A/N: Thank you all for your lovely comments and 'thank yous'! They are very encouraging and I've just thought of an idea for a new MaYuki one-shot. Not sure if it will become a reality but I'll try my best! Anyway, as promised, here is Yukirin's Birthday Fic No.2 starring Dr. Watanabe and Nurse Kashiwagi! Once again, happy birthday dear Yukirin!
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
Flowers Don’t Last Forever“Flowers for Kashiwagi-san!”
A bouquet of a dozen red roses landed on the smooth white surface of the Nurses’ Counter at Akiba Hospital.
“Again?” Kitahara Rie asked incredulously.
“That’s the fourth one today,” remarked Kuramochi Asuna who was tidying up some files.
“Let’s guess who it’s from this time!” Takajo Aki suggested.
“Something as romantic as a dozen red roses must be from Dr. Miyazawa!” Rie said excitedly.
“Oh, you may be right! Just compare it to the other bouquets,” Mocchi pointed to the neglected flowers sitting forlornly at a corner. “This one clearly stands out.”
“Those are from Yuki-chan’s former patients, right?” A smooth voice cut in. The trio instantly looked up and gasped when they saw a tall and lean man in a navy blue suit leaning against the counter.
“Dr. Shinoda!”
“Hi, ladies,” Shinoda Mario flashed a charming smile that sent the three nurses’ knees into a wobbly state. Rie who was the first to recover, replied, “Yes, those flowers are from Yukirin’s ex-patients. That one is from Ishihara-san.”
“That balding old man who suffered a heart attack while watching AV?” Mario wrinkled his nose in disgust at the poorly arranged bunch of pink orchids and lavender lilacs. “No wonder those flowers look cheap.”
Mario grabbed the latest bouquet of roses and checked the card which came with it. With a knowing smile, he muttered, “I see Sae has made his move.”
“So it’s really from Dr. Miyazawa!” Mocchi exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. “Yukirin’s so lucky!”
“Oh, she’s back!” Akicha spotted their colleague turning round the corner and walking towards them. Mario swiftly put down the bouquet and bade the nurses farewell, disappearing into his office down the corridor.
Kashiwagi Yuki plopped herself on her seat at the workstation and let out a weary sigh. She had just escaped from a male patient in his twenties who loudly proclaimed his undying love for her in his ward. The worse thing was the other patients in the ward supported him by throwing toilet paper confetti all over the place and goaded her to accept his love. In the end, both she and the patients were chided by the head nurse for creating a ruckus.
“Hey Yukirin, cheer up. Look at this!” Rie shoved Dr. Miyazawa’s flowers in Yuki’s face.
“It’s from the tall, dark, handsome and suave Dr. Miyazawa!” Akicha added, her head popping up next to Rie’s.
“You sure are popular around here. I wish I could get flowers from the doctors too,” Mocchi appeared on the other side of Rie, wearing a dreamy look on her face.
Yuki shot the roses an uninterested glance and went back to filling out a form for a patient. “If you like it so much, you can have it,” she offered in a bored tone.
“Really?” Mocchi’s eyes widened at the idea. Just then, Dr. Miyazawa Sae appeared before them.
“Hey, ladies!” he greeted cheerily with a wink. The gossiping trio found their legs turning into jelly the second time in less than fifteen minutes.
“Hi, Dr. Miyazawa!” they chorused with bright smiles. Sae craned his neck a little to peek at Yuki who seemed busy at the back.
“Erm… Yuki-san.”
Yuki closed her eyes and gave an inward sigh before forcing a smile on her face and standing up. “Yes, Dr. Miyazawa? How can I help you?”
Sae winced a little at the formal tone but kept up his confident smile. “Just want to wish you happy birthday in person”
“Why, thank you.”
The gossiping trio traded looks and decided to make themselves scarce as the atmosphere was starting to turn awkward.
“Have you received my flowers?” Sae asked.
“Yes, they are very lovely. Thank you,” answered Yuki. She was not lying. They did look gorgeous but she just could not be bothered with them. They were just flowers which would wither in a matter of days. Sae mistakenly took that as a positive sign and leant forward, posing the next question.
“You’re welcome. Would you like to have dinner with me after work tonight? My treat, of course.”
At that moment, Yuki’s face lit up as she noticed a short, bespectacled young man walking past behind Sae. The man was wearing a blue surgeon’s outfit and had black hair that went a little past his ears. He seemed to be in a hurry as he quickly disappeared in the direction of the Operating Theater.
Sae waved his hand before Yuki’s face. “Hey, you there?”
Snapping out of her daze, Yuki bowed slightly, “I’m sorry but I have to work overtime today.”
“It’s okay. I can wait.”
“No, no. It’ll be very late.”
“We can do supper.”
“Kashiwagi-san, I need you in the OT now,” a gentle voice called out, startling both Sae and Yuki. Yuki gasped when she noticed the same young man from before standing a distance away, beside the drinks vending machine.
“Yes, Dr. Watanabe!” Yuki hastily tidied up the documents on her desk. Before she left, she turned to Sae and said, “I’m sorry I’ve got work to do. Thanks for your invitation anyway.”
Without waiting for Sae’s reply, she half-ran after Dr. Watanabe who was already walking away. Sae dropped his head on the counter after the straight rejection while the gossiping trio looked on in pity.
“That stupid Yukirin! Why did she reject his offer?” Mocchi whispered in exasperation. “I would so die to go on a romantic dinner date with Dr. Miyazawa.”
“Actually girls, have you noticed? Yukirin only seems to respond to Dr. Watanabe,” Akicha commented.
“Isn’t it only because he saved her life a few years back?” Mocchi asked.
“But he’s the only one who doesn’t give her special treatment. Most of the doctors here seem to be trying to score a date with her,” with a finger on her chin, Rie noted thoughtfully.
“Maybe she likes younger men. They ignite her motherly instincts!”
Nodding in agreement, Mocchi remarked, “Dr. Watanabe does have a very cute face. If only he was taller, I’d totally go after him!”
The other two poked her forehead simultaneously, “Stop being so man-crazy!”
---
Yuki caught up with Dr. Watanabe and was now walking slightly behind him.
“Iwasaki Kanata, nine years old. She was knocked down by a motorcycle while crossing the road and sustained multiple fractures to her right arm and ribs. We suspect one of the broken ribs have punctured her lung,” Dr. Watanabe briefed her on the patient they would be working on as he took long strides down the corridor. “Expect the operation to last more than five hours.”
“Punctured her lung? Isn’t that what happened-”
“Yes, her condition is similar to yours three years ago,” Dr. Watanabe confirmed her suspicions.
Yuki unconsciously moved her hand to her chest and felt the protruding scar beneath her uniform. Memories of the accident she was involved in flooded her mind. She remembered being in extreme pain and had difficulty breathing after being knocked down by a speeding car. The terrified driver did not stop to help and left her dying in the middle of the road. It was a secluded part of town and no one else was around when the accident happened. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she heard footsteps running towards her and the worried face of a young man appeared before her.
“Hello, Kasai-san. I need an ambulance now! I am at…”
That was the last thing she heard before her world faded black. Two days after the surgery, Yuki regained consciousness. That was when she met Dr. Oshima Yuko, the doctor who headed her operation. Dr. Oshima was a jovial lady in her late twenties who frequently checked on her progress and would sometimes crack crude jokes. Yuki swore that Dr. Oshima was lucky that she was not a male doctor, if not she would have been put behind bars for sexual harassment long ago. On the last day of her hospitalization, Dr. Oshima brought a reluctant-looking man who looked not a day over twenty to her ward.
“Come on, Yuki-chan deserves to know the person who saved her!” Dr. Oshima was heard saying as she dragged a short young man to her bed. Yuki gathered that he was about the same height as herself.
“She doesn’t need to know,” the man protested, trying to pry Yuko’s hands off his arm.
Yuki’s ears perked up at the familiar voice. She had only heard it once but she remembered it vividly as she constantly replayed that gentle voice in her mind.
“Anyway, we are already here. Don’t be so wishy-washy,” Yuko chided the man who seemed to be hiding his face by looking down. “Hey Yuki-chan, I’ve brought someone to meet you. This is Watanabe Mayu. He was the one who discovered you at the accident site.”
Yuko nudged Mayu’s side, causing him to look up. In the split second when their eyes met, Yuki recognized him as the face she saw before she blacked out.
“It’s… It’s you…” Yuki was at a loss for words. She felt warmth stinging the back of her eyes as she fought the urge to cry. All along, she thought the angel she saw was a hallucination.
Mayu bowed. “Nice to meet you. My name is Watanabe Mayu, a resident at Akiba Hospital.”
By this time, Yuki’s tears had already broken free and were streaming down her face.
“Whoa, what did you do to Yuki? She’s crying!” Yuko prodded the equally shocked doctor.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Did you grope her when she was lying there defenseless?”
“No! That’s something you would do!”
A soft giggle interrupted their little banter, causing them to turn to Yuki.
“I-I’m sorry,” Yuki wiped her tears. “I’m just too happy to see you. To know that my savior is real and not a hallucination.”
Yuko cleared her throat. “I told you you should come to meet her. See how happy you’ve made her!”
“I was just doing what any other person would do in that situation,” Mayu stated flatly although his cheeks were reddening. Yuko rolled her eyes and ignored him. She looked at Yuki and said, “Mayu started emergency treatment on you during the ride to the hospital and also participated in your operation. He’s very skilled despite having just graduated from med school so he really helped a lot in saving you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Watanabe. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here now,” Yuki gazed into his clear brown eyes as she spoke. At that moment, she felt a tingle down her spine and she knew it had nothing to do with the air-conditioning.
Three months after the accident, Yuki applied for the position of Staff Nurse at Akiba Hospital. It was a miraculous coincidence that Yuki had just obtained her Nursing Degree earlier that year. She wanted to meet that young doctor again and work side-by-side with him, assisting him in any way possible. Behind that cool façade lay a kind and delicate soul; she was sure of it.---
Yuki sank into the plush black couch in the Staff Lounge and stretched her arms above her head. It was almost eleven at night. Iwasaki’s operation took longer than expected. Nevertheless, it was a success and the girl’s parents thanked Dr. Watanabe profusely outside the Operating Theater. As usual, the aloof surgeon brushed it off, stating it was his job.
A hand holding a can of iced coffee appeared before her eyes. “Here,” Mayu said.
“Ah, thanks,” Yuki accepted the beverage with a smile. Mayu walked over to the wall and leant against it. He opened his own can and took a sip.
“Good job inside the OT.”
Yuki felt an unexplainable warmth spreading through her chest as her smile grew. “Same to you.”
“Aren’t you going home?” he asked. “You shift was over four hours ago.”
“I just want to rest a bit first,” Yuki replied, feeling her stiff shoulder. “What about you?”
“Same reason,” he answered simply and took another sip.
At that moment, the door to the room swung open and a bundle of energy in the form of Dr. Miyazawa bounded in.
“Ah, I guess you’d be here, Yuki-san!” Sae beamed hopefully at Yuki. Yuki almost choked on her drink.
“W-What are you doing here? Didn’t you leave long ago?” she eyed the grinning man suspiciously.
“I was waiting for you. Now that I’m here and you are done with work, let’s go for supper!”
Yuki groaned inwardly. She was in no mood for this but she could not come up with an excuse to reject Sae.
“I’m sorry Sae but I have already asked Yuki and she agreed,” Mayu suddenly voiced. Yuki’s jaw dropped and if it were possible, her eyes would have popped out of their sockets.
“What? Is that true?” Sae looked at the only woman in the room questioningly. Yuki glanced at Mayu and found him drinking his coffee nonchalantly. However, if she looked closer, she would have noticed dents forming on his can where his fingers were gripping.
“Er… Ah… That’s true, Dr. Miyazawa.”
Sae’s shoulders drooped for a moment but they promptly bounced back up when he thought of an idea. “The three of us can have supper together!”
“My car only fits two.”
Mayu chucked his empty can and walked towards the door, brushing past Sae. He paused at the entrance and turned around, “Let’s go, Yuki.”
“O-Oh okay!” Yuki stumbled up from the couch and towards Mayu. After the two of them left, Sae sank to his knees and punched the floor.
“Damn it.”
---
True to his word, Mayu brought Yuki to a 24-hour café a few streets away for a simple meal of hot sandwiches to fill their hungry stomachs. Following that, Mayu drove Yuki home.
“We are here,” Mayu announced softly as he stopped his white Toyota convertible at the porch of Yuki’s apartment block. It was already a little past midnight. The car ride had been so soothing that the exhausted Yuki dozed off. She blinked her bleary eyes and scanned her surroundings. Stifling a yawn, she unbuckled her seatbelt.
“Thanks for the lift. I’ll see you at work,” she reached for the door handle and was about to pull it when Mayu grabbed her arm.
“It’s a little late but,” he held out a tiny royal blue velvet pouch, “happy birthday.”
Yuki could not believe her ears. In the three years they had been working together, this was the first time he wished her happy birthday. She thought he did not care at all.
“Take it,” Mayu hurried, beginning to feel shy. Yuki received the pouch and gently poured its contents onto her palm. A gleaming white rose necklace slipped out. The workmanship on the painted ceramic pendant was very fine and detailed.
“This is so… beautiful,” Yuki gaped at the necklace in awe. “I love it! Really.”
Mayu exhaled a breath that he did not realize he had been holding. “I’m glad. It took me a long time to get the design right.”
“You designed it?” Yuki suppressed the urge to squeal in delight.
Scratching his cheek, the young doctor nodded. “White reminds me of your name.”
The birthday girl felt her cheeks heating up. “Can you… help me put it on?”
The request seemed to have taken Mayu by surprise and he blinked. Taking the necklace, he clasped it around her neck. She shuddered as his fingertips brushed against her nape.
“Thank you, Mayu,” Yuki whispered before leaning in to plant a quick peck on his flawless cheek. The normally emotionless doctor froze and stared wide-eyed at his blushing companion. She giggled at his stunned expression and quickly exited his car. As she walked towards the lift lobby, she could not resist feeling the pendant between her fingers.
Flowers don’t last forever…
But this one does.---
The End.I hope you've enjoyed this story! Thank you for reading and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated
I've also made a birthday poster for our dearest Yukirin. You can check it out at the
Kashiwagi Yuki Thread.
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