♪♪I got a feeling, I feel so strange

Everything about me seems to have changed

Step by step, I got a brand new walk

I even sound sweeter when I talk. ♪♪

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ [Something's got a hold on me] - [Etta James]

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The door screeched as Kian stepped out of his office. The fierce antiseptic smell replaced the calming lavender fragrance he came from. Rather than stop him, the entirety of feeling at home in his workplace urged him on with the graceful ease he was getting accustomed to.

Though, the easy stride only lasted so long as someone rammed him headlong to the side, knocking the wind out of him by a nurse hurrying off to a duty post. With quick reflexes, they caught themselves before any of them could plummet to the ground.

"Oh, I'm..." A light gasp escaped her lips and her eyes went round. She faltered backwards, aiming to put a lot of space between. "D... Dr Lincoln. I apologize. I really didn't mean... I... I wasn't..."

"It's fine," Kian interrupted with an understanding nod that choked her words in her mouth.

"S... s... sir?"

Her shocked state left a sour taste in his mouth, even though it wasn't the first time since he changed up a few things in his life that he got the look from colleagues. It only reminded him of the poor attitude he had adopted over the year and how much of a negative effect it had on people, rather than the positive he thought he was trying to create.

"Just be more careful next time, Nurse Bennet. You could have hurt a patient," he added and walked past her.

She bent her head in further apology, his soft tone not easing her rigidness at all.

Kian took in a deep breath and moved on. The wary sideways glance from his colleagues was going to get some getting used to, but it would not stop him. His strides faltered as his eyes settled on the reason for the change.

Standing in the lobby was none other than Esmé. Though seeing her made his heart jump, it wasn't the reason for the falter in his steps.

Esmé's eyes danced around the lobby. She looked and wasn't seeing what was going on there. Standing there engulfed her with mixed feelings. There was the reminder of the horror she had faced but couldn't remember, but there was also the growth of where she started and where she was at that moment.

"Esmé," Kian called out to her, drawing her attention away from her thoughts to him.

Her face lit up at the sight of him and that made a smile tug on his lips. "Hey."

"Hi," he replied and walked towards her. His eyes scanned hers once he got to her front for any sign of discomfort, but she held her smile in place and he realized she didn't want to talk about it.

He tugged her in for a hug, to which she instantly melted into the comfort it provided, but she couldn't hug him back.

Feeling the load in her hand, Kian pulled back and looked down at her hands, which held two lunch boxes. "You brought me lunch?"

The smile on her face turned timid as she raised her hands up. "Yeah. I ─ thought I could make you something before I head over to work later on."

Kian grinned. "Are you sure it has nothing to do with fattening me up, Ms Black?"

Esmé raised her eyebrows. "Stealing my words, now, Doc?"

"As long as they're yours, I'm sure I'd be happy to steal them anytime."

She threw her head back in laughter. "Unbelievable."

"Esmé Black!" Petra's voice echoed towards the duo and before either of them could react, she crashed into Esmé, giving her a hug.

"Is that food for moi?!" Petra squealed lightly, careful not to pull unwanted attention to them. and snagged one of the lunch boxes from Esmé, who let out a startled gasp from the quick action.

After taking a quick sniff of the food, the smile on her tired face turned into a grin. "Urrgh, aren't you the best, best friend in the world? Not just coming to visit me in my workplace but also food to fill my sweet little belly while we chit and chat. You're the best, Esmé Black. The very best."

Esmé chuckled at this. "What can I say? I never disappoint."

Kian snickered at this, and Petra spun to face him with a narrowed gaze just registering his presence. "I see with my beautiful eyes a very suspicious third wheel standing here." She gave him a once over at his arched eyebrow before turning back to Esmé. "Did you come to see me or him?"

"Do I smell some sort of jealousy?" Kian and Esmé uttered at the same time and they chuckled, smiling at each other.

Petra's eyes widened with horror written on her face as she vigorously shook her head and then pulled Esmé to her side, away from Kian.

"Yeah, no! This isn't happening." She turned to Kian to give him a warning look. "I would not have you both twinning on me. It's too early, for goodness' sake. Show a little respect to the captain of this ship, would you?"

Kian and Esmé looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Whatever you say, cap."

Petra groaned further and pushed Kian's lunch box into his arms. "You need to go, now!" she said as she tried to push him further away from Esmé, who couldn't stop laughing. After a few minutes of her inability to send him away, she gave up and turned to Esmé with a cocked eyebrow.

"Who is this guy?" she asked with her thumb pointing to him.

"The male protagonist of your ship?" Kian responded with a sly grin.

"Oh, shut up."

The wailing of an ambulance siren snagged their attention and the instant shuffling of feet and the wheeling of a stretcher.

"Get me Dr Lincoln!"

The trio turned at once to the source of the familiar voice.

"Ronnie?" Kian moved swiftly, with Petra and Esmé right behind him. "What's going on?" he asked before he noticed a woman with auburn red hair and her signature golden locks groaning as she held a dislocated right hand.

Petra jerked forward with her eyes as wide as saucers and a slightly opened mouth. "Hermione? Bloody hell!"

The initial surprise wore off instantly as both Petra and Kian swung into action, giving orders and taking over the stretcher, moving her urgently to a room. A few nurses stopped Ronnie and Esmé, who had rushed after them and were ready to go into the room with them.

Ronnie swore under his breath with his chest heaving up and down at a fast pace.

Esmé stood by the side holding two discarded lunch boxes and her pulse racing at a speed she never felt would be possible. It took her a minute to watch the closed doors, where a scream echoed out, before the event of things fully dawned on her.

She turned to a pacing Ronnie who looked like he was very close to sprinting into the room just to know what was going on. Even if she wasn't let in on the secret that they were dating before, the heavy terrified look in his eyes and trickles of sweat that rolled down his face every time his gaze landed on the door was a dead giveaway he never hated Hermione Ohio.

Taking a deep breath, she dropped the lunch boxes onto a chair by the side and walked to Ronnie to place a hand on his shoulder to stop his pacing.

He turned to her with glazed eyes and a flash of recognition in his eyes, only just realizing she was there.

"Sit," she said and nodded towards the empty chairs.

"I can't... It's her right hand, Esmé. Her source of income. Without it, she'd be... It's all my fault..."

He shook his head in defiance, but Esmé kept a straight face. "Ronald," she drawled, interrupting him. "Sit. Your pacing will not help Hermione, yourself or anybody, alright? You asked for Dr Lincoln because you know he's good and he's in there doing his job. She's in the best hands. She'll be fine, okay? So sit down."

Her sharp tone seemed to be all he needed for his rigid posture to crumble. He collapsed onto the seat and thrust his face into his palms, taking in deep breaths.

Esmé sighed and turned to the door, hoping that things were going a lot better on the other side.

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After a couple of minutes of torturing silence, the door to the room opened. Both Ronnie and Esmé sprang to their feet.

Petra took a startled step backwards at the speed and her face scrunched up once she gazed into Ronnie's eyes, meeting a glazed look she had never noticed directed at Hermione before. She knew he wasn't heartless, and he definitely cared about what happened to someone, but there was something about the way his appearance was gaunt that didn't settle well with her.

Ronnie only spared her a flicker of his gaze. His red shot eyes got fixed on Kian with a raised eyebrow.

"Nurse Wilson." Kian cleared his throat, sighed, pulling her speculative attention away from her brother.

"Right." Petra nodded and turned in another direction with a few nurses behind her to sort some things out.

Once she was out of sight, Kian clamped his hands on Ronnie's shoulder with an intent gaze. "Get your act together. She's fine."

Esmé sighed relieved and watched as Ronnie slumped under Kian's stare.

"He...er hands?"

"It's just a sprain and would take some time to heal, but it's not the end of her career. It's going to depend a lot on her memory muscle, practise and dedication."

Ronnie nodded continuously, releasing a burst of shaky laughter and looking heavenward. He took a minute to calm himself before he turned back to Kian. "Can I...?"

Kian opened the door before he could finish talking. "She's resting, but yes, for a short while."

Esmé grabbed the lunch boxes from the table once Ronnie walked into the room. Kian gave her a warm smile once she stood in front of him.

"Hey. You okay?" he asked, collecting the boxes from her while they walked into the room.

"Better now."

They stepped into the white room that shone brightly in contrast to the sour mood everyone had before. Hermione's bed was on the left side of the room where she lay with her right hand bandaged, but the left one tenderly held in Ronnie's hands as he raised it to his lips to give it a light kiss. His eyes did not deviate from the owner of the hands.

Kian's eyes flickered to Esmé and arched an eyebrow at the lack of surprise on her face for the scene in front of them.

But before he could make a comment on it, the door creaked open and they both turned to see Petra standing there. Although she smiled at them, her facial expression turned downward once her face locked onto the only foreign action in the room.

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Oops.🤭🤭

Heyo!

🐽🐽 I smell trouble, do you? I guess that's drama already unfolding.

Can you predict what Petra would do next? 😁 I'd love to hear your speculations!

Till next time! 💕