Emotional Connection

eighteen hours

Luckily for Ashley, the night shift was fairly chilled out, with only one major injury and a few minor burns and scratches, nothing she couldn't handle. She was grateful, considering she still had to get through half the day shift as well, but after that, she could sleep for as long as she liked. If her dad was home.

She sat back, going through her bag, sorting what she did and didn't have, what she needed more of, and writing out orders for her suppliers. She knew the hospital provided most things, but often Ashley preferred using her own stuff, especially considering sometimes she'd mix creams and meds to make them more effective.

Once she was done, it was nearly time for the day shift to start, so she made sure everything was ready for that before she started on changing the bedsheets. Pete arrived soon after with coffee in a flask for her, which she thanked him for repeatedly, having forgotten to bring a mug with her to make herself coffee in the back room. He nodded with a smile, asking how the night shift went.

"Easy, really. Only a few burns and scrapes. Oh, and Thomas I think his name was, broke his wrist but I fixed it and sent him home for a few hours so it could set properly. No idea if he listened to me, but he's not been back since so I'll assume so." Ashley chugged half the coffee, not really caring about it burning her throat. "Damn I needed that. Thank you."

Grinning, he nodded, drinking his own coffee. "You ready for another six hours of this?"

Ashley sighed contentedly, "chaos is my happy place."

Pete laughed, nodding to the front where people were already waiting to be treated from burns and the like. "Better get to it then."

**

Even with coffee, Ashley really couldn't wait until the end of her shift so she could change and get some sleep. It was exhausting, having to be on guard for eighteen hours straight just in case something major happened.

"Pete, I have- Ashley? What are you still doing here, you were on the night shift!" Charlie announced his arrival, and the two of them looked up at him stood in the doorway with two baby dragons in tow.

"Charlie, this is a dragon-free area! You know that!" Pete scolded.

"I'm finishing in like five minutes." Ashley shrugged, pointing him to a bed, getting ready to treat him.

Pete stopped her with a hand on her arm, "take the dragons back to his, you can go now. It's basically time for you to clock out anyway."

She nodded, picking up Mila and Mango, stopping to grab a key from Charlie.

"Just leave it on top of the doorframe when you leave."

Heading over to the ridge, the dragons settled pretty well with her, each perched on a shoulder, though occasionally Mango would try and climb on top of her head which she didn't particularly appreciate. She unlocked Charlie's door, placing them on the table that now was covered in scorch marks and scratches, and smiled as Mila paraded around it.

"You guys ok here?" She asked, though she wasn't sure why; it wasn't like they could answer or understand.

The two dragons looked at each other before pouncing, each one breathing fire at the other, and Ashely sighed, pulling the two of them apart. "Stop. You guys should know better. I don't want you two fighting." She spoke in a stern voice, feeling as though she was telling off a couple of toddlers. Which she decided she pretty much was doing.
She sat on the sofa in front of them, where they were still staring each other down. "Come on." She pulled them onto her, where they seemed to be more focused on her metal buttons and belt buckle, so she let them be there, leaning on her hand, exhaustion taking over pretty quickly.

**

Charlie was confused when he got back to his place a half-hour later and the key wasn't on top of the doorframe and the lights were still on. He tried the door handle, opening it and walking into the lounge where it was surprisingly quiet.
And then he noticed Ashley laid on the sofa asleep with the dragons curled up with her. He smiled a little, closing the door quietly, gently lifting her, calming her back to sleep when she started to wake up, and placed her gently in his spare bed, tucking her in and making sure she was comfortable enough. Mila and Mango kept clawing at the door, and when he opened it, they climbed over to her and curled up to go back to sleep again.

Charlie smiled softly, leaving the door partially open for the dragons so when they woke they could come out and not have to wake her up in the process, before he went back to the kitchen to make himself some lunch.