All The Little Moments

by G. Benson

  “You got that one?” she asked the intern.

  He gave a nod and slipped away, off to apply what he had hopefully just learnt to Lane’s patient.

  Looking to the doctor at her patient’s chest, Anna asked, “This boy for surgery?”

  The man gave a swift nod. “He’s first on the list, shattered femur and,” he pulled the blanket back for a moment, showing a penetrating injury. “We’re taking him up now he’s stable. You’re Doctor Foster, anaesthetics?”

  “That’s me, and I’m with you guys.”

  They started to move the bed out, and Anna climbed on to continue bagging. Her eyes flicked up to check the stats on her monitor before darting to the bed next to theirs.

  The intern was looking relieved as he bagged the patient, his eyes glued to his own monitor, and Lane had paused her compressions while the surgeon monitored the screens. At his nod, Lane slid off the bed, hands immediately adjusting the intravenous pump.

  Brown eyes flicked over and caught Anna’s as the bed wheeled away. Lane gave a wink, eyes quickly going back to her patient, and it was probably inappropriate to think the thoughts Anna was thinking.

  The next few hours went quickly; at eleven, Anna wasn’t even feeling tired. When she finally found a free moment, she ducked into the surgeons’ lounge. As she turned from the sink, desperately chugging a glass of water, Lane walked into the room wearing a scrub cap. Anna could have collapsed in a grateful heap when she noticed the two coffees in Lane’s hands.

  “Oh my God, you are amazing. Thank you.” Anna took a long gulp, relishing the taste.

  “I see how this is. You’re only happy because I gave you coffee.”

  With a contented sigh, Lane settled next to Anna, leaning against the bench. They watched in amusement as a surgeon ran in, rummaged in a bag, and triumphantly pulled out an apple. Not even noticing them, he shoved it into his mouth before rushing back out.

  Taking another sip, Anna shook her head. “Not totally true. I was very happy when you walked in. Especially when I saw you in your cute little scrub cap. I was just ecstatic when I saw the coffee.”

  “I’ll accept that. Though you weren’t as happy as that guy about his apple.”

  “He probably hasn’t eaten since three.”

  Lane leant sideways to press a kiss to Anna’s lips. As she tried to end the kiss, Anna grabbed at the material of Lane’s scrub top and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

  They separated after a minute, Lane smiling happily. “If coffee gets me that, what does this get me?” She held up a paper bag.

  Anna literally bounced on the spot. “Food!”

  Ignoring Lane’s amused look, Anna snatched the bag and looked inside. “Microwaved pizza rolls.” She looked up at Lane again. “Where did you find these?”

  “I stole them from Tess’s locker when I was told to find twenty minutes to have a break before the union broke down the doors.”

  After shoving one in her mouth, Anna handed the bag back over. “I hadn’t even realised how hungry I was.” She took another bite, chewing quickly and swallowing. “Or how caffeine-deprived.” Anna smiled. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure. How were your surgeries?”

  “Awesome. One of my patients started to have a temp spike, and I thought I had a reaction going on, but it turned out to be nothing exciting. What’s up with the sexy scrub cap? I thought you were in emergency?”

  “They roped me in to be instrument nurse the last two hours.”

  “Why didn’t you go into medicine, or surgery?”

  Lane rolled her eyes. “I love nursing, I do lots of hard core stuff and I get to speak more with patients.”

  “Just a question.”

  Lane poked her tongue out.

  “It’s going to be a long night.”

  Lane nodded. “It really is.” She eyed Anna. “Something you don’t look too sad about.”

  Anna had the sense to look a little sheepish. “I know. I can’t help it. I’ve really missed this. I haven’t done a late night in months. This kind of pressure, having them wheeled in and out, all a little dicey.”

  Lane grinned at her. “You really are a little hard core—why didn’t you do something more hands on?”

  “Touché. I don’t know. I enjoy that my patients don’t talk back much.”

  “If they do, you haven’t done your job correctly.”

  “You’re so funny.” Anna grinned. Lane’s hand slipped behind her neck, thumb brushing her cheek as Anna pushed back against her. When they parted, Anna pressed a final chaste kiss against Lane’s lips for good measure before resting her forehead against Lane’s. Eventually, she settled back against the bench, sipping her coffee and watching Lane.

  They didn’t take their eyes off each other until the sound of people rushing into the lounge to find food finally tore them apart.

  “I need to get back downstairs now that surgery is done. It’s chaos.” Lane winked at her. “Don’t fall asleep on your patients.”

  “You either.”

  They walked out together, parting ways at the stairs.

  “And Lane?” Anna pressed her back against the door to push it open.

  Lane looked at her. “Yeah?”

  “I owe you one for that coffee.”

  Lane seemed incapable of wiping the grin from her face.

  It was three in the morning when Anna finally left her last surgery. They were done, every staff member wiped, all surgeries that needed to be completed, finished. She had secretly hoped that she would end up in a surgery with Lane at some point, but even though Lane was technically casual pool, she seemed to spend most of her time in emergency.

  Now they all gathered in the emergency room’s meeting office; nurses, surgeons and doctors standing shoulder to shoulder as the emergency coordinator gave them a speech. “That was great work. I want you all to go home unless you were actually rostered on tonight. Those doing doubles, leave. Your pay will be sorted out, don’t worry.” He grinned, and everyone gave a tired laugh. “Those rostered on to start this morning, sleep. I’ll see you at noon. The night staff that came on at eleven tonight can stay late. You all need it.”

  Anna stood between Tess and Lane, her hands buried in her pockets. She gave a sigh of relief, happy she wouldn’t have to start until twelve the next day after such a long shift.

  Tess looked sideways at them both. “Well, I’m going home immediately. No nookie in the hospital, you two.”

  “Aren’t you rostered on tonight?”

  At Anna’s words, her face fell. “Oh. Yeah.” And with a wave she was gone.

  “I suppose you should get home to the ki—” Lane stopped suddenly, a wicked grin creeping over her lips. “Ella and Toby are at your mum’s.”

  The realisation dawned slowly on Anna, too. “Yeah, they are. My house is empty.”

  “I have tomorrow off. Need some company?” Lane stepped backwards, eyes wide with fake innocence even as she led the way to the exit.

  Not hesitating, Anna followed. “I think I do.”

  “That does not mean I have more relationship experience than you.”

  Laughing at the indignant tone in Lane’s voice, Anna held the door open for her to walk through. “Please, Lane, you were married. Totally does.”

  Lane shook her head, hanging her jacket up and following Anna down the hall into the kitchen. “I wasn’t married. We had a civil partnership and a cat.” Lane paused. “Okay, fine, in the lesbian world that’s married. But I was young and naive. How long were you in your last relationship for?”

  “Over three years.” Anna peered into her fridge. “Beer okay?”

  “As long as it’s cold, great. I’d take anything right now.”

  Anna wriggled her eyebrows as she fished out two beers.

  “Okay, I could have worded that better
.” Lane shrugged. “See. Three years! That’s commitment. We were only living together for two.”

  The sound of the beer opening made Anna happier than she was willing to admit. “Yeah, but you had a cat. That’s like, having children.” She paused. “Actually, since acquiring two children, I can safely say that no, having a cat is not the same. Still, though, it all adds up to count as more experience than mine.”

  Lane shook her head. “Nope—my ex ran off with the woman who was painting our front porch and gave me emotional scars.” Lane winked. “Doesn’t count.”

  She hadn’t known Lane’s ex had had an affair. “Really?”

  Nonchalantly, Lane blew a raspberry. “It was a long time ago. That part’s not important. Your relationship wins. Three years.”

  “Civil union.”

  Lane looked thoughtful for a moment. “Okay. Maybe. Maybe it adds up to more experience. But three years is major.”

  Sipping her beer, Anna slid Lane’s to her and took a seat. If her ex had cheated on her, she probably wouldn’t be so relaxed. But Lane already seemed to be focussed back on what they were talking about.

  “I suppose. It was my first real relationship, though, besides the odd longer thing in college.”

  “Seriously?” Lane put the bottle on the table and blatantly looked Anna up and down. “How?”

  Anna rolled her eyes. “I was so focussed on work and my career. I was happy, doing that. I didn’t want commitment.”

  The suspicion in Lane’s eyes made Anna uncomfortable. “What?”

  “You were a bit of a player, weren’t you?”

  “What?” At that moment, Anna hated how her voice tended to go high when she lied. “What? No.”

  “Oh, you so were.”

  “Whatever. I just didn’t do commitment while I was focussed on work.”

  “Mhm.”

  “Anyway. Then I did a three-year commitment. So there.”

  “Do you mind me asking what changed? With your ex, I mean? Or is that not something the current date can ask?”

  “I think it’s fine.” Grateful for alcohol, Anna sipped her beer again. “I don’t know, really. We were incredibly similar, driven. We both understood our careers came first and that was okay. I’m not sure many women would be okay with that. Now that I think about it, I wonder if that was the main thing holding us together. We didn’t spend that much time together, considering we lived together.”

  Lane nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “At the beginning, I was such a commitment rookie. Now? I’m plopped into a life with kids, something I never planned. I’m definitely a rookie now. At least before I could kinda make it up as I went along.” Anna looked intently at Lane. “You? You seem to have this settled, comfortable thing down pat.”

  Lane laughed out loud. “Anna, everyone is just making it up as they go along.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” Lane sipped her beer. “I’m certainly happy to be here. New to everything and two kids included.”

  Unable to resist, Anna kissed her before pulling back slightly to look her in the eye. “You’ve been amazing.” Lane shook her head but Anna interrupted. “You really have, Lane. Amazing.”

  Before sitting back down, Anna kissed her once more.

  Lane was grinning. “Even despite the whole I-owned-a-cat-with-my-ex thing?”

  “Even with that.”

  “What if I told you it was two?”

  “I’ll laugh at you, but yes.”

  “What if I told you I met her at work when she came in with a broken femur?”

  “A patient, Lane? How risqué.”

  “A former patient.”

  Anna drained the last of her beer. “Still, point stands.”

  “Going to report me?”

  “Ha. I think if I did, I’d have to report the multiple times I know you’ve been making out in stairwells.”

  Lane poked her tongue at her. “Shot yourself in the foot.”

  “Damn.”

  Anna picked up her empty bottle, intending to get another. About to ask another question about the ex, she heard Lane’s chair push back. When she turned around, Lane had stepped into her space, gently pushing her so the small of her back pressed into the bench. Lane cocked her head at her.

  “I got pretty burned coming out of that relationship.”

  Anna trailed her fingers down Lane’s soft cheek. “I don’t know how anyone could do that to you.”

  “It was a long time ago now. I’m just saying that, because I don’t get this urge to run and protect myself with you. I wasn’t innocent in it all, but—”

  Acting on impulse, Anna surged forward, digging her fingers into Lane’s neck as she kissed her. Pulling back, she looked searchingly into Lane’s eyes. “Do you want another beer?”

  Lane shook her head, fingers toying with Anna’s shirt. “I don’t really want any more beer.”

  “What do you want, then?”

  Anna’s eyes closed of their own accord as Lane’s gently kissed her jaw, tracing a pattern to behind her ear. Fingers rested lightly against Anna’s hips, and her hands fell to grip the bench behind her.

  When Lane spoke, it was in a whisper, her breath light against Anna’s skin. Anna held back a shudder. “I want you. Just.” Lane’s tongue snaked against her neck, then her lips pressed against the same spot once. “You.”

  Anna threaded her hands in Lane’s hair, the dark tight curls clamped in her fist. She pulled Lane up so that their lips crushed together. An involuntary groan fell from Anna as Lane pressed her full weight against her, pinning her to the bench.

  There were no children in the house. Lane had the day off, and Anna didn’t need to be in until twelve. Life was glorious.

  At Anna’s smile, Lane stopped. “What?”

  “We aren’t going to be interrupted by work.” She kissed Lane once. “Or Kym.” And again. “Or crying babies.”

  Lane grinned too. “Oh, okay. Good reason to smile.”

  Using her body, Anna moved them towards the kitchen door, lips barely leaving each other.

  “Well, you always make me smile.”

  Anna gently guided Lane to the stairs, eyes flicking to look up before she decided it was too hard and just pushed Lane against the banister. Lane’s hands fell on it to balance herself as Anna’s lips moved to her neck.

  A sigh reached Anna’s ears as she ran her tongue along soft skin. When her teeth grazed the hot flesh under her lips, the sigh turned to a moan.

  “Upstairs.” Anna planted another kiss on her. “Upstairs is a bed.”

  “Right.” Lane’s hands pulled Anna tighter. “Right. Bed.”

  “If we don’t go,” Anna tried to untangle herself from Lane, “I’m going to shove you onto the stairs, and as hot as that’d be, there’s a bed.”

  With a pout, Lane looked at the stairs. “They don’t even have carpet.”

  Anna laughed, grabbing Lane’s hand. Within moments, they were in her bedroom.

  For a second, they simply stood next to each other, hands linked. Then they met in a tangle, hands in hair, lips parting against each other, stumbling back against the bed.

  Lane sat down on the edge, pulling Anna with her. At the tug on her hips, Anna straddled Lane, not breaking the kiss. Goosebumps erupted over Anna’s skin as Lane’s fingers ran along her spine under her shirt. Lane kissed her neck, and Anna sighed.

  “Finally.”

  “What?” The whispered question against her neck made Anna shiver. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

  “Nothing.”

  Lane kissed her again, and Anna couldn’t speak anymore as the sensations Lane’s fingers caused made all thoughts fade. All there was in that moment was Lane.

  Their kiss finally broke as Lane pulled away.

  Anna’
s protest turned into a soft sigh as Lane’s lips moved over her cheek and jaw. Teeth grazed her neck. Thumbs brushed the underside of her bra before trailing back down over her stomach, tracing just over the waistband of her pants and back up her spine.

  Anna giggled, and Lane looked up, bemused. “Um. Anna? Not really the reaction I was looking for.”

  With a sheepish look, her hands shifted to cup Lane’s cheeks. “No, I’m sorry. I just…this position is very deja-vu, in your bedroom. It just crossed my mind how different it is this time.”

  A slow look of pleasure crossed Lane’s face. “No tears this time.”

  Happily, Anna shook her head, pushing Lane back so she lay down on the bed. Lane gave no resistance whatsoever, hands sliding out the back of Anna’s shirt to rest on top of her thighs. Anna rested a hand on either side of Lane’s face, smiling down at her, hair falling around them.

  “Nope. And no stopping.”

  “No medals required.”

  Anna chuckled, leaning down further to press her lips to Lane’s. “I think we deserve medals. It’s been a long time that I’ve wanted you like this, with no interruptions. I don’t care that it’s four in the morning.”

  Lane’s hands came up to either side of Anna’s face. Her eyes were soft. “Totally worth the wait.”

  The gesture made Anna melt. “Totally.” She leant forward as if to kiss Lane, but then pulled back, smiling at the disgruntled look on Lane’s face. Instead, Anna toyed at the hemline of her own shirt, head tilted as she waited for Lane’s reaction.

  Understanding crossed Lane’s face, her eyes dropping to Anna’s hands then back to meet her eyes. That smile that would forever make Anna’s stomach flip lit up Lane’s face. This was what Anna had been waiting for.

  She tugged the shirt up slowly, pulling it over her head and dropping it on the floor. Briefly, shyness overtook her, an emotion she sometimes thought would never completely leave a woman, no matter how confident. However, when she saw Lane’s eyes trail over her and then her mouth drop open, all feelings of inadequacy fled, and all Anna felt was the burn of Lane’s eyes.

  Lane pushed herself up on her elbows, her gaze intent on Anna’s. “You are so fucking beautiful.”