[ open post ]

[ In the end, she comes clean to the administration. Robby goes on his sabbatical. So, she always has to be on shift with another attending. That's better for the patients, better for the students and residents. There's gossip. There's always gossip in every workplace, and Baran is old enough to tune it out, although she wishes the fact that she takes an Uber to and from every shift was not a topic of discussion.

There's some scheduling SNAFU and the temporary coverage for Shen's two-week August vacation doesn't pan out, so Baran steps in. She can't say she's excited about working nights, but her son is finishing out the summer at an overnight soccer intensive, so it's not like she needs to be home. Her houseplants do just fine without her.

And Dr. Abbot... well. She likes working with Dr. Abbot. They still need to get that drink to swap war stories.

There's a lull a little around 1 AM. She pours herself a coffee from the lounge and brings it out to the center desk, looking up at the boards next to Abbot. ]

I haven't worked an overnight since residency. [ Just idle chitchat. She says it , over the rim of her paper coffee cup before taking a large swig. From the look on her face, she immediately regrets it. ]

Oh my god. [ Back of her hand in front of her mouth. She has to force herself to swallow. It's the most bitter sludge she's had the displeasure of tasting. ] That's terrible. Who made this?

[ And what has prolonged night shift done to their taste buds. Or maybe she's being hazed. ]

And I haven't seen the light of day since my one failed attempt at working an office job decades ago.

[ It's not quite that dramatic but he'd absolutely had an office job and he'd held that job for a grand total of three weeks before he'd gotten fired.

Probably for the best. He hadn't been any good at that job and he'd hated sitting idle at a desk with a handwritten nametag plastered on his chest.

He glances over and grins, watching her lift the cup to her lips and then regret every single life choice that led to that moment. He takes a sip of his own coffee.

Yeah, it sucks but...it's caffeine. ]

That is my recipe Dr. Al-Hashimi. My special blend. You wanna know what's in it? Regret, coffee beans and I think I put some oregano in it tonight.

[ He hides another smile behind his cup before his eyes go back to the board. It is pretty quiet but he doesn't voice that out loud.

That's just asking for trouble. ]

Telling me the coffee's not shit on days? Wow, night shift getting screwed again.

[ An office job? She looks at him, half curious and half amused. Somehow, she just can't imagine him in an office job. It seems totally incongruous with everything she knows about him. ]

I can taste the regret.

[ She says playfully, emptying the just-in-case packet of zero sugar sweetener into the cup and giving it a swirl. She doesn't gag on the next sip, but that's not because it's better as much as she's just better prepared. ]

It's the same terrible coffee grounds, I think we just use less than the Nightcrawlers. [ She draws out the nickname cheekily. ] Day shift has this weird quirk where we like when the coffee has the consistency of coffee instead of motor oil.

I guess we're just a different breed on nights. Stronger, faster, better looking.

[ He waits till she looks over at him, expecting some kind of incredulous expression, before he waggles his eyebrows and finishes the coffee in a few gulps.

It is terrible and he grimaces before tossing the cup into the trash can. ]

Besides, you're an honorary one night, Dr. Al-Hashimi. Nightcrawler, that is. Who knows, you might even like it so much, you wanna stay.

I have no comment.

[ Re: his assessment. Yes, it certainly does take a special type to work night shifts. No, she won't confirm or deny any of those, especially better looking. She does have eyes, but she has also taken the mandatory Human Resources training, and there are acceptable ways to conduct yourself in the workplace.

But. Again. Her eyes do work....... ]

I thought about it. [ She shrugs. ] But Omar isn't with his dad enough days of the week to make it a full schedule. Maybe when he goes to college in... eight years.

Very diplomatic of you.

[ But, he doesn't press the issue. He'd said it for fun and it had gotten a reaction even if it was a very patented non reaction reaction from her. He gives her a little nod before stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders to ease out some tension. ]

Eight years, huh? Does he know what he wants to be yet?

[ Kids, he knows, will want to be one thing on Monday and have a totally different idea on Thursday. ]

Does he wanna take after mom and be a doctor? Or maybe an astronaut? Or something like...a Youtuber.

[ He makes a face as soon as he says that because it just sounds wrong. He's too old for the things kids like these days. ]

[ She smiles, because there is something kind of endearing about the kids-these-days tone Jack Abbot inflects on the word "Youtuber" ]

He's undecided.

[ Thankfully, is implied. If he wants to become an influencer, he has yet to share his aspirations with his mother yet. Although he's probably getting to that age where the number of things he shares with mom starts to rapidly shrink. ]

I'm trying to give him space to figure it out. Focus on being well-rounded and making good habits. [ She folds her hands in front of her on the counter. ] Of course if he takes up a sudden interest in medicine I wouldn't be opposed...

I think I wanted to be a magician when I was his age.

[ He gives his fingers a little wiggle in her direction before he crosses them over his chest. His memory is a little hazy but he knows he did go through a magician phase at some point, wanting to pull rabbits from hats and cut people in half.

But, he'd discovered quickly after that he was no good at magic. Not that kind of magic, at least. ]

I'm not an expert on children or anything but it sounds like that's probably the right thing to do. Support him and let him choose what he wants to choose. Unless he chooses Youtuber. Don't let him choose that.

[ Influencers are weird. ]

For what it's worth, I think the medical field could only benefit from another Al-Hashimi in medicine.

[ It's a nice thought, her son following in the family footsteps. Certainly it would make Baran's parents happy too. That was its own unique kind of pressure, immigrant parents with their own medical aspirations.

It's a lot of expectations to manage, and it isn't good for kids according to all the literature. But what if you're too lenient and never teach them responsibility? Being a parent is really, really tough.

Little time to go through all of that though, her reaction clear in the fond, companionable smile she offers interrupted by the red phone ringing. "No time for chatting," Lena says before rattling off the incoming motor vehicle traumas that will keep them busy for the next stretch.

But her first night shift goes well, even with the shitty coffee.

The next night, it's early 11 PM when they're back at boards and she tries very, very hard to stifle it, but she can't.

She yawns. ]

Darn it, I lost. I told Ellis that you'd start yawning at 130AM. She thought you'd go a little earlier. Guess she was right.

[ There hadn't been any kind of bet on her yawning or not but she doesn't need to know that. It's not like it wasn't something night shift would do, even.

He crosses his arms, shooting her an amused look before his eyes drift back up to the board. It's not terrible yet. But, it's early, it's hot out and he knows that can make people do stupid things. ]

You can step outside and get some air, if you need to. I'm sure there's some hot, humid air out there that might wake you up.

[ Or send her right back into the air conditioning. ]

Having some trouble sleeping during the day?

[ Her lips pull into something resembling, but not quite a smile as if to say bingo. ]

Never have I resented someone mowing their lawn as much as I did today. I think I finally got a full REM cycle around four, but by then it was practically time to get up and shower.

[ Rough night. Day. Whatever. ]

Ouch.

[ Yeah, that didn't sound like a great time. He'd definitely had nights like that and could brute strength himself through it but it wasn't fun. ]

Anything I can do to help? I'd get you a cup of coffee but I think we've established that might do more harm than good.

[ The caffeine was there but at what cost. ]

I could sweet talk someone in the cafeteria into getting something better. They like me down there.

[ Baran Al-Hashimi does not think there is a person in this hospital that doesn't like Jack Abbot. He is incredibly affable and sometimes annoyingly charming, but in terms of company for twelve plus hours a day (night), she could do a lot worse. ]

I'll survive. Just give me a good shake if it looks like my eyelids are too heavy.