The evening stretched on. As the game went to a commercial break, Romano unthinkingly reached beyond the couch, pulled over a guitar and settled down to play it. He remembered that he wasn't alone and moved to put it back down again.

'Oh, I didn't know you played,' she said with real interest. 'Please don't stop.'

He shook his head. 'Nah. It's, ah, just a hobby.' Underneath his indifference, she thought he seemed unusually embarrassed.

'No, I love music, really.'

That led them into a conversation about music. Kerry loved a broad range of music, but if she had to single out a genre, it would be soft rock. Romano admitted to similarly eclectic tastes with a preference for undistracting classic music in the OR and rock at home. In the end, she succeeded in persuading him to play something and after some consideration, he played her Sweet Caroline. He was very good, she realised. It was odd that he never spoke about music at work. It was so unlike Robert to hide his light under a bushel.

The phone rang and Romano set the guitar down and dragged himself off the couch to answer it. She hoped it would be the AAA, but as the minutes drew on and Romano still didn't reappear, she guessed it was a call for him. She looked at her own phone. Nothing. It was hard to stay awake on a comfortable couch after such a long day. She leaned back into the couch cushions, feeling the gradual paralysis of sleep stealing over her.

He reappeared, leaning against the door frame. 'Surgical consult - St Rafe,' he answered her unspoken question. He glanced at his watch. 'Well, I hate to say it, but it doesn't seem they're going to be along anytime soon.'

She sat up straight and rubbed her face. She checked her phone again. It was half past eleven. 'I guess they aren't. I'm sorry about this. Look, I'll call a cab, see if I can sort out my car after my shift tomorrow.'

'Or you could just stay here,' he offered. 'They'll probably show up at some godforsaken time of the night, but you'll get your car fixed or towed.'

Oh god, what? Stay here? She shook her head. 'No, absolutely not.' She realised that sounded rather rude, even given that she was speaking to the unshockable Romano. 'I couldn't possibly,' she added more civilly. 'You've done more than enough for me already and I'm very grateful.'

'S'long as I get to go to sleep, I don't care either way.' He ran a hand over the hair on the back of his head, looking suddenly awkward. 'Look, I've got a spare room and you're about 5 minutes from your car now if they show up. If you go across the city, you'll be half an hour each way. At least. But, uh, I'm not holding you hostage here, y'know? If you want to go home, I'll call you a cab.'

Would it be too bad to stay here? I could just stay on the couch for an hour or two more. I wouldn't have to disturb him when the AAA call.

She made a decision. 'Thanks,' she said sincerely. 'Do you mind if I stay on the couch?'

'No, no…couch is fine if that's what you want. I'll get you a blanket.'

She looked at the blanket on the back of the sofa. It looked big enough to drape over her. 'Oh, this is fine, thanks.'

'That's Gretel's. Not that she's possessive about it, but I didn't think you want to leave here covered in dog hairs.'

'Oh, thanks! Now that she looked closely, she could see the blanket had a pawprint pattern. 'Ah, do you mind if I use your bathroom?'

'Just across the hall,' he indicated. He picked up his guitar, gathered up the mugs with his free hand and walked off to fetch the blanket.

She was back in the living room when he returned with a blanket. He tossed it over to her.

'Got everything you need?'

'Yes, thank you.'

'Good… so when they call you, come wake me up and I'll walk over with you. And just so you know, Gretel likes to walk round at night so just keep the doors shut if you don't want her in with you.'

For the second time in a few minutes, he caught her by surprise.'Huh? What do you think is going to happen around here? Honestly, Robert, the streets were dead an hour ago. I'll be fine.'

'Yeeahh…no. Whatcha going to do if you meet someone dangerous? Beat him up with your crutch? C'mon, let's wrap this debate up. Bedroom at the back of the house, come and call me,' he concluded brusquely.

'You don't have to do this.'

'Actually, yes I do,' he said seriously.

They stared at each other with tired stubbornness. Kerry compromised.

'Fine. I'll call you. But if you don't wake up, I'll just head out. OK?'

He sighed and gave way. 'Fine. Ok. Oh, I, uh, keep the door a little open for the dog, but in your case, I'd prefer you to just knock and yell. Avoiding any sexual harassment allegations you might be tempted to bring. No offence.'

She almost rethought her decision to stay.

'And…Kerry?' He stared at her. 'I keep my home life and my work life separate. I'm sure you feel the same.'

She understood the unspoken implication. Don't talk about my home at work.

'I understand.'

'Excellent. Night, then.'

'Goodnight…'

He is such an ass. How does he even do it? She shut both doors firmly, turned off most of the lights and sat down. And what was going on with the determination to walk her to her car? She stared at her phone. Stay or go, stay or go? But at least Romano was at the opposite end of the house now and presumably likely to stay there. She pulled off her shoes, but she was still too irritated to go to sleep. She needed something to take her mind off the wisecracks and the flickering shifts between sarcasm and sincerity. Getting up again, she wandered over to examine the bookcases.

Quite a mix there, she observed. More fact than fiction with a leaning towards medical texts, sciences and history. A couple of small silver-framed photographs of children caught her eye. She studied them out of curiosity, wondering if either showed a very young Robert. The first held a picture of a little boy, a couple of years old. Blue eyes so obviously not Robert. The other showed three children sitting together on a couch. A boy and girl somewhere around seventh or eighth grade, with Romano-esque narrow brown eyes but jet-black hair. The younger girl between them was almost certainly a relative of Robert's. Reddish brown hair, a nose and chin inclined to sharpness, even at that young age and a determined stare. She wished suddenly that she had a wider family, too. Brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews and even a little boy or girl of her own. The photos reminded her that she had never been able to look at her family and see her own features reflected in a dozen different ways. They said you couldn't miss what you never had, but it was still lonely at times. She sighed and sat back on the couch, reaching for the blanket, pulling it over herself and staring up at the ceiling. Eventually she slipped into a light sleep.

A loud thumping at the door and a dog barking jerked her out of sleep. She sat up abruptly, trying to remember where she was.

'Kerry! The AAA called here. You can take it in the kitchen and tell them from me that they're morons! Down, Gretel.'

Oh. I'm at Robert's'. She threw back the blanket and struggled up off the couch to the kitchen. Fortunately, Romano had retreated upstairs. She picked up the phone.

'Hello….?' She cleared her throat. 'This is Dr Weaver.'

'Dr Weaver, I'd like to apologize again for calling the wrong number.' The poor young man was virtually stammering. Robert had probably scared him to death.

'Yes…I apologize for whatever my colleague said. He's a surgeon and he had a very early emergency surgery today.'

'I do understand that ma'am and we'd like to offer a $50 refund on your premium…'

Hanging up the phone, she retrieved her shoes and purse and padded out to the utility. Romano was already there, dressed again in the same jeans and t-shirt, pulling on his sneakers. He looked up.

'What kept you? Did he tell you his whole life history? It shouldn't have taken long; he only sounded about 12.'

She blinked. 'What did you say, Robert? They just offered me a partial refund as an apology.'

I presume that was for the inconvenience of keeping you waiting for four hours?'

'Oh god, is that the time? I'm so sorry!'

'Yeah, well. Not the first wake up call I've had at this time; won't be the last. Gretel, you can stay here…go back to sleep.' He shrugged into his jacket and handed Kerry her coat. 'Got everything?'

'I think so?'

'Are you asking or telling me? Right, let's go.' He was already pulling open the door impatiently. She trailed after him feeling decidedly less energetic.

Strangely enough, the lengthy wait while the AAA repairman examined the car woke Kerry up but seemed to have the opposite effect on Romano. Deprived of interaction, he faded into the background, visibly bored and probably half asleep again. Thankfully, it had stopped raining and the air was cool and clear. She leaned on her crutch and waited patiently.

It was the engine and it couldn't be repaired. In fact, it would almost certainly need to be replaced. She expected to hear some version of I told you so from behind her, but Romano was fortunately silent. Kerry blew out a frustrated breath, but the car had well over a hundred thousand miles on the clock. It didn't owe her anything. She looked at her watch. It was just past 3am. She arranged to have the car towed to a garage and to get a ride to her house. With any luck, she would be back before 4am From there, she could look forward to a few hours' sleep and a shift starting at 8. Wonderful. She turned to tell Romano her plan and found him leaning against the streetlight, eyes closed.

'Robert.' She tapped him on the shoulder, and it was his turn to jerk awake abruptly. 'Why don't you go home?' she suggested. 'I'm fine; I'm going to get a tow and a ride back to my place.'

He stretched his neck and shoulders, giving the matter some consideration. 'You're sure about this?'

'Completely sure.' The repairman was manoeuvring his van to take her car in tow as she spoke. 'I'll be out of here in a few minutes. And thank you again. You've been…' she paused, searching for the best description. 'Very kind. Thank you.'

He gave her an unexpected smile, swift but sincere.

'Well, then.' He detached himself from the streetlight and turned to go. 'Take care.'

Kerry didn't see Romano again until late the following morning. In a rare lull while her patients waited on tests, she recruited her energy with a cup of coffee. Someone had left a newspaper on the desk, and she absently paged through to the new car ads. Dr Kovac erased another name from the board.

'Looking for a new car, Kerry?' That was Mark Greene, dropping off a chart in the racks and looking over her shoulder at the ads.

'Yep.' She turned to the used car ads. Looks like mine's had it, I'm afraid.'

'Bad luck…could've picked a worse time to go, though. At least it's not the winter and you're stuck relying on the El.'

'True. Any recommendations for something really reliable?'

Mark considered it. 'Ford's good. Easy to get spares.'

'Dr Weaver, Dr Greene…hard at work, I see.' A familiar voice.

They both turned. Romano had materialised at the desk, signing off a chart and slotting it into the rack as he spoke. Around the desk, doctors and nurses hastened away, looking busy.

'I was just asking Dr Greene his advice about a new car.' She attempted to divert his attention. 'Do you have any advice, Robert?'

'Get a good car, maintain it well and it will be with you for a long time. Not unlike many of your patients, I see. Dr Weaver, you have…four patients, you can take another four.' He gathered up a set of charts from the rack, subjecting them to a cursory examination. 'Dr Greene, take this and this…,' he handed over a set, '…and Dr Kovac can take these three.' Greene and Kovac accepted the additional charts with good grace. Romano gathered up a chart of his own in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She contemplated him for a moment. The impression of a heartless petty tyrant was no illusion, but yesterday she had glimpsed a more complex man behind the façade. She realised she was staring a little too long. I keep my home life and my work life separate, he had said. I understand, she had agreed. She upheld her end of their unspoken deal. Without another word, she picked up the charts and set back to work.