Title: Bitter Enemies

Chapter: 10


Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: ER or anything associated with it does not belong to me.

Still in Abby's point of view.

Authors Notes at the end.

"So what made you decide to become a doctor?"

I'm lying on my stomach with my face in my pillow relaxing while Ray is rubbing my back. He gives the best massages. I could lie here all night, it just feels so good.

He stops rubbing my back and rolls me over to face him. Why is he stopping? I look up at him and he raises his eyebrows at me.

"Why did you stop?"

"You didn't answer my question." He says laying down next to me. He takes his fingers and lazily traces patterns on my stomach. That feels really good too. My eyes start to close again and I feel him shake me a little.

"I'm so tired." I mumble, wishing I could just go to sleep right now.

He starts laughing and I open one eye and peek at him.

"What's so funny?" I ask opening the other eye as well and propping myself up on my elbows.

"You."

I give him a confused look.

"You'll do just about anything to avoid talking about yourself."

"That's not true." Is it? Ok, it is. "I'm just a private person."

"That's fine. If you don't want me to get to know you. I won't bother. I'll just come over for the sex and then leave." He climbs out of bed and starts to gather his clothes together.

Sighing, I reach over and grab his arm and pull him back over to me. He sits on the bed next to me. Is he trying to hide a smile?

"Ok. I'll answer your dumb question." I lay back down on my pillow and he lays down with his head right next to mine.

We both stare at the ceiling.

"I don't know why I became a doctor. Why does anybody become a doctor? To help people I guess." I shrug my shoulders and continue to stare at the ceiling.

"Yeah, but you were doing that as a nurse. Why, after nursing for so long, did you decide to go to medical school?" He reaches over and takes my hand in his.

"You mean why did I decide to go back to medical school."

"Go back?" He turns his head to look at me.

I shrug my shoulders and continue to stare at the ceiling. He props himself up on one elbow and looks at me intently. Waiting for the story to come out.

I look over at him and his look makes me smile. "I guess you want the whole story, don't you?"

I sigh and try to think of how to condense this story. Why are my life stories so long and complicated?

"I used to be an OB nurse, at a different hospital."

"Yeah." He nods his head and encourages me to continue.

"You see we had a deal. I worked as a nurse to put him through his schooling, and then when he was done, I would get to go to medical school."

"Him?"

"My ex-husband." Now I really have his attention.

"Richard. But I usually just call him ass-hole." I turn my head and smile at him

"I didn't know you were married before."

"Well, it doesn't usually come up in normal a conversation." He looks really stunned. "Why does that bother you?"

"No, actually it kinda turns me on." He laughs and rolls over on top of me, pinning me to the bed.

"Ray." I shake my head at him. "Everything turns you on."

"Everything having to do with you." He leans down and kisses my lips.

"Do you want me to finish this story or not?"

"Sorry." He slides off of me and we go back to our previous position of laying side by side and staring at the ceiling.

"So when Richard finished his schooling, I started med school. I was in my third year when I got kicked out."

"You got kicked out? What did you do, you naughty little girl."

I can't help but laugh at this. "They kick you out when your tuition doesn't get paid." I explain to him.

"Oh." He says rather disappointedly. Was he hoping for some tantalizing story? Of course he was, this is Ray we're talking about.

"By that time Richard and I were going through our divorce and Richard was supposed to pay my tuition. But of course he didn't and I was kicked out. So I started nursing again to pay the bills."

"So now you know." I roll over on my side facing away from Ray and close my eyes.

"Not so fast." He grabs my arm and pulls me on my back again. "You didn't finish the story."

"I didn't?" I know I didn't, but sometimes it is so fun to tease him.

"No. What made you go back to med school after all this time?" He asks exasperated.

"I always wanted to go back, but money was the main issue."

He nods his head in understanding.

"You know, Carter and Luka both offered to pay my tuition." I look at him out of the corner of my eye to see what he thinks of that statement. Is that jealousy I see? Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Ray isn't the sort of person to get jealous.

"Why didn't you accept their offer?"

"I don't know, maybe I wasn't ready to go back yet. Or maybe I needed to do it on my own."

I think he understands that because he doesn't say anything and just lets me continue when I am ready.

"Anyway, I finally decided to make a change in my life. So I left behind all my pride, and I got the courage to show up on Richard's doorstep."

"Now this I would have liked to see." He nods his head for me to continue.

"I made him cosign a loan with me." I shrug my shoulders at him. "So that is how I got back to med school, and here I am now, a doctor." I can't hide the pride I feel in saying that. I really did do it on my own. I changed my life for the better and I have myself to thank for it.

"Good story." He says wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close to him. "My story isn't nearly as soap operish."

"Soap operish? Is that even a word?" I ask laughing.

"I don't know. But, my parents paid my tuition and here I am now, a doctor." He says imitating the end of my story. "They would be so proud of me right now, laying in bed with a hot sexy doctor."

"Shut up." I try to pull away from him, but he tightens his grip.

"Thanks for opening up to me." He mumbles against my neck.

"You're welcome." I whisper back. It wasn't too painful sharing my life with him. Maybe I'll try to be more open with him in the future. Wow. I think I just admitted to myself that there will be a future with Ray. I really have changed.

I feel his breathing start to even out and realize that he is asleep. I lay my head down on his chest and close my eyes. I think I could get used to sleeping in Ray Barnett's arms.

I know it doesn't really move the story along. It's more of just a fluff chapter. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please push the button below and let me know. Thanks a bunch!