Work Text:
Ethan’s taking her out to dinner tonight to celebrate, but she’s hesitant. It’s been a day of surprises, with Naveen telling Ethan that he’d be recommending him for the chief job, and Ethan had foolishly asked her to lead the diagnostics team. She managed to convince him that she wasn’t ready yet, but after having had more time to think about their future, she thinks that she might have pushed Ethan a little too hard earlier today .
Dinner is nice, and she is much more adept at timing her talks with Ethan than he usually is with her. It is obvious to him that something is bothering her, he wouldn’t be one of the best diagnosticians in the country if he hadn’t picked up on her discomfort, but he allows her to take things at her own pace. She broaches the topic after he’s called for the check and they’re enjoying the last of their wine.
“I’ve changed my mind,” she says, and Ethan looks worried. If she was honest, he’d been worried that she might leave him behind after she aced her boards. So, she’s quick to add, “No, I meant about you being chief.”
“You don’t think I’d make a good chief?” he asks, and it’s obvious he’s still feeling as insecure about Naveen’s recommendation as earlier in that day.
“No, no... It's not that. I think you’d make a great chief,” she assures him while placing her hand over his. “It’s just… you hate paperwork. And pharma reps. And long administrative meetings. And all the schmoozing with health insurers… Did I mention you hate paperwork?”
“I, uh, yeah,” he’s already running through the scenarios she’s mentioned. “But you were right earlier, and I don’t want to disappoint Naveen.”
“Tell him to name you interim chief,” she suggests. “Six months, so you can get a feel for the job, and it gives the board time to consider a shortlist of other candidates in case you don’t like it. If you do, they can keep you on, but if you don’t, then at least they can hire a replacement right away and you can come back to the diagnostic team.”
“But if I do that, you might never a chance of leading the team,” he says after considering her words carefully.
“Ethan, I don’t care about leading the team,” she’s firm with him. “I just want to be a good doctor who helps people, and I can do it by being on the team and working in the free clinic. What’s more important is that I can do all this while being with the man I love.”
“But you could be so much more,” he breathes out the words, as if in disbelief. He still does that, still marvels at the fact that she loves him, because he feels so unworthy of it all, especially after everything he’s put her through.
“I don’t need more to be happy, Ethan. I am happy, being a doctor at Edenbrook with you, and I want you to be happy too,” she tells him. “And I worry that I might have pushed you too hard towards the chief job earlier… and you might resent me for that when you’re sitting in a very long meeting negotiating deals with reps who have punchable faces.”
“That happened one time, and it was Declan Nash,” he shakes his head at that memory. He's quiet for a few moments before he says, “But yes, I do think that your proposed solution is far better than what’s been discussed. I’ll try it out for Naveen’s sake, and if I can’t stand it, I’ll ask the board to name Tobias chief or something.”
“He’d be perfect for the job,” she agrees a little too quickly for his liking. “He’ll be so good at charming those pharma—”
“Are you saying I’m not charming?” Ethan asks, and she knows that he hasn’t said that out of jealousy, but rather, a default response from the years of rivalry he’s shared with Tobias.
“Oh, you’re very charming, Dr. Ramsey,” she smirks at him. “You’re just very selective about who you want to charm.”
“Am I charming enough that you’d want to spend tonight at my place?”
“Of course. And Ethan? I hope you’re up for dessert.”