Chapter Text
“Shit. Shit shit shit shit.” Lucinda whispered to herself, trying and failing not to be noticed as she speedwalked through the hospital, her bag clenched under her arm, her lunch box making an obnoxious sound clacking against her water bottle every time she moved.
It was only her third week at the hospital, and here she was, late because her bus had been so full she couldn’t get off at her stop, two tourists with gigantic backpacks blocking the door.
She was only about 30 minutes behind, but she hated being late, and it was especially embarrassing since she had been assigned to the high risk unit for the week, the moms and dads up there needing as much support as they could possibly get.
Lucinda finally made it, hoping she could slip in unnoticed, making a break for the tea room when she saw one of her classmates coming down the hall.
“Lucinda-“
“Hi Harry.”
Harry was wearing the white uniform, dark trousers underneath, his round glasses on his nose, his hair less of a mess than it sometimes was.
He was one of the four students that had been assigned to this hospital, the fight to actually get here fiercely competitive. He wasn’t the actual top of their class, that spot going to Midge who swallowed textbooks like they were snacks, but he was up there.
“So I know you know,” Harry pushed the door to the tea room, holding it open for her so she could get inside,” but we were missing you at-“
“Orientation, yes, I know,”
As soon as she’d gotten rid of her things, she’d have to find their shift manager and apologize, ready to beg for forgiveness if she had to.
Lucinda refused to cry. She was almost 20. She was an adult, and adults didn’t cry just because they were late. She dumped her bag, grabbing her lunchbox to put it away, their shift lasting until well after dinner.
“So I actually have a confession to make.” Harry leaned against the wall, a slightly guilty expression on his face.
“Oh?”
They had never spoken much, Lucinda clicking with a group of girls before their classes had even started, but it was impossible not to notice Harry. Sure, he was one of the few boys they had in their year, but more importantly, he was just…
There was something about him, an air of authority that Lucinda knew she didn’t have herself, Harry always drawing her attention whenever he spoke.
He wasn’t overly active in class, didn’t constantly raise his hand, but Lucinda had noticed that their Professor had already come to rely on him, picking him when no one else stepped up, Harry ready with a competent answer whenever he got involved in the conversation.
“I noticed you weren’t here, but I had this… Feeling that you were on your way, so I just told everyone you had stomach issues and was in the bathroom.”
“… What?” Lucinda paused, holding the door of the fridge, staring at Harry.
As students, every little thing they did got evaluated and written done, being late near the top of inexcusable offenses, the fact that it wasn’t her fault not really mattering.
If Harry was telling the truth, he had just saved her ass from a very uncomfortable situation. One of the third year students had been late for a Friday shift, and Lucinda still remembered how she had been torn a new one in front of all of them.
“Yeah…” He pushed away from the wall, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t mean to make them believe you have diarrhea, but I couldn’t come up with anything better. I’m unfortunately not a very good liar.”
“That’s fine.”
At that moment, Harry felt like a guardian angel.
Sure, she didn’t love that everyone had probably imagined her on the toilet, but she’d take having to tell a lie about a dodgy breakfast over being late any day.
“Here.” Harry held out one of two clipboards he was holding, Lucinda realizing it was her assignment for the day.
“They don’t have anything big scheduled, so we got four rooms each. You got 4, 7, 11 and 16. You have a sleeping mom in 7, but I freshened up 4, 11 and 16 for you.”
“You did my sheets?”
The hospital had plenty of cleaning staff, but as student midwives, there were so much of the actual hospital work they weren’t allowed to do without supervision, that they had been assigned to take care of things like brewing tea and coffee, as well as making sure all the rooms where tidy and good to go.
“Better to have them ready in case something happens.” Harry shrugged, truly not looking like he considered it a big deal.
They hadn’t even been there for a week, but Lucinda had already learned that the high risk unit wasn’t a joke, every woman who came through the doors a potential all hands on deck situation.
“You have to battle the coffee machine though. That thing refuses to listen to me. I think it can sense that I don’t trust it.”
“I- Thank you Harry. Truly. You didn’t need to cover for me.”
“I don’t mind.” Harry smiled, knocking his shoulder with hers. “We’re on the same team, right?”
“Potter!” A voice called from the hall. “You’re needed in 9!”
“Coming!” Harry yelled back, he looked at her, green eyes still warm. “Catch you at lunch if we’re lucky.”
Lucinda watched him walk away, her shoulder still warm where he had touched it, her cheeks burning hot.