🗣️ Interview: A Quiet Voice with a Powerful Message
I got to sit down with Skye Jackson, the main character of my book Medium Well. Skye’s story is one of unexpected insight, quiet courage, and the strange intersections between inner growth and outer reality. She recently started a job at a children’s hospital, hoping for normalcy. What she found instead may change everything—not just for her, but for those around her.
Note: Yes, Skye’s a fictional character. And yes, I wrote the book—so in a way, this is me talking to myself. But ask any writer and they’ll tell you: characters have a mind of their own. Fredrik Backman, author of A Man Called Ove (which inspired the film A Man Called Otto), put it perfectly: “Being a writer is the best way I know how to get paid for being insane.” So take the following conversation however you like.
A Conversation with Skye Jackson
from the pages of Medium Well by Donn King
Interviewer: Skye, thanks for joining us. Let’s start simple: What made you apply for a job at the hospital?
Skye: I think I wanted to reconnect. I spent time in a children’s hospital when I was younger, so going back felt… full circle. I thought I’d just be cleaning rooms. Instead, I started uncovering pieces of myself I didn’t know were missing.
Interviewer: Did you expect your job to be meaningful?
Skye: Not really. I hoped it would matter to someone. But I figured I’d be more behind the scenes—quiet, unnoticed. Which, honestly, suited me just fine. At least, that’s what I told myself.
Interviewer: Something shifted for you pretty quickly, though. What happened?
Skye: (smiles, then hesitates) You ever have a moment when everything feels normal… but something doesn’t quite line up? Like a song that’s playing in the background, and only you seem to hear it? That’s what it felt like. Except instead of music, it was someone trying to speak—and everyone else had tuned it out.
Interviewer: Was it hard to believe what you were experiencing?
Skye: Oh, absolutely. I didn’t believe it myself at first. I kept thinking: This has to be stress, or lack of sleep, or my brain just playing tricks. But the longer it went on, the more I realized—this wasn’t just happening to me. It was happening through me.
Interviewer: That’s a powerful statement. What gave you the courage to trust yourself?
Skye: I wish I could say I just woke up one morning and believed in myself. But the truth is, other people helped. A social worker. A barista. People who saw me when I couldn’t see myself clearly. Sometimes it only takes one person saying, “I believe you,” to help you say it too.
If you don’t learn to hear your own voice, you’ll lose it.
Interviewer: You mentioned being in a hospital as a child—that same hospital, I think. Has that influenced how you connect with patients now?
Skye: Definitely. I remember what it felt like to be the one in the bed—the one people talked about, not to. So now, I try to talk with people, even when it seems like they can’t respond. You never know what someone’s able to hear—or what they might need to say.
Interviewer: Has anyone ever told you to “just do your job”?
Skye: (laughs) Oh, yes. And I get it. People have routines, systems. And here I am, not exactly following the manual. But sometimes, the most important part of a job isn’t on the checklist. Sometimes you have to go off-script to do what’s actually needed.
Interviewer: You’ve said the hardest part has been trusting yourself. What makes that so difficult?
Skye: Because everything in the world seems to teach you not to. We grow up trying to meet expectations, play by the rules, not rock the boat. But at some point, if you don’t learn to hear your own voice, you’ll lose it. I almost did.
Interviewer: Do you think people are more capable of connection than they realize?
Skye: I think people are wired for connection. But it gets buried—under busyness, under fear, under pretending we’re fine. Sometimes, it takes something unexpected to dig it out. A quiet room. A patient who doesn’t speak. A voice that comes from somewhere deeper than logic.
Interviewer: Last question. What would you say to someone who feels like they don’t belong?
Skye: First, I’d say you’re not alone. Even if you feel invisible right now, I promise—there’s more to your story than this moment. And second? The thing that makes you weird might just be the thing that makes you wonderful. Don’t hide it. Grow into it.
Want to know more?
You can meet Skye and follow her full journey in Medium Well: The Journey from Believing to Believing In. It's a story of self-discovery, strange gifts, and learning to trust the quiet voice inside you—even when no one else does.
👉 Get your copy here or read the first chapter
📬 Forward this interview to someone who needs a reminder that they’re not broken—they’re just beginning.
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