I've really enjoyed writing this story so far, so why not another chapter? Please send feedback and I hope you enjoy!
I peeled off my gloves and checked the clock. Dr. Mills came in right behind me, smiling at the little girl being wheeled back to her room by Smiley.
"Good work today, Dr. Blanchard. I think you'll do good in Peds," she commented.
"You don't hate me?"
"I never said that," she chuckled and dried her hands. She took off her scrub cap and locked her dark, tantalizing eyes on mine. I nearly crumbled on the spot. "It seems like your work is done for today. Are you on-call tonight?"
"No, I think it's Dr. Nolan and Dr. Lucas."
"Very well, then." I smiled at her and watched her leave the scrub room. Forcing my legs to move, I made my way to the locker room, while Regina updated Angela's parents, as well as dealt with her file.
August and Emma were changing when I walked in.
"Hey, we were gonna go for a drink. You up for it?" Emma asked. I nodded my head and pulled my scrubs off.
"Sure. Where are we going."
"The Wayland, on ninth street."
"Gotcha, see you there." Emma sauntered out of the room, with August not far behind. I slipped my boots on and fumbled for my car keys. I nearly tripped once I got out of the elevator, and Regina was watching me near the door. Her eyes glowered at me, but quickly lit up when she saw me stumble.
"Careful, Blanchard, don't want to spill anyone's coffee." I snickered to myself, despite her snappy insult.
"Goodnight, Dr. Mills," I said tiredly. I didn't hear her respond as I left, but I felt her eyes on me as I climbed into my station wagon.
I didn't bother changing my clothes, and just pulled up to the curb. August and Emma were already waiting for me there, along with Killian and Kathryn.
"Hi," I breathed, before collapsing into the seat beside Kathryn. Killian had his hand resting under his chin, with his pinky rested on his lips and a flirtatious smirk forming on his lips.
"You wish," I said, then turned to Emma.
"So, how's the boy toy," I asked coyly. She rolled her eyes.
"He's fine, now can you not call him a boy toy? We are way past the 'boy toy' stage." Kathryn laughed and struck up a conversation with August. The waiter dropped off everyone's drinks and took the order for mine, probably internally cringing when Kathryn talked about the plastics surgery she watched Dr. Whale perform.
Killian could see me daydreaming. I'm more surprised that nobody else could tell. I haven't tried to hide it, nor will I ever.
"So how's the Evil Queen? Your type?"
"God Killian, stop it already. She isn't evil, she's just…intimidating."
"I think you're wrong on that front. I heard an intern quit when she yelled at him."
"Well, then he shouldn't have made a mistake. And you should see her with the kids. She's amazing with them. You should take lessons from her." August spit his beer on the table and laughed.
"I'm just teasing you, Blanchard. Not my fault you've got a little crush." I blushed once more as everyone
'Ooh-ed' like we were in fifth grade.
"You're all so mature."
"But you're not denying it," Emma pressed. I rolled my eyes and the waiter came too late. I swigged my beer and thanked the Gods that Belle chose that time to arrive.
"Hey guys," she said in her adorable accent. We waved her down and she sat beside me, looking down at the table and smiling.
"If I didn't know any better, you look smitten," Killian commented to her. Belle looked up and almost looked guilty. Almost.
"I'm not smitten, I just got off work."
"With Ruby?" Belle looked really guilty now. She chuckled to herself.
"Did she finally ask you out?" I asked curiously.
"Finally? What do mean finally?"
"She's been fawning over you for weeks. Don't tell me you haven't noticed," Emmacut in.
"I can't say I have." The table joined in a collective groan.
"Everyone's noticed. Even Mary Margaret. She's the thickest-skulled woman I've ever met when it comes to this stuff," August said.
"Thanks," I muttered back. August laughed.
"No problem. But she did ask you out, right?"
"Yes, she did," Belle caved. Everyone smiled, and Killian high-waved her.
"Don't get too excited, Killian, I didn't sleep with her."
"A win's a win," he remarked, before sipping his whiskey.
The broke out into many conversations, but I couldn't think properly right now. Well, I could, just not anything worth talking about. I shook my head and gulped down my beer. I waved over the waiter for another. My sight was blurring around the edges, but I got drunk fairly easily.
Dr. Mills looked extremely stressed. The flu broke out all over the city, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say she had it herself. She was near-sweating, pale, and went for a water break every ten seconds. I didn't blame her, though. I didn't think the flu would break out in late September, but it makes sense. The air was growing cooler and we got a little dusting of snow last week, which quickly melted away.
"Dr. Mills, you need to rest," I instructed kindly. "You're clearly sick. Or stressed to a point of physical symptoms." She ignored me and walked to another room to tend to another newly-admitted child. I followed her into the room where she bit back a cough and tended to the boy. I followed her back outside and watched her pace back and forth.
"Everyone is needed here, and that includes me," she dismissed. I pulled on her arm.
"Yes, everyone is needed to fight the flu, which is the exact ailment you have, so let the hospital fight the sickness, and fight it yourself. Okay? You need to be admitted."
"I don't need to be admitted, I'm staying hydrated, and I'm doing fine."
"For the last time, Dr. Mills, you're sick, and when people are sick, you admit them into the hospital. You of all people should know that."
"What about the sick-"
"I'll take care of the children. You'll take care of one of the most talented surgeons in this hospital. I got this, go." Regina slumped her shoulders and grumbled.
"I'll have your head for this," she mumbled, handing over the stack of files in her hands.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," I retorted. She chuckled and smiled, before heading for the stairwell. I pulled myself out of my daze and rushed into room 387.
"Alright, who do we have here?" I asked. A girl was fidgeting in her bed, trying to kick off the covers. "You're gonna need these. In about, five-ish minutes, you're gonna feel really cold and ask for the blankets, and then you're going to get hot after, and then cold. So how about we keep them on?" The girl looked up at me and nodded sincerely.
By the end of the day, my scrubs were covered in vomit, I wasn't feeling too good, and my feet hurt. And I still have the night to take care of.
When I came into Regina's room, she was about to fall asleep, but flicked her eyes open when I opened her door. I set down a cup of coffee on the table in front of her.
"What's this?" she asked.
"This is for the coffee I spilled yesterday." She chuckled and took a small sip. "How are you feeling," I asked.
"Like crap. You don't look so good either," she said slyly.
"I know. I'm still on-call," I muttered. I sat down in the chair beside her bed.
"Not for long, it seems. I think you might have to get admitted."
"I may have to. At least I'm not denying it," I replied, raising my eyebrows accusingly. She chuckled.
"Did you get everything under control?"
"Essentially. I needed a lot of help from the nurses, but I managed."
"I'm not sure how we'd live without nurses," Regina said quietly. I nodded.
"I'm gonna go get some sleep while I can," I said. She nodded.
"You're not gonna stay here?" She asked coquettishly.
"I might have to get you on drugs like this more often," I blurted. She immediately looked up at me and smirked. "I mean, I have to go," I stumbled. She chuckled and I shut her door, nearly running to the nearest on-call room. I flopped onto the couch and fell asleep with ease.
My pager was what woke me after an hour. It was a call to the ER. I pulled myself up, wiped the drool running down my cheek, and straightened my lab coat before sprinting down the stairwell to the first floor.
I waited outside in the bitter cold before the ambulance pulled up, paramedics scrambling out of the cab.
"Courtney, 33, was stabbed twice in the abdomen. The cops are at the scene and they have caught the perp, but they'll be here to interview her," the paramedic bit out. I nodded and helped pull the gurney inside.
"Trauma room one," I ordered. Kathryn watched us pull the gurney through.
"Need help," she asked.
"No, I've got Dr. Humbert in the trauma room." We loaded Courtney onto the table and Dr. Humbert checked her heart rate, while I lifted her bloodied shirt to face the wounds. I peeled off the gauze covering her belly.
"Not very deep, but I'm not sure if the knife nicked her liver."
"Alright, you got this?"
"What? You're the trauma attending, I-"
"You can do it. You'll have to get a retractor to see if the liver was damaged." I nodded and took a deep breath, while Dr. Humbert hung the IV and poked it into her arm.
"Army-navy retractor," I called. Someone handed me the retractor and I squinted to see the liver.
"We're good, her liver's fine."
"Alright then, Dr. Blanchard. You're ready to stitch her up. Great work."
"Thank you," I said, as I put the retractor on the metal tray behind me and pulled up a seat to the table to get her stitches done. I had completely forgot about my possible flu, until my headache hit. I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them, never moving my hand an inch, before finishing her up.
I didn't get called to anything in the ER for the rest of the night, so I made my way back to Regina's room. Dr. Mills was asleep, but I curled up in the chair near her bed.
When I woke up again, sunlight was shining through the blinds, and Dr. Mills's knuckles were pressing against my forehead.
"Well, Dr. Blanchard, I'm afraid you're gonna have be admitted," she said seriously.
"Dammit," I groaned. She chuckled hoarsely, and it's quickly becoming my favourite sound.
"We can be flu-buddies," she said sarcastically. I snickered and got up to admit myself. I didn't have to go very far, because a nurse took one look at me and led me off to the room right beside Regina's.
"Thanks Johanna," I said as I sipped a glass of water. She laughed and ran off to get someone to check me out.
"Hey," Belle said sympathetically, "I get to be your doctor," she joked. I smiled and shivered. She chuckled and gave me the same check-up I gave sick children twenty-four hours ago. Just my luck, I thought.