Long Nights & Early Mornings, <3333 Eric

[aaralyn lina young]

Arrggghhh. Wrong account.

[breryan lilly jones]

She could literally feel her bones protesting her movements. Her skin felt a bit loose, as if she could just step out of her layers like an oversized coat. She had worked for a straight twenty-nine hours, both out of obligation and insomnia. Breryan had no idea what she was doing killing herself like this. She had put in overtime hours as an intern, just to alleviate the boredom associated with her inability to sleep. Now, off her shift and bone-weary, she walked into the restaurant, almost like a zombie. She took a seat at an open stool, and rested her head in her hands. Breryan was still in her scrubs, and had all the appearance of a new intern. Her long, dark hair was the only thing out of place, since she had let it fall about her shoulders after her shift. Her graceful fingers tapped out a melody to the piano on her skin, and her shoulders slumped slightly as she leaned against the counter. “Coffee, Miss?” asked the waitress, humor evident in her tone. Bree raised her head and gave a polite smile, nodding. As the waitress poured her a hot cup of liquidized caffeine, the soon-to-be doctor sighed. The night hadn’t been anything but normal. The usual stitches and broken bones were easy enough to coast through on no sleep. What bothered Bree was a case of child abuse she had witnessed, well, attended to. A little boy had severe bruises up and down his arms, while his bottom lip was broken, and still bleeding. The dark-haired intern had been told to stitch up the boy’s lip, but nothing else. As she finished with the task at hand, Bree realized that even if she did report the abuse, there was no central government to penalize the parents or abuser. Coming out of her dazed recollection, the young woman sat up straight and looked about as if someone had called her name. She noted that there was a booth open, yet, and even though the fabric of the seating was horrendous in her mind, the overall comfort level was appealing enough. Catching the waitress’s eye, Bree motioned to the booth, letting the woman behind the counter know that she was moving. So, slipping from her chair, and gracefully taking her cup of hot, black coffee with her, Bree wholly missed the young man who was passing her by, and bumped into him without any hesitation. Her cup of steaming liquid spilled over her torso, burning her skin through the thin material. Breryan gasped, balling up her fists as the empty cup hit the ground, clattering loudly, but not breaking. She didn’t immediately see if she had gotten him with any coffee, but instead closed her eyes and cursed in her head vehemently. When Bree reopened her eyes but a fragment of a second later, she sighed and looked to the person who she had ran into. “I’m so sorry!” Bree said, her brows furrowing in her self-anger. “I didn’t even see you there!” Can't you even keep it together, Breryan? She scolded herself mentally. Pathetic, if you can't even stay awake enough to function after a shift. "I'm sorry..." She repeated, hooking her hair behind her ears, looking entirely ashamed as she met his gaze.

[eric sacha pierce]

He had always been one for the night life, nocturnal by most peoples standards. Working in the late afternoon, when everyone else is quitting, and then having the entire night to himself, sleeping during the day. Well sometimes, it all depended on his mood, and if he felt like spending time on the race track. For it was much more entertaining at night. His mind wandered about freely, not staying on one topic for long.

Why had he even gone to Buckley's anyways? It was late, and he didn't feel like being at home, and if he messed with his cars anymore he would probably go insane with an OCD attack. So, it was time to get out and let his mind just wander. Nothing to worry about or to ruin a night out right? Sure.

He made his way towards an empty seat, once more lost in his mind trying to make sense of his internal storm of memories, and thoughts of the future. Only to be brought quickly back to reality as he felt himself get bumped into, a sudden sensation of hot liquid, the smell of coffee began to fill his mind. Okay, wake up dumbass.. He scoulded himself before realizing someone was talking. "No, it's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention either. You okay?" He asked, looking down at his shirt, well, if they didn't need showers before then, they definately did now. That and something for a burn. Ouch. Eric knelt to pick up her now empty glass, offering her a slight smile, meeting her gaze.

"Don't worry about it really, I think I needed that." He laughed softly, offering her a light hearted smile. "How about I get you another cup, and make sure you make it to your table?" He smiled, no he wasn't upset, why should he be? Sure he was just scalded with really hot coffee, but hey. He hadn't tripped and made a fool of himself. that was a plus, right?

[breryan lilly jones]

"Don't worry about it really, I think I needed that." Breryan snorted and shook her head. She could feel the hot coffee on her skin, and felt her embarrassment heating her cheeks to a bright red. ”I don’t think anyone needs hot drinks poured over them. Well, lets hope that you didn’t get a 2nd degree burn…but yes. Another cup would be wonderful, thank you.” She smiled politely at the guy, noting his appearance. He had to be young. She’d have to say about 20, or about there. He was athletic, and looked pretty much healthy. He was much taller than her, with dark hair and eyes to match. Bree sighed again and took the empty mug she had spilled all over them both, the smile still planted on her pale face. After a moment of collecting her thoughts, Bree cleared her throat and hoped that her southern accent wouldn’t be so thick now that she was calm. ”I’m Breryan. Bree to most… “ She held out her hand as they stepped towards the booth to where she was headed. After shaking his hand, she took a seat, with another sigh escaping her pale-pink lips. She ran a hand through her long, dark hair, and crossed her legs underneath the table. Her fingers played about on the tabletop, tapping out the same favorite melody. Now that the boiling heat of the black coffee woke her, her nerves were worn and she felt anxious, even though there was nothing to be anxious of. The shifts at the hospital were killing her, and she hadn’t even achieved the end of her internship yet! ”Once again, I’m sorry. I’ve had the longest of days at the hospital. I’m just so… frayed at the edges. Are you sure you’re not too burned? I could take you back to the ER, and check it out.” She knew she was being a bit too regretful, but for the same reason she was on edge was the same reason why she couldn’t seem to shut her trap. Oh, Bree. she said internally, get it together…. Her mind jumped to her home, the warm bed that was awaking her, the lure of her violin’s music. She could feel her body becoming angry at it’s abuse, but Bree instead ignored her body’s urges, wanting to get at least another cup of coffee in her stomach, and possible some greasy, unhealthy food. Not to mention the young man in front of her was her victim of a scalding. She felt guilty about being so dead on her feet. What if she was at the hospital and something like that had happened? She could’ve injured a patient or fellow doctor. That would be unforgivable. Every physician knew the key to giving up to par medical services was to take care of your own body, too. She had to get some sleeping pills then. Since sleep evaded her like she would evade the plague, Bree assumed that this problem wasn’t going to be resolved on it’s own. Not when she was only 26, and perfectly healthy. Something else had to be at play there. As she thought through the medical reasoning for her insomnia, she came to the realization that her mind had slipped off for a couple of minutes, and she left the young man in front of her, mentally, without any warning. So, she snapped back to attention, bringing her sincere smile forward. Yes, she most definitely needed that coffee.

[eric sacha pierce]

A soft laugh escaped his lips, and he offered her a shrug. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had burns." He smiled and shrugged. It was true, being a gearhead came with it's share of cuts, bruises, burns, and such. So it was either get used to it, or go home. Eric got another glass of coffee, and a glass of water, making his way back towards the girl who well... Assaulted him with a hot liquid, a playful smirk playing across his lips.

"It's nice to meet you, Bree. I'm Eric, and well... I couldn't tell ya what everyone else calls me." He laughed offering her a wink as he handed her a new mug of coffee. Eric raised an eyebrow taking a seat across from her, shaking his head. "Honestly, it's fine. Don't be sorry." he laughed, "I should be worried more about yourself. It looks like you got more on you." He nodded towards her coffee stained scrubs. "Besides... The hospital brings up bad memories." He shrugged sipping his water.

He couldn't say the same about being tired, and wore out from work, as badly as Breryan seemed to be. But, perhaps that was because he didn't quite suffer from insomnia, nor any other sleeping disorder. Unless of course you consider being a mostly nocturnal kind of person a disorder? The dark just soothed him, he preffered the chill air of night time, over the blistering heat of day.

"I think everyone is a bit frayed at the edges lately." Eric replied flickering a glance out into the street, the sound of a passing car catching his attention momentarily. A past rival in a street race, who apparently noticed eric's car in the parking lot. It was hard to miss afterall, sticking out like a sore thumb, the candy apple red queen of the night... Focus Eric. Once more the young man had allowed his mind to stray upon the peice of sheetmetal and paint within the parking lot. Instead of upon the young woman before him. "So, what do you do at the hospital?" He asked offering a polite smile. "If you don't mind me asking that is."

[breryan lilly jones]

Breryan laughed at his remark about hospitals and bad memories. Most people despised the place for the sick and healing. She couldn’t blame them; the only reason why the majority of people went to hospital was because they were sick, or in need of some medical service. Signifying to the waitress she needed a refill of hot coffee, Bree grinned and rested her elbows on the table, her face in her hands. The young doctor’s gaze studied Eric’s, noticing that he too, dazed off. "I think everyone is a bit frayed at the edges lately." Well, she could certainly agree to that. The little boy flashed in her mind once again, at how he remained quiet as she stitched him up, and as she asked him about his injury. Her stomach tightened in anger and sadness. What could she do? It’s not like she had any authority to take the boy from him parent’s guardianship. And even if she could, what would Breryan do with him? Brisbane was a warzone for the AE and the Service. Anyone who lived here, at this time was in danger. She had to watch herself as it was. She didn’t need some angry parents and their friends coming after her. So, instead, Bree took solace in knowing that it was her career to help other people. Maybe in the long run, the good she would do for others could overcome the bad she would see. She’d have to hope so. . "So, what do you do at the hospital?" Eric asked, ripping her once again from her reverie "If you don't mind me asking that is." Bree smiled, enjoying the polite smile Eric wore in return. ”I’m an intern. I’m almost finished with my one-year internship, and then I’ll be a full-fledged doctor.” She grinned and flipped her hair to the other shoulder, sighing as she did so. ”My specialty is internal medicine. So if you’re ever in the ER, request me. I’ll give you the good drugs.” A laugh rippled from her throat, and Bree noticed how even in her laughter her accent was evident. As she quieted, she hooked her hair behind an ear and posed a question to her new-found acquaintance. ”What about yourself? What’s your chosen profession, or do you even have one?” She cocked a brow, giving him one look over quickly. “You do seem really young.”

[eric sacha pierce]

Eric tried to avoid the hospital at all costs. He would preffer to just lose half his blood, because he cut his hand open, than he would to just go get a few simple stiches, and a bandage. Thats just the way he was, stubborn and defiant. Always willing to just go against everyone and do what he wanted, so that HE was happy. After all, he's had to grow up taking care of himself, thanks to his older brother, and his stupidity.

His attention fell upon Breryan once more. A soft smile spreading across his lips as he noticed that she too was studying him. He took in her soft, and beautiful features. The dark circles under her eyes, from stress, and lack of sleep. How she occasionaly slipped off into her mind, as he often did. It was a bit... Interesting to him to be honest, to find someone else that seemed to be lost in thoughts that they couldn't seem to put away.

"Oh, I bet your excited." He smiled, watching as she flipped her hair, sighing as she did so. His eyebrow arched ever so slightly, before the smile crept back across his lips, growing slowly as she spoke, a laugh escaped his lips. Quite a rare thing for the times. "I wouldn't take any other kind of drug." He winked playfully. Her accent wasn't lost on the youth, in fact he'd noticed it. And deemed it adorable. Yes, adorable.

"Ahh... Well, when your talking of my profession. I suppose you'll also learn that it is my obession... And my drug of choice." He grinned. "I own a garage a few blocks from here, where I work on cars, and build racing engines... It's nothing special. But it pays the bills, and it keeps me from going insane." Eric shrugged, smirking at her last comment. "I'm 21... Which I suppose could be considered young to some, and old enough by others." He teased playfully.

[breryan lilly jones]

Breryan couldn’t help but be amused by his playful flirtations. The slight wink and grin he presented to her. Her own grin was solid on her lips, and she rested her head on one hand, watching him as he told her about his profession. Cars, then? It was endearingly male. Well, it sounded as if he already had a name for himself, with his own business and everything. Bree didn’t know too much about the internals of a car, preferring to work instead with the blood and gore of living matter. But to each his own. ”Only 21? Well at least I don’t feel so old sitting across from you. I’m 26, myself.” She took another sip of her coffee, enjoying the hot liquid traveling down her throat, supplying her with caffeine. It was ironic. She was off, her duties to the hospitals released for a short period of resting time, and she couldn’t sleep. Insomnia was a dangerous thing for her to deny as a problem, but she reasoned that sooner or later her body would crash on it’s own, seeking it’s own relief. For now, she didn’t mind making a new friendship. ’Ah, if we’re talking about obsessions then,” She said playfully, replacing her cup on the table, “I’d have to let you in on my own.” She smiled once more, shrugging and continued. ”It’s nothing compared to tinkering with the insides of a car, but I find it just as enthralling. I’m a classical musician. Piano and Violin. Since I was about 8 years old I’ve been playing.” Breryan paused a moment, allowing for her lungs to refill with air slowly. ”You have to show me your garage sometime though. I’m not completely lost on the beauty of a well-oiled machine.” What was the human body other than that, though, in membranes and cells and living things? So, Bree could see a blooming friendship between the two of them, both people who would work on perfecting for fixing machines of different sorts.

[eric sacha pierce]

It wasn't possible for the young man to help himself. Flirting was a habit that he'd grown into. A soft smile spread across his lips as he returned her gaze. She had beautiful gray eyes, and that accent was adorable. And the more he thought about their professions the more he realized just how similar they where. They both worked on machines, but the complexity was definately different. He could rattle off millions of ways to fix a car, but when it came to the human body, he knew very little. Other than pain killers made pain go away, and that drugs made you act odd, oh. and that lack of sleep wasn't fun. But other than that he couldn't tell you what bone was connected to the next, and why anything moved. It just escaped his grasp.

A lopsided smirk play'd at his lips hearing her speak of his age, and smiling a little wider as she spoke of her age as well. "No why would you feel old sitting next to me?" He smiled sipping his drink, the liquid soothing the dry feeling in his mouth. His gaze flicking momentarily out the window, being drawn to movement near his car, but relaxing as he realized it was just an elderly woman getting into her car next to his. His gaze returned to Bree, offering a soft smile as she began speaking of her obsession.

"I'd love to hear you play sometime... My mum used to play the piano for me..." He nodded, his expression losing a bit of it's cheer however as he brought up thoughts of the past. Of his parents... Something he rarely thought of. Always trying to live in the moment. He smiled at her words and nods. "It would be my pleasure to show you my garage, even if it isn't much." He nodded, trying to be modest. It was just a wore out old warehouse, with a small loft just above it. Nothing fancy. But it worked.

"But it's nice to hear that there are still people to appreciate the beauty in well oiled-machines." He smiled tracing his fingertips along the brim of his cup. It was always fun to create new friendships, and to have new people to talk to. "But I still hold much respect for you, I mean I don't know that I could handle all the stress of being a doctor. I admire you, really I do." He nodded, the look sincere and polite. It was truly a wonderful thing to have someone to talk to, to focus on, instead of having your mind on just your problems. It helped to have someone else to care for, especialy in these times.

[breryan lilly jones]

Breryan didn’t quite understand how to take and appreciate the gratitude and praise she got when she mentioned her career. To be a doctor was a continually humbling thing. You won cases by healing and curing patients, but you also were beaten back by the sheer number of people you lost. Their faces would stick in your mind like glue; plaguing your sleep and making you regret any wrongful move or decision. That’s why her music was so vital to her, it allowed her a temporary release from the memories. It swept aside everything but the pure language of music, caressing her better than any lover might. Helping heal her continually broken heart. And in truth, there was only so much one human might do for another. She smiled at Eric, glad to have another person to speak with. One that didn’t want a treatment, demand a result or yell and scream at her for a loved one lost. She found that having perfectly healthy friends was a very hard reality to earn. ”Well, whenever you don’t see me in the ER, I’ll be free to play for you.” She gathered her hair on one hand, running the other free one through the long strands. It was hard for her during the early morning hours. She always felt nostalgic, wondering if she might be able to see her family at some near date. Her father was a man just like Eric, he adored old cars, fixing them and restoring them. It was where she received her appreciation for such a trade. It took a lot of patience to figure out what needed to be repaired. She laughed as she responded to his sincere admiration for her. ”I’m only human, Eric.” She said, shrugging. “Being a doctor is only me wanting to help. The stress is completely worth it, to see my patients get better and leave.” She let her eyes wander to the window, once more releasing her hair and resting her chin on an upturned palm. ”Why’re you here this early? I mean, it is pretty early…”

[eric sacha pierce]

"I would really like that."

He nodded as she offered to let him hear her play her music sometime when she wasn't busy in the ER. His gaze followed her movements as she ran her fingers through her hair. It was a bad habit to study people around him as he spoke with them. Trying to determine wheter or not they would accept a wager on a race, or wheter they would really pay him for work done to their cars, or if theyd end up pulling a gun on him and threatening to kill him if he didnt do what they wanted. He didn't fear them. He was a thinker, and always came up with a solution.

"A rather beautiful human at that."

He offered with a playful wink, and a polite smile.

"A great way to help, especially nowadays."

Eric nodded his agreement. It seemed like there were more people in the hospital now, than there ever was. The crime made sure of that. So many thugs taking advantage of the chaos and sending the innocent people into the hospital after such encounters with idiots.

His gaze fell to his cup as he continued tracing the rim of the cup, a slight smile spreading across his lips.

" I needed something to drink, and a quiet place to think for awhile. Memories of the past keeping me from my usual tasks.."

He said with a slight shrug and another polite smile.

"How about yourself?"