Chapter 62:

Anna drove back to the house and changed her clothes. She couldn't go in there in an oversized sweatshirt and jeans. She threw on a skirt and top before sliding back into her shoes. She picked up Doug's shirt holding it close to her a minute before laying it back down on the bed. She walked out to the living room and grabbed her purse and lab coat before heading out to his jeep. She drove to County. As she looked up at the clock, well it was early, she went and found Kerry who was on at 5 and explained what had happened and that Doug needed a leave of absence. She headed into the lounge shoving her cell phone into her lab coat pocket just in case Doug called her. She had a cup of coffee and then headed upstairs to see Romano. Kat said that he was in his office. So she walked over and knocked on his door.

"Hey come in," Robert said seeing her face.

"Hi I really need to talk to you." She said sitting down.

"What's up?" Robert asked.

"Look I need cleared to work some shifts down in the Peds ER; you think you can work that for me." Anna asked.

"Yeah anything for you beauty." Robert said, "you feeling up to it."

"Yeah I think so." She said back. "I just need to help out for a few days no big deal."

"How about grabbing dinner with me tonight?"

"That's not a good idea Robert." Anna said standing up heading for the elevator. He followed her, which wasn't what she wanted at all. Now Anna found herself on the way down to the ER trapped in an elevator with Robert.

"Why I think you and I would be fine having dinner tonight." he said to her.

"Look Robert I appreciate everything you've done." She stepped out into the ER, "but I can't I'm dating Doug right now."

"What oh come on you can do so much better than that ER cowboy want to be."

Anna bit her tongue. "Now is not the time for this Robert." She said backing slowly away from him.

"Well it's the truth." He said, "That boy is nothing but trouble and well, honestly I don't see how you could stand to be in his company."

"You little sob." She said. She was starting to lose her temper. It had been a short night and she wasn't in the mood. "Watch it Robert I am warning you."

"Well does the doctor from the dead have a soft spot for bad boys?" He said, "looks like you need to go in front of the competency review board before I can allow someone with such a severe head trauma to go back to work."

"Ohh." She lost it. Anna turned and her fist connected squarely with Romano's jaw. She turned to see Kerry standing there. Oh god she could kiss her job goodbye now.

"Dr. Del Amico, you are not to work in this ER. You will not be picking up shifts and you should be thankful that I don't fire your ass right here and now. 2 weeks you are suspended for 2 weeks." Robert shouted at her rubbing his jaw, "you have picked up too many bad habits from Ross."

"Bite me Robert." Anna said as she walked off toward the lounge. Oh god she hadn't even been in the hospital an hour and was now suspended. She flipped open her phone and placed a few calls. She couldn't leave Kerry short handed and she didn't want to leave the peds ER with out a pediatrician. She called in a few favors to get a couple of docs to agree to help her out. Not that they were thrilled with the prospect of having to work with Dr. Romano, but it would work. She put the phone back in her pocket and ran her hands thru her hair. Well she had the free time to go to Lexington now with no strings attached. She got up off the couch and headed back out of the hospital. She was thankful that Robert didn't flat out fire her. But she had to laugh he so had that coming. She started the jeep and drove to her apartment where checked her mail before heading back to Doug's house. It seemed so empty with out him there. She called the airlines and got a flight out the following morning.

She threw some jeans and tees in a bag, her black business suit so that she would have something for the funeral if she got there in time. Before she crashed on the bed to get some sleep, she made sure her phone would ring and that it was near her head, it wasn't easy for her to get to sleep; it wasn't the same with out him there. After a few minutes of tossing and turning she took a couple of percocets to help her get to sleep, she wasn't in pain from her injuries, but they would help her relax enough to get to sleep. She wrapped her arms around his tee and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain what happened when she got the chance to talk to him but she knew that she would come up with something.

Doug sat by himself on the plane. He was surprised Anna had gotten him a first class ticket. He pulled his UK hat down low on his head so that the flight attendants wouldn't bother him. After the plane landed he rented a car and drove to a motel. His mom's house was a good two hour drive from the airport and he needed some sleep. Doug checked into a grungy room and flopped down on the bed. It was still pretty early but he promised Anna he would call.

Doug grabbed his cell and hit her number. After a few rings her voicemail kicked in. Doug was glad that it did. He could talk to a machine better than he could to her. "Hey...just wanted to let you know that I made it in ok. I hope you're getting some sleep...I just want to thank you again and tell you that I'm sorry for yelling at you last night..." Doug laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes. "I love you...now and forever." he said as he hung up the phone. Doug set his alarm for eleven and closed his eyes, in a second he fell asleep.

Anna stretched out on the bed. The sleep had felt good but her stomach was growling now. She sat up; the light on her phone was blinking. She flipped it open and hit the voicemail button. She listened to his voice. "I love you too baby." she said as she closed her phone. He had sounded so exhausted. She walked out to the kitchen nothing looked good so she slipped her shoes back on and padded down the street to find something.

She walked into the bar that was a couple of blocks down. Got herself a burger, fries and a beer. She watched the ball game that they had on for a little while. She didn't realize just how much she missed him. She walked slowly home taking her time as she strolled thru the park where they had been so carefree just yesterday. It seemed almost like a world away now. She sat down on the bench in the park and opened her phone. God she didn't know if she should call him or not. She put the phone to her chest and closed her eyes feeling the cold wind start to blow around her. What was she doing just sitting here, there was nothing keeping her here now. She got up holding her phone still close to her and headed back to the house. Kentucky was calling her.

She'd get in tonight and stay at a hotel at the airport and then drive out to his mom's in the morning. She walked inside and gave everything the once over. Checking to make sure that everything was turned off before she drove to the airport. She parked in the parking garage just to be sure that his jeep would be safe. She didn't need anything happening to that before she got back. She walked inside Midway. It was busy but she managed to get up to the ticket counter, all that was left was first class. Oh well, she thought I needed a vacation anyway. She got thru security with out any problems and sat in the bar waiting for her flight to be called. She had to turn her phone off when she boarded the plane, but it was a fairly short flight. She kicked back and relaxed, she didn't know if he would be happy to see her or what to strangle her on sight. As she walked out of the terminal in Lexington she tried to read the scribbles that he had written on the paper of where he'd be staying. "Oh god this is going to be harder than I thought it would be." She walked over to the rental counter, got a car, and asked them for directions. She shook her head as she pulled her hair back thru the back of one of her brother's mountain dew caps and threw on her sunglasses. She was in for an adventure.