The time Bernie hurt her back really bad and Serena and Jason both took care of her. Or the time when Serena and Bernie was teaching Jason to slow dance. Or that one time when Serena was caught staring at naked Bernie in the changing room shower...
1
"I do NOT need a wheelchair!" snapped Bernie from where she was leaning heavily against the wall, glaring at Raf as he approached with the metal contraption. She blinked quickly, furiously trying to clear the tears from her eyes.
Fletch made to step forward, hand extended. "Come on, Bernie, we're only trying to help."
"I am fine," growled the blonde through gritted teeth. She knew, however, that in reality, she was far from fine. She felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to her back, and now every tiny movement brought on a pain so sharp it almost made her gasp out loud. It had been an accident, of course; she had stepped back at the wrong time, her back connecting with a rather fast moving trolley being pushed on its way to theatre to deliver a rather critical patient to a waiting Serena for surgery.
The two men exchanged looked of despair. Both taking a deep breath, they stepped forward, feeling rather like they had cornered a tiger. They truly wanted to help, but seeing the look on Bernie's face, weren't sure they were going to be permitted to do so without ending up being admitted to the ward themselves.
"Bring that chair one step closer and I swear…," breathed Bernie. She winced as she adjusted her position slightly. "Now, I'm just going to go to my office and get one with some paperwork." She nodded to herself, taking a deep breath before moving one foot forward in the direction of her office. Pain erupted up her spine, radiating from her lower back and she gripped the wall for support. Eyes closed, she extended her free hand in the general direction of her colleagues. "Just…leave me."
Raf shook his head, sighing as she wheeled the chair slightly away, placing it against the wall and locking the brakes. Fletch also stepped back, although continued to hover. It was a delicate situation. He was dead at the army medic's hands if he tried to help and dead at Serena's hands if he did nothing.
"Bernie, at least let us help," he sighed.
"I am perfectly capable of reaching my office by myself," snarled the blonde, still leaning heavily against the wall. In an attempt to prove her point, she took a further two, stumbling steps.
Returning, Raf bravely stood in front of her, a glass of water in one hand and pain relief in the other. "At least take these."
Her glare softening, if only slightly, Bernie snatched the painkillers before downing them without need for the water. "Thank you," she said, even if her tone was still rather sharp. She watched as with a sigh, the Scotsman retreated. From the corner of her vision she could still see Fletch hovering, dutifully. This only spurred her on further. She was not weak; she had come through worse than getting hit by a rogue trolley, and was determined she was not going to be defeated by such a simple thing. Looking up, she calculated the steps to her office, glad there was a wall she could follow the entire way. "Stand down boys. I have this."
Serena threw open the door to the office she shared with her girlfriend. Fletch and Raf had caught her immediately upon her return to the ward to inform her of the incident, and of Bernie's behaviour (and their efforts to help) since. It came as no great surprise as the other woman hated showing weakness. Even now, months into their relationship, she would rarely even let herself be seen as vulnerable in front of Serena.
She found the blonde leaning with her hands on her desk, breathing heavily, eyes tightly screwed shut. "Bernie?" She moved to stand next to her love. "On a scale of one to ten?"
The army medic finally opened her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. The painkillers Raf had given her were yet to kick in and she was in agony. "Nine," she admitted.
"Oh, darling," murmured Serena, reaching up to wipe away the falling tears with the pad of her thumb. "Can I have a look?"
Bernie nodded, wincing as she tried to straighten her stance a little.
Moving quickly, Serena gently lifted the back of the blonde's scrub top, her fingers easily moving over the soft skin there. Fully in doctor mode, the brunette felt the area for any severe injury. She let out a small sigh of relief of feeling everything to be intact, if very tender. "Bernie? Would you let me get you an x-ray?" Even before asking, she knew the answer would be no. The other woman had made every effort to strengthen her back and the muscles surrounding it, doing all manner of exercises to build herself back up to her former strength. It had been a process Serena had been thoroughly appreciative of, enjoying both the lift in the blonde's mood, and the view she got to enjoy of Bernie's physique in her running pants and sports bra.
Bernie looked at Serena over her shoulder, shaking her head. "It doesn't warrant that. It was just an awkward hit at an awkward angle." At Serena's raised eyebrow she sighed. "Serena, I promise that if I felt it was that bad, or any real damage, I would let you take me to x-ray. I'm enough for you to put up with as it!"
Accepting the answer, the brunette gave her love a gentle smile. "If you're sure." She quickly moved around their office, collecting their things. "Now, we're getting you home. No arguments." She moved around to place a kiss on Bernie's cheek. "Will you be okay to wait here until I find Jason? His shift is almost over and it's makes sense if he comes home with us now."
Bernie nodded. "I'll live."
Serena flashed her a quick glance before going off in search of her nephew. Returning a few minutes later with Jason in tow, she found the blonde in pretty much the same position, the only difference being she was now wearing her coat; or rather, had managed to get one arm into it before it had obviously become too painful to manoeuver. Without a word, she slipped the coat from her girlfriend's arm, instead settling it around her shoulders, knowing that trying to get the woman into the coat would only result in painfully wrestling her out of it at the other end of their journey.
Handing both of their bags over to Jason, Serena wrapped an arm gently around Bernie's waist, silently encouraging the slightly taller woman to put her arm around her shoulders and let her take her weight. With the blonde admitting to a level of pain above five, she knew things were bad. However, when she also looped her arm around her shoulders without so much as a single word of protest, Serena knew Bernie wouldn't be returning to work for at least a few days.
Exiting their shared office together, Serena aimed a thankful smile at Raf and Fletch, who dutifully ignored the fact that the blonde half of the dynamic duo was willingly receiving assistance as they made their way form the ward. She would ensure Bernie apologised properly when she was sufficiently pain free to return to work.
She could tell from the short, gasping breaths the blonde was taking that ever step was agony, and she wished the blonde would only let her use a wheelchair. It was more than her life was worth, however, to even suggest it.
By the time they made it to the hospital exit, Bernie was leaning a majority of her weight on the brunette, eyes closed once more as she bit her lower lip to stop it trembling. She hated this; being so weak. She used to be able to take a tumble or a knock without suffering the effects for days, but since the IED she sometimes felt as though she was made of glass.
"Jason, can you do me a favour?"
Serena's voice broke the blonde from her self-deprecating reverie.
"Let Bernie lean on your shoulder, sweetheart. She's not feeling too well."
Realising now was not the time to argue, Bernie was actually really rather grateful as Jason moved to mirror his aunt's position on her other side, between them practically lifting her towards the car, helping to alleviate the pressure on her lower back. He wasn't big on physical contact or changes in routine thanks to the Asperger's, but somehow, he had taken to the blonde and her position in his aunt's life relatively well and was comfortable enough being close to her and touching her when the situation called for it. It may have seemed like a small blessing, but knowing Jason as she did, Bernie did not undervalue what was truly a momentous show of acceptance from the young man.
Finally making it to the car, Bernie leant her arms on the roof, steadying herself as Jason and Serena stepped away, the forming clambering in to the back seat and the latter opening the passenger door for her and waiting patiently until she felt read to brave folding herself into the seat.
With a minimal number of gasps and small squeaks of pain, Bernie successfully lowered herself into the car. She managed a small smile as Serena placed a quick kiss to her cheek before closing the door and making her way around to the driver's side. Firing up the ignition, she reached over the gave Bernie's hand a quick squeeze, keeping their hands linked atop the gear stick during the drive.
Pulling up outside the house, Serena cut the engine and flipped the keys around on the fob, passing them back to Jason, asking him to open the door and take their bags in. From the amount of wincing Bernie had done one the way home, and each sharp intake of breath at even the smallest of pot-holes, she knew the blonde was still in considerable pain despite the painkillers Raf had given her.
Getting out of the car, Serena quickly crossing around to open the passenger side and carefully help Bernie to her feet. Her heart broke at the look on the blonde's face as she slowly swung her legs around and began to start putting her weight on her feet. Leaning down, she lifted the other woman's hands to rest on her shoulders, her own arms looping under Bernie's shoulders.
"On three," she said quietly, waiting for the blonde's nod before commencing her count.
Bernie gasped as she was hoisted to her feet, swaying on the spot for a moment at the pain hit her full force once more; feeling nausea not only creep up on her, but it threatened to expel the very little she'd managed to eat that day. Clamping down on the nausea for now, she felt the sting of tears in her eyes at the intense shooting pain in her lower back, grateful when Serena said nothing as she buried her face in her neck as she lost the fight to contain her tears.
"Just let me know when you're ready," breathed the brunette, manoeuvering herself so that the blonde's arm was once again around her shoulders and she was able to take some of her weight."Why don't we aim for the couch? Get you something soup and maybe some more painkillers?"
Serena settled on her knees beside the couch, reaching over to adjust the heat pack lying across the bottom of Bernie's back. Jason had long since headed to bed, leaving on the brunette to try and coax the now not so macho army medic upstairs to bed. Between the heat pack, painkillers, and anti-emetics, however, the blonde was in considerably less pain than she had been on leaving the hospital. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently, running her hand through messy blonde curls.
"Less like I've been hit by a tank," mumbled Bernie, fighting to hide a yawn.
Smiling at the answer, the brunette leant over to place a kiss to the blonde's forehead. "Come on, then. Let's get you upstairs."
Bernie frowned, loathe to leave the relative comfort of the couch. Movement meant pain. "Just leave me here. I'll be fine. And besides, you should be heading to bed. You're in early tomorrow."
"Berenice Griselda Wolfe, if you think I am leaving you down here to wallow in your own self-pity tonight, you have another thing coming!" chided the brunette. "Now, come on. If you're good, I'll even give you a massage when we get there." She smirked as she watched the blonde weigh up her options, knowing there was only one answer she would give.
"This is torture," grumbled Bernie, her words muffled by the pillow her face was buried in. She loved Serena's massages, always had since the very first time the other woman had laid hands on her in their shared office. She had also been pleasantly surprised when, having admitted such to the brunette when they'd finally taken the plunge into a relationship, the other woman had responded by building up an array of massage oils, and used them regularly, much to the blonde's delight.
Serena was knelt next to her lover on the bed on this occasion, rather than her usual position of straddling the other woman's legs, her hands moving in confident strokes across her back, easing the knotted, tense muscles beneath the soft skin. "Is it helping?"
Bernie nodded into the pillow. She couldn't deny the brunette did indeed have magic hands. That was half of the problem; Serena's massages, without fail, had the effect of turning her on. Any other time, this wasn't a problem. Serena had the highest sex drive of anyone Bernie had known, and it was a labour of love for the blonde to keep her lover satisfied. Feeling as she currently did, however, her head swimming with the powerful painkillers the brunette had given her after forcing her to eat something and the residual pain in her back, she was no more equipped to deal with her raging libido that she was to make it up Everest.
"Then we can make up for lost time when you're feeling better," chucked Serena, starting to slow the movements of her hands. "Maybe even plan a little weekend away now Alan is recovered enough to stay over with Jason." She continued to slow the movements of her hands, moving her hands up to her shoulders, trying to keep her touches innocent and not add heat to the fire; her own included.
The army medic moaned into the pillow. "Tease."
The brunette grinned, glad to see Bernie back to a state where she was capable of playful banter. "It's only teasing if I fail to make good on it." Stilling hands, she rolled the blonde's loose sleep shirt back down. She slipped from the bed, switching the bedroom light off before returning to her love's side, pulling the covers over them, trying to ensure other woman didn't have to move from her current position of comfort. "And you know I always make good on it," she whispered, leaning in to place a kiss to Bernie's cheek as she turned her head to face her in bed. Settling in on her side next to the other woman, Serena slipped a hand under the back of the army medic's shirt, settling her palm against the small of Bernie's back.
Smiling softly at the warmth of Serena's hand on her skin, the blonde felt her eyelids fluttering closed. "I love you."
Serena responded with an equally sleepy smile. "I love you too, darling."
Waking, Bernie made to roll herself over onto her back, only to halt, groaning in pain as her body started to waken, and sharp reminder that her painkillers had most definitely worn off. Taking a deep breath, she realised the nausea at least had not returned. Blindly, she moved her hand over the other side of the bed, her frown deepening at feeling cool sheets and not a warm body. Of course, Serena had to work early today.
"Major Wolfe?"
Bernie turned her head to find Jason hovering by the side of the bed, immediately grateful Serena had wrestled her out of her tight jeans and shirt the night before and convinced her a second struggle into pyjamas was indeed necessary.
"Are you awake?"
Jason only ever called her Bernie when Serena was there. Any time it was just the two of them, it was Major Wolfe. "Yes, Jason, I'm bloody awake!" she said snappily. She was just waiting for a request she make his breakfast, or fix the television (like she knew how – she just pressed buttons and hit the thing) or some other ridiculous request. "What is it?"
"Aunty Serena said you wouldn't be feeling well this morning and you would want to take painkillers. She put the painkillers downstairs so you couldn't get to them. She also told me you can't have them until you've eaten something." He gestured to the bedside table. "I made you a fruit salad and I'm on step three of the instructions Aunty Serena left to make you coffee. The kettle hasn't boiled yet. I'm going to go down and check on it again now."
As Bernie heard him leave the room she felt immediately guilty. He had only been trying to help and she had snapped at him. Taking a deep breath and bracing for the pain, she rolled herself over in bed, propping herself up against the pillows as best she could. That was when she found the note on Serena's pillow.
'You know I would be here if I could, but someone has to keep our ward running! Promise I'll be home as soon as I can. In the meantime, I've left Jason with very specific instructions (with an emphasis on no drugs until you eat; you know painkillers don't sit well with you and an empty stomach!). Also, I apologized in advance for your more than usual grumpiness.
Love S x'
She managed a smile at that. The woman knew her too well and yet still put up with her. As Jason appeared back in the doorway, mug in hand and a triumphant smile on his face, she found her own smile widening. "Thank you, Jason," she said gently as he laid the cup down next to the as yet, untouched, fruit salad.
"Aunty Serena said you can only have your pain medication once you've eaten. And I will check you've finished," he informed her in his usual no nonsense manner.
"Yes, Sir!" smirked Bernie, throwing him a mock salute.
"Aren't you bored?"
Bernie looked up from the magazine puzzle she had been trying to entertain herself with. Serena had thoughtfully left a pile of books, medical journals and a few of the trashy magazines she herself enjoyed, but the army medic protested she never so much as glanced at. Jason had been dutifully attentive, not even flinching when the blonde had been forced to ask him to help her to her feet to allow her to hobble to the ensuite. His ever practical approach had actually made the whole thing rather less embarrassing for Bernie. "Well…"
"I would be bored if I had to spend the whole day in bed with only a few magazines." He settled at the end of the bed. "And you're usually always doing things."
"It's not the most exciting," admitted Bernie. She levelled her best smile at the young man. "I wanted to apologise for snapping at you earlier. It really is very good of you to keep checking on me but you don't have to keep interrupting your video games. I'm fine, really."
"No, you're in pain and I don't like to see that because I like you, and Aunty Serena really likes you, and I care that you get better." It was said in such a matter of fact way, as everything the young man said, that Bernie found tears gathering in her eyes, touched at the sentiment behind the words.
"Oh, Jason," she breathed. "That's…that's…"
"Would you like to come through to my room and play my video games?" he offered, ignoring her stumbling over her words.
Blinking away the tears in her eyes, not wanting Jason to think he had upset her or she was in too much pain, Bernie quickly weighed up her options; stumble along the hallway to Jason's room and have something to do (playing his video games had become a bit of a guilty pleasure of hers. She was even quite good at them when Serena didn't take it upon herself to distract her) or lay in relative comfort and slowly die of boredom and frustration that an hour later, she still didn't have the answer to 7 across.
Serena arrived home to a deathly quiet house. "Bernie? Jason?" Dropping her bag and coat over the end of the bannister, she quickly made her way upstairs, the silence rather unsettling. She poked her head around her bedroom door, frowning when she found the room, and bed empty. Stepping back out in the hall, she followed the light coming from Jason's room.
She smiled at the sight that greeted her. Jason was seated on the edge of his bed, attention directed at the glowing screen on the television, controller in hand. The game, however, was silent, as propped up on pillows and slumbering behind him was her girlfriend, her own controller lying long forgotten on her stomach.
"Hi Jason," she greeted quietly, stepping into the room and coming to sit on the other side of the bed closest to Bernie.
"I followed all of your instructions," he told her pausing the game. "But she got bored after lunch, so I helped her through here so we could play video games."
"That was very kind of you Jason," smiled the brunette. "Thank you for looking after her today." She reached out to tuck the unruly curls that had fallen over the blonde's face behind her ear. "She hasn't been too bad, has she?"
"She was a little grumpy but not too bad. She ate everything I made her," he informed her with a wide grin. "I didn't even have to bribe her with the chocolate you keep hidden away."
Serena returned her nephew's grin. Her favourite salted caramel truffles were still safely stowed away on top of the glass cabinet then. "That's my boy," she chuckled. "Now, dinner should arrive in about fifteen minutes. I ordered from Bernie's favourite takeaway like we agreed this morning. Is that still okay?"
He nodded.
"Do you want to go downstairs and wait for the delivery man? My purse is in my bag on the bannister? Then we can perhaps eat in here and watch a film?"
"You do realise I'm quite used to you kissing her now. It's doesn't make me feel uncomfortable."
Serena chuckled. "That's always good to know." She did, however, wait until he had headed downstairs before leaning in to wake the blonde with a gentle kiss, smiling as Bernie began to respond in kind as she slowly awoke. "How are you feeling?" she asked, as she pulled back to meet hazel eyes, her voice gentle.
"Loved," reply Bernie with a sleepy smile; the only answer that was required.
2 – Please don't think I'm being lazy, but I had already incorporated this into BSAS when I got this prompt, so if you have a little patience with me, you'll see it snuck in there. I do love that we're on the same wavelength tough anon!
3 – I couldn't decide if Bernie should know Serena was there while she was in the shower or not, so the result is two drabbles. The first one has none of the cute awkwardness I've come to love of these two, and is a little more playful. The second one I've tried to keep short and sweet and fluffy and fits a little more with the storyline of the show itself.
If there was one thing Bernie preferred about the NHS to the army, it was the showers. In temporary army bases, their existence could never be promised, never mind their water pressure.
After a particularly messy trauma, she was glad to be able to stand beneath the almost scalding water and wash away the physical reminders of the case left on her skin where her scrubs and gown had failed to protect her.
Closing her eyes, she put her face under the spray until she could hold her breath no longer. Wiping her eyes before opening them, she reached for her shampoo, enjoying the rich honey smell as she lathered up her hair.
Putting the bottle back on the floor, she stepped back from the spray slightly as she continued to work the shampoo through her hair, letting the water cascade down her front. It was then that she noticed the shadow fall across her cubicle through the flimsy curtain that separated her from the rest of the room. Expecting it to be merely one of her colleagues passing by on their way to their own cubicle, she cast a quick glance over her shoulders.
What she hadn't expected to find an almost perfect view of one Serena Campbell through the small gap left between the shower curtain and the side of the cubicle. A sight that was made all the more curious by the look on the brunette's face. Clearly, the brunette didn't think she had been observed, lust written all over her features, down to the slightly parted lips.
Bernie was glad she hadn't simply turned around, as this would have no doubt caused Serena to flee. This way, she had time to consider the look on her friend's face, and time to plan her response accordingly. She had long since admitted to herself that she was in deep with her friend, but was firm in her determination that she would do nothing to ruin their friendship. She had too much to lose. A friend, a job she loved, a place to belong.
Still, the look on Serena's face suggested that she might just have more to lose by doing nothing. So, it was with no innocent interest that she found herself curious to see just how long Serena intended to hang around and…enjoy the view.
She had never been body conscious. Never had the time nor patience for it. She kept herself relatively healthy and fit, and pretty much left it at that. It had kept her in good stead, and appeared to not have failed her yet. Rolling her neck, she continued to massage her shampoo into her scalp, smirking as she heard a sharp intake of breath behind her.
Was this really happening? She had dreamt up so many adolescent scenarios in her head where Serena would look at her and see the possibility of them being so much more than friends. Somehow, however, the brunette ogling her naked as she showered had never been one of them. Not that she was complaining; not with the hunger she had seen in the other woman's eyes.
She rested her hands on the wall in front of her, rolling her shoulders. How did she play this? Did she ignore Serena altogether, and ensure that it would never be mentioned between them, or did she take the plunge and acknowledge it; acknowledge that they might have something more?
Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off of the wall, turning slowly. She tiled her head back as she did so, putting her hair under the spray. She ensured not to let herself stare through the gap in the curtain, but did allow herself a glance, unable to contain her smile as she caught Serena's mouth fall open.
"Did anyone tell you it's not polite to stare?" She dropped her head, eyes meeting the brunette's. She held her gaze, emboldened by the desire she saw there. Biting her lip as she stepped forward, she poked her head through the gap in the curtain, tucking the plastic over to cover her body. "Not that I'm complaining, but you might at least take me to dinner first." With a wink, she stepped back, taking care to close the curtain over completely. With the curtain closed, she waiting anxiously for any sight of a reply from her friend.
"You'd better dress to impress then, Ms Wolfe," came the reply. "I'm picking you up at eight."
Bernie grinned, glad to have the privacy of the shower cubicle in which to indulge in a happy little dance.
Serena sighed as she walked into the changing room, wanting nothing more than to change out of her disgusting scrubs and head home for a nice glass, or perhaps even bottle, of shiraz. Her progress to her locker was halted, however, when she caught sight of Bernie…naked.
She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. She didn't mean to stare, but when presented by the blonde in all her natural glory, she found she couldn't look away from the gap in the shower cubicle that provided her such a perfect view. She licked her lips, feeling her heart hammering in her chest.
The sight of the water cascading over the blonde's fair skin had her mesmerized. Her breaths came hard and fast as her eyes greedily travelled over her friend's slim, yet powerful frame.
Serena Campbell. Lesbian.
Hard to deny it now.
Shutting off the shower, Bernie wrapped herself in her towel before sliding open the curtain of her shower cubicle. She jumped as the door to the locker room slammed shut at someone's quick exit, not having realized there had been anyone else in the room.
Frowning as her foot nudged something on the floor, she bent to pick up the mobile phone. Even if she hadn't immediately recognized it as Serena's from the number of times she had had to excavate it from under the mountains of paperwork on her desk, the picture on the lock screen would have given it away in an instant.
It was a picture of both of them together, taken in Albie's some weeks before, her head resting against the brunette's as they had both tried to get into the frame. Before their kiss. Before she had tried to do the right thing. Who knew a conversation could make things more awkward than a kiss?
She stared down at the picture on the screen of Serena's phone, a sad smile on her face. Maybe it was time they tried to have that conversation again? Or perhaps a little less conversation was in order?