Emery [bxb]

175

"Doctor," passing staff nod in greeting.

I nod back mutely.

Spotting Emery, I fall into step beside him.

"How're you doing?" I murmur quietly. 

He simply leans on my shoulder in response. In an ideal world, he'd take more time off to deal with his loss. But people need him, and I think he's too desensitized from all the death he's experienced as a doctor to need more time coming to terms with everything.

Since our rounds for the day are over, Emery and I busy ourselves organizing blood tests and scans, talking with colleagues about our patients and sharing recommendations, and being reminded by the ward clerk to fill out the discharge papers for the patients who have been discharged today.

When we get home, we relieve my mom of her babysitting duties and tend to baby Adonis.

I'm about to head to my room when Emery surprises me by settling a hand on mine over the doorknob.

"Do you still want to kiss me?"

"I thought..." I swallow hard.

"I'll let you. If you want."

I blink.

"O-Okay." Tongue dry as cotton, I lick my suddenly dry lips to moisten them before drawing him in. We suck in a sharp breath simultaneously upon sealing our mouths together.

We kiss for a long, long time. Somehow we wind up on the guest bed.

Emery can intuit that I'm emotionally exhausted and, sensing my reserve, gives a quick, knowing nod. He eases me onto my back.

"It's okay." Emery kisses me gently, lays a hand over mine to entwine our fingers, bumps our foreheads together and pulls my head to his chest. He keeps kissing me until I fall asleep.