The scent Test
1742 Words
I stood there shaking
Ethan put a hand on my shoulder
Ethan: “Hey. You okay? You look pale.”
Me: Forcing a smile “Long night, I’m fine.”
But I wasn’t fine
Because for the first time in 3 years,
I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep running
I didn’t sleep
I just laid in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying:
"I’m going to figure it out and when I do, we’re going to talk about why you died on me."
He knew, Maybe not everything but enough
Lila: Text "Did you quit yet?"
Me: "No."
Lila: "Aria, He’s dangerous."
Me: "I’m a trauma surgeon, I deal with dangerous every day."
I was lying
Damien wasn’t a patient I could stabilize and discharge, he was the wound
1:15 AM,Night shift
I walked in expecting him to be there, he wasn’t.
Relief and disappointment hit me at the same time
Stupid!
Nurse Kemi: “CEO Cross called, Said he’s running late, Some board meeting.”
Me: “Good.” The word came out too fast “I mean, okay.”
The night was quiet, Too quiet
No gunshots, No car accidents, Just me and the beeping machines
Until 2:47 AM
The elevator doors opened
And he walked out
But not in a suit
Grey sweatpants, Black t-shirt, Hair messy like he’d been running his hands through it
He looked like a younger and tired human
And he had coffee, Two cups.
Damien: “You drink it black.”
He held one out to me
Me: Taking it “You remembered.”
Damien: “I remember a lot of things.”
We sat at the nurses’ station,alone
The fluorescent lights hummed
Damien: “Quiet night.”
Me: “It’s nice.”
Damien: “You always liked the quiet, Said it made you feel like the world wasn’t ending.”
My hand froze around the coffee cup
Me: “Did I?”
Damien: “Yeah, 3 years ago when we were” He stopped, Cleared his throat “Nevermind.”
He was testing me
I could feel it.
Damien: “Can I ask you something personal, Dr. Vale?”
Me: “Depends.”
Damien: “Do you have someone?”
Direct Alpha
Me: “No.”
Damien: “Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Pet? Anyone waiting for you at home?”
Me: “No, Just me.”
Damien: Nodding slowly “Just you.”
He leaned back, Watching me
Damien: “You know what’s weird? You don’t smell like anyone.”
There it is
Me: Laughing “What?”
Damien: “Everyone has a scent, Perfume, Soap, Laundry detergent, You just smell like hospital.”
He inhaled, Deliberately
Damien: “Like you’re trying to cover something up.”
My blood went cold
Suppressants, I’d taken a double dose before my shift
Me: “Maybe I just like being clean.”
Damien:“Maybe.”
He stood up, Walked to the supply closet, Came back with something
Hand sanitizer, the strong kind, the kind that burns
Damien: “Here, You probably need this.”
He squeezed some onto his own hands, Rubbed them together, then he grabbed my wrist again
But this time he didn’t let go, he brought my hand up to his nose
Me: Yanking “What are you doing?!”
Damien: Not letting go “Smelling you, You said it was hand sanitizer, right?”
His eyes were gold now, Wolf eyes,
Just for a second
Damien: Whisper “You don’t smell like sanitizer, Aria.”
My name again
Me: Voice shaking “Let Me Go.”
Damien: “Tell me I’m wrong, Tell me you’re not her.”
The doors to the ER burst open
Paramedics: “We got a 19 year old! OD! No pulse!”
I jerked out of his grip so hard I stumbled,
Me: Professional mask snapping on “Bay 2! Now!”
We worked
Chest compressions, Epinephrine
Damien didn’t leave, He held the IV bag
He cut away the kid’s shirt
He was steady, calm like he’d done this before
When the kid stabilized, we both stepped back, breathing hard, covered in sweat.
Damien: Quiet “You’re really good at that.”
Me: “It’s my job.”
Damien: “It was hers too.”
We stared at each other over the body
Damien: “You have the same hand, Same way of counting compressions 1, 2, 3, 4...”
Me: Packing up supplies violently “Lots of doctors do that.”
Damien: “Lots of doctors don’t flinch when I say their name.”
He came around the bed, cornered me against the supply cart
Not touching just there, Big, Overwhelming
Damien: “I’m going to figure this out, Aria One way or another.”
Me: Whisper “Don’t call me that.”
Damien: “Why? Because it’s your name?”
Security over speaker: “CEO Cross, we need you in your office, Now.”
He cursed
Damien: “This isn’t over.”
He walked to the door, then turned
Damien: “Oh and Dr. Vale? I’m canceling all other ER doctors for tomorrow night,
Looks like it’s just you and me again.”
And he left
I slid down the supply cart and sat on the floor, my hands were shaking
Nurse Kemi: Peeking in “You okay?”
Me: “Fine.”
Nurse Kemi: “He’s been staring at the security footage from last night for 2 hours.”
Me:Heart dropping “What?”
Nurse Kemi: “Yeah, The Code Black footage, Just you and him in the dark.”
Oh god
I went home and tore my apartment apart
Burned the suppressants, threw out the soap, tried to scrub my skin off
It didn’t matter
He’d smelled me, under all of it
My phone buzzed, Unknown number
Damien: “You left your pen, It has your name on it
A.R.I.A.
Cute coincidence
Come get it tomorrow night
I threw the phone across the room
The next night I almost didn’t go in,
But I’m a doctor and I’m not a coward
7:00 PM
He was waiting in the ER, Sitting in my chair
On the desk in front of him, my pen and a small black box
Damien: “You came.”
Me: “It’s my job.”
Damien: “Is it? Or is it because you want to know what’s in the box?”
He pushed it toward me
Me: “What is it?”
Damien: “Open it.”
Inside was a necklace
Silver wolf with a moon
My necklace, the one I wore every day, the one he gave me
I thought Lila had buried it with the “body.”
Me: Barely breathing “Where did you get this?”
Damien: “Found it 3 years ago, In the car, After the accident.”
Lie
We both knew it was a lie
Damien: “Put it on.”
Me: “No.”
Damien: “Aria, Put It On.”
Alpha commands
It hit me in the chest and made my knees weak
I picked it up with shaking hands, the clasp was tricky
Damien: Sighing “Let me.”
Before I could protest, he was behind me,
His fingers brushed the back of my neck,
Cold metal against my skin
And he inhaled right behind my ear so deep
Damien: Shuddering “There you are.”
The suppressants couldn’t hide it anymore
My scent
Honey and rain, the scent he used to bury his face in
Damien: Voice breaking “It’s you, It’s really f*****g you.”
He turned me around
His eyes were completely gold and Wet
Damien: “Why? Why did you do it? Why did you make me think you were dead?”
Me: Tears falling “Because you hurt me, Damien! Because you”
The ER doors slammed open
Ethan: “Aria! We have a problem, The backup generator”
He stopped,Saw us, He saw me crying, Him holding my face
The necklace glowing between us
Ethan’s face went hard
Ethan: “What the hell is going on here?”
Damien didn’t look away from me
Damien: Soft, to me “Answer me, Please.”
And before I could, the lights flickered again
This time they didn’t come back on
Darkness
And in the dark, I heard his voice
Damien: “Run if you want but I’m done chasing ghosts ,This time I’m catching you.”
- Writer
