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 face it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill goes into overdrive as Matt and Jules get reach out to one another.
Note: If anyone got a chance to see the November 20th episode, there is a small scene from there.
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Chapter 8
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"Four in the morning?" came the incredulous question. Marie's wide eyes went even bigger, making her look like a landed fish.
"That's what they're saying." Erica looked smugly at her fellow nurses, always delighted to be the first to know the going-ons in the hospital.
"No way, you're lying," came the third person in the group. Lydia clicked the blue pen and wrote down the notes on the last patient she checked on.
"Millicent saw it with her own eyes."
"Dr. Keating is smarter than that."
"Come on, when has smarts ever come into play when it is about the affairs of the heart?"
"I still don't believe it."
"Well I do." Marie interjected with excitement. "Saw them last week together in the hallway, whispering and stuff."
"Discretion has never been Dr. Slingerland's most prevailing trait," Lydia replied.
"Heck, if I was dating a hottie like Slingerland, I won't care to be discreet either."
"But Dr. Keating would. So if they're seen together in public, than I highly doubt they're sleeping together." Picking up the chart, Lydia shook her head. "I don't believe it." Before going back to her rounds.
Erica stared after her for a moment, disappointed that she wasn't going to spring the next piece of news on her. Leaning toward Marie, "I wonder what she would think of the fact that Dr. Slingerland and Dr. Keating are currently locked in her office together."
"No!" Eyes even wider.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"An hour now."
"Really? I thought it was their day off?"
"Dr. Lenning called Dr. Keating in for premie last night. Slingerland showed up this morning and headed into her office. They haven't been seen since."
"You sure they didn't just leave?"
"Heck no, I've been standing here since he went in there. They are definitely still in there."
"What do you think they're doing?"
There was a meaning pause before giggling glances were exchanged. "Are you sure we want to know?"
Jackie Colette dropped her stack of patient files on the counter with a loud bang, startling the two giggling nurses. Giving them both an impatient glance, she shook her head. "Don't you two have things to be doing?"
"Yes doctor," Marie scrambled back to her station to make her round to do vital signs.
"What were you two whispering about?" Jackie asked as she sighed some papers at the nurses' station and handed them to the Erica for processing.
Erica busied herself collecting the necessary charts for the next rounds. "Oh just things."
"What things have you two ignoring patients?" Jackie asked lightly with a grin. "Anything to do with the recent hook-up rumors that's been going around?" She hated to admit it, but she was damn curious to know what the rest of the staff knew.
The nurse looked up surprised. "You heard about Dr. Keating and Dr. Slingerland too?" The doctors were notorious for keeping their lips sealed about their personal lives and the lives of their fellow physicians.
"Who hasn't?" Jackie asked with a wide eye look as she dropped another chart in the nurse's arms. "Was that what you were talking about?"
Erica nodded her head enthusiastically. "Millicent saw Dr. Slingerland drop Dr. Keating off at like four in the morning. Looks like he was with her when she got the call. Plus, they've been locked in Dr. Keating's office for like an hour now."
"Really?" turning to stare at the closed door several yards away. "An hour?"
The nurse nodded her head knowingly.
"Wow," Jackie murmured suitably impressed. But then, she would assume since Slingerland does have a certain reputation, and reputation like that certainly is earned for most part.
"Dr. Colette," Nick called as he came around the corner, glad to have found her.
"Hey you," closing her file and glancing at her watch. "What are you doing there so early? I thought you took a power shift like two days ago. Didn't expect to see you at least until Monday."
"I had a patient I wanted to check on this morning," Nick answered with a quick grin. "On the way, I managed to jump into another case. Got a moment to look at a laceration of the face?"
"How bad?" she asked, looking at her watch. She's got at least another half an hour before her next patient shows up to talk about the fifth liposuction she wants down on her tree trunk legs.
"Claw hammer to the cheek. Lots of damage to muscle, teeth and jaw bone."
"Ouch," Jackie winced and couldn't help but glance at Dr. Keating's door as she passed it. "How did it happen?"
Nick followed Jackie's eyes to the door for a moment, his curiosity peaked since it was the third time she's done so since he spotted her. "Did you need to talk to Dr. Keating about something?"
"What?" startled at being caught. "No, I was just..." She grinned guiltily with delight. "One of the nurse said that Keating and Slingerland have been in her office for an hour now doing god knows what. It's their off-day too."
Nick grinned suddenly, and turned his head to glance back at the door once more. He knew exactly what could be happening behind closed doors. But, "There could be a very logical explanation as to why they are in today."
"Like?" she asked, punching the elevator button.
"Like the case we were working on last evening. Billy Jankins, age 5, gall bladder removal." He glanced at the elevator light. "We finished at nine last evening and Slingerland took Keating home." The speculation as to what they did after Slingerland left with the young pediatrician was definitely in his eyes. Tilting his head, "As to what they could possibly talking about for an hour alone in her office... that's another story."
"Really?" giggling with delight. "Oh this is good. Who knew? The Playboy and the Girl Scout. Will wonders ever cease?"
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Running a hand over the smooth, soft, almost-red hair, Matt decided that being the nice guy every once in a while wasn't so bad. Cradling the sniffling Jules, he wondered for a moment why he hadn't felt the urge to run as he always do when coming face to face with an upset female. Patients and their families he could handle, but the women in his life... But this felt different, non-threatening in a way. Perhaps it was knowing that Jules has about as much interest in him as he does in her. They were friends, good friends. There was no sexual attraction there to ruin that.
And then he remembered the little dress she had on the other night. Okay, so there was a bit of a spark there. But hey, he was a man after all. And all men have the natural urges that... oh heck, he was only human. Besides which, Jules in that adorable little number could have gotten a rise out of a dead man.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked softly, gently tucking her head under his chin. She smelled like roses and strawberries. She mewed something unintelligible, which made Matt smiled. He had wondered when she'd tire herself out with crying. And as pleasurable as it was to just lay there on the ground holding her until the storm of tears have passed, he knew that it their time together would not go unnoticed if they stayed any longer. Lord knows what was already being blunted about even now. "Jules?"
"Hum?" Shifting in her sleep and giving Slingerland's body all kinds of ideas that he has to silently chastise himself for.
"Jules, wake up," moving himself back slightly so as to put some much-needed space between them. "Can't stay holed up here forever."
She blinked, eyes unfocused for a moment until she finally settled her gaze on his face. "Oh." Looking around her office, she was surprised to find that they were lying side by side on the ground together. Sitting up, she felt a moment of embarrassment as she set about straightening her clothes as quickly as she could. "How long..."
"Too long," he replied with a grin. "Don't worry, no one walked in or anything."
Jules smiled in return, her eyes tired from her bout of tears. "By the way, you were right," getting up.
"About?" asking as he got to his feet and offered her an hand.
"Harriet didn't believe a word I said?" dusting off her clothes and running a quick hand through her mussed hair.
"You told her the truth?" he gaped at her.
Wincing, Jules tried not to feel guilty over the fact that she may have made a bad situation worse. "I thought she'd at least would believe me."
"Jules," Slingerland ran a hand through his hair, wishing he could turn back the clock to the moment before he thoughtlessly picked up her phone. "Oh well... what's done is done. Let's just hope that she didn't spread it about."
"Harriet doesn't gossip," Jules replied, grabbing her jacket from behind her chair. "Besides, even if people knew that you spent the night, it would only be a eight day wonder and will soon go away."
"I suppose," he sighed and stretched. "You have breakfast yet? Besides the coffee and four pieces of saltine crackers you had at three in the morning."
"It was four in the morning and no, I haven't had anything." She sighed and ran her tongue over her dry lips. Searching through her desk, she found one of the dozen chap sticks that she could never seem to keep track of. "You?"
"I found bread at my apartment but it resemble a third grader's science project," taking the offered chap stick and slipping it into his coat pocket. "Want to get something to eat?"
"Sure, but first I want to check on Billy again." She replied, looking around for her purse. "Last time I looked, his mother hasn't shown up yet."
"Yeah, she hadn't gotten there by the time I went to visit him."
"Oh, so that's how you knew I was here," she smiled grabbed her purse and slinging her coat over her arm. "Come on, let's hope she's shown up."
Slingerland grimaced. "For Billy's sake, I hope so. For mine, I'd be happy if she's never cross my path again."
"Oh," Jules smiled unsympathetic. "Poor baby. Having to fight off the women with a stick."
"Keep it up and you're paying for breakfast."
"Fine, I guess it was my turn anyways. By the way, if I didn't say this before," she paused at the door, turning to look him in the eyes. "Thanks."
Something warm and fuzzy erupted. "You're welcome." He touched her face with his hand, glad to see that spark of purity in her eyes once more. "Now move, I'm ravenous."
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"An hour?"
"Yeah."
"An hour?"
"Yes."
"An HOUR?!?!?"
"Is there an echo in here?" Slingerland's British accent tilted in its amusement. "Yes, we were in there for an hour."
"We are so doomed," Jules muttered as she collapsed onto the countertop of the little diner. It was bad enough that they were currently in diner that they both frequented, but the fact that it was most likely that staff at the hospital knew that they had been locked together.
"Cheer up," sipping the terrible coffee from a cup that looked as old as he was. "It's Saturday. Chances are people won't even know that we were in."
She rolled her eyes. "Neither one of us have that kind of luck."
Matt grinned knowingly. "Don't worry. You and I are so far apart on the spectrum of personalities; most people would dismiss it out of hand." He shifted in his seat and smiled charmingly at the waitress who came to refill Matt's mug every chance she got. "So what are you plans for the day?"
Jules stacked her hand on the table and rested her chin on them. Her eyes wondered over to the four waitresses that were busy whispering to one another and making giggling noises. Not one of them was pass the drinking age she was sure. Oh well, to each their own. "Well, I was going to go home, wash my hair, do my bills and go rent a movie with a big tub of popcorn." And try to forget the face of a newborn that never got a chance in life.
He stared at her, absentmindedly adding too much sugar to his coffee. She was sad, almost lost. It wasn't healthy on a face that was meant to smile. "I would think a gal like you would have men lining up around the block to take you out."
"I wish," she pursed her lips and stared at the glass of orange juice that Matt insisted that she had along with her third coffee of the day, something about nutrition. "You have any idea when the last time I was out on a date? Not counting your non-date that is."
"I find that a little hard to believe," and he did too. With her sweet face and charming disposition, he was sure that there were one or two saps out there worshipping the ground she treaded on. Jules Keating was one of those few women in the world Matt was sure every mother wanted for their sons.
Rolling her eyes, she looked at him. "What about you? Why aren't you out having a romantic picnic somewhere with a blonde or redhead in your arms?"
"But how ever would I choice?" he asked with mock gravity. "Blondes have such...wonderfully distinctive personalities. And redheads...hum... have such a...passion for life."
Coving her ears with her hands, "Ahh... spare me the details for your sordid sex life."
He laughed as the waitress returned with hot sandwiches for her and a healthy ham and egg breakfast platter for him. "Thank you kindly," he greeted the young blonde in his British accent that Jules knew would cause more than a few giggles among the female staff. Carefully removing the bone from the ham, he watched her pick the lattice and tomatoes from the sandwich before taking a tentative bite. "Why don't you come to the art museum with me instead of sitting home and doing mundane materials that can be spared for lovely weekday nights when there isn't anything better to do?"
She licked lips of the extra mayo that ever good diner cook knows to add. There was nothing like an old fashion diner sandwich to get her mood up. "Museum?"
For a moment, he lost his train of thought as he watched the little pink tongue darted out to lick the drop of condiment from the corner of her mouth. There was something a little too intimate about the act. "Um..."
"Matt?" Jules asked, her eyes full of concern as she watched him closed his eyes.
"Sorry," he muttered, chastising himself. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit in her company. "Yes, the museum. The Art Museum. Was invited by an acquaintance of my mother's. They begin their European exhibits today. Some very wonderful materials to be seen."
"Any one I know?" she asked, sipping juice.
"Doubtful," he replied, putting his concentration on his breakfast. It was infinitely easier to think about food than others things currently vying for attention in his mind. Unfortunately, food was less appealing to think about. "Most are up and coming artist that they're trying to promote. Not to say that they haven't made a name for themselves but... they're not quite known throughout the international realm."
"Hence the exhibition," she concluded with a smile. "Got it."
There was a few moment of silence, as Matt waited with his eyes on everything else but the woman sitting across from him. Then the silence got to him. "Well?"
Jules looked up from her side dish of coleslaw. "Oh... sorry. Okay, sure. I guess one can never get enough of modern art that no one can really understand except the artist who is going to spend hours trying to explain it to the audience who will all nod their heads and pretend to understand all the while still thinking that it looks like a matchstick and a red balloon."
Choking on his scrambled egg, Matt tried not to laugh out loud.
Smiling sweetly, she offered, "Juice?"
Taking the glass from her hand, he swallowed what's left in the glass. "You are an evil woman, Dr. Keating."
"Who me?" in all innocence as the waitress came over. "Hi, Dr. Slingerland here would like some water please."
Matt coughed up the rest of the eggs that had gone down the wrong tube and glared at her. "Was it really necessary to tell her I'm a doctor?"
"Yes," she smiled and picked up her fork once more. "And yes, I would love to come see the modern art exhibit with you. But only if you buy ice cream afterwards."
"You're like a little kid, you know?" he grinned as the waitress came back with a large glass of water. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, doctor," the blonde replied smiling twice was brightly as before.
Jules waited until the girl was out of hearing range before shaking her head with a sigh. "Another one bites the dust."
"Minx."
"And proud of it!"
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"Where were you this weekend?" Rae asked as she passed Jules in the hall on Monday morning. "I called but no one answered."
"Why?" her freckled nose wrinkled with concern as she glanced down at her schedule for the day. It was a going to be another ugly one. "Did you need me for something?"
"No," Rae answered handing her charts to the Clara. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to see a movie or something. Sean is still out of town."
"Oh, I went to a museum with a friend on Saturday and the gym on Sunday." She scratched out a couple notes to herself before picking up her charts. "Anita, could you tell Dr. Kokoris that I need him for a consult at ten?"
"Consult?" Rae asked, curious.
"I've got a little girl with a cut left side, six stitches in the ER but there appears to be something embedded. The x-ray shows a metal piece of something. Mother says that she fell into the fire place and cut herself on the poker." She shook her head. "You'd think that families with small children would be more careful."
"Tell me about it," she smiled and looked at her own schedule. "Ouch, who set this for me?"
"Frank did," Anita answered immediately.
Frank made a face and shrugged his shoulders. "Dr. Keating, this was flagged for you by pediatric records for your 10:30 appointment. And a pharmacy in Berkeley called for you an hour ago about some prescriptions."
"Oh," looking at the chart, she frowned. "Where's Dr. Slingerland?"
Rae and Anita both looked up at the same time. "I think he just arrived, second floor."
Noting something in the chart, Jules nodded absentmindedly. "Okay, put my first appointment in exam four. Get the pharmacy back on the phone for me; we are experiencing some difficulties with prescribed medication written on my pads. And I'll be right back." She took off for the stairs in a trot.
Arriving on the second floor, she looked around for a moment. "Norman, where's Dr. Slingerland."
"Curtain two," he answered, nudging the nurse beside him gently in the ribs. The two lunged over the receptionist station to watch her as she pass them toward curtain two area.
Turning the corner, she caught sight of him examining a chart with deep concentration.
Looking up, he smiled.
"Hey," handing him the chart she had carried down with her from pediatrics. "I'm sending you a nineteen year old patient of mine complaining of muscle aches and fatigue."
"Nineteen?" He looked at her sideways while doing a quick flip of the chart in his hands. "That's a little long in the tooth for you, is it?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I saw him once when he was sixteen years old, he's in college now."
He grinned, amused. "All grown up."
She looked at him sideways with a tilt of her head, "And on your schedule," replying in an imitation of his accent.
He smiled back. "No problem."
"Thanks," before running into Jackie Colette.
Norman and Henry pulled their head back from the as Dr. Slingerland came down the hall toward them. At their wide eye stared, he frowned. "What's the matter?"
"What did Dr. Keating want?" Norman asked, pretending to fiddle with the computer programming on scheduling patients.
"She's transferring a patient to me," he replied, dropping the chart on the counter. "Make sure he gets on my schedule."
Norman nodded before turning to Frank. "Think that whole that was enacted for our benefits?"
Frank glanced down the hall at where Dr. Keating and Dr. Colette were headed toward the plastic surgeon's office. "You mean that whole, I'm-just-up-here-on-business routine?" he glanced sideways at his fellow gossiper. "Totally not buying it."
"Me either."
"Norman!" Dr. Jordan called as she wanted into the receptionist area with a paper cup in her hand. "If my coffee doesn't start tasting like coffee in the next half hour, you are going to be in a world of pain." She stuck the Vanilla Parfait under the man's nose. "Put it back!"
"Yes, madam," picking up cup and clip and getting the hell out of there.
Letty looked through the charts once more at her next set of patients of the day. "Frank, make sure my husband knows that I'll be home late tonight cause I've got two patients coming in after hours."
"Yes Dr. Jordan," Frank answered scribbling down a note just as Dr. Keating appeared at the station once more. "Dr. Keating, Dr. Slingerland just went in to see his next patient."
Jules frowned at him. "I wasn't looking for him." Wondering what would make the man think such a thing given that she rare cross patients with Slingerland, she shook her head. "Letty, can I have you take a look at some x-rays later? I have a twelve year old with a congested heart."
"Due to what?" Letty asked, glancing briefly at the nurse who was making his way away from the scene of his own mishap.
"I would say pizza and hamburgers," Jules replied with a grimace. "I get more of them every day."
"I hear you," glancing over her shoulder at several nurses who were whispering and making less than subtle glances at Jules. "Hey Jules?"
"Yeah?" taking up a spare chart sheet and making several notations before tucking it into her coat pocket.
"Have you been..." she hesitated. It was unlike her to gossip and even more unlike her to interfere in other people's business. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about this whole Keating/Slingerland thing. "Have you been seeing anyone lately?"
She looked up, confusion clouding her eyes for a moment. "Oh no, Letty. Not another blind date. I still haven't recovered from the one Rae set me up on."
"No, nothing like that," laughing as she remembered Jules describing in all the gloriously detail of her blind date's analysis of blue chip stocks. "It's just... I was just wondering if you were seeing anyone these days. Especially given that you were going to store your eggs and all."
"No, no time for dating." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And I did have my eggs frozen. I got a sperm donor."
"Oh, good," relieved that the chances of the rumors of Jules and Matt Slingerland were less likely to be true... yet there was that night at the Blue Note. Oh heck, what does it matter to her anyways. "Well, I've got lots of patients."
"Don't remind me," Jules said walking toward the stairs again. "I've got a full load on my plate today."
"Aren't you taking the elevator?"
"Why wait?" before she disappeared into the stairwell.
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Okay, was I the only one that thought that small and all too brief scene between Keating and Slingerland was too short in that episode?
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 face it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill goes into overdrive as Matt and Jules get reach out to one another.
Note: If anyone got a chance to see the November 20th episode, there is a small scene from there.
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Chapter 8
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"Four in the morning?" came the incredulous question. Marie's wide eyes went even bigger, making her look like a landed fish.
"That's what they're saying." Erica looked smugly at her fellow nurses, always delighted to be the first to know the going-ons in the hospital.
"No way, you're lying," came the third person in the group. Lydia clicked the blue pen and wrote down the notes on the last patient she checked on.
"Millicent saw it with her own eyes."
"Dr. Keating is smarter than that."
"Come on, when has smarts ever come into play when it is about the affairs of the heart?"
"I still don't believe it."
"Well I do." Marie interjected with excitement. "Saw them last week together in the hallway, whispering and stuff."
"Discretion has never been Dr. Slingerland's most prevailing trait," Lydia replied.
"Heck, if I was dating a hottie like Slingerland, I won't care to be discreet either."
"But Dr. Keating would. So if they're seen together in public, than I highly doubt they're sleeping together." Picking up the chart, Lydia shook her head. "I don't believe it." Before going back to her rounds.
Erica stared after her for a moment, disappointed that she wasn't going to spring the next piece of news on her. Leaning toward Marie, "I wonder what she would think of the fact that Dr. Slingerland and Dr. Keating are currently locked in her office together."
"No!" Eyes even wider.
"Yes."
"How long?"
"An hour now."
"Really? I thought it was their day off?"
"Dr. Lenning called Dr. Keating in for premie last night. Slingerland showed up this morning and headed into her office. They haven't been seen since."
"You sure they didn't just leave?"
"Heck no, I've been standing here since he went in there. They are definitely still in there."
"What do you think they're doing?"
There was a meaning pause before giggling glances were exchanged. "Are you sure we want to know?"
Jackie Colette dropped her stack of patient files on the counter with a loud bang, startling the two giggling nurses. Giving them both an impatient glance, she shook her head. "Don't you two have things to be doing?"
"Yes doctor," Marie scrambled back to her station to make her round to do vital signs.
"What were you two whispering about?" Jackie asked as she sighed some papers at the nurses' station and handed them to the Erica for processing.
Erica busied herself collecting the necessary charts for the next rounds. "Oh just things."
"What things have you two ignoring patients?" Jackie asked lightly with a grin. "Anything to do with the recent hook-up rumors that's been going around?" She hated to admit it, but she was damn curious to know what the rest of the staff knew.
The nurse looked up surprised. "You heard about Dr. Keating and Dr. Slingerland too?" The doctors were notorious for keeping their lips sealed about their personal lives and the lives of their fellow physicians.
"Who hasn't?" Jackie asked with a wide eye look as she dropped another chart in the nurse's arms. "Was that what you were talking about?"
Erica nodded her head enthusiastically. "Millicent saw Dr. Slingerland drop Dr. Keating off at like four in the morning. Looks like he was with her when she got the call. Plus, they've been locked in Dr. Keating's office for like an hour now."
"Really?" turning to stare at the closed door several yards away. "An hour?"
The nurse nodded her head knowingly.
"Wow," Jackie murmured suitably impressed. But then, she would assume since Slingerland does have a certain reputation, and reputation like that certainly is earned for most part.
"Dr. Colette," Nick called as he came around the corner, glad to have found her.
"Hey you," closing her file and glancing at her watch. "What are you doing there so early? I thought you took a power shift like two days ago. Didn't expect to see you at least until Monday."
"I had a patient I wanted to check on this morning," Nick answered with a quick grin. "On the way, I managed to jump into another case. Got a moment to look at a laceration of the face?"
"How bad?" she asked, looking at her watch. She's got at least another half an hour before her next patient shows up to talk about the fifth liposuction she wants down on her tree trunk legs.
"Claw hammer to the cheek. Lots of damage to muscle, teeth and jaw bone."
"Ouch," Jackie winced and couldn't help but glance at Dr. Keating's door as she passed it. "How did it happen?"
Nick followed Jackie's eyes to the door for a moment, his curiosity peaked since it was the third time she's done so since he spotted her. "Did you need to talk to Dr. Keating about something?"
"What?" startled at being caught. "No, I was just..." She grinned guiltily with delight. "One of the nurse said that Keating and Slingerland have been in her office for an hour now doing god knows what. It's their off-day too."
Nick grinned suddenly, and turned his head to glance back at the door once more. He knew exactly what could be happening behind closed doors. But, "There could be a very logical explanation as to why they are in today."
"Like?" she asked, punching the elevator button.
"Like the case we were working on last evening. Billy Jankins, age 5, gall bladder removal." He glanced at the elevator light. "We finished at nine last evening and Slingerland took Keating home." The speculation as to what they did after Slingerland left with the young pediatrician was definitely in his eyes. Tilting his head, "As to what they could possibly talking about for an hour alone in her office... that's another story."
"Really?" giggling with delight. "Oh this is good. Who knew? The Playboy and the Girl Scout. Will wonders ever cease?"
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Running a hand over the smooth, soft, almost-red hair, Matt decided that being the nice guy every once in a while wasn't so bad. Cradling the sniffling Jules, he wondered for a moment why he hadn't felt the urge to run as he always do when coming face to face with an upset female. Patients and their families he could handle, but the women in his life... But this felt different, non-threatening in a way. Perhaps it was knowing that Jules has about as much interest in him as he does in her. They were friends, good friends. There was no sexual attraction there to ruin that.
And then he remembered the little dress she had on the other night. Okay, so there was a bit of a spark there. But hey, he was a man after all. And all men have the natural urges that... oh heck, he was only human. Besides which, Jules in that adorable little number could have gotten a rise out of a dead man.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked softly, gently tucking her head under his chin. She smelled like roses and strawberries. She mewed something unintelligible, which made Matt smiled. He had wondered when she'd tire herself out with crying. And as pleasurable as it was to just lay there on the ground holding her until the storm of tears have passed, he knew that it their time together would not go unnoticed if they stayed any longer. Lord knows what was already being blunted about even now. "Jules?"
"Hum?" Shifting in her sleep and giving Slingerland's body all kinds of ideas that he has to silently chastise himself for.
"Jules, wake up," moving himself back slightly so as to put some much-needed space between them. "Can't stay holed up here forever."
She blinked, eyes unfocused for a moment until she finally settled her gaze on his face. "Oh." Looking around her office, she was surprised to find that they were lying side by side on the ground together. Sitting up, she felt a moment of embarrassment as she set about straightening her clothes as quickly as she could. "How long..."
"Too long," he replied with a grin. "Don't worry, no one walked in or anything."
Jules smiled in return, her eyes tired from her bout of tears. "By the way, you were right," getting up.
"About?" asking as he got to his feet and offered her an hand.
"Harriet didn't believe a word I said?" dusting off her clothes and running a quick hand through her mussed hair.
"You told her the truth?" he gaped at her.
Wincing, Jules tried not to feel guilty over the fact that she may have made a bad situation worse. "I thought she'd at least would believe me."
"Jules," Slingerland ran a hand through his hair, wishing he could turn back the clock to the moment before he thoughtlessly picked up her phone. "Oh well... what's done is done. Let's just hope that she didn't spread it about."
"Harriet doesn't gossip," Jules replied, grabbing her jacket from behind her chair. "Besides, even if people knew that you spent the night, it would only be a eight day wonder and will soon go away."
"I suppose," he sighed and stretched. "You have breakfast yet? Besides the coffee and four pieces of saltine crackers you had at three in the morning."
"It was four in the morning and no, I haven't had anything." She sighed and ran her tongue over her dry lips. Searching through her desk, she found one of the dozen chap sticks that she could never seem to keep track of. "You?"
"I found bread at my apartment but it resemble a third grader's science project," taking the offered chap stick and slipping it into his coat pocket. "Want to get something to eat?"
"Sure, but first I want to check on Billy again." She replied, looking around for her purse. "Last time I looked, his mother hasn't shown up yet."
"Yeah, she hadn't gotten there by the time I went to visit him."
"Oh, so that's how you knew I was here," she smiled grabbed her purse and slinging her coat over her arm. "Come on, let's hope she's shown up."
Slingerland grimaced. "For Billy's sake, I hope so. For mine, I'd be happy if she's never cross my path again."
"Oh," Jules smiled unsympathetic. "Poor baby. Having to fight off the women with a stick."
"Keep it up and you're paying for breakfast."
"Fine, I guess it was my turn anyways. By the way, if I didn't say this before," she paused at the door, turning to look him in the eyes. "Thanks."
Something warm and fuzzy erupted. "You're welcome." He touched her face with his hand, glad to see that spark of purity in her eyes once more. "Now move, I'm ravenous."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"An hour?"
"Yeah."
"An hour?"
"Yes."
"An HOUR?!?!?"
"Is there an echo in here?" Slingerland's British accent tilted in its amusement. "Yes, we were in there for an hour."
"We are so doomed," Jules muttered as she collapsed onto the countertop of the little diner. It was bad enough that they were currently in diner that they both frequented, but the fact that it was most likely that staff at the hospital knew that they had been locked together.
"Cheer up," sipping the terrible coffee from a cup that looked as old as he was. "It's Saturday. Chances are people won't even know that we were in."
She rolled her eyes. "Neither one of us have that kind of luck."
Matt grinned knowingly. "Don't worry. You and I are so far apart on the spectrum of personalities; most people would dismiss it out of hand." He shifted in his seat and smiled charmingly at the waitress who came to refill Matt's mug every chance she got. "So what are you plans for the day?"
Jules stacked her hand on the table and rested her chin on them. Her eyes wondered over to the four waitresses that were busy whispering to one another and making giggling noises. Not one of them was pass the drinking age she was sure. Oh well, to each their own. "Well, I was going to go home, wash my hair, do my bills and go rent a movie with a big tub of popcorn." And try to forget the face of a newborn that never got a chance in life.
He stared at her, absentmindedly adding too much sugar to his coffee. She was sad, almost lost. It wasn't healthy on a face that was meant to smile. "I would think a gal like you would have men lining up around the block to take you out."
"I wish," she pursed her lips and stared at the glass of orange juice that Matt insisted that she had along with her third coffee of the day, something about nutrition. "You have any idea when the last time I was out on a date? Not counting your non-date that is."
"I find that a little hard to believe," and he did too. With her sweet face and charming disposition, he was sure that there were one or two saps out there worshipping the ground she treaded on. Jules Keating was one of those few women in the world Matt was sure every mother wanted for their sons.
Rolling her eyes, she looked at him. "What about you? Why aren't you out having a romantic picnic somewhere with a blonde or redhead in your arms?"
"But how ever would I choice?" he asked with mock gravity. "Blondes have such...wonderfully distinctive personalities. And redheads...hum... have such a...passion for life."
Coving her ears with her hands, "Ahh... spare me the details for your sordid sex life."
He laughed as the waitress returned with hot sandwiches for her and a healthy ham and egg breakfast platter for him. "Thank you kindly," he greeted the young blonde in his British accent that Jules knew would cause more than a few giggles among the female staff. Carefully removing the bone from the ham, he watched her pick the lattice and tomatoes from the sandwich before taking a tentative bite. "Why don't you come to the art museum with me instead of sitting home and doing mundane materials that can be spared for lovely weekday nights when there isn't anything better to do?"
She licked lips of the extra mayo that ever good diner cook knows to add. There was nothing like an old fashion diner sandwich to get her mood up. "Museum?"
For a moment, he lost his train of thought as he watched the little pink tongue darted out to lick the drop of condiment from the corner of her mouth. There was something a little too intimate about the act. "Um..."
"Matt?" Jules asked, her eyes full of concern as she watched him closed his eyes.
"Sorry," he muttered, chastising himself. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit in her company. "Yes, the museum. The Art Museum. Was invited by an acquaintance of my mother's. They begin their European exhibits today. Some very wonderful materials to be seen."
"Any one I know?" she asked, sipping juice.
"Doubtful," he replied, putting his concentration on his breakfast. It was infinitely easier to think about food than others things currently vying for attention in his mind. Unfortunately, food was less appealing to think about. "Most are up and coming artist that they're trying to promote. Not to say that they haven't made a name for themselves but... they're not quite known throughout the international realm."
"Hence the exhibition," she concluded with a smile. "Got it."
There was a few moment of silence, as Matt waited with his eyes on everything else but the woman sitting across from him. Then the silence got to him. "Well?"
Jules looked up from her side dish of coleslaw. "Oh... sorry. Okay, sure. I guess one can never get enough of modern art that no one can really understand except the artist who is going to spend hours trying to explain it to the audience who will all nod their heads and pretend to understand all the while still thinking that it looks like a matchstick and a red balloon."
Choking on his scrambled egg, Matt tried not to laugh out loud.
Smiling sweetly, she offered, "Juice?"
Taking the glass from her hand, he swallowed what's left in the glass. "You are an evil woman, Dr. Keating."
"Who me?" in all innocence as the waitress came over. "Hi, Dr. Slingerland here would like some water please."
Matt coughed up the rest of the eggs that had gone down the wrong tube and glared at her. "Was it really necessary to tell her I'm a doctor?"
"Yes," she smiled and picked up her fork once more. "And yes, I would love to come see the modern art exhibit with you. But only if you buy ice cream afterwards."
"You're like a little kid, you know?" he grinned as the waitress came back with a large glass of water. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, doctor," the blonde replied smiling twice was brightly as before.
Jules waited until the girl was out of hearing range before shaking her head with a sigh. "Another one bites the dust."
"Minx."
"And proud of it!"
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Where were you this weekend?" Rae asked as she passed Jules in the hall on Monday morning. "I called but no one answered."
"Why?" her freckled nose wrinkled with concern as she glanced down at her schedule for the day. It was a going to be another ugly one. "Did you need me for something?"
"No," Rae answered handing her charts to the Clara. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to see a movie or something. Sean is still out of town."
"Oh, I went to a museum with a friend on Saturday and the gym on Sunday." She scratched out a couple notes to herself before picking up her charts. "Anita, could you tell Dr. Kokoris that I need him for a consult at ten?"
"Consult?" Rae asked, curious.
"I've got a little girl with a cut left side, six stitches in the ER but there appears to be something embedded. The x-ray shows a metal piece of something. Mother says that she fell into the fire place and cut herself on the poker." She shook her head. "You'd think that families with small children would be more careful."
"Tell me about it," she smiled and looked at her own schedule. "Ouch, who set this for me?"
"Frank did," Anita answered immediately.
Frank made a face and shrugged his shoulders. "Dr. Keating, this was flagged for you by pediatric records for your 10:30 appointment. And a pharmacy in Berkeley called for you an hour ago about some prescriptions."
"Oh," looking at the chart, she frowned. "Where's Dr. Slingerland?"
Rae and Anita both looked up at the same time. "I think he just arrived, second floor."
Noting something in the chart, Jules nodded absentmindedly. "Okay, put my first appointment in exam four. Get the pharmacy back on the phone for me; we are experiencing some difficulties with prescribed medication written on my pads. And I'll be right back." She took off for the stairs in a trot.
Arriving on the second floor, she looked around for a moment. "Norman, where's Dr. Slingerland."
"Curtain two," he answered, nudging the nurse beside him gently in the ribs. The two lunged over the receptionist station to watch her as she pass them toward curtain two area.
Turning the corner, she caught sight of him examining a chart with deep concentration.
Looking up, he smiled.
"Hey," handing him the chart she had carried down with her from pediatrics. "I'm sending you a nineteen year old patient of mine complaining of muscle aches and fatigue."
"Nineteen?" He looked at her sideways while doing a quick flip of the chart in his hands. "That's a little long in the tooth for you, is it?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I saw him once when he was sixteen years old, he's in college now."
He grinned, amused. "All grown up."
She looked at him sideways with a tilt of her head, "And on your schedule," replying in an imitation of his accent.
He smiled back. "No problem."
"Thanks," before running into Jackie Colette.
Norman and Henry pulled their head back from the as Dr. Slingerland came down the hall toward them. At their wide eye stared, he frowned. "What's the matter?"
"What did Dr. Keating want?" Norman asked, pretending to fiddle with the computer programming on scheduling patients.
"She's transferring a patient to me," he replied, dropping the chart on the counter. "Make sure he gets on my schedule."
Norman nodded before turning to Frank. "Think that whole that was enacted for our benefits?"
Frank glanced down the hall at where Dr. Keating and Dr. Colette were headed toward the plastic surgeon's office. "You mean that whole, I'm-just-up-here-on-business routine?" he glanced sideways at his fellow gossiper. "Totally not buying it."
"Me either."
"Norman!" Dr. Jordan called as she wanted into the receptionist area with a paper cup in her hand. "If my coffee doesn't start tasting like coffee in the next half hour, you are going to be in a world of pain." She stuck the Vanilla Parfait under the man's nose. "Put it back!"
"Yes, madam," picking up cup and clip and getting the hell out of there.
Letty looked through the charts once more at her next set of patients of the day. "Frank, make sure my husband knows that I'll be home late tonight cause I've got two patients coming in after hours."
"Yes Dr. Jordan," Frank answered scribbling down a note just as Dr. Keating appeared at the station once more. "Dr. Keating, Dr. Slingerland just went in to see his next patient."
Jules frowned at him. "I wasn't looking for him." Wondering what would make the man think such a thing given that she rare cross patients with Slingerland, she shook her head. "Letty, can I have you take a look at some x-rays later? I have a twelve year old with a congested heart."
"Due to what?" Letty asked, glancing briefly at the nurse who was making his way away from the scene of his own mishap.
"I would say pizza and hamburgers," Jules replied with a grimace. "I get more of them every day."
"I hear you," glancing over her shoulder at several nurses who were whispering and making less than subtle glances at Jules. "Hey Jules?"
"Yeah?" taking up a spare chart sheet and making several notations before tucking it into her coat pocket.
"Have you been..." she hesitated. It was unlike her to gossip and even more unlike her to interfere in other people's business. Yet, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about this whole Keating/Slingerland thing. "Have you been seeing anyone lately?"
She looked up, confusion clouding her eyes for a moment. "Oh no, Letty. Not another blind date. I still haven't recovered from the one Rae set me up on."
"No, nothing like that," laughing as she remembered Jules describing in all the gloriously detail of her blind date's analysis of blue chip stocks. "It's just... I was just wondering if you were seeing anyone these days. Especially given that you were going to store your eggs and all."
"No, no time for dating." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "And I did have my eggs frozen. I got a sperm donor."
"Oh, good," relieved that the chances of the rumors of Jules and Matt Slingerland were less likely to be true... yet there was that night at the Blue Note. Oh heck, what does it matter to her anyways. "Well, I've got lots of patients."
"Don't remind me," Jules said walking toward the stairs again. "I've got a full load on my plate today."
"Aren't you taking the elevator?"
"Why wait?" before she disappeared into the stairwell.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Okay, was I the only one that thought that small and all too brief scene between Keating and Slingerland was too short in that episode?