“You Didn’t Read Them?” Julia Had A Surprised Look On Her Face But She Really Shouldn’t Be Because

Julia smiled softly, understanding the issue being described because she’d been there herself - more times than she’d care to admit because you’d think she’d have learnt her session after the first. “We’ve all been there.” As they headed into the vast library Julia was relieved to feel the familiar wash of calm the old building brought with it. A place that housed so much knowledge with no expectations on it apart from that you feasted to your hearts content, she could slip away in here for hours on end. Reading while the outside pressures melted away until it was time to walk back out the doors again. “You have a cat stroller for her? Oh my goodness, I’ve only ever actually seen those used on television. Is it common for people to take their cats out for walks? I thought they were more inside pets. Especially in the city.” Not that she’d ever had one, though they were very cute and occasionally the thought had crossed her mind to keep her company in the times she wasn’t at the hospital, before she remembered that those hours were extensive and it wasn’t really conducive to looking after a pet. 

The offer of help was one she’d happy accept though, enjoying Zahra’s presence because it felt like they had a lot in common, even if the information they’d shared with each other was limited. It was just a sense the doctor got. “I’d love that, thank you. Why don’t we put yours all back in for return and then we can head up to the medical section?” Her voice lowering as they were now in the confines of the library. @ofzahras

"Not all of them, no. I guess I bit off more than I could chew. Thought I would save myself a few library trips, you know. Didn't really think what would happen when I had to return all of them." She had always been bit of a book hoarder, most comfortable when she knew the information she might need was within arm's reach, but she had previously also been able to take pride in being a fast, motivated reader with the ability to get lost in text even if she wasn't particularly interested in the subject. She had tried to get back to that routine, often re-reading books or research papers she had already deemed fascinating in one way or another, but the results had been less than satisfactory. She knew talking about it with someone might ease the shame, but unfortuntaly Zahra had never great at that. Still, she appreciated this little chat with Julia, especially since it allowed her to gush about her beloved cat. "I have to admit if I already got a cat stroller for her but I am still trying to figure out if I'm confident enough to take it out for a spin. Might garner some weird looks."

Her head tilted to the side as Julia explained what she was looking for. "Oh? I see. I'm not doing anything at the moment if you need help finding some books," she offered, hopeful to pass a few minutes with a clear goal in mind. "It sounds interesting. I'm sure you'll do great."

Julia didn’t comment on her helping because if the roles were reversed the last thing she’d want was another person drilling down on how they’d had to lend a hand. Too many people took pride in their independence for her to risk saying the wrong thing. Instead she just gave her a small smile with an incline of her head, picking up the handle nearest to her. 

“I don’t know if this can be considered a walk of shame, I mean what part of being well read is meant to be shameful?” If that was the case then maybe she should just bury her head in the sand right now because she’d much rather spend time with a stack of books than another human most of the time. “Or you could get one of those ones that old people take to the grocery store, the old lady shopper bags. Then no one would even know what was in it.” A shrug of her shoulders as they headed into the library, realising that Zahra didn’t realise that she was arriving rather than leaving. “Oh you know me better than that, I’m on my way in to pick up a couple I’ve had set aside for me. Don’t worry - I’ve not been replaced by an alien.” Julia joked softly. @ofzahras

While she had never been great at accepting help, Zahra was grateful she had run into Julia, and even more grateful she seemed to be more than willing to offer a helping hand. "Thank you," she sighed, still catching her breath.

Zahra pulled an amused face at Julia's suggestion. "That's not a terrible idea. Although I hope I won't have to do this sort of a walk of shame anytime soon." Yes, she could have made multiple trips to the library, but somehow that had sounded even more laborious before she had actually started her perilous journey. Now she wholeheartedly regretted making said decision. "But I will definitely keep that in mind if I do end up in a similar situation." Glancing at Julia, she managed a brief yet knowing smile. "I see you're leaving empty-handed."

Molly's Game (2017) dir. Aaron Sorkin

Pressure wasn’t something Julia nor Rhys were unfamiliar with but that was part of the reason why they needed these moments to kind of let go. Not in any kind of wild way, just step away from the hospital and responsibilities that came with their roles to be…well…people. Not doctors for a couple of hours. Not with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Letting out a weighted sigh she shrugged, a half smile on her face. “Living the dream, right?” Was Julia’s response as she zipped her hoodie up, not that it was cold but she’d only just woken up from a nap which meant there was a slight chill running through her. 

“Rhys, I’ve spent all day having to be confidant in my decisions, you think I’m going to stop now with something this crucial?” She joked, shoving her hands in her pocket as they headed down the sidewalk, pursing her lips as the new question was posed, considering. “Just drinking I think. If there is too much music involved I might end up with a headache, and not an alcohol related one. I don’t mean like no music playing, I just don’t really fancy live music.” She answered candidly, used to being required to make decisions quickly so at least this wasn’t alien to her.  @tctteredwings

Once Julia had agreed and headed off to get changed, Rhys slowly made his way outside the front of the hospital, finding an empty bench and taking a moment to check his phone. It had been a long day, one with very little time to sit down and relax, several intense surgeries had taken up the majority of his time, along with talking to families and organising his team. There were days when he wondered how he actually dealt with it, but thankfully on those where all things went right, it made it easier to keep on going. He did love his job, after all. Hearing his colleague's voice as she made her way outside to join him, he flashed a smile and got back to his feet again. "All good?" he queried, face brightening at seeing her. He had to laugh a little at her words, though, shaking his head in response at first but already beginning to walk. "You sure you're confident in that decision?" More laughter although he was already working through the options in his head. "In the mood for some music as well or are we just drinking?" An important decision that needed to be addressed before he settled on somewhere.

Julia didn’t know Zahra well - they were both in the library together on multiple occasions seemingly browsing or reading the same section, meaning she recognised her face as they came across each other at the door of the public library. As for judging her for this many books? That would be the pot calling the kettle black so instead she just gave her a small smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Here, you take one handle and I’ll take the other.” Luckily she didn’t have any books with her right now due to being on the way to pick one up, so her hands were free to attempt helping. Not that she was particulaly strong. 

“You need to invest in one of those wagons they put kids in to pull them along.” She joked lightly. @ofzahras

where: outside of the new york public library open: to anyone!

A drawn-out sigh escaped Zahra's lips as she stared at the massive, blue Ikea storage bag filled with books to the point where it would be a miracle if the bag remained intact for the last few steps. It had become evident she would not be finishing - or even opening - most of them in time, and paying late fees for the lot didn't exactly appeal to her. So, there she stood, trying to steady her breathing before entering the building. Evidently she needed to invest in a gym membership if she were to start lugging dozens of unread books on a weekly basis.

Feeling someone's presence next to her, she glanced at them almost sheepishly. "Don't ask," she muttered before flashing a nervous smile, "please."

Julia nodded with an understanding look in her eyes, not surprised to hear the unplanned was a cause for stress levels to rise, after all that was common with many people. “Understandable, well if you ever feel it getting to a level you cannot cope with then please do let me know and we can sort you out with someone to talk to. New babies as well as pregnancy both come with a lot of movable parts, unexpected developments, it’s a lot.” The mention of getting back to her normal life almost made Julia wince but luckily her experience in the industry had taught her how to keep her expression neutral when she needed to. If this woman thought her life was going to go back to being the same as it was prior to falling pregnant she had a big shock coming, but surely she knew that, right? She didn’t look stupid, quite the opposite. 

“I see…and when were you planning on taking this private plane over to Sweden?” Oh how the other half lived, but she didn’t need to think about that right now, it wasn’t important. Any kind of air travel was likely unadvisable as she’d already made pretty clear. “Which hospital have you decided to register with over there? And your doctors name of course - if it does go ahead we’ll want to make sure all your notes are passed across in plenty of time.” A calm smile as she waited patiently for the answer to be given to her so she could note it down. Still thinking this whole thing was an incredably bad idea. 

“I’m afraid I’m not kidding, this isn’t a joking matter. After all we’re all here to ensure the safe delivery of your babies - there is no ulterior motive.” Listening to the hypothetical situation she tried not to raise her eyebrows, there was so much resistance from the woman which surprised her since normally people with nervous dispositions were more inclined to do what the doctors instructed to ensure everything went smoothly. “Yes, I’m afraid you would need to do bed rest. And once they are both born, to ensure their immune systems are fully developed and neither have any issues at birth, you can fly after a month. Although normally we recommend not before three months. However I understand you would likely be keen to travel to Sweden.” @bjorkncaddel

𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 the doctor, swirling her wedding ring as a sign of nervousness, rested her hands now in her lap, as she remained in posture looking at the brunette before her. She shook her head. ❛ I don't think I need help. I got over it. I was just angry at first with a lot of small accumulations of things that turned out to be a big snowball. I am better…❜ She refers to mental state. Neva is more adjusted to her new life, and 'state'. After all a child, in her case children is a lot of changes in life without them. Trips are known to be a stressful thing to some people but not in her case. Neva needed it, and after her trips, she was a completely different person, lighter and less stressed. ❛ Unplanned things give me high stress even before this pregnancy. But I had to learn to manage my nerves. I'm accustomed to my new state and embracing it, and counting the days until these twins are out of me, so I can back to my normal life.❜ Normal life? Kind of a joke. She put in mind her life would be a little bit easier after having them.

❛ Of course. I mean, it wasn't the plan, but now it is. I wanted to have them in Sweden where I was born, and my husband suggested we go there to wait for them. My trip is all planned. We are going on a private plane to there. We have hospital, place, you name it. It's all checked, checked, aannnd checked. ❜ Not exactly all planned as she just stated, it was out of the blue this new trip, and she had everything settled, she looked for the hospital, a place to stay, her grandparents' house and lastly she needed to find a doctor over there, but hey! Baby steps. Neva didn't say anything to Julia, of course. But she was planning on bringing a doctor on board if anything got wrong.

❛ Are you kidding? I don't need a bed rest… ❜ Maybe, the health doesn't say the same thing. ⎯ ❛ Hypothetically speaking… If the exams get conclusive, will I need to do a lot of bed rest? And should I travel after they are born? How long can I hop in the first plane after they're born? Just remember, this is all a hypothetical situation. ❜ Because she is mentally preparing herself.

Julia Sato - Character Inspo Task #003

Miranda Hobbes (Sex and the City) Amy Santiago (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Miranda Bailey (Grey's Anatomy) Chloe Decker (Lucifer) Spencer Hastings (Pretty Little Liars) Amy Brookheimer (Veep) Lexi Howard (Euphoria) Violet Baudelaire (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

“Wind farm I think, it would be weird for there to be a lighthouse that far out but then again the reason for it would be because the rocks were hard to see, so I’d hardly be able to spot them from over here.” The dark haired girl responded, mirroring the move to rest on her own elbows once she’d finally sat down. “Mmm…maybe. What are you thinking of getting? Part of me is wondering if maybe a shaved ice would be better, kind of like a drink and a snack at the same time.” @tctteredwings

Ana nodded in response to what Julia was saying, trying to follow the other's line and sight, her eyes narrowing very slightly. "What conclusion did you come to?" she questioned thoughtfully, having absolutely no idea herself as she stared off into the distance. After several moments of this, she let a soft sign go, and then leant back on her elbows, closing her eyes for a second or two before she spoke again. "Did you want some ice-cream? I'm thinking of going to get some maybe..."

“Shit…” She looked down at her watch, fully aware her shift had finished a whole three hours ago. Luckily she wasn’t on shift again until tomorrow evening so she would have a little time to rest but this was Julia we were talking about so it was likely she wouldn’t do that anyway. “I was going home hours ago, but then I changed my mind. I wanted to be here when she came out of surgery incase something happened, so I could speak with her parents, I think they deserve that.” She rubbed her eyes mid yawn, letting it pass before speaking again. 

“She’s a fighter, and you’re an artist, she’s lucky to have you on her team.” The compliment entirely genuine as she let out a sigh of relief to hear the little girl was back in her room at least stable. That’s the least they could hope for right now. A drink. God that sounded so good right now - a chance to just take a breath, and the positive side of doing it with Rhys was that he would understand what she needed to detach from after the day they’d had. “Yes, absolutely, wherever you want to go.” Standing up from the bed as she tried to straighten herself a bit, still wearing her rumpled scrubs. @tctteredwings

Rhys did almost laugh at Julia's immediate reaction to being woken, but her words weren't exactly a laughing matter. That was and would always be the worst thing to get woken up over. At her second question, however, he shook his head and cast a glance toward his watch. "A little after eight-thirty now," he answered her. "I thought you were going home hours ago." His following words travelled with him as he moved around the room to pick up what he'd left there earlier. As Julia continued, he sobered, giving her his full attention. It was a serious matter, even if there was nothing bad to report. "She's doing fine," he answered. "We had a moment in there, but she's strong, she's a fighter. Knew that from the second I met her." A flicker of a smile then. "Everything went as planned." He grabbed the pen ( a favourite of his ) from the side, and then looked back to Julia again. "So you coming for a drink or what?"

As the blonde spoke, Julia noted down a couple of things on her iPad with the apple pen she had to go with it, silently hating the things because she was much more of an actual pen and paper person. This thing if you touched the wrong part it all would go mad - beyond annoying, especially when you were tired. “Okay, so did you manage to stay active at all during your pregnancy or is this something that’s been going on right since the first trimester?” Twin pregnancies were always harder on the body than single ones just because of the sheer strain they put on the body but that didn’t stop her from wanting to make sure there was nothing more going on underneath. “Have you had any blurry vision, sensitivity to light, shortness of breath, or swelling in your hands and feet?” She asked as she glanced up, wondering if there was a chance the woman had pre-eclampsia and her OBGYN just hadn’t caught it. @bjorkn

𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐀 small ghost smile appeared on her delicate features upon the light joke about being rich. All this time she was being extra careful because this was her first pregnancy to know she could've ONE glass of wine? She hated herself for not asking it before. A hand rested on her baby bump, as she rested her back on the backrest of the chair she was. ❛ I don't know how to describe it, but basically, I feel excessive fatigue, and very weak physically speaking. As if I lost my physical conditioning. Before this pregnancy, I was very physically active. Also, I'm struggling to keep food. I have morning and night sickness, and only afternoon I can eat decent. Also, dizziness as if I'm about to faint. My OBGYN gave me medications still I struggle these days as if there is no effect working.❜ One thing the blonde also noticed was that she was getting more sleeper.