drowning

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This sparked up a whole conversation that I'm not sure either of us were ready for.

And it did proceed to get quite awkward.

"I mean- I'm just saying, if you want something out of this- I'm not against it." He told me calmly.

I did.

But there was also so many "what ifs" involved in this situation.

"I'm just saying we also have a pretty big age gap-" "six years" he nodded in agreement, making me slowly nod.

"You'll likely get in trouble with the hospital because everyone in there knows my story and how I came to know you-" "they didn't do anything about me literally moving you in with me, they can't do anything about me dating you at this point." He spoke swiftly.

"What would the guys think?" I asked slowly.

He shrugged

"I don't genuinely care what they think- I think that of we truly feel the same thing, we shouldn't give a fuck." He spoke carefully, and I understood what he was saying.

"I feel what you feel, ash" I told him, grabbing his hand gently.

"I'm just- this is a lot. I'm still trying to figure out how to grieve and I need you- not just as a boyfriend-" "you're never going to lose me." He spoke firmly, instantly relieving me.

I couldn't lose ashton.

"And we don't have to rush into anything. I didn't bring any of this up for you to make a decision right now- I just know that the way we act around each other and the things we do isn't normal friendship stuff" he spoke calmly, which I fully agreed with.

"I think I just needed to be sure that we were on the same page" he spoke, making me shake my head immediately.

"I think this all needed to be discussed." I agreed with him.

"But until we know exactly what we are doing- let's just go with the flow and enjoy each other's company."

Ashton.

I got into my bed after changing, seeing her soon come out of the bathroom in one of my t shirts, glancing to her bed before to me.

I couldn't fight the smile that came on my face.

"Come on" I patted my side of the bed.

She immediately got in with me, laying her head on my shoulder, her hands resting on my stomach.

"Thank you, for everything." She spoke as I cut the lamp off, feeling her get comfortable.

"Thank you for letting me."

I woke up to my phone ringing, making me know it was one of the guys because my do not disturb settings only allows the hospital or the guys to call me.

I answered, more than confused.

"Ashton- chief is demanding you come back, like pronto." Lukes voice spoke, I could tell something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly.

"Our shared patient- Sarah Miller- she attempted suicide and her parents are blaming you, threatening to sue the hospital and you."

He really didn't have to say anything else, I was up.

I literally packed everything up, throwing it in the car before waking Ava, who was more than confused.

"Come on baby, I have to be at the hospital for all of this and we have a six hour drive" I rushed her as she put on one of my hoodies, not knowing any of the details.

"I'm so fucking confused."

"Can you at least tell me what's going on?" Ava spoke tiredly after about two hours into the drive home, myself not having the time to even really speak to her yet due to continuous calls from the chief, our lawyers or Luke.

"Baby- I really can't even go into much detail, because of HIPPA, just know that I had a patient and her family is threatening to sue the hospital because of something that happened after she saw Doctor Carlisle instead of me yesterday." I explained slowly.

"I don't understand how they could sue you for something that happened between her and another doctor." Ava spoke firmly, making me sigh- knowing that's exactly what I was thinking.

"Apparently there's more to it than they are telling me, because I don't think they'd be making me drive six plus hours home for nothing."

To say the least, it was much more than nothing.

The family was trying to say that Sarah and I had a "connection" and that Sarah was head over heels in love with me and when she found out- through Doctor Carlisle, that I was on vacation with Ava- apparently she spiraled.

"I still don't understand how they're suing me?" I spoke to the room of my lawyer's, Luke and the board of the hospital.

"We don't think they have much of a case, but we do need all records and voice memos from your appointments with her, just to ensure and prove that there was never anything going on between you two." My boss spoke, making me immediately nod.

"Done." I told him firmly, knowing I had everything in her file, I made sure I always did everything correctly so that I wouldn't have to worry about this.

"Did Sarah ever do anything that made you think that she was in love with you?" A board member asked, making me exhale.

"No- she was- a normal patient, we talked about her trauma and nothing more, you can listen to the tapes." I told them, knowing she had never crossed any lines with me, I wouldn't have stood for that, I never have.

"It's funny that you're actually asking him that and expecting him to tell the truth." One of the board members suddenly spoke, immediately confusing me.

"What are you saying?" Luke spoke before I could.

"Is it true or is it not that you are currently involved with a previous patient of your own- Ava-" "stop." I spoke firmly.

"We are in no way involved- she lives with me-" "and the two of you just go on vacations- alone- to Malibu?" He shot to me.

"Listen, I understand that my situation with Ava isn't ideal, but I never had anything to do with Sarah and I never had anything to do with Ava in the hospital or while I was in the clock. Any relationship or friendship that I established with Ava was strictly on my own time." I told the room firmly.

"There's no way you can even compare Ava and Sarah's situations- Ava was only a patient of Ashton's for a few months and as soon as they moved in together, she began seeing Doctor Richard as needed. Sarah has been a patient of both Ashton and myself for years now and has been diagnosed with personality disorder, extreme OCD, sever depression, bipolar disorder- the list can go on forever, but my point is, if Ashton was doing anything wrong, especially being involved with Sarah- it would've came out already." Luke defended me firmly.

"I'm just saying." The same board member spoke to the two of us.

"If you care about your job and your reputation at all- I'd make everything involving you and Ava, disappear until at least this is over."