A/N: This is set towards the end of Season 11 and it has been a long time since I have seen season 11, so I hope it doesn't show. Please correct me on mistakes about the timeline. This story will be eventually Ray/Neela just to warn you ahead of time. Right now just friendship.
It was a slow night at County General, one of the few that only came every couple of months. Neela found herself hating it. There hadn't been one emergency all day, just the usual broken limbs, cuts or blood work patients. They were tasks that didn't take her long on average, and their waiting room never even got close to being full.
Even now, she stood at the counter, drumming her nails in boredom as she stared toward the front doors as if to will something to walk through them. This was an ER; she shouldn't be bored. Then again, it sounded bad if she wished people to get hurt, so she could treat them.
Ray was singing a familiar tune under his breath as he did useless tasks to occupy his time. She found herself humming along without realizing it. He had composed the song while lying on their couch the other night with his guitar. The cords he had played had followed her through the apartment while she went about cleaning dishes from their dinner, taking a shower, and finally collapsing wearily in her bed after yelling good night to him. His singing had lulled her to sleep and her brain must have subconsciously picked up the lyrics.
Morris was mostly asleep on one of the plastic waiting chairs with a cup of coffee in his hand. Ray had lost his long, white doctor's coat somewhere, she noticed as she brushed by where he was sitting on the counter. God only knew where it had disappeared to now. And, if her count was correct, he had straightened everything in the vicinity at least five times. He was never one to clean either.
"Maybe they'll let us leave early."
Neela rolled her eyes as she pulled off her own lab coat and threw it carelessly across the counter. Ray sounded like a kid in school waiting for a snow day. "Keep waiting then," she replied," but this isn't a school. You can't leave a hospital shift early."
A shrug from him was the only reply she got, as if he cared less. That and his usual charming smirk. Sometimes she wondered what his reasoning for choosing a medical career was. He was a wonderful doctor when he wanted to be and sometimes could run a trauma unlike anyone they had seen for a while at County General, but at other times he seemed careless. Sometimes it was as if he was too willing to ditch his hospital work if something more exciting came up.
The idea of leaving her work shift early in a trauma center was almost amusing, until she thought of all the people who could need help at any moment of the day. "You're almost out of here anyway," she added, glancing at the clock. Her own shift didn't end for another hour. It was going to drag on forever.
"Ten minutes and twenty three seconds," Ray replied, sounding hopelessly bored. "I'm going to injure myself so we have some excitement around here," he joked, but eyed the scissors lying innocently nearby none the less. Neela casually slid them into a drawer under the counter. Ray sighed and drug his hand through his gelled hair, musing the messy strands around further.
Morris snored rather loudly, earning an unamused look from Neela. Ray grabbed a nearby piece of paper, crumbled it up, and threw it at him. The paper ball bounced squarely off of Morris's forehead, but the doctor never woke up. Ray shrugged to Neela as if to tell her he tried.
Abby walked past the front desk for the seventh time and Neela began to wonder if she was actually doing anything either.
"We should hang out later. I got good news," Abby said to her, flashing her a big smile.
"Why don't you share the juicy gossip with everyone, Abby?" Ray inquired with a smug look on his face.
Abby raised an eyebrow at him as she passed by. "I didn't know you liked to gossip, Ray. I'll remember to invite you next time we have a girly get together." She put down the clipboard she had been holding and put it in the carefully sorted pile, slipping it into the correct place.
"Ah, that's okay. I know you ladies all like to talk about me. I don't to interfere."
Abby shook her head and shot Neela a meaningful look as she was retreating from the area.
"Don't worry. We can grab dinner later," Neela told her.
"Great!" Abby replied, before pushing through the doors that led to the restricted area in the back of the hospital.
When silence reigned again, Neela cast a glance in Ray's direction to ensure he wasn't getting himself into trouble. Usually, he didn't sit quietly by choice. Nothing. He was truly sitting still for once.
"Are you feeling okay? You've been sitting still for five minutes," she said with a hint of sarcasm. She was torn between feeling concerned or if she was just being weird. Ray had been off for the last day or so and she had noticed instantly.
There was a noticeable somber tone to his voice though he hid it well most of the time. He looked exhausted as if he hadn't slept well last night; the shadows beneath his eyes were more pronounced then usual. When she had asked him this morning, he had claimed that it was late nights with his band that were catching up with him, and it was believable. But, for some reason, she wasn't convinced. He had been able to balance his band, sleep, and work before so why had that suddenly changed?
"I'm fine. You don't have to keep asking," he answered. The response lacked that smirk she was used to or a comment about her worrying. It was probably nothing to worry about. Whatever it was would work itself out on its own.
The clock ticked slowly in the background as she faced the monotonous task of counting the tiles on the wall. She was that bored. When it struck the hour, the silence was interrupted by Ray jumping from the counter and making his way to clock out.
"See you later, roomie!" he called, sounding cheerful all of a sudden.
"How about ordering lunch for when I'm done?" she asked, smiling to convince him it was worth spending his money.
That way, she had lunch and dinner taken care of. No need to attempt cooking or anything. He shifted from foot to foot for a moment before giving in all too easily. She wasn't sure when they had become good friends and crossed the 'no seeing each other in the apartment' rule, but she was glad they did. He was surprisingly good to her…most of the time.
"Wow, he caved easily," Abby commented, appearing suddenly enough to make Neela jump.
"Bloody hell, Abigail!" Neela replied, pressing a hand over her chest, feeling her heart thumping wildly.
"What?" Abby asked innocently. "Were you too busy daydreaming about you…how did he put it…roomie?" She grinned in that annoying way that said she knew something Neela didn't.
Neela quickly fought the blush she felt rising to her cheeks. She was learning to deal with the remarks about her and Ray living together from her coworkers, but she still didn't like to think about the rumor someone had started last month about them. Neela huffed and turned away.
"We're only friends, you know."
Abby didn't look convinced, so Neela quickly changed the subject before Abby could fire off any more questions. "What's your good news?"
"Wait until dinner," Abby said mysteriously. "Luka is expecting me in a minute." She got a dreamy smile whenever she spoke of Luka and no one in County General missed that. Neela shook her head as she watched Abby retreat from the room. Two more hours, and she was out of here. All she could think about right now was lunch.
It wasn't until about a half an hour later that Kerry came into the lobby, walking briskly toward the doors where the traumas were wheeled in. Instantly, Neela perked up.
"Neela, I'll need your help. We've got a trauma coming in. ETA two minutes. Male. Middle twenties. Car accident. Luka's heading out back to bring him in."
Neela slung on her lab coat and went through the motions of readying the equipment. The familiar twist in her stomach was back just as it always was when a trauma was coming in. Someone's life as going to be in her hands, and she had to save them.
TBC. Thanks for reading and I would love to hear what you think.
