"Do you think I was being an asshole?" Dean didn't really care what the nurse had to say but the silence was more uncomfortable than the stitches she was sewing.
"Sorry Mr. . ." She looked down on the chart. "Ambrose. I don't watch the matches but seeing as you had to ask, my educated guess would be . . . yes . . . yes you were being an asshole. . .Sorry" She shrugged awkwardly. "Are you in any pain?" She paused, to gauge Dean's discomfort level. He was just staring at her a stupefied look on his face. "Mr. Ambrose?" She waved a hand in front of his face, not a medical procedure but an impulse.
"Why the hell would you work for a televised show and then not even watch any of it?" Dean shook his head sweat swaying from his hair.
"To stay impartial." She shrugged again before resuming her work. "Any pain Mr. Ambrose?"
"Impartial?" He shook his head still befuddled. "And stop calling me Mr. Ambrose, that's my pop's name."
" Sorry Mr . . ." She paused, still trying to stay professional she started again. "Sir." The grimace that spread across Dean's face made it clear sir was no better. "Impartial . . . if I watched . . . and saw someone being an ASSHOLE I might let it effect my work . . . you know treat him like an ASSHOLE." She tugged on the stitches unconsciously pointing out what she meant.
"Ow watch it!" His muscles tensed.
"Sorry." She placed the needle down for a moment, letting her hands calm. "Almost done I promise. Would you like something to dull the pain?" She felt bad for her actions.
"What are you a pull doll, three catch phrases?! Mister, Sorry and Pain? Some weird BDSM stuff if you ask me"
"No need to be an Ass . . ." She trailed off. 'Unprofessional.' It came as a shock when Dean's scowl crept into a smirk.
"Rather be an Asshole than a sir."
"Let me just finish this up and . . ." She wanted this to be over, it was getting uncomfortable, entertaining but uncomfortable none the less.
"So I'd like to know the name of the lady who's poking inside me. You haven't even taken me out to dinner yet." Now that the ice was broken Dean did the fourth thing he did best, flirt. She was used to this, athletes were notorious for trying to prove their bravado even out of competition. Not skipping a beat she pointed to her name tag.
" I'm more of a stitch it and quit it kind of girl, foreplay's for medical assistants." She brushed Dean off. 'Unprofessional . . . again Kit.' She let out a discouraged sigh. Her mouth always had a way of getting her in trouble.
"Katherine. . . but your friends call you?" He squinted looking at her name tag for a glaringly long period of time before snapping his head up to look her in her puzzled and slightly annoyed face.
"Between the hours of noon and six A.M. All done what a trooper you've been Mr. Ambrose." She taped a gauze pad over the fresh stitches.
"You're a tough cookie to crumble . . . Kathy?" He waited to see if he received an affirmative acknowledgment, he received none. "Damn. But I'll charm you out of your pants believe that."
"Unprofessional!" Kit gasped, but the corners of her mouth did curve into a slight smile.
"Alright alright my bad, just promise me you'll watch our match next week ok? I want you to be partial." He winked as he continued to press his luck.
"Our?"
" You're telling me you've never heard of the hounds of justice?!"
" Is that another name for Cerebus?"
"What?"
"Huh?"
"Just watch the match ok Katie?" Again Ambrose struck out.
"Fine fine I will . . . Dean." Kit rewarded all his efforts by finally calling him by his first name. "Just don't be an asshole alright?"
"No promises Erine?" Still no luck.
"Just go." She tried to pull Dean out of his chair.
"Ouch ouch is that your bedside manor?" He shrugged her off of him.
"I didn't mean to seem so unprofessional I just . . ." She let out a sigh, stuff like this would get her fired.
" Don't beat yourself up about it, we're just having fun right?" With that Dean finally relented and left.
"Fuck! Kathrine I think I broke a rib!" He wheezed as he stumbled his way into the medical office only three days after their first encounter.
" Sir just lay on the table while I get my equipment." Startled by Dean stumbling into the room Kit's coworker Jon bolted to his feet looking for his tools.
"Where's Kathrine?"
"Dude just lay down, your going to pass out with all that shouting." Seth tried to calm his partner down. Dean was red in the face eyes bulging as dizziness pulsed through him.
"Fine." Dean grumbled as he struggled to find a comfortable way to lay out, he squirmed and slithered like an earthworm getting awkward looks from everyone in the room. "Fuck!" His heels kicked the table as he gave up on his quest for comfort.
"This will hurt." Jon placed his hand over Dean's injured rib and pushed down.
"Fuck!"
"Take a deep breath." Jon couldn't do much for a rib fracture. Dean tried to gulp in air, the more his lungs inflated the more discomfort he was in.
"Fuck!" The only word he was capable of coughing out. "What are you doing to me man?" He grabbed Jon by the collar of his shirt dragging him close to his face.
"Will he be alright?" Roman looked down at his teammate writhing in pain.
"It depends." Kit entered the room, she had been out in the arena watching the match just as she promised. "Here." Reaching into the freezer she found what she was looking for tossed an ice pack to Jon who placed it over Dean's rib.
"Hey!" Dean laughed or at least tried to it quickly crumbled into a hack. "You watched the match."
"I did." Kit grabbed a stethoscope and walked over to Dean's side, placing it over his chest. "You can probably let go now." She glanced over to Dean's fist still bunched around Jon's shirt. "You can hold my hand, squeeze if you need to." Putting the ear buds in she listened to Dean's breathing.
" What'd you think?"
" I think you're all insane." She chuckled but winced as Dean began to clench on her hand, her fingers quickly grew ghastly white. 'Ow Ow Ow' She repeated over and over in her head in her best attempts not to yelp out in pain and wrench her hand back. 'Be professional.'
"I've been told that's one of my better qualities." Dean had a pained smile across his face.
"Why does that not blow my mind." She smirked back. "Well he doesn't have a collapsed lung or any additional injuries, It could be anything from a deep tissue bruise or fractured rib, regardless you should take a week or few off to let it heal."
"So give it to me straight Doc am I cleared to let you take me to the bar tonight?"
"First of I'm not a doctor and secondly take you-"
" He's kidding." Seth chuckled nervously.
"Like hell I am! if I'm taking time off from the sport might as well booze it up. I haven't had sex in three days and-"
"What makes you think I'm going to have sex with you?!" Kit's face was bright red.
"My impressive track record." Even in crippling pain he had time to flirt.
"Take ibiprophen twice a day and don't do anything to strain it." She place a bottle of over the counter medications on the table next to him and pointed angrily at the door.
"Is that a yes or no?"
"Sex with anyone would be straining on your ribs, and if you don't stop questioning me about it a fractured rib will be the least of your problems" Her job wasn't even on her mind as she demanded he leave.
"Fiesty I like that." He sat up slowly groaning in pain. As angry as she was she put his arm around her shoulder and helped him up. He could see the look of dread on her face. "Calm down, I won't tattle on you for being 'Unprofessional.' " He used air quotes as he spoke. " You're more fun than this turd over here." He pointed at the silent Jon standing off to the side. "Loosen up dude." Dean got fully to his feet. "And you better not squeal on Kay either." He paused to take in a labored breath and to see if he had guessed her name yet, she simply shook her head no. " Hear me?" He took the stethoscope from around Kit's neck and chucked it at Jon, to that the spooked man nodded. "Good. check you later Katherine." Dean waved as his fellow shield members walked him out the door. "You just name the bar and I'll-"
"Not going to the bar with you." Kit shook her head chuckling at the man's determination.
" We'll see about that!" He shouted as he walked farther away.
"Oh and Dean?!" She poked her head around the corner.
"Change your mind already?" He craned his neck to see her.
"Let it go dude, you're going to get a harassment suit filed on you at this rate" Seth shook his head as he spoke in a hushed yet assertive tone.
"Nah she loves it, we're just bullshitting." Dean assuredly whispered back.
"Not even in the slightest" Kit replied flatly to Dean's question.
"Loves it huh?" Roman couldn't help but chuckle.
"But to put you out of your misery . . . it's Kit."
"What?" Dean tilted his head in an even more contorted fashion trying to bring his ear closer to her while he still walked farther away.
"My friends call me Kit. Now go get some rest." She waved goodbye at the man with a victorious grin on his face.