Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Standing amongst a crowd of fellow medical students and strangers, Dennis felt…

Well, frankly, Dennis felt like he was going to throw up. 

It was Match Day.

The day that would determine the future of his entire medical career.  

His fingers trembled as they held the envelope holding his match results, and they continued to tremble as he tentatively opened it and took out and unfolded the crisp white letter within. Yells of excitement were already filling the room from other medical students and their family members, along with the occasional rare murmurs of disappointment, as they read their own results. But Dennis couldn’t make himself read his letter immediately, his gaze blurry and unfocused. 

‘Just read the damn thing,’ a small voice whispered in his ear, sounding suspiciously like Santos. 

Dennis swallowed thickly and scrunched his eyes shut as another wave of nausea washed through him. A part of him just wanted to get the whole thing over and done with. Because there was no way he matched. There was no way they would ever want him. He’s lucky he even made it this far. It would be a miracle if anyone wanted him at all. 

‘Don’t be stupid, Huckleberry.’

The man shook his head, inhaling deeply. 

‘No,’ said a voice. This one, his own. Another part of him, a small but growing part of him. The part that was excited to see his results and was becoming self-assured after all these years. That part that got him out of the small town in Nebraska in the first place. 

He’d worked his ass off to stand where he stood. He sweated and toiled, suffered through homelessness, to get where he was. He deserved to be here as much as everyone else in this room. 

Steadying himself, exhaling through his nose, Dennis opened his eyes and quickly scanned the letter.

Congratulations, you have matched!

Institution Name: Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital

Program Name: Emergency Medicine

Dennis whooped loudly, arms rising above his head in triumph, a wide smile spreading across his face. 

“Yes!”

People in the surrounding crowd immediately turned at the sound to look at his lone figure near the back of the room, some with arched eyebrows, but many of them — most of them — had smiles of their own, with even a few people voicing their congratulations. Reddening at the attention, Dennis lowered his arms to shyly scratch at the back of his neck.

The elation and relief couldn’t be tempered, though. It quickly bubbled back up, and Dennis was smiling again, smaller this time, but still just as bright, as he clutched at the paper in his hand like a lifeline. He huffed a small laugh, rereading the words just to make sure it wasn’t a trick, terrified and yet unequivocally excited for the future and all that was to come.

He was going back to the Pitt.

Chapter Text

*

“By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.”

- Song of Solomon 3:1-2

Belonging. 

That was what Dennis Whitaker had sought for for as long as he could remember. Simple belonging. He hadn’t felt it at the farm or in his hometown of Broken Bow, Nebraska. He had tried. Dear lord, had he tried. But it just hadn’t stuck. Much to the affront of his entire family. 

After that, he tried to find it in God. In prayer and in his Bible. Led primarily by memories of sitting in church as a child, his father’s hand settled firmly on his shoulder. 

He wanted to go to college and maybe — if he couldn’t be a farmer like his parents wanted, like his brothers were, like his father, and his father’s father — then maybe they would be content with him being a pastor. It would keep him close once he graduated and went to seminary school. And more importantly, it would keep him within the bounds of what his family expected of him. 

A pastor was good. Clean. Safe. Nothing too drastic.

But then that didn’t quite fit right either. 

Or to put it more plainly, it was him who didn’t quite fit. 

He wasn’t a quitter by any means, and he stuck it out for as long as he could until the end of undergrad. 

But then that familiar itch to leave started building again. To look for more.  To do more. Be more. He couldn’t say no to it any longer. Refused to. Because if he ignored it, he was afraid it was going to eventually eat him from the inside out. 

So, when he decided to drop everything to go to medical school, he couldn’t say he regretted it. 

Granted, the look his father gave him when he gave the news, the looks his brothers gave him, a mix of incredulousness, resentment, and anger — all of them saying silently from their places at the dinner table, “Aren’t you done yet, boy?” — it almost made Dennis want to curl up into himself like he always did as a child and take it all back.

And yet.

When he felt the gentle touch of his ma’s hand on his cheek that same night, as she wiped his jaw with a warm cloth, his face swollen and streaked with blood from a goodbye gift from his brother Tommy. When she tipped his head back and looked at him with a glimmer of pride hidden under an ocean of sadness in her eyes — his eyes — he knew he was making the right choice. 

It was like a chain unraveling from around his feet.

He left with nothing but a backpack full of clothes and that ever-nawing itch between his ribs. 

Months passed, and medical school was, in all honesty, hell. 

But Dennis loved every minute of it. 

It still didn’t quite fit. Not exactly. He was still that awkward kid at the back of the class. But nothing was ever going to fit perfectly. Not if he didn’t work for it. And this — learning to be a doctor — was the first thing he’d ever wanted to do without the influence of anyone outside of himself. 

There were hiccups, of course, which was to be expected from moving halfway across the country. Like the money situation. And…the housing situation. 

But as he learned so many new things, learned to help, to heal, he thought it was all worth it. Still thought so, despite everything.

***

Years passed, and the world kept on spinning. 

And Dennis kept on studying. He did his labs, got respectable grades, got kicked out of his apartment, then got less respectable grades, made some friends, then lost some friends, and studied some more until he started his clinical rotations and learned what it was like to really be in the field.

And then early in his fourth year, there was The Pitt. 

Emergency medicine wasn’t his first choice. Or his second choice, for that matter. It had been an elective rotation for his program that he’d picked out of curiosity. He expected it to be difficult, just like most of his coursework, but what he’d never expected was being absolutely bowled over by the sheer contained chaos of it all. 

He loved it. The challenge. The people. It sparked a fire within him that he didn’t even realize he’d been searching for. 

The rotation only lasted for a month. Four short weeks. But it was enough. The itch inside him had all but disappeared during that time, and he immediately craved for more when it was over. 

So — under all the nervousness trembling under his skin and the light nausea eating away at his stomach — something also settled slightly inside him as he stepped into the ER again, this time as an intern. 

It was just as he remembered it. Chairs was already filled up at this time of day, people coming in and out with different kinds of ailments. The sights, the sounds, the very air, the smell of antiseptic and cleaner, the low hum of voices as people waited to be seen. It vibrated with a specific frisson that he could only associate with this place.

Dennis weaved through the crowd of patients and family members and headed to the heavy double doors. The department was abuzz with activity the moment he stepped through. Nurses and other staff were engrossed in their work, all of them busy with their own separate duties. He maneuvered around them with ease, seeing quite a few familiar faces, along with a few new ones. 

Princess was the first to notice him as he turned the corner. Dennis raised a hand to wave shyly at her, and she dimpled, eyes sparking with recognition. She turned to poke at Perlah, who stood talking to Dana at the hub. 

Princess's mouth moved, saying something Dennis couldn’t quite hear, and then the two other nurses were turning towards him as well. They both smiled in recognition.  

Dennis’s cheeks pinked.

“Well, well, well,” Dana teased from her place behind the desk, “Look at what the cat dragged in. Decided you wanted to stay for the long haul, huh?”

Dennis scratched at the back of his neck, coming closer, and gave a lopsided grin. 

“I just couldn't stay away.” 

The blond nurse nodded, “Well, I’m glad you didn’t.” Then after a moment of contemplation, she moved around the desk and then opened her arms, waving her hands in a beckoning motion. 

“Come on, kid. I’m a hugger.”

Dennis chuckled and obliged awkwardly, but willingly, pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome. He saw Perlah and Princess over the older woman’s shoulder, giving him warm looks before they were called off to their own respective duties. Dana wrapped her arms around him for a moment, filling his nose with the faint smell of roses. She squeezed and then leaned back. 

Running her hands down his arms, she eyed him with a critical gaze. “Geeze, kid,” she said, “And I thought you were a stick before. You eating anything besides air these days?” 

The intern laughed. Looked down at his feet. “Busy studying, I guess,” he mumbled, “I get distracted easily." 

Dana quirked a brow. “Well, hopefully, we can work on your multitasking skills this year.” 

Smiling, Dennis opened his mouth to respond when he was interrupted by another male voice behind them.

“Is that pest control I see?” 

Dennis looked over Dana’s shoulder to spot Mateo coming towards them. His black curls bounced as he sauntered over, confident and grinning from ear to ear. “Whitaker, my man! It’s good to see you!”   

Mateo went up to his side and clapped him on the shoulders, “Congratulations on matching, dude. I had a feeling you’d come back.”

“Of course he did,” Dana said confidently. As if the contrary hadn’t even crossed her mind.  

Dennis looked down at the floor sheepishly, the tips of his ears starting to warm.

***

After he excused himself to go change into his scrubs, he came back and conversation flowed again easily. The nurses at the hub slowly but surely teased out answers about how his year had gone since leaving. He was in the middle of telling them about Match Day, when another quieter voice piped up beside him. 

“Excuse me.” 

The nurses and Dennis turned. Two women stood before them, their faces tentative and a bit wide-eyed. “Is this where we’re supposed to meet for orientation?”

“You our new med students?” Dana asked. 

When they gave answers of confirmation, the blond nurse nodded. 

“Welcome to the emergency department of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital,” she said warmly, moving around Dennis to speak to them. “I’m Dana Evans, the charge nurse. Feel free to call me Dana.” She looked up at the screen above their heads, “And it seems you’ve come at just the right time.” 

The woman trailed off and looked around her, catching sight of a figure just exiting the locker area. 

“Santos!” she yelled, making Dennis instantly freeze, “You busy?” 

Swiveling his head around slowly, the man spotted the brunette as she paused and looked over at them. 

Their gazes immediately locked from across the room. 

Trinity also froze, her eyes widening. Then, after a moment, her expression shuttered closed and settled into something unreadable. 

She began to make her way towards them. 

Dana, unaware of the sudden tension, continued her introductory spiel while the other woman approached. “Ladies, this is Dr. Trinity Santos, our second year resident. Dr. Santos, these are our new med students. If you could give these two a quick tour, that’d be terrific.” 

“Of course,” Trinity answered, hands in her pockets. The two med students then promptly introduced themselves, giving their names and years. She acknowledged them politely, shaking their hands, and pointedly did not look at Dennis. 

Dennis, for his part, was too busy trying not to shuffle his feet in her presence, feeling distinctly like a guilty teen caught coming home past curfew. He honestly hadn’t expected to see her so soon. He thought she’d moved to nights.

Unexpectedly, after a pause, Trinity also offered him her hand as well. Dennis blinked down at it dumbly. 

“About time you decided to show your face around here, Huckleberry,” Trinity said smoothly.   

Dennis eyed her and her hand warily. Her expression was still a blank mask, blue gaze piercing and cold. Dennis knew that was never a good sign. She was either planning to prank him or silently plotting his death.

Knowing her, it could very well be both. 

Not knowing what else to do, Dennis chewed his bottom lip and slowly took her proffered hand. The handshake was rigid and professional, and Trinity’s grip was a touch tighter than necessary, but it went quickly enough. Dennis’s hand fell back to his side remarkably still intact. 

"Congratulations," the woman intoned. 

Dennis ducked his head and mumbled a soft thanks, still apprehensive. 

He was graciously saved from any more awkwardness when Dana suddenly drawled out, “Oh, well, if it isn’t the man of the hour.” 

Dennis turned to see who she was talking about, relieved by the distraction. A small smile grew, unbidden, as he saw the familiar figures of Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbot walking in together by way of one of the elevators. The two older men were talking amongst themselves. 

Their heads were bowed slightly towards one another, most likely discussing the day's handoff report. Robby looked up at the sound of Dana’s voice. He scanned the room, clinical and assessing, looking for any dire emergencies. Upon seeing nothing of the sort, he finally caught sight of their little group at the hub. His attention passed over and returned to Dennis for a moment before eventually settling back onto Dana. 

“Morning!” the woman chirped, “Perfect timing. I was just about to have Santos give these two the grand tour.” 

Robby nodded, coffee in hand, “Good morning, Dana,” he dipped his head towards the room, “Everyone.”

He got a sprinkle of hello’s and good mornings from the rest of the staff as they passed by. Dennis and Trinity murmured their own as he walked up to them. 

Looking around, Robby set down his cup and clapped his hands together softly. 

“Well, looks like everyone who’s supposed to be here, is here. Let’s get these introductions rolling.” 

Jack moved from beside him and settled at his desk. He cleared his throat. “Before he starts, I’ll give you some advice,” he said, pointedly looking at the two med students, “Run. Before it’s too late.”

Robby jerked a thumb at the man without looking at him, “That would be Dr. Abbot. Our night shift attending. Ignore him. He gives terrible advice.” 

“It’s the best advice you’ll ever get.”

Taking a moment to look upward as if in prayer, Robby moved on as if Jack hadn’t spoken. He promptly introduced himself, the rest of the staff, and gave a general summary of how the ER worked. In front of him, both of the medical students hung onto every single word, their eyes wide and maybe a little bit terrified. Dennis could instantly sympathize. His mind flashed to memories almost a year ago when he was standing almost exactly where they were, and probably with the same expression.  

As the chief attending continued to speak, Dennis caught sight of a few more familiar faces. Ellis, Heather, Mel, and Cassie. They were all there, joining the small crowd gathering around the hub. The latter two waved at him with wide grins, Mel in particular. 

Dennis smiled.

Suddenly, a hand clapped him on the back of the shoulder, not hard, but with enough force to push him slightly forward. Dennis glanced up from under his eyelashes in surprise to see Robby glance at him. The older man gave him a warm smile before he went back to regarding the rest of the room again. 

“As you can see,” Robby continued, "We have a couple of new faces with us today, and some old ones.” 

He gestured at one of the med students to introduce herself. She did so shyly. “Hope Kaplan, MS3.” 

The other woman then promptly followed. “Seo-Yeon Yoo, MS4.”

The attending nodded politely. “And most of you probably remember Whitaker from last year. He’s now here as our new intern.” 

The man’s large hand landed on Dennis's shoulder again.

This time, Dennis was more prepared for it. And this time, the hand stayed. He absently felt a thumb smooth down the baby hairs behind his ear, fingers gently moving from his shoulder to cup the back of his neck. 

“He chose to come join the madness on a more permanent basis, I suppose.”

“God help him,” Jack interrupted again. 

Robby huffed a laugh, as well as a few others in the crowd. “We need all the help we can get around here,” he said, “And we have plenty of patients waiting. So… let’s get back to it.” 

And with that, introductions were done and everyone dispersed, returning back to their duties. 

“Santos,” Robby pointed, “Go ahead and take these two on a quick tour.” 

Trinity nodded and gestured for Hope and Seo-Yeon to follow her, but not before giving Dennis a blank look that he knew meant "you have a lot of explaining to do" and "this isn’t over."

Dennis couldn’t help but grimace. 

The hand on Dennis’s neck squeezed gently, making the man blink. He’d honestly forgotten it was even there in the first place. He didn’t know exactly how. The hand took over the entire expanse of the back of his neck, a warm comforting weight on his skin. 

He looked up to see Robby regarding him again with the same warm smile as before, crows feet crinkling at the edges. 

“Congradulations, on matching with our program, Dr. Whitaker,” Robby said quietly, “It’s great to have you back.” 

Dennis swallowed. “Thank you, Sir.”

The man smiled and squeezed one last time, and then he released him, leaving his neck suddenly cold. Slipping back into professional mode, the attending immediately turned towards his senior residents to start sign-outs. 

And that, Dennis supposed, was that. Back to business as usual. 

Everything started moving after that. 

Dennis moved to follow. He was quickly joined by Cassie and Mel. While they walked, they both congratulated him and asked about how his year had gone. They shared little tidbits about their own lives as well — how Cassie’s son was doing and how Mel’s sister was handling Mel’s changes in schedule. And as they chatted companionably and spent the rest of the day checking on patients, diagnosing sore throats and appendicitis, and saving lives, Dennis felt something finally settle within him. Like a puzzle piece slipping into place.

Chapter Text

*

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

- John 14:27

*

Dennis was currently standing in one of the patient rooms, surrounded by the familiar sounds of the ER. 

He heard a quiet groan on the other side of the curtains. A rustle of fabric. The distant murmuring of voices. The shuffling of feet. The beep, beep, beep of the machines. 

The intern glanced at the chart in his hand and then back up at the monitor. 

A gurney squeaked down the hall. 

Today had been a steady stream of patients. Besides the general scrapes and bruises, the department had seen multiple cardiac arrests, two motor vehicle accidents, and one bad-looking third-degree burn to the arm. And it wasn’t even noon yet. 

Not too bad for his first week back on the job. 

“Am I going to die?” asked a young voice. It was small and quiet, but it was just enough to spur the man from his thoughts.

Blinking, Dennis turned to regard the small child in the patient bed beside him. 

The boy — Billy, nine years old — was staring up at him. 

He’d come in with abrasions on his arms and legs, a broken wrist, and a fractured right tibia and fibula from leaping off the top of the monkey bars at school. His parents were on the way, with an ETA of approximately thirty minutes. 

Billy was a slip of a boy, positively dwarfed by the bedframe, his body propped up in such a way that he was in a sitting position. His forehead was wet with perspiration, wisps of dark ginger curls sticking to his temples. His face and lips were pale and strained in a tight grimace, most likely from the pain. In short, Billy looked miserable. 

Dennis made a mental note to raise the dosage in the IV before moving down to kneel at the boy’s bedside. 

Billy’s vitals were strong. His wrist was probably going to be an easy reset. But upon initial inspection, the leg was a pretty bad break. Once the X-rays came back — and Dennis had ordered a head CT just in case— they’d know if he’d need surgery or not. 

But besides that, the kid would definitely live. He’ll probably be less inclined to jump from high places when he wasn’t supposed to, but that was for the best, Dennis supposed. 

The man shook his head and answered confidently. “Not on my watch,” he said, “We’re gonna get some more fluids in you, clean you up, and then get that leg and wrist fixed up in no time.”

Billie bobbed his head in understanding, face grim. 

“Is it—” his forehead wrinkled, “Is it going to hurt?”

Dennis made an inquiring noise.

“Getting my leg fixed,” Billy clarified, looking down at his leg glumly. It had been taped with a temporary splint by paramedics to prevent further movement, and from where it lay, you could see how red and swollen it had become around the break. His wrist was also in a similar situation, lying limply in a sling around Billy's neck. 

“No,” Dennis assured, “We’ll make sure you’ll be all numbed up for that. You won’t feel a thing.”

Billy nodded again. He absently plucked at the bedding for a minute or so. 

“You sure?” he asked eventually, voice quiet. 

“I’m very sure,” Dennis said gently. He leaned in slightly closer. “And if it hurts at any point, you tell us, okay? It’s really important that you tell us if you’re in pain, Billy,” he emphasized, “Because it is not supposed to hurt.”  

The boy took a moment to absorb the information. Then, after a pause, his bottom lip began to tremble, and the telltale signs of tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes. He let out the smallest hiccup, as if trying to stay as quiet as possible. 

“Billy,” Dennis said gently, trying to catch the boy’s downcast eyes, “Does it still hurt?” 

A moment passed, and the intern was just about to go change the dosage anyway, when the nine-year-old eventually whispered a quiet, “Yes.”

Dennis nodded. “Thank you for telling me. Is the pain worse, better, or the same as when you came in?” 

“Worse.”

The man hummed in acknowledgment and eyed the kid’s dark copper curls. He must have a natural tolerance to the pain meds that some redheads do. Dennis immediately moved to fix the issue. 

Once done, the intern came back to sit at the kid’s side. Billy lolled his head on the pillow to keep the intern in plain view. His eyes were still very wet, and very very blue. 

“I want my mom.” 

Dennis’s chest ached. “Yeah, I know, bud,” he murmured, “Your mom is coming as fast as she can. Your dad, too. They’ll be here before you know it.”

One after the other, tears began to fall down Billy’s cheeks in earnest. They rolled down passed trembling lips and fell quietly onto the boy’s pillow. Dennis didn’t try to shush him or anything like that. He just stayed at the boy’s bedside and silently handed him a tissue, patiently waiting for Billy to speak. Or for him to gather himself. Whichever he was ready for.

Dennis was genuinely surprised the kid had lasted this long without crying. Knowing the kind of pain he must have been in, Billy had handled the situation very well for his age. The teacher’s assistant who had come in with Billy in the ambulance had freaked out far more than he had — mascara streaked down her face as she babbled into her phone, probably talking to someone at the school. Billy, on the other hand, only held a slight grimace as he was moved from the gurney to the patient bed, and he’d grimaced for most of his initial treatment, too. No sign of tears. Not until now.  

After a bit, when Billy’s wet hiccups began to subside, his face ruddy and swollen, Dennis decided to speak. 

“You know,” he began. He waited a moment for Billy to look up. “I broke my leg once, too. I was about your age. Maybe a bit older.” 

Billy sniffed and rubbed at his face. “How did you do it?” he asked after a moment's pause. 

“I fell off a horse.” 

The boy's tear-reddened eyes widened. He leaned forward, letting out a small gasp. “What?” he asked, “That’s so cool.” 

Dennis chuckled gently, “It wasn’t at the time, but yeah. I’d say it was pretty cool.” 

Billy blinked. “You have a horse?” 

“My family does,” he answered, “At our farm. We had six the last time I was there.” 

“Six?”

“Yep.”

“Did you ride them all even after you broke your leg?” Billy asked.

“I did indeed,” the man nodded, “Not for a good while after, of course. But I got right back on when I was big enough.”

The boy glanced up at him, then down at his own fingers. “Do you think I could do it, too?” he wondered shyly. 

The intern grinned. “Ride a horse? Oh, yeah, buddy. Once you get healed up, I don’t see why not.” 

The two of them chatted back and forth like that for the next couple of minutes, Dennis periodically checking on the boy's vitals during that time. He spent the rest of it answering questions. Billy, like most kids his age, was a well of unending questions once he got started, and Dennis accommodated willingly, glad to help distract the boy for at least a little while.  

***

A short time later, the intern was standing at one of the terminals writing his reports when he felt the air shift beside him. Dennis glanced over to see Samira settle by the computer next to his and start on her own work. They shared a friendly nod before he continued his typing, words flying onto the screen.

A few moments passed between them when the woman spoke up unexpectedly. “You’ve gotten good,” she remarked, her voice sincere, “At comforting patients.”

Genuinely taken off guard, Dennis ducked his head, suddenly feeling sheepish. “Thanks,” he said eventually. He gave her a small smile. “That means a lot coming from you.” 

Samira grinned sweetly, white teeth flashing. She angled herself towards him, her expression turning curious. “Is it true then?” She put up a hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but as a senior resident, it’s kind of my job to.” 

The intern gave an unconcerned shake of his head at her apology.

“It’s okay,” he gave a half shrug, “Is what true?”

“Did you really break your leg from falling off a horse?”

Ah. The man nodded, “Yep, sure did.”

He remembered that day keenly. The fear, and the pain, and the dirt. 

Dennis continued his typing.

“How did it happen?”

“I was fooling around with my brothers in the fields at the farm,” Dennis answered in half-truths, “And before I knew it, boom. I was on the ground. I don’t remember most of it, to be honest.” 

Samira winced in sympathy. “It must have been frightening.” 

“Oh yeah, big time,” the intern confessed. He grabbed his clipboard and scribbled out a patient note. “But it gave me a story to tell in the end. A very useful tool when trying to comfort nine-year-olds.” 

Samira poked him lightly in the arm. “We just might make a fellow ‘Slow-mo’ out of you yet,” she teased. Then she leaned closer and whispered lowly, “Just don’t let Dr. Robby hear about it.”

The intern huffed. “God forbid. I just got back.”

“You don’t want to get on his bad side so soon.”

“Or Gloria’s.”

Samira scrunched her nose. “Oh yeah, double whammy. They’d never leave you alone. Just like they did with me last year.” She paused as if in contemplation, then visibly grimaced. “Still do, actually.”

Dennis chuckled. “And you can keep it that way. Thanks.” 

“Hey,” the senior resident scoffed lightly, jokingly crossing her arms, “I’ll have you know I still have the highest rates in patient satisfaction at The Pitt.” 

“And I bet they're both ecstatic."

Samira opened her mouth to argue. Then hesitated. “Well…” she paused. “She is, at least.” 

Dennis laughed. “Exactly,” he nodded his head. “And the last thing I need is him on my ass.”

“Whose on your ass?” A familiar voice chimed in.

Both resident doctors startled at the interruption. The clipboard in Dennis’s grip slipped clumsily from his fingers and clattered loudly to the ground. Wincing at the sound, the intern spun on his heels and instantly met the calm gaze of Dr. Robby, who stood just a couple of feet away. Dennis flushed. 

“I–uhh,” Dennis stammered. He and Samira shared a quiet glance of dismay. “Um…No one,” he rushed to answer.

Floundering a bit, the intern moved to retrieve his errant clipboard. But he was already beaten to the punch by the chief attending, himself, as he had already closed the distance between them. Dennis froze at the sudden closeness. The subtle smell of wood and spice reached his nose. He watched as the man slowly bent down and plucked the clipboard from the floor, straightened, and offered it to him without a word. Dennis took the item gingerly with a quiet ‘thank you.’

When he looked up, Robby’s brow was arched, eyes crinkled in amusement. 

“I mean–uhh,” Dennis continued, his mouth moving without thought. “No one is specifically…On my ass. That is,” he finished unconvincingly. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Samira quickly look away, her shoulders starting to shake. Dennis scratched at the back of his neck, which was warming by the second. A part of him waited for the floor to just swallow him whole, because what the heck was that? 

“O-kay,” Robby said in response. The older man’s tone was dubious, but after a moment, eyes flitting between Dennis and Samira, his expression quickly shifted and turned into something more professional. 

“Have you gotten the X-rays for your playground fall yet?” 

Dennis immediately sobered at the question and straightened his back. His arm fell to his side.  “Billy?” he asked. “No, not yet. It looks like radiology’s backed up.” 

Robby inclined his head. He didn’t look surprised. “Yeah, you’re not the only one,” he muttered, “I’m going to call up there and ask what the holdup is. Then we’ll try to figure it out from there. Okay?” 

The intern inclined his head, “Okay.” 

“Sounds good,” the other man agreed, moving to do just that. But not before reaching out and settling a hand on the juncture between Dennis’s shoulder and neck, his palm warm. 

Then, in the next second, the attending was walking away towards the hub and raising his voice to get Dana’s attention. 

Dennis blinked. 

The intern watched Robby's retreating back for a moment, distracted, until Samira let out a quiet snort beside him, spurring the intern to look at her instead. 

The woman’s face was alight with humor. 

“Wow, that was smooth,” the senior resident teased. “No one specifically,” she mimicked. Her shoulders began to shake again with uncontained mirth. “Oh my god, the timing was priceless.” And then she couldn’t seem to restrain herself, and she was laughing quietly by his side.

Dennis grinned good-naturedly and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he joked back, brushing his clipboard off. The flush on his cheeks had yet to recede. “Don’t you have patients to see? Illnesses to diagnose? Patient satisfaction to raise?”

Samira snickered and wiped a thumb under her eyes, blowing out a calming breath. “Yeah,  you’re right.” She brushed a wisp of curly dark hair from her face. “Don’t want Dr. Robby sneaking up on me like that again, that’s for sure.” 

With that, the senior resident collected herself and straightened out her scrubs, reaching out to give him a friendly pat on the shoulder before she started walking away, the smile on her lips still remaining. However, mid-step, she paused as if remembering something. Her head turned towards him again. 

“Hey, you heard about the 4th of July party tomorrow night, right?” she asked.

Dennis nodded, fiddling with the clipboard in his hands. “Yeah, I’m not really a party kind of guy, though.” 

Samira hummed and began to walk backwards towards the opposite way Robby had gone. She reached up to grab the ends of her stethoscope around her neck. “Neither am I,” she shrugged,  “But Mateo’s parties are always pretty laid back.” Samira turned and called over her shoulder, “You should come! Just wanted to check if you knew.” 

“Thanks!” Dennis said after her. Then a little bit quieter, “I’ll think about it.” 

Now alone, the intern glanced down at the clipboard in his hand in contemplation. The papers that lay there were slightly crinkled from the fall they’d taken. Dennis stood there and toyed absently with the chart settled underneath his fingers, until after a second, he mentally shook himself, exhaled slowly through his nose, and turned to get back to work as well.