everlong

RHI: You look very relaxed for someone sitting on the ledge.

RHIANNON: The dark-haired woman wasn't the only one who seemed to forget her surroundings. The paramedic's presence caught them both by surprise, as if they weren't in the back of an ambulance at all. "Has it happened to a lot of people in your life that you're so nonchalant about it now?" She wondered with a smile, struggling to reconcile the panic she felt at watching him swell up and choke, with the ease he seemed to be at now. Or maybe that was the drugs talking, too?

"No, I don't think so," she shook her head without a moment's thought. Rhiannon's role in the daily work wasn't so great she couldn't step out, and if anything happened they had her number. She was of the opinion that a man's well-being came before her obligations and she'd treat it that way, especially when she felt so responsible. "If I do end up in trouble, can you vouch for me and make it seem like it was far more dangerous than it was?" The bright, amused smile followed her words, just as the paramedic cleared her throat and the ambulance came to a slow stop.

"We're here," the woman announced, the back door opening to show her partner awaiting the patient on the ground.

SHAWN: "Oh, yeah, the Knox curse. We're all allergic to life, pretty much." Shawn smirked, knowing that it was a serious thing that scared a lot of people that weren't used to seeing these grand scales of allergic reactions. It was definitely a little daunting.

"I can definitely vouch for you," he chuckled; ignoring the slight swelling that remained. It was all calming down, at least. "No prob-"

But before he could finish his sentence the paramedic was pushing for them to leave and he did just that, hoping that Rhiannon was close at his side, as spending time alone in the hospital didn't seem like a great way to spend the afternoon.

RHIANNON: Shawn Knox. It fit him, she thought, as the ID exchanged hands, the paramedic scribbling down his information. Her eyes were glued to him all the while, eyebrows arching ever so slightly when he turned his attention to her, forcing a blush to creep up her cheek. As if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing in the first place.

"Rhiannon," she said, her hand slipping inside his larger palm. "And you have nothing to apologize for, honestly." A laugh sneaked its way out of her throat, unable to grasp the fact that /he/ was apologizing to /her/. "We wouldn't even be in this situation if we had been more cautious about your dish, so I apologize, again."

The paramedic handed him the ID back, curious gaze traveling between their two figures, entertained by the exchange.

SHAWN: Rhiannon. That was a great name. Just like the song. He didn't know any other Rhiannon's, so he was intrigued right off the bat.

"Don't worry about it, it was an honest mistake - could have happened to anyone," he assured her with a quick smile.

Shawn didn't realise he was still holding onto her hand before the paramedic handed him his ID back. Clearing his throat, he slipped his wallet back into his pocket before looking back to Rhiannon.

RHIANNON: Once he nodded his agreement, Rhiannon gave a heartwarming smile, relieved to be invited along for the ride. Otherwise, how awkward it would be if he found her sitting there anyway, which she would surely do, even if he didn't seem infuriated. Possibly because he was counting his blessings for still being alive and not choking on the ground, courtesy of the restaurant.

The paramedic wheeled him to the ambulance, and up into the back, holding her arm out for Rhiannon to join them. The climb was a bit of a challenge in the flattering, curve hugging dress she had chosen that day, but Rhiannon managed it without much fuss. Before long they were all seated in the back, the other paramedic turning on the siren and tackling the New York traffic to get them to the hospital.

"Do you have an ID, sir?" The paramedic sat with them asked, and Rhiannon looked over curiously at him. Between his reaction and the fuss that rose around it, she barely had a moment to truly take him in─ the full head of hair, the strong set of jaws, the piercing green of his eyes. Though still a little red in the face, and maybe a little swollen, the good looks were undeniable underneath.

SHAWN: Once he was -- embarrassingly -- assisted into the back of the ambulance, Shawn glanced over to look at the manager once more. He hadn't even noticed what she was wearing but it seemed to outline all of her curves and he almost didn't hear what the paramedic said to him because he couldn't quite look away from her.

"Uh, yeah, sorry..." Shawn cleared his throat, reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet and hand it over. "Shawn Knox."

Glancing back to the manager, he sent her an almost apologetic smile before holding out his hand for her to shake.

RHIANNON: Despite the man's best efforts to smile, it came out almost like a grimace, pain and discomfort saturating every flinch of his facial muscles, and Rhiannon felt a twinge of guilt for inadvertently causing it. Her own expression was one of sympathy and compassion, eyebrows slightly arched and furrowed close together. "Just our luck, huh? This should be a lesson for all of us─ for me to train our waiters better, and for you to never go anywhere without it again."

Just as they were bundled up in their coats, the ambulance stopped outside of the restaurant and two paramedics waltzed in to administer the epinephrine, seating the man down until it was over. Rhiannon, the staff, and the rest of the guests all watched with bated breath. A relieved rush of air whistled between her lips as the ordeal was done, but then the wheelchair was opened, and he was asked to sit on it so that they could wheel him out to the ambulance.

"Is he gonna be okay? Can I come with?" She asked without a second thought, grabbing her purse and holding out the door for them to come through. "I'd like to make sure he's okay if it's alright with you?" This time, the question was directed to the man in question, and not the paramedic in charge.

SHAWN: Trying his best to assure her that nobody was to blame here, it was a mistake that could have happened to anyone, Shawn quickly felt his throat restrict and it wasn't exactly allowing him to do just that.

He was definitely starting to panic but he didn't want to let this nice woman know that. He was pretty mortified that there was such a big scene playing out as it was.

Thankfully, the ambulance got there before things got really bad and after a few minutes of getting what he needed he felt as though he was beginning to breathe much easier.

"That really isn't necessary-" Shawn complained as they opened up a wheelchair but the paramedic was forcing him in it and his protests were silenced pretty quickly.

Glancing up to the manager as she insisted that she be allowed to go with him to the hospital. She was...well, she was pretty damn stunning. The hospital was hardly going to discharge him in a record-breaking time, so company with a pretty girl might not have been the worst thing.

Shawn glanced at the paramedics before nodding his head in agreement.

Let me? Ha, that’s cute. Just for that comment I’m gonna be wiping the floor with your ass this Friday.

Whatever you say, loser.

RHIANNON: How this happened was beyond her. The menus were printed with careful detail given to listing all the troublesome ingredients, their staff was drilled about knowing what went into every single dish, and somehow it happened. This particular waiter was new, and she was fairly certain he was finished with his career at the Club A Steakhouse, but not before she dealt with the more pressing matters of whether or not their customer would survive the allergic reaction they'd given him and if he'd sue them all out of business, like he was very well entitled to.

"Sir, I'm so sorry, we've called the ambulance, they should be here any moment now," Rhiannon informed him, putting on her coat and holding out the man's so he could put it on, too. At least he was still conscious, not frothing at the mouth, thrashing on the floor. "I'll be right there with you to make sure you're taken good care of," she assured, the sound of sirens blaring between the skyscrapers that lined the streets of Upper East Side carrying all the way to the restaurant.

SHAWN: There was something that unfortunately had plagued Shawn Knox for his whole life -- nuts. Yes, nuts. The delicious bar snack? One that goes hand-in-hand with an ice cold beer? He was pretty much deathly allergic to all of 'em. It made for quite the pain whenever he ate...well, anything really, Having to check the ingredients meticulously, having to be that pain in the ass customer who asks the waiter to make sure there aren't any nuts in anything he ordered.

There'd been a few mistakes, of course, because that was life and that's just how it was. Fortunately, he always kept an Epipen for such allergies so that he could nip those bad boys in the bud. Usually he could feel it build up pretty much straight away -- the usual throat closing up and tongue swelling. In fact he felt it after around three bites of his pasta dish, which was strange because the waiter had assured him there would be no issue of allergies when it came to what he'd ordered.

Trying to keep his cool as someone who looked like a manager tried to help him into his coat, Shawn mustered up his best smile.

Let me know when you’ve got free time in that busy schedule of yours, so we can catch up.

I’m free this Friday? Wanna grab a beer and play darts? I might even let you beat me for old times sake.

And you miss it, obviously.

Obviously. That much goes without saying.

You’ve got a while longer to make up your mind on it. So nice to have something to hold onto, you know?

I do, this is true. Ah, I remember it well.

You think you’d wanna do it long-term or is it too soon to tell? Oh, yeah, it’s definitely time for that.

I think it’s too soon to tell right now but we’ll see. Yeah, you were always a fan of it.

Really? You gotta be loving that, though, keeps you on the edge. Not bad, but c’mon, you can do better.

I do, yeah, I do. It’s a new challenge and it’s fresh. It’s definitely an experience. I know, right? Maybe it’s time to bring out the superhero hair after all. 

I never let down. How’s the teaching going? How many students are hot for teacher so far?

Ah, it’s a little more challenging than I anticipated. I’d say a solid half a dozen.

Damn straight I am. Unless you’ve got somebody else lining up. In which case… I’d still do it.

I expected nothing less.

You’re not allowed to get to that point so be careful.

Not allowed, huh? Are you gonna keep me in check?

Ugh, please don’t. What’s next, tweed jackets with elbow patches?

I’m not at that point just yet. We’ll see.