Chapter Text
Mel King did not know what was going on with her laptop. She picked it up and looked underneath like it would have the answer, but found nothing. The thing was ancient. Back when she’d finally caved and purchased it, she’d made sure it had two qualities: 1.) She could write, edit, and read papers on it 2.) She could play The Sims on it. It was all she needed.
Mel loved The Sims. It’d been her sole escape at times during college and med school, especially after she and Becca lost their mother. Mel spent so much of her time fretting over Becca that she had little energy left most days for anything other than telling her Sims to go for a jog, go to work, and take care of their babies.
She wouldn’t be able to play the game if she couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her laptop. A few days before, Samira Mohan asked Mel for feedback on a paper she’d been working on with a friend’s lab, and Mel promised to get notes back to her by the end of the week. She could not let down Samira. The girl was wound more tightly than Mel these days.
Mel tapped the keys on her laptop for the fourth time and groaned, then slapped the thing on the table and threw her head back in frustration. “Work, you stupid thing!” She slapped it again for good measure.
“That’ll show it.”
Mel looked up to find Dr. Frank Langdon standing over her, an amused expression over his face. Her face flushed hot and she looked down at the laptop. Of course he would see that.
“Do you know anything about computers?” Mel asked, annoyed. “I can’t get this stupid thing to work. I’m trying to help Samira with her paper.”
Langdon tapped the computer. “When do you need it by?”
“I told her I’d have feedback at the end of the week. Maybe I should just go to the library…” Mel grimaced at the thought of the public library. The last time she went, someone left multiple piles of human feces in the stacks. She didn’t feel like revisiting the stench.
“I can take a look for you,” Langdon said. “I’m not bad with computers.”
Mel’s face brightened. “Yeah? Thank you! That would be so nice of you. Here, take it.” She handed over the charger with the laptop and slid from her chair.
“I’ll bring it back for you tomorrow. You’re on tomorrow, right?”
Mel nodded. “Ah, you’re the best! Seriously, thank you. Here, the PIN is 23222.” She would be able to help Samira out, and that’s all Mel wanted – to be a good, reliable friend for someone she admired. Samira didn’t necessarily get Mel, and she still struggled to keep up with the way her brain worked, but at least she didn’t look over Mel’s head for someone else to talk to every time. She thanked Langdon two more times before leaving for home.