Chapter II

Dr. Lu Delgado strolls down the hall, reading a chart and hurriedly trying to finish her lunch. As she arrives in the lobby of the clinic, she can see Lana standing by Dana's door. She is leaning slightly in, as if eavesdropping. Lu sneaks behind her, and says, "Boo!" Lana starts and purses her lips when she sees Lu.

"What did ya do that for? Gonna give Lana a heart attack one of these days, kid!"

Lu laughs,"Mm hm. Whatcha doin'?"

Lana shrugs, her face pouting a little," Nothin' much."

Lu laughs again and says, "Looks to me like you were..." she looks behind Lana's back at Dana's door and clears her throat,"...polishing Dana's doorknob, so to speak."

Lana gives up. "Yeah, well she and Dr. Biancavilla...well..ya know."

"Um, yeah I know that they broke up...but what does that have to do with..."Lu motions towards the door.

Lana leans forward. "Well," she says in the soft voice of someone confiding a secret," Dr. Biancavilla was down here this morning. Dr. Stowe came in, and went into her office without hardly giving him a glance. He just stood there and stared. I asked him if he needed anything, and he kinda jumped. Seemed all hot and bothered. And just now he came down to see her about something. I was just tryin' to get the scoop."

Just then Dana comes out of her office. Lu and Lana both look at her. Dana gives them a questioning glance. What are they looking at?

"Hello," she says brightly." They just look her up and down. She raises her eyebrows and keeps walking. What is their problem?

Nick tries to catch up with her.

"Dana- Dana wait!"

She turns and looks him square in the eye."I think it would be better if we referred to each other professionally from now on," she pauses,"...Dr. Biancavilla."

"Fine. But I really did have a question for you. A professional question." He is out of breath from running after her.

Dana ignores his sarcasm and turns and looks at him. She cannot believe that he had the gall to come down to her office and ask her about a case of chicken pox. Was he purposely trying to aggravate her? When he doesn't say anything, she gets impatient.

"Well? Are you or are you not going to tell me? I haven't got all day."

Nick looks at her for a moment, then responds, "You know, forget it. I'm sorry I wasted your time." He expects her to question him further, but she turns and walks away without looking back.

Well, you screwed it up again, Nicky boy. Now she not only hates you, but thinks you are a complete dolt. Chicken pox? Where did that come from? Nice going, he thinks to himself.

Back down in the RWHC, a teenage girl comes in. She hesitates, then walks up to the desk. She is wearing stylish clothes, and looks to be about fifteen. Lana looks up.

"Good morning, how may I help you?"

"Well...I need to see a doctor," the girl says in a small voice.

Lana softens, seeing that the girl is nervous, and says, "Are you sick?"

"Well...not exactly, no. I just need to get my ankle checked out. And...a pregnancy test," she finishes shamefacedly.

"Ok, well do you have insurance?"

"Yes." The girl hands Lana a card. Lana types her name and insurance information into her computer.

"Here you go, if you could just fill out the new patient paperwork, please, and give it to Dr. Stowe when she sees you," she hands the girl a chart.

"Thank you," the girl walks away and sits down in a chair in the corner of the lobby. She looks down at the forms in some perturbation. She carefully writes in her full name, Leia Celeste Parker, but leaves her parents' names blank. After only a few moments, she realizes that she is only able to fill out a third of the information needed- most of her personal information is left blank. She looks around for the receptionist, who had seemed very nice. She is talking to a doctor.

"Who do I have next, Lana?" Dana asks.

"Mm, next you have Leia Parker."

"Hmm she must be a new patient," Dana wrinkles her brow.

"Yep, and she seems a bit-" Lana saw Leia walking towards them. "That's her right there."

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I don't...I don't think that I can fill out all this information," Leia says to Lana. "I just don't know all of it," she hands the chart to Lana.

Just then, a man bursts in the door. He is fat, with a red face. He looks around for a moment, then his eyes settle on Leia.

"Leia you get right over here this instant! What do you think you're doing?" He crosses the room in a few big strides and takes Leia by the arm. Lana and Dr. Stowe are taken aback. They watch in shock as the man starts dragging Leia out.

"Wait! Uh, Miss...Parker? You- " Dana starts.

Leia tries to turn around," I'm sorry. I-I have to go!" And she is whisked out of the door by the man, who's deep bass rumble can be heard as soon as the door closes.