Chapter Text
The way Levi sees it, everyone deserves a second take in life. At least, that is how he thinks of every patient under his supervision. Even if a patient is diagnosed with an illness that shortens their life span, Levi never tells them to believe in those suggested ‘months’ in which they would be given to live. He knows they have another chance, and he likes to believe that he does too.
Approximately two years ago, Levi lost his wife in a car accident that took her life on the spot. Their daughter was only three years old, an age where it is crucial to have both your parents by your side to help you learn and grow. But the universe was somehow unfair to her, and only Levi and his foster sister; Isabel, were there to raise her from that moment on. Levi had gone through an alcoholic phase because of his wife’s absence. He only decided to quit after being threatened to get fired by his best friend, upon receiving a few complaints of misconduct lodged by patients. Since then, Levi was determined to move on and open a new and fresh page, for him and his daughter.
That determination has grown stronger, since he met you.
You were employed by this hospital just a year ago, right after graduating nursing school. Since then, you have been admired by many of your colleagues and doctors, including Levi. It has always been said that your nature resembles that of Dr. Petra Ral; Levi’s late wife, who was a pediatrician at this hospital. Like Petra, you are always so sharp and quick-witted, yet so calm and pacific in your presence. So courageous, yet cautious in every word you ever said or every action you took. You are a presence so similar to what Levi considered as home, that sometimes he feels that his significant other is still there, just working and several departments away from him.
It is 9 P.M., and Levi sighs as he grabs his stethoscope and coat for the third time tonight, ready to do his hourly patrol duty in the cardiology ward. As he steps out of his office, his eyes instantly catch the sight of you, who are attentively looking at the large screen of computer in front of you. Levi cannot help but have his cheeks tinted when you catch his stare; to which you nod and smile out of courtesy to your superior. Levi nods and clears his throat, eyes darting away from you to the first room to check up on.
As Levi finishes checking up on the patient in the fourth room, he notices that you are not at the reception counter of the ward anymore. His attention diverts to the 12th room, where his patient, 79-year-old James Hunter has been occupying for three weeks now. Mr. Hunter was diagnosed with a pulmonary heart disease, a condition where the right ventricle of the heart is expanded due to the increased blood pressure and struggle of the lungs. Since his diagnosis, Mr. Hunter has been hospitalized in order to be cared for extensively. Because of his age, he is vulnerable to life-threatening risks, a matter that in Levi’s opinion, cannot be swept under the carpet. Therefore, his condition is best to be supervised by Levi and the nurses 24/7. If he shows any improvement, he will be allowed to go home.
Levi could see you through the glass window of the room, where you are conversing with Mr. Hunter; who seems a tad bit more cheerful tonight. He always sees you accompanying this old man more frequently compared to the other patients. Maybe it is just because of how sympathetic you are towards him, since Mr. Hunter barely has anyone visiting him, unlike the rest of the patients in the cardiology department. It is known to Levi that he has a son, but apparently, he is too busy to check up on his father every day.
After checking up on the 11th patient, Levi moves on to Mr. Hunter’s room. He knocks on the door before pushing it open to see you, already standing and smiling towards him. Levi can’t help but have his breath hitch at this sight of you. Weird, he has always been the one to prioritize professionalism at the workplace. But when it comes to you, he dares to make an exception somehow.
Levi nods as he walks towards Mr. Hunter’s bed. “Hello, Dr. Ackerman,” Mr. Hunter’s hoarse voice greets the younger man, and Levi showcases a thin smile as a response. “Good evening, Mr. Hunter. How’s your voice doing?” Levi utters without looking at the old man, since he doesn’t usually bother to have small talks with his patients. He thinks that small talks may just increase his emotional attachment towards them, and as a doctor, he is not allowed to let that happen.
Levi instantly plugs the ear tips of his stethoscope in and holds his diaphragm out to auscultate his patient. Mr. Hunter obliges, and begins to steady his breathing as Levi places the diaphragm on his chest.
“Still coughing, Mr. Hunter?” Levi perks a brow up before unplugging the ear tips of his stethoscope and placing it in the pocket of his white coat. Mr. Hunter smiles and nods hesitantly as a response. Levi nods and turns to you, who are standing right next to him. He clears his throat as he digs his hands into the pockets of his coat, avoiding your eyes in order to keep himself seem professional in front of his patient.
“How’s his fever doing?” Levi asks, expecting you to have already checked his temperature when you came to visit him. The old man has been developing a high fever for the past few days, perhaps due to the freezing air conditioner in the hospital. Levi is very much against the idea of this Antarctic-like temperature.
“100.4 Fahrenheit, Dr. Ackerman,” you purse your lips and smile, and Levi nods as a response, presenting his palm upon you to ask for Mr. Hunter’s report. You instantly walk to the reception counter in front of the room, take Mr. Hunter’s file, and hand it over to Levi in a matter of moments. Levi takes out his pen and jots down a few words before handing it back to you.
“Right after your dinner, you will be prescribed with some paracetamols, a cough syrup and your usual antibiotics. If your fever gets better then you will be discharged,” Levi forms a thin smile as he eyes the old man, who has a pair of huge glasses which makes his green eyes seem googly. He is one of those patients who is always warm and friendly towards the staff, and never grumpy when it comes to taking his medicines or following the medical procedures, which makes it easy for Levi to supervise him.
“All clear, Dr. Ackerman. Thank you so much,” Mr. Hunter salutes weakly, and Levi can’t help but give a slight smile at the older man’s gesture. He nods, before diverting his gaze towards you. You nod and smile, and Levi instantly walks out of the room and goes to the next patient, not wanting to build up the tension that he feels is already there between the two of you.
As Levi works on the new patient reports that were just handed in by Historia; another nurse under the Cardiology department, you storm the door of his room open, panting. Levi’s eyes widen at the sight of you, who look obviously panicked with drops of sweat running down your forehead. There is a reflection of fear and dejection in your glassy eyes, which look like they would burst into tears any time now.
“What is it?” Levi places his pen down, standing up as he gazes you. A concerned expression clearly painted on his face.
“Mr. Hunter, he—”
Without letting you finish your sentences, Levi runs to the 12th room, not bothered to have his coat on due to the adrenaline running through his body. He pushes the door open to see Mr. Hunter, lying on the hospital bed, gasping for air as his eyes are locked on the ceiling of the room. Levi hastily walks towards Mr. Hunter’s bed, and immediately tilts his head back gently in order to perform CPR. He turns to his side to see you, who are just anticipating his orders as you stand beside him.
“Call his son and get the defibrillator, STAT,” Levi denotes without even bothering to look at you. His attention is locked on the man lying upon him, whose life is now at stake. You hastily nod, running to get one of the machines from the storage room nearby.
“You’re alright, James. You can do this,” Levi whispers as he presses Mr. Hunter’s chest by placing his hands on it. His heart is beating rapidly as he gazes the older man. No matter how many times has Levi faced a dying patient, he would never be able to adapt to a scene like this.
Upon doing 100 compressions on Mr. Hunter, Levi places his mouth over the older man’s and begins to blow into it with all the power he has to deliver rescue breaths. After delivering his breaths twice, Levi continues to do compressions on Mr. Hunter’s chest again. Pressing his hands on the man’s chest, Levi hears the sound of the door being pushed, where you are bringing the defibrillating machine inside the room.
“Charge it to 100,” Levi utters without sparing you a look, still performing CPR on the old man which does not even seem to work at this point. As a doctor, Levi cannot surrender. Even if he also runs out of breath, his patient comes first.
You nod, pressing the ‘charge’ button on the machine as you watch the older man in front of you, tears brimming your eyes as you wait for the defibrillating machine to charge the external paddles connected to it. You hand the paddles out to Levi, and he nods before taking them. He watches Mr. Hunter, who is now still and unfazed by the chaos filling in his room.
“All clear,” Levi states, indicating that the paddles are charged and ready to defibrillate the old man, by placing the paddle in his right hand on his third intercostal space and the other on the right side of his sternum. You back away, watching the helpless man in hopes that the defibrillator would bring him back. Levi presses the buttons of the paddles on Mr. Hunter’s skin, and the man jolts up slightly from the electricity transmitted to his body.
Upon seeing that there is no progress coming from Mr. Hunter, Levi continues to perform CPR. “Charge it to 150,” He utters out of breath, still pressing the older man’s chest, too determined to stop trying. You nod, pressing the button on the machine again as you look out the window for any sign of Mr. Hunter’s son. You already called him a while ago, and yet you still cannot trace the man’s presence 30 minutes later.
“All clear.”
Levi presses the poor man’s body again, this time with a greater current charge. Still, Mr. Hunter remains unconscious. Sighing, Levi wipes the drops of sweat from his forehead away. He turns to his side and looks at you, whose eyes are already red from the tears you released.
“Try again?” You apologetically smile, and Levi clenches his jaw and nods before pressing Mr. Hunter’s chest, this time with a pressure so high, his exhaustion is beginning to consume the best of him.
“Charge it to 200,” Levi orders, and you nod again, pressing the button as you wipe your tears away with your other hand. You hand the paddles to Levi, and when the buttons of the paddles are lit in bright orange, Levi takes a deep breath, ready to try for the last time.
“All clear,” Levi denotes, pressing the paddles for the third time against the older man’s wrinkled skin. Still, no signs of breathing are seen. No signs of consciousness are witnessed.
Levi places the paddles back to the side of the defibrillator, sighing heavily as he stares at Mr. Hunter’s unconscious body. He closes his eyes before turning his gaze towards you.
“Time of death, 23.15.”
“We tried, but when the time comes, there’s nothing that we could do.”
Levi utters towards the taller figure standing upon him. The man sighs, combing his dark blond hair with his fingers as he looks at the empty bed in the 12th room through the glass window. The body of Mr. Hunter has been sent to the morgue of the hospital about 20 minutes ago, and his son has just arrived 5 minutes after that.
“He was a good man. Thank you for taking care of him,” the man, who is probably in his late 20s, taps Levi’s shoulder with his hand. Just as Levi sighs, you walk pass the two of them, not even bothered to greet the younger Hunter. Levi watches as you walk towards the reception counter to pick your stuffs up; your shift has probably ended by now.
Levi smiles thinly towards the man in front of him. His eyes were the color of his father’s.
“I best be on my way now. I have only an hour for a break. Sorry again for your loss,” Levi taps the man on the shoulder, before walking towards the elevator you took just a moment ago.
Levi sees you standing in front of the entrance of the hospital. With two paper cups of tea in his hand, he takes a deep breath and walks closer towards you, who seem to be occupied by your phone.
Levi clears his throat, and within just a second, you turn back towards your superior and smile. Your eyes are still sore from crying. Levi slightly curls the corner of his lips as a response, before handing you one of the cups in his hands. You perk a brow up towards the cup of tea presented upon you.
“We’re both tired, and a cup of tea can always help,” Levi utters, raising the cup slightly as a demand for you to accept his offer. You nod, taking the paper cup from his left hand. Levi’s heart thuds when your fingers graze his.
“Thank you, Dr. Ackerman,” you smile, blowing the hot tea softly before taking little sips from the cup. Its aroma indicates that it’s the earl grey tea. Levi nods, lifting his cup to his lips in order to drink it. His peripheral eyes you, who are jerking your head up, as if waiting for someone to come.
“When does your shift end, Doctor?”
Levi aborts his mission to take another sip of the tea, silently startled that you are initiating a conversation. He puts his cup away from his mouth, and lifts his left wrist to look at the watch.
“Perhaps at 8, if no emergency occurs.”
You smile and nod. “You’ve been here since morning, Doctor. You should be at the cafeteria. I saw Dr. Smith and Dr. Zoe there just now,” you point towards the cafeteria, which is just a shop away from the entrance. Levi shakes his head as a response.
“It’s alright. I usually don’t have the appetite after a patient dies.”
A silence fills the air, and Levi clears his throat again, hoping to resume the casual conversation that he has longed to have with you.
“Where do you live?” Levi asks, and you divert your gaze towards the man, smiling as you lock your phone again.
“Brooklyn Apart—ah, there it is!” you beam, placing your phone in your sling bag as a white BMW approaches the entrance of the hospital. Levi’s attention is glued to the darkly tinted windows of the car, hoping to get a glimpse of who it may be that picks you up at an hour like this.
The passenger side’s window rolls down, revealing a man with a tanned complexion and a brown hair, tied up into a man-bun. He looks at Levi with a pair of dark eyes, which change completely when his eyes finally lay on you.
“Good night, Doctor,” you smile, slightly bowing as a sign of courtesy before opening the door of the passenger’s side. Levi lifts his free hand as a response towards you. The man, who is fairly younger than Levi, once again stares him down before you close the door. Once the BMW drives away from the entrance, Levi turns away and heads to the cafeteria to see Hange and Erwin.
Probably her boyfriend, Levi sighs, lazily blowing on the steaming hot tea as he approaches the cafeteria.