Author's Note: I went through three versions of this chapter before settling on this one so I hope you enjoy! We should start getting into the heart of the story soon. Most of this is still just the warm up!

Thank you to zeusfluff and Guest for reviewing Chapter 7!

Disclaimer: Lost is not mine.

As always, please read and review because it makes me happy!

Code Silver

Chapter 8

Juliet rushed down the stairs and burst into the ER. A pregnant woman had been in a car accident and just arrived at the hospital. It didn't look good and they'd requested her presence. She flew into the critical care room without taking the time to look around.

James was standing a few rooms away. The drunk driver who hit the woman was fine, but more than a little angry at being forced to sober up in a hospital room before being taken to jail. James was there to make sure he didn't do anything else stupid. While the nurses talked with James' charge he focused his attention on Juliet. He couldn't figure out how she moved so quickly in heels and a skirt. His mind briefly went to whether he thought she looked better dressed up or dressed down in scrubs, but when his brain decided to take a step further and wonder if she'd look even better wearing nothing at all he pushed all thoughts of her appearance out of his head. The middle of the ER during and emergency was not the time or place to get caught up in thoughts of that nature.

He watched Juliet move swiftly around the room. Her patient was a bloody and crying mess. She clutched at her protruding midsection and James wondered if the baby was old enough to survive outside the womb. Juliet was focused and serious, a side of her he hadn't yet seen. He wondered if there would be anything she could do and hoped that there was.

"There's no time!" He heard Juliet yell abruptly before pulling the curtain around everyone in the room.

James turned back to his drunk. The man was older with gray hair and a beard to match. The cops said he'd run a red light with his truck before plowing into the couple's car. From outside the room James watched as the nurse checked his vitals and stuck a band-aid over over a small cut on his forehead. Then the nurse told him to settle down and try to sleep before leaving.

"Don't I even get TV?!" The man yelled after her. He'd been placed in a psychiatric room so he could be monitored on a camera. The room contained only a bed.

"Hey man, just work with us for a while and we'll see about a TV ok?" James said.

"I don't need no mall cop babysittin' me either." He slurred before plopping onto the bed and crossing his arms over his chest.

James shook his head and took a position outside the doorway. This is gonna be a long day. He thought.

Screams erupted from the critical care room and feet moved furiously below the curtain. It wasn't long before a nurse closed the door.

"Can't you make these people shut up?" The man asked from his bed.

"It's the woman you ran over so why don't you shut up?" James snapped back at him. He'd come to learn that hospital security was supposed to have a little more tact and restraint than that of a homicide detective. So far he'd been having a little trouble controlling himself in that department.

"It ain't my fault they got in my way." He complained.

James resisted the urge to punch him. "You want TV or not?" He asked and received a nod. "Then I suggest you keep quiet."

Moments later the critical care door opened and baby cries filled the ER. James watched Juliet take a step out of the room and take a deep breath before looking around. Her eyes landed on his and they both smiled. James peeked in on his drunk to find him brooding on the bed. He took a few steps in Juliet's direction and they met halfway.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

"Everyone's great." She smiled again. "It's a girl."

James grinned. "Mom?"

"A couple broken bones from the accident, but she'll be ok."

"That's good. I was watchin' til they closed the doors. You were great in there."

"She did all the work. I just caught the baby." Juliet laughed.

A nurse appeared at Juliet's side. "Here's those scrubs, Dr. Burke." She handed her a pile of sea foam green fabric.

James looked down and realized her skirt, blouse, and jacket were stained with blood and other fluids he didn't care to identify.

Juliet followed his gaze. "Guess this outfit's done for. I better go change."

"Hey, since they're all ok, can I leave now?" The drunk poked his head out of the room.

James turned around and glared at him. "Sit." He said sternly. The man went back in and sat.

"Good luck with him." Juliet said before turning to leave the ER.

"Could I call you tonight?" James asked quickly. "Or if you're busy that's ok."

"No. I'd like that." Juliet smiled before walking away.

Juliet was in the living room with Rachel and Julian when her phone rang. Her heartbeat increased and she tried not to look too excited or nervous in front of her sister.

"Hello?" She said although she already knew who it was.

"Hey, Blondie."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "James."

He was beginning to really like the sound of his given name on her lips even though he requested everyone call him 'Jim'. He was in his own living room on the couch and heard shuffling sounds on the other end of the phone along with a muffled "No, Rachel" followed by laughter. The TV he could hear in the background got quieter until it disappeared altogether.

"Hi." She said again. "Sorry about that. Rachel decided she wanted to try to talk to you. You don't want that."

James laughed. "How'd the rest of your day go?"

"Well I had to go to my afternoon meetings in scrubs so it wasn't ideal, but could have been worse."

"I'm sure ya looked fine." He said. "And ya really did do great today. I wasn't expectin' that baby to make it."

"We got lucky."

James knew it wasn't luck. He'd looked her up one day while in the office. She really was one of the best in her field and he couldn't understand why she didn't seem to see it that way.

"How'd it go with the drunk driver?" She changed the subject.

"We gave him a TV after a while and he was fine. Was sleepin' when I left."

The conversation continued. Did she have the meatloaf for lunch today? No, she brought her lunch. But did he see the sorry excuse for pizza they served last week? He'd made the mistake of trying it. Talking between them was easy, natural. They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other.

Eventually during a lull in the conversation James paused. "Juliet?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing Saturday?"

Juliet grinned. She'd been hoping he'd ask for a second date. "Not a thing. What'd you wanna do?"

"Anything." He admitted and her smile grew wider. He began to ramble off some ideas. "We could go to the beach, the movies, out to eat.." He listed off some restaurants. "Or I could cook for you." He was prepared to keep going, but Juliet cut him off.

"You cook?" She asked almost laughing.

"Hell yeah I can cook!" If he'd had a dollar for every time someone doubted his cooking abilities James knew he'd be able to retire early. He liked to eat and he liked to eat good food so he'd learned how to cook.

Juliet laughed. "You don't seem like the cooking type."

"So I've heard. Tell you what. I'll make dinner then we can go to a movie. If it's no good we can go to that new girlie movie I'm sure yer dyin' to see."

"The one where they travel through time and fall in love?" She interrupted him.

"If that's the one where where they're professing their love while running away from flaming arrows in the commercial then yes."

"I thought it looked good."

James let out a hearty laugh. "But if the food is good we'll see the new spy movie with all guns and explosions."

Juliet laughed at his stereotypical movie choice. "It's a date." She said. "But no cheating!" She added.

"I wouldn't think of it!"

They talked a while longer before saying goodnight.

A few minutes later Rachel knocked on Juliet's door.

"Come in." She told her.

Rachel opened the door. "How's James?" She drew out his name, teasing her little sister.

Juliet laughed. "He's good. We're doing dinner and a movie on Saturday."

Rachel took a seat next to her sister on the bed. Her expression turned serious. "He's a good guy right Jules?"

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Why would I go out with him if he wasn't?"

Rachel looked at her pointedly. "Edmund." She said.

The younger sister's smile disappeared. "I think I've learned my lesson from that, ok? You don't need to remind me of how stupid I was."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt again." She answered honestly.

There was a moment of silence before Juliet spoke. "He won't hurt me, Rach. I know I haven't known him long, but I just have this feeling." Rachel eyed her doubtfully. "A good feeling. I really like him. And I think he feels the same. I've never felt like this before." Juliet paused. It was one thing to feel the way she was, another thing to voice it out loud. "It's like we have a connection." She tried to explain. "Like we've known each other for years already."

Rachel smiled warmly. "I hope you're right. You deserve to be happy."