"Ms. Campbell, look out!"
Bernie's head immediately whipped around to focus on her partner and Raf, watching dumbfounded as a patient bore down upon Serena, a heavy book in the man's hands. Serena was too late raising her hands to stop the connection of said book with her head, and the dull crack of the hardcover book striking her head made Bernie wince in sympathy as she watched her partner fall to the floor.
Still, it felt like her feet were rooted to the spot, even as Raf wrestled to take the book from the man's hands. The first bright gush of blood starting to run down Serena's face, though, was enough to finally get her moving, and she dropped the chart for her current patient as she flew to Serena's side. "Serena, are you okay?"
It was an entirely stupid, entirely obvious, question, but it was the first one that came to mind. Serena smiled all the same before letting out a sharp groan and covering her mouth with her hand. "I need a kidney dish," she managed to gasp out, and Bernie nodded as she fumbled for one, holding it up so Serena could empty her stomach into it. "And my head really hurts."
"I can only imagine," Bernie murmured as she helped Serena to her feet, guiding her to a free bed. "This is a nasty gouge, but luckily for you, it's on your hairline. No one will notice it under your fringe."
"That's good," she murmured as she hissed in pain. "Now I know how they feel."
"Hush, I need to explore this wound, to make certain that you don't have a hairline fracture. I'd take you down to CT myself, but I have to complete my rounds."
"I've got that, Bernie," Dom said as he appeared at their sides, giving Serena a sympathetic look. "You take care of Ms. Campbell. She's a bit more important, yeah?"
She nodded in agreement as she gently pressed a gauze pad to the wound, hoping to stem some of the bleeding. Head wounds were always the worst for that, however, and it was soon a bright red. "I'll be fine, Bernie. Please, see to the rest of the ward."
"I am not leaving you until I know that you don't have a crack in that thick skull of yours. We're going to head straight to CT, and then get an MRI done, just to rule out anything being wrong."
Serena went to protest once more, only for Raf to pipe up. "Bernie's right, Serena. We wouldn't want there to be anything wrong with you, because you are needed here on the ward. At the very least, that wound is going to require stitches. I'll do them for you, Bernie. I might have a steadier hand."
She wanted to say no, that she would do that, but knew that Raf was being kind by not saying she couldn't do that, due to their relationship. "Thank you, we'll see you in our office as soon as we get back from the scans."
Raf nodded as Fletch came up to their side with a wheelchair. Bernie gave him a fleeting smile as she helped Serena into it, starting to push her over to the elevators. "Honestly, I'm fine, Berenice. You don't need to go to all this trouble for me. Just stitch me up and let me back out on the ward."
She shook her head, thankful that Serena could not see the frown on her face as she wheeled her into the lift. "That book looked like it weighed a good five pounds, and with the amount of force the patient put into the swing, it only means that you could be seriously injured. You have to understand; I need to do this for you. Humor me?"
Serena sighed as she reached out for Bernie's hand, clasping it tightly as they rode down to CT. "I will always humor you in the end, because I know that you have my best interests at heart. I just feel so embarrassed."
"What happened?" she asked, truly interested to know how things had gone so quickly pear shaped.
"I made an offhand comment about the author of the book I was struck with. He's not my favorite, that's for certain, but certainly nothing that was offensive. Or so I thought. Good Mister Cumberland thought otherwise and came at me. Oof!"
"Serena?" she asked as she came around to look at her partner in concern. "What's wrong?"
"I think I'm starting to get a headache." Serena rubbed her temple absently before giving Bernie a pained smile. "I'm sorry, maybe you're right, and I do need to get that CT scan. But not an MRI, Bernie. Promise me."
"No, Serena. We need both scans, because of what might possibly be going on around that thick head of yours," she gently chided. Serena reached out and smacked her lightly, a soft laugh slipping from her lips.
"Ow! Do not make me laugh, that only makes the headache worse."
That truly concerned Bernie, and she squatted down so that she could look carefully at her partner's face. "Are you certain it's just a headache?" she asked as she brushed the fringe from out of Serena's eyes. She gave her a small nod but the frown never left her face as she lightly touched the edges of the open wound.
"I think so," Serena said softly as she reached out to touch Bernie's shoulder. "And I really need it to be just that."
Bernie gave her a small nod before leaning in and giving her a warm hug. "I know that we're going to be busy today, but I'll shoulder that burden so you can put your feet up and rest." A smile flickered across her lips as she pressed her lips quickly to Serena's cheek.
"I won't do that without a fight," she said as Bernie stood up once more. Their hands naturally clasped once more for the rest of the short ride, and then Bernie was wheeling her down to the CT room. There was only one person ahead of them, and Bernie tried to keep her foot from tapping anxiously as she awaited their turn. "Bernie, stop. We should be glad that there's only one."
"I know, I'm just worried."
"And that's sweet, but unnecessary. It is going to take a lot more than a hit from a book to put me down for the count." Serena looked up at Bernie, giving her a wide smile as she lazily winked. "Though this headache is getting a bit worse. I don't suppose that you have two paracetamol in your pocket that you could slip me?"
"Not until the scans," Bernie said automatically, covering Serena's shoulder with her hand and squeezing softly. "Now here we go." Bernie wheeled her into the room and helped Serena up on the bed, letting the nurse get her situated as she joined the tech, wanting to watch every moment of the scan. The tech on duty wasn't particularly chatty, which Bernie didn't mind, but he was a hummer, which she did, especially since it was a familiar tune that she couldn't quite place.
Shaking her head, she refocused on the scans, smiling a little with relief when it didn't show anything wrong with Serena. "Well, she looks clear, so that's good news," the tech said, and she nodded in relief before going into the room and claiming Serena.
"Well, that's one all clear down, one to go, before I can stitch up that wound and then watch over you today." Serena gave her a mulish look as she sat in the wheelchair, and Bernie shook her head a little as she began the trek to the MRI. As they went, she started to hum that same tune the tech had had on his lips, and Serena let out a soft chuckle. "What?"
"In all the months I've known you, Bernie, I never took you to be a religious woman."
"I'm sorry?"
"That's an old Methodist hymn on your lips, darling."
Bernie let out a little groan as she nodded. "Come Thou Fount, yes." Serena nodded, and though she tried to stop humming the tune, she found that it had wormed its way under her skin and she couldn't stop.
"It was one of my favorites growing up, too," Serena murmured as they entered the MRI room. "Will you stay with me?"
There was a touch of worry in Serena's voice, something that tugged at Bernie's heartstrings, and she nodded before squeezing her hand tightly. "I would do anything to make you happy, Serena, short of compromising your health."
"Ah, you just had to go and add that little caveat, didn't you?" Bernie nodded. "Fine." There was a little sigh before Serena started to rub her thumb back and forth against Bernie's palm. It was a familiar comfort gesture, and Bernie fought not to pull her hand away too soon. "And I want you to hold on to my necklace, since there can't be anything magnetic in that room."
"Of course." Bernie hurriedly unclasped the necklace and held it tightly in her hand as the technician took over for her, guiding Serena into the room and helping her onto the table. There was something infinitely more unsettling about this scan, even though she was hopeful for a good outcome. That song was still on her lips as she watched Serena, and the technician joined in, surprising her a little. As the scan went on, Bernie began to think about words of the song.
"Here I raise my Ebenezer," she sang lowly, so soft that even she wasn't certain she was vocalizing them, and she shook her head a little bit. "I'm no stone of help," she whispered as her brow furrowed. Watching the machine, she was once more relieved to see that there was no bleed on Serena's brain, and she let out a puff of breath as she looked down at the necklace in her hand. "Prone to wander, prone to leave the one I love, that's more fitting."
The technician looked up at her, and smiled warmly. "Looks like everything is all clear here, Ms. Wolfe," she said as they entered the room, and Bernie nodded as she rushed to Serena's side, helping her into the wheelchair before guiding her back out to the elevator.
As they waited, Bernie affixed the pendant around her neck once more, knowing how much the gift from her father meant to Serena. "You left the microphone on, Bernie. I heard you sing."
"Oh."
"It wasn't bad, you just told me how well you know that hymn. But I rather think the end of the third verse is more appropriate for us."
Bernie found herself frowning as she wheeled Serena onto the elevator. The second verse had always been engrained on her mind and heart. Coming from a military family, she had been no stranger to wandering, to leaving the people she loved most behind, and she felt deeply connected to the words. A poignant silence filled the space of the elevator, though they didn't let go of each other's hands for the ride.
Fletch and Dom gave them knowing looks as Bernie took Serena to their office, and she just shot them a look, causing them to hurriedly get back to work. The office was all set up for the stitches Serena would need, and as Serena took a seat at her desk, Bernie took the wheelchair out to the hall, beckoning to Raf. He hurried over and slipped into the office, giving Serena a small smile.
"Please, hurry, Raf," her partner murmured as Bernie scooted her chair close to Serena, reaching out for her hand once more. Their fingers threaded together naturally, and as Raf's steady hand made quick, small stitches in Serena's skin, she began to hum once more, trying to remember the words to the third verse. Raf kept shooting her quizzical looks, but she ignored them in order to focus on Serena and the song.
"All right, I'm all done here. Bernie, if you'd like to clean the blood off Serena's face, I'll just cover for the two of you for another hour or so. And then, security wants to talk to you as well, since this is a rather serious incident."
They nodded in tandem, and Raf let out a quiet sigh before leaving the office. Bernie waited to see him go to the main desk before getting up and locking the door. "Come on, tell me what you meant!" she said as she grabbed a tissue from the box and licked her thumb, rubbing it softly against Serena's skin to clear off the dried blood.
"Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be," Serena began to sweetly sing. Bernie picked up the next line of the verse, and Serena nodded, their voices blending a little disharmoniously, but still filling Bernie's chest with a warm rush of love as her voice trailed off to listen to Serena close out the verse. "Here's my heart, love, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above."
"Oh," Bernie gasped out as she wiped away the last of the blood.
"Yes, oh, you great lummox! You have my heart, and I would hope that I have yours." Cupping Bernie's face in her hands, Serena leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft, tender, kiss.
"Yes, well, I think this line is actually the most appropriate one for us. Let your goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee," Bernie said lowly as she stared into Serena's eyes. "I have issues with that word, I know. This may be the closest I can come to saying it for some time. And I have to use the words of a hymn from a religion that I don't follow, to tell you what's in my heart."
"That's because it is sometimes much easier to use music to describe our feelings," she said as she caressed Bernie's shoulder. "And while it is a little odd to have a song like that describe our relationship, our relationship has never been one that's the most normal, anyway. I mean, you did bugger off to Kiev for fifty six days, leaving me alone, to wallow in my feelings."
"And I will always regret doing that to you."
Serena slipped her hand around to press her fingers against Bernie's lips, and gave her a tender smile. "You never let me finish, Berenice, because you're always so quick to fall on your sword. I was going to end with this. You came home to me, we worked things out, and I find myself falling deeper in every single day we spend together. The time apart affected me, yes, but it also helped crystalise my feelings for you. It made me see that I can love you enough for the both of us, until you're ready to say those words. Because you have shown them to me on more than one occasion, my dear woman of action."
Bernie gave her a shy smile as a blush bloomed across her cheeks. "It's hard to hear those words, Serena," she finally whispered.
"And that is why I will always pour them into your ears, hoping that they will sink into your heart. Because even though you haven't shared too much about your time with Marcus, or your time with Alex, I know that whatever happened there has left some deep wounds on your psyche, wounds that only patient, attentive, love can heal. I love you." She gave Bernie another soft kiss. "And no, this is not the head wound talking. This is my heart, overflowing like fountain, full of only blessings and love for you." Serena's voice had dropped so low that Bernie had to lean far into her personal space to hear her, which was most likely her lover's intention. And so, she wasn't surprised when Serena wrapped her in a warm hug, hooking her chin over her shoulder as her stomach shook with quiet, tiny sobs.
"Hey, why are you crying?" she murmured as she rubbed Serena's back.
"I think it's delayed shock, actually. If I had been hit with just a little more force, or by the butt of the book, I could have been seriously injured. I could have died. And who would have looked after Jason?"
Bernie recognized that particular strain of babbling, having heard it from countless patients over the years. She did the one thing that she knew would settle Serena's racing mind, and reached up to cover Serena's hands with her own, peeling them from her shoulders so that she could thread their fingers together as she stared into her partner's eyes. "I would have looked after him. He and Cameron seem to get along well, and it would have been no hardship for me to do that. But you didn't get more seriously injured, you're fine, and I get to kiss you again."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
She laughed a little as she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Serena's lips. "Now, I am going to go out on the ward and do my rounds. You are going to sit that pretty little arse behind your desk and work on paperwork until the end of our shift, and then I'm going to drive you home. Jason and I will make supper, and then we'll head to bed early and talk."
"You mean I'll talk and you'll listen." Bernie nodded. "One day, I'll get you to open up to me more. Until then, remain my Ebenezer?"
"Yes," she breathed out before kissing Serena one last time. "I have to leave before I spend the rest of the day kissing you. And that would not be a productive use of my time."
"No, but it would be a sweet use of our time." Serena gave her a small wink before shooing her away. "Go, before I do something foolish, Bernie. I'll see you in a few hours." Bernie nodded as she left the office, smiling at Serena before she went up to the admin desk and picking up a tablet and starting on her rounds. She couldn't help but look back at their office, catching Serena glancing up at her. Their eyes met, and she smiled once more, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she went about her duties, determined to be Serena's stone of help, no matter what life brought them.