DON'T YOU KNOW? ➶ MANSTEAD ONE-SHOTS

#1

Soundtrack: "The Other Side of the Door" by Taylor Swift

"I said, 'leave,'
But all I really want is you
To stand outside my window
Throwing pebbles
Screaming, 'I'm in love with you!'
Stand there in the pouring rain
Come back for more
And don't you leave
Because I know all I need
Is on the other side of the door"
.....................

"Look, I already said I'll take full responsibility of this, Nat!"

"I should've known better than to trust a man with my heart again," Natalie shouts.

"When did I break your heart?" Will scoffs.

"When you brought down a lawsuit on yourself and the entire hospital! When you dismissed me and that woman's DNR!"

"She'll thank me later!"

"Oh, sure!"

"I wanted her to go through Zoe's trial!"

"Maybe she didn't want to! Her wish was to die and you didn't even let her have that!"

Will lowers his voice to a normal speaking level. "I didn't dismiss you."

"Bullshit, Will, you know that's bullshit!" Natalie unlocks the door to her apartment and steps in, leaving it cracked open. She sighs heavily. "Look, Will, I have a son now. This isn't good for him. I can't have this," Natalie says softly.

"Nat, don't shut me out-"

"I should've known, Will." She shuts the door. She leans up against it, trying to hold back tears.

"Natalie, please. Don't do this," comes the muffled voice.

"Will, you need to leave." She brings the heart-shaped locket out from her maroon doctor's shirt and presses it to her lips. "Please leave."

"I'll see you next shift," his wavering voice says softly. There is silence, then footsteps as Will leaves the apartment building.

Inside Natalie's apartment, her month-old son, Owen, begins to cry from his crib. Natalie lets out a sob and goes to him. Helen, Natalie's mother-in-law has already picked him up and tried to comfort him, but to no avail.

"Thank you, Helen. I can get him from here. You should go home and get some sleep."

Thinking about what Natalie said of her broken heart earlier, Helen frowns, hoping Natalie won't forget about Jeff, her late husband and Helen's son, too soon. Yet Helen obeys and kisses both Natalie and Owen on their cheeks before leaving.

Will trudges back to his car and goes home, ignoring Zoe's calls.

I'll explain why I couldn't make it tomorrow- or can I even tell her without breaking down?

He undresses, only to put a pair of shorts on before going to bed. He doesn't sleep, though, he just lays there. He lays there with his hands under his head and wondering why he did what he did.

I wasn't going to let her die. Yet I've pushed Natalie away by doing my job.

He rethinks the issue.

No, I didn't do my job. My job was to let her die.

His phone lights up with a call and he's confused to see Natalie's name on the caller ID. As much as he wants to pick it up, he taps "decline call" and turns over on his side.

And, somehow, that's supposed to make sense.

"Hey, it's Will. Uh, drop a message and I'll get back to you," says Will's voicemail recording. Natalie lets out a choked sob. There's a beep, signaling the recording of her message and she tries to pull herself together.

"Will? I-I know what I said, but I didn't mean it. I didn't, Will. I'm so sorry." There is silence for a minute as Natalie tries to gather her words. She begins with a sad laugh. "You know, Owen loves your voice. He wouldn't go to sleep. I tried everything and then I played one of your old voicemails you left me. He fell asleep in my arms, just like that, you know? I guess- I guess what I'm trying to say is that my son loves you. I love you." Tears spill, dripping down her face. "I'm sorry Helen wouldn't let you stay with me during Owen's birth like you wanted to. I'm sorry if you feel like you have to deal with me platonically. And I'm sorry I said all the things I did tonight."

Before her mouth can keep running, she ends the call and lays her cellphone on her bedside table.

"I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world," comes the text from Will, arriving ten minutes later.

Will smiles at her reply: "I'll leave the door unlocked."