That ER Money
Fic based on an interview with Katherine LaNasa saying a friend tried to set her up with Noah years ago. Read on AO3
“He’s gotten quite touchy feely since I was last here.” Monica commented, brow arching in her direction.
Only half paying attention, eyes roving the whiteboard in front of her, Dana hummed. “Well, it’s his first day back, he’s tryin some new things.”
Turning to face her fully, Monica frowned. “I thought he was leaving, not getting back.”
Marker cap now caught between her teeth, Dana’s brow furrowed. “Who you talking bout?” She managed around the plastic as she added notes here and there and wiped another spot clean.
Lips pursing in disapproval at her manners, Monica sighed. “Robinavitch. Who are you talking about.”
Dana took the cap from her mouth, covered the marker, and pocketed it. “Langdon….?”
The older woman rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know who Langdon is, why would I be talking about him?”
A bit confused, Dana shrugged. “Why’re you talking about Robby?” While the man wasn’t as emotionally constipated as before, she wouldn’t exactly call him ‘touchy feely’. Besides, their entire team had barely had a chance to breathe since the cyber shut down, let alone time for Robby to come and chat about anything not work related.
As if summoned by their conversation, Robby breezed into the nurse’s station. “Trauma one is open, patient is moving up to surgery.” He deposited some clipboards into their respective racks, grasped her shoulder as he passed and kept going.
Monica cocked a brow. “See?”
Baffled, Dana huffed in amusement. “Yeah, those feelings were just oozin off him.” She was now fighting with the fax machine, trying to send an order.
Smacking her hands away, Monica rid the infernal machine of yet another paper jam and got it running within seconds. “Not what I mean, Evans.” The former clerk murmured, side eying her. “His hands have been on you every time he’s been over here.“
She blinked. It wasn’t out of the norm for them to have a reassuring touch every now and then during a shift, but Dana didn’t think it’d been every time Robby had been at the station.
Apparently taking her silence for more than it was, Monica chuckled. “And don’t think I didn’t clock the empty ring finger, either, when did that happen?”
Her thumb automatically rubbing against the bare skin where her ring used to be, Dana shook her head. “Five months ago. But it’s not, Robby doesn’t—“
Before she could get any further, Robby swept back into the space. “Any chance our hospice cancer patient is moving upstairs anytime soon?” He asked, throwing a pen away and stealing one from her work space.
“I’ll call again, but no promises it happens before she doesn’t need it.” Dana replied, arching a brow at his theft.
Grinning and saluting her with said stolen pen, Robby reached over and gave her forearm a quick squeeze. “You’re the best!” And then he was gone again.
A smug look on her face, Monica hummed as she added stickers to several patient charts.
“You’re seein things.” Dana muttered, ignoring the older woman’s snort and refocusing on work.
Except, except every time after that, Dana couldn’t help but notice that Robby did, in fact, touch her whenever he was in her vicinity.
A hand on her upper back, playfully knocking his hip into hers, leaning into her so their arms were in contact from shoulder to elbow as they reviewed a chart, fingers drifting across her lower back when he slipped between her and the portable X-ray.
It’d never been distracting. These little touches.
Until Monica pointed it out.
Now, now Dana wondered how long Robby had been doing this. Surely, today was an exception, when the computers were up and running he wasn’t at the station near as much. This couldn’t have been going on for long with her being completely oblivious….
Right?
Brain not where it needed to be given the incoming traumas from the water park, Dana announced she was taking a quick break outside and slipped out the bay doors.
The cigarette was back in her hand, flipping between her fingers as she once more contemplated lighting it up.
“Ah,” a hand appeared from behind and plucked the cigarette from her. Flinching sharply, an acidic rebuke died on Dana’s tongue when she spun and saw Robby behind her, an apologetic look on his face. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” Before she deny any such thing, he added. “Thought you quit.” He eyed the cigarette critically.
She reached for it only for Robby to childishly hold it above his head with a smirk. “And I thought you wanted me to wait until after you left.” She retorted a bit harsher than intended, tipping onto her toes and fruitlessly trying to snag the cigarette back.
Smiling sheepishly, Robby tilted his head to catch her eyes. “I was being an asshole,” he admitted. “I think it’s great you’re quitting. Means I get to have you around longer.” His voice got softer at the end. That and the words themselves made her lose focus and her balance, tipping her forward more than she should and almost into Robby’s chest. Thankfully, his free hand automatically found her hip and caught her before they collided.
Dana recovered the best she could, given their new proximity and the heat of his palm radiating through her scrubs. “Oh, so it’s selfish, you wanting me to quit?” She arched a brow and took and small step away from Robby under the guise of crossing her arms, hoping the gestures would hide the heat she felt blooming around her collar and spreading.
His hand sliding off her hip when she moved, Robby just smiled. “More like doing the world a great service, by making sure you’re in it as long as possible.” Giving her a wink, Robby tucked the cigarette behind his ear and sauntered back inside.
Irritated, if also reluctantly grateful, Dana pulled a piece of gum from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. Trying to focus on that and not how this time, Robby’s touch lingered on her like an imprint.
