Mustn't Fall for the Patient

Nyla let me go and smiled.
“I knew you would.” She said
“It took some convincing. I want to help the tine humans.” I said
“So when you pass your boards we’ll celebrate.” She said
I smiled.
“Well I’m here visiting the big humans, we have someone with a pizza on the way.” I said
“Pizza.” She laughed
“Yeah, he really wanted pizza.” I said
“Is it that rock star?” She asked
“Jack.” I said
“You like him, I can see it all over your face.” She smiled
I chuckled.
“Go to your rock star.” She said
“He’s not mine.” I laughed
“Well he’d be stupid if he didn’t want to be.” She said
I rolled my eyes and walked my normal pace back to Jack’s room, using the elevator instead of the stairs. I walked up to the door he was sitting up eating a piece of pizza. Lex and Lisa were sitting there with him.
“Hey guys.” I said
“Come eat.” Lisa said
I smiled and walked in, Jack nodded at me telling me it was okay to sit in the bed with him. I walked over to the side of the bed and slipped my shoes off and clambered into bed with him. Lisa and Alex’s eyebrows raised as Jack handed me a piece of cheese pizza and slung his arm around my shoulders.
“Heyy pizza.” Ana said walking in.
They had brought in three medium pizzas. Alex handed her a piece of it and she said down.
“How are your burns?” She asked Alex propping her feet up on the bedside table.
“Peeling.” He said
She laughed; I ate my pizza and laid my head down on Jack’s shoulder.
I was startled awake when thunderous laughter shook my head. I sat up quickly head butting Jack in the chin.
“Jesus.” Jack said
“Jack I’m so sorry, your laughing scared me.” I said sleepily.
“You’re fine Auss, just lay back down.” He said
I laid my head back down and he started stroking my hair.
“Do you ship them?” Ana said
“I do, you two are my new OTP. I ship it.” Lisa said
“Shut up.” I said
I felt a soft kiss placed on the top of my head and I smiled to myself.
“Totally shipping it.” Ana and Lisa said
I laughed and yawned.
“So, what time is it?” I asked
“You slept for about two hours.” Ana said
“Did you just sit in here and watch me?” I asked her
“Definitely, you know how I love to do that.” She said sarcastically.
Jack laughed and his chest bounced again.
“I’m on call tonight.” I said
“In Peds?” Ana asked
“Yeah.” I said
“That’s kids right?” Lisa asked
I nodded sitting up.
“Are you going to be able to operate on kids?” She asked
I nodded again.
“Your hair is a train wreck.” Alex said
“Shut the fuck up.” I said
He smiled and Jack ran his hands through my long hair.
“Do you have extra scrubs here?” Ana asked
“I have dirty ones.” I said
“Want to borrow a pair of mine?” She asked
“No, I’ll go home a get a pair.” I grunted.
I slung my legs over the bed and stood up immediately looking at Ana.
“No, no I’m not.” I said curling right back into bed.
Ana laughed and came to the side of the bed and heaved me out of it.
“I’m going to help her change.” She laughed
I smiled and we walked to the door,
“I’ll bring her back.” She said
Jack nodded and Lex started talking to him.
“I really am tired. I’m going to quit this job.” I said
“No you’re not.” She said
“Why not?” I asked
“Because you’d be fucking stupid.” She smirked
I laughed and shed my ‘street’ clothes and changed into a pair of Ana’s scrubs,
“I don’t have a long sleeve.” She said
“I think I’ll be okay. Kids love them, they call me a coloring book.” I said
“We could see if Jack has one?” She questioned
“I’ll ask. You get home and feed the cats.” I said
“I have to take Oogie to the vet tomorrow so I’ll be here late.” She said
“We don’t work tomorrow. We study and catch out flight to New York.” I said
Her eyes grew wide, and her jaw dropped.
“I fucking forgot about our boards.” She said
“Are you ready for them?” I asked
She nodded.
“Are you leaving to do your fellowship?” I asked
“I’m not sure yet. But they don’t want me here, there isn’t room for me on neuro.” She said
“Yes there is, they were interviewing a little bit ago. Ana I don’t want you to leave but if you do I support it but you best keep in touch. The last time my best friend lost touch I lost a kid.” I said
She chuckled, and handed me my pager.
“Are you sleeping in Jack’s room or an on-call room?” She asked
“I’ll sleep on the couch in Jack’s room.” I said
“Doubt it.” She said walking away.
I put my hands on my head and walked down to the cafeteria.
“Can I get four coffees?” I asked
The barista nodded and she started making coffees.
“Can you make that five and make two cappuccinos?” I asked
“Yeah.” She smiled
“Thank you so much.” I said
“Long night?” She asked
“I’m on call for the tiny humans and maybe traumas.” I said
“Yeah, long night. I can make the cappuccinos doubles for you on the house.” She said
“Yes please.” I smiled.
She smiled and made the five coffees.
“The two with the green sleeves are your capps.” She said
“You’re a lifesaver.” I said handing her over my credit card.
She swiped it and I grabbed a lot of tiny creamers and took a bag for them and carried everything back to Jack’s room.
“I brought java.” I said
Lisa looked up and me and smiled. I set my two capps on the moving table and handed out the other coffees.
“Creamer?” Lisa asked
I tossed her the bag full of them.
“There’s four of us but you bought five coffees.” Jack said
“Well I’m on call tonight, these two are mine.” I said
“Vanilla lattes?” Lisa asked
“Double Cappuccinos.” I said
“You’re going to have a heart attack.” Jack said
“I can sleep after drinking both of them.” I said
“You’re insane.” Lex said
I just smiled.
“Did you walk all of the way down to the first floor barefoot?” Lisa asked
“Yes.” I said
She laughed.
“I have to go get my shoes. I can’t wear my precious toms.” I said picking my shoes up off of the floor.
I walked down stairs to the locker room and traded shoes, when I got back a nurse was kicking Lex and Lisa out.
“We’ll be back tomorrow.” Lisa said.
I nodded and sat down on the couch in the room.
“Come up here, I’m lonely.” Jack said
“I had a question.” I said
“Yes?” He asked
“Did Lex happen to bring you any clothes? Any long sleeves?” I asked
“There should be one in that duffle bag.” He said
“I’ll get into a lot of trouble without one.” I said
“Dig through the bag and find it.” He said
I nodded and dug through the bag finally pulling out a black long-sleeved under armor shirt.
“Close your eyes and promise not to peek.” I said
He squeezed his eye tight and I took the scrub top off replacing it with the under armor.
“Okay.” I said truning back around to face him
He opened his eyes and smiled, I gave him a confused look as I pulled the scrub top back on.
“What’s with the smile?” He asked
“Nice tramp stamp.” He said
“I can’t even explain it.”I said
He just smiled and patted the bed, I grabbed my coffees and sat with him, as I finished both in a span of an hour I was laying with him about to fall asleep when my pager went off.
“Jesus.” I said
I got out of bed and smiled at him.
“I’ll be here.” He smiled.
I scrambled to get to the Peds unit and Nyla was waiting on me.
“I looked in every single on call room for you.” She said
“I was in Jack’s room.” I said
She nodded and pulled me with her.
“We have something, nothing too major for you to stay in here. You’ll be able to go see your rock star.” She said
I nodded and we walked into a room with a little boy laying in the bed.
“Harper Kennel, sixteen years old, six months pregnant; with a genetic heart defect.” Nyla said
“I’m pregnant and have a genetic heart defect. Not pregnant with one.” Harper said
I looked up at Nyla.
“I feel that you two will get along.” Nyla said walking out of the room.
I ran after her.
“What are you doing to me Nyla?” I asked
“She’s going to be fine, she’s getting surgery tomorrow to fix her heart if she doesn’t have a heart attack before then.” She said
“Oh Jesus.” I said
“Listen to me, she’s going to be fine.” Nyla said
“Okay. I’m going to go in and talk to her, then I’m going back to bed.” I said
She nodded and walked away.
“Is everything alright?” Harper asked
“Prefect.” I said
She smiled.
“I’m Doctor Ashmore.” I said
“Nice to meet you.” She said
“You too. So do you know what your baby is yet?” I asked
“It’s a girl. I’m going to name her Taylor.” She said
“That’s a beautiful name.” I said
“Do you have any kids? I know you’re really young but things happen.” She said
“I do, I have a daughter; she’s nine.” I said
“Nine? How old were you when you had her?” She asked
“I was sixteen.” I said
“So I have hope to become something amazing like a doctor?” she asked
I nodded.
“What’s her name?” She asked
“Elizabeth, I call her Lizzi.” I said
She smiled at me, and I smiled holding back the flood gates.
“I bet she’s cute.” She said
“She’s beautiful, dark brown hair and my eyes.” I said
“I hope mine looks like my boyfriend.” She said
“She’s going to look like you, very beautiful.” I said
She smiled.
“Okay Harper, push your call button if you need me.” I said
“Where you going?” She asked
“This guy I really like is a patient here right now. I told him I’d be back.” I said
“I thought doctors couldn’t date their patients.” She said
“I’m not his doctor.” I said
“Wait, so you’re not with Lizzi’s dad?” She asked
“He didn’t want anything to do with us.” I said
“Then go get that guy.” She said
“Page me if you need me.” I said
She nodded and I turned around and left, heading back to Jack’s room.
When I got back he was laying down watching something on his tablet, I snuck in and laid down with him.
“Everything okay?” He asked
“Yeah, Nyla gave me a kid to look after.” I said
“She going to be okay?” I asked
“Yeah, I know why I got it.” I said
“Pregnant?” He asked
I nodded.
“That’s all I can share.” I said
He smiled and clicked his phone off.
“Get some sleep.” He said wrapping his arm around my waist.
I set my pager on the table and cuddled into him and fell asleep.
“Aussie, your thingy.” I heard Jack mumble.
I shoved him away and rolled over.
“Jesus Christ Aussie! Get it.” He yelled
I sat up and grabbed my pager.
“9-1-1.” I said rushing out of bed.
“Good luck.” He said
I kissed his cheek and ran as fast as I could to Harpers room.
“What happened?” I asked Nyla as I entered.
“She had a heart attack and went into labor.” Nyla said
“Where is she?” I asked
“OR four.” She said
I looked at her and ran my way to OR four, yelling at people in my way. I walked into the room with a mask covering my face, the OBGYN was delivering the baby.
“Harper didn’t make it but the baby is healthy for six months.” She said
“I’ll meet you up in the NICU.” I sighed
She nodded and I left the room and slowly made my way up to the NICU, Nyla was standing there.
“You told me she would be fine.” I said
“I lied, you want to fellowship in peds so you’re going to have to get used to this.” She said
“Nyla I’ll never be used to this, it something that hits me at the most personal level. I want to help kids.” I said
She nodded.
“I’m going home, that baby’s name is Taylor.” I said
She nodded again and I walked away, I walked back into Jack’s room and he smiled.
“Jack, I’m going to go home. I will see you Monday.” I said
He nodded and smiled.
“Come here for a minute.” He said
I walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed, he pulled me down and wiped a stray tear from my face.
“You lost her?” He asked
“The mom, not the baby.” I said
“That’s good Auss.” He said
“But the mom.” I said
He hugged me tightly.
“Try not to think about it, you have those board things this weekend. Think about that.” He said
I just looked at him seeing only the shadow of his face.
“Would it be completely inappropriate if I were to kiss you right now?” He asked
I shook my head and he pulled my face to his placing his slips softly on mine, he pulled away and I grabbed his face.
“No, no.” I said pulling him back to me
Our lips connected again and I laced my fingers into his hair.
“Wow.” He said when I pulled away.
“Wow.” I smiled
“Wow.” He repeated
“I’ve…. I’ve gotta go.” I said
“I’ll see you Monday.” He said
I smiled and ran out of the room and down to my car.
When I got home Ana was sitting at the computer desk reading a book.
“Ana.” I said
She looked over at me and cocked her eyebrow at me.
“Why do you look so damn happy?” She asked closing her book and looking up at me,
“I have never been kissed like that in my life.” I said
“Y’all kissed!!!” She yelled
“Yess.” I squealed.
She gave me her signature look and pulled me into a hug.
“Was it amazing?” She asked
I just nodded and then my face hardened.
“What?” She asked
“We fly out to New York tomorrow.” I said
“I know, aren’t you excited to become a fellowship?” She asked
“I mean yeah. Are you staying?” I asked
“I am, they offered me a spot in Neurosurgery.” She smiled
“Where’s Matthew going to stay while we’re gone?” I asked
“My mom’s.” She said
I just nodded.
“We’re going to pass.” I said
“We are. We studied our asses off.” She said
We high-five and headed upstairs to our rooms.

Notes