Four Attendings and a PA
Disclaimer: still not mine
Author thanks: Margaret, krazypirategurl, lucidity, Tammy (are you ever going to reply to that e-mail I sent you?)
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Part 2
"Dr. Coburn. A note for you." One of the OB nurses, Abby Lockhart, handed the blue envelope to the doctor. She opened it, but on scanning the contents, decided it would be better to read it in her office. At least she was in early (for once) and had the time to do so. She made her way into the office, Abby hovering in the doorway with a pile of charts in her arms but unseen by the doctor.
"Oh yes?" she murmured, raising her eyebrows. A secret admirer? He was evidently keen, as the note ended with: "…meet me in the end booth at Doc Magoo's, by the jukebox. 2pm Friday. Be there. Love, a secret admirer." She put the note back in the envelope and gasped as rose petals fell out.
"Well, I'll be…" she gasped, clearly impressed. What she didn't know was that the rose petals had come from Carol Hathaway's back yard…
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"And then rose petals fell out!"
"No way!" gasped the nurses gathered around the front desk of the ER.
"Yes, way. I saw them on her desk!" Abby had attracted quite a crowd around her as she recounted her tale. Strangely, Kerry Weaver wasn't about to have a go at them for not doing any work. Nobody except Jeanie saw her catch Doug's eye and give him a small, subtle thumbs-up.
Kerry joined the small crowd. "What's this I hear about rose petals?" she asked curiously, feigning innocence.
Conni looked up at her, surprised. "I would've thought you'd be having a go at us and telling us to get back to work," she commented slightly sharply.
"I would, but we've only got five patients, and they're all being dealt with. So come on, what's the gossip?"
"Janet Coburn got a mysterious note in a blue envelope. When she opened it, rose petals fell out!" Abby told her, giggling. "Needless to say, I got told to get lost!"
"Wonder who it is?" Jeanie mused, knowing full well it was supposed to be Romano.
"If we're talking about love letters," a British voice chimed in, "let's just say Romano got an interesting note as well. I saw it on his desk earlier. He'd left it open."
Kerry and Jeanie exchanged knowing looks. This was going to be fun.
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"Lunch break?" Mark inquired.
Kerry nodded, slinging her bag over her head with her free hand. "I'll be in Doc Magoo's if there's an emergency."
"What's wrong with the cafeteria?"
"What's wrong with Magoo's?" she retorted, heading out of the door with Jeanie.
Mark smiled wryly. "True. And there aren't any stairs." He looked over to where Doug was putting his coat on as he walked out of the lounge. "Am I gonna be the only attending?" Mark complained.
"Too right, buddy. I'm heading for Magoo's."
"Joining Jeanie and Kerry?"
Doug feigned surprise. "They in there as well?"
"Yep."
"See ya."
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"Anytime now," Doug predicted. Coburn was already there, tapping her fingers on the table. She was oblivious to the fact that she was being set up and spied upon. After all, Doc Magoo's was a favourite hangout, so when she saw Kerry and Jeanie in a booth, she thought nothing of it. She hadn't seen Doug arrive – if she had, she'd know something was up. Kerry Weaver and Jeanie Boulet having lunch together was a common sight, and Jeanie Boulet and Doug Ross socialising was perfectly normal as well. Kerry Weaver and Doug Ross having lunch together, however, was very definitely not.
"He's coming!" Kerry hissed, dropping to the floor. If Romano saw her, he'd get suspicious very fast. She pretended to be looking for something she'd dropped so as not to arouse attention from other customers.
Romano was whistling a tune, one which none of the conspirators could identify. He found the end booth, and got a shock when he saw Coburn there. "Janet! What are you doing here?"
She raised her eyebrows. "I could ask you the same thing."
"So, you're…"
"Who are…" they began at the same time, then laughed.
"You first," Romano said graciously.
"I'm supposed to be meeting someone. A secret admirer, apparently." She blushed, something that Janet Coburn very rarely did. "What about you?"
"Something like that for me," he admitted. An awkward silence descended.
"Soooo…" she began eventually. "Do we wait for them to turn up?"
Romano shrugged. "Might as well. Can I get you anything?"
"A hot chocolate with marshmallows and coloured sprinkles would be nice."
Romano gaped at her. "I don't believe it! Someone else who likes hot chocolate with marshmallows and coloured sprinkles! What a coincidence!" He left the booth to order them.
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"This is very promising," Kerry said, scrambling up from the floor, somewhat awkwardly until Jeanie reached down and hauled her up. She pulled her hat on to hide her identity. "They have something in common other than work."
"And being single and grouchy," Doug added.
"Even if it's something as trivial as liking hot chocolate with marshmallows and coloured sprinkles," Jeanie finished, popping a piece of muffin in her mouth.
"Oh, I'm sure it's not the only thing," Doug assured her, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Doug!" Jeanie slapped him very soundly on the arm.
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"Well, it's been twenty minutes. I don't think they're going to show," Romano commented, glancing at his watch. Secretly, he'd been hoping it was Elizabeth Corday.
"I think I agree," Coburn replied, sighing disappointedly. "And I'm due back in ten minutes."
"Me too," Romano said. "I guess we'd better make a move in a minute."
"I guess," Coburn sighed reluctantly. "Still, it was nice having someone decent to talk to."
"Same here." Romano paused. "Say, you want to meet up tonight? After work?" He stood, preparing to leave.
Coburn also stood. "Sounds like a good idea to me," she agreed, smiling, as they left together.
When the door had shut behind them, Kerry, Jeanie and Doug cheered and it was high fives all round. "I don't believe it! This is going to be great!" Jeanie enthused, a grin breaking out onto her face.
"I just wish we could be there to see it," Doug remarked as he pulled on his coat.
"Me too. But somehow I think they'll get suspicious if we show up at every place they go to," Kerry replied drily as they left Magoo's and headed back to the ER.
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"Anything more from the secret admirer?"
Coburn shook her head and tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "Odd, that." She set the wine glass down on the table. "Oh well. I think I'd rather be here with you now."
"Mmmm," Romano agreed. "Say, you wanna come back to my place for some coffee or something?"
Coburn nodded. "That is the best idea you've had all evening." Romano helped her with her coat, and even dared to put an arm round her waist. He was pleasantly surprised when she didn't push it away. His fantasies about Elizabeth Corday were instantly forgotten. Janet Coburn had a lot more to offer than her. Elizabeth? She was a mere schoolgirl next to Janet. Janet was a woman.
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"Nice place," Coburn murmured as Romano handed her a steaming cup of coffee.
He nodded in agreement. "It's even nicer upstairs," he informed her suggestively.
She put down the coffee on the low table beside her seat. "Well then, you'd better show me."
"Oh, certainly. This way, Lady Coburn." He offered her his hand.
"Why, thank you, Sir Robert." She curtseyed, as though they were dancing at a ball. "Lead me to the upstairs of the Romano Manor."
They went upstairs. Romano showed her all the rooms, ending with the "Master Bedroom".
"Let's stay a little longer in here," he suggested, lying down on the bed.
She flopped down beside him. "So?"
He sat up again. "Come closer." She did so swiftly, and soon the two attendings were locked in a passionate embrace. Romano, after a while, disentangled himself. "Let's take things a little further…" he whispered seductively in Coburn's ear. She nodded enthusiastically in agreement and began unbuttoning his shirt…
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TBC