4.3 Getting over an ex
Patient's Name: Harry Sullivan
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word Count: 766
Partner Patient's Name: Maria Carter (AU)
Harry hated hospitals. Or at least, he hated ones he wasn't working in and all civilian hospitals in general. But most of all he hated having to wait for answers he could have found out on his own, if only he'd been allowed. He'd already paced the whole length of the corridor six times and drunk four cups of watery coffee. As a result he was well acquainted with the Gents and the temperature of the water that came out of the taps. At last he decided he just couldn't wait any longer, so just went straight on in and barged into the room.
There was a nurse in there, who turned to see who had entered so rudely, and whatever complaint Harry was going to voice died on his lips. "Maria."
"You're not supposed to be in here." Her words might have been what he expected from any nurse in here, but her eyes had widened on seeing him and now she dropped her gaze at his feet and fiddled with the clipboard she held, and that gave her feelings away.
He took a step closer. "Maria, I--"
"Don't." She took a step back. "I never wanted to see you again."
She'd certainly made that clear at the time. "Why?"
Now she looked at him. "Harry, you broke my heart." The expression on her face was exactly the same one he remembered from the last time he saw her.
He frowned. "I did? You were the one who finished it and then you wouldn't return my calls."
"I had to." She shook her head. "I knew the longer I waited, the harder it would be to get over you." She turned away from him slightly to hook the clipboard back at the end of the bed.
"And are you?" he asked, softly. "Over me, I mean?"
She stood up straighter. "Well, I'm back with Brian."
Now he closed the gap between them and put one hand on her shoulder, ignoring the implication in the way she didn't quite answer his question. "Not Brian, you can't."
"He's taking anger management classes. He's better now." She folded her arms. "And he's there when I need him."
"I'm sorry." He let his arm drop back to his side.
"You said that a lot. It didn't mean anything then either."
Sheepishly, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and watched as she stalked out past him.
In the doorway, she paused. "By the way, your mother's going to be fine."
"Step-mother," he corrected, but by then she had already shut the door behind her.
He sighed and turned to the bed, and was surprised to see his step-mother awake and watching him. "How much of that did you hear?" he asked her. He had intended for it to be private.
"Enough. Now, come and sit down." She patted the bed.
Obediently, he pulled the plastic chair up by her.
"She's not your responsibility any more."
He shook his head. "Brian used to hit her." It was hardly as if he could just let her tell him that and leave her alone again.
"Maybe he's changed, people do you know."
He snorted. He doubted it - he'd met Brian once.
"But she's a grown woman and she can make her own decisions."
He sighed. She might be right, but that didn't change how he felt.
She reached out and took one of his hands. "It's Christmas Day, isn't it? I've rather lost track."
He nodded.
"Then you should be with the people you love."
"I am."
She squeezed his hand. "You're a good boy, Harry."
He smiled. Although she always made him feel like a child being called that, she was the only one who did and he wasn't ready to give that up just yet.
"But what about that girl you've been seeing? What was her name?"
"Elaine. And she has her parents round, she doesn't need me there too."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be with her today?"
He shook his head. Of course he wanted to be with Elaine, but at the moment his step-mother was more important. At least, while she was ill.
"You should think about her and forget Maria. If she needs you, she'll ask."
He wasn't so sure about that, as much as she was quick to voice her opinion when they had been together. So he just kissed her on the cheek before he left her to sleep. Now that he knew where Maria was working, he'd make sure to keep an eye on her from time to time.
Fandom: Doctor Who
Word Count: 766
Partner Patient's Name: Maria Carter (AU)
Harry hated hospitals. Or at least, he hated ones he wasn't working in and all civilian hospitals in general. But most of all he hated having to wait for answers he could have found out on his own, if only he'd been allowed. He'd already paced the whole length of the corridor six times and drunk four cups of watery coffee. As a result he was well acquainted with the Gents and the temperature of the water that came out of the taps. At last he decided he just couldn't wait any longer, so just went straight on in and barged into the room.
There was a nurse in there, who turned to see who had entered so rudely, and whatever complaint Harry was going to voice died on his lips. "Maria."
"You're not supposed to be in here." Her words might have been what he expected from any nurse in here, but her eyes had widened on seeing him and now she dropped her gaze at his feet and fiddled with the clipboard she held, and that gave her feelings away.
He took a step closer. "Maria, I--"
"Don't." She took a step back. "I never wanted to see you again."
She'd certainly made that clear at the time. "Why?"
Now she looked at him. "Harry, you broke my heart." The expression on her face was exactly the same one he remembered from the last time he saw her.
He frowned. "I did? You were the one who finished it and then you wouldn't return my calls."
"I had to." She shook her head. "I knew the longer I waited, the harder it would be to get over you." She turned away from him slightly to hook the clipboard back at the end of the bed.
"And are you?" he asked, softly. "Over me, I mean?"
She stood up straighter. "Well, I'm back with Brian."
Now he closed the gap between them and put one hand on her shoulder, ignoring the implication in the way she didn't quite answer his question. "Not Brian, you can't."
"He's taking anger management classes. He's better now." She folded her arms. "And he's there when I need him."
"I'm sorry." He let his arm drop back to his side.
"You said that a lot. It didn't mean anything then either."
Sheepishly, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and watched as she stalked out past him.
In the doorway, she paused. "By the way, your mother's going to be fine."
"Step-mother," he corrected, but by then she had already shut the door behind her.
He sighed and turned to the bed, and was surprised to see his step-mother awake and watching him. "How much of that did you hear?" he asked her. He had intended for it to be private.
"Enough. Now, come and sit down." She patted the bed.
Obediently, he pulled the plastic chair up by her.
"She's not your responsibility any more."
He shook his head. "Brian used to hit her." It was hardly as if he could just let her tell him that and leave her alone again.
"Maybe he's changed, people do you know."
He snorted. He doubted it - he'd met Brian once.
"But she's a grown woman and she can make her own decisions."
He sighed. She might be right, but that didn't change how he felt.
She reached out and took one of his hands. "It's Christmas Day, isn't it? I've rather lost track."
He nodded.
"Then you should be with the people you love."
"I am."
She squeezed his hand. "You're a good boy, Harry."
He smiled. Although she always made him feel like a child being called that, she was the only one who did and he wasn't ready to give that up just yet.
"But what about that girl you've been seeing? What was her name?"
"Elaine. And she has her parents round, she doesn't need me there too."
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be with her today?"
He shook his head. Of course he wanted to be with Elaine, but at the moment his step-mother was more important. At least, while she was ill.
"You should think about her and forget Maria. If she needs you, she'll ask."
He wasn't so sure about that, as much as she was quick to voice her opinion when they had been together. So he just kissed her on the cheek before he left her to sleep. Now that he knew where Maria was working, he'd make sure to keep an eye on her from time to time.