Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Two Birthdays

Summary: Cassie's upset when her birthday plans don't come to fruition, while Ethan finally finds the joy incelebrating his big day.

I. Cassie's 3-0

Every year, Cassie and her twin brother Max would mark their special day together, no matter where they were or who they were with. They celebrated their 28th  in Boston when she started her residency and the 29th in Iceland where Max was working on a project. She was able to get three days off and the siblings got to see the aurora borealis at midnight for the first time. Their birthday had always been their special day, exclusively for them.

So, when Max was unable to join her for their milestone thirtieth birthday after being stranded by a hurricane in the Caribbean, Cassie was inconsolable and refused to celebrate at all. Try as he might, Ethan couldn't get her to change her mind. And then he found out that she'd asked Zaid to assign her an extra shift on her birthday. Zaid, not knowing something was up, was more than happy to accommodate. He liked keeping his residents busy.

With a heavy sigh, Ethan cancelled the reservation he had made for a romantic dinner at their favorite restaurant (the one where they had their first official date) and signed himself up for night shift to keep an eye on his stubborn girlfriend. It was a good thing he did because that night was a litany of woes and she needed him more than ever.

A bus crash had the Emergency Department on standby and ready for triage. when the ambulances started rolling in. Ethan and Cassie moved like dancers, their bodies in sync as they worked around each other, quickly diagnosing and tagging patients based on severity of condition. At one point, their hands brushed against each other, fingers clasping in comfort against the suffering surrounding them before they let go to focus on the job at hand.

Five hours later, and after almost 19 hours on duty, Cassie knew she had hit a wall when her body refused to move. She would have collapsed to the ground if Ethan hadn't suddenly appeared to hold her in his arms.

"Had enough?" he asked, his voice gruff and body weary.

He wiped away the tears that slowly tracked down her cheeks, wrapping his arms around her when she nodded, abject misery on her face. He held her as she cried silently, her body trembling with exhaustion.

"Come on, Rookie. There's someone waiting for you."

Ethan led her through the now almost silent hospital corridors until they reached the Diagnostics Team's office on the seventh floor. There, on the large screen facing the conference table, was Max.

"Happy Birthday, scout!"

His face was slightly blurry, and his voice warbled due to the bad connection. But he was here, and everything in Cassie's world was exactly as she wanted it to be. She leaned into Ethan as he placed a kiss to the side of her head before taking their seat in front of the video screen.

Her hand tucked in Ethan's as she laughed at something Max said, Cassie Valentine spent her 30th birthday surrounded by her two favorite people in the whole world.

II. Ethan's 4-0

The date of Ethan and Cassie's wedding and their brief honeymoon trip after meant that Ethan's birthday would take place shortly after they both returned to work and getting time off again would not be a possibility.

Cassie knew how much Ethan hated celebrating his birthday, so he certainly wasn't bothered by the timing. She had once asked Alan if Ethan had always been like that. The sadness in her father-in-law's eyes told her everything she needed to know.

Still, it was his fortieth birthday, their first as husband and wife, and she was damned if she didn't do something to make it special while still respecting his wishes to not make a big deal out of it. He never asked for much, but on this he was adamant. And the last thing she wanted after only being married for two weeks was to see the return of Dr. Ramsey.

It was a chance comment from Kyra that sparked the idea for what would become Ethan's favorite birthday of all time.

The morning of his birthday, Ethan arrived at work at his usual time. Parking the car in his designated spot, he grabbed his laptop case and lunch bag to head inside.

He'd been surprised when he awoke to find Cassie wasn't asleep next him. She hated early mornings and would use any excuse to stay in bed for as long as possible. But that morning, all he'd found was a note that she'd see him at work.

He took the elevator to the administrative floor, passing by empty cubicles that would soon be filled as staff came on duty, keys in hand ready to unlock his office door. He saw the large white envelope taped to the door and wondered why it hadn't been left on his executive assistant's desk.

Five minutes later, he was rushing down the stairs, a smile on his face as he clutched the now open envelope in his hand.

Dear Dr. Ramsey,

You've been selected to participate in Edenbrook's pilot program, Career Swap. For the next 24 hours, you have been reinstated as Head of Diagnostics, tasked with solving medicine's most complex mysteries and kicking ass while doing it. Should you choose to accept this offer, please join your team on the 7th floor for morning briefing.

Yours sincerely,

Kyra Santana,

Head of Community Engagement,

Edenbrook Hospital

Ps. A map to the Diagnostic Team's office is enclosed – just in case you've forgotten your way. ;-) ß (FYI, this is from Cassie, not Kyra.)

By the time Ethan walked through those familiar glass doors, he felt like his old self again, excited about what lay head. He took his place at the head of the table, his eyes briefly meeting Cassie's, who was sitting in her original seat from that first day many years ago, with Baz Mirani across from her.

"Alright, Team. Let's begin. We have a patient..."

And so, Dr. Ethan Ramsey spent his 40th birthday doing what he loved with the woman who loved him enough to know exactly what made him happy.