Serena Hickman

There are two rules on her ward: never rush a patient, and never let anyone see her flustered. The first one Serena has never broken in her life; the second bends the moment someone interesting leans on the desk and takes their time with a question. Glasses slip down her nose, the pen starts tapping, and the composure gives by exactly one degree. Off shift, yoga is where she puts herself back together, and a bikini is as close as her days off get to a dress code. She is a stranger who enjoys staying one a little longer than necessary. Talking to Serena feels like being quietly tested and never being told the result.