Origin of our wounds

Chapter 61

A day without death is a rare gift

"Time of death..."

Leo Sloan walked through the halls of the hospital. A few others ran by, others stood around in the halls, all of them just trying to complete their own jobs. With his interns having their own interns now he had nothing he needed to do or get done involving them. He was back to being alone. Being himself... All over again.

Alone was what he always was.

Alone in a hospital full of people who want nothing to do with him. In a hospital full of people who had people who wanted to be with them already. Even the famously mean Cristina Yang was surrounded by people who cared about her. And even a new person who arrived just today cared about her enough to drop everything the moment she was hurt. But he wasn't mad about that, she needed someone. He wasn't mad at any of them, they went to the people they cared about.

And Leo's old interns ran off the moment they could. They le-

"Hey." Leo turned his head to look at the soft-speaking person, Kase. "You okay?"

Leo nodded.

"Really? Because you've been standing here staring at that chart for like five minutes." Kase stated. He had a frown on his face, matching the tone in which he gave Leo. It made him mad but also upset with himself for letting Kase think something was going on. Was there?

Leo looked down. He was standing at the nurses' desk but didn't remember how he got there. He was just there, existing. Today just felt.. off. He couldn't explain any of it to anyone, not even to himself.

"Why are you here?" Leo asked. "I thought your shift ended during my surgery."

"Leo-"

"You shouldn't be here."

"I was waiting for your shift to be over." Kase sighed. He held out a cup to Leo. "You look exhausted, I thought you could use some coffee."

"Julia, what are you doing here? I told you I have to work."

"I know, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I got mad but I shouldn't have. You left in a hurry and couldn't get any so I brought you some. I made it how you like it."

His heart stopped in his chest, which logically he knew wasn't possible but right now all logic was thrown from his mind. Air was pulled from his lungs, a pressure was placed on his chest as his eyes laid on the cup in Kase's hand. His hands shook by his sides.

Logic told him he shouldn't be freaking out about this, this was just some coffee that his current partner was trying to get for him. Yet he couldn't breathe. His mind had entered a panic, and he couldn't draw himself out of it this time. Not here, not in public.

Leo pushed himself away from the nurses' desk, his only chance of a path was to the on-call room with the hope that he could gain a minute to regain himself. A moment to scare off the thoughts of the one who he used to date. The last partner who dared offer him coffee at work. But of course, he couldn't get there quietly.

"Leo I need-"

A hand had grabbed his arm, a female voice ringing in his ears, and then he was lost.