Bedside Manner (Law x Reader)

13. A Kind Stranger

Kid was due to be discharged, so you hadn't felt bad when you socked him in the side of the head. It likely hurt your knuckles more than it did his skull, with the way they throbbed. It didn't prevent him from making a show of it as he rubbed at the knot forming.

"Hells, woman!" He grimaced as he pushed himself up further into the bed. "I almost died, you know."

You rolled your eyes, leveling him with a glare. "Just how big of an idiot are you?"

Said idiot furrowed his brows and just... stared, like you were the dumb one there. You pointed to his abdomen.

"Heat and Wire told me." You informed and he flinched back. "You went after a Donquixote? You go after one, you go after them all."

"You don't understand."

"Then make me." You implored, grasping the rail along the bed. "What could possibly possess you to pick a fight with a family that even the marines won't touch."

Kid ground his teeth, growling lowly. His amber eyes darkened as his hand curled into a fist.

"It was him. I finally tracked down the slimy bastard that ran us off the road that night." Each word dripped with the anger that had only festered and grew over the years. "The bastard that killed Killer."

You started to lower yourself down, knuckles blanched before you shot back up. Your brother watched the storm of emotions flash across your face. He was steeling himself to get decked in the head again when the fury you stormed in with had returned.

"He deserved what I gave him!" Kid roared. "Why did he get to drive away that night like nothing ever happened?"

"We've been on the streets as kids, we saw things, we know what they're capable of." Your voice had become softer, not quite a whisper. "Now you've gone and painted yourself a big ass target on your back!

Do you ever think anything through!"

It wasn't a question. You knew full well that he didn't. He was always one to just charge in, guns blazing.

Why couldn't he have left well enough alone? It didn't seem fair to ask that of him, but then again, nothing had been fair about that night. Or really anything that had followed after.

Kid had missed out on you making it into medical school, you landing a residency at New World Medical Center. You had missed out on him opening up his own shop, Killer Collisions, named after his late best friend. You remember coming across an ad for their grand opening while scrolling through social media and how it had filled you with such a bittersweet feeling.

"Oh, is this a bad time?" You looked over to see Monet in the doorway. There was a smirk playing at her lips as she held a small packet of papers. "I was just delivering Mr. Eustass' discharge documents. There's just a few things to go over."

"About time." Kid rumbled. "I'm ready to get out of here."

You stepped away from the bed, eyes narrowing on the green haired woman as she crossed the room. She cast you a sidelong glance before passing the documents over to the man.

"I'll go find the guys and let them know they're free to bust you out of here." You shuffled awkwardly, not sure how to leave the room after the conversation you had.

You had finally turned your back on him when he spoke up. "Make sure to come check out the shop sometime, sis."

"Yeah..." You smiled towards the hall. "Going to give my car a tune up on the house?"

He scoffed. "In your dreams, little doctor."

-

The boys hadn't been hard to find. The pair had been leaning up against the building outside while Wire had a smoke. They were quick to rush back inside at the news. Heat offered you a smile before ducking in behind his taller friend.

You took the space they had once occupied, dragging your palms down your face with a drawn out groan.

A member of the Donquixote Family, really?

Your hands reached back up to grip your hair as you kicked at the dirt. This was going to sit with you, you knew it. You felt yourself being aged several years from the bit of stress the whole ordeal had already caused you. Eustass Kid was going to be the reason you grayed before age thirty.

"Is everything alright, miss?"

A towering shadow shielded you from the midday sun. You found yourself staring at a pink button up with a bunch of little hearts printed onto the fabric. You lifted your gaze to look up to a friendly looking man. His bright eyes were just barely noticeable below his shaggy hair.

"Yes, but what about you?" You tilted your head to the side, pointing to your eyebrow. "You're bleeding."

"Huh?" He jerked back, stumbling over his own feet. You had made to catch the man, your hands barely grazing his forearm before he fell on his rear. Without missing a beat, he touched the bleeding brow. "Oh, this? I tripped while getting out of my car."

He laughed it off, rubbing the back of his neck as a warm blush appeared across his cheeks. You wondered if you had ever met anyone quite as clumsy as you helped him to his feet.

"Why don't you come inside and let me get that cleaned up." You offered.

The stranger shook his head, vigorously. He attempted to wave off the offer even as he followed you inside.

"That's very kind of you, but you really don't need to go through the trouble. I was actually just coming to surprise my son."

"Is he a patient here? I don't think you want to visit him with blood on your face."

You guided the man down into a chair, reaching into the nearby drawers for some supplies. He was scratching at his chin when you began to clean away the blood. The scratch itself turned out to be superficial.

He grinned. "He's actually a resident here."

"Maybe I know him." You mused absently. "I didn't get your name."

"Cora-ya?"