Mrs. Johnston's eyes sparkled when Ray walked in. "See you couldn't resist me after all, could ya?" She slapped his ass.
Ray faked a smile and a laugh. "Look, Mrs. Johnston, while I appreciate the flattery and shit like that, the truth is that…Mrs. Johnston?" Ray became alarmed as the lady fell back on the bed and started seizing. "Shit! LUKA!" Ray yelled.
Luka and Sam ran through the door and Luka barked orders and Sam followed. Neela took Ray's arm and gently led him away. They sat in the staff lounge. "I should be helping, Neela."
"Nonsense." Neela poured him a cup of coffee. "Luka will handle it. He and Sam work well together."
"Thanks." He smiled as he took the cup from Neela. "Look, Neela. I'm really sorry about the other day. I shouldn't…"
"It's okay, Ray. I may have done the same thing if roles had been reversed." She put her head on his shoulder. "As angry as I was about it, I may have deserved it."
Ray laughed. "I was talking about kissing you. But, if you think you deserve to be kissed more…OUCH!" He said as Neela hit his arm.
"There'll be no more kissing." She stood up and left.
"Yeah? We'll see what happens next time you get drunk." Ray laughed.
Neela looked for Ray, but couldn't find him. "Here we go again." She mumbled to herself. "Luka, have you seen Ray?"
Luka looked at her. "He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"He left an hour ago." Luka looked back down to the chart he was working on.
"Why?"
Luka looked back up at Neela. "We lost Mrs. Johnston."
"I thought he'd be happy to get rid of her." Neela adjusted her sweater.
"Not like this." Abby handed Morris a chart. "He didn't want to see her die. The lady was widowed, no kids, no family. We figure that Ray was all she had."
"Did he say where he was going?"
"Nope." Luka picked up another chart and looked at Neela. "Don't feel too sorry for him. I don't' think he's as bad off as Abby's making out that he is."
"Luka, he lost a patient." Abby argued. "It affects you."
Neela looked at Abby. "Ray's not affected by much. That much I'm sure of." She headed towards the door. "See you all tomorrow!" She made her way to the Jumbomart and saw Ray sitting on the bench in front. She sat next to him. "I heard about Mrs. Johnston. You okay?"
Ray sighed. "I'm fine. I wanted her to leave me alone, not die."
Neela was shocked by Ray's lack of emotion. "Ray, I've seen you more devastated to lose a gig. You mean to tell me Mrs. Johnston's death doesn't affect you?"
Ray looked at her. "You can't let everything affect you, Neela. If you did, then how would you cope with this job?"
"I wish I could be like that, Ray. I want to help people and make them better." She placed her head on his shoulder.
"That's twice today, Neela." Ray smirked.
"Twice what?"
"Never mind." He moved his arm and held her. "Trust me, Neela. There are times that I wish I could be more like you and if you tell anyone I said that, you'll live to regret it." He smiled down at her.
"Your pout would work to get me to say nothing, Ray, not your smile." She smiled up.
"I don't have a pout." Ray sighed.
"You do. Why do you think I took the chart in the first place?" Neela sat straight up. "I don't think you really realise that you have a rather effective pout."
Ray playfully huffed. "If my pout really could get you to do anything, why the hell haven't you walked around the house naked yet? OUCH!" He yelped as Neela smacked his arm. "I swear, Neela, I'm going to have to go get some help for abused spouses."
"Only you're not a spouse, so what would they do about it?" She smiled.
Ray chuckled. "I've got a bruise where you have hit me. Wanna see?" He lifted the sleeve of his shirt and Neela gasped. "You hit really hard. Remind me to never piss you off. Well, really piss you off."
Neela reached up to tenderly rub the bruise. "Not funny, Ray." She laughed as she rubbed off eye shadow from his bicep.
"Why are you laughing then?"
"What am I going to do with you, Ray Barnett?" Neela playfully nudged him.
Ray looked down at her and saucily grinned. "Oh, the things that come to mind." He stood up. "Come on. I'll buy you dinner."
Neela took his hand. "As long as you don't pinch my ass." She jumped forward as Ray slapped it. "RAY! I said…"
"You said no pinching. You said nothing of slapping." His eyes danced with laughter and sarcasm and Neela smiled back. She put her arm around his waist and they walked off to find some dinner.
