Next morning they woke with their alarms piercing their peaceful dreams. After hitting the snooze just the once, they rose to start the day. Audrey was just buttoning her blouse as Neil emerged from the bathroom. He was clean shaven again and she gave an audible sign. "My weekend bit of rough has gone" she teased as he approached. He raised his eyebrows at her quip and put his arms around her waist as they stood nose to nose. She put her hands on his cheeks, smooth and closely shaven, and kissed him mumbling "But I definitely like this look too."
Wrapping his arms more tightly, she gave an unintentional squeak. He kissed her soundly as their bodies made contact from head to toe. "Just getting enough to get me through the day" he joked but was only half kidding. He was going to miss seeing and touching her whenever he wanted. They had experienced an epiphany this weekend and he was certainly heading into a new week on a high.
They drove in together in Neil's car but instead of stopping around the corner to let Audrey out, they drove into the parking lot and into the space reserved for Dr. Melendez. They paused a while after parking, sitting in comfortable silence until Audrey broke the stalemate. "Let's get going, I don't want to be late on my first day."
"Sure thing Chief" he replied.
"Are you really going to be calling me that in there?"
"I'll stop if you want but I quite like it. Better than babe or sweetheart right!"
"Don't you dare!" She laughed.
They got out of the car and started towards the hospital with a number of other staff members milling around.
"Come on, let's go Dr. Lim"
"I actually prefer Chief" she remarked kidding him on the cheek and walking off.
They walked in stride through the building, casually greeting people as they passed. They stopped outside Audrey's new office. There was her name in bold black lettering 'Dr. Audrey Lim, Chief of Surgery'. She beamed and turned to Neil. "Thank you" she said.
"What for?"
"Making me work at this" she said nodding between them. "It's going to make me even better at this" she said.
He gave a big smile back "Not a problem" he replied. "Have a great first day. Try not to strangle Andrews and you'll be just fine."
"Deal"
"See you later, Chief" he smirked.
"Bye minion" she countered, giving him a quick peck and opening the door and taking her first steps into her new role.
As the day came to a close, Neil knocked on her office door and entered. "How did it go? " he asked. "I haven't seen you all day, I'm hoping that's a good thing?"
She sighed and sat back in her chair. "The whole day has been one giant induction. Meeting after meeting. I don't think I've seen a single patient all day."
"Wow. That sounds... interesting" he said.
"Nope, well maybe a little bit. But mostly nope"
"Well, we're done for today aren't we?" He asked.
"I've got a tonne of reading to do for tomorrows meetings"
"But you don't have to do it here right? Let's go."
"Yes please" she replied. She stood and started piling files and papers together. Packing what she needed into her case she gave another sigh. "I'm going to need a bigger case."
She threw her case into the trunk and got in the car in a bit of a bad mood. "Maybe I should go home, you know, back to my place?"
"Why?"
"I don't want to bore you with all this. I don't think I'm going to be very much fun this week with all these meetings going on."
"Ok, maybe you'll be a bore, but at least I can make sure you eat and sleep a bit" he suggested.
"Alright" she replied. "But promise if you change your mind, you'll say."
"I'm sure I can entertain myself for a while, don't worry about it."
She looked and raised an eyebrow at that. "Get your mind out of the gutter woman!"
After they ate dinner, Audrey settled into her reading and Neil flicked the television onto a baseball game. Not really fussed on who was playing but something to pass the time. The game finished and he checked the clock, it was gone 10.30 and Audrey was still sat at the table. 'Right' he thought to himself. 'Time to be a distraction' as he got up from the sofa and moved towards her. He put his hand on her shoulders and started moving them in a circular motion. She groaned and her head lolled backward against him with her eyes shut.
"Let's go Lim" he said sternly.
"What, where?"
"Bed. To sleep. You're going to be a mess in the morning otherwise. Come in, move it."
"Aren't you a charmer" she said, eyes still closed.
"Not tonight! Come on, on your feet, let's go!"
She got up slowly, tidied her papers a little and shuffled off in front of him to the bedroom, too tired to lift her feet properly. She got into bed as she was and was almost asleep as Neil came out of the bathroom.
"G'night" she mumbled into her pillow.
"Night" he replied, kidding her forehead. He laid down next to her and brushed her hair back from her face. He watched her for a while as she slept. She looked peaceful for the first time since they arrived at the hospital that morning. He didn't want to be the overbearing boyfriend but he was a little worried this job wasn't going to be what she thought it was. Audrey Lim lived for the buzz of the Emergency Room and the surgeries. He hoped the meetings and bureaucracy of the role didn't take that away from her.
He drifted off to sleep with a protective arm draped over her hoping that tomorrow would be better.