ESFJ (male) x ESFP (female)

“There’s my boyfriend.”

“And there's my patient who needs to be lying on the bed.”

“Aw, come on, Nurse Ram,” Duygu, a patient with a cast around her leg elevated on an extra pillow, groans playfully. She spreads her arms, showing him that sitting up in bed is not hurting her at all. “You underestimate my flexibility. I didn’t go to ballet classes for nothing.”

The nurse enters her room with a cart he brings with him all over the hospital. “You went to ballet for only four years. From when you were five to nine years old," he points out. "Kindly remind me how old you currently are?”

“And it is a grave sin to ask a woman her age!”

Ram bursts out into soft laughter and shakes his head in disbelief. “Duygu, you’re still the same as back when we were in college.”

“Yeah.” She shrugs. “But you’re the one who continued with nursing.”

"Aw, come on," he says, "To be honest, you're the lucky one. You didn't have to go through early or 24-hour shifts." He bends down to grab some supplies from the bottom tray of his cart.

"But is my degree in mass communication healing my leg now? Can I talk my way out of the pain?"

Nurse Ram shoots up and asks in concern, "You’re feeling pain? Where are you feeling pain?"

"Yo, relax. I was just kidding."

"You sure? Tell me, okay? Don’t hesitate to inform me, please."

"Gosh!" Duygu laughs. She reaches over to give him a playful slap on the arm. "What a worrywart!"

“Come on, I can’t help it.” He grabs his I.D. tucked in his chest pocket and shoves it to her. “I’m a nurse,” he says matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow.

“Wow, what a way to rub it in to a shiftee,” She huffs out, crossing her arms before her.

Knowing that she’s only playing with him again, Nurse Ram leans close and whispers, “But I know you love me.”

“Nah, don't forget that I hate you too. Has anyone told you that you’re such an annoying person?”

This has always been their dynamic ever since they were blockmates in college under the same major of nursing. They clicked the instant they had that first icebreaker when it was the first day of class (and people just wanted to know each other). Ever since then, they’ve been friends even if Duygu decided to shift majors after finding that a major in nursing is not really her thing.

People back in college would tease them for spending so much time together, and yes, they may have had a bit of a crush on each other. Though, that was mostly because of all the teasing. They kept their friendship despite that and eventually, they learned to trust one another not as a couple but simply as people who truly respect and care for each other.

It was a good thing they never ended up together in a romantic relationship. The dynamic of their shared platonic relationship is one that the people around them envy.

Duygu still likes teasing Ram by calling him her boyfriend, but they both know they aren’t each other’s types now. She simply likes to mess around with him at times.

When she found herself in an accident that caused her to be confined in the hospital for the next few weeks, she was glad to know that Nurse Ram was assigned to her. People in the hospital don’t know that they are close friends. It feels like they are back in college again – seeing each other on a daily basis, talking and laughing about the most random things (well, as if they didn’t see each other after their respective work schedules). At least now, she doesn’t have to make excuses to her co-workers as to why she couldn’t hang out with them after work! Her co-workers can sometimes come off as nosy people.

“Oh!” Duygu exclaims, suddenly remembering something she’s been dying to tell Ram, “Did you hear about Barb?”

“Why? What’s with Barb? Did she find a new school to work at?”

She shakes her head emphatically. “Not even close! Apparently, she has a boyfriend now!”

Nurse Ram’s jaw drops the instant he heard her words. “No way.”

Duygu nods and utters, “Yes way.”

“Who’s the guy?!”

“Do you remember her co-teacher that she would always get into a fight with?”

“You’re pulling my leg now.”

“I’m not! And hey,” Duygu starts, “that’s a bit insensitive regarding the situation I’m in.” She gestures toward her injured leg. 

“I can take care of your leg later if you want, but first, I need to hear everything you know about Barb and her boyfriend.”

“Don’t you have other patients to check?”

Nurse Ram raises his wrist before his face to check the time on his watch. “I have around 30 minutes to spare before the next room expects me.”

“30 minutes is just enough time. Now you better hurry up and grab that chair from the side!” Duygu says in haste. “Man, I don’t even know where to start!”

—---------

An extra eight days.

Duygu has been told to stay in the hospital for another eight days.

She’s been a very cooperative patient for the past weeks and she was told by her doctor that she might be able to go home in two days.

Well, add six more days to the two.

She has a positive outlook on life, but for this particular night, she wasn’t in the mood for anything. Sure, her family members visit her and even some of her co-workers got to. Barbara, one of her and Ram’s close friends also visited (that was how Dugyu found out about the boyfriend), yet there is this certain loneliness that grows within her every night she spends in the hospital.

On this specific night, she couldn’t get a wink of sleep because her heart felt so heavy. Even if her other nurses took her out to the hospital gardens in a wheelchair after hearing the news, she still couldn’t feel better.

“Knock knock,” a voice by the doorway gains her full attention after staring aimlessly at the ceiling for the past minutes…or has it been hours already?

Duygu turns her head to find Nurse Ram leaning against the open door while only carrying a water bottle with him.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be home hours ago?”

Nurse Ram enters the room and he takes his time. He walks slowly, shoving his free hand inside his pocket as he walks to the foot of the bed. “I decided to take on a 24-hour shift after finding out the doctor’s updates on your condition.”

Duygu begins to try and sit up a bit and the nurse helps her as he settles the water bottle on the side table. “Is it stupid of me to be sad about it?” She asks once she has settled in her new position.

The nurse brings a chair near her bed and plops down on it before replying, “Nothing is stupid about that. You have every right to be sad.”

She sighs heavily and returns to looking at the ceiling. “I just…I just find it stupid that I’m wasting my time here when I know that I am capable of continuing work and being around more people even if I have to be on crutches or whatever.”

“...A part of me thinks that you also miss going out to parties with our friends, too.”

Duygu shifts her gaze to Nurse Ram. She finds him smirking knowingly at her and all she could is laugh softly. “You know me too well. You know that I love to go out partying with our friends. They’re great people to go out to parties with. Parties even become more fun when you’re there, Ram.”

“We can have our own party now,” Nurse Ram suggests quietly

Duygu throws him a derisive look. “You want us to start imagining?”

He bursts out laughing and then juts his head toward the water bottle still standing on the table. “Do you think I brought water here?”

Instantly, her eyes widen in realization. Duygu is quick to pick up on things. “Don’t tell me that’s spiced water. Aren’t you not allowed to have that while working?”

“Maybe I can have a bit, but I really brought it for you. I was thinking that you would need it after what happened today. And,” he drawls out, “it’s nice to break some rules sometimes…as long as it doesn’t hurt other people.”

“Awww,” she coos. Duygu brings her hands to her chest and her gaze softens as she continues to look at him. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

He stands and winks at her. “Anything for you.”

“So, what’s the flavor of your water?” She asks, her gaze following him as he walks to grab an empty glass and the water bottle he brought.

“Hmm…let’s say it’s the drink you love the most when it’s mixed with freshly-squeezed orange juice.”

“Mmmm, vodka!” She exclaims in a hushed voice.

Nurse Ram pours enough for one shot into the glass and keeps it with him as he hands over what’s left in the water bottle to Dugyu. “Shhh,” he murmurs, pressing a finger perpendicularly against his lips. “This is only going to be a one-time thing, okay? Just one crime.”

Dugyu, with a wide and excited smile spread across her face, pushes the bottle against the nurse’s glass. “Our crime,” she finishes slyly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you liked this one ♡

I made this because I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately as I'm applying for graduate school. I haven't started on my personal statement because I don't even know where to start 😭😭 I've been so anxious for the past months HUHU

Some positive traits of ESFJ: sympathetic, down-to-earth, warm

Some positive traits of ESFP: accepting, witty, soft-hearted