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: Oh the joys of a brother's love.
Rating: PG-13
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Chapter 20
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"There's a betting pool going around when Slingerland and Keating are going to tie the knot!" Janice giggled as she wrote down the patient's weight and blood pressure on the chart in from of her after having spilled coffee on the one she had created before the unfortunately accident.
Marian laughed. "Two weeks. Slingerland won't want to wait much longer if he knows what's best for him."
"Did Dr. Keating's brother really knock out Dr. Slingerland's brother thinking it was him?"
"Not only that," Kelly interjected as she sat down her heavy load on the countertop. "Keating's brother took a swing at Slingerland after they sorted out the mistake. Nearly took Slingerland's tooth out."
"I heard that he threatened to kill the man if Slingerland ever went within a hundred feet of Dr. Keating." Shelley added as she glanced at the ladies.
"No way!" Marian's jaw hit the floor.
Shelley nodded. "Did you know that she has two more brothers?"
"They'll kill Dr. Slingerland for sure," Janice murmured quietly.
"Did you see them together during lunch?" Christy joined them after eavesdropping for a good number of minutes. "They held hands and talked until they had to go to work. If you ask me, Slingerland is one lucky bastard and he well knows it."
"You think he'll marry her?" Janice asked.
Shelley shook her head. "He's been known to publicly announce his intensions never to get married. Don't get me wrong, the right woman might be able to get him to the alter. But look at his track record with women, I doubt even Dr. Keating is going to accomplish that feat."
"But she's pregnant," Marian pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?"
"Only that he's got a connection to her that isn't going away." Shelley replied sadly. She liked Dr. Keating very much.
"He'll do right by the baby and her." Christy pronounced without any doubt. "All you have to do is look at the way he looks at her."
The others exchanged looks of doubts, but before anyone of them can make any kind of pronouncement, the emergency doors opened to revealed three rushed teens ahead of two EMT's and a sober Dr. Slingerland calling out orders as he followed the gurney into the trauma room. Dr. Slingerland's brother came in at a much more leisurely pace and smiled at the four nurses who were all staring at the bruise that was already beginning to show on his jaw.
"Good evening, Ladies. Could one of you direct to Dr.... ugh.... Doctor.... hum..." he frowned, trying to remember the gal's last name.
"Dr. Keating?" Christy offered quietly.
"Yes, Dr. Keating," snapping his finger with a smile. "Could you point me toward her office?"
Christy eyed the man with interest. There was something about the way he smiled that made Christy wary. "Fourth floor, pediatrics. Just ask any of the nurses up there where she is and they'd be able to tell you."
"Thank you, luv," then strolled off.
"Wow," Marian sighed. "I could listen to him walk all day."
"Can't get enough of that British thing," Janice agreed with a smile.
"I don't trust him," Christy announced with a frown as she continued to watch the retreating back. "Something about him makes my skin crawl."
"Good kind of crawling or bad kind of crawling?" Shelley asked, her own caution signs at full alert. There was something too smooth about the man. "Cause I'm getting that kind crawling that says that I need to cross the street and protect my youngs that kind of crawling."
"Good instinct," Christy shook her head. "He's bad news."
"You guys sure?" Janice asked, her eyes watching the two older women. "He seemed nice enough to me."
"Looks can be deceiving," Shelley said as she picked up her charts. "I've got patients."
"Me too," Christy replied. "I hope Dr. Keating watches her back cause I got a feeling that that brother of Dr. Slingerland's is going to be trouble."
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"Did I hear right?" Jackie asked as she startled the busy Dr. Brennan.
"About what?" Rae asked, returning to her notes. She's got two too many patients today for gossip, which was undoubtedly what Dr. Colette wanted right now judging by her twinkling eyes.
"That Jules's brother broke Slingerland's arm?" signing off a couple of orders before handing the stack of papers back to the waiting arms of a nurse. "I heard that they had to call security to get him off."
"Wait, what?" Rae turned and stared at Dr. Colette in stunned disbelief. She had been swamped all day but she didn't think that she had been so preoccupied that something that earth-shaking happening would have gotten passed her.
"Didn't you hear?" Jackie shook her head.
"No Slingerland didn't get his arm broken," Letty responded as she left her charts with Norman. "He didn't get the least mussed by the whole affair. It's the brother that got the hard knock in the noggin."
"Which brother?" Rae asked, confused as hell.
"Slingerland only has one," Letty replied calmly.
"What does Slingerland's brother have to do with this?" Jackie asked, her brows suddenly wrinkling in confusion.
Letty stared at the two. "He was the one that was knocked unconscious today."
Jackie's jaw practically hit the floor. "Slingerland hit his brother?"
"What are you ladies up to?" Harriet asked as she slipped on her half mooned glasses to head the chart of her next patient. "And why aren't you working diligently to save lives instead?"
Dr. Jordan frowned. "We seemed to be standing here with crossed wires."
"About what?" frowning as she read the latest blood test on her new mother to be.
"What happened this afternoon with Jules and Matt?" Rae clarified. If anyone knew the truth of what's going on, it was Doctor Mom. "Did you hear anything about some brother and someone getting..."
Harriet sighed and picked up the charts. "Does this hospital have nothing better to do than to gossip about the private lives of our residents?"
"Apparently not," Jackie answered honestly.
Grinning helplessly, Harriet shook her head. "For your information, Joshua Keating arrived this afternoon and mistakenly knocked out George Slingerland thinking that 'Mr.' Slingerland was 'Dr.' Slingerland, whom Josh believes to have impinged upon his sister's honor. Security was called, but Dr. Keating managed to get the situation under control before extreme measures were called up."
"Really?" wide-eyed and curious, Jackie leaned against the counter. "Did you hear anything about wedding bells?"
Harriet frowned at her. "Only about the pool in the nurse's lounge."
"There's a pool going?" Letty asked, with a little too much interest.
"Ladies," Harriet warned. "This is your friend's life you're spreading gossip and betting on. Let's remember why we're really here, shall we?"
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"Knock, knock."
Dr. Keating's eyes lifted from the enormous amount of chicken scratch in front of her. God help her from other doctors that never got pass a D in handwriting during the fundamental elementary school years. She blinked for a moment, not recognizing the man at the door. "Hello?"
"Hello, my dear," George felt no qualms about stepping into the brightly decorated room. If not for the books and enormous desk, he would have thought he stepped into an elaborate nursery. Flashing his infamous smile, that one was the cause and collapse of his four marriages, he took a seat in front of the desk and studied the woman in front of him.
It surprised George to no end that Dr. Julia Keating was nothing of what he expected from Matthew. The Slingerland men, at least this generation, were known for their taste in the sophisticated blondes beauties. Heck, every one of George's ex-wives, and soon to be ex-wife, was a natural blonde. Every woman George has seen in Matt's arms has been a fair-haired angel. They were all statuesque, beautiful, charming...English roses.
Dr. Keating with her sweet freckled face, her delicate stature, mahogany hair, was a yellow daisy in the spring and certainly didn't fit the image that George had of the kind of woman that would not only capture Matthew's attention but also hold it. Granted, there was something quite interesting about her animated face and those guileless eyes that would probably get more than a glance from most men, but the Slingerlands have long been accustom to their share of down right gorgeous women. So there had to be more to this than what meets the eyes.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" George asked with a disarming smile that usually got what he wanted in and out of boardrooms. "Getting enough calcium?"
Jules was automatically suspicious simply because the man was too good looking. It was like a law somewhere that extremely good-looking men aren't the nicest or kindest ones around. Granted, there are some exceptions... Matt Slingerland came to mind. The man was gorgeous, not doubt about that. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, a smile that made her want to eat him alive. Nick Kokoris was another... greatest bed hair she's ever seen, not to mention that hero's chin and devilishly charming goatee. Okay, so there are some exceptions to every rule but George Slingerland was not one of them. Just look at his track records....
"I'm feeling quite fit. I had a high fiber lunch, with your brother, and a yogurt for a snack about fifteen minutes before you were knocked on your butt by my brother."
The warning shot had been fired.
George's face reflected none of his admiration for her spunk. Most women simply rolled over at him. It almost made him cheer with delight, if the ruddy woman wasn't carrying his brother's child that was. "It's good to see that you are keeping yourself healthy. Won't want anything to happen to mi niece or nevvy."
Jules felt insulted but didn't let it show. "My kid is going to get the most advanced prenatal treatments possible. I suppose it's fortunate that I'm a neonatal specialists and that it is my body that will have to be watched as I am the primary caregiver to this child."
"And what do you intend on doing about it?" George asked, all pretenses of niceties dropped since a no-nonsense woman was confronting him, which was good. While he did enjoy planning games, he did have his brother to think of.
"Do about 'it'?" her brow raised slowly and she leaned back into the chair, letting the crazy gel pen one of her patients had given her fall to the desktop.
"Yes," George asked, sitting back into a relaxed poise. "We're are both sensible adults here. Let us be candid about this."
"Please do."
"My brother is not a beggared man," George began, keeping his eyes steady on the young doctor's. "With healthy investments both through his own ingenious calculations and my father's long-term planning for his children, one can safely say that were Matthew to quit his mundane little job now, he would not without sufficient funds to live the rest of his days in luxury." Fingers steeped in front of him, he watched the light in Dr. Keating's eyes flickered slightly but was unable to tell what it meant. "As his elder and only brother, it is mine duty to look out for Matthew's best interests."
Keating placed her elbows on the desktop and rested her chin on her linked hands. "Pray tell, in your infinite wisdom, what is it that you think is the best thing for your brother?"
The cadence-less tone of her voice should have sent warning bells through George, but he was not use to dealing with women in such levels of intelligence. "I believe it would be in everyone's best interest should your path not cross with my brother's once more. I will not have him sucked into a loveless marriage and have his bank accounts pilfered simply because he is too much a gentleman to do the sensible thing." He lifted his hand to the inside of his jacket then let the hand slip away again. Something in the woman's eyes told him not to pull the checkbook out yet. "There are plenty of fine hospital across this lovely country of yours. Pick one and I shall endeavor to persuade them to open a position for you."
"With your check book no doubt," Jules interjected sweetly, feeling the muscles of her jaw go painfully taunt. Oh the temptation to go for the man's throat was almost overwhelming now. She was just holding on by a thread... a fraying whisper thin thread.
Unaware of the danger he was facing, George foolishly nodded his head and rested one ankle the opposite his knee. "We will of course make a generous settlement upon you once you've agreed to sign certain documents that would prohibit any ties to the Slingerland fortune to be made in the future."
Jules's hand went to the coffee cup that was currently filled with mildly warm tea, a special blend that Kokoris had brought her that afternoon to calm her nerves. Pity it was going to go to waste. "Let me get this straight," she brought the cup closer to her, making a mild motion with her hand. "You want me to sign something that says that my baby is not to be acknowledged by your family and that he or she is not seek out yours. In return, you are going to give me a lump sum and a new position somewhere other than Presidio Med so that there is to be no..." she searched her brain for the right word. "No temptation on my part to sink my eager little claws back into Matt." The rigid smile scratched over her face as her fingers curled tightly around the mug. "Do I have it right, Mr. Slingerland?"
The belated alarm bells began vibrating through George's mind just before lukewarm tea splashed onto his face and the mug collided with his already abused jaw.
For being in a towering rage, Jules was surprised at just how calm she sounded. "Get. Out."
Rubbing his jaw with his finger, George peeked at her through tea sodden lashes. "I came in here to make an offer and to relay a message. The offer stands, should you reconsider," standing and taking hasty steps toward the door as Dr. Keating rose from behind her desk, all her masked rage revealing itself. At that moment, George was sure she was ten times more dangerous than her ill-tempered brother. "As for the message, Matthew conveys his apologies that he will be able to meet you as planned tonight."
Jules's knuckles were white against the desk's edge. "You've delivered the message, now GET OUT!!!" And threw her medical journal at him just as he slipped out the door.
For a red-hot moment, she was going to give into the inclination to throw her chair out the fourth story window. Taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she cursed luridly before throwing herself into the chair once more. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry over this whole thing. Never in her life had she been accused of something so...so...so outrageous. To think, George Slingerland believed that she... that she would... even to consider... it was just too much, simply too much for her right now. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Slingerland and his family's wild accusations.
Getting up, she ignored the full stack of charts that needed to be reviewed and picked up her coat and purse. Air was what she needed. Air and a big carton of ice cream.
Anything to get her away from the one nagging thought that had crept through George Slingerland's ridiculous ideas. Did Matt have any hint or doubt? Would he believe his brother? Would he believe her?
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Wiping his hands on the towel, Matt sighed and rolled his neck. The weepy mother had been sent off with a much grateful father to the cafeteria until they can see their son again. The shaky best friend was sent home with his concerned working father. And he was too tired to think about doing anything other than get home and crawl into bed with Jules for a much-deserved rest.
"Good catch, Slingerland," Nick Kokoris said as the surgeon tossing his surgical hat into the waste bin. The lines on the doctor's face was a sure indication of the long hours he had just pulled to help put the poor teen's tongue back together.
"You too. I don't think I've ever seen such neat sutures on an artery," he replied with a grin.
Nick gave a grateful laugh and leaned his shoulder against the locker. "He's going to be in speech therapy for a long time."
"But at least he can still speak," Matt pointed out as he pulled his jacket from the locker. Every muscle across his back ached. "I don't suppose you know whether Keating is still around."
Nick shook his head with sighed, wishing he could go home instead of make another round with his patients before leaving. "I would hope that she left hours ago. She shouldn't over do, especially given the precariously nature of her health."
Head snapped back as Slingerland stared at the Greek doctor for a moment. "What do you know about it?"
Frowning, Nick look back. "Only what I've heard around the hospital. Dr. Keating is facing a risky pregnancy." He studied Slingerland's face for a moment, "You didn't want the hospital to know?"
"Not particularly," Matt muttered and wondered who had the big mouth and big ears. Knowing Jules, she won't have talked to anyone but her nearest and dearest. So... Well, another problem for another time. "I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe it's better than the rest of the staff knows. They might be able to convince her to take it easy for a couple of months, at least until the end of the first trimester."
"I sincerely hope you didn't tell her that," Nick responded with a grin. It amused him to see his colleagues in such a state. Of course it may have something to do with the fact that misery loves company and his own dismal problem-filled love life. "Women hate to be told what to do."
"Do I look suicidal to you?" Matt replied, looking for his hospital badge. "Jules would have my bloody head if I were to tell her what to do. Then she's start spouting off about women having babies for thousands of years and that she was a doctor and knows what's good for her... All the rot," he muttered irritably and not sure if he believed her or not.
"As long as you know it," the surgeon replied and grabbed his lab coat. "Go home, be with your pregnant girlfriend and get some rest. You've more than earned it."
Matt turned to look at Dr. Kokoris for a moment. It was the first time, out side of consultations and other work-related issues, that he and the resident surgeon had polite words of personal nature. It was odd yet... not bad. "Thank you. I would give you the same advise, minus the pregnant girlfriend part of it of course."
"Thanks," neglecting to mention that he wouldn't mind being in that envious statement. Of course, Rae was infinitely more careful in their liaisons to find themselves in that state. "I'll see you tomorrow," and head toward the nurse's station where he was sure there were more charts there than he cared to imagine.
"Nite," Matt replied cheerfully as he looked toward the pleasurable prospects of going home to Jules. It would nice to be able to convince her to move in quickly. He found, in the past few weeks, that he rather liked and anticipated going home whether with his girl or to his girl, when he had always dreaded going home to a lonely empty apartment. It had been a place where he slept and occasionally ate, but never a place where he looked forward to arriving at. Now... "Hum... this must be what people mean when they talk about domestic bless?"
"Talking to yourself, brother?" George asked from the doorway, not sure if he was allowed in. "Not a healthy thing to do. Gives very little confidence to your patience when they suspect their physician is letting air in his attic."
Turning, Matt had a very bad feeling as he stared at his brother's grinning face. "What are you still doing here? I would have thought you'd be on a plane halfway home by now."
"Change of plans," George announced with a smile.
Matt shook his head, "Met some sweet young thing did you?"
George grinned. Dr. Keating was hardly what he called sweet. "I spoke with your gal earlier."
"Good," Matt frowned as he searched his locker for his wallet. "So she knows that I'm going to be late for a legitimate reason?"
Shrugging his shoulders as he watched his brother, "I told her you would not be meeting her as planned."
Perhaps it was because of that way he avoided the question, or the way he was a little too causal, or maybe it was because Matt knew his brother too well, alarm bells suddenly went off loudly in his head. Slamming his locker door shut, Dr. Slingerland stood to his full height and pinned his older brother with deathly serious eyes. "What exactly did you and Jules talk about?"
"Things," came the short and non-descript reply.
"Things?" reaching out and grabbing his brother by the front of his shirt, Matt yanked him forward and took a moment to note that his brother smelled of... tea? "What things?"
Not duly alarmed by his brother's temper, George shrugged. "Among other thing, your share of the family fortune."
"You did what?!?" and before either one of them had realized it, Matt's fist had collided with George's jaw. And while George lay stunned, Matt's temper came to head. "Isn't bad enough that you manage to sabotage every decent relationship you've ever been lucky enough to encounter? Now you have to come interfere with mine? Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!?"
While he wondered whether reconstructive surgery was going to be necessary to fix his much abused jaw, he replied, "I'm your brother and the executor to your estate. I would think you would be grateful that I'm looking out for your best interests."
"Grateful?" the angry doctor got out through clinched teeth.
Deciding that he should get to the real reason why he decided to stay another day before Matt took another swing at him, George sat up onto the nearby bench. "She's a good gal, you know. I like her."
"WHAT?" confusion warring with anger.
"I said I like her," George repeated as he straightened up. "She's got what none of the other women I've seen you with has, dignity and self respect. Real strong will and hell of a temper as well." He watched Matt's irritation ebb. "I offered her a good size fortune and a position in any hospital she choices to leave you and the family alone." He held up a hand to forestall the yelling he was sure was about to come out of Matt's mouth. "Let me finish."
Because he's never seen his brother so serious, Dr. Slingerland reined himself in.
"She didn't even dignify me with an answer. Threw her cup at me and told me to leave. Wait; let me rephrase that. Practically chased me out of her office." He smiled in the memory of and fingered his bruised jaw. "She's got one hell of a pitcher's arm."
"Softball," Mat answered distractedly. "She threw a cup at you?"
"Loaded with tea," George answered with a smile. "She's got spirit. Mother would approve."
"Mum wants me married. She'd approve of Hitler's daughter."
"True," George conceded. "Father would approve."
Now that was saying something. "You think?"
"I know." George said with a grin. "Listen, when you finally find her. Tell her that I said hello and that I hope there are no hard feelings between us, but I had to know whether you were making the biggest mistake of your life. Or you really are one hell of a lucky bastard."
Matt almost smiled. "What do you mean when I finally find her? Isn't she in her office waiting for me?"
"I won't know."
Eyes narrowing, "You did tell her that I was going to be late, didn't you?" George's eyes shifted a little. "Didn't you?"
Uncomfortable, " I told her that you weren't going to meet her as planned."
"You cancelled my evening with her?"
"I didn't exactly..."
"Did you effectively cancel my evening with Jules?"
"Well, I suppose given the conversation we were having...."
"You're an idiot!" Matt said picking up his briefcase and storming toward the door. "You're a bloody, nosy, troublemaking idiot."
Gorge stood there in the silent locker room for a full two minutes after Matt's back disappearance behind the swinging door before he let out the breath he had been holding. "Well, that went better than expected."
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TBC...
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: Oh the joys of a brother's love.
Rating: PG-13
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Chapter 20
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"There's a betting pool going around when Slingerland and Keating are going to tie the knot!" Janice giggled as she wrote down the patient's weight and blood pressure on the chart in from of her after having spilled coffee on the one she had created before the unfortunately accident.
Marian laughed. "Two weeks. Slingerland won't want to wait much longer if he knows what's best for him."
"Did Dr. Keating's brother really knock out Dr. Slingerland's brother thinking it was him?"
"Not only that," Kelly interjected as she sat down her heavy load on the countertop. "Keating's brother took a swing at Slingerland after they sorted out the mistake. Nearly took Slingerland's tooth out."
"I heard that he threatened to kill the man if Slingerland ever went within a hundred feet of Dr. Keating." Shelley added as she glanced at the ladies.
"No way!" Marian's jaw hit the floor.
Shelley nodded. "Did you know that she has two more brothers?"
"They'll kill Dr. Slingerland for sure," Janice murmured quietly.
"Did you see them together during lunch?" Christy joined them after eavesdropping for a good number of minutes. "They held hands and talked until they had to go to work. If you ask me, Slingerland is one lucky bastard and he well knows it."
"You think he'll marry her?" Janice asked.
Shelley shook her head. "He's been known to publicly announce his intensions never to get married. Don't get me wrong, the right woman might be able to get him to the alter. But look at his track record with women, I doubt even Dr. Keating is going to accomplish that feat."
"But she's pregnant," Marian pointed out. "Doesn't that count for something?"
"Only that he's got a connection to her that isn't going away." Shelley replied sadly. She liked Dr. Keating very much.
"He'll do right by the baby and her." Christy pronounced without any doubt. "All you have to do is look at the way he looks at her."
The others exchanged looks of doubts, but before anyone of them can make any kind of pronouncement, the emergency doors opened to revealed three rushed teens ahead of two EMT's and a sober Dr. Slingerland calling out orders as he followed the gurney into the trauma room. Dr. Slingerland's brother came in at a much more leisurely pace and smiled at the four nurses who were all staring at the bruise that was already beginning to show on his jaw.
"Good evening, Ladies. Could one of you direct to Dr.... ugh.... Doctor.... hum..." he frowned, trying to remember the gal's last name.
"Dr. Keating?" Christy offered quietly.
"Yes, Dr. Keating," snapping his finger with a smile. "Could you point me toward her office?"
Christy eyed the man with interest. There was something about the way he smiled that made Christy wary. "Fourth floor, pediatrics. Just ask any of the nurses up there where she is and they'd be able to tell you."
"Thank you, luv," then strolled off.
"Wow," Marian sighed. "I could listen to him walk all day."
"Can't get enough of that British thing," Janice agreed with a smile.
"I don't trust him," Christy announced with a frown as she continued to watch the retreating back. "Something about him makes my skin crawl."
"Good kind of crawling or bad kind of crawling?" Shelley asked, her own caution signs at full alert. There was something too smooth about the man. "Cause I'm getting that kind crawling that says that I need to cross the street and protect my youngs that kind of crawling."
"Good instinct," Christy shook her head. "He's bad news."
"You guys sure?" Janice asked, her eyes watching the two older women. "He seemed nice enough to me."
"Looks can be deceiving," Shelley said as she picked up her charts. "I've got patients."
"Me too," Christy replied. "I hope Dr. Keating watches her back cause I got a feeling that that brother of Dr. Slingerland's is going to be trouble."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Did I hear right?" Jackie asked as she startled the busy Dr. Brennan.
"About what?" Rae asked, returning to her notes. She's got two too many patients today for gossip, which was undoubtedly what Dr. Colette wanted right now judging by her twinkling eyes.
"That Jules's brother broke Slingerland's arm?" signing off a couple of orders before handing the stack of papers back to the waiting arms of a nurse. "I heard that they had to call security to get him off."
"Wait, what?" Rae turned and stared at Dr. Colette in stunned disbelief. She had been swamped all day but she didn't think that she had been so preoccupied that something that earth-shaking happening would have gotten passed her.
"Didn't you hear?" Jackie shook her head.
"No Slingerland didn't get his arm broken," Letty responded as she left her charts with Norman. "He didn't get the least mussed by the whole affair. It's the brother that got the hard knock in the noggin."
"Which brother?" Rae asked, confused as hell.
"Slingerland only has one," Letty replied calmly.
"What does Slingerland's brother have to do with this?" Jackie asked, her brows suddenly wrinkling in confusion.
Letty stared at the two. "He was the one that was knocked unconscious today."
Jackie's jaw practically hit the floor. "Slingerland hit his brother?"
"What are you ladies up to?" Harriet asked as she slipped on her half mooned glasses to head the chart of her next patient. "And why aren't you working diligently to save lives instead?"
Dr. Jordan frowned. "We seemed to be standing here with crossed wires."
"About what?" frowning as she read the latest blood test on her new mother to be.
"What happened this afternoon with Jules and Matt?" Rae clarified. If anyone knew the truth of what's going on, it was Doctor Mom. "Did you hear anything about some brother and someone getting..."
Harriet sighed and picked up the charts. "Does this hospital have nothing better to do than to gossip about the private lives of our residents?"
"Apparently not," Jackie answered honestly.
Grinning helplessly, Harriet shook her head. "For your information, Joshua Keating arrived this afternoon and mistakenly knocked out George Slingerland thinking that 'Mr.' Slingerland was 'Dr.' Slingerland, whom Josh believes to have impinged upon his sister's honor. Security was called, but Dr. Keating managed to get the situation under control before extreme measures were called up."
"Really?" wide-eyed and curious, Jackie leaned against the counter. "Did you hear anything about wedding bells?"
Harriet frowned at her. "Only about the pool in the nurse's lounge."
"There's a pool going?" Letty asked, with a little too much interest.
"Ladies," Harriet warned. "This is your friend's life you're spreading gossip and betting on. Let's remember why we're really here, shall we?"
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Knock, knock."
Dr. Keating's eyes lifted from the enormous amount of chicken scratch in front of her. God help her from other doctors that never got pass a D in handwriting during the fundamental elementary school years. She blinked for a moment, not recognizing the man at the door. "Hello?"
"Hello, my dear," George felt no qualms about stepping into the brightly decorated room. If not for the books and enormous desk, he would have thought he stepped into an elaborate nursery. Flashing his infamous smile, that one was the cause and collapse of his four marriages, he took a seat in front of the desk and studied the woman in front of him.
It surprised George to no end that Dr. Julia Keating was nothing of what he expected from Matthew. The Slingerland men, at least this generation, were known for their taste in the sophisticated blondes beauties. Heck, every one of George's ex-wives, and soon to be ex-wife, was a natural blonde. Every woman George has seen in Matt's arms has been a fair-haired angel. They were all statuesque, beautiful, charming...English roses.
Dr. Keating with her sweet freckled face, her delicate stature, mahogany hair, was a yellow daisy in the spring and certainly didn't fit the image that George had of the kind of woman that would not only capture Matthew's attention but also hold it. Granted, there was something quite interesting about her animated face and those guileless eyes that would probably get more than a glance from most men, but the Slingerlands have long been accustom to their share of down right gorgeous women. So there had to be more to this than what meets the eyes.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" George asked with a disarming smile that usually got what he wanted in and out of boardrooms. "Getting enough calcium?"
Jules was automatically suspicious simply because the man was too good looking. It was like a law somewhere that extremely good-looking men aren't the nicest or kindest ones around. Granted, there are some exceptions... Matt Slingerland came to mind. The man was gorgeous, not doubt about that. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, a smile that made her want to eat him alive. Nick Kokoris was another... greatest bed hair she's ever seen, not to mention that hero's chin and devilishly charming goatee. Okay, so there are some exceptions to every rule but George Slingerland was not one of them. Just look at his track records....
"I'm feeling quite fit. I had a high fiber lunch, with your brother, and a yogurt for a snack about fifteen minutes before you were knocked on your butt by my brother."
The warning shot had been fired.
George's face reflected none of his admiration for her spunk. Most women simply rolled over at him. It almost made him cheer with delight, if the ruddy woman wasn't carrying his brother's child that was. "It's good to see that you are keeping yourself healthy. Won't want anything to happen to mi niece or nevvy."
Jules felt insulted but didn't let it show. "My kid is going to get the most advanced prenatal treatments possible. I suppose it's fortunate that I'm a neonatal specialists and that it is my body that will have to be watched as I am the primary caregiver to this child."
"And what do you intend on doing about it?" George asked, all pretenses of niceties dropped since a no-nonsense woman was confronting him, which was good. While he did enjoy planning games, he did have his brother to think of.
"Do about 'it'?" her brow raised slowly and she leaned back into the chair, letting the crazy gel pen one of her patients had given her fall to the desktop.
"Yes," George asked, sitting back into a relaxed poise. "We're are both sensible adults here. Let us be candid about this."
"Please do."
"My brother is not a beggared man," George began, keeping his eyes steady on the young doctor's. "With healthy investments both through his own ingenious calculations and my father's long-term planning for his children, one can safely say that were Matthew to quit his mundane little job now, he would not without sufficient funds to live the rest of his days in luxury." Fingers steeped in front of him, he watched the light in Dr. Keating's eyes flickered slightly but was unable to tell what it meant. "As his elder and only brother, it is mine duty to look out for Matthew's best interests."
Keating placed her elbows on the desktop and rested her chin on her linked hands. "Pray tell, in your infinite wisdom, what is it that you think is the best thing for your brother?"
The cadence-less tone of her voice should have sent warning bells through George, but he was not use to dealing with women in such levels of intelligence. "I believe it would be in everyone's best interest should your path not cross with my brother's once more. I will not have him sucked into a loveless marriage and have his bank accounts pilfered simply because he is too much a gentleman to do the sensible thing." He lifted his hand to the inside of his jacket then let the hand slip away again. Something in the woman's eyes told him not to pull the checkbook out yet. "There are plenty of fine hospital across this lovely country of yours. Pick one and I shall endeavor to persuade them to open a position for you."
"With your check book no doubt," Jules interjected sweetly, feeling the muscles of her jaw go painfully taunt. Oh the temptation to go for the man's throat was almost overwhelming now. She was just holding on by a thread... a fraying whisper thin thread.
Unaware of the danger he was facing, George foolishly nodded his head and rested one ankle the opposite his knee. "We will of course make a generous settlement upon you once you've agreed to sign certain documents that would prohibit any ties to the Slingerland fortune to be made in the future."
Jules's hand went to the coffee cup that was currently filled with mildly warm tea, a special blend that Kokoris had brought her that afternoon to calm her nerves. Pity it was going to go to waste. "Let me get this straight," she brought the cup closer to her, making a mild motion with her hand. "You want me to sign something that says that my baby is not to be acknowledged by your family and that he or she is not seek out yours. In return, you are going to give me a lump sum and a new position somewhere other than Presidio Med so that there is to be no..." she searched her brain for the right word. "No temptation on my part to sink my eager little claws back into Matt." The rigid smile scratched over her face as her fingers curled tightly around the mug. "Do I have it right, Mr. Slingerland?"
The belated alarm bells began vibrating through George's mind just before lukewarm tea splashed onto his face and the mug collided with his already abused jaw.
For being in a towering rage, Jules was surprised at just how calm she sounded. "Get. Out."
Rubbing his jaw with his finger, George peeked at her through tea sodden lashes. "I came in here to make an offer and to relay a message. The offer stands, should you reconsider," standing and taking hasty steps toward the door as Dr. Keating rose from behind her desk, all her masked rage revealing itself. At that moment, George was sure she was ten times more dangerous than her ill-tempered brother. "As for the message, Matthew conveys his apologies that he will be able to meet you as planned tonight."
Jules's knuckles were white against the desk's edge. "You've delivered the message, now GET OUT!!!" And threw her medical journal at him just as he slipped out the door.
For a red-hot moment, she was going to give into the inclination to throw her chair out the fourth story window. Taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she cursed luridly before throwing herself into the chair once more. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry over this whole thing. Never in her life had she been accused of something so...so...so outrageous. To think, George Slingerland believed that she... that she would... even to consider... it was just too much, simply too much for her right now. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Slingerland and his family's wild accusations.
Getting up, she ignored the full stack of charts that needed to be reviewed and picked up her coat and purse. Air was what she needed. Air and a big carton of ice cream.
Anything to get her away from the one nagging thought that had crept through George Slingerland's ridiculous ideas. Did Matt have any hint or doubt? Would he believe his brother? Would he believe her?
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Wiping his hands on the towel, Matt sighed and rolled his neck. The weepy mother had been sent off with a much grateful father to the cafeteria until they can see their son again. The shaky best friend was sent home with his concerned working father. And he was too tired to think about doing anything other than get home and crawl into bed with Jules for a much-deserved rest.
"Good catch, Slingerland," Nick Kokoris said as the surgeon tossing his surgical hat into the waste bin. The lines on the doctor's face was a sure indication of the long hours he had just pulled to help put the poor teen's tongue back together.
"You too. I don't think I've ever seen such neat sutures on an artery," he replied with a grin.
Nick gave a grateful laugh and leaned his shoulder against the locker. "He's going to be in speech therapy for a long time."
"But at least he can still speak," Matt pointed out as he pulled his jacket from the locker. Every muscle across his back ached. "I don't suppose you know whether Keating is still around."
Nick shook his head with sighed, wishing he could go home instead of make another round with his patients before leaving. "I would hope that she left hours ago. She shouldn't over do, especially given the precariously nature of her health."
Head snapped back as Slingerland stared at the Greek doctor for a moment. "What do you know about it?"
Frowning, Nick look back. "Only what I've heard around the hospital. Dr. Keating is facing a risky pregnancy." He studied Slingerland's face for a moment, "You didn't want the hospital to know?"
"Not particularly," Matt muttered and wondered who had the big mouth and big ears. Knowing Jules, she won't have talked to anyone but her nearest and dearest. So... Well, another problem for another time. "I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe it's better than the rest of the staff knows. They might be able to convince her to take it easy for a couple of months, at least until the end of the first trimester."
"I sincerely hope you didn't tell her that," Nick responded with a grin. It amused him to see his colleagues in such a state. Of course it may have something to do with the fact that misery loves company and his own dismal problem-filled love life. "Women hate to be told what to do."
"Do I look suicidal to you?" Matt replied, looking for his hospital badge. "Jules would have my bloody head if I were to tell her what to do. Then she's start spouting off about women having babies for thousands of years and that she was a doctor and knows what's good for her... All the rot," he muttered irritably and not sure if he believed her or not.
"As long as you know it," the surgeon replied and grabbed his lab coat. "Go home, be with your pregnant girlfriend and get some rest. You've more than earned it."
Matt turned to look at Dr. Kokoris for a moment. It was the first time, out side of consultations and other work-related issues, that he and the resident surgeon had polite words of personal nature. It was odd yet... not bad. "Thank you. I would give you the same advise, minus the pregnant girlfriend part of it of course."
"Thanks," neglecting to mention that he wouldn't mind being in that envious statement. Of course, Rae was infinitely more careful in their liaisons to find themselves in that state. "I'll see you tomorrow," and head toward the nurse's station where he was sure there were more charts there than he cared to imagine.
"Nite," Matt replied cheerfully as he looked toward the pleasurable prospects of going home to Jules. It would nice to be able to convince her to move in quickly. He found, in the past few weeks, that he rather liked and anticipated going home whether with his girl or to his girl, when he had always dreaded going home to a lonely empty apartment. It had been a place where he slept and occasionally ate, but never a place where he looked forward to arriving at. Now... "Hum... this must be what people mean when they talk about domestic bless?"
"Talking to yourself, brother?" George asked from the doorway, not sure if he was allowed in. "Not a healthy thing to do. Gives very little confidence to your patience when they suspect their physician is letting air in his attic."
Turning, Matt had a very bad feeling as he stared at his brother's grinning face. "What are you still doing here? I would have thought you'd be on a plane halfway home by now."
"Change of plans," George announced with a smile.
Matt shook his head, "Met some sweet young thing did you?"
George grinned. Dr. Keating was hardly what he called sweet. "I spoke with your gal earlier."
"Good," Matt frowned as he searched his locker for his wallet. "So she knows that I'm going to be late for a legitimate reason?"
Shrugging his shoulders as he watched his brother, "I told her you would not be meeting her as planned."
Perhaps it was because of that way he avoided the question, or the way he was a little too causal, or maybe it was because Matt knew his brother too well, alarm bells suddenly went off loudly in his head. Slamming his locker door shut, Dr. Slingerland stood to his full height and pinned his older brother with deathly serious eyes. "What exactly did you and Jules talk about?"
"Things," came the short and non-descript reply.
"Things?" reaching out and grabbing his brother by the front of his shirt, Matt yanked him forward and took a moment to note that his brother smelled of... tea? "What things?"
Not duly alarmed by his brother's temper, George shrugged. "Among other thing, your share of the family fortune."
"You did what?!?" and before either one of them had realized it, Matt's fist had collided with George's jaw. And while George lay stunned, Matt's temper came to head. "Isn't bad enough that you manage to sabotage every decent relationship you've ever been lucky enough to encounter? Now you have to come interfere with mine? Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!?"
While he wondered whether reconstructive surgery was going to be necessary to fix his much abused jaw, he replied, "I'm your brother and the executor to your estate. I would think you would be grateful that I'm looking out for your best interests."
"Grateful?" the angry doctor got out through clinched teeth.
Deciding that he should get to the real reason why he decided to stay another day before Matt took another swing at him, George sat up onto the nearby bench. "She's a good gal, you know. I like her."
"WHAT?" confusion warring with anger.
"I said I like her," George repeated as he straightened up. "She's got what none of the other women I've seen you with has, dignity and self respect. Real strong will and hell of a temper as well." He watched Matt's irritation ebb. "I offered her a good size fortune and a position in any hospital she choices to leave you and the family alone." He held up a hand to forestall the yelling he was sure was about to come out of Matt's mouth. "Let me finish."
Because he's never seen his brother so serious, Dr. Slingerland reined himself in.
"She didn't even dignify me with an answer. Threw her cup at me and told me to leave. Wait; let me rephrase that. Practically chased me out of her office." He smiled in the memory of and fingered his bruised jaw. "She's got one hell of a pitcher's arm."
"Softball," Mat answered distractedly. "She threw a cup at you?"
"Loaded with tea," George answered with a smile. "She's got spirit. Mother would approve."
"Mum wants me married. She'd approve of Hitler's daughter."
"True," George conceded. "Father would approve."
Now that was saying something. "You think?"
"I know." George said with a grin. "Listen, when you finally find her. Tell her that I said hello and that I hope there are no hard feelings between us, but I had to know whether you were making the biggest mistake of your life. Or you really are one hell of a lucky bastard."
Matt almost smiled. "What do you mean when I finally find her? Isn't she in her office waiting for me?"
"I won't know."
Eyes narrowing, "You did tell her that I was going to be late, didn't you?" George's eyes shifted a little. "Didn't you?"
Uncomfortable, " I told her that you weren't going to meet her as planned."
"You cancelled my evening with her?"
"I didn't exactly..."
"Did you effectively cancel my evening with Jules?"
"Well, I suppose given the conversation we were having...."
"You're an idiot!" Matt said picking up his briefcase and storming toward the door. "You're a bloody, nosy, troublemaking idiot."
Gorge stood there in the silent locker room for a full two minutes after Matt's back disappearance behind the swinging door before he let out the breath he had been holding. "Well, that went better than expected."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
TBC...