You were stuck at the hospital all day, working your butt off for a raise you knew you would never get. The emergency department was short-staffed and the waiting room was overflowing with patients. The smell of bleach and disinfectant spray was starting to give you a headache as you worked the night shift with only two other nurses.
"Hey (Y/N), could you go and check on the patient in room five for me? I am in desperate need of coffee." Your coworker Ryleigh pleads, nearly on her knees.
"Sure, but I expect you to bring me back an Americano." You reply in hopes of getting a free coffee. You take the patient's charts from her and walk towards the room.
Reading the chart, you notice the cause of the accident. Baseball bat to the cheekbone. "Well, this should be an interesting story." You murmured under your breath while lightly knocking on the door.
You crack the door open slightly to announce your presence. "Hey, I'm (Y/N) and I'm your nurse." You say to the patient with your eyes still glued to the papers in your hand.
"Hi, I'm Christian, could you get me some ibuprofen or something?" He groaned with a slight annoyance in his voice.
You finally look up at him and see that the skin covering his cheekbone has been completely sliced open. You also couldn't help but notice how attractive he is, but you just brushed off the thought and claimed it to be caused by the lack of caffeine.
The crimson color of blood was also seeping through the towel he held up to his face to act as a makeshift band-aid. Walking over to him, you slip on a pair of latex gloves. You slowly and steadily remove the top corner of the stained towel and he hisses in pain.
"Sorry, but you're going to need a few stitches. I can also give you some painkillers." You say while advising him to keep applying pressure to his wound.
You fumbled with the cap on the bottle of painkillers as you tried to get it off. "So how long have you worked here?" Christian questioned, obviously trying to break the silence.
"Three years. Which also happen to be the longest of my life." He laughed at your response. You hand him a few pills along with a plastic cup filled with water. He gulps them down immediately without question.
You smile at his child-like action and walk towards the door. "I'm going to go get the needle for your stitches, I'll be right back." You declared while smiling and exiting his room.
------
At the nurse's station you gather the items needed for stitches when Ryleigh walks past you with a cup of coffee in both hands.
"Smells like heaven." You announce to get her attention. The smell of coffee fills the air and you feel like you are in a better mood instantly.
"How's the patient? Do you need any help?" She asks you.
"Nope, you missed out on a good case though, the guy took a bad hit on cheekbone from baseball bat." You shared, trying to make your coworker jealous.
"I expect details later." She waves to you while walking away.
------
"Alright, Mr. Yelich, I am going to start by removing the towel and cleaning out the wound." You explain to Christian while you reach for the towel.
"Please," He lectured with a smile on his face "call me Christian."
You uncharacteristically giggle, realizing how suddenly uncomfortable you were around him. You can't help but notice how smooth and nearly flawless his skin is and how the bright light hanging from the ceiling catches his gorgeous eyes. Wow, I must be really sleep deprived. You try to bargain with yourself as you continue to clean the fresh cut on his face.
Grabbing the needle, you feel how noticeably tense Christian gets. "Are you ok? I can give you a moment before we start if you want." You reassure him with a gentle look on your face.
"It's sad, huh. I can take a bat to the face with no problem, but I get squeamish around needles." He ridiculed himself with a slight hint of a blush creeping up on his cheeks. You once again giggle, realizing the irony in his statement.
"Seriously, It's no problem. I couldn't even hold a needle without cringing during my first year of nursing school." You reveal to try and make him more comfortable. He smiles and nods his head, indicating that he is ready for you to start.
------
After eight stitches and a bad cramp in your hand, you finally finish and put a oversized band-aid over his cheek.
"All done!" You stated while standing up and massaging your sore hands.
"You are free to go home, but you need to come back in a few weeks so we can take the stitches out."
He nods his head and thanks you for helping him. You politely smile and accept his gratitude. Looking up at the clock to check the time, you realize that your shift ended five minutes ago. As if he read your mind, Christian asks you, "Is your shift over, because I would love to walk you to your car if you want."
What's the worst that could happen? You think to yourself.
Accepting his offer, you say that you will meet him in the waiting room after you clock out and get your belongings.
------
You meet him at the front doors of the hospital and can't help but notice how tall and handsome the stranger is. The two of you walk side by side in silence for a few minutes as you navigate your way through the parking garage.
"Well, this is my car." You say pointing to your white Prius.
You turn on your heel to look at him and thank him for walking with you, but instead, you ask him the question that has been bothering you since you met him. "I never asked, how did you cut your cheek in the first place?"
He laughs and flashes you a toothy smile. "Maybe I'll tell you if you let me take you out to dinner." You stand still, trying to comprehend his bold question.
"Yeah, I'd like that very much." You reply only seconds later and can see him grinning from ear to ear.
