This is the first story that is co-written by DocRock06 and babyblue2895. We are both on an ER Role-play board and play the characters of Ray and Neela, and after writing a few threads together we decided that we wanted to share out stories with all of you. We hope that you like them and if you would like to join the board just follow the link on the profile. Well, enough talk and on with the story!

A HELPING HAND – CHAPTER ONE

His hands pushed into his pockets Ray watched as the R2 showed him how to pop a shoulder back in place. It didn't seem too difficult, a little pulling, pushing and hey presto, it would be back in. Of course Ray knew that it would probably be harder than that...but he liked to imagine that it wouldn't. Adjusting his stethoscope around his neck, he looked at the other man as he told him that he would send another intern in to help with the rest of the patients needs. Of course Ray could probably handle it on his own...he may have been an intern but he wasn't a complete idiot. He wondered who it was going to be though...he had only met a few of the others.

Neela walked into the exam room and saw a tall, young man standing next to the patient. He was dressed in a suit and tie. Someone had told her that one of the new residents needed some help in here. Was someone playing a joke on her? The man she was looking at didn't look like a doctor...more like a kid with too much hair gel and that needed a haircut. He can't be the new intern, why would he wear a suit and tie? A little too overdressed to say the least. She gave him a curious look and started walking towards him slowly. Maybe he wasn't the new resident. She must have been in the wrong room and if she wasn't then the person she was supposed to be helping must have left. She stood on the opposite side of the bed and faced him. "Hello" she said "I'm Neela Rasgotra, First year Intern."

Ray looked over to the door and was surprised when he saw a young woman walk in with dark hair and coffee coloured skin. He hadn't seen her around in the morning, but everything had been so hectic he wasn't surprised. Of course he wondered how the resident expected this young woman to help him...she couldn't have been more than 5'5 Ray thought. When she introduced herself to him he looked at her with a smile, his green eyes sparkling as he replied,

"Ray Barnett...and same"

She looked at him, trying to cover up her confusion and surprise. So he was the new resident. Now she had seen everything. Why would they send her in to help another resident? A little unorthodox in her opinion. Hopefully two residents don't equal disaster.

"So, what is the situation, Ray?" she asked, still trying to get over her shock.

They hadn't even told her what was going on. They just told her that someone needed help in here. That's the price you pay sometimes when you work in an ER. It's fast, it's hectic, and sometimes communication can't keep up.

Ray smiled at Neela, grinning a little after when he noticed the look on her face. He didn't know why she was looking at him like that, but it was sort of funny. When she asked him what the situation was he shook his head, unable to believe that she had been asked to help with such a simple case. He knew that he was an intern, but so was she.

Handing the chart to her so she could read it for herself as well, Ray replied,

"Guy fell and had a dislocated shoulder...but that's back in place. Now he just needs stitches and a few x-rays and he should be good to go"

Neela noticed Ray smiling at her. What was he smiling about? Did she say something funny? He was a little weird and she didn't understand him. He was cute, yes, but looks aren't everything. He shook his head at her almost like he couldn't believe her and it annoyed her just a tiny bit.

She took the chart from him and looked it over. Almost as if she wanted to double check to make sure everything he said was correct. After all, she had just met him; it would take a little while before she trusted him.

"Ok" she says "I'll get what we need and you'll assist me. You do know how to do stitches, don't you?" She didn't want it to sound rude but, she didn't really know what he could do and couldn't do. When you're dealing with people's lives, these things are important to know. She was hoping they didn't send in a hot shot that had no prior experience and didn't know what he was doing at all.

Ray looked at her as she read over the chart. He had to admit, he thought that maybe she was just going to scan over it, not have a full on read to make sure what he told her was in fact correct. When she said that he would be assisting her, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Last he had remembered the resident had said they would be helping each other.

Nodding his head he replied with a smile,

"Yeah, I do", before snapping on a pair of gloves and setting up. He had the feeling that this Neela chick didn't really like him.

Neela was a relieved to hear Ray's reply. She was glad he actually knew how to do something and wasn't the type of guy who was trying to get by on just his looks. She had to make sure. Just because a person has training doesn't mean that they know what they're doing or even that their good at it.

As he was putting on his gloves, she started collecting the things they would need. She came back over and stood next to him. "Excuse me" she said. He was standing in her way. She put her gloves on. She looked at him and said "I'll start and you'll finish." she started to look at the man and then turned back around to Ray and said "And by the way, we do not refer to patients as 'guy' or 'girl', 'man' or 'woman', it's impersonal and quite rude" she told him softly so the patient wouldn't hear. "So, let's work on Mr. Evan's" she said, emphasizing her words. Not trying to sound smug but just wanting it to sink in.

Ray moved aside when she asked him to, although he wasn't sure why. He'd just told her he could suture, so what was the problem. He had to raise an eyebrow when she told him not to call patients "guy", "girl" and the such. God, she seemed like the teacher's pet type already.

He watched as she began to suture up for a moment before cleaning the wound on Mr. Evans other hand. It wasn't a deep cut and didn't require any stitches, just a bit of a clean and some gauze to make sure that it didn't get infected.

Looking at Mr. Evans he gave the elderly man a small smile as he said to him,

"After we get you fixed up we just need a quick x-ray of your hand Mr. Evans", letting him know what was going on.

He raised his eyebrow at her when she told him to call patients by their name. She didn't know why he reacted that way to what she said, it made sense to her. It's only polite to call people by their name. If he reacts this way whenever someone gives him some constructive criticism, then he's not going to do very well here. Especially with people like Weaver, Pratt, and Lewis around. What she said made her look like an angel compared to them.

She gave the man a quick shot to numb the area before she started doing the sutures. She did it gently and carefully, not wanting to hurt Mr. Evans. She stopped suturing because she noticed that his hand needed to be cleaned off with some alcohol.

After that, she looked back at Ray to let him know that it was now his turn and changed positions with him so that he was the one who was suturing.

She liked how he smiled and told the man that they needed to get an x-ray to make sure his hand was ok. It was very compassionate. He seemed to have his moments. What made it even better was that he actually called the patient by his name and didn't just refer to him as 'Guy'. She leaned forward a little and said in a polite tone "Much better. Good job."

When Neela leaned forward and said to him that he was doing a good job he looked up from what he was doing, halting his motions and smiled back at her in return as he said,

"Thanks"

She didn't seem that bad he guessed...as long as she wasn't the type to go running to the residents every time someone didn't play exactly by the rules. Although he didn't think she would be like that...she just wanted to help he guessed.

Finishing suturing, he looked over at Neela and asked,

"What do you want me to do next?"

Normally he wouldn't just take orders from another intern, but just this once he guessed he would let it slide.

He turned around and said "Thanks" to her and she gave him a small smile. With a guy like this, you need to give him his kick in the pants but, also the occasional compliment to make him feel he's doing well. Since he's the cocky type, she also knew that she had to be careful how much she complimented too, because a guy like that doesn't need someone to boost his ego.

He continued suturing Mr. Evans. She watched him as he did it intricately and slowly. She had to admit she was very impressed. Guess he did know what he was doing....so far.

After he finished up, he turned and looked at her and asked "What do you want me to do next?". Then she looked at him and thought maybe not, but at least he's willing to do what he's told. She said "Since we need an x-ray, you have to get on the phone, call radiology, and let them know we have a patient we want to send up. I'll help you through it." He was good but, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't quite ready to fly solo just yet.

Looking at her with a small smile, Ray nodded his head, unsure of what had just happened. Had she just told him how to call radiology down? O.K., he got it before...people tended to look at him and think that he was a bit dim, but really, this was just taking the biscuit. Snapping his gloves off and throwing them in the trash can in the corner of the room he grinned at her as he picked up the phone and held it to his ear as he asked,

"Do you mean help dialling or talking?"

He smiled at her, nodded, and then made his way over to the phone. When he made his 'help dialling, help talking' comment, she narrowed her eyes really tight. Was this guy for real? Honestly. You try to help someone and then they act like a total arse. To tell the truth, with the way he was acting, she kind of thought that maybe he needed help with both.

She went in front of him and said "If you don't want to be told what to do, then don't ask, and if you don't want to be taught, then you're in the wrong profession. If you want to fit in with everyone at your job, then I suggest you specialize in proctology." She didn't put up with crap from anyone, she didn't care who it was, especially a hotshot like him. Just when she thinks he isn't so bad, then he starts to get smart. "Now give me the bloody phone. I'll do it myself since you think you already know how to do everything."

When she told him if she wanted to fit in then he should specialize in proctology he raised an eyebrow at her. What the hell was her deal, he was only joking with her. Apparently she was strung more tightly than he had thought. He swore that he could see the vein in her neck pulsing...probably was the way she was acting. Couldn't anyone take a joke anymore?

When she told him to hand her the phone and she would do it herself since he thought he knew how to do everything he shook his head, keeping his hand around the receiver. She had bossed him around enough already when they were supposed to be working together. She wasn't getting the phone too.

"First, it was a joke, so maybe you should calm down...and second, I don't think I know everything"

Punching the extension to radiology he looked at her as he said,

"Proctology...that's a good one", a grin on his face. If she was this easy to rile up then it wasn't really his fault.

A/N Well, that's the end of the first chapter...we hope that you liked it and please let us know what you think!