She Hurts
Ξ February 18th, 2009 | → | ∇ PG, fanfic, gen |
Title: She Hurts
Author: astrothsknot
Fandom: Dollhouse/Neighbours
Rating: PG, Gen
Characters: Katya Kinski/Sierra, Susan Kinski-Kennedy, Adele de Witt
Disclaimer: I don’t own a tv show
Spoilers for all aired episodes of Neighbours and Dollhouse
Sierra wasn’t always Sierra.
Katya’s been with the team nearly six months before they find out. What did she expect, seeing one of the darlings of the national game? The big surprise is that it took so long.
It’s all there in the rag, SECRET VICE OF NAUGHTY NURSE. The drugs, the cars, the whoring (Zeke and Rachel can’t know about that. They can never know about that.) They got her as having wild drug-fuelled orgies with the currently-in-rehab Torelli and O’Neill. She’s never even seen them outside the club and club events. Why let facts get in the way of a good story?
“I’m sorry, Katya,” says Coach. He looks almost regretful as he passes the sheaf of papers to her. “But we can’t have the club brought into disrepute, not with the last drugs scandal just passed.”
She looks at the letters, trying to will them into coherence, but they won’t go. She picks up the pen, but she’s shaking too much to hold it.
“It’s a generous package,” Coach says. He holds out a fresh pen.
“I bet you never had Mark Torelli or Chris O’Neill in here signing a severance package.”
Coach sighs. “Katya, that’s different and you know it is. You’re a good nurse, but they’re players.”
“What? It’s a numbers game?” She snaps, bitterly.
“Exactly. More of you, than there is of them.” Coach passes her the pen. “And these are your numbers. It’s a very generous package.”
“What about Craig?” She’s nearly crying and she’s ashamed of herself for grovelling, but it’s nowhere near the worst thing she’s done.
“I’ll deal with him. He’ll understand.”
“What if he tells you to shit in a hat?”
“Then you won’t need this settlement and the no-contact clause won’t matter.” Coach hates crying women, he’s better with men, but it’s a shitty deal for the kid. Footballers could shag a kid up the arse before a match and the public will still love them. But a grieving kid whose father was so wrapped up in himself when he lost his wife to notice she’d lost her mother? Throwing her out the house to become a junkie whore who stole cars for her pimp, who turned herself around to become a nurse with no help from anyone?
Yeah, right.
***
Katya signs. There’s nothing else she can do.
Susan calls her as soon as the news breaks, voice full of love and concern as she tries to persuade Katya to come home to her family. “Give yourself a chance to think, love. Forget all this happened, put it behind you.”
“I don’t want to bring the press to your door, Susan, especially after Rachel and that teacher. Could you imagine? I can’t do that to either of you.” Katya wipes her tears. She’d vowed not to give them the satisfaction, but Susan’s voice just reminds her how alone she is in Adelaide and how the call she really wants hasn’t come.
“Then we’ll come and see you. You can’t be alone at a time like this.”
“I was going to go away for a bit, do some travelling. I got a good…” She sobs.
“I’m booking the next flight, sweetheart.”
***
It does help, having Susan, Zeke and Rachel there. It’s nice to be fussed over for a change, Mum was too ill to pay her much attention and Dad? She’s never really forgiven him.
Rachel and Zeke have gone to bed and Katya is lying on the sofa, her head cradled on Susan’s lap. “Will you be coming with us? “ Susan asks as she strokes Katya’s hair while they watch some terrible Danielle Steele romance.
“I don’t know. I wish I could go somewhere where nobody knows me and I wish I could forget everything.” She keeps her eyes on the TV as her head tingles with the feel of Susan’s hand. “I wish it could be like this. I wish it could be like this all the time.”
Susan smiles as Katya snuggles down further into the chair. “You look like a little girl just now.”
“I wish I was a little girl again, all safe and warm,” Katya says sleepily. “I can come home if I want to, right?”
“Of course you can, sweetheart. You know that,” Susan chides gently.
But Katya doesn’t hear her. She’s gone to sleep.
***
Susan knows before Katya tells her that she’s not coming back to Erinsborough. No matter how much Katya wants to be a little girl again, she can’t.
“But what I can do is forget,” she says to Susan the next morning. “Go to a country where no one knows me or gives a shit about Aussie bloody Rules.”
“A holiday’s a brilliant idea,” agrees Susan. “Change is just what you need right now.”
“And I’m a nurse, it’s not like I’ll ever be short of work,” continues Katya.
“Stop sounding like you need to convince yourself.” Susan stokes her face. “You’ll always have a home with us. Just remember, you can’t run away from yourself.”
***
Most Americans can’t tell the difference between an English and an Australian accent. She doubts Adele de Witt has that problem.
“I think you are a young woman of singular talent,” says Ms de Witt. “We can always find a place for such person within our organisation.”
She pushes a sheaf of paper and a pen towards Katya. The younger woman looks at Ms de Witt over the rim of the delicate cup. “And I won’t remember any of it?”
“You’ll be just like a child again. Safe and warm.”
Katya signs and this time, there’s no hesitation.
