A Healing Love

3

Ben sat in the waiting room with Libby's parents. He was doing his best to keep her father calm soon Bailey emerged with a smile on her face. That was a good sign.

"Everything went according to plan and they're finishing now" She delivered the good news

"I knew she was in great hands" Ben winked at her. Did she imagine that or did he really wink at her. He gave her a warm smile which confirmed that she wasn't imagining. He winked at her. She recollected her thoughts and came back to doctor mode

"Once they finish she'll be in the recovery wing and you all can see her then" She smiled

"Thank you Dr.Bailey" Libby's parents hugged her

"I told you, I was going to make sure she got the best care as if she were my own" She nodded

"Amazing" Ben walked over to her

"Sloan and Jackson did all the hard work. I was just there to assist" She chuckled

"In my experience. The assist is what makes the surgery go so smoothly or not" He laughed "Thanks for talking some sense into me earlier"

"It's what I do" She nodded

"Do you also do dinner" He asked

"Forward aren't you" She was a bit shocked by his question

"I'm sorry. That was forward" He rubbed his face wishing he could disappear. He definitely didn't mean to ask her out like that but it just came out. He didn't know how he wanted to ask her out but that definitely wasn't it. As he was standing there feeling embarrassed he didn't even notice that she had slipped away from where she was standing

"What happened" His friend walked over

"Uh nothing" He smiled " Libby's great, everything is great"

"Warren asked her out and I'm guessing he got shut down" Libby's mom walked over

"ouch" Libby's dad laughed "Classic Warren. Thinks his charm will win over every woman he sees"

"No, she's different" He sighed " I knew my charm wouldn't work that's why I was nervous. Charm doesn't impress a woman like that. You know her son was a patient here and despite that she still became a pediatric surgeon"

"It took convincing" Arizona overheard Ben and walked over " She wanted to be far away from peds. It's not my story to tell so I won't tell it but it took convincing to get her here. You know she's well on her way to being chief of surgery. So Warren, you just gotta convince her to change her mind" Arizona winked and walked away

Ben spent the rest of the day thinking about how he was going to convince Miranda to change her mind. He sat at Libby's bedside waiting for her to come in and check on Libby. Finally she walked in

"Dr.Warren" She acknowledged him and checked Libby's stats

"Sloan was in here, said by the time she heals a scar won't even be noticeable" He attempted some small talk to cover up the fact he asked her out and she just walked away

"That's the sloan method" She nodded

"I'm sorry" He sighed "I definitely shouldn't have asked you out right when you left surgery after knowing you for a few hours and having one conversation about what was probably the worst moment in your life. I don't know what I was thinking"

"That wasn't the worst moment of my life" She looked at Libby's charts

"Wow I just assumed" Ben shook his head "There I go again assuming things"

"I make you nervous" She remarked

"That obvious huh" He laughed

"That new for you" She asked

"If I say yes will you think I'm arrogant and a playboy"

"Well when you first walked in here with your smile remember I asked if that worked for you. That smile. You flash it and women melt. Dr.Warren I can not melt. As much as I would like to melt from time to time. I am a surgeon at the top of my game with a son to raise. I can not melt. You are not used to that and it makes you nervous"

"What was the worst day of your life then" He asked sort of ignoring her lecture on melting

"There was a shooting here" She sighed "That was the worst day of my life not the day my son was hurt. My son was okay in the end. But with the shooting, people died"

"That sounds horrible. I remember hearing about that. You know I worked at Mercy West. I was an anesthesiologist however I decided I didn't want that for myself anymore. I figured hey my hospital was just absorbed by another hospital why not do something new so yeah I left for LA"

"So you're from Seattle"

"Born and raised" He nodded "you"

"Baltimore actually"

"Maryland" He raised an eyebrow "you're a long way from home"

"Why not do something new" She repeated the phrase he had said

"I'm something new" He stood up and walked over to her

"Now you're asking me to do you" She pointed out

"Well uh no not in that manner. Umm do dinner with me. Go out to dinner with me. umm. You really make me nervous" He laughed "You can't melt but I can do enough melting for the both of us"

"I see" She teased "But Dr.Warren I'm awfully busy. I don't have time to engage in whatever you're looking for. I mean it obviously isn't anything serious"

"It's dinner"

"And then what"

"What do you mean and then what, I have no expectations. I like food and I'm assuming you also like food because who doesn't like food. So we can be two people who like food sitting at a table together talking" He felt himself getting more nervous every time he opened his mouth " I am not looking for anything trashy"

"I don't know" She sighed

"I'm told you hold this hospital together and by the way you talk about your son it sounds like you do that alone too. When do you take time for Miranda Bailey" He walked next to her

"I have an ex-husband" She admitted "He felt I put my career and myself before him and our son. It was a part of why our marriage fell apart. He gave me an ultimatum. So forgive me if I'm guarding my heart a bit harshly but I can't get involved in anything that would make me compromise who I am at my core"

"And any real man, won't ask you too. So please just let me take you to dinner" He held her hand. To his surprise she let him. She stared at their hands. This felt right to her but everything was telling her no. She took a deep breath and decided he was right. Sometimes you have to do something new.

"Fine. Dinner sounds lovely" She slowly took her hand from his

"Great" He smiled "what's your number" he handed her his phone

"Here" She put her number in and handed it back to him. He smirked and called her. She laughed and answered the call

"Hello is this Dr.Miranda Bailey" He smiled into the phone

"It is" She smiled

"This is Dr.Benjamin Warren, I don't know if you remember me but I wanted to know if you were free tomorrow night for dinner"

"Well if I don't have surgery Benjamin I would enjoy dinner with you tomorrow"

"Sounds lovely" He hung up

"See you then" She walked out of the room

"Uncle Ben still got it Libby" He smiled at the sleeping toddler