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: Something always seems to come up.
Rating: PG-13
Question: Has anyone heard anything about Presidio Med's fate? I miss it already.
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Chapter 16
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Matthew Slingerland knew three things to be sure in life. One: women in cotton dresses were the best reasons for summer. Two: you always tread on cautious grounds when it came to women and their bodies. And three: a man is a fool if he thinks he knows anything about a woman.
Shutting the door to his home, he glanced at the silent Jules as she made her way into the living, shrugging out of her coat. She hasn't said much since their appointment with Dr. Lenning earlier in the day... not that he's had much of a chance to speak with her at all. Jules had been called away to NICU as soon as they left the OB's office. And Matt had to return to his own score of patients. But during the entire ride to his place, she hardly spoke three words to him.
While it was obvious that she was deep in thought, Matt had a discomforting feeling that she may be contemplating something he's not sure he could live with. Dropping his keys on the little table by the door, Matt hurried to the living room and took Jule's coat from her limp hands. "Are you hungry? I know that I said we'd go grocery shopping tonight but I figured..." she blinked at him. "We'll do it tomorrow night. How about some Chinese? Or maybe Italian? I can order some dishes and go pick them up. Or maybe they deliver? Let's me see if I can find one that..."
"Matt, stop!" Jules rubbed her forehead with her fingers and sighed from deep down, so very telling of her bone weariness. "Just stop. I can't do this."
His hand froze over the phone he had been reaching for. A part of him wondered if his heart was always holding its breath. "Do what?" not at all sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question.
"This" indicating with her two first fingers the space between them. "I cannot do this."
Straightening, he stared at her, his face a mask of blankness. "You're going to have to be more precise than that luv."
Jules shook her head, her face crumbling. "I can't pretend that everything is normal cause we both know that it's not, so let's not even try okay? I can't do it right now, I don't have the energy for it." Tossing her purse down, she threw herself onto the sofa and took a deep breath.
Something akin to relief sailed through Matt as he let out the breath he had been holding. For a terrifying moment, he was sure Jules was about to end what was the beginning of the first real relationship he's had since puppy love in secondary school. When he was sure his heart head returned to a regular rhythm, he came around the couch and took her into his arms. "I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was make this any harder for you than it already is."
Burrowing closer to him, Jules felt a chill run down her spine. "Are you angry with me, Matt?"
That took him by surprise. "What?"
Lifting her head, she stared at him for a moment. "I want to know if you're mad at me?"
"Why would you..."
"It's no surprise to anyone that I want my own biological child, you of all people know that." She smiled when he gave a quick grin of acknowledgment. "I...I didn't do this on purpose, Matt. I won't do that to you," her soft eyes pleading for his understanding and belief in her words.
"Is that what you've been worried about?" he asked, incredulous.
"Well," she shrugged, unable to meet his eyes. "Given what your dad believes, I have to admit that I wouldn't be surprised if you thought that I was just using you to conceive a..."
"Stop it," grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "We are beyond that kind of misunderstanding. I would never... 'never' think that you would stoop to lies. And no one will ever be able to convince me that you did this," encompassing their whole relationship with a circling of his arm, "to get pregnant. 'Especially' since you and I went through a considerable amount of trouble, not to mention embarrassment, to insure that you may someday have a biological child of your own. Hang my father's opinion."
The outburst more than any words that he could have spoken convinced her. Leaning in, she kissed him softly on his angry lips. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," he replied gruffly before pulling her forward to him, crushing her lips under his for a moment, tasting fear on them and sharing his frustration and confusion from his. "Just believe me."
"I do," she murmured against his lips. "Matt, I know that we should make some decisions and probably really soon, I just want you to know that I won't exclude you in any of the decision making."
"Good," he pulled her into his lap, intent on having a very serious discussion on their near future. "Because I don't plan on being excluded." He pressed a firm kiss on her before shifting to get comfortable. This could take a while. One of the first things he had in mind was to make sure she understood that she was not in this alone. The second would be to talk her into moving in with him... for the sake of the baby of course. "Jules, I need you to know that..." The buzzer on the door interrupted him, having them both turning their heads toward the offensive noise. "Who the bloody hell could possibly be at the door?"
Jules frowned. "Maybe you should get that."
"No," he answered firmly, tipping her chin toward him. "I want to spend this evening quietly at home with you and talk about our current situation. Whoever it is can just go sod off."
Giggling, she snuggled closer even as bell-ring became a loud knocking. She glanced at the door once more then back at Matt with questioning raised brows.
Matt shook his head. "They'll go away."
The loud knocking became an insistent pounding. "I don't think they're going away."
"MATT! MATTHEW!!! ARE YOU IN???"
Slingerland straightened in his seat and turned to the door. Surprise was written all over his face. "GEORGE?"
"WHO THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU THINK IT WAS???" came the shouted answer.
"Oh lord," Matt groaned with a sigh.
"George?" Jules asked quietly. "As in your brother from England?"
"That would be affirmative," he answered resignedly. "Who is more than capable of waking the whole confounded neighborhood if we don't let his sorry arse in here."
Climbing off his lap reluctantly, Dr. Keating grinned at him. "I see that you're positively glowing with pleasure at the thought of reuniting with your brother."
He growled at her. "Getting a lecture about the birds and the bees from Dr. Lenning right about now would be preferable." Heading for the door, he glanced over his shoulder. "Prepare yourself, George is nothing if not a witless idiot when he's upset as he seem to be now."
Jules gave him a mock salute as she stood, "I'm dutifully warned."
Rolling his eyes, Matt pulled opened the front down and caught his brother by the arm before the man feel on his nose. The process of pounding of the door with all his might had thrown his balance off when the once solid object gave away. Straightening, "About bloody time!"
"It's nice to see you too brother," Matt replied dryly as George marched past him and into the townhouse. "Come on in, make yourself at home."
"What in god's blazes have you been in the last week? I swear to you're harder to find than that over-priced, inefficient lawyer of mine. And why the hell don't you ever answer your bleeping phone like normal people do. It would have damn well save me a trip across the Atla..." he came to an abrupt halt, causing Matt to slam into his back. "What the hell?"
Wiggling her fingers at him, Jules smiled and inclined her head. "Hi."
George stared at her as if she were something pulled out from a magician's hat. "Who the bloody hell are you?"
"GEORGE!" whacking him in the arm...hard. "Don't talk in such manner in my home."
"Aww...." Rubbing the soon to the bruised area. "That hurt!"
"It was suppose to," Matt snapped at him and walked over to Jules. "Darling, this uncouth ape is my brother, George Edward Slingerland III. George, this is Dr. Jules Keating."
"Doctor?" he reached out a hand and shook hers firmly. "Working a bit late, aren't we?"
"The healing arts doesn't get to take month long vacations, unlike some world traveling, corporate mongrels I know," he picked up the coat that George had just sat down on the chair back. "And you're not staying," tossing the coat at his brother again.
"Matt, please," he whined, not caring that Jules was currently grinning from ear to ear at this endearingly loud brotherly reunion. "I need help."
"You need a good divorce lawyer if I haven't missed my guess," he said, picking up the coat his brother had dropped once more. "And it'll have to wait until morning since I have no intentions of..."
"Matt," Jules said soothingly as she took the crumpled up coat from Dr. Slingerland's hands just as he was about to pitch it into his brother's head. "Is that any way to treat family?" she admonished gently trying to hide her smile from him as she attempted to smooth out the wrinkled jacket.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, "If you had a brother like him..."
"I've got three elder brothers so don't even start with me," she said as she folded the coat and placed it on the coach just before she picked up her purse.
"Where are you going with that?" Matt asked as George made himself at home and Jules headed toward the hall closet where her own coat was hanging. "Jules! Jules don't go," grabbing her purse from her. "Please," his eyes pleading with her
Shaking her head, she sighed and shrugged into her winter jacket. "Listen Matt, we both know what's it's like to deal with our family. He's not going anywhere and he obvious is distressed over the situation he's in."
"A situation he caused!" he argued. "Please Jules, just go upstairs, have a bath. I'll get rid of George and you and I can talk some more about..." he glanced over his shoulder at the eavesdropping George. "Good god's tooth man, will you stop being so damn nosy?"
Jules grinned and leaned closer to whisper, "Did you know that your language drops into the gutters the same way your brother's does when you're upset?"
He turned to glare at her. "Comparing me to that lack-wit right now is not a good idea." He took her by the shoulders. "Please Jules, just..." he sighed. This was a foreign territory to him. "Please stay."
She hated that he looked so torn. Patting his cheek gently, she stopped herself from leaning up to kiss the frown away. Nosy George was watching the whole exchange with a knowing gleam and a fat smirk that she was almost tempted to smack off his face. Pulling him to the front door and away from George's perked up ears, "I think I better go. George's problems are probably going to take you all night sort through and I want to get some rest. And as much I would like to be in your arms tonight, maybe it's better for both of us if we get a little time alone to think things through. No decision made," she added quickly when he opened his mouth to protest. "Just time to think. Okay?"
Matt shut his eyes, counted to ten and wondered how long it would take his mother to forgive him should he strangle her first born. "I really don't want this tonight."
Grinning, "I know, I can see it in your eyes." Opening the front door, "Walk me out," she said as she took his hand and grabbed his keys from the counter. "Good night, George!" she called over her shoulder.
"Don't touch anything!" Matt warned as Jules dragged him out the door.
Chuckling, she walked down the steps of his townhouse with his arms around her. "Don't be too hard on him. He's got a problem of the heart and those are always the most difficult to solve."
"He wouldn't have so many problems if he could keep his vows of marriage and keep it in his knickers. Or better yet, reframe from using the state of matrimony as some sort of hobby." He kissed her temple and looked around the street for an available cab to hail. "Are you sure..."
"Yes," she turned and hugged him tight. "Go in there, help him cause he's family, and I'll see you tomorrow at work." Jules held out an arm just as a taxi was passing by.
Putting her into the cab, he held the door open for a moment longer as he kissed her. "Call me before you go to bed."
Smiling cause it touched her to see him worried about her. "Okay."
He smiled for her benefit and turned to the cabby. Pulling out two twenties, he handed it to the driver. "Stay until you see her through the door."
"Sure," the driver answered with a nod of his head.
Thanking the man with a nod, Matt turned to her once more. "Jules, I..."
"Good night, Matt," she interrupted him and kissed him through the window. "See you tomorrow morning." Then patted the cabby's seat back and was gone.
Slingerland stood there on the cold empty street for a moment longer before turning back to his house. With every step he mounted, his anger built just a little more until he was contemplating on how many ways can one get away with fratricide.
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It's a short one cause I wanted to play a little with them. Next up... families' reactions!!!! (hee-hee) This story has kind of taken a life of it's own, hasn't it?
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: Something always seems to come up.
Rating: PG-13
Question: Has anyone heard anything about Presidio Med's fate? I miss it already.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Chapter 16
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Matthew Slingerland knew three things to be sure in life. One: women in cotton dresses were the best reasons for summer. Two: you always tread on cautious grounds when it came to women and their bodies. And three: a man is a fool if he thinks he knows anything about a woman.
Shutting the door to his home, he glanced at the silent Jules as she made her way into the living, shrugging out of her coat. She hasn't said much since their appointment with Dr. Lenning earlier in the day... not that he's had much of a chance to speak with her at all. Jules had been called away to NICU as soon as they left the OB's office. And Matt had to return to his own score of patients. But during the entire ride to his place, she hardly spoke three words to him.
While it was obvious that she was deep in thought, Matt had a discomforting feeling that she may be contemplating something he's not sure he could live with. Dropping his keys on the little table by the door, Matt hurried to the living room and took Jule's coat from her limp hands. "Are you hungry? I know that I said we'd go grocery shopping tonight but I figured..." she blinked at him. "We'll do it tomorrow night. How about some Chinese? Or maybe Italian? I can order some dishes and go pick them up. Or maybe they deliver? Let's me see if I can find one that..."
"Matt, stop!" Jules rubbed her forehead with her fingers and sighed from deep down, so very telling of her bone weariness. "Just stop. I can't do this."
His hand froze over the phone he had been reaching for. A part of him wondered if his heart was always holding its breath. "Do what?" not at all sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question.
"This" indicating with her two first fingers the space between them. "I cannot do this."
Straightening, he stared at her, his face a mask of blankness. "You're going to have to be more precise than that luv."
Jules shook her head, her face crumbling. "I can't pretend that everything is normal cause we both know that it's not, so let's not even try okay? I can't do it right now, I don't have the energy for it." Tossing her purse down, she threw herself onto the sofa and took a deep breath.
Something akin to relief sailed through Matt as he let out the breath he had been holding. For a terrifying moment, he was sure Jules was about to end what was the beginning of the first real relationship he's had since puppy love in secondary school. When he was sure his heart head returned to a regular rhythm, he came around the couch and took her into his arms. "I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was make this any harder for you than it already is."
Burrowing closer to him, Jules felt a chill run down her spine. "Are you angry with me, Matt?"
That took him by surprise. "What?"
Lifting her head, she stared at him for a moment. "I want to know if you're mad at me?"
"Why would you..."
"It's no surprise to anyone that I want my own biological child, you of all people know that." She smiled when he gave a quick grin of acknowledgment. "I...I didn't do this on purpose, Matt. I won't do that to you," her soft eyes pleading for his understanding and belief in her words.
"Is that what you've been worried about?" he asked, incredulous.
"Well," she shrugged, unable to meet his eyes. "Given what your dad believes, I have to admit that I wouldn't be surprised if you thought that I was just using you to conceive a..."
"Stop it," grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "We are beyond that kind of misunderstanding. I would never... 'never' think that you would stoop to lies. And no one will ever be able to convince me that you did this," encompassing their whole relationship with a circling of his arm, "to get pregnant. 'Especially' since you and I went through a considerable amount of trouble, not to mention embarrassment, to insure that you may someday have a biological child of your own. Hang my father's opinion."
The outburst more than any words that he could have spoken convinced her. Leaning in, she kissed him softly on his angry lips. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," he replied gruffly before pulling her forward to him, crushing her lips under his for a moment, tasting fear on them and sharing his frustration and confusion from his. "Just believe me."
"I do," she murmured against his lips. "Matt, I know that we should make some decisions and probably really soon, I just want you to know that I won't exclude you in any of the decision making."
"Good," he pulled her into his lap, intent on having a very serious discussion on their near future. "Because I don't plan on being excluded." He pressed a firm kiss on her before shifting to get comfortable. This could take a while. One of the first things he had in mind was to make sure she understood that she was not in this alone. The second would be to talk her into moving in with him... for the sake of the baby of course. "Jules, I need you to know that..." The buzzer on the door interrupted him, having them both turning their heads toward the offensive noise. "Who the bloody hell could possibly be at the door?"
Jules frowned. "Maybe you should get that."
"No," he answered firmly, tipping her chin toward him. "I want to spend this evening quietly at home with you and talk about our current situation. Whoever it is can just go sod off."
Giggling, she snuggled closer even as bell-ring became a loud knocking. She glanced at the door once more then back at Matt with questioning raised brows.
Matt shook his head. "They'll go away."
The loud knocking became an insistent pounding. "I don't think they're going away."
"MATT! MATTHEW!!! ARE YOU IN???"
Slingerland straightened in his seat and turned to the door. Surprise was written all over his face. "GEORGE?"
"WHO THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU THINK IT WAS???" came the shouted answer.
"Oh lord," Matt groaned with a sigh.
"George?" Jules asked quietly. "As in your brother from England?"
"That would be affirmative," he answered resignedly. "Who is more than capable of waking the whole confounded neighborhood if we don't let his sorry arse in here."
Climbing off his lap reluctantly, Dr. Keating grinned at him. "I see that you're positively glowing with pleasure at the thought of reuniting with your brother."
He growled at her. "Getting a lecture about the birds and the bees from Dr. Lenning right about now would be preferable." Heading for the door, he glanced over his shoulder. "Prepare yourself, George is nothing if not a witless idiot when he's upset as he seem to be now."
Jules gave him a mock salute as she stood, "I'm dutifully warned."
Rolling his eyes, Matt pulled opened the front down and caught his brother by the arm before the man feel on his nose. The process of pounding of the door with all his might had thrown his balance off when the once solid object gave away. Straightening, "About bloody time!"
"It's nice to see you too brother," Matt replied dryly as George marched past him and into the townhouse. "Come on in, make yourself at home."
"What in god's blazes have you been in the last week? I swear to you're harder to find than that over-priced, inefficient lawyer of mine. And why the hell don't you ever answer your bleeping phone like normal people do. It would have damn well save me a trip across the Atla..." he came to an abrupt halt, causing Matt to slam into his back. "What the hell?"
Wiggling her fingers at him, Jules smiled and inclined her head. "Hi."
George stared at her as if she were something pulled out from a magician's hat. "Who the bloody hell are you?"
"GEORGE!" whacking him in the arm...hard. "Don't talk in such manner in my home."
"Aww...." Rubbing the soon to the bruised area. "That hurt!"
"It was suppose to," Matt snapped at him and walked over to Jules. "Darling, this uncouth ape is my brother, George Edward Slingerland III. George, this is Dr. Jules Keating."
"Doctor?" he reached out a hand and shook hers firmly. "Working a bit late, aren't we?"
"The healing arts doesn't get to take month long vacations, unlike some world traveling, corporate mongrels I know," he picked up the coat that George had just sat down on the chair back. "And you're not staying," tossing the coat at his brother again.
"Matt, please," he whined, not caring that Jules was currently grinning from ear to ear at this endearingly loud brotherly reunion. "I need help."
"You need a good divorce lawyer if I haven't missed my guess," he said, picking up the coat his brother had dropped once more. "And it'll have to wait until morning since I have no intentions of..."
"Matt," Jules said soothingly as she took the crumpled up coat from Dr. Slingerland's hands just as he was about to pitch it into his brother's head. "Is that any way to treat family?" she admonished gently trying to hide her smile from him as she attempted to smooth out the wrinkled jacket.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, "If you had a brother like him..."
"I've got three elder brothers so don't even start with me," she said as she folded the coat and placed it on the coach just before she picked up her purse.
"Where are you going with that?" Matt asked as George made himself at home and Jules headed toward the hall closet where her own coat was hanging. "Jules! Jules don't go," grabbing her purse from her. "Please," his eyes pleading with her
Shaking her head, she sighed and shrugged into her winter jacket. "Listen Matt, we both know what's it's like to deal with our family. He's not going anywhere and he obvious is distressed over the situation he's in."
"A situation he caused!" he argued. "Please Jules, just go upstairs, have a bath. I'll get rid of George and you and I can talk some more about..." he glanced over his shoulder at the eavesdropping George. "Good god's tooth man, will you stop being so damn nosy?"
Jules grinned and leaned closer to whisper, "Did you know that your language drops into the gutters the same way your brother's does when you're upset?"
He turned to glare at her. "Comparing me to that lack-wit right now is not a good idea." He took her by the shoulders. "Please Jules, just..." he sighed. This was a foreign territory to him. "Please stay."
She hated that he looked so torn. Patting his cheek gently, she stopped herself from leaning up to kiss the frown away. Nosy George was watching the whole exchange with a knowing gleam and a fat smirk that she was almost tempted to smack off his face. Pulling him to the front door and away from George's perked up ears, "I think I better go. George's problems are probably going to take you all night sort through and I want to get some rest. And as much I would like to be in your arms tonight, maybe it's better for both of us if we get a little time alone to think things through. No decision made," she added quickly when he opened his mouth to protest. "Just time to think. Okay?"
Matt shut his eyes, counted to ten and wondered how long it would take his mother to forgive him should he strangle her first born. "I really don't want this tonight."
Grinning, "I know, I can see it in your eyes." Opening the front door, "Walk me out," she said as she took his hand and grabbed his keys from the counter. "Good night, George!" she called over her shoulder.
"Don't touch anything!" Matt warned as Jules dragged him out the door.
Chuckling, she walked down the steps of his townhouse with his arms around her. "Don't be too hard on him. He's got a problem of the heart and those are always the most difficult to solve."
"He wouldn't have so many problems if he could keep his vows of marriage and keep it in his knickers. Or better yet, reframe from using the state of matrimony as some sort of hobby." He kissed her temple and looked around the street for an available cab to hail. "Are you sure..."
"Yes," she turned and hugged him tight. "Go in there, help him cause he's family, and I'll see you tomorrow at work." Jules held out an arm just as a taxi was passing by.
Putting her into the cab, he held the door open for a moment longer as he kissed her. "Call me before you go to bed."
Smiling cause it touched her to see him worried about her. "Okay."
He smiled for her benefit and turned to the cabby. Pulling out two twenties, he handed it to the driver. "Stay until you see her through the door."
"Sure," the driver answered with a nod of his head.
Thanking the man with a nod, Matt turned to her once more. "Jules, I..."
"Good night, Matt," she interrupted him and kissed him through the window. "See you tomorrow morning." Then patted the cabby's seat back and was gone.
Slingerland stood there on the cold empty street for a moment longer before turning back to his house. With every step he mounted, his anger built just a little more until he was contemplating on how many ways can one get away with fratricide.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
It's a short one cause I wanted to play a little with them. Next up... families' reactions!!!! (hee-hee) This story has kind of taken a life of it's own, hasn't it?