Work Text:
The night is still muggy as Trinity makes her way to her car after watching the fireworks with her co-workers. She’s looking forward to turning up the AC as high as it will go, and finally being able to leave work and this terrible day behind. Still, she pauses when she spots an SUV stopped in the middle of the lane. Wtf. The weird situation puts her on edge, anger quickly rising to cover any fear. She strides to the vehicle, ready to give this asshole driver a piece of her mind for stopping here.
"Hey fucker! You can’t park-" the last words vanish from her lips as she realizes it’s her new attending staring back at her from the SUV, and she looks utterly wrecked. Gone is the confident, ultra professional Robo-Doc and in her place is a tired woman with red eyes who has clearly been crying. Shit.
"Oh! Dr. Al! Are you okay?" Trinity calls out as Baran cracks the window to hear her better. Trinity’s fury is gone as quick as it came on, concern and embarrassment taking over.
"I’ll be fine," Baran tries, but her voice cracks. Trinity buys it even less than her own bullshit.
"How about we move the SUV back to a spot?" Trinity suggests, hoping to solve at least one of the many problems of the day. Baran nods slightly. Trinity waits, but Baran does nothing else, looking rather dazed and drained.
"You want me to park it for you?" Trinity finally suggests as the silence builds until she can’t stand it anymore.
"Okay," Baran answers so softly that Trinity almost misses it. She slowly eases herself out of the SUV, then holds the door for Trinity, who quickly gets into the driver’s seat. Baran closes the door and goes around to get into the passenger’s seat. Once both of their seatbelts are buckled, Trinity parks in the nearest spot.
For the next few minutes the hum of the blessed air conditioning is the only sound. Baran convinced she needs to find a way out of this situation with as much of her dignity as she has left but unable to come up with the energy necessary. Trinity certain that there is no way she is leaving someone who looks this devastated alone, but with no idea how to get this woman she hardly knows, her superior, to open up. She might be an asshole sometimes but she wasn’t heartless.
"Sooo… you want to tell me what’s wrong?" Trinity cuts to the point bluntly, tiring of the silence and waiting. Baran meets her eyes but stays silent.
Trinity’s jaw clenches. She’s not used to being on the receiving end of her own brick wall treatment. How was she going to get a stubborn bitch like herself to actually open up?
Fuck it.
"I stole a scalpel from the hospital today," Trinity blurts out in desperation.
"I’m sorry, what?!?" Baran immediately responds, her eyes wide, now fully turned to Trinity.
Trinity retrieves it from her pocket, placing it on the arm rest between them. Baran tries to bite back a gasp.
"Why- why did you take it?" Baran asks, her voice rough, stumbling. The intensity of her gaze weighs heavily on Trinity.
"Nope. I’ll only tell you more if you tell me something," Trinity responds. Checkmate.
"Are you kidding me? Your immaturity isn’t as charming as you think it is," Baran responds incredulously.
Trinity’s eyes prick up at that, meeting Baran’s glare. She can’t help a small grin from forming. Baran is reminding her of Garcia in all the right ways at the moment, turning her on in a way entirely inappropriate for this conversation, and damn if she isn’t enjoying it anyway. Baran is losing the plot as well, Trinity’s reaction a distraction from the fear of revealing anything at all.
"Fine," she starts with a huff. "It’s about Dr. Robinavitch questioning my ability to do my job after I shared information about my medical issue or disability," she admits tightly.
"Shit," is the only response Trinity can come up with.
"Yeah," Baran agrees. "Okay, I gave my answer, now you need to give me yours."
Fuck. She hadn’t thought this far ahead in her gambit.
"Work was the fucking worst today, and not just you getting on me about my charts and the whole Langdon shit. I grabbed it on impulse to clear my head," Trinity responds with a shrug, trying now to downplay it.
"To clear your head? How does a scalpel 'clear your head'?" Baran asks skeptically, trying not to think about how hard she’d been on Trinity earlier while knowing so little about her.
"If you’re going to ask another question, I get to ask one too," Trinity challenges.
"Dr. Santos, you barely answered my question," Baran replies with a slight frown, eyes tightening.
"And you also barely answered mine, but I was a good sport and accepted it," Trinity retorts back.
"A 'good sport'? I’m sorry, did you just come from East Egg in the 1920s? Are you Jay Gatsby?" Baran quickly shifts from their heated repartee to mercilessly teasing Trinity.
Her barely suppressed laughter is contagious with Trinity soon joining in, the previous tension suddenly shattered like confetti.
"You got me. I am in fact Jay Gatsby," Trinity mugs, putting out her hand. Baran shakes it with mock seriousness.
"Nice to meet you finally Mr. Gatsby," Baran replies, her smile widening.
"The honor is mine, of course," Trinity suavely responds, bringing Baran’s hand to her lips for a light kiss. They both still, the moment heated for an entirely different reason that neither of them can acknowledge.
"You win. What’s your question?" Baran asks warily, clearing her throat and extracting her hand.
"How do you feel about a night of Primal Scream Therapy via Karaoke with Mel and I?" Trinity tries. Maybe she can save this still.
"Karaoke? Scream Therapy Karaoke? With Mel- you mean Dr. King?" Baran asks in a rush of questions at this sudden invitation.
"Yup, Dr. King. I invited her earlier. I’m going to meet her now. Now that I think about, I’m probably just going to leave my car here and come get it tomorrow. We could share a ride if you want to join?" Trinity responds, starting to pull it up on her phone.
"Okay," Baran answers, trying to pull herself to together. She hadn’t even figured out getting home, more or less an empty house and a loud mind. Whatever might happen with Trinity and Mel would still be better than that.
Trinity is a little surprised by Baran’s acceptance, but knows better than to waste time thinking about it now. Instead she holds up her pinky to Baran, who looks back at her in bafflement.
"Pinky swear that what we just shared in this SUV stays here?" Trinity explains.
"I appreciate you keeping my secret Trinity, but if your safety-" Baran starts to respond as she picks up the scalpel, but Trinity cuts her off.
"I’m safe. I’m fine," Trinity tries to convince her. Baran puts the scalpel into her glove box then turns back to her, trying to find her gaze and an honest answer.
"If that changes, you have to promise you’ll come to me. As doctors we’re both mandated reporters and if anything were to-" Baran tries to continue before Trinity cuts her off again.
"Nothing is going to happen. I’m good," Trinity replies quickly, finalizing their ride on her phone.
"Trinity," Baran pleads, her serious gaze now fixed on Trinity. It’s the use of her first name that breaks Trinity’s resolve to deny it all.
"Okay, fine. I’m not okay, you’re not okay. If either of us need to talk about it, we can trade again. Deal?" Trinity bargains.
Baran considers. Decides this the best that Trinity can manage. That maybe she might need this too a little.
"Pinky swear, it’s a deal," she agrees, extending her pinky to Trinity who shakes it with a grin.
"Alright then! Are you ready leave this day behind and scream it out with Mel and I?" Trinity asks with a glance to Baran, as she checks on the rideshare. 1 minute away.
"Lead the way before I can change my mind," Baran huffs back.
"You wouldn’t do that to me, your new bestie with all your secrets, would you?" Trinity teases back.
"How could I even think of breaking the sacred vows of sisterhood? Now come along, I think our ride is here," Baran answers, opening the door. Trinity hurries to join her. They greet the driver as they slide into the backseat from each side.