OZ fic - Impressions

[cmk418]

Title: Impressions
Rating: Teen
Characters: Gloria Nathan and Sean Murphy
Written for sinewa in the Oz Free-for-All. Set in early season 3.



“Hello,” he says, coming into the break room.

“Hello,” she replies.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Great, that’s all I need. Is it enough to want five minutes of peace and quiet?

Or at least, five minutes of female companionship. Well, maybe not any female companionship because, quite frankly, I cannot stand to hear another one of Diane’s “my mother bugs the crap outta me” stories. She should just be glad to have a mother. I’d give my right arm to have Mama back to lay a guilt trip on me every now and again. And I really don’t want to be around that new girl either. She’s a little too coarse for my tastes and the way she looks at Tim, I can tell she’s trouble waiting to happen.

If anybody should be here, it should be Pete.

Instead, I’m stuck with this guy. This friend of Tim’s. He doesn’t seem like the type of guy that Tim would be friends with, but with Tim, it’s either you like him or you don’t.

No. It’s not that. It’s either you are on his side or you aren’t, because, frankly, he can drive me screaming up the walls sometimes, but more often than not, I think his heart is in the right place. Maybe it’s the same with Murphy. I’m not going to ask him though because I really don’t want to get into a conversation about Tim.

I have enough problems dealing with freaking O’Reily. God, I wish he didn’t come into the infirmary three times a week with these bullshit ailments of his. Surely, one of the hacks has to see what he’s doing. And, if he’s not playing the patient, he’s pushing the lunch cart through the med unit. It’s gotten so I dread hearing the sound of those squeaky wheels on the linoleum. And the maddening thing is that he doesn’t do anything, he’ll just give me a smile or a wink. It makes me crazy.

I wonder why Murphy isn’t saying anything.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

“Hello,” he says, coming into the break room.

“Hello,” she replies.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Great. Tim said he’d meet me for lunch. Where the hell is he?

I hope he didn’t tell this woman that he’d meet her too. What’s her name? Diane? No, that’s the other one. Nathan. Gloria.

Doctor Nathan. The one that Ryan O’Reily goes to see whenever he stubs his toe. I know the medical excuses are just excuses, but if I let one go by and don’t address it and he has a genuine problem, I’m the guy who’ll get in deep shit.

Sure, this gal is pretty, but to get the attention of Tim and O’Reily? I’m sorry, but I just don’t see it.

Tim even said that I’d like her, but he says that about all his women. Wittlesey’s okay, as a person, but she’s not Tim’s type. And that new one that he’s sniffing around now, good God, I’ve tried to do my best friend duty and warn him off, but I don’t think it’s working.

Besides, Nathan seems like she’d be too mellow for Tim. Very relaxed. The type of person that would be better as a friend than a lover. The way that Tim described her… well, it seemed like the same way, he’d describe me, and I know for a fact that he and I never…

Not that I’m bitter or anything. Not at all.

Still, she likes Tim which doesn’t make her all bad. A doctor’s always a good person to have in your corner, especially if you don’t know if you’re going to get shanked the next time you turn around.

Where the hell is Tim?

Why doesn’t she say anything? We could make bullshit conversation about the weather or the staff meeting that’s coming up tomor-

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Hi,” Tim says, coming into the break room and sitting down at the table. “So, have you two been getting acquainted?”

Two pairs of eyes stare back at him in silence.

Comments

[natlet]

Oh, I love this! Very much like how I'd imagine their interactions around that time. Awesome job <3

[cmk418]

Thank you! It means a lot that you like this.

[sinewa.livejournal.com]

Cool! Or awkward as the case may be :) Thanks for taking it up. Lovely work in creating two separate and distinct minds, both circling around the same - absent - person. The last bit is priceless! So perfectly Tim.

I love that Murphy doesn't get what it is about Gloria re: Tim and O'Reilly, or Gloria not really connecting with the women around Oz. Nice insights, and a very interesting moment in time to watch. Kinda wish I'd seen this filmed...

You took the prompt and did way more than I was hoping for! A very Oz stream of consciousness :)

Thank you so much!!

[cmk418]

Thank you. I don't have the easiest time doing stream-of-consciousness fic, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. I'm very glad you liked it.

I can see Murphy and Gloria as being fairly similar, both being very good at their jobs despite the setbacks that the prison system gives them and being surrounded by the same people day in, day out, it just seemed natural to have their thoughts circling around the same topics.

It's struck me as a little strange that despite being a minority in the Oz staff that, other than Gloria and Sister Pete, the women on the staff never really seemed to bond. (Of course, it could be that most of them had dated McManus at one time or another).

Thank you so much for the comments and the prompt!