“Bed three needs a dressing change.”
“Incoming, bed six!”
Aria looked at the clock on the wall. It was only two, and she was already planning for multiple crimes.
Everyone was annoying. Even the way they breathed pissed the heck out of Aria.
“Who pulled your wings?”
Brett, who just came out of nowhere, standing right next to her.
“Stop.” Her hands were busy dancing on the keyboard.
Brett laughed.
“Who pissed you off?”
Brett sipped his coffee; he just got it before coming in.
“Everyone.”
Brett nodded. “Fair point. Do you mean…the dictator?”
Aria glared at him.
“Since this morning, I got yelled at for something I didn’t do. Unfair.”
Brett let out a sigh. Dr. Ben Lee. The fellow who has always been inside her hair for years now.
“That…I can't help.”
Aria laughed. “I am not asking for it.”
“Dr. Brett, I thought your shift starts at one today.” And she only sees him now.
He nodded.
“Dr. Riley asked me to go on a date with him earlier.” Brett smiled shyly.
Aria frowned. The endless crush on the tall man.
“For what?”
“A patient was waiting for a donor organ.”
“He was becoming septic, but the road was congested. So, he offered to pick it up himself and I tagged along.”
Aria frowned in confusion.
“We could do that?”
Brett laughed. “Lawfully? No.”
“Riley? Yes.”
Fair enough.
“Talking about me?”
Brett smiled and Aria rolled her eyes. Oh, devil, devil.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Aria smiled. “Dr. Brett?”
Aria hated this. Just when things turned out like this, Lena came along. Standing next to Brett.
She took a deep breath. Keep typing, Aria. Keep doing your job.
“No three shots today, Nurse Aria?”
Riley dispensed some of the hand sanitiser into his palm.
“It’s a little too early.”
Riley frowned.
“Its two. Define early.”
Aria smiled. Can you define ‘shut up’?
“I had one this morning.”
“Couldn’t risk getting sick on shift.”
Riley tilted his head, nodded after.
“True that. Are you busy?”
Aria looked up. “Finishing. Why?”
“Great, come with me. You too, Brett.”
Brett’s eyes widened. Ah, he chose me, again!
Lena giggles, smiling so widely that it almost looked scary.
Aria glared at her, but it was just her glaring at the air.
Riley noticed.
“Aria...chop chop!”
.
.
“Little one.”
Aunt Somin smiled, welcoming Aria into her room.
She could see the bags, and everything was already packed and ready.
“Someone is eager to go home.” Riley said, he sat next to Aunt Somin on the bed.
“I feel a lot better, doctor.”
Riley smiled. “Any dizziness? Are you eating well?”
Aunt Somin nodded, grabbed Riley’s hand, rubbing on it softly.
“Thanks to this little one, she kept me fed. I think I gain a few pounds somewhere.”
Aria laughed. “But it was good, right?”
Aunt Somin nodded. “It was. Better than my daughter's beef.”
The daughter just looked at her with her widened eyes.
They laughed.
“As much as I love seeing you, I hope I never see you here again.” Riley gave a small pat on the wrinkled hands.
Aunt Somin just nodded.
“I will make sure she eats well and take her medicine on time.” The daughter patted Aria’s shoulder as she speaks.
“That would be amazing. So, I won't keep you any longer.”
Riley stood and Aria stood behind him, bowed at Aunt Somin before they went ahead to another room.
.
.
Riley found it really easy to work with Aria. No wonder she is Dr. Kang’s favourite. His mother’s too.
She made it really easy and really simple, unlike others who likes to keep flirting with him.
He smiled. One little smile and everyone thought he’s flirting.
He was just being nice. It is not his fault that his mother’s gene was just too strong that everyone thought they had a chance.
Unlike this little bunny. Little one, Aria.
She never tried. Heck, she fights.
And Riley fought back.
He smiled, unknowingly.
“That is the tenth time I saw you smile so happily. Today.”
He looked up. “Mom.”
Hallie sat in front of Riley. Ever since he started working at the hospital, he comes and live with his mother for a while.
His apartment was still in renovations since he just came back.
“You seemed happy.”
Riley scoffed. “I am always happy.”
Hallie took a sip of the coffee on the table. Riley only drinks full milk at night. To ease his stomach.
“So, Aria, huh?”
Riley frowned.
“What?”
“I see that you got your attention on Aria.”
Riley smiled, almost nervously. Why is this even…
“Mom, she’s just…a great nurse and…she’s good at her job.”
Hallie pouted. Nodded after.
“Sure. Anything you said, son.”
“Anyway, when will you be moving out?”
Riley gasped. Acting like he just got shot.
“Mom, you...you’re…did you just shoo me away?”
Hallie laughed. “Oh, cut it off, you little kid! It's just a question.”
Riley laughed along.
“In two weeks, I think. There are a little more things unfinished.”
He pulled the cup closer to his lips. The warm milk just makes him feel at ease.
“Your sister didn’t call?”
He put the cup slowly. His sister. The one that walked away.
She was the reason Riley ever picked being a doctor. Not because it was his passion, before…but because he was forced to.
But then he found joy in it, and he is excellent now.
“I don’t even have her number.”
Hallie sighed.
“You still mad at her?”
Riley looked at her mother. He smiled.
“Even if I hated her, she’s always going to be my sister.”
“She chose herself. She threw me under the bus, but thankfully, the bus is pretty fun.”
Hallie smiled.
He let out a sigh. “If she ever coming home, just tell her not to use my pink slippers.” He walked away to his room.
Hallie laughed. The pink bunny slippers, she got it for Riley when he first comes back home.
“Kid.”