"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked Ellie. She had been admitted last night and the transplant was booked in for that evening.
"I'm tired and starving," she grumbled. "You rounded on me at five thirty in the morning and all I'm allowed to eat is ice chips. This sucks."
"Oh shut up, she always was a whiney patient."
"Dr Bailey," said Ellie. "You were my favorite resident and now you can be my favorite attending."
"Stop sucking up and let this boy do his job," said Bailey.
"Alright, what do you want now?" said Ellie to Ryan.
"More blood," he said apologetically.
"Alright then," said Ellie holding out her arm. "Don't nurses do that?"
"Yes they do, but this fool is taking a very personal interest in this case. Any more special attention and he is off this case." Said Bailey not really as angry as she sounded.
"You can't kick him off the case, I like having my own personal intern," said Ellie.
"Yeah personal intern. It must have been some real special personal attention he was giving you in the on call room earlier. Patients are not allowed in the on call rooms," said Bailey harshly.
"But there are no locks on my door," grinned Ellie. Ryan looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
"I'm finished we should let the patient rest her big mouth," said Ryan pointedly to Ellie.
"Oh he's embarrassed now," laughed Ellie.
"We'll come by and check on you later. Try and stay out of trouble," said Ryan still blushing profusely.
"I'll try."
--------------------------------------------
"Shouldn't you be working? Bailey will have a fit if she finds you in here," said Ellie. Ryan had sneaked back into her room, she was due to go into surgery in a few hours.
Ryan was lying in her hospital bed and she was cuddling into him, not really wanting him to leave.
"Probably, but who cares?" he shrugged.
"Ooh you so aren't meant to piss off Bailey," gasped Ellie.
"I'm on scut today anyway, apparently my resident anticipated that I would be a little distracted today what with you going into surgery," said Ryan, stroking her hair.
"Okay then."
"We've been together a long time, right?" said Ryan randomly.
"Five years," she mumbled. "Why?"
"I was just thinking about when you were going marry me," said Ryan casually.
"What? Where is this coming from?" said Ellie sitting straight up.
"I said I was just wondering, we've been together five years."
"We live together, why do we need to change anything?" said Ellie feeling like she was about to hyperventilate.
"I was just thinking it might be time to take the next step. Have you never thought about it?"
"Um…no not really."
"Well do you want to start thinking about it?" said Ryan knowing full well how Ellie felt about commitment. It had taken him a year to convince her to move in with him, maybe it had been watching her parents and then her mother's second marriage break down that made her so wary.
"Okay…I'll…think about it," said Ellie lying back down on him.
"That's all I ask, just think about it." Said Ryan. "It wouldn't be so bad. It's not like I want to have kids right now."
"Kids?" said Ellie sitting up again. "I just started Med school, then I have to get through residency. Kids are a long, long way away…like years and years in the future."
"I know, it'll be a long time before we have a family so you can stop freaking out," said Ryan pulling her back down.
"Okay…just as long as you know that."
"I do," said Ryan and laughed as Ellie winced at his choice of words. "Just think about it."
-------------------------------------
"You ready to go?" asked Mark. Ellie was just about to be taken down to the OR.
"Can I finally eat when I get out?" asked Ellie.
"Yes you can eat when you get out, you can eat anything you want," said Addison.
"Well make sure there is a menu waiting for me when I wake up."
"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to, it's not too late to pull out," said Ryan worriedly. "There are risks, you'll only have one kidney…"
"I know," said Ellie squeezing his hand. "But I'll be fine, with Dr. Yang operating on me…I'll be fine."
"I'll be in the OR the whole time," said Ryan.
"We'll all be in there with you," said Addison.
"Okay, lets just do this."