Othered

Quinn’s life had been plagued by health issues. She’d been unable to work for the last two years. Her health issues had worsened in that time. The restaurant she’d worked at shut down out of nowhere. She’d been told hours before the rest of the community was told. No reason was given. Rumors swirled anyway. People talked about their experiences. She had her suspicions as well. She’d been doing okay as a Dishwasher since they’d opened. Her savings had run out a year and a half after the restaurant shut down. 

She’d been unable to get Disability. Despite all her efforts. The Disability Lawyer told her there wasn’t much he was able to do. Her inconsistent healthcare was an issue. She’d not been able to get everything done due to not having the financial means to do so. She’d been told she didn’t qualify for Medicaid. No reason was given when she was denied. Only that she didn’t qualify. She’d let the medical bills go to collections. She’d written notes on each one informing people of her extreme financial hardship. Theo wasn’t able to help much. His own health issues and fixed income didn’t leave much. He helped as much as he could anyway

Quinn had mass applied everywhere she could after getting denied. Her lack of recent work experience along with her health issues kept her from being able to get a job. People didn’t want to take a chance with her. They saw her as too much of a liability. That she’d ask for too many days off because of her health. She hadn’t gotten to the point of having an interview. She’d grown depressed over time as a result. The medical trauma she experienced had taken its toll on her. She was rarely listened to. She’d pushed back anyway. 

She’d done nothing but speak her mind at each appointment. It was her pushback that left the Doctors unwilling to see her. On top of them not being able to do much anyway. She’d stopped going to Doctors altogether after a while. She’d exhausted all options in finding help. Nobody knew of any programs to help her get the care she so desperately needed. Recent hospitalizations left her far more traumatized. She was barely treated for what she was experiencing each time along with not being listened to. She didn’t want to even go to the hospital even when she needed to. 

Hayden had taken a chance when he hired her as a Dishwasher. He was willing to accommodate her. He saw how hard she worked during her shifts after her first week there. He’d given her the day shift knowing that’s the kind of pace she was able to handle. She’d managed to save most of what she made because of her dad Ben taking her to and from work. He’d worked around her schedule during the school week. He’d substitute on the days she was off. She’d pay the few bills she had and save everything else. It wasn’t like she did anything anyway aside from work. 

A year passed before she quit out of nowhere. A co-worker kept accusing her of things she hadn’t done. She’d be exonerated over time. He’d begun making comments that she’d call him out on. While everyone else watched. People who did nothing. She had enough during what ended up being her last shift. He’d made another comment not long before her shift ended. She’d called him out citing he had no room to talk. That he barely did anything anyway. He’d aggressively gone toward her as if he was going to harm her. Hayden walked in as that was happening. He’d yelled at Jackson before he could hit her. She looked at Hayden and told him she quit. That she wasn’t going to continue working in the kind of environment Jackson was creating. Hayden tried everything, including moving everyone around so Jackson wasn’t working while she was. Quinn didn’t care. She clocked out and left 

She packed up her things the next day and moved out of Florida. She moved to Colorado knowing she’d likely be able to get the healthcare and help she’d so desperately needed. She’d saved barely enough money to leave by that point. She didn’t care that she'd be in an extended stay hotel for the foreseeable future. She’d mass applied to places before she boarded the plane. She’d managed to get Disability along with Doctors who actually listened to her and helped in whatever way they could. She was on medication that was helping her. She’d also begun using Marijuana on a consistent basis to minimize the Pharmaceutical medications she needed to talk. She’d worked two days a week as a Budtender. Her life overall had improved far more than she’d ever thought possible