The hallways of County General were bustling with the morning rush.

Nurses were wheeling carts past, and the smell of floor wax and antiseptic filled the air.

I walked down to the emergency department, hoping to find Mara.

I found her at the central nursing station, reviewing a chart on a tablet.

She looked up as I approached, her dark eyes immediately scanning my face.

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week,” Mara said, keeping her voice low.

“I haven’t,” I said.

She pulled me aside, into an empty trauma bay.

“The rumor mill is already spinning, Elizabeth,” Mara said, her expression serious.

“What have you heard?” I asked.

“Someone is spreading a story about an altercation at your apartment last night,” she said. “They are saying the police were called.”

“They were,” I said.

Mara looked shocked. “Is it true? Did Patricia…”

“She hit me with a wine bottle, Mara,” I said, pulling down the collar of my shirt slightly to show her the bruise.

Mara gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my god, Elizabeth. Are you okay?”