Stars in Your Eyes (Queen/Roger Taylor)

15. Skylar

I'm writing notes on a patient's chart when, out of the corner of my eye, I see a child-sized tornado tear down the hospital corridor. Cedric stops just short of me and wraps his arms around both my legs, threatening to topple me over. His mum trails behind him, calling his name.

"I don't want to go," he mumbles into my leg. I reach down and ruffle his curly auburn hair, briefly remembering how feeble he had looked when he first arrived. His lungs had been so full of fluid that he could barely breathe, and it had been touch-and-go for a few days. In the two weeks since then, he's managed to enchant everyone here.

"Dr. Evans, I'm so sorry--" his mum says breathlessly as she near us. I smile kindly at her before stooping down to speak to my patient.

"Just think how nice it'll be to sleep in your own bed!"

"No, I want to stay here," he replies petulantly. "Will you come live with us? You're my favorite."

"But who will feed my cats if I live with you?" I ask with mock seriousness. "I think they may get a bit lonely... and quite hungry."

"Well... maybe you could visit me then?" He looks up at me with hopeful eyes.

"Tell you what:  Once you're home, I want you to make a list of all the fun things that you do. Then you can tell me about it at your check-up in a few weeks. Deal?"

Cedric looks at me with a little pout, considering my offer. I glance up at his mum, who gives me a grateful smile. She looks absolutely worn-out. We haven't seen Cedric's dad once the entire time, making me wonder if his mum is doing this all on her own. Straightening up, I'm about to grab Cedric's file when a nurse calls over to me.

"Dr. Evans? There's someone here to see you." She has a little grin on her face and looks mischievously down the hall.

I look around and spot Roger standing by the reception desk. Even from here, I can tell that he's full of nervous energy, though I don't know if the nerves are from worry or excitement. Furrowing my brow, I wonder if everything is okay.

"Cedric, give me two minutes, okay? Then I'll get you discharged. Just two minutes."

Walking down the long hallway towards Roger, I feel a smile spread across my face. I haven't seen him all week, and he's a sight for sore eyes. Despite our crazy schedules, we've managed to cram in four dates in three weeks, which wasn't as easy as it may sound. We had both kept things annoyingly chaste, deliberately driving each other slightly mad.

Our first date took place at the cinema, and, if you quizzed either of us about the film's plot line, we would fail. We went dancing at a club for the second date. The third, he dragged me to a bar in Shoreditch, where I was promised the most fabulous martini in the world. The fourth date took place at Trident Studios, where I lounged on the sofa while the boys finished the final mix for their album. That one didn't even count as a real date, but we included it in the tally anyway.

And tonight was the elusive fifth date, for which I have very high expectations.

At the end of the hallway, Roger is  looking down at his fidgeting hands. A five o'clock shadow covers his jaw, making him appear a bit older. This is the first time that he's been inside the hospital, so it's also the first time he's seen me in my doctor's attire. Hopefully, I don't look too terrible, since I'm on hour 13 of an 18-hour shift.

As I get closer, he sees me and straightens. Initially, he looks a bit intimidated as his eyes wander down to check out my white doctor's coat. Then, just as quickly, a familiar smirk spreads across his face.

"Why do I feel like you're undressing me with your eyes?" I murmur, keeping a respectable distance between us even though I'm dying to throw myself into his arms.