CHAPTER 11

"Whoa, soldier!" Nurse Kelsey watched as Troy pelted past her to report to the ER senior doctor.

"Can't stop!" He called. "Catch you in a minute!"

Kelsey watched with an amused smirk until Troy trailed back a few moments later, in his whites, ready for work.

"Goddamn," he sighed as he failed to tame his stethoscope into his pocket and gave up, slinging it around his neck.

"Well, Doogie Howser," Kelsey remarked. "I thought Doctor Neil said you shouldn't wear your stethoscope that way…"

"It's misbehaving," he grumbled.

"He said you're too good looking as it is and it just adds to your sexy bed-doctor appeal…" Kelsey carried on her little joke.

"He did not," Troy rolled his eyes and fell into step beside her, taking the clipboard she handed him without asking questions as he started to scan the information on it.

"No, actually that was one of the patients but you don't normally get to hear their words of appreciation," she quipped and he cast her an affectionate look.

"Okay, I was late. By five minutes. That doesn't mean you can rib me all shift," he argued.

"Why were you late?" She asked with a brow lift.

"Uh…well…" Troy blushed. "You know that girl that came in two weeks ago that I treated?"

"Yes, the one who is your brother's fiancée," Kelsey nodded.

"She's not his fiancée anymore." He stated. "She's…we're together now," he added sheepishly.

"Wow," Kelsey turned and gave him a wide-eyed look. "That was fast…"

"I guess we just…clicked," he defended.

"You were sleeping with your brother's ex-fiancée who is now your girlfriend and that's why you're late?" She checked and Troy pursed his lips.

"Just remember who's your senior here, Nurse," he said before she could make him blush any harder.

Kelsey held her hands up in surrender. "I wasn't going to say a word…"

"Where's this domestic violence victim?" He asked of the board she had given him. "I'd like to talk to her…"

"Sure thing, Doc," Kelsey smiled sweetly and showed him the way.

/

"Hmm, a little cool," Troy cupped Amanda Fifield's forehead and frowned at the pale pallor of her skin.

"Your hands are nice," she attempted a smile, but her bruised face didn't allow much movement without pain and her flat eyes barely held any hope.

"So I'm told," he charmed back lightly, lifting her arm gently from the bed to take a manual blood pressure result.

"Why can't all men be like you?" she asked sadly, blinking down swollen lids.

Troy squinted and met her gaze briefly, recording his results before he cupped her hand very lightly, like a grandfather might.

"You're safe with us, Miss Fifield," he assured.

"Well, well…" the drawled voice behind them reminded Troy of his own brother but he knew his sibling did not have a bone of malice in his body no matter what trouble he caused. Unlike the cold, graveled voice behind him.

"Good afternoon, sir," Troy twisted and moved down the bed to block his patient from the visitor. "I'm afraid visiting times haven't started yet. I'd ask you to wait in the waiting room for another half an hour until my rounds are finished," he explained politely but with an air of authority he didn't often have to muster.

"I saw you holding hands with my girl, I think I was right to come by unannounced…" the man ventured and staggered forward, evidently under the influence of the whiskey Troy could smell on his breath.

Troy stepped back, but only half a step, thereby protecting his patient and he put a hand up to appease the visitor.

"I can assure you I am just doing my professional duty of comforting the patient and nothing more," Troy stated, meeting the man's unfocused gaze. "Please, if you would wait," he repeated.

"What if I don't want to wait, pretty-boy," the man grabbed his collar and breathed.

"Mr…" Troy swallowed against the reek of alcohol and attempted reason.

"You can call me Jed," the man drawled and Troy nodded.

"Mr. Jed," he addressed with a hint of humour. "Please don't make me call security, if you just wait outside, we can have a talk shortly."

"Talk about what? That's my woman there, I'm not going anywhere without her," the man argued and shook Troy by his collar.

"I'm sorry sir, I have asked you to leave politely twice now and I have no option but to have you escorted ou-"

Thwack.

Troy staggered back with the impact of the blow and quickly called out for help, which came in the form of two police officer's awaiting the man's arrival apparently to question him about the assault, followed by two hospital security who all took it in turns to wrestle the drunken abuser from the ward.

"Shit!" Troy cussed and rose slowly, instantly attended by Kelsey who already had ice wrapped in a napkin.

"You should have called them right away," she told him as she gently applied the ice to his eye.

"I thought I could handle it." He sighed, then turned to his patient. "Miss, are you alright?" He asked the vulnerable woman in the bed.

She was shaking and he went over to assess her, but Kelsey caught his elbow.

"You have to get that eye seen to," she told him firmly.

"I'm fine, thank you," the woman in the bed called as tears streamed her face. "I'm sorry!"

"You don't need to apologise," Troy assured before he went. "I'll get the ward Nurse to come in and see you," he added as Kelsey steered him out.

"Ouch, Bolton," Senior Doctor Neil squinted at his injury, having come out to assess the situation.

"I thought I could talk him down," he told Dr. Neil as he sat in the staff room and let Kelsey ice his eye.

"I commend you for trying but in those scenarios where the victim is vulnerable and we have no idea what we're dealing with, it's probably best to let the big guys make the decisions," the older man explained.

Troy nodded and looked to his feet. "You would have been able to make him go," he surmised of his senior's way with people.

"Twenty-five years of practice," the man smiled. "How's your eye?"

Kelsey stepped away to show him.

"Just a bruise, 'bout time you got a few scars," he teased and Troy smiled with a light blush.

"Yeah, now I got one," he mused.

"Ice it up, finish your shift and take tomorrow off. We can manage without you." Dr. Neil assured.

"But-"

"You're going to make a great doctor, Bolton," he assured. "But you need to know when to quit."

Troy nodded. "Right. Okay. Yes, sir," he added formally before his senior left the room.

"Rambo on the move," Kelsey teased as she turned back.

"It kills," Troy told her truthfully.

"Yep, some mighty bruise you're gonna have…" she tilted her head.

"You think girls might like it?" He asked sweetly, making her laugh.

"You mean your girl?" She checked and he nodded.

Kelsey blinked her eyes at his near-innocence. "She's sure to love it," she smiled assuringly and led the way back to ER.

/

"Hello?"

Troy came inside his house which looked dark from the outside and he wondered where Gabi might have gotten to. Maybe in her room getting ready? Maybe in his room- just ready- he mused with a little self-indulgent smile.

"Gabi?" He called her by name, not hearing a call back and he checked her room then his, finding nothing.

Where the hell was she?

She knew he was coming home early for dinner tonight, a special occasion at least in his schedule. Had she changed her mind and ducked out?

Her present clothes and belongings told him that wasn't the case.

He frowned, checking for a note in the kitchen, then sighing with relief as he found one pinned under the fruit bowl on the table.

'To my sexy house doctor,

I'm sorry, I had something to deal with. I love you,

G x'

What…? He frowned and clung to her note in confusion.

What the hell did she have to deal with, he worried? She wasn't still looking for a place or…oh god…had she started a new job? Not tonight, surely?

He licked his lips and sighed out in frustration, deciding to shower up and head out himself to look for her.

He couldn't leave her out there on her own, no matter how independent she wanted to be. He knew how much the dark scared her and worse- unknown men. She was probably struggling through with some warped idea he needed to be paid back and he felt so protective over her it almost shocked him; but he didn't fight the feeling either.

Something in his gut told him he was right to worry and he set out with the sole intention of finding her.

/

"I'm sorry, Cal, but I'm not coming back," Gabi sighed. Two hours after heading out, she was now having this conversation with her old boss.

The man had caught her unawares while she was collecting stuff from her old apartment and she had been put on edge at his presence to start with, let alone the thought he might be following her – or worse.

"I can give you a day time shift…" Cal dangled.

Gabi looked up at the man, then down at her bags of belongings. "I'm moving out," she explained lightly. "I'm looking for something across town…"

"You were one of my best waitresses, Gabriella, I'm willing to compensate you for travelling- even provide a chauffeur if need be…"

Gabi smirked. "Really? You're going to pay a guy more than my wages are worth just to come get me?"

Cal nodded once. "I would."

"I'm sorry Cal, but I'm not interested. What happened to me still gives me nightmares and I'll always remember it being here that it happened." She insisted.

Cal twisted his lips and looked down at her from where they stood on the sidewalk, Gabi having refused a lift in his car and leaving them no choice but to stand and talk.

"Okay, let me be honest. Some of my customers are missing you, Gabriella. You have a very unique exotic look that none of my replacements can quite recreate…"

Gabi smirked. "I'm Filipino, Cal. I'm sure there are hundreds of girls around-"

"None like you," he argued. "Like I said, I can afford to get you there. I can help you get over the memories…"

"Cal, I said no," Gabi stood strong. "I'm already late home and I have someone waiting for me."

"Are you giving up the men's club for a guy?" Cal spluttered and Gabi rolled her eyes.

"All the girls have guys," she sighed.

"Not you…you always looked hot but had this real innocence…" He squinted.

Gabi picked up her bags. "I have to go. Goodnight, Cal."

She turned and began to walk away, feeling a crawling on her skin as she sensed him following her. She took some deep breaths and hoped he'd just turn back and get into his car; but she knew deep down that wasn't going to happen.

"Let me give you a ride," Cal called, as she predicted.

"No, it's okay," she assured, not turning.

"Come on, angel," Cal's hand curled around her elbow and his voice sounded in her ear and she shuddered at the memory of not being in control once before.

"Don't call me that," she stated on a very low voice. "And if you don't let go of me now, I will scream so loud every person in this street will know who you are," she warned.

Cal stepped back just as running feet sounded on the dry pavement and they both looked up.

"Gabi!" Troy called as he jogged toward her, quickly coming between her and Cal and squinting at her. "Are you okay?"

"This is him?" Cal asked and Troy merely turned and gave him a stare before he turned back to his girlfriend.

"I'm okay," she said, although he could tell she didn't mean it.

"I think you need to leave," Troy told the stranger with a little of the confidence he had inherited from Jake and the knowledge of owning a black eye.

"I offered her a lift," Cal shrugged. "I was being a nice guy…"

"I have it from here," Troy assured icily, feeling Gabi's fingers link through his which he cupped protectively as he stood as a barrier between them.

"Right," the man smirked, and then looked at Gabi. "Nice choice," he derided and she pressed her cheek into Troy's arm until Cal left, with a screech of tyre on asphalt.

"Oh my god, you almost killed me!" He sighed out and turned to quickly wrap her close into his body, his manner completely switched from ready-to-pounce to caring gentleman in an instant.

"I what?" She breathed out erratically, coming to terms with what had just happened.

"I was so afraid I had lost you…that you were hurt," he explained. "I knew you wouldn't go missing tonight, not after…"

"Dinner," she said only, her voice full of regret and hurt and he rubbed her back to console her.

"As long as you're okay," he kissed her hair. "We can do dinner another time."

"He wanted me to go back," Gabi began on a voice that was clear to break with tears and Troy only bound her closer until they abated.

"Back to your old job? At the club?" He checked and she nodded against his chest. "Asshole," he muttered and she looked up, bemused.

"You sound so funny when you swear," she tried a smile.

Troy brushed a thumb down her cheek. "You said no, right?"

She nodded. "But he didn't want a 'no'," she expanded and he squinted his eyes as they grew hard.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," she assured. "It just…scared me for a minute because he followed me…"

"Why on earth didn't you ask me to help you with your stuff?" He sighed and hugged her again.

"Because the landlord rang and said he found someone so I had to take it all right away and I had no-one to call who could help so I just went…I never thought it would take so long and that Cal would be skulking around…" She mused.

"I see," he sighed, pulling back to study her face.

"You're not telling me never to go out alone again," she commented, a little put out by that. Most guys would.

"Well, you are your own person," he pointed out. "Far be it from me to tell you what to do…"

"But you came to my rescue anyway," she looked up, touched.

"I swore I wasn't going to rest until I found you," he shared. "I thought maybe there was another junior doc to rival me or something…" He teased to lighten his words.

"No, only one," she leaned up to kiss him. "And…" she hitched a breath.

"And what?" He puzzled.

"And if it's okay with him then I'd like to try being roomies…" she broached.

Troy's sudden, hopeful smile was telling, but caution delayed his delight.

"Really?" He checked, to make sure.

She nodded.

He wrapped her in a bear hug and kissed the tip of her nose, nuzzling his there after.

"I love you," he said, speechless for anything else to say.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "I love you too, Doctor. Now tell me what happened to your eye…"