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The words echoed through Nadine's head, "I'm not sure I could have forgiven you, either." Leyla's face etched in a mixture of intensity and angst ripped through her when she had so been expecting for Leyla to understand. She had to protect Spinelli, she had to because Dr. Hunter was switching drugs, and he was involved somehow she knew it.
Nadine shook her head, as she pushed the doors to the locker room open. Her heart stuck in her throat, as she saw Leyla with a masked expression of hollow eyes staring straight through her. Her friend was in the process of getting ready to leave for the day, dressed only in her white tank top on with scrubs bottoms not finished with her usually flawless look.
Pulling out Mr. Ducky Nadine attempted to broker peace between them, "Mr. Ducky thinks I should say sorry. What do you think Leyla?"
Leyla's face barely moved as she quietly said, "I think you should just leave me alone for now."
Nadine could only stare at her friend, the person who had been up to this point her confidant in all things Matt Hunter and Cassadine related; she could feel her shutting down. Nadine stepped toward Leyla closing the gap, "Look I know I was out of line, I was just concerned about Spinelli…"
Leyla's mask shattered, "You were not concerned about him! You were pushing your theory that Dr. Hunter is some international drug smuggler! You were trying to prove to Nikolas that you are more than some goody goody nurse, that you can have an edge because you are intimidated by Claudia! Don't you Dare tell me that you were just concerned about Spinelli we both know better!"
Nadine looked like she was slapped in the face, "I'm sorry. I thought he was, I still think he is a danger. I care about Spinelli to you know!"
Leyla stepped toward Nadine, her hands clenching and unclenching, "You are my only friend here at the hospital. Bloody hell you are probably my only female friend in this entire town but you don't think things through. GOD! Sometimes I just want to slap you."
In a very quiet voice her eyes downcast, Nadine asked, "Well why don't you?" She clutched her locket looking very small.
Leyla paused, her hands finally relaxed as she looked at her friend someone who cares about her shrinking into herself. Nadine she can walk through a ghetto to do what's right but when it comes to standing up for herself especially around an aggressive woman she shrinks, hides, for a brief moment Leyla wondered just what happened to her friend to make her like this, this dynamic of bold and fear.
"Because I care about you too much to ever actually hurt you." Leyla's soft voice almost dragging Nadine's head up to look her in the eyes.
Nadine took this moment and pounce hugged her friend almost sending them both tumbling to the floor!
An amused Leyla returned the hug with a fierceness that surprised her, "Okay, okay, you can let go now."
Nadine let her friend out of her death grip and then shifted over to her locker. Pausing for a moment she turned and arched an eyebrow," uhmm Leyla."
Leyla turned back to her own locker swishing her raven hair in the process, "Yesss" wondering what Nadine could possibly thinking to ask at this moment.
Nadine played with her combination absently as she asked, "I know I was really out of line, and I'm sorry about that I really am. But you aren't one to lose your cool like that. I've seen you go get drunk, or even complain but you were really really angry there."
Opening her own locker door up again Leyla held her breath, "I just got really angry, I probably overreacted a bit."
Nadine pressed as she took out her street clothes, " Yeah, but why? What set that off?"
Leyla with hast in her voice, "Nothing I dunno." Shifting her stance Leyla almost dropped her brush.
Nadine unconvinced and starting to get into her determined persistent mode pressed on, "I don't believe you. Something caused that, was it Dr. Hunter? Do you have a thing for him? I heard from the grapevine he asked you out and you said no. I don't think he is good for you even if he isn't an international drug smuggler, which I still think he is."
Leyla pulled away from her locker and sat down on the bench, " Dr. Hunter's ego can hardly get in the building, and he is a player.."
Nadine chimed in grinning slightly , "Which is your type."
Leyla sighed, "Yes normally he is but trust me it has nothing to do with Mat Hunter."
Nadine pounced on Leyla's words, "But there is something or someone? You just said it, so there is something more to this than my admittedly overzealous screw up."
Leyla looked up at Nadine who was still changing into her street clothes, "I.." Elizabeth Webber bust through the door after an extra long day of work interrupting Leyla's near confession.
Elizabeth moving to her locker with deliberate speed asked as she walked, " So Leyla I heard from Spinelli that you saved him from someone he calls the Slavic Seductress?"
Leyla turned toward Elizabeth slightly and replied, "I really didn't do that much, I just asked her to leave because she was agitating him."
Elizabeth responded back, "Mel from security mentioned some choice words, when you called him the second time she showed up."
Nadine's ears perked up at this, as she started to stare intensely at Leyla.
Her cheeks turning slightly pink Leyla, looked away, "I just didn't want her interfering with my patients recovery. Spinelli has had a rough time of things and I'd hate to see some chippy through him back into ICU because she would not listen the first time."
Elizabeth looked at Leyla and said, "Well it's a good thing you did what you did, colorful language aside, our patients needs come first, and from what I understand she is not a friend." Elizabeth paused as if realizing for the first time something might have been going on inside the locker room before she came through the door, "So what were you guys talking about before I so rudely interrupted."
Nadine blurted, "Leyla was just about to fess up to something juice!"
Liz grinned, "Really now? I'm up for some gossip, you have no idea how many good bits I've heard here in this locker room."
Leyla looked horrified as she felt cornered by the two ladies, seeing no escape as she sat there, "I uhmm I really don't have anything to say. I have no idea what Nadine is talking about."
Liz paused as if tossing her word choice in her head before she spoke, "Well I've got to go pick up Cameron and Jake from daycare. If you don't mind some unsolicited advice, it's good to talk to your friends even if they can't do anything to help the situation, you have no idea how many times my friends have comforted me in this room."
With that and having fully changed Liz departed, leaving a now fully dressed Nadine and Leyla who still hadn't gotten around to putting on all her street clothes yet.
Once the door swung clothes Nadine whispered a shout, " You like Spinelli!!" Almost dancing Nadine bounced her locket clasped in both hands.
Leyla, started she started to object to deny it but her heart just wasn't in it, and cracked, "O all right I think I'm falling for Spinelli! Okay! He took me to that wedding I told you about, and he was so brave and sweet. When he complimented me he actually meant it, it wasn't some line to get into my pants. And now I just want him to ask me out." With a heavy sigh Leyla put her head in her hands.
Nadine puzzled, asked gently, "Well then why don't you go for it?"
Leyla looked up, " Because he is in love with Maxie Jones, and I can't get myself involved with another man who wants a Scorpio Jones woman again. I don't think I could put myself through that."
Nadine considered her words for a moment and then responded, "I know Spinelli a bit, we've talked some after the Black and White Ball. He told me about his love for Lulu at the time, and I saw how she treated him. Maxie cares about him, we all saw that but as a friend, and I'm not sure just how much he is truly in love with her as much as he is in love with the idea of being in love with her."
"I think he picks unattainable girls, girls he knows he can't get because that way he is assured rejection, it's a safety net for him. That way he can say he is putting himself out there but really he is still very much afraid. I think you could be a really good thing for him, and I think you should go for it!" Nadine nodded her head in an affirmative as if to say that is that.
Leyla looked at her friend and said, "I can't just go for it."
Nadine smiled from ear to ear, "Well you tried to help me with Nikolas bringing up my positive qualities maybe I could do the same for you."
Leyla's eyes widened, "No nononono you really don't have to."
Nadine strode out for the door still smiling, "Mr. Ducky can't hear you."
Leyla almost sprinted from her seat but was too late as Nadine headed out.
Putting her forehead against the door Leyla whispered to her self, "where do I go from here?"
And in the far corner of the locker room where the residents have their lockers obscured from sight by the nurse lockers, stood Dr. Matt Hunter, also smiling but his reasons were kept firmly to himself.