~6 months ago~

"You're staring again."

Kate blinked before looking over at Daphne, who was smirking up at her from behind the file folder in her hands. The two of them were busy filing paperwork at the nurse's station in A&E, but the tedious task was getting to be quite wearisome for Kate. She found her mind drifting to the cute new doctor she couldn't seem to stop thinking about… and who happened to be standing and reading a patient's chart only a few yards away.

Dr. Tom Dorset

Kate blushed before her eyes turned back to the papers in her hands. She quickly cleared her throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't," Daphne said jokingly, walking over to the file cabinet and slipping the chart inside. "You were just staring at the wall and Dr. Dorset happened to step in your line of sight. Is that right?"

Kate let out a small groan, knowing she couldn't hide her feelings from Daphne. Kate and Daphne were pediatric nurses at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and they often worked similar shifts, meaning they were each other's work besties.

Most of the time, at least.

"Am I being that obvious?" Kate asked despondently, shooting another covert glance toward Dr. Dorset. "He and I ran into each other when getting a coffee in the cafeteria this morning, and all I could think about was how could I get him to ask me out on a date without looking too desperate."

"One thing I've learned from dating Simon is that men are simple creatures," Daphne said knowledgeably, picking up another file folder. "Just tell Tom how you feel and ask if he would like to go out with you to the pub sometime. Easy as that."

"I would at least like to know if his feelings are reciprocated first," Kate stated, grimacing slightly. "Also, he might have a personal rule against dating a colleague."

"It's possible, but you won't know unless you ask," Daphne said, smirking as she nudged Kate with an elbow. Kate nudged her back, and they both giggled.

At that moment, Dr. Dorset closed the chart he was reading and walked over to the nurse's station. He smiled at the two of them, and Kate felt her palms begin to sweat. "Good morning, ladies. Daphne, do you mind administering penicillin to the boy in room 241? I marked it in his notes, it'll be 125 mg every 4 hours."

"Of course, Doctor. No problem," Daphne said professionally, accepting the chart from Dr. Dorset before shooting Kate a look. She walked away.

"So Kate… are you going to the Christmas party next week?" Dr. Dorset asked, leaning his elbows on the counter and gazing at Kate expectantly. He had a small, charming smile on his face, causing Kate to blush.

"I, er… I was planning on it," she said, hoping she sounded casual as she picked up another chart to file. "Why, are you?"

"Of course I am. I was just making sure I would see you there," Dr. Dorset said, and Kate looked up at him. "I'm looking forward to it."

Kate's heart was thudding a furious tattoo against her chest, and she swallowed before giving him a hopeful smile. "Yeah. Me too."

"Great. Because a little birdie told me the girl I like wants me to ask her out on a date, but she doesn't want to come off looking too desperate," Dr. Dorset said, picking up another chart and casually opening it. He glanced at Kate again and smiled. "That would be a shame, now, wouldn't it?"

Kate's mouth dropped open, unsure of how to respond to that, but Dr. Dorset simply gave her a wink before turning and walking away.

Kate gasped as Dr. Dorset practically slammed her against the wall in the coat closet, but the shock of his attack was immediately assuaged by his lips capturing hers in a voracious kiss. Kate moaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close, ignoring the chattering sounds of the Christmas party outside the small closet they were snogging in.

Kate felt like she was in a dream – the whole week leading up to the Christmas party, Dr. Dorset had flirted with her, stopping to chat with her whenever they met in the corridor or grabbing a coffee together in the cafeteria during late night shifts. Kate was secretly delighted by his attention, and she very much hoped the two of them could get to know each other a bit better during the Christmas party tonight.

What she hadn't expected when she arrived at the Radisson, however, was practically the moment she stepped into the ballroom and looked around at all the beautiful lights and her coworkers dressed up in gorgeous eveningwear and hearing "Holly Jolly Christmas" playing over the loudspeakers, that Dr. Dorset, in a nice-looking navy blue suit, would walk up to her, take her hand, and ask her if she trusted him.

"Of course I do," she said with startled confusion when he turned and practically dragged her away to the coat closet.

Kate now gasped as Dr. Dorset trailed his lips down her neck and suckled on a spot near the base of her throat. Her heart rate skyrocketed. "Oh my God, Doctor."

"I think you can call me Tom now," he smirked against her skin, trailing his lips back up to her jaw. Kate let out a moan. "Don't you think?"

Kate let out a breathless giggle. "I'm sorry, Tom, but this is all just a bit unexpected," she said, gripping his back a little tighter as she held him close. "Not that I'm complaining though."

"I've been wanting to do this for so long," Tom admitted, moving his face back slightly as he smiled down at her, his lips centimeters away from her own. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Kate."

Kate's heart fluttered with emotion as she smiled up at him. "And you are full of surprises, Tom."

Tom smiled again before leaning forward and capturing her lips once again.

The next few weeks continued on in the same vein, with Kate and Tom occasionally meeting up together at work, sometimes to chat about their patients, but usually to make out in a nearby supply closet or empty patient room. Kate was delighted by this shift in their relationship since it was what she had wanted for so long, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder why Tom hadn't officially asked her out on a date yet.

"I mean, it's not totally unreasonable to expect, right?" Kate now asked Daphne. It was raining out tonight, and the break room they were sitting in felt rather warm and cozy as they sipped from styrofoam cups of tea while waiting for some tests to come back from the lab. "He seeks me out practically everyday at the hospital, but he hasn't brought up the idea of a date or me coming over to his place at all. Am I crazy?"

"Of course not, but you know how unpredictable doctors' schedules can be," Daphne said fairly. "Perhaps he doesn't want to commit to a date if he has to bail at the last minute."

"Maybe," Kate grimaced, gazing out the window and into the night sky. "Think I should talk to him about it?"

Daphne looked up at something behind Kate and gave her a small smile. "I do. Perhaps right now would be a good time."

Before Kate could ask, Daphne got to her feet. "Good evening, Dr. Dorset."

"Hi Daphne," Tom said, and Kate turned around to see Tom enter the break room, wearing rumpled blue scrubs and his light brown hair a bit disheveled. He was clearly nearing the end of a long shift. "How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks. I was just heading out to check on my patients," Daphne said, moving to walk past Tom toward the door. "See you, Kate."

"Bye Daff," Kate said, a part of her wishing Daphne wouldn't just leave her here with Tom. She took a sip of her tea as Tom sat in the spot Daphne had vacated.

"Sorry I haven't been able to see you today," Tom apologized to her, running a hand through his hair and letting out a sigh. "I had a couple surgeries that went long. I've hardly gotten a break since yesterday afternoon."

"That's okay. I understand," Kate said compassionately. She knew first-hand how overworked the doctors and nurses at this hospital were. "Are you off now?"

"Yeah, but I was hoping to find you before I went home," he said, giving her a small smile. "Can we talk?"

Kate hesitated, her heart thudding in her chest. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the reason for this talk. "Sure. What's up?" she asked casually, bringing her tea up to her lips to take another sip.

"I've just been thinking a lot about you. About us," he confessed. "I really do like you, Kate, and I would love nothing more than to take you out on dates and show you off to the world as my girlfriend. But since I'm still so new at St. Bartholomew's, I don't think now is the best time to pursue a relationship with a coworker while I'm still getting settled here. That wouldn't be fair to you."

He sounded sincerely apologetic as he spoke, and Kate didn't meet his eyes as she absorbed his words. She knew he was breaking up with her, and she felt her heart pounding in her ears as she clutched her tea in both her hands. "I see."

"Hey," Tom reached out and took one of her hands in his, giving it a light squeeze. Kate forced herself to look at him. "I know this sucks right now, but who knows what the future holds? Maybe, in a few months, when things settle down a bit, the two of us will find our way back to each other."

Kate gazed at him for a moment before giving him a smile. While a large part of her doubted he would wait for her, a more hopeful, romantic part of her wanted to believe they could make something work someday. "I hope so."

Tom smiled widely at her, and Kate's heart gave a small flutter. "I hope so too."

The following night, Kate unfortunately had to work another late shift. And, of course, Daphne wasn't working tonight, so Kate had to suffer this long all-nighter by herself. Biting back a sleepy yawn, Kate went off in search of some coffee before making her rounds, thankful that at least tonight it wasn't raining again.

Her mind had drifted to Tom several times throughout the evening, and an odd mixture of sadness and hopefulness filled her chest at the thought of him. He had seemed genuinely upset to end things with her last night, but his reasoning made sense. When he said he hoped something might happen between the two of them someday, she couldn't help but want that too.

Perhaps he did like her enough to wait for her? A guy making that kind of effort for her would certainly be something.

Kate walked past a few empty rooms on her way to the cafeteria. A couple doors down to her right, she heard soft voices speaking inside:

"…sure you can't come over after your shift?" a woman was asking sadly.

"As much as I'd love to, babe, I've got surgery in the morning," a familiar male voice said apologetically.

Kate stopped in her tracks, her heart thudding in her chest.

No. It can't be.

"Ugh, you've had so many surgeries scheduled lately," the girl pouted. "You need a break, Tom."

"Agreed," Tom said sardonically, and Kate felt her breathing turn shallow. "But you know I always try to make time for the two of us, baby."

"I know you do. You're a great guy," the girl said lovingly.

Tom chuckled, and the girl giggled. There were a few seconds of silence as the two of them kissed, and Kate felt like she was going to be sick.

Before she could turn and walk away, Tom and the girl stepped out of the empty room holding hands. Kate recognized the girl as Raquel, a nurse from obstetrics.

"Oh, hi Kate," Raquel noticed Kate first and gave her a polite smile, clearly not registering the stunned look on the other woman's face. She said a quick goodbye to Tom before starting to walk down the corridor in the opposite direction.

Tom just stood frozen, staring at Kate in obvious discomfort. "Er… Kate," he said awkwardly. "I… didn't realize you were working tonight."

Kate could only stare at him. A powerful feeling of anger and hurt surged up inside of her, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. "Well, I am," she said coldly, glaring at him.

"Erm. Look…" Tom stuttered, clearly sweating as he glanced at Raquel, who had stopped and turned to look at them curiously. "Raquel and I, we… er… it isn't what it looks like."

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Kate said coolly, glancing over at Raquel. "You broke up with me yesterday… so no harm done."

Without waiting for a response, Kate turned on her heel and marched away, unsure of who she hated more in this moment: Tom or herself.

In the weeks that followed, whenever Kate wasn't working with patients or hanging out with Daphne, she was doing her best to avoid a certain smug, two-timing doctor.

It was amazing how a few short months could change her feelings toward the man so drastically: the cute new doctor who stole her heart had suddenly turned into the slimy arsehole carrying on with at least two women at a time. He and Racquel hadn't worked out (obviously), but then came another nurse from A&E named Jane, and soon Laura the physical therapist, Jen the intern, and then Micah the hospital administrator.

"… And apparently, Tom and Micah broke things off the other night," Daphne now said as she and Kate made their way down the corridor toward their patient's room. A little girl was getting prepped for surgery on her broken leg. "He's really making his way through the whole staff, isn't he?"

"It'll be the Chief of Medicine next, I swear," Kate shook her head, and Daphne giggled. Tom then turned a corner and passed them in the opposite direction, deliberately avoiding Kate's eyes as he walked, and Kate rolled her eyes once he was gone.

Daphne and Kate arrived at their patient's room and helped her prep for surgery, which took about ten minutes, and then another twenty to thoroughly explain the surgical process to her worried parents. Daphne was very patient and professional with parents like these in a way that Kate admired and wished she could emulate.

Once Dr. Lee arrived with some orderlies to wheel the girl into the operating room, Daphne and Kate headed over to the nurse's station. Kate checked her phone.

"Oh, it looks like Edwina stopped by," Kate said excitedly, reading a text on her phone, but her excitement quickly turned to surprise as she read on. "She arrived like an hour ago, and she's waiting for me in the cafeteria. Oh God, I'm such an awful sister! I've been so busy I haven't checked my phone all morning."

"You should go see her," Daphne said, taking the patient chart from Kate. "I'll enter this on the computer for you."

"Thanks Daff. I owe you one," Kate said gratefully, and she turned and hurried down the corridor.

Kate arrived at the cafeteria a few minutes later, excited to be seeing her little sister, and immediately started looking around for her. She was just about to pull out her phone to text her and let her know she was here when she heard Edwina's laugh from several yards away. Kate turned, and froze.

Edwina was sitting at a two-person table… and the guy sitting across from her was none other than Tom Dorset. Both of them smiling and laughing away.

Kate felt like she was going to be sick.