Okay, this was yet another chapter that I didn't think would really exist because I expected this to just be a short scene, but it ended up being a chapter after all. I have to admit that I enjoyed this one because I've always felt that Kovac and Ray should have more of a relationship than they do and I got to create that here. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

8:05 AM

Ray sat on one side of a large, mahogany table in one of the many conference rooms in the hospital. He shifted uncomfortably in the matching, mahogany chair. Dr. Hodge sat across from him, sitting perfectly still with his hands folded on the table. He stared at Ray, trying to break him down in some way by using his eyes.

The door opened and Kovac walked in. He assessed the situation, looking first at Ray, who was fidgeting rather nervously, and then at Dr. Hodge.

"Dr. Kovac, please sit down," Dr. Hodge said.

Kovac glanced at the many chairs he could sit in, but he quickly chose to sit next to Ray. Although he had no idea what was going on, or why he had been called up to the meeting, he was determined to support Ray in any way possible.

"Would you mind telling me what this is about?" Kovac asked. "I've got twenty patients in triage who could use my attention, not to mention that any number of traumas could be wheeled in at any moment and Dr. Barnett and myself are both supposed to be…"

"Save it, Dr. Kovac," Dr. Hodge interrupted, angrily. "Dr. Barnett was found with one of my patients in recovery."

"Doctors check on their patients in other departments all the time," Kovac stated, still unsure as to what was going on. He hated being 'out of the loop.'

"Yes, but doctors who visit their patients don't usually choke them with their bare hands."

Kovac glanced over at Ray. "Is that what happened?"

"No sir," Ray lied. "I was checking on Mr. Gulliver when he began to choke."

"Then explain the finger print marks we found on his neck," Dr. Hodge retorted.

"What does the patient say?" Kovac asked.

Dr. Hodge let out a long sigh. "Mr. Gulliver says nothing happened but that doesn't mean…."

"Then what are we doing here?" Kovac questioned, standing up.

"Your resident attacked my patient!"

"From what I've heard, there was no such attack," Kovac replied calmly.

"How do you explain the marks on his neck?"

Kovac shook his head. "I can't, but that's not my concern. As far as I can tell, Dr. Barnett did nothing wrong and this meeting is over."

Kovac started walking towards the door. Ray stood and began to follow him.

"I demand that some sort of disciplinary action be taken!" Dr. Hodge demanded, standing up.

"I'll repeat myself, Dr. Hodge. Dr. Barnett did nothing wrong. Have a good day." Kovac walked out the door and Ray followed. As they left the room, Kovac turned to the left, rather than to the right towards the elevators.

"I thought we were going back to the ER," Ray said.

"Tell me what I just covered up," Kovac demanded.

"You said it yourself, I didn't do anything."

"Then how'd the man get those marks on his neck?"

Ray sighed, not knowing what to do. He knew that he could trust Kovac, but he also knew that he had overstepped a boundary that couldn't be ignored. If Craig changed his mind and began telling people that he had been attacked, Ray would certainly be in trouble. It wasn't the consequences, though, that worried Ray. It was Neela. How would she react to Ray telling her what he had done?

"I did it," Ray admitted.

"You strangled a patient?" Kovac asked in a whisper, not wanting anyone to overhead. Ray nodded. Kovac leaned against the wall and rubbed his face with his hands. He hadn't expected the reason for the meeting to be anything like this. "What would possess you to strangle a patient?"

"I can't explain it," Ray replied.

"He wasn't even your patient. What would possess you to seek out a patient and choke him?"

"I told you, I can't explain it."

"Well, you better start explaining because if this gets out, we are both going to be in trouble."

"You weren't involved. You were just sticking up for me."

"It doesn't matter. Damn it, Ray, what were you thinking?"

Ray shook his head, unable to reply. He had promised Neela that he wouldn't say anything. He had promised her that he would keep her secret safe, but what good had it done her? She wouldn't listen to him anymore. She just wanted to forget what had happened even though she couldn't forget. She needed more help than Ray could give her.

"He hurt Neela," Ray said quietly.

"What?"

"One week ago…she was on her way home from work and he…he raped her."

"Raped her?" Kovac was taken aback. Ray nodded. "Is she alright?"

"Physically? She's fine now. Mentally and emotionally? She says that she's fine, but she's not. She needs help…she needs some type of closure."

"Does she know that he's here?"

"He's the reason she ran out of exam 2 yesterday."

Suddenly it all made sense. Even though Kovac tried to stay as far away from the rumors and gossip as possible, he had heard the staff talking about how strange Neela and Ray had been acting over the last week, and he had witnessed it himself. Now everything was explained.

"Has she gone to the police?"

"She won't." Ray took a deep breath. "After she told me she had been raped, I had at least convinced her to go to the hospital, but she wouldn't go to the police. She still won't."

Kovac lifted his eyebrow inquisitively. "She came to County?"

"No. She wouldn't come here so we went to Mercy. They did a rape exam and collected all of the evidence, but she refused to pursue it. She said that she wanted to forget it, but she hasn't been able to forget."

"Why didn't she tell anyone?"

"She doesn't want anyone to know. She made me promise that I wouldn't tell anyone and I tried. I tried not to tell anyone, but I don't know what to do anymore. I want to help her, but I don't know how."

"And you're sure that her attacker is Gulliver?"

"Yes."

"What can I do?"

"I don't know," Ray admitted.

Ray thought that telling Kovac would be like some kind of magic remedy. He thought that Kovac would somehow have all of the answers that he needed. Of course, just getting the secret off of his chest was therapeutic for Ray, but it did nothing to help Neela in any way.

"Maybe I could talk to her," Kovac offered.

"I don't know if she'd listen to you any more than she's been listening to me."

"Maybe Abby can talk to her."

"She'll already hate me for telling you. I think she'll hate me even more if she finds out that two people know about what happened."

"You have a better chance of her listening to Abby than to me…or to you, for that matter."

"I've been there for her every step of the way," Ray stated, wanting to somehow prove to Kovac that he had done the right thing.

"I know that, but Abby…Neela might listen to her. Abby might be able to convince her somehow."

Ray thought about it, knowing that Kovac was right. Ray probably should have told Abby from the beginning, or at least encouraged Neela to tell her. After all, she and Neela were friends, and it would probably help having her come from the female perspective.

"Okay," Ray agreed. He knew that Neela would be angry with him for telling people, but he was willing to take the chance that Abby would somehow be able to knock to some sense into her.

"I'll have Abby talk to her as soon as possible and, in the mean time, let's make sure that Mr. Gulliver stays in recovery as long as possible," Kovac suggested.

Ray nodded and they both headed for the elevators.