Hell Beneath the Hospital [Rowena]

[Max Kameren]

The patients rarely heard of it, but beneath the pristine, modern Wizarding institution that was St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, there were a network of tunnels for the staff lovingly called the Catacombs. They lived up to their nickname; with enough maze-like bunks and break rooms for the staff of each wing of the hospital connected by a series of moving lifts, the labyrinth of hallways hadn't been updated in at least a century. There were multiple rumors about the old hospital losing staff to the confusing hallway system. Ceilings were low and leaked, lights flickered, and there were entire wings that had been abandoned due to mold. With modifications needed to be made to the hospital proper to help the patients, though, the Catacombs always fell to the bottom of the list.

Because, at the end of the day, when an unfortunate healer needed a place to lie down for a few hours before heading back to saving lives, any bed would do. This 4 a.m., Max was that unfortunate healer.

When the old engraved lift door opened the light immediate flickered. Not a great sign. Max sighed, stepping forward sheepishly and saying a little prayer to any listening deity as the door closed. Before he could press the button for the bunkhouses, the lift roughly started horizontally to pick up another healer. Of course, he thought to himself, leaning against the wall and inspecting the lift. This was one of the better ones, honestly. Most of the lifts hadn't been the same since spellcasting was blocked from the inside, after a few incidents between irritable staff; this one moved surprisingly fast.

Ding. Max's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline for a moment when he realized what wing the elevator had stopped to pick up another passenger: Spell Damage.

"Why, why, why...." Max mouthed silently to the vengeful deity he must have prayed to just as the lift doors opened.

[Rowena Jones]

It had been another of those days. Oh who was she kidding? It was always one of those days. It felt like weeks since she’d last had a weekend at home. Come to think of it, the last time she’d had a moment to herself had been that Friday night at the Fairies. And that hadn’t exactly been a ‘catching up on sleep’ kind of night. She needed sleep. Desperately. What should had been a 12 hour shift had become a 19 hour one and Pepper Up Potions just weren’t doing anything for her anymore. She’d probably developed some kind of immunity to them with the amount she’d had the past two weeks. And she had to be back for a Staff meeting in 5 hours. And there were two patients in critical condition that she was worried about.

It really wasn’t worth going home for. She sighed heavily. Looked like it was going to be the Catacombs for her. She couldn’t help the shudder that went through her at the thought but steeled herself as she summoned the lift. Sure, the ceilings were low and there was that slight moldy smell that seemed to permeate everything, but there were beds and she was so tired that really anything would do. How bad could it be?

The doors opened and she stumbled in without looking so that she actually collided with the other passenger. Ha. Someone else was also braving the tunnels? She glanced up to see who her companion was and immediately started backing up. Nope. She’d wait for another lift. Or go home. She didn’t need to spend any measure of time with Kameren. She turned to leave only to be faced with closed doors and despair.

Fine. Just be quiet and wait until she could get out. She could ignore the man. They’d actually been doing a damn good job of ignoring each other ever since what she was now calling the Incident. As much as she did need his help, even kind of wanted it, she had had no idea how to approach the subject again and well, they’d done such a good job of avoiding each other that that had actually seemed like the best way to go. So just be quiet, get out, go to sleep and pretend it never happened.

Except the lift chose that exact moment to shudder, slow and then decidedly stop. Rowena’s tired nerves snapped as the lights flickered once and then went out.

“WHAT DID YOU DO YOU IMBECILIC MORON?!”

[Max Kameren]

As the doors struggled to open Max prayed for someone, anyone who worked for Spell Damage and wasn't Rowena Covington. The doors sputtered open almost with his will for this situation to not be happening, but here they were. Of course it was Rowena. Who else would be here voluntarily at 4 in the morning? When she ran into him he grimaced and took a step back into the corner, as far from her as possible. He nodded curtly in polite greeting, but didn't make eye contact.

Her surprise and immediate recoil was inescapable to his sixth sense. Good, neither of them wanted to pick up on what they started a couple weeks ago, then. He had fixed the potion, left thorough instructions on how he fixed it, and has since been doing everything in his power to avoid the Spell Damage wing. Jackson still on his honeymoon? He'd send Harper. Harper didn't have the experience to brew the potion needed alone? With enough pleading, Max could get Milton involved. Luckily, it hadn't come to that, yet.

Then, as Fate cackled down at them, the lift shuddered. "Shhhhit..." Max swore under his breath as he practically lunged for the buttons, trying anything he could to get the lift to speed up again, but it only moved slower. They had a faulty lift at their muggle apartment building he could usually fix, but that one ran on electricity. This was magic, much more complicated. Suddenly the lights flickered out. He hit his head against the cold metal wall in defeat. "No, no no no..."

There was a sudden atmosphere pop in the atmosphere that gave Max a one-second warning. Here we go, he thought. Rowena was about to blow.

“WHAT DID YOU DO YOU IMBECILIC MORON?!”

"Imbecilic Moron is redundant!" Max's knee-jerk reaction was to go for the correction, he knew it would bother her more than anything else. "I didn't do anything, it was fine until you got in and you pushed the button!" Alright, it wasn't fine, but it was regular-bad, which would have gotten him safely to the Catacombs if he wasn't curse with Rowena's presence. He tried each button again, growling in exasperation when every one failed.

He pulled out his wand, Lumos on his tongue before he remembered. Right, wand-use in the lifts had been deactivated after a a particularly bold couple of healers were stopping them on purpose for a private, mold-smell-free snog. The irony of him now, being stuck on accident, with the most irritable woman in the world with him, was not lost. He started checking his pockets. "Do you have anything muggle on you? Something electric, that makes light?" He pulled out his two contributions: his muggle cell phone, used exclusively for emergencies and chatting with his mum, and his dad's old metal lighter, still full of fuel. They could get a couple hours out of these, if used wisely.  He turned on the phone's flashlight, inspecting the ceiling for a removable panel. "If we can get our wands outside the lift, we can send for help. I'd call Eden, but I don't get cell reception in the Catacombs."

[Rowena Jones]

"Imbecilic Moron is redundant!"

“You’re redundant!” Rowena retorted, even as she wrinkled her nose in disgust at her own insult. That was definitely not one of her better ones but to be fair, she was hugely overdue to get some sleep and well, it was Kameren. He’d always had this effect on her. “Oh sure, blame it all on the poor innocent woman. Damnit! I just need some sleep!” Five measly hours before she was required to be back at work, at her best, presenting the damn budget for the department and now it looked like she would be stuck in a damn lift with bloody Kameren of all people for most of that time. She’d heard the rumours and experiences of people in the past. It could take hours before anyone noticed they were missing and then find them. People had gone missing in the Catacombs before!

And, she noted as Max prepared to use magic, she couldn’t even call for help. She cursed the damn fools who had been using the lifts as a hook up point. She personally didn’t see the appeal. Cramped spaces and metal… yeah… so romantic. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Anyway, it was all their fault that now Max and her were stuck in the dark. Urgh. Where exactly was he? She didn’t want to touch him by accident.

"Do you have anything muggle on you? Something electric, that makes light?"

Oh. Yeah. She reached into her pockets and drew out her own phone as he switched on the light on his. He was in the other corner luckily, she noted as she withdrew further into her corner. “I have my phone but urm… it’s at 23% battery.” Wasn’t going to be much use there. She rolled her eyes as he looked for a removable panel.

"If we can get our wands outside the lift, we can send for help. I'd call Eden, but I don't get cell reception in the Catacombs."

“There isn’t one you idiot. Bloody magical lifts. Don’t even have an emergency phone.” She growled, running her hands through her hair in frustration. “Because we’re wizards and can solve every problem with magic…” she muttered, sarcasm lacing her words. “Until you take the magic away and then we’re just stuck in lifts with fools for company…” His last words caught up with her. "Oh great. Yeah let's bring Eden into the mix. Because one of you isn't torture enough."

“Argh, I cannot believe this is happening! You must have done this on purpose. You must have. There’s no way I can be this unlucky by accident…”

[Max Kameren]

“There isn’t one you idiot. Bloody magical lifts. Don’t even have an emergency phone.” She growled, running her hands through her hair in frustration. “Because we’re wizards and can solve every problem with magic…”

"They switched out a few of the lifts for some muggle ones they acquired when a Muggle hospital was condemned in the 90's, if you must know. Was hoping this would be one of them, but no." A frustrated sigh turned into a growl as Max pushed on the panels above them, looking for a way out to no avail. At this point he'd take his chances with the dark, damp tunnels of the Catacombs rather than be trapped in this box with Rowena and wait for help. Every moment with her felt like a pulsing stab directly into his skull.

“Until you take the magic away and then we’re just stuck in lifts with fools for company…” His last words caught up with her. "Oh great. Yeah let's bring Eden into the mix. Because one of you isn't torture enough."

"You know what might be helpful? Shutting up. Just, generally." Max sunk to the ground, sitting in his far back corner as far away as someone of his height could get from Rowena in such a small space. What had he done to deserve this? He turned off the flashlight to conserve his phone's battery, sitting in the dark with his head in his hands and letting Rowena's spiky aura wash over him.

“Argh, I cannot believe this is happening! You must have done this on purpose. You must have. There’s no way I can be this unlucky by accident…”

"Yes, because there's nothing better for me after an 18-hour shift like the anesthesia-free icepick-lobotomy that is your personality." He groaned through his hands, running his fingers through his hair. "Seriously. Have you tried meditating, or something? How were you planning to go to sleep like this? You're unbearable at this proximity." He beat his head against the wall of the elevator. It could be hours before they were found. It could be days.

[Rowena Jones]

"Yes, because there's nothing better for me after an 18-hour shift like the anesthesia-free icepick-lobotomy that is your personality."

Huh. Rowena was torn between happiness that he was suffering, being slightly put out at the less than flattering description of her personality and annoyance at the effectiveness of that insult. Ah well, another thing to add to the dislike list. He was, and she admitted this grudgingly, better at insulting her than she was him. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to give it her best shot. Rowena Covington didn’t do anything half arsed.

"Seriously. Have you tried meditating, or something? How were you planning to go to sleep like this? You're unbearable at this proximity."

“Did it ever occur to you, that maybe you’re the problem? I was half asleep, just waiting for a bed until you got us stuck here.” She said, “Also meditating is a bloody waste of time. Who has time to just sit and hum and wait for ‘clarity’ or whatever bullshit?”

She slid down the side of the lift so she could sit on her floor. As her legs stretched out in an attempt to make sitting in a metal box more comfortable, they hit Max and she recoiled instantly.

“Damnit! Keep your stupidly long legs to yourself you freakish giraffe. What are you doing? Get out of my half you selfish prick. I’m not that bloody short.” She supposed to Max everyone was bloody short but at 5ft7 her legs also needed some room. She kicked out a little as she tried to find the one position in this hellhole that might actually let her relax.

How the hell did anyone hook up in here?! There was simply no space. She sighed as uncomfortable silence stretched on. Ah well. There was nothing else to do. She entertained herself trying to picture the logistics of it, trying to understand the people who were really the true cause of this mess. If only they had magic, she could be in bed!

Instead she was remembering the few reruns of that medical drama her mum had liked to watch, what was it called? Grey’s Anatomy? There always seemed to be sexual tension of some sort in lifts. She snorted in amusement. Not in this one there wasn't! And then there'd been that one scene she’d caught in passing. where two of the characters had ended up snogging each other’s face off. Ok. That had been kind of… interesting she mused, thankful of the dark that hid her flush. Wait! Shit. Empath in the room! Please, if there is anyone out there, please don’t let him have caught any of that….

[Max Kameren]

“Also meditating is a bloody waste of time. Who has time to just sit and hum and wait for ‘clarity’ or whatever bullshit?”

"You're bullshit." He smirked sleepily as he slid into a reclining position, echoing Rowena's bad retort back at her. "I don't think they're going to find us for a while, Maintenance doesn't get in until eight on Thursdays." He sighed. They were going to have to sleep here. Together. In the elevator.

“Damnit! Keep your stupidly long legs to yourself you freakish giraffe. What are you doing? Get out of my half you selfish prick. I’m not that bloody short.”

"A foot more height means a foot more room. Make me." He smiled, comforted as her tiredness lulled her annoyance from a stab in his consciousness into more of an irritating hum. He could handle a hum.  A silence fell between the two as they kept to their respective sides, trying to get any rest at all before they would be pulled with the elevator back to their hectic reality. It was nice for Max though, really. This far beneath the hospital, the only person nearby he could feel was Rowena. Once she quieted down, it was almost like he was alone.

Until... Hello, what's this? Max couldn't help but let a devilish grin spread across his face in the darkness, but he didn't dare move. He stifled a laugh, trying to keep his breathing even. It was times like this that Max would die to know more about what thoughts were fueling the emotions he could catch in others. He'd be lying if Max said he'd never thought about the occasional romp in a closet with his flirtier coworkers, but... Rowena?

"I know my raw, animal magnetism can be overwhelming for some women, but please, Rowena, try to control yourself." He grinned evilly into the darkness; he didn't need light to know what face Rowena would be making.

[Rowena Jones]

She prayed he had been asleep or not paying enough attention to notice but of course Fate was having a bloody good laugh today on her account and she heard the slight hitch of his breath before he spoke. Of course he'd felt it. And as Max Kameren was wont to do, he just had to say something about it.

"I know my raw, animal magnetism can be overwhelming for some women, but please, Rowena, try to control yourself."


The blush that bloomed over Rowena's cheeks mixed with the flush of anger at his words and she snarled at his insinuation. "Don't kid yourself Kameren. The only animal magnetism you have is that of a slug. Slimy, unwanted and useless." she glared at him in the dark. "Bloody self absorbed prick. As if I was thinking of you. As if I'd settle for you, with your stupid long limbs and that mop you call hair. Won't even mention the mess on your face..." she muttered angrily. Ok, so maybe he actually wasn't that unfortunate looking and if he wasn't such a complete arse, she might have been very interested. She struggled to find anyone who could actually keep up with her and she'd be lying if she said that that wasn't attractive to her, but that was a secret she'd take to the grave.

"Just to clear up any deluded ideas you might fantasize about that I might think of you in that way at all, I was actually just thinking about the idiots who cursed us to the worst night ever. I mean, who shacks up in a lift?!And how?!"

She couldn't believe she was actually talking about this with Max of all people but damnit, she couldn't sleep with him so close. It was too unnerving. And she'd be damned if he was going to sleep when she couldnt!

[Max Kameren]

Max hardly heard Rowena's reply to his comment over his laughter. He sat up and pulled out the lighter; with Rowena riled, neither of them would be sleeping. He flicked it on and met her eyes, smiling mischievously in the flickering light. As much as he claimed he couldn't stand his colleague, as much as he complained about her, Max actually quite liked her. Who else was so easily gotten by his banter? Without Rowena Max would be a far less irritating, and therefore far less happy, person.

"Bloody self absorbed prick. As if I was thinking of you. As if I'd settle for you, with your stupid long limbs and that mop you call hair. Won't even mention the mess on your face..." she muttered angrily.

He chuckled as he let the lighter flicker out, instinctively running his fingers through his beard at the mention. "Well, I haven't had any complaints so far, so..." He laughed. Rowena was stunningly beautiful and her mind was challenging in a fun way; if there were ever a reality where she didn't cause him physical pain to be around, Max wasn't honestly sure if he would say no. He smirked at the thought; somewhere, Eden was screaming at him for even thinking about it. Nothing irked his best friend quite like his romantic decisions. 

"Just to clear up any deluded ideas you might fantasize about that I might think of you in that way at all, I was actually just thinking about the idiots who cursed us to the worst night ever. I mean, who shacks up in a lift?!And how?!"

There was an awkward silence between them, where Max was slowly losing confidence that Rowena's question had been rhetorical. He sat up, his brow furrowing in thought. He flicked the lighter back on again. "Wait, do you actually not know?" The mischievous smile was back, crooked in the flickering firelight. "I'm not going to tell you how, I'm a Potions Master not your Sex Ed coach. But I do know who did it. You know the head of the Emergency Wing, with the greasy hair? What's his name..." Max trailed off, gesturing the general shape of the wizard's hair. It was always greased, surely Rowena would know who he was talking about. "...Carver, maybe? Either way, he's disgusting. Stay away from him. Will share his stories with anyone unlucky enough to be in the lockers with him at the same time. It was him, and one of the Junior Healers from Emergency. They broke the lifts." He shrugged, not really sure what to do with that information; Max was hardly a gossip, but what else were they going to do in here?

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena blinked at the light, her eyes trying to focus. They settled on Max’s grin and she spluttered.

"Wait, do you actually not know?"

“Of course I know how, I’m not a complete innocent, thanks Max,” she said, embarrassment flooding her cheeks with colour. The flame lit up her amber eyes which were pointedly looking anywhere but at the Potions Master. She wasn’t sure she could handle another one of those grins directly aimed at her. She was starting to understand the whispers from all the female (and the occasional male) staff around the hospital. Max Kameren could be quite the charmer when he wasn’t busy insulting or outshining you. “And please, dear Merlin, do not give me details. I do not need the imagery from you. I guess I meant more…why? Surely it’s just hard and cold and claustrophobic…” she mumbled. “I don’t even know why I’m discussing this with you. I’m just giving you ammunition now.”

“But I do know who did it. You know the head of the Emergency Wing, with the greasy hair? What's his name... Carver, maybe? Either way, he's disgusting. Stay away from him. Will share his stories with anyone unlucky enough to be in the lockers with him at the same time. It was him, and one of the Junior Healers from Emergency. They broke the lifts."

“Carver's bald. You mean Cutter? Ew!” Rowena shuddered in disgust. “That poor woman, what was she thinking…, please tell me it wasn’t this lift!” she said, inching away from the walls. “Ew….” She squirmed uncomfortably. “Wait. They broke the lift?! Ok, that I don’t understand how. How do you break a lift?! With Cutter too. Oh Merlin. I’m never going to be able to look at him again.” She groaned. “I’m supposed to have a meeting with the other Heads in,” she glanced at her phone “…4 hours. Do you mind if we stay in here until it’s over now? I really don’t think I’ll be able to be in the same room as him after that information.” She teased. “I never thought I’d say it but your company would be the lesser evil.”

She yawned, and attempted to stretch in the small space, accidentally hitting Max in the process. "Sorry," she mumbled. Now that the initial irritation had passed and exhaustion was taking, Rowena wasn't really sure she could be bothered making sure Max Kameren stayed far away from her. "Do you have anything to eat on you? I'm starving. Why don't these things come with a built in mini bar? Then this wouldn't be so bad..."

[Max Kameren]

“And please, dear Merlin, do not give me details. I do not need the imagery from you. I guess I meant more…why? Surely it’s just hard and cold and claustrophobic…” she mumbled. “I don’t even know why I’m discussing this with you. I’m just giving you ammunition now.”

He chuckled, leaning back against the elevator wall once again. "Believe me, I don't need more ammunition. You provide enough in our everyday routine, I promise." He closed his eyes tiredly, surprised to suddenly realize the sharpness of Rowena's aura against his was mostly gone. How had this happened? Was all it took being trapped in a small box together, with no one to interact with but each other? "But I do know who did it. You know the head of the Emergency Wing, with the greasy hair? What's his name... Carver, maybe? Either way, he's disgusting. Stay away from him. Will share his stories with anyone unlucky enough to be in the lockers with him at the same time. It was him, and one of the Junior Healers from Emergency. They broke the lifts."

“Carver's bald. You mean Cutter? Ew!” Rowena shuddered in disgust. Max felt the shudder down his own spine, and laughed. “That poor woman, what was she thinking…, please tell me it wasn’t this lift!” she said, inching away from the walls. “Ew….” She squirmed uncomfortably.

"Could be," He shrugged looking around at the walls encasing them. "All the lifts look the same, besides the few newer ones. Think it was probably more than one, before Milton had to disable spellwork in the lifts." He smiled and shook his head at her squirm; she really was too easy, sometimes. 

“Wait. They broke the lift?! Ok, that I don’t understand how. How do you break a lift?! With Cutter too. Oh Merlin. I’m never going to be able to look at him again.” She groaned. “I’m supposed to have a meeting with the other Heads in,” she glanced at her phone “…4 hours. Do you mind if we stay in here until it’s over now? I really don’t think I’ll be able to be in the same room as him after that information.” She teased. “I never thought I’d say it but your company would be the lesser evil.”

"Ah, what a lovely compliment. Thank you, Rowena. Never thought I'd get a compliment from you." Max's lean against the wall turned into a slouch as he rested his eyes. In their temporary truce, Max would take advantage of the relief in his Empathy to rest if he could. Rowena had her meetings with the Head of the departments, but Max had four potions brewing in his office that needed to be tended to sooner. Ah, well. Not much he could do about it from here, anyway.

A hand suddenly made contact with the side of Max's head, bumping the other side of his head into the wall. He opened one emerald eye to glare at her. "Sorry. Do you have anything to eat on you? I'm starving. Why don't these things come with a built in mini bar? Then this wouldn't be so bad..."

"It just so happens," He sighed sleepily, reaching into the left breast pocket of his robes, "you're in luck. I'm due in the Children's Ward in four hours, and I always bring Honeyduke's Toffees to help wash down the potions for the kids." He pulled a small bag of candies out of his pocket and handed them over. "Not a feast, but they can hold you over until we're found. If we're found." If Rowena had a reply, it was lost on Max; after he handed off the toffee, his exhaustion overtook him and he was quickly asleep.

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

KRA-WHMP. THMP.

Max was nearly scared out of his skin by the sound the elevator made; they were suddenly in motion, but not in the way they'd hoped. The wall Max was leaning against was thumping and roaring with the pressure of whatever was battering it from the outside. The Potions Master started to his feet, waking Rowena and pushing her to the opposite side of the elevator. The scraping and roaring got louder with the motion, until suddenly - 

CRACK. The wall behind were Max had been leaning most of the night cracked, revealing the outside of another elevator crashed up against theirs. The hole wasn't big enough for either of them to fit through, only enough that maybe, hopefully, they could fit an arm. They could cast a spell.

[Rowena Jones]

"It just so happens you're in luck. I'm due in the Children's Ward in four hours, and I always bring Honeyduke's Toffees to help wash down the potions for the kids."

Rowena’s face lit up in glee before she tried to compose herself. She didn’t need Max to know her true weakness. Honeydukes… YUM. “Thank yooou” she squealed. Ok, the composing herself was not working but it was 5am and she was sleep deprived. She tried not to grab them out of his hand and failed, but as she glanced towards him, he was already mostly asleep. Maybe he missed it. She happily retreated to her corner with the bag of goodness.

Her phone gave off a soft glow as she left it on to provide some comfort. With Max asleep she didn’t really relish the thought of sitting in the dark. She watched the Potions Master thoughtfully as she munched her way through the sweets, the sugar serving to keep her eyes open. He was much better this way, she mused. Without all his irritating comebacks, Max Kameren was a very appealing person. Ok. Maybe even with them sometimes. Lately, it had seemed more like a game between them than actual mean spite. Who could make the best insult, who could rile the other most and Rowena had enjoyed the challenge. Despite years of animosity, events lately had seemed to be pushing them to see each other in new light.

For the first time, she actually allowed herself a second to think about mending the rift that had always been between them. Having Max as a friend actually made sense. His notes on her work had been invaluable and she’d done in a week what would have taken her months by herself. She’d been a little hurt that he hadn’t come back since. She’d opened up in a rare moment of weakness and then he’d avoided her like the plague. Her insecurity had flared up and she’d returned the favour. But now, in this stupid small metal box, she’d been reminded of the potential.

She sighed heavily. She knew what would happen. They’d eventually get out, return to real life with all the stress and pressure it brought and the bickering would return. This would all be a quickly forgotten event. She glanced down at the bag. There were a few left and as much as it would be easy to finish them off, they had no idea how long they would be in here and Max might be hungry when he woke up.

Another yawn escaped as the days events really started to catch up with her. ‘Just a little nap,’ she thought to herself as she slid down the wall to curl up and she drifted off into sleep.

------------------------------------

She was running, the loud clap of thunder deafening her and the ground lurched beneath her feet. And then suddenly the feeling of someone grabbing her shook her out of her dream and she was staring with wild eyes at Max who was watching the side of the lift. She followed his gaze, her mind still struggling to escape the fog of sleep and understand what was going on.

“Wh-what s’goin’ on?” she mumbled but any answer Max might have given was interrupted by a loud CRACK and the wall of their lift gave to the pressure of whatever was on the other side. Another lift? Bloody hell. Max had been right there. She looked up at the Potions Master. “Are you ok?” she asked, sleep still evident in the soft hoarseness of her voice.

She noted the hole but they were still moving, the grinding noise loud and sharp as their previously immobile lift was pushed by the force of other. They were slowing down though and Rowena knew that this would be the best chance of them getting help, and that there might also be others in the collision, but she couldn’t stop thinking that he’d made her move. He’d thought about her in the confusion. “Thank yo-“ she started to say but there was a sudden lurch as finally the momentum stopped. Rowena lost her balance and fell into Max as the lift tilted dangerously before righting itself. “Ow...” she murmured her hand flying to her lip and coming back bloodied. She must have bitten it. “Damnit.”

[Max Kameren]

“Wh-what s’goin’ on?” Max couldn’t hear Rowena’s mumble over the scraping of their lift. He stood unsteadily between her and the impact, wand at the ready; they hadn’t stopped moving, and if the other elevator took a wrong turn they’d be crushed without some quick spellwork to stop their momentum. “Are you ok?”

“Fine.” Emerald eyes darted around the lift checking for more damage. Max’s usual humor was replaced with rigid defense, toned from seeing a bit too much trauma in his only twenty-eight years. He’d been trained watching his auror family: stand and defend. He finally relaxed when they started to slow. “Sorry,” Max looked down and released his other hand from Rowena’s forearm; in his adrenaline rush he hadn’t let her go from pushing her away from the impact. A red handprint faded on her forearm when he let go, from the force of his grip. Max was generally tense with unpleasant surprises.

“Thank yo-“ she started to say but there was a sudden lurch as finally the momentum stopped. Rowena fell into Max, and he nearly toppled them both like dominoes. He put one arm around her waist and his other elbow out at the last second, catching them both on the opposite wall of the elevator so they wouldn’t hit the floor. Their heads collided, Rowena’s tooth cutting into Max’s cheekbone with the impact.

“Ow...” she murmured her hand flying to her lip and coming back bloodied. She must have bitten it. “Damnit.”

“You alright?” Max pushed them both back upright and let go of his colleague, absent-mindedly wiping the blood dripping down his cheek away.

He stepped carefully forward, moving slowly so as not to upset the precarious position of their lift. “Hello?” He called out, gingerly knocking on the side of the impeding elevator. No knocks back. Max closed his eyes and extended out his empathy, trying to feel for life. Nothing. “I think this one was on its way to pick someone up. No one’s inside.”

“Well the staff above ground definitely heard that.” Max stepped carefully back over the debris to the safe side of their lift, holding his sleeve against his cheek to stop the bleeding. With a wave of his wand sparks departed up the tunnel, hopefully off to find a staff member to lead them to where Max and Rowena were stranded. He leaned back against the lift’s last good wall with an exasperated sigh, looking over Rowena passively to make sure she wasn’t badly hurt. He pulled his hand back from his cheek, examining the blood soaking up his sleeve. “I think you bit me.”

[Rowena Jones]

“I think this one was on its way to pick someone up. No one’s inside.”

Rowena nodded absent-mindedly watching Max with wide eyes. She’d been asleep mere minutes ago. Everything had happened so quickly and as the Potions Master sent out sparks, she realized real life would soon be welcoming them back. This unwanted, originally disastrous event had almost ended in a very different type of disaster. She supposed she ought to be more concerned but she was pretty sure she was just a little bit in shock.

“I think you bit me.”

Her amber gaze whipped around to glance at his cheek in concern, and gingerly prodded her own lip. Huh. She’d thought she’d bitten her own lip but looking at Max, he was right. Almost. “Technically I think it might have been more of a stab,” she said, smirking at him playfully. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been holding me so close,” she continued, ignoring the voice in her head begging him to hold her like that again. She had never seen Max like that. And even if her arm was a little bruised from his grip, she couldn’t deny that it had been stupidly attractive.

‘Great Rowena,’ she thought to herself, ‘almost die and now you’re just fantasizing about your colleague who a few hours ago you hated.’ She was obviously delirious on adrenaline and sleep deprivation. It was just a normal if archaic reaction to being protected by a big strong man. Ha. She giggled at the imagery of caveman Max and herself.

“Don’t worry though, I don’t have rabies. Or vampirism. Or Lycanthropy. You won’t be foaming at the mouth and biting people or turning into a wolf with the full moon.” She grinned at him. “And I only have a sore head which is pretty normal after spending time with you,” Rowena teased. She was rambling a bit as the events caught up with her and her mind processed the danger they had been in. In the face of medical emergencies, Rowena could react quickly and efficiently. In the face of danger, well, she was a bit of a liability.

“But seriously. Thank you Max.” She reached up on tiptoes to look more closely at the cut, her fingers soft on the reddened area. The bleeding was slowing. “I’ll fix that up as soon as we get out of here.”

Which was going to be pretty soon she realized as she heard voices drifting down the tunnel. Moments later, a face appeared in the crack, the visible eye widening as the rescuer saw just who was in the lift.

“Healer Covington. And… Healer Kameren!” Bryn said, eye darting between the two taking in their appearance. He’d called it! No one else had believed him, Tomas had outright called him an idiot for even thinking it, the Covington-Kameren rivalry was well known throughout the hospital but Bryn had known, known that all that bickering was just hiding the sexual tension. He couldn’t wait to get back upstairs and claim his winnings. Ha. No one would ever doubt him again after this. This more than made up for being called down here in the early morning.

A sharp cough brought him out of his mental celebrations and he turned his gaze to see Rowena with a delicately raised eyebrow glaring at him with impatience. “Yes, yes, sorry Healer,” he stammered, “We’ll get you right out. Please stand back,”

Rowena glanced at Max and sighed in exasperation. “This is going to be all over the hospital you know,” she muttered as she pressed herself against the wall, “You know how the nurses like to gossip…”

[Max Kameren]

“I think you bit me.”

“Technically I think it might have been more of a stab,” she said, smirking at him playfully. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been holding me so close.”

Max's cheek hurt with the movement of his scoff. He gently pressed on the still-bleeding cut, testing to see how deep it was. "Alright, next time I'll let you drop." This time, he'd let the twist of tension between them go; they were going to be out of here soon, best to get back into their real-world dynamic of hating each other. Lately, the two healers seemed to sling between loathing and liking each other so often that Max was getting empathic whiplash. It would be easier for them both if they kept it consistent.

“Don’t worry though, I don’t have rabies. Or vampirism. Or Lycanthropy. You won’t be foaming at the mouth and biting people or turning into a wolf with the full moon.” She grinned at him. “And I only have a sore head which is pretty normal after spending time with you,” Rowena teased.

Max cocked his head to the side, gesturing at Rowena up-and-down. He smiled wryly. "You're sure none of this is contagious? I don't know, I'm worried. I'll need to be checked out."

“But seriously. Thank you Max.” She reached up on tiptoes to look more closely at the cut, her fingers soft on the reddened area. He stilled and stooped to a lower height so she could get a good look at it. He bottled himself up so as not to share the involuntary spark he felt when she touched him; Merlin, the havoc she could wreak upon him with that information. “I’ll fix that up as soon as we get out of here.”

"Thank you." Max smiled. His bright green eyes met hers, lingering slightly too long before he straightened. When he looked up, their savior had arrived. 

“Healer Covington. And… Healer Kameren!” he said, eye darting between the two taking in their appearance. The rare feeling of something going over his head hit Max as he glanced between Bryn and Rowena, unsure why they weren't leaving. Was he missing something? How was he missing something?

“Yes, yes, sorry Healer,” Bryn stammered at Rowena's prompt, “We’ll get you right out. Please stand back,”

Rowena glanced at Max and sighed in exasperation. “This is going to be all over the hospital you know,” she muttered as she pressed herself against the wall, “You know how the nurses like to gossip…”

"What?" Max leaned against the wall to get out of the way of Bryn's spellwork clearing their path, hand still holding his cheek. What would be all over the hospital? That a lift had finally crashed in the Catacombs after years of safety hazards? That Max and Rowena had spent the night in the lift - Oh, right.

"Who would believe that?!" Max scoffed at the idea, following behind the other two healers as they headed down the Catacombs' tunnel and back into the light of the hospital.