Medicinal Love

Chapter 10

--Elli's POV--

I always thought there was something strange about their relationship. The Doctor's and Claire's. Ever since that day she had come in to the clinic, unconscious and maybe a bit dehydrated, the Doctor had been a bit…strange whenever she was around.

…I guess I should have known back then. But I was blinded by my affections for him, thinking that I was the only person whom he was ever close with. After all, there was no one else that had seen the doctor in his many moments. No one except me. Well, that used to be my position until she came along. I guess I could never be more than the doctor's nurse. And to think that once I considered this position to be the greatest, since it would have allowed me to be close with the doctor at all times. What a fool I've been. I had always thought Claire was my friend. But I was wrong.

There were only a couple of times when the Doctor seemed more lively than usual. I could count those occasions on one hand. There were those times when the Doctor helped others: I saw something in his facial expression…something that was rarely there when things went routinely. The other times…well, they were whenever he was with Claire. I guess they must have built some sort of bond between them during all those hours spent over her researching and working around here.

I'll admit that I am still a bit hurt from his rejection that fateful day when, prompted by Claire, I gathered my courage and confessed my love to him. Yet, hearing his answer…I feel lifted. I am sad that I am not the one that could make him happy, and perhaps I feel a bit of resentment towards Claire for encouraging my hope and dreams like that, but as long as he is happy, I'm content. Maybe someday, I'll find someone that I can call my own.

Maybe I don't really feel as much hatred toward Claire as I thought. Now I can move on to better things in life. I hope in the end, those two will be happy with each other.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The clinic door slammed opened. Elli broke away from her thoughts as she stared at the figure who was responsible for the noise. "Rick! Why are you here?" Worry seized her as she could only think of one reason that could cause him to look as if he had been running for his life. "Is Lillia alright?"

"Mom's…," Rick wheezed, "fine. Where's the doctor?"

Elli robotically responded, the procedure familiar. "He's over at his desk." She pointed to the examination room right next to the front lobby.

Several words were barely heard from where Elli was sitting. She only caught few words like "harbor," "leaving," and "now" before the doctor and Rick rushed out of the room and out of the clinic. There was no word from the doctor about any of this. But before those two had left, Elli had caught the sense of urgency etched on the doctor's face.

She would not see him for the next four hours.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trent entered the clinic, though looking more forlorn than Elli had ever seen him. There was a distant gaze in his eyes that made her worry for his health. It seemed as if he had lost all hope. "Doctor?" Elli called out worriedly, wondering what or who could do such a thing to a man like the doctor.

"She never looked back," was all that he said before Trent locked himself in his office. During the time from when he entered the room and then locked himself in, it felt as if he had lost all those who were dear to him. Elli made a mental note to herself, marking the day that the man whom she had loved (and probably still was in love with, for she hadn't truly gotten over her feelings for him) became different. It was from that moment on that Elli knew that the doctor would never be the same…a fact that would only be known to those who paid careful attention to him, this man with two sides.

=The End=

Author's Note: So…hopefully you guys won't be angry at how I ended this story, but what else could be done in that situation? Anyway, there might be a sequel—one with a happier ending than this—but it all depends on your guys' reaction. Reviewing is the key to motivation…or at least a good way to guilt-trip authors.

One more thing, since I'm starting school soon, I won't be able to write the sequel (if I'm writing it) until I'm done with school since that is my first priority at the moment. So the best time that I'll be working on the sequel will be late May. I'm open to ideas/scenarios.

Much love to The Scarlet Sky for beta-ing this.