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Morven remained at her desk, at the nurse’s station with her eyes peeking above the top of her computer screen in perfect view of the door, waiting for her boss to make her grand entrance of the day.
She had been put on paperwork duty by Fletch and Raf.
At the bar, the previous night, they had begun to reminisce about their experiences on AAU. They realised that in every situation, Serena had always acted like a mother figure instead of a boss. By the third round they had plotted a prank…
Stirring nervously on her wheely chair, Morven couldn’t help think this was a bad and childish idea. She’d surprised herself at how easily she had been influenced.
Before she could think about it for too long, Serena came waltzing onto the ward, her fuzzy hat and her coffee firmly grasped in her hand as she did a visual sweep of the ward before closing herself off in her office.
Raf and Fletch had already noticed her come in, and were giggling like little boys, plotting their next move.
“You sure she’s not going to bite our heads off or something?” Fletch responded to Morven’s worry with yet another giggle “She’ll know we’re just messing about, what’s the worst that can happen?”
On those reassuring words of wisdom, Serena had clapped eyes on them all giggling together “Lovely to see you all getting on like a house on fire but might I suggest doing a little work between all this merriment?”
They all straightened “Right away…” Fletch began, as soon as he was far enough although still in hearing range he continued with a smug look on his face “…Mommy”.
Serena may be slightly older than the rest of her team by a couple of years, however she hadn’t anticipated hearing voices just yet.
As she quirked an eyebrow, her suspicions were confirmed. Morven dunked her head in an attempt to hide her blushes while Raf turned his back “focusing” with a patient's file.
Deciding to let it slide this once, leave the young pranksters to their fun, she took the discharge forms that had been left for her to sign off on and crept back to her office. Secretly dreading the long day ahead.
-
She propped the forms on the edge of her desk, glanced at the clock on the wall. She was convinced Bernie was working the same shift...
Right on cue, there she was. In the office doorway, dishevelled, messy hair which Bernie had attempted to hide behind her ears. Her bag under her arm rather than over her shoulder.
Yet what amused Serena the most was the wrongly matched button to the button-hole, revealing a black bra underneath.
“So sorry, bumped into Hanssen downstairs, apparently Sasha needs me this morning…” She began, attempting to prop her coat on the huck, while the coat had different ideas and kept sliding off “I should be back in a couple of hours though…”
Aerated, she picked the coat up a final time from the floor and thrusted it onto the back of her chair. She turned back to face Serena, wiping the strands of blonde hair out of her eyes.
Serena sat there with a smirk and Bernie began to panic “What? Have I got jam on my face again? I swear I checked before leaving this…”
Seeing Bernie so innocent and self conscious (yet still clueless) she gave in to her amusement. “Might I suggest, before running up to save the day like the good soldier you are. You fix this?”
Bernie’s back straightened as Serena took a step closer to her, into that very intimate zone, close proximity...
She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, she was yet to look down to notice what Serena was referring to.
Bernie was convinced she felt two of Serena’s fingers slip inside her shirt but was too stunned to dare look down and check for herself.
She raised her eyebrows and inhaled sharply as she felt Serena tugging with two fingers at a gaping hole in her shirt where she had missed a button hole.
Bernie, now looking down, wide eyed, struggled to swallow. Struggled to keep her composure in general.
Serena chuckled as her fingers left the hole. Bernie’s bright red cheeks burned even brighter realising she suddenly missed having Serena so close.
The blonde let out a nervous laugh as she turned around to fix herself “Good job I had my coat on when Hanssen caught me!”
-
With Bernie away on Keller, Serena had to postpone admin duties. “Mrs Campbell, we need you in theatre!”
Once surgery was successfully finished, Fletch and Morven followed her out “That was intense” said Fletch as he began to remove his mask and gloves. “I can’t believe how touch and go that was, I think I had a stroke halfway through!” Moved laughed.
As Morven and Fletch were about to leave, Bernie entered, about to scrub in for the next surgery.
“Well done Morven, you did brilliantly in there. You should be proud of yourself.” Morven glanced at Fletch before hushing back to Serena “Thank you, Mommy”
The pair left holding back giggles leaving Bernie and Serena completely speechless. “Did I hear that right?” asked Bernie as she reached for the soap attempting to hold back a giggle.
“I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, Fletch called me the same thing this morning.” Serena remained there with her eyebrows knotted in confusion.
“So this is what you all get up to when I’m not there?” Bernie teased.
“I can certainly assure you, this is a first. And rather disturbing to be frank.” Serena contemplated.
“Don’t be.” Bernie replied, glancing at her from under her fringe.
“Excuse me?” Serena stepped closer, “I don’t think you should be disturbed by it. They’re obviously hoping to get a reaction from you, I would play along…”
“Right.” Serena was still in two minds and didn’t entirely understand Bernie’s meaning by how she could “play along”.
-
“Raf? Can I have a word when you have a second?” Serena called from the office. A few moments later Raf entered with a serious expression on his face.
“Don’t worry, nothing too important. I just wanted to ask if you knew anything about Fletch and Morven’s games?” Serena asked, still as perplexed as when she came out of surgery.
“Games?” Raf asked, he was having to mentally pinch himself to stop himself letting out a little chuckle.
Serena lifted an eyebrow, she knew damn well he understood what she was referring to. “No, sorry Serena. Honestly- I wouldn’t pay attention to them. You know what they can get like when they get giddy.” Raf walked out before Serena could respond fearing he may not be able to control his composure for much longer.
-
By mid-afternoon, Bernie came back to grace AAU. Serena had spotted her heading to the nurse’s station in her scrubs. As she stepped closer she cursed under her breath, how could someone her age pull off scrubs? Serena hated her scrubs, and never stayed in them any longer than she needed to.
“Well hello stranger” she greeted Bernie, whose hair was desperately trying to come out of its ponytail.
“Serena Campbell, right?” Serena laughed. “How’s the new nickname working out for you?” Bernie continued.
Serena rolled her eyes “Thankfully, I think they’ve moved on to something else.”
“Oh come on, they could be calling you worse things…” “Like what?” Serena questioned.
Bernie could feel the heat rising once again from the pit of her stomach to her cheeks “I just mean, there are worse things to be called.”
“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Serena teased, appreciating the change of colour on Bernie’s face.
“Mrs Wolfe!” Morven came running up to them. Bernie’s cheeks amplified in colour, her eyes widened. She felt like a child getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Although, instead of a cookie jar it was Serena… Well metaphorically.
“Mrs Walker is complaining of chest pains and will only let you examine her.” Morven continued.
Before rushing off to see her patient, she cast a glance towards a smug looking Serena “Be right back, Mommy”. Bernie winked and left Serena face planting her hand. How on earth has this nickname stuck, of all names!
-
“Raf, do you need me to sort anything before I leave?” Serena had been hiding in her office since Bernie came back and gave her the excuse to. Before her shift ended she wanted to check with Raf to make sure the ward was still running smoothly.
“No, all good. Mr. Blythe is staying overnight on observation, he should be able to be discharged tomorrow. Mrs Wolfe dealt with Mrs.Walker, and the Fry sisters will both be getting transferred to Keller shortly.” Raf answered, satisfied of his days work.
“Very well, I’ll go finish this speech. Hanssen has already refused it twice.” Serena answered, deflated.
“Good luck!” Raf wished her, just as she was about to walk back to the office, he whispered “Mommy”.
Serena slowly turned around and glared at him. “Right! That’s it! Morven! Fletch! Office now! You n’ all Mr. Di Lucca.”
Fletch glanced in confusion over his patient notes at the far end of the ward while Morven peaked her head out of a cubicle.
“What did you do?” Fletch asked as he got to the nurse’s station, Morven only a couple of steps behind taking her gloves off.
“I think she’s about to out us about the Mommy calling…” Raf scrunched his face.
“You called her Mommy when we weren’t here?! Although about time, I thought you’d done a Mommy’s boy on us!” Fletch mocked.
Morven hunched over the desk “Do you think we’re in trouble? She doesn’t seem happy…” Both men laughed and began walking with her towards the office of gloom.
As Bernie was minding her own business sorting her last few discharges before her shift was up. Serena stomped into the office and huffing down on her chair. Bernie tried to meet her co-lead’s eyes with a head tilt.
Before any words could be exchanged, the three younger doctors knocked, entered and shut the door of the office behind them.
Bernie remained sat there in silence glancing at all of them waiting for an explanation as to what was going on like a confused labrador watching a tennis match.
Serena took a sharp inhale of breath before tackling head first “This name calling needs to stop.”
Bernie couldn’t help let out a cackle, she was expecting something serious. She got up, wanting to leave them to it. “Oh no, you’re part of this too!” Serena stopped her.
Bernie’s wide eyes drifted from Serena to Fletch who was hopping for a high five. She tilted her head as if saying “Are you for real?”
Bernie sat back down expectantly with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into all of you today but this has got to stop. I appreciate the banter we have but please remember we are in a professional workplace. What on earth were you all thinking?”
All three young doctors bowed their heads “Sorry, Mrs.Campbell”
“This stops here. Have a good evening… Kids” All three grinned as they left the office, glad that Serena wasn’t as angry as what she let on.
Bernie sat there with a smirk on her face “I think you secretly enjoyed it.”
Bernie immediately regretted her statement when she saw Serena’s face turn.
Serena glided over to Bernie, expecting the same change in colour in the Blonde’s cheeks she had previously witnessed.
Not disappointed, Serena leaned in closer “And I think you enjoyed it way too much.”
Bernie shivered in her chair. She didn’t know where to look, Serena’s lips were so appealing but her eyes were so inviting.
“I don’t know what you’re on about.” Bernie tried to mutter innocently.
“I think someone has Mommy issues.” Serena smirked.
“Not Mommy issues… Serena issues.” Bernie’s eyes widened as she realised she’d just said that out loud for Serena to hear.
Serena placed a hand on Bernie’s knee, a smug smile tugging at her lips.
Bernie was just getting used to the tingling feeling of Serena’s warm hand when she rudely got up again. Making Bernie feel naked without her touch. “What are you doing?”
Serena closed the office blinds before glancing back at her Blonde, “We need to sort these issues out of yours, don’t we?”
Bernie felt giddy in anticipation. “Yes, Mommy…”