Chapter Five

The morning after Jason’s shift with Vincent, the almost smile he’d seen lingered in his mind like an unresolved melody. It had been faint, nearly unnoticeable, but it was there, a crack in the icy facade Vincent wore like armor. Jason tried to brush it off as nothing, convincing himself that the Vincent he’d seen in that moment wasn’t any different from the aloof doctor he worked with every day. Yet, no matter how much he reasoned, the image refused to fade. It was as if he’d seen something beneath the surface, and as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to see it again.

When he walked into the ER for his next shift, the usual buzz of activity filled the air. Nurses shuffled in and out of patient rooms, their conversations drowned out by the beeping of monitors and the occasional overhead page. Jason scanned the room instinctively, searching for a tall, brooding figure. But Vincent was nowhere in sight. A strange pang of disappointment followed, unwelcome and unsettled. He quickly pushed it aside, reminding himself he was here to work, not to daydream about enigmatic doctors.

“Hey, Jason,” Bella called out from the nurses’ station, a sly grin already spreading across her face. “You’re glowing. Got a secret admirer?”

Jason rolled his eyes, ignoring the warmth creeping up his cheeks. “Unless you’re talking about my patients, who adore me for my charm and dashing good looks, no.”

Bella smirked, leaning against the counter. “Sure, let’s go with that. But seriously, there’s something different about you today.”

Tilting his head, he feigned innocence. “Different how?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the way you floated in here like you’re walking on air. Or maybe it’s because you’re finally melting that statue we call Dr. Maloney.”

Jason froze, his heart skipping an inconvenient beat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Bella’s smirk widened as she studied him. “Oh, come on. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Jason. It’s different.”

Scoffing, Jason forced a laugh. “Vincent? The man barely tolerates me. Pretty sure the only thing he sees when he looks at me is a nuisance.”

Her laugh echoed through the station, loud enough to draw a few curious glances. “You can keep telling yourself that, but you’re not fooling me. You two have this... energy.”

“Energy?” Jason repeated, the word feeling foreign on his tongue. “He’s a robot, Bella. I’m pretty sure ‘energy’ does not exist in his programming.”

Bella gave him a knowing look, her amusement evident as she walked off, leaving Jason to drown in his thoughts.

He spent the rest of the morning trying to focus on his tasks, but Bella’s words kept bothering him. Did Vincent really look at him differently? Or was he just desperate to see something that wasn’t there?

By early afternoon, Jason was convinced he had imagined everything. That was, until he saw him again.

Returning from the cafeteria, clutching his lukewarm coffee, Jason spotted Vincent near the staff lounge. The doctor was scrolling through his tablet, his brow furrowed in concentration. His lab coat hung perfectly on his shoulders, and his hair was neatly combed, as if the chaos of the hospital didn’t dare disturb him. But there was something off about the way he stood—rigid, like he was carrying a weight no one else could see.

Summoning a courage he wasn’t sure he had, Jason approached. “Hey, Dr. Maloney,” he called out, keeping his tone light.

Vincent glanced up, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Miller,” he replied, his voice as clipped as ever.

“Busy day?” Jason asked, leaning casually against the wall.

“Always,” Vincent said, his attention flickering back to the screen.

For a moment, silence fell between them, heavy and awkward. Jason debated on walking away, but something held him in place.

“Look, about the other day...” The words tumbled out before he could stop them. “I just wanted to say I get it. I get why you’re so focused. And... I respect that.”

Vincent’s eyes snapped up to meet his, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “You... respect it?”

“Yeah,” Jason said, shrugging as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “You’re dedicated and It’s impressive. But... I think sometimes it’s okay to let people see that you’re human, too.”

Vincent’s gaze softened, just for a moment, and Jason felt his heart stutter. Vincent seemed to weigh the words carefully before responding. “Being ‘human’ doesn’t help anyone in this job, Miller. It only makes things harder.”

Jason frowned, trying to understand his meaning. “I don’t know. I think patients appreciate it when they know we care.”

Vincent looked away, his expression distant. “Caring isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

Before Jason could press further, a nurse appeared, her urgency breaking the moment. “Dr. Maloney, they need you in Trauma.”

Vincent straightened immediately, his professional mask snapping back into place. Without another word, he turned and strode down the hallway, leaving Jason standing there, a mix of frustration and curiosity swirling inside him.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of charts and rounds, but Jason’s mind kept drifting back to that conversation. There was something in the way Vincent had said “caring isn’t easy,” as if it carried more weight than the words themselves.

By the time his shift ended, Jason was exhausted. As he headed to the locker room to change, Bella appeared beside him, her smug grin back in full force.

“So,” she began, her tone dripping with mischief. “How was your little heart-to-heart with Dr. Maloney?

Jason groaned, opening his locker. “Not much to tell.”

“Oh, come on,” Bella said, nudging him playfully. “Don’t act like you don’t care. I can see it all over your face.”

Sighing, Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. Maybe I care a little. But he’s... complicated.”

“Complicated how?” she asked, her teasing tone replaced with genuine curiosity.

“Like he’s carrying a thousand secrets he’ll never let anyone see,” Jason admitted, surprised at his own honesty. “And I don’t think he wants anyone to try.”

Bella nodded thoughtfully. “Sometimes the ones who push people away the hardest are the ones who need someone the most.”

Her words stayed with Jason as he left the hospital that night. He couldn’t stop thinking about Vincent, the way he had looked at him, the way his walls seemed impenetrable yet paper-thin all at once.

As he climbed into his car, Jason made a silent promise to himself. He wasn’t going to back down, no matter how many times Vincent shut him out. Because behind those walls, Jason was certain there was someone worth knowing. And maybe, just maybe, he could be the one to find him.

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Author’s Note: Do you think Jason is reading too much into Vincent’s actions, or is there truly something stirring beneath the surface? Let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear from you!