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It’s once again a messy day in the ER, doctors running around and nurses cleaning up after them, seeing to it that everyone is taken care of. But one particular doctor is nowhere to be found.
“Where’s McKay?” Dr. Abbot’s voice carries over to Dana. “I need her over here, this is her patient.” While he doesn’t look distressed, he does look mildly annoyed, expecting a smooth hand-over as the night shift starts to arrive.
He gestures to South 16, where a young woman with a fever is currently starting to moan a little stronger than before. While Abbot can try to help her, Cassie knows this patient already, and she could speed up the process of making her feel better immensely.
The charge nurse frowns, looking around. “I’ll see if I can find her.”
Dana starts walking towards the ambulance bay, where she’ll sometimes find Cassie when she needs a break from the trouble of the ER, and the people in it. Not only is it one of her girlfriend’s favorite places, but also one of hers, which leads to them spending small breaks together out there, enjoying temporary peace and quiet.
Looking around now, though, all she can see is empty space, not calming at all. There’s a slight breeze, no person to be seen and it’s eerily quiet, making Dana shiver.
The silence feels foreboding and not peaceful as it normally does. The lack of life out here unsettles her. Something doesn’t feel quite right.
Sighing, Dana turns around, assuring herself that she really is the only one currently out there. Realising she indeed is, she rubs her forehead, not really sure where to look next.
While Dana trusts Cassie without question, she does worry a lot about her girlfriend. And just now, she would really like to know where Cass is, if only to know she’s safe.
She’s jolted out of her thoughts by someone calling her name. “Dana, we need some help in here!”
This comes from Perlah, who pokes her head out the door with a look of distress on her face.
“What’s going on?”
“One of the patients is acting up. We need some help restraining him and deciding on his treatment,” Perlah answers breathlessly, making Dana tense in turn. This is something serious, she realises.
“Yeah, I’m coming, I’m coming.” She rushes after the other nurse, Cassie’s whereabouts momentarily forgotten.
But something is still nagging at the back of Dana’s mind. Where is Cassie?
*
Cassie McKay is having the worst day ever. Why, oh why do these things always happen to her?
She just wanted to go to the bathroom after spending almost half an hour at HR, discussing her plans about taking a few days off to go on vacation with Harrison, but now that is the last thing on her mind.
The bathroom door won’t open. Not the stall, the bathroom door. The solid metal door of the bathroom she found on a floor she barely frequents.
“Are you fucking serious?!“
This isn’t happening, she tells herself. There are patients that need her. It’s going to be okay.
But it isn’t that easy, which she realises after repeatedly banging on the door in the hopes anyone might hear her. They need to get someone who can open the door.
There’s no one out there, she realises with a shiver. Who even locked the damn door?! She’d only been in there for a minute.
She takes a deep breath. Another. And another. But each time, her breathing gets shakier and her thoughts more jumbled. Cassie grinds her teeth together, but that still doesn’t stop her from spiralling.
Enclosed spaces have never been something she particularly likes, but right now it’s making her nerves go haywire. The adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins certainly doesn‘t help the situation either.
“Get it together, Cassie. Focus. This is okay. It’s fine. I’m fine,” she tells herself, though she knows she doesn’t really believe it.
Blowing out all the air in her lungs the way her therapist showed her some years ago, some calm returns to her. If she wants out of there, she needs to be reasonable.
This is a locked door. A locked door can open. It’s not sealed shut, and it will be okay. What‘s the worst thing that can happen?
Cassie pulls out her phone, staring down at the numbers saved in there. Who should she call? Who can help with this?
She calls Dana first. She can always rely on her beautiful girlfriend, but this time she doesn’t pick up. So texting it is.
"I need your help, can you please call me?"
The message is immediately labelled as delivered, but stays unread. A tightness takes hold in Cassie again, but she pushes it down.
This isn’t anything serious. This is just a stupid situation. It’ll be fine. Squaring her shoulders, she decides to dial Dr. Abbot.
The two of them bonded recently over their shared annoyance about Robby and Dana being irresponsible.
Cassie disapproves wildly of Dana’s smoking, and Jack is terrified every time his boyfriend gets on that damn motorbike, which is funny regarding the fact he joined SWAT as a hobby.
But there are other things. Cass and Jack constantly have to remind their partners that they, too, are human beings that need to be taken care of. That, indeed, the charge nurse and attending aren’t machines.
Even though Dana and Robby often work themselves so hard it would be better they were made of metal, if only to protect their health.
It’s good the two found each other to share fears regarding their partners.
But now Cassie needs Jack to help her. After the second beep, he picks up. Cassie draws in a deep breath.
“Where are you, Dr. McKay? I need you here.”
Abbot’s voice is crisp, indicating that he’s annoyed by her absence. Understandably.
But that doesn’t matter right now. She needs his help.
“Uhm… I kinda got stuck inside a bathroom. And the door won’t open. Can you- can you tell someone who has a key for the door to please open it?”
She ends on a wobbly note, but stays surprisingly strong in voice.
“That doesn’t sound good. Where exactly are you?”
Abbot’s voice softens a little, and now it’s Jack she’s talking to, not her colleague, but rather her friend.
“I’m not sure, third floor I think? The bathroom is a short walk from HR.”
Jack hums. “Okay. I can call someone to open the door for you. How’d you get locked in the first place, though?”
“I‘m assuming it was one of the cleaning staff who just didn’t look before locking up here.” Everyone up in HR follows standard working hours, and it is late afternoon, so everyone is already leaving. And locking up.
Cassie squeezes her eyes shut. She does not like being stuck in here, without windows. Without anything.
But she has survived far, far worse.
Jack sighs. “Shit. Well, we’ll talk about it later. Do you want me to give you the number of the janitor’s department, so you can call them? They should have a key-”
Cassie doesn’t let him finish. “No, you call them. Please.”
She can’t call another person. Much less one she doesn’t even know. This is stressing her out more than she would expect. She needs to be with her patients. And in all honesty, she also wants to see Dana more than anything right now.
Cassie’s body aches just thinking about her girlfriend. Her breath quickens as she realises Dana is nowhere near, but before reality escapes her again, Jack’s voice brings her back.
“Alright. Third floor, close to HR. I’ll tell them that. Hang in there, Cassie.” And with that silence returns.
*
“Grab his arm! No, the other one!”
Dana’s voice rings loudly, nurses bustling around her. This patient is a particularly tricky one, fighting back so much that it’s almost impossible to sedate him and secure the room.
She is currently holding down his head after getting scratched across her cheek and deciding it was someone else’s turn to take care of that arm. Her cuts are dripping blood onto her scrubs, but right now that doesn’t matter.
Poor Whitaker is struggling to hold down one of the man’s legs, while Emma is currently fighting to get the remaining arm under control. Perlah has the limb that was the cause of Dana’s wound, and is trying hard not to suffer the same fate as the charge nurse.
“Need some help in here?” Abbot pokes his head in, a bemused look on his face.
“We got this,” Whitaker answers before Dana can say yes. They could use all the help they can get, but Abbot is already leaving again.
Then Dana remembers that he was looking for Cassie earlier. “Hey, Abbot! You find McKay?”
The doctor once again appears in the doorway, this time a little more serious than before.
“What’s going on?” Dana asks, careful to keep her grip on the patient.
Letting personal life interfere with work is never smart, so she always tries to keep her head in the game. When it comes to Cassie, though, it gets ten times harder to do just that.
Abbot answers with his always present calm. “She’s alright, just got a little held up. I’ll explain when you’re done here.”
Dana stares at him intently, but gives in after a moment. He knows what he’s doing. At least she hopes so. “Okay. See you out there.”
With a curt nod, Abbot leaves and Dana is once more occupied with flailing arms and spit flying around.
*
Her phone is vibrating. It’s Dana, she thinks.
Cassie’s hope flares up, knowing that simply hearing the nurse’s voice will calm her down.
But it isn’t Dana who’s calling her. It’s an unknown number. After a moment of contemplation, Cassie picks up. This might be about one of her patients.
“Hello? Dr. McKay?”, a soft voice sounds on the other end. It’s a familiar one, but Cassie can’t quite place it.
“Yes, hello…?,” she replies breathlessly.
“Oh, good. It’s Esme. Dr. Abbot gave me your number, I hope that’s okay.“ Realisation dawns on her. Of course, Esme, the sweet janitor that helps them out constantly down in the ER is also the one who’s coming to her rescue. Cassie shudders with relief, knowing the hospital would truly be lost without its amazing staff.
Esme’s voice sounds again. “I’m sorry, but I can’t find the bathroom he described. Where exactly are you?”
Cassie can hear the jingle of keys on her end of the line and she closes her eyes, knowing she’ll be out of there soon. But first she has to be found.
“You know the hallway with all the offices lining it? Walk down it towards the stairwell and then turn left. There’s a metal door. That’s where I am.”
For a moment nothing but the rustling of clothes and quick steps can be heard. But then Esme speaks up once more.
“Ah, yes. I see it now. One moment, please...”
And then a key is turned in the lock, the door swinging open. Cassie hangs up the call and puts her phone away, wiping her sweaty hands on her scrub pants.
“Thank you. So much,” she sighs while exiting her temporary prison and giving Esme a hug. She offers an understanding smile when Cassie pulls back, patting her on the arm.
“Of course. I’m very sorry this happened to you, Dr. McKay” she replies, closing the door again. “You should probably tell Dr. Abbot that you’re okay, he sounded a bit worried.”
That makes Cassie smile. Jack doesn’t always show it, but he does care for others. “I will. Really, thank you. You’re a life saver.”
“Just doing my job, Dr. McKay. Take care of yourself,” Esme says, squeezing her shoulder, and then she turns away, going back to taking care of other business. As should Cassie.
The elevator ride back down to the ER is rough. It’s an enclosed space, and quite frankly, she’s had enough of those today. Besides that, the adrenaline crash is setting in. Her hands start to shake and her breathing gets a bit more ragged again.
As soon as the doors open, Cassie rushes out towards the ambulance bay, almost crashing into Jack.
“You alright?” He grabs her by the shoulder, looking her over.
Cassie struggles to open her mouth, overwhelmed by what just occurred. She shakes her head. “Yeah, I’m… I’m okay now. Esme got me out.”
Jack nods, understanding her relief. But he also sees that she needs some fresh air to ground her again. And maybe also a certain nurse…?
“Take a breather, and then come help me with that patient of yours.”
Not a request, but an order. One Cassie gladly follows.
*
“Doctor Abbot!”, Dana calls out as she exits South 16, covered in specks of her own blood and nasty looking scratches on her face.
Hearing her piercing voice directed at him, Abbot turns, seemingly having been distracted and lost in thought. “Welcome back to the present. Now, what did you forget to tell me earlier? And don’t you dare say again Cassie got ‘held up’. Something’s goin’ on, so talk.”
She narrows her eyes, making Abbot cross his arms and take a defensive stance in turn. He’s not a person to scare easily, but Dana knows he respects her more than most people here.
And she can be one intimidating woman indeed. Especially when it comes to anything regarding Cassie. She doesn’t play then.
Slightly wilting under Dana’s gaze, Abbot answers carefully. “I think she went out into the ambulance bay. She’s okay, as far as I could tell, but she got locked inside one of the bathrooms upstairs, and I think that shook her up.” He goes on to explain quickly how Cassie was saved from her situation and that he talked to her briefly when she came down again.
Dana’s expression gets even darker than before. “She better be alright, for your sake.” And with that, the nurse starts power walking towards Cassie’s favorite respite.
She knows that snapping at Abbot probably wasn’t the reasonable thing to do, but she just wishes she could’ve helped Cass get out of there faster. Her guilt only intensifies when she checks her phone to see a missed call and message from her girlfriend.
She wanted my help. I was her first choice.
While Dana knows that Cassie can handle herself, as was just confirmed by Abbot, she also knows that the Doctor wants, and quite frankly, needs Dana’s comfort more than she likes to admit.
They both are two stubborn idiots who fell for each other and seem to think they always have everything under control, when really they simply need a hug and to be reassured. So right now, that’s Dana’s objective.
When she exits the building, her own wounds all but forgotten, the ambulance bay is just as calm as before, but not quite as empty. Cassie is crouched down next to a bush, wiping at her cheeks.
A small smile tugs at Dana’s lips. She knows Cassie hates crying in public spaces, especially at the hospital. It makes her even more vulnerable than being a former addict and a resident in her fourties‘ already does.
Stepping closer, Dana gains the other woman’s attention, who blinks a few times, getting rid of remaining tears, and then, to Dana’s surprise, Cassie frowns. And then she shoots up to her full height.
Her entire focus is on the charge nurse. “What happened to your cheek? Did someone hurt you? Was this another assault? We need to clean this before it gets infected,” Cassie goes on, angling Dana’s face to the side for a better view of the wound.
“It doesn’t look deep. But let’s make sure-”
“Cass, shut up.” Dana doesn’t mean to sound quite as harsh, but right now, she’s the one wanting to help Cassie, not the other way around.
“It’s just a cut. I’ll live. Let’s make sure you’re okay first.”
She reaches out to tuck some loose strands of hair behind Cassie’s ear. Her girlfriend looks like a mess. But she’s still the most gorgeous being I’ve ever seen.
No, stop. There’ll be better times to daydream about Cassie McKay.
Putting her hands on Cassie’s shoulders, Dana inspects her from head to toe, coming to the conclusion that there are no apparent injuries to be taken care of.
There’s a slight tremor to Cassie’s frame, though, telling Dana that she’s still reeling from the adrenaline her body must have released while being fucking locked in a bathroom.
“I’m sorry I didn’t answer your call. Or text. I shoulda been there to rescue you,” Dana says, trying to lighten the mood a little, knowing that Cass is still shaken up. “I just… I’m glad you’re outta there.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m okay,” Cassie assures her girlfriend, seeing the furrow on her brow. “Really, this-” she holds up a trembling hand, “is just the remaining shock.” Her voice wavers a little, but the determination on her face doesn’t fade.
I love this woman, is the thought circling through Dana’s mind.
“Even if that’s true, I’m still gonna give you a hug, ya know that, right? Still the best medicine,” she proclaims. “You’re my girl. Let me take care of you.“
Breathing out, Dana lets her forehead rest against Cassie’s, pulling her girlfriend a little closer, whose tense body finally relaxes a bit.
“You smell like blood.”
Dana huffs. “How nice of you.” But she’s glad Cassie’s humour is returning, even if it is at her expense.
“We still need to clean those cuts,” Cass says, careful not to touch the bloody streaks when going in to kiss Dana. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Just be careful not to get locked up again, I might not be around next time to comfort you afterwards.” And then Dana closes the gap between them.
Every time they kiss, Dana Evans feels free. Truly free. No expectations. No pressure. Just Cass.
There‘s no feeling like it, smelling Cassie’s skin and feeling her lips, her hair, her shallow breaths. It feels like they’re the only two people alive, floating ten feet off the ground. She knows they won’t fly forever, but the moment feels like an eternity. Like something that can never be replaced.
And then it ends. For now. But Cassie is still there, though a few more inches away than before. “Give me that hug now?,” she asks, so softly Dana wants to cry.
“Come here.” She wraps her arms around Cassie, holding her tight. She can hear her girlfriend exhale and mumble into her shoulder, “Next time I expect you to be my saviour.”
Dana chuckles. “Sure, Hon. Promise.”
If Cassie knows something, it’s what she wants. And hell, Dana will gladly do anything to give it to her.