She's dressed so nice! Hailey winced inwardly as she glanced down at her own outfit. A Star Wars t-shirt—not even her best one. Just a generic, fake vintage shirt that anyone could pick up from a box store. While she mentally debated the merits of her Star Wars t-shirts, Emily greeted her.
“Hey, Sergeant Reyes! It’s, uh, going. Not bad—it's not going bad. I'm fine. You look nice. Professional, I mean.” She gestured awkwardly at her own outfit. “I’m not on duty, so... yoga clothes. Third shift. It’s... interesting.” Her words tumbled out faster than she could rein them in. “How are you? How’s your day?”
She was rambling. It was always worse when she was tired, and after weeks on third shift, she still wasn’t used to sleeping during the day and being up all night. The sleeping pills she resorted to left her groggy, and the slight bags under her eyes gave her away.
The exhaustion reminded her of boot camp—those early days when sleep deprivation was part of the process, breaking them down as civilians to rebuild them as soldiers. She’d kept a level head through it back then, but that kind of sleep deprivation was temporary, a controlled challenge.
This... this was different. Third shift was a long-term adjustment, and it was wearing on her.
Hailey gave Emily a weary smile, both embarrassed and exhausted by her own rambling. So pretty. The thought flickered unbidden through her mind, followed by a quick mental reminder: But so taken. Something Hailey would have to remind herself of often as the day progressed.
“Hey, Sergeant Reyes! It’s, uh, going. Not bad—it's not going bad. I'm fine. You look nice. Professional, I mean.” She gestured awkwardly at her own outfit. “I’m not on duty, so... yoga clothes. Third shift. It’s... interesting.” Her words tumbled out faster than she could rein them in. “How are you? How’s your day?”
She was rambling. It was always worse when she was tired, and after weeks on third shift, she still wasn’t used to sleeping during the day and being up all night. The sleeping pills she resorted to left her groggy, and the slight bags under her eyes gave her away.
The exhaustion reminded her of boot camp—those early days when sleep deprivation was part of the process, breaking them down as civilians to rebuild them as soldiers. She’d kept a level head through it back then, but that kind of sleep deprivation was temporary, a controlled challenge.
This... this was different. Third shift was a long-term adjustment, and it was wearing on her.
Hailey gave Emily a weary smile, both embarrassed and exhausted by her own rambling. So pretty. The thought flickered unbidden through her mind, followed by a quick mental reminder: But so taken. Something Hailey would have to remind herself of often as the day progressed.