The double doors flung open as Dom charged into the ward. Without greeting anyone, he stomped to the locker room.
Sacha prepared himself for the loud bang, but the door closed softly. He waited for Dom to appear – fresh in scrubs – and join him in front of the nurse station.
"Rough night?" Sacha asked, eyes taking in today's roster. Dom had arrived early, his shift hadn't started yet – still a few minutes to spare.
"Ugh, yes, and not the good kind."
"Dreams?"
Dom pulled a face. "More like sleepless nights. Yes, plural and consecutive. No, not because they are filled with torrid, sweaty night adventures."
Sacha wasn't thinking that, but now that he mentioned it... His gaze swept up and down his frame. Tiredness clung to him.
"Perhaps I should pop in some melatonin. Wasn't that popular for a while?" Dom yawned. "But then again, I don't think it will work in my case."
Sacha watched as he crossed his arms on his chest. "Indeed. Here, you can have the easy one."
Dom finally glanced at him. His face softened. "Sorry. Hi, Sacha."
"Hello, Dom." He grinned and gave him the small stack.
"Thanks."
It was worth the genuine, though tired smile he flashed Sacha. But then he froze, clutched the files tighter to his chest and marched away.
Sacha frowned and glanced around. Nothing amiss. He shrugged and turned back, but flinched when he saw Hanssen standing there, silent, tall and looming in a way only he could.
"Hello, Mr Hanssen." He chuckled as he recovered from this surprise.
"Mr Levy." He nodded, solemn as ever, and peered down, eyes taking in the files scattered on the desk.
Sacha hurried around the station and reached for them, intending to make Hanssen's job a bit easier, but he only shook his head and grabbed the nearest medical record.
Peering around Hanssen, he saw Dom glaring at him. What did he do wrong? Was his hair too messy? Was he trying too hard? Too much himself?
But when Sacha examined closer, he noticed his gaze was resting a bit higher, slightly away from himself.
He wondered if he should tell Hanssen, but quickly decided against it. Someone like him would soon realise it, or maybe he had already and was ignoring Dom.
He smoothed down the flower pattern of his shirt. Was this the reason Dom suffered from insomnia? Hanssen and Dom usually brought the worst out of each other. A real shame. If only they could find a way to work out their differences, they would make a splendid team then.
Hanssen closed the file, put it back where he found it and nodded at Sacha again. After a glance at the ward, he left.
Sacha noticed Dom was already focused on his case, busy talking to the patient.
He was camping at the nurse station. Great vantage point. Great spot to catch up on the dreaded paperwork. Not that Sacha was making any progress now. A file laid open in front of him, untouched for minutes. A foot tapped on the ground.
He was far too focused on the sight not far away from him.
Hanssen and Dom were standing close together, examining a patient's notes. He wondered what they were talking about. It must be a special case, even if the patient in question looked quite bored. How Sacha wished they could trade places.
His brow furrowed deeper when Dom leant closer to Hanssen.
Perhaps he could feint curiosity and ask if they needed any help.
Before he came to a decision, Hanssen closed the file with a decisive snap and Dom turned away from him. Hanssen thanked the patient and continued his round, skipping several beds until he found an occupied one.
Empty beds meant healthy people.
As Dom neared him, he reminded himself that he must look busy. He glanced at the charts in front of him, already forgotten what it was about. He shrugged and started from the beginning.
Dom puffed out a long sigh as he rounded the station and plopped down on the chair beside his.
"Hanssen?" Sacha talked to the file, tried to be nonchalant. He could do that, couldn't he? Easy peasy.
"Ugh, don't get me started on that Scandi stickman stuck in permafrost." Dom pushed the enter button and glared at the screen coming alive.
He frowned. He thought it was going well.
"What happened?"
"What didn't happen is the easier question." He clicked on the mouse button several times – it was a miracle the computer didn't freeze.
There was something off about Dom. This was more than anger, more than frustration. Not just this. And not just today. One moment he deduced a brilliant diagnosis, the next he was lost in thoughts, sometimes resulting in accidents. Such as the one Sacha averted just in time a mere hour ago. Dom had almost jabbed a needle in the wrong vein. A beginner's mistake, he thought at first, but he was now beginning to think it was something worse.
As if they had travelled back in time, Dom an F1, Sacha a few years younger.
He couldn't take it any more. This pained him.
"Okay, cool down hug." Sacha stood and spread his arms. Dom raised an eyebrow and ignored him, well on his way to break the mouse.
"Come on." He gestured for him to stand up, but he refused to budge.
This was going nowhere.
"Sacha, no, no, don't you dare-" Too late. He hauled him to his feet and enveloped him in a big hug.
Now to wait.
As was the case with his son, Dom too responded well to a gentle touch and encouragement. And most importantly, patience.
He grinned as Dom relaxed. He wrapped an arm around his middle and exhaled, breath tickling his shoulder.
Sacha wished that this hug alone would solve all problems.
When he saw Dom almost tripping over a trolley, he decided to try again. He ignored the warning look Essie shot him, telling him to tread carefully and not make things worse.
"Everything all right?"
"I'm splendid, Sacha, thank you for asking."
"Trouble somewhere, something, someone?" Sacha was fishing for anything and blurted out whatever came to mind.
Dom didn't react, but when he mentioned Hanssen, he paused. "Hanssen? No. Why, did he say something?"
He perked up, all attention on him, as if Sacha had just told him the secret way to skip several career steps and next year he could be a registrar.
"No."
Something akin to disappointment flashed on his face, but he smoothed it out quickly.
So, it was about Hanssen?
Dom cocked his head. "Are you okay? You're acting stranger than your usual boisterous self."
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Dom shouldn't be turning the tables on him.
"Yes, yes," Sacha said. How to explain the many times he had witnessed these strange accidents?
"Well, try not to get a headache." Dom patted him on the shoulder and left.
Sacha ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
After he averted yet another accident – Dom almost giving too much saline to a slumbering patient – he was beginning to think there really was a problem. A problem that worsened while Sacha remained on the sidelines and offered grins and hugs and a listening ear.
He wondered if he should have a chat with Hanssen. But no, it wasn't so drastic yet. And technically, Sacha had no evidence. Essie shrugged off his concerns, telling him to calm down and remember to breath, not to let his protective streak win. A well placed hand on the arm, the soft tone in her voice, or that smile he so loved to see on her face always caused him to back off.
But the effect disappeared once she was away, clocked out and enjoying her evening.
He caught Dom as he was coming out of the locker room. He was still in his scrubs. Strange, Sacha thought his shift had ended already.
"Hey Dom, want to come over to my place after you're done? We can have a film night?"
Perhaps a change in scenery might do him good. It had been weeks ago, last time Dom came over to his place. He always loved having Dom around. He always brought a bit of sparkle with him, no matter where he went. The same sparkle surrounded Daniel whenever it was his turn to care for and spend time with him. Perhaps Dom would relax and finally tell him what was wrong. Sacha could stare and guess only so many times before it became creepy.
His eyes widened before they focused on the ground.
Sacha's face fell.
"Raincheck?" Dom asked.
Sacha couldn't say no to that pained expression.
"Of course." His smile didn't reach his eyes. Sacha tried not to imagine another night spend alone. "Do you...have you anything else planned?" He didn't expect an answer. With Dom, it was 50/50, lower when he felt attacked or offended.
"It's..." Dom made a face. "I don't know what it is. We...I am still figuring it out."
He waited, but Dom didn't explain any further.
"Well, if you need any help..." His voice trailed off and Sacha resisted the urge to step forward and hug him. He couldn't help it. Dom looked like he could use one.
"Thanks, Sacha. Listen, I really need to get back."
"Okay." He watched Dom retreat, an immediate change as he focused on the ward. Seeing him work like this, he was a junior every teacher wished for.
Perhaps Dom had scheduled a double shift. There were worse ways to cope.
Sacha read the notes on a new patient, just arrived and waiting for a doctor. An interesting case, perfect for Dom.
He nodded to himself and waited for him to arrive.
Dom didn't come alone. Hanssen held the door open and followed him in.
Sacha stood, brow creasing, as they approached.
"Dr Copeland, Mr Hanssen." Dom smiled, Hanssen nodded.
"Is that for me?" Dom pointed to the file.
"Uh..."
Hanssen held out a hand, waiting for him to hand it over and examined the notes.
"Mr Copeland, your patient." Dom narrowed his eyes, but came closer and glanced down. He nodded and took the file over. Their fingers brushed.
Sacha watched as they met the patient and tackled the problem together.
Hanssen guided Dom in the right diagnosis without spoiling the surprise. Sacha couldn't do it better himself. Technically, Sacha was still his mentor, but this time he didn't mind the change.
They made a good team. It was always good to learn from several sources. And Hanssen was the best consultant in general surgery. Even Sacha still learned things from him.
He was waiting for things to clatter, for patients to shout, for nurses to glare. But nothing happened.
Dom had returned.
Sacha flinched when the familiar beeping started. Nurses rushed to the centre of the noise and patients turned their attention to the action. Dom sprang up, upsetting the charts he had been studying. They would have crashed to the ground if Sacha hadn't caught them. He grinned, delighted at the awesome save, but he was the only witness. The rest focused on the emergency.
He took hold of his pen and fiddled with it.
Dom met Hanssen – found wandering in Keller sometimes – halfway. He should probably stand too, but Sacha slowly sat down and stared.
They worked as one – without a trace of antagonism, hesitation or reluctance – and quickly took control of the situation.
After the ruckus they stood beside each other, watching the aftermath. Dom leaned towards him.
As if they were sharing a moment, almost as if-
The pen launched to the ground as he struck the button too hard with his thumb.
The signs had been there all along, Sacha was just too busy dismissing the obvious option.
He slowly smiled, the smile almost matching the radiance on Dom's face.
Sacha could barely believe it. It certainly was something that Dom might do. All these antics just to catch someone's attention, yet careful not to cause any devastating consequences. He didn't approve, but he understood.
Love did strange things to someone.
Sacha knew, he fell victim to it several times. Was trapped in the middle of one – he wondered if Essie knew the hold she would always have on him.
Dom deserved happiness and joy, after everything he had been through. He tried not to think of his own life. Just because his was messy and lonely – he would likely die alone, fake grin frozen in place – didn't mean Dom should be dragged down too.
He may not know Hanssen that well – well, no one did – but Sacha had seen people that were far worse.
Sacha watched as they slowly withdrew from each other. Dom stopped soon and directed a lingering glance at Hanssen. He was taking the time to leave.
He passed Sacha – ignoring the silly grin on his face – opened the door leading towards the stairs and closed it softly behind him.