“wakey-wakey.”

parker groans. loud. she doesn’t bother to hide the disdain in the noise as she props herself up on her elbow on the gurney, pulling her sleep mask off to look at you.

you’re in your grey scrubs, hair falling out of its strands as the shift continues. you smile and step into the room, shutting the door behind you. “up and at ‘em. dana needs this room, and she’s my boss.”

parker groans, throwing her head back dramatically. “but i’m your girlfriend.”

you smile, stepping further towards her. “we need the room. it’s fourth of july, we’re drowning out there.”

parker grins. “was that a summer pun?”

you smile and roll your eyes affectionately.

god, your smile.

it’s one of parker’s favourite things about you. your little smile. your shy smile. your bright smile. your lopsided one — parker loves them all. when she first met you two years ago, you were a nurse that transferred from west bridge for one shift and ended up staying permanently, and parker was so relieved you did. the two of us hit it off immediately, and started dating soon after. now, you lived with parker, on the night shift when possible.

“you ready for your deposition?”

parker looks away. the deposition. she was getting sued for medical malpractice by that measles mom from last september. parker knew it was bullshit — the spinal tap she observed mel doing was flawless, and the boy was only dealing with intellectual issues due to the lack of oxygen. parker knew that.

but the mom had good lawyers, and they had a way with words and twisting things, things that made parker reply with ‘hostility’. she was relatively calm, she knew that she had the hospital defending her and nothing truly bad would ever happen to her, but it still niggled the back of her brain.

you take her hand and squeeze it. parker sits up on the gurney, legs dangling off. you take a step forward. “you’ll be fine, okay? don’t let those lawyers get to you.” you bring her hand to your lips and kiss her hand.

parker smiles and lets you tug her off the gurney, and you step back out into the busy er. she grimaces. “christ.”