Bedside Manner (Law x Reader)

02. Not a Fan of Small Spaces

A few moments quickly turned into an hour. You'd discarded your backpack and combed your fingers through your tresses, pausing to grip them tightly as you let out a shuddering breath. Each minute you'd spent with Trafalgar became increasingly more suffocating. 

You just wanted to go home. Maybe have a drink. 

"What's taking so long?" You muttered, moving to cross your arms over your chest. 

With all of your fidgeting, you were starting to make him antsy. He sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

"They probably had to call someone in. Give it time." 

Call! You couldn't believe you'd completely forgotten that cell phones were a thing as you dug yours from your pocket. Immediately, you opened your contacts and selected the name of one of the maintenance guys. 

Paulie was a weird guy, but he was competent and performed his job well. You'd attempted to strike up a conversation or two with him in passing, but it always ended in a minor headache. The man had a problem with the tank tops and partially zipped sweaters you wore off shift and never failed to make a big fuss. 

You expected to hear the trill of the line ringing, but instead two dull beeps sounded and the line went dead. You let out a soft curse as you pulled the device from your ear. 

"No Service" was scrawled across the top of your screen, blinking mockingly. 

You really had to stop asking yourself if the night could get any worse because the universe was making it it's personal mission to prove that it could. 

The lights flickered and your cell mate moved to lean up against the wall furthest from you. Head tilted back, eyes falling closed. He had made the decision to ignore you for the remainder of your time inside the elevator. It felt reminiscent of your time in medical school when he didn't know you existed. 

"I think I preferred that." You sighed, mirroring his actions. 

Silence was quick to take over. All you could hear apart from your breathing was the groaning of the equipment outside the elevator. And if you listened close enough, you could almost make out the footfalls of the nurses and the squeaking carts. The lights flickered again and you flinched, nails briefly digging into your skin. 

It was hard to know how much time passed; you were actively resisting the urge to continuously check your phone. You shifted around, your brow twitching in irritation. 

"A picture will last longer." 

Law scoffed with the slightest roll of his eyes. 

He had noticed a change in your breathing and, purely as a medical professional, was curious. He wouldn't go so far as to say concerned, especially since the moment you felt his stare, you copped an attitude. 

Your breaths had become shallow and each one came quicker than the last. Sweat formed on your brow and you reacted to the smallest sound, the hold on yourself tightening each time.

"Not a fan of small spaces, l/n-ya?" 

You grit your teeth. No, dammit, you weren't.
You watched one too many of the Final Destination films-- you knew where this was going. 

"I'm not a fan of sharing them with arrogant asses." You corrected.  

"It's not arrogance if you've got the skill to back it up." 

Somehow, that felt like a dig at you. You scoffed as you turned your nose up at the man. 

"Oh please. I bet mommy and daddy paid your way through. I'm sure skill had little to do with it." 

A chill ran down your spine and goosebumps erupted along your skin. Had it gotten colder? You rubbed your arms in hopes that the friction would be enough to gain back some of the lost warmth. But it did nothing to fend off the feeling of being locked in a cage with a feral beast. 

The lights flickered and suddenly the man was within your reach, a shadow cast over his grim expression. The muscles in his neck were pulled taut and if you chanced a look down to his sides, you would have seen his hands clenched into fists. His knuckles beginning to match his doctor's coat. 

He was holding himself back. From... hurting you? 

No, surely he wouldn't and you hadn't done anything to warrant such an extreme reaction. Right? 

But you didn't really know Trafalgar Law, did you? 

"God, are they ever going to get this thing going?" You pressed your back further into the wall--if that was even possible at this point. Your eyes redirected to the panel where the buttons were no longer illuminated. "They probably don't know we're stuck in here." 

You knew better than to think the man didn't have any talent or that he didn't earn his achievements. Even if his parents had paid his way as you suggested. You'd witnessed his drive and dedication first hand in medical school. 

In fact, you had admired it. Admired him. 

No one had the chance to say anything before the power finally went out, blanketing you in darkness. 

You fumbled for your phone, fingers trembling at the sudden surge in anxiety. The universe mocked you once again as the device flew from your hand and unmistakably cracked upon landing. 

A soft curse left your lips as you dropped to the ground on your hands and knees, blindly feeling around for it. You still had several payments to make on the damn thing. 

You were so engrossed in your search that you didn't realize Law had turned his own phone's flashlight on. He had even knelt down before you, almost immediately finding the damaged device and picking it up. 

"Here." His low voice drew your attention, your breath hitching when e/c eyes locked onto stormy ones. 

There was a slight curve to his lips, but you completely missed it as you held your hand out. His smooth fingers brushed over yours as he pulled away after dropping your phone into your palm. 

"Let's just try not to kill each other while we're in here, l/n-ya."