Friends/Chicago Hope Crossover
"Aaron in New York" - Sequel to the Cruise
The day after the cruise ended, Aaron drove around New York thinking. About life, Monica and everything else. After the boat docked Aaron had to go and get a hotel
room. If he was planning on staying an extra week with Monica Geller, he had to have some place to call home base.As soon as a hotel room was secured, Aaron called his boss, Chief of Staff Phillip Watters in New York to make the request for the extra time
off. Phillip was more than happy to grant it.
"Stay a while Aaron. If you come back before Tuesday I may just have to fire you." Phillip said with what Aaron had hoped was a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"I'll try. The charms of this city are simply to tempting to resist." Aaron replied while hanging up. But of course he was not thinking of the city but of the wonderful young woman he had met.
Aaron had gotten the phone book to look up Monicas address. Monica mentioned on the boat she lived with a girlfriend and had some zany friends come over once in a while.
If they were all just a bit older it would be just like the hospital, particularly with Jack
McNeil following Dr Lisa Catera around like a love sick puppy.
He braked hard as a man jumped in front of his rental car.
"Jeffrey!" Aaron said finally recognizing the jaywalker. Jeffrey Geiger was Aarons close friend. He jumped into the car with Aaron.
"Nice job mowing me over Aaron. You know what Chicago Hope would do to you if they found out you ran me over at Times Square?"
"You mean besides the ticker tape parade Kate Austin will throw in my honor?" Aaron cracked.
"You're still funny." Jeffrey said flatly. "Where are we going?"
"We?" Aaron turned to Jeffrey. "How about we answer a different question first. What are you doing here?"
Monica puttered around the kitchen of her apartment trying to make everything just right when Aaron Shutt, the doctor she met on the cruise she had won a ticket from her best friend, came over. Aaron had called to let her know that he was on the way. But since he was so unfamiliar with the city, he had asked her to give him an hour to get there. She gave very precise instructions there. She was so specific in the directions, even Helen
Keller would be able to find her way around the city.
Monica so wanted to have an intimate evening alone with Aaron but now as it grew later she knew that was not possible. All her guy friends, Ross, Chandler and Joey. were using her tv to watch the big game and gal pals, Rachel and Phoebe, would not stop asking about the cruise.
"Come on Mon!" Rachel begged. "Throw us a bone already."
"She could throw you a bone but you still wouldnt get any info on the cruise." Chandler said not even turning his head.
"Ok." Monica said. "I met this really handsome doctor on the boat and we well spent a lot of time together."
"I thought doctors were your turn on Rachel." Phoebe said.
"Yeah, I must have rubbed off on you." Rachel noted.
"Fat chance the way she cleans things around here." Phoebe said.
"Anyway, I was cooking this dinner so we could be together. Alone." Monica explained heavy emphasis on "alone". "He lives in Chicago and he only got to stay a week here. If I don't see him as much as possible before he gets back there I don't know what I'm going to do."
"This is just like a soap opera. Except hes not dying. Right?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah. He is the most intelligent, generous, kind man I have ever met." Monica sighed.
"He'll be here any minute."
"Do you want us to go Monica?" Ross asked.
"Could that be any more obvious?" Monica addressed her brother. "It's not like you can't get this channel on the tv across the hall."
"Ok Monica." Rachel said. "We'll go."
Monica smiled and sighed. "Thank you."
In the car
Jeffrey smiled his famous grin. Hed been silent ever since Aaron asked him why he was in New York.
"I could ask you the same thing." Jeffrey explained. "The Aaron Shutt i know is no Mr Excitment Vacation Man. As soon as he can he gets back to work and its liek there was no vacation at all. Expecting this usual behavior..."
"You oughta be the psychiatrist." Aaron pointed out taking an prize opportunity to interupt a patented Jeffrey Geiger rant.
Ignoring him Jeffrey went on. "Expecting you to be back at the hospital and using the hard way to examine the human mind I called your office. No answer so what better alternative to talk to Phillip Watters, AKA the big boss."
"Uh huh." Aaron said as he paid the toll before crossing the bridge.
"He told me you asked for a week extension, and that in fact that you were still here in New York." Jeffrey said. "Long story short version..."
"Too late for that."
"I wanted to see what was keeping you here." Jeffrey finished. "So Aaron. Whats new?"
"Ok if you want to know whats up I will satisfy your nosey tendencies." Aaron couldnt resist smiling. "I met someone."
Jeffrey laughed for a minute, a minute too long Aaron thought. "Seriously, why are you here?" Aaron gave him a look. "Oh my are you serious?"
"More serious than I have ever been in my life." Aaron said. "Right before you threw yourself in front of my car I was on my way to see her."
"I see. Where are you gonna meet this chicky of the moment?"
"Monica Geller is no ordinary chicky." Aaron defended her. "Stop getting me mixed up with Danny Nyland."
"You both had the same tie one day, what was that?" Jeffrey said. "Sorry."
Aaron pulled up to a bus depot. "I'm soooo sorry but this is where you are getting off."
"What?"
"I'm gonna see Monica, I am not bringing an entourage." Aaron said. "You wanted to know what I am doing here fine, but you could have saved the airfare. Its called a phone Jeffrey. Have someone show you around it someday." Aaron said as Jeffrey got out of the car.
"Fine." Jeffrey said closing the door. "Do you mind telling me where you are dropping me off?"
"How the heck should I know?" Aaron said. "I've been lost for half an hour myself. But I am getting closer. I see the landmark Monica gave me. Some coffee place."
"You hate gourmet coffee." Jeffrey said as Aaron started to drive away.
"That doesnt seem so important right now." Aaron said to himself as he pulled into traffic.
Up the street a bit
Monica finished getting together what she hoped to a nice romantic dinner with Aaron. But so far everything had gone wrong that could go wrong. For instance she sent Phoebe on a simple shopping errand, emphasis on "simple". But Phoebe suceeded in bringing back the opposite of everything she wanted. She tried not to get mad at her, because Aaron was coming. After calming down she managed to shoo her couch hogging pals out of the apartment to realise one thing.
Aaron was half an hour late.
"Now this is starting to feel like a normal relationship." Monica said. "But hes new to the
city, I'll cut him some slack."
As Monica was making this comment there was a solitary and very hesistant knock at the door. Monica was about to yell "I'll get it!" she remembered she was alone.
Pulling herself together with a final look in the mirror Monica went to the door. She opened it and Aaron was in fact there.
"Hello." Monica said.
"Hi there." Aaron said. "Sorry I'm so late, I ran into an old friend, quite literally."
"That's all right. I kept msyelf busy." Monica said.
"Whats that lovely smell?" Aaron said smelling the air around her.
"It's either me or the food." Monica said remember she had to come up something creative to do with the wrong food order she got from Phoebe.
"I kinda thought I would meet your friends today. The ones I saw at the dock?" Aaron said.
"I thought that it would be better if we waited till like a second date till you met my friends. Some of them are a lot to take at one time." Monica said. "Time to eat."
"Good, I'm starving." Aaron admitted. Monica moved toward the table and Aaron took out her chair for her. "I could smell this all the way downstairs."
"Thanks." Monica smiled and looked into his eyes. "I hope you like it."
They spent the longest time just looking into each others eyes.
Aaron thought. "I think I'm falling in love in this woman. I'm feelings things that I havent felt since before I met Camille. Maybe coming here was a good idea after all. When I get back I should nominate Phillip for sainthood."
Aarons thoughts were interupted by a knock on the door. Monica snapped to reality. "I wonder who that is?"
Monica went up to answer the door. "I thought my friends wre gone for the night."
"Well if one of them came back I'd really like to meet one of them." Aaron said while drinking a little bit from his wine glass.
Monica smiled at him whiles she opened the door. She stood back a second.
"Hi guys." Monica said as she saw that her friends had come back. "Did you want to meet one or all of them?" Monica asked Aaron.
"I'm so sorry, Mon, I tried to stop them from coming back over but..." Rachel apologized.
"But they simply had to meet Aaron?" Monica finished her sentance. "It's ok. Come on in."
Aaron stood up and watched the friends come in and walk over in his direction. For a second he wasn't sure what he was getting into.
"Hi, Ross." Ross said extending his hand. "I wanted to meet the man thats made my sister so happy in only three days."
"Nice to meet you Ross." Aaron shook Ross's hand.
"This is Joey." Ross proceeded to intro the others to Aaron while Monica joined him at his side.
"Hi," Joey said and waved to him. "I played a doctor on tv. Dr Ramoray on Days of our lives." Joey threw the last bit in.
"I'm sorry I never watch soap operas." Aaron said. "I would bring a tv into my office but I think the patients would mind." Joey chortled.
"Chandler Bing." Chandler introduced himself.
"I'm Rachel, and this is Phoebe." Rachel said to him. "Youre cuter than Monica said."
"Rachel!" Monica objected.
"Thats quite all right. I wish all my office referrals were like that."
"So, how do you like the city?" Rachel asked. "Do you have a brother?"
Aaron couldnt help but chuckle. He suddenly felt like a teen idol heart-throb being swooned over by a legion, well one anyway, of fans. After the greeting section of the night was done everyone split off and did their own thing. Rachel had come a little closer as they talked.
"Uh thanks, I think. But remember I'm taken." Aaron said looking at Monica meaningfully. Rachel sighed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Rachel said. She leaned in closer. "I'm trying to make Ross jealous."
"I knew that." Aaron admitted. "So does he." Aaron said quieter. Rachel turned and looked at Ross. "I'm fairly certain he knows you still feel something him as he feels something for you as well."
"You are a good pyschiatrist." Rachel said.
"I hope not, I hope to be a surgeon again sometime soon."
"By the way how did you know about Ross and I." Rachel said as she started to turn away.
"Monica and I talked alot." Aaron told her.
There was a sudden shriek.
"Oh my god, someone help Joey." Chandler said pointing to Joey who seemed to have a hard time breathing.
Aaron ran over to him. "What happened?"
"Joey must have not chewed this h'our derve enough before he swallowed it. And I don't know the heimlich manuever."
Aaron quickly examined Joey. "It's too far down for the heimlich."
"Hows that possible?" Monica asked.
"Sometimes something gets pushed down too far in order to be just pushed back out."
Aaron said. "Call 911. I'm gonna have to do something right here and now if we are gonna get Joey to the hospital before he loses consciousness." Aaron looked
around."Quickly, give me that skewer over there and some alcohol."
"Joey cant drink if he can't swallow." Monica said getting the skewer.
"I need to sterilize it." Aaron said looking at Joey. "Joey I'm gonna make a small puncture right here and it will be able to breathe. Do you understand?" Joey nodded.
"Someone hold Joeys hand." Aaron said. Phoebe went to him and started singing softly to him. "Here we go."
The roomates waited on baited breath as Aaron started to make the puncture in a strategic location on Joeys throat. He eased it in and it seemed to cause no pain for Joey.
No visible pain anyway. The skewer seem to set something of in his throat and Joey started making weird gulping noises.
"Whats happening now?" Monica asked.
"Its a reflex." Aaron explained. "Like a furball, Joey is gonna spit out whatever choked him and he will be fine." As Aaron explained this Joey burped up the offending object and started to breath easily now. "We just need to go to the hospital to have the punction taken care of."
"Aaron, what would I ever do without you?" Monica said and kissed him on the cheek.
"I don't know." Aaron said as the ambulance guys arrived. "I was hoping not to have you find that out."
Monica smiled as Joey was helped out of the apartment.
"I gotta go with them." Aaron said.
"Me too." Monica said. "I am gonna have this date with you even if it kills me, and it already almost killed Joey."
Monica and Aaron followed behind the ambulence to the hospital in Aarons rental car.
"Sorry about Joey." Aaron apologized.
"Its not your fault he thought he could swallow that thing whole." Monica assured him.
"Yeah." Aaron. "We are having quite a relationship, cruises, impromptu surgery in someones kitchen."
"Hey, you came through with flying colors. You took charge of the situation and with a steady hand you saved Joeys life." Monica said smiling as it started to rain. "Maybe Phillip will give you back your job sooner than you will think."
"I'm not sure, bueracratic red tape around hospital is sticker and tighter than ever."
Aaron sighed as they stopped at a stop light. "It may be a while before I'm let back into an operating room. I'm certain of that."
"You want to know what I'm certain of?" Monica said coming a little closer to Aaron.
"Whats that?"
"I'm fairly certain I'm falling in love with you."
"Really?" Aaron said moving toward her. "I'm certain I am too. In fact..."
"Stop talking and kiss me." Monica said as they movedin to kiss. As they were about to kiss a loud horn sounded from behind them, and Monica and quickly seperated.
"The lights green you jackass!" The truckdriver behind them shouted.
"Sorry." Aaron said and drove through the stoplight. "It never ends does it?"
Monica smiled and laughed.
"Now where did that ambulence go?" Aaron said as they turned onto the parkway of the hospital.
No sooner than they had arrived Joey was all sewn up in the Er and ready to go home.
Aaron and Monica, soaking wet from running from the last parking space they could find got there in time to see Joey catching a cab.
"Hey Mon!" Joey said waving to her.
"Hey Joey, are you feeling all right?" Monica asked while shaking her hair dry.
"I'm fine now. Gotta remember: chew then swallow." Joey cracked as a cab finally arrived.
"He'll be fine." Monica said as Joey left.
"Well, well." Aaron heard a voice. "What do we have here, a cadet reunion?" Aaron instantly recognized it.
"Jeffrey, why are you following me? Are you like some kind of guardian angel?" Aaron said turning to see Jeffrey in back of him.
"I could be." Jeffrey said. He finally noticed Monica. "So this is the famous Ms Geller we have heard about. You better get her out of that wet outfit soon."
"Jeffrey." Aaron interuppted.
"I'm just worried about her welfare, about her getting a cold with the wet clothes." He turned to Monica. "Did you in anyway see any kind of sexual overtone in that?" Monica moved to speak. "Didn't think so."
"How did you know we would be here?" Aaron asked.
"I didn't, for your information." Jeffrey said. "I am here to do some research, as well as catch up on you once in a while."
"It's been more than once in a while Jeffrey." Aaron said. A pager went off and both naturally checked their pockets.
"Thats me." Jeffrey said looking at his pager. "Being nosey is patent Geiger, Aaron. I'll be around here as long as you are then I will go back to my hum drum life with Alicia."
"Great." Aaron said. "Goodbye Jeffrey."
Jeffrey took his cue and went back to whatever he was doing. Aaron didn't care. Monica was the only thing on his mind. That near miss-kiss in the car did it for him. He decided to do something radical. He only hoped Monica would want to do it as much as
he wanted to.
"Monica." Aaron took her hand. "We are never gonna be alone as long as we are here. Definately not as long as Jeffrey pops up unexpectantly in my life. I have a proposal."
"What?" Monica asked as they went outside. It was still raining and getting wet again didnt seem to bother them at all.
"You come to Chicago with me. I have a great place we can spend some time alone together. Just me and you and no Joey and more importantly no Jeffrey." Aaron said
wiping some hair out his eyes. "If you dont want to come with me, I will understand and we can try and eke out as intimate vacation here: even if we have to get a sleazy hotel, I want to be with you." Aaron kissed Monica on the lips. She was starting to feel all slimy
from the rain. He pulled away. "What do you think?"
"I would have to say...yes!" Monica said smiling. She blinked some rain out of her eyes.
"Yes, I will come to Chicago with you Aaron."
"Fabulous." Aaron pulled her close for a more intimate kiss. They looked at each other for a minute. "We better get out of these clothes like Jeffrey said. Your breasts are starting to show through your shirt."
"Aaron!" Monica said and laughed.
"For me, thats good, I guess. Plus we might hail a cab quicker." Aaron went out to the sidewalk. "We'll dry off at my hotel, get some clothes and go to Chicago."
"Chicago!" Monica said pulling her jacket closer. "I've never picked up and left like this before. This is gonna be a new experience for us all."
"Truly." Aaron said as a cab slowed down for them.
"Wettest first." Aaron said holding the door for her.She got in and they headed back to the hotel to get ready for tomorrow.
"Aaron in New York" - Sequel to the Cruise
The day after the cruise ended, Aaron drove around New York thinking. About life, Monica and everything else. After the boat docked Aaron had to go and get a hotel
room. If he was planning on staying an extra week with Monica Geller, he had to have some place to call home base.As soon as a hotel room was secured, Aaron called his boss, Chief of Staff Phillip Watters in New York to make the request for the extra time
off. Phillip was more than happy to grant it.
"Stay a while Aaron. If you come back before Tuesday I may just have to fire you." Phillip said with what Aaron had hoped was a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"I'll try. The charms of this city are simply to tempting to resist." Aaron replied while hanging up. But of course he was not thinking of the city but of the wonderful young woman he had met.
Aaron had gotten the phone book to look up Monicas address. Monica mentioned on the boat she lived with a girlfriend and had some zany friends come over once in a while.
If they were all just a bit older it would be just like the hospital, particularly with Jack
McNeil following Dr Lisa Catera around like a love sick puppy.
He braked hard as a man jumped in front of his rental car.
"Jeffrey!" Aaron said finally recognizing the jaywalker. Jeffrey Geiger was Aarons close friend. He jumped into the car with Aaron.
"Nice job mowing me over Aaron. You know what Chicago Hope would do to you if they found out you ran me over at Times Square?"
"You mean besides the ticker tape parade Kate Austin will throw in my honor?" Aaron cracked.
"You're still funny." Jeffrey said flatly. "Where are we going?"
"We?" Aaron turned to Jeffrey. "How about we answer a different question first. What are you doing here?"
Monica puttered around the kitchen of her apartment trying to make everything just right when Aaron Shutt, the doctor she met on the cruise she had won a ticket from her best friend, came over. Aaron had called to let her know that he was on the way. But since he was so unfamiliar with the city, he had asked her to give him an hour to get there. She gave very precise instructions there. She was so specific in the directions, even Helen
Keller would be able to find her way around the city.
Monica so wanted to have an intimate evening alone with Aaron but now as it grew later she knew that was not possible. All her guy friends, Ross, Chandler and Joey. were using her tv to watch the big game and gal pals, Rachel and Phoebe, would not stop asking about the cruise.
"Come on Mon!" Rachel begged. "Throw us a bone already."
"She could throw you a bone but you still wouldnt get any info on the cruise." Chandler said not even turning his head.
"Ok." Monica said. "I met this really handsome doctor on the boat and we well spent a lot of time together."
"I thought doctors were your turn on Rachel." Phoebe said.
"Yeah, I must have rubbed off on you." Rachel noted.
"Fat chance the way she cleans things around here." Phoebe said.
"Anyway, I was cooking this dinner so we could be together. Alone." Monica explained heavy emphasis on "alone". "He lives in Chicago and he only got to stay a week here. If I don't see him as much as possible before he gets back there I don't know what I'm going to do."
"This is just like a soap opera. Except hes not dying. Right?" Phoebe asked.
"Yeah. He is the most intelligent, generous, kind man I have ever met." Monica sighed.
"He'll be here any minute."
"Do you want us to go Monica?" Ross asked.
"Could that be any more obvious?" Monica addressed her brother. "It's not like you can't get this channel on the tv across the hall."
"Ok Monica." Rachel said. "We'll go."
Monica smiled and sighed. "Thank you."
In the car
Jeffrey smiled his famous grin. Hed been silent ever since Aaron asked him why he was in New York.
"I could ask you the same thing." Jeffrey explained. "The Aaron Shutt i know is no Mr Excitment Vacation Man. As soon as he can he gets back to work and its liek there was no vacation at all. Expecting this usual behavior..."
"You oughta be the psychiatrist." Aaron pointed out taking an prize opportunity to interupt a patented Jeffrey Geiger rant.
Ignoring him Jeffrey went on. "Expecting you to be back at the hospital and using the hard way to examine the human mind I called your office. No answer so what better alternative to talk to Phillip Watters, AKA the big boss."
"Uh huh." Aaron said as he paid the toll before crossing the bridge.
"He told me you asked for a week extension, and that in fact that you were still here in New York." Jeffrey said. "Long story short version..."
"Too late for that."
"I wanted to see what was keeping you here." Jeffrey finished. "So Aaron. Whats new?"
"Ok if you want to know whats up I will satisfy your nosey tendencies." Aaron couldnt resist smiling. "I met someone."
Jeffrey laughed for a minute, a minute too long Aaron thought. "Seriously, why are you here?" Aaron gave him a look. "Oh my are you serious?"
"More serious than I have ever been in my life." Aaron said. "Right before you threw yourself in front of my car I was on my way to see her."
"I see. Where are you gonna meet this chicky of the moment?"
"Monica Geller is no ordinary chicky." Aaron defended her. "Stop getting me mixed up with Danny Nyland."
"You both had the same tie one day, what was that?" Jeffrey said. "Sorry."
Aaron pulled up to a bus depot. "I'm soooo sorry but this is where you are getting off."
"What?"
"I'm gonna see Monica, I am not bringing an entourage." Aaron said. "You wanted to know what I am doing here fine, but you could have saved the airfare. Its called a phone Jeffrey. Have someone show you around it someday." Aaron said as Jeffrey got out of the car.
"Fine." Jeffrey said closing the door. "Do you mind telling me where you are dropping me off?"
"How the heck should I know?" Aaron said. "I've been lost for half an hour myself. But I am getting closer. I see the landmark Monica gave me. Some coffee place."
"You hate gourmet coffee." Jeffrey said as Aaron started to drive away.
"That doesnt seem so important right now." Aaron said to himself as he pulled into traffic.
Up the street a bit
Monica finished getting together what she hoped to a nice romantic dinner with Aaron. But so far everything had gone wrong that could go wrong. For instance she sent Phoebe on a simple shopping errand, emphasis on "simple". But Phoebe suceeded in bringing back the opposite of everything she wanted. She tried not to get mad at her, because Aaron was coming. After calming down she managed to shoo her couch hogging pals out of the apartment to realise one thing.
Aaron was half an hour late.
"Now this is starting to feel like a normal relationship." Monica said. "But hes new to the
city, I'll cut him some slack."
As Monica was making this comment there was a solitary and very hesistant knock at the door. Monica was about to yell "I'll get it!" she remembered she was alone.
Pulling herself together with a final look in the mirror Monica went to the door. She opened it and Aaron was in fact there.
"Hello." Monica said.
"Hi there." Aaron said. "Sorry I'm so late, I ran into an old friend, quite literally."
"That's all right. I kept msyelf busy." Monica said.
"Whats that lovely smell?" Aaron said smelling the air around her.
"It's either me or the food." Monica said remember she had to come up something creative to do with the wrong food order she got from Phoebe.
"I kinda thought I would meet your friends today. The ones I saw at the dock?" Aaron said.
"I thought that it would be better if we waited till like a second date till you met my friends. Some of them are a lot to take at one time." Monica said. "Time to eat."
"Good, I'm starving." Aaron admitted. Monica moved toward the table and Aaron took out her chair for her. "I could smell this all the way downstairs."
"Thanks." Monica smiled and looked into his eyes. "I hope you like it."
They spent the longest time just looking into each others eyes.
Aaron thought. "I think I'm falling in love in this woman. I'm feelings things that I havent felt since before I met Camille. Maybe coming here was a good idea after all. When I get back I should nominate Phillip for sainthood."
Aarons thoughts were interupted by a knock on the door. Monica snapped to reality. "I wonder who that is?"
Monica went up to answer the door. "I thought my friends wre gone for the night."
"Well if one of them came back I'd really like to meet one of them." Aaron said while drinking a little bit from his wine glass.
Monica smiled at him whiles she opened the door. She stood back a second.
"Hi guys." Monica said as she saw that her friends had come back. "Did you want to meet one or all of them?" Monica asked Aaron.
"I'm so sorry, Mon, I tried to stop them from coming back over but..." Rachel apologized.
"But they simply had to meet Aaron?" Monica finished her sentance. "It's ok. Come on in."
Aaron stood up and watched the friends come in and walk over in his direction. For a second he wasn't sure what he was getting into.
"Hi, Ross." Ross said extending his hand. "I wanted to meet the man thats made my sister so happy in only three days."
"Nice to meet you Ross." Aaron shook Ross's hand.
"This is Joey." Ross proceeded to intro the others to Aaron while Monica joined him at his side.
"Hi," Joey said and waved to him. "I played a doctor on tv. Dr Ramoray on Days of our lives." Joey threw the last bit in.
"I'm sorry I never watch soap operas." Aaron said. "I would bring a tv into my office but I think the patients would mind." Joey chortled.
"Chandler Bing." Chandler introduced himself.
"I'm Rachel, and this is Phoebe." Rachel said to him. "Youre cuter than Monica said."
"Rachel!" Monica objected.
"Thats quite all right. I wish all my office referrals were like that."
"So, how do you like the city?" Rachel asked. "Do you have a brother?"
Aaron couldnt help but chuckle. He suddenly felt like a teen idol heart-throb being swooned over by a legion, well one anyway, of fans. After the greeting section of the night was done everyone split off and did their own thing. Rachel had come a little closer as they talked.
"Uh thanks, I think. But remember I'm taken." Aaron said looking at Monica meaningfully. Rachel sighed.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Rachel said. She leaned in closer. "I'm trying to make Ross jealous."
"I knew that." Aaron admitted. "So does he." Aaron said quieter. Rachel turned and looked at Ross. "I'm fairly certain he knows you still feel something him as he feels something for you as well."
"You are a good pyschiatrist." Rachel said.
"I hope not, I hope to be a surgeon again sometime soon."
"By the way how did you know about Ross and I." Rachel said as she started to turn away.
"Monica and I talked alot." Aaron told her.
There was a sudden shriek.
"Oh my god, someone help Joey." Chandler said pointing to Joey who seemed to have a hard time breathing.
Aaron ran over to him. "What happened?"
"Joey must have not chewed this h'our derve enough before he swallowed it. And I don't know the heimlich manuever."
Aaron quickly examined Joey. "It's too far down for the heimlich."
"Hows that possible?" Monica asked.
"Sometimes something gets pushed down too far in order to be just pushed back out."
Aaron said. "Call 911. I'm gonna have to do something right here and now if we are gonna get Joey to the hospital before he loses consciousness." Aaron looked
around."Quickly, give me that skewer over there and some alcohol."
"Joey cant drink if he can't swallow." Monica said getting the skewer.
"I need to sterilize it." Aaron said looking at Joey. "Joey I'm gonna make a small puncture right here and it will be able to breathe. Do you understand?" Joey nodded.
"Someone hold Joeys hand." Aaron said. Phoebe went to him and started singing softly to him. "Here we go."
The roomates waited on baited breath as Aaron started to make the puncture in a strategic location on Joeys throat. He eased it in and it seemed to cause no pain for Joey.
No visible pain anyway. The skewer seem to set something of in his throat and Joey started making weird gulping noises.
"Whats happening now?" Monica asked.
"Its a reflex." Aaron explained. "Like a furball, Joey is gonna spit out whatever choked him and he will be fine." As Aaron explained this Joey burped up the offending object and started to breath easily now. "We just need to go to the hospital to have the punction taken care of."
"Aaron, what would I ever do without you?" Monica said and kissed him on the cheek.
"I don't know." Aaron said as the ambulance guys arrived. "I was hoping not to have you find that out."
Monica smiled as Joey was helped out of the apartment.
"I gotta go with them." Aaron said.
"Me too." Monica said. "I am gonna have this date with you even if it kills me, and it already almost killed Joey."
Monica and Aaron followed behind the ambulence to the hospital in Aarons rental car.
"Sorry about Joey." Aaron apologized.
"Its not your fault he thought he could swallow that thing whole." Monica assured him.
"Yeah." Aaron. "We are having quite a relationship, cruises, impromptu surgery in someones kitchen."
"Hey, you came through with flying colors. You took charge of the situation and with a steady hand you saved Joeys life." Monica said smiling as it started to rain. "Maybe Phillip will give you back your job sooner than you will think."
"I'm not sure, bueracratic red tape around hospital is sticker and tighter than ever."
Aaron sighed as they stopped at a stop light. "It may be a while before I'm let back into an operating room. I'm certain of that."
"You want to know what I'm certain of?" Monica said coming a little closer to Aaron.
"Whats that?"
"I'm fairly certain I'm falling in love with you."
"Really?" Aaron said moving toward her. "I'm certain I am too. In fact..."
"Stop talking and kiss me." Monica said as they movedin to kiss. As they were about to kiss a loud horn sounded from behind them, and Monica and quickly seperated.
"The lights green you jackass!" The truckdriver behind them shouted.
"Sorry." Aaron said and drove through the stoplight. "It never ends does it?"
Monica smiled and laughed.
"Now where did that ambulence go?" Aaron said as they turned onto the parkway of the hospital.
No sooner than they had arrived Joey was all sewn up in the Er and ready to go home.
Aaron and Monica, soaking wet from running from the last parking space they could find got there in time to see Joey catching a cab.
"Hey Mon!" Joey said waving to her.
"Hey Joey, are you feeling all right?" Monica asked while shaking her hair dry.
"I'm fine now. Gotta remember: chew then swallow." Joey cracked as a cab finally arrived.
"He'll be fine." Monica said as Joey left.
"Well, well." Aaron heard a voice. "What do we have here, a cadet reunion?" Aaron instantly recognized it.
"Jeffrey, why are you following me? Are you like some kind of guardian angel?" Aaron said turning to see Jeffrey in back of him.
"I could be." Jeffrey said. He finally noticed Monica. "So this is the famous Ms Geller we have heard about. You better get her out of that wet outfit soon."
"Jeffrey." Aaron interuppted.
"I'm just worried about her welfare, about her getting a cold with the wet clothes." He turned to Monica. "Did you in anyway see any kind of sexual overtone in that?" Monica moved to speak. "Didn't think so."
"How did you know we would be here?" Aaron asked.
"I didn't, for your information." Jeffrey said. "I am here to do some research, as well as catch up on you once in a while."
"It's been more than once in a while Jeffrey." Aaron said. A pager went off and both naturally checked their pockets.
"Thats me." Jeffrey said looking at his pager. "Being nosey is patent Geiger, Aaron. I'll be around here as long as you are then I will go back to my hum drum life with Alicia."
"Great." Aaron said. "Goodbye Jeffrey."
Jeffrey took his cue and went back to whatever he was doing. Aaron didn't care. Monica was the only thing on his mind. That near miss-kiss in the car did it for him. He decided to do something radical. He only hoped Monica would want to do it as much as
he wanted to.
"Monica." Aaron took her hand. "We are never gonna be alone as long as we are here. Definately not as long as Jeffrey pops up unexpectantly in my life. I have a proposal."
"What?" Monica asked as they went outside. It was still raining and getting wet again didnt seem to bother them at all.
"You come to Chicago with me. I have a great place we can spend some time alone together. Just me and you and no Joey and more importantly no Jeffrey." Aaron said
wiping some hair out his eyes. "If you dont want to come with me, I will understand and we can try and eke out as intimate vacation here: even if we have to get a sleazy hotel, I want to be with you." Aaron kissed Monica on the lips. She was starting to feel all slimy
from the rain. He pulled away. "What do you think?"
"I would have to say...yes!" Monica said smiling. She blinked some rain out of her eyes.
"Yes, I will come to Chicago with you Aaron."
"Fabulous." Aaron pulled her close for a more intimate kiss. They looked at each other for a minute. "We better get out of these clothes like Jeffrey said. Your breasts are starting to show through your shirt."
"Aaron!" Monica said and laughed.
"For me, thats good, I guess. Plus we might hail a cab quicker." Aaron went out to the sidewalk. "We'll dry off at my hotel, get some clothes and go to Chicago."
"Chicago!" Monica said pulling her jacket closer. "I've never picked up and left like this before. This is gonna be a new experience for us all."
"Truly." Aaron said as a cab slowed down for them.
"Wettest first." Aaron said holding the door for her.She got in and they headed back to the hotel to get ready for tomorrow.