Chapter Text
1
Things are changing in the ER.
Not necessarily for the worse, but there's a shift in the air. Everyone is with someone else.
Abbot has taken Mohan under his wing, and they seem to work well together.
With Santos considering a surgical specialty, Garcia is down here a lot, trying to get her whatever info she can get within the confines of the ER rotation.
Robby seems quite fond of Whitaker, constantly searching for him from the nurses' station and finding him to give consults whenever possible.
Mel has noticed this. The change wasn't abrupt. It has been happening for a while, she realizes, but it did seem to shift the dynamics within the ER. Everyone has a companion to focus on, and now it's working like a well-oiled machine, with each person having a specific job within the ER. Its the unofficial roles.
Mel has yet to find hers. She helps out wherever she can - with traumas, triage, consults, or whatever there is an abundance of from day-to-day. She likes that she can be flexible; it gives her the freedom to explore.
It also means shes able to follow Langdon.
Samira has clearly noticed this, but she hasn't said anything to Mel yet. Mel fears it's coming soon, though. Samira's eyes follow her, only turning away when Abbot walks in for shift changes. Mel sees him as her savior, even if he doesn't know it.
Langdon doesn't seem to mind Mels' company, though. He smiles whenever she walks up, often introducing her to patients as “the best [task at hand] you can find.” He always calls for her when there is a tedious job to complete, like debridement or removing rocks from a road burn. These are her favorites; she can zone out, and it's almost relaxing for her. He has clearly noticed this, and she appreciates it.
When he gets called for an incoming trauma, and she is nearby, he drags her with him. They work well together, Langdon and Mel. They know what the other needs and can communicate without words. It's nearly seamless, their professional relationship.
The same cannot be said for their out-of-work friendship.
When Langdon went to rehab, Mel felt as though a part of her work atmosphere had vanished. He was the only one who seemed to truly notice and listen to her. Sure, they had only known each other for 15 hours, but they had clicked instantly. The way he knew she had needed a break before she did was perplexing for her. Nobody had been able to read her emotions like that - other than her sister - ever before. It was new and interesting.
And then he disappeared. It was like she was the only one who remembered him, like he was Voldemort from Harry Potter. It changed her perception of PTMC. Of course, she had readjusted. She had found solace in Samira Mohan, another resident in her program. She was her best friend, Mel had decided, even if they hung out very rarely outside of work. They did text a lot, though, and it felt like Samira was the angel on Mels's shoulder.
But Langdon is back now. And he can still read her just as well as he did on her first day. He is different, for sure. Less hyper, more calculated in his actions and words. He doesn't want to slip up and disappoint his colleagues again, and Mel can understand.
On his first day back, when he had apologized for letting her down, she couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Mel thought he was excellent. He always knew what he was doing, and the fact that he had been doing all of it while struggling with addiction is what she thought made him incredible. She didn't think that he could get any better, and then he came back from rehab more focused and centered.
After she told him he hadn't let her down, they didn't get to finish their conversation. She still regrets that. She wishes they hadn't been interrupted by the cops coming in asking for a statement. She wishes she could have told him that she thought he was awesome, and how excited she was that he was back. She hadnt meant to grab his arm earlier that day; it was instinct. But, in the back of her mind, she had noticed him offering it to her. It was a small gesture, barely perceivable, but it had happened. She knew it. She also knows she didnt imagine him touching her leg before escorting the cops out of her room.
This was the start of her issues. Maybe “issues” isn't the right word for it, but that is when her Situation had begun.
She found herself constantly trying to touch him. Small things - brushing fingers while handing him an instrument, bumping into his side by accident as she walks by. She doesn't know if he had noticed or, if he did, cared, but it was a simple pleasure for Mel King.
They hadn't talked that much outside of work, aside from when they both attended after-work hangouts in the park (he would only go if Robby wasn't there) (she would only go if Samira was going too). That changed when, after what felt like the longest day of her life, her car broke down in the parking lot. Her 2013 Honda Civic had finally given up on her. She had called Triple A and an Uber so she could walk from her house to get Becca from her care center. As she was waiting, Langdon walked out of the building. Mel looked down at her phone.
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Frank Langdon wasn't expecting to find Mel King in the parking lot that night. It was an unusually warm night in the middle of October, and Mel was sitting on the hood of a car 3 spots down from him. He didn't know that was her car, mostly because they never got in at the same time, and he usually had to stay a little late after work to catch up on charting. It was a pleasant surprise, though; they had done a really cool save on a 14-year-old kid who had been trampled at a concert. Broken arm, a couple of cracked ribs, and a concussion, but he would be alright. He didn't even realize he was walking over to her until he was a few yards in front of her, and by that point, he felt he might as well commit.
“Mel?” he asks hesitantly. She looked up from her phone, obviously startled by his appearance. “Are you alright? I thought you left half an hour ago,” He said.
“What? Oh, yeah. My car broke down and won't turn on. I’m waiting on a tow truck and an Uber,” She looked to the entrance of the parking lot, probably for the tow truck. “It said it would be here in 20 minutes, but that was 30 minutes ago. I’m not sure if I should call them or just hope they show up?” She looked at him then, looking for advice, or an exclamation of frustration for her wait. He wasn’t sure which.
“Those estimates are never right. How far do you live? You could always leave it here and have the tow truck come in the morning. I could drive you home right now so you don’t have to wait and pay for an Uber.” It was a Friday night, and a car anywhere further than down the street would be expensive.
“No, you don't have to do that. I might leave the car here, but I don't want you to go out of your way. You’re probably tired,” She smiled up at him, and his heart stopped.
What the hell?
“Stop. The kids are with Abby tonight, so I have nothing to do anyway. Where do you live?” He was determined now. He wanted to talk to her about the 14-year-old, and he wanted to see her smile again. He didn’t want to get into what that meant.
“I’m over in Manchester, but are you sure? It's not that bad of an price. I promise I will be fine without a ride.”
“Are you serious? That's, like, 10 minutes from me. Come on, let's go.”
She hesitated. She looked down at her phone, looked towards the parking lot entrance, and then sighed. She slid off the hood, grabbed her stuff from the passenger seat, and walked with him to his car.
Luckily, Langdon's kids weren't old enough to ride shotgun yet, so the mess of stray goldfish and crayons was contained to the backseat of his pickup. He got in the driver's seat as she got into the passenger seat. He saw her cancel the tow truck and close out of the Uber app. He thought this carpool was a huge win.
“So, that was pretty cool saving that kid from the concert today, huh?” he pulled out of the parking spot and turned onto the main street. No going back now, He thought.
“Yeah, it's so crazy how chaotic big crowds get. I hope his head doesn't hurt too badly. When I was a kid, Someone opened a car door in my face, and I got a mild concussion. The headache was endless.”
“Wow, really? I’ve never gotten a concussion, but when I was 15, I was playing hockey and landed weirdly on my arm. Got a fracture. It hurt a lot.” He doesn't know where that story had come from - he had completely forgotten about it until now. They pulled up to a trafficlight, and he turned and looked at her. She was looking out her window, but all Langdon could see was how pretty she looked in the red hue of the stoplight. He wondered what she looked like with her hair down.
“Hockey? That's cool. I used to love ice skating when I was little. My sister and I were horrible at it, but it was fun to push off the wall.”
For a split second, he thought about asking if he could teach her to skate. He had to physically bite his tongue to keep from opening his mouth.
What is he doing? The divorce is barely finalized. He had been married until 2 weeks ago. He just got through his first year of sobriety. Has he ever thought about her like this? He has only been back a few months, but he already knew he liked working with Mel. He found himself searching for her when someone came through triage with an injury that needed lots of focus and repetitive motion. He knew they worked well together on traumas, moving in sync with the ability to constantly know what the other needs. He had never had that before. Sure, he and Abby were good at communicating about the kids, but they had been horrible at it in every other aspect.
She didn't know he was going to rehab until a week before he left. He had hoped they would have worked it out when he came home. She and the kids visited him at the center multiple times a week, and she would act normal in front of their children, but sometimes the kids would run around in the grass outside, and she would become cold. Distant. He tried to talk to her. To get her to understand. But there was too much tension and baggage. He knew they still loved each other, and honestly, since their separation, they have been more civil than they had in years. Sometimes, she even laughs at his jokes when swapping the kids. But they were better like this. They had been separated since around March, while he was still in rehab. Langdon thinks that she is seeing someone, but he isn't sure. Not 100% at least.
Langdon turns away from the road to glance at Mel. He couldnt see her like that, though. He wouldnt allow himself to. They have a professional relationship. He just finished his first year and is still fragile. Mel has her sister to care for; she can't also care for him. He can’t make her deal with him, too. Plus, she doesn't have a car now-
Wait. She doesn't have a car now.
“How will you get to work tomorrow?” He asks before he can stop himself. Does she have another car? Maybe a moped or something? Someone to drive her?
Does she have a boyfriend?
“Huh. That’s a good question. I have a bike I can ride, and it's not that far.” She looks like shes solving a puzzle. She looks how she does when shes trying to solve a tough case. She looks so pretty.
He ignores the last thought. As theyre driving home, theyre going basically all downhill. Sure, theyre not that steep, but it means that she will have to bike uphill. At 6 in the morning. As he’s thinking, he sees the beginning of heavy rain start to fall on the windshield.
He turns on the windshield wipers. “I can pick you up tomorrow morning, if you’d lile, if you bike, it would be all the way uphill. Plus, if it's raining, it’ll be slippery in the morning. I really don’t mind if you don't.”
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What. The. Fuck?
Mel felt like she was dreaming. Did she hit her head earlier? Not that she can remember, but that's the only explanation for this. She is sitting in the passenger seat of Langdon's truck. He is offering to give her a ride in the morning. How did she get into this situation? Maybe this is an alternate dimension. Maybe she didn't notice the reality shift.
Langdon is kind, though. He would help anybody in need—this isn't special to her alone.
She wants the ride. She doesn't want to have to get up an hour early to ride her bike, or make Becca get up with her.
Becca. What is she going to do about her sister? She could see if Becca wanted to stay the night at the care center. She doubted it, though; she and Becca cherished their movie nights. It was the only time either of them felt completely like themselves.
She has been quiet for too long. An awkward silence has fallen over the car, with only the rain on the car filling the space between them. Langdon looks like he’s seen a ghost.
“Langdon, you don't have to do that. I promise I will be safe. Plus, I have to take my sister back to her care center before work, so I don’t want that responsibility to fall on you. Really, it's okay.” Mel says this with what she believes sounds like complete honesty. Langdon scoffs lightheartedly.
“First of all, I want to do that. It’ll help me get to work on time,” He jokes. He
was always a little late to work. Not late enough for it to really be a problem, or long enough for Robby to notice (thank God for his poor time management), but enough that Mel noticed. Mel noticed everything about Langdon.
“And I wouldnt mind taking Becca over there. She’s cool. But I understand
If that's a boundary youre not willing to cross. That is kind of a big thing, I get that,” He said, pulling onto her street. Are we here already?
Mel hesitates. She really doesn't want to ride to work on a bike. As much as she likes biking in general, it doesn't seem like a good idea so early in the morning after one of the first huge rains of fall. She could always Uber, but there is concern that there won't be many drivers out at that time.
Recently, Becca has made some good friends while at the center. Mel got the numbers of their caretakers, after making loose plans to arrange something for them soon. Would it be inappropriate to ask one of them to pick up Becca from their house? That way, neither of them would have to get up early. They both love their sleep.
Mel pulls out her phone and quickly sends a message to Aaron's mom.
MEL:
Hi, I’m so sorry to bother you so late!
My car broke down earlier and won't turn on
and I had to leave it at work.
Is there any possible
way you could pick up Becca on your way
to the center tomorrow morning?
I swear I will pay you back, however
you want.
I just won't have a way
to get her there before I go to work,
and I don’t want
to put her in a taxi or Uber by herself.
MORGAN (AARON’S MOM)
Hi dear! I’m so sorry to hear about
that! No worries about the time.
Of course, I can help you out! No
need to pay me back. Maybe you could
bring Aaron home when I’m stuck
in traffic sometime ;)
Mel looks up from her phone. Theyre outside of her apartment – an old wartime building with shitty heating but gorgeous architecture and cheap(ish) rent. She turns to Langdon, who is staring at her.
“Actually, on second thought, I would like a ride tomorrow, if that’s okay with you. No need to drop Becca off, though. I found her a ride for the morning,” Mel smiles at Langdon. He is still staring, eyes searching her face for something, but shes not sure for what.
He seems to snap out of it at the confused look she is sure is on her face. “Oh! Okay, yeah. Cool. Okay. I’ll be here around… what? 6:30? It’ll probably be more like 6:35, though. The rain might slow traffic.” He looks out the windshield at the rain beating down on the windshield. It has gotten significantly worse in the last 5 minutes of their drive. Mel will grab two umbrellas and their raincoats before going to get Becca.
“That sounds good. I will see you then, and I will pay you back for this. I swear it,” She hauls her backpack and belongings up into her arms and gets out of the car. “Goodnight, Langdon.”
“Goodnight, Mel,” He says. She shuts the door and runs up the stairs under the awning of her apartment. As she fumbles with the key, she notices he hasn't driven away yet. He is waiting for her to get inside safely.
She gets inside and gives him one last little wave. She can't see him in the shadows of the car, but she imagines the smile and wave he gives her at work sometimes.
God, she is so fucked.