Connor stood beside Will as the two leaned against the counter, watching the commotion unfold in Trauma 3. A pregnant woman was furiously shouting at her husband, who had the nerve to show up with his girlfriend. The drama was thick, but it didn't involve them.

"Well, this is fun. ER's been dead slow today." Will says with a smirk.

"Yeah. I feel like I could fall asleep standing here." Connor says rubbing his eyes

Will nodded, amused. They both continued to watch the chaos in front of them unfold. The woman's shouting was drowned out by the soundproof glass, but the situation was obvious enough. In the background, the action seems to be happening with Natalie and April, who are in their own whirlwind with patients, but Connor and Will have nothing going on.

"All the action's been over there with Nat and April. And here we are, bored out of our minds." Will says. Connor nodded, crossing his arms as he focused back on the scene in Trauma 3, half-entertained but mostly sleepy. Just as the woman's shouting hit a new high, Maggie approached them, clipboard in hand.

"Dr. Rhodes, there's an incoming. I'd like for you to take it—some Army commander. His officers specifically requested you, though I don't know why." Maggie speaks from the nurse station

Connor snapped out of his daze and nodded, his posture straightening. He glanced over at Will, who raised his eyebrows in interest. The sound of the ambulance sirens caught their attention as the doors to the ambulance bay swung open. EMTs wheeled in a stretcher, the team moving with urgency. Connor's heart rate spiked with the familiar rush of adrenaline as he jogged over to meet them.

"Commander Theo Jackson, 55 years old. Had a heart attack. He's unresponsive, blood pressure's through the roof." EMT says while rolling the commander in. Connor immediately took over, his demeanor shifting from relaxed to laser-focused as he assessed the patient. He could feel the weight of the situation—it wasn't just another patient, it was an Army commander. There was no time to lose.

"Get him into Trauma 1, now. Start prepping for a full cardiac workup." Connor says snapping orders.

The ER suddenly wasn't slow anymore for him.

______

Connor had worked tirelessly to stabilize Commander Jackson. The beeping of the monitors had finally evened out, signaling that the immediate danger had passed. The commander's vitals had improved, but they were still waiting for the lab results to confirm the full extent of the damage.

Connor stood by the bed, arms crossed, watching the unconscious man. It was a delicate moment—the calm after the storm but before any real answers. As he checked over the patient's chart, the tension in the room felt heavy. He kept glancing at the heart monitor, making sure everything was holding steady.

His back was turned to the entrance of the ER when Adira walked in, her presence immediately commanding attention. The Army guards standing by the entrance straightened up, nodding their heads in respect as she moved past them, heading straight into Trauma 1 where the commander lay.

Will, who had been sitting at a nearby desk, looked up and noticed her walk in. His eyes widened slightly, a grin spreading across his face.

"She's pretty!" Wills says leaning over and whispering. Connor, distracted by the patient, looked up from his paperwork.

"Who?" Connor asks without looking up.

"She just walked into your patient's room." Will says gesturing with his head toward the trauma room.

Connor turned just as the door to Trauma 1 opened, and she stepped back out. The moment his eyes landed on her, time seemed to slow. His breath caught in his chest. Adira. After five years.

His heart pounded in his chest, a whirlwind of emotions flooding him at once—shock, confusion, a twinge of something he wasn't ready to name. She looked just like he remembered, maybe even more striking. The years apart had done nothing to dull the pull she had on him. His eyes were glued to her, unable to look away.

She stood by the guards, speaking to them with the same calm authority she had always carried, her posture straight and composed. She asked one of the officers a question, her voice too far for Connor to hear. But when the officer pointed in Connor's direction, he knew exactly what she had asked.

"Where's Dr. Rhodes?"Adira asks. She turned toward him, her eyes scanning the room before locking onto his. Connor couldn't move, his thoughts racing. What was she doing here? Why now, after all this time?

As she moved toward him, the world seemed to fade out around them. Everyone else was awestruck by her presence, but for Connor, it was like the rest of the ER no longer existed. His eyes stayed on her as she walked, each step bringing her closer. His mind scrambled for something to say, but all he could do was watch in stunned silence.

Adira came to a standstill in front of Connor, her expression calm and unreadable. She extended her hand, her movements as precise and composed as ever.

"Hi, I'm Major Dr. Adira Khanna. Nice to meet you." She says her tone was polite but distant, formal as if this were the first time they had ever met. The words sliced through Connor's daze like a bucket of ice water. He blinked, broken out of his stunned state, and after a beat, he reached forward and clasped her hand. The warmth of her touch brought a rush of memories flooding back, but her demeanor was so detached that it almost felt like a slap.

"Dr. Connor Rhodes. Commander Jackson's attending doctor." Connor says as he forced his voice into a professional tone, though his mind was in utter chaos. As he let go of her hand, he instinctively slipped back into his role as a doctor, but inside, he was a mess. Five years. Five long years since he'd last seen her. The woman who had once been a part of his life, now standing in front of him like a stranger. She was looking at him with no recognition in her eyes, no acknowledgment of their past.

Connor's stomach twisted as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. She had moved on. Clearly. But seeing her act like he was just another doctor, another face in the hospital—it hurt more than he'd expected.

He glanced briefly at Will, who was watching the exchange with raised eyebrows, clearly sensing something beneath the surface. Connor cleared his throat, refocusing on Adira.

"How do you know Commander Jackson?"Connor asks keeping his voice professional, trying to mirror her calm. But inside, his mind was racing. Why was she here? What had happened in her life over the past five years? Why was she pretending not to know him?

Adira met his gaze, her face still composed, though her eyes briefly flickered with something he couldn't quite place. But it was gone in an instant, replaced with that same professionalism.

"He's my commanding officer. I'm here to ensure he receives the best care possible." Adira says her answer was simple, direct, and still distant. Connor felt the sting of her indifference, and his chest tightened. He nodded, forcing a small smile as he tried to navigate this unexpected and painful reunion.

"He's stable for now. We're waiting on the test results to see the full extent of the damage. I'll make sure he's taken care of." Connor said explaining Commander Jackson's condition

Adira gave a curt nod, acknowledging his words, then glanced at the commander's room again.

"Thank you, Dr. Rhodes." Adira said as she turned to leave, her posture as straight as ever, but Connor couldn't help but watch her walk away. The sense of distance between them felt unbearable like a canyon had opened up where there used to be something else—something more. And she, apparently, didn't feel it at all.

______

Adira walked back toward Trauma 1, her outward appearance calm and composed, but inside, her heart was racing. She hadn't felt anything like this in the last five years. Her pulse quickened the moment she'd laid eyes on him, and she couldn't understand why. Butterflies stirred in her stomach, a sensation that felt foreign after so long. She was Major Adira Khanna—strong, disciplined, unshakable. Yet something about standing in front of Dr. Connor Rhodes had completely thrown her off balance.

When she had held his hand, her heart, which had been racing moments earlier, suddenly felt... at ease. As if, on some deep level, it knew him, even if her mind didn't. There was a strange familiarity in the way he looked at her, in the way he spoke her name. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place him. She couldn't remember.

As she reached the doorway to Trauma 1, something inside her made her stop. She turned back, her eyes finding Connor still standing at the nurse's station, watching her, frozen in place. His expression was difficult to read—there was something like recognition, pain, and longing all wrapped up in the way he looked at her. And in that moment, without knowing why, she smiled at him. A small, almost unconscious smile, as if part of her remembered something her mind couldn't quite reach.

Connor smiled back, but she could see it was strained, the weight of something unsaid behind it. She turned away, stepping into the trauma room, her heart still beating faster than it should. She didn't understand why she was feeling this way. Why now?

______

Back at the nurse's station, Connor watched her disappear into the room, that small smile lingering in his mind. His chest ached with the weight of it all—their past, her strange detachment, and the sudden reappearance of someone he had thought he might never see again.

Before he could fully process what had just happened, April walked up to him, breaking his thoughts. She held a stack of papers in her hand and gave him a brief, concerned glance before handing them over.

"Here are Commander Jackson's test results." April says handing over the results.

Connor's eyes flickered to the papers, then back to where Adira had gone. He sighed, feeling the familiar pull of duty settle over him, grounding him. He had to focus. He could deal with his emotions later. Right now, his job was to take care of his patient.

Taking the test results from April, he scanned the numbers and findings, switching into full doctor mode. His personal feelings, however overwhelming, were forced into the background as he prepared to deal with whatever the tests had revealed about the commander's condition.

______

Moments later, Connor made his way to the doctor's lounge, his thoughts a tangled mess. As soon as he entered, he plopped down onto the worn leather sofa, exhaling heavily. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to shake the emotions stirring inside him. Seeing Adira again after so many years had thrown him completely off balance, and now that he was alone, the weight of it all hit him like a wave.

He rested his hands on his face, trying to calm his mind, but the flood of memories wouldn't stop. He didn't know what to feel—hurt, confusion, or maybe even anger. She had looked at him like he was a stranger. How could she forget him?

The sound of the door opening made him drop his hands. He glanced up to see Will quietly slipping into the room. Will had noticed Connor leave earlier and had followed, sensing something was wrong. He approached Connor cautiously, sitting down next to him on the sofa.

"Hey." Will says softly

Connor sat up straighter, trying to compose himself. He gave Will a half-hearted smile, though the exhaustion in his eyes was clear.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Connor asks. Will hesitated, unsure how to approach the subject. He had noticed Connor's reaction outside, the way he had gone still when Dr. Khanna entered, and he knew something was off. But how to bring it up?

Connor raised an eyebrow, waiting for Will to speak.

"What happened to you outside?" Will finally asks

"What happened to me? Nothing happened." Connor says feigning confusion. Will wasn't buying it. He leaned forward, his tone gentle but persistent.

"I noticed how you went still when you saw Dr. Khanna. Did you know her before?" Will says softly. Connor hesitated, his eyes flickering with a mix of emotions before he nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I do. But... I'll tell you everything when I feel like talking about it." Connor says with a small smile. Will studied his friend for a moment, concern etched on his face. He could see that whatever was going on with Connor ran deep, but he knew better than to push. He nodded, offering a small, understanding smile.

"You sure?" Will asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Connor says nodding. Will stood up, his pager suddenly going off, cutting through the silence. He glanced down at it with a sigh, clearly needed elsewhere. But before he left, he reached out and gave Connor's left shoulder a supportive squeeze.

"Alright, man. I'm here when you're ready." Will says leaving the room.

Connor watched as Will left the room, the door closing softly behind him. The silence returned, but it felt a little less heavy now. He leaned back into the sofa, his mind still spinning, but with the comforting thought that when he was ready to talk, he had someone to turn to.

______

*2 hours later*

Adira paced the hallway just outside Commander Jackson's trauma room, her mind racing. The commander had stabilized, but the urgency to get him to the Army hospital, where they could oversee his care directly, weighed heavily on her. She needed to find Dr. Rhodes and discuss the transfer, but she hadn't seen him since their brief talk.

She spotted Maggie walking down the hall, clipboard in hand, and quickly approached her.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Dr. Rhodes?" Adira asks. Maggie looked up, recognizing Adira's voice.

"He's in surgery right now. It's going to be a while before he's out of the OR." Maggie says with a soft smile. Adira's expression shifted, disappointment briefly flashing across her face. She needed to speak with him as soon as possible, but surgeries could take hours.

"Could you let him know I need to speak with him as soon as he's done? It's about transferring Commander Jackson to the Army hospital." Adira says softly. Maggie nodded, making a note on her clipboard.

"Of course. I'll tell him as soon as he's out of the OR."Maggies says. Adira sighed, nodding in appreciation. She hated waiting, especially when it came to something as important as the commander's care. But she knew there was nothing more she could do at the moment. She thanked Maggie and took a step back and turned towards the trauma 1, to check Commander Jackson's vitals.

______

About an hour later, Connor emerged from the OR, pulling off his surgical cap and rubbing the back of his neck. He gave quick, precise orders to the nurses as they wheeled the patient toward the ICU. His mind was still focused on the surgery, his professional instincts sharp as ever, but there was a lingering exhaustion in his eyes.

As he finished speaking with the team, Maggie approached, walking quickly toward him.

"Dr. Rhodes!" Maggie says. Connor turned, frowning slightly at the urgency in her voice.

"What's up, Maggie?" Connor asks, Maggie comes to a stop in front of him, her clipboard tucked under her arm.

"Major Khanna was looking for you. She asked to speak with you as soon as you were out of surgery." Maggie says. Connor's frown deepened. His thoughts immediately turned to Adira. Why was she looking for him now? He hadn't expected to see her again so soon after their tense encounter earlier. His mind raced with possibilities, but none of them settled the unease building in his chest.

"Did she say why?" Connor asks .

"No, just that it was about Commander Jackson. She mentioned something about a transfer, but I didn't get the details." Maggie says shaking her head

Connor just nodded, processing the information. His thoughts began running a thousand miles an hour. A transfer? Was she trying to move the commander to an Army hospital?

He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Part of him knew it made sense, but another part—maybe a more personal part—didn't want her to have a reason to leave again so quickly. Shaking off the thought, he nodded to Maggie, pushing those conflicted feelings aside for now.

"Thanks, Maggie. I'll find her." Connor says, with that, he made his way to the ER, his heart pounding as he considered what Adira might say, and how he'd handle seeing her again so soon.

______

As Connor entered the ER, his eyes immediately found Adira standing outside Trauma 1, speaking into her phone. He caught the last part of her conversation as he approached.

"Yeah, I'm looking to transfer Commander Jackson to the Army hospital as soon as possible. I just need to get a hold of Dr. Rhodes to know if it's possible to transfer him. Yeah, I'll let you know—just be ready." Adira says talking on the phone

Connor came to a stop just behind her and cleared his throat, drawing her attention. Adira turned around, surprise flickering in her eyes for a brief moment before she quickly composed herself. She cut the call and greeted him with her usual professional demeanor, immediately getting to the point.

"I wanted to know if Commander Jackson is stable enough to be transferred to the Army hospital." Adira asked. Connor, sensing the urgency in her voice, nodded, his gaze steady on her.

"He's stable enough for it. I just want to have one last look before I sign off on the transfer papers." Connor says thinking.

Adira nodded in agreement, understanding the need for caution. She followed him silently as they made their way to Trauma 1. Connor entered the room, checking on Commander Jackson one last time while Adira stood by the door, watching him work. As he completed his assessment, Connor nodded, satisfied with the results.

"Yeah, you can transfer him to the Army hospital. He's stable enough for that." Connor says

Adira nodded again, her expression calm and businesslike. Without hesitation, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. As she gave a few concise orders about arranging the transfer, Connor took a moment to watch her. She was completely in control, the same composed and efficient woman he remembered. It was like nothing had changed on the surface, yet everything felt different.

Connor turned and left the trauma room as she continued speaking, his mind once again swirling with thoughts of the past and the present, and the strange mix of emotions that seeing Adira had stirred in him. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something deeper going on, something beneath the layers of professionalism she wore so well.

______

Connor stood on the rooftop with Nurse Monique, watching as Adira oversaw the transfer of Commander Jackson. The wind whipped around them, but he hardly noticed, his attention focused entirely on her. Adira was in her element, giving orders to the Army nurses with confidence and precision. Each command she issued was delivered with authority, her posture straight and her expression serious.

As the team prepared to load the commander onto the helicopter, Adira turned to speak to the pilot, her back to Connor for a moment. He couldn't help but admire the way she carried herself, exuding a sense of calm that made everything around her feel more organized. When she turned back, their eyes met, and she nodded to an officer who had just spoken to her before walking toward Connor.

Standing in front of him, Adira smiled slightly, a genuine warmth breaking through her professional demeanor.

"Dr. Rhodes? Can you give me your number? Just in case I want to discuss something about Commander Jackson's reports?" Adira asks

Connor blinked, taken slightly off guard by her request. He nodded, a bit dumbfounded, but quickly pulled out his phone. He felt a mix of anticipation and confusion swirling within him. This was an opening—a chance for communication beyond just the hospital.

Adira forwarded her phone to him, and he quickly saved his contact under the name "Connor Rhodes." As he handed her back the device, their fingers brushed briefly, sending an unexpected spark through him.

"Sure, anytime." Connor said. Adira met his gaze, and for a moment, the busy sounds of the rooftop faded away. There was something unspoken between them, a thread connecting their past to this moment. Then she stepped back, breaking the spell.

"Thank you. I'll be in touch." Adira says

With that, she turned to head back toward the transfer team, and Connor watched her go, his heart racing slightly. It felt like a small step forward, a possibility of rekindling something that had been lost, even as the reality of their lives loomed in the background.
______

Hello everyone? Long time no see? I wrote this story because i couldn't get it out of my mind, So hopefully this will find the right audience if it's still present here.
And there are grammatical errors so please forgive me for those. Plus there might be loop holes in the whole story. And i haven't watched chicago med since ages so characters might be a little out of character (or alot).
Along with that my story's are generally fast paced to everything will be happening a bit too quickly cause i know a-lot of you will find it too fast paced but it is what it is.

With love
Mansi