Good morning!
This drabble was written for IndyStarkJr (;*). It's set right before the beginning of 5.18 "Locked In" and is yet another secret relationship AU.
Thank you for the feedback you left last time. I hope you'll enjoy this one as well!
52. Look both ways.
The weirdest thing is, he didn't remember the accident in itself. He was riding his bike and everything went black, and from there it's only snippets of him in the ambulance or being admitted at Trenton General, anonymous faces blurring into each other, the glare of the penlights and overhead lamps in the ER. He sees himself lying on the pavement but can't tell if he's dreaming or somehow seeing himself through the paramedics' eyes.
The next thing he sees is clearer. The room he's in looks like, and sounds like, an emergency room. But the most striking thing in his eyesight is Cuddy's unmistakeable grey glance.
"You idiot."
Right. He was on his way home and rushing to see her because it was late.
"You're supposed to look both ways before entering an intersection."
"This is not where we were supposed to meet," he croaks, surprised that his voice sounds so hoarse. She hands him the glass of water sitting by his bed.
"Hospital called me," she explains. "I was the last call you made."
He remembers phoning her to let her know he was leaving the hospital.
"Did you worry?" he asks, well aware that she must have been expecting him for at least half an hour when she got the call.
"They told me they found you barely responsive, but your head CT's clean. You did scrape your elbow, though," she says, pointing at his torn, bloodied shirt sleeve.
"I don't even feel that."
"No kidding."
They stay silent. "But did you worry?" he presses.
She shrugs. "You're still here, kicking it. That's what matters."
"How long have you been here?" It feels like it's early morning. He doesn't know if he should be scared or relieved if she tells him she's been here all night.
"Just a few minutes. Rachel was asleep and they told me you were sleeping, so... Just figured it made more sense to be there when you could actually know I'm here."
He smirks. "Sounds like something I would say. You're becoming more like me."
"Guess I should call an exorcist."
His lips stretch into a full-blown grin, which she reciprocates. They stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds, and she leans towards him to give him a soft kiss on the mouth.
"I'm glad you're okay," she whispers against his lips. He nods. When she pulls away, he looks at her with gratitude, until the man lying in the next bed catches his attention, and she knows he's going to be just fine.
"I'll see you at work," she tells him when she stands up, but he's already staring at the guy's EKG from afar, his blue eyes sharp as ever. They're keeping him overnight for observation, but she doesn't ask if he wants her to drop by again tonight. With a smile, she heads out of the emergency room.