#elijah zaid | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

coffeeheartaddict2 · 1 year ago

Text

When life has other plans (4/16)

Crime and punishment

Book: Open Heart (AU)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC Casey Valentine

Word count: 2724

Warnings: sexual references, language

Category: angst

Rating: Mature

Summary: the fallout continues from the death of Mrs Martinez. Casey makes a decision that will put her in the fight of her career. There is also fallout from the confrontation with Landry and inspiration from an unexpected source leads to a cure for Naveen.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Authors note: well a lot happened last chapter and it sets up a bit for coming chapters.

👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

Casey and the gang had been in emergency when it was busy before but this had not prepared them for what they were greeted with. There had been a train derailment on the underground T network. Triage had not been done on site as they were getting people out as they were able. Zaid went through the triage tags and away they went. The first patient that Casey came across she had to assign a black tag and that was upsetting. She kept on, trying to be quick but when she was speaking to the patients, finding out more to reach the diagnosis accurately was a hard habit to drop. Casey had never seen the emergency department that hectic, even Dr Harper Emery was down there assisting. A doctor suggested calling Dr Ramsey but Harper said he was out of state. It was a large-scale emergency, not just in numbers but with how long it was taking to get passengers out. Then news came through of a collapse in the tunnel. Just then an ambulance arrives. A little girl with some scratches arrived and was asking about the paramedic that saved her. Casey found out that the girl was the daughter of a man whom she had not long seen too. Then she was startled. The ambulance doors swung open and in on a gurney came Raf. He was badly injured and required surgery. Casey was seconded to assist with the surgery with Harper and Bryce. Raf thankfully pulled through but at the end Casey was alone with Harper. She stated that she knew she was involved. Casey stayed quiet. Not wanting to do or say anything stupid on fatigue’s doorstep. She is dismissed and makes her way to the locker room. She is met there by Sienna and Jackie and they go to a local diner for some much needed sustenance and caffeine.

“Ok so big elephant in the room, Dr Ramsey…”

“Dr Ramsey has been secretly treating Dr Banerji since before Dr Banerji quit. I stumbled upon this fact and since then we had been treating him in secret. The day Dr Ramsey quit is when he had to tell Naveen that he only had a month at most to live…”

“What Jackie is meaning is the other allegation…” said Sienna

“Yeah I had heard rumours but the people who said them were quite lowly ranked…” said Elijah as he wheeled up to the table.”

“After Miami they were actually stating fact. Ethan was keeping my work with Naveen out of the rankings. Nor did our extra curriculars affect the ratings either.” Said Casey adamantly.

The gang sat quietly to process what they had heard.

“Given the steady rise that does track, but what will happen if you win?”

“Can we not take for granted I will win.” Says Casey. “There is the Mrs M investigation cloud hanging over me. With Ethan having quit, who knows what is happening with the competition.”

“Yeah but with Ethan gone and if you maintain top position then there would be no room for accusations.” Said Jackie, “And besides keep your head down and bum up, they will find it difficult to pin this on you.”

“Yeah and what if the family organise a full autopsy? What then Jackie? Huh? The tip that the family received detailed a lot and that son of a bitch knew what was going down and when.” Said Casey, trying to hold back the tears.

“I just wanted to help her.”

“You did,” reassured Sienna, “You saw how happy she was to finally leave the hospital and do all the things she wished to do.”

In that moment Casey knew what she had to do.

“I am going to request an Ethics hearing. You all know I went through proper channels, yes I did what I had to do but it was for the right reasons at the end of the day.”

Her friends were shocked but they, like Casey, knew that an investigation led to very little scope to defend her actions. Casey knew she was in for a fight of her career but a wise mentor had always told her to never give up and that is what she was going to do, Never give up.

The next day came. She was nervous. She had never expected to be up for an ethics committee this early in her career but she knew she did what she did for the right reasons. She made her way to the executive floor to Harper Emery’s office. She asked her assistant if she was in. Casey then waited to be seen. She was then seen. Harper was surprised to see her and was even more surprised.

“It was me that gave Teresa the medication. She was aware of the risks but she still wished to have the treatment. I am aware that what I did was wrong but I would like to request an Ethics hearing to defend my actions.”

Harper thought on Casey’s words for a moment.

“Yes, many of us knew how much she resented being stuck in the hospital. But yes, what you did was wrong.”

“Which is why I am requesting an Ethics hearing.”

“I will grant you the request, it will not be easy though.”

“I know,” says Casey.

“You will continue to work until your preliminary hearing. I will notify you when that will be.”

“Thank you, Chief Emery.” Says Casey as she leaves.

She makes her way down to the main hospital and continues with her work.

A few hours later, Harper receives a call from Ethan, wanting to sort out exit paperwork. Harper stated she would do so but things were busy, stating that there was a rather large emergency and that Dr Valentine had requested an Ethics hearing.

“I can testify for Case… I mean Dr Valentine.” Stated Ethan.

“Absolutely not Ethan.” Said Harper. “Firstly you do not work here anymore. Secondly, I heard some of the rumours, I do not know for sure if they are true but I have seen you two interact and it certainly was not your usual interactions with staff, let alone interns. It is clear that you favoured her in some way. I can not let you do it.”

Ethan groans and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Fine Harper, I just hope she can get a fair trial.” He hangs up and lets out a frustrated scream. Alan walks out with a cup of coffee.

“Is everything alright Ethan?” He asks.

“No, it’s not. Casey has requested an ethics hearing and I know she will be hard pushed for a fair trial.” Said Ethan, frustrated.

“Furthermore, I am not allowed to testify for her!”

“Why not?” Asks Alan, confused. “You worked with her, you know how capable she is…”

“I was accused of favouring her and deep down I know Harper is right.” Said Ethan.

“I know you kept your relationship…”

“It was not a relationship dad, it was two consenting adults who chose to partake in activities.”

Alan took Ethan at his word but he knew his son was lying to himself. He had not seen Ethan this enamored with anyone in a long time. They sat and they had their coffee. Alan knew that there was a lot on his son's plate and he was saddened to hear about Naveen. He had met Naveen several times over the years and they had become quite good friends. He also knew that his son would have thrown everything into trying to cure him. He knew that losing Naveen would be a shock and he was not looking forward to that. He left Ethan alone to think.

Ethan knew he could not testify and it frustrated him. He knew Naveen’s spot on the committee had not being filled but he knew that some of the members were close to Declan Nash. He was again rueing letting Panacea into the hospital. Then he had a thought. He had the details for Louis, as well as the photo of Teresa standing out the front of Sacre Du Couer. He decided to email him. He also contacted Alma. He knew she was appreciative for what Casey tried to do for Delores and he knew she would testify for her. He did not know which other staff members would testify for her but he hoped what he could do in the background will give her a chance.

Casey had hear preliminary hearing. It was short, basically telling her that she was suspended. Declan was in the room. Looking smug. How she wanted to give him a piece of her mind but she refrained. She knew she had a fight on her hands. She was already buoyed that Alana Hudson had been touch already and mentioned she had been made aware of proceedings and would happily testify for her. She had already contacted Annie, her first patient as well as Shonda. She went home and went to start research for her trial.

Next day came and Casey needed a break. However she was struggling with what to do. It had been so long since she had so much free time. Then the door to her apartment opened with the gang including Bryce and Raf. They had brought food and drinks. She was surprised and Sienna said we are here to help and support you. After a few minutes there was a knock at the door. It was Zaid and Ines popping in to see how Casey was. They asked about who she had to testify for her. They then told her that a few doctors have a regular tee time at the country club and they should go and impress them. They go and get dressed for the part and make their way. They found their targets easy enough. Dr Calais, Dr Yannick and Dr Lazoya. They caught up with them and discussed their work and then Casey admitted that she was the one who administered the medication to Mrs Martinez. They were shocked and of course wanted to know why. Casey had the information that her and Bryce had found and she forwarded it to Dr Yannick. He was impressed with how thorough she had been. She also stated that Teresa was aware of the chances of it working or failing and that she still chose to try the treatment. Dr Lazoya stated that the hospital was at war over this situation. There was people who wanted Casey made an example of and then there were others of she did the wrong thing but it was for the right reasons. The trio agreed to testify for Casey at the hearing. They finish the round and head back home. Casey was asked by Sienna if she should ask Dr Ramsey to testify, given how fractious the hospital was over it. Casey said she would ask but she had not heard from Ethan for a few days. She was pleasantly surprised to receive a message from him when she reached out. She went to his house, somewhat apprehensive. Ethan greeted her at the door, looking disheveled. He asked if she had joined a cult. Casey said no, a country club to which Ethan said same thing. He offered her a scotch which she took. Casey came right out and asked if he would testify for her.

“I would if I could. I asked Harper and she forbade it stating I was biased and she was right. I am too biased.”

He so badly wanted to tell her that he was responsible for Alma testifying and how he had reached out to Luis Martinez but he was not sure if the plans would work. Casey however was frustrated.

“So what, are you giving up? Is what you told me about never giving up bullshit?”

“No it is not, it has been so fucking hard not being able to save another person that I give. Damn about.”

Then he kisses her hard and hungrily. He lifts Casey and she wraps her legs around his waist and he walks to his bedroom. Only breaking the kiss to remove Casey’s dress. He walks her over to the window and puts her against the glass. The coolness makes her shudder. He kisses down the column of her neck and lays waste to her bra. He whispers huskily in her ear

“The view is so much better when you are here.”

He kisses his way down to her core. He worships her at the altar of her sex and she succumbs to her climax screaming. They make their way to his bed, and he enters her and they have an emotionally intense session. They reach another high together. After awhile they lie intertwined in his sheets.

“What happens if I lose the ethics trial?”

“I do not know, we will figure it out, there is the question of if you can still practice.”

“That is true, what about you?”

“I have put in an expression of interest to work as part of a team with WHO. There is that pandemic down in Brazil.”

“That would be challenging.” Says Casey.

“It would but it is the mission and how Naveen found the team. Giving those who had nowhere to go access to medical care.”

Casey nods. So if you get selected you will go, so should we wait until you come back and decide then?”

“Well if we are not working together it does take that out of the equation.”

“True, we can not stay in an arrangement forever..”

“No but if you do make it through the hearing I will stay and find work in Boston.”

“Really?”

“Really, as I said before, there is not that major impediment of you working under me. What we get upto will not have any impediment on your career..”

He kisses her, sweetly and full of promise of what is to hopefully come. They go another two rounds before falling asleep.

Casey awakens first the next morning. She lets Ethan sleep and makes her way out of the apartment and back to her own. She stops off and grabs a coffee and makes her way to her apartment, only to receive a shock of seeing Landry there. He was also surprised to see her. I thought no one would be here.

“Yeah well, in case you were not aware I am suspended pending an ethics committee hearing.”

Landry deflates.

“Can’t you accept that you did the wrong thing?”

What is wrong about alerting a patient to an alternative treatment that had a chance of working? She knew the risks and chances of it working or not and chose to take her chances.”

“You needlessly took a mother from her family.”

“She resented what her existence had become. Are you telling me that you only want your patients to merely exist and not live fully?”

Landry looked affronted. Casey makes her way to the bedroom to get changed. She comes out and gets to building her case. She is interrupted by Landry unable to get his books into a box. She decided to help him. She packs the books in such a way that the weight is distributed evenly. Landry marvels at how he had packed them differently and still fit. Then Casey has a lightbulb moment.

“I think I know what is wrong with Dr Banerji.”

She messages the gang to meet her at the library. Landry looks confused.

“Dr Banerji has had an illness but what if it is two illnesses fighting and using his body as a battlefield.

The gang finally meet her at the library and are shocked and annoyed that Landry was there.

“It was his packing that gave me the thought.”

Everyone knuckles down and they realise that there must be a phage fighting an infection but they needed to find out what.

Landry stated that no one would suspect him and he went to get a testing kit as well as Naveen’s address. The gang was not happy with the turn of events, especially since he could just blab what has been happening but Casey said sadly he is our only choice.

He came back with the equipment and the address and they headed out. Casey hoping against hope that there was still a Naveen Banerji to save.

—-

Authors note: Not at all sorry for ending it there. Chapter 3 was a marathon and if I added the whole saving of Naveen it would have been another one and well I did not want to do that to you.

I will take a mini break, I have a Christmas fic that I want to get done before Christmas and then I will come back to this AU. It is also summer here in Australia which means summer holidays so I do lose some writing time so please be patient.

Tagging: @jerzwriter @jamespotterthefirst @genevievemd @cariantha @zealouscanonindeer @alj4890 @youlookappropriate @bex-la-get @crazy-loca-blog @a-crepusculo @socalwriterbee @liaromancewriter @potionsprefect @schnitzelbutterfingers @binny1985 @lucy-268 @tessa-liam

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #ethan ramsey #choices fanfic writers creations #casey valentine #choices #fic of the week #oph au #choices fanfic #Landry Olsen #naveen banerji

13 notes · View notes

zaidshair · 8 months ago

Text

The closer the other man got, more Zaid noted how burly he was. In a 'first responder' sort of way, like a fireman or the like. Confident; which was a relief for Zaid, whose biggest emergency situations ranged from burnt beef to major kitchen fires. Bad, but not cruise-ship disaster bad.

When the other man spoke, he was calm and congenial, like he knew exactly what he was doing. Putting Zaid almost immediately at ease, like the exact right person had come along at the exact right time, for this task.

Testing the doorknob again didn't even bother Zaid, because hey - maybe this bloke would get different results, with his 'professional hands'. Zaid tutted, when the door remained shut. "Seems talent's run dry, mate." The person trapped on the other side however, didn't seem to register any questions, or the newcomer at all; they just whimpered the same thing again.

"Probably a little hysterical," Zaid assessed, now wanting to contribute something useful in front of this helpful American.

'Can you help me? Let me out! Please!'

"We're right here, we'll get you out! Can you see another door or anything? Are you in a storage room? A door out the back?" Zaid pressed his ear against the stuck door and listened. The American - Elijah - made a great point about service hallways. And Zaid couldn't help the little smile at his complimentary hint. "I'm Zaid. Good to meet you, Elijah." To the trapped person, Zaid reiterated, "I'm Zaid! What's your name, man?"

'Can I go home?'

Zaid shook his head, giving up. "Nowt to get from this one, is there. Right. If there are service halls around the back, they might be submerged with water. But...we should check? C'mon, I saw a side door next to the Hermès shop." To the trapped person, Zaid shouted, "Mate! We'll be right back!"

He turned, carefully wading his way back to Hermès, sneaking curious glances up at the other man. "You got any idea how this all happened, Elijah? I woke up in the galley...never been on a cruise ship in my life."

There was always something intriguing about abandoned places. Some people didn't like the eerieness of it, the way it made shivers run down their spine and the hairs on the back of their neck stand up. Elijah, on the other hand, loved the feeling. And seeing the abandoned shopping, which should have been bustling with life, prodded right at the base of his instincts, that pleasant fear you got when you were going into a haunted house.

A little insensitive? Probably. Technically, this was a disaster side and they were now trapped on an abandoned (not uninhabited) island, with no clear way of signaling for help. But hey, gloomy thoughts didn't tear a ship out of the sea floor and make it set sail again. And he wasn't here just for kicks.

Cruises, depending on how long (and how rich), were usually equipped to take care of everybodys needs for a couple of weeks or months if not more. Food, drinks, medicine - anything the people needed. The plastic first-aid kit he'd found floating in a half-submerged room was evidence enough. The shopping district would have some stuff bound to be useful on an abandoned island.

And it looked like he wasn't the only one who had that idea. Up ahead he could see a man, in front of one of the shops, working at the door. Weird thing was that he was talking. Elijah stopped, curious, and before he knew it, the guy was waving him over. And not in the 'hey, kind stranger, mind helping a fella out' kinda way.

"Coming!" Elijah called out as he waded over. He heard it then - the knocking. A scared voice. Somebody was trapped in there. "I think you'll need more than one hand. Lucky for you, I got two pretty talented ones. Real professionals. No worries, okay?" Elijah called out, the last part more to the person stuck inside. The voice wasn't panicked yet, which was good. Fear was fine, panic could turn ugly.

Rattling on the doorknob, because once hadn't been enough, got the same result. The knocking didn't stop, going on in the same, steady rhythm. "Alright, yeah, that's jammed." Elijah took a step back, breathing in, thinking. "There's probably service corridors running behind the shops, so they can stock. Could be locked, too." Then, to the door: "Are you holding up?"

"Please - I just want to go home."

"Alright. I'm Elijah. My companion here hasn't introduced himself to me yet, but I'm sure he's got a beautiful name too. We're gonna get you out of there." A sniffle. The knocking stop. Elijah breathed in deep. "Alright, chap-" Elijah tilted into the clearly british accent of the other man. "You know how to lock-pick?"

#elijah #kfjdshfd omg Elijah is so cool #he's like so cool and Zaid knows it XD

8 notes · View notes

liaromancewriter · 2 years ago

Text

Day One (4/6)

Series Premise: What happened when Cassie met Sienna? Small moments that defined their friendship.

Book: Open Heart Characters: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Sienna Trinh Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Words: 1,085

A/N: Submission for @choiceschallenge-may2023 prompt "bedroom"

Sienna Trinh knew she should ask for a life preserver when she was drowning. She had great friends and wasn’t lacking a supportive community. And therein lay the problem.

Her friends were brilliant.

Elijah was already on the fast track to becoming a renowned researcher. Aurora made practicing medicine look effortless. Jackie was likely the best chief resident the hospital had seen in years. Bryce was supremely confident and an excellent surgeon. Rafael was practically Superman.

And Cassie. Well, her best friend had graduated top of her class at Hopkins and, despite tough competition, maintained her spot as the number one intern. She had been doing double duty as an internal medicine resident and a junior diagnostics fellow for two years.

None of them struggled while studying for their board exams. They indulged her in group study – the cat café had been inspired. But they could’ve taken the exam the next day and passed it comfortably.

Sienna wasn’t sure she could say the same about herself. After her meltdown last week and the mix-up with her baking and medicine textbooks, she’d tried to follow everyone’s advice and just chill. But panic was setting in again, with the exam now only a few hours away.

She stared at her bedroom ceiling and blew her overlong bangs out of her eyes. She wanted to scream, but it was the middle of the night, and her roommates were asleep.

What made her think she could do this? Be a doctor? Maybe she should quit before she made a fool of herself.

The soft knock on her bedroom was so unexpected that Sienna gripped the comforter's edge and wondered if she could hide under the covers. An intruder wouldn’t knock, she thought with a mental shake. Her nerves really were on edge if her first thought was of intruders invading their apartment.

She shoved the covers aside, switched on a bedside lamp and padded across the floor to pull the door open a crack. The cobwebs cleared when she saw Cassie on the other side with a tray of cookies and milk.

“Hey,” Cassie whispered. “I had a feeling you’d be tossing and turning, so I come bearing gifts.”

Sienna beamed and swung open the door, stepping back to let Cassie inside.

“How’d you know?” she asked, closing the door and joining her on the bed.

They sat cross-legged on the covers facing each other, the snack tray in the middle. Sienna broke off the corner of a double chocolate cookie — her midnight indulgence — and nibbled, uncaring of the crumbs.

“You’ve been stressing about the boards for months,” Cassie told her. “I know you tried to rein it in this past week, but it can’t have been easy. Now with the test only a few hours away…”

Sienna twisted her lips wryly as Cassie shrugged.

She didn’t need to say the words. Her friend knew her well enough to suspect stress was never far behind. She was one of the few people who knew how much Sienna hated standardized tests and that she struggled with them.

“If it helps,” Cassie continued, “I’m stressed about it too, but I try not to show it. I’ve felt a target on my back since intern year and the rankings. Like, people are waiting for me to fail and do it spectacularly.”

Cassie sighed, polishing off her cookie and sipping milk, lost in thought.

“I’m not immune to the gossip about me, Si,” she said. “Some people believe I used Naveen’s cure to weasel my way onto the team over other worthy candidates. And others think Ethan deliberately goes easy on me. So, if I don’t do well—"

“Who cares what small-minded people think?” Sienna protested, brows furrowing. “And Dr. Ramsey is always hardest on you. Even when we were interns, he assigned you all the PITAs. I asked Zaid once if I could take one of them off your list. But he told me the orders had come straight from the top, so no substitutions.”

Cassie stared at her, amused and surprised. “Why did I not hear about this before?”

Sienna shrugged. “The point is, you earned it. I have zero doubts you’re gonna ace the test.”

“You know, I came to cheer you up, and I’ve made it about me,” Cassie said, tapping one finger against her lips, considering.

“I’m glad you did,” Sienna said. “It helps to know you have doubts just like I do. Sometimes, I look at you and wish I had the same self-confidence.”

Cassie made a distressed sound, but Sienna rushed through the rest, needing to get the words out.

“I was ready to quit in intern year,” she said. “I wasn’t exactly a great mentor to Mitch. I get too hung up on what others think of me. And when I compare myself to the Roomies, I’m not sure I measure up as a doctor in quite the same way.”

Cassie’s long and silent scrutiny made Sienna uncomfortable. She opened her mouth to change the subject, but her friend held up a hand to stop her.

“You’re an amazing doctor, Sienna, and always have been,” she insisted. “But being a doctor is not your identity, and never has been. You brought us together in this apartment to become a second family. You cheer each of us on. Feed us breakfast, packed lunches, and cookies.”

Cassie smiled. “You remember everyone’s birthdays and always buy the best gifts.”

Eyes swimming with tears at the heartfelt words, Sienna looked down when Cassie’s hand covered hers.

“As to medicine, I’ve never met a more compassionate and caring doctor like you, except for Ethan. The kids in the pediatrics ward would riot if you didn’t visit them daily. They can feel what we all know. That you’re the best of us. No matter what happens tomorrow, that will never change.”

Sienna wanted to speak, thank Cassie, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her talk. Tears fell unheeded down her cheeks. Her smile was watery as she squeezed Cassie’s hand in silent acknowledgment and gratitude.

Cassie took out her phone. “Now, because I know you, I will help you with last-minute exam prep. Hopefully, that’ll put your mind at ease. You know the drill.”

Sienna nodded and inwardly laughed as Cassie pulled up the browser app on her phone. She glimpsed the familiar logo of an exam prep website and took a deep breath.

“Ready, Dr. Trinh?” Cassie asked, lifting one eyebrow in challenge.

“Fire away, Dr. Valentine.”

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @annfg8 @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @takemyopenheart @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #open heart fanfics #playchoices #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #sienna trinh #sienna trinh x mc #cassie valentine

33 notes · View notes

indigovortex · 2 years ago

Text

me and my friend's got too full so have these Alex's I managed to draw while it wasn't severely lagging my phone ajshajsh

ft. a concept sneak peek of his vol 3 design :D

I've also got one more doodle but be warned, for there be boobs behind the curtain

local Mesopotamian baby gay sees goddess gf's boobs for the first time

#honestly these have been really fun to do #and they've helped me improve my anatomy :]#star's ocs #nejmah #nisaba #elijah zaid #art.png

12 notes · View notes

mc-adarsh · 6 months ago

Text

JOURNEY OF SELF DISCOVERY - update 4 / week 2

Jealousy definitely is overruling most of Adarsh's experiences of being 'nice'. While he feels like he's competent somewhat, he also feels awkward whenever he needs to start a 'regular' conversation.

goals

one person has offered to trim my beard and i think my hair, but i do not know if i can trust her to do this.

there might soon be an option to go to the ship along side alex.

perhaps i am not necessarily violent, perhaps negative emotions simply come easier to me and as a result i lash out. i have hit one person and one tree, but it has only been two weeks, so perhaps i am doing pretty well. i have no idea how often violent people punch people.

findings

i do think i am not straight. perhaps bisexual. but i definitely think of someone's lips far too often.

i am starting to slowly become the last person to learn about my powers, making me feel like perhaps i do not have any. some of the powers seem to be connected to who people are or what they used to do. or depending on what situation they get themselves in. i fear that my lack of memory also signals me as the odd one out to not have a power.

i am very jealous. perhaps more than i like to admit. i thought it was just jealousy of being the only one without a memory, but jealousy comes back whenever i feel like there is something i do not have that others do have. i cannot seem to convince myself that it is not bad that i do not have it, my mind will always return to the feeling. i do not have powers, i do not have memories, i do not have the same type of skills that other people have. i do not feel like i am the type of face that will turn people towards me. i am not kind. i am not a chef or a tv celebrity, nor do i know how to make myself useful. i fear my personality is making it difficult to find my place, and instead of fighting against it, i am quick to resign to the possibility.

i easily believe people's theories. right now i am struggling between what darcy has told me and elijah's idea.

my nose is broken and my vainness is showing.

maybe i am a boxer. or was.

people

advice dude: i did not kill him. but i came close. at least he learnt about his ability through me. at least i do not have a death on my conscious.

alex: i want to stop thinking about him. but also not.

zaid: i do not know if food will bring back my memory but talking about it does feel nice. i do get a feeling that zaid would rather not be forced in my company too often. i do hope i get to taste his food soon.

ms. akhila asthana: i have mommy issues and i do not think she is that much older than me.

darcy: i think i am trying to befriend her. it is a weird sensation. i feel slightly angry in her stead for the people who say she is crazy. while at the same time i do not believe her theory either.

cemre: i do understand a bit more how darcy feels after sharing the tv show theory with cemre.

lindiwe of england: offered to do my beard and hair, looks to be intoxicated, but maybe her power is making her act a bit odd. i think i am concerned she would try to trim my aura and accidentally take off my ear. yet it does not seem to come from a place where i am afraid of bodily harm, but being afraid of putting her in that situation...

nakia: i hope they truly recall who i am some day.

selin: i think i am making up well for my behaviour last time. though i still cannot believe i went picking flowers.

fancy party passenger: i am pretty sure they are famous too. that makes three famous people in a group of thirty, that seems like a high number.

elijah: rambles a lot, but makes veg food. i think he is the type of person who is actually extremely intelligent and i somehow feel like i need to keep him close.

boxer: wants to spar. i feel excited for it.

#the journal #//week 2 #//he still doesn't know he has healing powers #//also after this week he'll probably loose track of the days all together

3 notes · View notes

elijahbell · 7 months ago

Text

starter for: @zaidshair

location: in front of the bungalows

A good, long shower really could do wonders. The same had been true when he'd been traveling - tired, dirty and frustrated, only to have most of that exhausted irritation melt off along the grime and sweat under the stream of hot water. Here it was no different. When Elijah stepped out onto the grassy path in front of his bungalows, his skin still faintly damp and felt the crisp morning sun, things felt much better than they had yesterday.

Not ideal. He felt a scratch against his insides at the memory that tensed his features for a moment, furrowed his brows as he let his eyes trail across the morning scene. Somebody was standing there, which already was a welcome distraction - and Elijah was just about to make his way over when he recognized the face and stature.

"Zaid?" No doubt, it was him. Alive and well (the latter part to be determined, probably). Elijah jogged over, a big smile on his face, and as soon as he was close enough, he clasped the other man's shoulder and gave it a good, firm squeeze. "Zaid! You're alright."

Clear relief warmed his voice as he took in the other man for a moment, checking for anything amiss. The last thing he'd seen of him was his wide-eyed face of realization, just a split-second before he'd been pulled under, to disappear in a place where it shouldn't have been possible. That image nestled right next to that of Marie, alongside a bustle of questions "I thought I'd lost you, Well, I did. I tried to look for you back on the ship, but I couldn't find anything, so I figured you had made it off on your own." Hoped, rather. Elijah had waded into the brackish belly-water of the ship even, cursing and calling out Zaid's name, but there hadn't been a response, just the faint lapping sound of ocean water.

Elijah's eyes fixed back up on Zaid's face, dark eyes inquisitive, curious. "What happened?"

#with: zaid #p: zaid001 #sorry it took so long #hope this works

5 notes · View notes

silver-rings-and-rabbits · 9 months ago

Text

Open Heart 2 - Chapter 17

Do No Harm

The rest of the week passed steadily and a strange excitement bubbled inside Matthew. He didn’t know why; they weren’t going for fun, and there was every chance Jackie’s plan wouldn’t work. Eventually he put it down to the simple fun of travel: he had never been to Vegas before after all.

On Friday evening, Kyra, Keiki and Bryce turned up at the apartment.

“Hey you!” Kyra shrieked as soon as Matthew opened the door. She almost bowled him over in a hug. “How dare you talk me into this surgery and then get so poisoned that it’s too dangerous for you to come visit afterwards?!”

“I’m sorry!” Matthew groaned, hugging Kyra tightly. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“I’m at my parents for now but I’m still having a lot of hospital check-ups. Surely it’s safe for you to come see me now?”

“I’m sure I can.”

Kyra won over Keiki as easily as she had Matthew, particularly with stories of drunken Bryce and intern Bryce. By the time the rest of the gang was ready to leave for the airport, they had commandeered the entire sofa and seemed to have no intention of moving from it until Sunday night.

The generosity of Panacea Labs apparently covered hotel rooms but not flights, and Matthew had to patiently explain to the grumpy man in front of him that he wasn’t purposely kicking his seat, his legs were too long to comfortably fit into the space between the cheap economy seats. He got little sympathy and had to suffer in silence throughout the flight, hoping his book would be enough to distract him.

Sienna and Aurora were also sat in his row. Sienna seemed down.

“Mitch quit this afternoon,” she explained in a low voice.

“Is that much of a surprise? He never really struck me as competent.”

“No, but…I feel like maybe it’s partly my fault. I spent half the year making excuses and then it became too much and I blew up. If I had handled myself better—”

“Sienna, don’t blame yourself,” Aurora said. “You’ve been through so much crap lately, you didn’t blow up just because of Mitch’s attitude.”

“How has it been since you told him off?” Matthew asked. “Did he take you seriously?”

“He did, finally, but he didn’t think. Jackie told me that Gary always knew where to go after he was done with a patient, but I had to constantly tell Mitch to go down to the ER, or check for new cases coming in. I couldn’t figure out if he was afraid of doing things wrong or still being purposely incompetent.”

Matthew and Aurora glanced at each other.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter,” Matthew said.

“Agreed.”

Sienna sank down in her seat.

“I just don’t really know what to do anymore,” she said. “After I blew up at Mitch, Zaid decided to reassign some of my cases…he thought I was stressed and overworked, and still affected from the attack. He wasn’t wrong but now I don’t know how to fill out the rest of my time. I’ll just think about Danny, which won’t help anyone.”

“Elijah does a bit of research outside of his work,” Matthew said. “Maybe you could do something like that too, just to give you some focus that’s not direct cases.”

“It doesn’t have to be forever either,” Aurora said.

“I guess.”

Sienna rested her head on Aurora’s shoulder companionably.

All thoughts of work were forgotten when they touched down in Vegas and caught their first sight of the strip. Neon lights as far as the eye could see, life-size replicas of world landmarks towering over them. New York City might have been the city that never sleeps but Matthew was sure the title ought to be re-crowned. He felt like a dork, gazing open-mouthed at the lights that surrounded him but it was impossible to look away.

“Someone help me,” Bryce grinned. “I think I burned my eyes looking at Excalibur.”

“Follow me, Lancelot,” Aurora laughed.

They were staying in an extremely fancy hotel: just the reception area was swathed in marble floors and gilded statues. The crystal chandelier was most definitely real crystal and gold. When Jackie gave her name at the desk, the receptionist gave an almost crawly smile. Jackie seemed to cringe and swiftly led the group to the elevators – which were probably bigger than their apartment’s bathroom – and they flew up to the top floor and into the penthouse.

“Holy crap!”

They had walked into a sweeping room with floor-to-ceiling windows, remote controlled spotlights in the ceiling, several plush sofas that looked as comfortable as a bed, plasma TVs in the wall facing a fully-stocked minibar.

“Check out this bath!” Sienna squealed. Matthew looked into a marble bathroom to find a big circular tub, mounted on several steps, big enough for Sienna to lie flat in.

“Want me to run you a jacuzzi?” Matthew said, looming menacingly over the buttons.

“Not yet!” Sienna scrambled out the tub, giggling.

“Just remember this was paid for with blood money,” Jackie warned as she flicked through a menu. “On that note, who wants to help me rob Panacea with room service?”

Matthew couldn’t help smirking: Ethan had had a similar philosophy last year, and Jackie would be sick if he told her that.

As Jackie put in a call to the front desk for a Panacea-funded feast, Matthew snuck into one of the bedrooms and sprawled out on the king-sized four poster bed, marvelling at the silk sheets and velvet throws, then took out his phone to call Rafael.

“Matthew!” He sounded happy. “How’s the city of lights?”

“Pretty sure that’s Paris, not Vegas.”

“There is an Eiffel Tower there.”

Matthew moved to the window where he could see the Eiffel Tower replica glowing against the night sky.

“Fair point. I’ll give it to you.”

Raf chuckled.

“It’s good to hear your voice. I was getting a little jealous thinking of you guys hitting the town without me.”

“I know. I wish you could have come with us.”

“Me too, but I’ve got a super-heavy physical therapy schedule and Dr Mirani doesn’t want me travelling far at the moment.”

“I know, I know.” Matthew didn’t want Raf to get caught up in what he was missing out on. “So, what are you up to now?��

“Right now I’m at Vovó’s for family dinner!” His voice perked right up. “You should smell the moqueca she has on the stove…”

Matthew could picture the scene: Juliana’s bright kitchen, Rafael probably trying to help out and being told to relax, his parents gently teasing each other.

“That sounds amazing. Remind me to invite myself over again soon.”

“That won’t be hard.”

Someone knocked on the door of the bedroom, and he heard Sienna’s voice asking if he was OK.

“I should probably get back,” he said, reluctantly. “Heist plans to make and all that…”

“Go, have fun! And…get into some trouble, OK? For the two of us.”

“I will,” Matthew smiled. “Say hello to your family for me. And the next time I’m in Vegas, I fully expect you to be here with me.”

“Actually I have good news on that front: I could be up for some travel in a few months, if I keep up with my recovery schedule.”

“That’s great, Raf!”

Matthew felt comforted as they exchanged goodbyes and hung up. He had been a little concerned with what Raf would think of the plan, but he had been encouraging, and Matthew was glad Raf was having fun back home.

As they ate dinner – a variety of world foods that they could all pick and share – they put their plan together. The next day would be the main conference which Jackie, Aurora, Sienna and Elijah would attend. Matthew was off the hook as he and Nash still hated each other. He was just going to make the most of the luxury penthouse. Bryce had volunteered to keep Matthew company, though he would probably take another stroll down the strip. Saturday evening would be the big one for all of them. The execs would be drinking and gambling and this was when Jackie hoped their tongues would be loose enough to reveal a few dirty secrets.

Matthew slept in on Saturday morning and soaked in the jacuzzi for a couple of hours. He was lounging on the couch in a fluffy bathrobe when Bryce came back from his explore.

“Check out what I bought for Keiki!”

He reached into a shopping bag and pulled out a little model of Elvis Presly. When the button was pressed, Elvis sang a few bars of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and wiggled his hips.

“Just what she’s always wanted,” Matthew laughed. “Maybe I should get one for Raf.”

“Do it and they can have a dance-off.” Bryce flopped onto the couch beside Matthew and took some chocolate out of the shopping bag to share.

“How are you doing, anyway?” Matthew asked. “I couldn’t believe that your parents had come into the hospital.”

“Yeah,” Bryce said, heavily. “That was…something. But people have actually been quite nice about it, which I didn’t expect. And people talking about me in general is nothing new.” He acted cocky, smoothing his hair back, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “But I got so angry when I first saw them, even though it’s been years. It…scared me,” he admitted. “I used to punch the wall after I argued with my parents, and at the time I told myself it was OK because it wasn’t a person. But that’s hardly a healthy reaction. Keiki and I argue, what if I get angry with her?”

Matthew rubbed his shoulder. “I think the fact that you’re worried about it is a good sign,” he said. “You’ve been making it work with Keiki for a while now. But the anger caused by your parents will be different than arguing with your sister. Much less extreme.”

“I suppose,” Bryce nodded. “But…there’s a lot to think about at the moment….Stuff to work out…Things to decide.”

Matthew waited, but Bryce didn’t elaborate.

“Are you going to tell me about that…?”

“Maybe later.” Bryce casually popped a chocolate into his mouth. “But not today. Today we help Jackie.”

“If you say so,” Matthew said. “But I’m here for you.”

“You’re a doctor, not a psychologist. But thanks.” Bryce ruffled Matthew’s hair, then paused, sniffing the air. “Dude…did you use rose bubble bath or something?”

“It was so foamy!”

****

That night, the suite was a flurry of activity as everyone got dressed up for the evening. Matthew kept it very simple in a black silk shirt. Elijah was in a maroon tux, and Bryce was in a navy tux with a matching flower print shirt.

“Only you could wear flower print and pull it off,” Jackie sighed, as she fixed a pair of sparkly earrings to her ears. She looked particularly striking in a short, tight sparkly blue halter-necked dress and black heels, though her hair was in its usual bun. Sienna had offered to style it differently, but Jackie had brushed her off. Whatever the morning conference had been about, she had come back with fire in her eyes and had been on edge all afternoon. Meanwhile, Aurora wore the red dress she had worn to her school reunion, and Sienna was in a glittering black cocktail dress, curling her hair for the occasion.

Walking into the casino was quite the assault on the senses. Music blared, slot machines squealed and buzzed, dealers called for bets, gamblers cheered in delight or howled in anguish. Lights flashed in every corner and cocktail waitresses strutted round offering shots…for a small fee, of course.

“Alright heist crew,” Elijah said, rubbing his hands together. “Where do we start?”

“I can see Nash talking to someone at the poker tables,” Matthew said.

“Let’s start there. But we need to be subtle,” Jackie said. “I say we go over in small groups to eavesdrop. Except Matthew, make sure you stay out of Nash’s sight.”

Bryce and Jackie strolled over to the poker tables. Elijah and Sienna went in that general direction, pretending to look around. Matthew hid at a slot machine. Aurora did the same, but positioned closer to Nash’s table.

“I’ve been hearing Solomon Health had a very good year.” Matthew could just make out Declan’s voice. “And I’ve been hearing rumours about vertical integration?”

“You using that machine or what?” someone behind Matthew said rudely. He jumped, then glared as he loaded a quarter into the machine and pulled the lever…only for the machine to start spinning and line up three golden sevens! The entire machine lit up and squealed with sirens as coins started rattling out, into his cup and onto the ground. The rude person looked scandalised.

“What the hell?!” Aurora gasped.

“It was a mistake,” Matthew groaned as Nash started craning his neck looking for the jackpot winner.

“Mr Nash! Good to see you!” Aurora called as she hurried over to Declan. He looked surprised, but pleased.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Dr Emery!”

“Well, my aunt couldn’t make it so she asked if I would go and represent the family.”

“And you work at Mass Kenmore now, I believe. Interesting…”

As Aurora subtly turned Nash away from the slot machines, Matthew hastily grabbed his cup and dashed away. There were still a ton of coins on the floor but he didn’t care; the rude gambler could have those.

Bryce and Jackie caught up with him as he was paying in his winnings: he had managed to catch a few thousand.

“How could you win a slot machine on the first go?” Bryce said. “You’re so jammy.”

“Never mind that, did you find out anything?”

“I heard something about Solomon Health and vertical integration,” Matthew said, as the other three caught up with them.

“I’ve heard about that,” Elijah said. “Vertical integration is when a company owns its own supply chain. Basically, Solomon Health are trying to create a monopoly.”

“I spoke with one of the Solomon reps and he kept saying there were ‘big plans’ for Mass Kenmore too,” Aurora said, darkly.

Jackie gritted her teeth.

“It doesn’t help us deal with Panacea. We need to try again.”

“Declan’s still at the poker table,” Sienna said. “This woman came to join him just before we came to join you, but he seems to know her well.”

The group peered over at the poker tables. A tall woman in a bespoke suit and black hair in a high ponytail sipped from a champagne flute and laughed at what Nash said.

“That’s Panacea’s CEO, Charlotte St Yves!” Jackie gasped. As she spoke, Charlotte downed the rest of her champagne and walked to the stairs that led to the sportsbook. She wobbled a little as she went.

“Charlotte seems to have had a few…I bet we could get her to talk. And taking down the CEO would be major,” Elijah said.

Jackie frowned.

“I don’t know…I still think it’s worth following Nash.”

“How about you and I stick with Nash, the others can follow Charlotte,” Bryce said. “Text us when you’re ready to meet up,” he added to the group.

The elevator doors opened to a modern sports lounge filled with flatscreen TVs, leather recliners and loungers.

“Pretend we belong,” Aurora reminded everyone as they stepped out. Charlotte was in a recliner, swirling clear liquid in a glass tumbler. Elijah started rolling towards the TV closest to her and the others followed.

“Yesss, Nick Lawson’s playing tonight. We gotta bet on him,” he said. Matthew and the girls settled on the loungers.

“This sportsbook is fancy,” Sienna noted. “So, where do we place our bets?”

“There’s a screen on the arm of the lounger,” Charlotte said, looking over at them.

Perfect Matthew thought as he gave Charlotte a smile.

“Thanks. We’re clearly not from around here.”

“What brings you to Vegas?”

“Er…”

“We were at high school together,” Aurora said. “Every year we take a trip to a different city.”

“Nice! Where are you from originally?”

“Boston.”

“I know Boston quite well,” Charlotte smirked. Matthew and Aurora shared a glance; of course she did.

“Do you travel a lot?” Sienna asked.

“A fair amount. I have a lot of conferences with work.”

“What is it that you do?”

“I work with Panacea Labs. We provide a lot of pharmaceuticals.”

They chatted a little longer about the beginnings of Panacea – Charlotte was drunk enough to let slip that she had always looked for tax loopholes, even in the early days – and then back to the basketball, which had just reached half time.

“So,” Charlotte said, slurring her words. “Who’s up for a bet? Sports games like this are unpredictable. Every game means lives and futures hang in the balance.”

“Sounds ominous,” Matthew muttered to Sienna. “Do you think that’s the drink talking?”

“It’s hard to tell either way,” Sienna whispered back.

Charlotte clicked her fingers at the server for a refill as Matthew watched a reporter interviewing a sweaty player. He seemed confident, almost overly so.

“That’s Antonia Morrison. He’s an absolute monster. The opposition will need a lot of luck getting past him.”

“So you think he’s the one?” Charlotte’s finger hovered over her betting screen. “The bookmakers have put an over-under on him of 15.5 points in the second half.”

Matthew continued watching the TV as Morrison wrapped up his interview, but as he stretched, he winced: a classic sign of hip-flexor strain. Elijah had gone pensive. He seemed to be thinking the same thing.

“You know what? I think Morrison will score under fifteen points.”

Charlotte giggled and her well-manicured hands tapped on her screen.

“Did you just bet a hundred grand?!” Matthew yelped.

“Exciting, isn’t it? Probably a teensy bit more than what you’re used to.”

The group watched the screens with baited breath. Matthew could feel himself sweating…and Morrison fell short of fifteen points before the final buzzer.

“We did it!” Sienna squealed. “I mean…he didn’t do it…but she did it!”

Matthew felt a little dizzy and he wondered if he’d been breathing properly at all for that second half.

“Well played!” Charlotte crowed, reaching over to shake his hand. “This calls for a celebration. I have a VIP lounge booked at the MGM Grand. Find me there and I’ll buy a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem.

“We’ll be there!” Matthew said as Charlotte staggered away. He could hardly believe his luck. Maybe he should place a bet for himself.

“Come on,” Aurora said. “We need to get Jackie and Bryce.”

Jackie was thrilled with their success. She had a recording of Nash saying they purposely extended testing periods and withheld breakthroughs from the public eye because they knew it would lose the money from the long-term treatment…but Nash was nothing compared to a confession from the CEO.

The MGM Grand was a huge nightclub with a long line of people waiting to get in. They didn’t recognise any Panacea honchos in the line…clearly they had queue-jumping privileges.

“We need to get past the bouncer,” Jackie scowled. “Bryce, flirt with him until he lets us in.”

“What?” Bryce spluttered. “What if he’s not into dudes?”

“Since when has that stopped you?” Sienna laughed.

Bryce rolled his eyes, but put on a charming smile and strutted to the bouncer who watched him warily. The group waited as Bryce ran his hand up the bouncers arm…the bouncer rolled his eyes and waved him in. Everyone else charged in after him.

“What did you say?”

“Well, I used my medical training to be very specific about which body parts of our anatomies would fit together…and he let me in on the grounds that I would never speak to him again.”

The group laughed. Matthew looked at Jackie, expecting a witty remark, but she was frowning and her eyes were focused straight ahead where Nash and Charlotte were in the VIP lounge.

“Jackie? You OK?”

“Come help me get my phone ready. You guys wait here.” Jackie grabbed Matthew by the front of his shirt and dragged him towards a bathroom.

“Wait, I can’t go in there!”

“It’s fine, just pretend we’re hooking up.”

A few women were fixing their make-up in the mirror. They jumped when Matthew was dragged in, then burst into giggles when he and Jackie crammed into a stall and locked it behind them.

“You owe me for this.”

“I’ll owe you for a lifetime.” Jackie’s hands trembled as she swiped at her phone, her brow furrowed in fury. “I got an app that filters out background noise. I’ll set it up and we’ll nail those bastards to the wall.”

She accidentally tapped out the app and cursed loudly. Matthew gently took the phone from her to continue the set-up. Jackie leaned against the wall, her hands clenched into fists.

“We need to find something, Matthew. I need Nash to suffer.”

“You’re not the only one who wants that.”

“No. I need it. Nash is out there, right now, making deals that will literally kill people as he drinks champagne. He deserves to lose everything.”

“You’re getting a bit…intense,” Matthew said in alarm. “Why do you want this so bad?”

Jackie made a strangled noise as she kicked at the wall. Matthew’s stomach squeezed when he saw the tears in her eyes when she faced him.

“This is the only way I know how to make it right. I let them buy me off and I hate myself for it. Nash is a slime bag but I should have done better. I was the one who was too weak. And it’s going to carry on…Nash will make his shady deals and there’ll be plenty of desperate doctors willing to help in exchange for extra cash.” She hastily dabbed her thumb under her eyes. “Sorry…I’ve barely slept over this.”

“Jackie, this isn’t all on you…”

“No. If I can do something to stop it…it won’t solve the whole problem but it’s a start. I’m sick of Big Pharma.”

Matthew’s heart broke for her. He handed the phone back, ready to record.

“Let’s go take them down.”

They found their friends at the edge of the dancefloor and huddled together. Jackie thrust the phone into Matthew’s hands, agitated.

“You need to do it,” she said. “I’m too…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence but she didn’t need to. Matthew squeezed her hand as he took the phone.

“Maybe it’s best if one of us goes anyway,” Elijah said. “You were the one who made the bet, Matthew. If she asks, just say we had to stop somewhere but we’re on our way.”

“We’ll wait for you on the rooftop terrace,” Bryce added.

He went with Aurora and Jackie, whilst Elijah and Sienna waited in the corner until Nash drained his glass and stood up. Almost as soon as he was in the main area of the club, Elijah rolled into him and Sienna started waylaying him about the Panacea perks program. Matthew ducked under the VIP rope.

“There you are!” Charlotte was trashed. “Where are your friends?”

“They wanted to stay at the casino a bit longer but they’re on their way,” Matthew said as Charlotte poured him a generous glass of champagne. “I still can’t believe how easily you placed a hundred thousand dollar bet…”

“I forgot how shocking the numbers can seem to the lower classes but it’s child’s play, really.”

Matthew ignored the jab. Charlotte had to keep talking.

“Humans are designed to thrive on adrenaline. The greater the risk, the greater the pay-off.” She smirked. “C’mon, you must get a rush from something.”

“Well…I once impersonated a doctor.”

“How?”

“I was at the mall and someone started choking. They called for a doctor but no one stood…so I ran up and did the Heimlich, like they do on TV.” He shrugged it off. “It worked. The guy woke up. And the ambulance crew asked me which hospital I worked at and thanked me for my service.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Matthew had saved someone from choking in a mall food court during his med school years, but he had made it very clear he was only a student. The people hadn’t cared; they wanted their friend to be OK, and Matthew was the closest thing to a doctor they could get.

“Unbelievable. You got lucky,” Charlotte said. “When I was your age, I snuck into the lion exhibit at Atlanta Zoo.”

“You snuck into the…?”

“They’re just big kitties at the end of the day!”

They swapped a few more stories, but just as Matthew worried he was running out of life experiences to base his lies on, Charlotte took a big gulp of champagne.

“You want risks? I increased my company’s quarterly profits by sixty percent by inflating the wholesale prices of our most used drugs!”

Matthew spluttered. Charlotte had just confessed to text book medicare fraud.

“How would that even work?”

“Easy. Officially price the product at ten times retail. Medicare pays us the full amount for it and we just happen to offer a ninety percent wholesale discount to other buyers.” She sat back, happily. “My head’s going to be sore in the morning,” she giggled.

Matthew’s head was spinning. He had to get away from Charlotte.

“Well, I don’t think I can top that so hats off to you.” He forced a big grin while feeling like he might throw up. “Be right back, I gotta use the bathroom.”

Charlotte waved him off as Matthew ducked into the crowd and bolted for the stairs. The cool night air shocked him for a second before his friends gathered round him. The initial reaction was the same disgust he had felt, but then it turned celebratory when they realised it was perfect.

“I can’t believe it! You did it!” Jackie gasped, pulling him into a surprise huge hug. “Gimme the phone, I’ll take it from here.”

“Charlotte could go to jail for this,” Aurora said, as Jackie trimmed down the recording to just the admission. “Can you believe we pulled it off?”

“I might have known!” said a smarmy voice. Declan Nash had found them, just as Elijah and Sienna appeared from the elevator, aghast.

“I got suspicious when those two started hounding me about the perks program. Amateurs.” He looked at them with disdain before turning to Jackie. “Now, give me that phone.”

Jackie stepped forward to face Nash, holding up the phone showing the audio ready to send.

“I have a friend at the New York Times who was very interested to hear the goings-on in Panacea. You make one more move and I hit send.”

Nash went pale.

“W-What do you want? Money? We can talk deal,” He spluttered. “I could get you a consultant job at Panacea alongside your doctor job if you want!”

“You think this is about money?” Matthew snapped. Money seemed to have been the cause of most of his problems this year and he had had enough. From constantly asking how much patients could pay Edenbrook, all the way back to his father covering his sisters medical bills, and then screwing over Holly during the divorce. Had the world always been this way, or had he just now noticed? “You think we did this for a pay out? Not everyone is as disgustingly greedy as you are. The only thing we want is to get Panacea out of Edenbrook and Kenmore for good.”

“I can make that happen too!” Nash said, but then he paused. “Although…you know if you send that, you won’t come out of this clean.”

“What?”

“A story this big would lead to investigations. Every single doctor who took payments from Panacea Labs…and how many payments they took.”

He raised an eyebrow, pointedly. Matthew expected Jackie to flip Nash off and send the file, but she had frozen in place.

“So it was a couple of consultations. Big deal!” Sienna protested, but Nash laughed nastily. He still had cards to play.

“Your friends don’t know, do they? Well, kids, Jackie here was one of the highest perk recipients at the hospital.” He said the words with relish, and crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk, thinking he had won. Jackie couldn’t look anyone in the eye. She had lied to them.

“So that’s why they gave you the penthouse,” Elijah finally said into the shocked silence.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Sienna asked.

Tears welled in Jackie’s eyes.

“Because I was ashamed. I hate myself for all of it. I wanted to tell you…but I couldn’t get the words out.”

The conversation with Jackie in the bathroom stall suddenly made more sense.

“No patient or doctor would trust you again after this. You’d be out of a job,” Nash said, coldly. He held out his hand. “Just give me the phone so I can delete the message. I’ll move Panacea out of your hospitals. You keep your job. No harm done.”

Jackie tensed…then shook her head, and glared at Nash with cold fury.

“No. There was harm done, and you need to pay for it. And so do I.”

She hit send…and they all heard the swoop of the confirmation.

“NO!” Nash roared. For a moment he looked like he wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around Jackie’s neck and squeeze. Matthew readied himself to fight him off, but then Nash whirled around and tore down the stairs. Matthew and Aurora raced after him, reaching the club in time to hear Charlotte’s furious screech, joined by other execs as Nash rounded them up. As they neared the door, Charlotte finally spotted Matthew.

“You little shit!” She spat. “How could you do this to me?”

“To you? You’re defrauding millions of people!”

“I think you’ll have to start placing slightly smaller bets, Charlotte,” Aurora grinned, high-fiving Matthew which made Charlotte even angrier but there was no time to rip them to shreds now.

Despite the fact the club was still raving, the roof terrace felt peaceful when they returned. Jackie was slumped on a bench with the others gathered round her.

“You didn’t have to sacrifice your career for this,” Sienna said as she sat beside Jackie and put an arm around her. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Me too,” Aurora said, going to Jackie’s other side. “You’re a brave, strong woman, Jackie.”

“What you did took a lot of guts.”

“You did good, nose-wiper.”

“I’m proud of you, too.”

Jackie glanced round at her friends, and finally managed a tired smile.

“Thanks guys.”

The six of them sat in peaceful silence in the cool night breeze. They seemed to have almost forgotten where they were until a heavy bass started thumping beneath them.

“So…” Elijah said. “Do we go home right now and wait for the headlines to hit, or do we make the most of an all-expenses-paid trip to Vegas that features a recently-vacated VIP lounge?”

The group started to laugh, then excitement grew again as they piled into the elevator and went back down to the club floor, where they wasted no time filling the VIP lounge and helping themselves to he abandoned champagne. It didn’t take long for Matthew’s head to spin and when he started feeling a deep love and gratitude for his friends, he grabbed a half-drunk bottle and stumbled to the edge of the lounge.

“Can I interest anyone in a drink?” he announced, to a rousing cheer. Clubgoers surged forward, and he poured champagne directly into their open mouths, feeling like a god.

Sienna and Bryce were dancing wildly. Elijah and Aurora were doing shots of tequila. Jackie shimmied over to Matthew and leaned on him heavily.

“You’re amazing,” she said, loudly. “Thank you. For everything. I mean it.”

Matthew smiled as he wrapped an arm around her, but somewhere in his fuzzy brain he thought it might be time to retire. He and Jackie stumbled out of the club and into a taxi back to their hotel.

“I miss Raf,” Matthew groaned loudly, as they collapsed on the penthouse couches.

“I know you do, you big dumb-ass,” Jackie said, kicking off her shoes. “Hey Matthew…I’m really sorry I lied…I just couldn’t stand the idea that everyone might hate me when I already hated myself—”

“Ssssshhh.” Matthew leaned over and gave her a big hug. “It’s all in the past. You’re redeemed. And we don’t hate you. I love you.”

Jackie hugged him back, then started sniffling.

“Sorry,” she wailed. “But I haven’t slept and I’m a bit drunk—hey!”

“Let’s get you to bed.” Matthew had swept Jackie into a fireman’s lift and carried her into a bedroom where he threw her onto the bed. He flopped onto it beside her, and soon they were drifting into a deep, drunken sleep.

****

Matthew woke up at noon the next day, with a sore head and a dry mouth. Jackie had woken up before him and he could hear his friends shuffling around the penthouse. He groaned as he rolled over and felt the smoothness of his phone, revealing a text from Rafael: several laughing emojis followed by ‘how are you feeling this morning?? xx’.

Matthew panicked, wondering what he might have sent, but opened up the message thread and snorted with laughter: ‘yur fuvkinn awesummd Raf xxzxxxcx’.

He called him, and he picked up immediately, laughing at the sound of Matthew’s condition.

“Sounds like you had a great night!”

“I don’t think I even drank that much…my tolerance has been shot.”

“I don’t want to think about what mine might be like,” Raf said. “So, anyway, there was breaking news report this morning where a bunch of Panacea reps were arrested. Anything to do with you?”

Matthew was about to recount the full story of their success when he heard a shout that pierced his head: “BRYCE, NO, WE’RE ON THE THIRTY-FIFTH FLOOR!”

“What the--?”

Forgetting his hangover for a second, Matthew scrambled into the living room. Bryce was on the balcony, leaning over the railing. Everyone was crowded round him, laughing and groaning.

“Raf’s on the phone,” Matthew said, squinting in the daylight. “What’s going on?”

“Bryce threw up over the balcony.”

“Eeeeww!”

“If the people don’t have an umbrella, that’s on them,” Bryce said, as defiantly as he could in his hungover state.

****

News of Panacea spread quickly through Edenbrook. It was a double-edged sword. Matthew knew what it meant for Jackie, but Panacea was immediately closed pending investigation and certain medications were now inaccessible. Some patients had to be sent to other hospitals that had better supply. Even when Edenbrook did have an alternative, it was only through another pharmaceutical company that could have had the same level of corruption as Panacea.

Matthew met Jackie and Sienna by the entrance on Monday night to walk home together. They were all subdued, still with a touch of hangover and the hospital’s financial crisis heavier than ever, when Aurora burst through the doors gasping for breath.

“Thank god you’re here,” she choked. “I was just told…Kenmore don’t want to merge…the board decided…Solomon Health bought us out and the board doesn’t want to share that…they said there’s no need to lean on Edenbrook.”

“Oh god,” Matthew groaned. June had been right about the liability of Thorne pushing hospitals away. Ethan had been right about greedy hospital boards. And if Senator Farrugia had been adamant to keep research funds from Edenbrook…

They were doomed.

Tags: @sazanes @rafasgirl23415 @ceruleansnake0

#playchoices #open heart #rafael aveiro #mc x rafael aveiro

2 notes · View notes

griffinsboyfriend · 1 year ago

Note

Put everyone in bed with MC except Ethan.

Everyone! Baz, Tobias, Bryce, Raf, Elijah, Zaid etc

Honestly! That choice should’ve been a selection!

#griffinsbf ask #saintfourr

2 notes · View notes

darcyxpalmer · 6 months ago

Text

It was both frustrating and amusing at the same time, watching Zaid list and list and list question after question, fully expecting Darcy to know the answers as if she's been doing it, hopping between shadows, since the moment she was born.

There was a small voice in the back of her mind that said, she probably has been, that all of them have been in full control of their abilities before they signed up for the adventure, and part of what they were here to be tested on was just how well and how fast they could develop and find control of their abilities as adults as if they just got them, which was part of the reason the memories they all had of signing up had to be taken.

"Careful, you almost sound actually curious about all of this. As if you want to figure things out," she couldn't help but tease him, taking a sip of her coffee. Tried to drink it as slow as possible even if she wanted to gobble it up in two big gulps.

"But yeah, most of your questions are what I am also trying to figure out myself. I'm practicing, but it's hard to determine if things happen cause I'm intentionally willing it to or cause I just tried long enough and I got lucky that it happened one time. And since there are nobody else who has the same powers - which is pretty cool, by the way, everyone having their own abilities is just awesome and once we all get control, it gives all of us such good opportunities, I'm telling you -, but it also means nobody and nothing to compare my progress with. Can't tell if I'm doing okay or not. The only reason I'd say I'm doing okay is cause I'm intentionally trying now while some people didn't realize what is their thing yet. Or really even accepted it.

A small beat, and then she continued. "But yeah, it feels a lot more natural and easier during the night. When it's all dark-- I don't know, it feels so much more comfortable. It feels like the darkness kind of envelopes me and if I want to go there, I just have to ask. Have to tug and then I'm folded over there. When it's the middle of the day, it still happened, but my control there-- it feels purely by sheer luck if it happens, and never when I intend it yet."

Darcy tilted her head, taking him in, his expression as she explained all of this. "Would this be something you're interested in? Figuring things out? In yours? Cause we could try to help each other. We don't have to be besties to be able to work together on something like this."

An offer that she quickly regretted when soon Zaid threw into her face that she was so horrible nobody would ever even want to be with her. And somehow it wasn't Elijah that she thought of, good, interesting, funny, kind Elijah who was supportive and whom she had a fling with in the simulations, and who was also on the island and could even confirm to Zaid that he was wrong, but the one that never was. And the one that blew up into her and other people's faces more than any relationship should be able to. What did those really say about her? Just how close to the truth was Zaid? Painfully close, if you asked Darcy.

Still, she raised her chin up and tried not to show the pain on her face (unfruitfully, it was written all over it, but at least she pretended like it wasn't). "Even the crazy ones could find people who can see something good in them, Zaid," she couldn't help but say even after Zaid apologized. "I'll not bring him up again."

She almost missed it, Zaid declaring himself dangerous. Darcy was focusing on the table and how it disappeared, and she heard his words, but barely, only catching the end of his crumpled face before he broke into a laughter - looked much better on him, truly. "Hey now, I was an amazing server, you would have rated me 15/10. I was great. But even I couldn't pull off a service this perfect. No, this has to be something else, something more."

Darcy stepped back in front of Zaid, away from the table. Thought about placing her palm onto his shoulder for a moment but then changed her mind. "And you're not dangerous. Even after something so out of your control, the damage wasn't too bad. If you can get a handle on it, you'll be fine. What if I accidentally teleport above somebody's head, fall onto them and break their neck? As long as it isn't intentional, you cannot worry about these things and let them overtake you. Learn control and you'll be fine. All of us will be fine."

Well, that was more than well-deserved, and Zaid returned Darcy's snarky smirk with one of his own. A silent exchange of 'touché' which, admittedly, did make Zaid feel a bit better. Razzing with someone usually did. Not that Zaid wanted to buddy up with someone like Darcy, he didn't want it to seem like he co-signed her harebrained ideas. And Darcy seemed to have no qualms talking about people to others. He definitely didn't want her to mention to anyone else 'Well me and Zaid thought that...'

But still. It was nice, really nice to just...get along. Like colleagues, who have to work together.

Strangely, Darcy wasn't leaping with excitement to show him what she could do, this 'teleporting', as she called it. He listened, frowning. "So...you can only teleport when there are shadows? I don't understand. What about there?" Between the way back from the warehouse to the hub, there was a copse of trees, shading the ground. "Erm...does shade work, or does it have to be like...a shadow?" Zaid paused to look down at his own shadow, stretching long in the morning sun. He pointed at it, then questioningly at Darcy. "What about at night, means you can go anywhere you wanted, yeah? How big does the shadow have to be, can you use something small?"

Darcy pressed about Tej, and Zaid tried to take the highest road he could - which was silence, until Darcy could acknowledge they were exes. Of course she'd find a way to make it tied to the simulation. "No, we're not civil. Avoiding seems best, don't you think? Why am I asking you for relationship advice, no one would date you."

Zaid stopped short, realizing that lashing cruelty of those words, regardless of Darcy's personal preferences. "Erm. Sorry. That was absolutely rude of me, I apologize. Tej...he brings out the worst in me, let's just leave it at that, yeah? We - we didn't have a good end, and I'd rather not talk about him. Or say such inappropriate things to you. I'm sorry, Darcy."

And then Darcy offered her own apology, somewhat placating too. Because Zaid was internally freaking out of the idea of vapourizing things, like a table. Or a person. What if he'd been responsible for blowing up Maria? The salt aftertaste just an effect of the beach and salty air?

He wanted to cry, but he wouldn't Instead, he stood there miserably, whilst Darcy nattered on beside him. Talking about things she loved, about figuring things out. She'd moved on from the vapourizing thing so easily, but it was harder for him. "I'm dangerous..." he murmured, suddenly awash with so much overwhelming grief and guilt, it almost sent him to his knees.

The punch of emotion was so palpable, that watching Darcy comically waving her arms in the air to test for an invisible table made Zaid suddenly laugh. A burble of laughter, which helped him break his own furor of feelings. To prevent descending into hysteria, Zaid took a long drink of his coffee, finishing the cup.

Things felt better. "Now tables can teleport too? Nah. Darcy, my love - it's like the entire feast, isn't it? How that all just appeared out of thin air, freshly prepared, properly cooled, properly heated, proper everything. It's not magic, it's - it's something else. Something like an ideal server at a restaurant. They bring you what you need and take away your finished dishes, and the diner doesn't even notice. Perfect service."

#interlude 001 #with: zaid #zaid 002 #apologies for the delay

25 notes · View notes