Chapter Text
Pain was something weird. It paralyzed your mind and engulfed your body as a whole, brutally making you forget everything else. All other thoughts were pushed away, until your brain could only process one thing - pain.
Lottie's body had reached that stage.
Her ribs where throbbing, sharp sparks shooting down her side. She just wanted the pain to stop, the excruciating sensation that was paralyzing her as a whole.
Lotti couldn't even properly remember how it had happened, how she was forced to visit the nearest hospital at one in the morning. Tipsily wandering out of a bar, the bright headlights of a car, somebody screaming hysterically - slowly some memory came back, although she wasn't sure how the pieces fit together.
Now, a couple hours later, she had definitely sobered up, the reminder of the alcohol just a faint pounding in her head. But her dehydrated body had urged for a toilet, making her stare at her tired face in the bathroom mirror. Smudged mascara, cracked foundation, and an angry red scratch right above her eyebrow - it was pathetic.
Lottie sighed, steadying herself against the counter, before shakily exiting the ladies room. She had no energy to fix her appearance, she had to use it all to fight off the paralyzing wave of pain in her ribs.
Finally, the pain calmed down, releasing her body and mind from its excruciating grip. She wandered out of the bathroom, deciphering the nearest sign and following its arrow down the corridor. Taking the stairs did not seem like a doable options and so she opted for the elevator, the electrical hum weirdly soothing.
Lottie breathed out slowly, the pain in her ribs reduced to a low buzz, dangerous and ready to explode. She couldn't wait for this horrible night to finally end.
─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───
Jack Abbot's shift had been horrible. No, horrible was an understatement. It had been truly abysmal. A dangerously high number of nurses had called in sick, three patients had already tried to attack his colleagues, and now the ED was close to running out of basic surgical equipment. It was some shipping delay from one of their medical suppliers, Gloria had told him, but Jack couldn't care less.
All he could care about was the fact that he -an attending- had been forced to run up to general surgery, and retrieve more equipment. Jack sighed, pressing the elevator button impatiently, feeling the weight of the supply cart behind him. He needed to get everything back to the ER, preferably today.
Finally, the elevator arrived, doors opening smoothly to reveal a woman at the back of the cabin. Her skin was pale, harshly illuminated by the white overhead light, one hand gripping her side, the other one clutching a pair of heels in her hand. Small scratches lined her forearms, disappearing under the fabric of her jacket.
She was beautiful. Her disheveled hair and outfit made her even cuter, dark eyes looking at him in a dangerous way. A crooked smile entered her face, dimples appearing on her cheeks, before she exhaled shakily, hand pressing her side harder.
It took Jack one glance to know that she was in pain and a second one to see that she was wearing a wristband from the waiting room. That soothed his mind - she had been seen and accessed, and somebody had decided she wasn't dangerously injured.
He nodded at her with a small smile, before pushing the cart inside and quickly selecting the right floor. The doors closed again, a low electric hum filling the air. The elevator moved for five seconds, until it rattled to a surprising stop, slightly shaking as the cabin slowed.
The light flickered once, twice, then blackness engulfed them. Jack felt his chest tighten, eyes taking way too long to adapt to the darkness.
„Oh fuck." The woman muttered, her tired voice filling the tense silence.
„I agree." Jack mumbled, scrawny shapes entering his field of vision. He reached for his phone, fingers moving fast to turn it on and select the flashlight.
The white light illuminated the cabin, the brightness making their eyes squint. Jack slowly moved the bright phone, trying to regain his sense of orientation - the supply cart, the metallic door and buttons, and then the woman.
She was still leaning on the wall, her exhausted face and sharp features partially illuminated by the flash. Her glittery skirt was reflecting the light, painting small sparks across the walls of the cabin. Sweat trickled down her temple, her chest rising in an uneven way. Jack could feel himself clicking into doctor mode. „You okay?"
She blinked against the light, eyes moving to look over his face. „Yeah." Her voice was hoarse, tone not matching her confident words. „Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm not claustrophobic or anything."
„I wasn't worried about that." Jack huffed, gesturing towards her ribs.
She looked down, quickly dropping her hand from her side as if her own skin was burning her. „It's nothing. Probably just bruised. My friend just forced me to come here... I think."
„Smart friend you've got." He answered, using his phone to find the emergency button. „Let's try to get some help."
She nodded, grimacing slightly, when Jack pressed the button and a loud alarm shook the cabin. The ringing sound stayed, its high pitch directly traveling into their bones. The night was only getting better.
─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───
Lottie had finally sat down, leaning her back against the cold metal wall. Her head was pounding, fingers playing with the leather straps of her heels. The doctor was talking with the woman from the emergency service, but she couldn't follow their conversation. Her side was sharp with pain, mind exhausted, and brain fighting to process everything that had happened.
The darkness was surprisingly comforting, its depth engulfing her in a calming way. Only the sudden flashes of light disrupted it, when the doctor gesticulated while talking, his phone following suit. She thought about her own phone, painfully remembering how she'd forgotten her bag in the bathroom stall. This was such a cursed day, usually she'd never leave her belongings anywhere.
Finally, the doctor stopped talking, the line disconnecting with a soft click. He breathed out loudly, his kind eyes finding hers. „Looks like we'll be here a while."
Lottie blinked, brain trying to catch up with everything. „...what?"
„It's going to take at least two hours." His voice was raspy and gentle. „But hopefully they'll be able to get the lights working again soon. There's also no cell service in here, so if you have any concerns we gotta use the call button."
„Great." She mumbled, letting her head plop against the wall behind her.
The doctor sat down next to her, mindful to leave enough space between them. „I'm Jack." He said, looking at her with a crooked smile. „Jack Abbot."
She tried her best to smile back, although she doubted he could see it anyway in the skimpy light. „Nice to meet you. I'm Lottie." She could feel his presence next to her, hear him breath in and out. „You're a doctor, right?"
Jack nodded - at least she thought he did. „Yeah. I work in the ER."
„That's cool. I used to be very obsessed with Grey's Anatomy when I was younger."
He laughed, the raspy sound filling the cabin in a gentle and comforting way. „The real ER is almost as crazy as the TV one. But we sadly don't have a McDreamy."
Lottie could feel her ribs throbbing, heart beating fast in her chest. „I thought I was looking at him." Maybe she was still drunk, otherwise that sudden burst of confidence couldn't be explained.
She couldn't see his facial expression, but the energy in the elevator shifted just a fraction. Heat crept down her spine, matching the charged atmosphere.
He huffed out another quiet laugh, although this one was softer. „I doubt I can live up to his legacy."
„Maybe thats a good thing." Lottie teased, fully ignoring the pain in her side. „He dramatically dies in one of the later seasons."
„What?!" Jack's voice seemed genuinely shocked. „I can't believe you just spoiled this major plot event."
„Sorry." Lottie grinned, a small laugh escaping her lips. But her ribs throbbed instantly, sharp bolts of pain traveling down her body. Laughing was clearly not a good idea. She winced, pressing her hand back to her side.
Jack noticed immediately, the ray of the flashlight traveling over to her. „Everything okay?"
„I'm fine." The answer came out fast and rushed. She escaped his gaze, the pain biting down on her. „It just hurts when I laugh... or breath or move."
The shift in him was immediate.
„That's not fine." Jack stated, voice full of concern, loosing its teasing edge immediately. His warmth radiated towards her, focus entirely on Lottie. „It's your right ribs, correct?"
Lottie hesitated, instinctively wanting to brush it off again. But finally, she nodded, looking up to meet his warm eyes, searching for his pupils in the dark.
„Did you fall or hit something?" He asked, turning his body slightly towards her, the light unsteady for a few seconds. His finger pointed towards her arm. „I'd guess a fall on the street. Your skin is pretty scratched up."
She paused, biting her lip in embarrassment. „I... actually don't remember."
Something shifted again. This time it was urgent.
„You don't remember anything?" Something in his tone made her feel uneasy.
„No, it's just... it's only fragments." She tried to explain herself, cheeks burning from Jack's direct gaze. „Like flashes of memories. But I can't really tell you how I ended up here to be honest."
„Does your head hurt?" He shot his next question, rumbling around in his scrub pocket.
Lottie was about to answer, when suddenly light exploded in front of her eyes. She squinted instinctively, feeling stinging zaps of pain paralyze her thoughts. „Now it does."
His hand suddenly reached for the back of her head, fingers soft and cautionary, giving her enough time to pull away. But she didn't, breathing out shakily, when he finally cradled her hair with strong fingers. He steadied her head, his body so close, she could feel his controlled breath on her skin. „Look at the light please."
Lottie complied. Instantly. It cost her a lot of willpower, but she finally managed to open her eyes again and stare into the brightness. She could feel herself moving back slightly, body urging closer towards his touch. Jack's fingers stroked her hair softly - once, twice - then the light finally shut off. His hand left her hair, but his presence still hovered close, protective and comforting.
Darkness engulfed them again, until he picked up his phone, angling it, so the light illuminated her face softly. He put up his pointer finger, his eyes finding hers. „Follow my finger."
He moved it to the left, then to the right, her pupils fighting to follow his rapid movements. The phone partially light up his face, his salt and pepper hair, and his dark eyes that were completely focused on her.
„You definitely have a concussion." He finally mumbled, lowering his finger, and moving the flashlight away from her. „But thankfully no brain bleed."
Lottie breathed out slowly, inching imperceptibly closer towards him. She rested her head back against the wall. „Looks like I got lucky."
„Lucky?" He repeated quickly, one brow lifting slightly. „You're stuck in a broken elevator with a concussion and a possible rib fracture."
„Yeah," Lottie murmured, feeling the alcohol caused confidence still cursing through her veins. „But I could've been alone."
Something in his expression shifted again - a subtle softening of his features every time she caught him off guard. For a very long second, he just looked at her.
Then he cleared his throat, professional composure sliding back into place, although his eyes still crinkled with warmth. „Alright." He mumbled, pulling a stethoscope from his pocket. „Try not to flirt with the doctor while he's assessing you. It's distracting."
„You started it."
A quiet, raspy laugh escaped him. The air in the cabin suddenly felt very hot. „Did I?"
„You touched my hair very... tenderly."
He paused, the skin around his eyes crinkling with amusement. „That was standard procedure, Lottie."
She raised her eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to grin at him. „Mhm."
He shook his head under his breath, though the hint of a smile appeared on his lips. „Can you sit forward a little for me?"
The low tone of his voice send warmth traveling down her spine despite the ache everywhere else. She obeyed carefully, biting down on her lip when pain flared through her ribs.
„Easy." Jack murmured, hand hovering uselessly in the air, until finally moving towards her shoulder, stopping for a second as if asking her if the touch would be okay. When she didn't pull away, he rested his hand on her shoulder, warmth traveling from skin to skin.
She was wearing a going out top, small, bejeweled straps holding the tight fabric in place, making Jack's fingers directly dig into her soft skin. It was electric.
He clipped his earpieces in, warming the metal disc of the stethoscope briefly before reaching towards the hem of the top. „May I?"
The deep rasp of his voice send warmth down her spine. „Of course." She mumbled, biting back a a shaky breath when his fingers touched the sensitive skin of her lower back.
Jack tugged the tight fabric up, gently pressing the stethoscope onto her skin. „Deep breath."
Lottie tried. Pain immediately cursed through her body, stinging right behind her ribs. She tried hiding it, but her facial expression betrayed her as soon as the feeling paralyzed her body.
Jack frowned, the concentrated lines on his forehead deepening instantly. „Okay, not too deep then."
Lottie tried calming down, but the pain still pulsated under her bones. Jack moved the stethoscope, his fingers lightly brushing past her warm skin. „Breathe again." His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing, as he focused to listen to her lungs.
Jack paused, something in his expression changing. He lifted the stethoscope just to listen to the same spot again. Worried lines etched themselves onto his face, accentuated by the harsh flashlight of the phone.
Lottie stared at him, feeling chills travel down her body. She tried to search for his gaze, but his eyes were averting her. „What?!" She finally snapped, voice a little too high pitched and a little too loud. Maybe the alcohol hadn't fully subsided from her bloodstream.
He cleared his throat, eyes dancing around the cabin until they finally met hers. „Your right lung sounds are slightly... diminished."
The words felt like a punch to the stomach. Her mind scrambled to catch up with this confusing situation, medical terms flying through her head. „Is that bad?"
Jack stayed still for a very long moment, stethoscope dangling around his neck, the metal disc being propped up by his chest muscles. The teasing edge in his face was gone, replaced by utter clinical professionalism. „It isn't something serious right now," He started carefully. Too carefully. „You're breathing fine, your oxygen levels seem good from what I can tell, you're talking normally. Those are all good signs."
Lottie blinked at him blankly, feeling her heart speed up. „But what if it turns into something serious?"
Jack held her gaze for a long second, his hand extending to lay on her arm. Lottie looked down, staring at the point where their skins made contact, his fingers curling around her arm. She immediately noticed the absence of a wedding ring and hated herself a little for it.
„Then I'll take care of you." He finally whispered, the low rasp of his voice traveling down her spine. She could see his face refocusing, body clicking into doctor mode. „I'd like to look at your ribs now."
Lottie nodded, emotions moving into the background, pure instinct taking over her body. She moved slightly, using her right hand to tug up the fabric of her top and her left one to prop herself up against the ground. Just the small movement made her ribs buzz with pain, making her already dread the following examination.
Jack moved even closer, his eyes finding hers. „I'll be careful, I promise."
She inhaled shakily, as he started prodding her ribs, methodically feeling for the bones. He started at the lowest rib, fingers moving higher and higher. His eyes crinkled with concentration, jaw clenching as he felt for any breaks.
Lottie's pain was manageable, but suddenly exploded when Jack's hands pressed at a sensitive spot. „God," She muttered through clenched teeth, resisting the urge to jerk away.
„Sorry," Jack said immediately, fingers finally leaving her skin. „That's definitely broken." He helped her lower her top, hand gentle on her skin.
„That's... not good, right?"
Jack stared down onto the floor, before finally finding her gaze again. He forced a reassuring smile on his lips, although it didn't reach his eyes. „It could be worse."
Lottie held his gaze, feeling warmth explode in her stomach. Her lip quivered, tears stinging in her eyes. It was all too much - the pain, the emotions, and the dimly lit elevator. A shallow breath escaped her, chest closing rapidly. „I'm so scared."
Jack's jaw tightened, his Adams apple bobbing once, before he moved closer and opened his arm. She melted against his touch immediately, letting her side fall against his torso and her head onto his chest. His hand wrapped around her body, being impossibly cautious around her broken ribs.
„Slow breaths." He rasped, his chest moving against her face as he spoke. „Breathe in and out."
She tried to comply, her heartbeat steadying slightly against his touch. But her body was still in survival mode, mouth sucking in rapid breaths to compensate for her mental stress.
„Lottie." He murmured, face so close to her ear she could feel his breath on her skin. „You are okay right now. I need you to understand that."
She nodded against his shirt, eyes moving to focus on anything else than her scraped up arms. The flashlight was painting bizarre shapes on the walls, dancing off the supply cart and her sparkly clothing. His arms were solid and protective, clothes smelling faintly of disinfectant and a citrusy perfume. Lottie could feel her body press into his, skin arching to maximize contact, to feel him as close as possible.
His fingers moved towards her hand, pressing themselves into her skin to monitor her pulse. Slowly, her breathing calmed down, body finally resisting the urge to panic.
„There you go." Jack whispered, fingers loosening just a fraction around her wrist.
Lottie could feel his heartbeat through the fabric of his scrubs. It was so much steadier than hers, the soft and regular thump reminding her to calm her breathing.
She exhaled slowly, then inhaled, careful not to breath in too deep.
„Jack?" Lottie finally muttered, voice so soft it was almost imperceptible.
„Mhm?"
„This is a very weird first date."
For a very terrifyingly long second she thought she'd crossed a line.
But then Jack laughed softly against her hair, arms tightening around her aching body. „Are you saying you don't like cuddling with me?"
Lottie huffed out a laugh, feeling the familiar sting behind her ribs. „I'd just like to have dinner first."
„As soon as we get out of here, I promise."