Dr. Park x Emma Nolan
She's two steps behind him when he stops dead at the door, patting down his pockets in search of his fob.
Emma's seen him around before. Hard to miss, his considerable breadth carving through the ED often enough. He's the kind of man who demands attention, but would never permit eyes to linger. It was simply good to stay aware of his presence, if only so you could avoid it at all cost. Wherever Dr. Park went, you'd best not be.
Yet now here she was, trapped within the confines of the narrow hall, waiting for him to buzz them in with a key he seemed to have misplaced.
Emma waits patiently a few more moments, unsure if it would be wise to speak up. Her gut tells her it's not, but the instinct to be helpful wins out regardless. She tugs at the fob attached to her shoulder loop. It's on a retractable clip, something she takes advantage of now, pulling the key out as if to show it off.
"Do you want me to...?"
She trails off when Dr. Park turns to her, shrewd eyes narrowed as if offended by her very presence, before darting down to her chest where her hand still hovers awkwardly, the proffered key dangling between two fingers.
He doesn't hesitate to strike. Simply sees what he wants, and reaches out to take it. Emma squeaks when he snatches the fob out of her hand, stumbling forward as he tugs her closer to the receiver. She crashes against him but he seems unfazed, thick legs planted firmly enough that he doesn't budge an inch even as she has to wrap a hand around his bicep to regain her footing.
Distantly, she hears the quiet beep of the receiver accepting her credentials, followed by the snick of the door unlatching. Dr. Park releases her fob and the lead snaps back into position, causing her to flinch away from him when it whips the fob against her lip.
"Ow," she can't help but whine, two fingers coming up to trace the spot where it smarts. It feels slightly swollen, but no worse than she's done to herself when hurriedly dropping the fob too soon.
"Oh, don't be a baby," Dr. Park chastises, lingering in the doorway. Emma frowns up at him, surprised by the faint amused spark she sees in his dark eyes.
Dr. Park reaches out, pinches her chin between two thick fingers and cranes her neck up up up so he can assess the damage, tutting and she peeps. He probably mistakes it for pain but Emma simply doesn't know how else to express the mounting panic she feels behind her ribs. There's discomfort, sure, but more pressing is the instinct to flee, or call for help, or simply collapse into a puddle until he lost interest.
None of which were easy to do with such a firm grasp on her chin, dark eyes pinning her in place. He doesn't even pretend to assess her lip, simply forces her to meet his gaze as he stares for far too long, weighing.
"You'll be fine. No need to even ice it," Dr. Park determines eventually, and Emma nearly collapses in on herself when he releases her.
"T-thanks?" Emma presses her own hand to her jaw as if to massage away the lingering feeling of his touch, the apple of her cheek circling up into her vision.
Dr. Park notices too, his gaze catching on the fat there as if holding himself back from taking a bite. He doesn't even look at her when he answers. "Thanks for letting me in."
