Huge fan of the Modern Glasgow AU. Can you write Jamie and Claire's first Valentine's Day together or at any time really? :-)
Modern Glasgow AU (and a special milestone - our 100th chapter!!)
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Claire blearily watched the machine dispense stale,industrial-grade coffee, not even bothering to hide her yawn.
Twenty-six hours she had been on her feet. Two othernurses were out, caring for sick children. A freak unexpected snowstorm hadsnarled Glasgow’s traffic and brought a seemingly unending stream of casualtiesthrough the hospital doors. And this year’s flu season had been unexpectedlybad – meaning she had been sneezed at, vomited on, and coughed on more timestoday than she cared to admit.
She didn’t mind the extra work – especially now that shewas actively pulling together applications for medical school, with Jamie’sunwavering help and support. There would come a time in the near future wherethey’d be grateful to have the extra money.
In the abstract, that made sense. But now, in the moment –she just wanted to fast-forward through the next ten or so hours.
“Claire?”
Gratefully she sipped the coffee, holding her breath sothat she couldn’t taste it.
“Claire?”
She turned to see Glenna FitzGibons – head nurse at thehospital, and her dear friend and mentor – frowning in the doorway of the breakroom.
“Och, lass – ye have to stay away from that stuff. It’llwear a hole in yer stomach.”
“It’s better than nothing.” Claire felt the room sway abit. “I’ve got to keep going.”
“Mmphmm.” Glenna shook her head. “Can ye come wi’ me?Bring the coffee if ye like.”
Claire sighed, then approached Glenna, who gently waved herinto the hallway before falling into step beside her.
“Where are we going?”
“Here – just down the hall.”
Immediately Claire’s mind raced, mentally preparing for whatevermay be ahead. “Has something else happened? Another car accident?”
“No – no, everything is quite all right.” Glenna stoppedoutside Exam Room 3. “Just go inside. And take yer time – I’ll cover for ye.”
Claire’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand – ”
Gently Glenna touched her arm. “Just go inside, Claire. Trustme. You’ll see.”
So Claire turned the knob and stepped inside to see –
“Jamie?”
Quickly he sprung to his feet and closed the door –locked it – and kissed Claire’s cheek, beaming. “Hi.”
Reflexively she kissed him back. “Hi,” she replied,bewildered. “What – ”
“Glenna called me.” Already his hands had found hers,fingers twining together. “She’s worried about you. You’re working too much.”
“I’m perfectly fine. Just got my third wind. I just need –”
“You *need* to sit down and rest. Even for just a fewminutes.” He squeezed her hands. “I had to see you.”
Her tired heart soared – and she knew it was from morethan the caffeine. “I’m happy to see you, Jamie – don’t think that I’m not. ButI’ve worked long shifts before, you know. I don’t understand why you felt socompelled to be here today.”
He smiled at her, a bid sadly. “Not so much as today,Claire – but what we both missed yesterday.”
Claire blankly blinked. “Yesterday? Yesterday was Tuesday– what’s so special about Tuesdays?”
“Yesterday was February the fourteenth,” he said softly.
“Valentine’s Day,” she groaned. “Oh, Jamie. Our firstValentine’s Day. I’m so – ”
“No need to apologize, *mo nighean donn*. We’ll havedozens more, aye? Only since this is the first, so…”
She dropped his hands and reached up to cradle his dear,dear face, kissing him sweetly.
He made a face when they parted. “You taste awful. Likesomething industrial.”
She kissed his chin. “It’s the coffee. Or what passes forcoffee, anyway.”
He gestured to the examination table in the small room.For the first time she saw that he had pulled down a fresh sheet of paper, andset the table with two paper plates, two Costa Coffee cups, and three sweet pastrieson top of a folded paper bag.
She kissed him again, and whispered, “Thank you.”
He grinned and led her to the table, where he pulled outa chair and helped her take a seat. “It’s no’ much, but – ”
“It’s perfect.” Now he sat across from her, and she tookhis left hand across the table, thumbing his wedding ring. “Black?”
“Of course. Wi’ a dash of cinnamon, the way ye’ve likedit recently.”
She sipped her coffee with her free hand, savoring theflavors on her tongue. Watching her husband. Heaven.
“What time is it, anyway?”
Jamie looked down at his watch. “About three p.m.”
Claire shrugged, squeezed his hand, and released it – to takea huge bite out of a ginger scone.
“This is amazing,” she murmured around a mouthful,dropping crumbs everywhere.
He sipped his cup of Earl Grey tea, watching hisexhausted wife – make-up crusting at the corners of her tired eyes, dried snotor vomit on the sleeve of her scrubs, stuffing her face with a pastry he’dbought for less than one pound – and fell even more hopelessly in love.
