Chapter 297: No crying
"I’m sorry. I don’t know what overcame me." Dr. Cox sobbed while Maria, bless her, rushed to wrap the other woman up in her arms.
"Oh hush. Don’t even worry about such a small detail. Clearly, you’ve been keeping this inside. Damn it, Andy, why do even your colleagues share similar traits to you?" Maria joked, but her tone had lost a bit of its humour. Andrew wasn’t as surprised as he should have been at her outburst.
While Dr. Cox had taken on the added responsibility that had been shoved her way by the other managers without complaint, Andrew knew that wasn’t always a good thing. She already had a plate full, and while he had a feeling that Dr. Liu knew a bit more about what her personal life was like considering that it appeared that had an open line of communication, that couldn’t be true for the rest of the manager team.
Dr. Cox hadn’t even hinted that she had an issue with taking over while Richard was in heat and manifesting. But Andrew had seen over the last few days how that had kind of been her breaking point. She was exhausted, and not just some basic level of exhaustion.
She was bones deep exhausted. The kind that had to have been going on for a long time before now. It was in her, an everyday part of her. Andrew had seen how she had taken medication almost every lunch like clockwork and Andrew would put money on the fact that it was probably some kind of pain medication.
She was a Doctor, she knew she shouldn’t be relying on that kind of stuff to get through her day, but she was also a single parent and from what Andrew had seen, probably had no family to fall back on to rely on for anything. That, or she was like Maria had implied, unable or unwilling to rely on others. Andrew would bet that it was a mixture of both.
Andrew shrugged at Maria’s comment, Hewett in his arms smiling at Andrew warmly as he moved.
"I honestly didn’t get to choose, Maria. Max just told me I was working here, and who was I to argue? It’s his company, he knew best where to put me." Andrew told her and Maria sighed while Dr. Cox tried desperately to collect herself, but was unable to. Dr. Piper got out of her chair, concern on her face, in her movements as she moved around her desk and went to Dr. Cox.
"Ainsley, I’m sorry I told Andrew about it. I just-I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I promise. I just wanted to talk about it with someone. It was so unfair what was happening to you, and I didn’t think it was a negative thing. Andrew’s not a bad guy, and he wasn’t doing it just for you. I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to make you cry." Dr. Piper apologised and Dr. Cox shook her head.