I'm in Poland for a few days now, so won't have any time to update. So here's a chapter before I leave. I had fun writing this one, I think you'll have fun reading it too ;) Enjoy! x

CHAPTER 21

A few days had passed since Cate's accident and things hadn't been too bad. She'd returned to work and got stuck in with it all, deciding that it was probably better to keep busy than to keep having time off work. It had been quite busy the last few days, with some sort of horrible bug going around, bringing people in with dehydration as a result of sickness and diarrhoea. It was unpleasant and consisted of lots of IV drips and antibiotics. It had kept her busy though as she and the other staff had helped each other out to lighten the workload.

She'd kept in touch with Juice via text and phone calls since they'd last seen each other, he'd informed her that he was taking a trip out of town with a few of the boys from work, and so he wouldn't be able to hang out with her for a few days. He was supposedly returning today though, and Cate couldn't deny that she was a little excited about the idea of getting to see him. They were slowly getting to know more and more about each other with each day that passed and she couldn't fault him on anything. He was inquisitive by nature and always had lots to ask, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her; from her favourite foods to her least favourite horror movie. There was a tension there and she was aware of it even when he wasn't in town. Most importantly, she trusted him. There was just something about him that made it easy to feel like she could trust him, plus, he'd seen her at her most weak and vulnerable moments, he'd seen her at her worst and he still wanted to hang out with her. It was nice.

"Cate, we've got another one.." Lisa commented with a laugh from over the desk of the nurses' station and Cate groaned lowly, tilting her head back to look up at the ceiling.

"Is this madness ever going to end?" She grumbled before pushing herself up to her feet. She squeezed some alcohol rub onto her hands and walked around to where Lisa was waiting whilst rubbing her wet hands together.

"She's got some tricky veins too.. Just warning ya.." Lisa commented and Cate gave her a deadpan look. They'd been getting on quite well since she'd returned to work and they'd even exchanged numbers so they could arrange to do something at some point. She'd thought it was about time to cut the girl some slack and give the friendship a chance. Cate followed Lisa over to the row of curtained bays where one was open, and a girl around her age was sat on the examination couch, holding a bowl on her lap. She looked awful and she imagined the girl wasn't used to looking that bad. She was wearing a crop top which scooped low over her bust and a tiny skirt, her face was caked in makeup but it was all messy and smudged since she was sweating quite badly.

"Good Afternoon.." Cate paused to look down at the chart that Lisa had handed to her. "Sandy.." Cate looked back towards the bleach blonde woman. "I'm Doctor Phillips.."

"Doc you gotta fix me.." The blonde whined before a dry heave suddenly caught her off guard. Cate grimaced slightly as she watched, before clearing her throat.

"Well.. I'm afraid nothing but time is going to make this go away completely." Cate explained before looking back down at her notes which she flicked through. Thankfully one of the nurses had performed a urinalysis on the woman. "You've got a lot of ketones in your urine.. So you're pretty dehydrated. We'll likely run a 4 hour bag of fluids and see if that helps.." Cate paused as she skimmed over the rest of the documented results before looking back towards the woman. Something wasn't quite sitting right and the pregnancy dip stick (which was routine in a urine dip testing) had come back to be positive. So Cate wondered if this was something completely different to the bug that had been spreading around. Cate pulled the curtain to give them some privacy and sat down on the wheeled chair, turning around so that she was facing the blonde. "Sandy, can you explain your symptoms to me please?" She asked. The blonde caught her eye and sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I've just been feeling super sick.. Like, all of the time.. I can't even eat anything." She explained and Cate gave a slow nod in understanding.

"Have you had any diarrhoea?" Cate asked and the blonde suddenly turned her nose up.

"Gross.. No, I haven't.." She responded. Cate held back a laugh at her reaction.

"And how long have you had the sickness?" Cate wondered, drumming her fingers gently against the clipboard on her lap.

"I don't know, about a week or two.. But it's been way worse the last couple of days. That's why Luanne brought me in.." Sandy explained. Cate perked up then.. She recognised that name. She looked down at the personal information section of the paperwork. Cara CaraIt read under 'occupation'. So she was a porn star? That's when it clicked. She worked for Luanne.. Gemma's friend Luanne.

"Sandy.. I think you might be pregnant." Cate explained slowly and softly and watched as the woman suddenly sat up straight, a shocked expression flickering over her face which now looked even paler than it had before.

"No.. That's stupid, I can't be.. I'm on the pill.." Sandy replied and Cate gave a small shrug of her shoulders.

"The contraceptive pill isn't fool proof.. Sure, it's 99 percent effective but only if it's used right.." Cate admitted, turning around slightly to pop the notes down on the desk before turning back around to face the blonde. "All it takes is missing a day or two.. Taking it at the wrong time.. Or you're just that one percent where it doesn't work." Cate watched as the blonde shook her head, clearly in denial and she couldn't blame her for it. "Look.. I think that you're suffering with hyperemisis.." The look of confusion on the blonde's face was enough to say that she didn't understand Cate's medical terminology. "It's basically an extreme form of morning sickness."

"I can't be.. I can't.." Sandy repeated, shaking her head, holding the bowl closer to her chest.

"Ok.. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to pop in a cannula, we're gonna take some blood samples so we can run some tests – see what your pregnancy hormones are like – and I'm gonna run a bag of fluids to get you nice and hydrated again.. It's also important to try and eat something when you feel like you can, OK?" Cate explained the plan of action and all the blonde did was nod slowly, clearly still in some sort of shock. "Ok.. Well, I'm gonna go get some bits and I'll be back in a minute." Cate stood up and left the cubicle, pulling the curtain closed behind her. She wandered over to an area where everything was stored and began to pop what she needed into a tray. Once she'd grabbed everything, Cate turned to make her way back to the curtain, only this time she noticed several sets of feet from behind it and could hear voices.

"You're pregnant?!" She heard the familiar voice of Luanne gasp from behind the curtain. "You silly, silly girl!" she continued and Cate couldn't help but grin slightly at the scolding the woman was receiving. Cate cleared her throat quietly and then pushed open the curtain completely so that she could walk through it, leaving it open so that it wasn't so crowded. Her gaze fell upon Luanne who seemed shocked to see her at first but then smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, it's you! Gemma's friend.. Cate right?" Luanne spoke and Cate nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah.. That's me." Cate responded before she glanced over at the other figure in the corner, he was a younger guy, one she didn't recognise. He was wearing a leather kutte similar to Juice's, only his said 'prospect'.

"Hi.." He said awkwardly, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. Cate frowned slightly before returning her gaze to Luanne.

"I'm sorry but I kinda need some space here.." Cate explained and Luanne held up her hands with a smile and stepped back. Cate sat on her seat and rolled herself up close to Sandy. She was aware that both Luanne and the man were still stood at the entrance of the bay, but she'd allow it for now. "OK, Sandy, I'm going to put in a little cannula so we can give you those fluids and you'll feel a whole lot better for it, OK?" Cate explained whilst tightening a tourniquet just above the womans wrist. Lisa had been right when she said her veins were bad, so she'd aim for the juicy looking ones in the back of the hand. Once Cate was prepped with gloves and her sterile bits and pieces, she worked on cannulating the woman who seemed to sit really well considering. Cate managed it in one attempt, since she'd been used to cannulating in worse conditions than a nice hospital. She grabbed some blood bottles and connected it to the hub of the cannula, drawing some bloods.

"Oh, gross.." She heard Juice say from beside her. Cate finished filling one tube and then grabbed the other, attaching that next. Wait, Juice?! She quickly glanced to her side and saw Juice there with Luanne and the 'prospect'. "Hey, doc.." He greeted with a grin. Cate didn't know what to make of his unexpected appearance so she quickly finished what she was doing and dropped the blood bottles into the tray. She then dressed the cannula with an IV dressing and stood up.

"I'll have the results in a few hours, in the mean time I'll get one of the nurses to come in and set up a bag of fluids, OK?" Cate asked and Sandy nodded but couldn't speak, as a wretch wracked at her body. Cate gathered her things, placing the tray on top of her notes before she turned around to leave the bay. Luanne thanked her and returned to her employee's side. Cate caught Juice's gaze as she made her way out of the bay and she gestured with a nod of her head for him to follow her.

"I'll be right back.." She heard him say as she left, making her way out of the busy ER department and into an emptier hallway. She then made her way into an office where she popped her bits down on the table before turning around just in time to see Juice enter through the door and close it behind him. "What are we.." But he didn't have time to finish for Cate had flung her arms around his ribs and was hugging him tightly. She didn't quite know where it had come from but it had been what her body had wanted her to do. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist, pulling her tighter to him if that were even possible. "What's this for?" She heard him ask through a laugh by her ear and she just shrugged her shoulders, still holding herself against his chest.

"I guess I just kinda missed you, I don't know.." She mumbled into the leather of his kutte. She wasn't lying. It had been four days; four days of being alone at home when before she'd had Juice there for 2 evenings in a row and found herself really enjoying his company. Just when she'd gotten used to being around somebody, he'd had to go out of town and she was forced to be by herself again. Which was fine, but she felt like she was missing something. She wasn't able to laugh, or smile, or talk about nonsense. Hell, she'd even tried playing on the XBOX by herself and even that had been boring. They'd been texting from the minute she woke up to the second she went to bed, and he'd called her most nights, so she didn't feel quite so alone.

"Awh.." She heard him say in a teasing voice and she pulled away from the embrace then, hitting her closed fist against his chest. "Hey, I was kidding.. It's nice.. I kinda missed you too.." He told her with a sheepish smile and she felt a warmth rise to her cheeks.

"Don't let it get to your head.. I just missed having someone to play the XBOX with OK?" she teased, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear that had fallen from her messy ponytail.

"Yeah.. Whatever you say, doc.." He grinned and Cate rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked, thinking back to why he'd appeared in the ER with her supposedly pregnant, porn star patient. She watched as he shrugged his shoulders then and tucked his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Well, uh.. Prospect was asked to come in with Luanne and Candy.. Or Sandy.." So Candy was her porn name, huh? Cate felt herself smile at the revelation, although it wasn't a tricky one to guess. "But I uh.. I offered to come with.. Just to be extra safe, y'know?" He explained, stumbling along with his explanation. Cate leant backwards and perched on the edge of her desk, crossing her arms across her chest as she looked up at him.

"Right.." She dragged out, feeling herself grin. "Because the hospital is such an unsafe place to be.." She teased and watched as he grinned himself, that big old goofy grin she enjoyed seeing so much. "Saying that, I probably wouldn't wanna be here right now with that bug going around.." She suddenly thought, with a short laugh.

"Bug?" Juice suddenly asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah.. A big old nasty bug.." She explained, watching his face as his expression changed. "But don't you worry.. The only people getting this bug are people who aren't washing their hands.." Cate laughed as she noticed Juice suddenly relax. "So I don't think you've got anything to worry about.. Me, however.. I've been working with these poorly people all day.. I could be totally contagious right now.." Cate knew she was only teasing, she had to follow strict hand hygiene anyway as a health professional, but she was super vigilant about that stuff anyway as a result of her OCD. And she knew Juice would likely be the same.

"Contagious, huh?" He asked curiously, a look of thought evident on his face as he took a few slow steps towards her.

"Yup.. Super contagious.." She began quietly. "In fact, you probably shouldn't even be in this room with me.. Or around me at all." She summed up, followed by a faux sad sigh. She wanted the complete opposite, now that he was back she was inwardly happy, as it meant she could hang out with him some more.

"Huh.. So I guess I should keep clear of you then, right?" He asked, and by the sounds of it he was playing along with her little rouse. Cate slumped and nodded her head, lowering it to look down at the ground. It was then she noticed Juice's feet appear in her sight; he was standing right in front of her now. She lifted her head slowly and looked up at him, her bright blue eyes meeting with his dark brown ones. "And I guess.." He began, and reached out his hands, placing them either side of the table beside her, trapping her between them. "I shouldn't really do this.." He continued as he leant in towards her. Cate could feel her heart going a hundred beats a minute, butterflies erupted in her stomach. He was going to kiss her and she was going to let him. It felt right and God did she want it. Cate lowered her gaze to his mouth as he drew in closer.

Suddenly, the sound of the door being opened broke through their bubble and Juice jumped away from her and Cate shot to her feet, turning around quickly to look busy with the blood samples in her tray. "Cate?" She heard her colleague say and Cate clenched her teeth together in frustration before she replaced it with a smile and she turned around to see Lisa in the doorway, looking between both her and Juice, a knowing look in her eye.

"Hey, Lisa.. What can I do for you?" Cate asked quickly, casting a glance towards Juice who looked super uncomfortable, before looking back over at Lisa.

"You're needed to assist in theatre.. They want you scrubbed up." Lisa informed her and Cate gave a nod.

"Sure, Ok.. Can you label these up for me and get them to the labs? It's for Ca-Sandy, in bay 7.. She also needs some fluids, if you don't mind?" Cate asked, and walked over to the doorway, handing the tray and notes over to her colleague who nodded. She gave a look over Cate's shoulder at Juice, before looking at Cate with a shit-eating grin, before leaving them alone again. Cate cleared her throat. "So, I should probably.." Cate spoke as she turned around to face Juice, but was cut off by the feeling of his lips upon hers. It was quick kiss, like a couple of young teens kissing for the first time, but it had completely caught her off guard. Juice pulled back and Cate was silent, her gaze fixed upon his. He looked pleased, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth, dimples appearing in his cheeks. But she still felt stunned. "Well.." She breathed; biting down on her lower lip before a smile suddenly appeared. Sure, it had been delayed but it had taken a moment or two for the shock to wear off. Cate cleared her throat before speaking. "I should go.." she said whilst awkwardly gesturing with a thumb towards the door.

"Yeah, you go, doc.. Get back to work." He teased and Cate shook her head at him. She turned and walked out of the door and could hear him following behind her. "I'll call you later, Cate!" He called after her as she walked down the hall, but she didn't dare look back, she was too busy smiling like an idiot. What had just happened?!