#open heart pixelberry

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox: Chapter Five - An Open Heart fic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

After a tragedy, Rory and Ethan call a temporary ceasefire.

I sprint into the waiting room at Edenbrook, frantically looking around for anyone who may have answers about Delores.  I spot Ramsey sitting alone, staring down at his hands, and I rush over to him.

“Dr. Ramsey?  What happened? Where’s Delores?” I pant, bending in half and sucking in air, my hands on my knees.

He doesn’t answer me for several long moments, making me fidget impatiently.  I’m opening my mouth to repeat myself when he finally meets my eyes.

“Delores had a seizure,” he says hollowly, his eyes distant and unfocused.  “Full eclampsia.  We had no choice but to deliver the baby.  It’s 50/50 he’ll survive the night.”

“No…” I breathe out.  My knees buckles but I mange to catch myself on the arm of the chair Ramsey is sitting in.  “Where’s Delores?”

“She died.”

My blood roars in my ears, drowning out all of the other mundane hospital sounds surrounding us.  My eyes burn as small tendrils of grief take root in my chest, quickly stamped out by the heavier, more intense feeling of anger.  Anger at the randomness, the unfairness of it all.  Anger at myself for not having done more, not fighting Ramsey harder, not making Delores understand just how serious her condition was.

NO.

“Dr. Ramsey, - ”

“I’m fine.”  He stands and quickly strides away without looking back. 

A while later I tiptoe into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, clutching that stupid stuffed frog, and silently begin searching the incubators for Delores’s son.  I allow myself a tiny smile when I finally find him and read his name tag.

Ethan Hudson.  How about that…

“Can I help you?”

I whirl around in surprise to face the attending on duty.  “His mother was my patient.  She got to name him?” I ask, vaguely gesturing towards the incubator. 

“She told me just as she was rushed to the O.R.  The poor thing.  We’ll know more in the morning,” she answers, casting a sad look towards the baby.

“Do you mind if I sit with him tonight?”

“Feel free.”

“Do you mind if he has this?”  I hold up the frog.  “His mother wanted him to have it.  It’s been sterilized.”

“Go ahead,” she says, shrugging as she walks away.

I pull on a pair of sterile gloves and place the stuffed animal into the incubator, tucking it close to the baby.  He snuggles weakly against it, and tears prick my eyes.  “That’s it, tadpole.  That’s the way.”

I sit down on the couch next to the incubator and put my hand back inside, allowing the baby to grasp one of my gloves fingers.  I relax into the couch, preparing for a long, sleepless night.

********************************************** Ethan rounds the corner to enter the N.I.C.U. and draws up short as the sound of a now irritatingly familiar voice floats out to meet him.

“Can you believe some people actually think Black Jack Randall is attractive?  Like the book version, not the actor in the series?”

Ethan peers around on the doorjamb to see O’Shea seated next to the incubator housing Delores’s son, having a very enthusiastic one-side conversation with the infant.

“I know!  After everything he did to Jamie… I can’t believe it either.  How do you feel about Lord John as a character?”  Rory pauses as if listening to the baby’s reply.  “Well obviously… clearly you’re a gentleman of taste.  Can I talk about my gripe with Roger for a second?  Because honestly - ”

“Ahem.”  Ethan clears his throat and Rory glances over at him, eyes wide and cheeks pink with embarrassment.  “What are you still doing here?”

“I’m staying here tonight.”  O’Shea turns his attention back to the incubator.  “I hate the idea of him fighting for his life alone.”

“There are plenty of doctors working overnight.  If something happens, they’ll be here.”

“I know.”

The whisper is so soft Ethan can barely hear it.  “Would you mind if I joined you?”

O’Shea’s wide green eyes betray his surprise and it takes him a moment to answer.  “Not at all,” he finally says, shaking his head and scooting over to make room on the couch.

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

Ethan settles down on the couch next to me and for a while the soft, rhythmic whoosh of the ventilator is the only sound in the room.  He catches sight of the stuffed frog and breaks out into a rare smile.

“You gave him the frog.  Delores would have been…”  His face falls and his falls silent at the reminder of the loss of his friend.  “She would have been pleased.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and blink quickly in an effort to hold off the tears that have been threatening to fall all night.

“The first patient I lost… I was in my fourth week,” Ethan says, his voice more gentle than I thought him capable of.  “I didn’t make any mistakes.  He had stage four metastatic melanoma.  He just… fought like hell and lost.  I liked him.  He wasn’t much older than I am now.  I knew he didn’t have long to live, but it still hit me hard.”

I take a shallow, shuddering breath.  “I can’t let this get to me,” I mumble.

“Grieving a lost patient isn’t a weakness.  Good doctors should value life.  For itself.  I’d be more concerned if you weren’t upset.  Just know this wasn’t your fault.  Or mine.  Or Delores’s.  We all made the best decisions we could with the information we had.”

The argument that we could have done things differently is at the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back.  “I could have done more,” I say bitterly.  “I failed her.”

Ethan sighs.  “It’s important to push yourself, Rookie, but you will take a lot of losses.  We all do.  What matters is that you come back stronger.”

I glance at him suspiciously from the corner of my eye.  “Why are you being so nice to me?  Usually you’re…”

“Demanding?” he helpfully supplies.

“An asshole,” I mumble.

Other than a slight raise of his eyebrows Ethan doesn’t comment on my assessment of his character.  He stares off into space, sorting his thoughts.  “There are doctors with unlimited patience,” he says eventually.  “I am not one of them.  Energy I could use socializing, or making someone’s day better, I put towards my patience.  They’re who I’m here for.”

“Well that explains why you and Dr. Emery broke up,” I mutter under my breath.

“Rookie…”  Ethan’s tone is warning.

“You’re a teacher too,” I point out, attempting to backtrack.

“One of many, and you shouldn’t model yourself after any of us.  Idolatry among physicians is absurd.  We’re here to teach you practical medicine.  You need to find your own way of being a doctor.”

“And… how do I do that?” I ask, twisting on the couch to fully face him, ready to absorb whatever Yoda-like knowledge he’s preparing to hand down.

The corner’s of Ethan’s lips tip up into a gentle smile.  “You already are.” 

What the fuck does that mean?

The baby stretches and wiggles, and Ethan scoots closer to the incubator, offering him a gloved finger.  A soft, absent looks washes over Ethan’s face as the baby tightly clutches his finger.

“She named him after you,” I murmur.

His eyes widen in surprise as he looks down at the nametag.  His jaw tightens and his throat works as he swallows.  “I… see she did.”

“Did you know Delores a long time?” I venture.

“Over ten years.  When I first emailed her I only meant to check in.  But she was recently divorced, feeling alone, so she insisted on coffee.  And then it turned into more emails and meeting once every couple months for Sunday roast.

“She sounds like a good friend.”

“I didn’t make friends easily when I started here, so I was always grateful to her for that.”  Ethan swallows hard and falls silent, gazing intently at Delores’s baby.  His eyes are red.

Unconsciously I reach out and place my hand over his.  “I’m so sorry this happened,” I whisper, my voice cracking slightly.

Ethan glances up at me, surprise at first, and then something I can’t decipher in his shining blue eyes.  He holds my gaze, his hand broad and warm beneath my own. 

“Me too.”  He roughly clears his throat.  “I think we need coffee.”

“I can get some,” I offer, not having the heart to tell him I don’t like coffee.

“No.  I’ll go.”

Several minutes tick by as I watch baby Ethan sleep, counting each shallow rise and fall of his chest.  I start to drift off, the ambient hospital sounds soothing me. 

“Here you go, Rookie.” 

I shake my head, trying to clear away the cobwebs, and gingerly take the steaming mug Ethan’s hand me.  I wrinkle my nose as the bitter smell of coffee assaults my senses and steel myself to take a sip.  I fight the urge to gag, rather valiantly I think, and force down the drink.

Ethan attempts to hide a smirk behind his mug.  “You could have said you weren’t a fan of coffee, Rookie.”

Apparently I’m not as subtle as I thought.

I sheepishly set the mug on the small table next to the couch.  “Sorry.  I do appreciate the thought though.”

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

Ethan gazes down at the sleeping O’Shea, who’s currently curled up against Ethan’s side.  The two had talked long into the night, seamlessly bouncing from subject to subject.  Ethan had found himself truly enjoying the conversation; Rory had proven to be well-versed in many subjects, and his quick, caustic sense of humor had Ethan laughing more than he had in months.  Several strands of inky dark hair have fallen over Rory’s face, and his glasses are slightly askew.  Ethan’s lips quirk up at the endearing sight, his breath catching as Rory’s nuzzles against his arm.

“Rookie,” he murmurs, gently brushing the loose hair back away from Rory’s face.  “Come on Rookie, time to wake up.”

Rory sits up slowly, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.  He adjusts his glasses and turns to the incubator.  Baby Ethan rests soundly, still snuggled against the stuffed frog.

“He made it!”  Rory flashes Ethan a beaming smile, unable to contain his joy.

“And he’s getting stronger.”

Rory takes out his hair tie, shaking the unruly strands loose, unable to stop smiling.  He runs a hand through his now unbound hair and checks his phone, his smile falling a little as he notes the time. 

“Damn,” he sighs.  I have rounds in twenty minutes.  I need to go shower.”

Ethan sucks in a shallow breath, fighting to think about anything other than a naked, soapy Rory, hands trailing over lithe muscles…  “I’ll stay a little longer,” he quickly offers.

Rory stands, smiling at the baby one last time.  “Catch you later, tadpole.”

“Rory,” Ethan calls out as the other man is halfway out the door.

Rory skids to a halt and looks back over his shoulder.  “Hm?”

“Thank you.”

[dwiankus]

The S-Tier LI *male edition*

I am proud of my babies

[vivalgi]

PB in 2016: Sorry we failed you. Here's better skin tones for The Freshman MC.

PB in 2020: Sorry we became complacent, we promise to do better with representation.

PB in 2024: It's time to get offensive! Here's a black LI that looks like a purple alien race from Across the Void!

[choices-binglebonkus]

My sims when I launch fireworks in their house (I deleted the doors lol xd escape is impossible)

[choicesficwriterscreations]

September Creator of the Month: Tveitertotwrites

Please welcome this month’s Creator of the Month: @tveitertotwrites

Each month, CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers or artists. The writer or artist is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page. Past COTMs can be found here.

Tumblr Blog Name: Tveitertotwrites

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Megan

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog

Masterlist

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played? 

I started playing in 2019, and my first book was Rules of Engagement.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined the fandom in January 2022. I had taken a break from Choices for a while but went back in November/December 2021 and started trying to look for fanfiction for Open Heart as I wanted to see if there was more Open Heart content, so I turned to Tumblr and AO3 and decided to join.

3- How did you pick your blog name? 

It was the first thing I could think of. I’m not creative with naming things (if anyone remembers my original blog name, it was openheartfanfiction because I only wrote for OH and couldn’t think of anything else). So I was like, “I’m a fan of Aaron Tveit. His fans are called Tveiter Tots, so why not?”  I then added writing because most of the content I make is fanfiction.

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it! 

It was actually a little intro to my account, but I had deleted it a while back so now it’s this. It is not my favorite. I would definitely redo it now that I have had more experience with text fics. 

5- Do you write fanfiction, create fan art, or are you one of those really gifted people who do both? 

While I would love to make fan art, currently, I only write fanfiction.

6- How long have you been creating for Choices and for any other fandoms?

I have been writing/creating Choices content since 2022. But I have been writing for Star Wars and Adam Driver Characters since 2020 (even though I am on hiatus from it, and I don’t know if/when I will pick it back up). I also wrote some Marvel fanfiction with a friend in 2021. More recently, I have started writing stuff for Aaron Tveit and Cillian Murphy characters on my non-Choices blog.

7- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to create for?

Right now, I would say either Red Carpet Diaries or America’s Most Eligible is my favorite. But I also like Open Heart, High School Story, and others. I want to create more for RCD and AME, but I think I like creating content for OH.

8- Share your first Choices fanfic or fan art that you posted with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were creating it today?

Since I already mentioned the text fic, I chose the next fic I did. It was for my Open Heart MC’s (Claire Evans) Birthday. And I would 100 percent go back and rewrite it. I like the idea of what I wrote, but I don’t like its execution, and I need to go back and rewrite it.

9- What is your favorite piece of fiction or art that you created? 

Right now, I have these two favorites. While I like writing angst, I enjoy writing fluffy stuff like these two fics. Plus, it’s my MC and OC who are besties (Claire and Adelaide), so I had to choose one from both of them.

10- Do you have a fic/art that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to do well but found it could use a little more love?

This was a fic that I wasn't expecting to get notes on. I was still very new to the fandom at the time and hadn’t really interacted with anyone at that point, so seeing people like it was a shock.

Something that I wish I could do better is the content I make for my RCD and AME MCs (Brooklyn Moore and Charlie Howard). I love that people like my OH content, but I don’t see many people liking content from those books (which is fine if you don’t like it).

11- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why? 

Fluff. While writing Angst and Smut can be fun, writing fluff is a nice escape from real life.

12 - Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Yes, I have put some things from myself into my MCs and OCs, like some personality traits, some physical traits, and some hobbies/things they enjoy. So, I do see myself sometimes, but not always.

13 - What element of writing/art do you struggle with most?

Either coming up with titles or writing bits in between the big parts. Usually, one of the last things I do is come up with a title because I can never think of one. Also, writing the “less important” parts in between the parts I want to write is what gets me sometimes and is why I have unfinished fics that I have abandoned.

14 - Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

I have some fics that I had done some previews for (last year or the year before) that I would like to finish at some point. Right now, I am trying to finish a Dancing with the Stars AU for Adelaide and Tobias, so that is my writing priority.

15 - If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to see your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you show them first? 

Maybe it depends on who it is. While I don’t think anyone would be too judgemental, I would still be very nervous to show them in fear of them hating it or something like that. I wouldn't show them the smut or some of my earlier fics but the fluff I would.

16 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing or art? Are there any artists that influence you?

Not really. I have liked a lot of people’s work, but I don’t think that it really influences my writing at all though.

17- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series? 

I think my fic “Coming to You” would be fun to see as a movie. Seeing how Ethan and Claire’s relationship grows on screen when they’re in two different worlds would interest me.

19- Do you write original fiction or create non-fandom art? 

I have thought about trying to write an original fiction book, but right now I don’t. I do currently write some original screenplays as I am in college for screenwriting.

20-  What other hobbies do you have?

I like to paint and listen to music. I like to take drives in the morning to get coffee and relax or at night with my dogs. I like to watch movies and musicals (like Moulin Rouge and Six). 

21: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to)

Thank you to anyone who has read any of my fics or enjoyed the content I create. It means a lot, and I hope to continue writing content that both you and I can enjoy.

[choices-ceri]

Coming back from inactivity to say what the hell are those new book covers.

Thats not Trystan. Thats literally just a guy.

[bryceslahela]

[alccaddsccup]

i fucking HATE this man

was three books and a spin off not enough for this crusty piece of flesh

[teppei-kaneko-deserved-better]

Pb been fucking us nonvip readers over with their vip releases. Which is why imma tell yall to just get the modded version and get all premium choices for free. dont waste your time by watching ads for diamonds anymore babes and have fun 😘❤ its fair game now💅

[bri1234]

Violet Valentine x Ethan Ramsey 💙

I recently did a replay of OH for the first time since I originally played it lol and ended up drawing this

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations

[choicesfandomappreciation]

Choices Spread Kindness Celebration

Welcome to the third annual Choices Spread Kindness Celebration! This event begins on Social Media Kindness Day (November 9) and "ends" on World Kindness Day (November 13). I say "ends" because there's a bonus day to celebrate you on the 14th.

The goal of the event is simple: spread kindness in the fandom by shouting out people who make it great. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can change someone’s day.

Event Overview / Themed Days

November 09: Choices Fandom Shoutout Day

November 10: Writer’s Love Day

November 11: Artist's Love Day

November 12: Creator's Love Day

November 13: Fandom Love/Secret Admirer  (Please sign up by 11/4)

November 14: Self-Love Day

Use the tag #ChoicesSpreadKindness when you post

November 09: Choices Fandom Shoutouts! Let’s kick things off by showering people with love!

This can be for anyone: readers, supporters, creators, event hosts, ….anyone in the fandom in any capacity! Let people know they're important to you and make a difference to your time here in the fandom. Everyone deserves to feel a little special and appreciated now and then.

Give them a shoutout here, @choicesfandomappreciation!

Fill their inbox with love and encouragement

Send anon messages of support

Gift them edits, moodboards, drabbles, or anything small that they enjoy to bring a smile to their face

*Just a special note to remember your readers/supporters, make sure to send them love too!

November 10: Writer’s Love Day Some ideas to show your favorite writers some love:

Reblog your favorite stories they’ve written

Share their masterlist with your followers

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

Post about why you love them

Share your favorite lines from their fics

Ask questions about their MCs/OCs

Find a new writer to support by checking out @choicesficwriterscreations's extensive database of many Choices books (new and old)

November 11: Artist’s Love Day Some ideas to show your favorite artists some love:

Reblog your favorite art they’ve done

Share their commission information (if available)

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

Commission some art (if you can)

Find a new artist to support

November 12: Creator Love Day

This is a day for any other content creators: editors, moodboard makers, songwriters, playlist creators, event organizers, headcanon creators, etc (anyone who does not fall under the writer or artist days that creates for the fandom, even if just for MC / OC challenges/games)

Some ideas to show them love:

Reblog your favorite content they’ve created

If they have a master list share it

Send love to their inbox

Give them a shoutout here

November 13: Fandom Love Day (Secret Admirer Day)

This is sort of like secret Santa but just for kind messages. You do not need to create, buy, or gift anyone anything. This is open to anyone in the fandom (creator, reader, supporter, anyone!)

All that is required is that you write the person you’ve been assigned a kind, encouraging, supportive message for November 13th. It can be generic, but I do encourage you to take a few minutes to look over the person's blog and see if you can give them a compliment specific to them that might be more meaningful.

To participate, message me here (@choicesfandomappreciation) or @lovealexhunt and let me know you want to join. *If there is someone you absolutely cannot be paired with please let me know that too, no judgement and it will be kept private.

On November 5th, I will randomize everyone who is interested in participating and send you one person’s name. On November 13th, send your message to this blog anonymously (@choicesfandomappreciation ).

I will tag your person so they see your message.

Feel free to reblog others’ messages of support and appreciation and add on to the thread.

November 14: Self Love Day (Bonus Day) Some ideas to show yourself some love:

Reblog your favorite content that you've created

Make a post introducing your MC or OC if you haven't already (then, submit it to @choicesficwriterscreations for their database)

Make a post linking your favorite works (recent or older)

Tell more about you (let us know your favorite things outside of the Choices Fandom)

Give yourself a compliment (you deserve it!)

Share your masterlist

Create or do something self-indulgent/spoil yourself

Don't forget to drink water 💛

If you reblog/reshare your work on your blog, feel free to tag @choicesfandomappreciation and I can also share your content here

Use the tag #ChoicesSpreadKindness when you post anything new and tag @choicesfandomappreciation in all posts to make sure they get reblogged here.

Feel free to save this graphic to help you keep track of the days

Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns.

💛💛💛

[justcallmefox89]

Irressistible Force Paradox: Chapter Three - An Open Heart Fic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Ethan accuses Rory of the unthinkable and Rory fights his growing attraction to his former medical hero.

September 14th.  5:49 p.m.

Oh hell.

I freeze in place, fear momentarily short-circuiting my brain as Ramsey glares at me.

Do you never go home old man!?

“Rookie, you and I n - ”

“You’re a miracle worker!” Sarah gasps, interrupting Dr. Ramsey. “Do you think she’d take a bottle now? She hasn’t had anything to eat for hours.”

I smile down at Emily.  “I think that’d be just fine.”

Sarah beams at me and rushes towards Emily’s diapers bag while Jason sags against the doorframe in relief.  

“Since Emily is resting now, you and I have some things we need to discuss, Dr. O’Shea.”  Ramsey gives me a stern look and nods towards the hallway.

“Um, actually I had something I wanted to show you, Dr. Ramsey,” I meekly reply, using my free hand to motion him closer.  

“Dr. O’Shea - ”

“Please,” I implore him softly.  “I think it might be important.”

He relents, sighing and stepping closer.  “What is it, Rookie?”

I lower my voice to barely a whisper.  “I noticed when I unlocked my phone to play some music Emily flinched away from the screen, almost like the brightness hurt her eyes.”

“There could be any number of explanations for that.”

“Her reflexes are sluggish, that combined with the fever, the irritability, not eating - ”

“Look, Rookie.”  Ethan puts a hand on my shoulder.  “I can appreciate that you want to help, but all these symptoms can be attributed to the sepsis. You’ve managed to calm her down and I’m sure her parents are grateful, but leave her case to the diagnostics team.”

Insufferable.  Completely, absolutely insufferable.  And gorgeous.  And tall.  And so completely climbable.  I loathe him.

Ramsey’s eyes widen and a small sound of protest leaves his mouth as I grab his hand and gently guide his fingers to the top of Emily’s head.  His face pales as his fingertips brush over the swelling that’s nearly invisible under her dark curls.

“As I was saying, all of those symptoms combined with the severe swelling of her fontanelle, makes me think the sepsis was brought on by a severe case of meningitis,” I murmur.

Ramsey gazes down at me steadily.  “You think?  I’m not going to subject an infant to a spinal tap based on your guess.”

I grit my teeth and inhale deeply.  “I know.  I know this is meningitis.”

“I’m inclined to agree,” he says.  “I’ll page Naveen and call for an anesthesiologist.  Once we confirm, we’ll need to pinpoint what variant of meningitis we’re specifically dealing with.”

“Dr. O’Shea?  I have Emily’s bottle ready.”  Sarah steps forward and takes Emily from me, gently cradling the little girl in her arms and offering her the bottle.

I turn to leave but the sight of a can of formula sticking out of Emily’s diaper bag stops me.

“Sarah?  Has Emily always been formula fed?” I ask.

Her face falls.  “Is that a problem?  I was never able to produce enough milk for her, so we had to formula feed.”

“No, not at all,” I hurriedly reassure her.  “As long as our girl gets fed, that’s all that matters.”

“What are you thinking, Rookie?” Ramsey whispers, his warm breath ghosting over my ear.

A pleasant shiver runs through me, and I almost start to lean into him, my traitorous body reacting to his close proximity.

Get it together.

“Bacterial meningitis caused by cronobacter sakazakii.” I murmur, tilting my head towards the formula can.  

Ramsey’s eyes widen.  “My god,” he whispers.  “Stay here and update the parents.  I’m getting the rest of the team.”

Not thinking, I reach out and grab his arm before he can walk away. He must be able to see the panic on my face because he takes my hand in his and squeezes it once.   “You can do this, Rookie.  Walk them through your theory and what’s going to happen next. I’ll be back soon.”  

10:30 p.m.

Through the window of the hospital room I watch Emily rest, an IV inserted in the crook of her tiny arm.  Jason and Sarah doze fitfully in armchairs positioned next to her crib.  Emily is sleeping soundly, her face no longer flushed with a fever; a sure sign the intravenous antibiotics are working.  My shift ended three hours ago, but I can’t bring myself to leave, worried that the minute I walk out of the hospital something awful will happen.

“What are you still doing here, Rookie?”

“Could ask you the same thing, Dr. Ramsey,” I reply, my eyes never leaving Emily’s sleeping form.

“This isn’t even your case.”  A hard edge creeps into Ramsey’s voice.  

“Are you saying I should only care about the patients that I’m assigned to?”  

Ramsey sighs, scratching at the thick stubble on his jaw.  “Of course not.  A good doctor will care about every patient that walks through those doors, whether they’re assigned to them or not.  But I’m not convinced anything you did this afternoon was because you cared about the patient.”

I turn to face him and cross my arms over my chest, scowling.  “Excuse me?”

“You think any other physician here would have let you get away with that little stunt you pulled this afternoon?”  Ramsey steps closer, towering over me, and I fight the urge to back away from him.

“If you hadn’t made that solve I would have had your job, Rookie,” he continues, his voice low and dark.  “Attention-seeking stunts like that won’t land you a spot on the diagnostics team, so if you ever even think about doing something like this again you will be out on your ass.”

I blink, momentarily stunned into silence.  “You think I helped Emily just to get noticed by the diagnostics team?” I finally manage to ask, unable to keep a note of hurt out of my voice.

Ramsey rolls his eyes.  “I see it every year, ambitious interns who think that if they pull off an impressive solve -”

“You think I would use a sick child to further my career?” I seethe, drawing myself up to my full five feet four inches.  I move closer, invading his personal space and jabbing a finger into his muscled chest.  “I was waiting for test results on the one case I had, so I offered to sit with Emily so Jason and Sarah could get some rest.”

His handsome face shifts into a disdainful sneer.  “So you abandoned your own patient to help mine.”

“I was partnered with Dr. Landry on that case, and he had no issues proceeding on his own for an hour or two while I assisted Jason and Sara.  I’m surprised you don’t remember that since you went out of your way to try and humiliate him when we presented earlier today,” I hiss.

Ramsey has the good grace to momentarily look abashed, and he breaks eye contact with me as his cheeks flush a faint pink.  He clears his throat.  “Now that you have mentioned it I do seem to recall -”

“I didn’t do this to get noticed by the diagnostics team,” I continue, poking him again.  “I did it because I saw a pair of scared, first time parents falling apart because their baby was sick and inconsolable.  I did it because that family needed help.”

Ramsey catches my hand in his, sending a pleasant thrill through me, and gently pulls it away from his chest.  “I may have been hasty in my initial assessment of your motivations,” he says slowly.

I rip my hand away from him, cradling it against my chest. “Don’t ever fucking touch me again.”

I turn and hurry down the hallway, trying to ignore the way my body responded to Ramsey’s touch, and how much his accusation had hurt.

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

September 17.  9:30 p.m.

“Shit.  Shit, shit, shit!” I mutter, sitting on the floor behind the intake desk and looking through the lost and found box.  I’d spent the whole day moving into a new apartment and the last thing I want to be doing is searching for my I.D. badge, but if I don’t have it tomorrow morning it will be just one more excuse for Ramsey to get on my case.  And after our last encounter outside Emily’s hospital room, I’ve been avoiding him at all costs.  I eventually find it among the sea of tangled lanyards and other bits and bobs that my fellow doctors have misplaced.

I shove the box back into place and start to stand up, wincing as the blood flows back into my lower legs.  I immediately crouch back down as raised voices carry down the corridor and draw nearer to the waiting area.  I peek over the edge of the desk, watching Ramsey throw his hands up in the air and scowl at Dr. Banerji.

“You can’t do this, Naveen!  I won’t let you!” Ramsey shouts, angrily running his hands through his hair as he paces back and forth.

“It must be done, Ethan,” Dr. Banerji says placidly.  “Not everything is in your control.  It’s time you finally learned that.”

“You are not my teacher anymore!”

Naveen gently smiles at him.  “I am always your teacher.”

“Goddamnit Naveen!”  I involuntarily gasp as Ramsey slams his fist into the wall.  Dr. Banerji sighs softly before walking away, Ramsey staring miserably after him.

What.  The. Fuck.

Faced with the choice of hiding here until Ramsey overcomes whatever internal crisis he’s going through or facing him directly… I decide to nut up. I slowly emerge from my hiding space without him noticing me.  I strongly consider just sneaking away, but then I notice the blood.  I wage a brief internal battle before making my choice.

“Dr. Ramsey?” I call out softly.

He whirls around to face me, eyes wide.  Once he recognizes me his eyes narrow and he scowls.  “Spying on me, Dr. O’Shea?”

“It’s adorable that you think I’d waste my very limited free time on you,” I snark back.

“How much did you see?” he asks, clenching his jaw.

My god, that jawline…  Focus, Rory!

I shrug.  “Enough.”

“If you speak a word about this to anyone -”

“You’re bleeding,” I interrupt.

He stares down at his hand in confusion.  “I didn’t realize…”

“Come on,” I sigh.  “Let’s get it taken care of.”

Ramsey’s shoulders stiffen.  “I am perfectly capable of -”

I roll my eyes.  “Do not fear Dr. Ramsey, even I, a lowly intern, know how to patch up busted knuckles. Just let me help.”

He refuses to move, so I grab onto the end of his tie and gently tug him towards an empty patient room.  Too shocked to protest, he obediently follows me.  Once we’re in the room I shut the door to prevent any prying eyes, and direct him to sit on the edge of the hospitable bed while I glove up and gather all the necessary items.  I sit next to him and tentatively take his hand, surprised by just how much larger it is than mine.  

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask, soaking a gauze pad in saline solution and dabbing away the drying blood on Ramsey’s knuckles.

“No,” he says tersely, refusing to look at me.

“Ok,” I murmur, focusing my attention on my work.  Some of my hair falls out of my ponytail and into my eyes. “Damn.”

“Let me.”  Ramsey’s voice is rough and there’s a slight hitch in his breathing.  He extends his uninjured hand, pausing just short of touching me.  I tilt my head up, allowing him to move the loose hair out of my eyes.  His fingertips brush against the shell of my ear, lightly trailing over the curve of my jaw as he withdraws his hand; the scrap of his calloused skin against my light five o’clock shadow causes a pleasant shiver to run through me.  

I peer up at him over the rims over my glasses.  “Thank you,” I whisper, suddenly feeling nervous.

He doesn’t reply as his blue eyes rove over me, taking in every detail. “Why are you doing this?” he finally asks.

I shake my head, breaking the temporary spell he had seemingly cast over me.  “You hurt yourself,” I say, annoyed at how breathless I sound.  I snap my eyes back down to his hand, gently dabbing antiseptic cream over his cuts.

He laughs softly, the sound dark and seductive in the close quarters of the small hospital room.  “I’m fairly sure I could have managed a band-aid or two, Rookie.”

I shake my head, biting my lower lip as I concentrate on precisely placing steri-strips over his broken skin.  “I don’t know,” I finally mutter.

“You’re so different from the others,” Ramsey whispers, almost to himself.

I snap my gloves off and gather up my trash, depositing it in the appropriate disposal bins under Ramsey’s intense gaze.   “I need to go, Dr. Ramsey.  My roommates are -”

The words stutter in my chest as Ramsey stands up and catches one of my hands in his.  “I owe you an apology.”

My brain short circuits at the feel of his fingertips caressing my palm, a barely there sensation that instantly makes me wonder what that touch would feel like on other parts of my body.  “W-what?” I stammer.

“For accusing you of using Emily’s case to further your career,” he clarifies.  “It was an unfair assumption on my part, and I apologize.”

Just like that the spell is broken, the mere mention of his accusation enough infuriate me all over again.  Glaring, I jerk away from him, resolutely ignoring the faint pang of disappointment that thrums through my body as I do.  “You can take your apology and shove it up - ”

“Rookie.”  The word is a growled warning, and Ramsey has gone from contrite to furious.

“Have a nice night, Dr. Ramsey,” I say venomously as I leave the hospital room, rubbing my palm against my thigh, wishing I could erase the feeling of his touch.

[ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey]

Mc in open hearts on fire:

[thedistantshoresproject]

Translation: “No, we’re not making a DS sequel. But Ethan butting heads with your choice of a plum, anemic, or realistic skin toned firefighter is our best yet!”

[choices-binglebonkus]

Getting an Open Heart book pass unlocked a ton of repressed memories in my mind about how unhinged and toxic the fandom got whenever it had chapters actively releasing and I have never been more thankful for how lukewarm and disengaging some of these modern books are because Open Heart really brought out the worst in the playchoices community

[choicesficwriterscreations]

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