Over the several hours that it was taking for Abby to watch Jim sleep, Helen take care of Emily, Fran to cry all of her emotions out, and for the situation in the warehouse to continue, Melinda and Sarah were about to have a very serious discussion.  However, what they didn’t realize is that this discussion was something that would have a major impact on events to come.  It was a simple fill-in that could change the outcome of events and of the political status of two races of humans, who could live in peace together or not.

It had not taken Melinda long to return from Sarah’s office.  Sarah hadn’t had Ruby’s unconscious body on the bed for more than a few minutes before her assistant came back in, ready to wrap her up like a Christmas Gift.  Sarah watched her coming in, trying not to move a whole lot, still understanding that she’d been hurt in her scuffle with the Anti-Large crazy woman.  She smiled as Melinda came back in and quietly thanked her for getting the jacket.  Sarah reached for a few small objects attached to Ruby’s belt and set them on the table on the side, radio included, not even bothering to look at them.

Melinda had stopped before handing the straight-jacket over to Sarah.  She still had her doubts, which she spoke of when she finally did hand it over to Sarah.  “Listen, Sarah…I know you’ve been more than kind to me, all this time, and I think the world of you, but…I really don’t like this.  These things are supposed to be for patients that are threatening to hurt themselves, not visitors who come in here, like she did.”  She paused for a moment, before reaching down and pulling Ruby up.  “I’ll go along with your decision, because you’re my friend, but I’m just saying…I don’t agree with this.”

Sarah nodded towards Melinda for a moment, making sure she knew that she understood what she meant.  Melinda was absolutely right.  It wasn’t right to use a straight-jacket on someone like this, but the circumstances were hardly normal.  There was a lot that Sarah was intending to protect, and she couldn’t let Ruby leave, for the time being.  She let Melinda know that Ruby couldn’t leave as they finished fastening the jacket on her body, after folding her arms. 

As they set Ruby back down, however, Melinda came over to Sarah and sat by her, on the bed.  She looked at her, trying to pierce her with her ocean-blue eyes and got a worried look on her face.  “Why, Sarah?  What’s so important that she can’t leave at all?  I mean, I understand that she was a raging breakdown of a person on her way in here and she was incredibly rude to me on the phone, but…there’s something else.  I know there is.  I know we haven’t spent that much time together, outside of work, but I always know when something’s bothering you.  Your pupils are quivering.”

Sarah was starting to feel a little nervous at what Melinda was saying.  There was something else.  Plenty of it, in fact.  Her pupils were quivering, just as Melinda said they were.  She gulped for a moment and kept herself quiet.  However, she didn’t for long.  After her pause of silence, Melinda wrapped her arm around Sarah’s shoulders and spoke to her again.  “Listen, I’m your friend.  I’m here to listen to your problems, to help you with them.  Please, tell me what happened.”

Sarah’s body chilled from feeling Melinda’s touch.  That woman may not have had many friends around the workplace, but she was a constant stream of emotions.  She knew just what to do when someone was having a problem.  The feeling of her arm, the look on her face, the tone in her voice, it all started making Sarah feel more comfortable around her.  In all the time they’d spent together, Sarah had enjoyed being around Melinda, just as Melinda had enjoyed being around her.  She felt that they’d created a friendship over time, from that first day that Melinda had walked into the building, a nervous wreck, until today, when she was being comforted by Melinda, herself.

She softly nodded and looked to the ground as she said “Alright…I’ll tell you what’s wrong, Mel.”  Melinda was ready to hear what she had to say, but stopped for a moment.  She repeated that last statement in her head, time and time again.  Sarah hadn’t called her by her name, she’d given her a nickname.  She called her Mel.  A smile came to her face as she nodded towards her.  She didn’t say a word about it, but she felt very happy to be given a nickname by her.  She simply pulled Sarah a little closer and whispered in her ear.  “Tell me all about it, Sarah.”

Over the next good while, Sarah wove the tale that she’d found out from Abby, all while having Melinda’s arm nearby.  She spoke of Jim coming to the University, meeting Fran and Abby, being kidnapped, being hurt, being brought back to the Infirmary, and of the conversation and scuffle she had with Ruby.  She left out no detail, ensuring that the full scope of what happened came forward with her statement. 

Sarah was ending her story by talking about how she had to work hard and protect the campus, that she could not let anything happen and that she, alone, would ensure that nothing would come about, because of this.  As she was finishing up, she started sounding more and more emotional in her voice before Melinda let a warm smile out and provided her with more actions.  She wrapped both arms around Sarah and gave her a warm hug. 

“Don’t worry so much, Sarah.  You don’t have to stand up and protect the school, all by yourself.  You’re always the tough one, the protector, the one who wants what’s best for everyone.  Well, you’re not alone.  I’ll help you with whatever you need to make sure nothing happens.”

Sarah couldn’t help but let out a little smile and impulsively let her head rest on Melinda’s shoulder as she stared out into the room, whispering back to her.  “…thank you, Mel.”  They sat there, next to the wrapped-up Ruby, still not noticing the little red light blinking on the radio, not realizing they had just given all of that information straight to that lonesome, yet busy warehouse.