The unkindness of a blaring alarm clock pulled Verity out of a dreamless sleep. Reaching a hand out from under the covers, she silenced the alarm. Another five minutes passed before she got out of bed. She had never been a morning person but early shifts at the hospital couldn't be avoided. Vincent wouldn't be for hours yet, but still in time for Saturday morning cartoons. They had shared the tradition before Verity left for nursing school and he still upheld it every weekend without fail.
She started a pot of coffee before heading to the bathroom for a shower. She didn't really need one, but rather saw it as a good way to wake up in the morning. When she returned, Vincent was seated at the kitchen table.
"What're you doing up so early?"
"I think you mean what am I doing up so late."
"Okay. What're you doing up so late? And with my coffee," she swiped the mug from him, "You don't need caffeine at three in the morning."
Vincent ran a hand through his blond hair, making it stick up in a few places. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and wet his lips. "Can't sleep. Haven't been really."
"Since when?" Verity asked, sliding a bowl of Cheerios across the table to him. He stopped the bowl from spilling into his lap and ate a small spoonful.
"It's hard to pinpoint when exactly. I think it was before grandpa's funeral."
"I'm sorry, Vincent."
"Can you like, Varma Kalai me to sleep or something?"
"Absolutely not."
Vincent sighed and finished his cereal. He called the tone she used her "judge voice". Whatever she said was final. Arguing was futile. Verity told him once when he brought it up that their mother had used a similar tone whenever she got into trouble. He wished he could remember his parents.
Bruce remembered traveling to Boston once before with his father. He had been around nine or ten at the time. Thomas Wayne had been called to a hospital for a consultation and Martha thought it would be good for the two to spend some quality time together. Today he was in Boston for two reasons: Wayne Pharmaceuticals had entered the trial phase for a new drug and was taking applicants from around the country, and Verity Dawson worked at one of the hospitals on his list. Lucius Fox, Bruce's business manager and close friend, handled such visits on a regular basis.
"You sure you don't want me to go?" Lucius had asked.
"Of course you can go," Bruce had replied, "I just want to go with you. For science."
"For science is a terrible reason. That's not even a valid excuse, Bruce."
"Alright, fine. I'm going to Boston for a girl."
Lucius laughed for a good five minutes before he could answer. "A girl? What, not enough women in Gotham?"
"Shut up, Lucius."
"I mean, we'll be happy to have you along, but really?"
"I said shut up."
Now he, Lucius, and a representative from WP were taking a tour of the hospital. They had just been through the pediatric ward and were heading to the OR floor when they passed by a nurses station. Bruce spotted a familiar face standing at the counter, filling out paperwork.
"You gonna go talk to her, or are you just gonna stare from here?" Lucius asked, noticing the look on Bruce's face.
"I wasn't staring. Come on, we're going to miss the OR floor. I want to observe a procedure or two if we can spare the time."
Bruce forced Lucius past the nurses station, flashing a smile and winking at the nurse behind the desk. She stared at him as he hurried by and quickly turned to Verity.
"Girl, look at him go…"
Verity rolled her eyes and turned her head to see who was going towards the elevator.
"Bruce?" There was no hiding the surprise in her voice. Luckily, he was too far away to hear her. Still, she ducked behind the station.
"Girl, what is your problem? He is fine as hell. You know him or something?"
"Kind of? It's complicated. Nanette, do you think he saw me?"
"With that bright orange hair of yours? Probably. Look I don't know how you know him, but you should talk to that fine piece of man. Do it for us. Do him for us."
"Nan!"
"What? We all know it has been too long since you have had any kind of fun. Man-candy like that is perfect for a one off." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the elevator, "Or a more-than-one-off."
"I have patients to check on." Verity darted out from behind the desk, but Nanette caught her arm.
"Nuh-uh, girlfriend."
Verity's eyes went wide. She looked from Nan's hand on her arm to Nan's face and back again. Oh fu- She couldn't even finish the thought as a vision of her friend and one of the orderlies undressing in a supply closet flashed in her mind.
"Verity? Hey! Earth to Dawson." Nanette let go of her arm and waved a hand in front of her face, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Bad sushi?" She bluffed. "But seriously, Ms. Carlson has been buzzing for the last five minutes. If no one checks on her she'll try to get out of bed again and I'm not resuturing her again."
"You," Nanette snapped her fingers at a passing intern, "Check on the lady in two-twenty. You," She turned to Verity, "Don't even like sushi. Come on, we're going to lunch. We've both been here since three in the morning and I, for one, am starving."
"Nan," Verity tried to protest, but she couldn't stop her friend from dragging her down to the cafeteria.
"How do you kind of know him?" Nanette asked in between bites of salad. They were seated in the courtyard, just outside the cafeteria.
"It's really not as complicated as I like to think that it is," Verity sighed, poking at her french fries, "I've actually known Bruce Wayne most of my life. Although I don't think he remembers me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. You mean that hottie with a body is the Bruce Wayne? Orphaned at twelve, multi-billionaire Bruce Wayne? How did I not see that…"
"Well, yeah. I was born in Gotham. We were in the same kindergarten room. He wet the bed at nap-time."
"Oh. My God. Tell me everything. I need to know. I will literally die if you don't tell me."
"That's not true and you know it." Verity smiled, "You're such a drama queen, Nanette. But because you are my best friend and I love and trust you, I will tell you what I remember about growing up in Gotham.
"And going to school with a billionaire?"
"Yes, yes. Like I said, I was born in Gotham. However, I actually lived in California until I was around four or five. We came back to Gotham after my maternal grandmother died. Bruce and I went to school together from kindergarten through seventh year. We were in the same classes now and then, but we were never close. Not even friends. I'm not entirely sure he even knew my name. After his parents died, he left. My parents died in a train crash not long after that, but I didn't have the luxury of escaping high society until after graduation. I came here for nursing school and I decided to stay. As far as I know, Bruce has been back in Gotham for a few years. We reconnected at the estate sale. But honestly Nanette, I don't care to go back."
"Why not?" Nan's question was sincere. She had spent most of her life in Boston, and high society intrigued her. Her favorite show had been Gossip Girl for a very long time.
"Well for one thing everyone is in your business all the time. You constantly have to wear a mask and hide your true feelings. It's all about pettiness and passive aggressive parties. It's exhausting." Verity finished her fries. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair. She crossed her arms, a somber expression on her face, "And Gotham? It's a city ruled by Death. He just takes and he takes and he takes. I know that dying is inevitable, I mean, I'm a goddamned nurse. But Gotham has taken everything from me. Why would I want to go back to that?"
Verity didn't see Bruce again until late in the afternoon. He and Doctor Cox, the chief of surgery, were speaking just out of earshot. She watched them for a moment while she put away a stack of charts. Nanette sat nearby, eyes locked on the clock as she swiveled from side to side in the chair. Both of them were ready to go home for the day, but Verity had decided on busy work to try and make the time go faster.
"He's hot." Sadia walked over to the nurses station and perched on the edge of the counter. The young doctor had an apple in one hand and a clipboard in the other. She took a bite of her apple and with a full mouth asked, "Why do I recognize him though?"
Nanette answered before Verity could, "That's Bruce Wayne. Billionaire from Gotham."
"Ech. Billionaires aren't my type. Too snotty. What do you think, Ver?"
Verity snapped to attention, dropping a few of the charts. They clattered on the tile, drawing the attention of Dr. Cox and Bruce, and anyone else nearby.
"He's cute, I guess," She mumbled, stooping to pick up the fallen charts.
"Sorry, what was that?" Nan prodded, raising her brows at Verity.
Before she could answer, Dr. Cox made his way over and chided Sadia for sitting on the counter.
"Doctor Nadir, that is not a chair. Nurse Jackson, instead of sitting around and doing nothing, perhaps you could help Nurse Dawson pick up this mess? Or check on your patients?"
Sadia stood, biting into her apple. She winked at Verity and Nanette as she skipped away. In the direction of Bruce Wayne.
"Hey. My friend thinks you're cute." She told him as she sidled past him, making sure to point at the red-haired nurse with a grumpy look to her. He was a bit confused at first, but then smiled. He didn't need to be back in Gotham for patrol for another few hours and hopefully he could convince Verity to go for an early dinner. Or coffee. Or whatever she wanted, really.
"Ugh, I'm so ready for a nap." Verity shouldered her bag, "I do hope Vincent hasn't burned the house down."
"How is your brother, anyway?" Nanette asked, swiping her card to clock out.
"He's okay." She swiped her own keycard and followed Nan outside, "He hasn't been sleeping. This morning he asked me to use his pressure points to knock him out, the poor lamb."
"Right, right. The Indian massage-fighty thing. And I'm guessing you said no in your usual Judge Verity fashion?"
"That's not what its called or even is. I don't know what you're talking abou-Ack!" She tripped over a raised spot on the sidewalk and stumbled forward. Unfamiliar arms caught her around the waist and pulled her up before she could hit the ground.
"Are you alright, Miss Dawson?" Bruce asked, dropping his hands once she was steady on her feet. Nanette snickered.
"I-yes. Yeah. Yes. I'm fine."
Bruce smiled at her, his blue eyes crinkling at the edges, "Good! I'm glad to hear it. Can I interest you ladies in a cup of coffee?"
"I have a puppy to feed. See you Monday, Verity." Nanette flashed a pearly white grin and winked, walking towards her car. Verity looked from Nanette to Bruce to down at her hands and back up to Bruce.
"Thank you, but I should really be getting home. I love my brother, but he gets restless and can't be left alone for to long. Much like Nan's puppy."
"In that case, may I walk you to your car?"
"I actually live close enough to walk." Verity switched her bag from one shoulder to the other. She chewed on her bottom lip, debating about whether or not to let him accompany her home.
"Very well. I insist on walking you home." Bruce stuck out an elbow, offering her his arm. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and took his arm.
"Please tell me you don't walk to work in the middle of the night?" Bruce asked, noting her petite frame.
"Well no, I don't. Nan and I usually work the same shifts, so she gives me a ride." Verity laughed. "I can, however, take care of myself. I studied Wing Chun and Varma Kalai. I might be short but I'm scrappy as fuck. Sorry - I really need to stop swearing. It's such a bad habit. And now I'm rambling. Another bad habit. Shit. Shoot! Sorry?"
"I don't mind." He chuckled. He liked the sound of her laugh. It was silvery and light and full of joy, "I'd rather you talk than me. My life is full of boring meetings and galas I don't want to go to. I'm sure the life of a nurse is very exciting."
"I don't know about that. People puke on me a lot. My feet always hurt no matter how comfortable my shoes are at the start of the day. Sick people are usually really mean - which I can't fault them for, I mean they are sick and injured! - but every now and then there are nice patients. Sometimes I even get a thank you card. I've seen a lot of really nasty shit. I've helped deliver babies and I've held people as they died. Oh, my apartment is right over here." Verity pointed out a three-story building one block further ahead, "Like I said, close enough to walk."
"I believed you," Bruce smiled at her as they walked, "I have to go back to Gotham tonight, but I should be back on Wednesday to see two other hospitals in the area. Would you like to go for dinner that evening?"
"Bruce Wayne, are you asking me on a date?" She sounded amused, but he hoped she would say yes.
"I suppose that I am. What do you say? Pick you up at six? After all, I do know where you live now."
She laughed again, "Way to be creepy." Verity thought about what Nanette had said. Nan was right as always. It had been a long time since she had gone on a date. After Vincent moved in she had set that part of her life aside. "I think I'm working a double on Wednesday, but I'll check."
Bruce couldn't answer before Verity opened the door to her apartment. Vincent was in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. A bottle in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. Verity couldn't see what he had been drinking, but it didn't look good. The teenager dropped his pizza and pointed,
"Holy shit! Batman's in my house!"
|| this is so late and I am so sorry! but worry not! I have already started the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed and thanks so much for reading!
