Dialogue and scenes borrowed from the show as usual...
X
"Dr Lim, Dr Melendez" he nodded as he gestured to the pair of seats on the opposite side of his desk. "How can I help you both today?"
"We'd like to discuss something with you. A personal matter" Neil began diplomatically, glancing at Audrey who sat staring straight ahead. Despite this finally being her idea, it looked like he was going to be the one doing all the talking today.
"Go ahead" Andrews replied. "I'm always here for my staff" he said with a smirk, leaning forward on his elbows, ready to listen. That was the truth. Despite his outward displays of self importance, he did place great faith in his staff and always encouraged open dialogue between them.
"Dr Lim and I... Audrey and I would like to pursue a personal relationship" he said quite plainly. There was no embellishment or grand speech, just that one statement which was met with nothing but silence.
The seconds ticked by as Dr Andrews looked at Neil who swallowed hard under his intense gaze. He switched his focus to Audrey whose features gradually softened as a small smile started to curl the edges of her lips.
"You know already don't you?" she asked, looking at him suspiciously.
He sat back in his seat, the smile on his face getting wider.
"I said just the other week how you two seemed to be getting along better" he shrugged.
Neil shook his head in disbelief.
"How long has it been going on?" he asked.
"Since before Christmas, before the quarantine" Audrey confirmed, feeling more confident.
"I'll admit I had my suspicions then" Andrews nodded knowingly. "I originally put it down to how long you've known each other and how you've been friends for so long. That whole situation affected everyone deeply, but when I ran into you in the elevator during the mechanical heart case..."
"Mrs Lee" Neil interrupted, frustrated at his inability to personalise the patients.
"Yes, Mrs Lee" he agreed, nodding. "There was something different I couldn't quite put my finger on. I guessed that if something wasn't already happening, then it would be soon?"
"So, we're good?" Audrey asked trying to sound casual but inwardly cringing at the thought of Andrews thinking of them in any way.
"Dr Han is firmly embedded as Chief of Surgery and I've seen no signs that your work has suffered as a result of whatever this is" he said gesturing between them. "So, yes. We're good" he echoed but holding up his hand to indicate he wasn't quite finished. "But I will be scheduling you an appointment with HR, just to go over a few things. Reiterate some boundaries" he nodded.
"Of course" Neil replied. It would likely be a formality of what is expected of them whilst they represented the hospital. "Thank you" Neil said, surprised that he hadn't made them suffer.
"That's not all Dr Melendez" he said with a warning tone as he saw them move to rise from their seats. "If there are any signs of that behaviour changing, my opinion on this will also change. I won't allow personal relationships to affect the workings of this hospital in any way."
"Understood" Neil replied.
"Understood" Audrey repeated.
"Stop by HR on the way back to the floor to get things moving" Andrews said, signalling that this meeting had come to a close.
"Of course" Neil replied, standing to leave.
"Doctors... good luck" he smiled as they were about to leave the room.
"Thanks" they replied simultaneously.
Back out in the corridor, they stood alongside waiting for the elevator. Neil rocked back and forth on his heels with a little smirk on his face while Audrey stood stock still.
"That went better than expected" he said glancing at her, trying to gauge her reaction.
She nodded but stayed silent.
The elevator doors pinged open and they stood to one side to allow some colleagues to step out, nodding acknowledgments before stepping inside. Leaning across her, he pressed the button for three floors down and stood stoically next to her, the back of his hand resting gently against hers.
The numbers on the screen ticked by and just before the doors opened, she shifted and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. In the next instant, the doors had opened and she sauntered out feeling quite happy with herself. He stood a couple of seconds longer with a small smile on his face before following her out towards the HR reception.
X
They sat in in the administrators office feeling as if they were on trial. They had been able to conveniently fit them in for an appointment an hour later so they sat as she looked at them over the expanse of her desk and judged them quite obviously without having to say a word.
"You've had sex with each other?" the HR administrator asked bluntly.
"Yes" Neil replied.
"And you're planning on doing so again?" she asked.
"Yes" replied Audrey.
"Good news" Neil added raising a smile from Audrey but a stern look from the administrator.
"Because neither of you are in a subservient position to the other..."
"Well, sometimes" Audrey quipped before thinking. Neil smiled this time while Audrey was on the receiving end of the stony glare.
"You work together, and your sleeping together" the administrator started. "You don't see any way that could go wrong? Nothing for your employer to worry about?"
They both shifted in their seats, feeling uncomfortable at the scrutiny, but the best was yet to come.
"I'm going to schedule interviews with each of you separately to ensure that the relationship is consensual" she said making some notes. "Dr Melendez, if you could remain seated. Dr Lim, I'll be ready for you in thirty minutes."
Audrey rose to leave, looking at him apprehensively. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to reassure her but this wasn't the time or the place. He watched her retreating form head out into the corridor, took a deep breath and turned to face his inquisitor.
X
She found him in the ER assessing a patient that had just been brought in by the EMTs and accompanied by Dr Murphy. After watching him order a barrage of tests before getting ready to move on, she stepped forward.
"Let's get a bold ICP monitor ready" she said to Dr Browne before looking up over at him.
"Dr Lim, how was your meeting?" he asked remaining monotone and professional.
"I confirmed the lack of inducement or pressure" she said walking closer. "I assume you did likewise?"
He just nodded.
"We are approved" she said, looking him in the eye trying not to smile to widely.
"For what?" Dr Browne asked, looking back and forth between them.
With a slow smile spreading across his face, he stepped towards her and into her personal space. Cupping her face gently, they leaned towards each other, closing those last couple of inches and kissed.
The sounds of the monitors faded away as they just stood there, together, in the middle of the ER kissing each other oblivious to anything else happening around them.
They broke apart with shy smiles just for each other before feeling a little sheepish at their public performance.
Like a switch, they both stepped away and back into the fray, Neil moved back to his charge and Audrey headed to the admissions desk to pick up the next patient in line without any further ado.
X
"Did you hear about Han" Neil asked as he walked in the door of her office. The rest of the day had been a blur. Shaun had ended up as a patient himself after the bar room altercation and it seemed that Dr Andrews had experienced some sort of epiphany and fired Dr Han in front of the board just a short while later.
She was stood by her desk packing up her papers ready to leave for the night. She was glad to see him, tonight they'd be able to leave together publically for the first time and she was actually looking forward to it.
"I can't imagine Andrews will survive the fallout" she replied.
"They're going to need a new Chief of Surgery" Neil pointed out. "What if either of us is offered the job?"
"One of us bossing the other around. I don't think that would fly with HR" she said with a grimace.
"One of us would have to resign or we'd have to break up?"
"Or we could turn it down?" she questioned not keen on either of the options he had presented.
He paused before he spoke again, composing himself.
"I think things are great" he said after a few seconds. "And they've been great for what? Four weeks now?" he asked, his heart breaking as little at the look of disappointment on her face.
"Just over a month" she confirmed solemnly. He was going to end it, she knew it.
"We'd be crazy to pass on the chance of being a department head" he continued.
"Are you that crazy?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"No" he said quietly, shaking his head. "Are you?"
"No" she agreed flatly, trying to put up sooner wails to hide just how she was feeling. He could see it in her eyes, just as she could see it mirrored in his. This was hurting both of them.
"Good" he said after another heady pause. "I talked to Andrews assistant. Aoki should be calling you with the offer any minute" he said watching as the disappointment turned to surprise.
She had no words.
The silence was broken by her phone ringing in her desk and her eyes widened as she looked at it, then back at Neil. He was smiling at her.
She stepped towards him, taking his face in her hands and kissing him gently, trying to express how she was feeling but feeling she could never kiss him hard enough.
"You'd better answer" he whispered as the phone continued to ring and she turned away her face a mixture of excitement and pain.
"Hello? Miss Aoki, it's good to hear from you" she started. She turned as she heard her office door close gently to find that he had gone and was nowhere to be seen.
He didn't wait for the elevator to arrive, he didn't really want to watch her be offered the job that could be the end of this thing they had started. Taking the stairs to the ground floor, he left the building with the intention of heading straight to his car but glancing briefly to his right, he saw the benches he'd sat on a hundred times before and paused. They'd driven in together that morning and he didn't want to just leave her behind so he pulled up his collar against the early February chill and sat down.
And he waited.
X
And that's the end of that one! In my head, they toddled off into the Breath timeline and lived happily ever after. Reality was a little different!
Thanks to all you wonderful who supported, reviewed and hopefully enjoyed this little jolly as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Diolch pawb!