Work Text:
✐
"Timmy! Out of your mouth!" You shout, hurrying over to grab the marble from his hand. "Marbles are for playing, buddy, not for eating."
Timmy stares up at you, blue eyes bright as he nods, "sorry," he mumbles, and you place the marble back into his hand, watching him place it into the marble run - which is honestly pretty damn impressive and Karim lets out an excited shriek as it runs through the pinwheel.
"Kat?" Miss Yasmin calls, and you glance over towards the counter where she's standing. "Our guest is here."
"Oh," shit was it that time already? "Right," you laugh, "hands on top!"
"That means stop," a chorus of voices rings out, as you take a sip of your lavender matcha, promptly choking as you turn back to see Jack standing in the doorway.
"Are you okay?" A soft voice asks, tugging at your shirt.
"Yes," you cough, "everyone get to your carpet spots," you clap your hands, "we have a guest!"
Excited chatter rings out around you as students scurry onto the carpet.
"Is that your dad?"
"No, honey -"
"Is he your husband?" Ruby cooes.
"No!" Jaspreet snaps, "Miss Moore isn't married!"
"Okay," you flush, glancing at Jack, who's watching the exchange with an amused look on his face. "This is my friend Dr. Abbot."
"He's not a doctor," Timmy snickers, "he's a soldier!"
You sigh, giving Yasmin a tired look.
"Let's all show our best listening!" Yasmin calls, and you drop into your chair next to the white board.
"Can we show our new friend Dr. Abbot our affirmations?" You take a deep breath, "I am brave and strong," you raise your arms, like a body builder, "I make good choices, I am kind, I am caring," you give yourself a hug, smiling as your students follow along, "I am smart, I am confident, I am a good friend!" You give a thumbs up, feeling Jack watching you, "I learn and grow every day! Now, turn to your neighbour, and say, I'm glad you're here!" You give the kids a moment to greet their friends, watching them give each other's high fives and hugs.
"Who remembers what we talked about yesterday?"
"Helpers in our community!"
"Yes!" You nod, leaning forward, "on Tuesday we had Dr. Schneider visit, to tell us all about being a dentist, and Adam's Dad came to talk about being a -"
"Garbage man!" Adam declares proudly.
You glance at Jack, "you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," he jokes, and you push yourself to your feet, biting your lip, as he moves past you, and goddamn he looks good.
You'd expected him to wear his scrubs - like you'd seen him in the handful of times you met while he getting home and you were leaving. You didn't expect him in full uniform, and you swallow as your stomach does a funny little thing as he takes a seat.
The chair creaks, and silence falls over the group of five year olds as they look up at him.
"So, uh, Miss Moore asked me to come talk to you today about being a doctor," he shifts, pulling his backpack from his shoulder. "Who here has been to the doctor?" A handful of kids shyly raise their hands.
He reaches into his backpack, pulling out his stethoscope. "Does anyone know what this is?"
"It's a stemnascope!" Ruby calls out, "I have one, but mine is pink!"
"Oh," Jack nods, eyes crinkling as he smiles, "do you know what your stemnascope is for?"
Ruby quirks her head, "nothing. It's plastic."
You bite back a laugh, intentionally avoiding Yasmin's gaze as Jack laughs.
"What about a real stethoscope?"
"I dunno."
"Do you want to find out?"
Ruby's face brightens, "yeah!" She jumps to her feet, rushing over to him, and you watch him fit the stethoscope over her ears.
"I'm just going to put this right here," he points to Ruby's chest, without touching her. "Is that okay?" Ruby nods, waiting patiently as he presses the chest piece against her pink t shirt. "Can you hear that?"
"Yeah!" Ruby reaches out to grab Jack's sleeve. "Can I listen to your heart?"
"Of course, I just need to take off my vest -"
Yasmin elbows you as Timmy turns to Karim, "that's for in case he gets shot!"
"Timmy -"
"Well, thankfully I've never been shot working for SWAT," Jack grins, placing his vest on the floor before guiding the chest piece towards his own chest but Ruby snatches it from his hand.
"I can do it," she grins, determined, and Jack waits patiently until she finds it, "I can hear it!"
"I want to try!"
"Me too!"
"Oh," you take a step forward, "I'm not sure we'll have enough time for everyone to have a turn, I'm sure Dr. Abbot is busy -"
"I've got nowhere to be, as long as you have time."
"We have plenty of time before recess," Yasmin assures him.
"Okay, get in your line order, friends!" You instruct, and you've never seen your kids move that fast, and Jack lets all twenty-two students listen to his heart before they flop back onto their carpet spots, cheering as he pulls out a blood pressure cuff.
"Now, can anyone tell me what this is?"
"It goes on your arm," Eun-Woo says matter of factly.
"And then the machine shows some numbers!" Jacob yells, "my mom let's me do it at the grocery store."
"I'd better be careful," Jack murmurs, glancing at you, "or I'm going to be out of a job."
"I can't be a doctor!" Eun-Woo laughs. "I'm only five!"
The class descends into chaos as kids begin telling Jack what they want to be when they grow up.
"Tootsie Roll, lollipop -"
"We've been talking, now let's stop," the kids call back, watching you expectantly.
"We have fifteen minutes before recess, so now might be a good time to ask any questions -" almost every hand goes up at that. "Remember, friends, we're asking questions, not telling stories." Roughly half of the kids lower their hands.
"Red baseball cap," Jack points to Mimi.
"What else is in your bag?"
"Hmm, all kinds of stuff," Jack replies, "tourniquets, pressure dressings -"
"You have dresses in there?"
This time you don't catch your laugh, as Jack shakes his head.
"A pressure dressing is kind of like a big bandaid," he opens the pack, pulling out the gauze and a brown bandage. "Can I have your arm, Miss Moore?"
"Yes," you head over to the chair, dropping onto your knees next to him and he carefully takes your wrist in his large hand.
"Let's say Miss Moore got a cut -"
"Like with the apples!"
"Hmm, pressure dressings are for big cuts, that are bleeding." He carefully wraps the bandage around the gauze, "we'd use them to stop the bleeding until Miss Moore can get to the hospital for stitches -" he glances at you, "is that okay? It's not too tight?"
"No."
"I also have trauma shears, which are basically just scissors, suture kits, as well as sunscreen and insect repellent."
Eventually Jack nearly unpacks his entire kit, before choosing another raised hand.
"Did you do a war?" Bianca asks, "your costume is like the one my mommy wears."
"It's not a costume, sweetheart, it's a uniform," you gently correct and Bianca nods.
"I have been to war," Jack says carefully.
"Did you die?!" Timmy frantically yells.
"No, but, I did lose my leg."
"You lost it?"
"Did you find it?"
"Did they put it back on?"
Jack shakes his head, bending down to tug up his pant leg.
"Your whole leg fell off?!"
"I - okay -" you close your eyes as Yasmin shakes with laughter.
"No, thankfully it wasn't my entire leg."
"If it was his whole leg, he wouldn't be able to walk!"
"Nuh uh! My grandpa lost his leg and he can walk!"
"No, Christan, your grandpa broke his leg," your words are swallowed up by the chatter and you shoot Yasmin a frantic look.
"Hey - would you look at that," the younger woman points to the doorway, "it looks like the grade ones are going out for an early recess."
"Okay, well, what do we say to Dr. Abbot?"
"Thank you Dr. Abbot!"
The kids don't need to be reminded to take off their shoes as they scramble to their feet, and Jack gets no less than six hugs before it's just the two of you standing in the classroom.
Jack lets out a deep breath, "you do this every day?"
"It's only half days this year." Jack shakes his head.
"It's why I drink wine by the box," you quip, rewarded with another one of Jack's laughs.
"Is Yasmin your co-teacher?"
"Yes, she's an angel." You bend down to reach for a tensor bandage that rolled away. "I'm sorry about your leg -"
"Me too," Jack murmurs.
"They ask so many questions -"
"They're curious," he shrugs, "believe me, I've heard a lot worse."
"I don't doubt it," you shake your head, handing him his stethoscope, as the recess bell rings.
"You don't have to go outside?"
"Not today."
"Oh," Jack mutters, reaching into his kit, "I wasn't sure how long I'd have, so I printed some colouring sheets? I had to fold them to get them in in my bag, so they're bent -"
"That's okay -" you take the papers, "they'll be fighting over these." His brows draw together, "I'm kidding," you say, even though you're really not.
"Well," he pushes himself to his feet, "you probably have things to do -"
"Always," you shrug, brushing your hair over your shoulder, "oh! This is for you," you grab the blue gift bag from the counter, "thanks so much for coming."
Inside the bag is a school mug, and a card that all of the kids had signed.
"Thanks," Jack takes the bag, setting it down to get his vest back on.
You take a deep breath as Jack moves to leave.
"Did you want a coffee before you go? I have fifteen minutes -"
"Oh -"
"I have time," you assure him, and you didn't want him to go yet.
"Yeah?"
"Please," you grab your matcha, "I've been nursing this since this morning, it's mostly ice." A smile quirks his mouth.
"Okay."
"The staff room's just down the hall," you tell him, slipping into the hall. "The coffee's bad, but -" you shrug.
"It can't be any worse than it is at the hospital."
The staff room is surprisingly empty when you make your way inside, hurrying over to grab two mugs from the cupboard, filling it with coffee that's likely been on the warmer since before you got to school.
"Did you want cream and sugar?"
"Black's fine."
You can feel him watching you as you grab the French vanilla creamer from the fridge, and you add enough to hopefully mask the bitterness, and Jack grimaces when he takes a sip.
"Yeah, that's more water than coffee."
You snort taking a gulp of mostly creamer.
"So ... Have you been teaching for a while?"
"Yeah," you nod, leaning against the counter, "it'll be ten years this fall."
"Kindergarten?"
"Yep."
"And they're still not paying you six figures?"
You laugh out loud, "god, no. I wish."
Jack glances down at your arm, where the pressure dressing is still wrapped around your wrist.
"You can probably take that off -"
"Hm?" You murmur, mouth full, "right," you mutter, setting down your coffee to fiddle with the knot.
"Can I -?" Jack's settles his mug on the counter, and you hold out your hand, biting your lip as he quickly unties the bandage, quickly folding it before pressing it into your palm. "You know ... If they want to play doctor later."
"Thanks," you murmur, quickly tucking into the pocket on your cardigan, "they definitely will." You open your mouth to tell him all about the first aid kit you'd bought for center time when the recess bell rings. "Oh -" you frown, quickly downing your coffee, "I need to go pick them up -"
"Can I see you later?" Jack wonders, "for a proper coffee?"
Oh.
"Yes," you pull your phone from your pocket. "What's your number?"
Jack tells you, finishing the rest of his coffee before setting his mug in the sink.
"Thanks again, I really appreciate you coming in -"
"Of course."
"You know the way to the office?" Jack nods, and you give him a little wave as you head for the door. "See you!" You call, scurrying out of the room, hoping he didn't notice the colour that flushed your cheeks.
Friends, you remind yourself as you head to the double doors next to your classroom. You're friends.
Your hands are trembling as you pull open the door, and Yasmin's face brightens when she sees you.
"You're blushing," she grins.
"I am not," you mutter, and your phone is a weight in your back pocket.
"No, I get it. I wish my neighbours were that fine -"
"Yasmin."
She crinkles her nose, before gesturing at Timmy, "let's go!"
✐
You don't have time to text Jack until lunch time, and you drop into your chair, staring at his number for two full minutes before finally texting him.
ᴴᴱʸ. ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴵˢ ᴷᴬᵀ.
You drop your phone onto your desk, reaching for your lunch. Normally you eat in the staff room, but you know there will be questions - questions you don't have satisfactory answers to and -
"Did you text him?" Yasmin wonders, and you jump.
"Jesus," you laugh, "yes?"
"Good," Yasmin nods, reaching down to grab her lunch kit, and you cover your phone, like you sent him something other than your name. "Are you hiding in here?"
You nod, flushing.
"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Have a good afternoon," you grin as Yasmin leaves for the staff room, glancing down as your phone buzzes.
ʜᴇʏ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴇɴᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʟɪᴋᴇ?
Wide open, but you can't say that.
ᴱᴿᴿᴬᴺᴰˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴾᴵᴸᴬᵀᴱˢ ᴼᴺ ˢᵁᴺᴰᴬʸ.
sᴀᴛᴜʀᴅᴀʏ? 9:30? ᴜɴʟᴇss ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴛᴏᴏ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ?
You shake your head, before remembering he can't actually see you.
ᴺᴼ, ⁹:³⁰ ᵂᴼᴿᴷˢ
ɪᴛ's ᴀ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ.
You heart his text before thinking twice about it, and shit!
ˢᴱᴱ ʸᴼᵁ ᵀᴴᴱᴺ!
You turn your phone over, heart pounding in your chest.
It's a date
You took a deep breath.
You could do this.
Be absolutely normal about the whole thing.
"Right," you mutter, "keep telling yourself that."
✐