Mustn't Fall for the Patient

I woke up when someone touched my shoulder, I looked over and Ana was smiling down at me, she walked out of his room with me and fixed my hair.
“I’ll take over on him, I’ll let you know anything and everything that goes on with him. Okay?” She asked
I nodded.
“I’ll go tell West.” I said
She nodded and gave me a hug, I walked over to the elevators and walked in. Xavier was standing in there by himself.
“What floor?” He asked
“Lobby.” I said
“Me too.” He smiled
“Look, you know the other day.” I said
“It was a stress reliever. I get it, everyone needs it. I enjoyed the sex though.” He said
“It was, I do know someone who would like to bump uglies with you.” I said
“Who would that be?” He asked
“Do you know Doctor Anastasia Moore?” I asked
“I think I’ve talked to her once or twice. Does she have dark brown hair and really pretty blue eyes?” He asked
“That’s her.” I said
“She wants to have sex with me?” He asked
“Yeah.” I said
“Hmm. Thank you.” He said
I nodded and the elevator stopped and we both got off and walked our separate ways. Doctor West was standing at the ER desk looking through files.
“West can I have a word with you?” I asked
“Hey Ashmore, haven’t seen your face in days.” She said
“Can we talk in the conference room?” I asked
She nodded and we walked into the ER conference room and shut the door.
“What’s going on?” She asked
“I would like to transfer my patient to Moore.” I said
“You want to hand over Jack Barakat to Anastasia Moore?” She asked
“Yes please, she’s a good doctor.” I said
“But you’re a fantastic doctor, Aussie.” She said
“I know but I really can’t be on his case anymore.” I said
“Any why is that?” She asked
I just bit my lip.
“You’re falling for you patient?” She asked
I just stood there.
“Well, page her down here.” She said
I paged her and we waited.
“You did the right thing Aussie.” She said
“I think I’m going to work with Nyla, is that okay?” I asked
“Are you sure you want dying children?” She asked
I just shrugged and Ana came into the room
“What’s going on?” She asked closing the door
I looked out the window and we were gaining and audience, I just rolled my eyes at them and shut the blinds.
“Ashmore has taken herself off of Jack Barakats case and offered it to you. Would you like to take it? If not, that’s too damn bad. He’s yours now.” She said
Ana nodded and West left the room.
“Where’d she put you?” Ana asked
“With Nyla.” I said
Ana nodded and hugged me.
“Oh Moore.” West said coming back in.
Ana looked up at her.
“You are not to share any information on Jack with Ashmore, you must treat her like his visitor now.” She said
“Yes ma’am.” Ana said
West closed the door and Ana looked at me and rolled her eyes and smiled.
“Well today’s your day off. Go home, shower, come back and visit him. I’ll page you if he wakes up.” She said
I nodded and walked out to my car, I got in and sat down for a short while. When I got home I took a shower and got dressed in my normal clothes. http://www.polyvore.com/aussies/set?id=138404662
When I lacked a page from Ana I figured he was still asleep so I headed to get some lunch. When I was done I headed to the hospital; walking up to Jack’s room very few doctors looked at me. It was like they didn’t recognize me, which I was completely okay with. I walked into Jack’s room and Ana was checking on him.
“Hey.” I said
“Hey.” She smiled.
“How is he?” I asked
“Good, he should wake up. Alex and Lisa called to tell me to call them if he woke up.” She said
I nodded,
“I’ll leave you.” She said
I chuckled and sat down next to the bed.
“I am awake.” He whispered.
“Why didn’t you tell her that?” I asked
“She’s not my doctor.” He smiled
“She is now.” I said
“Why?” He asked sitting up a bit.
“I took myself off the case.” I said.
“Umm, why?” He asked
“Reasons.” I said
“Come up.” He said patting the bed next to him.
I smiled and laid in bed with him.
“Want me to call Lisa and Lex?” I asked
“Not yet.” I said
“Okay.” I said
“Are you falling for me?” He asked
“What?” I asked
“That’s one of the only reasons I know of that Doctors take themselves off of patients. They fell for them; although rare, it happens.” He said
“Maybe I have other reasons.” I said
“Auss.” He said
“Auss?” I smiled
“Yep, it’s mine. No one else can use it.” He chuckled.
I laughed.
“Talk to me.” He said
“About?” I asked
“Why you took yourself off my case.” He said
“I guess you’re right.” I said
He just smiled.
“You know a lot about me, and I know some stuff about you. Stuff you don’t know I know.” He said
“Like?” I asked
“I know you lost a daughter.” He said
I looked over at him.
“Lisa has a big mouth. I know you lost her and her name was Elizabeth after your mom.” He said
“But not how?” I asked
“Nope.” He said
“Well I do know a lot about you medically and I know you’re funny, you’ve made me laugh more than any other person in my life. Don’t tell that to Ana.” I said
“I kind of fell for when I first saw you.” He said
“That’s not funny. Don’t make fun of me.” I said
“Well you said I was a funny guy.” He said
“But I also know you can have serious conversations.” I said
He just chuckled.
“So tell me about yourself.” He said
“First let me see your arm.” I said
“Which?” He asked
“The one lacking plaster.” I said
“I noticed those were gone.” He said picking up his arm
“Bend it.” I said
He bent it and I helped him.
“You’re going to need some pt.” I said
“Thought so.” He said
I laughed and he put him arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.
“What’s your middle name?” He asked
“Jo.” I said
“Aussie Jo Ashmore?” He asked
“Yep.” I said
“Bassam.” He said
“I know, it’s in your chart.” I said
He chuckled.
“What’s your favorite color? Food? Television show?” He asked
“Red, any kind of pasta, and crime shows.” I said
“Purple, pasta, adventure time.” He said
“Really?” I asked
“Yeah. Siblings?” He asked
“Nope.” I said
“Two, older sister, younger brother. May and Joe.” He said
“I’ve got Ana.” I said
“Parents?” He asked
“Many.” I said
He just looked at you.
“I landed in my first foster home at the age of six, I got bounced around a lot but I was with my first one until I was ten, that’s the one I met Lisa in. She gave me her number when I left and we just kept talking.” I said
“So how old were you?” He asked
I knew exactly what he was talking about.
“I was sixteen.” I said
I looked up at him and his face was urged me to continue.
“I had landed myself in another faster home when I was thirteen; it was down the street from Lisa’s house. There was another kid named Josh, him and I were the best of friends. By the time we were sixteen and seventeen it was more than a friendship ya know? Well things happen and he knocked me up; I didn’t tell him just Lisa. She and I ran away to California, Lisa had the money to keep us in an apartment. I had Elisabeth out there and we all lived together for three years until Lisa went to college. We lost contact after that. That’s when I packed up and moved Liz and I to Colorado.” I said
“So is Elizabeth your foster moms name or real?” He asked
“Real, she died when I was six.” I said
He nodded and rubbed my arm.
“How did your daughter die?” He asked
“A drunk driver on Christmas. He skidded right up into our yard while we were playing in the snow; ran her over.” I said
“How bad was the damage?” He asked
“It was pretty bad, you could barely recognize her. I just sat there in the snow with her in my lap. I cried for months.” I said
“Is she buried in Colorado or here?” He asked
“Here.” I said
“It’s my birthplace so it will be her and my resting place.” I said
He nodded.
“I have my mother, brother and, my sister. I’ve never known my father. I wasn’t really an interesting kid, I got picked on a lot in school for the way I looked. That all got better in high school. Freshman year Alex moved here from England. We got really close and started the band, then he met a girl who went to a different school; Lisa. He had brought her to a few practices and I guess we all liked her, then she fell off the map.” He laughed
“When she was sixteen?” I asked
He just nodded.
“So being in a band must be fun.” I said
“It’s fun, scary, and pretty magical.” He said
“Magical?” I asked
“Imagine standing on the biggest stage in the state or city surrounded by thousands to millions of people screaming out your name and the lyric’s to your bands songs.” He said
“That sounds pretty terrifying but also pretty magical.” I said
“What about being a surgeon?” He asked
“I love it. The one thing you can’t be is scared.” I said
“Do you ever get scared?” He asked
“All the time, you’re taking someone’s life into your hands.” I said
“I bet it feels pretty magical when you get to tell the family that their loved one made it through the surgery.” He said
“It really is, but there are those days where you never keep a patient alive and those are the days you really want a friend or something to cry to or with.” I said
He was about to say something with Ana busted in with a little boy on her hip.
“Auntie Aussie!” The little boy yelled
“What’s Matthew doing here?” I asked
“My mom dropped him off.” She said
“Your mom? I thought Peter had him.” I said
She motioned towards the hall, I climbed out of Jack’s bed and she set Matthew down.
“Jack can you watch him?” She asked
“Yep.” He said
He started talking to Matthew when we walked out.
“Peter dropped him off and left. I tried calling him but he didn’t pick up at all.” She said
“So what’s going to happen?” I asked
“Apparently Matthew is all mine now.” She said
I smiled and she did too.
“Are you going to be okay with this?” She asked
“Yes. We can make the guest bedroom his bedroom.” I said
“You really are the best.” She said
“I know, I’m the best Auntie and god mom alive.” I laughed
“So what’s going down with you and Jack?” Shea sked
“We’re just talking, he kind of knows why I took myself off his case.” I said
She just nodded.
“Oh! Xavier asked me on a date.” She said
“A date.” I smiled
“I thought he didn’t like me.” She said
“I helped.” I smiled
“You what now?” She asked
“I told him that he and I were just a stress reliever thing and if he wanted to have more of a thing that you maybe had your eye on him.” I said
“You did not.” She said
“You are my favorite human being.” She said
“So we have a son now.” I smiled
“Yes, we have a son.” She said
I bounced around in a circle and she hugged me.
“He does love you.” She said
“Get him down to daycare.” I said
She nodded and we walked back into the room, Matthew was sitting on Jack’s bed with him and Jack was reading to him out of one of my astronomy books.
“Well isn’t that the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Ana said into my ear
I looked over at her and smiled.
“Alright baby let’s go.” Ana said
Matthew looked up at his mother and hopped off the bed and ran to her, she picked him and walked away.
“She has a son?” Jack asked
“Yep, she was pregnant when we met. Just found out.” I said
“Nice.” Jack said
“Any pets?” I asked
“I have a dog; Zero.” He said
“Like Nightmare before Christmas?” I asked
He nodded.
“I have a cat named Mac and Cheese, and Ana has a cat named Oogie Boogie.” I said
“Mac and Cheese?” He asked
“He had the name when I adopted him. I love it.” I said
“Where’d you adopt him from?” I asked
“A shelter, he was in pretty bad condition. But I love my gimpy cat.” I said
“I hope he’s at least an orange color.” I said
“He is two shades of orange.” I said
He smiled,
“What color is Oogie?” He asked
“White.” I said
“Does he shed?” He asked
“All the fucking time.” I said
He laughed
“So orange and white in your house. I have a red golden retriever.” He said
“Named Zero, you know Zero is white right?” I asked
He slapped my leg.
“Yes I know.” He smiled
“Why aren’t you working?” He asked
“It’s my day off, I’ll be back in some scrubs tomorrow.” I said
We just laid there for a little bit in silence.
“So I should know this but why are the scrubs different colors?” He asked
“Well residents and interns wear these fern green and attendings wear the pretty emerald green ones. It’s just to tell us apart.” I said
“Well how do you tell residents and interns?” He asked
“Out lab coats.” I said
“So when do you get your emerald green scrubs?” He asked
“Well next week I take my boards, which is just a test pretty much. Ana and I fly out to New York Sunday, this week we should be studying but I’m pretty confident. In the past few months all of the fifth year residents have been have been interviewing hosptials who want us.” I said
“Where are you going?” He asked
“I’m not going anywhere, they have a spot for me here.” I said
“What kind of surgery?” He asked
“I’m torn between general and pediatric.” I said
“So kids or normal surgery?” e asked
“Yeah, I’ll probably go with general because although its hard to lose an adult or elder patient it’s a lot harder to lose a child.” I said
He nodded and pressed his call button, Ana bounced into the room.
“Yes?” She asked
“Are you busy?” He asked
“Not at this point in time, are you okay?” She asked
“I had a question.” He asked
“Yes?” She asked
“Can I eat?” He asked
She nodded.
“Pizza?” I asked
She just shrugged.
“I can call Lisa and Lex had have them bring one with them.” I said
“Share with me?” Ana asked
“Of course.” He said
She went to walk out.
“Oh! Another question.” He said
She stopped and looked at him,
“Should Auss be a general or pediatric surgery?” He asked
“Personally I think she should do peds surgeon because she’s better with kids than half the hospital.” She said
I smiled and she walked away. Jack took my hand.
“I’m going to go call Lisa and then visit one of the tiny humans.” I said
He nodded and leaned over slightly and kissed my cheek, I blushed and rushed out of the room and called Lisa.
“Lisa’s phone; Alexander speaking.” Alex answered
“Hey Lex, it’s Aussie.” I said
“Heyyy.’” He said loudly.
“Jack’s awake; he’d like you guys to bring a pizza big enough to split with five.” I said
“We’ll figure it out.” He said
“Okay, bye.” I said
I hung up and speed walked down the hall and ran up the stairs to the pediatric floor. I walked in and to the NICU and Nyla was bent over a crib that wasn’t her son.
“Nyla.” I said
She looked up.
“Its your day off, what are you doing spending it here?” She asked
“I came to tell you something.” I said
“Yes?” She asked
“I pick peds.” I said
“You pick me for your fellowship?!” She squealed
“I do!” I said
She smiled and wrapped her arms around me.

Notes