Disclaimer: Without Prejudice. The names of all characters contained here-in are the property of John Well, WB & NBC. No Infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission (But if I did own them I would do something like the following with them).

Pairing: Ray/Neela

Spoilers: Everything up to City of Mercy

Medical Information: I have listed below some terms and treatments used for this fic.

D5W Solution: A solution of 5 dextrose in water, sometimes called D5W, is often used instead of normal solution if the patient is at risk for having low blood sugar or high sodium. The choice of fluids may also depend on the chemical properties of the medications being given.

Ulnar pulse - located on the little finger side of the wrist

Back-strap – A back-strap is a hard split that is used to hold a broken arm or leg flat and in-place when it can not be plastered due to other injuries.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

1:40am Tuesday the 16th January – County General

Ducking her head around the corner, Abby found Luka sitting on the bench with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. "Hey." Abby smiled as she watched him jerk his head up, spilling some of the coffee onto his gloves. "What're you doing out here?" pulling her coat around herself, as she sat down next to him.

"Watching the snow … It's really starting to come down." Luka said as he turned his head to see Abby shivering next to him. He pulled himself a little higher she he could wrap one arm around her shoulders and pull her closer to him.

"They already shut down the airport and if it keeps up, the trains and roads will be next."

"You should go home before we both get trapped here."

Abby laced her fingers into his. "I'm not off till six." Abby wasn't even finished talking when he began to nuzzle into Abby's neck and to kiss his way to her ear.

"That's one of the benefits---"

"Luka," Sam called as she jogged over to him. "Ahh sorry," Sam pointed toward the ER doors, "But surgery's down for your consult in two."

Abby was trying to workout if Sam was still unconformable around them or not as she listened to the message that was going to pull Luka away from her. "I'll have your coffee," Abby held out her hand waiting for Luka to reluctantly hand over the steaming cup.

Squeezing Abby's leg he glanced up at Sam. "Thanks, I'm coming." He stood to follow Sam back into the ER. "If you think that you'll get stuck here, go home to Joe. We'll cover you."

"I'll see  " Abby fell back against the wall as Luka disappeared from her sight. She stared at the ground watching it rapidly turn white and thought about Joe being at home with only the sitter. The ER was quiet enough for now. If she left, no one would really notice. The one thing that heavy snow did was slow the walk-ins.

Abby jumped when the police car pulled into the ambulance bay; "Hey we got something for you." The police sergeant said as he pulled someone from the back of the car.

"Quiet" She thought, she should have known better than to even say it to herself. "What've we got?"

"Some guy how thinks he works here." The officer pulled out a hospital prescription pad, "I'm guessing the closest he got was when he stole these."

"Abby," Came the mumbled voice from the open back door of the police car.

"Ray." Abby pushed the cop aside as she rushed the car to confirm who the voice belonged to. "What happened?" Abby quickly looked over him. His left eye was swollen shut with a large open gash just above it. The blood was still making a slow trail down the side of his face.

"I was stabbed,"

"Where?" Abby didn't wait for his answer as she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and started to lift it. His abdomen was covered in blood, she realized that his shirt wasn't wet from the snow as she first thought; it was soaked in his blood. But Abby couldn't feel or see and stab wound. Pushing his shirt higher she found a 4-inch laceration, "More like slashed," Abby fell silent for a moment, "Are you having trouble breathing?"

"No … Just hurts like hell." The strain was evident in his voice.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I don't think so."

"Can you walk?" Abby leaned in to help him out when she realized that Ray was handcuffed. "Hey you," Abby called to get the attention of one of the officers, "Get him out of these things?" Abby stepped back to allow the officer access to Ray. "And you," She pointed to the other officer, "go inside and get someone out here with a gurney." Abby almost bounced on the spot as she waited for cuffs to be removed. "His injured; how could you guys cuff him?"

"We thought he was a junkie." The officers said as he reached in and pulled Ray to his feet.

"Well he is a doctor, not a junkie and even if he was he still should have been brought here in a bus." Abby turned on the spot as she heard the gurney's wheels rattle over the hard concrete.

"Abby?" Chuny questioned as she stopped and waited for the officer to move, "Oh … hey Ray. Rough night?" Chuny could only see Ray's face.

"Chuny … What's open?" Abby asked.

"Trauma One." Chuny rushed to the other side of the gurney to help Abby lift Ray.

As they settled Ray onto the gurney Abby noticed Ray's right arm for the first time. "Hey Chuny can you get Luka to meet us in trauma 1," Abby continued to push the gurney on her own; all of her attention was focused Ray right arm. It was definitely broken; badly broken. The lower half of his arm was severely deformed. He was going to need surgery. "I'll get you some morphine for the pain." Abby said as locked the wheels of the gurney

"No." Ray sharply turned his head toward Abby. "I don't want that."

Abby shook her head at Ray, "You've got to be in pain and it's only going to get worse once we start to exam you." Abby voice was low hoping that Ray would listen to her.

"Please Abby … now that I'm laying down my chest …" Ray's voice was hushed and broke up as he spoke. "It's not that bad." Ray finished by drawing in a few deep breaths.

Abby listen to his voice, his breathing as she pushed IV bags aside trying to locate the one she wanted. She could tell that he was trying to control the pain and he wasn't winning the fight. As she turned back to him his eyes were fixed on the IV bag in her hand.

"Abby please!"

"It's just D5W … I want to replace some of the fluid you've lost." Abby quickly tapped down the catheter. "Where else were you hit?"

"I don't know." Ray's eyes followed Abby around the room, "And I don't know how long I was out for."

Abby was reassured that he could think clearly enough to predict her next question. "Okay what time did you leave home?" Abby opened a draw pulled out a pair of scissors.

"I don't know. Eight or nine maybe." Ray drew in another breath, "I was walking for a while."

Abby watched the pain that Ray couldn't control flashed across his face as he tried to relax against the bed. "Okay, I'm going to cut your shirt off." Abby liked the never ending parade of t-shirts Ray wore, they were a nice break from the suit and ties she thought as she started to cut along the sleeve of his right arm. Finally pulling the front of his shirt off so she could better access both his arm and chest wound.

Luka all but ran into the trauma room. "Abby what've we got?"

"Ahh … Numerous lacerations and contusions to his face, chest, abdomen and a deformed right arm. He was also unconscious for an unknown period of time." Abby finished with the information she had.

"Do you need some help?" Sam asked as she entered the room. "Ray." Sam stopped short when she saw how the patient was.

"Yeah, we need portable x-ray and ultrasound." Luka didn't wait to see if Sam left. "Ray any rebound tenderness?" Luka asked as he tapped Ray's abdomen. "Ray?" Luka's eyes glanced up to see that Ray's were fixed on his arm. "Ray?"

"My arm …" The shock of realizing that there was something wrong with his arm was evident in his voice, "I can't feel my arm."

Luka's attention turned to Abby. "What pain med has he been given?" Luka stared up at Abby when she didn't response, "Abby?"

"He doesn't want any." Abby pulled out a suture kit and started to clean the chest lac while she waited for Sam to return with the ultrasound.

"Ray I'm going to give you some morphine so I can check your arm."

"No." Ray voice didn't even make it past a whisper.

"Are you allergic? Because you know---"

"No. I just want to know what's going on … I don't want to out of it." Ray tried to speak louder but Luka still had to lean in to hear him.

"Abby start with five of morphine."

The combination of the worry etched on Luka's face and the realization that Ray didn't know how bad the damage to his arm was only added to Abby's concerns. The head wound, his chest lac, and how much harm had been done by those handcuffs. Was blood even flowing to his fingers? Out of the corner of one eye she could see the two officers standing on the other side of the trauma doors. She guessed they were now very worried about Ray too; only their concern came from fear that they going to be reported for their actions. "Ray I'll make sure you know what's going on," Abby pushed the morphine into his IV line. "Okay."

"Ray I'm going to have to straighten your arm." Luka said.

The trauma doors opened as Sam pushed the portable x-ray into the room, "Where do you want this?" Sam asked as she held up the ultrasound.

"Here." Abby reached out and took it as she moved to the opposite side so that Luka could x-ray Ray's arm and she could continue to check his chest and belly for internal injuries. "Ray, how you doing?"

"Better." His voice had relaxed as the morphine started to take effect.

"I'm going to check for internal bleeding but your stats are stable … it's just a precaution." Abby explained as she rubbed the gel over his chest and pressed the sensor wand down. "Okay the chest lac is just superficial" Abby moved the wand to each side of his abdomen, "Okay belly's clear, as soon as we're done with the x-ray I'll suture it."

"Ahh," Ray cried out in response to Luka adjusting his arm for the x-ray.

Abby stepped aside so Sam could lay the protective lead pad over Ray's chest. This allowed Abby to pull on her vest. "Ray can I call anyone for you?" She asked as she returned to Ray's side, Abby then slipped her hand inside his and bent down next to his ear and whispered, "Would you like me to get Neela?"

"No," Ray returned firmly.

"She's covering the ER … I can page her for you." Abby tried again.

"NO!" Ray raised the level of his voice as he winced. "Please." His tone turned quickly to one that was almost begging Abby to leave it.

"Sam, can you page Dubenko. I want him down here," Luka said as he pushed the x-ray over his head. "Ray,I need to check and see if you have any skull fractures," He pulled his pen light out of his pocket and lifted Ray's eyelids; first the right and then the left. "Both eyes were equal and reactive,"

"You don't want to wait for the films?" Sam questioned. "Dubenko will want---"

"No," Luka cut her off, "by the time he gets down here we'll have them." Luka rushed Sam. "How are you going, Ray?"

"Great." Ray replied his eyes following Luka who was now holding the scissors, "Let me cut your jeans off sometime."

"Let me know if anything hurts." Luka began to press down on each of Ray's legs.

"Ray." Abby waited for him to turn and face her. "I'm going to give you a local and suture you chest. Are you ready?"

"I don't want to see the needle."

"What?" Luka seemed surprised by Ray's comment.

"I don't like needles."

"You're a doctor." Luka replied. "Legs are clear."

"I give them not get them,"

All the conversation had meant that Ray was distracted enough that Abby was able to give him the local with no response from Ray.

"Here." Chuny returned to the room and held out Ray's films to Luka.

Luka pushed the films on to the board hitting the light as he did. "Where's Dubenko?"

"He said he was on his way down," Sam said as she started to remove what was left of Ray's personal belongings. She finished cutting off his jeans and pulled them out from under him, "I'll get you a blanket."

He was laying on the gurney in nothing more than his boxers. "Thanks," Ray responded but his attention was on Luka and the x-ray board. He was trying to focus his right eye enough to see the x-rays for himself. "Luka what is it?" Ray waited but Luka didn't answer him. "Abby?"

"Ray, I need you to keep still." Abby placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Luka, can you tell me what it is?" Ray asked again impatiently.

"You have a displaced fracture to both the ulna and radius of the right arm as well as small fracture to the left eye socket." Luka pulled the x-ray of Ray's arm from the board and held it in front of the overhead light for Ray to see. "You have a weak radial pulse … I'm concerned that the artery is being compressed." Pausing for a moment to check on Abby's progress with the chest lac. "You'll also need a head CT to rule out any swelling or bleeding."

"Dr. Kovac, I understand that your requested me personally?" Dubenko said as the doors crushed closed behind him. "Dr. Barnett?" His voice was sharp as his eyes came to rest on him. "What've ya got?" Dubenko moved to check the laceration Abby had all but finishing suturing.

"He has a four inch chest lac, a displaced break to both the ulna and radius of the right arm, and a small fracture to the left eye socket." Luka handed him the x-ray he had just shown Ray. "His radial pulse was weak on arrival; now there's no ulnar pulse."

Abby flicked her head toward Luka at the additional information, so much for talking Ray through it. With her eyes she followed Luka as he pulled Dubenko into one corner.

"Abby how bad is it?" The begging tone had returned to Ray's voice.

"I don't know," Abby watched as Dubenko returned to the gurney.

"Okay." Dubenko diverted his attention to the head wound. "No skull fractures or depressions?"

"Nothing showed on the x-rays," Luka answered.

"Okay, let's get him upstairs for a head CT and we'll have Ortho assess him up there." Dubenko kicked off one of the wheel locks while Luka did the same on the other side of the gurney.

"You paged me?"

Everyone in the room froze for a moment, Abby looked to Luka first and then back to Dubenko, "Who paged her?"

"I did," Dubenko said as he started to push the stretcher again. "Dr Rasgotra was meant to be covering the ER. I just guessed that she didn't answer your page."

"Well that's not what happened," Abby said, her tone was short and sharp. She knew that Ray hadn't wanted Neela to see him like this.

"Stop talking like I'm not here" Neela's eyes scanned the room again. "What's going on?" Neela asked as she finally looked down. "Ray." Her face dropped, "What happened?"

Abby watched as Ray's eyes searched her out, "Neela," Abby placed a hand on each of her shoulders and moved her out of the way.

"We need to move." Luka dismissed Neela's concern and continued to help Dubenko push him toward the elevators.

"Ray." Neela reached out to touch him, as the gurney pushed past her but she couldn't get close enough to make contact. They had all followed the gurney out of the trauma room into the corridor. "What's happened?" Neela's tone was no longer flat and normal; it was now demanding. "Someone tell me what is going on?" Neela asked. Her eyes were desperately searching for answers on the faces of her colleagues.

"We don't know." Abby had changed her tone from the short, sharp one she had used with Dubenko to a soft, gentle one. "He was brought in with a four inch chest lac and broken arm. His also got a fracture to his left eye socket."

"Excuse me," One of the officers interrupted. "Is he going to okay?"

"Well he has a displaced fracture of his right arm that's stopped the blood flowing to his hand something I'm sure wasn't helped greatly by a handcuffed ride in the back of a squad car." Abby unleashed on the two officers. At this point, she guessed he was only interested in saving himself rather than how Ray really was. "You two might have cost him his career."

"We thought that he was trying to score." The other officers jumped in trying to defend their actions.

"Barnett?" Tony asked as he approached.

"Stay out of this, Tony," Neela said very quickly.

"He was in West Garfield. He had prescription pad in his pocket; what were we meant to think?"

"That he was injured and needed help." Abby wanted to make sure that she got her point across.

"Hey, in that neighborhood, he was most likely out trying to score." Tony added.

"Ray doesn't do drugs," Neela stated firmly. "I don't know how you could even say such a thing?"

Abby had expected as much from Gates. At first she thought that Neela seeing someone after everything that had happened would be a good for her. But Abby was thinking of something that lasted a few weeks and than Neela could move on with her life.

The problem was she'd picked Gates. And he turned out to have more baggage that even she could comprehend and true to form he used every opportunity including this one to have a dig at Ray. That's exactly what she'd expected from him. In fact, she had expected him to jump in sooner and say something about his band or that Ray was unreliable.

'How could she like this guy?' He lived with another woman and every time he promised there wasn't anything going on, he proved just the opposite.

"Neela, its Ray you don't really know." Tony said as he reached out in an attempt to pull her away from the group.

"Tony, don't, just leave me alone." Neela shook him off as she started to jog toward the stairs.

"Neela!" He called after her but she didn't even turn in response.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX