Work Text:
The night shift had started a few minutes ago at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital, and the hustle and bustle of the day continued. Doctors, nurses, technicians and assistants walked the corridors attending to patients, signing and filling out medical records, fetching equipment or rushing to the operating room.
Liam was at the nurses' station filling out a medical record before it was finished. He was happy to be able to see a discharge at the beginning of the shift; moments like this gave him a sense of accomplishment and more motivation for work.
Even in the rush, the nurse felt someone watching her from afar, and before he could look for the source, he heard Lydia's voice calling her:
“Dr. Hale, Nurse Dunbar... Go to Treatment Three!" Lydia, the head nurse, requested, handing the tablet with the patient's information to the doctor.
The two walked to the indicated room and when they opened the curtain they were greeted by a man who appeared to be in his fifties. He was positioned at a 45º angle with his feet on the bed. He had a yellowish smile and big brown eyes that immediately fixed their gaze on the nurse.
“Hello, Mr. Davis," Dr. Hale began, making the man take his eyes off Liam and look at the doctor. "I'm Dr. Hale and this is Nurse Dunbar... We're going to take care of you today." The doctor introduced them as he analyzed the tablet. Mr. Davis looked at the doctor and back at the nurse, smiling. "I see here that you were admitted for shortness of breath and chest pains..."
“Yes, it started in the morning and I decided to wait, since it continued, I preferred to come and observe”. The gentleman answered looking at Natalie.
“You did the right thing! And how are you feeling now?” Dr. Hale asked.
“Please, call me Martin”. He requested. “I feel a little better, but it still hurts...”
“Any history of heart problems, Martin?”
“No, doctor!” Martin shook his head.
“Okay!” The doctor sighed and looked at Liam. “Let's monitor him... And order a blood count, cultures and an ECG”. Dr. Hale said to Liam.
“Okay, doctor!” The nurse agreed, making the request on the tablet.
“We'll go from there, Martin”. The doctor stated looking at the patient. “I'll be back to see you in a little while”. He said leaving the room and leaving Liam to perform the collections and medications.
The nurse approached the bed and began to place the electrodes and the oximeter on the patient. As the monitors started and Liam checked her vital signs, he felt Martin's gaze on her.
“You're very handsome, you know that?” The patient said, staring at the nurse. Liam remained silent. "You could be working somewhere else... Here in this hospital, your beauty is not being valued." He insisted.
"Okay, Mr. Davis." Liam sighed and looked at the patient. "I'm going to need to collect some blood for the tests, okay?" He explained and ignored the previous subject that Martin had brought up.
"Of course, my handsome!" Martin smiled, lifting the sleeve of his shirt; Liam felt even more uncomfortable with the way he said it, but he quickly punctured the blood and turned to put it in the collection tubes. "You're very good at what you do. Have you been a nurse for long?" He asked, insisting on the conversation.
“It's been a long time!” The boy exclaimed dryly.
“You're very young, it doesn't seem like you've been working for that long...”
“Mr. Davis, I'll send your exams and order the ECG. If you need anything, you can call me”. Liam said, leaving the room with the collection tubes in his hands and avoiding further contact for the moment.
“Thank you, dear!” The patient smiled weakly, making Liam tremble and turn around, quickly leaving the room.
Liam placed the exams on the pathology cart and walked to the nurses' station, placed his hands on the counter, leaning on his arms and lowering his head. He sighed, trying to forget what he had heard. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last time he would go through this, unfortunately.
“Li, is everything okay?” He was absorbed in his thoughts, trying not to feel affected by Martin Davis' comments, who didn't hear anyone approaching. “Li?” A familiar voice woke him up.
“Oh, hi Lydia!” Liam said, waking up from his thoughts.
“Is everything okay?” Lydia asked again. “You seem worried…”
“Yes, everything good!” Liam said, turning around while he fixed his uniform. “Just thinking about work.” He lied, smiling.
“Liam, I’ve known you long enough to know that it’s not just that.” Lydia commented. “What happened?”
“It’s nothing, I promise!” Liam reaffirmed. “I’ll request the exam for patient three.” He said, walking to the nearest computer. Lydia watched her colleague’s movements for a few seconds, but went back to her work.
Liam started typing on the computer, updating the medical records and requesting the patient’s exams. He was thinking about what had happened in room three, but decided he would try to forget and continue with his day. He felt a hand on his arm, and looked to the side, making contact with Dr. Raeken, or Theo, his ex-boyfriend.
“Are you okay, Li?” He questioned and Liam looked at him, blue eyes confused. “I saw you talking to Lydia earlier, and I also thought something might have happened...” He explained.
“I'm fine, Theo. Thank you!” Liam replied and looked back at the computer, feeling Theo's hand release his arm.
“Li...” Theo began, but was stopped by the sound of the nurse's call that sounded coming from room three.
“I need to go, T”. Liam said, grabbing gloves from the box next to the computer and walking to room three where Martin Davis requested them.
Liam entered the treatment room, opening the curtain. Martin was still lying at a 45-degree angle on the bed. The monitors were back to normal and nothing else in the room seemed different.
“Do you need anything?” He asked, standing near the door.
“Hi, my dear,” Martin said, smiling. “I’d like to send some messages, but my cell phone is in my shirt. Could you get it for me? It’s on the couch,” Martin asked. “I would, but these wires are preventing me from moving.” He explained with a hint of malice in his voice, if he paid attention.
Liam sighed, walked to the chair where the patient’s shirt was, and looked for his phone, finding it in his pocket. He walked over to Martin, who smiled at the nurse’s approach and took the opportunity to touch the blond’s arm unnecessarily, sliding his hand to his when Liam handed him the phone. In an instant, Liam removed his hand, placing it at his side.
“Thank you, nurse,” he said, smiling. Liam turned to leave the room, but was asked again by the patient. "You know, I think I'll need my glasses too..." Martin asked. Liam sighed before turning to the patient. "They should be in my briefcase on the floor." "Okay," Liam replied. He walked over to Martin's belongings again, bent down to pick up the briefcase that was under the chair, and the patient's glances at Liam's body did not go unnoticed, not even by the doctor who was passing by the hallway at that moment. Theo was passing in front of the treatment room and noticed the way Martin was watching Liam. "Dr. Raeken, patient four is waiting for you!" Lydia said, taking the doctor's attention away from the scene. Theo walked to the room where he had been seeing a patient previously. In room three, Liam picked up his glasses and when he turned around he noticed Martin's eyes on him. He felt embarrassed and invaded. He approached the patient, handing him his glasses. Martin touched the boy's arm again, holding it for a few seconds while he stared at him.
"You're really handsome!" He said. Liam let go of his arm and quickly turned around, leaving the room. He felt so overwhelmed by the situation that in his rush to leave the room he bumped into someone in the emergency room hallway. Theo.
"Li, what's wrong?" Theo asked worriedly, noticing the nurse's anxious expression.
“Li?” Lydia asked, approaching the former couple. “Is everything okay?”
“Patient in three...” He spoke between sighs, trying to hold back his tears. “Since the beginning, he has been telling me some things, asking me questions, and now, while I was getting the objects he requested, I felt that he was looking at me differently and taking the opportunity to touch me”. He blurted out, feeling some tears.
“HE WHAT!?” Theo asked loudly, drawing the attention of some people in the emergency room. “I'm going to talk to him!” He said, starting to walk and being stopped by Liam, who put his hands on his shoulders. “Li!?” He asked, looking at the nurse.
“T, please, I don't need anyone to get in trouble because of this. Least of all you”. He spoke softly. “Let's forget about this!”
“But Li...”Theo's green eyes met Liam's blue ones. His hands were still resting on Theo's shoulders, who in turn was lightly holding the boy's arms.
"Please, T, just forget about it!" Liam begged.
"Dr. Raeken, you're being requested!" A nurse called at the entrance to treatment room four.
"Go on, doctor, I'll stay with Liam." Lydia said, placing her hands on the boy's back and releasing the doctor to attend to him.
"Thank you!" Theo said, looking affirmatively at Liam once more and leaving for the treatment room.
"Come on, let's go..." Lydia instructed, guiding Liam to the doctors' room.
The two nurses entered the staff lounge. Liam sat on the couch, folding his legs and pulling them to his chest, hugging them and resting his chin on his knees. He stared at the wall in front of him, while absorbing everything that had happened a few minutes ago. Lydia was finishing talking to a nurse who was at the door answering questions.
“Li, are you okay?” Lydia asked, approaching her friend after closing the door. She sat down next to Liam and put her hands on his friend's back.
“I don't want to talk about it”. Liam said, resting his forehead on his knees and remaining silent for a few seconds, then he looked back at Lydia. “I just want to forget this ever happened!”
They remained silent for a few seconds, the sounds of the emergency room echoed outside the room: ambulance sirens, equipment beeping, conversation and the rush of doctors and nurses. Liam had returned to looking at the wall with his chin resting on his knees. The boy's head was full of thoughts.
“And Theo, huh!?” Lydia teased her colleague, who smiled. “ He even wanted to fight with the patient to defend you...”
“We're still friends, just because we had different thoughts about our relationship doesn't mean we can't be friends”. Liam explained, settling into the couch, she put one leg on the seat and the other touching the floor, facing Anna. “He's still very special to me!” He admitted.
“You're definitely very special to him too”. Lydia confirmed. “I could see Theo's look of concern about the whole situation, ever since that moment he asked you if everything was okay. It seemed to me that he felt that you weren't”. She commented, remembering the scene that occurred at the nurses' station. “Not to mention that he spends the whole day following your steps and looking at you”. She laughs.
“I think it's normal, everything is still new between us”. Liam affirms.
“I believe you still have feelings... On both sides”. Lydia is the one who says this time, but before she can continue, she hears a beep coming from her pager and stands up. “I need to go”. Lydia says. “If anything happens, call me, and give yourself a break”. She instructed Liam, who looked into Lydia's eyes.
“Okay”. Liam smiled. “I'll be right back, I'm going to get some air on the terrace”.
Lydia smiled, leaving the room, and Liam grabbed a coat from the closet, going out the other door and taking an elevator to the top floor, where the individual rooms were. He got out of the elevator and went to the stairs, climbing them to the hospital terrace. From up there he could see the city illuminated by the night lights. He leaned against the wall, watched the movement on the street and felt the breeze touch his face.
A few minutes had passed since Liam was there, while he watched the lights and listened to the sounds of the night, trying to forget everything that had happened, when he heard footsteps approaching him.
“I’m fine, Lydia. I’ll be right down…” Liam commented without taking his eyes off the road in front of him.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Li.” He turned around, recognizing that voice.
“Theo?” He asked, even though he could see the boy in front of him.
“Hi Li.” Theo smiled, putting his hands in the pockets of the black coat he was wearing over his navy blue uniform.
“Hi, Theo.” Liam replied, imitating the boy’s movements. “What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t see you anymore, so Lydia told me you were here.” He replied. The two were face to face, hands in their pockets and looking at each other. “I was worried, I wanted to know if everything was okay with you.”
“Yes, everything ok.” Liam replied softly. “Thank you for what you did!”He thanked him.
“You didn't let me do anything”. Theo remembered laughing.
“I didn't want anyone to get hurt, T.” Liam explained. “But thank you anyway, because I know you wanted to help me”.
“I still want to hit that guy!” Theo exclaimed, taking his hands out of his pocket and squeezing them.
“It's okay, T. I'm fine!” Liam affirmed, taking the boy's hands. “Let's just forget what happened down there. I don't want to think about it anymore”. And on instinct, Theo pulled Liam towards him, wrapping him in a hug.
“I was worried about you...” He confessed.
“But I'm fine, and despite the inconvenient situation, we know that nothing more serious could happen”. Liam commented, leaning his face against the boy's chest and snuggling into the hug. “And you were there too”. He said softly.
“And I always will be!” Theo affirmed.
The two hugged each other, feeling the night breeze. Noses, ears and cheeks getting colder by the minute, but still, the warmth of the hug was comforting. They stayed like that, just listening to the sounds of the street and each other's breathing, when Theo broke the silence:
“What happened to us?” Theo asked softly, trying not to ruin the moment that was building between them.
“I don't know”. Liam replied, letting go of the hug and looking into the boy's eyes. “Maybe we were in different moments”. He commented.
“Yeah, maybe”. Theo said and placed a hand on Liam's cheek, caressing it. And looked deeply into his eyes. “But my feelings were and continue to be the same...” He admitted.
“I know how you feel...” Liam confirmed.
Theo slid the hand that was on Liam's cheek, positioned it behind his head and close to the boy's neck, slowly bringing their faces closer to him. With their eyes closed and their breaths mingling, their lips touched in a slow and passionate kiss. Liam's hands rested on the doctor's chest, and his other hand held him by the waist. Little by little, the kiss that started slowly, made the cold night warmer, their tongues dancing and fighting for dominance, and Theo's hands roaming over Liam's back.
They kissed for a while longer under the starry sky, and when their breaths became shorter, they let go, their foreheads touching and looking at each other, smiling.
“Maybe we’re in the same moment right now.” Theo said, breaking the silence.
“Maybe.” Liam smiled.
“Breakfast?” Theo suggested, and Liam nodded.
They smiled, kissed one last time on the terrace, and went down to the emergency room, returning to work.