Patient X
"You are too selfless. You care more about you're patients than about yourself. One day, that's going to get you into trouble."
_____________________
A week after the housewarming party...
Blue was leaving a patient's room with Elijah, when suddenly...
"Uh...Blue? Is it just me, or is the ground shaking?" Elijah asked, his hands cautiously moving up to the grip tightly onto his wheelchair. "Does Boston get earthquakes?" Blue asked, looking around bewildered.
The two of them heard a rumble approaching and looked down the hall to see a herd of interns stampeding right towards them.
"Dr. Ramsey's posting the new rankings!" Landry exclaimed, running pass them. "You coming or what?" Jackie asked the pair, running after Landry. "Uh-oh" Blue said as she and Elijah took cover inside a patient room as the stampede barraled past them.
The thought of rankings, had completely slipped out of Blue's mind, as she went about her week carrying out her tasks dutifully and dilligently. Sure, she was curious of the new rankings, but she knew that the hysteria was not worth it, and she had grown up in a family, where such behavior was frowned upon, especially when her parents had important business and medical partners over back when she was younger.
Owen and Adriana Hunter were loving parents to her, and allowed her to have her fair share of fun and ruckus. However, when it came down to their job and passion, they took professionalism very seriously, and that trait was taught to Blue as well, and she respected her parents a lot for it. Besides, she did not want Elijah to get hurt in the process especially from wheeling too fast amongst the crowd of interns.
"What? You're not excited to see the new rankings?" Elijah said, beaming up at her cheekily. "I'd rather not get Mufasa'd on the way." Blue replied chuckling a little. Once the coast was clear, the pair calmly followed the group to the atrium.
By the time they arrived, the interns had already crowded around Ethan, who was about to pin the latest fellowship rankings to the board. "My god. Can't any of you exhibit a modicum of self-control?" Ethan yelled, pausing to make eye contact with Blue appreciatively, as she stood at the back of the crowd calmly, waiting for her turn to see her ranking.
Blue noticed his look, and smiled sweetly at him in acknowledgment. However, despite his insult directed to the other interns, excluding Elijah and her, she could detect something distant in his gaze, as if he was barely paying attention. He walked away, leaving the interns to crowd around the ranking sheet.
"You guys! I'm up to fifth! Finally!" Landry exclaimed in delight. "I slipped to number thirteen...Weak." Elijah muttered in disappointment. "Ugh. Seventeen. I knew that would happen. Dr. Ramsey caught me crying in a supply closet yesterday. I've just...had lot of really sad cases lately." Sienna said. Feeling sympathy for her friend, Blue placed a comforting hand around Sienna's waist, pulling her into a side hug. "If you need to talk about them, I am always here for you." she assured Sienna, earning grateful smile from her as she returned the embrace.
Blue noticed that Jackie had fallen silent. Blue searched the list for her name and found that she had dropped in the rankings. "...Eleven? Really?" Jackie uttered, her face reddening with both embarrassment and disappointment. Blue continued to scan the list to find that right above Jackie was her own name. "Number ten! Nice work, Blue!" Sienna said tightening her arm around Blue giving her a squeeze of encouragement.
Pride and happiness swelled in Blue's chair as she said, "Watch out I'm coming for the crown. I've been busting my butt to get out of the cellar!" "Looks like it paid of..." Jackie trailed, as the rest of the roommates and some other interns as well congratulated Blue on her improvement and progress.
》》》
Later, Blue was filling up her lunch tray in the cafeteria and as she crossed the room, she overheard Aurora in line, surrounded by her usual gaggle of sycophants.
"Dr. Emery can I pay for your lunch?" a medical resident asked her. "What you can do is not stand so close that your stethoscope drags through my salad." Aurora growled at him. Stifling a laugh at the resident's reaction, Blue walked over to the table her roommates were sitting in, and slid beside them.
"How is she still number one in the rankings?" Jackie grumbled, stabbing her salad aggressively with a fork. "Seriously. She's not better than us! This one patient, she probably spent ten minutes with her, tops!" Landry joined in. "Did she solve the case?" Blue asked, taking a sip of her pumpkin soup. "Well...yeah." Landry trailed.
Blue gave him a 'seriously' look as she replied, "Then, she is just that good." "You can't seriously think that!" Elijah said in shock. "Look, I am not a fan of her ever since our first day, and I am sure she has been getting perks from being the Chief's niece, but Dr. Ramsey would not let favoritism to take place in Edenbrook even, the Chief knows that. Plus what's the point in thinking anything else? All we can do it work to better ourselves." Blue reasoned, earning a nod of admiration from Sienna.
"Saying it's unfair doesn't help us in the competition, and it certainly doesn't help our patients." Blue continued. "I think we just need to make better impressions on Dr. Ramsey. I mean...does he even know who we are." Sienna asked. "He knows who Blue is." Jackie snapped, sending a piercing stare towards Blue, who seemed to missed it, as she focused on eating her lunch. "We should all try to get some one-on-one time with him. Does he have office hours?" Elijah suggested.
"I'm not sure he had time for interns right now. He seems really wrapped up in some secret case." Blue replied. "A secret case? What are you talking about?" Sienna asked incredulously. "I saw a chart of his. The name on it was 'Patient X'. He was really distracted by it." Blue answered. "Patient X? That sounds badass! I bet he's working on some new cutting-edge treatment." Elijah said excitedly. "Ooh, do you think maybe we could help him with it?" Sienna joined in the excitement.
"Uh, I really don't want to get on Ethan Ramsey's bad side by prying into his business." Landry said. "Really? I'm always up for her prying into people's secrets." Jackie perked up slightly. "I am curious with every fiber of my being. But I have self-control." Landry snickered.
The five roommates chowed down their food, speculating excitedly about the possibilities of Ethan's secret case. After lunch, everyone splitted up to check on their separate cases. Jackie headed off without saying goodbye, and Blue chased after, feeling something amiss with her friend's behaviour.
"Hey...Jackie wait up!" Blue called up to her. "Yeah?" Jackie asked emotionless, turning to face her. "Are you mad at me?" Blue asked her. "No." Jackie curtly replied. "You could have fooled me." Blue glared, referring to Jackie's attitude towards her that whole day.
"I'm mad at myself okay? I came to Edenbrook to be the best, and right now I'm not. So whatever emotional thing you wanna do right now, I'm not interested. I can't met myself get distracted." Jackie ranted at her.
"So you're saying...I'm a distraction?" Blue asked disbelievingly. Jackie met the sad green of her friend's eyes, sighing a little as she replied grimly, "...Yeah." She shook her head and walked away, leaving Blue in a confused and hurt plight.
So much for not letting the competition affect our friendships...she thought.
》》》
After consulting a patient, Blue was filling out charts at the nurses' station when Bryce leaned beside her and sighed heavily.
"Hey there. How's your day been?" he asked her, tucking a stand of loose hair behind Blue's hair, making her cheeks flush a little. After the incident at the housewarming party, Bryce had talked to her apologizing for his behaviour at the party.
~~~
"Blue! Wait up!" Bryce said catching up to the medical intern. "B, I am so so sorry for last night. I was drunk, and feeling on edge, I didn't mean to confess out of the blue. But, I mean every word I said in my confession. And I'll wait for your reply." Bryce apologised.
Blue's eyes softened at his sincerity and she replied. "It's alright Bryce. Thank you for waiting. But, don't think I didn't notice that lame pun you inserted into that apology." Blue teased, lightening up the mood, making the signature grin on Bryce return again.
"How can I confess out of the Blue when I can't get this Blue out of my mind?" Bryce said cheekily, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Ugh...you're gross." Blue joked, playing pushing Bryce away as she approached the nurses' station. Bryce laughed as he said, "I know you love me." before making his way to the board, filled with the names of the surgeries scheduled that day.
Blue froze at the word 'Love', making her ponder if that was what between them was. She slowly lifted her eyes from her charts, to see them locked with Breyanna's brown ones. She was sitting in her own station, possibly watching the exchange between the other two Bs. The look in her gaze was enough to make Blue uncomfortable and she secretly thanked God when Elijah wheeled up to her, asking her for help with a case.
~~~
Looking at Bryce's worn out face, Blue replied, "You sound like you want me to ask you that question." "You're looking at a guy who just touched a beating human heart." he beamed. "You're not even in the fellowship competition and you're still trying to one-up me?" Blue joked. "Sorry. I cant help it." Bryce joked back, bumping his shoulders with her slightly.
Past Bryce, Blue spotted Ethan looking furtively over his shoulder as he walked around the corner. Blue leaned closer, trying to get a better look. "Hey hey hey...I mean I do wanna kiss you, but don't you think this is an inappropriate place?" Bryce said lowering his voice, taking a cautious glance at Breyanna, who looked back at her charts, when she caught him staring.
"Kiss what? I'm trying to look at Dr. Ramsey." Blue gave him a stank face, as she moved around Bryce. "Look! I think he's going to see Patient X!" Blue exclaimed. "Patient X? Is that one of Elijah's comic books?" he asked, a little dejected, that Blue leaned it with no intention of kissing him.
As Blue continued to watch Ethan, Bryce came to realization as he smirked, "Are you spying on you're boss? I didn't know you were so bad, Blue. I kinda like it." Ignoring his remark, Blue said, "Come on! We're losing him!" Trying not to draw attention, she followed behind Ethan, and Bryce walked with her, an amused smirk twisting his lips.
"You're gonna need to explain why we're stalking an attending." Bryce told her. "I saw one of his patient's files by accident last week. But instead of a patient's name, it was marked, 'Patient X'." she explained. Bryce nodded, as she filled him in on the scoop.
Suddenly, Ethan stopped and looked back. He narrowed his eyes at Blue and Bryce, who were suddenly talking about Bryce stealing her patient's brain or something along those lines. He rolled his eyes, at them making his way towards his intended location.
"Quick! Pretend we're fighting!" Blue panicked upon seeing Ethan stare at them suspiciously. "I refuse! I won't let you take my patient's brain, Dr. Lahela!" Blue fake glared at him. Bryce just bursted out laughing. "You are so bad at this." she sighed. "I'm sorry, you're just too adorable. I promise. I won't take you're patient's brain." Bryce replied.
Blue checked if Ethan noticed them, but he was already continuing on his way. "You know, if you wanted an excuse to get me alone you could have just texted me. Or pushed me into a supply closet." Bryce flirted. Blue rolled her eyes, but the blush was evident on her face. "You seriously think I staged this elaborate plan to get two minutes of you're time?" Blue teased. "People have done stranger things to get my attention." Bryce smirked, placing his hands into his pocket.
Blue smiled, but it vanished as soon as it came when her gaze shifted to Zaid and Ines coming down the hallway towards them. "Crap. They're totally gonna stop me to ask about my patients! Unless!" Blue trailed...her gaze shifting back to Bryce. "I don't like where that 'Unless' is going." he replied. "Unless, you distract them!" Blue beamed. "And how am I supposed to that?" he asked her. "You should flirt with them!" Blue exclaimed.
"I really am nothing but just a piece of meat to you." Bryce joked. "You're the surgeon. Everyone's a piece of meat to you." Blue sassed back. "Okay, you win this round. But you owe me for this!" Bryce said, before swaggering up to Ines and Zaid. He leaned near Ines, pressing a muscled arm against the wall, as he tossed his hair a little.
"Hey." he purred slightly. "Um. Hi. Hello." Ines replied, flustered. "Dr. Delarosa right? Everyone tells me you're a resident who can work wonders...but they didn't tell me you had such beautiful eyes. " Bryce started to flirt, making Ines blush deeply. "Well, I...um, you're very sweet." she replied shyly. Next to her, Zaid grew irritated as he growled at Bryce, "Listen here, Point Break. If you don't mind, we're-"Bryce's eyes immediately flashed to him. "And look at you. You could boss me around all night." Bryce told him, dropping his voice to a sultry low. "Ahem, that's...thank you?" Zaid replied, growing flustered.
Blue grinned at the exchange, and Bryce shot her a wink as she slipped past the trio. Blue rounded the corner near the new hospital wing...and came face to face with Ethan. Her emeralds met his aquamarines, and she gulped noticing his huge build, towering over her intimidatingly. Ethan folded his arms and glared down at her. "Why are you following me?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes at her. He had his suspicions ever since that "brain" conversation she had with Bryce, and he waited to check if she actually was following him.
"Aah! Dr. Ramsey? W-what are you doing here?" Blue tried to cover up. "My job. Which is more than what I can say for you. I ask again. why you following me?" Ethan replied. Blue dropped the act and answered him. "I wanted to ask how you're doing." "How I'm...doing?" Ethan asked, his eyes hinting a flash of sadness. "You seem on edge. I can't imagine how much you have going on, how much weight you have on your shoulders. I know you're an attending and all, but I don't think that means you don't need someone checking up on you." Blue explained, leaving out the part of her knowledge about 'Patient X'.
Ethan's eyes soften a little, as his heart clenched a little at her concern for his well-being. "Perhaps you're right. Thank you, I suppose...for asking. I'll be fine once I get a coffee." he replied, trying to keep his void of any emotion. "The machine in my office is broken, and you know I don't drink the dishwater from the cafeteria." he continued, referring to the time he had brought her coffee from his own machine when they both stayed up watching Baby Ethan. Blue nodded, letting a small smile slip at the memory. "There's a cafe a few blocks away I don't hate." he told her. "Wow. A ringing endorsement. They should hang that on the wall." Blue joked. "They take pride in their work. I respect that. You should swing by." Ethan offered, wearing a small smile.
"Are you saying I can tag along?" Blue asked, a little surprised. "I'm saying 'You should swing by.' But I won't stop you if you decide to follow me there too..." Ethan answered wittily, as his lips curled into a cheeky smiled. "Then I'm happy to stalk you to there too." Blue replied, mirroring his smile with a cheeky one of her own. Ethan's smile widened slightly as he said, "Far be it from me to deny anyone real coffee."
》》》
Soon, Blue and Ethan were a few blocks away, at Derry Roasters. Ethan held the door open for Blue, before stepping up to the counter. "I'll have the Vienna, and she'll have..." Ethan trailed, turning back to survey Blue for moment. "...the espresso Romano." he finished. Blue raised an eyebrow at him for ordering for her and he just shrugged his shoulders slightly. The barista rang them up and Blue offered, "I'll pay." She held out her credit card, but Ethan put a hand on hers, gently pushing it back. "Don't even think about it. I know how much interns get paid." he told her, smiling softly.
He took the table by the window, and Blue slid into the seat across from him. "Do you come here a lot?" she asked him, gently drumming her fingers on the table to the beat of the soft pop music the cafe played. "Fairly often. Sometimes I need a moment where nobody needs anything from me. No one here recognizes me, no one cares who I am. Thirty minutes with a good roast and a good book works wonders. I didn't bring a book, however, so I suppose you'll have to entertain me." Ethan answered, staring at her slender fingers still tapping away to the beat of the music. Blue grinned at him, as she tapped on his fingers lightly, urging him to the same. However, Ethan did not follow suit, but continue to watch her fingers with a slight smile this time.
Just then, the barista served up their coffees and Blue was surprised to find a curly lemon twist on the rim of hers. "Lemon, huh?" she lifted her gaze to Ethan. "Espresso Romano is a double espresso with sugar and Meyer Lemon, both squeezed into the brew and rubbed on the rim. It brightens the espresso and cuts the edge off the bitterness. I thought you might like it. Try it." he encouraged. Blue took a sip and her eyes widened with pleasant surprise. "Hey, not bad! Certainly an interesting mix of flavors." she commented. "Just don't ask for it in Rome. It's a misnomer, and they won't know what you're talking about. But I thought you might like it." Ethan smiled at her.
"What made you think that?" Blue asked him curiously. "Simple observation." Ethan replied simply, taking a sip of his own coffee. "So what, you're studying me?" she asked him teasingly. "I study everyone, Rookie. I observe everyone. As should you. In fact, that's one of the reasons I most enjoy coming here. The clientele can be...intriguing at times." he said. "I like people-watching too." Blue told him. "People-watching?" he asked, a little taken aback with the use of that term. "Yeah, it's a thing. You just go out in public and watch the world go by, all the stories unfolding around you.' Blue explained.
"Then I suppose I do like people-watching. But the art of observation...of reading people...it's critical to our work as diagnosticians. You've already begun to understand that." Ethan said, taking the moment, to stare at Blue's hair which was tied up in a neat ponytail. "For instance...that man there, the one reading a book. He's deeply troubled. Something's gnawing at him." Ethan said, motioning towards a man sitting at a table near them. Blue turned discreetly to get a look at him before speaking up, "How can you tell?" "He hasn't turned a page the entire time we've been here. You give it a shot." he answered her.
Blue looked around the cafe for someone to observe, when a woman walked in with her hair a mess, some of it sticking up. Blue felt a smirk arise on her lips as she said motioning towards the woman, "I think she got laid last night." "Come again?" Ethan exclaimed, looking back from the woman to Blue, with adorable wide blue eyes. Blue giggled at his expression as she explained, "That's totally sex hair. Sorry. I don't make the rules. Besides that look on her face? Pure satisfaction." Ethan chuckled at her before asking, "What makes you so sure?' Blue simply gave him a playful wink, looking back at the woman again. After she had gotten her coffee, the woman walked out, biting her lip to suppress a smile. She adjusted the nightclub dress she still had on under her coat.
"Okay, you win that one." Ethan said, raising his hand slightly in mock surrender. A grumpy looking man waked in and Ethan grinned as he lowered his voice, "Try to top this. Based on how he carries himself, I bet that gentleman is going to order two venti macchiatos, one with almond milk, one coconut and hmm...Let's say a bear-claw. To-go." Blue looked at him incredulously, "That's oddly specific." Ethan tapped her fingers this time, signalling her to quieten down. The man trudged up the counter...and ordered exactly what Ethan said!
"What the hell?! That is total B.S! You cheated somehow!" Blue exclaimed, giving Ethan's fingers a slight flick. "Indeed. That man comes in with the same order nearly every day I'm here." Ethan admitted laughing, as he caught her fingers from flicking him again. "So you were just trying to impress me." Blue said, joining in with his laughter. She stared down at their connected fingers, and Ethan cleared his throat releasing their hands. "Hardly. I'm trying to impress upon you the importance of observation and memory. My point stands. Observation is key. The subtle signals, the hidden details...all the secrets in plain view. Everyone throws a curtain over their lives, hopes it will smooth out the edges and hide the flaws...but the truth always shines through. Always. You just have to learn to look for the light." Ethan replied, growing serious.
"You're right...I know I always try to seem more together than i feel. If people knew what was going on inside...let's just say it's good they don't." Blue said, averting her gaze to her coffee. "Precisely." Ethan nodded, noticing the change in her mood. "Rookie...do you want to talk about it?" he said referring to her breakdown and PTSD on the day of her housewarming party. She shook her head 'no' slightly and Ethan acknowledge her hesitance by tapping one of her fingers with his own. Blue looked up at him, smiling gratefully before changing the subject, "Alright, let's up the ante. What do you see when you observe me?"
Ethan's intense aquamarines settled on Blue, deconstructing her. The intensity of his stare made Blue squirm a little in her seat. "You are too selfless. You care more about you're patients than about yourself. One day, that's going to get you into trouble." Ethan said, not knowing how true that statement was going to be in a few months' time. "So, how'd I do?" he asked her. "You're right." Blue replied impressed. "Like I always am." Ethan said, making Blue roll her eyes playfully.
"Now do me." Ethan said bluntly, and Blue smirked at the double meaning. "Don't! Don't roll you're eyes!" Blue said, making Ethan stop from rolling his eyes midway. He laughed in amusement at the fact that she knew exactly what he was going to do at her reaction. Blue analysed him this time, as Ethan downed the last bit of his coffee. "You seem angry, lonely and lost all at once." she finally said. "Whatever could you mean." he replied. "You seem angry because...I mean you always are, but it is more of anger for yourself? You're lonely, not being able to share this ounce of anger with someone else to share the burden. And lastly, you seem lost, not knowing where to project all of these other emotions that are overwhelming you. You don't know what to do next, as if like you're stuck on a very serious case, that it making even you, struggle to solve. You seem this way ever since Dr. Banerji retired." Blue explained her observations in detail.
Ethan's eyes flickered with surprise, and he let a look of vulnerability slip past his expression. He stared at her for a long moment. "Well? Am I right or what?" Blue asked him. "As usual, Rookie, you're only half-right. And in medicine, that counts for nothing." Come on, then. My pager is buzzing. We should be getting back." Ethan informed her. Blue downed the rest of her coffee and they both got up to exit the cafe. Once again, Ethan opened the door for her and they both stepped out onto the streets.
"Thank you for the coffee Dr. Ramsey." Blue said, beaming up at him as they walked. "You're welcome. And as much as I hate socializing with interns, you're company has not been that terrible. So I suppose, I should thank you for that." Ethan replied, giving her a subtle grin. Blue rolled her eyes at his words. "You can't bear to compliment me normally can you?" she laughed at him. Ethan chuckled at her, shooting her a fond look, and with a last tap of her fingers, which she returned, the two doctors walked back closely to Edenbrook.
》》》
Blue was heading to the locker room at the end of her shift when, "Hey! Blue! I've been hoping to run into you. " Rafael called out to her. He jogged around the atrium towards her. Blue beamed at the sight of him. "Rafael! Me too! Made any heroic rescues today?" she asked him. "I'm not sure what qualifies as 'heroic', but we got everyone the help they needed." Rafael replied, running a hand through his hair. "Is you're shift over?" he asked her. "Just about." Blue answered. "Dr. Hunter!" Danny hurried over to her carrying a chart.
"I'm glad I caught you...the biopsy and genetic tests you ordered came back." he informed her. "Oh. Remy's tests! Great. Thanks Danny!" Blue told him. Remy was Blue's patient from earlier that day. He was a surfer who was admitted for a respiratory infection. However, while she was checking his B.P earlier, she noticed that his calf was covered with small reddened nodules. Out of caution, and with his permission, she had ordered a few more tests before discharging him in order to make sure that there was nothing more serious than a rash. Blue read through the results and sighed with relief.
"Good news?" Rafael asked with curiosity as he read her face. "Biopsy shows his panniculitis is just related to his infection. Should clear up soon, ...but..." Blue started, "Oh no." she said, her expression shifting solemn. She gazed through the window into Remy's room, watching him fiddle aimlessly on his ukulele, not a care in the world. "He has genetic markers for distal muscular dystrophy. It's late onset, but one day, years from now, he'll lose the ability to walk. Surfing is his life. This will devastate him. And it's all because I was curious about something he didn't even care about." she told Rafael. "What are you going to do?" Rafael as her, feeling bad about the situation.
"He won't start to display symptoms for another twenty years almost. But I could just not tell him and let him enjoy his life, instead of hanging a sword over his head.' Blue weighed her options with Rafael. "I've never been in you're shoes, but as a paramedic, I've seen some heavy things. And I've had to comfort a lot of bereaved folks. Sometimes the truth does more damage than it's worth." Rafael offered his input, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.
Blue gulped and walked into Remy's room. He looked at her with bright eyes. "Hey, doc? We all set? Can i get out of here?" he asked her hopefully. Blue breathed in shakily, closing her eyes tightly. Ethan's words rang in her head.
"It's part of the job, Rookie."
Remy deserved to know the truth.
Blue opened her eyes again, as she replied, 'No, not yet Remy...I'm afraid I have some bad news." "What? Did the genetic thing come back? Do I have Alpha...something?" Remy asked, his wistful demeanor changing into one of panic and alert. Blue looked into the corridor and saw Rafael who offered her a supportive nod. "Remy you have the genetic markers for distal muscular dystrophy. You don't have it now, but you're likely to develop it, probably in you're forties." Blue said. "But what...what is it?" Remy asked, sitting up straighter on his bed, his grip on his ukulele tightening. "It's a disease that atrophies the muscle fibers, starting with you're hands and feet." Blue explained.
"You mean...one day...I won't be able to surf? Will I be even able to walk?" he asked her. "We won't know for a long time. But it's possible. I'm so sorry, Remy." Blue told him. "This is...This is total bull! I didn't even want you to do the stupid genetic thing! Now how can I get out there and just...surf with this thing hanging over me? How can I do anything normally? You've ruined my life!" Remy yelled at Blue. "I-" she was cut off by Remy shouting, "Get out!" Blue flinched visibly at his tone, but left his room to join Rafael back into the hallway.
"I really don't know if I did the right thing." she told him, feeling a lone tear slip out of her eyes out of sympathy for Remy's situation. "You have to trust you're gut. And yours said to tell him the truth." Rafael replied. Blue nodded looking back into the room. Remy was lying on his back, sobbing with anger, his ukulele abandoned on the floor. "How about I help you get you're mind off this?" Rafael offered. "How?" Blue asked, wiping the tear that clung onto the side of her chin.
"We're both off duty. Why don't you let me buy you dinner?" Rafael asked her, smiling a little to lift her mood. "I am a local, after all. I can take you somewhere you haven' been before." he continued. "Alright." Blue smiled, wanting to spend time with a friend, especially after that whole encounter with Remy.
》》》
Soon, Rafael was guiding Blue down a busy street.
"So where are you taking me? Fancy bar? Cool club?" Blue asked Rafael. She was wearing a black t-shirt paired with khaki cargo pants and Rafael wore a black t-shirt with a dull green jacket over, along with dark jeans. "Fancy? Cool? I don't think anyone's ever used those words about me. Besides I'm showing you the city. I can't do that from indoors." Rafael replied, grinning at her. "So...?" she looked up at him questioningly. 'Wait for it..." he said leading her forward.
They turned the corner and found themselves in a middle of a charming street market hung with lanterns and lined with food carts, market stalls, and tables set with checkered tablecloths. The outdoor tables were crowded with happy, chatting people. "It's a bit of a melting pot, but this is the best street food you'll find anywhere in Boston." Rafael said. "Everything smells incredible." Blue said excitedly, her eyes brightening like a little child, to which Rafael chuckled finding her absolutely endearing.
"So what are you feeling? I can give you good recommendations for everything." he told her. "I'm craving Brazilian food." Blue answered, missing her mother's cooking. Rafael's eyes widened at her answer. "Wow, I didn't know you liked my home country's food." he said. "Well, it is my home country too." Blue replied, smiling up at him. "Wow again, didn't know that. It's great to know a fellow-Brazilian. And well, you're lucky tonight 'cuz Francisca makes the best feijoada and coxinhas." Rafael smiled down at her. He led Blue to a small stall mannered by a middle-aged Brazilian woman and placed their order.
They winded down the street to find a table to eat at. People cheerfully greeted Rafael as they passed. They found a small table under a lantern. Rafael pulled out a seat for her before taking his own seat. "How many people do you know around here?" Blue asked him. "A lot, I guess. I've been coming here ever since I moved from Brazil. Plus a bunch of the people who eat here live around my neighborhood." Rafael replied. "That sounds comforting. You've got a real community around here." Blue commented. "I do. Community is one of the most important things in my life." Rafael smiled at her.
The woman set their orders on the table and Blue thanked her, "Obrigada." to which the woman smiled sweetly in response. Blue leaned over, breathing in the delicious, flavorful steam of her food. The pair ate in comfortable silence enjoying the food. "This is exactly what i needed after today." Blue said, smiling at the comfort of home, the food gave her." I am a strong believer of comfort food." Rafael replied. They talked more as they finished their food and Rafael offered to walk Blue back home.
》》》
They walked side by side, enjoying the cooling night breeze as they approached Blue's building. As they reached her building, they stopped, and Rafael looked down at her, his warm eyes softening. "So...did it work? Do you feel better?" he asked her. "I do. I'm really happy I ran into you tonight." Blue replied. Rafael stepped closer to her as he said, "I guess I should say goodnight then." he placed a friendly kiss on her cheek. "You know...more than a friend, I feel like I have found a sister in you." Rafael said, making Blue's smile widen. "You know, I was just about to say that. You're exactly like a sibling of mine." she said, her smile fading slightly.
"Then I'm glad to be there for you. So if there is anything you need help with or support, don't hesitate to come to me alright?" he told her warmly. "You too Raf, I am more than happy to be here for you too. Ha! Now I have superman as my brother!" Blue beamed. "I really don't get why people keep calling me that. I'm just a regular guy." Rafael laughed. "That's exactly what Clark Kent would say." Blue joked. "Goodnight, Blue." Rafael said. He waited on the sidewalk until she got inside, then headed down the street, whistling happily.
Rafael had to admit, he did find her very attractive at first, and wanted to get to know her more. However, as he hung out with her and got to know her more, he felt a familial connection with her, as she reminded him of his home. He liked that he could talk to her so easily and he felt protective of her as a elder brother. He smiled knowing that it was a start of a beautiful friendship.
As Blue entered the lift lobby of her apartment, she came face to face Bryce.
"Bryce! What are you doing here?" she asked him in shock. "Waiting for you to come home, so that I could talk to you, but I see you have been hanging out with that paramedic." Bryce replied, not bothering to hide the jealousy in his tone. Blue internally rolled his eyes at his answer as she said, "He was being a nice friend, and getting me dinner to cheer me up from a bad encounter with a patient today." Blue explained her voice annoyed. "That kiss on the cheek did not seem very friendly to me. Besides, you could have come to me for cheering up." Bryce remarked, as Blue passed him to enter the lift. "I'm tired Bryce, I don't want to argue with you. What did you want to talk about?" she asked him, as he stepped into the elevator with her.
"I wanted to ask if you had an answer for my confession. But, you have been so busy with that self-proclaimed superman to even think about me." Bryce muttered. "His name is Rafael, and he is a superman. Would you be brave enough to step into a burning inferno, to safe a pregnant woman? He would, and he did. And for what it's worth, he is like a brother to me." Blue raised her voice at Bryce, as the lift took them up to her floor.
Suddenly, Bryce placed two arms around Blue's frame, trapping her against the wall of the lift. "Br-" Blue was cut off by Bryce placing a finger on her lips. She could smell the slight trace of alcohol in his breath, his usual scent masked by another...unfamiliar scent. She saw the faint outline of a bruise on his neck, but Bryce's next movement obstructed her view of it. He leaned towards her, determined to kiss her this time, but he was once again was stopped by Blue's firm grip on his shoulders, keeping him from connecting their lips.
"Dammit Blue! I told you I'm not the kind of guy who waits for a girl this long." Bryce growled slightly. "You also told me that you would give me as long as I need to make up my mind." Blue replied sternly. "You know what Blue...I'll give you till tomorrow, to give me an answer. And after that, I'm not waiting anymore." Bryce said, taking a step back from Blue as the elevator dinged, signalling that Blue's floor had arrived.
Bryce walked her up to her door when suddenly, a chain fell off Bryce's lose pocket. Blue immediately looked down at the sound of the metal hitting the floor. Bryce picked it up with panic and was about to stuff it back into his pocket when Blue stopped him. "What is that, Lahela?" she narrowed her eyes at his reaction as he stuttered to give her an answer. "I got it for you!" Bryce exclaimed suddenly. "For me?" she asked him as he opened up his palm to give her a better look.
It was a gold chain, holding a small pendant with the letter 'B' on it. "I...wanted to give you when you give me answer, but I guess I gotta give it to y-you now." Bryce said, stuttering slightly. Blue could not hold back the smile that reached her face, and smiled up at him sweetly. Bryce turned her back towards him, and with a shaky hand, helped her to wear the chain. "'B' for Bryce, 'B' for Blue." he said cheesily, his usual composure returning. Blue gave him a hug out of gratefulness and looked up at him with big green doe eyes again, "I'll give you you're answer tomorrow Bryce, I promise. Meet at Donahue's?" she asked him expectantly.
Bryce gave her a nod and a charming smile in response as he watched her bid him goodnight, before entering her apartment.
》》》
The next morning...Blue walked past Remy's room, nervously glancing inside. She found him sitting on his bed, deep in thought, with his ukulele on his lap. He looked up, seeing her, before beckoning her inside.
"How are you feeling Remy?" she asked him as she stepped inside his room. "Like an ass. I'm sorry for what I said last night." he replied her. "You don't need to apologize. What I told you would have been difficult for anyone to hear." she reassured him. "Yeah...It was difficult. But...kind of amazing. I was up all night thinking about it. I mean most people don't know if or when they're going to get sick right? But I know the truth. I know I've got good twenty years left in me, and I'm going to appreciate every single one of them, down to the last wave. So when this disease hits, I'll know I used my time properly." Remy beamed up at her, making Blue smiled just as widely as him. "That's a poetic way of looking at it." she told him.
"Here, I want you to have this." he said, holding out his painted ukulele to her. "Oh, Remy I can't take this..." Blue started to object. "It was like five bucks. Please...it's an apology and a thank you. For giving me my twenty years." he explained to her. A lump grew in Blue's throat as she accepted the ukulele. "Thank you. I'll keep it safe for you." Blue told him sincerely. "Thanks, doc." Remy returned her sincerity, brushing away the tear that dropped on his cheek.
As she exited Remy's room, Blue found Ethan talking to Danny down the hallway. He looked up to see her, before excusing himself from Danny who headed back to the nurses' station.
"Rookie." he acknowledged, coming up to her. "Dr. Ramsey." she nodded at him, blinking away the tears that formed in her eyes from her earlier interaction with Remy. "You gonna start a Broadway in the hallway with that ukulele?" He teased, pointing at the instrument she was cradling. "It's not mine actually, it's Re-""Remy's I know." Ethan cut her off. "I heard from Danny. You did an admirable thing Rookie. You noticed the signs even the patient did not know of and went the extra mile to ensure that everything was fine with him. And when the results did not come back completely positive, you did the respectful thing of telling him the truth he deserved and gave him the space to think about it. Now, he has his twenty-years back. I'm proud of you Rookie." Ethan said, quietening his voice at his last sentence and gave her a breathtaking genuine smile.
Blue returned his smile, her heart swelling at the fact that she had made her idol proud. Giving her a last look, he lightly strummed the ukulele in her hands, as he continued making his way back to his office. Blue smiled at his retreating form, strumming the strings he had just touched as she looked back into Remy's room, only to see him getting ready for his discharge happily.
》》》
Later, Blue was humming to herself as she took a shortcut to a new patient's room, avoiding the tarps and tools near the new hospital wing...when a gut feeling stopped her in her tracks.
Blue peered around the corridor that was still under construction. She thought back to the conversation that she had with her roommates the night before.
~
"There's no record of anyone by 'Patient X' in any room in the hospital." Elijah said
~
Trusting her instincts, Blue stepped around the barricades and entered the new wing. She crept through the unfinished corridor, careful not to make a noise. She passed dark patient rooms and offices, all nearly complete. She kept walking and noticed a warm glow ahead. The lights were on in one of the new patient rooms. She crept towards the room and peered through the window blinds. Someone was in the bed, immobile. Blue moved closer, trying to make out their face.
Oh my god! Dr. Banerji?! Blue exclaimed internally.
It was unmistakably him. His eyes barely stayed open, and his chest moved op and down in shallow bursts. Beside him, head in his hands, was...
Ethan Ramsey.
Ethan glanced up, his eyes locking onto Blue's through the glass.
Uh oh. Blue thought, as she darted back down the corridor. "Rookie! Stop!" she heard Ethan bellow at her.
She froze, cringing, and turned back, ready to get the dressing down of her life. "Dr. Ramsey...I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." she started. Blue looked back at Dr. Banerji's room, the curiosity overwhelming her fear. "But..didn't Dr. Banerji resign? What is he doing here?" she asked Ethan. His face was grave as he ignored her question.
His desperate aquamarines met her curious emeralds once again.
"Blue, you cannot tell anyone what you've seen here. Do you understand?" he told her. Noticing his use of her first name, Blue knew it was a serious matter. "I understand." she told him. "Thank you..." Ethan replied, nodding as he scratched his chin. Blue noticed that his stubble had grown long. "Dr. Ramsey...what's going on?" she asked him, her voice pleading for him to share his burden with her. Ethan took a deep, unsteady breath.
"He's dying. Dr. Banerji is dying."
...