Chapter Text
Before he began working at the hospital, Devon always found it odd when he heard about alphas or omegas getting so overtaken by their heats or ruts that they found themselves following scents unconsciously and in a few very perturbing cases, throwing themselves at other alphas or omegas in desperation.
The cases were far and few between and after much research, scientists had come to the conclusion that some alphas or omegas were more desirable to some than others due to their scent or DNA composition. But not to everyone. Just to one individual which was why an alpha might have found himself scenting an unsuspecting and terrified omega without knowing how he got there.
As a young omega, the thought of a random alpha jumping him terrified him but he soon realised that the chances of getting jumped for being an omega was equal to the chances of a woman being jumped because she was a woman. High but it was an evil choice made by an individual rather than it being an uncontrolled hormonal thing.
Thus, it was illegal to rape anyone, whether either party was in heat or rut or not. People had full control over their senses at all times. They were human beings and the ability to choose what they were doing was what differentiated them from animals.
Explaining this and more to kids from the age of five upwards was not something Devon thought he’d be doing on a Saturday afternoon but everyone at the hospital had to make their rounds and it happened to be his turn.
Devon closed the book he’d been reading from and looked at the young children sitting in front of him. “What questions do you have?”
A young girl, maybe around 6 years old, shot her hand up, waving it around so vigorously she almost took the eye out of the boy sitting next to her.
“Yes, Zuri?”
She sat herself straight and cleared her throat. “What’s heat and rut?”
The boy, whose eye she’d almost took out, gasped. “You can’t just ask what heat and rut is!” he exclaimed, horrified.
The children around began talking in confusion. Some didn’t know what the problem was and some were agreeing with the boy.
Devon stood up from his tiny chair and calm them down. “Okay, everyone, settle down. Quiet, quiet.”
After a minute of shouting, the children finally settled.
“Okay, how many omegas do we have here?”
Four children, three girls and one boy, including Zuri, shot their hands up, proudly showing the purple swirl mark on their inner wrists. Devon nodded. “And alphas?”
Three kids, two boys and a girl, lifted their fists with enthusiasm, showing the back of them, the three red circles, one interlocking the next, bright against their skin.
Devon smiled and said, “And betas?”
Two kids, a boy and a girl, opened their palms and showed the whitish coloured plus-sign marks they’d been born with.
Devon clapped. “Okay, we have a nice mixture here. That’s great. Now, your parents sent you here to learn, Maxwell. And Zuri’s question is important because not speaking about something means it has power over us.”
The children nodded, riveted.
“So to answer Zuri, a heat is something omegas experience. It happens a few times a year, starting from the age of thirteen to sixteen, and an omega will begin to feel different. They may get hot, feverish, does everyone know what a fever is?” The kids nodded. “Right, well omegas also get either very hungry or they wouldn’t want to eat-
“Jeremy would get hungry,” one of the alpha kids shouted and all the kids laughed.
Devon frowned. “No, Vince, that was not nice. And you’re going to go through ruts so you’d have different feelings too that you wouldn’t like. Please apologise to Jeremy.”
Vince harrumphed and crossed his arms but mumbled an apology.
Devon sighed and continued his explanation, making it as kid friendly as possible before moving to ruts and then explaining what happened in the body and what made them all different.
Zuri frowned. “Heats sound awful. I hate when I get a cold.”
A smaller girl, another omega, timidly put up her hand. “Dr Pravesh?”
Devon smiled and crouched down. “Yes, Nina?”
She ducked her head and fidgeted with her fingers. “Do heats hurt?”
Devon looked at her and felt a pain in his heart. “Who told you that, sweetheart?”
She looked up then down quickly and curled more into herself. “My brother. He’s an alpha and he told me that it was so sad that I was an omega because I would hurt a lot.”
Devon frowned and almost growled. Some people were so ignorant and it was one of the main reasons that Dr Bell had allowed Nic to open up this program for the children. There had been a big lash out about teaching these things to kids so young but it had been such a success and soon, they had been fully booked by schools, the hospitals volunteer programs full, allowing them to offer the sessions to government facilities too.
“Okay, listen up everyone.”
The children’s attention had begun to wander when Devon had crouched to whisper to Nina but their attention snapped back to him, excited to hear about things they weren’t usually allowed to talk about at home.
“Heats and ruts may get a little uncomfortable because it’s a way of our body telling us they it need something. But they do not hurt. When we find friends and family who love us and care for us and only want to support us, we even get to enjoy it. You hear me, Nina? It doesn’t hurt and there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Zuri shot her hand up again. “What if we don’t want people?”
Devon smiled. “Then we don’t have to have people. There are things that help us feel better. You know how sometimes when you’re sad, you hug your stuffed animal?”
A few kids nodded while the older ones looked away, mumbling that they were too old for that.
“Well, there are toys that make us feel better like that too.” Devon was honestly dying speaking about this stuff but he didn’t think that he’d said anything untoward. As long as no child went and told their parents they wanted heat and rut toys, he was safe. “But those are only for when we’re older.”
Maxwell nodded seriously. “Yeah like how some toys have the little triangle with the three in it because babies who aren’t three can’t play with them.”
Devon grinned. “Well done. Exactly that. You guys are a real clever bunch.”
Their chests puffed up in pride and Devon grinned harder. Kids weren’t so bad.
Then Vince looked at him. “Are you a beta or an omega?” he asked.
He yelped when someone slapped his arm and immediately turned to punch the girl, glaring when she lifted her fists right up.
“Hey, hey! No hitting. Clary, why did you hit Vinny?”
“He asked a rude question! Mum said you’re never allowed to ask a person their gender or dynamic,” she said, fire in her eyes.
Vince stilled had his hackles up. “You didn’t have to hit me, Clary! You’re just a stupid beta. I’d beat you up any day!”
Clary growled. “I can be an alpha if I want and you were still rude.”
The situation was escalating into territory Devon did not know how to resolve and quickly stood up to separate the two, pulling them aside to talk to them. After apologies, Clary understanding that violence was never an option and the others getting restless, he sat them down on either side of him before sighing.
Vince was still mad. “I’m sorry for being rude, Dr Pravesh. I was just curious.”
Nina’s hand short up. “Why did you ask beta or omega? What if he’s a red alpha?”
Vince laughed. “It’s not a red alpha, Nina. We’re just alphas. And it’s obvious. Dr Pravesh doesn’t have the circles on his hands.”
Everyone’s eyes flashed to his fist and they nodded in delight. Vince was a god to them now.
Devon found the entire exchange hilarious but turned his hand over and lifted his coat sleeve to expose the bright purple swirl on his wrist, the colour and pattern seeming as beautiful as the first time he remembered acknowledging it.
“Yours is so pretty,” Nina said, finger poking out to trace it.
The other kids crowded around to look like they didn’t have their own beautiful marks to look at, each wanting to touch the slightly raised skin and Devon in turn ran his own fingers over theirs, always fascinated by the colours and textures, each just a little different and unique.
The session ended ten minutes later, the kids chattering, running excitedly into their guardians’ arms, waving enthusiastically at him as they left, promising to come back like it was up to them.
Sighing, he smiled at the nurse who had come to clean up and went to the desk to write up his report.
“How did it go?”
He looked up to acknowledge Nic and continued tapping into his tablet. “Pretty great. I really enjoyed it.”
Nic smiled and settled into the seat to watch him. “Any notes?”
Devon nodded. “I think we should move the explanation about heats and ruts up before explaining this chapter. And we should probably do some sensitivity training too. Nina asked me if heats hurt.”
Nic winced and sighed. “Some of these kids come from really sad homes.”
“This program is working wonders, Nic. I wish I had something like this when I was a kid. You should think of moving it online for those that can’t come all the way here.”
She grinned. “That’s a great idea. Thanks Devon.” She cleared her throat. “So the kids have have to fill out little performance reviews when they done,” she said.
Devo froze and looked up, dread filling him. “Yeah?”
She nodded then beamed. “You’ve got some of the highest scores from all our doctors. You think you could come around more often?”
He grinned. “You know I have an actual job downstairs?”
Nic slapped his shoulder. “Yes, Dr Pravesh. I heard all the complaints from Conrad and Irving. Just maybe instead of your mandated ones, you come around one or two afternoons more, okay? The kids really liked you. Even Vince. And he likes no one.”
Devon rolled his eyes but said he’d think about it before handing his tablet over and taking the elevator back to the E.D.
Irving greeted him with a tablet to his chest and he was back in business.
* * *
That night he lay in bed, thumb tracing his swirl as he tended to do when thinking and he sighed. Everything he’d told the kids had been true but he would ever forget his first heat after he’d broken up with the first and only alpha he’d been with.
Alpha females were as rare as omega males. Not so rare to be revered but rare enough that meeting one was exciting and when the two of them had together in his sophomore year, Priya and him had been the talk of the school.
He'd been intent on going to medical school and Priya had been more than happy to find work close to where he was going. It was when he’d moved to Chastain and she’d got an opportunity in San Francisco that things had gone downhill. He’d been ready to ask her to marry him; his mother had been ecstatic but his father had been worried about how things would be perceived. Being a male omega in an Indian community was taboo enough as it was. Asking his female alpha to marry him would stir the pot even more. He preferred that Devon settle with a nice sweet beta but Devon couldn’t explain to his father that being around an alpha was a thrill like no other. And the sex. Fuck, it was fantastic.
Then they’d broken up.
He’d gone into heat a week later.
He’d known to expect it. Biology was something no one could run from and omegas tended to go into heat when away from their alpha unexpectedly to bring them back, have them close, especially or rather specifically when they weren’t bonded. Priya had never felt comfortable biting him until things were official but she had never asked him for a bonding ceremony either so he’d always assumed it was because she’d been waiting for him to ask her and then obviously, no one had a chance to ask anyone.
Knowing it was coming hadn’t made the heat any easier. Having had an alpha help him through his heats for so many years had spoilt him and that year, his heat had hurt. Hurt so much that he’d been fucking himself on the dildo and still crying. His abdomen had cramped through the whole thing and he’d fainted twice after coming in the first day.
Orgasming hadn’t even helped. He’d come shaking and rolled right into another bout. It had been the roughest five days of his life. He’d contemplated going to the hospital on the third day when his stomach and thighs had cramped up and he’d vomited all over the bathroom floor when he hadn’t been able to make it to the toilet in time but the thought of going in in that condition had been so mortifying, he’d rode it out.
When he’d stumbled into the hospital a week later, forcing himself to go to work because he needed his job, Conrad had sworn a blue streak. His mentor had taken one look at him, shouted at Nurse Ellen to pull them both off schedule and then pulled him into the break room and had pulled him into his chest and held him for an hour straight. An hour later, AJ had taken his place and the hour after, Mina. He didn’t even remember Conrad calling them.
He didn’t know what voodoo it was but after the second time Conrad came in, he’d actually stopped shaking, legs stable and he had actually been able to see straight. Most prominently, his cramps had completely eased.
Then they’d all taken the fifth hour to lecture him on how stupid he had been and how he could have killed himself.
“Do you and Priya know nothing?” Mina had whisper yelled, eyes hard as coal.
AJ had shook his head. “You’re a doctor, Devon. You should know better.”
Conrad had been fuming. “You could have died. Do you even understand that? Died, Devon! You’re supposed to prepare for this!”
Nic had calmly taken his blood, but he had seen the anger in her eyes.
He realised that the entire incident had been more than just worry for him.
“This isn’t just about me, is it?”
Nic had frozen before she’d breathed out and packed away the blood she’d taken, turning around like it would stop the shivering in her own hands. “I lost my sister like that,” she’d whispered. “She was in a drug den, everyone thought she was just having an episode, and no one was sober enough to realize what was happening. Her alpha had broken up with her, she’d shot up to feel something and went straight into separation-heat.”
Devon had felt his heart twinge and had seen Conrad clenching his fists to his side. AJ had already walked out fifteen minutes before after calmly telling Devon that if he ever did anything stupid like that again, he was locking him up in his house. Not a scary threat at all. Devon had simply swallowed and nodded.
Conrad had still been shaking with repressed worry. “Devon, if anything happened to you…” He’d run a hand through his hair. “You’re family now, do you understand? You’re not alone and if you need us, ask. And if you’re ashamed, there are facilities for this.”
The thought of a stranger helping him through a separation-heat had nauseated him, but he’d understood why they were worried. He’d nodded without argument and Nic had patted his arm before walking out, Mina following behind to see if she was okay after Conrad had motioned to her with his head.
Then Conrad had sat on the bed next to him, eyes fixed on the bandaid Nic had taped to his arm after she’d taken his blood. “I know I’m hard on you, Dev. But you’re my people now and around here, we don’t let our people deal with shit alone.”
Devon had sighed. “I didn’t know it would be this bad.”
Conrad had nodded. “I guess you haven’t really seen a patient who’d gone through that. I’ve seen too many.
Devon had kept silent, a little angry that omegas got the brunt of that shit. They didn’t need alphas to survive and for their bodies to betray them like that was horrifying.
“Otherwise, how are you feeling?” Conrad had asked, finally looking at him.
Tears had filled Devon’s eyes and he’d smiled through them. “Well, if anything, the heat helped me expel all the anger I have against her for choosing San Francisco over us but I guess I chose Chastian over us too, right? It hurts. We were together for so long people were waiting for bond and wedding invitations. But uhm, maybe there was a reason it never happened, yeah?”
Conrad had smiled softly at him before jumping off the bed. “You don’t have to downplay it, Devon. It’s only been two weeks. You’re allowed to hurt.”
Devon had nodded and cleared his throat. “Am I cleared for work, Dr Hawkins?”
Conrad’s hazel eyes had flashed, and he’d nodded.
That had been five months ago and now he lay in bed, tracing his mark and wondering if he’d lied to the children. He sighed and turned over. Separation-heat was a topic entirely on its own. No need to scare omega kids more than the world was already scaring them.
* * *
When Devon had first started working at Chastain, he’d been disappointed to see how few doctors were omegas. He’d brought it up to Conrad and the man had frowned. “Our former CEO felt that omegas were a liability especially if they needed to take time off for heats. She never explicitly said it, but we could see. Then those quotas came in-
He’d cut himself off and Devon’s eyes had widened. “Am I just filling a quota?” he’d asked, horrified.
Conrad had shaken his head. “No, fuck no. The quotas came in, yes, but when she had to choose new interns, your credentials overrode multiple doctors’.”
Devon had dropped the subject, but it had taken him a long while to shake the thought that he didn’t truly belong there. Then Dr Bell became CEO and he’d had the irrational fear that he was going to be fired. But Bell turned out to be a better man than they gave him credit for and things had actually settled down.
Conrad, the softie that he was but refused to show people, checked up on him all the time.
“Dating anyone new?”
Devon shook his head.
A week later. “Due for a heat anytime soon?”
Devon had given him an askance look and just walked away.
Two weeks after that. “I saw you talking to Dr Renée. Considering going out with him? He is unbonded.”
Devon had immediately stopped walking and turned to Conrad. “Is everything okay with you? These questions are beginning to creep me out, Conrad. If I didn’t know you had some weird worry for me, I’d probably be reporting you to HR.”
Conrad sighed. “I’m sorry, okay? Losing Jess and then Lily. It’s just been a lot. Sorry for taking it out on you.”
Devon shook his head. “It’s fine.” He looked at Conrad and the way he seemed ashamed but also still worried. He had really messed Conrad up with his heat. “Listen, if it’ll help, you can come over and play video games with me sometime. Then you’d have full access to my life because believe me, you already know everything that’s happening to me at the hospital.”
He didn’t expect Conrad to really take up his offer but he found that his empty days and evenings were no longer that empty when Conrad was around. Sometimes he’d bring people over and everyone would laugh and drink and eat and his life didn’t feel like it was meaningless anymore; like it was just work and home and nothing else.
Sometimes, he’d be leaning his head against his locker thinking about going home and sorting something out to eat and Conrad would suddenly be behind him, shoving a food bag into his arms and saying that he was going to whip Devon’s ass at Call of Duty when they got to his place. It was like he sensed exactly when Devon needed company and when he needed to be alone.
Devon threw a few empty bottles into the trash as his friends packed up to leave and looked around, smiling as he saw Mina shove AJ away as he tried to whisper something into her ear. He laughed uproariously when he stumbled and Mina caught his arm quickly before he tipped over, affection clear in her eyes.
Conrad bumped his shoulder. “They’re good together, yeah?”
Devon looked up at Conrad. “Yeah, they are.” They stood together for a minute before Devon cleared his throat. “What about you?”
Conrad looked at him in surprise. “Me?”
Devon shrugged. “Yes, you. Why don’t you have anyone in your life?”
Conrad shifted on his feet and Devon knew that the question made him uncomfortable. But Conrad was always on his case about having good people in his life while he himself barely let anyone in.
He grunted. “I’m fine. Not really interested in anyone.”
Devon snorted. “Not even Nic?”
Conrad turned to him and shook his head. Then he smiled. “No, Devon. That ship has sailed. It was good then it was great and then, it wasn’t. You do know she’s with Jude now, right?”
He hadn’t known that and his face must have said so.
Conrad grinned. “Yeah, they kind of sealed it before he left for his tour, but I think they’re serious enough to contemplate bonding when he returns.”
“You okay with that?”
Conrad looked up and seemed to think about it before nodding. “Yeah, yes I am. I’m happy for them.”
Devon felt a weird sense of relief but before he could examine that, Irving stumbled over to them. “Right, I’m out, laddies. My Lyft is here and my bed is calling ma name.”
Conrad nodded and helped him put his coat on, the beta having let himself drink more than normal after a hectic day. On seeing that Irving was leaving, everyone started to get up, calling their own Lyfts or waving down cabs.
Conrad was the last to go, yawning like he was trying to swallow someone whole. “See you tomorrow?”
Devon nodded, eyes already drooping closed. “Tomorrow evening. It’s my day off and I cannot wait to sleep it away.”
Conrad grinned with exhaustion and waved bye, slamming the door as he left.
The silence would have bothered Devon if he wasn’t already climbing into bed, the house full of the scents of his friends, warm and happy.
* * *
Eight months as an intern was long enough for Devon to have seen everything. But everyday brought something new and Conrad seemed to take a lot of pleasure in his surprise, excitedly bounding over when he had a case that he knew would knock Devon’s socks off.
Devon frowned as he watched the furry tail waving around and gingerly poked it, silently yelping when it seemed to jerk at his touch.
“It’s amazing, right doc?”
Devon looked at the patient and smiled without teeth before clearing his throat and pointing behind him. “I’m just going to consult with another doctor and I’ll be right with you?”
He stepped out and was met with Conrad’s beaming face. “Huh?”
Devon laughed and shook his head. “It has to go.”
Conrad nodded. “Oh, for sure. That thing is infected as all heck but crazy right? And it’s not even my first tail.”
Devon gaped. “This a common thing?”
Conrad shrugged. “More common than you’d think at least. Also, good luck with telling him it has to go. He must have paid a fortune for it.”
Devon sighed and readied himself for diplomacy and extended patience.