A Friendly Hand
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's fact it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill get hold of a hush-hush situation.
Note: Okay, if anyone knows any background stories to Keating's and Slingerland's respective families, now would be a good time to ignore them all completely. Go along with what I make up for now, okay? Thanks. Your cooperation would make this a much easier reading. Enjoy.
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Chapter 6
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Nick opened the locker and took a deep cleansing breath to relieve some of the unbearable tension between his shoulders. The hair-raising two and half hours in the operating room working on Billy Jankins, who was so small and compact that he barely had any room to maneuver, was not how he imagined spending his Friday evening. The only good news to be had was the boy made it out of surgery in relatively good condition. Had they been an hour late, the gall bladder would have burst and created some serious ramifications. Thank God for Dr. Keatings quick and accurate assessment.
"You look like you've had better days."
The voice alone made everything look brighter. Turning, he watched as Dr. Rae Brennan leaned against the locker and crossed her arms. Her eyes were teasing and bright. "Good evening, Rae, what are you still doing here?"
"I had a patient that is going through some rough chemo. I stuck around to make sure she was okay." Her eyes took in his messy clothes and hair. "You look like hell."
"I feel it too," he replied with a smile for her. "Had dinner yet?"
"Nick," came the warning tone.
"It's just a simple question." It lightened his heart to see that he still unruffled her with something as simple as dinner.
She shook her head at him. "Not when it come to you."
"How is that?" he purposely asked leaning in a little too close for her comfort.
As predicted, she backed off quickly. "You're incorrigible."
"But definitely lovable," he tossed back just as the doctor's lounge door opened to allow Dr. Letty Jordan in.
"Dr. Kakoris," Letty said with a bit of surprise. Glancing down at her watch, she raised her head to frown at him. "You're shift ended at six. What are you still doing here?"
"Finishing up a case that came to me at the last moment," he explained tossing in a towel that needed to be washed but he was simply too tired to take care of it at the moment. "By the way, thanks for suckering me into taking the power shift, Dr. Jordan. How can I ever thank you?"
Letty Jordan chuckled unabashedly. "Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something. But really, what are you doing here? The hospital frowns on doctors pulling over time unnecessarily, especially doctors that work more than 36 hour shifts."
Nick fought the urge to groan as he retrieved his gym bag from the bottom of the locker. "Dr. Keating had an emergency patient with a failed gall bladder. We just finished the operations ten minutes ago."
"One of Jules's?" Rae asked, discreetly putting a little more distance between herself and the Greek doctor. "A failed gall bladder?"
"Yeah, that's what Slingerland and I thought. Which reminds me," turning to look at the two women. "What is going on between Slingerland and Keating?"
Letty and Rae traded carefully guarded glances. "What do you mean?"
With the observant eyes of a careful surgeon, he watched the two avoid each other's eyes. Women, specially the good ones, have this undeniable lack of ability to lie with a straight face. "What do you two ladies know that I don't about those two?"
Always one to face her challenges, Letty lifted her chin. "You first."
"Okay," Nick tossed his surgical gown into the laundry basket. "They held a rather intimate conversation in a patient's room while I was there. The two banter quite naturally. And Slingerland has suddenly developed a fondness of touching her quite a bit." Shutting the locker with a slam, he leaned against it. "Your turn."
"Rumor around is putting the two of them together." Diplomacy was always a good trait to have, or at least that's what Letty mother use to tell her.
"They're sleeping together?" Nick asked with some disbelief.
"No one said that," Rae put in quickly.
"But you suspect," Nick concluded.
Dr. Jordan shrugged. "There's a lot of things being said."
"Any proof?" Nick asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's none of my business what my colleagues do after hours. But I just don't see Slingerland and Keating. He's too... James Bond British and she's too... Little Orphan Annie good."
The two doctors burst out laughing. "Nick, I think you're watching too many movies."
"I'm just saying..."
"We know, we know," Letty waved it away. "Don't you think that's what we thought? Until that night."
"What night?" Nick asked his curiosity seriously peaked now.
Rae made a face that said that she was indulging this. "We saw them together at the Blue Note couple of nights ago."
"On a date?"
Letty nodded her head. "Looks like. Pretty dressy too."
Nick nodded his head, more than a little amused by the whole thing. "So Slingerland and Keating... huh?"
"Slingerland better watch himself cause I so do not want to...." Letty began just as the doctor himself walked through the door. "Speaking of the devil..." She turned to the tired doctor. "What are you still doing here?"
"Finishing up," Slingerland said going to his locker. "I've had a rough day." Pulling the locker open, he turned to Kakoris. "Nice job on Billy, by the way."
"Dr. Keating did most of the work there," Nick gave credit where credit was due. And though Jules Keating had told him that it's been some time since she's done an operation on anyone, she handled herself as he expected: with perfection. "She's got quite a way with kids."
"Yes she does," Matt said with a lighting quick smile. The girl had managed to calm Billy under ten seconds when the boy work up right after surgery to find a tube up his nose and an ugly hole on his tummy. "Thank goodness for our little Jules."
The three docs exchanged looks behind Slingerland's back as he continued to remove this lab coat and prepare to go home.
"Didn't know you did pediatrics?" Nick said as he continued to watch the man.
"I don't," Matt replied, tiredly. "But Billy's mother is my patient and I asked Jules to help out with Billy and..." he shook his head. It was too embarrassing to tell them about his little problem with Billy's mother. "I figured that since I brought her the problem, the least I can do is stick it out with her." He tuned around as he shrugged on his blazer. "Speaking of which, have you seen her since the operation?"
"No," Nick replied while Rae and Letty shook their heads.
"Hum..." he frowned and turned back to his locker just as the lounge door swung open again and Dr. Keating stumbled in.
Barely catching herself on the door, Keating took a moment to steady herself. "I'm okay," she announced to the room in general when she was sure the chances of complete humiliation by falling flat on her face was over.
"Are you sure?" Rae asked as she took a step forward to help her obviously exhausted friend.
"Yeah," she held up a hand to forestall any help from any department. "Just a little tired right now. Got here at six to catch up on paperwork and haven't stopped since. With the pink alert and then Billy Jankins, I'm ready to drop dead." Shrugging off her lab coat, she suppressed a groan as all the muscles on her back screamed in protest.
"Jules, you look terrible," Slingerland observed with a frown.
Throwing him a drop-dead glare, "Thanks, Matt. That's all I needed to hear right now." Hanging the uniformed lab coat inside her locker, she pulled out her jacket and rolled her neck. "Hey, anyone have the time?"
"I'm serious, Dr. Keating. You need to take better care of yourself," Matt said reaching over and taking her jacket from the bench where she had sat it. Holding it up for her, he helped her slipped her tired arms into the warmth. "Won't do your patients any good if you end up passing out in the operating room."
"Yes, mother," she replied with grin.
"Smart ass."
"Takes one to know one," she fired back and looked at Letty, whom she knew always has a watch on. "Time?"
"Five minutes to nine," Letty replied, still more than a little riveted by the ease in which the two interacted. Watching them from afar dancing was one thing, as intimate as some of the gestures were, watching them together up close and personal was quite another.
"Shit!" Jules slammed her locker shut then cursed again when she realized that her purse was still inside.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked as the others stared while Matt carefully removed Jules's frustrated hands from the un-budging locker and attempted to open it for her.
"I took the trolley here this morning cause I wasn't awake enough to drive when I got in. The last trolley leaves exactly at nine back toward my place, if I don't get there in the next three minutes, I'm going to miss it." The exhaustion was making her irritable and miserable, plus she felt at the edge of tears. This was just not her day.
Letty frowned. "I'll get someone to find you a taxi."
"Too dangerous this time of night," Rae said quietly.
"I hate taxis," Jules groaned as Matt finally got her locker to open again. She was definitely going to be late for the trolley, which means that she's got no choice but to take a taxi home.
Rae felt bad for her friend. The girl really did look like she's been hell and back today. "How about if..."
"Relax, relax, you're too tense," Matt said interrupted quietly, rubbing her gently on the small of her back as he retrieve her purse from the bottom of the locker for her. "I've got my car parked downstairs. Let me take you home." She stared blankly at him for a moment, her big green eyes sad and wretched. "Come on now," reaching over to shut his own locker and pick up his briefcase. "Saved a life today. Did a very good job of it too. You deserve the comfort of a nice easy ride home rather than having to take a bouncing trolley."
Rae stared in silence. This was certainly a newer and gentler side of Slingerland she's never seen before.
Dr. Keating tilted her head to look at his sympathetic face. She knew she was going to miss the trolley and taking taxis always gave her the creeps. Plus she hadn't had dinner yet so her stomach was achingly empty. A nice quick way to get home would be really nice. "You sure it won't be too much trouble?"
"No trouble at all," maneuvering her toward the door with one hand still at her back. "It's on the way home. Besides, what are friends for?" He glanced back over his shoulder, "Nite, ladies, Dr. Kakoris. Have a pleasant evening."
Turning, Jules gave them a weak smile. "Bye, see you all on Monday barring any emergencies."
They left comfortably together while the three doctors still left in the Doctors' Lounge stared after them. The door closed just as Slingerland asked, "Did you by any chance had any dinner yet?"
For a full minute after the door swung close, there was silence. Letty turned to the others, "Since Slingerland lives on the west side and Jules lives on the east, how is his taking her home on the way?"
Rae shook her head, bemused by the whole thing. "You don't think that whole thing was for our benefits, do you?"
Nick arched his brows. "You mean that 'what are friends for' thing?" He nodded his head. "Yeah, I'd say so if they were trying to keep the relationship under wraps."
Letty shook her head. "Weird."
Nodding her head, Rae stared at the closed door. "This just keeps getting more interesting by the day."
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"You didn't have to walk me all the way in you know," struggling with the keys for a moment. Three dead bolts may be over doing it a bit but her mother had insisted upon it when she came out to visit one summer. Why she actually used all three was something of a mystery to her at the moment.
"Mother taught me to be a gentleman. And a gentleman always walks a lady to her door." He glanced at her limp hands trying to maneuver what seemed like ten pounds worth of keys. "Any days now, Jules."
"I'm trying, I'm trying," she muttered before dropping the large ring of silver keys. "Oh damn."
"Here, let me," taking the keys from her cold-numb fingers. "Where are your gloves, girl? Your fingers are near frozen." And dropped the keys on the ground again. "Oh bloody hell."
Jules laughed, "And you're doing so much better than me," then bumped head with one another as they both bent to retrieve that fallen object. "Stop, stop, stop, this is becoming a horrible scene from an comedy film."
"Stand still," taking hold of her elbow as he bent to retrieve the keys. "Oh lord, why don't you live in a neighborhood that doesn't require you to put ten dead bolts on your door."
"There's only three and I like it here," as the door finally opened for them. "Oh god, I hope I turned on the heat."
"If you didn't, you better do so now," dropping her keys onto the first flat surface he could find and rubbed his tired face with his gloved hand. Dinner had been a simple Japanese meal lightly accompanied by delightful conversations of nothingness: a lovely manner to unwind after a long day. If only he didn't have the forty-five drive back in the opposite direction to get home. "What time is it?" One of these days, he will have to get that bloody watch fixed. In fact, tomorrow would be a good time to do so.
Jules checked the thermostat and was glad to find that it had been turned on. Winters in San Francisco seem to be getting chiller and chiller with each passing year. Coming back to the living room, she glanced the clock on the wall and stared aghast. "Holy cow, it's almost 11:30."
"You jest," Matt said as he turned his head and stared at the clock. "You jest not." With a groan, he collapsed on the red sofa that sat cheerfully in the living room. "Oh lord, no wonder I feel like the dead."
"You look it too," she laughed as she slipped her shoes off and pattered around in her stockings. "You want some coffee before you leave? You look like you could use some." Opening a cupboard stocked with various instruments of death-by-caffeine. "My mom sent me some great vanilla bean coffee last week. Her only indulgence in the world."
Slingerland laughed tiredly. The six o'clock work out session at the 24-hour gym had been such a good idea only that morning. "Coffee would be much appreciated." He turned to watch her grind coffee beans in a little automatic grinder that cheerfully buzzed while sending a sweet whiff of delight through the air. "My mother's only indulgence is jewelry, anything shiny set in white gold. Father pays a pretty penny for years of travels."
Frowning, Jules dumped the grindings into the coffee maker. "Sounds like a lovely way to conduct a marriage."
"It works for them both. Father has his work and mother has her freedom," he smirked with regret. "Lord save me from that kind of life and marriage."
"Me too," she replied pouring water into the coffee maker and setting it to start. Coming around the breakfast counter, she picked up a small dish of sweets she generally keeps there for her regular morning sugar rushes. "Have one, you look ready to fall asleep right there."
"Thanks," picked up the plastic wrapped chocolate. "You on tomorrow?"
"No," sitting down by him. "But I'll probably go in and check on Billy. You?"
"Likewise."
There was a comfortable silence as the coffee brewed, sending a wonderful aroma about the room. When the bubbling sound of the coffee maker finally ceased, Jules got up and went to it. "Do you take yours with cream and sugar?" When no reply came, she glanced up from her search for decent mugs that didn't have chips in them. For some reason, she couldn't seem to figure out to wash the darn things without chipping them. "Matt?"
"What?" startling awake at the sound of his name.
She grinned at him through the opening of the counter. "Sleepy?"
"Exhausted," he replied with a return smile. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"Cream? Sugar?"
"Sugar please, two spoons. No cream."
"Coming up," she said making the coffee and adding the necessary ingredients to dilute the bitter taste of the caffeine potent nectar. Coming around the counter again, she felt a wave of sympathy for the fatigue on his face.
It was perhaps that first time that she realized that Dr. Slingerland cared a great deal more about his patients that she gave him credit for. He had put himself well beyond the call of duty today. Once Billy had been transferred to her, he could have simply stepped away from the case and left it. But he kept in pace every step of the way, including the strict observation of the long surgery. That kind of dedication was not always seen, even in the healing arts. "Here."
"Thank you," taking the mug painted with pink cats and bunnies but not a chip in sight.
"You sure you're okay?" worried over his late of concentration. Driving half a sleep is as dangerous as driving drunk. And a good friend never allows another to drink and drive. It would only be logical to apply the same principle to exhaustion.
"Fine, fine. Just tired, I'll wake up in a moment," bringing the cup to his lip hoping the scolding hot coffee can clear up some of his senses.
"Matt," taking the mug away just before his lips touched the rim. "You want to stay the night?"
The fatigue lifted for a moment as he raised an inquiring brow at her.
"I didn't meant it like that!" whacking him on the arm. Laughing, she set the coffee mug down. "Look, I don't have a guest room and I'm certainly not going to share my bed with you..."
"You might like it," he couldn't help interjecting.
"But...." Throwing him a behave-yourself look. "This sofa folds out into a very comfortable, very warm, very spacious full size bed if you are interested." She patted his arm and smile at him. "Thank you for bringing me home when I was too hungry and too tired to think clearly. I don't want you getting into any car accidents because you are too worn-out after being a nice guy to drive safely back to wherever it is you live."
For a moment he meant to say no to her generous offer but thought better of it. He was barely functioning now and no matter how much caffeine he could load into his body within the next half hour, there was no way it'll last him the hour it will probably take on a Friday night to get back to his place. "Thank you Jules, I think it would be safer for myself and the people of the streets if I were to spend the night."
"Okay," she smiled and got up with the coffee mug in hand. "You won't be needing this then."
He snatched it back with more energy than he thought was possibly left in him. "No need to let good coffee go to waste."
Laughing, Jules headed for the closet. "I'll get you some bedding."
Matt grinned after taking a wonderfully sweet mouthful of elixir and sighed. Feeling invigorated after having eased the worries of driving home in a half conscious state, he turned his head and watched Jules for a moment. "You sure about not sharing that bed?"
The pillow hit him directly in the head.
TBC...
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Slightly contrived but hey, what the heck.
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's fact it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill get hold of a hush-hush situation.
Note: Okay, if anyone knows any background stories to Keating's and Slingerland's respective families, now would be a good time to ignore them all completely. Go along with what I make up for now, okay? Thanks. Your cooperation would make this a much easier reading. Enjoy.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Chapter 6
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Nick opened the locker and took a deep cleansing breath to relieve some of the unbearable tension between his shoulders. The hair-raising two and half hours in the operating room working on Billy Jankins, who was so small and compact that he barely had any room to maneuver, was not how he imagined spending his Friday evening. The only good news to be had was the boy made it out of surgery in relatively good condition. Had they been an hour late, the gall bladder would have burst and created some serious ramifications. Thank God for Dr. Keatings quick and accurate assessment.
"You look like you've had better days."
The voice alone made everything look brighter. Turning, he watched as Dr. Rae Brennan leaned against the locker and crossed her arms. Her eyes were teasing and bright. "Good evening, Rae, what are you still doing here?"
"I had a patient that is going through some rough chemo. I stuck around to make sure she was okay." Her eyes took in his messy clothes and hair. "You look like hell."
"I feel it too," he replied with a smile for her. "Had dinner yet?"
"Nick," came the warning tone.
"It's just a simple question." It lightened his heart to see that he still unruffled her with something as simple as dinner.
She shook her head at him. "Not when it come to you."
"How is that?" he purposely asked leaning in a little too close for her comfort.
As predicted, she backed off quickly. "You're incorrigible."
"But definitely lovable," he tossed back just as the doctor's lounge door opened to allow Dr. Letty Jordan in.
"Dr. Kakoris," Letty said with a bit of surprise. Glancing down at her watch, she raised her head to frown at him. "You're shift ended at six. What are you still doing here?"
"Finishing up a case that came to me at the last moment," he explained tossing in a towel that needed to be washed but he was simply too tired to take care of it at the moment. "By the way, thanks for suckering me into taking the power shift, Dr. Jordan. How can I ever thank you?"
Letty Jordan chuckled unabashedly. "Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something. But really, what are you doing here? The hospital frowns on doctors pulling over time unnecessarily, especially doctors that work more than 36 hour shifts."
Nick fought the urge to groan as he retrieved his gym bag from the bottom of the locker. "Dr. Keating had an emergency patient with a failed gall bladder. We just finished the operations ten minutes ago."
"One of Jules's?" Rae asked, discreetly putting a little more distance between herself and the Greek doctor. "A failed gall bladder?"
"Yeah, that's what Slingerland and I thought. Which reminds me," turning to look at the two women. "What is going on between Slingerland and Keating?"
Letty and Rae traded carefully guarded glances. "What do you mean?"
With the observant eyes of a careful surgeon, he watched the two avoid each other's eyes. Women, specially the good ones, have this undeniable lack of ability to lie with a straight face. "What do you two ladies know that I don't about those two?"
Always one to face her challenges, Letty lifted her chin. "You first."
"Okay," Nick tossed his surgical gown into the laundry basket. "They held a rather intimate conversation in a patient's room while I was there. The two banter quite naturally. And Slingerland has suddenly developed a fondness of touching her quite a bit." Shutting the locker with a slam, he leaned against it. "Your turn."
"Rumor around is putting the two of them together." Diplomacy was always a good trait to have, or at least that's what Letty mother use to tell her.
"They're sleeping together?" Nick asked with some disbelief.
"No one said that," Rae put in quickly.
"But you suspect," Nick concluded.
Dr. Jordan shrugged. "There's a lot of things being said."
"Any proof?" Nick asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's none of my business what my colleagues do after hours. But I just don't see Slingerland and Keating. He's too... James Bond British and she's too... Little Orphan Annie good."
The two doctors burst out laughing. "Nick, I think you're watching too many movies."
"I'm just saying..."
"We know, we know," Letty waved it away. "Don't you think that's what we thought? Until that night."
"What night?" Nick asked his curiosity seriously peaked now.
Rae made a face that said that she was indulging this. "We saw them together at the Blue Note couple of nights ago."
"On a date?"
Letty nodded her head. "Looks like. Pretty dressy too."
Nick nodded his head, more than a little amused by the whole thing. "So Slingerland and Keating... huh?"
"Slingerland better watch himself cause I so do not want to...." Letty began just as the doctor himself walked through the door. "Speaking of the devil..." She turned to the tired doctor. "What are you still doing here?"
"Finishing up," Slingerland said going to his locker. "I've had a rough day." Pulling the locker open, he turned to Kakoris. "Nice job on Billy, by the way."
"Dr. Keating did most of the work there," Nick gave credit where credit was due. And though Jules Keating had told him that it's been some time since she's done an operation on anyone, she handled herself as he expected: with perfection. "She's got quite a way with kids."
"Yes she does," Matt said with a lighting quick smile. The girl had managed to calm Billy under ten seconds when the boy work up right after surgery to find a tube up his nose and an ugly hole on his tummy. "Thank goodness for our little Jules."
The three docs exchanged looks behind Slingerland's back as he continued to remove this lab coat and prepare to go home.
"Didn't know you did pediatrics?" Nick said as he continued to watch the man.
"I don't," Matt replied, tiredly. "But Billy's mother is my patient and I asked Jules to help out with Billy and..." he shook his head. It was too embarrassing to tell them about his little problem with Billy's mother. "I figured that since I brought her the problem, the least I can do is stick it out with her." He tuned around as he shrugged on his blazer. "Speaking of which, have you seen her since the operation?"
"No," Nick replied while Rae and Letty shook their heads.
"Hum..." he frowned and turned back to his locker just as the lounge door swung open again and Dr. Keating stumbled in.
Barely catching herself on the door, Keating took a moment to steady herself. "I'm okay," she announced to the room in general when she was sure the chances of complete humiliation by falling flat on her face was over.
"Are you sure?" Rae asked as she took a step forward to help her obviously exhausted friend.
"Yeah," she held up a hand to forestall any help from any department. "Just a little tired right now. Got here at six to catch up on paperwork and haven't stopped since. With the pink alert and then Billy Jankins, I'm ready to drop dead." Shrugging off her lab coat, she suppressed a groan as all the muscles on her back screamed in protest.
"Jules, you look terrible," Slingerland observed with a frown.
Throwing him a drop-dead glare, "Thanks, Matt. That's all I needed to hear right now." Hanging the uniformed lab coat inside her locker, she pulled out her jacket and rolled her neck. "Hey, anyone have the time?"
"I'm serious, Dr. Keating. You need to take better care of yourself," Matt said reaching over and taking her jacket from the bench where she had sat it. Holding it up for her, he helped her slipped her tired arms into the warmth. "Won't do your patients any good if you end up passing out in the operating room."
"Yes, mother," she replied with grin.
"Smart ass."
"Takes one to know one," she fired back and looked at Letty, whom she knew always has a watch on. "Time?"
"Five minutes to nine," Letty replied, still more than a little riveted by the ease in which the two interacted. Watching them from afar dancing was one thing, as intimate as some of the gestures were, watching them together up close and personal was quite another.
"Shit!" Jules slammed her locker shut then cursed again when she realized that her purse was still inside.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked as the others stared while Matt carefully removed Jules's frustrated hands from the un-budging locker and attempted to open it for her.
"I took the trolley here this morning cause I wasn't awake enough to drive when I got in. The last trolley leaves exactly at nine back toward my place, if I don't get there in the next three minutes, I'm going to miss it." The exhaustion was making her irritable and miserable, plus she felt at the edge of tears. This was just not her day.
Letty frowned. "I'll get someone to find you a taxi."
"Too dangerous this time of night," Rae said quietly.
"I hate taxis," Jules groaned as Matt finally got her locker to open again. She was definitely going to be late for the trolley, which means that she's got no choice but to take a taxi home.
Rae felt bad for her friend. The girl really did look like she's been hell and back today. "How about if..."
"Relax, relax, you're too tense," Matt said interrupted quietly, rubbing her gently on the small of her back as he retrieve her purse from the bottom of the locker for her. "I've got my car parked downstairs. Let me take you home." She stared blankly at him for a moment, her big green eyes sad and wretched. "Come on now," reaching over to shut his own locker and pick up his briefcase. "Saved a life today. Did a very good job of it too. You deserve the comfort of a nice easy ride home rather than having to take a bouncing trolley."
Rae stared in silence. This was certainly a newer and gentler side of Slingerland she's never seen before.
Dr. Keating tilted her head to look at his sympathetic face. She knew she was going to miss the trolley and taking taxis always gave her the creeps. Plus she hadn't had dinner yet so her stomach was achingly empty. A nice quick way to get home would be really nice. "You sure it won't be too much trouble?"
"No trouble at all," maneuvering her toward the door with one hand still at her back. "It's on the way home. Besides, what are friends for?" He glanced back over his shoulder, "Nite, ladies, Dr. Kakoris. Have a pleasant evening."
Turning, Jules gave them a weak smile. "Bye, see you all on Monday barring any emergencies."
They left comfortably together while the three doctors still left in the Doctors' Lounge stared after them. The door closed just as Slingerland asked, "Did you by any chance had any dinner yet?"
For a full minute after the door swung close, there was silence. Letty turned to the others, "Since Slingerland lives on the west side and Jules lives on the east, how is his taking her home on the way?"
Rae shook her head, bemused by the whole thing. "You don't think that whole thing was for our benefits, do you?"
Nick arched his brows. "You mean that 'what are friends for' thing?" He nodded his head. "Yeah, I'd say so if they were trying to keep the relationship under wraps."
Letty shook her head. "Weird."
Nodding her head, Rae stared at the closed door. "This just keeps getting more interesting by the day."
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"You didn't have to walk me all the way in you know," struggling with the keys for a moment. Three dead bolts may be over doing it a bit but her mother had insisted upon it when she came out to visit one summer. Why she actually used all three was something of a mystery to her at the moment.
"Mother taught me to be a gentleman. And a gentleman always walks a lady to her door." He glanced at her limp hands trying to maneuver what seemed like ten pounds worth of keys. "Any days now, Jules."
"I'm trying, I'm trying," she muttered before dropping the large ring of silver keys. "Oh damn."
"Here, let me," taking the keys from her cold-numb fingers. "Where are your gloves, girl? Your fingers are near frozen." And dropped the keys on the ground again. "Oh bloody hell."
Jules laughed, "And you're doing so much better than me," then bumped head with one another as they both bent to retrieve that fallen object. "Stop, stop, stop, this is becoming a horrible scene from an comedy film."
"Stand still," taking hold of her elbow as he bent to retrieve the keys. "Oh lord, why don't you live in a neighborhood that doesn't require you to put ten dead bolts on your door."
"There's only three and I like it here," as the door finally opened for them. "Oh god, I hope I turned on the heat."
"If you didn't, you better do so now," dropping her keys onto the first flat surface he could find and rubbed his tired face with his gloved hand. Dinner had been a simple Japanese meal lightly accompanied by delightful conversations of nothingness: a lovely manner to unwind after a long day. If only he didn't have the forty-five drive back in the opposite direction to get home. "What time is it?" One of these days, he will have to get that bloody watch fixed. In fact, tomorrow would be a good time to do so.
Jules checked the thermostat and was glad to find that it had been turned on. Winters in San Francisco seem to be getting chiller and chiller with each passing year. Coming back to the living room, she glanced the clock on the wall and stared aghast. "Holy cow, it's almost 11:30."
"You jest," Matt said as he turned his head and stared at the clock. "You jest not." With a groan, he collapsed on the red sofa that sat cheerfully in the living room. "Oh lord, no wonder I feel like the dead."
"You look it too," she laughed as she slipped her shoes off and pattered around in her stockings. "You want some coffee before you leave? You look like you could use some." Opening a cupboard stocked with various instruments of death-by-caffeine. "My mom sent me some great vanilla bean coffee last week. Her only indulgence in the world."
Slingerland laughed tiredly. The six o'clock work out session at the 24-hour gym had been such a good idea only that morning. "Coffee would be much appreciated." He turned to watch her grind coffee beans in a little automatic grinder that cheerfully buzzed while sending a sweet whiff of delight through the air. "My mother's only indulgence is jewelry, anything shiny set in white gold. Father pays a pretty penny for years of travels."
Frowning, Jules dumped the grindings into the coffee maker. "Sounds like a lovely way to conduct a marriage."
"It works for them both. Father has his work and mother has her freedom," he smirked with regret. "Lord save me from that kind of life and marriage."
"Me too," she replied pouring water into the coffee maker and setting it to start. Coming around the breakfast counter, she picked up a small dish of sweets she generally keeps there for her regular morning sugar rushes. "Have one, you look ready to fall asleep right there."
"Thanks," picked up the plastic wrapped chocolate. "You on tomorrow?"
"No," sitting down by him. "But I'll probably go in and check on Billy. You?"
"Likewise."
There was a comfortable silence as the coffee brewed, sending a wonderful aroma about the room. When the bubbling sound of the coffee maker finally ceased, Jules got up and went to it. "Do you take yours with cream and sugar?" When no reply came, she glanced up from her search for decent mugs that didn't have chips in them. For some reason, she couldn't seem to figure out to wash the darn things without chipping them. "Matt?"
"What?" startling awake at the sound of his name.
She grinned at him through the opening of the counter. "Sleepy?"
"Exhausted," he replied with a return smile. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"Cream? Sugar?"
"Sugar please, two spoons. No cream."
"Coming up," she said making the coffee and adding the necessary ingredients to dilute the bitter taste of the caffeine potent nectar. Coming around the counter again, she felt a wave of sympathy for the fatigue on his face.
It was perhaps that first time that she realized that Dr. Slingerland cared a great deal more about his patients that she gave him credit for. He had put himself well beyond the call of duty today. Once Billy had been transferred to her, he could have simply stepped away from the case and left it. But he kept in pace every step of the way, including the strict observation of the long surgery. That kind of dedication was not always seen, even in the healing arts. "Here."
"Thank you," taking the mug painted with pink cats and bunnies but not a chip in sight.
"You sure you're okay?" worried over his late of concentration. Driving half a sleep is as dangerous as driving drunk. And a good friend never allows another to drink and drive. It would only be logical to apply the same principle to exhaustion.
"Fine, fine. Just tired, I'll wake up in a moment," bringing the cup to his lip hoping the scolding hot coffee can clear up some of his senses.
"Matt," taking the mug away just before his lips touched the rim. "You want to stay the night?"
The fatigue lifted for a moment as he raised an inquiring brow at her.
"I didn't meant it like that!" whacking him on the arm. Laughing, she set the coffee mug down. "Look, I don't have a guest room and I'm certainly not going to share my bed with you..."
"You might like it," he couldn't help interjecting.
"But...." Throwing him a behave-yourself look. "This sofa folds out into a very comfortable, very warm, very spacious full size bed if you are interested." She patted his arm and smile at him. "Thank you for bringing me home when I was too hungry and too tired to think clearly. I don't want you getting into any car accidents because you are too worn-out after being a nice guy to drive safely back to wherever it is you live."
For a moment he meant to say no to her generous offer but thought better of it. He was barely functioning now and no matter how much caffeine he could load into his body within the next half hour, there was no way it'll last him the hour it will probably take on a Friday night to get back to his place. "Thank you Jules, I think it would be safer for myself and the people of the streets if I were to spend the night."
"Okay," she smiled and got up with the coffee mug in hand. "You won't be needing this then."
He snatched it back with more energy than he thought was possibly left in him. "No need to let good coffee go to waste."
Laughing, Jules headed for the closet. "I'll get you some bedding."
Matt grinned after taking a wonderfully sweet mouthful of elixir and sighed. Feeling invigorated after having eased the worries of driving home in a half conscious state, he turned his head and watched Jules for a moment. "You sure about not sharing that bed?"
The pillow hit him directly in the head.
TBC...
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Slightly contrived but hey, what the heck.