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Emma huffs, blowing a sharp breath out the side of her mouth to get the hair away from her lips. She’d usually have used her chapstick by now to try and get rid of the flaky skin, but she hasn’t had a moment to sneak back to her fannypack since Dana took it from her this morning.
“Emma, c’mere a minute.”
If she were a dog, Emma’s ears would swivel around to Dana’s voice as soon as the older nurse said her name. Her tail would probably be wagging too, but Emma’s lucky enough to be a regular person so instead she just jerks to attention from across the Pitt, head whipping up. She imagines it’s almost as embarrassing.
Dana crooks a finger at her from the nurse’s station, chin dipped and glasses slipping low on her nose. Emma’s moving before she even realizes, ducking behind Jesse as he moves an empty gurney.
“Yes ma’am?”
Dana’s face scrunches up and she leans back dramatically, clutching a hand to her chest. “Oh, oof, don’t make me feel old, kid. Dana, please.”
“Sorry. Dana.”
“You’re fine, sweetheart.” Dana smiles again, stepping back from the short wall and confidently falling back into one of the rolling chairs behind the desk. It’s honestly the most relaxed Emma’s seen her so far – actually, it might be the first time she’s seen the charge nurse even sit. It makes her blink for a second, shifting on her feet.
“Um.”
Dana huffs a laugh, shifting forward to set her feet more firmly, legs still spread. “Your hair is all in your face, honey. You can’t be working like that. It’ll take just a minute to fix, so come on, yeah?”
“Oh, I can…” She jerks a thumb over her shoulder, in what she thinks is the direction of the bathroom. “I can just fix it myself if it’s a problem.”
“Nah, you’re good.” Dana pats her knee head rolling to the side. “I’ll be quick.”
Emma hesitates for just a moment before she steps around the desk, stopping just in front of Dana. She shifts again, nervousness sparking in her chest. It feels like there’s a frog in her throat. Dana has leaned back again, smirking as she looks up at Emma with her glasses still low. The look on her face makes Emma swallow thickly, face hot.
She sways a little in place, moving her weight from one foot to the other. “Um, should I just…”
“Sit, honey.”
Emma nods dumbly. “Okay. Okay, I’ll just…”
She feels unimaginaby awkward as she clambers to the floor. Her limbs feel too long, too pointy, and she ends up sort of awkwardly crouched.
Dana snorts, covering her face with one hand and rubbing across her eyes. “You’re fine, sweetheart. Just relax for a minute. Back to me, you’ve got it.”
Emma thinks her face might burst into flames, but she easily follows the direction, turning until she’s facing away from Dana and staring out the entrance to the nurse’s station. It’s a quiet moment in the day, the first she’s seen, but nobody is even glancing her way, which makes her feel a little better. She lowers herself softly to the tile, crossing her legs so she’s sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce. She keeps her back stiff, shoulders low, trying her best to listen.
“Good,” Dana hums, and Emma can’t help her small gasp when two hands settle on her shoulders, squeezing and making her duck her head just a bit. “Now, you got a comb in that little pack of yours?”
“Actually, yes!” Emma nods, feeling like a bobblehead and doing her best not to flinch away from the touch. She breathes a tiny sigh of relief when Dana’s hands leave her. She closes her eyes for just a second, taking a deep breath to try and center herself.
Dana huffs, but Emma is pretty sure it’s amused instead of annoyed. “Of course you do. Alright, gimme a sec.”
Emma peers to the side to watch as Dana grabs her fannypack and digs through it. She can’t help but blush – it feels oddly… personal to see someone dig through her bag like this, even knowing there’s nothing particularly interesting in it.
Dana hums as she pulls out the small comb, patting Emma’s shoulder again. “Alright, sit straight for me, honey.”
Emma sucks in a deep breath and straightens up as much as she can. Dana is quiet, tugging on each braid to pull them behind Emma’s shoulders. When she runs her finger down the part of her hair and across her scalp Emma can’t help her shiver.
Dana is quiet as she undoes the first braid. She doesn’t take down all of Emma’s hair at once, which she appreciates – it always takes her an annoyingly long time to get her part right and she was particularly meticulous about it this morning. Dana is quick and efficient as she works the purple comb through her thick tresses. She works a few tiny tangles out of the end of her hair, from where the hair was loose beneath the elastic, which she’s slid onto her own thin wrist.
“You have beautiful hair, honey.”
Emma jerks a little in place, blinking. “Oh! Oh, thank you. I get it from my mom.”
“It suits you.”
She can feel a growing warmth in a place she should definitely not be thinking about right now and it makes her shift in place. She can’t see the other woman work, but Dana’s fingers move deftly as she begins to split the hair into three sections and start the braid.
“Stay still for me, angel,” Dana says, humming quietly.
Emma lifts her eyes to the ceiling and tries not to cuss. She swears it’s like Dana is trying to work her up on purpose. Like the older woman took one look at her and instantly knew everything to say to make her flushed and- and wanting. Oh, gosh, she is so screwed.
The first braid is done quickly. Emma can feel that it’s neat, more secure against her scalp than her remaining, loosening braid. She feels more settled, she always does when she’s just done her hair. It’s just… she hasn’t had somebody else doing her hair for her since high school. It makes her feel young, a little small.
“Next one now,” Dana says quietly and Emma nods. Dana huffs. “What’d I say about saying still?”
“Sorry,” Emma says quickly, wincing and shrinking back a little. She can feel Dana’s calves on either side of her. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Dana runs her fingers over the other side of her hair once the braid is undone, taking a moment before she uses the comb. It makes Emma’s stomach tighten, makes her bite the tip of her tongue. “I can already tell you’re a good listener, kid.”
That should not make Emma feel the things she’s feeling. Not the nickname or the compliment. Gosh, she feels like a pervert.
It feels like the second braid is done more slowly. Like Dana’s fingers move a hair more tenderly, like each cross of one section of hair over the other takes just a breath to think about. Emma relaxes a little more in her spot, making her breaths as deep as she can without moving her head too much. It’s the first real break she has all day, the first time she hasn’t had to focus on memorizing something new or making sure she doesn’t mess something up.
“There we are,” Dana says quietly once she’s tied off the end of the braid. “Feel better?”
“Much. Thank you.”
“Of course, honey. Now, go ahead and turn around for me.”
Emma says a silent prayer for her own sanity, cheeks hot and flushed. She puts both palms on the tile floor, wincing at how filthy she knows it must be, and pushes up to turn herself around. She has to rest on her knees, Dana’s legs inching in just enough and leaving her without enough room to fully sit.
“Good,” Dana says quietly. She looks… amazing, really, from this angle. Emma has to squint a little as she looks up at the older woman, the bright lights behind her head glaring into her eyes. Dana tugs on the end of one of the braids, lips quirking. “Hm. Cutie.”
Emma can feel the blunt edge of Dana’s nail when the charge nurse reaches forward and presses a finger to the top of her head, by her scalp. She holds her breath as Dana drags her finger down, tugging a curl loose. She does one at a time, eyes locked onto the bits of hair now resting on either side of Emma’s temple.
Emma bites her tongue to keep from doing something ridiculous like moaning. “Thank you.”
“Alright, now, one last thing for you.” Dana holds her hands out, palm up. “Gimme your hands.”
“Oh, uh, okay.” Emma follows the instruction, pressing their palms together. She can’t help the little eep she makes when her arms are tugged high above her head, elbows straight.
“Oh!” She gasps, leaning up on her knees a bit to alleviate the sudden stretch.
“No, no, stay down, hun.” Dana clicks her tongue, squeezing Emma’s hand a bit, and the younger nurse listens instinctively. It doesn’t hurt but the position isn’t particularly comfortable, and she winces a bit.
“C’mon, big stretch,” Dana mutters. Emma thinks she might pass out.
It’s only when there’s a soft pop in each shoulder, a quiet noise from Emma, that Dana lets her slowly lower her arms. “There we go. Feel better.”
“Yes. Yeah.” Emma’s trying her best not to make a fool of herself, she really is, but gosh Dana’s still holding her hands cupped between their bodies. “Thank you. I, uh, I really appreciate it.”
“No problem, kid.” Dana winks. She pats Emma’s hands once, then lets her go and scoots her chair back enough to give Emma room. “Alright, off you go. Go find somethin’ to do.”
“Right, right.” Emma pushes herself up as quickly as she can, catching herself on the edge of the desk. “Yeah, of course. I’ll, um… I’ll see you around?”
Dana laughs, tipping her glasses up onto the top of her head. “‘Course, honey.”
Emma looks up to the ceiling as she skitters away. The odds of her surviving this day have just dropped dramatically.