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amateurduhhh · 7 months

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What About Me | Harvey x Reader

Summary: A story about how Pelican Town's bus revamp sends Harvy into a world of worry with the farmer.

Content warnings: injury

It was a calm evening in Pelican Town. Closing time was nearing, but Harvey always stood by for any emergencies that may need to be addressed. That was part of the glory that came with living above his practice.

"Okay, Dr. Harvey, I just clocked out, I'm gonna head home now!" Maru declared.

"Alrighty, see you!"

He leaned back in a desk chair, filing paperwork and checking inventory. In a quiet town like Pelican Town, it was relatively uncommon for anyone to need something when he wasn't open. Occasionally, the farmer would pass out in the middle of god-knows-where and that horizon would only be expanded by the new bus repair that was somehow managed.

Harvey didn't mind helping you out. In fact, he found it amusing at first. He understood it may have been hard to fully understand the body's limits with the work experience of an office worker. It was just something to scoff and roll his eyes at. What a silly farmer, he thought.

That is until it became more frequent. It took a copious amount of begging and guidance to improve your habits. Harvey even informed you of the purple mushrooms, starfruit, magma caps and nutritious meals that might keep you in good shape while monsters tear at your flesh. As a result of your constant accidents, he made sure to keep his elixirs extra stocked. He only hoped that the distance from the Calico Desert and Ginger Island from Stardew Valley would encourage you to be safer.

A shrill ring from his phone blared next to him. He sighed and picked up the receiver, holding it to the side of his face. Regretfully, Harvey never even glanced at the number who called. Never did he expect it to be dispatch, calling in about an emergency trauma situation.

"Emergency? How bad is it?" Harvey stood up, and scrambled through the building to prepare for the patient. "Uh- y-yeah, bring ‘em in... I have the supplies."

He prepared an operation room as fast as he could.

The emergency door burst open, and two people propelled a bright yellow stretcher to his operation room. The person was unconscious and blood sprouted out of their arm in sync with their heartbeat. "Patient was found in the Skull Cavern mines of Calico Desert. Patient is hypotensive and we can't find a pulse. We believe they suffered blunt force trauma to the chest. We recorded several medial lacerations on their left arm. There is atrial hemorrhaging–"

"I can see that!" He said. Harvey, examined the patient, his eyes catching sight of the face, causing his stomach to lurch and anger to set in his chest. In his residency, he was always good at handling the sight of blood, broken bones, and organs. It was never an issue. Until they had come from you. It wasn't something he could prepare for. The sight had caused a rock to form in his stomach.

"What the hell," he breathed out in white-hot rage. Harvey was fuming. "Why hadn't you put a tourniquet on their arm yet!"

"Doctor," the paramedic's voice was worried. "Patient's heart rhythm..!"

Harvey's eyes widened at the monitor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no other option than to remain calm.

"Sinus Tachycardia. Shit, the hemothroax is making her heart tamponade. Get me an eighteen gauge needle, I need to get the fluid out of their chest, ASAP."

"I'll prep the EGC first!" A paramedic offered.

"I don't have time for an ECG, dammit!" Harvey snapped. The paramedics scrambled at his outlash for his request.

He felt his nerves explode and knew it was for the worst. Panic made his hands sweat and slick underneath the latex gloves he wore. There was a great tightening in his chest like a furnace of hellfire every time his eyes dared glimpse at yours.

The paramedics prepared the entry site and handed Harvey a large needle. Now he knew he had to get it together. He drew in a sharp, deep breath. To calm his nerves he thought it was good you were unconscious to spare you the image of the largest needle you'd ever seen plunge into your chest.

The thin needle glided through to your flesh, without any navigation Harvey bore the task with nothing but intuition, until the needle penetrated the pericardium. Behind him, one Paramedic had their back turned, unable to watch this infinite medical wager. A true test of a gut feeling.

Sweat slid down Harvey's forehead when he felt the needle had found the pericardium. He steadily lifted the syringe, the paramedic watching it fill with blood while Harvey had his eyes on the heart monitor. A great flood gate of stress opened and deposited his mind to see your heart rhythm steady.

After the surgery, and the departure of the paramedics, Harvey remained slumped against the hospital wall. It took a while for him to work up the energy to be upset. First, he was thankful, second, he was angry. He decided to wait until you woke up to be angry.

Days passed since the surgery.

As of now, he stood weakly beside your bed, he had a tight grip on your hand. His brownish locks swept messily over his eyes, dangling like vines in front of his glasses that slid down his nose. He was no longer wearing his white lab coat and the sleeves of his button down were rolled up, his necktie was nowhere to be seen.

After shock exhaustion hit him hard– something he experience a lot during his career but even harder since it was you on the operating table.

Harvey began coming up with random grievances, many of them being very valid. Like why is there no medical center near a very dangerous mine, let alone a desert. And why must you always venture alone? Especially without telling anyone? Why didn't you think things through before going down there?

A soft groaning sound came from your mostly motionless form. All except your eyelids remained still. A sudden wave of fatigue and a bone chilling pain all over made it almost impossible to move without wanting to die.

"Har... vey...?" you muttered, slightly craning your head to the side. He was just in the corner of your vision. His flustered face in all of its glory.

Harvey's physician instincts kicked in and began checking your vitals as well as asking you questions. "Do you know what day it is?"

"'s it the seventh of sp...ring?" you recalled.

"Where do you live?"

"Stardew Valley."

"Do you know my name?"

"Harvey."

"Now last question," said Harvey, a little irritated. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

It took you a moment to reply. The question didn't quite sound like it had an answer. You opened your mouth to answer but nothing came out.

"What?" you said, tensing up a little.

"I've lost count of how many times I've asked you to please be careful." His tone was desperate and distraught. You didn't pick up on the sincerity of his voice, being too involved in the pain in your side.

As soon as you realized what this was about, all the tension in your shoulders deflated. You rolled your eyes and sighed. "Come on Harvey. I'm going to be okay."

"You don't know that," he stressed. There was a hot anger in his tone that sent tendrils of worry down your spine. "So stop acting like your skin is made of platinum. You don’t even realize it, but you may just be the luckiest person in the Ferngill Republic! This isn't the first time you came into my clinic an inch away from death and every goddamn time... I don't know if you're going to make it."

You frowned. "Now... wait a minute..." Everytime this happened you saw the way Harvey's jaw locked, waiting for you to go home from his emergency surgery so he could break down over the fact he'd have to do it again.

He felt like his soul was becoming too big for his body, like a shaken Joja Cola threatening to burst. All he could do was tremble with desperation and anger. "You can't go back to Skull Cavern... and don’t think I don’t know about your little ventures into the Ginger Island volcano, hell, even the local mines-- you’ve lost your fucking mind-- you can't--."

You felt indignant. "That isn't your call Harvey." Even in your most vulnerable state, you stood your ground. It made sense to Harvey why you always ventured out into danger. "I can't believe you would even suggest that... that's so... selfish!"

"Maybe it is," he argued.

"What about my job, I make money by doing this! What about me leaving Joja Corporation to be here? The community center, too. Didn't get fixed without a few broken bones. What about that?"

The Joja Cola inside Harvey had finally exploded. A loud thud shook the bedside table and Harvey was standing, fuming. Tears cascaded like waterfalls down his eyes, ignited with fire and determination. His voice was broken and sounded like a scratched CD.

"What about me!" He gestured to himself with intensity. “What about me! Oh, it’s just one crisis after another and it doesn’t seem like a crisis to you, but every time I see you on that goddamn gurney I feel like my world is coming to an end! Dammit, if you come in again, and I can’t save...” he choked on his words. “I thought you were going to die, don’t you get it?”

You clenched your jaw, your face radiated heat. Harvey had scanned your eyes, as if he was frantically searching for something. He must have seen something because seconds after, he looked away, rubbing his eyes from underneath his glasses.

“Would you save me again? If I ignored this little debacle between us. And as soon I could get back up on my feet, and I go back into the mines, come in with a hole in my chest, the size of your hand. Would you save me, if you knew you could? Or… or even if you knew you couldn’t?”

He winced, his moustache wrinkling on his lip. His head bobbed, nonetheless. “You’re so cruel, you know that.” he said, looking at you like you asked what color the sky was. “You have this terrifying grip on me and I don’t think you realize it. I would rather not think of anything like that... you dying. Yet you force me. Not just now, but every time I see you rolling into this hospital. If you died, if you were on my operation table, my emergency room, and you flatlined... I doubt I could bring myself to hold a scalpel again. I am so deeply in love with you. I'd save you a billion times in a billion different lives. Again and again and again, I would save you in a box, with a fox, here or there, or anywhere. I am saving you now, and you’re oblivious. The most potent medicine I can administer for the madness within you is my own goddamn pleading.”

"I'm tired of this," you confessed. There was long a silence of him examining you. There was dark reddish-purple bruising around your face and various large ones dotting the lengths of your appendages. Old bruises that hadn't yet healed reopened and fading lacerations from being handled by Void Spirits throbbed around your wrists. "You're right. I... need a break from the mines. I haven't let myself heal."

Harvey looked caught off guard. He froze, eyes glued to your pathetic, ragged form. Hooked up to countless monitors and machines.

"I can't keep getting hurt like this. I... I try to act like it's no big deal but... I haven't been sleeping, it's so scary. I need stone and ore and money to expand my farm. I've gotten so caught up in boosting my efficiency I've completely turned into who I was when I worked for Joja."

Harvey was silent for a good moment. He took your hand. "(Y/N)," he spoke tenderly, his throat raw and shakey. "You live comfortably enough to take a medical leave from work. Doctor's orders, you understand?"

You frowned. Farming was your passion. But he was right, and the break might raise the prices of your crops if they become higher in demand. You took a deep breath, barely managing a nod. "I'll be awfully bored and lonely if I'm not working." You complained.

"Don't worry." Harvey managed a gentle smile. "I'll make my visits frequent."

"And long."

Harvey smiled. "One day, they'll be permanent."

#fanfiction #stardew farmer #harvey stardew valley #sdv harvey #sdv harvey x farmer #sdv harvey x reader #stardew valley fanfic #stardew valley x reader

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kk095 · 4 months

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Katie in Trauma

Katie was 28 years old, standing at 5’9 with a thick, sturdy build with wavy brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, a pretty face, thick thighs, and large, perky, natural breasts. Katie was from South Carolina, and was the epitome of a cute country girl, talking with a sweet southern drawl. Katie had lived out on the outskirts of town on a larger plot of land her family owned, and enjoyed riding horses.

Yesterday while riding one of her horses, she was ejected from the horse while riding, her thick frame being tossed effortlessly by the naturally strong animal. Katie had landed hard on the ground, hearing a loud snap in her right leg. Katie immediately tried to get up, but felt extreme pain in her right leg when she tried to put pressure on it, letting out a loud yelp and cry. The horse, which was still nearby, became spooked, and kicked Katie in the chest rather hard with its two back legs before scurrying off to who knows where. Katie felt something pop in her chest, and a deep, tearing pain started to develop inside her chest. She also felt a sharp pain whenever she inhaled. Due to the isolation of the area Katie was in, it took her quite awhile to get ahold of anyone she knew, let alone EMS.

With that said, Katie had arrived at the emergency department much later than she ideally should have. Katie now laid on the trauma room table underneath the harsh, fluorescent overhead light. She was in a c-collar on a backboard, stripped down to just her bra and matching underwear, her brown hair in a messy ponytail. Her right thigh was bruised and discolored, being splinted by EMS. She was absolutely terrified, on the verge of tears, taking rapid shallow breaths. Her eyes scanned the room full of complete strangers who barked orders and medical jargon at one another. The heart monitors were chirping loud and fast, creating a bit of anxiety for Katie. Katie had never experienced the level of pain she was in. Her right leg was very sore and sensitive, with a bit of throbbing. The tearing pain in her chest was 100 times worse than it was at the onset of the accident, and she still felt a sharp pain whenever she inhaled. The adrenaline began to wear off, and the pain intensified further. Katie started to cry hysterically, letting the pain and fear overwhelm her.

Dr Lindsay and Dr Sarah were in charge of Katie’s care, assisted by our usual team of nurses. Katie’s blood pressure was dangerously low and continuing to drop rapidly, and her heart rate was elevated. Katie’s bra was snipped off, allowing her big, perky breasts to spill out. This revealed a huge bruise in between her breasts in the center of her chest. Dr Lindsay lowered her stethoscope onto Katie’s bare chest and auscultated her heart and lungs. “muffled heart sounds, diminished breath sounds left side.” Lindsay informs Dr Sarah. With those findings on auscultation, the two doctors decided to follow up with a chest x-ray and an echocardiogram. The chest x ray displayed some bruising and swelling in the sternum along with some of her ribs, but couldn’t conclusively prove if there were or weren’t any fractures. The chest x ray also showed that there was a left sided tension pneumothorax with slight tracheal deviation. The echocardiogram was performed moments later, revealing cardiac tamponade with a possible cardiac chamber injury. “ok, let’s do a chest tube then a pericardiocentesis and go from there.” Dr Sarah decided, Lindsay nodding in agreement. While the chest tube tray was being set up, Katie cried hysterically. “I’m so scared… I don’t wanna die…” she moaned to nurse Nancy. “it’s ok sweetie, you’re in good hands.” Nancy replies in a soothing, reassuring tone, stroking the young lady’s hair a bit. “Don’t let me die…” Katie cried, squeezing nurse Nancy’s hand.

The chest tube tray was set up, and the doctors got things going. The left side of Katie’s rib cage was sterilized with antiseptic, and Lindsay picked up the scalpel. Dr Lindsay made a 1 inch cut in between Katie’s 4th and 5th ribs. Katie felt the scalpel’s every move, moaning and crying loudly, begging the trauma team to stop. The underlying fat and tissue was incised by Dr Lindsay, exposing the intercostal muscles. Lindsay used a large clamp to spread the intercostal muscles, then stuck her index finger inside the incision area to penetrate the pleura, and create an opening for the tube that was soon to be inserted. Lindsay clamped off the proximal end of the chest tube, and jammed it inside the small, 1 inch incision. Katie yelped and screamed, wincing in pain from the quick, but brutal procedure. When the tube reaches the correct location, air hissed out of the tube, and reestablished normal activity within the left lung. The sharp pain Katie was experiencing while breathing instantly went away.

After the chest tube placement, the next order of business was the pericardiocentesis. The large needle for the procedure was picked up by Dr Sarah, and immediately noticed by Katie. Her eyes widened, looking at the large, thin needle. “no way! Nuh uh! You’re not sticking that in me!” a terrified Katie said to Dr Sarah. “It’s gonna help you a lot! We promise it won’t hurt as bad as the last thing we did.” Dr Sarah replied, trying to reason with her. “no way! Do something different! You’re not poking me with that!” a terrified Katie replied. Dr Sarah was able to talk Katie off the ledge a bit, and started the procedure. The front of Katie’s chest was sterilized once again, and the ultrasound wand was placed over Katie’s heart to help guide Sarah during the procedure. Dr Sarah always preferred the parasternal approach for pericardiocentesis, even though most doctors nowadays use the apical approach. Sarah took the long, thin needle and inserted it in the 6th intercostal space at the left sternal border by the cardiac notch of the left lung. The needle was inserted at a 90 degree angle because this poses a lower risk of damaging the nerves and blood vessels in between the ribs. Katie wasn’t in a ton of pain during the procedure. She felt the pressure of the needle while it made its way into her chest cavity, along with a quick little pinch here and there. When the needle reached the correct depth, the needle was inserted through the pericardium, and the catheter was attached to the back of the needle. Dr Sarah then pulled the plunger on the needle, removing the excess blood in the pericardial sac. The catheter quickly filled up with 200ML of blood. Dr Sarah swapped the catheter out so additional blood could be drained. A few drops of blood started to get in Katie’s chest after the 2nd catheter became quickly overfilled with blood. “ok, 400ML of blood that quick is a bit much. I’m thinking we page the OR.” Dr Sarah says to Lindsay. The needle was removed from Katie’s chest, and the procedure concluded.

Before the team had the opportunity to contact the OR, Katie’s blood pressure began to take a nosedive, and she began to drift in and out of consciousness. “katie? Stay with us sweetie!” nurse Nancy said, doing a firm sternal rub. Katie’s eyes opened slightly, and tried to mumble something. Katie then began taking a few gasps, before coughing up a large amount of blood. Katie spit up a large amount of blood almost immediately after, and let out a calm exhale. Katie’s eyes were half open, glazed over, her mouth agape. Due to the quick change of events, it was decided that Katie would be intubated. An ET tube was navigated into her airway, being held in place with a blue tube holder once at the correct depth.

Within a minute or two after intubation, Katie had gone into cardiac arrest. Deep , violent chest compressions were started on Katie. Her big, perky tits jiggled around. Her chest caved in, and her flabby belly bounced outwards from the residual force the compressions. Epinephrine and atropine were injected into her IV line, trying to obtain a shockable rhythm since PEA was on the monitors. After the first dose of meds and first handful of minutes worth of chest compressions failed to restart her heart, Dr Lindsay made the decision to perform a thoracotomy on Katie. Betadine was splashed across Katie’s chest, staining it a brownish orangey color. A quick, crude incision was made in the 5th intercostal space beginning just to the left of the sternum, extended laterally across her chest, underneath her left breast, and ultimately ended up a few inches shy of her left armpit. The underlying tissue was quickly dissected and incised, creating an opening for the rib spreader. Next up, the finochietto rib spreader was placed into the large, fresh gash in Katie’s chest. The knob on the spreader was turned, forcefully prying her ribs apart. A popping and cracking sound filled the room in the moments her chest was being opened.

Once Katie’s chest was opened adequately, there was a large rush of blood. The wet slurping sound from the suction tube was heard while the team tried to create a good line of sight. While suction continued, Dr Lindsay placed a vascular clamp on the descending portion of the aorta near Katie’s diaphragm. A few additional attempts were needed to create a good line of sight. After a good view of the thoracic anatomy was obtained, a vertical incision was made in the thin, fibrous pericardium. Thick, gooey, coagulated blood exited the pericardial sac, having to be suctioned out. There was a large amount of clotted blood trapped inside the pericardium which took an additional 3 minutes to clear out all the way. Next, the pericardium was peeled back, and Katie’s boggy, fibrillating heart was delivered. Lindsay wrapped her hands around Katie’s heart, feeling it slide and squirm around in her gloved hands. Lindsay squeezed hard and vigorously, sending much needed blood throughout Katie’s dying body. A wet, rhythmic squishing sound was made from the internal massage the was being performed. Dr Lindsay massaged Katie’s heart for several minutes, and another dose of drugs were given, but nothing had changed.

Lindsay wanted to try her luck with the internal paddles next. The large, spoon shaped paddles were charged to 20 joules, lowered into Katie’s chest around her weakly fidgeting heart, and the first shock was delivered. A dull, muted thunk filled the room. Katie’s torso flopped abruptly before falling back limp. The ,20 joules shock had failed to change the situation, so another shock was delivered moments later at 30 joules. Katie’s torso jolted violently, her big tits shaking in response to the stronger dose of electricity. There still wasn’t any change after that second shock, so a third one was delivered moments later, also at 30 joules. A dull, wet thump was heard, followed by the heart monitors alarming loudly while Katie’s blue eyes remained open, staring up above lifelessly. Shock #3 didn’t do the trick either, so Lindsay upped the ante, delivering a fourth shock at 40 joules. Katie’s toes curled at the far end of the table, showing off the neon pink nail polish on her toes, along with the thick, soft, meaty wrinkles throughout the soles of her size 12 feet. V-fib was still winning the battle, so Lindsay shocked again at 40 joules, but was once again unsuccessful. The electric whirring of the internal paddles charging was heard, followed by a dull, wet thunk. Katie’s body jolted sharply on the table, but her heart continued fluttering erratically.

After 3 more unsuccessful shocks, Katie had gone into PEA, so meds were pushed into her IV line. Lindsay forcefully reached back into Katie’s chest and began vigorously massaging her heart. Lindsay could feel Katie’s strong heart twitching and fluttering in her hands. Lindsay squeezed and squeezed, doing anything and everything to restart Katie’s heart. After an additional 7 minutes worth of efforts, Katie had converted back to v-fib. Lindsay charged the paddles to 40, lowered them back around Katie’s heart, and delivered the next shock. Katie’s feet kicked around and slammed back down at the far end of the table, showing off the thick, soft wrinkles throughout her soles once again. The paddles were readied again, and another unsuccessful shock was delivered. Followed by another…and another…and another, and so on.

Ultimately, Dr Lindsay shocked Katie an additional 8 times with the internal paddles and maxed her out on drugs. At the 33 minute mark of the code, it was noted that Katie’s pupils were fixed and dilated. At that point, the trauma team ceased their efforts, calling time of death on Katie at 8:27pm while she was still in v-fib. The ambu bag was detached from the ET tube and the chirping, beeping, alarming monitors were turned off. The EKG electrodes were taken off of Katie’s chest, and a blue surgical drape was placed over the thoracotomy site, hiding Katie’s heart as it fired off its last few impulses. A cover was placed over Katie’s body, concealing the terrified gaze on her face. A toe tag was placed on the big toe of her left foot, which dangled against her big, wrinkly soles, signifying a tragic end to Katie’s time in our emergency department.

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slvt4em1lyprenti2s · 9 months

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Amelia Shepherd - God complex

originally posted on my wattpad @MayaBishop_is_myWife

Pairing: Amelia Shepherd x fem!reader

Fluff

Word count: 1.3k

!!not proofread!!

also don't question the timeline of this it's all over the place w the characters in the actual series

(reader is head of cardio at grey sloan)

Summary: Teddy returns to the hospital and get an update from Bailey and Meredith about how things work and finds out reader and Amelia are dating.

Meredith POV:

"Okay so, you need updating in anything else, because that's all the new staff and equipment we have since you were last here?" Bailey, me and Teddy were all sitting round meeting table going over all the things Teddy needs to know before going back into the hospital since it had been quite a few years.

"Okay so Derek has a sister, who's also your sister and then you found out you had another sister from your mom and the chief is her dad..?"

"Yes, basically. Was that the only thing you actually remembered?"

"No, of course not I got the whole thing but that part just really stuck out to me."

"It stuck out to all of us." Bailey said which caused us all to laugh a bit.

"Okay but seriously, this place always, always, has drama so cmon ladies give me the tea!" I was about to respond when all of our pagers went off.

"We'll duty calls, but catch me after and I'll fill you in." We both had shit eating grins on our faces as we all ran down to the ER and Bailey just rolled her eyes calling us children.

Time skip to the ER

Teddy POV:

"We got a multi-vehicle collision coming in I need all hands on deck here people!" I yelled as I walked into the ambulance bay and waited for them to come in. All the attendants and interns were out there waiting as well so I took some time to take in all the new faces.

As I was looking round a certain pair caught me eye, two attendings slightly secluded from everyone else, whispering to each other and in their own little world, smiling the biggest smiles I've seen in a while. I recognised them both as Dr Shepherd and Dr Y/l/n. Head of neurosurgery and head of Cardiothoracic surgery. I assumed they were friends and moved my attention from them as the ambulance was pulling in.

"56 year old male, major head injury, penetrating chest wound, possible cardiac tamponade, crush injuries to the torso and both legs broken!" Yelled out the paramedic.

"Okay, Shepherd, Y/l/n and Torres I need you guys with me on this one!" I called out and heard the doctors running behind me. We made it into trauma one and started saving this man.

Time skip to once they're in surgery, reader is fixing heart, Amelia is fixing the brain injury, Callie is doing the legs and Teddy is fixing the crush injuries

"Quite a crowded OR for your first day back Teddy huh?" Callie said to me.

"Yeah, it is. But you know, I think I prefer it like this in the first day back because now I can get all the updates on the hospital drama." All three women laughed and then Amelia piped up "Alex and Jo got married."

"Oh my god, no way!"

"You should see them they're so adorable together, Alex really grew up and became a good man." Callie said.

"Yeah I can tell, aw that's so sweet I'm happy for them both."

"Oh, did you hear about Amelia absolutely crushing Derek in her presentation on why she should be head of neuro and not him?" Callie added.

"No, I did not hear, please do tell."

Amelia POV:

Callie is talking about how my speech was so good and blah blah but I just can't stop looking at my gorgeous girlfriend. She's so cute in her scrub hat, it's blue and had little yellow ducks on it, and she's got her concentrated face in which makes it even more adorable.

"Amelia..? Amelia.., Dr Shepherd!?" Callie said pulling me out my thoughts. "Huh, wha- oh yeah, uhm thank you, really thanks means a lot." I stammered, embarrassed I had been caught staring. I knew I had been see. because before I looked at Callie she winked at me and I could just tell under that mask she a shit eating grin plastered in her face.

"Mmhhmmm." Callie said very over-dramatically.

"Shut up." I mumbled, Callie just laughed and carried on her little gossip session with Teddy. By this point I had finished my part of the surgery so I was scrubbing out but before I left I went over to y/n which caused Callie and Teddy to slow and quiet down their chat just a little bit so they could see what was going to happen.

I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist and put my head in her shoulder no one said anything A: because they were all scared of us and B: because she was almost finished anyway, just suturing the guy back together. "Hey once you're done closing wanna go get some coffee?" I asked her casually. "I'd love to." she leaned back into me slightly as she had just finished the last stitch to close the man up. "Hey, how your knee?" I asked her. Y/n injured her knee while on a run so it's a little painful for her to stand for too long. "No I'm fine, don't worry." At this point she had taken off her gown and gloves and we walked out to the scrubbing area and started washing our hands. Once we were done we walked out to the coffee cart and got some.

On the way back we saw Callie, Meredith, Maggie, Bailey, Teddy, Alex, Jo and Arizona in the attending's lounge and decided to go and

join them. When we're about to go in we heard Meredith say something about us being together and then Teddy said "Yeah I kinda guessed that one but are they not like, insufferable? Not because of PDA but because let's be honest out all the surgeons here cardio and neuro, especially if they're head of the department which both of them are, they're both the most likely to have a major god complex surely?" We were broth a bit taken aback when we heard this so decided to ease drop a little longer. "No actually you'd be surprised, they balance each other out perfectly and they're adorable so it's like a win win, they keep each other from screaming at interns and thinking their better than everyone and that they can do anything and we get a cute couple." Everyone in the room laughed at that and we were both happy that Meredith jumped to our defence immediately. She is Amelia's sister but she is like my sister as well. After that we decided to go in.

"Hey guys." and "Hello" were said from every angle as we walked in. After that we kinda just carried on with updating Teddy and general conversation amongst all of us.

As it got later in the evening (the surgery took up most of the shift) y/n started to get a little tired so instinctively she wrapped her arms around me and put her head in the crook of my neck. "You okay there?" I ask her and just get a tired hum in response. At this point hushed conversation is still going on but most attention is on us as people started teasing us for being "so sweet".

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." I said in response to all the teasing. "Can we go home now? Shifts over." I hear my girlfriend say, her voice slightly muffled because of her head being nestles into my neck. "Yeah cmon let's go home." We bid everyone a good night and headed home to a night full of cuddles and movies.

#amelia shepherd #wlw #wlw fanfic #sapphic #greys anatomy #greys anatomy fanfiction #lesbian pride #lesbian #wlw pride #amelia shepard #amelia shepard x reader

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colonoscopys · 1 year

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6.18 spec

Buck gets Eddie sequestered on the side of a dusty truck, one with the windows blown in and the tires kissing the ground. Eddie tries to fight him as much as he can, elbow at him with his good arm, but he’s tired, and sick with worry, and weak to Buck, always weak to Buck.

“Buck,” Eddie tries, because they shouldn’t be worrying about him when Bobby is fuck knows where and Chimney has a bar in his side and—

Buck gently moves Eddie’s arm to the side, sending a ricochet of pain up the side of his arm, and he grits his teeth. His eyes are trained on the gentle movements of his chest, the careful intake of his breath, watching for a flail chest or cardiac tamponade, or a pulmonary contusion.

“Buck,” Eddie repeats, wanting to pull back, but also wanting for Buck to never stop touching him. “I’m fine.”

Buck pulls out a packaged sling, and Eddie practically snarls, sidestepping him to try to get back to the rest of the crew, to rummage through the dust and the debris to look for Bobby.

“Eddie,” Buck says, sideswiping him as fast as he can, and looking at him in the eye, and Eddie sees it for what it is, Bobby, their Bobby, the guy Eddie went to the fucking hardware store last week, the guy Eddie looks up to, cherishes, the guy who made Eddie breakfast that very morning—their guy. And this is Buck’s way of fixing what he can.

Eddie sits down.

“Give me a gauze,” Eddie says quietly, and Buck reaches over to grab it.

He tears the cloth out of the package and knots the cravat, shimmying it under Eddie’s shoulder, all while Eddie rips the gauze out of the package. He reaches up with his good arm and carefully wipes at Buck’s blood while Buck slings his dislocated shoulder. The blood on Buck’s face isn’t too dry so he gets most of it off, petting at Buck who stands there and dutifully moves his head for Eddie, like a cat with milk all over its face.

Buck gently secures the rest of the ribs at the end, and Eddie looks up at him, putting his red-soaked cloth down and grabbing Buck by the back of his neck to put their foreheads together; share a breath.

“Eddie,” Buck says again, closing his eyes against Eddie, like his name said is a secret language that only Buck can speak and Eddie can understand, and maybe it’s true because Eddie does, Eddie does understand him. His voice breaks as he says, “You were in so much pain.”

“I’m not anymore,” Eddie says furiously, pressing his head forward. “I’m not anymore. See? You fixed me.”

Buck nods.

“We’re gonna find Bobby,” Eddie whispers.

Buck nods again, and then he straightens back up, and helps Eddie off the truck, to find Bobby.

#treated this as a dislocated shoulder and bruised instead of eddies being broken or fractured because that means the bitch would have to SIT #911 fox #911 spoilers #911 fic #911 spec

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iheartvmt · 7 months

Text

Please pray for me. This morning my big dog, Luthien, passed away.

We diagnosed her with an inoperable heart tumor a little over 6 months ago, and had been watching for worsening symptoms to know when to say goodbye, and she hadn't shown any. But one way this tumor can kill is by causing rapid heart failure, either from an arrhythmia or from cardiac tamponade. So it wasn't a surprise or sudden, not really, but it was so very quick. She did her normal morning routine -- ate her breakfast, pottied normally, sniffed the "newspaper" (the telephone pole at the end of the driveway), and hopped into the car to come with me to work. I stopped at the gas station for coffee, and when I came back out, she was collapsed and barely breathing. She was gone less than a minute later.

Once I'm feeling better, I'll probably write up the case study, partly to help me process, but also because the type of tumor she had is considered rare in dogs and would be good for y'all students to read.

#personal #cw: pet death #cw: death #my pets #dogs #cancer #oncology #prayer request #Catholic #Christian #cw: cancer

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fluentmoviequoter · 6 months

Text

Pretty Lies

Pairing: Victor Vale x EO!fem!reader

Summary: As you die, you wish to know to truth: about what your life meant, what happens after death, everything. When you come back, you know when people are lying and when they’re telling the truth. You are a human lie detector, who Victor Vale decides to use to his advantage.

Word Count: 4.8k+ words

Warnings: descriptions of injuries and death (reader is an EO), spoilers for Vicious and Vengeful, takes place after Vengeful but ignores something that happens, EMT codes and medical terminology, OC villains, angst, canon-typical violence, fluff, Victor is Dol's biggest fan. I think that's all?

A/N: I'm desperately searching for an actor/model/anyone that matches my mental image of Victor to make gifs. As I said in the warnings, this takes place after Vengeful but doesn't reference something that Victor does/experiences because I didn't think it was necessary (and it made me sad reading it tbh). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and let me know what you think!🖤

Masterlist Directory | Victor Vale Masterlist | Request Info (OPEN)

Your heart rate slows to a crawl as your mind races, and questions form in your cerebrum faster than you can process any answers. Asking yourself these questions, you don’t register the sharp pain in your chest or the shortness of your breath.

Why? What was the purpose? What happens next? Did I make an impact?

The last thing you hear before the questions stop is, “Check for pulsus paradoxus; blood pressure unstable! Code 99: W, 902H… 914C, DOA.”

✯✯✯✯✯

As your hearing returns, a steady beeping causes your head to pound. Opening your eyes slowly, you realize you’re in a hospital room.

“Welcome back,” a nurse says as she walks in. “How are you feeling?”

“Not great,” you respond.

“I’ll call the doctor.”

She walks out, and you feel a strange flinching sensation in your right wrist.

“Hello,” the doctor says, introducing himself as he looks at your vitals. “You’re making quite the recovery.”

Another flinch.

“Do you remember what happened?” he asks.

“Umm, I was in an accident,” you answer.

“Yes, you had a fairly severe case of cardiac tamponade; blood gathered around your heart and the pressure caused some problems.”

“My heart stopped?”

The doctor nods. “We performed a thoracotomy, cleared the liquid and brought you back.”

Your wrist flinches again, and you look down, feeling the sensation but seeing no evidence you’re moving.

“There were no complications,” the doctor adds.

Your wrist feels like it contracts quickly, and before you think about it, you say, “That’s not true.”

The doctor swallows, checking your chart and avoiding eye contact as he admits, “The injury that caused the tamponade is fairly hard to correct, at least permanently.”

“You’re saying it could happen again?”

“Yes.”

Flinch. Truth.

“I would encourage you to get a service dog trained to your symptoms and get your heart checked regularly. It may come back, but considering how quickly you recovered, I consider it unlikely.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Of course. I’ll be in a few more times today, but you should be ready for discharge soon,” he says as he leaves and closes the door behind him.

“That was true,” you mutter, looking down at your wrist.

✯��✯✯✯

“How could you possibly know that?” Sydney asks, spinning her cocoa cup as she sits across from Victor.

“Your brain, the medial temporal lobe and the medial and lateral prefrontal cortexes, makes false memories, Syd,” Victor answers, not looking up from his paper.

“But why?”

“That’s a question for a psych major. I was pre-med,” Victor deadpans.

“If the brain makes different memories, though, why do we think some of the false ones are real?”

“Trauma responses?” Victor suggests, sighing as he looks up. “I really don’t know. Deep inside your brain, you know which ones are true, unless you somehow convince yourself which ones are false.”

✯✯✯✯✯

Walking out of the hospital, you hear as many lies as you do truths.

“You’re going to be fine,” someone promises. Lie.

“There isn’t much we can do.” Truth.

“The bathroom is down the hall.” Lie. You look over and see a young boy laugh as another child walks in the opposite direction.

Speeding up, you decide to go somewhere you hopefully won’t hear anyone. While you walk down the street, you see a small coffee shop off by itself. You walk inside and take a deep breath at the lack of people. Only five or six customers occupy the cafe, and only two don't have their noses buried in computer screens. You order a drink and sit in the back corner, lying your head on the table as you enjoy the quiet.

When you pick your head up to take a drink, you feel a weird sense of pain, less painful than nudging, like it’s directing your attention away from something. Even stranger, the pain isn’t real. Turning toward the sensation, you notice a pale man wearing the black clothes and the blonde girl sitting across from him. They could be siblings, but that doesn’t feel true. The girl looks over at you, her eyebrows raising when she sees you looking. She taps the man with her foot, and he glances up before following her gaze, his eyes locking on yours.

“Can we help you?” he asks, his eyes narrowed as the nudging sensation strengthens slightly.

“No, sorry. I, uh, I thought you were someone else,” you apologize as you turn back to your drink.

“Remember what I said,” the man whispers, sounding much kinder than when he spoke to you.

You ignore them until they leave, but as soon as the man is out of sight of the coffee shop, the patrons begin whispering to one another, truths and lies floating through the air as new life enters the atmosphere. The distraction of pain is gone, too, and you jump out of your seat to follow the man in black.

“Hey!” you yell as you catch up.

He turns around, pushing the girl behind him as he sticks a hand under his jacket.

“Yes?” he asks.

“Was that you? The pain that kept everyone from looking at you?” you ask.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you still have the wrong guy.”

You shake your head as your wrist flinches, barely noticeable, but enough to be sure he’s lying.

“That’s not true.” The girl pokes her head out, and you look at her to ask, “Can you do something, too?”

“No,” she whispers.

“That’s another lie.”

“Look,” he begins, raising a hand toward you.

“No, no, you look. I died yesterday, but now I’m a walking lie detector. So if you can do something too you have to help me,” you ramble, dropping your shoulders as you add, “Please.”

“You know when people are lying?” he asks.

You nod, and he looks at the girl, gesturing his head toward you.

“My name’s Sydney,” she says, standing straight as she steps beside her protector.

You nod and introduce yourself, tapping your hand on your thigh rather than shaking Sydney's hand. Her protector doesn’t seem like he would appreciate the sudden movement.

“This is Frank,” Sydney says.

Shaking your head, you look over at him.

“Lie?”

“Lie.”

“My name’s Victor,” he corrects, extending his hand.

You shake it, scrunching your nose in pain, your chest tightening much like it did yesterday.

“You died very recently,” Victor says. “I can control pain, obviously.”

“What can you do?” you ask Sydney.

“Doesn’t matter,” Victor interjects, looking at Sydney as she steps behind him again. “What kind of help do you want?”

“I’d like to know why I am a human polygraph test now,” you answer with a weak chuckle.

Victor looks around and sighs. “Come with us. Syd, call Mitch and tell him we have company.”

You thank Victor quietly and walk behind him, watching people turn away from him as the same nudging that pulls you to him pushes them away.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Okay,” Victor says, looking at Mitch’s computer. “This says you were gone for nearly two minutes. You were on the brink of brain damage.”

“What caused the bleeding around your heart?” Mitch asks.

“An accident. I don’t remember many details, though,” you answer, fiddling your fingers in your lap.

“What were you thinking about when you died?” Victor asks.

“Umm, there were a lot of questions. Like what would happen after I died and what everything meant. That’s all I remember thinking.”

“Have you heard of the theory of EOs?”

“ExtraOrdinary?” you clarify. “Just what I’ve seen in the papers. The masked vigilante that got arrested? Uh, something Ever, I think.”

Victor clenches his jaw as he nods. “Yeah, he was an EO. Just like me, Sydney, and you.”

“What do you mean, me?”

“EOs are, in the most basic sense, people who died and came back with something extraordinary,” Victor explains. “Unfortunately, something is also missing when we come back.”

“You’re saying that this power, whatever, is because I died? I have to live with this forever?”

“Yes. But, I have an idea, if you’re willing to help.”

“Help how?”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where is the new EON facility?” Victor growls, wiping a knife on his sleeve as he circles the chair.

“I don’t know!” the man in the chair cries.

You lock eyes with Victor and shake your head; another lie.

“See, you do know and you’re just not willing to share. That’s not very nice,” Victor says, bending forward and placing his hands on his knees to look into the man’s eyes. “Tell me where it is and the pain goes away.”

“You’ll never find it!”

You shrug when Victor looks up at you; it’s not an answer, so it’s relatively true and false at the same time. Schrödinger’s answer.

“Do you want to meet my friend?” Victor asks, a small smile on his face. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Victor walks around the man, leaving him thrashing against the restraints. When Victor reaches you, he looks into your eyes as he speaks.

“Seeing you, knowing that you can tell what’s true and false will make him more aware of how serious this is,” Victor explains. “Are you up to this?”

You nod and follow Victor, similarly dressed in black to hide in the shadows.

“Why don’t you tell her what you told me?” Victor begins. “Where is the EON facility?”

“I don’t know,” the man repeats, staring at you.

“That’s a lie,” you state, setting your hands on Victor’s table of knives as you lean back against it. “Why don’t you tell me something true? No one ever tells the truth anymore.”

“Probably because you’re going to kill them regardless!”

“Is that what he told you?” you ask, cocking your head as you glance at Victor. “No, no, you tell us the truth and we leave. We don’t need you, we just need your information.”

“I’m taking it to the grave.”

“Now that’s true,” you say, smiling. “What about your name? What’s your name?”

“Bradley,” he mumbles.

Victor returns to your side, spinning a knife as he leans against the table beside you.

“In the mood for sharing now?” he asks.

“Not with you,” Bradley snaps.

“Oh, I see. Pretty girl is worthy of the answers, not me. I get it.” He places a hand on Bradley’s shoulder, stooping to whisper in his ear as he walks out. “I think for a moment she is in danger and you will experience pain beyond what you can imagine. Understand?”

Bradley nods as your wrist flinches. Whatever Victor said was true.

“Why are you willing to share with me, Bradley?” you ask once alone. He shrugs, and you ask, “Where is EON?”

“I don’t have an address.” Truth. “All I ever heard was that it is in a building once owned by the government. Somewhere north of town where there’s not much traffic.” Another truth.

“Do you have any idea which building it could be? Or which agency owned it?”

“No.” You tilt your head toward him, and he sighs before asking for paper and a pen. “Just this one,” he says as he writes an address.

“Thank you,” you say as you slip the paper into your pocket.

“What happens now?” Bradley asks.

“We all move on,” you say, smiling at him before walking out.

Your wrist doesn’t contract when you lie, but you and Bradley know that isn’t true.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Good work,” Victor says as he emerges from the building, wiping his hands on his coat.

“Thanks. He gave me this address, but he’s not sure if it is the correct building. All he could say for sure was that the building is somewhere north of town, no traffic around it, and that it used to be owned by the government,” you explain as you walk beside Victor.

Victor nods and takes the paper from you, reading the address before putting it in his pocket. “It’s probably the right place; there aren’t many abandoned government buildings around here. How’d you get him to talk to you?”

“People are less inclined to lie when they know they can’t get away with it,” you answer. “And I’m pretty sure he was just scared of you.”

Victor nods, keeping his eyes on something ahead of you as he shifts you to stand on his other side.

“Would you have killed him if I wasn’t there?” you ask quietly.

“No. I needed the information, I would have found another way to get it,” he answers after taking a few steps in silence.

Your wrist flinches as you round the corner, Dol greeting you at the door.

“Mitch, we got an address,” Victor says, passing the paper to Mitch. “I need the property records and a list of previous owners.”

Mitch nods and begins typing as Dol rubs his head against your thigh.

“Sydney, does he need a walk?” you ask, laying a hand on Dol’s head.

“No, I took him out this morning,” she answers.

“Can I take him anyways? He seems antsy.”

“Sure,” Sydney answers, smiling at you. “Want me to come with you?”

“No, keep doing whatever it is you do.”

She sticks her tongue out at you, laughing as you return the sentiment while clipping Dol’s leash to his collar. You wave to Victor as you open the door, waiting for him to nod before you leave. Dol leads you down the street, stopping to sniff occasionally before stopping in front of the coffee shop where you met Victor. He growls lowly as his shackles rise, and you look around but don’t see anyone or anything that would cause him to act so differently.

“Dol, what’s up, buddy?” you ask quietly, setting your hand on his back.

He barks in response before pulling you to the corner. When the hospital comes into view, his growling gets louder as he looks between you and the building. You see someone walk out of the hospital with a hood over their head; they stop walking suddenly, and the hood snaps up in your direction like they’re looking at you.

“Dol, run,” you whisper, dropping his leash as you both turn and run toward the door you left just a few minutes ago.

Dol is a few steps ahead when a hand leaps out of an alley and pulls you into the darkness.

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor rolls his eyes when he hears Dol’s incessant barking at the door.

“How many times do I have to tell you to take a key?” he asks as he opens the door, freezing when he sees Dol is alone. He leans down and picks up Dol’s leash, looking into his eyes as he asks, “Where is she?”

Dol doesn’t answer, obviously, but looks behind him, the direction he came from.

“Sydney, did she say where she was going?” Victor asks, closing the door as he pulls Dol inside.

“No, she just offered to take him for a walk. This is bad isn’t it?” she responds, grabbing Dol’s neck as he sits at her side.

“Sydney, remember the promise?”

“No one will hurt me because you’ll hurt them first. Yeah, I remember.”

“I made the same promise to her. I’m going to find her. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, tell Mitch to get you and Dol out of here.”

“We’re not leaving you!”

“And I’m not dragging you down with me,” Victor promises as he walks out the door, his black coat trailing behind him.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Tell him to stop looking for EON,” the hooded figure says, its hand around your neck as you’re pushed against the brick wall in the alley.

“Who? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you say, panting as you struggle to breathe.

“You do know! Maybe you can tell when other people are lying, but you’re not a very good liar yourself, are you? How many lies have you let him tell you because you think you’re helping. He killed my brother and now I will kill him.”

You feel a flinch signifying the truth of his statement as you ask, “Why?”

“He’s not good. EON is doing good. Until EOs can be understood, they can’t be trusted. Surely you understand how important trust is.”

The pressure is taken off your neck, and you cough before saying, “Torturing people doesn’t build trust.”

“Is that what he said we do? Victor is many things, and a good liar tops the list.”

“He’s not a liar. You are.”

“Really?” A dark chuckle proceeds the demand, “Ask me to lie.”

“Why?” you ask.

“I am not going to kill you.”

Lie.

“I only want to kill Victor.”

Lie.

“What about… I only want to kill Victor first.”

Truth.

You look up but can’t see anything past the hood. “Why are you doing this?”

“EOs aren’t trustworthy until they prove it. Show where your allegiance lies and maybe I will let you live.”

“You know where my allegiance lies: with the truth, and you will kill me no matter what I do.”

“That’s not true.”

It’s not, you know that, but you trust Victor. Or at least you think you do.

“Trick him into lying and see what your detector says. I’ll give you some time to reconsider.”

You blink, and the hooded figure is gone. Rubbing your neck, you stumble out of the alley and into someone’s arms.

“What happened?” Victor demands.

“Did you kill someone?” you ask, gripping his biceps.

“No. What are you talking about?”

Truth. But you know differently. You release his arms and try to back away from him, but he drops his hands to your waist and holds you firm.

“Let go,” you demand.

“Not until you tell me what happened.”

“There’s people here, Victor.”

“They’re not paying attention to us. Talk.”

You look around and see that no one is looking at you. As usual, no one notices Victor.

“Why do you push people away?”

“To keep the people close to me safe,” he answers.

Truth.

“And why did you let me join you, help you, whatever it is you call my role here?”

“Because I thought your ability would be helpful. And I knew EON was back and wanted to help keep you safe.”

Two truths.

“Fine. Did Dol come back?”

Victor nods and releases you, watching as you walk past him. He clenches his jaw before dialing a random person’s pain up as he follows.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Victor asks, letting himself into your assigned bedroom.

You’re sitting on your bed in the dark, staring out the window as you respond, “No.”

“Why?”

“Because I think you’re lying to me.”

Victor sighs as his leg hits your bed, jostling the mattress slightly as he stands behind you.

“About what?” he asks.

You turn around to face him, looking up into the dark, barely able to make out his face, as you say, “Lie to me.”

“Tell me what happened,” he demands again.

You shake your head and lean back.

“Why is this so important? Don’t you trust me?”

“I did. And I want to. But you’re not making it easy right now.”

Victor sighs and runs his fingers through his pale hair before kneeling by your bed, looking up into your eyes as he offers, “If I lie to you will you tell me what happened?”

You nod as you lean forward, closing some of the distance between you. “But talk to me like you normally talk to me, don’t tell me something that is obviously a lie.”

“I’ve never killed anyone,” he says.

Truth.

“How do you do that?” you whisper. “I know you’re lying but my body still tells me it’s true.”

“Have I ever triggered a lie response?”

“Once. When we first met you said you didn’t know what I was talking about and that I had the wrong guy. But everything since then has been true, or so I thought.”

“My turn,” Victor says, cutting you off as he stands. “Tell me what happened in that alley.”

You take a deep breath and scoot back, allowing Victor to perch on the edge of the bed. “I was walking Dol and he stopped suddenly and started growling. His shackles raised, too. We were in front of a coffee shop, the one where you and I met.” You look down at your lap as you try to remember every detail of what happened next. “Then he led me to the corner, where you can see the hospital, and someone in a hood came out and looked toward us. I let go of Dol’s leash while we ran but I got pulled into an alley.”

“By the hooded… figure?” Victor asks.

You nod and continue, “Whoever, or whatever it was, told me to tell you to stop looking for EON. They knew your name, too, and said that I let you lie to me because I thought I was doing good.”

“What else did they say about EON?”

“That they were building trust with EOs, that until they could be understood they couldn’t be trusted.”

“Anything else? Did you see or hear anything that could tell us more?”

“They said they want to kill you.” You pick at the comforter as you add, “And me, if I don’t reconsider and show my allegiance is with them.”

Victor stands suddenly and turns the light on.

You close your eyes tightly at the sudden brightness before asking, “What are you doing?”

He places a finger under your chin, raising your face toward him as he looks at your neck. His jaw clenches before he pulls his hand away.

“What?” you repeat.

“You didn’t say they touched you.”

“Obviously they touched me, Victor, they’re bad- wait, you killed the brother,” you say, remembering what else the hooded person said about Victor. “They said, ‘He killed my brother and now I will kill him.’”

“Bradley,” you and Victor say together.

“You lied to me,” you accuse quietly.

“I thought I was protecting you.”

“How do I know you’re not still lying?”

“Because I can lie to you, I just also know how to manipulate the truth. Yes, I killed Bradley.”

Truth.

“And I killed my friend Angie, and I killed several other people.”

Truth.

“And I will kill you if I have to.”

Lie.

You look into Victor’s eyes, and he shakes his head. “I can lie to you and get away with it, but only if I think it’s protecting you. I don’t know why it works. Maybe it’s just because I care about you.”

Truth.

“We need to find Bradley’s brother,” you say, standing and following Victor down the hall. “Victor.” You grab his arm to stop him, facing each other in the dark as you whisper, “I care about you too. Thank you for telling me the truth… and for lying to me.”

Victor smiles, just a flash in the darkness, before pulling you into the living room and opening Mitch’s laptop.

✯✯✯✯✯

“You reconsidered?”

“I did… Jake. But I didn’t change my mind,” you answer, crossing your arms as Victor walks in behind you, a shadow visible for only a second as he melts into the darkness.

“I will avenge my brother,” Jake vows as he removes his hood.

“Dying at the hands of your brother-in-law must have been embarrassing,” Victor taunts from the dark. “I can’t imagine what kind of power you received to deal with something like that.”

“Come out and see,” Jake calls.

“I actually do most of the bidding,” you interject with a smile. “Easier to determine who’s worth the time when you know if they’re lying.”

“And is he lying to you?”

“He was. You were right.”

“Then why are you still helping him?”

“Because you lied too.” You stick your hands in your coat pocket as you walk toward Jake. “EON does torture EOs, and when they get tired of the EOs or deem their powers useless, they kill them. That’s not building trust, that’s genocide.”

“And your little shadow boyfriend killing everyone he can get his hands on isn’t?”

“He doesn’t kill everyone,” you argue. “But tell me, have you ever killed anyone?”

“Of course not, I’m not a monster.”

“Oh,” you sigh, clicking your tongue. “See, the bad thing about a half-truth, is it’s also a half-lie. Killing your wife accidentally is still killing your wife, Jake.”

Jake lunges toward you before Victor drops him, creating enough pain that he curls in on himself. You step over him, looking toward Victor as you continue talking.

“One more question. What did Haverty promise you before he died?”

Victor eases the pain, his eyes on Jake as he stands and turns to you.

“Nothing.”

“That’s a lie, Jake. We feel the same way about lies, don’t you think? Be considerate and tell me the truth or you’ll learn just how convincing Victor’s power can be.”

“Doesn’t old Victor back there have to see someone to use his power?” Jake asks, smirking at you.

“I see you talked to Eli,” Victor calls. “What Eli wasn’t around to find out is that once the initial connection is made, the power works a little differently.”

“Just tell us what we need to know, Jake, and no one else needs to get hurt.”

“Or you could just make yourself invisible because that’s how you feel, right?” Victor taunts.

Jake rushes into the shadows, and you look down at your wrist as you tap the heel of one shoe against the toe of the other. Victor emerges a moment later, dragging a nearly unconscious, half-invisible Jake back to you.

You squat beside him and whisper, “I really am sorry about Bradley, I know what it’s like to lose someone. But you were going to lose him anyway. Just tell us what Haverty promised you and who you were working with.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jake groans.

Truth. You look up at Victor with wide eyes.

“Why doesn’t it matter?” you ask.

“She’s dead. And everything I earned is gone.”

“Marcella?” Victor asks.

Jake nods, and Victor gestures for you to stand beside him.

“Run, Jake, and stay away from EON,” Victor says.

You watch as Jake disappears.

“Is this fight ever going to end?” you ask.

“Not likely,” Victor answers.

“Who killed Marcella?”

“Eli.”

“And then you killed him?”

“Yes.”

“Victor,” you say, drawing his eyes to yours. You smile and say, “No, you didn’t.”

Victor opens his mouth to argue, but you turn and walk away, calling, “Sydney is a better sharer than you.”

Victor rolls his eyes before catching up with you.

✯✯✯✯✯

“You’ll never figure all of them out,” Victor says, dragging a Sharpie across the first page of his parents’ newest book.

“Sydney, help me out?” you ask.

“Dol, don’t let Sydney help,” Victor adds.

“Okay, so saying you’d kill me is a lie,” you muse aloud.

“You said you’d kill her?” Mitch asks, looking up from his computer.

“She told me to lie,” Victor answers with a shrug.

“Someone else tell me something,” you request, turning away from Victor.

“Dol is ugly!” Sydney says, complying with your request.

“Don’t listen, buddy, you’re the most handsome guy here,” Victor whispers, setting the marker aside to pat Dol’s head.

“Obviously a lie, c’mon, Syd,” you chide playfully.

“Dol likes Vic just as much as he likes Sydney,” Mitch adds.

“That… you think it’s true, at least,” you determine.

“And why wouldn’t you?” Victor asks Dol. “We’re both amazing, aren’t we?”

“Try to trick me,” you demand.

Sydney says something, but your wrist flinches before she finishes, the sound of Victor’s marker drowning her out. The same as when he whispered to Bradley. You turn to face him, and he raises his eyebrows as you take his marker.

“Did you just say something?” you ask.

He shrugs and looks back to the page. You glance down and find the few words still visible:

“What did you tell Bradley when you left me alone with him?” you whisper.

“That I’d hurt him if I thought you were in danger.”

“And what did you say just now?”

“You read it.”

“Do you mean it?”

“I meant them both, and I still do. I won’t let anyone hurt you because I’ll hurt them first. I let you stay because I care about you but it grew from there.”

“Finally,” Sydney says behind you.

Your wrist flinches as Victor rolls his eyes at her.

“You love me? I love you.”

Victor smiles. Not the smile he smiles before he lies, but a genuine smile. “That’s good to hear.”

“Good indeed, now stop making us uncomfortable,” Mitch says as he sits beside Sydney.

Dol barks as Sydney argues that you and Victor are cute together.

Your wrist flinches with every comment, especially when Victor whispers, “I’ve loved you since you accused me of lying the first time we met. Even though you lied to me, too.”

#victor vale x reader #victor vale #vicious ve schwab #vicious #fem!reader

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