"This gives you a perfect reason to call her!" Alex Parrish, Jamie's partner of a few years exclaims, "Come on, she's a beautiful doctor who saves moms and their babies. Why haven't you called her before now? She's getting away, Reagan. Wait, you do find her attractive, right?" Alex continues, her Indian accent poking through.
"Don't get me wrong, I think she's attractive. I just don't want to mess up anything. Eddie's so sweet and compassionate and has a lot on her plate." Jamie blushes slightly, trying to veer the conversation elsewhere as they sat in the RMP, munching on sandwiches and chips.
"Jameson Reagan, if you don't call her. I will." Alex says, jokingly serious. No wonder she and Erin were such good friends, they were practically the same person.
Jamie sighs, knowing Alex's right…again. "Fine. I'll call her but I'm making it known I'm under duress so if I act like a fool, I'm blaming it on you." He says, also jokingly serious.
With a few more minutes left on their break, he digs through his wallet, trying to find her card she so indiscreetly left in his coffee.
She picks up on the third ring. "Dr. Janko speaking."
"Hi Eddie, it's uh, Jamie Reagan." He says with Alex making wild gestures to put her on speaker. He relents.
"Oh, hi, Jamie! Or should I say Mr. Cold Turkey?" Eddie laughs and he smiles. Alex makes a face.
"Well, I was wondering if you were free sometime soon. I know you're super busy but there's this great little Chinese place near my precinct." Jamie tries to focus his attention ahead of him as Alex is still wildly gesturing things he's stopped trying to figure out.
"Sure! I'm actually off early on Sunday. So I guess I'll see you then. Eight-ish?"
"That works! I can pick you up. Where from?" Jamie asks, making the first plans. He hadn't been on a proper date for at least a year and that had been a disaster. He looked forward to bolstering the scales in his favor.
"I hate to do this but could you meet me here? I'll be dressed and ready, I just probably won't have enough time for you to meet me at my apartment." Eddie says, running a hand through her hair, thinking of all the things she'd have to do beforehand. She also desperately hoped it wouldn't screw up a perfectly good date. Hospitals aren't the most romantic of places.
"That's not a problem." Jamie smiles and they hang up, unbeknownst to the other, with genuine smiles on their faces.
When he does actually hang up, it takes Alex a second to catch her breath before going off on a tangent about how he should dress, what cologne she felt appropriate and how he should act at the end of their date. Jamie chuckles at the whole thing, secretly storing her advice. Although a rough and tumble cop, Alex had this adorable, soft, vulnerable side he assumed few people ever saw.
A few days later, after getting the thorough opinions of Erin and Nicky-even Danny chimed in-he stood in front of the hall mirror of his family home as everyone was leaving after Sunday dinner.
Jamie was in his church clothes but made sure to spruce it up this morning; light blue button down, navy sports coat, his nice jeans and his dress blues uniform shoes. Although resourceful, he'd keep that fact to himself.
He parked across the street to avoid having to pay the six bucks for hospital parking, made his way to Elevator C, pushed five and replayed their conversation all the while.
Once he got to the floor, he was instructed to wash his hands in the special machine in front of the door and leave his yellow and pink tulips with the secretary. Wandering around a little, he found Eddie in her bubblegum pink scrubs once again.
"Jamie!" She gasps, coming around the corner with IV kits and blood draw tubes. "I'm so sorry! I know I should be dressed by now but I swear I'll be done in thirty minutes. I'm up to my ears in paperwork, the IV team left for some God-forsaken reason and left me with all the hard sticks plus a mom who won't stop contracting." Eddie rambles as a few nurses walk past, obviously picking up on Jamie's stranger status.
"Eddie, it's really not that big a deal, take your time, I can wait. It's just Chinese. Where do you want me?" He comforts,
"Uh…there should be a few empty chairs by the nurses station. Just walk a little farther down, I'm sure they'll have great fun talking your ear off." She chuckles, pointing to the break in the hallway, moving towards room 505.
"Can I help you with something?" A nurse in light blue scrubs asks, Jamie catches her name as Ruth.
"I'm just waiting for Dr. Janko. I'm her date." Jamie smiles, leaning against a wall near a key-card swipe-in.
"Oh! You must be Jamie! Eddie's been talking about you all week! Treat her well, she's my best friend and I will know all the details." Ruth waves a friendly finger. He likes her almost immediately. It seems like Eddie has just a good taste in friends as she did men.
"So this is the infamous Jamie." Another nurse leaves her computer and goes to join the two talking. "I'm Raina by the way." She extends her hand,
"I hope you guys are hearing all good things." Jamie laughs, realizing he's being surrounded by all of Eddie's closest friends and co-workers and the reality sets in. These are some solid people if they're taking such an interest in a spontaneous date.
"Yeah, yeah, all good." A male nurse this time speaks, walking into the space and huddling over an empty computer for a moment. "I'm surrounded by estrogen quite literally 24/7, so…" Alex, his badge reads, doesn't look like he belongs on an L&D floor being all muscular and tall, and quite frankly, male. Jamie shakes his hand and he fiddles with the computer a few moments more. "But, everyone knows, anybody messes with anyone up here, they have to answer to me and they don't typically end up liking that scenario." Alex has the same somewhat sarcastic expression his Alex had.
"Well rest assured, she'll be treated right. I'm taking her to my favorite Chinese restaurant near my precinct so we'll see." Jamie says, shrugging his shoulders, hoping the night goes as well as he planned.
"Good. And I like you so I hope I see you around a little more." Alex smiles, pats him on the back and leaves the same way he entered.
"Jamie, I'm so sorry, I swear I'm on my last patient." Eddie comes barging around the corner, shedding her gloves for a new pair from the wall dispensary. She pauses for a moment, "Actually, I could use your help with Shelby. Her husband's a cop and he had to leave and she's having this baby now. Normally Alex is the stand-in dad but all you'll be doing is holding her hand and basically moral support." Eddie offers,
"Of course! I'd love to help!" Jamie accepts, following the petite streak of pink.
The nurses he was previously talking to smile as he gives a somewhat stilted goodbye, trying to keep up with Eddie's fast pace; her sneakers squeaking every few steps.
"Here," She hands him a yellow paper gown from the bottom cabinet of the wall system attached to each room. "because God forbid you mess up that nice suit." Eddie smiles and ties it around him. When she comes back around she realizes he probably could've done that himself and says, "I've gotten that knot down to a science, it ain't coming undone." She chuckles and knocks before entering, "Hey, Shelby, look who I have here." Eddie's smile looks like it could light up the whole room as she introduces Jamie.
Jamie's hand turns white with pressure after he tells her he's her stand-in. Eddie watches the sweet scene play out, trying to make sure everything is safe for both mom and baby.
Her husband comes eventually, completely out of breath, "You just ran up five flights of stairs didn't you?" Shelby laughs, taking in her husband's condition, looking up from holding their new baby boy.
"You better believe it. Shelby, I swear to God, I tried to get here but—" He pants,
"It's ok, babe, I know." She gives him a somewhat saddened smile, like this wasn't the first time she had to reassure him.
"I'm Jamie. Dr. Janko pulled me in as the official hand-holder." He tries to break an awkward silence that fell around the room at his presence.
"Thanks. Thanks for being there when I couldn't. I'm León Valez, I just graduated from the Academy. Boss put me in the 2-9." He extends his hand,
"Sergeant Reagan of the 1-2. Nice to meet you and congratulations." He smiles wide and then starts for the door, "I should probably go. Eddie, I'll meet you outside."
"Don't you want to know what his name is?" Shelby asks, her voice is sweet, inviting and has a hint of a Southern accent in it.
"Yes, we need a name for the birth certificate." Dr. Janko tells the new family, sadly having to get back to business.
"Ethan Jameson Valez." Shelby announces, looking up at León, absolutely beaming.
"Look at you, you've been here all of an hour and a half and you're already getting babies named after you, maybe you should go." Eddie exclaims, as Jamie actually does turn to leave.
Eddie finishes her tasks in the room and joins Jamie outside a few moments later. "I'd say it's been a pretty successful night, wouldn't you?" She takes Shelby's chart from it's slot in the side cabinet and continues, "She was my last patient. We can finally go."
Since the restaurant closes late, Jamie and Eddie were able to get a booth at the semi-crowded restaurant. It's in a secluded corner near the back and the dinner rush has died down, allowing for the perfect atmosphere.
"I'm just happy I got out of there when I did. I swear, I'm always getting handed new patients just as I'm walking out the door, no matter how late it is. I think my boss might have it out for me." Eddie chuckles, breaking her chopsticks and taking a piece of sushi from one of their shared plates.
"Well I'm glad you did too! And now I know if this whole cop thing doesn't work out I can deliver babies. It was really cool being able to help like that and I like you. I did actually bring you flowers but the secretary lady wouldn't let them on the floor, something about infection." He says,
"Oh, you didn't have to do that! And yeah, Margo and Naida run a tight ship, they try to keep outside things to a minimum. I'm honestly surprised she let you in without a visitor sticker." Eddie says, taking a sip of her sparkling water.
"Your friends, I love them! Alex seems pretty cool." Jamie reaches for the soy sauce and adds some to his plate.
"Alex talks a big game but he's really just a big ol' softie. He's like everyone's brother. And it's nice having a guy up there. Sometimes you just need a guy's perspective, you know?"
Jamie breathes out an agreement and marvels at the way the light makes Eddie's eyes sparkle when she talks, leaving him practically speechless. He finally regains his composure, "I grew up with two older brothers and a sister. I'm surprised I made it out alive but I wouldn't change a thing."
"I was an only child and basically lived in my books but a sibling probably would've done me some good." Eddie counters,
"You grow up around here? I've been in Bay Ridge my whole life." Talking about his childhood made him nostalgic for backyard basketball and doing each other's homework. He did all the government and history, Danny used to be a science whiz, Erin wrote the papers and Joe was always good at math. And our starkly different handwriting always made for a fun challenge to copy the other's.
"Yeah, I've been around but I moved to Boston for med school and then came back."
"Isn't Johns Hopkins in Boston?" Jamie brushes off her cleverly hidden lead.
"It is. Basically having no life in high school put me on that track." The way Eddie replies gives Jamie the impression she's hiding something underneath her words she's not quite ready to share yet.
"So you always wanted to be a doctor?" Jamie asks,
"I used to think I liked law but then I realized I liked more of the forensics and that's basically medicine so somehow I eventually found my way into the Labor and Delivery floor." Eddie explains,
"So you were that kid? I was that kid in high school too. I was going to be a criminal defense lawyer, even went to law school. Erin and I were going to be the ones to skimp on the family business. I come from a long line of cops, hence the last name Reagan. Erin's an ADA and butts heads with all of us when we want our warrants." Jamie laughs, he seems to do that more often around her.
"Yeah, I get that too. My dad was a highfalutin financial adviser. A lot of…stuff happened and I promised myself I'd never do anything like that, that I'd do good in the world." Eddie was no longer the confident, busy beyond belief, papers spilling out of her lab coat doctor anymore. She was just an ordinary woman who most likely grew up with money and found out a little too early just how cruel the world could be.
"Well, I'd say you definitely accomplished that goal. You should really meet Alex, she's my partner, you guys'd hit it off." Jamie smiles, mentally picturing Alex and Eddie sitting at the barstools in front of them, laughing, ordering some weird drink he'd never heard of and eating pretzels.
They take in each other's presence for a moment, enjoying the other's company without saying a word. "Well, it's getting late and the hostess keeps giving me the stink eye." Eddie says, ending whatever moment they were just having.
Jamie takes a peek at his phone, "Yeah, we better go; they closed half an hour ago." He gives her what Alex calls his 'whoops but who cares' look.
He pays quickly and helps Eddie out the door, "Come on, we can still get ice cream or walk around or something if you want." Jamie feels like that kid he thought he'd left behind; shy, bashful and could be unsteady sometimes.
"I really like you, Jamie." She sighs out, and the tortured expression she gives him makes it obvious she's wrestling with something. She sighs and eventually continues, "Normally, I'd say yes in a heartbeat but I just came off a fourteen hour shift and for some God-forsaken reason, I'm working tomorrow."
"It's ok, I get it, for real." As they walked down the block to where Jamie parked, he took a chance and wrapped his arm around Eddie's shoulder. It'd been a while since he was this carefree. And loved every moment of it.
Situated in the car and warming up from the frigid New York night air, Jamie takes another chance. "What time do you have to be at work tomorrow? I have a tour too and it's almost midnight and I don't want you driving home so late because your car is still at the hospital."
"Oh, Jamie, you're such a Boy Scout. You don't have to worry about that. I've driven home much more sleep deprived and way later than this. Even if New York at night is kinda a mess." She assures, wondering what she did to deserve such a kind, compassionate date like Jamie.
"Seriously, just let me drive you home. I'll feel better and we can maybe catch breakfast or something if you want. I don't want to push any of this too far." Jamie says in a kind of calm that he doesn't have with most people.
"Just for that, I'll let you." She chuckles, "I'm normally there about seven. Does that work for you?" Eddie questions,
"Yeah, it works. Role call isn't until eight and it's right by the hospital. I'll get Alex over there, you can meet. I promise I'll make it work." Jamie says, pulling out of the ever tight parallel parking space.
"Thank you Jamie, you didn't have to do this. I really appreciate it." Eddie looks up at him, tired but illuminated at the same time,
"It's not a problem, I don't mind. Where do you live?" Jamie pulls up to a red light,
"That block of apartments on 54th Street, you know it?"
"Oh, yeah. I have a friend who lives up there. Sit back and enjoy the ride." He takes Eddie's hand as he drives perfectly one-handed.
Jamie pulls up to Eddie's apartment and she's asleep. He struggles with whether or not to wake her. He decides he'll text Alex and let her sleep a few moments more. Alex responds rapid-fire with all these oddly specific questions and he informs her of his current dilemma. They agree to wake her up gently and walk her in.
"Hey, Eddie," Jamie breathes out, placing a hand on her shoulder, "we're home."
Eddie shakes awake and then jolts up in her slightly reclined seat, "Oh my Gosh! Did I fall asleep?"
"Come on, let's get you inside, I'll pick you up tomorrow." Jamie says, opening the passenger side door and leading her to the door. She unlocks the door and stumbles in, like she's drunk off the sleep deprivation.
"Good night Jamie. I had a really fun time. I'll see you tomorrow." She gives a small smile and he starts back for his car.
Jamie: Good morning Sleeping Beauty ? ﾟﾘﾂ
Jamie: I'm ready when you are ?
Eddie: Be out in a minute, I can't find my stethoscope? ﾟﾤﾬ
A few moments later, Eddie comes dashing down the steps of her duplex apartment, stethoscope in hand. Jamie reaches across the console and flings the door open for her.
With a huff, she finally composes herself in his car. "Good morning." She smiles, a laugh in her voice.
"Good morning." Jamie responds back, the memories of last night flood him and he loves seeing the different sides of the girl he might be falling for.
As Jamie drives through the horrendous, incessant, morning rush traffic Eddie fixes her hair in a perfect ponytail and slicks on a light shade of red lipstick that makes her whole face pop.
His phone buzzes at a stoplight. It's Alex.
Alex: At the hospital already. You said café by the ER right?
Jamie: Yeah. We'll be there in five minutes.
Alex: We'll?
Alex: Is there something you'd like to tell me? ;)
Alex: What happened after midnight?
Alex: You know nothing good happens after midnight…
Alex: JAMIEEEEEE
"Who is that?" Eddie sees the rapid-fire of Alex's texts come through.
"Oh, just Alex. She tends to have many feelings and that's what you get. Classic textbook case of impatience." Jamie smiles, looking at the three new texts he's received in the time it took him to explain. But these aren't from Alex, they're from the group chat with Danny, Erin and Nicky.
Erin: So? How was it?
Danny: Did you kiss her on the doorstep? HAHA
Nicky: Uncle Danny! Jamie was polite and paid and was a perfect gentleman...right?
Jamie rolled his eyes and replied:
Jamie: Yes, I will have you know I am always a perfect gentleman. She fell asleep in my car and I'm driving her to work, so she didn't have to drive home last night at midnight..
Nicky: See? Perfect gentlemen 3
Danny: You bored her so much she fell asleep?! Kid brother…we got work to do!
Jamie: Daniel Reagan! She came off a 14hr shift and then spent another 3 with me so ? ﾟﾏﾻ ️she can sleep in my car if she wants
Erin: Awwww she seems sweet. We need to meet her!
Nicky: Way to stick up for your girl!
Danny: Any new faces at family dinner anytime soon?
Jamie: No! Family dinner is like a scene out of Meet the Parents…if I bring her she'll never speak to me again!
Nicky: What if we promise to behave?
Jamie: NO! Best behavior in this family is highly overrated.
Jamie: I gotta go, we're pulling in.
Erin: Drinks soon. I need details!
Jamie: ? ﾟﾘﾂ
"Your family's cute. Who's Nicky? You forget a kid?" Eddie catches a glimpse of his phone,
"My family is…colorful." Jamie chuckles, "They have many opinions and can kinda come on strong. Nicky is Erin's daughter." They pull into the garage parking lot and Eddie hands Jamie her badge to swipe for free parking. "Maybe I should get myself one of these." He laughs,
"No, seriously, I could. You're a first responder, and first responders get free parking. It's mainly for EMTs but they've never said no to cops. Give me a few days and a nice picture and say hello to a whole new world." Eddie laughs, miming the Aladdin song, stepping out of his car which is conveniently parked next to hers. "That is, if you want free parking." Jamie catches her hidden meaning, stopping in the middle of the giant concrete maze.
"I want free parking, Eddie." He smiles and continues, "Breakfast too but mostly free parking." They're facing each other in the middle of the parking garage street and they're close. Both smiling warmly and allowing themselves a few moments of peaceful distraction before the worries of the day creep up. Somewhere in between, Jamie took Eddie's hand and just let it rest there.
The sweet gesture brings her closer and Eddie knew that if she moved a few inches forward, she would kiss him. And she can tell he's thinking it too, his lips slightly parted and chest rising and falling a bit more frequently.
Both afraid to make the first move, it was as if the universe had pushed them together at the same time. His lips touching hers whisper soft. They looked at each other with longing and love and everything in between.
This was right. This is what it was supposed to be.
After parting for a moment and resting their foreheads against the other, she moved in again. Kissing him felt safe and her hand moved up to his cheek while his own pressed into the small of her back.
The only reason they separated was because Jamie's phone started ringing.
"Yeah?" Jamie answered, still half-breathless, running a hand through his hair while Eddie looked coyly at the ground, pretending to look at something on her SpectraLink phone. "We'll be there in a minute. I walked her to her car."
Wrapping an arm around Eddie's they continued their walk out of the parking garage and into the hustling hub of activity that is a hospital in the morning.
Alex is already sitting in the café off the lobby, munching on a croissant and sipping orange juice. "Hey! Over here!"
"Sorry, we hit traffic." Jamie lies convincingly, even though it is somewhat true.
Alex doesn't press the issue even though she knows he's obviously lying. Spending eight plus hours a day with the man in a car will introduce you to every quirk and tell you have. And being trained to spot it doesn't put the odds in your favor either.
"I'm Eddie." She extends her hand to Alex who forgoes her hand for an over-the-table-side-hug combination.
"Alex, basically his work wife." She introduces herself true to Alex fashion…absolutely no filter.
"Well she's got a work husband named Alex too so…" Jamie quips,
"For real?" She questions,
"Yeah, no, for real. He's a nurse on the floor and the impromptu security guard when needed. I'm L&D and the floor is literally all women all the time so sometimes you just need a guy." Eddie repeats what her Alex told him a day prior.
"So, I have to know how this date went." Alex blurts, after finishing her croissant while Jamie and Eddie dig into their coffees and bagels.
Eddie's being tortured by her coffee again.
"Eddie Janko, I swear, why do you keep spending money on coffee you're not going to drink!" Jamie exclaims, totally ignoring Alex's personal question.
Eddie sighs in resignation. "Here. I'm going to get something else." She leaves the table, leaving Jamie with two coffees once more.
"Jamie, you picked a good one!" Alex says not-so-quietly.
"Alex Parrish! If you don't pipe down I will be forced to disown you." Jamie quips again,
"Disown me? What are you, my father?" Alex's flippant comment has a shred of truth to it. Alex's parents are staunch in the archaic belief that women should have classic feminine jobs. Being a cop does not fit that profile.
Back with a green, healthy-looking smoothie, Eddie plops back down at their table and her blue hospital phone beeps and sputters across the table. "Well, it was nice to meet you Alex but it looks like I will be cutting this short."
"I'll walk you up." Jamie announces, taking the table's trash and telling Alex not to wait for him. It was 7:30 and he knew she liked to catch up with the other cops before roll call and the duties of the job.
They part in opposite directions, waiting for the elevator once more. "You traded black coffee for something equally, if not more, horrible? Why in the world-Eddie, you're killing me Smalls." Jamie pinches the bridge of his nose, wondering how his beautiful, genius doctor would be this dumb when it came to beverage choices.
Eddie lets out a chuckle and the elevator announces their fifth floor destination. She swipes them in and the second Ruth and Raina see their friend, she's whisked away and pulled into the nearest room with a lock.
Jamie reaches the nurse's station where Alex is sitting at the computer, cross-referencing charts and online reports.
"They'll be in there a while but you're welcome to wait." He says, looking up to Jamie who peeks through the window where the three girls reside, giggling like schoolgirls and obviously prying every last detail out of her like his Alex attempted.
Jamie just lets out a wry chuckle, loving how much Alex knew his friends, waving a goodbye as he waits at the door to be badged out.