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There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Part I)

Everything is going to be alright.

Now that you’re here.

Do you trust me?

With my life.

Wendy’s eyes fluttered open slowly, the lights making her vision slightly hazy before things cleared up. The lady, Joy standing over her, a serene look on her face. A smile formed on her lips as she stared up at the short haired woman and Wendy opened her mouth to speak, the words familiar on her tongue.

(And in the back of her mind.)

Wendy pushed against the armrests and slouched slightly as she sat up, her face turned up towards the taller woman.

Wendy smiled again and got to her feet, shuffling slowly towards the door. The woman by the door, Wendy noted the gray tips with fascination, cleared her throat and held out a hand, slowly directing her towards the stairs in front of her.

Wendy nodded happily.

“I like Dr Irene. She always gives me sweets.”

The woman, Seulgi, quirked her lips slightly and Wendy noted it wasn’t quite a smile but thought nothing of it.

(There was something telling her that it was not something she should take heed to.)

Her shoulder ached and she was limping slightly, Wendy leaning on Seulgi to put the weight off her injured leg. They slowly hobbled down the staircase, an odd duo against the spiral structure but none of her friends took a second look at them, all just smiling and walking around peacefully. Wendy, despite the aches and pains jolting up her spine, smiled at her friends, lowering her head when appropriate as Seulgi steered them towards the infirmary where Dr Irene was standing with a clipboard.

Wendy noticed that her head was lowered as always, hair falling in lovely strands across her face.

And not quite hiding the scars that cut across lips that were the colour of cotton candy and eyes that felt like a fireplace.

***

Her lips tasted like cotton candy, soft, sweet and absolutely addicting.

There was absolutely no other feeling like this in the world.

And she wanted to keep it.

Along with that look in the other woman’s eyes, coy and barely lifting away from the floor after they part, fingers soft along her arm and with pink lips, pink like cotton candy, that parted slightly to let out a breathy whisper.

“Can we do that again?”

She chuckled and ducked her head closer, both of them hidden away from the others in their little aclove.

“We can do it as much as you want.”

There was a sparkle, like the stars she had memories of but no remembrance of seeing, and the brunette leant closer, brushing their lips together.

She tasted cotton candy again, soft, sweet and absolutely addicting.

(She folded the memory somewhere deep in her mind, hidden in a place where the light can’t reach because she wanted to keep this forever.)

***

“Hello, Wendy.”

Wendy smiled at her, the same smile the rest of the Actives were programmed to give when they wandered around like the children while they were in-house. Irene felt a shiver run down her smile as she looked into the warm brown eyes, the soft glow tainted by the deadened look in Wendy’s eyes, another common feature shared by the Actives. Breathing in deeply, Irene directed her to the examination bed, giving Wendy an arm as the Active struggled to get on the table, her swollen ankle giving away the reason behind her uncharacteristic stumbling.

“Just have a seat. I won’t be long.”

Wendy nodded and looked off into the air, her legs kicking out happily as she clasped her hands on her thighs. Irene gave the handler a look, Seulgi getting the message and stepping out of the room, door closing behind her in a soft click. Irene then went towards the medicine cabinet, extracting out the things she would need to help Wendy with her aches and pains after an engagement. Gathering the items in her arms, she then meandered back towards Wendy, the redhead snapping out of her trance just as Irene came to her side and directing her attention towards Irene.

(For the oddest reason, Wendy always knew when Irene was near.

Irene wasn’t sure if this was unnerving or sweet.)

“Are you going to make me feel better now?”

Irene would laugh at the childlike tone Wendy had taken on if it weren’t for the circumstances they were in. She merely nodded, a professional smile plastered across her lips.

“Yes, Wendy. Now lie back while I examine you.”

Wendy heeded her instructions at once, her eyes slipping shut. Irene sighed again, shaking her head at the redhead before pulling on some gloves, professionalism taking over her skepticism. Soon, she was absorbed in her work, taking down notes on the various bruises Wendy seemed to have accumulated in this last engagement as well as the strained shoulder and sprained ankle. She reached over for the bandage on the side table, fingers brushing past the purple forming around the swollen joint.

“I don’t remember how I fell.”

Irene’s head snapped up from her duty, eyes widening when she realised Wendy was looking at her with wide eyes, the look behind them unfamiliar to the brainwashed Dolls. Stifling her panic, Irene tried to keep her composure and replied genially while starting to bandage the ankle.

(And practically sidestepped unspoken question behind the statement.)

“Does it bother you?”

(What if she says yes?

Does Irene need to recommend a reboot?

What if that meant Wendy was dysfunctional and they sent her to the attic?

She can’t-)

“Should it?”

Letting out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, Irene shook her head, practically shaking away the doubts that had formed in her mind. She should know better than to question Joy and her “abilities”. Again, she answered without really answering, patting Wendy’s wrapped leg.

“We will always look after you.”

Irene smiled, putting a little effort into making this less “doctor” and more comforting.

(God only knows these people need it.)

Wendy seemed to respond to the smile she gave because her responding grin was different from the ones the Actives gave.

(Something Irene noticed seemed to happen around only her.)

“I know. You always take such good care of me after a treatment.”

Irene stood up slowly, ignoring the slight emphasis on the you and placed the remaining bandages on the metal tray.

(Why did Wendy do such out of character things?

She should follow up on this, question why Wendy wasn’t quite like the other Actives.

But something told her she shouldn’t.)

Irene jerked back slightly and cursing at the blind spot her not working eye had granted her. Somehow looking hurt and blank at the same time, Wendy lowered her hand and spoke softly, those wide eyes still present as she stared at Irene.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- It’s just that I was wondering.”

Irene pursed her lips but did not reprimand Wendy, merely choosing to question the redhead’s statement.

(What use was it, reprimanding someone who was essentially a baby?)

“What were you wondering about?”

“Whether someone looks after you?”

Irene blinked once, staring at Wendy openly.

“I’m sorry?”

Wendy’s hand twitched, as though she was holding down the urge to reach out again.

“You always look after me so well, I can’t help but wonder if someone is looking after you. You should have one. Because those scars look painful.”

Ducking her head, Irene let her hair fall in front of her face, hiding the scars she seemed to forget having whenever she was around Wendy.

“They aren’t - I’m fine, Wendy.”

Wendy looked almost sad when Irene peeked through her hair, the redhead’s body angled towards her in a way that had Irene questioning if Wendy wanted a hug. Before she could do anything stupid like draw her patient into her arms, Irene fumbled for that jar of sweets she kept around, a habit she couldn’t get rid off from her days as a paediatrician.

“You’re all done. Do you want one before you leave?”

The sad look melted off Wendy’s face in portions, leaving behind small ripples that Irene had to struggle to find as the redhead reach over happily. 

Wendy grinned at her, the standard Dolls smile on her lips and unwrapped the candy slowly and putting it into her mouth.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Irene smiled, somewhat relaxed (but not quite) that Wendy had fallen back into routine, ushering the girl off the table gently.

“You’re welcome. Now off you go. Try not to play around too much. You have to look after your ankle.”

Wendy nodded seriously and opened the door, greeting Seulgi with a smile before scampering off, presumably to go off somewhere within the Dollhouse. Irene waited patiently for Seulgi to finish her observations of her Active before the taller woman walked in, Irene handing over her report briskly, ignoring the brief flicker of her eyes towards the scar on her lip and her eye.

(And the brisk flash of pain that wasn’t present when Wendy was around.)

“I’ve added that she shouldn’t be engaging anything for a week because of her injuries.”

Seulgi looked troubled but accepted the file, her tone unsure as she answered.

“I guess. But ... you know how they are with Wendy, her being the top Doll and everything.”

Irene scoffed and turned back towards the side table, clearing up the medical equipment as she instructed calmly.

“Then tell them they wouldn’t have a top Doll if Wendy gives out from the lack of rest.”

Seulgi sighed behind her and murmured something inaudible before leaving, Irene only turning around when she was sure Seulgi had left.

She then drew her attention towards the candy jar, shaking her head again as she remembered the colour of the lollipop Wendy had taken today.

(Before that, it was the blue of her scarf.

And before that, it was the red of her tie.)

*

Wendy settled into her space comfortably, the sweet still held between her lips and staining her tongue purple as she turned her gazed towards the window, her gaze following the movement slowly.

(Her space.

All hers.

And someone.

Someone here with her.

Before.

Who is that?)

Shaking her head and willing the sudden pain to leave the back of her skull, Wendy pulled the candy out from her mouth and continued her observation, waving the lollipop in front of her. The purple treat soon became a blur and started to match the colour of the shirt of the person she had been looking at, her eyes following Irene’s movements as the older woman moved around the infirmary.

She was just making sure the space was clean and even such a chore was fascinating to Wendy.

Everything she did was fascinating to Wendy.

Ever since she had discovered that this alcove looked into the infirmary, it was all she did whenever she was done with her treatments, sitting there and watching this woman who drew all her attention like how painting drew her friend’s attention or that pool that seemed so popular with the others. She felt relaxed, like as though she’s been through many treatments at once, her body light and her heart soothed.

She watched as Irene cleaned the area she was sitting in earlier, observing the way Irene flicked her wrist to change the cloth on the chair and the fingers that smoothened out the creases that formed. Wendy pulled her own hand to her face and looked at her wrist and fingers and shook her head.

Irene’s hands were definitely prettier.

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her arms on them, dangling the lollipop a distance from her as she continued to look at Irene, mesmerised by the way Irene’s lips would form small shapes as she looked through papers and papers of words. She wondered just what was in them that had Irene so riveted, wished to ask about it so maybe those lips will make those shapes at her instead of from a distance. Maybe Irene would smile at her and maybe this time she can ask about that red line that cross her lips and her eye, the scars that make her wonder if there was anyone taking care of Irene the way she took care of Wendy.

(And the others. The others as well.)

As though by command, Wendy’s eyes trailed towards the scar running down the left side of Irene’s face, cutting through her eye and rendering it cloudy.

And again, the thump and ache in her chest came, her heart beating quickly and painfully, her breaths coming in short.

The lollipop fell to the ground, Wendy’s fingers clutching at her tanktop tightly. Though she loathed it, her eyes left Irene’s form and she concentrated on the abandoned candy on the ground, waiting for the moment that it stopped feeling like she’s been underwater too long whenever she went swimming. Counting till ten, the feeling soon subsided, though pangs of it remained, reminding Wendy of the scars that told her nobody was taking care of Irene, an answer she knew instinctively even though she had never gotten an answer.

She wondered if someone abandoned Irene.

Wendy frowned at the thought as soon as it formed.

That was wrong.

Someone as caring as Irene shouldn’t be abandoned like the candy on the ground.

Wendy continued to ponder on that, looking at the lollipop forlornly now that she realised she can no longer eat it.

(Irene shouldn’t have been abandoned.

But why did it feel like Wendy was the one who left her?)

#There Is A Light That Never Goes Out #WenRene #Happy Mel #LiNafied #HappyLiNaCollab