Chapter Text
Monica shows up pretty early in the morning, and sure, this is something that an intern could easily do. Just discharge a patient. She checked (and double checked) the labs, she made sure everything was fine.
But she has to do it herself.
Amelia and Link are together in the room, they both greet her when she enters, and then Scout jumps with excitement.
“Doctor Monica!”
“Hey bug” She smiles and goes straight to him “I heard you are the strongest patient in this whole floor and you’re ready to go home”
“I am! Do you have lollipops?”
Monica feigns shock “Who told you that?” Then she looks at the parent before slipping her hand in her pocket and actually coming up with one, when Scout reaches for it, she pulls her hand back “You have to promise that you’ll have it after breakfast”
“Okay! I promise!”
Monica gives him a look. “A real breakfast”
“Pancakes” he says seriously.
“Solid choice” She finally hands over the lollipop, like it’s part of an official discharge protocol.
Link chuckles, arms folded. “So this is pediatrics. Bribes and breakfast negotiations”
“Listen,” Monica says, scanning the tablet “we run a tight ship. And we’re not above candy-based diplomacy.”
Scout beams up at her, and Amelia, standing just across the bed, can’t help the way her face softens. She watches the way Monica talks to him, calm and playful and totally in tune, and it does something traitorous to her chest.
Monica glances up, catching her watching. “He’s doing great. Labs are perfect. No signs of infection. He could probably run a marathon by noon, but please don’t let him try”
“No promises” Link says.
Monica kneels slightly to get a better look at Scout’s abdomen. “Okay, let me see...”
Scout proudly lifts his shirt, showing off his tiny bandages like he’s got a medal.
“Oh wow” Monica says. “Very impressive”
“I feel fine” he says. “Except when I try to jump”
“Yeah, let’s not test gravity just yet” Monica says, standing up again. “Let the stitches get a head start”
“You make that look very easy” she says, almost absently.
Monica looks up and speaks in a teasing tone “What, discharges?”
“No. The... kid thing”
“Oh” Monica says with a little smile, like she wasn’t expecting that. “Well, he makes it easy”
Amelia smiles “Thanks for doing all this yourself. You probably could’ve sent an intern.”
“I could’ve” Monica agrees. “But I wanted to see my favorite patient off myself”
Amelia speaks again “Hope you don’t say that to every 5 year olds”
“Nope” Monica says easily. “Only my favorite gets a lollipop”
Scout holds it up like a trophy.
“Well, you told me I was your favorite mom” Amelia says before she can stop herself. “Do I get a lollipop?”
Monica blinks, a little amused “You want one?”
Link almost snorts.
“I- I- Sorry. I was kidding. I mean, unless there’s a- never mind” Amelia stammers.
Monica’s eyes sparkle. “I’ll see what I can do. I might be hoarding the blue raspberry ones in my office, though. If you want to come by later”
“Oh. Well. Obviously.” Amelia says and she just knows she’s blushing, but she has to commit to it now “That’s the best flavor”
Monica tilts her head, studying her. “Noted”
The air goes quiet for a moment. It’s not tense, just… charged. Amelia’s still holding her coffee like it might fly away.
Link watches the exchange like it’s his favorite show.
Monica finally closes the chart with a click. “Alright, everything’s in. Scout’s officially discharged, and I’ll don’t even have to worry about recovery because I’m sending you home with doctors” she adds, winking at the kid “Just remember, no funny business until it’s fully healed”
“Okay” Scout says, still focused on his lollipop.
Monica turns to leave, glancing once more at Amelia, who’s doing a terrible job of looking unaffected.
“Get some rest” she says softly. “You too, Dr. Shepherd”
Amelia’s voice almost catches. “You too!”
As the door closes, Amelia stares at it… and then winces. She just… realized…
Link waits a beat. Then:
“You too?” He mocks her, and then he laughs.
Amelia covers her face. “Don’t”
“She called him her favorite. You got jealous and asked for a lollipop. You flirt like a preschooler you know?”
“I wasn’t-” Amelia mutters.
Link raises his hands in a surrendering gesture “I’m not saying it doesn’t work. She’s into it”
“Shut up”
A few days later, Amelia slips into the back of the main elevator just before the doors close, coffee in one hand, badge already clipped to her coat. Half the staff on board still look half‑asleep. She’s determined to blend in with them, all professionally unbothered.
Then Monica steps in at the next floor and all that calm goes out of the window.
She’s wearing the same scrubs, the same coat. Her hair is twisted up, the stethoscope slung lazy‑perfect around her neck. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet The moment Amelia sees her she feels every molecule of air shrink inside her lungs.
That makes no sense…
“Morning” Monica says, interrupting Amelia’s train of thought.
“Morning” Amelia answers, equally civilized, like her pulse isn’t suddenly sprinting laps.
Monica’s eyes skim over her once, unreadable. Then she faces forward.
It’s elevator etiquette. Nothing to see here.
The car starts its climb. Amelia counts floor dings like it’s her penance.
Ding
Amelia can actually smell Monica’s shampoo. Vanilla and something like cedar. It’s unfair.
Ding
She tells herself not to stare at the little freckle on Monica’s jaw and immediately stares anyway.
Ding
The doors slide open and Jo bursts in with a frantic “Hiiiii! Oh my god I almost missed this one”
She wedges herself between Amelia and the wall, juggling a smoothie and a stack of lab slips. “Amelia! I was hoping to see you. Scout left Dino at your apartment, right? He was devastated last night”
Amelia lets out a soft groan. “I know. He called me twice. Once to ask how Dino was doing, and once to ask if I could put him on the phone”
Jo grins. “He said he couldn’t sleep without saying goodnight”
“Yeah, I figured. I brought him. I actually have it in my locker”
“You are the best!”
Monica’s shoulders lift. One small, almost unnoticed breath, like she’s silently laughing. Amelia pretends not to see it.
Ding
Monica steps forward. “This is me. Have a good shift”
Amelia’s throat folds in on itself. “You too!”
Monica stops on her tracks for like half a second and glances back. Amelia knows that smile wll. It’s reserved for late shifts when the hospital is empty and shared takeout dinners at the attendings lounge.
The doors seal again after Monica is gone.
Amelia exhales so hard it takes her a second to realize she just made a huge mistake.
Jo, who has absolutely no chill, swivels. “Oooooo‑kay, what was that?”
“Please don’t”
“No, hold on. Link told me, but I didn’t believe it. You have a crush on Beltran”
“Shhhh” Amelia shuts her eyes. “He promised me he’d die with that information”
“Men are weak” Jo’s grin could power the whole elevator, which is almost empty now “So what’s the plan?”
“There is no plan”
“Come on” Jo tries to lower her voice but she really can’t “You literally sighed like a Victorian poet when she left”
“I did not”
“Amelia. Ask. Her. Out.”
“I-“ There’s no way Amelia is going to share with Jo that she already kinda sorta did that and it didn’t work “What if she says no?”
Jo snorts. “What if she says, Finally?” She says that last part with an exaggerated gasp.
The doors open on the neuro floor, and Jo nudges her out “Go save brains or whatever, but text her before lunch. If you chicken out, I’m paging her myself”
Amelia steps onto the hallway, heart thudding against her ribs. The elevator doors start to close.
Jo leans and calls through the narrowing gap “Just ask her out!”
The doors snap shut. Amelia rubs her forehead, half mortified, half grinning.
Maybe lunchtime isn’t such a bad deadline.