Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty-one (Nat Version) (Patreon)

Here's Nat's version of the Unseen Scene from last time as the extra monthly bonus for staying over $2800!!

Hope you enjoy it :)

 (I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB) 

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At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

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The confines of her room had been too contained, too restricting, for Nat tonight. She’d meant to stay there—wandering around the cold, bland corridors of the facility isn’t a much more attractive prospect than staying in her room—but she’d needed space.

With her head buried in the pages of her go-to book for comfort, Nat winds around the tunnels of the facility without needing to look. It’s been a long time since she’d mapped the entire base in her mind.

It’s quiet at this hour, which is surprising. Many supernaturals either don’t need to sleep or are nocturnal, so at least the usual activity brings some comfort even if Nat’s not actively participating in it. She draws ease from being surrounded by others.

But everyone seems to be elsewhere tonight.

Until Nat stumbles on a lone figure down the corridor of the medical wing.

She contains the sigh that almost escapes her upon seeing Rebecca. It doesn’t seem that she’s slept or even moved since the Detective was brought in days ago.

“Rebecca,” she calls, not wanting to startle her as she approaches.

She turns to face Nat, her face drawn with heavy shadows bagging beneath her usually focused eyes. Her nails have been chewed down, as well as the distinctive scent of unchanged clothing.

Nat ignores it all to stand close beside her. “You look exhausted.”

“I am,” she replies, her voice hoarse. “But I’m not leaving.”

“I never thought to suggest it.” Nat smiles down at her, gaining a ghost of a smile in return from the fatigued woman. “But you’ll need rest for when the Detective wakes up.”

“I don’t care what I look like when I see them.” She brings her hand to her tightened lips. 

Nat frowns in concern. “They’re going to be all right.” They have to be. The thought invades Nat’s mind with such strength it makes her frown deepen.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if they’re not…” Rebecca admits in possibly the first uncertain way Nat has ever heard her talk.

Without hesitating, Nat wraps and arm around the woman’s shoulder to tug her into a hug. She doesn’t return it, but her body shakes with sobbing that she is trying her hardest to contain.

Nat knows neither will say anything to the others about this moment. It would break Rebecca for anyone to know she’s had an emotional moment such as this.

But it doesn’t matter. For this moment, Nat can do something, offer something, rather than just standing around with a fear clasping in her chest that she may not know what to do if the Detective isn’t all right either.