#suspense

*****

Five months ago.

The first time he showed up, you almost didn't let him in.

Blood dripping down his knuckles. He had one arm sliced open, split lip, and shirt soaked with blood. Should’ve gone to the ER, not some new physician!

He slumped into the waiting room chair like he owned the place, not even looking at you.

The first thing he said to you?

"Fix it." He didn’t ask or explain. Leaving you with these two words to work with.

Yep. That's how your first meeting went. A bleeding man ordering you around like he was the boss.

You were new here. Fresh out of residency, eager to prove yourself.

And the bleeding was bad enough you worried he wouldn’t make it to ER at this point. So you sighed, snapped on your gloves, and got to work.

He didn't thank you, didn’t even look at you the whole time. Just stared at the wall like he wanted to punch through it.

You figured you'd never see him again.

*****

Second visit.

New injuries. Same attitude.

"Back again?" you asked, already pulling out the antiseptic.

He grunted.

You worked in silence. He flinched once when you hit a deep cut on his ribs, but didn't make a sound otherwise.

"Someone's doing a number on you," you said quietly.

He didn't answer.

*****

Third visit.

Something shifted.

He walked in and his eyes found you immediately. Held for a second longer than before. Like he was checking that you were still there.

"You again," he said. Almost like a greeting.

"Me again," you echoed, already reaching for your kit. "You really need to stop getting into fights."

He didn't answer, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

You counted that as a win.

*****

Fourth visit.

He spoke first.

"Long day?"

You blinked. "Yeah. Long week, actually."

He nodded without adding anything else.

But when you leaned in to clean a cut on his jaw, he didn't pull away like he used to.

He just... watched you.

"You're staring," you muttered.

"Am I?"

"Stop it."

"Make me."

You never expected him to be hiding such a big personality, not after the first impression he’d given you.

You pressed the antiseptic harder than necessary. He didn't flinch, just grinned.

Jerk.

*****

Fifth. Sixth. Seventh...

He started coming every week. Sometimes twice.

You told yourself it was just bad luck. Some people are accident-prone. It's not your job to ask questions.

But you noticed things.

The way he relaxed when you touched him. The way his breathing slowed when you leaned close. The way his eyes followed your hands like he was memorizing the movement.

He started talking more. Little things. Compliments buried under sarcasm.

"Your bedside manner's getting softer, doc."

"You look tired. Someone not sleeping?"

"Those are new glasses. Cute."

You rolled your eyes every time, but you didn't tell him to stop. You knew he wouldn’t anyways.

*****

Two months in.

The injuries started getting stranger, you realized.

Not the kind you get from random fights. They were too precise. Too controlled.

A cut here… A bruise there... Nothing life-threatening or deep enough to leave any permanent damage. 

But enough to bleed.

Enough to need you.

*****

Three months in.

A small scene you didn't think much of at the time.

You were at the nurse's station, charting. One of the younger nurses—Lisa, friendly, always smiling—leaned over your shoulder.

"Hey, doc. That guy who's always in here. The one with the sliced arm?"

You smirked at the nickname, it stuck with the staff after his first visit here. 

"What about him?" You glanced up.

Lisa lowered her voice. "He gives me the creeps."

That made you laugh. "He gives everyone the creeps."

"No, I mean..." She hesitated. "He asked about you last week. When you weren't here."

Your pen stopped moving, a little more curious now.

"What did he ask?"

"Just... what time you get in. If you work weekends. If anyone walks you to your car." Lisa shivered. "He was smiling the whole time. Like it was a normal conversation."

You didn't know what to say. So you said nothing.

Lisa shrugged it off. "Anyway. Just thought you should know."

She walked away.

You stared at the chart in your hands for a long time.

*****

The next time he came in.

You watched him differently.

The way his eyes followed you across the room. The way he knew where the antiseptic was before you reached for it. The way he'd already rolled up his sleeve before you asked.

"Something wrong, doc?" he asked, catching your stare.

"No."

"You're looking at me funny."

"I always look at you funny. You're always bleeding on my table."

He laughed. That low, warm sound that used to mean nothing and now meant something.

"You're deflecting."

"I'm working."

He let it go, his smile didn't fade.

And when you leaned in to clean a cut near his collarbone, he whispered:

"I like it when you worry about me."

Your hands paused.

"I'm a doctor. I worry about all my patients." You emphasized, trying to ignore the way his brows furrowed at your statement.

"No, you don't."

He said it so simply. So sure.

You didn't argue.

*****

Present.

You've finally finished cleaning him up. Stitched the deep tissue and bandaged him as well as you could.

You step back a bit to survey your work. Then let out a long sigh.

It hasn't even been a week, yet he’s already back so bloody.

"Alright. I think we're all done... unless there are some other injuries I missed."

He doesn't answer right away.

He's looking at you. Softly. Like you're the only light in a dark room.

Then his hand drifts up to the left side of his chest. Right over his heart.

"Doctor..." He feigns pain, voice dipping low. Less playful now. "I think I'm hurt here."

You frown. "Where? Let me see."

He points. You lean forward, squinting at his chest. Trying to find a wound you must have missed.

"There's nothing—"

"Every time you look at me," he says, "my chest gets tight."

Your hands freeze.

"Every time you touch me, my heart forgets how to beat right."

He's not looking at your hands anymore. He's looking at your eyes.

"You're the only doctor who can fix this."

You swallow. "That's not... that's not a real injury."

"No?"

"No."

He smiles slowly, sweetly. 

"Then why does it hurt so much when you're not around?"

You open your mouth. Nothing comes out.

“Ugh, wait, it’s starting to hurt more!” He suddenly doubles down, hand hovering over his chest again, and face contorting dramatically in pain.

You believe him for a moment—that was your biggest mistake—and go lean closer to his chest, trying to find an invisible injury.

“What? Where exactly I can’t see anything—“ 

And that's when he moves.

He leans over your head, and you feel something soft land on the middle of your eyebrows.

A quick peck, right on your forehead. Over before you can process it.

You jerk back so fast you nearly fall off your stool. Your hand flies to your forehead like you've been burned. 

Your mouth opens, closes, opens again—trying to articulate a sentence. Nothing comes out except a strangled sputter.

He's already off the table, grinning like he just won a prize.

"Thank you for your hard work, doctor~"

You find your voice. "You—you can't just—"

He's backing toward the door. Still smiling. Still watching you with those lovesick eyes.

"Now don't go flirting with any nurses while I'm gone!"

He pauses at the door to tilt his head.

His smile doesn't change, but his eyes do.

"I don't wanna come back more bloody next time~"

The door swings shut behind him.

You're left standing there. Hand still on your forehead and heart pounding.

He never said he was joking.

Your eyes drift to the empty doorway.

And for some reason, you think of Lisa.

The way she shivered when she talked about him.

The way she doesn't lean over your shoulder anymore.

The way she transferred to the morning shift last week without ever saying goodbye.

You never asked why.