Chapter Text
The morning was bright and warm. The sun shone through a clear window that sat perfectly across from where Marlene was seated. It reflected off the white walls in a nearly-blinding light, causing tears to form in the ends of her eyes. She squinted to ease its harsh glare, standing to her feet and changing seats. It felt like she'd been here for hours, and the sun getting situated right in the middle of the sky wasn’t helping her patience right now.
“You can do this," she spoke to herself mutely under her breath, fidgeting with a piece of paper in-between her fingers. "Don't screw it up."
She deepened her breaths, trying to channel the anxiety that threatened to swell in her throat. Each exhale soothed her and she was able to cross her legs comfortably. The mirror across the waiting room was eying her invitingly, and it didn’t take long before she caved in to its temptations. She took a quick glance around the empty waiting room and sprinted from her chair to fix her hair and make sure nothing was stuck in her teeth. When she was done, she took the liberty of practicing her professional smiles and grins.
As she stared at her own reflection, something familiar bubbled in her stomach. A feeling that encapsulated her giddiness of where she was and what she was doing. Before she could give another thought about it, she pulled a silly expression in the mirror. What she saw caused a genuine laugh to emerge from her throat.
If she was resigning herself to such a career, then this might be the last opportunity she had to feel like herself. Something about that made her frown and want to contemplate on her life’s goals for the millionth time since she sat herself in this room.
A voice snapped her back to reality.
"Miss Bruenizelle?"
She stood up straight and folded down her clothes - not wanting her formal gray suit and skirt to get any wrinkles. She made eye contact with a lady leaning against the door frame, smiling politely. Something told her that she had just witnessed Marlene’s brief moment of childishness, and her face burned in embarrassment. She cleared her throat and began walking over, keeping her voice confident and certain.
“That’s me.”
The woman’s eyes observed her attire before nodding and gesturing behind her. “If you’ll follow me.”
She grabbed her papers sitting on the coffee table and rushed to keep up, nearly tripping in her new high heels as she did so. She corrected her posture and cooled down the blush on her face. It was obvious she wasn’t used to such professional wear, and she loathed the fact that she couldn’t hide it. She hoped it wouldn’t get in the way of what she was to accomplish today.
“You’ll be talking to one of Jack’s assistants, as he is out for the day,” she informed Marlene as they walked together through the corridors.
She tucked a strand of her brown hair behind one of her ears as she glanced at the closed doors and rooms they passed. Everyone here was either in formal getup or lab wear, tackling things like paperwork or grabbing a cup of water by the cooler. She observed a man flirting with his coworker as they chatted over their cups of coffee, the woman laughing and lightly batting at his chest as she demurely turned away.
The assistant came to an abrupt stop, making Marlene nearly trip as she struggled to stop her steps in time. She regained her footing with a sheepish smile. But she didn’t seem to mind at all, ignoring her bashfulness and opening a door in front of them.
“Please wait here while he finishes up with one of his meetings. It won’t take long,” she assured. Marlene muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ and walked right in. The door shut behind her, effectively closing her in this small space.
A clean desk with an empty chair awaited her, and she took a seat as she gently placed the papers in her lap. Part of the wall had a few glass windows, allowing the wretched sun to follow in and brighten things more than the artificial lights did. She felt her eyes well up and rubbed them as gently as she could, not wanting anything to rid the formality she’d worked so hard on before coming here. Coming to this interview with teary eyes was not something she wanted to happen.
The moment she hit her early twenties, her plan for the future was to get her dream job she always wanted. She worked hard after high school graduation to get her bachelor’s degree and endure years of medical school. Last year, she finally obtained her license and only recently completed her exam, making her officially board-certified. She was looking forward to getting more experience and knowledge as she sought her first official job, more than willing to take whatever was handed to her.
Her friends and family had always described her as being full of spirit in her childhood, carrying a strong passion for anything she was interested in. She pursued her interests with dedication and was fully committed to making those around her happy. Even in her teenage years, she went out of her way to volunteer in local programs and help with churches and charities. It was this care for other people that led her to wanting to diagnose and treat those who may be suffering, or needed any help. She strove to bring good things to people, to make them happy -
- Thus, psychiatry.
Being so passionate meant that her mind often wandered from her, and she daydreamed more than she did actually doing things at times. Marlene felt a little detached from reality, burying her nose deeply into books and various studies that interested her. She became enamored with otters particularly. She thought they were adorable and, much like the other things she expressed a vague interest in, there was no end to the notes she took, learning everything about the mammal and unintentionally making it part of her personality. Her love for the ocean and its inhabitants was something she’d never be able to part from, no matter what career she accomplished in life.
Being a veterinarian had crossed her mind. To specialize in caring for aquatic animals. But she couldn’t stomach seeing these wonderful creatures in pain, and having to stitch them up and perform surgery…it made her stomach churn. As much as she would love to care for them, a human’s mind was less messy. It was heart-breaking to end these side studies to focus on obtaining a degree, but time passed and she finally felt okay with it.
She was single. Not that she was seeking anyone while she sorted out her life. Oh, she would listen to her heart if it ever spoke to her - an urgent whisper to a handsome man or a guy she’d bump into coming in to work every day. But right now, it remained where it was, pumping the blood she was so glad for and took for granted. One night stands and one-sided infatuations were the last thing on her mind with everything going on.
The door opened, pausing her mid-thought. She kept her expression neutral, trying not to come off as eager as she felt. Keeping her emotions in check was going to be a challenge. Her eyes widened a bit at the young man that entered the room. He had a business suit on, of course, with gelled hair and a wide smile that made her feel a little nervous. He must have had plenty of rest, as he visibly perked up when he sat across from her.
She inhaled deeply as he gave his introduction.
Here we go…
“Fuck!”
Marlene banged her head on her apartment door, having not watched where she was going. Her eyes were closing nearly every second and it felt like her feet were going to give out. Her interview had gone on much longer than she expected. She left a good impression on the man, who ended up hiring her on the spot. She was brought into a lengthy conversation about their company and even got to meet some of the staff, whom she got lost in talking to as the hours ticked on.
It was getting dark by the time she returned to her car and drove home. Her roommate would be asleep soon, thank God. She took the keys out of her pocket and flicked through them until she found the right one. She opened the door and nearly tripped on her high heels for a third time. With a frustrated grunt, she kicked them off her feet and winced as they slammed into the wall. She stiffened as the sound reverberated off the walls, but Rhonda didn’t stir, so she sighed and shut the door. She cursed under her breath. She hated those damn things. A foot rub every day wouldn’t cure the damage it would do to her feet.
She didn’t enjoy wearing any of these suits or skirts. She was used to casual wear and swimsuits as she spent time on the beach and aquariums. God, what had she sacrificed her life for? She got the job she wanted, the pay and benefits were great. She just hated all the expectations that came with it. She studied the field of psychology for so long that it felt like she had dedicated her life to it - a ridiculous notion, but one that felt more true than anything right now.
Then there was New York.
She got the job, but the only openings were in the company’s other location several states away. She loved California for its waters and programs, but her longing for this job and a stable life overcame her loyalty to her homeland. So, she was planning to move. The man who interviewed her told her to search elsewhere, as New York was such a long way, but she doubted she’d get such a good starting pay anywhere else. Everything was set for her - all she needed to do was find somewhere that was convenient.
She headed into her kitchen and prepared a cup of hot chocolate, a treat for all the searching and budgeting she’ll have to do tonight. Her heart beat nervously in her chest, knowing this was a big decision that will change a lot of things for her. Affording an apartment in California was not an easy feat, but she had managed it working at aquariums and zoos caring for the animals, so she was sure she’d find something in another expensive state.
Plus, with the pay she was getting, she wouldn’t have any issues at all. She’d live comfortably in a busy and... smaller …place, but if that was the price for affording good clothes for once, she wouldn’t complain. She wanted to be in a good neighborhood where she could make a few friends. It wasn’t much to ask for, right?
When she told her parents of the news, they insisted on paying for her trip. Marlene spent a bit of time arguing over this, but reluctantly took their help and was able to afford a good airline with better seats than she usually got. She had secured a down payment on an apartment that was only a mile or so away from her job in New York. It was well within her pay-range. It felt like such good luck that she was almost feeling a little suspicious of it all.
… Almost . Like she’d complain about a haunted building or a less-than-favorable neighborhood! If things went well, she could save up some money to afford someplace better. But for now, this was a great start to things, and she anticipated starting her new life in a completely new and foreign place.