A/N Hey, thanks for your lovely reviews. Thanks, thanks, thanks! Glad you all like the angst! Lol, hope you like this chapter too.

Chapter Six- Ray

"Pride can hurt you too, apologise to her,

Because she loves you, and you know that can't be bad,

Yes she loves you, and you know you should be glad."

- "She Loves You" the Beatles

I went into the ER with a cup of coffee, I needed it. I'd been up all night, and then spent an action packed day with Jasmyn and Neela. I swear, things just seemed so surreal right now, I couldn't be sure I wasn't dreaming. I mean, we'd had a phone call in the early hours of the morning, and now we'd just spent the day at the play park, like nothing had happened. That is really how it felt. We were awkward at first, but then we were joking around, playing with Jazz... it felt like that time a few months ago when she'd called me out of the blue, asking if I knew where there was a park in Chicago. How I'd known that I'll never know. But today... it wasn't as if we'd just split up, it was if we'd never actually been together. I felt exactly the same, I just wanted to kiss her, but knew I couldn't.

I wonder how she felt.

I downed the coffee in one, but it didn't hit the sides of my overwhelming... not tiredness, my overwhelming confusion. I just didn't know what to think any more. Oh well, at least I know what I'm meant to do here. In the ER it didn't matter what was happening elsewhere, you were there to be a doctor, to treat your patients. Everything else just didn't matter.

Until your real life comes into the ER in the back of an ambulance. That's when you realise what your made of in a trauma. When it's some stranger, that's easy. When it's your god-daughter, you can barely think about what you're doing.

"Ray, there's an ambulance pulling up now!" Sam shouted at me, I followed her at a run to the bay.

The doors opened and Neela jumped down, my heart went into my mouth, "Neela?" I gasped. She looked ok, but what if...

Then she turned, tears filling her eyes, "Ray, it's Jasmyn."

I turned back and saw the paramedic carrying Jazz out of the ambulance. She was pale and was whimpering. I took her from him, "What's happened?"

"Suspected meningitis, temperature of 102..." He continued reeling off her stats. I couldn't think. Meningitis? I'd only just been with her... I knew symptoms could develop quickly...

I took her to the trauma room, Neela was following. "She was really tired, and pale, she said she had a sore headbut I thought she might just be getting a cold or something. Then I remembered she hadn't eaten and I..."

"Ok, ok," I said, telling myself to calm down. "Sam, get me some antibiotics, we need to put in an IV. She hasn't eaten today?"

Neela shook her head, "I don't think so, just that sandwich you gave her."

"She didn't eat hardly any of that. Has anyone contacted Luka or Abby?"

Sam said from the phone, "I think Jerry's doing that now."

I was still holding her when Caroline Smith walked in. "What's going on?"

"It's Jasmyn. Meningitis," I said, not able to form full sentences.

"Ray, let me take over," she said, gently taking Jasmyn. "I'll make sure she's alright. Neela, you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't be in here when you're..." She was silenced by a look from Neela. "Just... go to the family room, ok? I've got this."

We sat in the family room, not talking. I didn't know what the hell to think. What if, by being so stupid and slow, I'd let Jasmyn get even worse? I didn't know what Neela was thinking, but I guessed it was on the same lines. We both knew how important it was that meningitis was treated quickly and efficiently.

"Ray... will you hold me?"

"Wh-what?" That took me out of the blue.

"I just... I need someone to hold me. I need you to hold me. Please?"

I shuffled along the couch and wrapped my arms around her, she leaned against my chest with a sigh. "Why didn't I notice sooner?"

"You noticed as soon as anyone would have," I said, taking as much comfort in her leaning against me, as I hoped she was in me.

We sat there for a while, just thinking our own thoughts, until the door opened, admitting Caroline. We both jumped up as she came in.

"How is she?"

"She's doing well, as best as can be expected so soon. It's pretty certain that it's viral rather than bacterial, so that's lucky. We're giving her antibiotics, and it's looking hopeful. We think you caught it soon enough. Abby and Luka are in with her now, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you visiting."

"Thanks, Caroline," I said, "Thank you for..."

"It's alright Barnett, any time."

I began to walk to the door, but Neela pulled me back, "Ray, we really need to talk."

"Yeah, we do. Neela, I'm sorry for... everything."

She took my hand, "Don't be sorry for everything. There's only a few things you have to be sorry for, the rest was... it all made me happy. Don't be sorry for that."

"I'm not, I'm sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to, I never meant to I just..."

"I know, I never meant to hurt you either. I shouldn't have left, we should have talked before. Next time we'll talk out our differences ok?"

"Next time?"

"Yes, next time. You think we're going to live the rest of our lives with no arguments? That's impossible, plus the arguments can, sometimes, be fun."

"The rest of... Neela, I thought..."

"I know, I'm sorry. I never wanted this break to be forever. I thought you knew that, then I got your message and... Look, Ray, I've realised how much I need you. I didn't realise it before, I thought I just... wanted you."

"You need me?" I said, with a small smile.

"Yes, I need you."

"I never thought I'd hear that."

"I never thought I'd say it and you won't be hearing it often Barnett."

"I love it when you call me Barnett."

She smiled, "I know you do." She paused then added, "Ray there's something else. I'm going to be needing you a hell of a lot more over the next nine months."

"Wh-what?"

A/N I think I only need to say one thing, review please. Oh and, about Jasmyn, I actually did some research, shock horror, into meningitis, but I didn't want to go into loads of detail in case I got it wrong. Especially since all it really says on the sites I found is a bullet pointed list of symptoms and that it will be treated with antibiotics.