Beauty in the Breakdown (1/3)
Title: Beauty in the Breakdown
Author: dj_rocca
Word Count: 1,113
Rating: PG13 (language, medical drug use)
Characters/Pairings: Ruby Lucas, Doctor Archie Hopper, Granny
Disclaimer: I do not own "Once Upon A Time", this contains spoilers up to "Red Handed"
Summary: Ever since that moment in the woods, Ruby's life has changed, she thinks she's going crazy, and only one person in town can give her the answer.
~1~
Ruby Lucas sat on Doctor Archibald Hopper’s couch; her palms were flat against each other tucked between her thighs. She swallowed, glancing up to Archie who was studying her with concern, she chided herself. It was just Archie, she could tell him anything, she always could, and she always had. But this…this was different; this could make or break her, literally. He could label her insane and she’d have to be put away. But she couldn’t handle what was happening. Before she knew it, she was sobbing hysterically, Archie was instantly at her side, offering a box of tissues.
His strong, warm hand rubbed a circle on her back, she inhaled, her whole body wracked with sobs.
“Shh, Ruby, shhh,” he soothed, “You don’t have to be so anxious. It’s just me.”
That didn’t calm her, “That’s what makes this so hard, anything I say will change how you think of me!” she cried harder.
“Ruby, Ruby, hey, look at me,” Archie captured her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his face, “I do not judge, I’m a professional.” With those words, he let go of her face and returned to his chair, keeping distance between them.
In a rush, all she wanted was to have him back, to have his hands on her skin. She shivered as she felt a tingle race through her body, suddenly the room seemed to bright. It wasn’t the first time this had happened to her since she had found David Nolan in the woods. She blinked rapidly then closed her eyes, she fought the urge to rub her eyes, her makeup would sting like a bitch.
“C-can you close the blinds…it’s too bright…” she begged, and she immediately heard him push himself out of the chair and launch himself at the windows.
That’s when she felt something cold on her eyes that were clenched tight, “It’s a cold rag, let me help you to the bathroom, it might help to get your makeup off,” he said, guiding her by her shoulders to the small bathroom.
Trusting in his gentle guidance, he bent her forward, and turned on the water. She began to furiously scrub at her face, taking paper towels from Archie when she would lift up her head. Soon she felt better and looked to him, a smile on her face.
“Thank you,” she said, with his hand on her elbow, he steered her back to the couch, helping her to sit down.
He studied her now, natural face, “Now, please tell me what brings you here,” he said.
With a sigh, she looked up at him, “Something’s happened to me. You’re going to think I’m completely crazy, though,” she added.
“I will not,” he assured her, she heaved another sigh.
She let her gaze fall to the floor, “I can’t sleep. My dreams…they are becoming so horrific, it’s to the point I can’t even look at the forest anymore, “Archie nodded and she couldn’t stop the words from leaving her lips, “I keep seeing that heart, just sitting in that box. Oh God…I…” she stopped herself; she bit her tongue from confessing the worst nightmare she had. Within that dream, she took the heart, raised it to her lips and took a bite, quickly eating the organ, savoring the blood that raced down her throat.
“It’s natural that you would dream of that, it was traumatizing,” he said.
She shook her head and looked at him, “…Archie, I don’t know what to do, I haven’t slept right since…it’s almost been two weeks…”
“Ruby, come and ask me directly,” he said, knowing what she was trying to say.
She lifted her face, “Can you just write me something to sleep? Please? I can’t take it.”
He sighed, he hated giving pills when he felt that were unnecessary but she looked so desperate, so sad. He knew that it was his personal feelings for the girl getting in the way of his judgment but he pulled out his prescription pad and began to write.
“I want to tell you, right out, I do not like doing this and that due to my personal friendship with you I feel compelled to write these,” she nodded, guilt starting to set in but she was so tired and anxious, “This is for Eszopiclone, to help you sleep and to stay asleep. There are side effects if you stop taking it suddenly, it can cause symptoms of withdrawal, anxiety, unusual dreams, nausea and vomiting.”
She nodded, then rose, she took two steps to him, she took the slip of paper from his hand, “Thank you, Archie,” he watched her lip quiver as she opened her mouth again, “I…you don’t know how I hate even having to be here, to ask…”
“Ruby, you need to talk to someone. It’s my job to help you,” he said, he almost jumped when she captured her face, as he had held hers earlier.
She locked her eyes with his; she tried to find words, but instead bent down pressing her lips to his forehead. Feeling drained, she spun on her heel, and hurried downstairs and down the street for the pharmacy. She wandered the aisles as she waited for them to fill her prescription, flipping through greeting cards and cheesey romance novels. As they called her name, she hurried over, threw down the money and hurried back to the bed and breakfast, wanting nothing more but to sleep.
“Ruby!” her Grandmother’s stern voice kept her from racing directly into her room, she stopped and turned. Walking into the living room where her Gran was resting on the couch, the old woman looked to her, “Well?”
“I told him I had nightmares and I couldn’t sleep. He gave me some pills,” Ruby said, shaking her bag.
Granny snorted, “Doctor Hopper doesn’t believe in pills so you must have some hold on him,” she advised.
The girl sighed, looking wearily at her Grandmother, “I just want to sleep,” she whispered.
“I know, go on girl, I’ll be here,” she said, a warm smile slowly gracing her face, Ruby sighed in relief. She shuffled over to the only relative she had and hugged her tight. “I love you, Ruby. I just wish I could do something to make you better.”
Ruby almost wept at her words, “I love you too and I know,” and with that she headed up the creaking stairs to her room.
She grabbed a glass of water she had left from earlier that day and took the pills as directed. Kicking off her shoes and shrugging into some comfortable pajamas, she sighed as darkness overtook her and she knew nothing.
---
To be continued
---
Author: dj_rocca
Word Count: 1,113
Rating: PG13 (language, medical drug use)
Characters/Pairings: Ruby Lucas, Doctor Archie Hopper, Granny
Disclaimer: I do not own "Once Upon A Time", this contains spoilers up to "Red Handed"
Summary: Ever since that moment in the woods, Ruby's life has changed, she thinks she's going crazy, and only one person in town can give her the answer.
~1~
Ruby Lucas sat on Doctor Archibald Hopper’s couch; her palms were flat against each other tucked between her thighs. She swallowed, glancing up to Archie who was studying her with concern, she chided herself. It was just Archie, she could tell him anything, she always could, and she always had. But this…this was different; this could make or break her, literally. He could label her insane and she’d have to be put away. But she couldn’t handle what was happening. Before she knew it, she was sobbing hysterically, Archie was instantly at her side, offering a box of tissues.
His strong, warm hand rubbed a circle on her back, she inhaled, her whole body wracked with sobs.
“Shh, Ruby, shhh,” he soothed, “You don’t have to be so anxious. It’s just me.”
That didn’t calm her, “That’s what makes this so hard, anything I say will change how you think of me!” she cried harder.
“Ruby, Ruby, hey, look at me,” Archie captured her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his face, “I do not judge, I’m a professional.” With those words, he let go of her face and returned to his chair, keeping distance between them.
In a rush, all she wanted was to have him back, to have his hands on her skin. She shivered as she felt a tingle race through her body, suddenly the room seemed to bright. It wasn’t the first time this had happened to her since she had found David Nolan in the woods. She blinked rapidly then closed her eyes, she fought the urge to rub her eyes, her makeup would sting like a bitch.
“C-can you close the blinds…it’s too bright…” she begged, and she immediately heard him push himself out of the chair and launch himself at the windows.
That’s when she felt something cold on her eyes that were clenched tight, “It’s a cold rag, let me help you to the bathroom, it might help to get your makeup off,” he said, guiding her by her shoulders to the small bathroom.
Trusting in his gentle guidance, he bent her forward, and turned on the water. She began to furiously scrub at her face, taking paper towels from Archie when she would lift up her head. Soon she felt better and looked to him, a smile on her face.
“Thank you,” she said, with his hand on her elbow, he steered her back to the couch, helping her to sit down.
He studied her now, natural face, “Now, please tell me what brings you here,” he said.
With a sigh, she looked up at him, “Something’s happened to me. You’re going to think I’m completely crazy, though,” she added.
“I will not,” he assured her, she heaved another sigh.
She let her gaze fall to the floor, “I can’t sleep. My dreams…they are becoming so horrific, it’s to the point I can’t even look at the forest anymore, “Archie nodded and she couldn’t stop the words from leaving her lips, “I keep seeing that heart, just sitting in that box. Oh God…I…” she stopped herself; she bit her tongue from confessing the worst nightmare she had. Within that dream, she took the heart, raised it to her lips and took a bite, quickly eating the organ, savoring the blood that raced down her throat.
“It’s natural that you would dream of that, it was traumatizing,” he said.
She shook her head and looked at him, “…Archie, I don’t know what to do, I haven’t slept right since…it’s almost been two weeks…”
“Ruby, come and ask me directly,” he said, knowing what she was trying to say.
She lifted her face, “Can you just write me something to sleep? Please? I can’t take it.”
He sighed, he hated giving pills when he felt that were unnecessary but she looked so desperate, so sad. He knew that it was his personal feelings for the girl getting in the way of his judgment but he pulled out his prescription pad and began to write.
“I want to tell you, right out, I do not like doing this and that due to my personal friendship with you I feel compelled to write these,” she nodded, guilt starting to set in but she was so tired and anxious, “This is for Eszopiclone, to help you sleep and to stay asleep. There are side effects if you stop taking it suddenly, it can cause symptoms of withdrawal, anxiety, unusual dreams, nausea and vomiting.”
She nodded, then rose, she took two steps to him, she took the slip of paper from his hand, “Thank you, Archie,” he watched her lip quiver as she opened her mouth again, “I…you don’t know how I hate even having to be here, to ask…”
“Ruby, you need to talk to someone. It’s my job to help you,” he said, he almost jumped when she captured her face, as he had held hers earlier.
She locked her eyes with his; she tried to find words, but instead bent down pressing her lips to his forehead. Feeling drained, she spun on her heel, and hurried downstairs and down the street for the pharmacy. She wandered the aisles as she waited for them to fill her prescription, flipping through greeting cards and cheesey romance novels. As they called her name, she hurried over, threw down the money and hurried back to the bed and breakfast, wanting nothing more but to sleep.
“Ruby!” her Grandmother’s stern voice kept her from racing directly into her room, she stopped and turned. Walking into the living room where her Gran was resting on the couch, the old woman looked to her, “Well?”
“I told him I had nightmares and I couldn’t sleep. He gave me some pills,” Ruby said, shaking her bag.
Granny snorted, “Doctor Hopper doesn’t believe in pills so you must have some hold on him,” she advised.
The girl sighed, looking wearily at her Grandmother, “I just want to sleep,” she whispered.
“I know, go on girl, I’ll be here,” she said, a warm smile slowly gracing her face, Ruby sighed in relief. She shuffled over to the only relative she had and hugged her tight. “I love you, Ruby. I just wish I could do something to make you better.”
Ruby almost wept at her words, “I love you too and I know,” and with that she headed up the creaking stairs to her room.
She grabbed a glass of water she had left from earlier that day and took the pills as directed. Kicking off her shoes and shrugging into some comfortable pajamas, she sighed as darkness overtook her and she knew nothing.
---
To be continued
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