Changing Faces – by Brownie and noisemaker
Note: Umm, next scene? And same disclaimer.
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"Good morning Dr. Weaver, and how are you this fine day?" Romano said, stepping out of the elevator to find Weaver passing by.
"Great, Robert, considering the fact that our phsyc patients are back up."
"Real subtle, Kerry," Romano said, "Still have it out for me about that? I won't explain myself again."
"I didn't ask you to, Robert," Weaver said, grabbing a chart as she passed by one of the trauma rooms, "I know why you did what you did. I'm just surprised you haven't attempted to destroy my career lately."
"Now why would I do a thing like that when there are so many more fun options?"
Weaver stopped walking and turned to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Absolutely nothing," Romano said.
"I know you better than that, Robert," Weaver said, pointing her crutch at him, "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm just saying that it would be a shame if some of the other doctors around here were to find out. I know some would be understanding and all, but I know a certain young Italian that might… benefit from such information."
Weaver could feel the color drain from her face. "You didn't."
Romano showed his hands in mock innocense. "Hey, would it be my fault if he happened to be in the area of my office while I was discussing with myself your little tantrum in the men's room? I cannot control the eavesdropping of your ER doctors, that's your job."
It was beat him with the crutch or storm away. Weaver chose to storm away this time, knowing that if she beat his head, one of the other doctors would just bring him back anyway. On her way to admit, who did she run into but that damned "young Italian" that Romano had spoken of.
"Hey chief, how you doin'?" he asked, small grin on his face. She wanted to smack it right off his face.
"Oh shuttup Malucci, you don't know the whole story." She decided curtains would be a better place to fume about this, and disappeared in that direction.
Malucci was left there with his jaw hanging.
"What was that all about?" Kovac asked, coming up behind him.
"I just asked her how she was, and she exploded in my face," he said. It was obvious that Kovac didn't believe him. "I'm serious, I haven't pulled a prank all morning. She's just in a lousy mood."
"Maybe she was talking to Romano again," Kovac said.
"Yea, that'd piss anyone off, but she's never been like that because of him."
"Maybe she's still angry about Kim being fired," Kovac suggested, shrugging.
"She was fired? Why am I always the last to know everything?" Malucci asked no one in particular. "But why would that have the chief so pissed off… you know something, don't you." Kovac rolled his eyes. Malucci sure knew how to make a pest of himself. "Come on, Dr. Kovac, what do you know? Why would she care if Dr. Legaspi was fired…. hey wait a minute." Kovac decided that was a good time to escape. Maybe he could lose Malucci before he actually did guess. "Dr. Kovac, wait up!"
"I have patients to see, Dave, go away," he said, grabbing a random chart from admit.
"What's going on?" Frank asked from behind the desk, "Sounds like the kid is out of the loop again." Kovac glared at him before attempting to escape again.
"But you know something, don't you? Come on Dr. Kovac, what did she tell you?" Both disappeared into the closest trauma room as Abby walked by.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"Don't look at me," Frank said, shrugging, "I'm out of the loop."
Carter appeared from around a corner and started looking at the board. "Anything interesting today, Frank?" he asked. He purposely didn't look at Abby, and she didn't look at him. This act had been going on for a while now, and no one commented on it anymore.
"It's been dead in here all morning," Frank said.
"That busy, huh?"
"No, literally. We lost three patients this morning."
"Real funny, Frank," Carter said, looking at him out the corner of his eye. The fat little man had always had a warped sense of humor.
Suddenly Kovac and Malucci bursted out of the trauma room, Kovac looking a bit frazzled. "Come on, all you have to do is affirm my guess, you didn't actually tell me anything," Malucci said, chasing Kovac around the desk.
"I don't have the right to give you that information," Kovac said, "Just leave me alone."
"But you know, right? You know whether I'm right or wrong, which means that I'm right, doesn't it? Oh come on, just yes or no, Dr. Kovac!"
"Yes! You're right! Okay, are you happy?" Kovac had obviosly reached the end of his rope. "You're like a pestering little child, you know that Malucci? I don't suppose your going to wheedle for more details now, are you? Because I don't know anything else."
"No, no, this'll do for now," Malucci said, rubbing his hands as if plotting an evil plan.
"You never heard it from me."
"Heard what?" Carter asked. He, Abby, and Frank were all watching the two of them now. Their discussion had gotten very interesting.
"Don't you start," Kovac said, pointing a finger at him. Then he disappeared into the lounge. Malucci just stood there with a triumphant grin on his face.
"Well?" Carter asked, turning to him, "What's this all about?"
"Hey, I'm not the last one to know something for once, and I'm not about to divulge the bunch of you just yet. I haven't relished it enough yet." All three rolled their eyes in unison. "Yea, yea, laugh it up," he said.
"You know what you sound like?" Abby asked, "A little kid saying 'I know something you don't know'."
"Well, I do know something you don't know, and you're just jealous." He stuck his tongue out at them, then walked away, whistling happily.
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Oh pile of wonderful reviews, do tell us should we continue on this venture or drop it like a bunch of bricks.