Chapter Text
When the first message came through on instagram from Wesley, Mel was caught by surprise. It was a kind message, inviting her to a concert at Thunderbird cafe on the upcoming Saturday. She had met Wesley at a local board game night she tried going to recently, in her efforts to “make friends” and “get a life”, as everyone had told her she needed to. When they went to the concert, it was nice, and he even offered to arrange transport before and after the event. It definitely made it more logistically simple to attend, and Mel was grateful for his foresight.
The next time she saw him was a dinner at Fig & Ash, which tasted lovely, but was a bit acoustically loud. She had a slightly hard time hearing him over the rush of the dinner crowd, but the food was good and she was grateful to learn about a new place in the city to get takeout from.
And then Wesley took her to play games at a bar and then he tried to kiss her after she demolished him in a game of Risk, and she found herself surprised by the gesture, even as the events of the last few weeks played back in her mind.
Of course, she thought. He must have been flirting. These were dates. Should I be kissing him back right now? Am I doing that right?
Mel smiled at him as he pulled back. “Thank you,” she said, nodding at him. Nailed it.
“Uh, yeah. Was that okay? I wasn’t sure if I misread things…”
“Oh, I mean. Yeah, I didn’t know–I didn’t realize that was your intention, but it was very nice and I thank you for being so kind.”
“Well, sure. But, did you like it?”
“Oh– I mean. I’m not particularly into physical things? Like kissing or sex? I mean I’ve done it before of course, but it’s not – I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”
“Not wrong, Mel, no, I just… I’m sorry if I put you into an uncomfortable position.”
“Oh, no I think that was fine. I don’t particularly want to kiss you again but I do like playing risk with you and watching concerts and eating meals. But if you are looking for someone to kiss again, I can understand if…well, that’s not me. Not right now. Maybe not ever.”
“I appreciate you letting me know,” Wesley said, and there was something in the way he was looking at her that she felt she was supposed to understand, like there was something else that was going unsaid. Why couldn’t people just say what they meant.
“Of course.”
“I do like hanging with you Mel. Let’s hang out another time. Just as friends. You can kick my ass in Risk again.”
“I’d like that. Or, actually, if you could read up on Risk a little more before next time so it’s not so uneven, then it might be more fun. There are some good tutorials and forums you can find online really easily.”
“Cool, send me some,” he smiled, and again there was that unexplainable expression on his face that made her feel like she was missing something important. “Well, I’ll see you around. Don’t be a stranger.”
And she didn’t think about Wesley for a while, not until he came into the Pitt one day in an auto v. auto collision, intubated, c-collar, left leg deformity in a splint. He came into the trauma bay in an ambulance, while she was out in the ambulance bay facetiming Becca and Adam (Mel was trying to accept this new reality, even though it had only been three months since she learned of Adam’s existence). Becca, I’ve got to go, but I do want to hear about movie night later tonight. Bye Adam.
She tucked her phone into her pocket as she stepped up to the back of the ambulance. Per protocol, they rattled off stats and information to her and Robbie, who also stepped up. The numbers and possible treatments and prognoses rattled through her brain before she registered that the man laying on the gurney in the c-collar was familiar, that it was Wesley. Wesley, whom she hadn’t seen in two weeks. Robbie started rattling off instructions, and Mel nodded belatedly and starting tuning into the treatment protocols.
“He’s getting agitated with the ETT, start sedation,” Mel suggested. Robbie nodded.
FAST Scan negative. CT Scan performed, small subdural bleed present.
“What’s next Dr. King?”
“Neuro consult on concussion. Ortho consult on femur and radius depending on results from Neuro. Looks like several rib fractures, but no dislocation, likely won’t need to be operated on.
“Good. Give Neuro a call and see what they say. Then we can get the Shark involved if necessary.”
Neuro thankfully isn’t concerned. Doctor Park was willing to take him to the OR to put an ex fix on the leg after the scan.
After his stint in the OR, Wesley was brought to the ICU, still intubated. Mel kept going up to check on him throughout the day, eventually causing Robbie to take her aside “It’s good to care about where our patients end up, but there’s still 50 people in the waiting room Dr. King. And not enough beds down here as is. We need our doctors present down here.”
“I’m sorry. I just,” she bit her lip, realizing that this was not an ideal thing to admit after she had spent the last few hours treating him. “He’s a friend. I know him.”
“Wow, I uh, I had no idea Mel. I –” he scratched his neck. “Even more reason to try to focus on the people down here while you can. You need to build as much of a block between your personal life and what goes on in here. You should have told me you knew him, its a bad idea to treat people you know.”
“I’m not particularly close to him. I just… I guess we dated briefly? I don’t know how to put it correctly,” she rushed to get the words out. “I am just trying to say that my judgement as a doctor as a physician was not jeopardized by his presence. I’m very good at what I do and at separating the two.”
“Ooookay.” Robbie said, rubbing his forehead. “Okay, okay, whatever, just, try to focus on Mrs. Lee and the kid with the bike accident and the conjunctivitis case with Mr. Herbert and…let’s just keep it moving.”
“Will do. I’ll refrain from checking on his progress until my shift is over.”
That would have been that, except apparently some well-meaning nurses maybe overheard that entire conversation, and before you knew it, the whole ER was very aware of Mel King’s “boyfriend” having been involved in a car accident and recovering from surgery upstairs. It did not take long for the rumor mill to bring it to everyone’s ears.
“I just didn’t realize she was dating anyone!” Santos said accusingly at Whitaker. “I feel like you must have known about this and you’ve hidden it from me as payback for eating the last pint of Ben & Jerry’s.”
“I didn’t know either! I don’t think anyone knew, she’s kind of private about that kind of stuff isn’t she?”
“Why are you two whispering?” Javadi asked, as she and Langdon came up to the board, having finished a geriatric hip dislocation case with Samira advising. “Is someone keeping something secret?”
“Mel has a boyfriend.” Santos said, only making eye contact with Javadi, willing Langdon to move away from the conversation. Unfortunately, he seemed interested in this as well.
“Oh, wow,” Javadi said, widening her eyes. “I mean, that’s cool, just unexpected. Who is he?”
“Well that’s the thing, he’s here and he’s upstairs right now” Santos said.
“He works here?” Langdon asked.
“No,” Whitaker said, as Santos tensed and refused to acknowledge Langdon’s question. “He came in an auto v auto collision. They brought him up to Ortho. Robbie and Mel were both on the case.”
Langdon frowned. “Mel was on the case?” he asked.
Whitaker nodded. Santos rolled her eyes. “Dr. King is more than capable of handling herself, Dr. Langdon,” she said.
“That’s not – of course she can, but she shouldn’t be put in that position," Langdon said. "I’m surprised Robbie would–”
“You’re surprised Robbie would bend the rules for a favorite resident of his? Spare me.” Santos shot back.
Whittaker's eyes widened, and in other circumstances that expression might have made Langdon laugh. As it was, Langdon released a slow deep breath out. “Okay. Dr. Whitaker. Dr. Santos. Dr. Javadi. Excuse me.” He left them, and the gossip mill continued, now with an additional dose of fuel to the fire.
“God, I can’t believe he’s still here.”
“Do you think you’ll ever forgive him Trin?” Dennis asked.
“He hasn’t earned jack shit from me.”
“It just gets so awkward around you guys,” Javadi added. “It’s so weird working with you two in the same room.”
“Well, he shouldn’t be here.”
“But he is.”
“But he shouldn’t be.”
Langdon, meanwhile, was trying to find a blonde braid and a pair of glasses. It took a while, because she was sat in the corner of the breakroom, not rushing around from patient to patient or fidgeting as she charted as he expected. He expected to see her in movement, it was so disarming to see her completely still. He was brought back to the first day he met her, and the calm moment with the dog in this very break room. “Tough day?”
She looked up and smiled at him. “Dr. Langdon. Yes, its been hard.”
“I heard you knew one of the patients that came through today? The auto collision?”
“Yes, Wesley.” He had a name, he was real. Frank felt his heart squeeze for her. This must be hard. “He is out of the OR, still intubated last I checked, but neuro was coming to do another checkup and verify he’s ready for extubation. Surgery went well according to Park.”
“Park is good at what he does, despite being intimidating as hell. Horrible bedside manner.”
“Yes, he is good at what he does.”
“I’m sorry you had to work on your – Wesley, that was his name? That must have been hard.”
“Yes, and no. It was hard when I first saw him come in the ambulance and I realized I recognized him, but then once I heard Robbie start giving commands for treatment it’s like my brain shifted and for a moment, I was just my old self and he was just another patient coming through the trauma bay.”
“I’m surprised Robbie kept you on his case.”
“I didn’t tell him until he was up in the OR. Not until he was out of surgery, really.”
“Oh. You should have told Robbie.”
“I guess. But it’s really not a big deal.”
“Mel, I know it might seem like not a big deal, but when people we love come through the E.R., its so hard to remain objective.”
“I don’t need an ethics lesson. It was fine, Dr. Langdon. I’m telling you.”
“Okay. Okay. Fair enough. I’ll stop lecturing you.” First Santos and then Mel. Constant reminders he had failed to be a good teacher by failing so epically in his own decision making. “Are you doing okay though?”
Mel considered the question. “I am doing okay, yes.”
“Okay, good. That’s the important thing.”
“Well, the important thing is that he’s out of surgery and the neuro consult is coming soon, which means he might be extubated–”
“I mean, it’s good that he’s healing, but it’s also important that you’re doing okay too. Like as a person. This shit can be tough on anyone. You don’t need to bear it alone.”
She frowned.
“You should let Becca know what happened. Or some friends. I know when Tanner broke his arm, it was my family that kept me sane. Even us doctors sometimes need that outside perspective.”
With that, Frank Langdon stepped out of the break room, leaving Mel King in a strange mess of feeling.