December 20 2020
The day had dragged into night, the hospital corridors quieter now, the air heavy with exhaustion. Gabriel was finishing charting at the nurses' station when a shadow fell over him.
AJ-Luiz.
He froze. AJ Brewster. Her tone wasn't sharp or angry — it was worse. Calm. Controlled. Which always meant she was two steps ahead.
Gabriel - Yes, Dr. Brewster?
he asked, forcing his voice steady.
She crossed her arms, watching him with that unnervingly direct gaze.
Aj- I just had the pleasure of overhearing Camilla muttering something... interesting.
His stomach dropped.
Gabriel - Oh?
AJ tilted her head slightly.
AJ - Something about you. Something about... *closure.*
Gabriel's pen slipped from his hand, clattering against the desk.
Gabriel -I—I—
AJ - Relax
AJ said, her voice even.
Aj - You didn't do anything. Yet. But I want to hear it from you, not Camilla's running commentary. What exactly did you mean by *closure*?
Gabriel's pulse was in his ears. He tried to focus on the monitor in front of him, but her eyes pulled him in like gravity.
Gabriel - I just...
He swallowed.
Gabriel - I thought maybe—if I said what I felt, or... acted on it, somehow—I could move on.
AJ's brows lifted just slightly, but she didn't break eye contact.
AJ - Acted on it. Meaning?
Gabriel's voice cracked.
Gabriel - Meaning... something I *wouldn't* do. Because I know better.
For the first time, AJ's lips curved into the faintest smirk — not cruel, not mocking, just knowing.
AJ - You're right. You *do* know better. But clearly, you're letting this distraction spiral further than it should.
Gabriel looked down, shame burning through him.
Gabriel - I didn't mean—
She stepped closer, her voice lowering.
AJ - I know you didn't. You're not reckless, Luiz. But you are young. And you've been wearing your heart on your sleeve since the day you walked into my program.
He risked a glance at her, and his chest tightened.
Gabriel -So you... knew. This whole time.
AJ's gaze softened, just slightly.
Aj - Of course I knew. You think I don't notice when someone stutters every time I enter the room? Or avoids my eyes during rounds? Or turns the color of an MRI contrast dye when I compliment them?
Gabriel groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Gabriel-God, this is humiliating.
AJ - It doesn't have to be
AJ said firmly.
Aj - What matters is how you handle it. If you let it consume you, you'll ruin yourself. But if you accept it, acknowledge it, and move past it, you'll be stronger for it.
He dropped his hands, forcing himself to look at her.
Gabriel - And if I can't?
AJ's smirk faded into something serious, her eyes holding his.
AJ - Then you don't belong in my program. Because in Neuro, Luiz, you can't afford distractions. Not even me.
Silence stretched between them, thick with everything unsaid.
Finally, AJ straightened, her authority sliding back into place like armor.
AJ - Get some rest. Tomorrow, you'll be sharper.
She turned and walked down the hall, leaving Gabriel at the nurses' station, his heart pounding, his thoughts a storm.
She knew. She'd *always* known.
And she wasn't angry.
She wasn't cruel.
But she wasn't his, either.
