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Charlie gets his stitches out. He’s annoyed that it’s not Dr. Cullen who does the procedure. Then he’s immediately annoyed that he’s annoyed. Like a fucking middle schooler with a crush. Instead it’s Lisa Graston’s kid, who went and became a nurse then came back to Forks to pop out a few babies to the ex quarterback.
Charlie dated Lisa in 12th grade for about a month, until she decided that they didn’t have anything in common and dumped him. He hadn’t been too upset, they really had nothing in common. The nurse, Taylor if he remembers correctly, doesn’t seem to like him too much. Idly, he wonders if Lisa told her how he tried to take her mom fishing on a date. Probably.
Charlie is zoning out, trying to ignore the tugging in his palm when Dr. Cullen sweeps by their open door.
“Ah, Chief Swan. How lovely to see you again. Taylor, I can take over if you would prefer. I know you have charting that you need to catch up on,” he smiles magnanimously at the gobsmacked Taylor. Her previously professional demeanor is replaced by the blushing apples of her cheeks. Jesus Christ, I hope I don’t look like that.
“Of course Dr. Cullen. Thank you,” the nurse doesn’t even spare Charlie a second glance as she stumbles from the room, eyes lingering on the handsome doctor.
“It looks like it’s healing well,” Dr. Cullen’s cool breath fans over Charlie’s hand as he examines the pink scar, his own fingers delicately touching the rough skin of Charlie’s palm. “Well done keeping it clean.”
Charlie’s fingers twitch as the doctor pulls away. He wonders when he will see him again.
———
It’s much sooner than he would have imagined.
Charlie shifts awkwardly from foot to foot in the emergency room. God, I hope he doesn’t think I’m stalking him or something. Dr. Cullen is looking gravely at the girl in front of him, delicate brows drawn together. He kinda looks like a girl, so I guess it’s not that gay, Charlie reasons.
The girl, an out of town hiker named Katelyn Rojas, was attacked by a bear while on a trail. That’s happened before, but this kid is claiming a human man is what bested the bear.
“I swear,” she says tearfully “I’m not making it up. There is some crazy guy fighting bears out in the woods.”
“Ms. Rojas,” Dr. Cullen says in his impeccable bedside manner “You are extremely distressed. And you blacked out very soon after the attack. Is it not possible that it was a hallucination?” Cullen’s eyes are curiously hard as he continues to stare the girl down.
“But I. I was sure,” she whispers, slack jawed as she looks at the doctor.
“Can you describe him?” The doctor's voice is tense.
“I… I really couldn’t say. It all happened so fast and then. I… next thing I remember, I woke up in the ambulance.” She’s fading fast, exhaustion tight between her eyebrows.
Charlie clears his throat and shuffles his notebook, glancing at her confused statement. The girl might be drugged to the gills, but there is a ring of truth to her voice that has him hesitating. And Charlie always trusts his gut. “There could be someone out there. Helped with a serial killer case fifteen or so years back. All kinds of crazies on this coast.”
Dr. Cullen looks alarmed, “In my expert medical opinion, this girl is greatly distressed and does not know what she saw.”
Something about this didn’t feel right. But what was Charlie going to say? Actually, I believe the extremely emotionally distressed teen. And also. If she saw a man fighting a bear? So what. It wasn’t illegal to fight a bear. Illegal to shoot them with guns. But not fight them with your bare hands.
What the fuck. He needs a drink.
———
Charlie leans against the cruiser outside of Wayne’s Bar. He has beer at home, but not whisky. Idly, he watches his frozen breath puff into the frigid air, wondering if he should just go home. The door to the convenience store next door swings open, and Dr. Cullen walks out. He’s speaking before he realizes it: “Dr. Cullen?”
“Chief Swan,” he looks startled.
“Wanna join me for a drink?” What the fuck Charlie?
A few awkward seconds tick by before the doctor says, “Of course. How generous of you.”
Well, ok then.
———
Sticky residue coats the counter of Wayne’s bar. Not a particularly clean joint, but it’s the only bar in town. And he’s known Wayne since kindergarten.
“Tell me about the daughter you mentioned,” Cullen looks genuinely interested as he swirls the cheap whisky around his glass.
“Uh. Well, she’s a lot like me,” his brain stutters as he looks into the man’s curious amber eyes.
“It is difficult to pry information from her?” His tentative smile is a touch wry.
Little shit. Charlie feels his shoulders loosen as he answers. “I mean. You aren’t wrong. She’s reserved, I guess you would say. A fuck ton smarter than both me or her mom. She grew up too fast I think. Hard for her to make friends.” Is this guy a witch or something? Charlie is talking more than he has in days. Also, what possessed him to ask the man for a drink like they are old friends or something.
“What about your kids?” Charlie says, trying to grasp at the conversational straw.
“Esme and I always wanted children, but were unable to have any of our own. But my children are as much my own as if I had birthed them myself.” What a weird analogy. This guy. “They are wonderful. I am truly lucky. They can be a little hot headed and impulsive, but they are teenagers.” He looks like he is thinking about something in particular and his hand tightens on the convenience store bag.
“I mean. Sometimes I wish Bella would behave more like a regular teenager.” Charlie takes a swig of his whisky, finishing off the drink. “We should do this again sometime.” They should?
Cullen looks surprised, but says politely, “That would be lovely, Charlie.” He feels his heart leap at the casual use of his name. This is good. Charlie needs more friends.
You keep lying to yourself, buddy.
———
Later that night, Charlie is sitting on his couch, nursing his fourth beer, and flipping through channels. He feels restless and can’t seem to focus on the game. His thumb hovers over the change channel button as he watches Patrick Dempsey’s serious actor mouth in his serious actor face say something like “cardiac arrest”.
He doesn’t jerk off that often. The therapist he saw briefly after Renee left, would say he is depressed. He’s just busy, and honestly doesn’t feel like it that often. Also, porn makes him feel weird to watch and thinking about real people feels so invasive.
He hasn’t had sex in many years too. Seattle. He was on loan for a case and had an extremely brief and questionably satisfying fling with the pretty desk sergeant.
Charlie shifts, his skin feels too hot and itchy. He rubs his palms on the legs of his jeans and carefully does not reach for the zipper.
That night, he has confused Grey’s Anatomy like dreams, with Dr. Cullen’s beautiful face weaving in and out of them. He wakes up, exhausted and unsatisfied.
———