Well this is a faster update than I had anticipated. I just couldn't get these two out of my head. It might be a little while before the next update because I want to finish my other OQ story, "Future Meets Past", before the season starts. I hope this will tide you over until the next chapter :) Enjoy, and please review to let me know what you think.
Chapter 3
Morning comes too fast, the sun streaming through her window, pulling her from a warm cozy bed into wakefulness. She stands and stretches, pulling on a pair of black dress pants and a red satin blouse, convincing herself that the color choice has nothing to do with the compliment she received yesterday from Robin or the coinciding dream that still lingers at the edges of her subconscious. She quickly brushes her teeth and hair, throwing on some makeup before stepping out of her bedroom to brave the day ahead.
She manages one cup of coffee before she has to wake Henry from his slumber, and she is happy to find that his fever has not returned. He accepts one more dose of his 'potion' (just to be safe), before she gets him dressed and ready for the day. They are back to their normal routine today. He grabs his little doggy backpack by the back door, filled with a change of clothes, some other essentials for the daycare staff, while she lifts her purse and gym bag to her shoulder. She knows that by the end of last week she had at least three surgeries scheduled for this morning. Just minor procedures, spays and neuters, some dental cleanings, nothing too daunting or difficult, but she'll definitely need her scrubs, and she'd brought them home over the weekend to have them cleaned hence the extra weight of her gym bag today.
It is a short drive to the Bloomington Kindercare, and Henry fills the silence in the car with chatter about his 'magical potion' (tylenol), and the visit with Dr. Loxey. He still cannot seem to pronounce Robin's name so she reminds him to just call the man Robin. 'Like the birdy' Henry excitedly asks her from the back seat, to which she responds with a 'yes, Sweetheart'. It seems her son is just as taken with the new doctor as she seems to be.
Somehow she always finds herself running late, never understands how it happens because she starts the morning with plenty of time, but when they finally arrive at Henry's daycare, she finds herself rushing from the car through the halls to his room and practically thrusting him into the arms of Miss Mary Margaret Blanchard, his classroom's teacher. Henry's room is divided into two and three year olds and he will likely have to move up to the four and five year olds soon, an inevitability Regina hopes to postpone as long as possible. He loves Mary Margaret, and Regina is quite fond of the way the woman treats children, the way she seems to treat each child like her own.
"Hi Henry! I hope you had a fun day with your mom yesterday."
"Ya. I saw Robin and had potions and watch Toy Story." Henry replies full of pride and excitement. Mary Margaret smiles at him, her eyes crinkling, before setting him down and asking him to put his dog backpack in his cubby before running off to play with his friends. Regina is turning toward the door, about to leave, hoping she won't be late for her surgeries this morning, when the woman places a hand on her arm and quietly inquires about one of the other veterinarians at her clinic.
"Regina, I was just wondering how David is doing?" David Nolan is one of the three veterinarians their small clinic has on staff. He also happens to be the owner, and one of the nicest men Regina has ever met. She introduced him to Mary Margaret a few months ago at Henry's 3rd Birthday party and ever since the two of them seem to have started a very slow courtship. Some phone calls here and there, a coffee date or two, maybe one outing at the dog park with their respective pets. They are head over heels for one another, but both seem tentative to move to fast, but Regina is getting irritated at this snail's pace when she has to hear David pine over Mary Margaret, and Mary Margaret ask about David. They are ridiculous, but Regina refuses to push, refuses to involve herself in their love affair, or lack thereof, so she graciously answers Miss Blanchard as vaguely as possible without being rude, she does like the woman after all.
"He is fine, as far as I know." Regina smiles at the other woman before continuing, "But I have to rush. I'm running late as usual. I'll pick up Henry at five. Bye."
"Bye." Mary Margaret smiles, turning her attention back to the children bringing her toys and books, wanting her to entertain them.
Regina walks into Bloomington Veterinary Clinic at 7:42 A.M., proud at her stealthy driving skills that allowed her to make it on time. Her first surgery has not even arrived yet, so she finds herself with plenty of time to change into her navy blue scrubs, and throw her hair in a ponytail that never seems to hold back the dark wispy hairs at her temples. She pushes the escaped hair behind her ears, and logs onto the computer to find that her schedule has filled up for the day with four surgeries this morning, followed by a couple quick appointments before lunch and an afternoon of farm visits, sure to be filled with cattle and horses.
She leans back in her chair and releases a sigh, bringing her coffee mug to her lips, waiting for the hectic day to begin.
"Good Morning." David says, sauntering into the office moments later. The three vets on staff all share one large space as an office, each with a designated corner for their desk, computer, and files. David swivels his chair toward her and slumps down looking exhausted.
"Long weekend?" Regina questions, setting her coffee down and turning her chair to face him. David was on call for the clinic over the weekend, something Regina does not envy. She hates being on call, having to put her life on pause and have a sitter ready at the drop of a hat to come anytime, day or night, is overwhelming, not to mention expensive. A few times she has had to pull Mary Margaret over to her house at midnight to stay there with Henry, sleeping, while she runs into the clinic for hours. Luckily, the woman never seems to mind, so sweet and kind, yet another reason her and David are perfect for each other.
"It was awful!" David begins, then proceeds to tell her about how Friday night was slow, not a single call, but then Saturday was full of; 'my dog got into a fight', 'my cat won't move', 'my puppy has diarrhea'. By the end of the weekend David had stitched and sewn punctures and lacerations, inserted a catheter and hospitalized a cat with a bladder infection, and sadly lost a puppy to parvovirus after staying with the poor thing for hours Saturday night through until Sunday morning.
"I had Grace and Wendy on staff, and they were a lot of help, but when I realized the puppy was not going to make it I sent them home." David says dejectedly. "No sense in making them stay to watch the poor thing suffer. The owner's refused to euthanize, so I spent the entire night pumping him with IV fluids, and trying to get the diarrhea under control, but I lost him early Sunday morning, his organs just shut down completely."
Regina feels for him. It is always sad to see an animal suffering, and even more difficult when there is nothing that can be done, when you have no control in the situation. She hates that feeling.
"I'm sorry to hear that David." Regina says with a sigh and apologetic frown.
"Did you tell her about yesterday?" Both were drawn from their conversation by the voice of the other veterinarian in the clinic, Zelena Baum, as she settles herself into her own corner of the office. A few years older than Regina, Zelena came on staff when Regina went on maternity leave and has been there ever since. The redhead has a fun and outgoing personality that has brought several new clients to the clinic, and Regina has to admit, the woman's light heartedness rubs off on her from time to time, bringing out her own fun side that stays hidden far too often.
"What happened yesterday?" Regina inquires, lifting her coffee from her desk back to her lips.
"Ordinance control brought in a cat with five kittens." David says, the sadness from his weekend slipping away as he fills her in on the Momma cat and her five little ones they now have running around in the back storage room until they can find people to adopt them.
"Tink is working on some posters with their photos as we speak," Zelena mentions with a wide smile. Tink is one of the clinic technicians along with Grace and Wendy. Tink is not the woman's real name but rather a nickname she has never grown out of since her friends started calling her it as a child when she was obsessed with Tinker Bell and went every year for Halloween from the ages of six to twelve dressed as the fairy. Her real name is Jamie Barrie, but Regina is ninety percent sure she is the only one at the clinic who even remembers that.
Shortly after 8 A.M., all three of them are drawn from the office by Tink and Grace. Regina's surgery patients are all present and waiting, while David and Zelena both have appointments just arriving. The morning passes quickly. Regina spays two dogs, neuters one cat, and performs a dental cleaning on another dog, a huge great dane with a docile demeanor. Tink is with her in surgery today, and fills her in on everything she missed on Monday, and how busy they were, and how she should never leave for a day again because they NEED her. It does boost her ego a little, knowing that she is needed, wanted, and at 11:45 A.M. she finds herself cleaning up from surgery with a proud smirk glued onto her face.
She changes out of her scrubs, pulling up her black pants and buttoning her red blouse for the second time today. Again the color makes her think of Robin, the sexy british doctor who has no idea his affect on her. The way he keeps popping into her thoughts, causing a tingle to run down her skin or a blush to color her face. Even if she never sees the man again, she is grateful for this feeling, this sensation of being alive again. It has been more than three years since she allowed herself to think of a man like this, not since Daniel, and it makes her joyful and carefree.
Five minutes later, she walks out of the bathroom with her hair down, brushed out, and her makeup touched up. She is ready for her appointments before lunch, and taking a glance at the schedule, she sees her patient is not due to arrive for another five minutes, and the other appointment cancelled so she only has one more short appointment, a rabies vaccine to administer, before heading out to grab a bite to eat and get off of her feet. Standing at the surgery table always makes her feet ache afterward.
Rather than wait for the last appointment before lunch alone in the office, Regina meanders to the front of the clinic, the lobby, where it seems Zelena has gathered with Tink and Gabby Lucas, an older woman who has been at the clinic since it was founded ten years ago, and works as the receptionist/office manager.
"There you are! Come see these adorable little guys." Tink says as Regina comes into view, passing a kitten into her arms. The little thing is tiny, no more than 10 weeks old, and is purring loudly, content to just snuggle into her chest and be scratched, gray and white fur tickling the exposed flesh at her sternum. Regina grins and tickles the little guy, stares at his relaxed face while standing behind the wide reception desk with the others, each of them cuddling an equally cute kitten.
Her eyes do not leave the kitten, not even at the sound of the door, the buzzer signaling her last patient's arrival. She just keeps her head tilted down, enjoying this little world of soothing purrs and soft fur a little longer, as long as she can while Gabby greets the new client as they enter.
"Hi there. Is this Bramble?" Gabby asks, passing her striped kitten off to Tink as she grabs a file from the desk.
"Yes it is." A man responds, with an accent and Regina freezes, her heart jumping at the sound of that voice, a voice she recognizes, a voice she dreamt about just last night, and she really wishes she hadn't been reminded of that dream now that she can feel the skin on her neck and cheeks heating. Her eyes shoot up from the kitten before the man even finishes his sentence, and she finds him, not looking at Gabby, but smiling, showcasing those dimples, his gaze pinned to her face as he carries a young boy with a mop of brown curls on his hip, and a blue leash in his hand, a border collie, presumably Bramble, at the end.
"Hi." He greets, his blue eyes piercing her brown ones.
"Hi." She responds automatically before quickly recovering from her shock, pulling on her professional mask with a smile. "I didn't know you had a dog." She states, searching for something to say, a desperate attempt to avoid an awkward silence, but of course she wouldn't know he had a dog, she barely knows him, and she mentally berates herself for sounding so dense.
"Alas, I do not." Robin says, his smile never faltering, and his gaze never leaving her face. "But that friend I am staying with does, and since I have the day off today, he requested I bring Bramble here for his appointment." Now he looks away from her, glances down to the border collie in question, and Regina steps from behind the desk to get a better look at her patient, a black and white bundle of energy, complete with a blue bandana around his neck.
"Are you going to introduce this handsome man, Regina?" Zelena questions with a flirty tone she uses, well, she uses all of the time. Her friend's voice draws her from her observations enough to see Tink and Gabby both staring at her with knowing grins, and Zelena with a powerful gaze directed right to the man in question.
"Of course." Regina stutters, inwardly cringing at her lack of tact. "Robin, this is Zelena, Tink and Gabby," Regina says gesturing toward her coworkers before turning back to the man now standing only a couple feet in front of her, "and this is Dr. Robin Locksley." She introduces him with a smile to match the one still plastered on his face, still directed at her, then further explaining to her coworkers, "he saw Henry yesterday when he wasn't feeling well, and this must be Roland, right?" The boy's father nods, smiling at her before turning his gaze to the boy at his side. Roland seems bashful, and Regina is grateful she is still holding the kitten in her hand because as the boy's eyes find the furry little bundle, he starts beaming, a smile to match his father's with even cuter dimples, if that is possible.
"Kitty!" The boy exclaims, his brown eyes wide with excitement.
Regina is absorbed in the boy, letting him pet the kitten as she stretches her hand to him, offering a closer look at the furry prize. He is most certainly Henry's age, similar in size and behavior. She finds herself so entranced with the handsome little guy she hardly even hears Tink's voice as she addresses the boy.
"Roland. Would you like to stay out here with us, and help us play with these kittens while Dr. Mills helps your father with Bramble?" Tink suggestively glances toward Regina, before turning her gaze to Robin, saying, "that is, if it is ok with your father?"
"Please Daddy. Please, can I?" Roland begs his father, sticking his lower lip out, a pouty face Regina is sure she could not resist if it were directed toward her.
"Okay," apparently Robin cannot resist either, "but you be good for these ladies."
"I will. I promise." Roland states matter of factly before wriggling from his father's embrace and accepting the kitten Regina places softly in his hands.
Regina takes the file from Gabby insisting she can show Robin to the exam room, ignoring the rise of the older woman's brow, and the suspicious smirk.
Closing the door behind them, Regina wastes no time. "So, it looks like Bramble needs a rabies vaccine today. Was there anything else, or any concerns his owner mentioned to you?" She questions, her back to Robin as she pulls a vial and syringe from the small cooler drawer in the exam room, sticking the needle through the rubber cap of the vial and drawing the vaccine into the syringe.
"No, just the vaccine. I think he seems like a rather healthy dog, not that I would know. I mean I am not a veterinarian." He says in a playful tone, and Regina turns around to catch a smirk pulling at his lips, his gaze traveling up her body as she turns, and she has no doubt what he was just looking at.
"Well, luckily I am," Regina states, "and I have to agree with your assessment Dr. Locksley." A sly grin lifts her lips, her hands busy removing the needle from the vial, picking up a small dish of dog treats from the counter, and handing them to Robin.
"Quite a coincidence seeing you here. I don't normally get appointments scheduled between surgery and lunch." She says in the interest of small talk, but it is true, and she was surprised to have two appointments this morning after surgery, but just figured it was a busy day since both David and Zelena had full schedules as well.
"Well," Robin says looking sheepish, his gaze not meeting hers, "it might not have been a coincidence." Now he looks up, those piercing blue eyes taking her breath away again, or maybe it is the way he is biting his lower lip coyly. There is no way he can know what kind of sensations run through her body when he does that, but somehow she thinks he knows exactly what it does to her.
"Oh really?" She says clearing her throat. "How is that?"
"Well my nurse may have mentioned your profession to me yesterday, and I did need to get Bramble in for my friend." He states as if it is obvious that he would look her up and schedule an appointment for the dog with her immediately. A chuckle escapes her mouth as she lowers herself to one knee in front of Bramble. Gently scratching his ears and letting him lick the fresh makeup from her cheek.
"Plus," Robin begins, lowering himself on the other side of the dog, opposite Regina, "I do believe you asked me on a date and I never had the chance to respond." Regina looks up from the dog's warm brown eyes to Robin's blue, distraction and confusion tinting her face before finding Robin's teasing smile.
"You misunderstood me Dr. Locksley." She declares, repressing a flirtatious smile of her own. "I did not ask you on a date. I asked your son for a date, a playdate, with my son." She clarifies and Robin chuckles at her response, acquiescing.
"True Milady. I was mistaken." He states, biting that lip again. "I must say, I've heard of something called 'Arts in the Parks'. Some of my coworkers say bands are lined up every Thursday to play in the park, and that it is a lot of fun for adults and kids alike." Robin says, looking at her questioningly, silently asking if she is familiar with the event.
"Yes. I've been." Regina states, her hand still petting Bramble, trying to calm him and make him feel at ease with her. "It is a good time, but I am afraid I am on call Thursday night, so I'll be stuck at home next to my phone."
"Ah." Robin responds, his smile faltering, gaze dropping, and she has not seen this man so insecure or apprehensive since she has known him, admittedly quite a short time. She does not make him suffer long though. Her next words seem to bring the gleam eyes and flirtatiousness back to his demeanor.
"But Friday nights, they show movies at Normandale Lake Bandshell. Henry and I have a gone a couple times and he had a blast, eating popcorn and watching the movie outside until he passed out halfway through." Regina laughs as she recalls the good times Henry and her had shared at the last outdoor movie they attended.
"That sounds great. Would the two of you be free Friday?" Robin asks quickly, before taming his enthusiasm and continuing, "I really would like to have Roland meet some other children his age. He misses back home and it has been...a difficult adjustment for him, moving here." The pensive expression she had seen on him the previous day returns before he focuses again, coming back to her and the current moment.
"I'm sure Henry and Rolan will get along well." She means it, Henry is outgoing, too friendly sometimes, she has had to remind him time and time again not to talk to strangers, " and yes, we are free Friday night."
"It's a date, then?" Robin states, smirk in full force.
"It's a play date." She corrects with a wink. Regina has not flirted in years, but this feels nice, feels natural, the playfulness between the two of them almost instinctual. She asks Robin to hold the dog's head and neck in a snug hug and distract him with the treats while she quickly injects the vaccine under the skin of a hind limb.
"All done." She says looking up with a smile, patting the dog gently on the back, and it is not until now that she has noticed just how close she is to the sexy british doctor. His face, only a few inches from her's, the dog snugly sandwiched between them, electricity filling the air.
"I was right." He states then, and she can feel his breath on her cheek as the words leave his mouth. Her brow knits in confusion, not sure what he could be talking about. "Red really is a good color on you." He explains, a sincere smile pulling at his lips, lips that are far too tempting and far too close to her if he keeps shamelessly flirting with her. A wide smile breaks out on her face at the compliment, something she can't seem to help, and something she seems to do around this man a lot. In fact, she has been smiling so much since their encounter yesterday she swears her cheeks are starting to hurt from overuse.
"How can you even tell when most of the red is covered with white fur?" She questions jokingly, noticing that between Bramble, and the kitten, her red shirt, as well as the skin at her chest contains a sporadic coating of fur. He chuckles at that, a hearty sound that Regina could get used to, a thought she finds disconcerting, tries to push it away.
"True, but honestly, I doubt there is any color that would not flatter you." He says earnestly.
"I think it is more you doing the flattering, Dr. Locksley, not the color."
"I disagree." He responds, dismay coloring his features. "I would say it is both," then his smirk returns, the playful tone in tow, "and please, call me Robin."
After a few more flirtatious words and glances, he types her number in his phone so they can continue planning the boy's playdate. Robin pulls his son from the clinic with great difficulty, the boy begging to get a kitten, struggling to stay a little longer, finally giving in at the promise of lunch, and Regina leaves to get herself a salad, her mouth still frozen in a perpetual smile.