Chapter 1
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine
Rating: M to be safe
Paring: Neela/Ray, Neela/Pratt I'm not sure yet how it will end
Summary: After the death of a loved one, two of the staff members deal get closer as
they deal with it
A/N: There is a character death in this fic. This takes place after season 11
A/N 2: Just a warning I'm bad at updating but if you like it I'll try and update as often
as I can but don't worry about the time it takes for updates, it will be updated.
Now on with the story, please enjoy
"C'mon Neela, hurry up we're gonna be late"
"I'm coming Ray" Neela called out from her room "And since when do you care if we're late or not?" Neela asked as she walked out of her room and stopping in front of Ray
Ray smiled "And since when do like to be late?" Ray asked with a smile as he locked up the apartment as they headed to work for another shift at County General "Oh yeah Brett's going to be at the apartment this afternoon for band" Ray said as they got into Neela's car
Neela nodded "Ok, if he eats all of my food again I will not be held responsible for my actions"
Ray laughed, and realised that Neela had gotten used to his friends being at the apartment at all times of the day or night sure at first she didn't like it but then accepted it and moved on. The only time she kicked up a fuss about them being there was when they ate all of her food or left a big mess but they were cool with it and cleaned up and didn't make much noise if they were there during the day when she had night shift. Then band always called her Dr Neela and sometimes she would join in on practice after they found her singing in the kitchen one day and realised she had a good voice. Ray continued to look at Neela and realised that she hadn't stopped smiling "What's got you in such a good mood?"
"Micheal comes home next week" Neela replied
Ray nodded knowing how much Neela missed Micheal and then realised that she was going to be in this happy mood for the rest of the week "So when did you last hear from him?"
"Last week, mail's slow"
Ray frowned "Then how did you know he was coming home?"
"He sent both Greg and I and email"
"So your meeting him at the airport?"
"Yep, Pratt and I are both going if we can get off from work, but I think Weaver will let us off"
Ray nodded "So this time next week I'm going to meet the infamous Micheal Gallant?"
"Yep" Neela said pulling into her parking bay at the hospital
Both Ray and Neela got out and walked through the ambulance bay "So your ready for another day of Morris?" Ray asked
Neela raised an eye brow "Is anyone?"
"True" Ray said as they walked through the emergency room waiting area which was full of people waiting to be seen "Looks like it's going to be a long day
Neela looked at him and smiled "You think?"
Ray laughed at they headed into the locker room, to get ready for another day.
End Of Shift
It was towards the end of Neela's shift when she was standing at the admittance desk finishing up her charts when Pratt came over
"Long day?"
Neela looked at Pratt as if he'd gone mad, over the past year they had become friends no just work colleagues as well, "Yeah"
"Looking forward to next week?" Pratt asked with a knowing smile, as everyone in the ER knew that Micheal was coming home after finishing up his tour of duty
"Yep. You got the day off?"
Pratt nodded "Weaver cleared the both of us" Pratt said leaning on the bench as Neela started her final chart "You do know that the rest of us will want to see him" Pratt said with a smile
Neela just raised an eyebrow knowing that Pratt meant and Pratt just laughed as the phone rang
"Hey Pratt" Frank said
"Yeah Frank" Greg said turning around a smile still on his face and Neela still smiling at him
"Phone" Frank said holding the receiver out to him, Pratt nodded and took the phone
"Hello" Pratt said with a smile still evident in his voice which slowly disappeared as he heard the voice on the other end.
Neela finished her chart "And I'm off. Night" Neela said with a wave
"Night" a chorus of people said who were in the admittance area called out
"See you all tomorrow" Neela said heading off to the locker room
Pratt looked down trodden and upset as his phone call came to an end "Ok thanks, I'll um be in touch. Bye" Pratt hanged up the phone and then took a deep breath then looked over to where he last saw Neela "Where's Neela?"
"Gone home" Frank said simply "But she still might be in the locker room, I don't know if Ray's finished yet"
Pratt nodded before taking off to the locker room
"What's with Pratt?" Sam asked Frank as she saw Pratt take off
Frank shrugged "Don't know"
Staff Locker Room
"Neela?" Pratt called out as he entered the locker room
"Here" Neela said closing her locker and headed towards the door "Hey Pratt" Neela said with a smile which soon disappeared when she saw his expression "What's wrong?"
Greg turned to make sure the door was closed "Um" Pratt said not knowing how to tell Neela what he needed to tell, he started to look around and his eyes stopped on the couch "Let's sit"
Neela looked at him confused "Um ok" and then sat down next to him
Greg looked down at the ground to gather his thoughts before he looked at Neela "You know that call that I just got?"
"Yeah" Neela said wondering where Greg was going with this
"It was Micheal's sister"
Neela took in a deep breath as tears began to well in her eyes "Is he ok?"
Greg took in a deep breath "There was some insurgence in Basra, and there was a car bomb"
"Oh my god" Neela said silently as tears began to run down her face
Greg took in a deep breath as tears began to well in his eyes and continued "And he was near the car when the bomb went off" Neela let out a loud sob "He didn't make it"
Tears began to fall quickly down both of their faces as they pulled each other into a hug, both crying on one another, mourning a friend, a confidant, and in Neela's case a lover. Neither knew how long they sat their crying and holding onto one another when Abby and Ray walked into the locker room laughing at Morris's latest idea to make the ER run better but stopped when they saw Pratt and Neela holding onto one another
"Whoa" Ray said quietly when he saw them and wondered what was going on and looked at Abby to see if she had any idea and she just shrugged her shoulders with the same expression that Ray had, confusion.
"Guys?" Abby asked breaking the two apart and noticing the tears that were streaked down Neela's face as Pratt turned away to wipe his away "Neela?" Abby asked kneeling in front of her
"It's Micheal" Neela said between sobs
"Is he ok?" Abby asked, concerned for her friends well being
"There was a car bomb in Basra" Greg said
Abby and Ray looked at them nodded silently telling him that he didn't need to continue, that Micheal didn't make it
"Oh my God" both Ray and Abby said at the same time as it sunk in, and Ray moved forward to Neela who was now being held by Abby and unleashed a new set of tears. Ray looked at Greg
"You ok?"
Pratt nodded "Um you guys should take her home"
Ray nodded as he went to grab his things and once he did that grabbed Neela's whose where on the coffee table
"Neela" Ray said tentatively
Neela looked up at Ray with her red puffy eyes "Yeah?"
"Lets get you home"
Neela just nodded but just sat there unable to move
Abby stood up "I'll come with you" and then turned to get her things as Ray began to help Neela up who just started to work on auto pilot, not really knowing what was happening or where she was
Pratt looked between Ray, Neela and Abby "Um, I'm gonna tell everyone once you guys leave"
"Yeah that's probably a good idea" Ray said looking at Neela and realising that facing the staff would be the last thing that she would want to do as Neela leant on Abby as she passed her things to Ray so she could support Neela
"I'll call later when I know more and to see how she is"
Ray nodded "Ok" and then took a long look at Pratt "You sure you are ok?"
Greg nodded "Yeah, just look out for Neela"
Ray nodded as both him and Abby walked Neela out of the staff room
Greg walked up to the door and locked it before making sure the blinds were all closed and then lent against the closed door and began to cry again for the loss of his best friend.
30 Minutes Later
"Pratt where have you been? Weaver's been looking for you" Sam said as she walked past him
Greg shook his head "Um ok. Do you know where she is?"
"Curtain 3"
Pratt nodded and walked off to curtain 3 "Dr Weaver" Pratt said calmly glad that his voice didn't show that he had just been crying
Weaver turned around "There you are, we're backed up"
Pratt nodded "Ok, but I need to talk to you first"
Weaver let out a sigh and then gave Pratt a long look and realised that something was up "Ok"
Weaver turned to her patient "I'll be back in just a moment" and the patient nodded, Weaver walked away with Pratt next to her
"Can we call a quick meeting, I know it's not the best time" Pratt said pausing to see the patients backing up "I need to say something but I don't want to repeat it a thousand times"
Weaver nodded "Um sure ok" and then they both headed to the admittance desk where, Jerry, Frank, Luka, Morris, Sam and a few other doctors and nurse's where hanging around looking for patients or waiting for results or talking about a patient
"Can I have everyone's attention for a few minutes" Weaver said in a commanding tone that got everyone's attention as both her and Pratt stood in the middle of the admittance area with everyone standing around them, and turned to Pratt "Greg"
Pratt took a deep breath and slowly let it out "I got a call from Micheal's sister earlier" Pratt started and then went on to tell them the bad news, when he had finished there was a few silent sobs from some of the staff that new Micheal but the same look of disbelief was on all of theirs, as they knew that Micheal was supposed to be coming home next week.
"Hows Neela?" Sam asked
"Ray and Abby took her home"
Weaver took a deep breath and looked at Pratt "How bout you head home and you and Neela take as much time as you need off and let us know if there is anything that we can do for either one of you" Pratt nodded and walked back to the locker room to go home as Weaver looked back at her staff and said "How bout everyone take a few minutes and get yourselves together and then get back to work." They all nodded as Weaver walked off as tears began to well in her own eyes
"Poor Neela" Sam said as she turned to Luka for a hug as she tried to fight back her tears
"Poor Greg" Luka said looking at Pratt's retreating back.
Ray/Neela's Apartment
Ray opened the door to his and Neela's apartment "Ok we're home"
Neela just nodded and meekly walked to her room as Abby followed her taking both their bags off of Ray
"Dr Neela" a happy voice from the couch said when he saw Ray and Neela walk in "Ray" Neela didn't even pay attention and a look of confusion came across his face "Was it something I said?"
Ray shook his head and waited till Neela's bedroom door had closed "She got some bad news today"
"Yeah? What army boy broke up with her?"
Ray looked at him "No Brett"
"Then what?" Brett asked concerned for his friends well being, as she was one of the only female friends he had and didn't want anything bad to happen to her
"Micheal" Ray started but got a blank look from his friend and tried again "Army boy" and Brett nodded "He was killed today" Ray said solemnly
A look of shock came across his face "She ok?"
Ray shrugged "You saw her"
"Does she need anything?" Brett asked wondering if there was anything he could do but realising that there probably wasn't
Ray shrugged again "I don't know, she's in shock right now, but once it hit's her she's gonna need as much support as she can get" Ray said looking at his room mates door
"Then we'll give it to her" Brett said in a determined voice and receiving a weird look from Ray "What? Man I mean she's there for us, our band practice, our problems and she was there after the accident, helped all of us deal with what happened and I don't just mean at the hospital where we needed it but after we got home as well"
Ray nodded knowing that all of what Brett said was true
Brett moved to the phone "I'll call the guys and cancel practice and tell them what's going on"
Ray nodded and moved to the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers for him and Brett, when Abby came out
"How is she?" Ray asked as he got a bottle of water out for Abby and handed it to her
Abby shrugged "As well as can be expected"
"You?" Ray asked
Abby sighed "It hasn't really sunk in yet. You?"
"I didn't know the guy so it doesn't really affect me as much as you guys but yeah I guess I'm sad about it, mainly for Neela though"
Abby nodded, silence coming across the two, the only sounds being Brett on the phone talking quietly and so softly that Ray never heard him that way before
"I'll head back in there" Abby said quietly and Ray nodded
Ray moved back into the living room and handed Brett his beer
"I called Craig and he said he'll make the rest of the calls for us" Ray nodded and Brett looked at him "What are you thinking man?"
"Just that Abby and I have to work tomorrow there's no way we'll get it off with Weaver probably giving both Neela and Pratt off, I just don't want to leave her alone"
"You wont, I'm not working tomorrow so I'll stay" Brett took a drink "And I'll talk to the guys and between all of us I'm sure we'll figure something out so she wont be home alone"
Ray nodded "Thanks that would be great"