Work Text:
It is gone midnight, and the ED is quieter now.
The water slide victims are either stable where they are or up on other floors getting additional treatment or surgery. The minor burns and heat-related conditions from the earlier events of the day have mostly all been discharged. Baby Jane Doe was finally picked up by social services. Jude is gone, upstairs somewhere with his sister, awaiting what and who the coming days will bring with his recovery and their situation. Trinity shakes her head and glares at the computer screen again, trying to forget about them for a bit longer, just for long enough to finish catching up on enough charts for her to go home and sleep. Home with Huckleberry, for now at least.
“I’ve got news.”
“You’re leaving permanently to go be a farmer?”
“No, uh, Robby asked me for a favour. He wants to me to stay at his place while he’s away. You know, keep an eye on things…”
“Why would he ask you?”
“He was talking to me about Amy, thought I might like some space and a chance to save some money on rent.”
“You don’t pay rent.”
“Yeah well, I figured it would be okay and you’d enjoy the peace for a few months.”
“Between your farm time and work you definitely haven’t compromised my peace yet.”
“Well I kinda agreed to it already, I’m getting his keys later.”
“Well that’s great, happy for you.”
That hadn’t happened, at least not yet. Robby hadn’t left, Whitaker had said he’d see her at home when he’d awkwardly waved to her as he left earlier, almost looking pitiful at her still being stuck at this computer. At least she still had him around. Garcia, on the other hand… Nope, not going there, Trinity focus!
Midnight became 1am, and boosted by Ellis’ KitKat, she finally finished proofreading the last entry just before 2am. She rubbed her eyes, signed out of the computer, and headed to her locker to grab her things, slightly encouraged knowing she wasn’t due back here for over 24 more hours and was fully planning to sleep for over half of them.
Heading to her car, she checked her phone to see if Whitaker had messaged her, only to realise her phone had died at some point during the chaos. Shoving it back into her bag as she hunts for her keys, she looks up as she approaches her car then stops abruptly. Yolanda Garcia is leaning against the hood of said-car.
Trinity contemplated for a second just how quickly she might be able to get away before Yolanda saw her, not ready to get into it with her again, before realising how ridiculous that was. She pushes the key fob and smirks as Yolanda jumps slightly at the beep.
“I thought you had other plans?”
“You really think I finished on time for after work plans today?”
“Still would have finished earlier than me, how long have you been here?”
“Not long, someone suggested you might be finishing up soon so I thought I’d wait around. I text you but-“
“Phone died. Here to get at me for something else Doctor Garcia? Because I really just want to get home and forget about this entire day.”
Yolanda winces at that. “Could I have five minutes, please?”
Trinity says nothing as she throws her bag into the backseat, and then, possibly against her better judgement, turns to Yolanda. They’re both silent for a moment, and Trinity watches as Yolanda looks far too interested in a nearby street lamp before she sits back against the hood again. “I’m sorry I cancelled on you.”
“It’s fine. Why did you wait around to tell me that?”
Yolanda sighs and rubs her face. “You seemed upset I made plans.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Trin-“
“I wasn’t.”
“You were the one who wanted casual.”
Trinity huffs and opens the driver’s door, frustrated at the mention of that word from the last time they’d been together at Yolanda’s apartment. “Yep that’s right, keeping it casual. Was that all you wanted to remind me of? Again?”
Yolanda stands quickly. “Please don’t go, not yet, I uh. I really did want to watch the fireworks with you and I wanted to try make it up to you.”
Trinity looks at her, puzzled, as Yolanda goes to sit back down and fishes a lighter out of the bottom of her bag, and then a pack of sparklers, which she opens and offers to Trinity. “How about that rain check?”
Exhausted, confused, and speechless, Trinity sits next to her and picks a sparkler out of the packet, and waits as Yolanda gets her own and lights them both, before she starts to draw lazy shapes in the air. Trinity just stares at her own, unmoving, watching the spark make its way down the stick, which is just about to fizz out before Trinity finally speaks.
“I don’t, you know.”
“Don’t what?”
“Want casual. I like this, I like being with you, I could get so used to this, but R2 is kicking my ass already and I just can’t give enough of myself to any other part of my life and you deserve more than that.”
Yolanda smiles softly at her before holding out another lit sparkler, then speaks. “You know I’ve been a resident too right?”
“You’re way more put together than I am.”
“Not my first few years, as Walsh so politely reminded me upstairs this evening.”
“Walsh? I didn’t think she was working today.”
“She came in to watch the fireworks from the roof with us earlier. Reminded me of a few things before she ditched us when a certain ED resident turned up. I’m not expecting anything you don’t have the time or mental or physical energy for, but I want to at least make something more of this.”
Trinity files away that little piece of information for her next shift, as the rest of what Yolanda said washed over her. Unable to form another sentence yet, she reached between them for another sparkler, and Yolanda followed suit as they made their way through the rest of the pack. As the last sparkler burns out, Trinity gently rests her head onto Yolanda’s shoulder, eyelids feeling heavy as they sit there in silence before Yolanda softly nudges her. “You need sleep.”
“Come with me?” Trinity is too tired to be embarrassed by how quickly those words left her mouth. “I mean, if you want to and just sleep and even though Huckleberry is there although he was planning to leave and I know you-“
Yolanda cuts her off with a gentle kiss. “I’d love to.”
The drive to Trinity’s place is silent, with quiet murmurs to each other as they make their way into the apartment and down the hall to Trinity’s room, removing pants and jackets before all but falling into the bed. After a few seconds, Yolanda lifts her arm in a wordless invitation for Trinity to tuck herself in next to her, breathing out a sigh as she settles into the first of many peaceful nights alongside the woman she loves.