Authors Note- Sorry this chapter took so long to get up guys, there was a little bit of changing things around and throwing out new ideas and recycling old ones, any ways its finally here...thanks to everyone who reviewed and just to everyone who is reading it!
"Rough day?" A kind voice asks. I look to my left and see Susan hunched over a clipboard, looking bored and tired. "I guess you could say that." I offer her a tight smile, and walk out of the lounge. Making my way to the clock to punch out for that day. "You off too?" I look up and see Carter hovering over me, dark circles under his eyes. He looks worn. Probably no more then I do though. "Yeah, heading home for the day." I offer him the same smile I gave to Susan earlier. I punch my card in walking away from him. I can feel him on my heels, following me out. I make my way out to the ambulance bay stopping to look at him. "Going to the EL?"
"Yep." I wait for him as he catches up to me. We walk side by side, the first time we ever willingly spend time alone together. "How's Bryce?"
"Um...Great, actually. Brought his report card home. He got A's!" I exclaim excitedly. "Good! He's a good kid. You've done a good job." He compliments.
"I just want to um... I just wanted to say thank you for uh- for um- helping Bryce all those times. You know with studying, and just hanging out. He um- he really... he really likes you John. So thanks you were the father...I guess you are like a father to him." I stammer. He looks down at me, touched. Like what I said meant something to him, this touches me, makes me feel good. "Don't mean to freak you out with the whole father thing." I cringe.
"Don't worry, Bryce is like the son I never had. I always wanted a child, and uh- I haven't had one yet..." He smiles and leans in closer to me when he says this. "But...If I was to have a son I'd want him to be like Bryce yah know? He's just a great kid. He's going to be a great adult." We walk up the EL stairs together in silence after this. We have never spent this long together without arguing or shooting dirty looks. I find that I like him, as a person. I do not like him as a boss. He is a good doctor, but he acts like a jerk towards me. More yelling then teaching, I want to bring this up but I do not want to wreck the somewhat nice moment we are having. "So where do you live?" I ask.
"Uh- Over on 89th." He hesitates.
"89th, that big-"
"Rich neighbour hood." He stifles a laugh.
"Wow!"
"Yeah, Gamma, she uh- my Gamma died earlier this year, and um" he has trouble finishing this sentence I can tell his Gamma meant a lot to him. "I am uh- keeping the house for a while. I want to sell it move back into my own place."
"So your the rich foundation Carter aren't you?" I push.
"Yep that would be me."
We both put our passes into the slots and grab them on the other sides. The train pulls into the station just as we get there. "What's your stop again?" He asks.
"Main and Hollander."
"Hey me too!"
"I thought you live in the rich neighbour hood."
"Well I do, but tonight I am staying at my old place. I miss the quiet. No cooks or anything there." I nod, not really understanding, but I nod in agreement anyways.
We board the train and both sit down next to each other. We ride in silence not having much to say to the other. I am anxious to get home and check on Bryce, I asked the neighbours to sit with him, but they often leave and go into their own place. Who can blame them it is midnight. I get up as the train comes to a stop, Carter stands behind me. I want to like him but I am afraid that he will turn around and be a complete dick tomorrow at work, I am very hesitant in trusting him. We walk out of the train and stand face to face. "I'll see you tomorrow." I wave.
"Wait you're going walk to your place by yourself?" He cocks his eyebrow.
"Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm capable of it." I scoff.
"It's late I'll walk you." I try to tell him that I would rather he not, but he walks ahead of me. I jog a little to catch up. I am suddenly sensing some resurfacing feelings for Carter. The feelings I felt not to long ago. But before I start to let myself feel anything I know I have to confront him on his attitude toward me. "Uh- Carter."
"Yeah." He says briskly, as though him walking me home is a favour or obligation.
"Why- why are you such an..." I struggle to find the word. He stops and looks at me, trying to persuade me to finish. "Why are you such a dick to me at work?" I say firmly and confidently. He rolls his eyes at me. "I'm not a dick." He picks the pace up again.
"No- well you- you pick on me more then you do other residents. Even more then you do Pratt which is pretty hard to believe." I yell.
"Well...You should just deal with it. Not everyone is going to treat you like the princess you think you are!" He screeches.
"That has nothing to do with it and you know it."
"Yeah if you are such an expert on what I feel and think then what is it?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"I don't pick on you." He says evenly.
"Yes you do...I just want to know why!" I beg.
"Because- Because your different, your smarter, and prettier and you- you have more potential then Pratt, or the others. I just want- I like you okay." I look at him stunned. He
looks at me the same way, like he is shocked he would ever say that.
"I gotta go, this is your place right?" He asks not making eye contact.
"Uh- Yeah." I stutter. I see him turn around and walk in the direction we came in. I can not believe that just happened. I bet he treats me the same way tomorrow. I don't even know if what he says is true.
"Rough day?" A kind voice asks. I look to my left and see Susan hunched over a clipboard, looking bored and tired. "I guess you could say that." I offer her a tight smile, and walk out of the lounge. Making my way to the clock to punch out for that day. "You off too?" I look up and see Carter hovering over me, dark circles under his eyes. He looks worn. Probably no more then I do though. "Yeah, heading home for the day." I offer him the same smile I gave to Susan earlier. I punch my card in walking away from him. I can feel him on my heels, following me out. I make my way out to the ambulance bay stopping to look at him. "Going to the EL?"
"Yep." I wait for him as he catches up to me. We walk side by side, the first time we ever willingly spend time alone together. "How's Bryce?"
"Um...Great, actually. Brought his report card home. He got A's!" I exclaim excitedly. "Good! He's a good kid. You've done a good job." He compliments.
"I just want to um... I just wanted to say thank you for uh- for um- helping Bryce all those times. You know with studying, and just hanging out. He um- he really... he really likes you John. So thanks you were the father...I guess you are like a father to him." I stammer. He looks down at me, touched. Like what I said meant something to him, this touches me, makes me feel good. "Don't mean to freak you out with the whole father thing." I cringe.
"Don't worry, Bryce is like the son I never had. I always wanted a child, and uh- I haven't had one yet..." He smiles and leans in closer to me when he says this. "But...If I was to have a son I'd want him to be like Bryce yah know? He's just a great kid. He's going to be a great adult." We walk up the EL stairs together in silence after this. We have never spent this long together without arguing or shooting dirty looks. I find that I like him, as a person. I do not like him as a boss. He is a good doctor, but he acts like a jerk towards me. More yelling then teaching, I want to bring this up but I do not want to wreck the somewhat nice moment we are having. "So where do you live?" I ask.
"Uh- Over on 89th." He hesitates.
"89th, that big-"
"Rich neighbour hood." He stifles a laugh.
"Wow!"
"Yeah, Gamma, she uh- my Gamma died earlier this year, and um" he has trouble finishing this sentence I can tell his Gamma meant a lot to him. "I am uh- keeping the house for a while. I want to sell it move back into my own place."
"So your the rich foundation Carter aren't you?" I push.
"Yep that would be me."
We both put our passes into the slots and grab them on the other sides. The train pulls into the station just as we get there. "What's your stop again?" He asks.
"Main and Hollander."
"Hey me too!"
"I thought you live in the rich neighbour hood."
"Well I do, but tonight I am staying at my old place. I miss the quiet. No cooks or anything there." I nod, not really understanding, but I nod in agreement anyways.
We board the train and both sit down next to each other. We ride in silence not having much to say to the other. I am anxious to get home and check on Bryce, I asked the neighbours to sit with him, but they often leave and go into their own place. Who can blame them it is midnight. I get up as the train comes to a stop, Carter stands behind me. I want to like him but I am afraid that he will turn around and be a complete dick tomorrow at work, I am very hesitant in trusting him. We walk out of the train and stand face to face. "I'll see you tomorrow." I wave.
"Wait you're going walk to your place by yourself?" He cocks his eyebrow.
"Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm capable of it." I scoff.
"It's late I'll walk you." I try to tell him that I would rather he not, but he walks ahead of me. I jog a little to catch up. I am suddenly sensing some resurfacing feelings for Carter. The feelings I felt not to long ago. But before I start to let myself feel anything I know I have to confront him on his attitude toward me. "Uh- Carter."
"Yeah." He says briskly, as though him walking me home is a favour or obligation.
"Why- why are you such an..." I struggle to find the word. He stops and looks at me, trying to persuade me to finish. "Why are you such a dick to me at work?" I say firmly and confidently. He rolls his eyes at me. "I'm not a dick." He picks the pace up again.
"No- well you- you pick on me more then you do other residents. Even more then you do Pratt which is pretty hard to believe." I yell.
"Well...You should just deal with it. Not everyone is going to treat you like the princess you think you are!" He screeches.
"That has nothing to do with it and you know it."
"Yeah if you are such an expert on what I feel and think then what is it?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"I don't pick on you." He says evenly.
"Yes you do...I just want to know why!" I beg.
"Because- Because your different, your smarter, and prettier and you- you have more potential then Pratt, or the others. I just want- I like you okay." I look at him stunned. He
looks at me the same way, like he is shocked he would ever say that.
"I gotta go, this is your place right?" He asks not making eye contact.
"Uh- Yeah." I stutter. I see him turn around and walk in the direction we came in. I can not believe that just happened. I bet he treats me the same way tomorrow. I don't even know if what he says is true.