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Georgie doesn't know what's happening in the archives these days. It sounds like a lot, from the way Basira talked to her (didn't talk to her, more like). Georgie doesn't know how much she really cares about this, whatever latest world-shattering drama they're dealing with this week. She doesn't know how much she cares about what Jon is doing (– well, that's a big fat lie, isn't it. She cares about him a lot, despite everything, despite how little he seems to care about himself.
But no, she'd walked out of that hospital room. She'd made the decision that whatever he'd pulled himself into when he woke up from a six-month coma without a scratch, she couldn't keep losing sleep over it if he refused to do so himself. The decision to disengage from his consistent lack of self-regard, for the sake of her own emotional health.
It wasn't an easy decision to make. it hasn't been an easy decision to stick to. But her life has been simpler, and if sometimes she wakes up feeling an ache in some corner of her heart after a night he shows up in her dreams – well.)
But the point is. If she doesn't know what's happening with Jon or the archives, she knows absolutely nothing about what's been happening to Melanie. As concerning as her last hospital visit was for Jon’s sake, she didn't miss the suspicious absence of Melanie, or Basira's refusal to explain it to her. She hasn't missed how Melanie hasn't been answering her calls for quite a long time now, even before Jon's coma.
Georgie has been fielding the questions that people in their mutual friend group casually ask about Melanie over drinks with a sympathetic but light "she's going through a lot right now" and moving on from the topic. She knows many of them must remember her increasing sullenness and frustration from even before she stopped going on casual outings with them entirely, though. Georgie had been told a bit more of it herself, being in the privileged position of already knowing about the spooky nonsense at the Magnus Institute, but she still heard about things like the failed murder attempts only after the fact, hadn’t been confided in as Melanie planned.
Then eventually Melanie stopped talking to her altogether. Even if Georgie wasn't scared for her, she knew that the archives were a dangerous place, and knew it wasn’t a good sign. Jon had been on his globetrotting trip at the time but returned soon, and was able to confirm Melanie was alive, at least. He seemed minimally surprised at Georgie mentioning the cut-off contact, like there was an obvious reason he could conclude it was. But when Georgie asked, he said Melanie would probably not want him to tell her. One point for the "Jonathan Sims respecting others’ emotions, he can do it if he tries" column, on the bright side, but still.
And now Georgie knows everything has gotten worse over there, and Melanie is still not picking up the calls that Georgie still sometimes makes, and she doesn't want to let go of Melanie like she forced herself to let go of Jon, but – well.
One night a couple weeks or so after Jon wakes up, Georgie picks up her phone to see one missed call from Melanie. She hadn't even heard her phone ringing. Melanie must have called Georgie, then hung up immediately. Georgie has no way to know if it's an accident or hesitation, but it's Melanie, at least, finally. Georgie tries to call back only to be met with familiar silence, but she still has that missed call.
A few months later, the same notification appears again. But this time, a minute or so later, Georgie's phone is ringing for real. She picks it up before Melanie can hang it up again. "Hello? Melanie?"
"Uh. Yeah." says the voice on the other end. She sounds – crumpled. Not fired-up in frustration like she had been last she was talking to Georgie, but worn out and tired. But it's definitely Melanie. Then, awkwardly but with an audible weak smile, "Hey, Georgie."
"Oh my god, Melanie," Georgie almost laughs with relief. "It's good to hear from you! How are you, How have you been?" She's not going to pry. She's going to give Melanie her space.
"I've been..." Melanie gives a hollow laugh tinged with bitterness. "I've been through a lot these last few months." Georgie hums softly in understanding. "I think I'm. Getting better now, though. Started going to therapy recently, it’s been – good. Helpful. It was my therapist who suggested I call you, actually." She pauses. "'Reach out to the people you left behind', you know." Another pause. "Sorry I did that."
I'm sorry too, Georgie thinks. She says, "It happens sometimes. I understand. I'm glad you're not leaving me behind now."
"Thanks, Georgie," Melanie says softly.
“So what do you need,” Georgie gets to business decisively but keeps her tone warm. “Do you want to talk about what happened or do you want me to distract you? I can do either. Tell me how I can support you, Melanie.”
“Wow, you’re so no-nonsense,” Melanie says, but with an audible smile. Then she sighs. “God, yeah, you really deserve to know what's been going on these days.”
"I don't 'deserve' to know anything you're not comfortable telling me," Georgie says firmly.
Melanie gives a short hmm. “Yeah, but I think I want you to know. God, the other day I had to vomit out my feelings out at Jon, of all people. Not because he made me or anything, that time, I just needed to make him understand –” She sounds frustrated. Georgie gets it. “Gah, and you don’t even know why he’s especially frustrating these days! There’s really been a lot that’s happened.” She takes a deep breath. “I’d like to keep you in the loop. I’d like to be friends again.”
“We never stopped being friends. Don’t worry.”
Georgie can hear the exhale of relief that Melanie tries to stifle. “Oh. Oh, good.” Georgie lets Melanie have her awkward pause here as she’s processing this. “So uh...actually, could I come over? Feel like it’d be easier to get through all this shit face-to-face.”
"Absolutely. You can pet the Admiral, I have it on good authority he's very therapeutic."
Melanie laughs again, with less bitterness this time. "Yeah, that sounds nice."
Later, once Melanie has filled Georgie in on what she’s been going through, she ends up falling asleep curled up on Georgie’s sofa. The Admiral (who indeed very therapeutically sat on her lap and let her pet him as she talked) is sitting in a loaf shape on the floor next to her, eyes squinted closed. And as Georgie gets up to start clearing away the teacups and tissues from their talk, she thinks about the things Melanie mentioned at Jon, his role in her current state, and she feels a twinge of that familiar ache of not knowing whether or not she regrets leaving him. But here with Melanie, knowing Melanie is taking steps to get better, knowing that Melanie will allow herself to lean on Georgie and actually take her advice, feeling the soft warmth of being together with someone she can unreservedly allow herself to care about – she’s just that bit more sure. And she knows whatever happens with Jon, Georgie will have Melanie, and that’s worth so much already.