"We should get going," I said, though part of me wanted to linger. "Let you guys get back to work."
My crew started heading for the exit, and I let them get a few steps ahead before I spoke again.
"Cap's doing better, by the way," I said quietly, stepping slightly closer to Jimmy. "Margaret said he's been sleeping through the night, and his appetite's coming back."
"That's great to hear," Jimmy replied, and I could see that he genuinely meant it. "I was wondering how he was doing."
"Thanks again for everything you did for him that night. For both of us."
"Just doing my job."
"No," I said, and suddenly it felt important that he understand this. "It was more than that."
We stood there for a moment, and I felt that same pull I'd experienced in his kitchen three nights ago. The urge to step closer, to reach out, to close the distance between us. But we were in his workplace, surrounded by his colleagues, and I was still in uniform with my crew waiting.
"Lieutenant?" Rodriguez's voice carried from the doorway, slightly amused. "We're good to roll."
The spell broke, and I stepped back, my professional mask sliding back into place. But not before I caught something in Jimmy's eyes that looked like regret — the same regret I was feeling.
"Be safe out there," he said.
"Always am," I replied, allowing myself a small smile.
As we walked back to the engine, I could feel my crew's eyes on me. Thompson was grinning in a way that meant I was going to hear about this later. Rodriguez looked thoughtful, like he was filing away information for future use. Martinez just looked pleased, like he'd witnessed something entertaining.
"Nice guy," Thompson said as we climbed back into the engine, his tone carefully neutral.
"Yeah," I agreed, probably too quickly. "He is."
"Seems competent," Rodriguez added. "Cap's got good judgment about people."
"That he does."
Martinez, bless him, seemed oblivious to the undercurrents. "Cool that we got to meet him. Not often we get to put faces to the people who help our guys."
The drive back to Station 2 was quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. But I could feel the weight of unspoken observations, the way my crew had noticed the way Jimmy and I looked at each other, the way I'd lingered to talk to him.
Back at the station, as we reset our equipment and returned to whatever we'd been doing before the call, Thompson appeared at my elbow.
"So," he said, his voice low enough that the others couldn't hear. "How long?"
"How long what?" I asked, though I knew exactly what he meant.
"How long have you been seeing the nurse?"
I could have denied it. Should have denied it. But Thompson had twenty-three years on the job and eyes that missed nothing.
"It's new," I said finally. "Really new."
He nodded thoughtfully. "He seems like a good guy. Cap obviously likes him, and Cap's not easy to impress."
"No, he's not."
"Just..." Thompson paused, choosing his words carefully. "Be careful, L.T. This job's hard enough without having to worry about someone who doesn't understand it."
"He understands it," I said, surprised by the certainty in my voice. "He gets it."
Thompson studied my face for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright then. Just wanted to make sure you knew we've got your back, whatever happens."
