A Lifetime Later: A Heartstopper AU Fanfic

Chapter Two: Left

"That should do it," said Nick, fastening the last strip of tape onto Charlie's bandaged elbow. "We should know more about your ankle when the x-rays come back. Shouldn't be long."

He lingered by the bed, knowing he had other patients to check on but wanting nothing more than to sit across from Charlie's dimples and dark curls for the remaining five hours of his shift.

"How's your pain?," he asked, stalling.

"Oh, um. It's fine," replied Charlie, smiling up at Nick as he continued, "Same as the last time you asked."

Nick shook his head, grinning. "Sorry."

Their eyes met again. Nick thought about all the things he wished he could tell Charlie here, now. How sorry he was that he had never called. How, way back then, every passing day of silence had made it feel more and more impossible to take back his angry words. How he had never wanted to break up in the first place; how he had finally convinced himself that it was what Charlie had wanted.

How, almost two decades later, he still couldn't bring himself to date another man — or anyone with blue eyes.

The call bell derailed Nick's train of thought. Over the intercom, he heard Rosa's voice. "Nick, patient in 6 wants you."

"Got it," he said back to the wall. He looked down at his shoes before meeting Charlie's gaze again. "I have to go. I'll check back in with you in a little while, yeah?"

"Yeah. Okay," whispered Charlie, smiling weakly.

Nick wheeled his workstation out of the room, opening and closing his hands to try and resolve their clamminess. His heart was pounding and he felt heat behind his eyes. He sensed his palm reflexively move toward the back of his neck, like it always did when he felt nervous.

"Alright?," asked Cheryl, walking down the hall toward him.

"Yeah. Alright," Nick replied. He thought his voice sounded loud and oddly forced, but Cheryl just nodded. After she passed, he shook his head and breathed deeply for a moment before heading to bay 6.

***

An hour later, Charlie was cleared for discharge. A few nasty scrapes and a sprained ankle, but nothing that required further treatment, Dr. Lee had said.

"So I can go home?," Charlie asked.

"Yeah," said Nick. "But no running for at least 6 weeks." He smiled. "And especially not at 1am."

Charlie chuckled. "Right," he said. A long pause. "Well... thanks for everything."

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but the call bell sounded again. Over the intercom, Nick heard himself summoned, once again, to bay 6. Not again, he thought to himself. Shit, not now.

"Can you wait a moment?," he asked Charlie. "Let me see if I can find someone else to handle that patient."

But when Nick returned to the room five minutes later, it was empty. 

Turning around slowly, he slumped down onto the now-vacant bed with his head in his hands. Whether he stayed that way for seconds or minutes, he didn't know. He didn't know anything anymore.

The call bell sounded, then the intercom: "Bay 6."

Nick whimpered helplessly and wiped his wet eyes with the heels of his hands. Turning to stand, he noticed a piece of paper on the tray table attached to the far side of the bed.

On the reverse side of his discharge instructions, Charlie had written in familiar scrawl:

Nick,
I'm usually done at 3.
x

There was a business card just below, complete with Charlie's name and business address.

Charles F. Spring, BSc, ClinPsyD
Child Psychologist

Nick let out a puff of air and felt the heat behind his eyes again. A moment passed before he slipped the paper and card into his scrub pocket. He patted it once, smiling, then wiped his eyes again and headed to bay 6.