forum Hospital RP (Closed)

Started December 04, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

Nokhal’rok listened to O’Hara for a moment, grateful for her understanding. It was also intriguing that she was willing to share something as personal as details about family. Intriguing, and nice. It had been a bit since the last time he’d known someone that understood his situation.

“Thank you. Not many seem to get that my family is not perfect,”he said, gently putting his hand on top of hers to emphasize his gratitude.

“Though, would you tell Edmund that I’m doing alright? If you can. I don’t want him to worry too much,”he added after a moment.

O’Hara laughed shortly. “No family is perfect,” she remarked passively. A warm smile decorated her face as he covered her hand with his. It was strong and sure, sealing her slightly-smaller one between his.

The woman nodded easily. “Of course. I’ll tell him myself. If you’ll excuse me…” She slipped her hand out and shut the curtain behind her while she headed to the waiting room. Yet again, her leave for Nokhal’rok was signaled by the clicks of her Manolos just as they signaled her arrival for Edmund.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes slightly as she searched for him in the room before locking her gaze on the man sitting close to the door. “Edmund?” she asked as she approached him, just to make sure it was the right person.

“True,”Nokhal’rok replied with a snicker.

He smiled back at her, cradling her hand. His fingers were soft, even delicate, but there was definitely a hidden strength in them.

“Thank you, again,”he replied, watching her go.

He even listened to her leave, savoring the clicks of her shoes as she walked off. An idea came to him then. He’d have to buy her a present, and he suspected he knew what to get.

~~

Edmund was watching people move around the room when he spotted a pretty woman dressed as a doctor approaching. He stood to face her, nodding at her question.

“I am indeed Edmund. Do you have any news on Nokhal’rok? Is he doing well?”he asked.

O’Hara offered a reassuring smile. “Yes. He’s doing quite well. His nose has been properly put in place, and the blood transfusion has also been completed,” she explained.

This wasn’t normally news that she was able to give — good news. “He’s going to remain alone for a little while longer, but when he’s allowed visitors, I will let you know,” she finished.

Edmund took a deep breath of relief, holding a hand over his heart.

“I thank you, madam. I had honestly been worried there for a bit, considering how close it was to his appointment. Did the transfusion go well? Is he feeling better than before? I would hate for him to still be miserable,”Edmund couldn’t help asking.

After a moment, he sighed.

“I apologize for my rush of questions. I know you are a busy woman. I care for the boy very much, you see. He’s like a son to me, even though I am merely his employee,”he added, his voice a bit calmer and quieter.

O’Hara resisted pulling a face, as she had the desire to do whenever anyone called her ‘madam,’ ‘ma’am,’ or anything the like.

“Yes. I oversaw the transfusion myself, so I can truthfully tell you that it went very well. As far as I know, yes, he’s feeling better. His nose is back in place, as I said, and any residual headache has significantly subsided.”

The doctor couldn’t help the softened expression that appeared on her face. “Don’t worry about your questions. I’ve dealt with worse things, I assure you. I did speak with Nokhal’rok about you as well, and from what I can tell, you truly are more to him than just a humble employee.”

Edmund chuckled cheerily, even more relieved to hear that the transfusion had gone well. And, it was also good that Nokhal’rok was feeling better. That meant that this week would most likely be far nicer for him than the previous one.

“I can only imagine. And, yes. We have a bond that is quite similar to family. I met him when he was just a small boy, long before his anemia came along. I’ve looked after him whenever his family couldn’t, and he chose me to be his chauffeur because of that,”Edmund said, smiling slightly at some of the memories.

O’Hara nodded. She might not of truly understood Edmund and Nokhal’rok’s relationship and history, but she understood having a ‘not-family family.’ For her, it was Jackie and her daughters. Not so much Kevin. The man could be a real arse sometimes.

She offered a genuine smile before glancing back at the glass double doors she’d entered the waiting room through. “I’m sorry to leave so abruptly, but I have to get back. I’ll let you know if there are any new developments.”

“By all means, do not let me interrupt your work. I completely understand. And, I thank you again,”Edmund said.

He gave her a polite nod of farewell, then sat down. A small, happy smile lingered on his face.

~~

Nokhal’rok hadn’t moved since O’Hara had left. He’d just relaxed, silently daydreaming of buying a new pair of Manolos for O’Hara. Maybe, he might even sneak something Prada or Gucci in. He had a ton of money to waste, and he’d rather use it to dress up a pretty woman, or himself, than anything else. He was obsessed with fashion, after all.

O’Hara nodded back with a small smile. She turned and headed back into the ER.

Jackie intercepted the doctor as she was walking toward Nokhal’rok. “I need you.”

O’Hara stopped short. “For what?”

The nurse glanced around for a moment before shaking her head. “You know what, never mind,” she said shortly, heading off in the opposite direction.

O’Hara frowned before approaching Nokhal’rok’s bed and drawing back the curtain. “I just spoke to Edmund, and he’s pleased with your updates. Are you feeling better?”

Nokhal’rok was barely paying attention to his surroundings, primarily because of his continued daydreaming, so he didn’t notice the interaction between O’Hara and Jackie. Though, he heard those lovely clicking heels just before the curtain opened and he focused back on reality. A smile spread across his face at her words.

“That’s good. And, for the most part, I believe. I’ve just got the faintest reminder of a headache. Besides that, I feel fine,”he answered.

He had a sudden thought concerning his idea of buying her some new shoes. Would she appreciate it? Would she like them? Or did she have so many that another pair would just be a waste? Oh, why was his mind doing this to him now?

“Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?”he decided to ask.

Nokhal’rok didn’t really see the harm in trying to ask. Maybe, it would help ease his mind.

“Lovely,” O’Hara answered, looking at the vital signs on the monitor next to Nokhal’rok’s bed. She made some notes on her paper. “I can give you some light painkillers, if you like.”

She froze at his question. Oh God… she had just told him about her family only a few minutes ago… and that was something she didn’t prefer to talk about in regular conversation.

“No, not at all,” she answered, setting her clipboard down.

“That would be fine, even if it is just Tylenol,”he replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Nokhal’rok noticed her hesitation, and he remembered her mentioning her family. Goodness, she had already told him something personal, and he was asking for more! He had to fix that.

“My apologies. I don’t mean to scare you, or pry into anything you don’t want to talk about. I was honestly just wondering about your shoes. They are Manolos, yes?”Nokhal’rok asked, hoping his words had reassured her.

O’Hara made a brief note of getting Tylenol before she sighed. “Pardon me, I thought you were going to ask something else,” she said before dropping the matter.

The doctor instantly relaxed her demeanor when Nokhal’rok asked his question, and a light smirk appeared on her face before she answered. “Why yes, they are. Manolo Blahnik. Hurt like hell, but they make my legs look so good.” She arched an eyebrow easily.

“Pardon me. I could’ve asked that question better,”he replied.

He smiled at her confirmation. Though, he made a note of how they hurt her. Could he find something that wouldn’t hurt her, but still have the same effect? Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to figure that out unless he had her with him. Though… that was an idea.

“I thought so. I could tell by the heel clicks. Um… I apologize if this is a bit forward of me, but I’m curious if… you would like to… to join me in a… Goodness, I don’t remember the last time I’ve fumbled this much,”he said, chuckling in embarrassment. He sighed, clearing his mind, then decided to try again.

“I want to get you something. A gift, to show my gratitude for your help today. My life basically revolves around fashion, both in business and recreation, and I can tell that you enjoy it as well, so I was thinking getting you something like that. New shoes, dresses, coats, whatever,”he said.

O’Hara was impressed. Very few men she knew would be able to identify brands of high heels, much less by the sound they made. Hell, she couldn’t always distinguish a heel by its sound.

She waited patiently for him to get his offer out (she was aware of the effect she had on most men), and when he finally did, she was very interested.

“I do indeed,” she confirmed. “Not many people are as considerate or thoughtful as you, truly. Some of them don’t even offer a bloody ‘thanks.’ I would love to-”

She was cut off as the curtain pulled open to reveal Jackie. “Can I talk to you now?” she asked.

Though she wanted to say something else, O’Hara sighed. “Of course,” she said, but she turned back to Nokhal’rok. “I’m sorry, could excuse me for one moment please?”

A smile grew on Nokhal’rok’s face as he listened to O’Hara. She was going to say yes. Oh, wonderful! His mind flooded with opportunities, lists of stores, of brands, to shop from so he could get her the perfect gift.

Though, those delightful thoughts were all interrupted by the nurse, Jackie if he remembered right. He quickly composed himself, though his expression remained light. He then gave O’Hara a patient smile.

“By all means,”he said calmly.

He hoped it wasn’t anything too drastic. He didn’t like having unfinished conversations, and he was also giddy about this particular talk.

O'Hara mouthed 'Sorry' before pulling the curtain shut. But it wasn't exactly a soundproof barrier. "This better be good," she said, studying Jackie intently.

"It’s about… your offer,” Jackie began. “It took a while to bring it up because it’s always a difficult discussion to have.”

“Why, 'cause you make more than he does?” O’Hara asked bluntly.

“No, it’s no fun to talk about money when you don’t have any,” Jackie replied with a neutral tone. When O’Hara didn’t say anything, she continued. “So anyway, he agreed. He finally agreed to let you set up a college fund for the girls.”

O’Hara’s eyes widened with excitement, and she clapped her hands together. “If I believed in crying at work, I would be tearing up — I’m thrilled!” she exclaimed.

“But instead of a college fund, can we make it an education fund because I really want to get Fiona into private school,” Jackie said quickly and over her friend’s outburst.

“Yes yes yes yes yes yes!” O’Hara said, throwing her arms up. She then proceeded to hug Jackie tightly and lift her up off the ground.

“Ooh! My back! My back! My back!” Jackie cried out in protest.

“Oh, my God! Sorry sorry!” O’Hara apologized, quickly setting the other woman back down.

On the other side of the nurse’s station, Akalitus called out, “Jackie! I need you over here now!”

Jackie grinned at O’Hara and headed over to where the ER administrator was waiting with her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

“I’m really happy about this Jacks!” O’Hara called after her before heading back to Nokhal’rok’s bed. She drew back the curtain, flushed slightly with delight, and looked back down at the man. “I’m so sorry about that,” she apologized quickly, still unable to stop smiling from the result of her conversation with Jackie. "Where were we?"

Nokhal’rok gave a small, nonchalant shrug to her apology then watched her leave. He listened to the conversation, intrigued. Was this Jackie referring to her own girls? And was O’Hara trying to be a patroness to Jackie? Or did he have it wrong?

Then, he overheard Jackie’s yelp about her back. That made him wonder about a few things. How bad was Jackie’s back? And was that why it had taken her so long earlier to get the lidocaine? It wouldn’t surprise him.

When Jackie was finally called away, Nokhal’rok’s smile returned. Moments later, O’Hara came back, with a beautiful blush. He’d have to keep that look in mind for any outfits he might get her.

“It’s no problem. You were in the middle of answering my offer to join me in buying you a gift,”he replied to her.

O'Hara couldn't shake her grin. She'd been trying to get Jackie's husband, Kevin, to agree to let her set up college funds for their daughters – Grace and Fiona – for years, and now that he finally agreed, it was all she could do to keep from running to her office, digging through her purse, and writing the check immediately.

Her eyes widened again and instantly lit up. "Oh, yes! Right, of course! I'd love to go! Is tomorrow afternoon alright for you?"

Nokhal’rok loved her lingering grin. It was wonderful to see that something could make her so happy. And, in his own way, he wanted to help her keep that smile.

His smile widened at her reaction and he chuckled.

“Tomorrow afternoon sounds perfect. I’ll make sure I have nothing else scheduled,”he replied.

It might piss a few people, and family members, off, that he was suddenly changing his schedule. But, that was nothing new. He usually did it after meeting someone new, and he also, secretly, enjoyed inconveniencing the people he didn’t like.

"Lovely," O'Hara enthused. "Though should anything keep you, please let me know. I don't want to make you have to shuffle around your life just to accommodate me. And here…" She took a pen and a blank sheet of paper underneath her clipboard and wrote out her phone number on it in elegant handwriting. "In case you need to contact me with any changes."

She checked his charts again and nodded at what she saw. "You're spotless. All your vitals are good, and… oh!" She looked down at her clipboard and pointed to her earlier note. "How is your head? Do you still need a dose of paracetamol?"

“Don’t worry yourself about it. I enjoy breaks in the routine,”Nokhal’rok replied with a chuckle.

He watched her write down something, then took the paper with her phone number. A thoughtful smile appeared and he tucked the paper into one of his shirt pockets. He would be sure to remember putting the number in his phone.

He listened to her, then narrowed his eyes in momentary confusion. Paracetamol? He’d never heard of it, but since he’d requested Tylenol earlier, he figured it was just another name for it.

“That’s Tylenol, yes? Maybe. The headache has gone down to where I can ignore it pretty easily, but it might help to keep it down, I suppose,”Nokhal’rok said.

"Oh, yes," O'Hara quickly realized what she'd said. "I'm sorry. Paracetamol is the British version of acetaminophen, which is essentially Tylenol. So yes, I can get you some if you like. I can also write a prescription if you need."

The doctor was still smiling, unable to shake it off. She was overjoyed that Kevin had finally agreed… God, she'd been trying for weeks through Jackie to get him to accept her generous offer. It was surprising that he'd finally given in, and seemingly so easily, but O'Hara didn't mind. She was just too relieved.

“Ah, I see. That’s actually good to know. Anyway, I doubt I’ll need it for very long, but it would probably be a good idea for now,”he said with a shrug.

Nokhal’rok loved that her smile was still lingering. He was pondering if he should ask about why, so he could get more context on what the ‘education fund’ was for, or who. But, he wondered if it would be rude to ask. She had already mentioned her family, and he’d asked her about her shoes. Maybe, for now, it was best to keep it at that.

O'Hara nodded shortly. "Alright, I'll go and get that for you. Give me a moment, and I'll be right back." With that, she headed out and across the ER to the pharmacy.

"Good afternoon, Doctor O'Hara," the pharmacist, Eddie, greeted her easily. "What'll it be?"

"Hello, Eddie. 2000 milligrams of acetaminophen," she answered, making another few notes on her clipboard. 2000 mg to be stretched out over the next 48 hours if pain continues.

"Coming right up," Eddie replied, heading back to get what the doctor needed.

As O'Hara was waiting, Jackie strolled past, her hands in her pockets. O'Hara looked up and grinned. "Stop by my office later," she instructed lightly. "I'll write the check. And for the love of all that's good and holy, get an MRI for your back."

Jackie waved O'Hara's words off with a good-natured smile. "It's already in the works."

O'Hara nodded and faced Eddie, who was handing her the prescription. "Thank you, Eddie. Always charmed," she cooed before heading back to Nokhal'rok, her heels clicking all the way. She smirked with satisfaction. The woman took pride in her entire appearance, especially her Manolos. And it hadn't gone unnoticed.

“I shall be patiently waiting,”Nokhal’rok replied with a smile and a chuckle.

He listened to her walk away, savoring the sound of her heels. The more he heard those Manolos, the more he liked them. And, the more determined he became to get O’Hara another set of heels.

He quietly waited until he heard those clicking shoes again. Then, he couldn’t help another smile. The suspense, the anticipation, that accompanied those heels was just too delightful.

“And, the lovely doctor returns,”Nokhal’rok said with a grin, unable to resist the comment.

O'Hara drew back the curtain and was surprised by his comment, to say the least. She tilted her head and smirked slightly. "Indeed I have," she murmured simply.

She placed the bag Eddie had given her on Nokhal'rok's lap and nodded her head toward it. "There's 2,000 milligrams in there. Please, for the love of everything good and holy, don't take it all at once. One tablet at a time is enough. Take one every four hours if the pain continues, and it shouldn't need to last you longer than 48 hours total. If for some strange reason you need more by then…" Her eyes flickered to his pocket where he'd tucked the paper with her phone number on it. "You know how to contact me."

(Okay, just a ‘random thought of the day’ thing, lol, I was looking back at Nok’s template and I think I realized something. He’s a dandy, and he likes darker clothes that go with his pale complexion. Wouldn’t that make him a sort of gothic dandy?)

Nokhal’rok chuckled at her reaction. It was an impulsive comment he’d made, but he had meant it. He’d only just met O’Hara, but she had already potentially saved his life, even at the risk of job-related trouble, had treated him kindly the entire time, and had a similar love of expensive clothes as he did. There was no way O’Hara didn’t qualify as a lovely woman. At the very least, she was lovely in Nokhal’rok’s eyes.

He almost burst into laughter at her words, but he kept his composure. Then, he nodded in understanding.

“No worries. I am not one to tempt fate with drugs. I already have anemia. I do not need any other conditions. And… do you want my number, just in case of anything, medical or not? It’s up to you, since I have yours,”Nokhal’rok asked.

O'Hara nodded with a small smile. "Yes, that would be brilliant," she agreed. She slipped another sheet of paper from her clipboard and handed it to him along with a pen. Her perfume smelled just as deliciously strong as it had earlier when she'd cracked his broken nose back into place.

Her eyes studied his face. His skin was incredibly pale, but she noted that he wasn't terribly bad to look at. In fact, he was quite nice to look at. And his knowledge and appreciation for fashion made him stand out to her even more.

"You know… now that I think about it, Akalitus owes me a favor. I bet I could get off a bit earlier than usual, and we could go out tonight," O'Hara murmured thoughtfully. "Unless you'd like to wait until tomorrow to see if you feel any better."