I disclaim! Thanks for reading!
Chapter 6: Friends or Lovers?
Two Weeks Later. . . Salem University Hospital Cafeteria. . .
Chloe caught herself grinning madly at the cafeteria table in Salem University Hospital. She was on her lunch break and convinced Belle to take her lunch break as well. It didn't take much convincing though, as Belle and Chloe usually tried to make it a habit of meeting for lunch. As she waited for Belle to join her, she thought about the last two weeks, filled mostly with Brady, spending time with him, getting to know him. Popping an Oreo cookie in her mouth, she thought of last night when he surprised her by calling her at home.
*Flashback*
Chloe crashed on her couch, her feet aching from spending a tedious twelve- hour day at work. Holding a bag of Double Stuffed Oreo cookies to her chest and draping a blanket over her feet, she flipped on the TV. "Ahhhh. . . an 'I Love Lucy' marathon. Perfect." She snuggled deeper into the couch and popped an Oreo cookie into her mouth. If not for the ringing of the phone, Chloe would have happily drifted into Oreo cookie bliss. "Hello," she practically barked into the phone.
"Chloe, it's me."
"Brady?"
"Yeah," he replied, snuggling deeper into his hospital bed. "I hope it's okay that I called."
"Yeah, of course it is. I said you could call me at any time. Is something wrong?"
"No, no, nothing's wrong. I was just sitting here thinking."
"About?"
"About us."
"Us," Chloe swallowed. As far as she was miserably concerned, Brady had never given her any indication that he wanted anything more than friendship.
"Yeah, I'm sitting here watching the 'I Love Lucy' marathon on TV Land-"
"You're kidding. So am I."
"Liar."
"I swear, Brady! Lucy is filling her shirt with chocolate as we speak."
"Okay, so you're not lying," he grinned.
"No, I'm not. So what does 'I Love Lucy' have to do with us? 'Splain Brady, " she joked.
"Well, I was watching Fred and Ethyl exchange these barbs and it just reminded me of us."
"I remind you of Ethyl? A middle-aged, overweight nag?"
"Well, not physically, Chloe. You do tend to nag but you are much hotter than Ethyl."
"Thank you. Thank you," Chloe laughed and popped in another cookie.
"So what are you wearing?" He let his voice grow unbelievably husky, too husky to be sexy.
"Ha. Ha," Chloe smiled through her full mouth.
"What are you eating," Brady could hear the chewing through the phone.
"Nothing," Chloe's mouth snapped shut.
"Seriously, what are you eating? I am starved here."
"You had dinner. I saw you get your dinner this evening, Brady."
"Chloe," he whined. "I can't help it when I get hungry."
"Oreo cookies."
"Original? Chocolate Crème? Peppermint?"
"Double Stuffed."
"Ahhh. . . Chloe. You're probably sitting there on your couch, freshly showered, in a black teddy, hair loose and untamed, stuffing your face with Oreo cookies. Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. . . do you know what you do to me?"
"You are such a nut."
*End of Flashback*
Belle took a seat at a cafeteria table, laying her tray of salad, yogurt, and bottled water on the table. "So anyways, Shawn thinks we should go away to Cancun. But I asked him 'when am I going to get the time off.' He just doesn't understand. But men never do, do they?. . . Chloe?. . . Chloe?"
"Hmm?" She stopped twirling the Oreo between her fingers.
"Lemme guess. You were thinking about my brother."
"Maybe a little." She blushed.
"Chloe, why don't you just ask him over for dinner or something?"
"Yeah Belle, I'll just sneak him out of the hospital and we can order Chinese and crack open fortune cookies on his leg casts."
Belle giggled at the image of Chloe and Brady having a riot, cracking fortune cookies on his casts. "I meant when he gets out of the hospital."
"It's not like that between Brady and me."
"Well, tell me how it is then, because you seem really interested and so does he."
"No, Brady thinks we're just friends."
"And you don't," Belle finished.
"No, it's not that. It's just. . . we are friends, you know? And I don't love him. I mean I've only known him for a few weeks so I have no claim on him. But it's just. . . have you ever connected with someone before? I mean, really connected. . . so that you finish each other's sentences and don't mind making a complete fool out of yourself? You almost revel in it. You just feel so comfortable in your own skin."
"That's the way Shawn and I are now, but I guess we didn't start out that way."
"Well, that's how it is between me and Brady now. I just feel so silly talking about it. But Brady and I just fit. I feel it. I just wish he would."
"Maybe he does, Chloe."
"No, I'm pretty sure Brady considers me just a friend."
"Well," Belle smiled. "Look at it this way, Brady has like zero friends, so he must feel something for you."
"Greeeeat," Chloe muttered, picking at the bun of her chicken sandwich. "I guess I'm just sad because maybe all that soulmate business was wrong. Maybe Brady and I are meant to be friends and that's it. I can't really complain though. I was always whining that I never could find a great guy friend. They always end up thinking I want more than friendship."
"Exactly," Belle took a bite of salad. "And hey, what's meant to be is meant to be. In other words, Brady will come around eventually. He's always been a little slow," Belle joked.
Chloe laughed in spite of her glum mood.
****************
Brady grinned as he thought about the last two weeks. He and Chloe had gotten pretty close. They talked all the time now and discovered they had quite a lot in common. Every time Chloe got a chance to talk with him she would and every time her shift was over she was in here, keeping him company, making him laugh, cheering him up. Brady often wondered if she ever went home. He'd made nice with the rest of the nursing staff as well and they all adored him now. He couldn't blame them: he was a pretty great guy. He thought back to only this morning when he and Chloe had been caught.
*Flashback*
"Oh," Chloe cried, punching Brady's good shoulder. "You cheater!" She jokingly threatened him with the infamous pitcher of water.
"I am so not cheating, Chloe. You just suck at Go Fish. Which I didn't even think it was possible for anyone to suck at this, but you continue to amaze me, Chloe." Brady grinned and winked at her.
"You are insufferable," Chloe shook her head at him and handed over her cards to him so that he could shuffle them.
"Yeah but you love me anyway, right?"
"Brady, I don't even like you," Chloe joked.
Brady spread his good hand over her face. "Take it back."
"No." His large hand gripping her face muffled Chloe's voice.
"Break it up. Break it up," the elderly charge nurse, Marsha, walked in with John and Marlena in tow. John and Marlena smiled at the guilty looks crossing both Chloe and Brady's face.
"Chloe started it," Brady joked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Marsha winked at a blushing Chloe. "Now, I think Chloe's got some work to finish. We don't need you patients to keep harassing our staff, Brady."
"Me?" He asked and gave her his best pout.
"Especially you, Brady," Marsha cocked an eyebrow at him.
*End of Flashback*
Yeah, Chloe was great. And he loved that they were friends, and nothing more. It was nice not to feel so much pressure. He had never really been a ladies man, being a loner. But he certainly had a long, sordid dating history. He hadn't managed to have a close female friend without her getting the wrong idea and thinking there was more going on. With Chloe, though, he knew she was a 'what you see is what you get' kind of woman and she certainly hadn't acted as if she was interested in him in any romantic way. He loved that he could openly flirt with her, no strings attached. She was a beautiful woman after all. And Brady was pretty sure her having had to stick a thermometer up his ass was a sufficient turn off.
"Hey Judy," Brady winked at the young nursing assistant who blushed in return as she brought in his dinner.
"Hey Brady," she smiled as she set the tray in front of him.
"Chloe busy?" He asked absently, while digging into his chicken and mashed potatoes.
"No, your girlfriend will be in to see you soon," she teased.
"Girlfriend?" Brady chuckled at the immaturity of the young woman but felt the need to correct her anyhow. "She's just a friend."
"Right," Judy nodded, smiling knowingly. "Just tell Chloe that."
Brady nearly chocked on his chicken. "What is that supposed to mean?" He wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
"As if you don't know she's absolutely, positively in love with you. Come on, everybody on the floor knows that."
"Chloe?" Brady asked, wide-eyed.
"No, Brady, the baker," Judy replied sarcastically. "You really are such a dunce." She chuckled as she left the room.
Brady frowned, suddenly not very hungry. Chloe was in love with him? How had he not seen this!? How was he supposed to handle this?
"Brady."
Brady's head snapped up as his eyes bugged out. "Dr. Wesley, what are you doing here?"
Craig Wesley cocked his head to the side, aware of Brady's obvious anxiety. "Are you okay, Brady? Staff treating you right?"
"Fantastic," he grinned, his smile falling as he thought of his words and what he'd just learned. "Not too fantastic, though. I mean they're not doing anything they shouldn't. Patient-Staff lines have not been crossed," he stumbled over his words and punctuated them with a nervous smile.
"How's Chloe doing?"
"How would I know?" He said slowly, trying to sound as innocent as possible, not knowing why the hell he felt so guilty.
"She does care for you."
"She does?"
"She's your nurse, Brady. Of course she does."
"Right, right and she's doing a great job. . . but not too good of a job," he added quickly.
"Riiiiight. You know what? I think I'll come back later. I'm going to let you eat, 'cause you look a little pale." He felt Brady's forehead with the back of his hand.
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Uh, okay Brady. I'll be back later." He strode toward the door but stopped and turned back around, making his way over to him again. "I just wanted to say when I heard what happened to you, Brady I. . ." Craig trailed off. "I remembered when you were a young punk kid having to volunteer at the hospital for punishment. And now you're a man and it's just. . . you were always like a son to me. Come here, buddy" Craig pulled a stunned, silent Brady into a bear hug.
"Ow," Brady muttered when Craig pulled away.
"Sorry, I forgot about your shoulder."
"Hey, it's fine, Dr. Wesley. What are you gonna do, right?"
"No," Craig shook his head. "I should have known better. I'm a doctor."
"It's okay. I'm all right. It's already out of the sling." He swung his arm about and abruptly stopped, cursing at the pain under his breath.
"I'll just let Chloe know." Craig winked at a wide-eyed Brady. "She'll take a look at it."
Brady watched Craig leave the room and let his head fall back on his pillow. "Shit."
TBC. . .
Chapter 6: Friends or Lovers?
Two Weeks Later. . . Salem University Hospital Cafeteria. . .
Chloe caught herself grinning madly at the cafeteria table in Salem University Hospital. She was on her lunch break and convinced Belle to take her lunch break as well. It didn't take much convincing though, as Belle and Chloe usually tried to make it a habit of meeting for lunch. As she waited for Belle to join her, she thought about the last two weeks, filled mostly with Brady, spending time with him, getting to know him. Popping an Oreo cookie in her mouth, she thought of last night when he surprised her by calling her at home.
*Flashback*
Chloe crashed on her couch, her feet aching from spending a tedious twelve- hour day at work. Holding a bag of Double Stuffed Oreo cookies to her chest and draping a blanket over her feet, she flipped on the TV. "Ahhhh. . . an 'I Love Lucy' marathon. Perfect." She snuggled deeper into the couch and popped an Oreo cookie into her mouth. If not for the ringing of the phone, Chloe would have happily drifted into Oreo cookie bliss. "Hello," she practically barked into the phone.
"Chloe, it's me."
"Brady?"
"Yeah," he replied, snuggling deeper into his hospital bed. "I hope it's okay that I called."
"Yeah, of course it is. I said you could call me at any time. Is something wrong?"
"No, no, nothing's wrong. I was just sitting here thinking."
"About?"
"About us."
"Us," Chloe swallowed. As far as she was miserably concerned, Brady had never given her any indication that he wanted anything more than friendship.
"Yeah, I'm sitting here watching the 'I Love Lucy' marathon on TV Land-"
"You're kidding. So am I."
"Liar."
"I swear, Brady! Lucy is filling her shirt with chocolate as we speak."
"Okay, so you're not lying," he grinned.
"No, I'm not. So what does 'I Love Lucy' have to do with us? 'Splain Brady, " she joked.
"Well, I was watching Fred and Ethyl exchange these barbs and it just reminded me of us."
"I remind you of Ethyl? A middle-aged, overweight nag?"
"Well, not physically, Chloe. You do tend to nag but you are much hotter than Ethyl."
"Thank you. Thank you," Chloe laughed and popped in another cookie.
"So what are you wearing?" He let his voice grow unbelievably husky, too husky to be sexy.
"Ha. Ha," Chloe smiled through her full mouth.
"What are you eating," Brady could hear the chewing through the phone.
"Nothing," Chloe's mouth snapped shut.
"Seriously, what are you eating? I am starved here."
"You had dinner. I saw you get your dinner this evening, Brady."
"Chloe," he whined. "I can't help it when I get hungry."
"Oreo cookies."
"Original? Chocolate Crème? Peppermint?"
"Double Stuffed."
"Ahhh. . . Chloe. You're probably sitting there on your couch, freshly showered, in a black teddy, hair loose and untamed, stuffing your face with Oreo cookies. Chloe, Chloe, Chloe. . . do you know what you do to me?"
"You are such a nut."
*End of Flashback*
Belle took a seat at a cafeteria table, laying her tray of salad, yogurt, and bottled water on the table. "So anyways, Shawn thinks we should go away to Cancun. But I asked him 'when am I going to get the time off.' He just doesn't understand. But men never do, do they?. . . Chloe?. . . Chloe?"
"Hmm?" She stopped twirling the Oreo between her fingers.
"Lemme guess. You were thinking about my brother."
"Maybe a little." She blushed.
"Chloe, why don't you just ask him over for dinner or something?"
"Yeah Belle, I'll just sneak him out of the hospital and we can order Chinese and crack open fortune cookies on his leg casts."
Belle giggled at the image of Chloe and Brady having a riot, cracking fortune cookies on his casts. "I meant when he gets out of the hospital."
"It's not like that between Brady and me."
"Well, tell me how it is then, because you seem really interested and so does he."
"No, Brady thinks we're just friends."
"And you don't," Belle finished.
"No, it's not that. It's just. . . we are friends, you know? And I don't love him. I mean I've only known him for a few weeks so I have no claim on him. But it's just. . . have you ever connected with someone before? I mean, really connected. . . so that you finish each other's sentences and don't mind making a complete fool out of yourself? You almost revel in it. You just feel so comfortable in your own skin."
"That's the way Shawn and I are now, but I guess we didn't start out that way."
"Well, that's how it is between me and Brady now. I just feel so silly talking about it. But Brady and I just fit. I feel it. I just wish he would."
"Maybe he does, Chloe."
"No, I'm pretty sure Brady considers me just a friend."
"Well," Belle smiled. "Look at it this way, Brady has like zero friends, so he must feel something for you."
"Greeeeat," Chloe muttered, picking at the bun of her chicken sandwich. "I guess I'm just sad because maybe all that soulmate business was wrong. Maybe Brady and I are meant to be friends and that's it. I can't really complain though. I was always whining that I never could find a great guy friend. They always end up thinking I want more than friendship."
"Exactly," Belle took a bite of salad. "And hey, what's meant to be is meant to be. In other words, Brady will come around eventually. He's always been a little slow," Belle joked.
Chloe laughed in spite of her glum mood.
****************
Brady grinned as he thought about the last two weeks. He and Chloe had gotten pretty close. They talked all the time now and discovered they had quite a lot in common. Every time Chloe got a chance to talk with him she would and every time her shift was over she was in here, keeping him company, making him laugh, cheering him up. Brady often wondered if she ever went home. He'd made nice with the rest of the nursing staff as well and they all adored him now. He couldn't blame them: he was a pretty great guy. He thought back to only this morning when he and Chloe had been caught.
*Flashback*
"Oh," Chloe cried, punching Brady's good shoulder. "You cheater!" She jokingly threatened him with the infamous pitcher of water.
"I am so not cheating, Chloe. You just suck at Go Fish. Which I didn't even think it was possible for anyone to suck at this, but you continue to amaze me, Chloe." Brady grinned and winked at her.
"You are insufferable," Chloe shook her head at him and handed over her cards to him so that he could shuffle them.
"Yeah but you love me anyway, right?"
"Brady, I don't even like you," Chloe joked.
Brady spread his good hand over her face. "Take it back."
"No." His large hand gripping her face muffled Chloe's voice.
"Break it up. Break it up," the elderly charge nurse, Marsha, walked in with John and Marlena in tow. John and Marlena smiled at the guilty looks crossing both Chloe and Brady's face.
"Chloe started it," Brady joked.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Marsha winked at a blushing Chloe. "Now, I think Chloe's got some work to finish. We don't need you patients to keep harassing our staff, Brady."
"Me?" He asked and gave her his best pout.
"Especially you, Brady," Marsha cocked an eyebrow at him.
*End of Flashback*
Yeah, Chloe was great. And he loved that they were friends, and nothing more. It was nice not to feel so much pressure. He had never really been a ladies man, being a loner. But he certainly had a long, sordid dating history. He hadn't managed to have a close female friend without her getting the wrong idea and thinking there was more going on. With Chloe, though, he knew she was a 'what you see is what you get' kind of woman and she certainly hadn't acted as if she was interested in him in any romantic way. He loved that he could openly flirt with her, no strings attached. She was a beautiful woman after all. And Brady was pretty sure her having had to stick a thermometer up his ass was a sufficient turn off.
"Hey Judy," Brady winked at the young nursing assistant who blushed in return as she brought in his dinner.
"Hey Brady," she smiled as she set the tray in front of him.
"Chloe busy?" He asked absently, while digging into his chicken and mashed potatoes.
"No, your girlfriend will be in to see you soon," she teased.
"Girlfriend?" Brady chuckled at the immaturity of the young woman but felt the need to correct her anyhow. "She's just a friend."
"Right," Judy nodded, smiling knowingly. "Just tell Chloe that."
Brady nearly chocked on his chicken. "What is that supposed to mean?" He wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
"As if you don't know she's absolutely, positively in love with you. Come on, everybody on the floor knows that."
"Chloe?" Brady asked, wide-eyed.
"No, Brady, the baker," Judy replied sarcastically. "You really are such a dunce." She chuckled as she left the room.
Brady frowned, suddenly not very hungry. Chloe was in love with him? How had he not seen this!? How was he supposed to handle this?
"Brady."
Brady's head snapped up as his eyes bugged out. "Dr. Wesley, what are you doing here?"
Craig Wesley cocked his head to the side, aware of Brady's obvious anxiety. "Are you okay, Brady? Staff treating you right?"
"Fantastic," he grinned, his smile falling as he thought of his words and what he'd just learned. "Not too fantastic, though. I mean they're not doing anything they shouldn't. Patient-Staff lines have not been crossed," he stumbled over his words and punctuated them with a nervous smile.
"How's Chloe doing?"
"How would I know?" He said slowly, trying to sound as innocent as possible, not knowing why the hell he felt so guilty.
"She does care for you."
"She does?"
"She's your nurse, Brady. Of course she does."
"Right, right and she's doing a great job. . . but not too good of a job," he added quickly.
"Riiiiight. You know what? I think I'll come back later. I'm going to let you eat, 'cause you look a little pale." He felt Brady's forehead with the back of his hand.
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Uh, okay Brady. I'll be back later." He strode toward the door but stopped and turned back around, making his way over to him again. "I just wanted to say when I heard what happened to you, Brady I. . ." Craig trailed off. "I remembered when you were a young punk kid having to volunteer at the hospital for punishment. And now you're a man and it's just. . . you were always like a son to me. Come here, buddy" Craig pulled a stunned, silent Brady into a bear hug.
"Ow," Brady muttered when Craig pulled away.
"Sorry, I forgot about your shoulder."
"Hey, it's fine, Dr. Wesley. What are you gonna do, right?"
"No," Craig shook his head. "I should have known better. I'm a doctor."
"It's okay. I'm all right. It's already out of the sling." He swung his arm about and abruptly stopped, cursing at the pain under his breath.
"I'll just let Chloe know." Craig winked at a wide-eyed Brady. "She'll take a look at it."
Brady watched Craig leave the room and let his head fall back on his pillow. "Shit."
TBC. . .