#and then literally the next day the resident med student assisting the doc

[imagineagreatadventure]

soooo i am not handling getting my period and the news my mom has xx amount of months to live at the same time very well

[felicitysmoaksx]

My brain really said Canon-Divergence Rheese and thus, you all get my word vomit! I think this will be a series of one-shots if everyone seems to like them? So let me know what you all think?

Summary: “I’d rather deal with the questions and gossip now, then later, when I slip up. Plus, we won’t have to explain why we’re so familiar with each other.”  He explained as he tied off the wound. Then he set the medical instruments aside before he leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead in a very tender kiss. Sarah practically melted against him. The last time she had felt his lips on any part of her was six months ago.

Word Count: 4.1k 

Warnings: Canonical Depictions of Medical Procedures 

Read on AO3

Never Stop (Derailment)

“You know this is ridiculous right? I’m in the city now. We’re going to start moving you in tomorrow.” Connor volleyed the argument over the phone. The woman on the other end just laughed. Once more Connor cursed the heavy rainfall in Chicago that delayed his flight because now it was one more night he was going to have to sleep alone.

“When we have a day off,” Sarah countered back. Connor could hear her smile, ”And until then I’ll pack a bag and sleepover.”

“We should probably go to bed,” Connor told her softly a while later, them talking about nothing and everything after she yawned for the second time in ten minutes.

“Hmm okay,” Sarah agreed, but she didn’t hang up. Instead, Connor heard muffled movement and the rustle of sheets, “Stay on the line until we fall asleep though?”

“Always,” his reply was automatic as it had been in the last two years they had been apart.

“I’ve missed you.” She admitted quietly to him. She had never been so open about it before. She didn’t want him to feel guilty because it wasn’t his fault. They called and video chatted as much as they could, but it wasn’t the same as having Connor’s arms wrapped around her, the feel of his lips on her skin. Or the ability to reach out and grab his hand because she needed to know he was there.

“I’ve missed you too. Just one more night apart,” he whispered back the promise, now sprawled out on the right side of the bed.

“Hmm,” she was starting to drift off.

“By the way, what name have you been using?” He asked softly, so he would know for tomorrow, but his answer was a small snore. Connor chuckled softly, “Goodnight Sarah. I love you.”

Then he ended the call, laid back against his pillow, and tried to get some sleep. Moving back to Chicago was the right call. Sarah was here, and Med was highly thought of as a hospital. It was the right move, despite his lingering ghosts in this city.

He was late. He was late and she couldn’t afford to worry about him because of the literal train wreck that happened this morning and there weren't just a lot of people coming in, but waves of them. All with varying degrees of trauma. She was pulled from one case to the next and it was only her second day in her ED rotation.

She had just stepped away from her last case, hoping to take a quick breather before they pulled her into another one, but no such luck. But she didn’t mind because it was Connor who pulled her back into the fray. Connor, who was balanced on top of a gurney, as he gave CPR to the man on the gurney. Calling out the man’s injuries and vitals, along with what they had done so far.

“Okay, I got it from here, man.” Dr. Halstead told him and if it had been Sarah, she would’ve taken it for what it was. A clear dismissal. Connor wasn’t Sarah though. He wasn’t a fourth-year meek medical student.

“Nope, he’s mine,” Connor replied shortly, still working on his patient. “Sarah, you’re with me.”

“Okay, who the hell is this guy?” Dr. Halstead asked as Sarah moved around the red-headed doctor to assist Connor.

“He says he’s a doc.” She heard a paramedic say.

“Well doc, this is my ED. I’m the senior resident here.” Dr. Halstead said, a bite to his words. Connor’s eyes flicked to hers for a second. She knew whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be nice or friendly.

“Yeah, Well I’m your new trauma fellow.” (It could’ve been worse) Connor turned away from the resident and started calling out orders as the patient flatlined on the monitor. He directed her to start a left femoral line in the groin. Except she didn’t seem to be moving fast enough for him when she was setting up to disinfect the place where the needle would be going in. He grabbed the bottle of gel from her and squirted a healthy amount of it onto the patient’s skin.

“There you’re sterilized. Now stick it.” He ordered her firmly. She did but now…now.

"I can’t find the vein.” She admitted in a panicky voice as she stared down at the needle. She heard someone sigh, “He’s a patient. Not a pin cushion.”

And then Connor’s cologne filled her nose as he reached over and took the needle, and stuck it in one go.

“Alright, shock to 120. Clear!” It hadn’t worked so Connor had them try again at two hundred.

“And he’s back.” Connor declared a few seconds later, when a nurse-Doris, Sarah would later learn, told him that she had a sinus rhythm of 112. Connor was calling out more orders, these for the nurses so Sarah bowed out of the room as quietly as she could. Connor’s gaze found hers before she could make a full escape though. She gave him a small smile because he was here. He had been on that train this morning, she could tell that much. He could’ve been hurt but he wasn’t. He was here and he was safe. She knew it wasn’t personal-what he did. His harsh words with her. A man’s life had been on the line. There was no room for their relationship when it came to a patient.

In fact, that was something the board was so hesitant to allow Connor to work here. Their ability to work together when they were together . That and their clear rules at Med stating that a medical student and resident or above doctor couldn’t be in a relationship. Yet Connor’s reputation as a trauma fellow had forced their hand when he had been offered the same position at Lakeshore. (That and he was going to take it because so she could keep her spot here at Med)

He had started after her as she continued to back up. Only for her to bump into the chief of services. Mrs. Goodwin.

“Mrs. Goodwin!” She squeaked as she felt a hand rest against her lower back to steady her. Looking up, she saw Connor there. His other hand wrapped around the older woman’s elbow to also keep her upright, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”

Connor’s hand dropped from Goodwin’s elbow when the older woman had her balance but the hand on Sarah’s back remained there. Mrs. Goodwin smiled warmly at her. “It’s quite alright. Sarah right? I’m sorry. I meant to introduce myself yesterday and welcome you to Med and congratulate you on securing one of our very limited spots, we had this rotation but I got busy with last-minute preparations for the ceremony this morning.  All of your professors speak very highly of you.”

She shook Sarah’s hand before she turned and offered the same hand to Connor. “Doctor Rhodes. Welcome-Oh! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he answered before Sarah could wonder what Goodwin was referring to. She felt Connor’s hand flex deliberately against her back. An answer to her growing worry. That he really was okay. Sarah still narrowed her eyes at him.

“Sharon Goodwin.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Is every day like this?” Connor asked with a smirk.

“Well some days we’re busy,” Goodwin deadpanned then she sobered slightly, “I’m glad I caught you both. I wanted to speak to both of you. I’m sure you’re aware of our rules here at Med. But as I understand it, the circumstances of your relationship are allowing it to be grandfathered in on the condition that you two could work together without any preferential treatment. I’m here to inform you that with what I just witnessed, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Goodwin.” Connor nodded at their boss. Sarah echoed his words. Then Connor turned to look at Sarah, his mouth open. But another ambulance pulling up, interrupted whatever he was going to say. This one wasn’t from the train wreck though. It seemed like he was a regular with cystic fibrosis.

“Jamie, is that you?” Mrs. Goodwin asked the person on the gurney.

“H-H-Hey, I m-missed you g-g-g-guys.” A young man that couldn’t be much younger than Sarah stuttered out. He smiled at Mrs. Goodwin and Maggie, the charge nurse, as she listened to his heart. But it was strained. Soon they were assigning him to a room and Mrs. Goodwin turned back and addressed Connor, “All of our ER docs are busy at the moment. Would you mind taking care of our friend?”

“Of course,”

“I’ll go see if Dr. Manning needs help with her case,” Sarah said. Connor’s hand flexed deliberately against her back again. Shooting him a soft smile, she extracted herself from his side and made her way across the ED.

“Reese,” Maggie called out and Sarah pivoted.

“Tell her we found the girl’s father. He’s down the road at Sinai, but the mother is on her way right now.”

A group of nurses was ogling Connor’s naked back. Sarah saw when she came out of treatment six, where she had just broken a little girl’s ribs in order to restart her heart.  A group of them and leading the charge? It was nurse Doris.

But why was Connor half-naked in a treatment room? Then she saw it. A flash of movement that came with ease, thanks to years of practice. Connor Rhodes was giving himself stitches because of course, he was. She sighed as she passed by the giggling and whispering nurses.

April, a nurse she hadn’t met yet, but had heard her name in passing, made it to the room before Sarah did though. She tried to hand Connor a pair of scrubs. Then she noticed him stitching up his arm, “You know we have a few doctors here that could help with that, I could hook you up.”

“Don’t need them.” He caught Sarah’s gaze and he smirked at her-the one he knew, he usually got his way with. “Not with my wife right here to help me out.”

April pivoted around to face her, her eyes wide. Sarah gave a small wave.

“Babe, will you come help me? Be my other hand and hold the sides together?” He asked sweetly and Sarah rolled her eyes at him. She knew what he was doing. Still, she made her way over to her husband.

“Uh, I’ll just leave your wife to help you then.” April set down the clothes on the bed then she hurried out of the room

“You did that on purpose.” Connor’s wife mumbled the accusation while pinching his wound together so he could make the final stitches and tie it off.

“I’d rather deal with the questions and gossip now, then later, when I slip up. Plus, we won’t have to explain why we’re so familiar with each other.”  He explained as he tied off the wound. Then he set the medical instruments aside before he leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead in a very tender kiss. Sarah practically melted against him. The last time she had felt his lips on any part of her was six months ago.

“Honey, I’m home.” His lips didn’t leave her forehead.  She huffed out a laugh, at the same old tired joke he made when he made the trip to Chicago. Having a long-distance marriage was not for the faint of heart. Yet that’s what you had to do when your husband was in the middle of his third year of residency and you were going into your second year of medical school.

“I can see that. You made quite an entrance.” She smiled at him, but it was half-hearted at best.

Dr. Charles, who was walking past the treatment room, looked up at Maggie and Sharon when he reached the nurse’s station.

“Who’s young Rambo over there?” He asked, nodding his head towards the couple.

“Oh, that’s Connor Rhodes. Our new trauma fellow.” Sharon looked down, signing her name to a form Maggie had placed in front of her.

“He sure is going to light up some estrogen receptors around here.” Dr. Charles chuckled.

“I’ll say, he lit mine.” Maggie laughed back. The older woman sighed, handing the file back to her charge nurse. “That is the last thing I need.”

"I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, Sharon. But you may have to break two hearts.” Maggie pointed out as the trauma fellow kiss their new med student’s forehead in what appeared to be a very loving manner.

“No, they have extenuating circumstances. The hospital has decided to grandfather their relationship in.” Goodwin explained, trying to keep it vague for the couple’s sake.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Connor asked as cupped her face in his hands. His gaze softened as she fidgeted in his grasp.

“Nothing. It’s not important.  We should get back out there.” She started to pull away but his hands moved to her waist, keeping her in her spot.

“We haven’t seen each other in six months. They can give us five minutes.” He squeezed her waist gently. She sighed. Connor wasn’t going to let this go easily and she knew that. Avoiding his eyes for a moment, she spied the shirt he had been wearing earlier-her favorite shirt of his because she loved how it looked on him. (and it was the shirt he was wearing when they had met five years ago) It was now ruined by bloodstains and a tear in the arm.

“I loved that shirt on you,” she told him quietly.

“I know, but I don’t think that a ruined shirt is bothering you right now.” He paused, raising her chin again with his hand so he could look into her eyes. “Talk to me, Sarah.”

“I know how to do a central line.” She said, finally shaking her head at herself. She was at the top of her class. She worked hard to get one of the few spots here at Med and now here she was, she couldn’t do a central line right.

“Babe, I know that. You have nothing to prove to me.” He told her firmly. He knew Sarah knew how. He also knew that in real situations, it took practice. Something his wife didn’t have yet and something Sarah wasn’t taking into account right now. He kissed her head again. She turned and blinked at him. “Do you know how many times I missed before I finally got it?”

“And I just...I broke a little girl’s ribs to restart her heart. I just don’t think I’m right for the ED. I’m not built like you. If it wasn’t a requirement, I wouldn’t even be here.”

“And if you weren’t here, I wouldn’t be in Chicago.” He sighed before he cupped her face in his hands once more.

“Dr. Rhodes.” April was back with a tablet. Husband and wife both turned to look at her, “Sorry to interrupt but Jamie’s scans came back and Ms. Acosta, your patient’s girlfriend is here.”

“This conversation is not over.” Dr. Rhodes turned back to his wife, pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Then he slipped on his scrubs shirt and took the tablet from April. When he was gone, now to change into the lower part of his scrubs, the nurse turned back to face the other woman.

“This is none of my business, but is he really your husband?” As an answer, Sarah pulled out the chain she wore around her neck at work. Her ring was resting at the bottom of it.

“For three years now.”

After having a mild disagreement with Dr. Charles about Jamie and explaining to Ms. Acosta about Jorge’s condition, Connor did not want to get into it with Will Halstead, but he had gone into the doctor’s lounge to get his lab coat at the wrong time. Dr. Halstead had recommended the hypothermic protocol and it was the way the guy had said, “Protect his brain.”

Like it was obvious and it was clear that Connor wasn’t doing that. So Connor explained why he thought that wasn’t the right approach. Did this guy have a chip on his shoulder? Connor wondered as the other doctor continued about how they were both local.

“Where’d you go to med school? Johns Hopkins? Stanford?” What was up with this guy?

“No, I went to UAG.”

“Where’s that?” “Guadalajara,” Connor answered and he was so glad that Dr. Halstead’s pager went off a moment later because if the conversation had gone on much longer then he would’ve said something. (He could just hear Sarah’s voice, telling him to be nice because they both had to work with these people.)

His relief was short-lived though when he heard the Code Blue alarm go off in Jorge’s room. He took off running. In the end, it was too late. They got him back, but his brain had been without oxygen for too long. And then came the part Connor hated the most-telling the family what happened. After leaving Mariana in the capable hands of Goodwin and the coordinator of Gift of Hope for the hospital, Connor found himself escaping to the roof.

“Your first day and you already found my hiding spot.” A female voice called as footsteps approached. Connor looked up to see a pregnant doctor walking towards him. She offered her hand with a smile. “I’m Nat.”

“Connor,” He took her hand, shaking it. When he dropped her hand, he asked jokingly: “I don’t suppose you keep a bottle stashed up here, do you?”

“Not in my condition.” She chuckled, then sobered slightly as she said sympathetically, “I heard about your patient. Tough one.”

“Yeah...I just keep wondering…”

“If there was anything else you could’ve done? I know.” Natalie finished for him. He sighed heavily then gestured to her stomach.

“Is your husband a doc too?”

She seemed to hesitate at his question for a moment, before answering with a soft shake of her head and her voice echoing the word.

“Speaking of spouses though. I heard a rumor that you’re married to Sarah Reese, our med student for this rotation?” She asked, tilting her head at him.

Nodding he held up his left hand to show her his wedding ring. Only to remember it was in his locker down in the doctor’s lounge because he hadn’t been able to get it clean earlier.

“Usually, I have my ring on, but I couldn’t get it clean with everything that happened on the train earlier.” He explained.

“How long have you been married?”

“Three years.”

“So you didn’t just get married to break the rules.” Connor raised an eyebrow at the pregnant doctor. She laughed, “Some of the nurses have a bet going that your marriage is only a few weeks old at best.”

Just as he was shaking his head, Natalie’s phone buzzed.

“Excuse me,” she said, holding it up before making her way back into the building.

It had been a long day and he had only had two patients. One of whom had died, but if Jorge had to die, at least he was helping another person to live. They had transplanted Jorge’s lungs into Jamie and things were looking up for the twenty-year-old. His vitals looked good so far and Connor was hopeful that they would continue to improve.

It was the end of his shift though and he just wanted to go home. Dr. Charles was staying the night to be there when Jamie woke up and had promised to let him know if anything happened. Now Connor just needed to find his wife because he wasn’t spending another night sleeping in a bed alone. He found her in the training treatment room, practicing the central line on a dummy.

“Central line. Can’t tell you how many times I missed before I finally got it.” He repeated his words from earlier before they got interrupted. She turned and frowned at him.

“I know how to do it. I just couldn’t do it there.” She told him. Frustration clear in her voice, she turned back to the dummy, putting the line in again. Connor took another step into the room so he was right behind her.

“It takes practice, that’s all.” He reiterated firmly. Knowing that Sarah would get it. That in a month or two this...the ED-the pace of it, she would get it. She just needed to get used to it and have some practice to fall back on. Right now, she didn’t, and instead, she was beating herself up because she screwed up on her first day working in the ED. (Yesterday, she had told him that they had someone give her a tour of the hospital)

“I’m fine with him. I never miss.” His wife started the process over. Connor shook his head slightly, “Yeah, he’s the ideal patient. You can’t hurt him and his life isn’t hanging in the balance.”

“If it wasn’t a requirement, I wouldn’t even be here.” Now she was repeating her words from earlier. He tilted his head at her, “And where would you be?”

“Are you asking as my husband or as my superior?”

“I’m asking as your husband, who is trying to help and who happens to be an experienced doctor.” He reached out and took the medical training syringe out of her hand, before replacing it with his hand. He squeezed gently.  

“I’m a lab person.” She admitted quietly.

“Pathology?” He guessed and she shrugged almost shyly, “Maybe.”

He remembered feeling that way before once too. He squeezed her hand and she met his gaze. “You could very well be a pathology person and if you are, then you know I’ll be your biggest supporter. But I will say this about that. Every med student, once they start dealing with patients, thinks they’ll do better in pathology.”

“I did.” He told her when she said nothing. Her eyes flicked up to meet his in surprise.

“I don’t believe you.” She said slowly. He grinned as he laughed.

“It’s true. On the first day of my ED rotation, I was thrown into the fray and had to set a broken leg with a doctor supervising, and well…let’s just say it didn’t go well. Now come on. It’s time for us to go home.” Connor picked up Sarah’s bag, throwing it over his shoulder with his, and rested his hands on her shoulders as he directed his wife out of the treatment bay.

On their way out of the hospital, an orderly with a wheelchair passed them. The person in the wheelchair appeared to be going home. It was a little girl, who turned back to look when she saw them. Then she was waving at them and Connor didn’t the girl. Sarah did though, by the way, she was waving back. A small smile set upon her lips.

“Not all bad, right?” Connor asked, bumping her shoulder gently. Shaking her head, Sarah echoed his words in agreement.

A few hours later found husband and wife getting ready for bed in Connor’s apartment. Connor laid down on the right side of the bed because he knew Sarah preferred the left. She surprised him though when she settled herself on top of him, her ear laying directly on his chest. Where he knew his heart was beating. He didn’t say anything. He knew what she was doing. He had been on that train today and though he got off easier than others, Connor knew it could’ve been way worse.

“I’m okay,” he whispered when Sarah picked up her head to look at him. His hand reached out to trace the length of her cheek.

“I promise.” He promised, pressing his lips to her cheeks. She moved and then her lips were moving against his slowly. Almost lazily, like they had all the time in the world. Which, he guessed, now they did. There was no countdown on their time together on this time. There was no round-trip ticket to take him back. Instead, there were boxes of his things that needed to be unpacked.

Ghosts may have still lingered in the windy city, but for the first time since he made his way out of the airport; he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Not with Sarah here, kissing him with no headiness or rush-like she needed to memorize him because he was leaving in a day or two.

“I love you.” She mumbled against his lips. He grinned against her lips.

“I love you too.” He mumbled back. Moving back to Chicago was the right call. Sarah was here and they were both safe in their bed. And right now, that was the only thing that mattered to Connor.