Chapter 4

Shift complete, Cassie changed out of her scrubs and into jeans and a hoodie. She swapped out her Crocs for her Nike cross trainers. She seriously thought about a swim, but decided against it. She could swim in the morning since she didn't have class.

"We're going for a beer, wanna come?" Ethan asked as she exited the locker room.

"Tempting," she said. "Who's all going?"

"Maggie, Nat, April, me, Will, Dr. Charles… the gang. Come on, it will be fun."

"Do wings go with that?"

"Whatever you want goes with that. Nachos, wings, pizza…. "

"Don't you have birthday presents to open or something?"

Ethan smiled and laughed. "You are a babe in the woods, aren't you?"

Cassie looked at him, wondering where he was leading.

"You don't socialize with the Lakeshore crew?"

"Not often. They have families and responsibilities. I have… school."

"Going out for beer is code for we're giving Ethan a birthday party."

"Oh."

"Come on. It will be fun. Let your hair down a little. Stop being student just for tonight."

"Ok, Dr. Choi, you win. I'll go."

The table at Molly's was crowded with the ER staff swapping stories of their day. Wings and nachos were shared, rounds were bought, and the cake from Loretta's had been shared with the bar staff after everyone had eaten another piece.

"Oh my God, I am stuffed," April said as she pushed the plate away.

"You ate two wings, Girlfriend. That's hardly anything," Maggie admonished.

"And a piece of cake."

All eyes went to the door as it opened. In strolled Kelly Severide, followed by Connor. Kelly took a seat at the bar. Connor looked around, waved to the ER staff, then went to the bar.

"Looks like he's not very sociable tonight," Will said.

"I'm sure it's the company," Cassie said as she picked up her beer and chugged the contents. "He hates my guts."

"He doesn't hate you," Maggie soothed. "I told you he's pissed off at the whole world right now."

"You're sweet, Maggie, but it's quite obvious he does not want me around."

"Don't know why," Will said. "You're a damn good nurse."

"Thank you, Dr. Halstead. That means a lot."

"First off, its Will. And secondly, you're not going to be a student forever."

"No, just four more months, if I get my stuff done in time."

"Stuff?"

"The scholarly article I need to write, get my clinical hours in, do my EBR project, you know, no pressure. And speaking of that, I really should take off."

"Leaving so soon?" Connor asked as he set a pitcher of beer down on the table.

Cassie slid out of her seat. "Afraid so. I have stuff to do."

"Don't leave on my account," he said.

"Don't flatter yourself. You never entered into the equation. Goodnight, everyone."

Maggie's eyes popped open. She couldn't believe what Cassie had said. She looked at April, then Will, then Ethan, and finally Connor. He was watching Cassie make her way across the bar and out the door.

Connor felt anger rising up within him. Her comment had pissed him off. Before he knew it, he was excusing himself from the table and jogging across the bar to the door.