me & tomfoolery

The Man Next Door, pt. 4 | Nic Claxton Short Story

I wanna see you for lunch, is that okay?

Where do you wanna meet?

Wherever. I could stop at your job with something. You have to take a real break.

Olivia contemplated texting back, she wasn't even sure if she could take a break today. There was a crash on 95 towards Connecticut. All of the incoming patients were being dispatched to the nearest hospitals. Olivia's being the closest in proximity.

"We have a patient coding in here!" Kayla yelled in distress, Olivia quickly placed her phone back into her locker, running out of the room to help. "13 year old female with a collapsed lung."

"Where is Dr. Marshall?" Olivia prepped the young girl for the AED. "Wait for Marshall! Don't do anything Robinson." Another nurse yelled, "She will die waiting for that man! I am saving her now"

Olivia revived the young girl, allowing the surgeon and their team to wheel her away for surgery. Wanda would knew that Olivia would escape to the rooftop garden. It was an initiative created by the Children's hospital and local elementary school. This was her happy place while within the madness.

"Hey Liv?" Olivia wouldn't look up, she just needed a moment. "You have a guest here, with lunch." Looking up, Olivia could spot Nic's weary smile above the bushes. He was so tall, Nic could be spotted anywhere. "Hope you don't mind that she brought be up here."

"No, you're fine. It's fine." She waved him over. "You can sit with me."

Nic sat down next to her, offering her the bag of food and flowers. "Daisies, my favorite. You remembered?"

Nic made sure to text her everyday and when he didn't have a game, he would call her. She didn't mind it, when she had time to respond, he did.

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" His southern charm always seemed to work, that's how he got what he wanted. It was taking longer to work on Olivia and he needed to know why. He was going to try anything to get to her, even if that meant letting himself care.

"Where do I start? There was a horrible accident on the highway and they're sending everyone here. There's a 13 year old girl who's going into surgery now, but she almost didn't make it. They kept begging me to wait for the doctor and he wasn't coming fast enough. So I did what I needed to. I might get fired though."

Nic couldn't understand how saving someone's life could ever be cause for reprimanding or termination. If anything she should be winning awards or getting a raise.

"Do you have to go back in there?" She shook her head no, she was relieved for the rest of the day, pending the results of her ethics meeting. Hopefully there wasn't one.

"I wanna get you away from this building."

Their idea of a good afternoon was Olivia teaching Nic more about the place he's called home for the last few years. Of course people recognized, taking photos, making jokes. One included Nic being told if they keep beating the Knicks, he can have the key to Brooklyn.

"They absolutely love you here." She smiled walking him to his car. Nic parked at the hospital and Olivia left her things in her locker. She apparently didn't need her wallet while they were out, so leaving it at work wasn't a conflict.

"I'm glad, it's been an adjustment. Don't wanna end up like Simmons."

No crowd would hate Ben more than the one from his former team in Philly.

"Don't throw away games and you'll be fine." She joked. "Oh that's cold Liv."

"My name 'Liv' now?" She smirked finding it funny that he was using her nickname.
"Well, I never called you Nurse Robinson. Olivia is so formal. And I think we're familiar now. You don't want me to call you that?"

"Liv is fine."
"You sure you don't need a ride home?" He offered.

"I'm good, you have a flight to catch right?"

The Nets were about to go on a road trip to the Midwest and would be away for a few days. He would be back next week and he wanted her to come to the next home game.

The irony of them being neighbors and not knowing it, would soon come to a halt. His days away will be her most peaceful, but as soon as he returned, it would be hell on earth.