Chapter Text
Paramedics Leslie Shay and Gabriela Dawson normally didn’t hang around the hospital for too long after dropping off their patients, but the brutal nature of the last call combined with their lack of caffeine was starting to take its toll. As a result, they decided to relax in a corner of the doctor’s lounge and start on some paperwork in a feeble attempt to clear their heads.
Dawson sat down first, not wasting a second of even semi-downtime. She set her clipboard down on the small coffee table, tilted her head slightly back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to calm herself.
Meanwhile, Shay slapped her clipboard down on the table with a small thud and immediately headed towards the Kuerig machine near the sink. “Thank...” She opened the cabinets where she knew the doctors usually stored the K-cup pods, only to be met with an empty shelf and a post-it note that she instantly read. “No. No thanks. Are you kidding me?”
Dawson opened her eyes and looked towards her partner. “What’s up?”
“Those bastards are out of coffee.” Shay waved around the little yellow square for emphasis. “And the intern apparently grew some balls and refused to pay to restock the supply because...” She looked at the note again. “He doesn’t drink caffeine.”
“He couldn’t have gotten the courage next week?” Dawson replied.
“Whatever. Screw intern bravery.” Shay responded, rifling through her trauma bag before looking pleased with herself as she pulled out a small wad of cash, the discovery instantly changing her mood. “I’m so glad I hid this in there last week...forgot my wallet today.” She turned to Dawson. “I’m going to the Starbucks in the lobby. Want anything?”
“Yes. Please. I’ll pay you back later.”
Shay didn’t even bother asking for a specific order, they had spent enough time together to pick up on trivial things like coffee preferences. Plus, she had already been halfway out the door.
Five minutes later, Shay had a cup of hot coffee in each hand and was in the process of exiting the lobby and returning to Dawson when she nearly collided with a curly haired brunette woman wearing athletic gear who was heading in the same direction.
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” The woman responded on instinct, turning towards Shay to make sure she hadn’t caused a spill.
Shay bent down to pick up a few sugar packets that had dropped to the floor. “It was my fault. I’m sorry.” She then stood and glanced over the woman to make sure that she didn’t spill anything. In the process, noticing that the woman’s left forearm was wrapped in a bloody torn cloth – an improvised bandage. “You alright?” She asked, making eye contact for the first time and feeling an instant connection towards the woman – who couldn’t have been much younger than herself.
“Rollerblading accident.” The woman gestured down the hallway towards the ER. “I figured that I need stitches.”
Shay glanced at the woman’s arm again as they both continued on their way, butterflies making their way into her stomach for the first time in what seemed like forever. “I’d say that you do.”
After a short walk, they stopped at their destination. Just then, Dawson came into the view, the trauma bag thrown over her shoulder as she made her way towards them – subtly observing her partner’s behavior in the process. She caught up with the blonde, acknowledging the brunette woman with a polite nod before easily grabbing her coffee out of the grasp of Shay – who was unaware of her presence.
Feeling the warmth of the coffee cup suddenly leave her hand, Shay quickly turned around to see a smirking Dawson sipping on the “stolen” double-shot latte. She couldn’t decide if she should be thankful that her moment was interrupted – allowing her forget about the butterflies in her stomach - or angry that she was interrupted - because she knew that Dawson could immediately tell that she was nervous and attracted to the brunette. Instead, she drew a blank and didn’t say a word.
“We just got a call. Monster attack. We have to be at the scene and on stand-by.” Dawson relayed, breaking the amusing and awkward second of silence. Wasting no more time, she then headed out the doors to their waiting ambulance.
“Well...” Shay nervously trailed off, noticing the brunette’s amused expression. “I gotta go. I usually drive the ambo.” Shay informed as she gestured over her shoulder towards the doors. “You be careful when rollerblading in the future.” She added before readily hurrying off after Dawson, leaving the brunette woman at the check-in desk, and easing her butterflies in the process.
Waiting in the parked ambulance, Dawson was sipping on her coffee when Shay opened the driver’s side door and hopped in. She wanted to make a smart comment about Shay’s behavior around the woman, but instead she placed her drink in the cup holder and then buckled her seatbelt as Shay did the same. Sitting back as her partner turned the key in the ignition, Dawson just couldn’t help herself any longer. Shay's uncharacteristic lack of charisma was amusing her far too much. “Forget all about Clarice?” She quipped, raising an eyebrow as she waited for a response.
Shay continued through the usual motions, turning on the lights and sirens, before pulling the vehicle into traffic. “What makes you think that?”
Dawson laughed. “You mean to tell me that you weren’t attracted to that woman in there?”
“She was injured Dawson. I was telling her that she would probably need stitches.” Shay responded, weaving the ambulance around cars that had stopped to let them pass.
Inside the hospital, the brunette woman looked ahead of her in the line, then at her injured arm. Not willing to wait for her turn, she quickly grabbed a roll of bandages off a passing supply cart and ran out of the building.