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Nick came down the hallway and stopped.  Down the hallway, he heard singing.  It sounded like Cori's voice.  Curious, he started walking again, stopping only when he turned in to Scott Philders' room.  Looking on quietly, he saw Mr. Philders sitting with Mrs. Philders in the corner at the foot of the bed and Cori sitting on the edge of the bed with Scott's good hand grasped tightly in hers.  It was indeed her voice that he'd heard singing.

"free my son, let him walk right through the rain… free my son, make him waterboy… free my son, there he stands down on the shore… free my son"

She only stopped when she saw Scott's eyes move from her face to someone behind her.  Turning her head, Cori saw Nick standing there and then felt all the color drain out of her face at once.  "Dr. Koko-" she stuttered out.

Nick chuckled as she let go of Scott's hand and stood up.  "Good Morning Dr. Cori.  And Good Morning Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Philders.  How are you feeling?"  He picked up the chart and scanned it quickly.

"I'm OK Dr. Kokoris," Scott said quietly.  "They gave me something to make me sleep.  Dr. Cori here was just helping me relax."

"Oh she was, eh?  Is it working?"

"Just like a charm, Sir.  She always puts me to sleep, has since I was a little baby and mom couldn't get me to sleep through the night."  Scott's eyes drifted shut and for a few moments he was out cold.  Then he opened his eyes and looked at Dr. Kokoris.  "She's got the voice of an angel."

Nick looked up at a pale Cori and winked.  He still remembered the chocolate taste of her kiss yesterday.  It nagged at him all night and kept him awake.  "Yes, I can see where she does.  OK Scott, I want you to go ahead and relax even more if you can and let the anesthesia take effect.  You'll be awake and able to hear me all the way into the OR.  Once the anesthesiologist gives you the sedative to put you under, we'll start the procedure, OK?"

Scott nodded slowly.  "Yup…  hey Doc…"

"Yes Scott?"

"Can ya give me a tattoo while I'm out?  I'd get one for my birthday next week, but I'm afraid of needles."

Cori coughed to cover the giggle and Nick smiled.  "Can't do that.  But how about a nice scar that the girls will go ga-ga over?  Guaranteed to get some sympathy out of them."

"That'll work too.  Chicks dig scars…" he whispered as he passed out for a few more seconds.

In that time, the orderlies came in and wheeled Scott down to the elevator.  Cori followed behind his parents who were right behind the orderlies.  Nick caught hold of her arm and stopped her.  She turned around and looked up at him.  "What?"

"You sing?"

Cori laughed and carefully pulled her arm from his grip.  "Yeah, for my patients and in the car where no one can hear me.  I've found that the kids love to hear a soothing voice sing them to sleep when they're on drugs to put them under."

"And that particular song?"

"Waterboy by LIVE.  It's his favorite, has been since he was a little kid.  Each patient has their favorite that helps them relax."

Nick just stood there looking at her with an amazed feeling.  The more he got to know her, the more and more he was thinking that she was a rather amazing woman.  And probably falling for her too.

"Dr. Kokoris?"

Nick looked up from Cori and down the hallway where the orderlies were holding the elevator.  He nodded and bent down to give Cori a quick kiss , running his tongue across the seam of her lips before he turned and hurried down the hall to the elevator.

Cori stared after him, her lips numb again.  One hand came up and curled around the earpieces of her stethoscope as the other gingerly touched her lips.  A giggle escaped her lips as she turned and headed towards the elevators that would take her to the observation room of the OR.

Rae frowned.  She had been on the pediatric floor to see a patient of her own and had seen the discussion between Nick and Dr. Cori.  It looked too intimate by far and for some reason it nagged at her.  She didn't like the feelings the sight of the two of them standing together brought about in her.  She hated the feelings that came from seeing him kiss her.  Were they romantically involved?  Had they slept together?  Did she make the moves or did he?  As Dr. Cori walked by, oblivious to everyone around, Rae turned and followed her.  Perhaps it was time for a small discussion.

****