Being one of the younger interns should have made things harder, but under Cassie McKay, it didn’t feel that way. While others struggled to keep up, you found your rhythm quickly. She ran a tight ship, sharp and observant, but she never seemed bothered by you. If anything, she trusted your instincts. It probably helped that you never pried into her personal life not even after noticing the ankle monitor she wore. You kept your focus on the work, and she respected that.

Things got more complicated and unexpectedly better when you met Harrison. Technically, you weren’t supposed to. He had been left in the staff room while Cassie worked, and you’d only gone in to grab a drink. But he struck up a conversation before you could leave. What started as small talk turned into something easy, natural. You listened to him, asked questions, and before long the two of you were deep in conversation about his interests. He relaxed around you in a way that surprised you and, later, surprised Cassie too.

She didn’t know about that first meeting until Harrison mentioned you, casually asking if you’d be around again. The shift in her expression had been subtle, but noticeable. She said nothing at the time. But over time the more he came in and spend time with you she grew soft, letting you babysit him when you weren’t working, and eventually trying to have you assist her almost every-time she needed it.

But one day, while assisting her, the pace caught up with you. You’d been moving nonstop and hadn’t had enough water. The dizziness hit fast a wave of heat that made it hard to stand steady. Cassie noticed immediately. Without hesitation, she checked you over and placed in an empty dark room to rest until your temperature dropped back to normal.

You had just started to feel stable again when the door creaked open. Harrison stood there, having wandered off on his own. You sat up, surprised, then quickly motioned him inside, keeping your voice low as you told him to come talk to you. He climbed onto the bed beside you without hesitation, settling in like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Not long after, he drifted off to sleep. You pulled your hoodie over him, making sure he stayed warm, his head resting lightly against your arm.

When Cassie checked the staff room and saw her son missing her heart dropped and she moved through the corridors, her pace quickening until she reached your door.

When she stepped inside, the sight stopped her.

Harrison was asleep beside you, safe and undisturbed, your hoodie draped over his small frame. The tension in her shoulders eased almost instantly as she quietly closed the door behind her.

“I don’t know why he left the staff room,” Cassie said, her voice low as she approached. “I told him to stay there.”

“It’s okay,” you replied just as quietly, shaking your head. “He said he was bored.”

She stopped beside the bed, her gaze moving between the two of you. After a moment, she exhaled and nodded. “Thank you.”

You gave a small nod in return, offering a faint smile. “Nothing to thank me for, Doc.”

Her hand moved gently through Harrison’s hair, careful not to wake him. “You know somehow, you’re better with him than his own father and you’ve only known him for a few weeks” she said, almost to herself.

You didn’t respond right away, just glanced down at him before looking back at her. She met your eyes again, something softer in her expression now.

“And a good doctor as well,” she added.

You shook your head lightly. “Nowhere near a doctor like you.”

That earned a small shift in her posture, her head tilting slightly as the corner of her mouth lifted. “Are you complimenting me?”

You shrugged your shoulders giving her a soft smile “yes”

She blinked in slight surprise, swallowing, eyes sliding back to Harrison as she rubbed her hands together “He likes you, you know? Even asks about you”