Note – Okay, so you know how SARS and Avian Flu were both big and scary a while back? I made up something similar called the Hippophilic Virus (which, judging by the arbitrary name I assigned it, is contracted from horses or something) that is similarly dangerous because I didn't feel like doing research on an actual, viable contagious virus like anthrax or meningococcus. :-P I save that kind of energy for House fanfics. Bite me. Only don't, because I have a low threshold for pain.

The Right Girl 09

"Nadine?"

She spun around, backpack in hand, on her way back from visiting one of her ICU patients right before the end of her shift. "Johnny? Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I was actually here with my lawyer," he replied, walking over to where she stood. At the desk, Epiphany and Robin eyed him warily, and Johnny tried not to fidget. "He needed me to sign some things before I take my position on the board, and-"

"Oh, my God." Her jaw dropped and an excited smile made the corners of her mouth curl. "You're the newest board member! Congratulations!"

"Thanks." Johnny smiled back quizzically, not sure what the outburst was about. "Uh, why are we so happy that I'm on the hospital board?"

"Because you just won me 83," Nadine answered happily. "See, a bunch of us had a pool going as to who the newest board member was after that other one died or retired or whatever it was that happened, and I was the only one that thought it was you. Yay! Eighty-three dollars! I think I'll spend it on candy…Or shoes. I can eat one and wear the other. Hm…"

"You could spend it on candy and shoes," Johnny suggested with a smirk. "Then you can do both."

"Playing both ends against the middle," she teased, jabbing a finger playfully at him. "I like it. So, unless you're here to help me celebrate my winnings or cheer up my Kidney Failure Circling The Drain Guy over there, what's up? What brings you by?"

"I, uh…" He looked around and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I just wanted to…apologize."

"Ah." She nodded once, tucking her chin to her chest. "You know, you really don't have to."

"I know," Johnny replied honestly. "But I want to. I'm sorry if I overreacted a little the other day at the coffee shop. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't," she assured him. "It's fine, trust me."

"And I didn't mean to imply that you covered up your feelings by being so positive all the time," he continued, drawing a surprised look from her. "You know, the whole 'bright smile' thing."

"Honestly…" She chuckled despite herself. "I didn't even make the connection. Boy, my head must have been all over the place. Uh, yeah, no, trust me, it's fine. I know you didn't mean to be rude. And in all fairness, I started it."

She glanced at Robin and Patrick, both of whom were examining a patient several yards away with matching grim expressions, and then looked back up at him. "I didn't mean to shoot my mouth off about Lulu. Obviously. I mean, I don't know her anywhere near as well as you do, and it was unfair of me to talk like I did. It was absolutely none of my business, and sometimes I just shoot my mouth off without meaning to. It's one of my far-from-charming attributes."

Johnny nodded. "Thanks."

"You, too."

"So…" He shuffled his feet awkwardly. "You, uh, heading out? Done with your shift, I mean?"

Nadine nodded emphatically. "Oh, yeah, totally done for the day and let me tell you, not a minute too soon. I'm exhausted."

"I was heading out, too," he replied, gesturing toward the door where one of the security guards was talking to Patrick and Epiphany. "Walk you out?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Do you need to get your stuff first?"

Nadine shook her head and adjusted her dark blue backpack on her shoulder. "Nope, got everything right here. I was on my way out but then thought I'd stop in to see Kidney Failure Guy before I left. He's a huge James Bond fan and we've been arguing for the past half-hour about which actor was better as him."

Johnny smirked. "And the verdict is?"

"The verdict is that Roger Moore was a stuffed shirt, and that Sean Connery is my heart."

He laughed out loud and moved to the side, ushering her forward. "Great. You should have that turned into a bumper sticker or something."

"I'm thinking of making it my life's creed," she replied. "Where are you parked?"

"Right out front."

"Illegally?"

"…Yeah." He smirked when she gave him what might have passed as a stern look if her blue eyes weren't twinkling so prettily. "You?"

"Lower garage." She smiled at Patrick and Epiphany as she tried to move past the security guard, and looked at them all quizzically when he barred her path and shut the door leading out of the ICU. "Um, is there a problem?"

"Ladies and gentleman," Patrick boomed, waiting for the wing to quiet down. The nurses and orderlies stopped chatting but continued working while listening. "Can I have your attention for a minute?"

Johnny grasped Nadine's elbow and pulled her back, his brows furrowing in frustration. This did not sound good and judging by Patrick's expression, half fear and half irritation, it wasn't.

"We are putting the ICU under quarantine," he announced, holding his hands up when everyone tried to speak at once. "I know, I know, just bear with me for a minute. Dr. Scorpio admitted a patient that, upon closer inspection by her and myself and Nurse Johnson, may have contracted the Hippophilic Virus."

Nadine gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Next to her, Johnny pursed his lips together into a thin line and scrubbed a hand over her face.

"For those of you who are not aware, the Hippophilic Virus is extremely dangerous and can be contagious in some cases. I will be running a few tests and sending bloodwork down to the lab, and we have about an eight-hour wait until the tests will come back conclusively. Until then, unfortunately, you're all stuck here. Thanks for listening, and sorry for the inconvenience."

Elizabeth Webber, who had come up to Nadine while Patrick was talking, let out a groan and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you serious, Patrick? I was ten minutes away from being out of here."

He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. I had to do it."

"You know there's very little chance the patient actually has the Hippophilic Virus," she replied, her voice low so that only Patrick, Johnny, Nadine, and Epiphany could hear her. "All of the cases we've heard of so far have been much further down south – in Maryland and Connecticut and Rhode Island. We're out of range. It's very unlikely that he's got that particular virus."

"I know," Patrick admitted. "But-"

"If you know that's true, why do we have to stay?" Johnny interrupted. "Look, I'm not sure how to politely say this, but I cannot spend tonight in this hospital. I have things to do."

The doctor gave him a look that told him he knew exactly the kinds of things Johnny had to do, and at the same time thanked him for not saying so explicitly. "I know this is a pain in the ass. Trust me – I've been here for eighteen hours and I want to go home, too. But the hospital has strict protocol in situations like this, and unfortunately, we're here until the lab can finish the tests. So just stick around and pass the time by attending the ICU patients, and hopefully this will all be over soon."

"But-"

Nadine grabbed his arm and hauled him back with some difficulty, shaking her head wearily when he glared at her. "Trust me, it won't do any good. Patrick's not going to let anyone out of here. We had a situation like this about a year ago, from what I hear, where someone came in with a respiratory infection that presented in a manner very similar to SARS, and the whole wing was under quarantine until the tests were run twice. No one's getting out."

He let out a sigh that was a half-growl and ran his hands through his hair. "Damn, damn."

Nadine fiddled with the strap of her backpack and looked up at him hesitantly. "I'm really sorry."

Johnny glanced down at her, his expression puzzled. "What for? You're not the one that locked us in here."

The last part was said loud enough for Patrick to overhear, and the doctor gave Johnny a stern look before stalking off to the patient's room with Epiphany in tow.

"No, but the only reason you came to the ICU was because you were told that I was working here today," she replied. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't want to talk to me. So, yeah, I kind of am the one that locked us in here."

"It's not your fault," he repeated. "It's just one of those things…" He sighed and looked helplessly around the room. "We've just gotta make the most of it, I guess. Damn, I knew I should have grabbed something to eat from the cafeteria. I haven't eaten since this morning."

"You're in luck," she announced, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Keep it under your hat, but I've got food in my backpack. I skipped lunch, too, so it's sitting wrapped up in here along with my normal vending machine stash. There should be plenty for the both of us."

Despite their frustrating situation, Johnny couldn't help but smile. "Always prepared, huh?"

"Nah, just a compulsive muncher," she smiled back. "Oral fixation, don't you know."

He arched a brow at her. "I'll bet."

He could have sworn that her cheeks turned pink in response, but before he could stare longer – purely in an attempt to see if he was right – Nadine grabbed his arm and turned on her heel. "Come on, let's find a place that's out of the way to sit down and take a load off. I'm coming off a double shift again and I'm sorry, but there is no way I can keep working."

"Are there any free rooms?" he asked as she dragged him along.

"Nope, they're all taken up by the patients. I was hoping we could snag some chairs or a bench or…darn."

He frowned at the filled waiting area along with her. "We're too late."

"Well, I guess we could…" She scanned the main room again and her eyes lit up. "Ooh! Corner!"

Johnny blinked when she trotted off to claim it, then heaved a sigh and reluctantly followed. "You're serious? You're going to sit on the floor all night?"

She propped her backpack behind her and rested against it. "Why not? You have a better idea? Sit."

He winced and glanced down at his black pants. "It's dirty."

Nadine rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, you're kidding. It's not that dirty."

"I'm wearing black pants," he emphasized, gesturing to his trousers. She quirked a brow at him and he sighed, turning around and gingerly lowering himself to the ground next to her. "Fine. But just for that, you are giving me half your food."

"I already offered to," she informed him pertly. "But you can keep your hands off my sea salt and vinegar chips. Mine." Nadine squirmed in the corner, adjusting her scrubs so that the neck no longer pressed up against her throat.

"Well, here's hoping the next eight hours fly by."

Johnny grimaced and shifted as well when he felt himself sit rather uncomfortably on his wallet. "Yeah, I'm just sure they will."