SOMETIMES, ALWAYS AT SUNRISE — John Shen [Spring Prompts]
A/N: Writing something new for characters I haven’t before can make me a little anxious but at the same time I do like writing for characters that most people don’t write about so thank you for voting on that poll if you did! + I can’t believe it took me a minute to realize I know him from Good Trouble. Anyway, let’s see what I got 😉
PROMPT IS FROM HERE & I’m using: ୨୧ A sudden spring storm knocks out the power in a small town, and two neighbors who have barely spoken before end up spending the evening together.
WARNINGS: I guess you can say I threw a few headcanon(s) in there for Shen? + mini background for reader, very minor language, & I do not work in the medical field so I’m winging it at some parts! 😝
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April showers were supposed to bring May flowers…or whatever the saying is.
Outside felt like the beginning of the apocalypse. The air felt off, too windy to almost breathe normally and the twigs fumbled along the damp ground like tumbleweed in a desert.
However, they were prepared for this.
Got the call that this spring storm was causing havoc all throughout town. It had to hit around seven, not long after most evening commutes, and damn did it sure have something to say.
Pile ups. A few reroutes to PTMC. Brief injuries they got wind of sounded moderate for the most part with the severe cases heading to the opposite hospital instead.
Regardless, night shift was always ready and knew how to keep busy.
Shen’s made it outside first to the bay, leaving Ellis, Olive, Nazely, and a few other nurses after providing the help that he could. There had to be at least three more casualties heading their way, notice coming in from Lena who took the call from the infamous brick red phone.
He stood patiently, swirling what was left of his medium shakin’ espresso that definitely tasted like it had banana syrup in it instead of his usual butter pecan. He did not understand the banana hype this season but whatever! He absolutely went back in to steadily request another after the first wrong sip, which made him a little late to clock in.
Abbot didn’t even notice.
So he thinks.
Nevertheless Shen was sure his presence was missed whenever he wasn’t around. He did have to call out that one time he had a bad stomach bug back in January. Even found the strength to ask the group chat how they were coping without him.
He smiles to himself, sipping at his straw once more before he lowers the beverage, hearing the sirens approaching closer before he sees them flashing red and white. The man straightens up, keeping out the way until the ambulance pulls off to the side, then he moves before its fully in park.
Doors thrown back, second paramedic, a tall woman with wide eyes and freckles in the back is up pulling the gurney down, with the help of Shen and the driving paramedic keeps the door out of the way as much as possible.
Shen’s eyes pick up on another person, who must have hopped out first, arms folded tightly against them while their gaze was locked on the person strapped into the stretcher.
“What do we got?” Shen asks, turning back to the medics.
Ex-firefighter turned medic, Chavez, tells, “Female. Thirties. Struck by the crown of a tree. Possible head and neck trauma. Positive injuries to the ribcage.”
Shen nods as he walks with them towards the entrance, he pulls out his penlight, flashing them into the patient’s eyes, “Non-reactive pupils.” He sighs, catching Lena’s hues, “Could you page Neuro?”
Lena dips her head, informing them which room is available to occupy, then nudges her head in the direction behind Shen.
He blinks, spinning to see the same person quietly still standing behind him. She’s gripping tightly to the side of her elbows, there’s a large gash on the side of her temple that spreading to not only her hairline but down her face.
Carefully Shen holds out a hand towards her, not touching but to slowly get her attention, “Hey there, I’m doctor Shen. And I’ll be taking care of your friend in there. You feeling okay? Want to tell me what happened?”
She barely blinks and it appears that it almost hurts her to do so.
Concussion?
Shen approaches her now, moving to stand beside her and steer her to an empty room.
“I’m fine.” She answers lowly, “My friend’s not. She took the brunt of it. We were just walking around downtown thinking about trying that new Hawaiian place. Next thing I know? The streetlights are flickering—breaking—and the tree came down.”
She sits.
The lights seem to dim for a second, earning a round of surprise from others around the curtain, then switch back to a sterile white. If you listen carefully, you can hear the buzzing of the generator working overtime.
“Like that?” Shen offers with a small smile on his face—always the one trying to lighten the situation, “You two are in the best place to be. You’re safe here. I think we should take a look and make sure you’re as okay as you say you are.”
Her head tilts back, noticing that his dark eyes are scanning all over her face, until he pauses.
He snaps and points, “Elevator. Third floor. Graphic t’s, colorful trainers, sometimes you carry a pale pink mat on your shoulder, or you’re walking out with one of those…long haired wiener dogs.”
A slow frown crossed her features before they zone in on his badge that’s clipped to the pocket of his scrubs, her stare takes in his face for a few seconds.
“Yeah…you’re always coming in when I’m going out. Makes sense now, you’re a whole doctor.”
“At your service, Ms. or Mrs. Sunrise.” Shen teases, turning to place his drink on the stand, then quickly moves to cleanse his hands before slapping some gloves on.
A small crooked smile appears on her face then as he gingerly tilts her face down, pulling the overhead light to shine over her hair. He presses around inside to make sure there wasn’t any unseen gash at the scalp.
“Why thank you, Dr. Dracula.” She snorts to herself when Shen quirks up a brow, “…cause you don’t sleep at night?”
She fills in the blank.
Shen laughs to himself, “Good. You’ve got a sense of humor.”
“Did I give the impression I don’t? For all you know, I could be a stand up comedian.”
“Okay…” Shen nods, clipping the piece of hair that framed her face and blocked the bleeder at her temple back, “Tell me your funniest joke.”
She hums while Shen begins to clean the wound first, “So…this person is at their annual checkup. They say: ‘Doc, I drink 5 cups of coffee a day. Is that bad?’ The doctor stops, looks up from their tablet or clipboard—depending how with the times they are and exhales deeply, ‘It depends. Do you drink them before or after you stop shaking?”
Shen holds onto the antiseptic and stares at the familar face in front of him, “That…was terrible.”
“Too close to home?” She laughs a little, nudging her shoulder back to his said beverage.
Shen raises his brows and steps back, holding up his hands, “I haven’t crashed yet Ms. sunrise. I’m true to the caffeine. Not new. Two shots of espresso, almond or sometimes skim milk with my special butter pecan syrup. Hasn’t slowed me down in all my years working here and I promise you’re in good hands. Watch me.”
He winks.
And she does.
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This neighbor watches John Shen move around her, focusing on that more than anything else.
Cause if she didn’t?
She just might lose it.
Efficient. Clean. Like nothing he does is wasted, even when he triple checks the stitches he gave her and butterfly bandage he placed over them.
It feels like everything is thought through.
Listening to her heartbeat. Checking her blood pressure. All the important things.
Examining places that she obviously wouldn’t think to check.
It’s only when he grips one of her arms and the way she tugs back that something in her face changes.
It’s small but quick.
He didn’t miss.
Shen’s eyes drop immediately, hand pausing where it’s braced just under her wrist.
“…What was that?”
She shakes her head on instinct, already pulling her arm in closer to her body like she can hide.
“Nothing. I told you, I’m fine.”
“Mhm.” It’s not dismissive. It’s just not convinced.
He stares behind her shoulder, still holding onto her arm, although he can sense that she’s silently hoping that he’ll just drop it. Resisting. Then he gently circles her wrist from underneath her thin windbreaker. He doesn’t press into her skin but he quietly asks her body since she won’t verbally speak it.
“Don’t lie to me, Ms. Sunrise.”
A breath.
Then another.
She lets him.
He tests it lightly, rotating just enough…
There it is.
A sharp inhale she tries to swallow.
Shen nods to himself, “Yeah. We’ll get a X-Ray for this just to be sure,” then he pushes the material of her jacket back to visually get a better look and the skin is significantly swollen.
He can only imagine how that happened out on the town tonight.
He’s just about to ask—
“I’d rather not,” she clears her throat, “I just landed on it wrong when the wind knocked me over.”
Shen slowly lowers her arm back to her lap before placing his hands on his waist, “Which is exactly why we’re gonna look at it thoroughly,” his tone is firm, doctorly, “You don’t get bonus points for pretending it doesn’t hurt.”
She grumbles to herself.
Shen places a gloved hand at his ear, “I’m sorry, is there something you want to say?”
“I said: You’re kinda bossy.”
“I like to say I’m observant.”
“Same shit.”
Shen snickers, “You can thank me later, neighbor.”
Her eyes roll but she has a smile to match.
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The room doesn’t stay theirs for long.
If you ever wondered what a night shift is like, it’s pretty similar to night life on the outside if you asked John Shen.
Yet right now?
Most would probably prefer to be inside their homes.
He leads her from the room out into the hallway as Abbot, Crus, Mateo, and a few more nurses fill the room as fast as Shen can get it clean.
Abbot sends him a glance, dark green hues shifting between him and the patient Shen’s been taking time with, he gives a subtle dip of his head on his way out, silently telling the lead greying-man he has it handled, briefly peering at the conscious patient with a large shard of what maybe a business’ window sticking out of their chest, that they’re beginning to work on.
Shen shields his neighbor from fully getting sight of that, easing her into one of the empty gurneys that lined up the hallway. Shen breaks his stare from the room, turning back to see Lena draping a blanket over his neighbor’s shoulders.
Shen informs that she needs a x-ray, leaving Lena to nod her head with a, “You got it,” before sending a warm smile to the neighbor who thanks her again for the blanket.
“X-Ray will come and grab you soon, okay?” He tells her, picking up on the sound of the machine coding, but keeps his gaze on her.
She swallows, her breathing picking up on the sound too.
It feels heavier out in the hallway, like you’re more exposed than tucked away in one of the rooms. The storm continues to rage on outside of the building, whipping like it has unfinished business.
Her adrenaline feels like it’s thinning out and her wrist starts to ache.
She keeps it to herself.
“…my friend?” She brings up, stare slipping back to the room she just exited.
Shen doesn’t answer right away.
Not because he doesn’t want to.
Instead he chooses the right version of the truth to hand her.
“She’s in with Neuro,” he says finally, “They’re working on her.”
Her shoulders drop.
It’s not relief.
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She’s not sure how long she’s been in the hallway but the charge nurse, the one with the red hair, glasses, and kind face—Lena—made it her task to keep checking on her any time that she could.
The blanket was good thinking cause the brisk cold inside the medical building was surely starting to set in.
The wall behind her keeps her steady as she leans against it, her new balances hang off the side of the gurney while she stares off at nothing, since sleep definitely didn’t know her name as of now.
Time snaps back when she hears footsteps she recognizes before she even looks up.
He’s moving behind another stretcher and asks over his shoulder, “X-Ray get to you yet?”
Shen sees her shake her head.
He sighs, “Course not. Hang tight.”
He walks backwards, still carrying a conversation while the woman has herself wrapped up into a cocoon of a blanket, “You play music?”
The question catches her off guard, “What?”
Shen continues, “You were humming what sounded like a composed piece the other day at the elevator?”
There’s surprise on her face.
She didn’t realize she still did that.
“Um…Ludovico Einaudi.” She replies, “My late grandfather was heavily into theater and my grandmother was a ballerina in her earlier years. He’s always been one of my papa’s favorites. He often tried to teach me piano growing up but I wasn’t the best at reading notes so we tried auditory learning instead.”
Shen smiles at that, like he’s storing that for later.
He stops following his colleagues and leans over to whisper, “I was a band kid. Trumpet was my speciality.”
A soft huff spills from her.
“What’s that noise for?” He holds his hands out at his sides.
A smile twitches on her face, “You give off ‘reminds the teacher about homework’ energy.”
“That is wildly inaccurate,” he puffs out a breath, slightly offended, already stepping backward as someone calls for him again. “I was very cool.”
“Whatever you say, Dr. Dracula.”
“Don’t wander off. You need that x-ray,” he points once, already turning away, “I’ll be back.”
He does come back.
Not immediately.
Eventually.
It’s with the same steady presence he walked over to the ambulance with, just…quieter now, like the storm finally decided to loosen its grip on the city outside and in.
She’s back inside one of the rooms, much smaller than the first but there’s a door instead of a curtain.
He comes in with a tablet, eyes on it before lifting to meet hers. “Sprain,” he notifies. “No break.”
“Told you I was fine.” There’s a hint of a smirk this time on her face.
Shen’s gaze flicks up, “You’ll need a compression band for at least four weeks. Longer if you’re hard headed.”
That smirk drops.
“Um…no thanks?”
Shen exhales through his nose, already rolling a stool over and sitting beside her, “This isn’t a request. You’re getting one. Light duty work. Elevate while you sleep. Ice two to three times a day. Tylenol, 650 milligrams.”
She lets her head fall back against the gurney, the night finally catching up to her in full. “…make it pink.” She mutters, “Hot pink.”
That earns the smallest shake of Shen’s head, but he ends up nodding afterwords anyway, “I can do that. You’re very…stubborn you know?”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“…your friend is stable.”
Her eyes land on his. The words are soft but they settle deep and Shen watches as she fully sinks into the gurney. Then her eyes close for a moment, which makes Shen visibly move closer to her without thinking, alert before her eyes open again.
He’s still here.
Watching.
He speaks softly.
“…Guess we’ll have to say more than ‘morning’ the next time we meet at the elevator huh?”
Her lips curve, tired but true.
“As long as you keep holding the door open for me.”
He smiles too, a faint dimple appearing in one of his cheeks, “Deal. Feels like the neighborly thing to do.”
Outside, the storm is already fading.
Inside, something starts to bud.
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Continue with my spring anthology writings & prompts here.
