She pulled the meal tray across Iris' lap and placed the bag. "Here. From my favourite Vegan place."

Iris' scowled. "Why the hell would I want 'Vegan' food."

Nyx smirked, expecting that reception and grasped the top of the bag. "Well, if you don't want it-"

Iris smacked her hands around the paper bag and frowned. "No. It will do."

After gently pulling the contents out and lining them in front of Iris, she paled. "I can't eat all of this."

Nyx looked at the doorway and shrugged. "Well, I'm still on break, so I'll eat some," she said, reaching for an onion ring and munching it. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Iris asked gingerly, taste-testing a fry. A small moan passed her lips, and Nyx chuckled. 

"We need drinks. What do you want?"

Iris looked half-ready to cry. "Um, water is fine. Actually, can I have a coke?"

With a nod, Nyx hurried to the nearest vending machine and bought two cokes before returning to the room. At the end of the hall, she saw the man from the week before. Tall, dark, broad and faceless. He was walking away, but the sense of dread in Nyx's stomach grew. Neo? No, idiot, don't think of him. You might accidentally summon him. She hurried back to the room and shared her feast with Iris.

"Holy shit, I'm so full." Iris burped and stared thoughtfully at Nyx, who perched at her feet on the edge of the bed.

"Good, right? And less likely to get me in trouble. Can you imagine the other nurse's faces if I got you KFC or something?"

Iris chuckled and chugged her drink. "I'd feel more sorry for the other patients. Having to eat the mush they make here. Yuck." She shuddered and brushed her fingers across her patchy scalp absentmindedly.

Once Nyx carefully buried all the fast food evidence in the bin, she grabbed Iris' file and looked at her. "Alright, Iris. Is there anything I should note down here for you? Anything at all."

The woman across from her rolled her eyes and leaned her head back into the pillows with a groan.

"Hey," Nyx warned. "Honestly, you are brattier than all the children I've come across!" Nyx didn't know what came over her and went to apologise when Iris broke into peeling laughter.

"Bitch!" Her voice held no malice, reminding her a bit of Selene.

Nyx instead stood there biting back a smile when Iris conceded. "Fine. I have a bit of a headache. That's it, okay? Now get lost, nurse. I need a food coma after that."

Putting the food tray away, she tucked the blankets around Iris and swiped away any crumbs. "Rest well. I'll try to see you tomorrow. I can't promise you a feast, though. You might have to be fasting again."

"Yeah, yeah," Iris mumbled, letting her eyelids flutter shut. 

A/N 
Happy reading ❤️