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We accept newly published fanfics, fanart and edits for the Fics and Arts of the Week list. Tag this blog (@choicesficwriterscreations) on the submission, and we’ll reblog it within 48 hours. If we don’t, please contact me directly, as Tumblr tagging can sometimes be unreliable.
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Summary: After kissing Cas in front of Gabriel, Lara decides that they need to talk.
Book: Immortal Desires
Rating: T
@choicesficwriterscreations
@choicesbookclub
Lara sat in class, unable to focus. She was such a mess. She had enough to worry about already, with her mother continuing to investigate the murders. But now she didn’t know what she was going to do about Cas and Gabriel. She had really screwed everything up.
She and Gabriel had been getting closer. After they had a long talk about the secret he had kept from her, that he was a vampire, he had walked her home and they had shared their first kiss. They had kissed again after going rock climbing. But then she, Gabriel, and Cas had a conversation about the ritual to turn a human into a vampire. Gabriel clearly struggled with the process. Cas, however, made the ritual sound so sexy. And the way he flirted with her while he described it sent chills down her spine in the best possible way. She had always found him attractive. In the heat of the moment, something came over her. She looked at him, and they were like magnets pulled together. They kissed passionately, and she was lost in the moment until she heard Gabriel speak, “I’ve had about enough of this place. Are we ready to go?” He looked at them coldly, and Lara felt sick when she realized how she had hurt him.
She needed to talk to him. But how could she make things right? Especially when she knew in her heart that she couldn’t promise it would never happen again?
When class let out, Lara found Gabriel. “Can we talk? I hate the way we left things.”
“Yeah, sure,” said Gabriel, and they went outside and sat down.
“I want you to know that I really care about you. I’m so sorry that I hurt you,” Lara told him.
“Was it because I lied to you? Is that why you chose him?” asked Gabriel.
“No! We talked through that already. And I didn’t choose him over you. I have feelings for both of you. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I have to be honest.” Lara looked at him, hoping there was some way he would understand. But Gabriel and Cas didn’t get along. And even if Gabriel could accept it, Cas had said that he didn’t share. But she wasn’t ready to make a choice.
Gabriel nodded. “You’re right, it’s not what I want to hear, but you’re saying I still have a chance with you, right?”
“You absolutely do.” Lara kissed him on the cheek.
Just then Cas walked over to them. “Hey, New Girl. Why are you wasting your time with Golden Boy here?”
“Shut up, Cas,” said Gabriel.
“Guys, don’t fight over me!” said Lara. “You’re both important to me. I want to spend time with both of you. Can’t you at least try to get along?”
“All right, I’ll go.” Cas moved closer to Lara. He whispered in her ear “Meet me later.” She nodded. Before Cas walked away, he rubbed her back, sending a wave of excitement through her. What was she getting herself into?
We accept newly published fanfics, fanart and edits for the Fics and Arts of the Week list. Tag this blog (@choicesficwriterscreations) on the submission, and we’ll reblog it within 48 hours. If we don’t, please contact me directly, as Tumblr tagging can sometimes be unreliable.
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Series Premise: Ethan and Cassie are first-year residents at Edenbrook Hospital, competing for the coveted prize of being mentored by Dr. Banerji.
Chapter Premise: Cassie and Ethan are not sure what to make of their truce after Clinic Day.
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Sienna Trinh, Tobias Carrick
Rating/Category: Teen. AU
Words: 1,250
Series Masterlist
They called it the season of giving and good cheer. But for the interns working the Christmas Day shift at Boston’s Edenbrook Hospital, there was a lot of giving and very little cheer, unless one counted the overly cheerful Christmas music pumping from the overhead speakers and the tinsel hanging across the nurses’ station.
Patients were either morose or frustrated at being stuck inside the hospital during the holidays. A skeletal staff meant there weren’t enough hands to go around. And the cafeteria food left a lot to be desired.
Cassie Valentine briefly thought of her family in Newport. Home was a roaring fire in the family room and her mom’s special cider. The traditional roast duck for dinner would easily win against the dry turkey and cranberry sandwiches she was nibbling.
She absently glanced around the near-empty hall, her eyes falling on Ethan Ramsey. He was sitting by himself (as usual), holding half a sandwich in one hand and frowning as he read something on his tablet.
They had called a truce ever since Dr. Banerji had admonished them for their competitiveness during Clinic Day last week. Cassie tried not to needle Ethan just because, while he made an equal effort to listen to her opinions.
They both kept up the façade in front of patients and their attendings. They smiled (okay, so his looked more like a grimace at times) and were solicitous, but inside, Cassie felt bored out of her mind.
She wondered if he felt the same.
Arguing with Ethan had been the best part of her day. She’d always come away invigorated from their interactions, and also just a little bit smarter.
Not that she’d ever tell him that. His ego was already the size of Alaska.
A lock of hair fell across his forehead, transforming him from severe to almost boyish.
It was taking her way too long to get over this stupid crush on Ethan, especially since he’d never given her any indication that he felt anything but annoyance at her presence.
“… anyway, you should come, Cassie.”
Cassie flushed when she realized Sienna had been talking the whole time and she hadn’t heard a word her friend had said.
Sensing her distraction, Sienna turned to see what Cassie had been staring at. A mischievous smile spread across her lips.
“Is the Great Armistice of Edenbrook still holding?”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Aren’t residents supposed to have each other’s backs?”
“Residents, sure. But you and Ethan? A dolphin and a shark aren’t exactly a match made in heaven.”
“We’re just colleagues, Si,” she scoffed.
“Hey, if I looked at my ‘colleague’”—she used air quotes—“the way you were just staring at Ethan….”
She pretended to fan herself, making Cassie laugh.
“Saved by the bell,” Cassie said as her pager’s beep demanded her attention.
She checked the message before gathering up the remnants of her lunch to dispose of on her way out.
“We’re so dissecting this back at the apartment,” Sienna called out.
Cassie simply lifted her hand in response without looking back.
----
Ethan watched Cassie rush off, his attention briefly diverted by the way her silky, blonde ponytail swung behind her.
Did it have a mind of its own, he wondered, or did she deliberately turn her head this way and that so that one couldn’t help but pay attention to it, and her?
And did it smell as sunny as it looked, or was that just the scent of the perfume she spritzed in the locker room at the end of each shift?
And why was he sitting here pondering the mysteries of his co-resident’s grooming habits?
“Whatcha looking at?”
Tobias Carrick slipped into the seat across from him, his lips briefly twisting into a grimace at the sight of the sad little sandwiches from the hospital cafeteria.
He glanced at Ethan’s lunch.
“Those look nothing like mine,” Tobias complained. “When’d you have time to make those?”
“My dad dropped them off last night,” Ethan said, shrugging as he took a bite. “He knew I was working today and thought I’d appreciate a taste of home.” He peered at his friend. “You were busy, as I recall.”
Tobias grinned. “Ah, yes, the lovely Tina.”
“Spare me,” Ethan griped.
“You know, she has a friend,” Tobias said. “Might help you get over the Ice Princess.”
“I’ve told you before not to call Cassie that,” Ethan said angrily.
“Oh ho,” Tobias teased. “So, it’s Cassie now, not Valentine. When did that happen? And how long can you two keep it going before one of you explodes from excessive politeness?”
“That’s not a thing,” Ethan retorted, ignoring the rest. “Are we still on for pool after shift?”
“Always happy to take your money, Ramsey.”
Later, he made his way to his patient’s room on the fifth floor, scanning the notes he’d made during morning rounds.
Mr. Arbuckle was in his seventies and a bit of a self-declared opera nerd with strong opinions on just about everything.
Ethan liked him.
“...how anyone can be so wrong-headed is beyond me!”
Ethan heard Mr. Arbuckle’s raised voice from down the hall and hurried. What, or who, had gotten the old man so riled up? The stress was not good for his heart.
“Oh, please. Soap operas have all the elements of classical opera,” he heard Cassie argue. “And they have more mass appeal than Puccini.”
“Then why is a performance of Tosca always sold out at La Scala?”
“What’s a few thousand compared to the millions that tune into Days of Our Lives daily?” Cassie shot back dismissively.
Ethan stood in the doorway, his brows furrowed at the sight of Mr. Arbuckle smiling and the strange argument taking place inside. Cassie had pulled up the visitor’s chair and was leaning forward earnestly, her face animated.
He missed arguing with her, he thought with a sigh.
The rest of their resident class either drifted off when he started spouting medical research or gave him dirty looks when he was quick to answer the attending’s questions during morning rounds.
It wasn’t his fault he knew more than they did. Maybe if they didn’t spend so much time drinking at Donahue’s instead of studying...
Of course, Cassie seemed to join the others for Happy Hour and also managed to go toe to toe with him on anything their attendings threw at them.
Tobias had been right. The excessive politeness was just not natural for either of them. But Dr. Banerji had been clear. They either learned to work together or lost his respect.
And that was one thing Ethan wasn’t willing to compromise on.
“Ah, Dr. Ramsey,” Mr. Arbuckle called out. “Would you please explain to this one”—he nodded pointedly at Cassie—“the life-affirming qualities of a good aria?”
“I would,” Ethan began. “But I’m afraid Valentine is too stubborn to admit when she’s wrong.”
He didn’t realize what he’d said until the words were out of his mouth.
Dammit.
This was exactly what Dr. Banerji had warned them about. Arguing in front of patients. The topic wasn’t medicine, but still.
“Ha!” Cassie retorted, turning her head from Mr. Arbuckle to him, mischief in her green eyes. “I’d rather watch Bobby and Tiffany argue over who cheated on whom first than listen to a woman in Viking pigtails caterwauling on stage.”
Amused and enjoying himself immensely, Ethan folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “You have no taste, Cassie.”
“Right back at ya, Ethan.”
----------
All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @lady-calypso @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16
Pairing: F!Cas x Sammy; M!Gabe x Sammy
with Sammy's mom
Book: Immortal Desires (Book 1, post Chapter 6)
Word Count: <1,900 words
Warnings: Teen, nothing beyond canon warnings ; angst
Synopsis: Sammy has been the subject of another vampire trial, but worse than that, she learned the truth about someone she thought she knew. Her world is falling apart and she doesn't know what was real, if anything.
This is a rewrite/extension of MC processing learning about Gabe because in canon MC was over it too fast. In this version, Cas walked Sammy home but no ice cream date.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈ ┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
Sammy dragged herself up the stairs to her bedroom, the adrenaline of the night fading quickly, her body feeling heavier with each and every step.
She kicked off her boots and dropped her jacket just beyond the door. Tears pricked at her eyes as she carefully pulled off her top, wincing where the fabric had stuck to the now clotted blood. She leaned back against the closed door, sliding down until she hit the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest.
She wanted nothing more than to take her mom, get in the car, and drive away. Away from the vampires. Away from Astoria and Lewyn. Away from this cursed town. Away from him. Even away from Cas.
There was nothing worth staying for. Not anymore.
Her heart raced at the sight of the blood on her arm.
It had happened so fast.
She had tried to be strong. Fight them off.
Until.
Her eyes squeezed shut. It did little to push the memory away. Tears slipped through.
It wasn't the first time she'd seen a vampire with fangs bared. But this was different. Even Cas that night in the woods. It wasn't like this. The look in his eyes. The pure, merciless fury.
The way he took on the other three. Ripped them apart.
The way he looked at her after. Like she was next.
If it weren't for Cas...
He would have killed her.
He still could.
Any of them could.
She was an idiot with her key and the talisman, thinking she was safe.
If it came to it, she was nothing.
She ripped the necklace and bracelet away, throwing them across the room.
She was alone.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
It was noon before her mom tried to check on her. It wasn't like she was sleeping in. Or that she had even slept at all. Every time her eyes closed, all she saw was his eyes. Cold and silver.
"Come in," Sammy finally replied to her mother's knocking.
"I know teenagers sleeping until noon on the weekend is normal, but for you?" Her mom sat on the edge of her bed. "It's not like you."
"I'm fine, Mom," she lied, shifting to make sure the wound on her arm from last night wasn't visible.
Her mom brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face. "I wish I believed you. Talk to me, Sammykins."
Sammy looked away. She used to tell her mom everything. But this? She couldn't. She had to protect her. "Can't you just trust me?"
"I do. But I want to understand." Her mom offered a half-hearted smile. "What happened with Gabriel? Why did someone else bring you home?"
"It doesn't matter. Not anymore."
"You can tell me. You're not alone in whatever's going on."
"I wish that were true."
"Sammy."
She turned away from her mom. She wanted to tell her. She wanted to run. But she couldn't do anything. To keep her mom safe. To keep them both safe. She had to stay quiet. No one could know.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
"I thought ditching school was my move," Cas announced, climbing through an unlocked window in Sammy's bedroom.
"Apparently so is breaking and entering."
"Do you see any breaking, New Girl? All I did was enter an already unlocked window. It's totally different." Cas smirked, standing in front of Sammy.
"Astoria send you?" Sammy remained on her bed, her head resting on her knees. "My absence threatening the whole 'normal' thing? Well, let her know that normal high schoolers get sick. Normal high schoolers skip school. She doesn't have to worry about little old normal human Samantha Evans. I'm just fine."
"Astoria knows better than to ask me to check on someone. That's more of a Golden Boy thing."
The feeling of warmth she used to get at the mention of him was replaced with a cold shiver. "Why are you here?"
A low chuckle slipped from Cas's lips. "You gotta lighten up. This moody thing is not for you."
"Yes, because having your life threatened more than once, being on trial in vampire court more than once, and being lied to by someone you trusted is just something to let go of."
"Jeez, and I thought I was a buzz kill." She stepped slowly around the space, taking in her room.
"You didn't answer," Sammy insisted. "Why are you here?"
"Would you believe it if I wanted to check on you?" Cas avoided Sammy's gaze, looking at a snow globe on her bookcase.
"No." Despite her reply, a smile threatened to pull on her lips. "But, thanks."
"I'd say don't mention it, but I don't even know what you're talking about." Cas winked. A glint of gold on the floor caught her eye. She reached for it, being very careful how she handled it.
Sammy watched her, the pain in her eyes a little lighter.
“Look, New Girl, this isn’t really my area, and don’t take this as me caring about you. We already established you’re the one who gets all worked up when I do this.” Her fingers trailed up Sammy’s arm before taking her wrist in her hand. She let her fangs brush teasingly over Sammy’s pulse, enjoying the way she squirmed and her face flushed. "That's what I thought." She pulled away, but not before fastening the bracelet around her wrist again. "It was either this or Government class for forty minutes. And you annoy me less."
"Mmhmm," Sammy hummed, her lips curved up. "Nothing else at all."
"Now you're getting it!"
"I think you protest too much." Sammy leaned toward Cas, letting the warmth of her words graze over her lips. Despite herself, Cas leaned in, letting Sammy brush a featherlight kiss on her lips. "Looks like I'm not the only one."
"Please. I was being generous. You looked like you needed the win."
"If you say so," Sammy offered, raising her brow in challenge.
"I do."
"As I said, you protest too much." Sammy leaned back into her pillows. "You'd better hurry back, before Astoria notices you're gone."
"You know, she's not all that bad." Cas shrugged.
Sammy's smile faltered. "If you say so."
Cas moved toward the window. She hesitated a moment, letting out a low growl between pressed lips. "For what it's worth, I've never seen Adalhard so miserable."
Before she could respond, Cas was gone, leaving Sammy with only her thoughts to keep her company.
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
Her head turned at the sound of footsteps on the wooden porch. She slunk back into the shadows, looking down at the bracelet on her wrist for any signs of trouble. Her fingers brushed against the sensory talisman. It was cool to the touch.
A soft knock pulled her focus. Reluctantly, she walked toward the door. Peering out the peephole, she froze when she saw him. He was the last person she wanted to see. She inhaled deeply, opening the door abruptly. Her eyes were red. "What do you want?"
"I—I uh, I didn't know if you'd answer." Gabe rubbed the back of his neck. The silence between them was anything but comfortable. "I brought your homework." He offered her the stack of books and folders he was holding.
"Thanks." She grabbed the work, setting it on the table just inside the door. She pulled her sweater tighter around her, crossing her arms in front of her. "Is that it?"
“No, but—” His gaze dropped.
"I should have expected Lewyn to send his favorite secret vampire to check in with his loose end. I haven't told anyone your secret. You're safe. We have a deal. I'm not a liar." Her tone was sharp, though her voice was strained.
"I shouldn't have come." He turned to leave.
"Was any of it real?" She blurted out, her fingers brushing away a tear. She wanted to let him go, but she couldn't. She had to know.
His shoulders slumped, his head hung lower. "Sammy—"
She tried to compose herself. "Whatever."
"Please." He turned back to her. "Just let me explain."
"What's there to explain? You're a vampire. You lied to me about it. And what's worse is, you convinced me I wasn't alone in this, but instead of actually being my friend, you only pretended to be because some guy with a fancy scarf told you to."
"That's not true."
"Which part?" She shook her head. "Just go."
"If that's what you want, I'll go. But for what it's worth, it was all real to me. You are the best part of my life. This past month was the first time in years that I wanted to be alive," he admitted, his tone somber.
She glanced back into the house, then stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind her. “You have five minutes.”
"I know what I did to you can never be undone." He took a seat on her front steps. "I never meant to hurt you."
"But you did." She sat on the same step, putting as much distance between them as the small space allowed.
"I know. I'm sorry. And I know that sorry will never be enough. I will understand if you never want to forgive me. I won't forgive myself." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "I hate what I am. I hate what was done to me. I hate that I can never be the person you thought I was. But that doesn't make what we had any less real."
"How can I even know what is real?"
"Everything. From the first moment when I caught that football on your first day, to our time on the Ferris wheel, everything was real. It was the most real thing other than shame that I've felt in as long as I can remember." He turned to her, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I know I didn't tell you what I am, but you know who I am. I've never lied to y—" He stopped himself. "That's not true. I did. I lied once after everything... You asked why I didn't tell you, and I said I wanted to but that Lewyn told me not to. I'm sure he would have advised that, but I didn't tell you because I was ashamed. I would give anything to be who I was with you, to be human. I never wanted this. There are days that I—" He swallowed hard. "That I don't want to keep living."
"You could have told me."
"I never wanted to put that burden on you. It was a weight I thought I had to shoulder alone."
"I understand why you hid it." Tears burned behind her eyes. "That doesn’t mean it didn’t break something."
"I know." He stood to leave. "Thanks for listening. Goodbye, Sammy."
She watched him descend the stairs and take a few steps down the street. "Wait." She stood and went to meet him. "I'm not saying what you did was okay. But I understand why you did it."
"Where does that leave us?" His question hung in the air.
"I don't know. I need time."
"I understand." He tried to offer a half-hearted smile.
"Thanks for my homework." She hesitated. "I’ll see you tomorrow? First period?"
"I’ll be there."
┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈
A/N: I don't know if I'll write them getting back to normal, I don't think it necessarily matters as much as these scenes do, but I might.
I know the owl mask shows up that same night, but I'm going to pretend it doesn't show up for like a week. Like right when Sammy is getting back to normal it shows up because then she gets to process Gabe without being forced to be okay with it for the next problem.
Please forgive any mistakes. This isn't really edited.
Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC)
Book: Open Heart
Word Count: ~250 ; general (no warnings)
Synopsis: Olivia is doubting herself and the future she's planning. This takes. (This takes place after Makoa is born and Olivia is working on Sunshine Pediatrics)
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Frustration sharpened her normally calm voice. She flipped through dozens of pages on the desk in front of her, none seeming to be what she was looking for.
"I don't know, hence why I asked." He wrapped his arms around his wife. Her body stilled beneath his touch.
She exhaled a sigh. "I wish I knew what to do."
"You already know." He brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen from her messy bun.
She looked up at him; her exhaustion evident in the heavy shadows beneath her eyes. "If I did, would I have said 'I wish I knew'?"
"You know what to do. You just don't want to admit it," he offered calmly.
"Yeah? Why would I do that?" She looked down at the mess of papers in front of her.
"Because you're afraid that opening one door will close another. And, it will, but isn't that door worth it? The alternative is standing between two doors, never choosing, always wondering." Bryce's fingers brushed under her chin, lifting her to meet his gaze. "I know you can do this."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know you!"
"And what do you know?"
"You are an amazing mother. The best wife. And an incredible doctor. And..." He leaned forward, brushing a kiss on her forehead. "You can do anything."
Her smile softened. “You really believe that?”
“I really do.”
I started this a few months ago. I was going to delete it because it feels kind of pointless but decided to share it anyway.
We accept newly published fanfics, fanart and edits for the Fics and Arts of the Week list. Tag this blog (@choicesficwriterscreations) on the submission, and we’ll reblog it within 48 hours. If we don’t, please contact me directly, as Tumblr tagging can sometimes be unreliable.
All submissions received before midnight US/Canada Eastern Time on Saturday will be added to the weekly list published on Sunday.
Throwbacks
Reblog your throwback fics, art and edits and tag us -- they should be at least two months old. Throwbacks are accepted and reblogged any day of the week!
WIPs and Teasers
Tags us on your Sunday Six, Tuesday Ticklers, Wednesday WIPs or whatever you call works in progress any day of the week. Submissions are typically reblogged within 48 hours.
Meet My MC / OC
You can submit your Meet My MC / OC profile anytime by tagging us on the post or sending an ask with the post link. We’ll reblog it and add it to the master list.
Asks
Asks are always open, but we don’t accept anonymous asks on this blog. If you have a confidential/private question, please send an ask or DM to my main (@liaromancewriter).
Submission guidelines and details can be found on our Navigation Post.
Series Premise: Ethan and Cassie are first-year residents at Edenbrook Hospital, competing for the coveted prize of being mentored by Dr. Banerji.
Chapter Premise: Dr. Banerji takes notice of Ethan and Cassie, but for all the wrong reasons.
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine); feat. Naveen Banerji
Rating/Category: Teen. AU
Words: 1,750
Part 1 | Part 2
Dr. Naveen Banerji hadn’t always been a teacher. When he first became a doctor, it was all about showing his colleagues that a brown man from Kolkata with an accent could out-diagnose any of them.
That had changed, though—somewhere between the accolades for his research and his name appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine so often that they joked it should just be called the Banerji Journal of Medicine.
He chased the flashiest cases, took risks that netted the biggest rewards. Then, one day, he realized that all his medical prowess couldn’t save the one person who mattered more to him than any case.
After his sister’s death, he had taken a long, hard look at his life and decided it was time for a change.
Now, as the interns (his fourth cohort) filed into the hallway outside Edenbrook’s community clinic, coffee cups in hand, clipboards tucked beneath their arms, he thought this might just be the strongest crop of residents in recent years.
Ramsey and Valentine, in particular, had all the makings of one day becoming excellent diagnosticians. They just had to stop fighting each other long enough to realize it wasn’t about them, but the patients.
“Good morning, doctors, and welcome to Clinic Day,” Naveen said, scanning the faces before him.
“As you can see,” he nodded to the waiting room behind the glass doors, “we have a full house. So, no more sitting on the sidelines as observers.”
Naveen grinned at the excited murmurs that rippled through the group. Normally, residents were allowed to treat patients only after intern year. But Naveen didn’t see why interns couldn’t handle the run-of-the-mill cases that came through the clinic.
He’d won the argument, and here they were. In the days leading up to Christmas, the clinic’s patient load always ballooned. Today wasn’t an exception.
“You’ll be working in pairs,” he announced, raising his voice to get everyone’s attention before looking down at his clipboard where he’d already written down the pairings.
The excitement quickly dissolved into groans.
“Medicine isn’t a solo sport,” he continued without looking up. “If you intend to become diagnosticians, learn to use every resource available to you. Including each other.”
“Carrick. Varma.” He began reading names. “Greene, you’re with Emery. Ramsey. Valentine—”
“Actually, sir,” Ethan interrupted, throwing Cassie a frown. “I’d work more efficiently alone.”
“I don’t bite, Ramsey,” Cassie said with an amused smirk. “But, hey, if you don’t want to work with me, that’s your loss. I certainly don’t need you.”
Naveen peered at them above the rim of his glasses. “It’s either pair up or finish your shift in the morgue.”
Silence.
“Excellent.” He smiled inwardly at the matching looks of confusion on their faces. “I’m sure today will be a valuable learning experience for both of you.”
Ethan waited until after Dr. Banerji finished with the assignments before stomping over to Cassie. She folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head back to stare suspiciously at him.
“Let’s just get this over with,” he bit out, ignoring the way her green eyes narrowed in steely-eyed determination.
“I don’t know why you hate me, Ethan, but I won’t let you ruin today for me.”
Ethan stared in shock at the hurt in her voice.
“I… I… Cass—”
She held up one hand. “Forget it. Let’s just get to work.”
She brushed past him toward the exam rooms.
Ethan watched her go.
Christ.
She actually thought he hated her. The realization sat like a stone in his chest.
He couldn’t say why, but her stubbornness was a large part of her appeal. And her just walking away rather than calling him out didn’t sit well with him.
“Hey, Ramsey. Shouldn’t you be in Exam Room Three with your partner? Or has Valentine already figured out you’re dead weight?” Tobias called out in a mocking tone.
Ethan flipped him off in response, earning a laugh from Carrick before marching off to see his first patient.
Cassie didn’t turn around as he entered the room. A woman in her early sixties sat on the exam table, a thick winter coat beside her.
“I’ve had this cough for weeks,” she was saying, waving one hand toward her chest. “Probably just another Boston winter.”
Cassie smiled. “Tell us about it while my colleague, Dr. Ramsey, listens to your lungs.”
Looks like he was second chair on this, thought Ethan, reaching for his stethoscope.
Cassie settled onto the stool beside the patient. “When did it start?”
“Any fever?” Ethan asked briskly.
“Thanksgiving, and a little, mostly at night.” The woman nodded and then her eyes softened. “My grandson’s coming for Christmas. He’s a teacher, and I don’t want him catching whatever I’ve got.”
Cassie leaned forward. “Any weight loss?”
“Maybe a few pounds, but I’ve been so busy getting the house ready for the holidays. I haven’t had time to eat a proper meal, and….”
The woman’s voice broke off as she started coughing into her hands.
“Thoughts?” Dr. Banerji prompted. He had quietly slipped into the room midway through the exam.
“My leading diagnosis is pneumonia,” Ethan said without hesitation.
“How would you confirm it?”
“Chest X-ray. CBC. Pulse oximetry.”
Cassie frowned. “Maybe.”
“What do you mean ‘maybe’?” Ethan countered.
“Would you excuse us a minute?” Dr. Banerji said pleasantly to the patient. “Valentine, Ramsey, let’s step outside to discuss.”
Outside the room, Ethan whirled around to glare at Cassie.
“Productive cough. Fever. Crackles in the right lower lobe,” he listed the symptoms on his fingers. “It’s pneumonia.”
“I don’t think she’s telling us everything,” Cassie said. “She mentioned her grandson before she mentioned herself.”
“So?” he shot back.
“So,” Cassie said slowly, enunciating each word as if talking to a child, “I think she’s minimizing her symptoms.
“It’s textbook, Valentine.”
“Ahem.”
Ethan and Cassie both turned to face Dr. Banerji, who was watching them with an exasperated look on his face.
“If you two are done arguing?” Dr. Banerji raised an eyebrow.
Cassie looked down, while Ethan felt the tip of his ears turn red.
“Valentine, get more of the patient’s history. Ramsey, order a chest X-ray and blood test. I agree it’s most likely pneumonia, but let’s rule out RSV just in case.”
Their next few cases were simpler and they both agreed on the diagnosis for the most part. Remembering how Dr. Banerji had chastised them, Ethan was careful to include Cassie in his thinking. And she did the same.
By Ethan’s count, they were neck and neck.
They both played nice until their next patient, an elderly man in a threadbare coat who looked somewhat embarrassed to be here.
“The clinic is free, right, doctors?” he asked, wheezing slightly.
“Absolutely,” Cassie replied, smiling gently. “Now, what brings you here today?” she looked down at the chart. “Mr. Gray.”
“Charlie’s fine,” he said. “Well, doctor, I can’t seem to walk without falling over. Almost got run over by a car the other day.”
Ethan pulled Cassie aside after the man finished answering their questions.
“Could be neurological,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“I don’t know,” she said, staring at the man’s feet. “Something isn’t adding up for me.”
“What’s not adding up?” he prodded. “You and I both know falling over repeatedly is usually a precursor to neurological issues.”
“Let’s run a test,” Cassie said, turning toward the patient. “Charlie, can you walk in a straight line from there to here?”
Charlie took a few steps before he started wobbling. Ethan rushed to catch him before he could fall.
“Satisfied?” he frowned at Cassie, helping their patient settle back on the exam table.
“Not quite,” she said. “Now, Charlie, please take off your boots and walk toward me.”
He did without wobbling, back and forth, twice.
“Would you look at that?” he exclaimed in surprise.
“What are you thinking, Dr. Valentine?” Dr. Banerji asked from behind her.
Cassie lifted one of the boots. “Charlie, what’s your shoe size?”
“I’m a size eleven.”
“These boots are a size thirteen,” she said, looking up at Ethan and then Dr. Banerji. “I noticed your shoes seemed a bit disproportionate for a man of your size and stature.”
“They were the only ones left at the Goodwill,” Charlie explained.
“Excellent observation, Valentine,” Dr. Banerji praised her after Charlie was discharged with instructions to find shoes his size.
And then he looked up at Ethan. “Sometimes, Ramsey, it’s easy to reach for the flashy illness without recognizing that poverty is its own disease. It’s our job to treat the whole patient—not just the disease..”
Ethan nodded slowly, shooting Cassie a frustrated sideways look.
The rest of Clinic Day settled into an uneasy rhythm.
Patients came and went in a blur of coughs, sprained wrists, sinus infections, and winter viruses. Somewhere along the way, Ethan stopped trying to beat Cassie to every diagnosis. She, in turn, stopped treating every diagnosis as a debate to be won.
By the end of the afternoon, he was no closer to figuring out who was ahead.
Later, as the community clinic shut down for the day, everyone gathered in the empty waiting room.
Naveen scanned the tired and hungry faces of his residents, secretly pleased.
“Congratulations on your first proper Clinic Day,” he said pleasantly. “Good news is that you get to do it all again next week.”
The groans, when they came, were as predictable as flu season.
“Contrary to what I observed today, today wasn’t about diagnosing as many patients as possible,” he continued, his voice hard as steel now.
“Anyone can memorize symptoms or build a differential. You’re doctors. If you didn’t have those skills, you wouldn’t be here, and certainly not at Edenbrook.”
He paused a beat, letting his words sink in.
“Curiosity. Compassion. These are skills we can’t teach you.” He looked around the room at some of the worst offenders today. “I don’t care how brilliant your diagnosis is if the patient no longer believes you care.”
His gaze settled briefly on Ethan and Cassie.
“The two of you spent half the day trying to beat each other.”
Ramsey clenched his jaw while Valentine looked abashed.
“And yet—your best work came when you stopped competing.”
“Neither of you noticed because you were too busy keeping score.” He smiled faintly. “Perhaps you two need to figure out why that is before the next Clinic Day.”
He tucked the notebook beneath his arm and walked away, leaving the interns alone with their thoughts.
