Chapter Text
When you're a medical student, it's... Difficult.
But it's even more difficult if your practice takes place in a morgue.
Dead bodies of different ages. Or what's left of them, such as after an accident, a car crash, or a suicide. It would seem that now they're just meat, and it's not necessary to work directly with the corpse, because the most significant and challenging part of the job falls on the shoulders of the teacher. All you need to do is document everything, do your job, and forget about it.
This is exactly what Maria did.
At the very beginning, the pathologist, Viktor Sergeevich, advised her not to let everything that happens within these walls affect her, as she wouldn't be able to handle it for long.
Maria followed his advice. She comforted herself with facts, logic, and rules.
It's just a corpse. It's just a piece of cold human flesh. It's not a living person. It doesn't feel, think, or live. It's just a job.
Over time, she learned to maintain the same level of calmness, detachment, and composure as the other doctors.
She wasn't affected by the sobs of the relatives, the young bodies, or the gruesome circumstances of death. It only slightly disturbed her, making it almost imperceptible.
However, the longer it went on, the more she saw it, the more difficult it became for her to return to her empty apartment.
However, Maria didn't want to fill that void with alcohol or cigarette smoke. Her body wasn't perfect, and she didn't want to kill it at such a young age.
Instead, she found her own way—walking.
She wandered through parks, observing people, real people. However, she felt most at ease in the forest, where she couldn't smell the dust and filth of the big city.
It was fresh, pleasant, and peaceful. Maria felt as if she were alone with herself and the entire world.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
The autumn leaves rustled beneath her feet. Her slender hands are tucked into the pockets of her warm black coat, and her long brown braid swings with each step.
She takes a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh, slightly damp air. Pleasantly.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
The cool wind seems to blow all the thoughts out of my head. Maria doesn't think about the girl who was lying on the cold table today. Although it would be more accurate to say what's left of it. She doesn't think about the wild scream of the grieving mother who came to identify her.
Today, the student has repeatedly replayed in her head this sound, which she felt could have awakened even those who were lying in the refrigerator. Her words of condolence to the woman were just words or even sounds that she didn't hear, as the fact of her daughter's death resonated much louder in her mind.
Maria simply watched in silence. At that moment, words about the foolishness of the young girl who was mauled by dogs for entering a guarded area seemed unnecessary.
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
She stopped. A few meters away, something rustled and moved in the foliage.
The girl headed towards the sound and stood at a safe distance, quietly observing the scene and preparing for what was about to emerge from the bushes.
A snake slowly crawled out of a pile of yellow and orange leaves. It was beautiful, completely white, with red eyes. Its small body, covered in barely noticeable droplets of water, trembled slightly.
"What are you doing here?"
Maria stared at the animal for a moment, then carefully removed her jacket. Her movements were gentle to avoid startling the reptile further.
She covered the snake with her clothes, picked it up, and headed towards the highway. The snake didn't resist or even move, so the student wrapped it even more tightly in her clothes and took out her keys from her pocket.
With a turn of the key, the motorcycle engine came to life, emitting a distinctive hum and quickly gaining speed.
***
A familiar figure was already waiting for her at the veterinary clinic. Vlad kept his word and stayed at work, patiently waiting for her arrival.
– In the forest, huh? – the guy chuckled, listening to Maria’s story. – Well, it’s a king python. They don’t live in forests.
– Maybe him were thrown out? – the student suggested. The snake seemed to be upset by her words, darkening and slightly curling up.
– Maybe.
For a while, the herpetologist examined the animal, but at some point, he suddenly froze. Smirnov looked into the red eyes that had previously been constantly fixed on the girl and seemed to suddenly fall into a trance.
– Vlad? – Maria called out, frowning. – Is everything all right?
The guy blinked slowly, and a moment later, he seemed to come to his senses and looked at the girl.
– Ah? Yes, yes, everything is fine, – he said quickly. – Nothing critical. It’s just a slight hypothermia.
– So I can... Take him? – Morozova crossed her arms, looking into the red, unblinking eyes. It seemed that the python was evaluating her or looking into her soul, searching for something dark and disgusting.
– Yes, – Vlad nodded. – I’ll prepare the carrier and the documents, and you can go. With these words, the brown-haired man left the room. Maria remained standing against the wall. Watching the python tilt its head, she smiled at the reptile for the first time today, finding it quite cute.