(A/N: Holy shiznit, I have no idea the previous chapter is such a success, and I am SO glad you all like it! =D I'm just...so happy right now. :3 Since I've never wrote fluff or the likes of it before. x_x So! Let's see if I can whip up something better with Doctor Trent's ending, hmn? I assure you, it's not quite as you expect. :P So let's enjoy the moment, you and me both~! Yes, I have no idea what I'm writing. XD It just came to life as I type, LOL! Okay, shutting my fingers up, ENJOY!)


CHAPTER 9: 9:30PM - 10:00PM


Although I'm busy fighting my way through the harsh winds, there's an unmistakably wide smile on my lips. I'm currently running through the path right beside the inn that goes straight to the clinic, grateful to the man that built the walkways here. 'Note to self; gotta drop by a thanks to Gotz some time later...'

What happened at the inn right before I left was still continuously playing back in my mind, maybe that's the reason why I'm grinning so broadly now.

"Here," Gray had shoved me something, and my eyes flickered at the sight of Cliff's family photo in my hands. "I have a feeling you're going to the clinic after this..." The blacksmith muttered, looking away and continuing, "I also...think that Cliff deserves...to get his picture delivered. He cain't sleep without it."

I took a moment to stare at the picture, then assuredly nodded, "Okay, I'm on it."

Gray took a minute to stare at me, which is creepy since I'm no good in eye-to-eye contact much, but his sudden choice of words stunned me, "Are you wearing your dog's leash?"

Again, my hand automatically reached for a blow at his arm, "No, stupid. It's a RIBBON. It's MAX'S ribbon." Though, internally, I'm kind of thrilled to be receiving compliments of my new ribbon look by the guys.

And yet again, he shows no pain. Now it's either his body is made of rocks, or the mittens really did soften each and every of my punches. "Huh. Well, you look good in a leash, anyway."

I glared at him, trying to search for any hidden meanings of his statement, but I'm aware the time's ticking, so I passed the chance on counter-attacking him with any slutty comments that could make his face turning color. "I'll get back into battle mode tomorrow, but for now, I have to retreat."

"...Be careful."

Gray's words of concern somehow got picked up by the rest of the men, and they started to wish me luck and to watch my step endlessly. I'm flattered honestly, but today there's been too many cases with men getting so worked up of my wellbeing...it's like they're seeing me like some sort of fragile, dependent, damsel in distress.

My face must contorted into something lethal to see them all backing away after that, "Goddammit! Will you people STOP THAT? I'm going to be prefectly FINE."

Well, except Doug. "Here ya go!" And he stuffed something inside my bagpack from behind me, "Winter booze all the way!"

The crazy snow that's currently bombarding down onto me didn't stop my eyes from rolling at the play-backed scene. 'Oh well, look at the bright side. I got a drink for free!'

The knocks I made on the clinic door isn't as strong as the energy I gave into pounding it. Maybe Gray's right, these mittens aren't made for being brutal. Though I have to admit, Doug's untested drink is still working, I didn't even feel like collapsing on the snow after 10 steps outside.

As I was busy pondering on suggesting the name of the new drink to be 'Miracle Booze', the door creaked open, and there I see a petite nurse peeking from inside at the small crack of the door, before opening it fully with surprise.

"Claire! What are you doing here? It's so late! Come in, come in!" By the tone of Elli's voice, she must have thought that all of my limbs must be frozen by having to walk through the merciless weather all the way from my house.

The nurse pulled me in and settled me on one of the waiting seats there, then scampered off behind her counter towards the cupboards where they kept all the medicines. "Oh dear, do you need Bodigizer or-!"

"Elli, what's going on?" A deep voice hollered out from the top of the stairs followed by the footsteps descending down, and there stands Doctor Trent at the base of the stairs, still in his white coat, to my disappointment. 'Jeez, and I was hoping to see him wearing pajamas...'

"Well Doctor, Claire just stopped by and you could see by the horrible snow we have outside-"

"What?" The doctor cuts her off, then quickly spun his attention right towards the waiting seats...where I hurriedly stood up and guiltily waved at him. "Claire? What on earth are you doing here at this time of night?"

Unlike Elli, Doctor doesn't seemed to be the least bit concerned that I just walked through the snow outside, instead he just stared at me sharply...almost like he's glaring. 'Oh crap...is he still mad at me?"

"Um...I came by...t-to ask if...Cliff's..a-alright."

Yep, I'm definitely terrified by this doctor now to make me stutter that much. Plus, he literally did yelled at me today, and his expression that time pretty much gave birth to a whole new set of fear inside me. Yes, SET of fear, there's different levels of it already according to how his eyebrows even move.

The doctor, however, didn't say a word but merely glare holes in me. I literally swallowed my spit, thinking this is not a good idea after all, until Doctor Trent suddenly spoke, "Elli, please go check on Cliff, and give him the medicine I've listed, along with the shot."

Poor Elli was a bit startled by the sudden order, but quickly picked up the pace as she hurried past us both to the patient's room. I did catch a quick glimpse of her face as she passed me by, her face expression's a mixture of worry and confidence...it's almost like she's wishing me luck.

My eyes trailed to the nurse as she disappeared from my sight, much to my dismay. Just looking at Elli kind of gives that rejuvenation feeling, that everything is going to be alright, and by the look Doctor is giving me, I really need that feeling now.

Without a word, the said doctor coolly made his way towards me. My lips instantly opens wide, but apparently, my voice won't come out. Doctor Trent has the ability to psycho me with just one look, either for the better or the worst, that's in his control.

I thought he was going to knock me silly on the head, just like what I did to Cliff, but instead, Doctor pulls up the stethoscope resting around his neck to his ears, and brings the other end of the medical instrument to the top of my chest. After that, he inspected my eyes by pulling my lower eyelid down, then my throat.

"Doc-her, wah are yah do-eh?"

Trent removed the thin wooden stick he used to keep my tongue down while checking up on my throat, then pulls down the hearing plugs of the stethoscope back around his neck. "I'm a doctor, you just walked through THAT to reach here." His thumb was pointing at the back over his shoulder, straight towards a window there.

Before I could even say something, he beats me to it, "You made a stop at the inn, that's a wise choice. But even so, gulping down alcohol at this time of night is foolish, though efficient in keeping your temperature in the safe zone. I advise you to take a while's rest before going home, Claire."

I gaped at him, complete with a dropping jaw. "Whoa, that's just...wow! How did you figure all of that out? That's exactly what happened!" Somehow, it escapes my memory that Doctor Trent is just brilliant that way.

"I'm a doctor," he repeated nervelessly. His answer is so simple that I can't help but to stare up at him in amazement. He didn't gave me much time to say anything as he just spun around to follow Elli, but that's when I suddenly recalled something.

"Hey Doctor, can I ask you something?"

Doctor Trent paused his steps, sighed, then turn his head over his shoulder, almost like preparing himself to face a piece of life's greatest annoyance. "What is it?"

"That...that thing you're wearing," my hands actively played their part in shaping up like the instrument he wears around his neck, "Is it called a stethoscope, or a fetoscope?"

There was a moment of silence from the doctor as I waited for his answer, his face blank for a second, but then his shoulders jerked, the sides of his lips crinkled, and right there before my very eyes stands the emotionless Doctor Trent, laughing. Out loud, I may add. I gaped even wider at how remarkably magnetic he looks right now...

"Ah-hahahah! Goodness, Claire. Are you pregnant?"

My eyes widened even more. "WHAT?"

Doctor laughed even louder at my expression, while I stood there utterly confused and bewildered. "What? What am I missing? And I am NOT pregnant!" 'Goddess, did Ann's outburst back there is really TRUE? Am I pregnant with Gray's CHILD? HOLY SHYTE!'

Trent forced his laughter to cease down by lightly biting the tip of his right thumb, while his left hand is holding onto his right elbow. I swear, just by the sight of him doing that seriously makes me think he had lived inside a mansion before, since that thing he did made him look so refined and sophisticated somehow.

'By Goddess, I have never seen such a princely doctor all my life...'

"Claire, you do know that a stethoscope is for listening to the sounds generated inside the body, right?" Doctor Trent finally stopped chuckling, but his smile's still visible on his flawless face.

I blinked stupidly, "Well, yeah, that's what I thought. But then Karen suddenly said something about fetoscope, and I got confused."

At that information, the doctor began to chuckle relentlessly again, "A fetoscope, Claire, is a medical instrument used to listen for the foetal heartbeat on a pregnant woman's abdomen."

It took me quite a while to swallow all that up, and once I did, my face contorted into one that resembles a very angry Gray, "Oooh, that Karen! She sets me up!" My fists started balling up again, and at this, the Doctor paced his way and stood near me.

"And why did she want to do that?"

"To humiliate myself in front of you, why else!"

The doctor just smiled down at me, "You did quite the opposite, actually."

I looked up, meeting his gaze, and by the mere sight of him smiling, I can't help but to return the gesture and flashes him one of my brightest grin, "I'm just really glad to see you laugh like that, honestly speaking. You should do that more."

"If that's what you want, you should get yourself tricked by Karen often."

I stifled a laughter, never knowing the doctor has a sense of humor. He's so stoic and serious all the time, almost nobody has ever seen him smile before, much less laughing. He's one of those fellows that was overshadowed by his workaholic nature that his real true personality is hidden away almost completely.

This makes me wonder...is he aware of that?

"Doctor, you should smile more, seriously."

He just ran a hand through his jet black hair like it's a common advice others kept telling him, and he's sick of it, "I know I should, but there's just too much work and I have no time to-"

"You have no time to smile?"

Doctor Trent shook his head slightly, but other than that, he said nothing. I took this as my chance to try and wake him up, "You need to meet up with the others often, they did the most silliest things sometimes, and you just can't help but to laugh along with them!"

Despite my enthusiasm, the doctor's response is more than a little cheerless, "I don't have time to go out." With that said, my optimism dropped...drastically. My lips were pressed tightly against each other into a very thin line, and then...I lost myself in rage. Hurriedly, I stepped onto the nearest chair there, my face now growing red.

"Darn it, Trent!" Unknowingly, and shockingly, my 'caressing' fist landed right on top the doctor's skull. I literally bonked his head with one of my 'puffballs'.

Doctor reached a hand up to grab a hold of his poor throbbing head, staring right up at me unbelievably after backing away a feet or two from an enraged blond. His jaw slightly dropped by the sheer retardation of it all, but to my amazement, no voice came out of it. Looks like he wanted me to scold him...

Resting my hands on my hips, I yelled down at him, "Would you PLEASE stop burying your head in some paperwork for once and live your life?" My glare must have looked absolutely horrifying to see Trent taking the smallest step backwards. "You are now living in one of the quaintest towns exist in the world, it's such a shame to see you trapped in your work all day, not enjoying the beach, or socialize, or...laugh! Like you just did! Every Wednesday, you just strut your way to Mother's Hill in the morning ONLY, then right back to this clinic. Why don't you use the rest of that day to walk around and greet the townsfolk, and share your sense of humor?"

I rambled a lot, specifically when I'm extremely pissed off. It's strange, because I never got to finish any of my rambles. Gray cuts me off every time. It feels kind of good to get my points across so completely like this, and doctor's doing a good job in shutting up too, unlike Gray.

Slowly, the red tinge on my face drained, and my eyebrows relaxed slightly.

"I'm sorry that I can never understand a doctor's work, nor the feeling to shoulder so many lives in your hands with balancing Lillia's disease and Jeff's allergies...and my clumsiness."

The wrinkles on my face lessens as I cornered my eyes to the side, "I'm also sorry, for making you so angry earlier...when I hurt Cliff. That was stupid of me."

"Yes, that was stupid of you." Doctor's quick response totally surprised me, but there's no stopping that guilt-grin widening on my face. "Though, I'll take into consideration of your suggestion, Claire."

I blinked, and slowly my grin transformed into a happy smile, my current mood quickly swinging to the its opposite. "Yeah? Really?"

"Of course. I'm not as thick-headed as you."

The sparkles in my eyes flashed off immediately, and a frown is now decorating my lips with a pair of slight annoyed eyes. If Doctor was Gray, I would've countered that eons ago, but this is Trent I'm talking to. The rarely-humorous doctor. I rather be attacked by him than attacking him. ...No dirty thoughts.

So noticing me not defending myself, Doctor Trent smiled up at me, "Though I'm glad I gave you those mittens. My head doesn't hurt at all."

Okay, that is IT.

"RAWR!" Bringing my hands up similar to an attacking cat, I literally hopped off the chair I'm standing on and pounced right onto the doctor. Of course, Trent didn't see that one coming. "Claire! What-"

The cold waxed floor of the clinic emitted an unbearably loud bam right after that. Apparently, it's so loud, the vibration could be felt by the next room...or specifically, the patient room.

"What was that?" A male voice could be heard from there, my head immediately perked up, "Cliff?"

After a moment, Elli appeared to my view, screamed, then balances herself against the wall nearby. "Doctor! C-Claire! What's going on?" By her tone, she seemed alarmed, to my confusion.

But said confusion didn't last long as it slowly came to me that I'm now laying right on top of a very confounded Doctor Trent. He can't even speak considering his face is against...my...

'Holy twins!'

"AAAH!" I screamed just as shrilly as Elli and in reflex, pushed myself off the poor still-baffled doctor, with my face as red as his. "I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!" With my hands in a defensive manner, I backed away from him, hits a chair behind me and sat on it. "It was an accident, I swear!"

Despite her lifetime's supply of shock, Elli amazingly managed to rushed towards the doctor and offered to help him. I just watched from the chair as Doctor struggled to stand, his complexion very reddened...and he's sweating?

It didn't take long for poor Trent to suddenly swap a hand on his face, with blood gushing out from behind his palm. I yelled even louder, "Oh my Goddess, he's BLEEDING!"

"What?" The nurse was as freaked out at me, but unlike me, Elli's strong enough to make herself move to do what's required, instead of just sitting and screaming in shock. At the sight of the crimson liquid dripping off the doctor's chin, Elli scrambled off behind her counter to grab a white cloth, then tossed it to me.

"Claire, can you please wipe the blood off? I'll go upstairs to find some ice!"

Then off she goes, her footsteps hurriedly reached the upper level of the clinic. My hands were seriously shivering holding the white cloth in my grip. I'm not used to do stuff when I'm in the middle of a very deep shock like this! 'Can't I just sit here looking stupid and wait for all the distress to pass?'

A noise distracted me from my thoughts, my eyes immediately darted off to the front in surprise. There knelt Doctor Trent, being left by Elli as his only support to stand up, and a hand trying to hold up gushing blood from his nose. There's his blood spots all over the floor around him, and even a hand-print of it there as he tries to pull himself up.

"...Doctor?" I croaked, and out of pure sympathy, trudged my way from my chair to his side. Yeah, I'm a coward, but that doesn't mean I can't help others.

"Here, just...stay still." I commanded him, surprisingly very firmly, and after tilting his head to face me, just trying my best to wipe the blood stain off his chin and lips, but not particularly...gentle, per se.

"Clai- Claire! Stop it." He grabbed a hold of my wrist while I almost poked inside his nostrils with the cloth.

"Hey, I'm not born with angelic touch, you know?"

"Yes, I now know that, thank you," Doctor pulled the cloth from my hand as he held it up against his nose for a while, waiting for it to stop spurting. This, to Doctor's surprise, brings up a question from me.

"Hey, doesn't a nosebleed usually occur when you feel kind of hot or something? But...today's like the coldest day in winter history, how could you..." My hands does the rest of the talking, imitating the blood spurting out of my nose. Despite how I can be slightly perverted sometimes, I'm still an innocent obtuse most of the day. This...is one of those days.

Doctor shot me the most hilarious wtf-look in the history of pissing off Gray. Even Gray is unable to pull off this look, I dare bet. Without notice, I blurted off the classic cartoonish laugh; I'm laughing my head off and pointing a finger at the doctor. Literally.

Thankfully, before I reached the top of my lungs, Elli arrived with a packet of ice ready in her grip. My laughter immediately ceased to a smile, as I watched Elli do what she does best; nursing. There's still a tinge of worry visible on her face, and I smiled even wider at how cute they both look.

"Oh yeah. Hey Elli, why does Doctor suddenly got a nosebleed when the weather's not even-"

A large palm was secured against my lips to keep my mouth shut and I could only muffled against the skin. Doctor, complete with a pinkish speck on his cheeks, sighed in annoyance.

'Oh yeah!' I tried to muffle that out, but the doctor won't even let his palm off, so I just slinged my bagpack to my side and sets it down on the floor to unzip it.

Right on cue, Cliff's voice echoed in the clinic, "Uhm...if everything's alright out there...I'd like this injection thing out of my skin right now...if it's okay..."

"Oh dear! The syringe!" Elli gasped, now remembering she hasn't pulled off the syringe out. I winced, shooting Elli a bewildered look by just using my eyes, then watched as the nurse sped her way off.

I have a very short attention span, that's why I quickly turned back to my bag and pulled out the piece of cake I just baked, all in its aluminum glory.

"Mmf mpffhffhuf mf~!"

"Excuse me," Doctor pulled his palm off, and blinked at the large bloody hand-print he just pasted on the farmer's face, oblivious to the said farmer.

"I said...Happy Thanksgiving Day~!" And I happily shoved the piece of cake towards the still-blinking doctor. It took him a while, but after acknowledging what day is it today, he gladly took my gift.

"Thank you, Claire." And there's that smile I've been waiting for. Doctor Trent possesses this lovely dreamy smile that I'm sure every girl in this town would melt at the sight of it. I almost did, but that's when Doctor decided to be perceptive.

"This is not chocolate."

My expression dropped unquestionably, "Yes, it is. It's chocolate cake."

"...Now why would you give chocolate cake to me?"

I rolled my eyes, figured that out of all 5 of them, Doctor would be the only one asking why I didn't abide the rules of this festival, "Because I ran out of chocolates."

"But then how could you make chocolate cake if you claim that you're out of chocolates?"

"Dammit, just take the cake and acknowledge my sign of gratefulness, OKAY?"

Doctor just smiled, despite my growing annoyance, and cleverly responded, "See, that's what I felt like when you won't stop bombarding me with unnecessary questions all the time."

I was silenced immediately, now embarrassed, but still trying to defend my right to be myself, "H-hey, it's not my fault you know everything!"

Doctor Trent chuckled, another spectacular sight. If this keeps on, I seriously wish I could trap him inside a glass box of sorts and display him to a random art gallery as God's most beautiful creature ever created. I can make serious money out of it too, no doubt at all.

I licked my lips at the thought, now the idea sounds tempting, but then there's a...metallic taste on my tongue...like a mixture of iron and copper. Or maybe...

"BLOOD! AM I BLEEDING?" I panicked, backing away and fell hard on my butt as I wiped my face with my mittens. The sheer redness on my perfectly white mittens is quite more than enough to make me scream all over again.

"AAAAHH! I'm bleeding and I'm not in pain! What's wrong WITH ME?"

"No, please! Calm down, Claire!" Doctor tried to reason, moving towards me with that now red-patched cloth very near to my face.

"AAAAAAGGHH! NO, NO, NO!"

"Claire, would you PLEASE- WHOA!"

"OW!"

"OOF!"

By the very loud racket, of course Elli would come in the waiting room that very moment, "What on earth is happening here- ...Wh? D-DOCTOR! LEAVE POOR CLAIRE ALONE!"

...Spurt~


(A/N: HOLY TWINS, EPIC NOSEBLEED MOMENT! XD ROFL! Omg, I was laughing all the way while writing this, this animated image of it in my head is just too awesome. LOL! This is a gift to MarianFontz, considering she's kind of bummed Doc fell on Elli a few chapters back, and I made this to make up for it. =D Hope it works, my friend! Oh yes, and distressing news, I have to leave to attend my new semester in...a very far away university, without this laptop, so I'm sorry to say that I won't be continuing with this fanfic for a while. But hope is never lost! I can still come back on weekends! Hopefully... :3 Review, if you believe I deserve it! XD LOL! Cliff's ending is up NEXT! :D)