A/N: This is just something I thought up in the car earlier. It's probably really stupid but it's just a bit of fun involving Serena, Michael, Jac, Jonny, Sacha, Mo etc. and a face that shows up to brighten up Serena's world a little - and possibly drive her up the wall at times.
Sarah x
Serena wandered onto Keller, glad to escape the madness of AAU for the day. She was sick of the ward by five o'clock, and its inhabitants. "Serena," Michael called over to her as she approached her office. "We've got a new nurse. Try and make sure he doesn't kill anyone."
"And why is he my responsibility?" Serena sighed, placing her bag down on her desk and picking up her iPad.
"Because he's asked specifically to shadow you to get a feel for the place. Poor guy doesn't know what he's got himself into, does he?" Michael replied. With a grin he threw himself onto his chair and picked up his coffee. "Why else do you think Guy Self put you on Keller today?" he reasoned.
Serena stared at him for a moment. "He asked for me?" she asked disbelievingly. "Are you sure it wasn't Edward he was after?" she added, deciding that there had been a mix up with which Campbell he was wanting to shadow. She did not know many nurses who didn't already work here; in previous jobs she had tried to keep herself to herself, only joining in with the social side when she could gain the confidence and lose the inhibitions to do so. And aside from that, she couldn't think of a single reason any of those nurses would willingly subject themselves to her presence ever again.
"Nope. Serena Campbell, he said," Michael smiled. There was a knock at the door as Serena started taking her coat and scarf off. Michael stood up and opened the door. "Ah, Nurse McKinnie," he said.
Serena froze with her fingers still on the second to bottom button of her coat at the sound of her maiden name. She yanked the coat off hastily and turned around to find Alec McKinnie standing before her in blue scrubs, wearing that bright, cocky smile of his. "You must be kidding, Alec!" she said. "We'll end up killing each other!"
"Oh, I love you too," he retorted, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief and excitement. He had cut his hair since she had seen him last, too, and she noticed it was greying only slightly as the deep brown was speckled grey. "We'll be fine. We shared a house for eighteen years, didn't we?"
Despite her annoyance, Serena smiled to herself. She never could stay mad at Alec very long; he was too good at making her laugh, completely snapping her out of any sour mood he may have found her in. "Oh, come here, you big loaf!" she said. She hugged him tightly, feeling his strong arms wrapping around her in the same protective fashion he had done even when they were children. "Why didn't you say?"
"You would've tried to put me off!" he reminded her. "And I've got a bone to pick with you," he added, letting her go with his hands still on her upper arms. Serena couldn't help but smirk at the bewildered look on Michael's face.
"Don't you always?" Serena said, remembering that they rarely saw each other when he did not announce he had a bone to pick with her, whether it was over food, drink, the past or her choice in men.
"Please tell me I did not see Edward bloody Campbell at the coffee stand."
"Yeah, long story short, he got chucked by his wife and I'm the mug who gave him a job," she explained. Alec sent her a steely glare. "I know, I know."
"He'd better not be trying anything," Alec warned her.
"He's not!" Serena denied. "Do you think I'd let him?" she challenged him. He stood tall over her, arms folded as he made it clear that he believed that, actually, yes, she would allow Edward to gradually get back in with her.
Michael cleared his throat. "Am I missing something?" he asked. She realised suddenly that she had not explained to Michael who Alec was, or why she was actually happy to see him. As much as Alec could so often get on her nerves with his occasional irresponsibility and childishness, he was a bright face she could always rely on, no matter what.
"I take it Serena still doesn't talk about her family then," Alec smiled. "I'm Alec, her brother. I know she likes to act the mature, responsible woman but Rena's the baby of the family, aren't you?" he added to Serena. She felt like punching him for that but she let it slide as she always did with Alec.
"There are more of you?" Michael asked Alec and Serena. "Remind me never to go to yours for Christmas dinner." He studied them closely and Serena felt slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Even though Michael was someone she actually quite liked around here, she didn't like it when he looked too deep and saw her niggling insecurities. Of course, it could be far worse than that; at least he kept his trap shut about what he must have found some of the times he was trying to understand her. "You two look like a handful, know that?"
"I know. How did Mum ever cope with us?" Alec asked in mock awe. "Hey, remember when I made you look like the Christmas angel with all that tinsel and Mum's make up, and I cut holes in a sheet to make it a gown?" he grinned.
"I'd rather not," Serena moaned at the memory of being nine years old and dressed as an angel by her big brother. It had been their relationship their whole lives – it seemed that Alec's mission in life was to make Serena smile and laugh, even when she was sad. When she had gone through the messy end of her relationship with Edward, Alec had been her rock, making her laugh every time Edward made her cry.
"I like you already," Michael grinned. He walked away from them and left Serena to get her head around the fact she now had to work with her brother. She loved the man to bits but at times she knew they fought like cat and dog. Not something she wished upon her friends and colleagues here. He was her best friend and her mortal enemy in equal measure.
Alec threw an arm around Serena's neck. "Where to, baby girl?" he asked.
"Call me that again and you'll wish you'd never set foot in this hospital," she growled at him, only half-joking. Knowing she would not curb his enthusiasm, she was forced to roll her eyes and let him treat her like he always had done; she didn't have a hope in hell of changing him now. "I'll show you where everything is and then we'll get to work."
How on Earth was she meant to work with him without World War Three breaking out? How was she meant to keep her brother out of mischief? And how was she meant to keep him well away from Edward? The last time the two had spoken, they had very nearly come to blows, and Serena didn't fancy having to tell off bother her brother and her ex-husband for falling out, and possibly smacking each other, in the middle of the ward.
Walking through Keller, she noticed Digby glancing at them as they approached the nurses' station to see the theatre lists. "You two look, um, cosy," he commented. "Is this your new boyfriend?" asked Digby in a valiant and yet completely failed attempt to strike up a conversation. It always amused her how Digby so desperately tried to act like he was socially apt when all he actually told the world was that he was anything but.
"She's my little sister, you muppet," Alec informed Arthur briskly.
"Oh, sorry," Digby apologised quickly. "I didn't know you have a brother, Ms. Campbell."
"Well, I do," she replied. She smiled at his nervousness, and remembered Alec's cruel streak when it came to winding people up. To watch him lightly torment Digby could have been very entertaining, but it wasn't very professional and definitely not a good idea. She only hoped she could keep Alec and Edward as far apart as humanly possible, or the cruel streak really would come out.
After making a mental note of her next theatre slot, she turned and headed down the ward to show Alec where the store was, and to show him the way to the other wards for when he was inevitably needed. "Store room," she said to him. "I take it they've given you the key to the drugs cupboard?"
"Of course!" he said, dangling a set of many keys in front of her face.
"Right, I'll give you a tour, show you how to get to Darwin and AAU," she sighed, taking him to the lift. "I'm only going to take you down to AAU if you promise to behave," she said. She knew her brother well enough to know that if Edward spoke a word out of place in front of Alec, her ex-husband may just have found his face rearranged.
Alec looked around at her, still with his arm around her. "When do I ever misbehave?" he asked of her.
She let out a short laugh. "You've spent your entire life misbehaving!" she protested his claims of pure innocence. She shook her head in amused despair as they stepped into the lift. "Now, I must warn you that Darwin is the home of a certain Jac Naylor, who also happens to be pregnant and even moodier than usual. So, please, don't wind her up."
"I know better than to annoy a pregnant woman by now," Alec retorted. She knew that was a dig at her so she let him walk out in front of her when the doors opened before she smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"
She strode past him with a smirk until she reached the middle of the ward. "This is Darwin, out cardiothorciac ward. Miss Naylor," she gestured towards Jac, "Nurse Maconie, Dr. March, Mr. Hope and Miss Effanga," she added with a nod to the four of them grouped in a corner discussing something.
Jac looked up at them as Serena felt with a sting Alec flick her ear as payback for her slapping him. "You going to let him off with that?" Jac smirked. "Anyone else would be missing a hand by now."
"Ah, yes. Meet Nurse McKinnie," Serena introduced them. "Alec decided he was going to show up here and see how long it takes to get on his sister's nerves, didn't you, Alec?" she said dryly, quickly becoming irritated by his immaturity. She glared at Alec, and he knew then to get a grip and act like an adult. "I'm surprised I didn't kill you years ago."
"He's your brother?" Jac asked incredulously. "God. Talk about chalk and cheese."
"Wait," Jonny interrupted. "Did I just hear that right? Ms. Campbell's got a brother?" he demanded, almost bouncing over to see what was going on. Jonny Maconie was the last person she wanted Alec to get in with – it would be like putting the Weasley twins together and waiting for the chaos. "I'm Jonny," he held out his hand.
"Alec McKinnie," he shook it. Soon Serena realised Jonny and Alec would get on like a house on fire. "Nurse on Keller."
"Replacing Chantelle?" Jonny asked curiously, with a glance to Serena.
"Yes," she allowed. "And just for the record, I had nothing to do with this. I didn't even know he was moving," she added, glaring at Alec for failing to tell her he was about to invade her wards.
"So when we hear screaming from downstairs..." Jac trailed away.
"Then you'll know I've killed him," Serena supplied with a smirk. She looked around to find Jonny and Alec in animated conversation, and by the sounds of it they were trading stories of drunken stupidity. "Oh, please, no," she moaned. "OK, down to AAU," Serena ordered Alec.
"Who died and made you boss?" he teased her. She folded her arms in silence and raised her eyebrow at him. "OK, OK, I get it. You're in charge," he submitted to her.
"And don't you forget it."
Hope this is OK!
Please feel free to leave me a review and tell me what you think!
Sarah x
