@kingdonmicrofic @kingdonmacrofic - july 31 - wc: 986, no content warnings but please enjoy an indulgent and dramatic prediction to the end of season 3, based on nothing and everything 💜
As she shoves through the hospital doors at the end of her shift, she considers never walking back through them.
Today wrung her out and tossed her to the side like used bubblegum, from the way Robby spent half the day chewing her out over how much time she'd spent with a neurodivergent patient over the others, to the way she'd been stretched thin while treating a pair of screaming twins with matching ear infections.
And then, only minutes ago, she'd finally popped like a balloon. Or bubble, if she was still considering gum metaphors.
Because Langdon called her his buddy. Like she was one of his kids or something.
It's almost funny. On her first day at the Pitt, she would've given anything to hear someone call her that. But now, it sounds like the nastiest word in the English dictionary.
"Mel's my buddy," he'd said to McKay. Judging by his look of surprise when he saw her standing behind him, they were clearly in the middle of a private conversation she wasn't supposed to hear.
Maybe everyone else thinks she overreacted, but Mel thinks she underdid it.
She snapped, told him not to call her that, especially not something so infantilizing. What she wanted to do was grab him by the front of his scrubs and demand an explanation for his behavior over the last week.
Because how dare he call her that when one of his compliments shifted from the quality of her skills to her appearance.
"Great job on with that COVID patient earlier. Also, are those new scrubs? They look nice."
And how dare he catch her eyes every single time she's looking for him, and he's already looking back.
"Have you seen Dr. Langdon?"
And he was, all the way across the hub, but just staring at her.
She knows she's probably projecting. Maybe none of it means anything to him, but it does mean something to her.
She just can't believe he's that unaware to not know what he's doing. Trinity referred to him as evil earlier in the day, and while Mel obviously did not agree, now she's starting to change her mind.
But Langdon's still wearing a wedding ring, so how mad can she really be? If Mel has any hot takes, it's that she should be more furious, actually, because he hides behind it like a shield so he can say whatever he wants to her. He'd been allowed to swipe a strand of hair behind her ear on Tuesday, because oh, look, there's a ring on his hand, he's married, so no one's gonna think he's flirting.
Mel once thought that way, too. She longs to return to the week before, where his actions didn't trigger curiosities through her brain late into the night.
She can't keep doing this, though. She has limits. Maybe instead of quitting, she'll just switch to nights.
She hasn't realized she's stopped walking. She's just standing there in the ambulance bay with her fists clenched, because she knows she doesn't want to work nights. She wants to work wherever he is, and it's so pathetic and cliche to fall for the charming and complicated dark-haired man with blue eyes. He could be her boss one day if he keeps playing his cards right, and Mel wants that for him, truly.
But she's also selfish. If he's an attending, they probably won't be able to—
No. They probably won't be able to because he's married.
No. They probably won't be able to because he doesn't see her that way. Buddy.
She's not sure which reason's the worst; she's not sure it matters.
Of course he's followed her out here. Another thing he thinks he's allowed to do with that ring on his finger.
"Hey," his voice is close behind her, but she doesn't turn around. "I didn't mean to upset you. And you're right, that was... condescending. You're much more than my buddy, and I hope you know that. I just.... don't have a better word yet. Been trying to think of one since you walked away, and if you just give me a day—”
She feels him suck in a breath behind her. "What?"
"No. You're not getting a day."
"Ookay." His footsteps land softly on her right, and his stare burns a hole into the side of her face. "What about five minutes?"
He smiles at her, trying to lighten the mood, which is so frustrating because it almost works.
This time he finally shuts up, and she sneaks a glance to see if he's as annoyed as she is. But his brows are furrowed too intensely to be seen as irritation--he’s angry. Ridiculous since he’s the one who messed up.
"Well, do you have any better suggestions?" he snips. Definitely angry.
She narrows her eyes right back. "Just Mel is fine."
As the silence progresses, she's worried he's going to press her more until he digs out the true root of the problem. It would be easy enough for him.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry," he says, gentler, "for upsetting you. No more nicknames. Just Mel."
His brows twitch again at her tone. He almost looks like he's going to say something else, but then he sighs. "Well... alright then. I'm gonna go finish hand-off. See you... tomorrow?"
She frowns, avoiding his gaze. "Yep. Bye."
Her walk back to her car resumes, but quicker now, as if she can outrun the inevitability of her tears. She makes it all of ten feet when he grabs her by the arm and pulls her back. She blinks up at him, red-faced and angry, and still So. Over. It. when her eye latch onto his fingers still on her wrist.
"Your ring,” she blurts, "Where's—”
He exhales shakily. "About that."
[roll credits and we have to wait a year Imaooooo]
