Chapter Text
Santos was working on her charts typing about some girl came in with an magnet she ate on accident then got stuck to her belly button pericing and is gonna be hell for Gi.
As she typed away she looked up and saw Emma looking slightly lost opening cabinets and things on the cart. Santos let out a slight huff as she got up and walked over.
“Emma everything ok did you lose a mouse?”
Emma turned around with a bright smile yet confused. “A mouse?”
Right as she turned, she bumped into one of the carts. A bunch of supplies clattered to the ground. Both of them immediately dropped down to pick everything up, hands moving fast, grabbing gauze, tape, random tools.
As they picked everything up, the last thing left was between them—and their hands brushed.
They both paused.
Santos looked up. She hadn’t really seen Emma up close like this before. Her smile was soft, eyes bright, hair braided neatly like actually put together even in the chaos of the ER.
“Santos?”
‘What the heck just happened.’
Emma was already standing again, holding the cart upright, looking down at Santos still on the floor, all doe eyed and confused. Santos scrambled up quickly.
“Umm, Santos, are you ok? You’re red… and you were talking about mice.”
Santos immediately snapped out of whatever was happening.
“Oh…There were mice. Or rats. In the ED a while back.” That immediately made Emma look frightened as she looked around.
“Theyre gone, don’t worry… I think. But anyway what were you looking for?” Santos asked, shoving her hands into her pockets, rocking slightly on her heels, weirdly antsy.
Emma lit up instantly. “Oh! I was looking for some antacid. Mr. Ruco needs some.”
“Well follow me. I’ll show you the way, Lambie.”
Emma followed Trinity to the break room. “Lambie?”
“Not a Doc McStuffins fan, huh?” Trinity said, glancing at her as she opened the cabinet and grabbed the Mylanta, handing it over.
“Just don’t forget to shake it.”
Right as Santos said it the memory from her and Whittaker’s second dinner together replayed in her head.
*“Yeah, Dr.Mohan gave me the Mylanta, told me to shake it before she told me to make sure the cap was on tight and that’s why I had to get a scrub change.”*
Trinity immediately grabbed the bottle right before Emma was gonna shake it.
Emma blinked, confused, a little hurt. “Oh—sorry?”
Trintiys heart broke at the look Emma was giving her.
“Oh my gosh, no…I didn’t mean to take it like that. Well, I did, but not like….okay, sometimes people forget to screw the cap on tight. It happened to Whitaker. He shook it and Mylanta went everywhere. Even in his ears.” Santos said, being dramatic, trying to lighten it.
Emma immediately nodded her frown going upside down back to the light smile. “Oh, thank you Santos!”
Trinity nodded, smiling as she handed it back. “There you go. And if you need help finding stuff, just ask. I know enough to find at least a few things around here.”
—///
Santos felt… weird.
She thought the feeling would go away, but it didn’t. Even after picking up two patients, as she now sat back down going to finish up a quick chart.
She was just finishing the last sentence when Whitaker walked up.
“Monster?” He said holding out a energy drink.
Santos took it happily taking a few quick gulps. He could poison her if he wanted to and she’d never know she needed the extra energy.
As she put the drink down she looked up at Whitaker. “You need to fix the coffee maker soon at the apartment. Or bring back some magic pigs blood from the farm.”
“Ew what?”
“Ok, I don’t know what you do there but there has to be pigs or old McDonald was lying about his farm. And I know a few witches.” Santos smiled talking in a hushed tone.
“What does pigs blood even-“ before questioning further he sighed.
“Fine I’ll fix it but I wasn’t the one who broke it was that one girl Kasey or whoever was over last week. I saw her in the morning before she left.”
That weird feeling suddenly left santos.
“It was Debbie… or Hannah… whoever it was I’m not talking to anymore. I already told you I’m done with this dating stuff. I need to work on myself.” Santos said proudly.
Whitaker gave a fake clap. “You said that two weeks ago.”
“Well I really mean it…unless a angel falls from the sky and wants to date me.”
Dr.Al-Hashimi walked bye them quickly.
“Truma incoming! Santos you can’t skip this one.”
Santos groans stopping her charts.
Dr.Al-Hadhimi is going through the ambulance bay doors as she immediately jumps up out of the chair and gets to the ambulance bay, Whitaker following behind.
“What do you guys have for me?” Santos and Whitaker are in the ambulance bay as the doors to the car open.
“15 year old girl rode her bike into a ditch. Possible dislocation of the right leg and brake. Slightly groggy and confused since 911 was called. According to her younger sister she fell down and hit her head. The younger sister has minor scrapes she slipped on the pavement..”
They pull out the stretcher from the ambulance showing the 15 year old girl.
“Parents contacted?” Dr. Al-Hashimi asked.
“Umm no phone the youngest climbed out and waived down a runner on the street to call 911. And the kid is in too much shock to talk to us.”
“Santos and Whitaker you’re with the younger sister.”
Santos saw the young girl scrapes on her knees and elbows. Looked no different then her when she was younger fighting little boys on the play ground.
“Hey, what’s you’re name.” Whitaker asked softly.
“Caroline.” The girl said her eyes drifting to her sister being pulled away.
“Well sweet Caroline we’re gonna go get those scrapes cleaned up ok?” Santos said, holding out her hand.
The girl lit up at the nickname like it out something in place in her mind. She slowly took Trintiys hand as Trinity walked her into the er.
“Dana is Peds open?” Whitaker asks as the sister got wheeled into truma one.
“Yeah just got cleaned up from the Cookie Monster.” Dana said Santos looked up catching Emma who was at the nurses station.
Emma quickly saw and gave a smile and Santos gave a quick smile back.
Then the weird feeling rushed back to Santos.
Whitaker saw the small interaction but kept his mouth shut. The two have became good friends so Whitaker sees everything especially when his roommate is natrous for having one night stands with girls ever since her and Garcia ended their very casual but not so casual things.
“What’s Cookie Monster?” Whitaker asked as they walked into Peds.
“Some kid ate too many cookies.” Perlah said as she followed them coming right from the nurses station.
Dennis grimaced at the thought.
“We need a parent phone number.” Princess said urgently walking in.
“Is my sister ok?” Caroline looked up immediately at the new voice.
“Hey Caroline listen to me the doctors are doing the best they can but they need to calm your parents do you know their phone number.” Santos asked as Carline looked off in the distance, then back at Trinity as she nodded.
“Ok tell Princess here.” Carline tells Princess her dads phone number as Princess runs off.
“Ok, Caroline can you get up onto this bed and me and Dr Whitaker over here are going to check you out and make sure you’re ok. And Perlah is going to go grab stuff for these cuts ok?”
Caroline let go of trinitys hand softly as she got into the bed.
“Caroline did you wear a helmet?” Santos asked as she snapped gloves on so she could look at the scrapes and marks.
She nodded. “Nora gave me hers since dad only bought one for us.”
“Well when he comes we’ll tell him how important a helmet is for the both of you.” Whitaker spoke as Santos checked her vitals.
“How old are you?” Whitaker asked starting up notes.
“I’m six.” Whitaker and Santos shared a look the girl was fairly small for six.
Santos looked back to Caroline now finished with vitals. “Well your heart sounds a good and you’re blood pressure is perfect.”
Caroline looked towards the door slightly but looked back at Trinity.
Trinity then looked at the cuts nothing major. Perlah is walking back in with the supplies to clean the cuts.
“Ok we’re gonna clean those two wounds off and we’re gonna put 4 big bandaids at the scrapes no stitches. And you’ll be all good to go after that ok?”
Carline nodded as Santos got the supplies from perlah and cleaned off the scraps on her elbows and knees. The kid winced slightly at the sting of the ateceptic but she pushed through it.
“Good there all done.” Carline looked at her bandages as Dana walked right in.
“We have a viral we need the Peds room is this little one good to go in the hallway?”
Santos nodded at Dana and looked for Whitaker but he already left the room a bit ago and apparently so did perlah probably to go check on other patients.
“Yeah, sweet old Caroline here is good. Let’s get you out in the hall.” Santos smiled at Caroline.
“Hey Dana is there someone who can jump on this and watch her I got charts.”
“I already have four everyone else is backed up you gotta watch her I don’t know what to tell you but you’re charts gotta wait until her parents or someone comes.”
Santos knew they were low on nurses today especially since they were still trying to get Jesse back.
As she held out her hand Caroline took it as they walked out the room the kids eyes scanned the truma bay where they took her sister.
“Is my sister gonna be ok?” Caroline asked as they moved her to a open wheelchair in the bay.
“Those doctors in there are one of the best, and they are doing their best to take care of her.“ Caroline nodded as she sat in the chair swinging her legs back and forth looking at the floor.
“Umm my sister always gives me the bandaids with cool colors on them.” She said picking at the bandaid on her knee.
“Then let’s get you some I’ll see what I can find I’ll be right back ok?”
Trinity wanted to go to the supply cabinet in Peds but saw everyone in there masked up treating a kid so she knew it was a no go.
She made her rounds checking on her patients who were all stable just waiting for a bed upstairs.
Now she stood leaning at the nurses station looking up at the board then looked down and saw Donnie.
“Hey Donnie quick question for you.”
Donnie looked stopping in his tacks like he was about to leave to go check on a patient. “Yeah?”
“Are there any like colorful bandaids that aren’t in PEDS I got a sad kid wanting some and I think it will cheer her up.”
“Umm no not that I know of… wait there’s some stickers here though.” Donnie said grabbing a sticker pack off the nurses station.
Santos took it and immediately walked off saying thanks to Donnie not even questioning why they had a colorful pack of stickers.
Santos got back to the chair the kid lighting up seeing the stickers.
“Are those for me?” She looked up as Santos nodded
“All for you to look at while I go help some other people ok? I’ll be right back.”
Santos gave the girl stickers as Caroline gave her a nod looking at the sticker sheet as she walked away.
Santos picked up a new quick patient, also checking in her others occasinally, and every time she walked past the girl she would make silly faces.
After a few times Caroline started to laugh and smile and make some back.
After she was done with a woman who got bit by her friends milk snake she thought was poisonous so she passed out Santos went to find Robby.
“Hey Robby how’s the sister who fell in the ditch?” Santos asked looking in the truma room. The vitals looked stable and it was Perlah sitting in there.
“She’s stable awake and alert also passed the small nuro exsam maybe mild concussion the father didn’t pick up but we have surgery notified prepared she broke her fibula. We just need her dad to sign off.”
Santos nodded looking at the girl putting stickers on her bandaids from afar. And saw Santos looking so she made a face Trinity smiled and Robby saw smiling softly.
“Can the sister go see her?”
Robby shook his head. “They kid said she doesn’t want her sister to see her like that. Gotta honor the kids wishes. I have princess calling non stop for the dad. But if he doesn’t pick up soon he’ll have more problems than just his kid being hurt.”
Santos looked to the truma room then to Caroline.
Robby looked at her. “What’s your gut saying?”
“It’s just I have a hunch Caroline said the dad only bought them one helmet. They both are kinda small for their age maybe neglect?”
Robby shrugged as Dana yelled a truma was coming in.
“See if you can sniff out the case doctor Santos. call Kiyara down if you think anything.”
Santos nodded as she looked back to the wheelchair and the girl wasn’t there.
Santos immediately panicked and walked over. She quickly spun around looking and when she turned back the kid was standing on the wheelchair and put a sticker on Santos’s face.
Santos let out a relieved sigh.
.“You scared me I thought you’d run off. And let’s not stand on the wheelchair or we might need more bandaids.” Caroline smiled softly laughing as she put more stickers on Santos’s face. Santos picked the kid up and sat her down in the wheelchair.
“Hey Caroline did you eat today?” Santos asked as the girl happily nodded.
“Yeah, Nora made me a sandwich before we went to go ride our bikes. Dad had to go to work.” Caroline spoke as she put stickers all on her legs and face.
“Where does your dad work?”
Santos asked. As Caroline lit up. “He works with dirt and giant trucks” Caroline said as she extended her hands really big giving a visual to the trucks. Santos smiled softly as a man with a construction outfit walked over.
“Oh my gosh honey are you ok?” Santos looked at what she assumed was the father who had been finally contacted.
“Yes, I’m fine Doctor Santos gave me stickers!.” The father held and hugged his daughter.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry I left my phone and I had 10 missed calls from the hospital is my daughter ok Nora where is she?” The dad looked at Santos as she led the way. To the trauma room.
Robby was in there to explain as Santos turned around to see Caroline at the door of the truma bay and walked in and ran to her sister. Nora looked sad but accepted the hug from Caroline.
Santos looked at the scene with a smile as she walked back to go do her charts.
—///
After she finally caught up on charts and ended up being on a cool arm dislocation she was walking to the break room when she heard a flat line.
“Umm a little help!” Santos ran past the curtan a woman hooked up on the table passed out flat lining Santos rushed doing CPR on the woman but before she could even do a few good rounds. Emma ran in just as her heart rate went back to sinus.
“Emma you know who’s patient this is?”
Santos asked as Emma looked shocked starting right at her “Emma?” Santos said as a scared Ogalvie ran into the room.
“Olgalive is this your patient?” Santos asked already annoyed the guy was even in the room.
Santos saw Emma walked away probably to grab an attending.
—///
It was the end of the shift, Santos finished up her last chart, flexing her fingers before signing off, when she caught Princess and Perlah talking a few feet away.
“Yeah some guy was yelling at her. This is like the third time since she’s worked here.”
“Poor girl. She’s too sweet for all of this.”
Santos frowned slightly but didn’t say anything, just pushed her chair back and headed toward the lockers. By the time she got there, she was already mentally replaying who they could be talking about and she had a pretty good guess.
She was stuffing things into her bag when Emma walked by.
“Hey, Em?”
Emma turned instantly, the second she saw Santos, her whole face lit up soft, warm, unmistakable. “yeah?”
Santos internally cheered that a nickname worked.
“Where’d you go during the pacemaker failure? You okay? I know… sometimes it can be a lot, seeing someone just—” she paused, gesturing vaguely, “drop like that.”
Emma slightly blushed for a split second, like Santos worrying about her had hit a little deeper than expected. “Oh no I went to go grab Al-Hashimi. Was she ok?”
Santos nodded as she put her jacket on. “Yeah, she went to surgery. From what I know, she’s ok.”
She hesitated, then added, more quietly, “I also heard some guy yelled at you. You good?”
Emma blinked, clearly surprised Santos even knew. “Yeah I’m fine the guy was mad everything was talking so long”
Santos shook her head. “Still gives no reason to yell at you. You don’t control that. Fuck him.” Santos spoke with a smile.
“You know if you want I can teach you some self defense moves?”
Emma looked shocked even suprised. “Really you’d do that?”
“Sure, why not? I think I’d be happier knowing you can kick some ass. Everyone will see this sweet and nice nurse the bam!”
Santos smiled
Emma looked so happy joy from inside out would appear.
“Not saying you’ll go out swinging but if you ever needed to it’s good to know how.”
Emma stood there a genuine smile on her face so joyful that it made Santos happy just by looking at her.
“Em, you look like you’re gonna explode with joy, rainbows and unicorns .” Santos joked successfully getting a soft laugh out of Emma.
Right as that feeling came back again. Santos immediately pushed it down as she pulled out her phone.
“Here put your number in and either after a shift or if we both have a day off I’ll take you to the gym I go to. It’s 24 hour so we can go whenever.”
Emma nodded typing her phone number in adding a rainbow to her name on the contact.
Emma handed the phone back with a smile. “Trinity, thank you so much for even the offer I really appreciate it.”
Santos smiled a blush creeping on her cheeks at the name putting her phone away. “Don’t mention it.”
Dennis walked bye hitting Santos on the back.
He got a bit of the conversation and with a knowing smile seeing Trinitys face. “Hey when you do things for me you complain that I say thank you.”
Trinity hoped Dennis didn’t see the slight blush on her face or he definitely was going to say something once they got home.
“I thought you were going to redeem your farm benefits for the day?”
“Oh my gosh you need to stop calling it that.” Dennis said as he looked and smiled at Emma.
“Farm benefits? I didn’t know you had a farm Dennis that’s so cool!” Emma smiled as Trinitys eyes went wide to explain the juicy story but Dennis pulls her away.
“Nope we’re not telling the story, bye Emma have a good night.”
As Trinity was being pulled away she mouthed a “I’ll text you” to Emma.