➺ synopsis: the first ring was a caution, the second ring was confirmation.
➺ tags: mc gets injured, medical terminology may be inaccurate, sweet, fluff, attentive zayne, worried zayne, tooth-rotting fluff, lads zayne, love and deepspace zayne, gender neutral mc, oneshot, zayne taking care of you
➺ wc: 1310
➺ a/n: this oneshot was heavily inspired by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBbbXP3YQ3c! I love cloy! likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! have fun reading. ;)
It took 2 rings for Zayne to know that something was up. The first ring was a cautionary one, but when the second ring came through, something was up.
Even during meetings, you would hang up the phone on the first ring. That's how you signaled to Zayne that you were busy. Or you told him in advance and he would put it on his personal calendar.
As he leaned back in his office chair, the telephone began to ring. He picked it up.
Yvonne started. “Dr. Li, your spouse just entered the emergency room. We just got some news of a metaflux explosion in the city.” She pauses, the sound of papers rustling is in the background. “No citizens were hurt, but hunters surveying the area were heavily injured.
“Got it.” Zayne nodded. He ended the call and placed the telephone back onto his desk, quickly walking out of his office.
“Dr. Li-” A voice called out.
“Dr. Li, a patient-”
Zayne rushed through the hospital’s long corridors. Why is the emergency room so far away from my office? He thought to himself. His co-workers' voices were left in the dust. Eventually, Zayne’s long strides got him to the emergency room where Yvonne and Greyson stood.
Greyson was the first to spot Zayne. “Dr. Li, the paramedics wanted you to read this.” He handed Zayne a clipboard and skimmed through the hastily written notes.
Injuries to neck and torso
Unstable chest fractures
Blood pressure <90 mm Hg
“Greyson, I’m heading inside the emergency room.” Zayne stated. “Inform the team.” Greyson nodded and got to work. Yvonne had left to gather additional materials for the other injured hunters.
As Zayne was getting ready, Greyson continued to relay his observations. “Long gashes, possibly debris…” However, Zayne wasn’t able to focus without thinking of you on the emergency room table. Everything Greyson said went through one ear and out the other. Putting on his mask, Zayne swore to get you back to stable condition.
When he entered the room, his eyes laid upon your face. There was dirt touched up upon your cheeks. Your uniform was already discarded as you adorned a hospital gown.
“Dr. Li,” one of the assistants began, “we just hooked them onto anesthesia. We can proceed now."
There was a rhythmic beeping noise beside you. Your eyelashes fluttered open and a blurry figure came into vision.
“Are you awake?” A gentle voice asked. Turning to the source of the sound, you spot Yvonne by your side. She smiles. “Seems like you are. How are you feeling?”
Seems like nurses and doctors have their habit of asking their mildly unconscious patients questions.
You nod slowly and look around the room. “Zayne…”
Yvonne spoke. “I’ll get Dr. Li right away.” She hurried out of the room and a moment later, Zayne came in. You felt your eyes water up at the sight of him.
“Can I get you anything? Hot compress?” Zayne asked, pulling up a chair from the corner of the room. He settled next to your bed.
“No, I’m fine…” You blink slowly. “Just tired.” The both of you hooked pinkies as your hand was poked with a catheter, leading to an IV bag. “No citizens were hurt?”
Zayne shook his head. “Sometimes, I wish you were a little more selfish. And attentive to your needs.” He looks at your weary figure. Your face was pale and your lips were dry.
You lay back in your bed. “I could say the same for you.” You recall the times where Zayne would come home quiet. His silence told you everything he couldn’t say out loud. A failed operation. A child dying. Sometimes, he would embrace you without saying anything. When he did, you held him close and secure.
“They gave you some stitches.” Zayne adds. “You had a long gash on your leg and several cuts on your arm.”
You cupped his cheek with your other hand, your thumb soothing him. “That’s Dr. Li for you.” You stare at him for a bit. “Don’t be scared, Zayne. I’m right here.”
Zayne felt his heart drop. At that moment, he recalled the first time you entered the emergency room. Not for your heart, but for more severe injuries. You scooted over and patted the empty spot beside you on your bed. He looks at you.
“That’s not appropriate.” Zayne says. You rolled your eyes, patting the spot again.
“Since when do you care about that?” You asked, raising a teasing eyebrow. Zayne opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Reluctantly, he sits beside you, the bed slightly dipping due to his weight. Finally, you opened your arms, inviting him into your embrace. Zayne quickly leans in, relishing the new found warmth spreading throughout his body.
When you pull away, you brush back a strand of his hair that was nearly poking him in the eye. That’s when you spot a small scar on his forehead.
“Zayne, you have a scar up here?” You asked, gently touching it.
He nods. His eyes follow your gaze. Your eyebrows are knitted and your bottom lip slightly pushed out. “But that’s barely anything.”
Your eyes widen. “You mean you have bigger scars?”
Zayne nods again. He begins to pull up his shirt to show a scar of his side. Slightly embarrassed, you blink rapidly. “This scar is bigger.” Your finger traces the mark. You don’t see it, but Zayne’s lips curve upwards. As he watches your worried face and concern for him, he can’t help but drag this out further.
“How’d you get that?” You asked. “Is that from a sword?” Zayne holds up his shirt a little longer. “How many stitches did you get?”
He immediately replies. “Fourteen stitches.” Your face contorts. “I was cut by an icicle while researching.” Zayne looks to see your reaction. “In the place I was staying, there was no anesthesia, so I had to sit through the feeling of the needle penetrating my skin.”
You raise your eyebrow in suspicion, but decide to play along. Covering your mouth with your hands, you question, “Without anesthesia?” He nods. “That must’ve hurt… You’re amazing, Zayne.”
He brushes away your comment. “It’s nothing.” You look at him with admiration, making him want to show off more. Then, Zayne begins to unbutton his shirt.
“Zayne-”
“This one,” he points to a red scar near his collarbone. “I was shot a long time ago. The scar is red, but it’s old.”
You leaned in to examine the scar. “Did it hurt a lot?” Zayne nods again.
“Also-” His shirt rustles again. “I have one on my head.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Your head?” You echo.
“Mhm.” Zayne leans his head down, letting you comb through his hair. “Here.”
There’s a small scar near the back of his head. “I see it!”
“And there’s one more here that I got while practicing close combat fighting.” Zayne explained, pointing to the side of his nose.
Leaning in even closer, your face to face with Zayne. However, you still can’t find the scar, even after squinting. “There’s no scar here-”
There’s an abrupt pause as Zayne leans in to kiss you. A lingering warmth on your lips. Zayne pulls away, eyes holding yours.
“Dr. Li, the report is-”
You both turn to the sound of the door opening and see Yvonne standing there with a clipboard. Like a secret couple who has been found out by their parents, you both turn red. Zayne’s ears tainted in red.
She chuckles. “I’ll come back later.”
“Yvonne!” You called out, but she had already left. When you turn to Zayne, he’s looking at your lips. “Zayne…”
He kisses your cheek to distract you from nagging him. “Zayne, I swear no more sweets-” He cradles your face and shuts you up with another kiss on your lips.
