R o n a n

"Rosa," I peek my head inside her room. "How'd you sleep, doll?" I step inside and grab the clipboard from the sidewall, I read over her chart and notice no changes overnight. I nod in content and look back up at her.

"Daddy isn't awake yet, he's never slept this much," her lower lip pouts out. I frown and look at her father, hooked to a ventilator and too many machines to count. His heart rhythms slow and irregular, I'm just praying he doesn't flatline in front of his daughter.

There's a low chance he'll wake up again.

I can't tell her that her father isn't going to make it. It's what I'm supposed to do-tell the truth. I took an oath to do just that. But I can't.

"What do we have here?" Luna says, snapping me out of thought. She peeks her head inside the room and grabs some gloves. I smile and kiss the side of her head.

"Hey, Rosalina, I'm Doctor Dawn, but you can just call me Luna, alright?" Luna smiles and goes to check out her leg but Rosa jerks away from her and shakes her head.

Luna furrows her brows. "What's wrong, honey? I'm just checking out your injuries to make sure you're okay."

"Ron-Ron," she turns to me and Luna snorts at the nickname before shutting her mouth. I stifle a laugh of my own and wipe my upper brows.

"It's okay," I nod, gesturing to Luna. "You can trust her."

She bites her lower lip in anticipation before nodding and turning back to Luna. Luna does her checkup, and when she's done, she gives her a lollipop from her suit pocket, earning a little laugh from her.

"I have a long surgery to do, but after that, I'm all yours, alright?" I step towards Rosa who nods and brings her lower lip between her teeth, bumbling on it. She nods and I step outside, following after Luna.

"She trusts you," Luna says, swiping down on her phone.

"I'm easy like that," I shrug my shoulders. She turns and swats at my shoulder.

"What's on your schedule today?" I raise an eyebrow and follow her to her office.

"Let's see," she scratches the top of her pretty Afro. "I have an aneurism to clip at four," she glanced down at her watch. "And then I have to tackle a brain tumor, I have no idea how long that's going to last."

"You got this, don't fret," I throw myself down in her spinny chair and swing myself around like a child. I end up knocking a flower pot off of her desk, she nearly throws the remains of the glass at me, but I fucking flash out of there.

"Sorry, sweetheart," I yell out before she gets a chance to slam the door in my face. I laugh and walk down the halls before sighing.

I have to buy her more flowers before she beats my ass.

✥

"Hello," I give a soft knock on the door of my next patient, "I'm Doctor Hawthorne-I'm told you've transferred-" I open the door and my jaw nearly falls.

"Misses Stone?" I sputter. She drops her magazine and smiles widely at me.

"Ronan!" She gestures me over, I laugh and drop the clipboard as I bend down. She gathers me in a tight hug, I lose myself in her grandmotherly essence. "My sweet Ronan," I pull away, she cups the side of my face, ruffles my hair, smacks me lightly, and kisses the side of my head.

Mina's grandmother was always like my grandmother. She treated me like a son. My grandmother never liked me, she always loved Ace, Darnell, and Zella. But me? Not a chance. 

Ragged lady.

She was the closest thing I had to a grandmother.

"You're a doctor?" She gasps, and holds a hand over her heart like a proud mother. "Oh my gosh-a Surgeon?!" She shouts this part.

"Yes, ma'am." I nod softly. I pull up the chair beside her and sit down. She looks different, like she's lost a part of her soul. Her hair is white, but it's still long, and curling at the end. Her skin is tinted a soft olive tone, but yet, her smile and eyes are as bright as ever.

"I know Mina's happy to see you," she wiggles her brows. I laugh and shake my head.

"Im the one who's one to see her," I clarify, she sits up with a groan, tugging up her hospital gown and pulling up the blanket.

"Make sure to get married soon whilst I can still walk, okay?" I open my mouth, but she stops me. "You promise me now." She holds out her hand shakily.

I have to choice but to oblige. I lean forward and nod, lacing my hand with hers.

She laughs, then coughs harshly. I hand her a napkin. She nods appreciatively and wipes away her lips.

"Want me to get you water?" I ask.

"Yes, sweetie," she smiles weakly. "Thank you."

✥

So, I didn't end up simply getting water. I got her food too, might as well. I open the door and close it. "I got you the salad with extra croutons-you always used to put extra ones on our salad." I set it down beside her bed and hand everything to her.

"Thank you, sugar," she smiles.

I sit back down in the chair and lose myself in conversation with her. I can't help but feel like I'm a little boy again, and she's telling me stories of her childhood, or scolding Mina and I on why we shouldn't break her vases.

I have a thing for breaking vases.

I'm about to open my mouth when the door opens and I recognize that body immediately. Mina smiled sheepishly at her grandma. "Hey, Grams, I brought-ah!" I seem to scare her when her eyes land on me, she trips over the back of the table, lands on her back, and whimpers.

I'm instantly on my feet, rushing down on my knees and gripping her forearm and placing my other hand on the back of her head as I help her to a sitting position.

"What an entrance," I murmur, she laughs, looking up at me, only to wince and pain and presses her lips together.

"Did you get my chips?" Misses Stone leans over the bed nonchalantly. She tilts her head.

Mina raises her hand to flip her off, but I grab her wrist and yank it down to my thigh.

"I saw that," Misses Stone grabs a pillow and throws it at her. Mina-again-tries to flip her off, but she groans and grabs onto my knee, her nails digging into my pants. I tighten the muscles in my jaw.

"You broke my spine," she looks up at me.

I want to break her spine.

That sounds really fucking bad without context.

"Let's get you checked up," I say, getting up, carefully. I reach down and grab her waist, watching how out of the corner of my eye, she blushes and looks down.

"Are you guys done?" Misses Stone coughs awkwardly.

"I bought your chips," Mina says, limping, I grab the door handle and open it.

"Where are they?"

"In my stomach!" She yells. "Suck on that, old lady! I ate your goddamn chips! They're resting in my-" I give her arm a harsh yank and drag her out. Biting my lips to contain my laughter as I guide her to an empty exam room.

"She deserved that," she mumbles.

"You're evil," I retort, she smiles and lets me help her on the exam table.

"I'm okay, Ronan," she tilts her head. I furrow my brows and stare her down.

"Lift your shirt."

Her cheeks go red.

"Going a little fast, don't you think?" A soft laugh escapes her pink lips. I bite the inside of my cheeks.

"I meant lift your shirt so I can examine your back," I say quietly. She turns and lifts the back of her black sweater, showing me her upper back, she hit her shoulder and I can already see the bruise forming.

I press softly down on it and she winces.

I pull my hand away. "Im sorry, did I hurt you?"

She shakes her head. I press my hand to the soft skin of her shoulder blade before I catch myself and pull away. "Just be easy on yourself, I pull her sweater up and dust the top of it off. "I think you'll live."

"Oh, thank God, I'm too young to die." She sighs dramatically I laugh and run a hand down my back.
She turns and nods, I grab a spare chair and sit down. The silence consumes me as she looks down.

"You didn't tell me she was sick." I say quietly. She lets out a little breath and looks down at me.

"I didn't know how too." Is her weepy response. I look down at my hands and fumble with my rings. The reality that she's sick hits me like a ton of bricks.

"It's a heart mass," she whispers, grasping my attention immediately as I look up at her. "All of the other doctors refused to do surgery because it was too hard of a surgery, almost impossible so they transferred us here."

"Heart tumor?" I ask quietly. My throat closes up on me when she nods.

"Her heart is weak, I've known that for so long. But she had a-a heart attack last month." Her voice shakes a bit. She looks to the side and blinks harshly. "I thought she was gonna die on me."

"She didn't," I shake my head, "she's still here."

"For how long, Ronan?" Her eyes turn glossy and my heart tightens on me. "The doctors gave her a few months. That's it."

"Hey," I sit up straighter. "If she saw you crying about her she would slap you, don't cry about something that hasn't happened yet, Mina." I say this softly, trying not to sound like an asshole.

She looks down at me and nods. I lose myself in those obsidian eyes of hers. God, she's gorgeous.

I'm about to tell her that when the door slams open.

Damn it.

✥

Misses Stone is my idol.