Chapter Text
It is not an unknown fact that the Pitt is filled with a bunch of (well meaning but nosy) gossips.
Which is the exact reason why when it came to their relationship, their approached varied.
Dr. Garcia, who is cool, calm, and confident will make comments that refer to Dr. Santos in passing with an abrasiveness that indicates no shame of their ‘arrangement’ to their coworkers. So to an outsider in the ED it might seem like what they have is just casual between them.
(Yet it's in the private moments that Yolanda will let her walls down, and softly whisper affirmations of loving her).
It's what led Trinity to decide that on her end, she had her partner's reputation to uphold and carving her own to match.
So within PTMC's walls, as Dr. Santos (not Trinity), she's the ambitious R2, also attempting to carry this cool air about them so that to the gossips of PMTC's looking in, they're only that.
Just casual.
(Yolanda will constantly tease her though that her poker face needs work. That as of the moment, to an outsider, it seems like Trinity is the one more invested-
even though they’ve made it clear that their both all in)
And it works for a while.
Whispers of
"I saw Dr. Garcia and Dr. Santos confronting each other in the stairwell - Dr. Garcia saying something about Dr. Santos needing to put on her big girl panties, and moving on."
(But little did they know once they got home it was whispers of 'well done', 'I'm so proud. I knew you had it in you', and 'look who's a big girl now' with playful nips to the neck)
Or
On shift Dr. Robby telling Dr. Garcia to ease up on her critique of Dr. Santos' presentation-
(But at home she gets a smirk and a reward for being 'so so competent').
People can say what they want about how they perceive their relationship but Trinity loves that what they have is theirs, and theirs alone.
It works so well. It's private, it's theirs and no one else is none the wiser to their true dynamic behind closed doors.
(It's not without a few close calls).
Until the Food Thief.
Until The Fucking Food Thief.
"Woah is that from the new taco place that just opened up a few blocks down? It smells delicious." McKay says as she walks into the break room as Trinity takes a bite from her chorizo taco. She figures it's from panic but she ends up just nodding her head in agreement chewing slowly in hopes she doesn't choke while her face doesn't give anything away.
(Like the fact that these are definitely not from the taco place, and Yolanda would kill her if she knew Trinity passed her homemade tacos as takeout).
"I didn't know they delivered."
"For sure."
(Trinity was not in fact sure)
(But she was wasn't going to admit these came from upstairs).
"Which app did you use to order? Cause I'm starving and I could use some Al Pastor."
And fuck, Trinity didn't think this far ahead.
"Um...Grubhub." She says hesitantly and hopes for the best.
"Aw, I'm a Doordash girl. Don't want to order another membership. Let me know if you order from there again- I can pay if you add to your order."
Trinity just replies with a smile and a thumbs up as she stuff the last bit of her taco in hopes she does not incriminate herself further.
Yolanda teases her relentlessly that night, and finds that said Taco place uses Uber Eats Trinity makes sure to download the app and orders Mckay something next time to cover her tracks.
(She still prefers Yolanda's tacos though)
It's a few weeks later she heaves a heavy sigh sitting down across Whitaker who looks at her plate and then proceeds to stare sadly at his sandwich.
"What's got you down Huckleberry?"
"Nothing."
"Out with it."
"No no, its just- having something warm would have been nice given the day we've had thus far."
And He's not wrong. The first few hours of their shift they were met with two DNR's that were touch and go for a hot minute. And those were followed by a heart attack that died in the hall.
(Not dissimilar to a certain Mr. Milton)
It's definitely a day where hot food hits the soul deeper than cart sandwiches or a sad protein bar.
So she doesn't think much of it when she just hands him half her Quesadilla.
(In return he wordlessly cuts half of his sandwich and puts in on her plate as even exchange).
And she doesn't think much of it when mentions it in passing to Yolanda later that evening
But she notices the next morning an extra quesadilla packed in her bag with a post it that says 'For you & Farm boy' and when she hands it to him, she knows he knows she didn't cook it.
She cooks Yolanda Filipino spaghetti that night in thanks and basks in Yolanda's laughter as she takes in the hot dogs included.
(It's childhood, it's playful, it's mutual care).
It's one of those weeks where you just needed extra sustenance in the day.
Gloria sent out a hospital wide email for the update in Mass Casualty Incident training.
(And after Pittfest, everyone-including Student Doctors- were now mandated to join).
Thankfully, a lunch break was actually scheduled in between the batched break out sessions and so every Filipina nerve in her body was thrumming with anticipation at the chance to have a rice meal in the middle of the day.
(She has no shame in admitting that as they reached the end of this lectured session leading to lunch, she started humming "Bayang Magiliw" in excitement).
She should have known it came at a price
"Is that Chicken Adobo?"
Shit shit shit shit
"Hi Princess, didn't realize we'd share the same lunch break"
"Oh yeah, thank God. Not sure about you but I can't deal with another lecture about camaraderie when they don't hire added protection for nurses, but I digress-" She says moving to sit across from her "so ano yan? Whats that? Adobo?"
"Yeah."
"Why is it a different color?"
"Added chiles." She says looking back at her container and mixing the rice.
"Oh...so like the spanish version of Adobo?" Princess asks and Trinity hopes the raised inflection on her voice is just out of curiosity and not fishing for more chismis.
Be cool Be cool Be cool
"Uh yeah. I figured why not? Need some spice in my life, am I right?" She says with a chuckle while spooning in another full.
"Amen to that. Which by the way- did you see the new radiologist? What a hottie." Princess says while fanning her face, and Trinity hopes her laugh doesn't give away the nerves she feels under the surface.
When she texts Yolanda about the close call that night, Yolanda Facetimes her to share her laugh and her own impression of the Filipino adobo Trinity cooked her.
(The call ends with Yolanda promising to bring something extra spicy the weekend to come.)
"Are you sick?" She hears in Tagalog as she props her head up.
"A little. Just feeling under the weather." She replies in Tagalog just the same, sniffing a bit, and moving some hair out of her face.
"You need anything?"
"I'm okay- just going to have soup to try and push through." She says as the microwave alarms.
"Sit sit, Let me get it for you " Perlah says moving to grab the soup. Though as she stares at the dish, there is slight confusion that crosses her face.
"Why does your arroz caldo have corn in it?" She asks in Tagalog.
Trinity will blame the delivery on the congestion, but she's pretty proud of what she pulls up.
"Fusion. New recipe. You should try it sometime." She says back in English, and geez she can hear just how congested she sounds.
"Next time for sure, it does looks good." Perlah says back in English while placing it gently in front of her handing her a spoon.
Trinity doesn't know if she's convincing enough but at that point she doesn't care. The Pozole was a lifeline, and was one of the only things that got her through the shift.
She thanks Yolanda over text profusely for prepping and dropping off the soup, but still forbids her to coming over lest she gets germs.
(Yolanda still comes over and makes her a sopa de ajo that knocks her out to sleep the next twelve hours straight for their day off).
"What the Fuck do you think you're doing?" She says, hand still on the knob as she takes in the crime scene before her.
Her beloved lunch in the hands of a certain Student Doctor.
James Fucking Ogilive.
"Uh...eating?" He replies as he takes another bite of chicken to his mouth like he's not committing a personal crime against Trinity's humanity.
"Eating. My. Tamales?" She says evenly as possible ignoring the rush of blood to her ears.
"I'm sorry, were these yours? I thought those were for everyone. They were just on the counter." He replies with a furrowed brow.
"I had to run back out because one of my patients started to code." She says replies with a clenched jaw.
"Oh I see." He says, and the man doesn't even look remorseful. "-Well no biggie, I could get some delivered for you. Which store you get them from?" He says pulling out his phone probably scrolling through a food delivery app.
(Deep breath. She reminds herself)
"Those were homemade you-" she cuts herself off lest she says something that isn't HR friendly.
(She knows better then anyone that no one should be subjected to a verbal lashing at work, but as she counts to back from ten she wonders if break time can technically count as off the clock).
"Is there a problem here?" Dr. Garcia says stopping next to her at the door. In true Ogilvie fashion he sits up and stands like the fear of Garcia runs through his spine-
("As it fucking should" Trinity thinks to herself) and he begins to explain.
"I accidentally ate Dr. Santos' lunch-"
"-He fucking ate my tamales." She says to Garcia which both catch Whitaker's whisper "oh he's dead." as he rushes past the hall toward another patient. Dr. Garcia responds with a raised brown and a slight uptick on her lip.
(Good to know she finds this amusing)
He interjects "-I was just about to offer to replace them-"
"-no need." Dr. Garcia starts lifting a hand to cut him off. "-I packed her extra." Dr. Garcia's no nonsense voice cuts through.
And it was in that moment it felt like the whole ED went still.
If she wasn't still seething, she doesn't know what would have amused her more.
The fact that Ogilvie slowly sank into his seat realizing the gravity of his mistake.
(That he ate Dr. Yolanda Garcia's homemade tamales intended for one Dr. Trinity Santos)
Or the fact she could hear Joy's sing song voice as she walks back past them now alongside Whitaker accompanying the new patient "he's a dead man walking indeed."
Instead she turns back to Garcia.
"Wait. You packed me extra?"
"I was bringing some down in case you decided to have pity and share with farm boy." She says as she brings a lumpia (also packed with some tamales) from her container up to her lips for a bite.
And at that gesture Trinity hears somewhere behind them Princess letting out a gasp and 'I knew it!' With Perlah commenting 'Tamales and Lumpia? Serious pala sila talaga. They’re really serious huh.”
She also vaguely hears Donnie behind them 'Con Tamales? Wow who knew Garcia is in deep.'
(She looks back to glare at the nurses station to see them wave in return.)
"So are we good here?" Dr. Garcia asks, and Trinity reminds herself, right- still at work, cool, calm, collected.
(Inhale. Exhale. Don't flip the med student on his back. He's not worth your Krav Maga training.)
"Yeah." She replies looking back to Ogilvie who takes the social cue and stands to leave the break room. As he squeezes between the two, he pauses at the door way and turns-
"um. if you were the one to cook these, they were really good." Pointing to the tamales in hand. It doesn't take a lot to hear Donahue comment
"This kid really has a death wish doesn't he?".
Garcia just glares at him and moves her hand to wave him away. "Just move."
"Yes Ma'am." he says as he scurries away.
Garcia nudges her in turn to take a seat, as she moves to close the door and Trinity does so with a sigh.
"Alright, inhala exahala Dr. Santos, lets get this food in you and move on with our day hm?" She says moving to add the food to the microwave. The action Yolanda preparing her food is such a reflex for her that she forgets for a moment that they're still in scrubs, that right now they're Dr. Santos and Dr. Garcia and not at home as Trinity and Yolanda.
But she allows herself the moment to breathe out as Yolanda meets her eyes by the microwave. After a beat a slow grin that's a bit cheeky and mischievous graces her face. She's the one who breaks the silence first.
"So with the theatrics, who do you think won the pot?" Trinity just groans and leans her head on the table in response.
"I'm serious. Use your chismis in with the nurses- You think we can get a cut?"
(Trinity finds our later it was Perlah who won, and graciously gives them ten percent as she already split the pot with Princess).
The ED officially dubs the ordeal as 'Food Gate'.
In the weeks following she gets teased by Princess and Perlah, and is met with knowing glances from the other doctors when they see her carve time to take a quick bite.
(She doesn't miss the approving look Dana throws her way for finally gaining better eating habits)
Eventually she starts to embrace it.
Because as it stands, Dr. Yolanda Garcia is still cool, confident and efficient (to be feared). In turn, Dr. Santos is still the ambitious R2 who advocates for her patients (and not to be messed with).
What they have between them is anything but casual and though it's acknowledged-it's still private and theirs alone.
And as she sits in the break room with pollo con mole for lunch while Garcia walks away with her own container of kare-kare, she can't help but think that there are a few benefits post Food Gate.
For one, the word 'taken' gets added their reputation.
(And by the possessive smirk Yolanda throws her way across the ED floor she knows the memory of last weekend's declarations of 'mine', and 'all yours, only yours', echo in their minds against the beeps of the pacemaker monitors on the floor)
And second - no one dares steal her food.
(A girl's gotta eat, and let's face it, Trinity eats good).