Hey guys! I decided to go ahead and post the first chapter of this new story before I finish One Summer, just like I did when that story was new. I kind of like to get a feel for what people think, and it honestly helps me a bit with writers block when I can go between two different stories.

However, I won't be posting another chapter of this until my other story is actually complete. I'll just be working on this behind the scenes.

I wanted to write this story because it will contain two of my biggest passions- writing and baseball. Don't worry, it won't be technical or hard to understand or anything like that. As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have. If you're a hardcore fan like I am and notice some things that might be off…I know. I just had to make it work! I hope you enjoy.

And now, without any further ado, here is The Game.

…

July 26, 2015

My heels clicked on the tile floor as I walked down the now-familiar halls of Barnes Jewish hospital, finally done for the night.

The hard work in high school, sleeplessness nights during my undergrad career, and dedication throughout four years of medical school were finally paying off. I was a resident at the best hospital in St. Louis and had a promising future working in emergency medicine before me. I couldn't wait until I finished off the last year of my residency, but I was still enjoying the work more than I had expected. My parents had wanted me to go into something like pediatrics or obstetrics, and I had entertained the idea throughout medical school. But then I did my rotation in the emergency room, and I was hooked.

I loved the fast pace and the urgency involved in cases, and I think it shows.

"Dr. Swan!" I froze when I heard someone called my name, cursing my shoes and their inability to get me out of here before I got stuck doing even more overtime. I loved my work, but no one liked pulling double digit shifts, especially three times in one week. "Dr. Swan!"

I turned around to see Angela, one of the newer nurses, jogging towards me. "It's okay Angie, slow down," I said, holding my hands up. "I'm listening."

She grinned at me, taking a moment to catch her breath. "I'm really sorry to catch you like this. I know you were on your way out, but Dr. Harris isn't answering his pages, and we have no beds left. We're just trying to get people discharged." She fumbled with the charts in her hands, and then handed me one at random.

I sighed and flipped it open, studying the information. Twenty five year old male; needed stitches on his forehead. Easy enough. "Okay, I don't mind sticking around for a few of these," I said, checking my watch. "I can give you an hour, tops."

Angela nodded and handed me a few more charts, then took off back towards the emergency room. I followed at a slightly slower pace, cursing my high heels and the uncomfortable tights I was wearing underneath my pencil skirt. I loved that after years of wearing sweats and scrubs during college I finally got to dress up, but right about now, those scrubs and crocs were sounding a lot better for a thirteen hour shift. I mentally reminded myself that although I wanted to look good, I would need to invest in a more comfortable pair of shoes if I was going to get through the rest of my residency.

The door to exam room one was propped open slightly, and I didn't look up from the chart in my hands as I entered. "I'm Dr. Swan," I said, dropping the chart on the counter and then pulling on a pair of latex gloves. "Let me take a look at that head, see what we're working with."

I turned to face the patient and stopped short, stunned by the pair of bright green eyes that were staring at me. I blushed when I realized I was staring, and stepped closer to examine the wound on his forehead. One of the nurses had already set out the necessary tools to get him patched up, but I still needed to look at it and clean it up before I could get started with the stitches. I touched the tender area as gently as I could, but he still flinched. "Sorry," I said with a small smile.

He smiled back, shrugging his shoulders. "It's okay. I'm Edward, by the way. I wish I could say it was nice to meet you, but," he pointed up at his head, making me laugh.

"I knew that from the chart, but thank you. It would be nice to meet you as well if it weren't for the circumstances," I said, smiling.

"What's your name?" He asked, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "No, I know, you're Dr. Swan," he said, laughing. "What's your first name?"

"Bella," I said simply, and we both fell silent.

He was quiet as I cleaned up the cut and then numbed it with a local anesthetic, so I decided to fill the silence. "So, what happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's pretty stupid," Edward said sheepishly, looking up at me through his eyelashes. I couldn't help but notice how ridiculously long they were, and wished mine looked like that without the help of mascara.

"Go ahead, try me," I said with a laugh. I had heard and seen a lot in just a couple of years in medicine, and I doubted this would top my list of extreme cases.

"I was playing ball with my nephew and I got too close to him when he swung the bat," he said. "Who trusts a three year old with a bat?" He laughed, making me smile. "Anyway, he missed, but I dove out of the way and cut my head on the coffee table. I thought it would be okay, but then a few hours passed and it still didn't stop bleeding, so my brother convinced me I needed stitches. Stupid."

I reached for the needle and thread, and he squeezed his eyes shut. "That's not so stupid," I said gently. "Besides, accidents happen, especially around kids," I added, and then fell silent as I concentrated.

Stitches were easy, but I fancied myself a bit of a perfectionist. I pulled the edges of the cut together and looped the thread through each side of the small cut until there were five tiny stitches. Then I tied the knot and snipped off the remaining amount of thread, covered the wound, and then stepped back. "All better," I said, pulling my gloves off and disposing of them. "Make sure you keep the area clean and dry. Apply a little antibiotic ointment to it, and that'll keep it from getting infected. If you do notice any signs of infection, come on back and we'll take another look. If not, pop back in here in about a week and you can get the stitches taken out if everything has healed up nicely."

Edward nodded, reaching up to touch the small bandage on his forehead. "Thank you, doctor," he said. "Will you be the one to take them out?"

I shrugged, already looking at the next chart in my pile. "It depends, really. Whoever is on staff that night will take care of it."

"Well…what night will you be here?" He asked, and I glanced up from my chart.

He was smiling devilishly, making me roll my eyes. "You are not flirting with me," I laughed. "You must have hit your head harder than you thought. Do you have a concussion?"

"Can't blame me for trying," Edward laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "You're really beautiful, Dr. Swan."

I blushed, but I was also in disbelief. I thought I had seen a lot, but nothing like this had happened to me yet. "Thank you," I said simply, unsure of what else I could say in reply.

"Let me try one more time," Edward said, hopping off the bed and stepping closer. "Feel free to shoot me down or run screaming, but…can I have your number? I'd like to take you out sometime."

This can't be a good idea. I'm a doctor, he's a patient…is this even allowed? Emergency room etiquette is a lot different, and it technically wouldn't be unethical because this is a onetime visit, but it still felt odd. But at the same time, I couldn't deny that I was attracted to this man, and in the few minutes I had spent with him, he had gotten under my skin.

"Well…" I hesitated, biting my lip. "I guess that's okay," I conceded. "Here." I reached into my pocket and pulled out my card, handing it to him. "That's my office number," I said. "Let's start with that."

He accepted it readily, glancing at the card before tucking it into his pants pocket. "Thank you, Bella," he said, grinning. "I'll be calling you."

…

"You're late tonight, Bells," Tyler said, glancing at the time on his phone when I finally got home, over an hour later. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded, kicking off my pumps before plopping down on the couch beside him. "Yeah, the emergency was overloaded with people and they just needed my help clearing some people out so they could free up some beds," I said, taking a sip of the beer he was holding.

Tyler and I had met in while I was in my final year of my undergraduate degree, and he was in his final year of pharmacy school. We had been friends for a while, but quickly fell into a relationship not long after. Now, we lived together, but a lot has changed. Our romantic relationship is over, and had been for a long time. We're great friends, and both of us are a lot happier this way.

"What are you watching?" I asked, glancing at the television. There was a baseball game on, but it was nearly midnight, so I couldn't imagine it was live.

"Replay from the cards game earlier today," Tyler answered without taking his eyes off the television. "I was working on some stuff this afternoon, so I didn't get to see it. I know they lost, but when I saw they were airing the replay, I figured I watch anyway while I waited for you to get home."

I nodded, turning my attention to the game as well. I liked to keep up with my favorite players, but with my work schedule, it was impossible to watch too many games. I watched with interest, but about five minutes later, I squinted at the screen in shock.

"Who is that?" I asked Tyler, nudging his arm and nodding towards the batter, who looked awfully familiar.

"Oh, that's a new guy. He just got called up from the minors a few days ago, but he looks pretty promising. His name is Edward Cullen."

…

I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!

I'm sure there are some technical details that aren't quite right, but if you notice some and they are small enough for me to change, let me know and I'll think about doing some adjustments. If not, just remember this is a free fanfiction story.

Oh, and Bella's style is based on Dr. O'Hara from Nurse Jackie, just so you know what I was basing that off of. I would never wear heels to a hospital, let me assure you.