A/N: So this is the fourth part in my Lenny/Mads series. It's set after Saturday's episode, 'Less than Zero' and assumes that everything in my previous three Lenny/Mads stories has happened. You might feel like you're a little lost at points if you haven't read, "Together We're Unstoppable" but I think it still works on its own as a one-shot. I'm using alcohol as an excuse for Lenny being a little more open than usual so I'm hoping I haven't pushed it too far. Also if you find this too fluffy I apologise. They are so sweet together that they bring out the sap in me.
Mads is curled up on the sofa half asleep when she hears her door buzz and she's so comfortable she actually thinks about just ignoring it. However her visitor is clearly determined to be heard, and doesn't seem to be planning on stopping buzzing anytime soon, so she decides pretending she's out isn't really an option.
She makes her way towards the source of the irritating sound, having already decided to get rid of the uninvited guest as quickly as possible, but when she peers through the peephole she sees the irrepressible Lenny Lyons on the other side.
She is fast developing a soft spot for the young doctor so she sighs softly and opens the door to let him in. However she's more than a little surprised when this doesn't seem to stop him pressing the buzzer. He's staring at it almost angrily as he continues to stab at it mercilessly. When she grabs his shoulder, and turns him towards her, it becomes apparent why. He stumbles slightly and the smell of alcohol coming from him is almost overwhelming.
"What are you doing here Dr Lyons?" It makes her so angry that he'd turn up on her doorstep in this state that her tone is far from gentle as she demands an answer.
He frowns at her, "Hey it's Lenny remember. I thought we agreed, first names outside of work. I'm your Lenny and you're my Mads."
"I'm not anybody's anyone," she snaps at him. "Right now I'm not even sure we're friends. I'll call you a taxi and then you're leaving."
She grabs his arm and yanks him inside, closing the door behind them. She picks up the phone but he takes it from her hand.
"Please Mads, I need to talk to you. I came all the way here to talk to you. You'll make things better. You always make things better."
His drunken ramblings are making very little sense to her and she curses her weakness as she forgoes phoning the taxi company, at least for now, and leads him to the couch where she sits down beside him.
Her tone is softer now as she tries to coax some sort of sense out of him, "OK so you came here to talk to me. What do you want to talk about?"
He looks confused for a moment as if he can't even remember himself and then says, "The people, you and me and the people."
She is starting to despair of getting anything useful out of him whatsoever and at that moment she also sees the colour drain from his face. She isn't a nurse for nothing and she recognises symptoms when she sees them. She quickly helps him to his feet and guides him towards the bathroom. They make it just in time as everything he's drunk that evening, and she suspects that it's been a lot, reappears.
She knows she should still be angry at him but he looks so pathetic crouched in front of her toilet that instead of lecturing him further she only tries to comfort him by rubbing his back a little as he empties everything from his stomach. When it seems like he's finally finished she hands him a wet cloth to clean himself up and finds him a new toothbrush in her bathroom cabinet.
He looks up at her sheepishly, "I'm so sorry Mads."
He sounds genuine and at least he seems to be making a little sense now, so she offers him a very small smile, "I'll think of a way for you to make it up to me."
"Anything OK, just say the word and I'll do it."
"I'll think about it but you did let me cry all over you last week so maybe we're already even. Get yourself cleaned up and then if you still want to talk we can try again."
She leaves him to it and busies herself making a cup of tea. When he returns they take up their previous positions on the sofa and she hands him a glass of water.
"Sip it slowly," she says. "I don't need to see another scene from The Exorcist tonight.
He smiles at her, "The Exorcist Mads, really?"
"Noel lent it to me," she answers. "It wasn't as educational as Trainspotting though. Now what do you want to talk about?" She can tell from the slightly unfocussed expression on his face that although he is making sense he's still far from sober but she suddenly realises that it could be an advantage. He isn't exactly the best at opening up and she isn't sure she could get him to share what's on his mind under normal circumstances, no matter how close they've gotten recently. However right now his inhibitions are still lowered and it seems like a perfect opportunity to do a little digging.
She coaxes him a little further, "You said something about you and me and the people. What were you talking about?"
He takes a deep breath and when he finally speaks it's in a rush as if he's getting the words out before he changes his mind. "Did you mean it when you said I don't see people?"
She takes a minute to think about how to word her answer. She doesn't want to hurt him but it won't do him any good at all if she sugar coats it too much.
"I think you're getting better at it but it isn't your best quality. I think sometimes finding the right way to deal with someone is as important as finding the right treatment. Sometimes you get so caught up in the buzz that you forget that the patient is a real person. You just need to try harder to remember that."
He punches the couch beside him in frustration and she places her hand on top of his, uncurling his fist and lightly stroking his hand to try and relax him a little. He turns his hand over and entwines their fingers, focussing his gaze on that rather than making eye contact as he softly replies, "That's just the problem though. I am trying and it still isn't working. I do listen to you but I get caught up in the excitement and I forget. I want to be a great doctor but I can't be if all I see it a list of symptoms. It scares me that I can't do it. It's one of the reasons I always try and work with you. I know you won't let me miss anything, but that's not fair on you."
He looks up at her then and she cups his face with her hand lightly for a second before she replies, "I don't mind you know. I like working with you and I have to admit, even I got a bit carried away with the buzz today so it's not like I don't get anything in return. Besides you're getting better. You were a great friend to me last week when I was so upset so you can't say you don't see people. You see me."
"What if it's only you I can see?"
His comment actually makes her feel rather special but it isn't the time to explore that so she takes one more shot at cheering him up, "I don't believe that it is. I know you can do this. We'll work on it together."
He leans forward and starts to massage his temples with his fingers as he replies, "Sorry I know we should be coming up with some sort of plan of action here but I can't think straight and my head's really starting to hurt."
She smiles, her earlier anger has evaporated and she remembers now why she has grown so fond of the man in front of her.
"Lie down," she says softly as she places a cushion in her lap and gently guides his head onto it.
He looks confused but obeys and she begins to very gently massage his scalp using a technique she learned from a friend, long before she even became a nurse. She sees his eyes drift close and after a few minutes she thinks he's drifted off to sleep, until she stills the motion of her fingers. He opens his eyes slightly and looks up at her.
She can see him struggling to stay with her as he says, "What about that plan of action then?"
"I think we've talked enough for tonight hmm. How about you get some sleep. You can stay on the couch if you like. It'll seem better in the morning anyway, I promise"
He smiles blearily up at her with a mumbled, "Today isn't tomorrow, eh" and she tries to slip out from under him when he grabs her hand to stop her leaving and snuggles deeper down into the cushion on her lap.
"Please stay, just for a while."
She's fairly sure that he never lets himself be this vulnerable with anyone, and although the alcohol must be at least partially to blame she still feels a little honoured that he is really starting to lower his guard around her.
There's still a lingering sadness on his face that causes her heart to melt and she settles back down, allowing him to leave his head in her lap. He still seems a little restless and she begins her gentle massage on his scalp once more, smiling as he seems to relax and then finally allows himself to drift off to sleep.
She looks down at him and thinks about his drunken ramblings earlier on in the evening. Maybe he wasn't that far off the mark when he called her 'his Mads'. Maybe she does belong to him, just a little. She closes her eyes and starts to drift off to sleep. Maybe he belongs to her too.
A/N: Too fluffy? Please review. I love feedback.