The hospital was filled with commotion, keeping the doctors busy even if it wasn't an ideal situation. Everest and Andrew had just gotten out of a minor surgery and were now sitting in the break room. Andrew leaned his head back, slumping down in his chair. Meanwhile, Everest was stretched out on the couch, her arm covering her face.
     Dr. Miller walked in, hoping to find something with caffeine in it. She spotted Everest and smirked. "You owe me one, Sawyer." Everest didn't move. "Mhm." Dr. Miller leaned against the counter proceeding to explain how she completed the surgery. She made it sound so simple—a swift transplant with an equally speedy recovery. Everest knew she was downplaying the situation, which only fueled the desire to punch her in the face.
     "Oh, Sawyer!" Miller was halfway out the door, but she paused, a sharp edge to her voice. She turned back, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "Don't get too comfortable. Rehab doesn't fix everything."
     "You're right, Miller," Everest slowly sat up, letting the silence stretch for a moment. "It's not about fixing everything. It's about getting better." She never took her eyes off of Miller. "You should try it sometime." Dr. Miller straightened her posture. "That's an interesting perspective, Sawyer. Though, in my experience, getting better starts with taking accountability. Perhaps you should keep that in mind."
     She glanced at her watch, suddenly aware of the time. "I have patients to attend to. Some of us are busy fixing things." with that, she turned on her heel, leaving the room.
     Andrewer out a low breath as the door clicked shut. "Miller's just throwing darts like she always does. Let her waste her own time." He got up and sat on the couch arm. "Honestly, you've likely helped more people than Miller ever will."
     Everest nodded, still staring at the door. Andrew patted her shoulder. "Let's go grab some coffee or something." "Can't," she stood up and stretched, "I've got a cold in 3, stitches in 4, and scared parents in 2." Andrew raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough, duty calls." He made his way to the door, but turned to face Everest before reaching for the knob. He paused for a moment, his tone softening. "When you get a break, find me. Coffee's on me— I'll talk, or you know, listen if you just need to vent." Andrew gave her a slight nod before stepping out.

     Completely wiped from her shift and not in the mood to walk home, Everest decided to swing by her brother, Chase's, apartment instead. She needed a break before dealing with the rest of her night. When she knocked, the door opened almost instantly. Though Chase wore a mask, she could sense his wide grin. "Long day?" he asked, stepping aside to let her in. "Long doesn't even begin to cover it," Everest muttered, kicking off her shoes and collapsing onto the couch. Chase was used to her walking in like she owned the place.
     Chase dropped his mask completely as he headed for the kitchen, the three jagged scars across his face catching the apartment's soft light. "Dinner's in the works. But don't get too comfortable— You're setting the table." She smirked, tilting her head back over the couch to watch him. "What happened to 'my guest, my rules'?" "That only applies to normal guests," he shot back, tossing a bag of salad onto the counter "You don't count."
     Before Everest could fire back, a voice full of energy burst into the room. "Oh my gosh, hi!" Everest flinched, turning around just as a woman with wild curls and an oversized sweater bounced in. "You must be Everest! Chase said you existed, but I thought he was lying. I'm Bug she plopped down beside Everest without hesitation, her smile as bright as the sun.
     "Uh...Hi?" Everest managed, blinking at the whirlwind of a woman.
     "Wair! Sorry, am I being too much? Chase sags I come on strong sometimes. But I'm just sooo excited to meet you! He never talks about family." Bug leaned in, bringing her voice down to a low whisper. "He's kind-a a grump, huh?"
     "Bug," Chase called from the kitchen, his tone flat. "Stop terrorizing my sister."
     Bug waved him off without looking. "I'm being nice!" She turned back to Everest. "Anyways, welcome! Do you want water? Tea, maybe? I think we have cookies somewhere—oh, Chade might burn dinner, so maybe save room for backup snacks."
     Everest stared for a second before breaking into a laugh. "You are.... A lot, huh?" Bug beamed. "That's what everyone says! But in a good way, right?"