Eternally Yours

The ER buzzed with activity as the trauma cases rolled in.

“Trauma to Bay 5! Assistance needed in Bay 4!” The overhead intercom rang out with instructions.

Dr. Ren Jenkins barked out orders, his quick steps matching his words. “Rowan, I’ll take 5. You take 4.”

“Got it, Jenkins,” Dr. Rowan replied, already moving.

Ren continued delegating, “Clara, Tee, you’re with Rowan.”

The redhead shot out of her seat with a big smile at the sound of her name. “You are with Rowan”. Her smile faltered a bit.

He turned to the others, “Julie, Shizumi, come with me.”

Hana’s eyes widened at the sound of her name, but she quickly composed herself and fell in line behind Dr. Jenkins. Rowan, noticing this unexpected pairing, couldn’t help but smirk.

“Rowan, move it!” Ren’s sharp command snapped him back to focus.

With a quick laugh, he led his team to the trauma station.

The next few hours were a whirlwind of activity.

***********************

As the surgery concluded successfully, Ren found himself at the scrub sink, mechanically washing his hands long after they were clean. His mind oscillated between the just concluded delicate surgery in comparison to the chaos that was his life.

Footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts as two nurses dressed in blue scrubs passed behind him, stretching their muscles while having small talks. His eyes lingered on the shorter nurse, gathering the courage to speak to her.

He was never one to shy away from confrontation but found himself hesitating to talk to her.

“Good work today,” he said, wiping his hands clean of water.

Audra responded politely, “Thank you, Dr. Jenkins.”

“Shizumi, a moment please.”

The two stopped, sharing a look of shock. Audra gave Hana a gentle smile that showed that she was okay going ahead alone.

The two of them stood awkwardly in silence. Hana wiped her hand nervously on the sides of her pants, biting on her lips. She was a bundle of nerves in his presence and Ren was finding it hard to hide his hands running through his hair.

Realizing that where they stood was not the best place for a long conversation, Ren went straight to the point. It was now or never. “When does your shift end?”

Hana was so focused on the silence that she missed the words that came out of his mouth. “Hm?”

“Your shift, Shizumi. When does it end?”

“Shift… Shift… Hmm…” She looked up in the air trying to remember. “9 pm?”

“9 pm. Okay. I should be rounding up also around that time. Wait for me in front of my office.”

“Oh? Oh… okay,” Hana replied, her voice a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

As Hana walked away, her mind raced. What could Dr. Jenkins want to discuss? Was it about their earlier moment, or something entirely professional?

Professional, who was she kidding? Dr. Jenkins wasn’t going to consult with an intern after work hours. Even if it was for consultation, there were more qualified nurses… not a recipe for disaster, like her.

Ever since that night, she has barely said one word to him outside of work. Would she say she has been avoiding him?

Not technically, she just tries not to be in his sight of view, if she can help it. The hours until 9 pm suddenly seemed both interminably long and alarmingly short.

Ren watched her go, a complex mix of emotions playing across his usually stoic face. He had taken the first step, but what would come next?

He has never been good at talking or making it up to people and one person has him ready to do both. As he turned back to his duties, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation, tinged with nervousness, about their upcoming meeting.

***************************

Time trickled slower than normal and before long, Hana stood nervously in front of Dr. Jenkins’s door. A glance at her watch showed that a few minutes had just passed 9 pm. Maybe he was running a little late. She was just early; he would be here soon…

Luckily for her, no one was parading the hall of the doctors at that time of the night, given that they were either off-duty or in the wards or surgery. Hana decided that before her legs got tired from standing and failed to support her weight, she could just sit on the ground for a while. Just a while…

As she settled onto the cool floor, her back against the wall next to Dr. Jenkins’s office door, Hana’s mind wandered. The day’s events played on a loop in her head - the unexpected embrace, the quiet moment during surgery, and now this mysterious meeting. What did it all mean?

Minutes ticked by, each one stretching longer than the last. Hana’s eyelids grew heavy, the fatigue of her shift finally catching up with her. She told herself she’d rest her eyes for just a moment...

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder as they approached. Dr. Ren Jenkins rounded the corner, his pace slowing to a stop as he spotted Hana sitting on the floor, her head tilted to one side in sleep, leaning on his door frame.

For a moment, he stood there, taking in the sight of the usually guarded nurse looking so vulnerable. He is reminded of the night she fell asleep on his couch. He had always caught her sleeping in the strangest of situations.

A mix of guilt and something softer washed over him. He’d kept her waiting and after such a long shift, at that.

He was supposed to be there by 9 pm but an emergency came in at the last minute. One that decided to take more than he expected. The reservation he made was long gone, the plans ruined. What a night…

Quietly, he approached. “Nurse Shizumi,” he called softly, not wanting to startle her.

Hana’s eyes fluttered open, confusion quickly replaced by embarrassment as she realized where she was and who was standing before her. She scrambled to her feet, smoothing down her jean pants.

“Dr. Jenkins, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Ren held up a hand, cutting off her apology. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. I kept you waiting.”

An awkward silence fell between them, both acutely aware of the empty hallway and the late hour. Hana noticed that Dr. Jenkins had changed out of his scrubs into his typical semi-formal wear of a button-up shirt tucked into black tailored pants.

Finally, Ren cleared his throat. “An emergency came up. I apologize for coming late.”

Hana blinked, pushing down her disappointment. A glance at her wristwatch showed that it was a few minutes past midnight. The last train was already gone for the night, she would have to take a taxi back home.

“It’s fine, Dr. Jenkins. I… I should go now.”

Grabbing the arm of her bag, Hana bowed goodbye and turned away. Ren quickly reach out to her, stopping her with a grab of his hand,

“Wait…” Both eyes drop to the contact of their hands.

Ren releases it quickly at the realization, “I’ll drop you off”

At Ren’s word, a flashback from the hug they shared the last time Hana was in his car flooded her mind.

“Dr. Jenkins, you don’t need to–”

“It’s my fault that you had to wait over three hours. Also, there are no buses and trains active at this time. Shizumi, let me take you home. Please”

Hana hesitated. Being in the same space with him made her feel nervous. Despite all that had transpired between them, she found herself drawn to him. But she couldn’t. She didn’t deserve it.

Ren sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. He was acutely aware of the line he was toeing, and the professional boundaries he was pushing. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to let her leave alone at this hour.

“It’s not an imposition,” he said, his voice gentler than usual. “It’s the least I can do after keeping you waiting.”

Hana’s fingers fidgeted with the strap of her bag. She knew she should refuse, and maintain that professional distance. But the memory of their embrace, the comfort she’d found in his arms, made her hesitate.

“Alright,” she finally conceded, her voice barely above a whisper.

***********************************

The ride to Hana’s place went faster than Ren wanted. Just being in the same space with her brought him comfort. The guilt of disappointing her tonight remained but she said it was fine.

“Thank you for the ride, Dr. Jenkins. I should go now.”

“Definitely. Have a good night, Hana… I mean Shizumi.”

Hana came out of the car and gave a small smile, bowing to him before he drove off. Suddenly from a distance, Hana could hear her name being shouted at an alarming volume.

“Hana! Hannaaa!”

Mira ran animatedly to Hana, stopping herself from hugging her and resorting to just grabbing her sleeve.

“Mira, keep it down!”

“You are late today. I thought your shift ended at 9. Oh! Who was that? Was that… “, Mira gasped. “Dr. Sexy Voice Jenkins?”

“Mira, shush!”

Ren could see from the rear-view mirror, an embarrassed Hana trying to stop a hyper Mira from waving at his car as he drove off.

A small smile tugged at Ren’s lips as he watched the scene unfold in his mirror. The sight of Hana, usually so reserved, now flustered and animated with her friend, stirred something in him. It was a side of her he rarely saw at the hospital, and he found himself wishing he could see more of it.

As he drove away, Ren’s mind wandered back to their brief interaction in the car. The way Hana had tensed when he accidentally called her by her first name, the quiet “thank you” she’d offered, the small smile she’d given him before leaving - each moment replayed in his mind.

He knew pushing her away failed but letting her get too close was risky, on the potential complications with his family and their work situation. But in the quiet of his car, with the memory of Hana’s presence still lingering, Ren found it increasingly difficult to deny the growing warmth in his chest.

Meanwhile, Hana was dealing with an excited Mira, trying to hush her friend’s enthusiastic questioning.

“Mira, please, it’s not what you think. Dr. Jenkins was just giving me a ride home because I missed the last train.”

“Oh? And why did you miss the last train, Hana?” Mira wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Hana sighed, her cheeks flushing slightly. “There was an emergency at the hospital. It’s nothing, really.”

But even as she said it, Hana couldn’t help but recall the gentle way Ren had insisted on driving her home, the concern in his voice when he’d found her asleep outside his office. She pushed these thoughts away, reminding herself that she had no right to read too much into his actions. Hana decided to divert the attention from herself,

“Why are you out here so late too?”

“I… ehm… had an after-work engagement”

Hana knew that hesitation in Mira’s book meant she was hiding something, coupled with the fact that Mira’s hands instantly went to playing with her ear's lobes.

“You have your secrets, that’s fine.”

“Hana, I… I’ll tell you about it but not now, bunny.”

“Mira, it’s okay. I’ll wait.”

As they walked towards their apartment, Mira linked her arm with Hana’s, her voice softening. “You know, it’s okay to let yourself feel something, Hana. You deserve happiness too.”

Hana remained silent, mulling over Mira’s words. She sensed there was more to her friend’s late-night “engagement” than Mira was letting on, but she respected her friend’s privacy. After all, Hana had her own complicated feelings she wasn’t ready to share.

As they entered their apartment, Hana’s mind drifted back to Dr. Jenkins - Ren. Hana felt a small flutter in her chest - a feeling she both welcomed and feared. Was she having special feelings for Dr. Jenkins? She quickly shook these thoughts away, reminding herself of their situation.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Hana said softly, needing a moment alone with her thoughts.

“Okay, bunny. I’ll make us some tea,” Mira replied, her tone unusually subdued.

In the bathroom, Hana leaned against the closed door, closing her eyes. Mira’s words echoed in her mind: “You deserve happiness too.” Did she? She had secrets that could ruin her life if they got out. She doesn’t deserve happiness. She was a freak who couldn’t touch a person with her bare hand without almost losing her mind.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mira busied herself with making tea, her own thoughts in turmoil. She felt guilty for keeping secrets from Hana, but she wasn’t ready to share her developing… developed situation just yet. She hoped that by encouraging Hana to open up, she might find the courage to do the same.

She loved Jiro and he said he loved her, but for how long… Life has never gone perfectly for her and these days have been too perfect. Her love life, work… health. Just the thought of everything crumbling down weighed on the back of her mind.

As the kettle whistled, Mira made a silent promise to herself. For now, she would be there for Hana, supporting her friend’s tentative steps towards happiness, while gathering the courage to confront her feelings.