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silver-rings-and-rabbits · 5 months ago

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Open Heart 2 - Chapter 14

Returning to Normal

TW: This chapter references sexual assault

Rafael woke to the sound of birdsong. The room was light with the dawn and the outside world was quiet, except for the odd car driving past. Despite not sleeping until late, he felt better than he had in a long time though he suspected most of that was down to the fact Matthew was lying right beside him. Raf’s arm was dead where Matthew had been sleeping on it, but he didn’t care; if all Matthew needed was a long cuddle and a good night’s sleep, Raf would move heaven and earth to get him that.

The ringing of a phone interrupted the quiet. Matthew jerked, then scrambled out of bed to the dresser, where Raf had placed his belongings the night before when he showered. Rafael yelped as blood rushed back into his arm.

“’Ello?” Matthew said, blearily. “Oh, hi Sienna.”

Rafael reached over to turn on the bedside lamp, smiling as Matthew blinked in the sudden light. He was adorably confused and his hair was scruffy.

“Yeah, I’m OK. I went to Raf’s straight after the funeral.” Whatever Sienna said next made Matthew smile and blush. “Yeah we are.”

Rafael – still rubbing pins and needles out of his arm – pulled back the covers for Matthew to come back to bed. He did so, and instantly joined in rubbing his arm.

“Hang on…do you want to say hi?”

Matthew tapped the screen and held out the phone. Sienna’s voice came out the speakers: “Hi Raf!”

“Hi Sienna. Sorry I stole Matthew for the night.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I just wanted to check he was OK. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing alright now.” Raf squeezed closer to Matthew. “What about you?”

Sienna made a sound like she was trying not to cry. Matthew and Raf glanced at each other.

“Yesterday was hard,” Sienna sniffled. “But everyone says the worst is over so…I guess we just have to get through it.” She cleared her throat. “Jackie and Aurora are working today, Elijah and I have the day off. We were thinking about going to see Kyra later.”

“Do you need me to come home at all?” Matthew asked, uncertainly.

“No! God no, don’t hurry back on our account,” Sienna gasped. Raf felt slightly relieved. “You two should enjoy your day together, we’ll see you later. Sorry I called you in such a panic.”

“That’s OK. I’m sorry I didn’t text.”

The three of them said their goodbyes and Sienna hung up. Matthew placed the phone on the bedside table and turned to Raf, shifting enough to let him snuggle into his arms.

“Sorry about that,” he sighed. “Did it wake you?”

“No, I woke up a few minutes before. What time is it?”

“Just after seven. Do we have to get up?”

“Well, Vovó probably won’t be up for at least another hour…”

“Perfect. Is your arm OK?”

“Just a little numb, but it’s fine now.” He smiled. “You were worth it.”

Matthew chuckled and kissed Raf’s forehead. They didn’t say much else, just enjoying each other’s company in the sounds of the morning. Matthew loved how protective Raf's arms around him felt, but having Rafael curled into his chest turned out to be just as comforting. He kissed Raf again and smoothed his hair, hoping he could provide even a fraction of the sense of safety that Raf always brought him.

They stayed in that peaceful bubble until the minutes ticked over to 8AM when Raf stretched and smiled up at him.

“Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast?”

“That sounds great.”

Matthew noticed Raf moving cautiously as he got out of bed and changed into fresh clothes. He had spare clothes for Matthew to borrow; he was only a few inches taller than him after all.

Juliana’s door was still closed and Raf hesitated briefly before deciding not to wake her. It wasn’t just he and Matthew who’d been having sleep problems.

“What do you feel like?” Rafael asked as they entered the kitchen. “I don’t eat a huge amount at the moment, but Vovó always has a lot of food.”

“Woah.” Matthew had opened the fridge to find several stacks of egg boxes. Rafael chuckled.

“Dr Mirani suggested I up my protein and iron intake so Vovó went a bit overboard. You should see how much meat she has in the freezer.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Matthew said, reaching for a carton. “Scrambled eggs?”

“Sure.”

“Three eggs between us? What do you think?”

“That’s fine, we can always make more.”

Matthew went to break the eggs when Raf stopped him.

“Actually…can I cook? Vovó usually takes charge in the kitchen.”

“If you’d prefer.”

Matthew watched as Raf – still moving slowly and cautiously – broke and whisked three eggs in a bowl, then poured the mixture into a small pan.

“It’s not too much living with your grandma, is it?”

“No, no. She’s actually been very held-back. I think if she had her way, I’d be on 24/7 bedrest.” He smiled. “I have to remind her that I need to be regaining my independence, so if I get the chance to cook, I will.”

This was fine by Matthew, and he prepared toast and tea as Raf added small tomatoes and a selection of herbs to the pan. He kept glancing over at him, noticing how nice it was to see him just going about a mundane morning without the threat of him leaving, or someone else between them. Matthew wanted to hug him again…and then remembered he could.

“I forgot how affectionate you could sometimes get,” Rafael smiled, leaning back into Matthew’s touch as he hugged him from behind.

“Do you not like it? Because I can stop,” Matthew said, kissing Raf’s cheek. “Just say the word.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” Raf said, warmly. “I’m really happy to have you here.”

“Me too.”

Matthew squeezed him one more time and then let go for Raf to take the eggs off the heat and divide it between the toast slices. Taking their plates and mugs to the table, they sat down and clinked their mugs together before digging in. It tasted good, the herbs providing a burst of extra flavour, something Matthew had never thought to add to his own food when he cooked at home.

“Good morning you two.”

Juliana had just walked in, wrapped in a light purple dressing gown. She looked better than she had the night before and the two of them greeted her enthusiastically.

“Did you sleep OK?”

“Can we get you anything?”

“No, neither of you move,” She said, waving them off. “I can sort myself out. And yes, I slept quite well, thank you.” She started slicing up a grapefruit at the counter as Raf and Matthew finished their own breakfast. “By the way, Matthew, I put your clothes in the drier. I’ll run the iron over them and they’ll be good as new.”

“You don’t have to do that…”

“But I will.”

Raf squeezed Matthew’s hand under the table and whispered “Don’t fight it, she’s made up her mind.”

Juliana settled at the table and sprinkled sugar over her grapefruit.

“Will you be staying here for the rest of the day? Rafael’s parents will be coming over for dinner when they finish work. You’d be very welcome to join us.”

“That would be lovely, thanks,” Matthew said. “I should probably go back to roommates after though…can I visit again tomorrow?”

“Of course darling. You’re always welcome.”

She asked about his friends and the kind of work they did at the hospital, and when Matthew got to Bryce, Juliana laughed and said she had met him via video chat where he had flirted shamelessly and she had loved every minute.

“Do you have any plans today, Vovó?” Rafael asked.

“I had a haircut booked…and the car’s low on gas…I need to stock up some groceries too…”

“Good. You should go out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Do what you need to do. Catch up with some friends. You have a phone, we’ll call you if we need.”

Juliana’s ultimate faith in Matthew’s doctor skills prevailed and she agreed not to cancel her appointment. The boys went for a morning walk around the block, then started on a jigsaw puzzle on their return. Juliana joined in, between chapters of her book, until it was time to leave for her appointment.

Rafael sighed in relief when she left.

“That’s what I mean about her worrying over me too much. She already moved the haircut once since the attack, and she’s been avoiding taking the car where she can.”

“At least she’ll feel better having gone out and done it,” Matthew said. “Sometimes maintaining a normal routine is the best thing to do, for patients and carers. If Juliana feels better, you’ll feel better for her.”

“I know what you mean, you don’t need to explain,” Raf said, slightly amused. “You’re not supposed to be doctoring right now.”

“Tell that to Juliana,” Matthew teased.

The next couple of hours were fantastically normal. They worked on the thousand-piece puzzle until they got bored and moved to the couch, where Raf read a book whilst Matthew doodled in a spare notebook, and Raf eventually abandoned his reading to watch, fascinated, as Matthew effortlessly drew a cat sleeping in front of a fireplace.

“How’s Coco, by the way?” Matthew asked, remembering Raf’s old cat.

“She passed away over the summer.”

“Aaw, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s OK. She was very old. And we were with her at home.”

“Still, she was with you for so long…” Matthew said. He signed his drawing, then tore out the page and handed it to Raf. “You know you can always come over to play with Spooky if you need an animal companion.”

“Heh, thanks.”

They smiled at each other, then shared a slow, gentle kiss. Then another. Then another, picking up the pace. They kissed long and hard, until Raf was practically in Matthew’s lap. Raf’s hands ran along Matthew’s thighs as Matthew’s fingers tore through his hair. Excitement thrummed through Matthew’s body like electricity and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so keyed up.

“Wait,” Raf gasped. “Stop…”

“What’s wrong?!”

“I’m OK, I promise…just out of breath…Got a little dizzy…” Raf rested his head in the crook of Matthew’s neck. “Sorry…guess it’ll be a while before my stamina comes back.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Matthew said. “Do you want to go back to bed for a while?”

“…All those stairs…”

Matthew laughed, then scooted to one end of the couch and balanced a cushion in his lap.

“Alright, lie down on me.”

“You’re the best,” Raf said, happily, resting his head in Matthew’s lap. As Matthew’s hand gently combed through his hair, his heartbeat started to slow, and he did soon find himself drifting into a peaceful doze.

Matthew sat back against the couch, watching him sleep and listening to the Brazilian pop music drifting from the kitchen radio. He was starting to get pins and needles in his legs but he had no intention of disturbing Raf, not when Raf had held him through the night. Besides, he looked too peaceful where he was.

He started when he heard the key in the door but when Juliana came in carrying a grocery bag, she just smiled and told him not to move before unpacking groceries and making them both some coffee.

“How are you doing?” Matthew asked.

“Today has been the best I’ve been since he was attacked,” Juliana said, sounding weary. “I almost collapsed when I first heard…stayed with my son for a little while. Rafael never wants me to see him in hospital, but I never felt that he was safe until he was home. It helps, knowing he’s got you around,” she added, sipping her coffee. “I’m so glad you could be there for him. When I heard that Sora left him the way he did…”

Her eyes narrowed and something close to fury flashed across her face. Matthew had never seen that side of her; it was terrifying.

“Juliana…I want you to know that I care about Rafael so much…”

“I know you do, darling.” Juliana’s anger had gone, instantly replaced with her grandmotherly smile. “He cares a lot about you too. When he came home from walking with you yesterday, he was holding his head higher, and his smile…I haven’t seen him smile like that in months.” She looked at Matthew trustingly. “I’m so glad you two found each other again.”

****

That evening, Raf and Matthew were sat at the kitchen table, being entertained by Raf’s family. Juliana was chastising Pablo for getting in her way in the kitchen, and Natalia was telling them about a time after she and Pablo had just moved in together. They had invited his parents for dinner, but she accidentally spilled cooking oil onto his leg. By the time Raf’s grandparents turned up, Pablo was in the bathtub, spraying cool water onto his burns.

“Of course, Juliana knew how to treat a burn and Bernardo helped me clean up in the kitchen,” Natalia laughed. “I felt awful at the time though, I wanted to cry. I thought his family would never want to see me again after that.”

“And yet here you are,” Matthew grinned.

“Dad has so much leg hair I’m surprised the oil actually came into contact with his skin,” Rafael quipped.

“Ah, you’re just jealous,” Pablo laughed, joining them at the table.

Juliana served a large dish of stew, explaining to Matthew it was made with prawns, vegetables, tomatoes and onions. It smelled amazing and tasted even better.

“How’s your mom doing, Matthew?” Pablo asked. “We didn’t get to see her when she visited the hospital, will she be back soon?”

“She will,” Matthew nodded. “She’ll be here for a few days over Christmas.”

“I always host the whole family for Christmas,” Juliana said. “You’re both very welcome to join.”

“Really? It won’t be too much?”

“Of course not! There’ll always be room for you.”

“Mãe loves to host parties,” Pablo chuckled as Rafael slipped his hand into Matthew’s and squeezed it. “What were the holidays like at home for you?”

“Pretty quiet actually, just me and my mom. Sometimes my uncle as well,” Matthew said. “It was difficult for a long time after my sister died, but we got through it. It will be nice to have Mom around again this year.”

He’d worked through Christmas last year and, even though Edenbrook made the best of it, he had worried that Holly was lonely. He had called her after his shift and she told him she had volunteered in a soup kitchen before spending the afternoon and evening with her brother.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about your sister.”

Matthew nodded, and told them a little about Casey. Even though it was still sad to think about, talking about her kept her memory alive.

Conversation passed on to a lighter topic as Raf talked about his cousin – who he had almost moved in with in Brazil – wanted to come and see him in Boston. There were a lot of friends and family asking after him, and he still hadn’t got round to seeing everyone. He admitted it was extremely heart-warming to have so much support. Natalia almost cried.

****

Pablo dropped Matthew at his apartment that night, with his freshly-pressed memorial clothes in a bag and another tin of leftover food which his roommates happily dug into. Elijah reported that Kyra was in good spirits and already bored of bedrest. Jackie then said she had noticed Elijah chatting with the young woman who had moved in to the apartment across the hall in the summer, and thought she could sense some low-key flirting. Elijah shook his head. Sienna went quiet for a minute, then said to Elijah that he should go for it.

“You can flirt back and see what happens.”

“I think I’ve spoken to Phoebe four times in two months!”

“First name basis, which is more than the rest of us have got!”

Elijah brushed off more questions, so Sienna brought out a tin of freshly-baked cookies she’d made that morning. Elijah took the cookies, but pointed out it would take more than that to get him to talk. As they ate cookies and teased each other, Matthew thought he knew what Raf meant when he mentioned heart-warming support.

It continued that way for the next week. Matthew lived in some kind of bubble, where he only needed to think about balancing time in his apartment and time in Juliana’s house. Sometimes he would take a batch of Sienna’s cooking when he visited, which went down well. One evening he got Sienna herself on video chat and she ended up spending quite a long time talking to Juliana, who took a shine to her. Friends and family members would come by to see Rafael and were eager to meet Matthew, who they’d apparently heard so much about. Matthew was so pleased to be back in Rafael’s life that he didn’t care about anything else. Even the two of them spending an afternoon doing nothing was exciting. He would have been happy for time to freeze.

But, although the weather would freeze, time didn’t. Matthew found himself alone in the apartment one morning when his phone rang with an unrecognised number.

“Uh…hello?”

“Dr Valentine?”

“Speaking.”

Matthew started pacing the living room. It couldn’t be anyone from Edenbrook. He wasn’t supposed to return until next week.

“Ah, good. My name is Patrick Coleman, I’m a lawyer.”

Matthew swallowed. If it was to do with the attack, he wasn’t sure how much he wanted to talk about. Especially over the phone.

“I’ll keep this short. I understand you witnessed an altercation between Esme Ortega and Garrett Thorne at Donahue’s Bar on June fifteenth?”

Matthew stopped pacing.

“I was. What’s going on?”

“I will be representing Dr Ortega in a hearing against Dr Thorne and I would like it if you could give a witness statement from that night. Dr Ortega would also like for you to be present at the hearing, if you can. Can you get to Edenbrook Hospital for 10AM on December the fifth?”

“Uh, sure. I mean, of course. I can do both of those things,” Matthew gulped. He had told Esme she could call him if she needed, but she hadn’t. He wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t needed his help for work – especially whilst working under Zaid – but he was a little surprised she hadn’t said a single word about this. What exactly had happened in the hospital whilst he had been off? He wasn’t sure to return to work until December tenth, but he could come back to support Esme…right?

He took down Mr Coleman’s details, then carefully tried Esme’s phone. She answered quickly.

“Hey. Guess Mr Coleman got in touch.”

“Yeah. And, uh, what the hell?” He shook his head. “Sorry, I just mean…what’s going on? What did I miss? I did not expect a lawyer telling me my intern was going to trial.”

“Yeah, it happened kinda fast. I got his surgical shunt booked, and then he started giving me these weird looks and making little digs. Said I was going to ‘get what was coming to me’ and some shit about…’girls like me’.” Her pause was long enough for Matthew to wonder what she wasn’t telling him. “It kept going on, right until he got prepped for surgery. Then, when Dr Emery came to check up on him after the surgery, the idiot was talking about it in his sleep. She got the full story out of me and then reported him to the board. Next thing I know, I’m meeting Mr Coleman and preparing for a hearing.”

“Holy crap,” Matthew breathed. “But…that’s good, right? He can finally face consequences for what he did.”

“Hmm. Except he has power, and money, and I’ve only been an intern for half a year, so who is the board more likely to listen to?”

“OK, you’re not wrong. But you’ve got Harper Emery on your side, and I can’t think of someone the board might respect more. Have you asked Dr Ramsey? He was at Donahue’s too.”

“Yeah, he’s leaving a statement. So are Zaid and Ines, and I’m asking Dr Varma and Dr Trinh.”

“Really? I didn’t think you guys were close.”

“We’re not, not really. But I did some investigating and he’s been rude to them too. Just comments about how women shouldn’t be doctors, but they were willing to help, and they’re all hoping to see him go down. Besides…I kinda need all the support I can get.”

Matthew smiled a little.

“You know I’m providing a statement, and I’ll be there to support you. I told you you’ll need a support system.”

“I didn’t think a hearing would count.”

“Neither did I.”

“Sorry to bring trouble for you, Dr Valentine.”

“We’re not at the hospital, you can call me Matthew. And you’re not bringing me trouble. Besides…I was referring to my first year.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t repeat what I’m about to tell you but…have you ever heard of Mrs Martinez?”

“That was you?!”

Matthew suddenly laughed. Of course she had heard hospital gossip.

“No way!” Esme was saying. “Like, a bunch of my intern class were talking about it and said they wished they could be there to see it. Did you really punch the board in the face?”

“Uh, no. But it probably would have been less painful for them."

****

On the morning of the tenth of December, Matthew was stood outside Edenbrook, dressed in a smart suit and a thick coat. There was something imposing about the building. It had once become something of a second home, which was odd for a hospital, but it was deeply familiar and allowed him to mostly forget his problems. Now it seemed too big, and the cloudy day made the glass too shadowy. He couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting up to the seventh floor where he knew the diagnostics office was…

“Dr Valentine?”

Matthew turned to see Esme, looking slightly awkward and stiff in her own suit, walking towards him.

“It’s good to see you, Esme. How are you doing?”

“God, I don’t know. Last night I felt kind of positive about it, but then I woke up this morning and didn’t know what to think.”

“You’ve done all you can do. Remember there are people here who believe you’ve done nothing wrong. And you know what? You haven’t done anything wrong.” He reached out and squeezed Esme’s shoulder. “You’re a good doctor. You deserve a good career. You’ll make it through today.”

Esme nodded and took a deep breath.

“Thanks. I have to wait for Mr Coleman, but you should probably go ahead.”

Matthew wished Esme luck as he left her in the parking lot and walked through the doors. The lights of the atrium were harsh, and the smell of clinical cleaning suddenly burned his nostrils in a way that it never had before. He glanced at the stairs, and then over to the emergency exit, and then over to the atrium doors. He relaxed a tiny bit when he spotted Jackie and Sienna. They waved him over without hesitation.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Sienna said, linking her arm through his. “Are you OK?”

“I’m fine,” Matthew said. “Esme needs me here, so I’m here.”

“At least this time you don’t have to say anything,” Jackie said. “If you’re ready, shall we go in?”

The three of them found seats in the third row. It was odd being back here, remembering how nervous he felt to be standing at the podium facing a panel. But he had been facing the consequences of stealing medication for unauthorised use on a patient. Esme had done nothing wrong.

Other doctors were filing in – a lot of women – and then Thorne came down the steps accompanied by a man in a smart suit who must have been his lawyer. They sat on one side of the first row. Thorne had tried to make a good impression by wearing a smart suit of his own but he sat with an air of impatience, as if he were attending as a formality and expected to return to work immediately.

Esme entered after that, accompanied by presumably Mr Coleman. He was short and grey haired, but as they sat down he said something to Esme that made her shoulders relax. She glanced around at the doctors who were filling out the atrium, giving a tiny smile when she spotted Matthew a few rows back. He returned it, glad that he was here for her.

The medical board, including Chief Banerji, filled out their seats at the head of the room and called for silence for the hearing to begin.

“Thank you all for coming today. This hearing has been called to investigate reports of inappropriate conduct from Dr Garrett Thorne to Dr Esme Ortega, as well as a history of misconduct of a sexual nature.”

Naveen kept his face smooth as he spoke, but Matthew crossed his fingers that he was secretly on Esme’s side.

Naveen continued, “On June fifteenth, Dr Ortega was sat alone in Donahue’s Bar looking at her phone when Dr Thorne approached her. He attempted to initiate conversation with Dr Ortega, who was not receptive, and then placed his hand on her back. Dr Ortega slammed his hand on the table, breaking it, and in retaliation Dr Thorne pushed her to the floor. As she fell, Dr Ortega knocked into a table which resulted in a leg injury from the broken glass.”

“That is correct,” Mr Coleman confirmed. He stood and gave a character assessment for Esme: that she was a solitary person who preferred to stay in studying rather than socialising. This had been confirmed by the statements of Edenbrook staff – who didn’t find Esme to be particularly talkative, and was very direct in her speech, and she tended to drink alone if she was at Donahue’s – as well as statements received from old med school classmates – she had mostly kept to herself back then too.

When he was done, Dr Thorne’s lawyer – Mr Jason Acton – talked of how Thorne was a good, established doctor, who had many friends and contacts in all kinds of international hospitals, and who had a reputation amongst patients as being good at his job, with remarkably positive feedback from satisfied patients whose “lives had changed” following a plastic surgery procedure at his hand. Thorne looked infuriatingly smug as Mr Acton sat down. Naveen had a grave expression as he started reading through character assessments of Thorne from Edenbrook staff, and the smugness slowly ebbed away from Thorne’s face.

Most of the male doctors had written that Thorne was good at his job and he was either a good guy, entitled, obnoxious, or they didn’t know him well enough to comment. Female doctors had told a different story. Accusations ranged from sexist comments about how women shouldn’t be working, especially as doctors, to outright sexual harassment. The worst one was a resident from before Matthew’s time who wrote in detail about a residency that had been overshadowed by Thorne’s presence; he would corner her and make lewd comments, touched her inappropriately when no one was around and sometimes discretely when people were around, all the while making comments that he was an attending, she was a resident and nobody cared what she had to say. The woman had made passing her boards and leaving Edenbrook her number one priority.

This statement was met with sounds of disgust around the room and Naveen had to call for order, still maintaining his neutral expression. Then Esme was called up to speak.

“Dr Ortega, please describe in your own words what happened that night in Donahue’s.”

Esme licked her lips, her gaze darting round the room for a second before settling back to the panel.

“It was the night before I started my residency at Edenbrook. I wasn’t tired so decided to go to Donahue’s; I’d heard people raving about it. I went alone, and when I was there I didn’t speak with anyone except to order a drink. I was sitting at a table, drinking a beer, when this older doctor – Dr Thorne – approached. I didn’t look at him, but felt like I was being stared at. He started asking who I was and where I worked. And then he asked why I was alone and said he could change that.”

“And what did you say in response?”

“I just said ‘pass’.”

“What happened after that?”

“He called me uptight and said another drink would loosen me up. Then he touched my back…he started at the back of my shoulders and then slid his hand down.”

Esme couldn’t keep her scowl off her face. Naveen nodded, gravely.

She was asked more about her personal life, the panel probing into her dating life specifically, even though Esme didn’t have very much to tell. She wasn’t interested, she said. The idea of sex seemed uncomfortable and romance made her cringe. Matthew thought it must have been humiliating to have to answer those sorts of questions in front of a room full of people, all silently judging everything you do, but Esme stood firm. She remembered what Matthew had told her: she hadn’t done anything wrong. She spoke facts, just getting through the day. He was proud of her. The only time it got tense was when she was asked about her relationship with her parents. Esme just said she hadn’t spoken to them for a long time. The question wasn’t brought up again.

“We have these screenshots of messages sent on social media between you and one Dr Mitch Keller,” Naveen said, shuffling through some paper. “Perhaps you could clarify the meaning?”

Mitch had tracked down Esme’s pictogram and started messaging her with some cheesy pick-up lines. Sienna groaned.

“They were sent after my intern class had had a good work day. I wouldn’t have gone out with everyone but my resident offered to take my cases for me. I hadn’t gone out with my intern class before then, and I had barely spoken to Mitch since our first day. We all got some drinks and then when I got home, I found that he had messaged me through Picta.”

“Are these the messages you see here?”

“Yes. I thought he had got too drunk and it was pretty funny at first. But then it got slightly annoying, so I started phasing out the conversation in the hope he would get the message.”

“May I ask why you chose to ‘phase out’ the conversation?”

“We’d just had a good night out and I wasn’t sure if he was just being friendly. Like I said, I thought he was drunk and being too harsh might have ruined that.” She bit her lip. “I felt like I had started making some friends with the interns and didn’t want to ruin it straight away.”

Esme was dismissed and she sat down heavily beside Mr Coleman, who briefly touched her shoulder in reassurance.

“Poor girl,” Jackie muttered.

“Dammit Mitch,” Sienna sighed.

Thorne was then called up to describe his perspective on the situation, where he calmy described himself making polite conversation and nothing more than a friendly pat on the back, which was when he was attacked. In his shock, he had stumbled into Esme, accidentally pushing her down. Jackie gripped Sienna’s hand, trying to stay calm.

“Dr Thorne,” Naveen said. “We have received CCTV footage of the incident, provided by Reggie Hughes, owner of Donahue’s itself. Please tell us what you’re seeing.”

Thorne peered at the small screen of the tablet.

“Well…I’ve, uh, put my hand on her back, and she’s certainly broken it. I wore a brace for weeks. And then…I step towards her and…ah, yes, I tried to diffuse the situation but slipped.”

More muttering around the atrium, but no one could claim he was outright lying when no one else had seen the footage.

Harper’s jaw was set when she walked up to the witness stand. She stood tall and powerful, never one to be bullied into submission.

“Dr Emery, you recently performed a surgical shunt on Dr Thorne. What happened after that?”

“I went to the patients recovery room to monitor any indications of complications. I could see the anaesthetic was starting to wear off; he was stirring slightly. Then he started to speak and I heard the words ‘bitch made a fool out of me’. I asked what he meant by that, even though I didn’t expect an answer, but then he said ‘bitch broke my hand’. He was referring to when Dr Ortega broke his hand back in June.”

“Were you aware it was Dr Ortega at the time?”

“No, but I had heard rumours that one of the interns was in trouble already, so I asked around other plastic surgeons for what they knew. It didn’t take long to figure out it was Dr Ortega: she was the one who had diagnosed him, and for some reason he had been angry about that.”

“For some reason…?”

“Dr Thorne has historically hated interns, both medical and surgical. My guess is he couldn’t stand the fact one had proven him wrong.”

There was a splutter from Dr Thorne’s side of the room. Matthew smirked.

“Dr Emery, could you please tell us what happened after that?”

“I spoke with Dr Ortega privately and she told me that Dr Thorne had come on to her at Donahue’s. She said ‘pass’ and he put his hand on her back in a suggestive manner, which was when she slammed it into the table. She said that, in retaliation, he had pushed her down and she got cut on some broken glass. She then told me that, as she was booking in a surgical shunt, Dr Thorne had been making comments towards her that included describing Dr Ortega as, and I quote, ‘a stuck-up little bitch’ and ‘someone who needed to learn her place’. He also said no one refused him and he would always got what he wanted.”

Harper looked extremely uncomfortable as she recounted this last part, and Esme was sat with her head down, her hair parting to reveal the nape of her neck. Thorne kept his expression smooth when Matthew was called up to give his statement.

“Please describe how it is to work with Dr Ortega as her resident?” Naveen asked, after Matthew had described what he had seen at Donahue’s.

“She’s a good, smart doctor, and a fast learner. I can trust her to do her job well, and that she’ll page me when she needs.”

“And outside of work?”

“We don’t speak much outside of work. Dr Ortega prefers to keep to herself.”

Zaid was after Matthew, talking about how he noticed Esme took her work seriously and preferred studying to socialising. Ines agreed, adding that she had been a little concerned that Esme wouldn’t have the support she needed to start her career, but her outcomes spoke for itself; she could stand on her own two feet. Matthew was starting to feel a little optimistic for Esme, but there were still a few doctors siding with Thorne, keeping him on edge.

There was a tense silence as the panel discussed what they had heard, then Naveen stood and asked for Esme and Thorne, and their lawyers, to join them for a private discussion. They called for the hearing to resume in fifteen minutes.

“Damn, this is heavy,” Jackie groaned, sinking into her seat. “What do you think is going to happen?”

“I feel like it’s too close to tell,” Matthew said. “Honestly, I think Esme’s support has the edge, but…”

“Thorne has age, power, money and male-ness on his side?” Jackie said. “No offence, Matthew.”

“None taken.”

“He has to face consequences for this,” Sienna groaned. “Harper and Ethan are huge names in Edenbrook, and Dr Banerji’s fair. They have to see through his sliminess.”

“What do you think about Mitch messaging Esme?” Jackie asked.

“I guess I can’t do anything about it now, but he’d better have got the message that she’s not interested.” She shook her head firmly. “I can’t think too much about that right now.”

Matthew leaned over to her. “Are you OK?”

“…Not really. I’ll tell you later.”

“Sienna…”

“No, I mean it. If I think about it too much now, I’ll get mad.”

Worry balled in Matthew’s stomach, Jackie looked slightly suspicious, but they both dropped it. Jackie said she was going to stretch her legs, and came back with three cups of coffee as the panel returned. The room quietened instantly.

“Given what we have just heard, Mr Acton has advised that Dr Thorne would like to settle the matter.”

“Huh. He must have realised he was in more trouble than he thought and decided to quit while ahead,” Jackie muttered. Thorne was looking irritated, and Matthew was inclined to agree with Jackie.

“All things considered, the panel has voted in favour of Dr Ortega.”

Sudden applause burst through the auditorium as Esme sat back in her seat. Her shoulders had loosened and Mr Coleman gave her a quick smile. Matthew grinned, though he noticed Dr Cyrus and Dr Rosario looking slightly annoyed.

Naveen called for silence before carrying on with his speech.

“It has been agreed that Dr Thorne will settle with Dr Ortega and will be on suspension for six months.”

“Six months? That’s it?” Sienna groaned.

“That must have been his fancy lawyers talking. At least Naveen doesn’t look particularly happy about that bit,” Jackie sighed. “Still…a million bucks. Esme’s set for life.”

Matthew stayed in his seat as the auditorium started filing out. Thorne stormed out as soon as he could with Mr Acton hurrying after him. Esme gave Mr Coleman a firm handshake. The panel packed up and left. The auditorium was half empty when Matthew approached Esme, who was smiling.

“Are you alright?” he asked her. “It must have been rough to be up there.”

“To be honest, it was,” Esme said. “Especially when they were asking about my relationship history. But…I’m happy with this outcome. It would be great if Thorne was walking out the door forever, but I figured that was highly unlikely.”

“So, what happened in the intermission? You don’t have to tell me.”

“Thorne earns two million dollars a year – I know,” she added, when Matthew’s eyebrows shot up. “And apparently he has a bunch of investments, so Acton strongly suggested he settle with - get this - one million dollars."

"Holy crap!!"

"I know! Acton saw it as good enough for me to be satisfied, whilst remaining something Thorne could recover from. He was good at arguing about what a great surgeon he was and how Edenbrook literally couldn’t afford to lose him, so the panel argued for a while and then eventually agreed on the suspension.”

“I take it not all the panel were on your side?”

“Cyrus, Rosario and Lozoya were in favour of Thorne.”

“Lozoya? Seriously?”

“Yeah, she disappointed me too. But…honestly, a million dollars is life-changing…”

Matthew nodded towards the door.

“Wanna get out of here? My apartment’s in walking distance if you want to stop for a coffee.”

“That actually sounds good.”

Twenty minutes later, Matthew was safely back in his kitchen pouring out some coffee. Esme was admiring his apartment.

“What’s that big stain on the ceiling?”

“I don’t know. We’d rather not find out.” Matthew handed her a cup and she curled her fingers round it. “Anyway, enough about my apartment. Today was big.”

“I’m honestly just glad it’s over.”

She was biting her lip. Matthew waited. She would speak when she was ready.

“It’s just…”

“Yes?”

“When the panel were asking me about my sex life…that was gross.”

“Have you had…bad experiences or anything?”

“No, just that the idea of sex has always kind of creeped me out, regardless of who does it. Everyone seemed to be going at it in med school and no one seemed to understand why I didn’t like it. Honestly, I just wanted to study and talk about literally anything else. The idea that they would call me a liar…” she trailed off, uncharacteristically upset. As she blinked tears out of her eyes, Matthew reached out to gently touch her arm.

“I can imagine,” he said softly. “But, they did believe you. Over half the people in that room were on your side. And to top it off, you may not need to worry about money again.”

“I know,” Esme sniffed. She wiped her eyes. “God, it’s stupid. Seeing five doctors on the panel take my side was really uplifting…”

“Are you overwhelmed?” Matthew asked, and Esme nodded.

“I guess…certainly since the thing happened with my parents…I’ve learned not to get too close to people and they don’t seem to care…it’s nice to see that people will do the right thing.”

“It is.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as Esme slowly collected herself.

“Thanks for being here, Matthew,” she said. “You’re a cool resident. I’m glad you’re ok.”

“Me too. And you’re very welcome.” Sensing a calmer atmosphere, Matthew tried a question. “Have you any idea what you might do with that million dollars?”

“It doesn’t even seem real. I don’t want to think about it until it’s confirmed. I mean, I could pay off my med school debt.”

“Do that. Don’t take it lightly,” Matthew said. “I think I’ve still got about $90k.” It made his brain spin to think about, and he had to take several mouthfuls of coffee. He wasn’t sure it helped.

“…Matthew?”

“Sorry, did you say something?”

“I just wondered when you were returning to work properly.”

“Uh…the tenth.”

Now that Matthew thought about, the date had completely snuck up on him. He’d barely considered his return to work, too caught up in having Rafael back, their recovery, all the time he spent with his family. It already seemed like forever since he had last seen him, when it had only been a day. Reality started to dawn on him; back to the hospital for twelve hours a day without the comfort of Raf’s company. He would be alone in the hospital. Matthew placed his half-empty coffee cup on the table. He didn’t fancy it so much anymore.

He put on a brave face as he saw Esme out the door. She had a lot of thinking to do. Matthew wanted to do some less thinking, and he wanted to call Raf, but then he noticed Farley in the hallway.

“Uh…Matthew?”

“Er…hi, Farley.”

Matthew hovered awkwardly in the doorway. As landlords go, Farley wasn’t so bad. Apart from jacking up the price of an apartment at the last minute, he was lax about everything else: house parties until a certain curfew, a small pet as long as it didn’t cause too much damage and they would clean up after it. Not to mention that, apart from sending flowers, Farley had returned their rent for the month after the attack.

“Thanks for the flowers and everything.”

“No problem. I just figured it was the least I could do.” He reached up to scratch his ear. “Sounds awful, what you went through.”

“Where’d you get that rash?”

Farley’s sleeve had slipped down a bit to reveal a small circular rash on the inside of his wrist.

“Umm…it came up a few days ago I think. It doesn’t itch much or anything.”

Matthew continued staring at the rash. Maybe it was nothing, just something ordinary like a bug bite. But Matthew knew all too well how even the most non-descript things could turn at the drop of the hat.

“You should get it looked at soon,” he said, but Farley shook his head.

“I can’t. My insurance isn’t great and last month ended up being a bit tight. Car trouble and broken boilers and things. I can’t risk a massive medical bill.”

“Edenbrook has a free clinic…”

“Free examinations, not treatment. Can’t risk it.”

Matthew pictured the rash spreading slowly across Farley’s wrist. He pictured it changing colour, burning him, becoming infected and weeping pus.

“I could help with that,” he said, suddenly. Farley blinked at him,

Matthew swallowed as he realised where he was taking this conversation. Farley needed help. Matthew held the solution. It was why he became a doctor after all…and he couldn’t risk someone else suffering needlessly because of undue hesitation.

He steeled himself and looked Farley in the eye.

“I’m part of a team that has a little more freedom than the rest of the hospital. If you agree to come in with me today I could have my boss treat you pro bono. It won’t cost you a cent.”

“Wow…seriously?” Farley gaped. “I mean…I guess I’ve got nothing else on this afternoon so, what the hell, let’s do it.”

Farley sat in the living room as Matthew quickly changed into his standard work clothes. A new white coat had been sent to his apartment and it felt oddly stiff to wear. Once he was ready, he called Rafael.

“Hey Matthew! How did the hearing go?”

“Yeah, it ended pretty well. But I’m actually calling about something else.” He quickly explained he had an unexpected patient and needed to return to work a few days early. Raf was stunned and kept asking Matthew if he was sure.

“Look, Raf, all I’m sure about is that I have a patient who needs me and I can’t let him down. And maybe I’m not a hundred percent sure about going back today but there’s no guarantee I’ll be a hundred percent by the time my official start date rolls around.”

“OK, OK. Just…take care of yourself, alright? And call me again whenever you need.”

Matthew smiled. “I will.”

Tags: @sazanes @rafasgirl23415 @ceruleansnake0

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

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lorirwritesfanfic · 3 years ago

Text

Crave

Author's note: Some say ‘better late than never’. But I say ‘one year! wow... congrats you laziness, lori!’ 😅 [Original characters are creations of this author. The others are owned by Pixelberry Studios] Book: Open Heart Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x F!MC (Evelyn) Rating: E Word count: 1632 Reading time: ~7min Summary: Evelyn and Rafael are hungry for more than just food Based on the prompt: CFWC Kinktober - Day 10: Food Play

The sound of the blow-dryer fades as Evelyn puts it down and finishes brushing her hair. When work drains too much of her energy, any opportunity to unwind was a blessing. To her, one the most effective ways to restore her energy are a good shower, chocolate and cuddling with her boyfriend. Fortunately, all of these things are part of her schedule tonight.

The minute she steps into the bedroom, the luscious smell of chocolate fills the air. She sighs contently. When she texted Rafael saying she was PMSing, tired, craving his hugs and chocolate, she was hoping to get home and devour several of her favorite candy bars with him. But, to her surprise, he came up with something much better.

Evelyn quickly puts her most comfy nightie and panties then makes her way to the kitchen. She leans on the threshold and smiles at the view before her. Standing by the stove, Rafael finishes blending a bar of dark chocolate into a pan filled with homemade condensed milk and a tablespoon of butter. She loves watching him in his element. Despite the urge to simply rush to his arms and steal a kiss, she doesn't want to ruin the moment. Consequently, she chooses to stand there in silence.

When he turns off the stove burner and grabs a bowl to fill with water, his deep dark eyes sparkle with joy as he sees her. "Hey, stalker," he teases.

"Sorry." She smiles sheepishly.

"How are you feeling?" He asks as he places the pan inside the bowl full of water.

"Okay, I guess... The shower helped."

"Still feeling moody?"

"A little. But it's getting better." Her eyes land on the dark thick chocolate mixture inside the pan. "So... How do we make those little pieces of heaven shaped in chocolate balls?"

Rafael chuckles. "It'd take a while for us to make brigadeiros shaped in balls. It'd have to go to the fridge, cool for a few hours..."

"Noooooo..." Evelyn whines. "I can't wait that long."

"I thought you might say that, so I made the lazy version of brigadeiro. But don't tell vovó¹ I did that."

She smiles, presses her thumb and index finger together and slide them along her lips, pretending to zip her mouth shut.

"Thank you. Our brigadeiro de colher² is cooling off right now, but it'll be ready soon. Grab a spoon and choose a telenovela for us. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Okay." Evelyn beams, grabs a spoon and goes to the living room.

After a brief search through the streaming service catalog, she presses play on a Brazilian telenovela. The first episode starts when Rafael walks in with the sauce pan full of brigadeiro and tablespoon stuck inside it.

He leaves the pan on the coffee table and takes a seat beside her. "Good choice! This telenovela is great."

"Really? I just followed my instincts and chose it because of the pretty lady on the cover."

Rafael laughs. "Your instincts were right. It has many dramatic scenes, love, sex, lots of controversy. It was a hit in Brazil."

"Oooh... Sign me up for all of that," Evelyn enthuses. "Now about the brigadeiro, is it ready to eat?"

"Yeah." He grabs the pan and offers it to her. "We're going to eat right from the pan."

"Aha!" She grins. "That's why you don't want me to tell Juliana about it."

"She says it's unhygienic, but I don't think it'd be a problem for us," he explains with a cheeky grin.

"It definitely won't be the first time we share body fluids." She smirks.

"My thoughts exactly." He grabs a spoon full of brigadeiro and feeds her.

Warm, sweet and slightly bitter chocolate melts into her tongue. Evelyn beams, shoulders relaxing as creamy texture as she savors the rich taste of cocoa blended with the condensed milk. "Oh, my god, Raf..."

"And you say I sound horny when I eat."

"You moan when you eat something you like."

"You just did the same thing. And you’re louder."

"Lies..." She glares at him jokingly, then stares at his lips as he takes another spoonful of brigadeiro.

Some of the brigadeiro drips on his chin, but he quickly cleans it with his thumb and sucks it from his finger.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Like you're craving something that isn't chocolate."

"Maybe I’m craving chocolate and you," she answers with a mischievous look.

"Didn't you say you were PMSing?"

"Getting horny is part of the package for some people..."

“Is that so?” He arches an eyebrow in amusement. "Are you feeling well now?"

"Mhmm..."

"So you won't mind if I do this..."

Using his index finger, Rafael grabs a small portion of brigadeiro, smudges it on her bottom lip and leans in to lick off it. A shiver runs down her spine in response. When they pull apart, both of them watch their eyes grow dark with lust.

"Still in the mood to watch telenovelas?"

"Not really."

"Good."

Evelyn picks up the remote control and turns the TV. Then she dips her index finger and spreads brigadeiro along his neck, licking it off.

He groans, hands roaming down her curves to squeeze her buttcheeks. "Tell me what you want, amor."

"Make love to me," she purrs and nibbles his earlobe.

Rafael turns to the side, eyes ogling at her hungrily and helps her out of her nightie. His hands move up to fondle her breasts, teasing her hard peaks. He then captures her lips in a long kiss and takes his time to explore her mouth.

When he kneels between her legs and goes lower, Evelyn arches her back and moans in delight. Leaving a trail of kisses on her neck and collarbone, Rafael reaches her mounds once again. He takes some more of brigadeiro with his finger and spreads it over one breast, wasting no time to clean it off with his mouth.

Evelyn takes his finger still covered in brigadeiro and takes it to her mouth. Rafael groans, his free hand moving down her back and slipping inside her panties. After he takes her underwear off, his digits press against her core, creating tantalizing spirals that stoke a fire within her.

Guiding his free hand to her hips, she begs. "Raf, I want you."

"How?" He asks as his fingers move faster.

"I want you inside me."

"Like this?" His hand slides from her butt to find her center and sinks two fingers inside her.

"That's not how I— Oh!" She meows.

He grins. "I know it isn't. But not now."

"Why?"

He speeds up, fingering her, teasing her sensitive nub, watching her whimper because of his touch. "I want you to crave me."

Before she can respond, euphoria surges through her body, clouding her senses. The hard strokes of his fingers rubbing against her G-spot makes her toes curl in response. As her eyes meet his, he nibbles his bottom lip and his fingers thrust faster.

"Fuck..." She wails as waves of pleasure build up, pushing her closer and closer.

But just then, he stops. A slow mischievous smile spreads on his lips and he's about to stand up when in a swift move, he's pulled back against her body, her long legs and arms wrapped around him.

"Don't you dare," she hisses.

His grin goes wider as he brushes a few locks of hair away from her face.

She suddenly realizes what he meant. Right now, she can't think of anything but him,his touch, his kisses, his cock thrusting in and out of her. It's more than just want. She craves him.

Rafael pushes down his sweatpants and his hard length presses against her lower belly. He adjusts himself just enough to rub his manhood between her wet folds.

"Is this what you want, Eve?" He asks as his hips move slowly, brushing on her center.

"Yes..."

He then sinks into her and gasps as her body accommodates him. Then he begins to move, pulling out slowly and pushing himself back in fast. Again. And again. And again.

Evelyn guides his lips to hers, savoring the kisses, forceful thrusts, the weight and warmth of his body, the heat building up again.

He pulls away just enough to kneel between her legs. His index and middle finger dips into the pan on the coffee table. With a knowing smile, she opens her mouth and envelopes his fingers coated in brigadeiro.

As she sucks his fingers, he grunts and thrusts faster. Her walls clenches around his cock, lips tighten around his fingers, driving him wild.

Holding one of her legs, he leans over her again and slams into her.

"Amor, I'm so close..." She pleads.

"Are you?"

She nods.

"Come for me, Evelyn."

His hips move erratically as she comes, crying out his name as he follows. Once he eases himself out of her, he lies down with his head on her chest to catch his breath.

"Well, that was..." She pauses for a second and bite down her lip. "Informative..."

Rafael looks up at her, eyes narrowed, his lips pressed in a thin line.

Evelyn gazes back at him and fails to suppress a smile.

"You're teasing me!" He feigns annoyance and slaps her on the side of her thigh softly.

"I'm not!" She giggles. "But I have to ask.”

“What?”

“Were you more into the brigadeiro or sucking your fingers?”

He stares at the ceiling for a long moment, lost in thought.

“Raf?”

“I can’t choose.”

“Really?”

“I had both at the same time. It was mind blowing. Why would I want to choose just one?”

“But what if you could only choose just one?”

“No.”

“But—”

“No. I don’t want to live in a world where I have to make this choice.”

The two of them laugh.

“Okay. Both it is then.”

“Thank you.”

Remaining on the couch, they chat about idle topics while sharing more brigadeiro until there’s nothing left in the pan.

------

¹ Granny

² Brigadeiro eaten with a spoon, usually directly from the saucepan it was prepared

#choices fanfic #open heart fanfic #rafael aveiro #rafael x f!mc #cfwc kinktober #lorirwritesfanfic #lorircreates #n*fw

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