Chapter 29

Doug watched Anna walk up the stairs and into her room. He was too involved with his own problems that he couldn't think about Anna's for the time. he walked outside to carter's basketball court to shoot for awhile and take his mind off things. after about thirty minutes of playing Doug was sweaty and worn out. he walked back inside and up the stairs. Anna's door was still closed. he hopped into his shower just enough to rinse off and then threw on some work out pants and a shirt. he walked into the hall and didn't hear any noise from her room. "maybe she did fall asleep" he thought to himself. he grabbed the guitar he had learned to play in Seattle and brought it down stairs. he had to think of how to handle things with Anna and he thought playing might help. he sat on carter's couch, strummed out a song and sang to himself.

Anna heard what sounded like some playing music. She got up and walked towards it. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened to Doug for a minute. Before crossing the room to were he could see her. "I couldn't sleep."

Doug jumped when he heard a voice. he relaxed when he saw it was Anna. "you scared me." she looked pretty upset. Doug scooted over on the couch to make room for her to sit down. he ran a hand through his wet hair and leaned forward. "i didn't wake you did i? you take your meds?" he had to stick to the medical stuff at first. he didn't still didn't know if she was upset with him or just the lousy day in general.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. No you didn't wake me, and yes Dr. Ross I took my meds." She didn't have to try to smile this time. "Is there anything else that my wonderful private doctor needs to know?"

As hard as he tried not to, Anna's joke made Doug crack a smile. "Ahh song request?" he joked and gave her a smile back. after a second of looking at her he patted a spot on the couch next to him. "Ahh come here."

She moved over to the spot on the couch next to Doug. "I didn't know that you knew how to play."

Doug looked down at his guitar. "Yeah...I taught myself when i was in Seattle. it's a pretty good stress reliever. it's one of my many so called hidden talents but its only hidden because i haven't actually developed a talent for it yet." he said rocking into her shoulder to get her to smile. he still felt awkward sitting next to Anna with this much tension floating around them, he wanted to fix it but he didn't know how to start.

Anna laughed and smiled. "I'm sure you have many talents Doug. And I want to get to know them. "She wanted to let Doug know that things were okay between them.

Doug nodded. He understood what she was trying to say. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment to get the words right in his head, even though they were simple. finally he looked back at Anna. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have handled things the way i did today. please know i do care about you...it's just like a Doug vortex of doom. i just keep getting sucked back in." Doug cracked his fingers as he fidgeted he hoped he wouldn't regret saying his next words. "I'm glad you decided to come down though."

She blushed, "well being next to you beats snuggling with your shirt Doug." She couldn't believe that she actually admitted that to him. "It was a crappy day for both of us. How about if we just pretend the best we can that none of it happened that we didn't snap at each other. I know that you care for me. As for the Doug vortex of doom, I'm along for the ride. You can't get rid of me that easy."

Doug couldn't help but laugh. "Ohhh man...you got it bad." He kept laughing. it wasn't the fact that her joke was that funny as it was he just needed to. "well if we're both pretending we had a good day we might as well eat. so what would you like? order some nice take out...dinner and a movie...stop me when something sounds good."

"Can we do take out and a movie here?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm here for you." he said giving her a wink. "I'm sure carter has some DVD's around here. Ummm i think there is still a good pizza joint around the block. as long as you don't put some funny Philly stuff on it that might be good." Doug put his guitar to the side and stood up. "I tell ya what. if pizza is good with you I'll go get it and you can set up here. pick a movie...grab some covers and get comfortable. I don't want you getting sick on me or anything."

She smiled at him. "Okay. I'll get comfy and I promise Dr. Ross," She was grinning now, "that I will behave myself and not do anything I shouldn't."

Doug smiled. "Oh boy, you're tough to trust." Doug walked over and put on his coat and grabbed his keys. before he left he stopped and turned around. "Hey Anna, that tee shirt you can keep." and with a grin he was out the door to get some food. the pizza place was close enough to walk to but with the sun now down it was cold and icy so Doug took his car.

Anna smiled as she watched Doug go out the door. She went upstairs to grab the quilt and pillows off the bed. She also threw his tee back on so that she would be more comfortable. She went back to the stairs slowly. She knew is she fell down the stairs Doug would kill her. She then started to search the house for a DVD, the only thing she could find was the 3 musketeers, after the day they had something light and romantic would be nice. She put the DVD by the TV and sat down on the couch under the blankets to wait for Doug to come back with something for them to eat.

It didn't take Doug long to get the pizza. He settled on plain cheese. with all the medication Anna was taking he didn't want to upset her stomach. He drove slowly down the road and back to carter's house. there was ice everywhere and he wanted to be careful. he started to walk up the stairs to the door and just when he thought he was home safe his foot slipped out from under him on the ice. he landed on his knee ripping a hole in his pants but he saved the pizza. "Ahh damn." he said to himself looking at his bloody knee. he sighed and walked into the house. "pizza delivery."

Anna looked at him. She darted across the room and took the pizza from him. "Sit down you're bleeding." She set down the pizza boxes. "I'll go get something to patch you up with."

Doug sighed. "I'm ok Anna. i just slipped on some ice." he let her take the pizza anyway and he did as she asked. He saw all the quilts she had laid out and even noticed her wearing his shirt. The combination made him grin. he sat down and rolled up his pants leg waiting for her to come back.

Anna search through the bathroom and finally found some first aid stuff. She wanted to run down the stairs put patiently walked. When she got to the bottom she rushed over to Doug. "Might sting a little," She said as she started to clean up his knee. As she put the bandage on it, "you didn't hurt anything else did you?" She said concerned about him.

Doug shook his head as she fixed his knee, it did sting but he tried not to show it. "Nah the shiner you gave me hurts worse then this." Once she finished up he took the bandage stuff from her. "Go on you sit down. ill go grab something to drink. Why don't you put on whatever movie you found?" Doug stood up and tried to walk into the kitchen. he had landed on his injured knee and tried his hardest not to limp. He knew Anna would say something to him about it anyway. he returned with a few bottles of water and ice pack. He shuffled over to the couch and flung himself down.

"You're limping Doug. Did you fill that script I gave you, those should help" Anna said as she started the movie. "All I could find was the 3 musketeers. I gave you the shiner?" She shrugged her shoulders and slipped under the quilt next to Doug.

Doug nodded, "Yeah i took a few earlier. ill grab some more later." He put his arm over her shoulder and grabbed a piece of pizza. "You didn't know you hit me! Look at me face!" he yelled playing with her, "damn woman, you're a regular mike Tyson!" He took a bite of pizza and put his feet up. "Good i like the 3 musketeers." He looked at his arm that was draped over her shoulder, "is this ok?"

She smiled as she snuggled in closer to him. She bit at the pizza that he had in his hand, "this is perfect Doug. And as for that shiner on your face. I have no memory of ever hitting you so I am going to deny it until I am blue in the face." She was giggling now. She was happy that things were getting better between the two of them. "I like being this close to you." She nipped at his pizza again, "it makes stealing your pizza that much easier and that way I don't have to hold my own."

Doug covered his smile with his hand and sunk down further into the couch. "Oh great so when I'm out for a week after i get some nasty disease from you ill be nibbling off of your paycheck then." After he rearranged the ice pack on his knee he looked at her again. "oh well, at least we'd be sick together right?" Doug got close to her face but suddenly redirected his attention to the TV. "Ohhh cool. this is my favorite part."

"I don't have any diseases Doug." Anna said poking him gently in the ribs. "As for this being your favorite part, I'm not buying it mister." She leaned over closer to him her eyes looking directly into his, "just kiss me Doug. I promise I won't bite unless you want me too."

Doug could feel his face blush but he was glad she spoke up. He closed his eyes and brought his face only inches apart from hers. "great I'm that obvious huh? there goes my mysterious appeal," he whispered before pulling her closer and kissing her. It sent a shock up his spine. Anna had just recently made that affect on him but it made him feel good.

Anna melted into his arms under his kiss. He made her head spin. She didn't need him to be mysterious. His touch was enough to take her breath away. Kissing him made the rest of the world disappear.

Doug's smile separated their kiss. "Oh, i cant believe you have that affect on me. it's like high school all over again." he pulled Anna to sit in his lap and he laid down on the couch. He directed her head to lay on his chest. Doug breathed deeply. "oh yeah...i had forgotten that this was what being happy feels like." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer, "so i guess this means I'll have to give up some more of my shirts to you huh?" He said before letting out a big yawn.

"Only if you want to. But they are comfy." She said rubbing her head against his chest. "I know what you mean though Doug, you make me happy too." Here she was snuggled up against a kind man. She knew she wouldn't hear Doug calling her any of the names that Max had. Here she was safe and she could feel it. Anna was fighting now to keep her eyes open.

Doug brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes he wanted to stay up with Anna but he was incredibly tired. "You know as much as i don't want to we would both benefit from some sleep. You definitely have some time off but i only asked for a few days. I think in weaver time that means one...but at least we'll have tomorrow." Doug tried to stretch his back. "So what do ya think? rain check on the movie?"

Anna moved to get up. "Rain check on the movie sounds good." She said to him as she stood up. She held out her hand to him. She wondered if she'd be sleeping alone tonight or not. Company in that big bed upstairs wood be nice, but she would understand if it wasn't meant to be that way.

Doug grabbed her hand and walked with her up the stairs, he stopped in the hallway in-between their two rooms. "Here we are again, another high school moment...well more like college." Doug slapped his hands together, "but umm...i think I'm going to let you get your sleep." Doug winced waiting for her reaction. A kiss was all he could commit right now he still thought in the back of his head that carol might somehow forgive him tomorrow; he couldn't give any more of himself tonight. "Besides, you need to take a shower anyway."

"Yeah." She said holding the smile on her face. "Another one of those moments. I know, no getting my head wet. I don't need to get the new hole in my head infected." She ran her hand over the still sore spot that reminded her of the day's events. "I'll hum change the bandage before I go to bed."

Doug rolled his eyes, "oh come on...i tell ya what... you get changed...and let me get changed and ill fix ya up and tuck you in."

"Uh ya sure." She said, "Just give me couple of minutes." She said as she slipped inside the room and closed the door. She leaned against it for a minute. She felt like a pain in the ass, but she couldn't very well see the back of her head to change it. She walked over to the bed pulling out her flannel pajama bottoms. She didn't want to take his tee shirt off yet. She pulled the rest of her medications out of the bag. God did they send her home on enough. She took the glass that she had sitting on the nightstand and started to pop the pills that she had been given to take.

Doug went into his room and changed into some running shorts. He needed to do laundry and they were the only clean things he had to sleep in. "Ahh man." he thought to himself. "I don't even have a shirt. oh well, I know its being used well." After he brushed his teeth and cleaned himself up a little he walked across the hall and knocked on Anna's door before opening it, "ready gimpy?"

She took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Doug walked into her room. he felt a little uncomfortable in just shorts...but then again, he didn't think Anna cared, "alright" he said grabbing some gloves and gauze. he carefully unwrapped the gauze from her head and cleaned the tiny incision. He wrapped it back up and threw the garbage in the trash he came up behind her and pulled her into a hug. "want to be tucked in?"

"Yeah," She said taking the last two pills that they had given her, "so how long am I banned from the ER?"

"I don't think you're banned." He said spinning her around. "Ahh more like declared temporarily incapacitated." He wanted to make her smile she didn't seem as happy as she did when they were together on the couch. He wished he could give more of himself, but he didn't need anymore complications, he wanted to just take it slow. "Ok" he said directing her towards the bed. "goodnight" he said as he leaned over and pulled up the comforter. He gave her a kiss on her cheek and stood back up straight. He walked to turn out the lights, "let me know if you need anything ok?" He softly shut her door, leaving his halfway open so he could hear if she called him. Doug almost collapsed on his bed. he laid on his stomach and snuggled into his pillow. It had been a lousy day, but it was a great way to end the night.