Idle Talks and Handovers

Idle Talks and Handovers

By Didi

Disclaimer:  I don't own the characters so don't sue me cause I'm using them.  This is for entertainment purposes and I'm not making any money off of this story. 

Author's Note:  Laura, don't say that I didn't warn you that I was no good with sequels. 

Summary: Sequel to "Champagne and Idle Talks."  A party, too much champagne, and a very intoxicated Deb.  What happens next is everything.

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Jing Mei Chen knew two things as she came awake.  The world was a horrible place in the daylight and her head was about to split in two.  Groaning in pain, she rolled over and found that she was as alone as she thought she was.

"Ahhhhh………………."

"What?  WHAT?"  John rolled over and fell off the bed so fast that he didn't have time to brace himself with his hands.  Smacking himself silly on the off white nightstand, he hollowed in pain as he sat up slowly.  "Ohhh……"

"John?"  Her eyes cleared as she leaned over the side of the bed to look down at her fellow doctor.

"Morning to you too."  Carter rubbed his head.  "Do you always wake up screaming like a banshee?" 

"What are you doing here?"  Jing Mei asked cautiously.  Looking down at herself, she noticed with relief that she still wore the same dress she did the night before.  Well, at least I didn't do anything that'll have me regretting it this morning.

"Relax," he said observing her suddenly warily expression.  "Nothing happened."  And for goodness sakes, there's not need to look so relieved.

She eyed him suspiciously.  "Then what are you doing here?  In my bed, no less."  and you better have a damn good explanation for it!

"I…" he looked mildly surprised.  "You don't remember?"

"If I did, I won't be asking."  She said just a little too loud for her abused head.  "Oh…"  She rolled over slowly and lay on her back.  "What truck hit me?"  Note to self: no more drinking.

"You okay?"  Caster asked as he slowly got up and looked at her.  The green around her cheeks was not a good sign.  "You're going to lose your stomach, aren't you?"

"Maybe."  She said breathing slowly.  "What happened?"

"A little idle talk and way too much champagne."  John said all too cheerful.  "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah."  She said.  "I don't particularly remember the talking party but I could have swore that you were pouring me a lot of that champagne you're talking about.  Were you trying to get me drunk?"  Not that it won't have worked.

"Not drunk, Deb."  He said cheekily.  "Tipsy."

"Tip…" Something registered in her mind for all of two seconds but was gone before she had time to analyze it clearly.  "Get the coffee will you?  And something for this splitting headache I have."

"Sure."  He got up and helped her up slowly from the bed.  "Go shower.  I'll have coffee and a big bottle of aspirin ready for you when you come out."

She snorted with amusement.  "What makes you think you can find your way around *my* kitchen?"

"Deb, you're as predictable as the wind.  I'll figure it out."  He said with a cocky grin. 

"Really?"  It sounded suspiciously like a challenge to her.  "As predictable as the wind, huh?"  She tilted her head to one side and glanced at him with her half closed eyes.  "How predictable was I last night?"

That caught him off guard.  "What?"

"I asked…"

"I heard what you said.  I thought you said that you don't remember."

"I don't."  She shrugged as she grabbed a big white robe from the hook just inside her closet.  "But I'm guess that something interesting happened last night or you won't have ended up in my bed this morning.  And since we didn't end up doing the nasty, I'm going to guess that I wasn't too drunk to realize what was going on.  Or I was too drunk and fell asleep."

John opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut as she pulled the little black dress over her head.  "What are you doing?"

"Taking a shower like you suggested."  She said as she tossed the dress aside with a flick of her hand.  "So how predictable was I last night?"  She pulled the robe on before wiggling her bra and panties off from beneath, giving plenty of room for Carter's imagination to run a muck in his head. 

He cleared his suddenly condensed throat with difficulty.  "About as predictable as you are now."

She smiled at him over her shoulder as she sashayed into the bathroom.  "That's nice."  Then promptly shut the door. 

Carter stood there for a full minute until the sound of the shower came on before rubbing his face with his hand.  There is just no understanding intelligent women.

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The shower had been wonderfully hot and refreshing considering the state she had woken up in.  Now a cup of coffee was all she needed to make her feel a little more alive and stable. 

Pulling the bathroom door open, she felt only a little self-conscious in only her bathrobe.  But figuring that this was her apartment and he had no possible interest in her at all, she walked into the living room with only the robe and a stark white towel wrapped around her freshly scrubbed wet hair. 

Carter swallowed the hot coffee just a little too fast and felt it burn its way down his throat.  A drunk Deb, he can handle.  A rumpled and grouchy Deb, he can handle.  A fresh as a daisy Deb wearing virginal white was quite another story. 

"Well," she took the mug of freshly brewed coffee from his numb fingers gratefully.  "I guess you do know your way around a kitchen."  She smiled and took a seat on one of the tall white stools at the breakfast counter.  "Thank you for the coffee."

"Not a problem."  He said passed the lump in his throat.  "Feeling better?"

"Much."  She sighed and leaned back to relax for the first time all morning. 

A comfortable silence fell between them as they sipped garment coffee and took in a morning without the insane schedule of the hospital.  The shrilling ringing of the phone broke the peace and had Jing Mei holding her head and groaning in agony. 

"Get that, will you?"  She murmured as she took her coffee into the living room.

Carter grinned as he reached for the phone by the counter.  "Dr. Chen's insane asylum."

"JOHN!"

He laughed at the dirty look she threw him.  There was no reply on the other end.  "Hello?  Dr. Chen residents?  Hello?"  He shrugged his shoulders and hung up the phone.

"Who was it?"  She called from her near fetal position on the sofa.

"Don't know.  They didn't say a word.  Probably a wrong number."  He sat down next to her and watched her for a minute.  "What are you doing?"

"Trying to keep the room from spinning.  And stop talking.  You're making it worse."

"I thought you like idle talks that involve no brain power."

"Not this morning I don't."

He grinned with amusement.  "Come here."

"No."  She replied like an irritated child. 

"Come here."  He pulled her slowly from her curled up position and pushed the long wet hair away.  His ran his big competent hands over her shoulders and rubbed them slowly over her arms.  Kneading the muscles around her neck slowly, he worked out the knots around her shoulders and felt her relax slowly under the ministration of his hands.  "Feel good?"

"Oh yeah."  She sighed and allowed herself to feel the wonderful sensations rushing up and down her spine.  "Right there."

Carter worked the knot loose and kneaded it with his thumb.  "You're so tense all the time."

"It's the job.  Plus I have the mother of all headaches."  Jing Mei said with her eyes closed.  "That's wonderful.  Where did you learn to do that?"

"A little class I took during my down time."  He explained. 

"Well, it's a great skill to have."  She murmured as she felt her body melt under his hands. 

He grinned behind her and shook his head.  "Why did you scream this morning?"

"Thought you were someone else."

"Who?"

"No one really.  But the last time I woke up with a man in my bed, I found myself in a rather interesting condition."  She turned to look at him with a silly grin.

"Oh!"  he smiled in reaction.  "Haven't you learned yet?" 

"I'm on the pill now.  So yes, I did learn my lesson."  She said with giggle. 

"What?"

"Oh man." 

"What?"  He turned her around to look at her laughing eyes.  She had sweet eyes.  "What's so funny?"

"If that was my mother on the other line, I'm in trouble again."

He thought about it.  "You're right."

The pretty doctor laughed suddenly then clutched her head in pain.  "Oh, laughing is a bad idea right now."

"Go back to bed.  You need to sleep this off."  John suggested. 

"I may have to."  The hangover was a lot more powerful than she had suspected.  "You have work today?"

"Power Shift."

"Ouch."  She murmured.  "Well, I'm on the Grave Yard shift tonight.  See you then."  With that, she got up and walked to the bedroom.  "You sure nothing happened?"

"Nothing, Deb.  You were drunk.  I wouldn't…. you know."

She nodded her head.  "Okay, we'll talk again when my head isn't all muddy."

"Sure, Deb.  Night."  He waved her off and sat back to enjoy his coffee.  And he was sure they would talk, but much later.  For now, he's just going to enjoy the quiet morning.

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Okay, this was kind of weak.  But hey, I tried.