The Doctor and the Barista (Levi Ackerman / OC)

Chapter Seven - Bitter

"Marley, what days do you need off next week?"

Marco was leaning over a blank piece of paper, twiddling a pen between his fingers. He was gnawing on his bottom lip with a frown.

"Just Friday," she says, taking off the bandana that held back her fringe. "If you need I could come in the morning, but I'd have to leave by 11a.m."

"Nah, it's okay. You have to go in all day, don't you?" the freckled man asks, scribbling something into a box. "I can cover you for the morning, then get Eren to for the afternoon. I don't think he'll mind."

"Sorry about that, Marco. The hospital does employee health day, and tomorrow is the pediatrics department. I have to get and give some examinations."

"No problem!" He says, smiling brightly. "We can manage without you for one day. We'll have to start doing it sooner or later, anyways."

"Why's that?" She asks, twirling her house keys around her finger as the two of them head out the back door. Marco locks the cafe up before trailing behind her as they walk to the street.

"Oh come on, Marley. You're a registered nurse now. You're set to do things greater than just pour coffee one day."

~*~*

Marley had never liked going to see the doctor. They had always told her she was far too short and thin for her age, had always pricked her with needles that stung even after promising that they wouldn't hurt, and had made her gag more times than she could count when sticking a tongue depressor down her throat.

She sat on the edge of the exam table, feet dangling over the edge as the tips of her sneakers just barely grazed the floor. Despite it being her day off she was still busy with work, the pockets of her navy scrubs filled with uncapped pens and vital cards. Her stethoscope was laying on the small table next to her, already having been used dozens of time today.

To promote positive health in the community, Trost Hospital required mandatory physicals for all of their employees every year. The staff conducted physicals on one another, so Marley was busy all morning doing standard vital checks. It was her turn now, and now that almost all of the pediatrics staff had been checked out, she'd get her full physical done by one of the doctors.

She was still kicking her feet when the door opened, watching as a man clad in black scrubs underneath his white coat walked in, clipboard in hand.

"Hey, Dr. Levi," she says, relaxed to see that he was her physician. The two weren't necessarily friends, but as far as staff went he was one of the few people in the hospital she spoke to on a regular basis.

"Hello, Marlene," he drawls out. He was, unsurprisingly, sounding annoyed already. Marley had seen him running around all day, trying to get everyone checked out quickly so that he could leave earlier.

"Short staffed even today, huh?" She asks, trying to make conversation as he flips through the papers on his clipboard.

"We never have enough doctors and pediatrics doesn't get many nurse practitioners, either. There's barely enough people to take care of patients, let alone perform routine physicals on people we already know are healthy."

Marley's lip curled down into a frown at his tone. He was always so bitter sounding.

When he put his stethoscope to her chest, she was reminded of when he'd come to check on her the other day. She stiffened as he moved his stethoscope to her bare skin, the cold metal sending a chill up her spine. She followed his cues as he instructed her how to breathe, moving his stethoscope to different parts of her chest before moving it to her back. He scribbled some notes onto her chart before putting his cold fingertips on her wrist, glancing at his watch for a minute before making a note.