Requests are open! If you want to read something, go ahead and submit a request!
Am I writing this because of episode 11? Yes- also should go without saying: FUCK ICE
Content warnings: character injury, blood mention
There was yelling in the ED. There was usually yelling in the ED. More often than not it was coming from patients that were waiting to be seen and becoming more aggravated. Sometimes they were coming from patients that didn’t want to be in the ED.
As some of the yelling grew, I raised my head from the debriding I was working on at Donnie. His head remained down as he focused on the work at hand, unfazed by everything going on outside the treatment room. Realising that I had stopped and was looking up, Donnie lifted his head.
“That doesn’t sound normal.” I told him. Donnie tilted his head listening.
“It doesn’t.” Confusion was written on his face. “I’m nearly done on this side, go see what’s going on.” Donnie nodded to the rest of the ED and I nodded back leaving him to the patient. I opened the door and the noise grew louder and I heard what everyone was yelling about.
The words sent a chill down my spine as I watched security race to the action. Other doctors and nurses rushed to the scene after, some pushing ahead. In the ED, screams were common background noise. Most of them were from the pain that the patients were experiencing which was to be expected. Some were out of fear, sometimes because the patient wasn’t awake when they arrived.
“Perlah!” I caught her attention as wheeled a wheelchair-bound patient that she was tending to a safer environment. She turned to me, eyes wide. “What the hell is going on?”
“Combative patient, he was swinging crutches and punched another patient.” She nodded to her patient that was holding their nose, blood dripping onto their clothes.
The two of us jumped as a crutch flew through the air and landed with a clatter.
“I’m going to check the others.” I told her as the screams and yells continued. Most of the screams were coming from terrified patients, some coming from the combative patient themselves.
My stomach dropped as I turned the corner to see the patient still in the clothes he was wearing when he was brought in. There was a frantic look in his eyes as used the other crutch to pin a nurse down on the ground by the neck.
Dana appeared next to me and grabbed my arm holding me in place as security tackled the patient. Quickly they began restraining him. As they did, I pulled my arm out of Dana’s grasp and rushed over to Jesse.
“I got him!” I called to Dana as I helped Jesse sitting into a position. He coughed and Robby knelt down next to us to quickly assess him. I gently turned Jesse’s head looking at the red marks left from the crutch.
“You’re a patient now, and you need a full workup.” Robby told him. Jesse rolled his eyes and tried to protest but only gasps came out when he opened his mouth.
“I got him,” I assured Robby. The attending looked between the two of us before nodding.
The two of us stood, helping Jesse to his feet. Once his feet were on the ground firmly, Robby draped Jesse’s arm over my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around his waist as Dana led us to an empty treatment room. She closed the door behind us, muffling the noise of the ED as the excitement began to die down. I sat Jesse on the edge of the treatment bed and he groaned.
“I’m fine.” He cleared his throat and coughed once.
“You wanna try that again?” There was panic in her voice and she put her hands on her hips
“Hey,” I put a hand on Dana’s arm and gave it a squeeze. “I got him, I’ll take it from here.”
Dana looked at me, eyes full of worry knowing that one of her nurses got hurt under her watch.
“I’ll check in on you later.” She looked between the two of us before leaving us. Once the door was closed again, I pulled the curtain closed giving us privacy from the rest of the ED.
I took a deep breath before turning to Jesse. Above his brow there was a cut that had blood running down the side of his head to his neck that was still bright red from the pressure of the crutch.
“You might have bruising.” I told him pulling on gloves. I pulled a penlight out of the pocket of my scrubs and shone the light in his eyes. Noting that there wasn’t anything to worry about, I sighed in relief.
“The back of my head hurts.” Jesse told me, his voice sounding sore from the injury to his throat.
“I’ll check it. What exactly happened?” I asked as I walked behind to check the back of his head. Gently, I checked the area that would’ve made contact with the ground, pressing and feeling a small bump. “Sorry,” I mumbled when he hissed.
“The guy was brought in, the paramedics said that they had to sedate him on the way here. When he woke up, he started swinging.” Jesse gestured to his face.
“I hate code hula hoops.”
“You and me both.” Jesse sighed as I snapped an ice pack letting it go cold. Once it had, I held it to the bump. Jesse reached up and held it in place, his fingers brushing against mine he took it.
“And especially since you’re the one involved.” I left Jesse holding the ice pack and went looking for bandages for the wound on his face.
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Jesse raised an eyebrow as he watched me open up sterile pads to clean the wound.
“Why do think?” I asked as wiped the blood from the wound. “The wound is superficial, just more blood than anything. You’ll definitely have a headache though.”
“Why do you hate that it was me?” Jesse asked again. Ignoring the question, I gently placed a butterfly bandage against the wound. As I did, I could feel Jesse’s light eyes watching my face for any expression.
“I need to check your throat.” I told him. There was a small smile on Jesse’s face as he lifted his head showing me his neck. I stepped close, Jesse’s knees brushing against the side of my leg. Realising that I wasn’t able to get a good enough look, I swallowed.
“I need to get closer.” My voice felt heavy. Jesse nodded, and spread his legs, letting me stand closer to the bed and in between them.
“How’s it looking?” He asked, eyes going from me to the ceiling as I gently pressed my fingers to the sides of his neck. Under my fingers, I felt his Adam’s apple bob.
“It’s going to be bruised, but you’ll be fine.”
Jesse lowered his head, looking down at me from where he sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” I smiled up at Jesse. The smile on his face grew, his eyes crinkling in the corners as they met mine.
“Me too. You looked a little worried earlier.” He noted, a teasing tone in his voice.
“I was, but you’re fine. Now I’m not really worried.” I shrugged my shoulders and leaned a little closer. As I did, Jesse’s hand that was resting on his leg brushed against my side sending a chill down my spine.
“Hmm,” I hummed as I thought of an answer causing Jesse to chuckle. “Maybe not right now. But only because I have you here.”
“I’m fine right here,” Jesse lowered his head to mine, close enough that his forehead was against mine.
Without another thought to be processed, I lifted my head and captured Jesse’s lips with my own. The nurse smiled against mine before moving his hands to my hips holding me against him and the edge of the bed. As he did, I jumped feeling the cold from the ice pack against my skin.
“Shit, sorry,” Jesse pulled back and there was worry in his face. Laughing, I took the ice pack from his hand and threw it in the trash can before pulling his face back to mine and returning back to the kiss. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me, a hand snaking up my back under the scrub top, holding me close once again.
The two of us jumped at the sound of Dana’s voice. I pulled back and turned to face her, pulling my top back down.
“Jesse, nice to see you’re feeling better. (Y/N), maybe you can attend to other patients?” Dana asked.
“Yeah, yes. I’ll be right now.” I cleared my throat. Dana looked between the two of us and laughed before leaving us in the room. This time the door and curtain open.
“I can’t believe that happened.” I put my face in my hands as it grew red. Sitting on the bed, Jesse started laughing.
“It could’ve been Robby,” Jesse’s hands found my waist and he pulled me backwards so I stood in front of him. I turned and dropped my hands to his arms.
“Oh, that would’ve been so worse. I would’ve been relegated to doing outpatient work.” I sighed. “I should go back. Stay here and rest, I’ll come back and find you later.”
“Is that a promise?” Jesse lowered his head to mine, his lips brushing against mine as if proximity didn’t just get us caught.
“It is.” I kissed him once more before leaving him in the treatment room.