Jason Todd, your VERY exclusive patient.
The night shift at the hospital was always two-faced: either hushed like a chapelâwhere you could easily fall asleepâor, on the other hand, chaotic, like a battlefield. You never got bored either way, which is why you loved your work. Tonight was no exception. People in pain were flooding the nursery, colleagues running from one bed to another, just like you.
âIt's okay. All done.â you said to the GCPD cop you were tending, giving him a reassuring smile. He just nodded back at you, returning a small smile.
Thatâs when you heard a familiar voiceâirritated and lowâarguing with a nurse.
âYouâre not my nurse,â he hissed, clutching his chest in pain.
âButââ The nurse stopped herself huffing, and didn't even try to argue. She just gave Jason a forced smile and left, clearly offended.
You sighed, glancing at your older colleague as she shook her head. âAll yours.â
This wasnât the first time youâd tended him, and you were pretty sure it wouldnât be the lastânot because you wanted to, but because you simply couldnât ignore Jasonâs persistent demands for attention.
Giving her a nervous smile, you approached the last bed in the room, sighing before stepping closer. As soon as you stood in front of him, you felt his shoulders relax slightly, and you had to bite your lip to hold back the faint curl that threatened to appear. Opening the medical kit, you turned to look at himâand found his gaze already fixed on you, his usual smirk tugging at his lips.
âTook yaâ long enough.â
You fought the instinct to roll your eyes at him and let out only a soft huff as you smiled. Your eyes quickly found the wound beneath his shirtâthe bloodstain in the fabric making it painfully clearâand you couldnât help but wonder how he was sitting on the bed as if it were nothing."
âTake your shirt off, please,â you said, turning around to dampen the cotton with some alcohol.
He laughed softly, the sound sending goosebumps down your skin, as he began to take off his jacket with slow, twitching movements, then his shirt.
âStraight to the point. I like it,â he said, winking at you, his smile helping him play it cool despite the obvious pain."
You turned to look at him again, cotton pads in hand, noting the woundâprobably made by a knife, judging by the clean slice through the skin.
Jason noticed the way you were studying the deep cut and couldnât help but shiver under your gaze, suddenly feeling exposed. âMaybe you wanna make this quick before I die from blood loss⌠or boredom,â he chuckled.
âIt may sting a little. Try not to move,â you warned, before starting to clean his injury with practiced precision. You could feel his muscles tense under your touch, a few grunts escaping his throat from the sharp pain. âIâm almost done. Just a little more,â you murmured, trying to distract him from the ache. âBy the way, really, how do you always manage to get hurt this badly, Jason?â
âPart of the job, sweetheart,â he tried to smile, but you noticed the way his hands gripped the edge of the bed so tightly his knuckles almost went white. And the pain in his voice? Yeah, it was pretty evident. Jason exhaled sharply when you pressed the pad a little too hard against the raw, reddened skin of his chest.
âI need you to stay still,â you murmured, continuing to work on him, your fingers moving carefully so as not to hurt him any more. âYou know there are plenty of nurses who can help you, right? Iâm not the only one capable of cleaning your wounds every time you show up.â
Jason let out a soft chuckle, his voice still strained. âOh, Iâm aware of that. But honestly, no one even compares to you, yâknow? Besides, Iâd much rather get patched up by a pretty face than a grumpy old hag any day.â
You pressed the cotton pad harder this time, completely on purpose, making him grit his teeth as he shot a glare at you.
âSorry, my bad,â you whispered, trying to feign innocence, though the slight curl on your lips completely betrayed you.
"You enjoy torturing meâŚâ Despite the discomfort, he still managed to smirk at you.
The next moments passed in complete silence before you spoke again.
âDone.â You moved to grab a bandage, returning to wrap it around his chest. Jasonâs eyes lingered on your focused face, so close to him, unable to hold back the smile forming on his lips."
âYou always do this part better than anyone else,â he muttered, mostly to himself, grinning. For the briefest moment, you swore that if you hadnât been so focused on his cut, you might have seen a flicker of softness in his eyes. âLike if you actually cared about meâwhich, letâs be real, you do.â
âI care for all my patients, Jason,â you chuckled softly, looking up at him with that sweet smileâthe one that always seemed to leave him breathless.
âGoodnessâŚâ He closed his eyes, one hand moving to his now-bandaged chest, dramatically. âIâll keep getting hurt if it means I get to come see you.â
Please donât.â You smiled even more, turning to grab a lollipop from the desk as he carefully got dressed again, offering it to him. âThere you go. For being a good boy.â His eyes followed your hand, his smile widening as he huffed softly and rolled his eyes, reaching for the candy."
"âYouâre such a nurse.â He took the candy into his mouth, the curl of his lips softening. âThanks⌠for always taking care of me,â Jason whispered. Before you knew it, he was already standing from the bed, his jacket slung over his shoulder. âNext time, maybe two lollipops. You know, for the pain.â
âPlease, try not to be here a next time.â You shook your head lightly, a hint of genuine worry showing beneath your smile."
The smirk on his face faltered for just a moment at the concern in your voiceânot long, but long enough for you to notice. Jason cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. âOh, câmon.â His scoff was low, almost warm, and it made your heart skip a beat. âYouâd be pretty bored without me here making a fuss, and you know it.â
A soft huff slipped from your lips as you watched him head for the door, his broad back sagging slightly with each step, before you finally spoke. âIâd prefer that over watching you get hurt.â
Your sudden words made Jason freeze, the impact landing squarely on his bandaged chest for a brief instant. âWhatever.â He snorted quietly, not turning to look back this time, continuing his pace toward the exit. But before stepping through the door, he paused. He didnât turn aroundâjust muttered so low that you thought if you breathed, youâd miss it. ââŚIâll try.â
And then he was gone, leaving you there, processing that strange, unusual moment of raw honesty from your most stubborn patient in all of Gotham.