Chapter Text
September 30, 2021
Dr. Jack Abbot looked at the board. Trying to manifest something to make his shift go by faster. Trying to find something to distract him for the last two hours.
“Dude, there is a smoking hot babe in north five,” His new resident slid up to the hub.
”Dude, how many times do I have to tell you, I am not your dude,” Abbot sighed. “And we don’t talk about patients like that.”
He didn’t understand how the young doctor had so much energy at 5 AM. Much more than his 42 year old self had patience for.
“Not yet Dr. Abbot, but you will be.” He nudged Abbot’s shoulder. Abbot didn’t know if he meant being Shen’s dude or calling the patient hot. “You should go check her out though. I feel like you two would vibe.”
Abbot fought to roll his eyes, Robby warned him that Dr. John Shen was energetic and quick when he recommended him move to the night shift. He did not mention he was also mildly annoying.
“Based on what?” He scanned the board. If things stayed the same, handoff would go great and he could go get some sleep before going to the VA. Maybe squeeze in a run after and spend the night hanging drywall. A perfect busy evening in his eyes.
Shen shrugged. “She’s an Aquarius, and you’re a Sagittarius.”
Abbot turned to the young resident and quirked an eyebrow. “What? My girlfriend is into horoscopes. Yours said an unexpected change awaits you by the way.”
The board was on the lighter side right now. They were in that lull of late night and early morning accidents. Maybe he could take a second to look at some triage patients.
“Start your charting. I don’t want to be here all morning waiting to sign off on them.” He pointed at Shen and went toward North 5.
What did he mean by “vibe”? It was hard to “vibe” with someone when his sleep schedule mirrored that of a vampire and when he did sleep, sometimes, he would wake up clutching a leg that was somewhere back in the Middle East.
He knocked on the door, time to prove Shen wrong. He didn’t know who Abbot vibed with. A soft come in gave him permission to open the door.
“Hello, I am Dr. Abbot, the night shift attendee.” He looked at you, not because you weren’t beautiful, but eye contact was an important part of bedside manners. No other reason.
Your hair was contained away from your face with a scarf. Contained was the only word for the waves of hair pushed behind it. You wore a fitted black long sleeve and baggy pants, and some clog shoes he definitely saw when he was in college.
Jack grabbed a mask and looked at your chart. Glancing over the details Shen already added. “I will be overseeing your care while my over eager resident completes his charting. What brings you in?”
You didn’t answer. Instead you stared at Jack. Jack stared back. Their blinks were the only thing keeping it from being a staring contest.
You coughed. “Sorry, hello. I burnt my hand.” You raised your right hand, like you were on trail.
“Can I take a look?” Always ask. Never assume. He heard his own voice giving the speech to the interns. He grabbed some gloves, sat down, and rolled the short distance to you. It felt nice to rest his leg. “What do you do for work?”
”I own the little bakery on 6th street.”
He knew that bakery. Hell, Robby wouldn’t shut up about it. That was his and Jake’s Friday spot before dropping the kid off at school. Sometimes Jack would snag a blueberry lemon muffin from the box Robby would bring during shift change.
”Silver Springs, right?” The name did not make sense for a bakery, but to each their own. “The day shift attendant brings in stuff from there all the time.” He looked up to you, your lip worried between your teeth. You had very biteable lips. Kissable too.
”The one and only!” You smiled, freeing Jack’s new obsession in the process, a genuine smile. “Looks like my reputation proceeds me.”
”Nice muffins.” That came out wrong.
He felt your hand tense a fraction. He cleared his throat. “At least that’s what Robby said.”
He stopped talking and got back to your exam, he only had one good foot and it did not need to be in his mouth.
“Was this a work related injury?” Your fingers were long and slender in his palm. Almost, cute compared to his.
”Yeah, I couldn’t sleep so I went in early to try some new recipes. I guess I was thinking too hard and forgot to grab an oven mitt.”
“You do that often?” He couldn’t help to ask. To drag this out, only to kill time. Not because he wanted to hear you talk more. “I’m gonna drain this one on your palm.” He pointed at the largest blister. “That will help with healing.”
He reluctantly let go of your hand down and grabbed a syringe from a drawer. “Small poke.”
“Bake at the crack of dawn? Fuck, that wasn’t a little prick.” Jack smiled under his mask. “Sometimes, I open the bakery early and—“
”No. Not sleep.” He pulled the fluid off.
“Oh, depends on the demons I guess. I just don’t do a great job of shutting it all off. Work. Life. That embarrassing thing from middle school?”
Jack nodded in understanding. Their demons were likely different, but he wasn’t one to judge trauma and how people cope.
“Embarrassing memories?” He looked up.
”Wouldn’t you like to know, Dr. Abbot.” You challenged.
He looked up. God, you were pretty. Your lip was back between your teeth again, holding in a smirk. He felt like you were challenging him to pull it out with his own teeth.
“Yeah, I would.” He whispered low and cleared his throat. Again. “Not the worst thing I’ve seen tonight. Alright, gonna wrap it up. Keep it dry for the next few days.”
You held your hand up for him to wrap the white gauze around the palm. “You may have to alter your day to day activities to avoid pain. But don’t limit mobility. You’ll want to keep moving your palm to keep the skin from healing too tight. And come by for a wound check tomorrow. We’ll make sure it isn’t getting infected.”
”Same time tomorrow?”
He wished. He was off tomorrow. “If you’re up, or you can come during day shift. Pick your poison.”
”That’s it?” You said surprised. “I am so sorry for wasting your time. I could have not came in.”
It probably would have been fine on its own, but proper cleaning and fighting infection were important. Jack was glad she came in. It meant he got to meet her.
”I promise, sweetheart, you did not waste my time. That thing needed a second opinion. It’s gonna be pretty brutal tomorrow.” He said matter of factly. Bluntly. Trying to gloss over that he called a patient sweetheart.
You blushed anyway.
“Thank you , Dr. Abbot.”
He wondered what his name would sound like coming from her. Not Dr. Abbot or Abbot. But Jack. Just Jack.
“No problem. Enjoy the rest of your night — morning. A nurse will be in momentarily with discharge papers.”
He walked back to the hub a little flustered. Shen was right. There was some vibing going on.
“What’s the verdict?” Shen looked up as Abbot approached.
He was not about to tell his resident that he was right and that you were indeed a smoking hot babe. That you were funny without meaning to be. That he wanted to untie the scarf holding your hair back. That your hand looked so small compared to his. That he was contemplating swapping shifts to see you again tomorrow.
Instead, he gave Shen a noncommittal shrug.
An unexpected change indeed.