You Before Me - A Langson Fanfic

1.

"Hey" came the soft voice on the other side of the phone "I need a favour"

Olivia let out a breath, running her hand through her unruly hair "Hey Alex, what is it that you need?"

Alex scratched the back of her neck nervously, unaware of how to approach the situation or bring it across to her best friend since university. She bit her lip, this was something that she never thought she would have to do but she had no other choice. She was stuck and she needed help to get out of it, her best option was to ask the most compassionate person she knew.

Her choices were simple, either she stayed with her patient and missed the reservation her boyfriend made for them, for their fifth anniversary, or she got someone to keep an eye on him for the last two hours of her shift  just for the evening. The latter was the better option for her, but it would be throwing someone else out of their schedules. She just hoped that Olivia had no plans for the evening and could spare two hours until the night nurse came to take over. However she knew if Olivia could not make it, she would have no choice but to stay and stand her boyfriend up.

Olivia cleared her throat "Alex, are you still there?"

Alex nodded, snapping back to reality "yes, sorry I spaced out a bit."

"It's no problem" she cleared some of the files from her desk, getting ready to take them home with her "so what was it that you wanted to ask me?"

"uh" she cleared her throat "I know this might be a lot for me to ask of you, and you don't need to say yes. I just wanna run it by you real quick, but if you are unable to do it, I would totally get that. I mean you have Noah at home and your sitter probably needs to be releaved so I won't mind you saying no, but I just have to ask, because I'm at a crossroads here and I-"

"Alex!" she cut off her rambling friend, a small smile on her lips "breathe, and tell me what it is, then I will let you know if I can do it or not. Okay?"

She nodded "okay, I'm sorry." she took a breath "wow I ramble a lot when I'm nervous"

"You're going off track again babe, what is it that you need?" she said with a laugh.

Alex chuckled "sorry, I was wondering if you would be able to keep an eye on one of my patients, just for two hours? He is a paraplegic and isn't really ill or anything, he just can't walk and needs assistance with a few things. His night nurse should be here around seven, which would then give you a release. I just need to be somewhere tonight, I can't trust anybody else with this because he is a bit cranky."

Olivia swallowed the lump that suddenly arose in her throat and pursed her lips "I might have to send Lucy a text first to ask her to stay with Noah for another two hours. What would I have to do for him?"

She shrugged, sitting down on one of the bar stools in the massive kitchen, she stirred her coffee and sighed softly "you would have to keep an eye on him, keep him company and help him lay down if he feels inclined to do so. I'll show you the ropes before I leave but it's not much that has to be done, and I have spoken to my patient and he is okay with you coming by if you do agree."

Olivia nodded "okay, I'll do it." she smirked "I just need to call Lucy, but I will send you a text of whether she is able to stay or not."

Alex let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding "thank you Liv, I owe you big time for this."

She chuckled, brushing Alex's comment off "Al it's only two hours, you don't owe me anything. We've been friends for years, and I know you would do the same for me so I don't mind."

"Thank you, thank you" she let out a happy laugh "you are a life saver, I need to get dinner prepared so I have to go, but let me know what Lucy says."