A Moment in Time
Abby jogged into the ER through the ambulance bay. She shook a few snowflakes off her shoulders and shivered dramatically. "It is cold out there," she said to Neela, who stood at the admit desk.
"Well, it feels like an oven in here, so you'll warm up quickly."
Abby chuckled as she headed down the hall toward the lounge, unwinding her scarf as she went. She'd lived with cold weather all her life, but that didn't mean she had to like commuting in it. She mentally grimaced at the sight of a man with an ice-skate blade sticking out of his leg, then pushed the door open and stepped inside the lounge.
Luka was standing at his locker, swinging his stethoscope around his neck.
"Hi," she said.
"Morning," he said, closing his locker and turning to face her. "You look cold."
She rolled her eyes. "It's trying to snow."
"You should have called me. I could have given you a ride."
"You would have had to drive clear out of your way."
"It's not a problem."
"I don't mind riding the El."
He sighed, but there was a smile on his face when he did it.
The smile hit her in the heart, as it always did. It lit up his eyes, giving him a boyish charm that was highly appealing. And it seemed like lately he'd been smiling more. She was glad for that. He, maybe more than anyone else she knew, deserved to be happy.
She opened her locker and stuffed her coat, scarf and purse inside. "I think it's going to be one of those days."
"One of what days?"
"When all the freaks come out," she said as she pulled her lab coat out and slipped it on.
She looked over to see Luka raise his eyebrow at her.
"I passed a guy in the hall who had an ice skate blade sticking out of his leg."
"Ah. You don't see that very often."
"Most people realize the skates go on their feet, rather than in their legs."
Luka chuckled, and then they lapsed into silence. She glanced over at him as she slung her stethoscope around her neck. It had been two days since she'd woken up in his apartment. She was a little unsure how to act around him now. A part of her wanted almost desperately to be with him again. But another part was terrified that they would screw up their friendship. Luka was her closest friend; it scared her to imagine that friendship gone.
Those two sides of her had been at war these past two days. Could she stand not to be with him again, for the sake of safety, or did she want to take a risk and go with her heart—and her body?
She glanced up at him again, hoping to suddenly glean the answer, but there was no magic revelation. Only longing.
"I guess we better get out there," she said finally.
"Yeah," Luka said, holding her gaze for one long, super-charged moment before heading for the door. He held it open for her, and she stepped out of the sanctuary of the lounge and into the chaos.