Chapter Text
The last dregs of sunlight spills through the glass walls of Edenbrook’s diagnostic office, highlighting paragraphs and pages of paperwork Rebecca Lao was finishing off at the team table, all the while her boss huffed at the screen behind his desk.
“I don’t understand this damn system!” Ethan groaned with a slap of his mouse down onto the sturdy wooden surface.
The hospital board had just implemented an app called ‘PocketDoc’ to hopefully help drum up more patients by doing video appointments, and in hopes of freeing up the clinic. Every senior attending was required to hold 5 video appointments per shift. As a department head Ethan Ramsey also was required to oversee that his team did in fact meet their quotas. All-in-all a truly insufferable feat.
“It’s a video chat, Ethan. What’s not to understand?” Becca asked incredulously from where she sat folded in her chair.
He glared at her in the way he does when she is being far too insufferable.
Becca could feel his eyes burning a hole into her cheek. So intense she had to bite back the snide smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“Haven’t you ever done this before?” she asked, ever the picture of professionalism, setting her pen down and closing the last file. “You must’ve if you’ve consulted across the country.”
“If I am ever required to be visible, I use the ready set-up in one of the conference rooms. What am I supposed to do with this?” He motioned to the computer screen.
“Your job.” She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Do you need me to walk you through it before I go?”
“No,” Ethan’s quick to retort, eyes glancing at the clock and the overtime she’s already well into. And anyway, he’s an adult. The smartest man in Edenbrook. He can figure this out but it’s just taking so long and there’s so much other more beneficial things he could be doing than going through this software walkthrough. “But if you wanted to…”
She rolled her eyes as she closed the space between them. Ethan’s eyes watching her as she saunters over with infernal pride and pink lips pulled knowingly. As she presses his shoulder, pushes just hard enough to roll him back so she could squeeze in and perch herself on his desk. It’s 6:17pm - the hospital is still buzzing, people everywhere with peering eyes landing their way at any minute, and Ethan knows it’s much too early to be playing these games.
“This here is the camera,” she points, stretches across to tap the device at the top of the screen. “You look into it and the person on the other side can see you.”
“I understand that,” he chides; and before Becca could continue her Training 101 session, added, “I know what a microphone is too.”
That sweet smile she shoots him is all he can think about as she runs through all the relevant capabilities of the program. Cheeky, yet reserved, with sparkles in her brown eyes. The kind of smile he’s sure it’s just for him. He’s sure Becca knows that his heart beats just a bit faster every time she looks at him like that - that it renders him helpless. That every time she smiles like that he remembers all the times she’s done it before, when they’ve been happier than they’ve ever been.
“And here's where you can order a script,” she says with finality. “Got it, old man?”
There’s that smile full of mirth.
A short exhale and Ethan’s back in the workplace - “I think so. Thank you for your assistance, Rookie.”
He watches as that smile takes over her entire face at the pet name he so seldom uses since they’ve crossed the line.
“Anytime.” Becca slides off the desk, smooths out the creases of her trousers to look anywhere but at the poorly concealed heat in his stare. “Wish I could be there for your first video call - that’d be a sight.”
“What do you expect?”
“A total disaster. Hopefully something embarrassing behind you.”
He smiles back. “I’m glad you have such little faith in me.”
***
Evening has firmly become night and the garden apartment is a full house - Becca’s roommates are settled among blankets and pillows camping out in front of the flat screen of their living room.
“Becca,” Sienna calls as Becca shuffles back in juggling more snacks. With a regretful lilt and a wave of her phone, Sienna informs, “Dr. Ramsey wants you to answer your phone.”
Oh the groan that crawls up Becca’s throat is a mix of emotions. Flabbergasted that he would be texting her friend. Annoyed for not wanting to deal with a case on her evening off, the only rational reason he’s texting Sienna about her. And happy, because she always is when his name is tied with hers.
Everything ok?
Not even a full heartbeat after she shoots off the text does Becca get a conference call notification through the PocketDoc app.
“Really?”
“You said I should practice.” That shitty smirk that shines through the screen and shows off his laugh lines nearly knock her knees. “You also failed to mention the conference call option between physicians.”
“Maybe that was intentional.”
He laughed. Low and jubilant and just for her.
“Did you call for a reason or…” she asks, strolling through the apartment towards her room.
“Sorry for interrupting your evening.”
“That’s fine, we were just relaxing and watching reruns of Doctor Who. For a second I thought we got another case and I’d have to skip family night.”
“Nothing of the sort,” he says, and she can tell that there’s more too it between the words he does say and the way he’s sitting in his living room. But instead, his eyes squint and he’s nodding towards something behind her. “What’s that?”
With a frantic look over her shoulder, Becca hung up and logged out, leaving Ethan shocked at the curt informality.
Seconds later a Facetime call took over his screen.
“Hey. Sorry. Bit unprofessional to have a personal conversation on a work app.”
Ethan’s eyes only rolled halfway into his head when some sort of deep violet fabric overtook the video screen.
“That’s my new child,” Becca giddily explained. “Got it 75% off. No idea when or where I’ll ever get to wear it but I needed her in my lie. Look how pretty!”
“It is quite nice,” he adds in between Becca’s excited camera panning in and out of every notable feature. The long lace sleeves, the deep v neckline, and the peep of a skirt slit.
“Nice!? It is the most perfect piece of fashion I have ever come in contact with.”
She flopped on her bed. The video going black and then turning so he could see her face. Laying on her stomach, her chin resting on her forearms.
“What’s Jenner up to?” she asks, knowing he’s watching his dad’s dog for a few days.
“Sleeping. What else does he do?”
“Lemme see!”
And Ethan did show her the dog sleeping at his feet, even holding his phone so she could ask the animal about it’s day, winding him up until the old boy’s tail couldn’t wag no more and he fell right back to sleep.
They talked for a while, Ethan and Becca. Long enough for her to strip down to her pajamas and tuck herself in bed, and for Ethan shred his shirt and relax with his feet up on the couch more comfortably.
“What’s with the face?”
“What face?”
“You’re staring.”
“Can’t prove it.” Her pink cheeks betrayed her, though neither were hiding their heated gazes. “Are you going to bed any time soon?”
“Probably should - it is getting late.”
“Yeah… it’s my day off tomorrow.”
“I know. Do… you have any plans?”
“No. Sleep in hopefully, maybe treat myself to brunch. The guys are all working so it’s just me.” The mention of sleep had Becca’s eyes closing and her body slumping further into the pillows. “What’re you doing?”
“I planned on going over some paperwork I’ve been avoiding.”
“Nerd. Get a life, Ramsey.”
The sound of his chuckle lulled her to sleep.