Chapter Text
The lukewarm coffee is bitter. Simon manages to avoid the taste at first, tipping his head back so that it goes straight down his throat; but the aftertaste still fills and sticks to his mouth like paste. Amy Dyer, the nurse that handed him the coffee, now pulls gum out from her scrub pocket and hands him a piece. “Still not a fan of black coffee, huh?” She says, smirking at his grimace.
“Not in the slightest. Where’s the chart?” He asks, willing the caffeine to kick in. He’s been at work for nearly twenty-four hours now and expects to stay for at least another five. Currently, he’s between patients and could probably sneak in a quick nap but this next case is one he’s been looking forward to since his shift started.
“I have the chart here. Are you sure you don’t want a break?” But she hands over the chart even as she asks, because she has noticed how his interest has piqued over this patient. And, he’s already gotten a large cup of coffee into his system.
“I need to check on this patient first.” He mumbles, flipping through the chart. He doesn’t actually need to review the chart; he’s memorized almost everything about this patient already. Kieren Walker: male, eighteen, brown eyes, attempted suicide, recovering from blood loss and toxins in the stomach which were ingested prior to the slitting of his wrists.
Amy is watching the doctor warily, waiting. She’s been up just as long as he has been- he likes her to be his right hand- and doesn’t usually mind, it’s just exhausting watching him pretend that he isn’t obsessed with this patient who doesn’t really need to be checked on today. She has half a mind to say something about it but is too tired to battle with the wits of Doctor Monroe. Instead, she shifts her weight onto one foot and taps the other impatiently.
Simon blinks up at her, a look of vague surprise painted on his exhausted features. “Do you have somewhere more important to be, Amy?” He asks.
She sighs. “Actually, I’d like to go home early- well, on time if I followed what my time sheet is supposed to say.”
Simon clicks his pen closed and pushes it into the breast pocket on his lab coat, then hands Kieren’s chart back to her. “Thank you for your help today. I hope you have a restful evening.” He says genuinely.
Amy feels a small amount of guilt in her gut but ignores it. Exhaustion wins over guilt, apparently. “Goodnight Simon.” She says, turning to walk to the Nurse’s station. Simon watched her for a minute and then turns and walks down the hall towards room 108.
Inside, a very young man with blond hair and a peaceful resting expression sleeps soundlessly. Simon checks his vitals and then sits down in the chair placed right next to the bed, thankful that Amy decided to leave him alone with this patient.
He doesn't know what makes Kieren stand out. Why has this boy caught the attention of a Doctor who prefers to avoid most people and even most patients? If Simon were to be completely honest with himself, he'd admit that it has something to do with what he himself went through between the ages of eleven and eighteen. But he doesn’t care to be honest with himself when it comes to that part of his life.
He stands abruptly, not wanting to think about that, and accidentally knocks over his chair. “Shit” he grumbles, leaning over to pick it up. When he fixes it, he turns back to the sleeping boy only to find that he isn’t sleeping anymore. Brown eyes- a color best described as nature when the green has been stripped away- stare at the doctor. Thick eyelashes which had for so long been resting against pale cheeks now outline those melting chocolate eyes and the shape of his eyes is somehow perfectly round, but positioned in such a way that his expression is permanently compassionate, even though currently his mouth is set in a hard line that contradicts his caring, soulful eyes.
When Kieren speaks his voice is raspy and barely a whisper, “Where am I?”
The Doctor is still frozen in his half bent-over position, holding onto the chair that is between him and the patient’s bed. He straightens and clears his throat, trying desperately to hide his shock and…the other emotion which he can’t seem to name. “You’re at Roarton Medical Centre. My name is Doctor Monroe. You can-uh- you can call me Simon.”
Kieren blinks and those full eyelashes touch pale cheeks again. For a brief moment he looks like the patient Simon’s been staring at for two nights. Then the deep brown eyes are back, searching Simon’s again. “What happened to me?”
Simon breathes out a nervous sigh and runs his hand through his hair, looking anywhere but in those eyes. “You were admitted here three nights ago, suffering from blood loss…” Simon doesn’t want to continue, knowing that spewing facts at him isn’t effective. Simon’s been in Kieren’s position before and knows what he really needs to hear. So he starts over, “Your dad brought you in, Kieren. You didn’t hit a vein, but you got close and deep. We almost lost you twice in the last few nights but you pulled through it and your parents are at home resting since you were declared stable this morning.” Simon watches Kieren close his eyes in pain and adds, “I’m sorry.”
Kieren’s mouth opens slightly and he breaths, “Why?”
The Doctor frowns and steps around the chair to grab Kieren’s hand. As soon as they make contact, Kieren’s eyes dart alarmingly to Simon’s. “You’re not finished yet.” Simon says quietly. Then he releases Kieren’s hand and stands up straighter. “I’ll have a nurse bring you some water and you can tell her what you’d like to eat in a few hours if you can stay awake.”
Kieren nods, a lost look in his eyes. Simon tears his eyes away and leaves the room.