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justcallmefox89 · 1 year

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Irresistible Force Paradox - An Open Heart Fic

Rory O’Shea begins his first day at Edenbrook and learns that whoever coined the term ‘never meet your heroes’ was absolutely right. Dr. Ethan Ramsey butts heads with the strong-willed intern, and battle lines are drawn as both men ready themselves to work together for the next three years.

September 13th. 11:30 a.m.

I hate him. What a smug, condescending, arrogant, handsome… ugh! How is someone with a personality that repulsive so attractive? He’s definitive proof that God really does have favorites -

“What are we staring at?” someone whispers in my ear, their warm breath tickling the side of my neck.

I let out a startled yelp and drop my charts, drawing the attention of the object of my ire. Bryce chuckles and bends down to retrieve them while Jackie tries to hide her smile behind her own charts. Dr. Ramsey glances over at us impassively, meeting my eyes for the briefest moment before turning away. I continue glaring at him even as I swipe my charts out of Bryce’s hand, trying to telepathically implode his brain with my eyeballs.

“Why are we staring at Dr. Ramsey?” Bryce stage whispers again.

“We are not staring at him. I am trying to explode his big, stupid head with the power of my mind,” I mutter.

“Wow… he really got to you, didn’t he?” Jackie snickers.

I bristle, remembering the emergency thoracotomy in the waiting room earlier that morning and Dr. Ramsey’s subsequent condemnation. “He did not get to me! He’s a pompous asshole and I hate him. I despise him. I loathe him and his perfect jawline with every molecule of every fiber of my being.”

Jackie arches one eyebrow and smirks, clearly unconvinced. “You sound like a supervillain right now, Rory.”

Bryce’s eyes light up. “Dr. Ramsey could be your very first nemesis!”

“And Aurora my second,” I grumble, mentioning the prickly intern I’m partnered with.

They both make a face.

“How’s that going?” Bryce asks.

I shrug half-heartedly. “She went to her aunt’s office right after the initial consult with our patient and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Nice to know Princess Nepotism is already living up to her name,” Jackie says snidely, looking down as her pager beeps. “My test results are in. See you guys later.”

“So how long are we going to stand here and stare at Ramsey?”

I snort and fight back a laugh. “You’re ridiculous, Bryce.”

“I’m not the one trying to set my boss on fire with my brain.” The surgeon smirks at me, brown eyes glittering with laughter.

“Explode, Lahela. I’m trying to explode him.”

We stare at each other silently for a few beats before we break into a fit of the giggles.

****************************************************************************************

11:30 a.m.

Ethan stands at the nurses station, pretending to look over his charts as he covertly watches the young man who is staring daggers at him from a little further down the hall. Ever since their encounter that morning as they’d worked together to save the patient who collapsed in the waiting room, Dr. Rory O’Shea had been a distraction. An insidious little wisp of smoke that continues to invade Ethan’s thoughts in his downtime.

O’Shea is one of those people cursed with a face that perfectly expresses whatever they’re feeling, and right now he’s looking at Ethan like he wishes the older doctor would be hit by a bus. Ethan remembers how the intern had look after saving that woman, his cheeks flushed and eyes bright with excitement, and how his expression had fallen after Ethan’s harsh criticism. Hurt, then disappointment, and finally anger flickered over the young man’s face, before he was able to get control over his emotions.

“Maybe you can give me private lessons…”

Ethan’s lips twitch up as he fights to repress a smile at the memory of O’Shea’s words. He’d flipped the switch from angry to flirty so quickly he’d nearly given Ethan whiplash, and the sultry look in his eyes that was clearly meant to catch Ethan off-balance had nearly drawn him in instead.

Such unusual eyes.

They stand out from behind the round wire-rimmed glasses O’Shea wears, those large, pale green eyes, the same color as the sea glass Ethan used to collect with his father when they would go to the beach.

A crashing sound draws Ethan’s attention, and he turns his head slightly to watch as one of the surgical interns bends down on one knee and hands O’Shea a pile of charts with a charming smile. An uncomfortable feeling begins to form low in Ethan’s stomach, but he quickly writes it off as hunger and hurries back to his office for a quick lunch before continuing his rounds.

******************************************************************************************

2:45 p.m.

“Argh! Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I aim a kick at a low shelf in the supply closest, nearly breaking a toe when it connects. “Gah! Motherfucker!” I swipe angry tears away from my face, still mentally berating myself as I remember Ramsey’s words.

You need to have a long, hard think about whether or not your ready to be here… Whether this girl lives or dies is on you… Nearly killed her…

A sudden wash of fluorescent light interrupts my brooding.

“I feel like I’m interrupting something.” Bryce says, gazing at me in curiosity and concern.

“In or out, Lahela! I’m trying to have an existential crisis in peace and you’re distracting me,” I snap.

He steps into the supply closest and pulls the door shut behind him. “Hey, hey, hey. What’s going on?”

I tip my head back and try to stem the flow of tears, internally cursing myself for being an angry crier. And a stress crier. And a sad crier.

Not the time for this.

“Nothing. I just got reamed out by the man who used to be my medical hero and inspiration for the second time today and I almost killed my first patient.” The words come out in a rush. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe everything that I’ve been working for since I was twelve was all for nothing and I’m going to be the biggest failure Edenbrook has ever seen.”

Bryce blinks. “Wow. You managed four years of med school, but four hours here and you’re surrendering? Didn’t take you for a quitter.”

“You just met me.”

“True. But if every hospital employee who ever hid in a supply closet quit, there’d be nobody here but the patients.”

I narrow my eyes. “No offense, but what do you know about it?”

“Let’s just say this isn’t the first supply closet I’ve found a stressed out doctor in today.”

“Alright then, scalpel jockey. What am I supposed to do?”

Bryce grins. “You’ve got two options. One, breeze through life with an unshakeable self-assurance like me.”

“I don’t think this hospital would survive two Bryce Lahelas. What’s option two?” I dryly reply.

“Ride it out,” he says, shrugging.

I stare at him blankly. “That’s not quite the pearl of wisdom you think it is.”

Bryce places his hands on my shoulders and shakes me a bit. “Of course you’re overwhelmed. You’re a doctor. It’s one of the toughest jobs there is, and you’re on your first day. If you don’t give yourself a chance to make mistakes, to get better… nobody else will.”

I let out an enormous sigh and use the hem of my scrubs to wipe my cheeks dry. “Fine. I’ll try.”

“Good. Because I’d hate to lose you so quick. Is there anything I can get you?”

“A hug?” I ask tentatively.

“Alright, get over here.” Bryce smirks and holds out his arms. He has to stoop a little bit to match my much shorter height, but I manage to lace my arms around his neck and squeeze him gently, resting my head against his chest. He wraps his arms around my waist and holds me tightly, the slow thumping of his heartbeat and the warm, comforting scent of his amber and sandalwood cologne soothes my frazzled nerves.

“This is nice,” I murmur. “You’re a pretty good hugger.”

“One of my many talents.” Even though I can’t see his face I can tell he’s smiling. “Hey, wait a second. Was this just a ploy of yours to get me in here alone?”

I tip my head back to look at him, taking in the cocky smirk on his face and the genuine kindness radiating from his warm, brown eyes. Before I can second guess myself, I pop up on my toes and quickly press my lips to his. His eyes momentarily widen in surprise, but then he’s kissing me back hard, his hands gripping my hips as he pushes me against the shelves, knocking a few boxes to the ground.

“God you’re incredible,” he whispers against my mouth. Suddenly he lifts me up, urging me to wrap my legs around his waist as he uses his body to pin me to the shelves. I nip lightly at his lower lip and grind against him, earning a low groan. Bryce’s hands cup my ass, pulling me tight to him as we writhe together, our erections rubbing against each other through the thin fabric of our scrubs. His tongue slides against mine and one of his hands creeps under my scrub top, warm against the skin of my stomach.

The door suddenly swings open, light from the hallway spilling into the closet.

“Could we get some privacy, man?” Bryce snaps, turning his body to keep me shielded from whoever has interrupted us.

“Oh, by all means. I’m so sorry to intrude. I’ll just wait out here ‘til you’re done,” an equally irritated male voice retorts. “Or, if I may be so bold… might you hand me a suture kit?”

Still holding me up with one hand, Bryce reaches out and snags a kit from the shelf and tosses it over his shoulder to the other man.

“Much obliged.” The door slams and we’re alone once again.

Bryce slowly slides me down his body until my feet are back on the floor.

“Maybe we should get back to work,” I say, nervously adjusting my glasses.

“That guy did kinda kill the mood, huh?”

Feeling awkward, I repeatedly tug on a piece of hair at the back of my head as Bryce straightens his scrubs and runs a hand through his hair.

“Hope I cheered you up a little,” he says as he prepares to leave.

“Just a little,” I whisper, praying that the dim light in the supply closet hides my blush.

Bryce gives me wink as he exits the closet, leaving me alone to ponder my future at Edenbrook.

*****************************************************************************************

9:15 p.m.

I didn’t let him beat me.

I follow Dr. Ramsey out of Annie’s room, grinning to myself. “So, I’ll fill out a prescription for some extra-strength antihistamines -”

“Don’t bother. I already have.”

I skid to a stop, my sneakers squeaking against the linoleum. “Beg pardon?”

He hands me a printed out prescription order for the exact medicine I was about to request. My grin fades and I tilt my head back to stare up at the taller doctor.

I swear to everything that is holy, his brain will be goo by the time I finish this internship.

“How long have you known?” I manage to grit out between clenched teeth. “And when were you planning on telling me?”

Dr. Ramsey checks his watch. “I’d planned to give you another forty-five minutes. I pulled up Annie’s chart to diagnose it myself, in the likely event you blew it. But I wanted to give you the chance to right the ship first.”

I am calm, I am a peaceful breeze, I am calm, I am a peaceful breeze…

“You should have treated her right away.”

He scowls down at me. “I was giving you an opportunity - ”

“I don’t give a shit about your opportunities,” I hiss, stepping closer to him until we’re toe to toe. “And I definitely don’t want your charity. I want my patients to get better. So next time, take care of the patient first, doctor.”

We’re both breathing quickly, our eyes locked together, neither one of us wanting to be the one to look away first. I’m intensely away of how much larger he is, and I can feel the heat of his body even through his lab coat and button-down shirt. Something in his gaze softens and the tension in his body fades a little.

“Rookie…” he says, his voice soft. “I respect how much you care about you patients’ wellbeing. But if I don’t push you to grow, then how many lives will be lost down the line because you’re not ready?”

I hate to admit it, but I can understand his reasoning.

I’ll choke and die before I tell him that though.

“Believe me when I say this was not for your sake. I need good doctors by my side. There’s only one of me, after all,” he continues. “But you showed potential. Not to mention maybe the most important trait a doctor can have.”

I raise my eyebrows, silently prompting him to finish his thought.

“You listened. You took the time to get to know your patient. Their story, their hopes, their fears… Sometimes those are the key to saving their life.”

I nod along as he speaks, captivated by the intensity in his blue eyes and the deep timbre of his voice, unknowingly leaning even closer to him. Aurora suddenly rushes up to us, looking flustered. Realizing how close we’ve gotten I spring away from Dr. Ramsey, nervously shoving my glasses further up onto the bridge of my nose. He, on the other hand, seems to be completely unaffected, which sends an irrational spike of annoyance through me.

She looks into the room and sees Annie sitting up and smiling, then turns and glares at me. “What the hell? You went ahead and presented without me?”

I widen my eyes and stare at her. “Excuse me? In case you - ”

“Annie was your patient as well, Dr. Emery,” Dr. Ramey interrupts me, his voice frosty. He eyes Aurora with disdain. What the hell have you been doing while Dr. O’Shea was making a diagnosis?”

Aurora hesitates, glancing over at me.

Oh, I know she doesn’t think I’m going to cover for her.

I clamp my mouth shut and stare her down as she squirms under Ramsey’s glower.

“That was not a rhetorical question,” Ramsey barks. “One of you needs to answer me.”

I smirk and continuing silently staring at her, refusing to be the one who breaks first.

Finally Aurora cracks. “I was in Chief Emery’s office,” she admits sullenly. “She paged me this morning after we examined Annie.”

“And you’ve been there all day?” He looks deeply unimpressed.

Aurora gives him a short, stiff nod.

“Dr. Emery, patient assignments are not optional.” Ramsey scowls at her one final time before stalking off, leaving Aurora and I standing in awkward silence.

“That’s really what you were doing all day? Just sitting in your aunt’s office?” I eye her curiously.

Aurora’s expression hardens. “What do you care? You clearly didn’t need my help.”

I allow myself a small, pleased smile. “No I didn’t, did I?”

She whirls around, huffing in annoyance, and stomps away from me.

****************************************************************************************

10:00 p.m.

After my shift ends I hurry to the locker room, taking just enough time to quickly shower and slip into a clean sweater and pair of jeans, before rushing to meet Sienna in the atrium.

“You survived!” she exclaims with a big smile. “Ready to hit the bar?”

“You have no idea,” I sigh, dropping my head onto her shoulder. An easy feat since we’re roughly the same height.

She pats my back soothingly. “Let’s go then.”

Just a few blocks from the hospital, Donahue’s is dingy, dim, and completely packed with Edenbrook staff members. Sienna confidently leads me through the throngs of people to a booth where Landry, Jackie, and Elijah are waiting for us.

“Come on!” Landry urges. “There’s still sixty-seven seconds left in happy hour!”

Elijah rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “Who cares? We’re all a hundred-k in debt anyway.”

“Relax, Landry. I put in quite a few orders before the buzzers.” Jackie grins as a barback arrives bearing a huge trays of shots.

“You are a goddess. We lowly beings are not worthy of you,” I praise her as I reach for a shot. I toss it back and sigh as it burns its way down, erasing some of the stress of my day.

I grab a second glass and the others join me. We all raise them in the air.

“To the end of our first shift! And ten hours off the clock!” Elijah proclaims.

We clink our glasses together and throw back our shots.

Landry gags as his goes down. “Don’t we have any salt? Or limes?”

“Doctor up, Landry. Lime and salt are for wimps,” Jackie retorts, pushing another shot glass into his hand.

We all raise another toast.

“How about… To new friends!” Sienna ventures.

Once again we clink and drink.

Jackie points at me. “Your turn Rory!”

I grab another shot and raise it above my head. “To the start of an amazing career, despite Ethan Ramsey’s best efforts! And in a few years, we’ll take the jobs of every attending who ever treated us like dirt!”

My new friends and I whoop and tipsily giggle as we down another tequila shot.

******************************************************************************************

10:20 p.m.

Ethan quietly nurses his drink at the bar and unobtrusively observes O’Shea pound shots with a booth full of other interns. Whatever they’re drinking has caused O’Shea’s normally pale cheeks to flush, and he’s taken his hair out of its neat bun, allowing the inky waves to flow over his shoulders and around his face. The sweater he’s wearing may have been black at one point, but has been washed so many times it’s a faded grey and looks incredibly soft to the touch.

“See something you like, Ethan?” Reggie asks, leaning over the bar and following the doctor’s gaze.

“Don’t you have other customers to bother?” Ethan responds, downing the last of his scotch.

Reggie just chuckles as he looks at something over Ethan’s left shoulder. O’Shea bounces up to the bar and takes a seat on the stool next to him, legs dangling and feet swinging aimlessly as he waits for Reggie to finish up another customer’s order.

Ethan takes the time to study Rory out of the corner of his eye, noting the way his jeans show off the litheness of his body and the faint smattering of freckles running over the bridge of his nose, making him look even younger than his 28 years. Then those green eyes flit over to rest on him.

“Can I help you with something, Dr. Ramsey?” Rory asks, blinking at him owlishly through the thick lenses of his glasses.

“Just noticing how… different you look out in the real world.”

Rory leans a little closer, nearly tipping over into the older man’s lap. “Do you like it?” he whispers playfully.

Ethan’s eyes widen in shock. If he’d had any doubts before, now he’s absolutely certain the intern is at least mildly intoxicated. But he can’t deny that the warm weight of Rory leaning against his arm and the smell of his grapefruit and vanilla shampoo is intoxicating.

“What’ll it be?” Reggie asks, tossing his bar rag over his shoulder.

Rory glances over at Ethan’s empty liquor glass, then beckons Reggie closer with a mischievous smile. He balances precariously on the bar stool, stretching so he can whisper into the bartender’s ear. In a rare moment of weakness Ethan glances at Rory’s back, admiring the flow of his dark hair over his shoulders, the smooth curve of his spine, and the way the denim of his jeans perfectly frame his high, tight…

Ethan is startled out of his thoughts as Rory’s thumps back down onto his barstool with a self-satisfied smile. Just a few moments later he learns the reason for Rory’s smirk as Reggie sets down two colorful cocktails in front of them, each garnished with a paper umbrella, an orange slice, and a maraschino cherry.

Ethan physically recoils from the drink as Rory tries to hide his snickering behind his hands. “What is that abomination?”

“A Sex on the Beach.” Rory pulls his own drink closer and tastes it with a contented sigh.

The air around Ethan ratchets up a few degrees as he watches Rory’s full lips close around the tip of the straw. “That’s not what I was drinking.”

“I know,” Rory replies, coming up for air, half of his drink already gone. “You were drinking scotch, but scotch is gross. So I ordered you something delicious instead. You’re welcome.”

“You know I can’t be bribed into favoring you,” Ethan says, eyeing the cocktail with distaste.

Rory’s expression darkens and he visibly struggles to control his delicate features. He eventually gives Ethan’s a crooked smirk. “Don’t worry, Dr. Ramsey. I already know exactly what you think of me. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

By the time Ethan recovers from his shock Rory has already slipped off of his barstool and rejoined his fellow interns.

“Busy making friends, Ramsey?” Reggie asks, eyeing him curiously.

Ethan is momentarily lost for words. “I don’t… I… I’m not sure what just happened.”

“I don’t believe that young man likes you very much.”

“I’m his boss. He doesn’t need to like me.” Despite his words Ethan feels a pinprick of something… disappointment? at the thought of Rory not enjoying his company. Belatedly he also realizes that at some point during the evening he had start to think of the younger man as Rory, not just O’Shea.

Reggie hums non-committally, clearing not believing his words. Exasperated, Ethan signals for another scotch, hoping to chase away the lingering sense of uneasiness Rory has left him with. Reggie sets the drink down in front of him and silently moves away, leaving the doctor to his own thoughts.

“Traitor!”

“Get it Lahela!”

Ethan looks towards the far side of the bar, back by the dartboards, just in time to see the handsome surgical intern from this morning dip Rory backwards and kiss him. The kiss becomes more passionate as Rory threads his fingers through the other man’s hair, and the surgeon, Lahela, presses even closer, until there is no space left between the two.

The same stomach unsettling feeling from this morning comes roaring back, and Ethan turns away, grabbing the drink Rory had bought him. He takes a sip, the fruity drink leaving a bitter taste on his tongue, much like the sight of Rory wrapped up in Lahela’s arms does.

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