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Three hours in and the second shift was already quite stressful, but you were coping. Coping was good, even if it meant you had to pick the little tabs of skin around your nails and shift your weight from one foot to the other, you were doing it. The first-day nerves where calming down now, butterflies settling in your stomach.
That Whitaker boy was nice. And cute! But especially nice, though a bit small, mousy. You had hit it off with him most, finding him the most pleasing out of the three to make casual conversation with. You both really liked books, and had both just finished the same one! Safe to say, he was the favourite. And there was Santos, also cute, not as nice. Also Javadi who was sweet i guess, not much to say about her yet.
Robby was kind too, firm but kind. He was especially kind to you, after noticing your hand shake slightly during a procedure his reassurance was just the thing you needed to steady yourself, and the short pep talk after was needed too. Lots off "You got this" and "I see great potential in you". Kind of cringe, kind of cute.
But it gave you confidence to finish dressing the wound of an older male patient by yourself as Dr. Mohan had stepped away.
The dressing was going well, you wrapped the bandage with care around the mans upper thigh.
"All done! How does it feel Mr. Smith?" you asked in a sweet voice
"I was half hoping you were gonna slide that hand up further sweetheart." He told you slurrily. You turned back to him from the monitors, mouth slightly agape and blinking. "Oh!" you said with a quiet awkward nervous laugh.
Whitaker looked at you from across the room, standing at the desk as he waited for his request for Dr. Robby to reach him.
He noticed you shift, remembering it from earlier points where you sounded uncomfortable making a decision when being asked questions by the superiors.
Robby appeared out of a patients room and followed the request for assistance to Whitaker.
"Hey Whitaker! Whatcha need?" he waited for a reply, impatiently "Whitaker? Hey?!"
"That doesnt look right." Whitaker replied. Robby mumbled an annoyed huffy "what?" and followed his eyeline to you.
"You really are pretty you know, i can imagine you and I together you know..." the patient trailed off, moving his eyebrows up and down. You couldnt believe the what you were hearing. The audacity of it? On your first day? Just what you needed. Your mind went blank in panic. Your eye fluttered around the room, an attempt to catch some attention for help. You locked eye with Whitaker, praying those sad baby blues to waltz on over here and stop this... madness?
It all happened in a second. The patient reached out his hands and gripped your ass, squeezing hard and pulling you right toward his bedside so that you banged your thigh against the metal hard, you gasped.
"Um? Sir- Please- No-" You struggled out of his grip, heart thumping hard in your ears. You felt weak, frozen.
"Oh hell no." Robby hollered whilst walking in a quick pace toward the scene, Whitaker trailed after him, scared for you.
Robby had pushed you from the mans grip "You will not assault my staff. Not on my shift. Security?!" The guard ran over with cuffs and the patient was cuffed to the bed.
Your shoulders had landed against Whitakers hands, your heart raced and you couldn't seem to shift your gaze from the scene in-front of you.
"Fuck, y/n are you ok?" Whitaker asked, concern dripped in his voice as his eyebrows pinched together. Your gaze didn't falter.
He spun you around to face him. "Y/n?" You looked up into his ocean eyes, and felt yours glaze over. His face was filled with genuine concern. "Are you okay?"
"Im fine." You stepped back, shrugging his hands off you. "Its fine, stop making a scene, it doesn't matter." You rambled out a string of words you didnt mean, you just needed to escape.
"But it does matter y/n, its n-" "Whitaker!" You snapped, "its fine, it doesnt matter." your words were shaking, almost spilling tears. You shrugged it off and turned to a fast paced walk to the first bathroom you spotted, the disabled.
"Y/n! Stop! Come back!" Robby yelled after you. "Its fine Robby!" You said back to him over your shoulder as you pushed the bathroom door and slipped inside, locking it. Robby caught up to you at the door just as you locked it, he sighed "shit. Y/n? Please open the door, you cant just shut yourself away." "Its fine!" You persisted.
In the bathroom you had to choke back sobs, crying silently as your throat tighted.
Robby had given up, and he turned around to Whitaker, who had also followed you. "You talk to her" Robby instructed, "Me?" He sounded shocked, "Yes you. She likes you kid. Even if you have to go in there with her, dont let her be by herself. I gotta fill out the paperwork." He walked off sighing, without letting Whitaker protest.
He turned to the door slowly on his heels, lacking confidence in his ability of reassurance. "Y/n? Its Whitaker. Can you come out? You shouldnt be by yourself." He waited for an answer. "Im... embarrassed." You admitted in a meek voice.
"Don't be y/n. That guy was an asshole." He paused, breathing out aggressively through his nostrils. "Can I... uh... Can I come in?" He asked hesitantly, cringing at himself outside the door.
Your head lifted up from between your knees in the bathroom.
He heard the lock click.
He looked over to Dr. Robby and he passed back a thumbs up that was supposed to be reassuring.
Whitaker pushed the door open.
You were pressed up against the bathroom wall, sweaty palms flat against it, chin up, eyes staring into the light as you tried to sniff your tears away.
"Y/n? Are you ok?" He looked at you with pity in his eyes, not knowing what the best thing was to say. He felt guilty. Very guilty.
"Im really sorry y/n that should have never happ-" "I said it's fine." You cut him off, inhaling shakily. "It... It doesn't matter, I- I overreacted." You mumbled, reaching for the door.
He grasped your hand, cutting her off from the door. "Y/n, it's not fine. And it's not ok." He shook his head as he bent down slightly to catch your eye. "And it... it does matter. And you didn't over react. And- hey look at me," His voice was kind, soft, sickeningly sweet, he reached for your chin and lifted it to make eye contact with him, "that shouldnt of happened. Ok?" he was talking below his breath now, gently, "Ok?"
"Okay" Your voice broke as you looked into his eyes, they were tearful.
"Come here" he mumbled weakly, his arms wrapped around your shoulders. They flexed, his surprisingly toned arms where warm and soothing.
You sniffled, a few tears falling from your eyes. You rubbed your face, wiping the wetness.
He moved to put his hands on your shoulders, "you're ok" he bushed your cheek, trying to wipe your tears.
"Im sorry, thank you" "Its ok, y/n, and don't apologise" his eyes shimmered in the light.
You laughed a short awkward laugh, "This is so embarrassing, im so pathetic i cant believe this!" You stared into those eyes, "No, y/n, you're not- you're not..." he breathed out, the gap between was inching smaller and smaller, you both stared, lashes fluttering. You leaned forward, breath hitching.
A beep split the loud silence.
He huffed, pulling the device from his pocket, one of his hands rested next to your head against the door, you watched his forearm flex as he murmured "yeps" and "on my way"
"Robby needs my help." He stared into your eyes sympathetically, "I believe in you y/n, you coming?"
He moved his hands from the door and brushed your jaw with his fingers delicately.
You nodded, looking into his eyes, "Yes. Yes, thank you so much Dennis."
He smiled as you turned to face the door, you took a deep breath, and clutched the handle.
"I got you y/n"
That gave you the confidence to open the door.
He followed you with longing eyes as you followed Dr. Robbys voice.