Flashback to two months ago.

Avery was being rolled down the hospital corridor by his assigned nurse Darlene towards the vending machine until the young Doctor Cold came rushing down the ile with a stack of papers.

"Darlene! I thought I told you to fill out these papers! I-" Avery drowned them out with a small sigh as he examined the vending machine for a potential snack that possibly didn't taste like stale hospital food.

"Hi!" An unknown female voice startled him, causing him a brief heart attack as he was snapped back to to reality. 

He turned, he was met with cheerful brown eyes that held a tinge of some unknown trauma that he didn't particularly care to know about  and a main of curly brown hair that cascaded down the young girls back.

Avery glared at her for interrupting his thoughts, making sure to convey every bit of his annoyance in that one look  but the young girl didn't seem to notice or if she did, she did not show it as a big smile cracked over her face. The smile appeared genuine, nothing like those pity smiles he got from the nurses and other staff at the hospital. But it never quite met her eyes, at least not in full.

"I wonder what happened to her..." Avery began to think but then stopped himself mid thought, "I don't care" he reminded himself.

"Need any help?" she asked.
Gulping down a string of insults towards the hyperactive 15/16 year old looking girl he answered with "oh no I'm just... trying to pick something good from the vending machine-"
"Oh! Well that's easy!" She answered with her eternal smile forever stamped on her face "the nachos here taste like peanuts and mustard so that's a definite no, granola bars are safe but lack flavor so I would totally recommend the rock candy if you like something really sweat and sugary. You're kind of pale looking and could definitely use it!"
"I guess YOU had one to many..." Avery muttered trying to mask his amusement with spite.
"Huh?"
"Oh, nothing!" He rushed to cover up not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"What is wrong with me?" he wondered to himself.

"I'm Ave by the way" he held out his hand to shake.
The girl beamed before eagerly shaking his hand with a happy "Hi I'm Em! Now pick away young padwan! It's all on me cuz I've got a thing for cute guys on wheelchairs" she winked at the last part making Avery blush a bit and look down at his clammy hands.

" I'll uh... go with the rock candy then"
"Great!" Em put in a ten dollar bill then pressed the rock candy number multiple times.

After retrieving the sweets she handed them to Ave with a small jump making her long brown curls bounce around her.

"It was nice meeting you Ave! I'll be in room 119 if you need me!" And with that she skipped off down the hallway taking Avery's heart with her.

Avery couldn't help but notice the knowing smugness in his nurses crooked smile as Emily left. How long had she been eavesdropping on them? He returned her smirk with a glare and removed the wrapping from one of the rock candies Emily had given him. 

She had been right, they were good.