Chapter Text
Dr. Waverly Earp was never late, not ever.
Until today that is. Her alarm had been set to go off a full two hours before her shift but it didn’t. It never went off because the electricity went out in the shambles of an apartment she rented when she found out she had been accepted into the surgical internship at the most prestigious teaching hospital on this side of the continent.
She cursed under her breath as she rushed through the rotating doors of Ghost River Medical Center. Her only saving grace was that she had researched the layout of the hospital beforehand so she knew exactly where to go. Sometimes her compulsive planning really paid off.
When she finally got to the locker room set aside for surgical residents she was out of breath and completely flustered. This is not the way she intended to start this day so she stood at the door for a second to collect herself before opening it as she prepared to meet the people she would be spending the next year working with.
Dr. Nicole Haught looked up from tying her shoes when she heard the door open. When she caught her first glimpse of Waverly she was so distracted that she missed the loop on the knot she was tying in her shoelace.
“Geez Haught, I hope you tie suture better than you do your laces or you are gonna be outta here the first day.” Dr. Rosita Bustillos says jokingly.
“Worry about yourself Bustillos,” Nicole replies.
“Do you think they are gonna make us suture on the first day? I really need more practice before…”
“Take it easy, Chetri, I was joking. We probably aren’t even gonna see the inside of an OR today.” Rosita replied as she rolled her eyes.
Nicole stands and grabs a pair of scrubs off the rack. She turns to the newcomer, “Bold move showing up with ten minutes to spare…” she says to Waverly as she hands her the pair of scrubs, “...extra small?”
“Yes, thanks,” Waverly replies as she takes the proffered scrubs, “I wouldn't say bold. The electricity at my place…well, the EVERYTHING at my place is shotty at best. My phone died overnight and my alarm never went off and I…”
Waverly began to flush again and Nicole changed the subject to try to calm her. “Hey, it’s ok, I was just joking.” Nicole offers Waverly her hand to shake, “ I’m Nicole Haught - that asshole over there with the big boobs is Rosita Bustillos. She and I went to medical school together. The ball of nerves on the bench is Jeremy Chetri and the very serious gentleman in the corner is Xavier Dolls. You just missed Shae Pressman, she left to get a jump on things. She’s going to be one of those over achievers that the rest of us will probably despise.”
Waverly reddened with embarrassment, she was likely going to fall into the same category as Shae but she decided she would wait to tell that to Nicole. Besides, Nicole seemed pretty good at assessing people so she probably already knew.
“Hi, I’m Waverly. Waverly Earp.”
“Holy shitballs! Earp? As in Dr. Wynonna Earp, world renowned Neurosurgeon?” Rosita questions.
“Uh, yeah, she’s my sister.”
“Wow, good luck filling those shoes.”
“I have a feeling little Earp is going to do just fine.” Dolls says as he smiles at Waverly, grabs his stethoscope and slips out the door.
“Don’t let Bustillos bother you, she’s all bark,” Nicole shoots Rosita a look.
“Not true - I bite if you ask me to.” Rosita winks at Waverly then grabs Jeremy and leads him into the hall.
“Get dressed, I’ll wait for you outside.” Nicole says as she flashes Waverly a dimpled smile that almost makes the redness return to her cheeks.
“Oh, you don’t have to…wait, that is, I wouldn’t want to make you late too.”
“Then hurry up. Besides, it will be a united front, they can’t kick us both out for being late the first day.”
🏥
Waverly tended to be single minded when she had a goal in mind. In this case, her goal was to be the top intern in the class and she was bent and determined not to allow any distractions.
Maybe that was why Nicole Haught was throwing her for such a loop. Waverly found herself caught up in emotions whenever the red head was around and sometimes even when she wasn’t around. Just when she would think she had rid her mind of all thoughts of Nicole something would happen and boom, there she was again. Today would turn out to be one of those boom days.
Waverly was assigned to the ortho service for the entire week, her least favorite. To make matters infinitely worse, Nicole was also assigned to ortho and it was her favorite. Waverly braced herself for what was bound to be a wholly miserable day of surgery. She was a minute and a half into her “by the book” three minute scrub when Nicole sauntered up to the sink. She smiled at Waverly before she pulled up her mask and stepped on the pedal to dispense antiseptic onto her hands.
“Good morning Dr. Earp. Excited for a nice long day of Orthopedic Surgery?”
“Excited? For a day of ortho? No, I don’t share your affinity for mallets and power tools.”
“Never say never Earp. Who knows, you may fall in love after you see me use all those battery operated instruments.”
“Mmmm…not likely. Aren’t you running a little late? They already positioned the patient and you still have to scrub.”
Nicole just laughs, “Nah, I came in early and did an initial scrub so all I have to do is a quick avagard scrub and I am good to go.”
“What? When did you…how long have you been here?”
“For about an hour. Dr. Nedley and I had coffee this morning while we reviewed some cases.”
Waverly nearly dropped her scrub sponge, “You and Dr. Nedley had coffee? And reviewed cases? This case?”
“This case and a few others. He knows I want to specialize in Ortho and he has kind of taken me under his wing I guess. I know he’s older but he’s pretty badass. Did you know he invented the total knee implant that is specifically designed for female anatomy? He’s the first doctor to really study the effects of a poorly fitted implant on smaller framed humans. Like I said…badass.”
“Well, I guess that explains your demonstratively cheery demeanor this morning.”
“Well, that's part of why I’m in an extra good mood today.”
“Really? What’s the other part?”
Nicole leans in close to Waverly so only she can hear, “I have been patiently waiting to get to scrub with you since we started here. I can’t wait to get to stand next to you for the next two hours,” she whispers then pulls back and winks.
The entire interaction flusters Waverly so much that she accidentally hits the nozzle of the sink with her hands.
“Uh oh,” Nicole says as she finishes her quick scrub and pushes open the door to the operating room, “Looks like someone has to start their scrub all over…tick tock Earp…”
🦴
In the weeks to follow the surgical interns fell into their own routines. Waverly and Shae were engaged in a battle royale for the top spot in the class. The others seemed perfectly content with the idea of tying for second. Nicole, on the other hand, was sneaky good. She was primed to give Waverly and Shae a real run for their money at the top spot.
Nicole was skilled for sure but her ability to engage in friendly banter with the attendings made her a favorite to work with. She was also extremely proficient at charming the pants off the nurses in the room and every surgical intern knows that if the nurses like you they will help you survive and thrive.
The only time the group was able to really get together consistently to share the stories of their day was lunchtime. Just about everyday at 11:45 they all met up at a corner table in the cafeteria. Nicole usually arrived first and sometimes was halfway through whatever meat lover's special was being offered before anyone else even made it to the table. Waverly and Rosita often arrived together since they both seemed to like spending time in the skills lab in the morning if they had no scheduled surgeries. Dolls would swing by for a few minutes to finish off his protein shake before disappearing again prompting everyone to question where exactly he spent his time when not in surgery. Jeremy would wander over just as Dolls was walking away and never failed to look disappointed he was leaving. The last to show was absolutely always Shae. She would show up completely preoccupied and usually keep her head in a book until their forty five minutes were up.
The only time Shae looked up from her studies was when Nicole was speaking. She always made sure to laugh a little extra if Nicole made a joke and every day she brought Nicole a piece of fruit to have after her meal. It all drove Waverly insane.
Ever since their encounter at the scrub sink Waverly seemed to grow increasingly angry during their lunchtime interactions. It incensed her the way Nicole would scoff down her meal while she joked around with Rosita and Jeremy. Every nurse that passed by seemed to know Nicole by name and flirted shamelessly.
Nicole’s manners at the table left something to be desired, she never waited to start eating and she ate so fast that she would finish well before anyone else. Every day she would finish off her meal with that damn fruit that Shae bought for her. Her favorite was apples, extra crisp apples that would snap so loudly as she bit into them that you could hear it for miles. It drove Waverly crazy the way Nicole’s jawline looked so strong and the way the juice from the fruit coated her lips. It was maddening how fucking sexy it was. The worst part of it all was Shae’s unapologetic and continuous flirting. Waverly was almost embarrassed for her - almost. Mostly she just wanted to punch her in the vag.
Lunch time was becoming an emotional rollercoaster and she hated that she couldn't seem to stop thinking about Nicole. So much so that she considered changing her routine so she would see Nicole less. In the end, Waverly convinced herself it would be rude to suddenly stop showing up so she put the thought from her mind.
They were almost done with their lunch when the topic of living conditions came up as Jeremy began telling the group about his mothers propensity for entering his room without knocking making certain activities extremely risky.
“Chetri… seriously…you have to move out of your parents house,” Nicole said with half a laugh prompting Rosita to chime in.
“Dude, how are you ever gonna get laid with your parents sleeping in the next bedroom?”
“Have you met me? I haven’t had a boyfriend to have sex with in…like…oh God…in over a year.” Jeremy drops his face into his hands. “That’s so depressing.”
“Wow, that is depressing. You are a young, good-looking Doctor. How have you not been getting any?” Rosita questions.
“Did you miss the part where I mentioned I live at home with my parents?”
“You need to get out of there, Chetri. Why don’t you come live with Rosita and I?”
“Thanks for the offer Nicole but I am at home because I am broke. My med school loans are scary high and I am barely making it. No way I could afford rent.”
“Who said anything about rent?” Nicole says as she messily bites into her burger.
Waverly looks over to Nicole wondering if she heard right.
“I’m sorry…what?” Jeremy asks, clearly confused.
“Well, I have this huge house, no sense letting the rooms go to waste. I don’t charge my friends rent. You should move in. All of you should. Earp, I know you are dying to get out of that hovel you live in. It could be fun…or it could be like the saddest frat house ever, only time will tell.” Nicole laughs at her own joke as she winks at Waverly.
They sit in silence for a moment as they all contemplate the offer just made to them. Nicole shrugs her shoulders as she takes another massive bite into her double cheeseburger. Waverly’s eyes can’t help but be drawn to the mess that ensues as a dollop of ketchup drips onto Nicole’s chin. She wants to be disgusted but all she can think about is what it would be like if there was something else entirely dripping from Nicole’s chin and how much she would want to lick it off and…
“I’m in!” Shae exclaims as she leans forward and wipes the ketchup from Nicole’s chin with her finger then licks her finger clean.
Oblivious, Nicole smiles as she swallows down the last bit of her bite and says, “Great!”
Rosita nearly chokes on her water at the sight before her and she immediately looks at Waverly as she mouths the words, “what the fuck?” Before Rosita gets a chance to pose the question aloud Jeremy interjects.
“I guess I’m in too. I really do want to get laid again someday.” He says with a sigh making Nicole start laughing again.
“Yes!” Nicole puts out a hand to high five with Jeremy but he misses wildly.
She turns to Waverly, “Ok Earp…what say you? In or out?”
Waverly thinks for a minute. She is still fuming over the audacity of Shae’s actions and her mind can’t seem to focus on anything but the thought of Shae touching Nicole so intimately.
“Ummm, I…I have to think about it. I signed a lease and all. It’s an amazing offer though, Thank you.”
“Ok, take your time. My door is always open for you.”
Waverly smiles at the implication of those particular words and looks over to Shae who seems to be having the same feelings towards Waverly that Waverly had toward Shae after the ketchup incident.
The list of things they were competing for seemed to have grown by one.
🍎
By the end of their program each intern would have to pick an area of specialty. For some, it takes months to find their niche. Rosita and Jeremy were still very much up in the air but Waverly fell in love with general surgery despite her big sister’s push toward neurosurgery. Nicole was ortho all the way from day one and Shae had been spending most of her time working with Dr. J.H. Holliday, Chief of Surgery and head of cardiothoracic surgery. The big surprise came when Dr. Xavier Dolls announced to the group he was leaning towards pediatric surgery. No one saw that one coming.
Dr. Wynonna Earp was disappointed that not a single one of the interns expressed a real interest in Neuro. She was, after all, world famous and training under her would be considered a real coup for most interns.
When given the opportunity to choose an intern for her rotation she wanted to choose Waverly. She knew Waverly was the best intern in her class but Waverly had begged her early on to allow her to “grow at her own pace and find the specialty she truly loved,” so Wynonna let her be. Several other surgeons spoke highly of Shae Pressman but Wynonna never had much of a stomach for ass kissers. When Dr. Randall Nedley recommended Nicole to Wynonna since the ortho schedule for the week was extremely slow the decision was made.
That is how Nicole ended up scrubbing in on an emergency craniotomy at 11:00 am on a Friday morning. Nicole was uncharacteristically quiet as she scrubbed in with Dr. Earp and the rest of the team.
“Ok Haught - tell me about this patient.”
“White male, 42, driver of a vehicle that was struck by another vehicle at high speed on the interstate. His wife and child were both in the car. Wife is in surgery for an intra-abdominal bleed and the baby was taken to the peds unit for observation. He has an open head wound and has been unconscious throughout. CT reveals a massive bleed in the left temporal lobe. The plan is to perform an emergency craniotomy, evacuate the hematoma and control the bleeding.”
“Well done Haught. Let’s get to it then.”
The urgency of the situation was evident from the moment they entered the room. The patient was clearly unstable and time was of the essence. Wynonna made the incision and allowed Nicole to hold retraction as she sawed open the patient's skull.
“Fuck.” Wynonna said under her breath as the seriousness of the bleed presented itself.
“We have significant damage here. Lots of bleeding and swelling. I’m going to need lots of surgicel and I’ll take the bipolar forceps and a sponge please.”
The OR team worked frantically to stabilize the patient but it was quickly becoming a losing battle. Every bleeder Dr. Earp was able to stop, led to a new one and eventually, the steady sound of the heartbeat on the monitors started to fluctuate.
“We're losing him,” the anesthesiologist barked.
“Come on…come on…” Wynonna begged.
Then it happened - the lines on the monitor went flat and the beeping noise that indicated a heartbeat changed to just a continuous screech.
“Flat line…Haught, start compressions. Get the code cart in here.”
Wynonna covered the surgical site with a moist sponge and stepped away to allow the OR team space to work the code. After almost fifteen minutes of CPR it became clear that the patient was gone. Wynonna checked the monitors and confirmed with the anesthesiologist that they had exhausted all measures. They had tried their best but there was nothing left to be done.
“Ok, that's enough. It’s enough, we lost him. Haught, call time of death.”
“No, it can’t be. It can’t be over. We need to keep trying. He has a family and we need to keep trying. She stopped compressions and grabbed the paddles. “Charge to 360, “ She ordered.
The nurse just stood there, unsure how to proceed. The attending surgeon had just ended the code.
“I said charge to 360 dammit!”
“Dr. I…”
“She won’t be charging the paddles Dr. Haught. He is gone, step away!”
“No! I won’t let you give up on him.”
“Dr. Haught, step away from my patient and remove yourself from my OR…NOW!”
Something in Nicole snapped and she stepped away from the patient, tore off her gown and gloves and started to run out of the room. The last thing she heard as she exited was the stoic sound of Dr. Wynonna Earp saying the words she couldn’t.
“Time of death…fourteen thirty hours.”
🕝
Rosita and Waverly were in the skills lab when they heard about Nicole’s patient. Rosita stood immediately, “I’ve got to find Haught.”
“Yeah, that’s rough…losing a patient.”
“You have no idea…Haught…she lost her parents in a car accident. They both died and now…”
“Now she lost a patient to the same situation.”
“Exactly.”
“Can I help? I want to help.”
“Waverly, this may sound strange but you may be the only one who actually can help her but first, we have to find her.”
Waverly had a pretty good idea where to find Nicole. Way back on their first day she passed Nicole on the stairs. Waverly was going up and Nicole was going down in such a rush that she nearly slammed right into Waverly. She apologized and said something about the view and losing track of time. Waverly hadn’t thought twice about it until this moment. The view…”she must have been up on the roof,” she whispered and rushed to the stairwell.
Nicole was leaning against the wall, staring out over the city when Waverly found her. She was holding her scrub cap in her hands and she tried to dry her tears when she heard Waverly approaching.
“I’m ok. I mean, I will be ok. I just need…I just need a minute.”
“Ok…that’s…Ok. But I…can I stay? I can just stay here - with you - you don’t have to talk. Unless you want to.”
Nicole turns to face Waverly and it strikes Waverly just how beautiful Nicole is even when she has been crying. “Waverly, I think…” Nicole was set to turn Waverly away but the soft look of genuine concern and kindness made her think again, “Ok. yeah. I would like it if you stayed.”
They stood in silence for a while and it was oddly comfortable. Waverly shot a text to Rosita to let her know she had found Nicole and would be staying with her for a while which seemed to really please Rosita.
“Did Rosita send you?”
“No..I mean, sort of.”
Nicole looks at Waverly, confused.
“When we heard about your patient she told me a little about your parents and said she needed to find you. I offered though, to help that is. To help find you and make sure you are alright. Please don’t be mad at her.”
“I’m not mad. I know she worries about me. Thanks for offering to help. I know I’m not your favorite person.”
“What? Nicole, why would you think that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? You always look at me like you want to punch me in the throat or something.”
“I do not!”
“Waverly, everyone notices. I talked to Rosita and Shae about it just the other night. Shae says it’s because you think she and I are a thing.”
“Shae is delusional. It’s none of my business if you two are a thing and I absolutely do not want to punch you in the throat. Not at this moment anyway.”
Nicole laughs and the sight makes Waverly feel a rush of warmth from her head all the way down to her toes.
“Ok - good and, for the record, Shae and I are definitely not a thing.”
Waverly smiles and nods, “Good to know,” she says as she steps closer to Nicole. “I’m sorry about your parents and I’m sorry about your patient. I’m sure you did everything you could.”
“Thanks. You know, this is one of the reasons I love ortho. It’s all strains and sprains, none of this dying shit.”
Waverly laughs at the logic in Nicole's statement. “I guess I never thought of it that way.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I really love putting a person back together. Plates and screws and all that, it’s thrilling and challenging but it’s rarely life or death like neuro. I’m not even sure why your sister pulled me in with her. The worst part is that I think I really pissed her off. She ordered me to call time of death and I…I just couldn’t.” Nicole’s voice cracked and a fresh set of tears threatened to fall, “she kicked me out of her OR. I guess my neuro days are over. I just hope she doesn’t get me kicked out of the program.”
“Wynonna did what? She kicked you out?”
“Woah, easy there Earp. She kicked me out because I was directly defying her orders. I probably would have done the same thing.”
“No you wouldn’t.”
Nicole smiles, “No, I wouldn’t but maybe that’s why I’ll never be a world renowned Neurosurgeon.”
“Well, some would argue that the title is overrated.”
“I guess. You know what title is never overrated?”
“No…what title would that be?”
“Friend. Thank you Waverly, for coming to find me and listening. I do feel better.”
Waverly was happy that she could be there for Nicole but she couldn’t help but wince slightly at the term friend.
A part of her had hoped Nicole felt something more.