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Cori opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times to clear the fuzziness. Oh good heavens her head was pounding. Slowly she sat up in bed, the sheet falling down to her lap. "Ohhhh" she groaned. "That's it. I swear.. this is the last time I go ten rounds with a scotch bottle… Rounds… I've got rounds to do." One leg at a time, she swung herself out of bed, stretching until her feet hit the floor.
Gingerly she stood up, her head threatening to roll off of her shoulders. Her bloodshot eyes searched for something to wear… no, her clothes… she had clothing on last night. A shiver ran over her body and she looked down. "Oh God. This… this isn't my room." she whispered at the sight of her mostly naked body. She remembered she usually slept in the nude, but now she had her bra, panties and her … socks? The headache suddenly receded as she looked around the room in an almost panic. "Please, tell me I didn't…"
She spied her clothing neatly folded up on top of the dresser and her shoes sitting on the floor next to the cabinet.
--
Nick's eyes opened when he heard the car door slam. Cori… Quickly he threw back the blanket and sheets and bolted up. By the time he got to the window and looked out, all he could see was her taillights disappearing down the street. "Damn," he sighed. He'd wanted to explain it to her before she left, explain what had happened. He highly doubted she would remember any of it considering just how loaded she truly was last night.
He glanced at the clock and saw it was 7 am. He had to be at work in an hour to start his shift. He sighed and wandered back into the bedroom and flopped down on the bed. The mussed spot that she'd slept was still warm. Involuntarily he curled up around her pillow and drifted off into a light doze for another 15 minutes. Maybe he should call in sick today and just rest.
--
"What happened to you?"
Cori looked up from her desk and groaned at her nurse. Ellie had been 'her' nurse for years since she came to work at Presidio. She was the head pediatric nurse and the two of them had formed a strong trust and understanding with each other.
"Let's see… bloodshot eyes, same clothes you were in yesterday… although I have to admit, I'm impressed that they're not wrinkled and rumpled."
"Ellie."
"Yes Doctor Cori?" she said evenly, a teasing twinkle in her eyes.
Cori looked up, a pathetic look on her face. "I need breakfast, coffee, a shower, some scrubs and a little touch of makeup to cover these dark circles."
"Scrubs, check." Ellie laughed and tossed the burgundy colored scrubs she'd hidden behind her back at Cori. "Coffee and breakfast I can get while you're showering down in the locker room. And if I remember right, you've got a spare make-up bag in the top drawer of your desk."
"You're an angel. Thanks Ellie."
As Ellie turned to close the door, a deliveryman walked up and smiled. "I have a delivery for a Dr. Cori?"
Ellie oooo'd as Cori stood up, somewhat wobbly and reached for the pen. The young man brought in a vase filled to bursting with green leaves - and about three dozen small snack sized Pecan Delight 'flowers'. Cori grinned as she read the enclosed card. Ellie winked knowingly left to go get the coffee. Cori picked the scrubs and hustled down to the locker room for a shower, thinking back to the previous night. A smile graced her lips as she remembered Nick and his compassionate ear. He was a gentleman too. Cori remembered the strength in his hands and his arms as he caught her while she tumbled off of the barstool, how he half-carried her into his apartment. If she could ever remember what had happened after that, it would remain their little secret…
--
Nick stopped at the desk on his way down the hall. All morning he'd been flighty and half there. He knew why too. His mind kept turning back to Cori and last night. Another smile lit his lips as he felt his pager go off. Another surgical consultation with Matt Slingerland. As he sighed and handed the chart back to the nurse, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Looking up, he saw Rae standing next to him.
"Good Morning." He said quietly.
"I should say so." She replied rather stonily. "Enjoy yourself last night?"
"If I did, I fail to see where it's any concern of yours."
The nurse behind the desk swallowed and picked up a chart, vacating the desk in a hurry.
"Oh, I can't imagine. Could it be the fact that I watched you carry a completely shit-faced Cori Eleszara out of the bar last night?"
Nick put his pen down and turned to look at Rae. What did he ever see in her? Slingerland had it all wrong when he called Cori the 'Viperous Bitch'. That title belonged to Rae Brennan all alone. "First off, Dr. Brennan, there is more to Dr. Cori and last night than her being drunk. Something that if any of you other physicians around here had ever taken the time to get to know her, you'd understand why she got herself that way last night. Secondly, I was being a friend by driving her home. Would you have preferred that she tried to drive herself home and possibly get into an accident? That's too cold, even for a shrew like you. Now, I have patients to go see, Dr. Brennan.
Rae blinked as Nick picked up his chart and walked off. When would he learn that she wasn't trying to be the bad person? All she wanted was what they had before he decided he wanted to change things.
--
Nick spied Dr. Cori at the nurse's station filling out some paperwork. He had to smile. In so short a time she'd grown on him and he looked forward everyday to seeing her wild hair and personality around the hospital. She was in scrubs today instead of her usual slacks and blouse. More likely than not it was because the clothes she wore yesterday were the clothes she was forced to wear this morning when she left his apartment. A smile crept across his face as he thought of her asleep in his bed last night. Slowly his eyes swept over her burgundy scrubs and the crisp white tennis shoes she had on. Even with the stethoscope around her neck and her hair in still damp messy curls she looked appealing. He was beginning to believe that this spitfire of a woman would look good in anything.
Cori smiled to herself as she heard Nick stop next to her at the nurse's station. She listened as he gave his orders to the nurse and heard his pen signing off his name on the chart.
"Dr. Cori." he said pleasantly, with a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Dr. Koko." she replied in the same manner as she signed off on her own chart. Handing it to the nurse, she winked and turned to walk past Nick while softly humming "Bye bye Miss American Pie…"
Nick smiled. He'd discovered that he liked being called 'Dr. Koko'... but so long as she was the only one to call him that.
"Drove my Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry…" Cori grinned, winking at the nurse as she slipped behind Nick... and grabbed a hefty handful of his firm behind.
Nick jumped, his head snapping up and eyes wide in shock as he felt Cori's hand on his rear end. He caught the nurse grinning like a fool as he turned to see Cori walking past him and down the hall, her voice echoing back as she half danced down the hallway. He turned back to the nurse, who smiled back to him. "You didn't see that."
The nurse shook her head ferociously. "No Sir." But she couldn't hide the bubble of laughter as he walked off the opposite direction, a light spring in his step and humming the same tune Dr. Cori was.
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