Chapter Text
Carina's POV
“Ciao sorellina! How have you been?” Andrea asks “ I haven't seen you in ages”
“ This is probably your fault because you are having crazy shifts and when we are in the hospital you evade me every time” Carina huffs.
“I'm not the one that has a crazy routine. Anyway, I came here to invite you to eat with me” Andrea asks.
“Of course, just give me ten minutes to get ready,” Carina says while she goes to her room to change her clothes for something more appropriate. “And what is this special occasion,” Carina asks from her room.
“I just want to visit my favorite sister,” Andrew smirks.
“I'm the only one” Carina takes her care keys and opens the door for Andrew to follow her to her car.
“I'm just worried about you,” Andrew says truthfully “I barely see you and I heard that you are volunteering in some program. You don't have time to see your friends ever since you know”
Carina looks at her brother and she can see that he seems worried. She softens a little about his concern.
“You don't have to worry. I'm completely okay and I will make time for it just because I want to help people and one of my patients talked to me about this program and I just started” Carina explains.
“I know that, but first you have to take care of yourself first, Carina”
“I will” Carina nods “ Where are you taking me because the last restaurant that you invited me to was il caffè era disgustoso”.
“Don't be dramatic” Andrew laughs “This place has an Italian owner so you don't have to put that face”
“You better,” Carina exclaims.
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“Buongiorno” Carina says to Jo as she is taking her place of work. “How have you been since your last shift?
“Hello Carina, everything is normal around here but I see that you seem happy today,” Jo asks her.
“My brother took me to breakfast and the caffè was delicious”
Carina arrange her things
“I'm happy for you”
“Thanks, enough for this chat because my shift starts like right now” just as Carina finishes her sentence the phone rings.
“Please, please someone take this” Carina hears someone say over the line. She hears a woman's voice but can't be too sure because the person is crying loudly.
“Ciao, this is Carina speaking” Carina responds as she always does. “Hello, is someone there?”
Carina checks if someone hang up on here because she can't hear anyone
“So I’m about to do something stupid because these flashes just can’t seem to stop,” the person says hastily.
“Can you tell me what are you going to do? We can just talk and I will listen to every word you say” Carina says patiently.
“I’m sitting in my car and I just want it to stop but it doesn't and I don't know what to do” the woman is sobbing as she explains her situation.
Carina begins to worry.
“What doesn’t stop? Can you explain it to me?”
“This flashes. I can still smell the smoke everywhere I go and I see burnt flesh. I'm going crazy” the woman sounds desperate.
“You are not crazy for what I could hear. You experienced something traumatic and you are struggling but you are still fighting and that is the important part” Carina tries to explain.
Carina knows that the woman probably doesn't believe her. She hears that the line has gone quiet for a moment again.
Hello? Are you still here?” Carina asks and she questions if the woman is about to do something bad for her.
“Yes, yes” The woman swallows thickly ”Sorry”
“Non preoccuparti” “I just want to help you” Carina explains.
The woman takes a moment to respond “You are helping, probably” “If I’m being honest you are the first person that I talk to about the flashes even if I know that my best friend is worried because I wake her up with my screaming at night” the woman says quietly.
Carina takes note of the way that she speaks self-deprecatingly.
“You are taking a step in the straight direction because”-the woman interrupts me
“You mean a step in the right direction” the woman corrects her politely.
Carina chuckles
“Yes, that. Sometimes the idioms are hard for me but what I was talking about is that you are talking about your problems. Yes, I know that I’m a stranger but still” Carina says happily “As my momma used to say Andrà tutto bene you just have to wait and see”
“Can I ask you what does mean because it sounds beautiful but I don't understand a thing”
Carina laughs at that “It means that everything is going to be okay” she explains.
“Well I take your word for that,” the woman says slowly “ So you are from a different country, right?”
“I'm from Italy,” Carina tells the woman
“I always wanted to go there. I heard that the country is beautiful”
The woman says dreamily.
“It is and the food is amazing. That's one of the things that I miss a lot” Carina says sadly remembering her childhood and her country that she misses dearly.
“Thanks for the help. I needed that, especially today” the woman says thankfully.
“Can I ask you what’s special about today?” Carina asks curiously.
“Today I'm going back to my job after a while,” the woman tells her.
“You must be excited, right?”
“A little, I'm mostly worried though”
Carina frowns.
“You are going to be amazing,” Carina encourages her.
“Thanks. I must go if I don't want to be late” the woman explains.
“Buona fortuna” Carina says “Before you go, can I ask for your name because in my head I’m calling you mystery woman”
“Maya. My name is Maya” Maya hangs up the phone after that.
Carina really likes the name and if she is being honest she's a little intrigued about her.
“Carina, come on. I was waiting for you for like 30 minutes and I'm starving” Jo says grumpily.
“I'm coming” Carina stops her daydreaming about Maya’s beautiful voice.
“Who was on the phone anyway?” Joe smirks “Because it was a long call let me tell you”
Carina rolls her eyes.
“Don’t be stupida” Carina says “It was just a call, same as always” Carina knows that she is lying because something with this particular call is calling to her.