Midnight River

Doc

Gemma's pov first then Soap's
Song inspo break with me by shy martin

That morning when I awoke, he was already gone. The blanket and pillow set neatly folded on the couch the only evidence he'd been there. It was for the best.

As much as drunk me was upset over not getting laid, sober and hungover me was glad for it. I had only been with a few people where it was just sex and John seemed like he'd be the opposite. I already had to force the memory of how he held me when we danced out of my mind on multiple occasions over the next few days.

Luckily I didn't see him at all. With his injury he had probably been given some time off to heal and I went back to my regular schedule, working most of the time. I avoided the rooftop and the bar, just in case there was a chance I'd find him at either place.

In a good way, there had been no major injuries as of late, no surgeries I had to worry about. However it meant that I was stuck doing more mundane things, paperwork, check ups and what not.

It went on for over a week like that and eventually I'd been able to not think of him at all. Like I had promised myself, he didn't exist to me.

"What's next?" I asked one of the nurses as she found me in my office, focused on typing notes into my computer.

"John "Soap" Mactavish, just in for a check and clearance to return to work." He answered, reading from the clipboard she held in her hands.

"I wasn't his doctor." I said both confused and annoyed. I knew nothing of his injury as much as I was tempted to look into it the few days after we'd met. I'd managed to avoid him up to this point, I wanted to keep it that way.

"Yes his doctor is on leave." She said carefully, probably seeing the annoyance on my features. "Shot in his right shoulder, went in and out clean so he should be fine." She added quickly.

That's right, his shoulder. He had to have been in pain the night we drank together but he did a good job at not showing it.

"Fine." I said as I stood, taking the clipboard from her and making my way to the room he was in.

He was smiling when I walked in, though it faltered when he saw me. Ouch.

"Gemma.." he started as he moved to stand but I waved him off. I couldn't look at him if he was going to say my name in that damn accent.

"Dr. Harlow." I corrected, setting the clipboard down on the table as I moved over to him. "Let's have a look." I added then, waiting for him to remove his shirt.

He nodded and complied, pulling the long sleeve off carefully and holding it in his lap when he was done. Fuck.

My eyes probably lingered too long on his uncovered chest and stomach, making note of the scars I spotted along the way. I think he noticed but he didn't say anything.

Most of the men I looked after were fit, you couldn't be anything else than top shape to do their jobs but damn why did he have to look so much better than the rest of them. My gaze moved to the dark trail of hair that started below his navel and then disappearing below his pants. When I looked up he was watching me and heat rushed to my cheeks when I knew he'd caught me.

I wouldn't admit my attraction to him, but I was human, I could look. Right?

—-
Soap's pov
—-

I was a little nervous that I'd have to see her when I knew I had to come for my medical check. I wanted to see her but knew she was probably feeling the opposite.

The way we'd left things, I didn't like it. I hadn't been able to give her a goodbye or a see you later. I told her I was good at forcing my friendships on people, Ghost and Senna were proof of that but Gemma was different. She wasn't forced to be around me all the time like they were so it would be harder to break her resolve. I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

Now with her this close to me, my mind was scrambled. It didn't matter how drunk I had been, I remembered the feel of her lips on mine, her arms around me and my hands on her. And now with her looking at me, like that,  I couldn't push the memories away.

It's not how I had wanted things to go, alcohol had gotten the better of us and I hated that. How could we go from nearly having sex to at least friends?

I looked to the floor as her hands removed my bandage. I thought it was healing just fine and no longer needed to be covered, but doctors orders.

Her fingers gently moved over where the stitches had been and where a new scar had formed, it was probably a good thing she was wearing gloves.

"It looks good." She muttered, moving to look where the bullet had exited the back of my shoulder.

"Yea?" I asked, finally looking back at her as she stepped back.

"Yea. How does it feel, movement okay?" Gemma asked, scribbling something down as she avoided looking at me.

I moved my shoulder around, it was a bit stiff but there was no pain.

"Yea, feels good."

'Right. You're cleared then."

"That's it?" I asked, wondering if she was just making this short because it was me.

"That's it." She answered but finally met my gaze then. "Do you know when you're heading out next?"

"Tomorrow." I answered, and I wasn't sure when I'd be back.

"Right. Well just try not to strain it too much. The muscle still might be a bit weak." She explained, returning her pen to the pocket of her coat.

"Right." I mumbled as I pulled on my shirt. I was rarely ever at a loss for words, but this felt awkward and I wasn't sure what to say. She'd made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with me.

"Do you take your lunch break yet?" I blurted then and she froze as she was moving to the door. Bad move, Johnny.

"Yes." She answered. Even if she haven't I was expecting her to say that.

"Listen about the other night, we can just pretend it never happened. I still wouldn't mind getting to know you." I wasn't the type of guy not to try, no matter how much she wanted to push me away.

"It didn't happen. But I can't do that." Gemma said firmly.

"Can't or won't?" I asked and I swore for a second there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Make it home safe, John." She said, not answering me as she left.

She said my name. I hadn't heard it like that in so long with most of my team calling me Johnny. I liked the way it sounded, even if her tone had been a bit sad, like she knew I couldn't promise that I would even make it home.

Still, it was a start.