The grueling heat continued to bake the city. News anchors and weather reporters could be seen on every channel discussing the record temperatures blanketing the region. It made for a swell in emergency room visits: everything from heat stroke to sun poisoning to a near accidental drowning in a swimming pool to some poor soul deciding to tinker with the electrical panel in his home when another power failure rolled through his neighborhood. The heat related injuries invaded Lauren's schedule for the next several days and brought a new slate of patients under her care, yet even with the additional cases, Jane Doe maintained a priority status with Lauren's attention. The doctor ensured a nightly visit to keep a watchful eye over the healing young woman.

Lauren visited Jane Doe before her shift began late Saturday night and promised the ever hungry woman a morning visit with whatever tasty snack she could locate in the hospital vending machines, not that Lauren would ever consider a vending machine snack tasty. The selection gave Lauren a sour stomach just thinking of all the chemicals and additives contained inside those bags or wrappers. Thankfully, the cafeteria opened early and gave Lauren the opportunity to purchase actual food rather than a sugary snack for her patient. She chose a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, not the healthiest option for a doctor to give her patient, but it beat the alternative of potato chips and candy bars. The cashier bagged up the to-go sandwich and Lauren set off to the fourth floor.

At this early hour, the nighttime silence still hovered in the critical care unit. Lauren's footsteps created the only sound that echoed in the hallway until she neared Jane Doe's room. She could see the door was slightly open from several meters away and upon reaching the threshold, Lauren heard the young woman's excited voice come through the cracked door.

"No whammies, no whammies!"

With a gentle hand, Lauren guided the door open and stuck her head in first as if expecting the unexpected to jump out at her. The room's only occupant was Jane Doe, sitting up comfortably in the hospital bed with the television remote firmly in her grip. Lauren glanced to the wall mounted screen to see a classic game show from decades ago playing reruns and entertaining her patient.

"Doc!"

"Good morning, little one."

Lauren had taken up Tamsin's nickname for Jane Doe. At one point, her patient requested to be called Cleopatra the Egyptian Queen, to which Lauren refused without a proven birth certificate as she found the request absurd. Upon spotting the small paper bag in Lauren's hand, the young woman pressed the remote control button to mute the outdated game show.

"Oh doc, tell me that's a sugary, scrumptious, delicious donut covered in chocolate icing and sprinkles?!"

Lauren returned the door to its semi-closed state before placing the paper bag on Jane Doe's bedside table. She noticed the hospital's version of breakfast remained untouched on the same table, and by the looks of it, Lauren doubted she would have eaten it either.

"No, no sugar. It's a breakfast sandwich, so at least you'll get a little protein in your diet."

Jane Doe tilted her head and pursed her lips together. Her brow narrowed with a pout.

"But you said you would bring me a treat, like ice cream or chocolate!"

Lauren shook her head and pointed her finger at her patient.

"No I said I would bring you a tasty snack, and this is even better than that."

Her patient grabbed the bag and looked inside.

"Oh, fine. But I'm going to find sugar in this place if it kills me!"

Lauren indulged her patient's humor while reading the updated medical file on the computer screen. As expected, there were no changes noted other than the addition of extra scheduled therapy sessions to explore the depths of her forgotten memory. Satisfied with the file, Lauren closed up the computer and pulled on a pair of sterile gloves. Jane Doe lifted her arms up while Lauren unrolled a large sterile pad across her patient's lap.

"And I will just tell you this now, I will not deliver you any sugary foods. I'm already going against my better judgment as a doctor of providing you pizza and greasy breakfast sandwiches."

Jane Doe lowered her right arm to rest it on the pad. She kept the left one raised as Lauren slowly began to un-wrap the bandages covering her forearm before repeating the process with the right.

"Fine. I'll just need to find another snack dealer who is more flexible with my needs."

With a smile, Lauren replied, "In here? Go ahead, and good luck with that."

As her arms were fully undressed, the young woman hissed from the sensitivity as Lauren rotated them to view the undersides of her wrists.

"Sorry," Lauren whispered as she examined those injuries. The dark bruising had faded into a light yellow green color and the open wounds had begun to close as time allowed them to heal. Some darker marks were still present where Lauren assumed the brunt of strikes landed but the doctor was confident those would heal as well. She was surprised that neither arm had been broken, unlike the three ribs that her patient felt with agony every time a sneeze or a cough would sneak up on her.

Lauren took mental notes of the healing progress to document in the medical file at a later time. She completed a thorough examination on both arms before she applied fresh bandages to a few of the wounds. Jane Doe remained silent through the entire process, as she did every time Lauren treated her arms. They had walked through this process before, and the young woman knew the following step had Lauren examining her black and blue torso. Seeing her own body is such a state always made her patient highly uncomfortable.

Jane Doe lifted her arms once again so Lauren could remove the sterile pad and toss it in the trash. Her patient pressed the bed controls to lower the surface completely flat. She shifted on her right side and tugged at her hospital gown. With a gentle hand, Lauren moved the sheet aside and shifted the gown opening slightly to expose the left side of her patient's body. The bruises here were a deeper purple and clearly had a greater force behind them than the marks on her arms. In her professional experience, Lauren assumed these could have been caused by a heavy object or most likely a boot covered foot. There was still a great deal of tenderness by the broken ribs but her patient held back any audible sounds of discomfort. Being the ever-observant doctor, Lauren picked up on other cues signaling her patient's pain during an exam. The young woman squeezed her eyes shut tightly and bit her lower lip when something hurt a little too much. Lauren learned her most sensitive injuries this way and used that knowledge to be gentler with each additional exam.

Jane Doe shifted positions once more and Lauren repeated the examination of injuries on the other side of her body. She considered the healing injuries to signal another day of progress. Even though her patient still bore quite horrendous visible marks, none of them had grown worse or infected. Upon finishing the application of an ointment on a rather nasty abrasion, Lauren patched it with a bandage and stripped the gloves from her hands. Jane Doe pulled her gown back into place and pulled the sheet back over her body before raising the bed up once more.

Lauren never pretended to understand what her patient felt when she looked at her own body and saw such brutality, but the doctor always offered compassion, encouragement and a soft tone in her voice.

"Your wounds are healing well."

Jane Doe nodded but kept her eyes fixed on the muted game show. Lauren pulled on a fresh pair of gloves and like clockwork, her patient turned her head slightly. Lauren lifted her chin outward a little more to have a better view of the neck wound that dipped to her collarbone. The coloring looked a little worse for wear and the deeper end of the gash seeped a fluid that Lauren considered a potential point of infection if not treated carefully. She took several moments to clean the injury and disinfect the surrounding skin, personally grateful when her patient did not show any signs of discomfort.

"Little one, has this area of your neck felt any different? Any additional pain or itching?"

"Nope."

Lauren guided her patient's chin towards her this time to examine her eyes and the remainder of her face. Thankfully both eyes could open now, although the one eyelid had less range of motion than the other. Lauren flashed her pen light across each pupil and watched for normal dilation response.

"Any changes in your vision or issues with your eyes?"

"Nope."

The injury near her temple that caused the greatest concern when she arrived had kept its gruesome appearance but since the latest imaging showed no additional swelling, Lauren accepted that it was just going to be a slow healer. Lauren removed the gloves once more and tossed them in the trash. Jane Doe had held her position looking at the doctor, and Lauren stood fixed in place next to her patient's bed. She shoved her hands deep in her pockets, unsure of the best route to provide additional comfort.

"You know, if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen. I know you have another doctor for that, but, well, the offer stands, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks doc."

Lauren stood silent for another moment, watching the wheels inside her patient's head churn as she shifted her gaze and looked around the room. Wanting to offer her some type of hope, Lauren decided to share some information with the young woman that could bring her a little happiness in this somber moment.

"So I have some good news for you."

Jane Doe perked up at the phrase good news.

"Good news?! Thank the heavens because I could use some. Let me guess: you decided to cave and get me a dozen chocolate chip cookies?"

Lauren shook her head and smiled.

"No, but good try though. Actually, I am arranging a place for you to stay after you are discharged. It won't be for a while yet, but unless your memories return and we figure out where you live, releasing you from the hospital won't do you much good. And even if you do regain your memory, the place for you will still be available as an option if we discover that, um, that your prior living situation was dangerous. There will be a suite for you to use privately: similar to a small furnished apartment in a safe gated building. You'll even have cable TV. There will be people in place to help get you on your feet and assist you in re-acclimating to daily responsibilities, you know, helping you get a job, clothing, groceries, etc. And it will cost you nothing so don't worry about that part. Consider it something to look forward to, okay?"

Lauren ended her statement with a smile as Jane Doe's emotionless features shifted into a mix of surprise, happiness and curiosity.

"Wow doc, really? Geez, um, uh, wow! I don't even know what to say."

Lauren shook her head to dismiss the need for any words at all. She glanced at the clock on the wall and knew it was almost time to leave for the day. Before she could issue her goodbye and take leave of the room, Jane Doe scratched her head and threw Lauren a questionable look.

"Hey, can I ask you something doc?"

Lauren giggled. Anytime someone asked if they could ask a question always made her laugh.

"You just did. Sorry, bad joke. Yes, of course, go ahead."

Jane Doe allowed a small smile to form before settling on a more serious stare at the doctor.

"Doc, why are you helping me?"

Lauren found the answer to that question a bit obvious but decided to indulge her patient with an answer.

"Well I'm your doctor and I've taken an oath…"

"No doc. No, I mean why are you helping me? The pizza, the egg sandwich, the extra visits when you should be home sleeping and now, a free place to stay and people to help me get on my feet? Why?"

Lauren pulled her hands from her pockets and folded them across her chest. She looked down at her feet and back up as she considered how to answer and remain honest without allowing the emotion to take control. As she began to speak, the words flowed across her lips so naturally that one would think she had said them a thousand times prior.

"Several years ago, I fell in love with a detective who helped women out of bad situations."

"Tamsin?!"

Lauren laughed. "No, not Tamsin. Her name was Stephanie. She had a few cases involving women who were victims of violence, and together we helped get some of those girls into programs that got them back on their feet. Stephanie loved helping people, and when she let me help her, I got to experience the amazing feelings that she had when a woman broke away from the cycle and escaped the violence. That feeling was all the reward I ever needed to know that going the extra mile is always worth it."

Her patient smiled. "Wow. Sounds so romantic, doc. Does Stephanie still do that work, and why haven't I met her yet?"

Lauren breathed deep.

"She doesn't. She was killed in the line of duty, but in her honor, I will continue to do the work for as long as I can."

Lauren uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands back into her pockets, deciding she bared enough of her soul for the moment and needed fresh air. It was a brief recount of the history behind her passion but a monumental moment for Lauren. Her patient reached out to her and grabbed her arm. Lauren returned her view to the young woman.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that doc, but thank you for doing this work. Thank you for helping me get through this."

Lauren covered the girl's hand with her own and nodded.

"You're welcome. Now eat that sandwich."

Lauren opened the door to leave, squeezing her eyes closed and taking a deep breath as she stepped into the hallway. It's never a great idea to walk blindly into an open space, as the minute she stepped through the door, she ran smack into Hale Santiago and sent him bobbling on his crutches.

"Oh my goodness Mr. Santiago? Are you okay?!"

Lauren grabbed his elbow to help steady him. Thankfully his movements were slow enough that he maintained his footing.

"Whoa, Dr. Lewis. I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just getting the hang of these things."

He motioned to the crutches resting under each arm. She looked down at his injured leg to see it fully immobilized in a large protective device.

"My fault. Yes the crutches are a challenge at first but you will get the hang of it. I'm sorry for my clumsiness and running into you."

He shook his head and smiled. He gestured to a large plastic bag hanging from his arm.

"Not a problem Dr. Lewis. I'm just heading down to that waiting room to put these out for anyone that wants them. If you'd like one, please help yourself. Some of my brothers from the station delivered them this morning but let's face it, I may be an average size guy with a healthy appetite but I can't eat a dozen blueberry muffins on my own."

"Muffins?! Did someone say muffins?!"

Hale looked towards the open door with a raised brow as he heard the voice echo from inside the patient's room. Lauren glanced over her shoulder and laughed at the woman's quest for anything unhealthy to eat. Lauren smiled and returned her attention to Hale. She leaned closer to him and lowered her voice so Jane Doe would not hear her next statement.

"I think this young woman could really use a blueberry muffin."

Hale's curious expression morphed into a smile.

"Oh really? Well, all right then. If you'll excuse me, Dr. Lewis, I think someone requested a blueberry muffin."

Lauren returned his smile and stepped aside so he could carefully navigate into the room balanced on the crutches. She shook her head at the knowledge that Jane Doe would get her wish after all: junk food from a new snack dealer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Lauren strolled down the hallway towards the main elevators, that familiar voice echoed over the PA system. Doctor Lauren Lewis to the ER. It was the end of her shift and hoped whatever awaited her downstairs wasn't going to keep her there any longer than necessary. She had a movie date with Bo later that day and wanted to ensure enough time to get ample sleep beforehand.

Lauren stood at the elevator doors while waiting for the next available one to arrive. She clicked the screen on her phone to check for any new messages. While Lauren hadn't seen Bo in person since their breakfast rendezvous, their communication increased ten fold. The two exchanged countless phone calls, text messages and even a few photo messages during their spare time. Lauren even felt daring enough to send a picture wearing her lab coat at the office, which Bo advised was now the wallpaper gracing her cell phone screen. Bo offered to send a picture decked out in fire fighting gear, but Lauren told her she'd much rather see that one in person and take the picture herself. For the past three consecutive mornings, Lauren fell asleep with her phone in hand as she corresponded with Bo, who was also fighting through exhaustion after long work nights just to send Lauren another text message or whisper one more pleasant dreams. The nature of their messages carried an escalated flirtatious tone as the days passed. Lauren's head felt lighter and her heart felt fuller. Since Sunday morning had finally arrived, Lauren felt exited about their plans to attend the afternoon movie. Her phone indicated she had a new message waiting from Bo. Reading it made her stomach roll through the flutter it felt almost daily now.

Bo: Is it wrong that I miss you? And that kiss…I can't wait to kiss you like that again…

With a smile, Lauren let her playful side appear and replied to Bo's message.

Lauren: Not wrong. I miss you too & yes, the kiss…you are quite the kisser…

Bo: I'm quite a lot of things… : )

Lauren: I bet you are…

Bo: Wanna find out?!

Lauren: You have no idea…

Bo: Kissing isn't the only thing I'm good at…

The elevator arrived and Lauren stepped inside. She shifted her position in the small space carrying two other people so her back was to a wall, shielding her phone screen from wandering eyes. It did not, however, shield the blush that covered her cheeks.

Lauren: Is that so? Maybe I can test that theory?

Bo: I'll gladly take any test you want…

Lauren: Good answer. Get some sleep today Bo. There may be a pop quiz later today ;)

Bo: ##%$%^%^&$!

Lauren returned the phone to her pocket and exited the elevator on the main level. The smile remain fixed on her face as she took the short walk to the nurse's station and found Tara in her usual space.

"You paged me Tara?"

"Yes, Doctor Lewis. Detective Tamsin is in her usual spot."

"Thanks Tara."

Lauren could feel the heat before she exited the hospital. The heat wave was unyielding even at this early hour, and Lauren figured the day shift would have an explosion of bad sun burn cases cross their paths by mid afternoon. Upon exiting the emergency room main doors, Lauren saw Tamsin sitting on a bench near her usual space. Her foot tapped rhythmically against the sidewalk and Lauren sensed waves of frustration rolling off her friend. Lauren slid onto the bench beside her.

"Hey Tamsin."

"Hey doc. Sorry to catch you so early this morning. I'm heading in to work and thought I'd stop by before you left for the day."

Tamsin pulled a pack of cigarettes from her suit jacket pocket and slid one out of the box. Lauren stared at it ready to reprimand the detective but bit her tongue when the woman just held it between her fingertips without actually lighting it.

"No need to be sorry. Are you okay? You seem...tense."

The detective exhaled a large breath and increased the speed of her tapping foot.

"Ugh, my robbery case just blew up on me."

"What? Did you catch a break?"

She rolled the cigarette back and forth between her fingers and Lauren could see it was taking a great bit of self control to not light it.

"Unfortunately, no. I've had two more hits in the same neighborhood."

"Two more? Damn. What did they rob this time?"

"You'll never believe it. A post office and a private airstrip."

"Huh? Wait, so you have a library, a post office and an airstrip? I'm so confused."

"Yeah join the club. The only pattern is they are all government affiliated, some local, some national, and then the FAA."

Lauren briefly thought about the connection and found it a bit far fetched, but then again, she wasn't a cop and she didn't solve crimes for a living. She had read enough news reports to know that almost anything was possible.

"Okay, well that's good right? You at least have the common thread, so now you just need to figure out why."

"Right. That's the million dollar question. And well, the workload is insane. I feel bad that I haven't given much time to little one."

Lauren shook her head as she angled her posture towards Tamsin. She could hear the drain in the detective's voice.

"Hey, don't feel bad, okay? I really value the time you put into this already. I know that your actual job trumps my requests, okay?"

"Okay doc. Well I was able to do one thing for her: I got approval on a rush request regarding her prints."

Surprised and excited by Tamsin's statement, all Lauren could ask was, "How?"

Tamsin formed a disgusted look on her face.

"I flirted with this guy that works in that department. It was just, ugh, it was just disgusting. I made myself sick over it. I even had to brush my teeth afterwards just to rid my mind of those words that left my mouth."

Lauren's laughter erupted at the admission. She tried to hold back but the thought of Tamsin using her skills on a poor guy with a crush had her close to hysterical.

"Oh my, Tamsin that was quite dedicated, so thank you on Jane Doe's behalf."

She let out another round of laughter and Tamsin just shook her head.

"Yeah, well, if anything, he may be a pain in the ass once he figures out I'm not really interested. You know, he may delay something on a future case just to even the score, but at this point, I feel like I'll be stuck on this robbery case for the rest of my days anyway, so I'm not sweating it."

Tamsin remained silent, staring at that cigarette as if she willed it to light itself.

Lauren carefully considered the workload Tamsin shouldered. The woman never admitted it, but being a one-man show over the past few years increased the amount of work on her plate. After Stephanie, Tamsin never accepted a new partner. She worked alone and maintained a successful record in doing so. Her superiors respected her so much that they allowed her request, but only on the condition that she never played hero or went solo on a dangerous inquiry. Tamsin played by their rules and they never second guessed their decision. Lauren, on the other hand, always second guessed their decision. She knew Tamsin was more than capable of solo work, but she never felt comfortable that her best friend's only backup was the second gun she wore on her ankle. Plus, she had no one to share the workload with. It was evident that this robbery case was visibly wearing on her best friend.

"Tamsin, I think you should consider requesting a full time partner."

The words were blurted out quickly but Lauren's voice reflected only a firm and confident tone. She knew that Tamsin would react with surprise. It wasn't like Lauren gave her any warning that this would be a topic for discussion. Tamsin's eyes widened as she stared at Lauren like she just sprouted three heads. Familiar with that look, Lauren thought best to elaborate on her recommendation before Tamsin gave her a definitive no. Lauren raised her hand to hold Tamsin off from speaking before continuing in a more soothing tone.

"What I mean is, you are very capable of working alone. You are a successful detective, but most have partners for a reason, and that includes sharing a workload. I think you owe that to yourself. Besides, you are a wealth of knowledge and could teach someone a thing or two. Just, do me a favor and think about it. That's all I ask."

Tamsin finally pulled the lighter from her pocket and flicked her thumb along the spark wheel to bring the flame alive. She lit the end of her smoke and inhaled a long, calming drag. Lauren just rolled her eyes. The doctor understood a new permanent partner was a sensitive topic, so she declined to protest the lit cigarette. This time. The detective exhaled a thin line of smoke and the building tension released from her as well. While Lauren thought the silence was an omen of an unavoidable tirade, she found herself quite surprised by Tamsin's response.

"A new partner, huh? Hmmm. I haven't thought about that in a long time, doc. I guess I could teach someone a thing or two, maybe."

Lauren watched Tamsin's calm facial expression, wishing she could see the thoughts formulating in the detective's mind. Tamsin finally laughed quietly as she shook her head.

"I'll think about it, okay doc?"

"That's all I ask."

Lauren pulled her friend into a hug, catching the detective off guard. Tamsin held the lit cigarette away with an extended arm to avoid bringing it too close to Lauren. Comfortably, she wrapped her free arm around the doctor to return the embrace. They shared a smile and a silent recognition of their friendship. Tamsin never took another drag off the cigarette. She snubbed it out on the sidewalk and tossed the extinguished butt in a nearby trashcan. And while taking only one hit on that cigarette could be considered a minor accomplishment, the potential of requesting a full time partner was most certainly a major one.