The nurses’ station is louder than usual—phones ringing, charts shuffling, someone laughing too hard down the hall. You’re half-paying attention until your eyes drift over.

Dennis is talking to Dr. Robby.

Close. Focused. Nodding along like he always does, all attentive and polite—just a little too invested for someone who totally doesn’t have a thing for their senior attending.

A few minutes later, he walks back over, dropping into his chair beside you, already reaching for his notes like nothing happened.

Perfect.

“So,” you start, not even looking up at first, voice light, “what’d your daddy say?”

Dennis freezes.

Then he flushes—fast, all the way up to his ears—glancing at you like you just committed a crime. “I—he didn’t—” he stumbles, pushing a hand through his hair. “He just… asked if I could house-sit. While he’s on sabbatical.” A beat. He avoids your eyes, suddenly very interested in his paperwork. “That’s it. That’s—yeah. That’s all.”