Nick
"Why weren't you here when I came yesterday?" Dan asked Dr. Desai as he entered her office. Nick was sitting in one corner of the room, working on Vaigan alien scans on Dr. Desai's computer. He sat up straight when he saw Dan enter, but the alien didn't notice his presence.
He took his seat opposite Dr. Desai, one leg on top of the other, hands resting on the sides of the chair that was especially made for his hulking frame.
Nick crouched, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He looked away, heart hammering in his chest.
"I was busy," Nick heard Dr. Desai say. He turned his head to take a peek.
Dr. Desai wasn't looking up from her computer as she spoke. She was fearless—Nick had to give her that.
"I went for lunch… I think I am allowed to eat, Dan," she said, her voice casual, completely unfazed by the intimidating energy Dan radiated. "I left my assistant to take care of it, didn't I? You were five hours late. You might as well have canceled the appointment."
Nick flinched when he saw Dan shift in his chair. He knew Dan wouldn't touch Dr. Desai, but that man was unpredictable at his best, and downright scary at his worst, and Nick had only met him once.
Nick had heard the rumors, the ones that said Grosh weren't ones to be crossed. Seeing it up close made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was as if the room itself had become charged with electricity.
"Your assistant?" Dan asked, his voice low but taut, dripping with disdain. "The boy had no idea what he was doing."
Nick cringed. Dr. Desai didn't seem bothered by Dan's observation. "People learn, Dan," she replied calmly, clicking away at her keyboard. "It's not like he had thousands of Grosh to train on. So just cut him some slack."
Nick could barely breathe at Dan's silence. It was terrifying what he would say next.
"I was promised excellence, Ira," Dan muttered, his words sharp like an ice pick. "Not some fumbling intern."
Dr. Desai's eyes flicked up to meet his, through the top of her glasses in her usual 'take-no-shit' gaze. "I was a fumbling intern once," she replied before letting out a long sigh and leaning back in her chair. "Don't worry, you are in good hands."
"Fine," Dan huffed, shrugging his shoulder, his voice laced with irritation, but at least the tension in the room seemed to dissipate. "I've had this headache since yesterday. Check my BP and carbon dioxide levels."
"Go inside the lab and lay down on the bed. My assistant will take the readings," Dr. Desai said, focusing on her work and treating Dan like he was just another patient.
Nick froze. No way… no way Dr. Desai would do this to him. Dan had just shown his displeasure at being handled by an intern.
"You are here today, you could take the readings," he said.
"No! I am replying to emergency emails. It's just readings, Dan, don't be difficult," Dr. Desai snapped back.
Nick expected Dan to deny it, but he sighed before turning around and walking into the examination room.
Nick followed Dan into the lab, his heart lodged in his throat.
Nick's legs trembled as he stood beside the examination table where Dan lay, his gaze locked onto the large form of Dan. Nick wasn't sure why he found Dan so undeniably attractive. He wasn't even human, and even if he was, his personality was off-putting.
Dan looked at Nick with narrow eyes, and Nick shivered involuntarily. It didn't help that Dan's gaze, when it landed on Nick, was heavy with judgment. Nick immediately felt small under that scrutinizing stare, as if everything he did was being weighed and found lacking.
Nick's hand trembled as he rubbed it against his pants, trying to dry his suddenly sweaty palms. Focus, Nick, just do your job. You can handle this. But how could he, when everything about Dan, the way he held himself, the way he looked at him—made it impossible to think clearly?
If Ira could do it, so could he; he mentally steeled himself, repeating the mantra in his head like a lifeline.
He turned to look for the oximeter in its usual location and found nothing. His hand moved again, faster this time, rifling through the drawer, finding syringes, vials, a stethoscope—everything but the oximeter. At least let him find the ECG monitor, but even that wasn't there.
He was starting to hyperventilate. He checked again, as if the equipment might materialize out of sheer desperation.
"How long do I have to wait here while you figure out how to do your job?" Dan's voice cut through the room… cool, sharp, unimpressed. Nick's shoulders stiffened instinctively, his hands curling into fists before he forced them to relax.
Finally, he found both the equipments at the bottom drawer. He picked them up and placed them on the table beside him.
"You will have to remove your shirt," Nick said, his voice clipped. He refused to look at Dan, staring anywhere but at his face, hoping it would somehow make this situation less overwhelming.
Dan's fingers moved with precision to unbutton his shirt. Nick's breath caught in his throat as Dan's muscles shifted, and the movement was so smooth, so natural for how big his hands were. Dan's body seemed to almost pulse with strength, each movement radiating an effortless masculinity that made Nick's cheeks flush with both fear and something else he wasn't ready to admit.
The shirt slid off without resistance, revealing a broad chest, sculpted and defined. His skin was smooth, a stony grey that looked natural on Dan. His broad shoulders stretched out beneath the overhead lights of the room. Nick's eyes involuntarily roamed over his torso, taking in the sleek lines of his muscles, the firm ridges of his abs, almost like skin over steel.
Nick's gaze lingered longer than it should have, his mind racing, but at the same time frozen in awe of what he was seeing. God, he thought, this man is a masterpiece. It was like watching art come to life, raw and captivating. But the more he stared, the more the uncomfortable heat in his chest grew, and he could feel the sweat beading on his palms. He should stop… he really should.
"Is visual assessment part of the checkup?" Dan's voice pulled Nick from his reverie, and it hit him like a bucket of cold water. He removed his gaze, mortified that he'd been caught staring.
Nick's hands fumbled with the oximeter as his mind scrambled to catch up. The irritation in Dan's demeanor was palpable now, more so at Nick's hesitance. But what could he do? The task was simple, yet every part of his body was paralyzed by the proximity of Dan's body and the suffocating attraction he felt for him. He put the oximeter on Dan's finger, and the small contact their fingers made caused his heart to leap in his chest. He was fucked… and this was insane. Why the fuck was he feeling this way?
He decided to take Dan's blood sample before he could go for the ECG machine. He picked up the syringe; the needle trembled in his hands, mirroring the unsteady rhythm of his breath.
He bound the tourniquet on Dan's left arm before running his finger along his arm to look for a vein. Touching him was like touching a wild animal, someone you were not sure how he would react. At least, the vein wasn't hard to find.
He cleaned the space between his forearm and bicep, then uncapped the syringe. His hands trembled as he tried to get it steady. He had done it many times; it was absolutely stupid to get nervous over such a mundane task. Yet something about Dan and his presence was wreaking havoc in him.
"That's it," Dan pulled his hand away. "I am done. What kind of doctors has NEAE appointed, shaking like a newborn?" Dan stood up.
Nick closed his eyes in mortification, feeling disappointed with himself.
"What happened?" Dr. Desai asked, walking into the examination room casually.
"The way his hands were shaking, I'm genuinely surprised he didn't stab me outright with that needle."
"Lay down, Dan," Dr. Desai instructed. "Give me that syringe," she said, turning to Nick. "I am done with your tantrums. You are hell-bent on giving me a hard time."
"I am being reasonable."
"Will you?" Dr. Desai asked, gesturing toward the examination table. Dan clenched his jaw in annoyance before lying on the table again.
"Now, please keep quiet while I collect your blood," she gritted.
Dr. Desai took Dan's blood with her usual no-nonsense demeanor, her gloved hands deftly storing away the blood sample. Nick stood off to the side, feeling utterly useless.
"Nick," Dr. Desai turned to him. "I need you to help me with the ECG. Attach the probes to his chest."
"Yes, of course," Nick deftly replied, getting to work. Nick felt more confident with Dr. Desai's presence beside him.
As Nick approached, Dan's blue eyes tracked his every step, an unreadable expression flickering across his face. Was it curiosity? Irritation? Nick couldn't tell, but the scrutiny made his palms sweat.
He focused on the task at hand, retrieving the ECG probes and approaching Dan cautiously. "I'll, uh, need to place these," he said awkwardly, gesturing to Dan's chest.
"Go on," Dan said, placing his hands behind his head and relaxing.
Nick put the adhesive patches onto Dan's skin, each one making his heart race a little faster.
Dan's chest was impossibly firm beneath his fingertips, his muscles taut like steel.
Nick caught Dan watching him with a pointed gaze, like he was trying to figure something out. Nick quickly looked away, his cheeks burning.
"Done," Nick said softly, stepping back like he'd just defused a bomb.
Dr. Desai moved in, unfazed by the charged atmosphere. She connected the leads to the machine and began the test, jotting down the data as it appeared on the screen. "Nick, hold the chart for me," she instructed.
Nick complied, holding the clipboard steady as Dr. Desai checked Dan's ears and nose with a small flashlight. "No signs of sinus blockage," she muttered, scribbling notes. She moved on to measuring Dan's oxygen levels on his oximeter.
Nick couldn't stop glancing at Dan, who remained stoic but somehow magnetic. Every movement he made, even the smallest shift, commanded attention. Nick tried to focus on Dr.Desai's instructions, handing her tools and noting down observations when asked, but the weight of Dan's presence was overwhelming.
After a few more checks, Dr. Desai snapped off her gloves with a decisive motion. "Vitals are normal except for slightly elevated blood pressure," she announced, jotting a final note. "No signs of dehydration or stress. You're good for another month."
Dan nodded but said nothing, his eyes flicking briefly to Nick as he slid off the table and grabbed his shirt. Nick had no idea what these glances meant. Perhaps he was planning Nick's assassination.
"Well, Nick," Dr. Desai said, turning to him with a small smirk, "you didn't impale anyone with a needle today. Progress."
Nick flushed, earning a faint snort from Dan.
"Why is your avath out?" Dr. Desai observed, picking up his arm and looking at it with a frown.
Dan raised his wrist at her observation. A small bone-like protrusion was emerging from Dan's wrist. Nick's breath caught as he saw it for the first time…the avath.
The pointy bone spur was beginning to push out from the skin near Dan's wrist, just above his pulse. There was something deeply unsettling about it. It looked like a dagger almost.
Nick could see the flicker of surprise on Dan's face. The avath began to retract immediately, slipping back into the wrist like a shy creature hiding from the light, vanishing beneath the skin as if it had never been there at all.
Nick blinked. He hadn't expected to see it, not up close like this. It was one of those Grosh traits he'd read about but never thought he'd witness. The way the small organ retracted so effortlessly, like it had a mind of its own, was both unsettling and awe-inspiring.
"Might be the high blood pressure," Dr. Desai said, looking at the blood pressure reading in her notes again. But Dan looked more worried. He was lost in his thoughts, not hearing Dr. Desai as she read out all his vitals.
"I guess you have got all the samples," Dan stood up, cutting her off. "Send me the reports when they are ready," Dan said, putting his shirt back on. Nick looked away, forcing himself not to stare at the rippling muscles on his back. He had to stop acting like a hormonal teenager, for God's sake. Nick felt Dan give him one last glance before moving out of the office.
"I am so sorry, Dr. Desai. I don't know why I got so nervous. It was totally unacceptable. I would understand if you choose to replace me. But I promise it will not happen again."
"Don't worry about it," Dr. Desai said with a dismissive movement of her hand. "I knew he would react like that. That's why I sent you first, so you get used to dealing with his assholish tendencies," she chuckled.
"Oh," Nick never thought of it that way. Contrary to his fears, Dr. Desai gave him more tasks that day. She showed Nick around the facility, teaching him new things about the Grosh aliens that Nick had never been exposed to before. As rough as the start had been, Nick was surprised to find himself happy to be working with Dr. Desai. The woman wasn't nearly as stern as the other physicians Nick had heard about.
Nick saw his fellow interns struggling to meet the impossible standards of their mentors and felt a sense of relief that he wasn't in their shoes. Dr. Desai was demanding, but she was also fair… something Nick couldn't say for most of the senior staff.
As impossible as Dan was to work with, Nick preferred his silence. He kept his distance, which, in a way, was fine with Nick. His presence wreaked havoc on him anyway, stirring feelings he couldn't quite pinpoint. Every time Dan looked his way, it was as if the air between them thickened, a strange tension that left Nick both unsettled and strangely drawn to him.
***
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