Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Kiss Me Better

Summary: Follow up to the text and pic fic, You Try My Patience, a drabble about what happens once Ethan arrives at the hospital after finding out Cassie was injured during night shift.

If someone had told Dr. Ethan Ramsey a year or two ago that he would actually enjoy texting let alone have a Pictagram account, he would have laughed and then tore apart the offending person for the insult. Both activities were inane and a complete waste of time.

And then he met and fell in love with Cassie Valentine.

Now, he not only texted regularly with his girlfriend, but he also used Pictagram to be a part of her life when he wasn't there, and even when he was. Somehow texting had become their medium, where they could tease each other, flirt covertly when others were around, and get up to all manner of things not suitable for work.

So, when he couldn't sleep that night, he decided to go online and see what Cassie was up to while on night shift. Scrolling through her feed, he chuckled at Zaid's comment about the wheelchair relay and hoped his Rookie wouldn't take the no as a challenge. She could be perverse like that.

He had just put away his phone to plug it in for charging when it pinged, signaling a new post. He almost ignored it, but curiosity, and the fact that he missed her, had him reaching for the device again.

Twenty minutes later, he was locking the apartment door behind him and calling for the elevator to take him to the parking garage. Another ten minutes (he'd gotten lucky with traffic lights) and he was parking the car in his usual spot in the multi-story lot connected to the hospital.

The Emergency Department was busy when he arrived, and he couldn't see Cassie's sunny hair in the sea of people milling about the nurse's station or in any of the occupied cubicles. Impatient to find her, he was about to harass one of the residents on duty when he saw an orderly wheel her into an empty cubicle.

The sights and sounds of the ED drifted away and the only thing that existed for him was her. For first time that night since he'd seen her Pictagram feed, he could feel himself breathe.

He recognized the instant she felt his presence, drawn to each other like homing beacons. Within seconds, he was crouching in front of her wheelchair, his hand reaching for her uninjured one, needing that physical connection to reassure himself that she was really alright.

"Ethan," she said softly, her eyes tracing the worry evident on his face. "I'm okay, I promise. We just finished the X-rays and the radiologist said it was nothing to worry about."

"Come on, love," he said, keeping his voice even for her sake. "I'm taking you home."

"But I'm still on shift," said Cassie as Ethan helped her out of the wheelchair.

"No, you're not, Valentine." Zaid Mirani stepped inside the treatment area, making the declaration in his usual grumpy voice. "Ramsey," he nodded. "Didn't know you were on duty tonight."

"I'm not." He saw Mirani and the nurse standing next to him glance down at their clasped hands and look away.

He and Cassie weren't hiding their relationship anymore, but neither did they openly flaunt it at the hospital. Still, everyone knew that the normally reserved Dr. Ramsey had heart eyes for only one resident, even if some of the nurses couldn't help being jealous that it wasn't them.

As far as Zaid Mirani was concerned, the man had grown soft, but he didn't begrudge him this. Of all the residents under his supervision, Valentine was the biggest pain in the ass but also the brightest doctor he'd seen in a long while. She and Ramsey were a perfect match, as Ines was always telling him.

"Two days sick leave," said Zaid, handing Ethan a prescription for Cassie's pain medication. "Non-negotiable," he added when he saw her start to speak. "You know the drill, Valentine. Ice, elevate, rest, and wear a wrist brace for two weeks."

"Don't worry, Mirani," said Ethan, tucking the prescription into his pocket. "I've got this."

By the time they got back to his apartment, Ethan could tell Cassie was feeling the effects of her injury. Her face was pinched and drawn, and she was holding her wrist against her chest for support.

He helped her get ready for bed, making sure she took the pain pills, before climbing in next to her. Tucking her to his side, he was careful to keep clear of her injured wrist.

"What can I do to help, Cassie?" He asked as she adjusted her position for the third time in so many minutes.

"It's silly, but can you kiss and make it better?" she asked plaintively.

As gently as he could, he placed soft kisses along the injured wrist and then moved higher to pay special attention to the crook of her elbow.

"Not fair," she complained when he stopped just short of the spot above it that he knew was especially sensitive.

"You're supposed to be resting," he said sternly as he pulled away.

"How about once more -- for good luck!" she responded, flinging her good arm around his neck to draw him close until his forehead rested against hers.

"Didn't know you'd injured your mouth, Rookie or I would've kissed it sooner," he mocked as she nipped his jaw, then his lips, tracing them with her tongue to coax them open.

"Just shut up and kiss me, Dr. Ramsey."

And then he did.