Standard disclaimers applied. See Prologue for further details.

Author's Note: Remember what I said before about manipulating certain events to fit my story, here is a clear indication. I have changed the events in The Human Shield and Two Ships, consider yourself warn!


Chapter 9: A Talk With Gates

"Guardian angel," she murmured. She never figured such an expression would be in Ray's vocabulary. It was almost too romantic and too wistful for the rocker persona that he had constructed himself.

Neela made a speedy recovery after the accident and was soon demanded to be discharged, so she could go back to work. Ray refused to let her overexert her, but Neela stood her ground and he had no choice but to concede to the fact she was indeed recovered and was more than ready to go back to work.

"Neela!"

The Indian doctor quickly snapped herself out of reverie and turned to the source of the voice. She could feel herself blushing at being caught daydreaming by Pratt. The other doctor decided to spare a lecture, when he said, "Lucky day, Neela, up for a paramedic ride-along?"

Before she could respond, another voice interjected, "No fair. When do I get to do a ride-along?"

Neela felt the heat of her cheeks at Ray's whining, but she was spare from making a comment, when Pratt chided, "When I say so, Barnett. C'mon Neela, last I checked, ETA was 2 minutes."

Neela looked back at Ray who gave her a mock salute, before she diverted her attention to the oncoming ambulance. After unloading the patients and giving the standard rundown, Pratt introduced her to Paramedics Zadro White and Tony Gates. Apparently, Zadro and Pratt went back in a day when they used to play ball together. They reminisced a little as Neela caught Gate's stare.

"What?"

"Nothing, just wondering why I never become a doctor."

"Oh?"

"Yes, if I knew you were a MD, I would have changed careers a long time ago."

"I don't know you and it goes without saying that you don't know me. How can you say stuff like that?"

"Easily, words just come from my mouth. As for your first observations, I can easily remedy that. Why don't a treat you a pair of hockey tickets, so we can get acquainted. However, if you prefer a quiet night in ..."

"Pul..ease, spare me."

Neela jumped onto the bus, conveniently ignoring Pratt and Zadro who missed their conversation entirely. Gates smirked but he offered no further comments as he climbed up to the driver seat, with Zadro following suit.

Their ride was relatively eventful. There was few domestic house calls, a heart attack victim, a trauma with victims caught in a shoot up which resulted with them going back to County. By the time lunch rolled around, Neela thought that Gates had dropped his previous queries.

She would admit that she was caught off guard by his initial persistence. His candid, yet cocky attitude reminded her a little of Ray. His chestnut eyes and quirky grin teased her discomfort, but liked she said before, she didn't know Gates. However in the back of her mind, she realized that she didn't her current roommate very well either.

Zadro answered another call from Central as Gates followed the given directions. The three tended to a homeless man, but it turned out that he didn't really medical attention.

"So, why did you call 911?" asked Neela.

"I just wanted a ride!"

Gates stepped forward and took pity on the man, when he said, "A word of advice, next time fake a seizure," while giving him cab fare.

Neela rolled her eyes at the gesture. Leaving Zadro to finish up at the scene, she dragged Gates away.

"Do you say that to every homeless man on the street who want a ride on the EMS?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Fake a seizure? How can you something like that?"

"Easily, words just ..."

"Come from your mouth, so you say."

"So you were listening."

"Yes, I do have ears."

"Among other things ..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can take it anyway you want, Mayday."

"Mayday?" Gates and Neela reeled at the sound of Zadro's voice. The other paramedic laughed at their identical expressions.

Gates quickly recovered and explained, "Yes, Mayday, 'cause she always worked herself up and send a distress signal over every little thing."

Neela was indignant over the new nickname, so she made a show to ignore him as she climbed back onto the bus. At the last minute, she turned back and retorted, "Well you Gates, is like a dog in heat."

"What?"

She felt a small victory at catching him off guard.

"You're always wagging your tongue over every little thing," she smirked, using his own expression against him.

Zadro only laughed harder, but he managed to say, "Tony here, is only afraid of all the married women, but you're alright, doc."

It was as though Neela had passed some unspoken initiation between the two paramedics. They rode around some more, making about two more stops at County. Pratt met them with the words, "So, how's Neela doin'?"

"Oh, she could smile more," Zadro joked, "but, she's alright." He winked at her when he said it. Neela only rolled her eyes at his comment as she walked over to the desk to fill in the customary forms. She knew both paramedics would gladly defer the tedious paper work to her.

"So, how are you doing, Roomie?"

Ray sauntered over to where Neela was and was quickly engulfed by the smell of her paramedic's jacket.

Neela looked up from her writing and was relieved to see the familiar face of her roommate staring down at her. "It's so different than working in the ER," she began

"I would imagine that it would be."

She gave him a quick rundown of her patients today as Ray made the appropriate nodding and prompting. "Gates reminds me of you," she finished by saying.

"What?" Whatever Ray was expecting her to say, it certainly wasn't this.

"Don't tell me he's a rocker as well."

Neela laughed at that, catching the attention of others within the vicinities including Gates.

"No, you're the only rocker/doctor that I care enough to know, Roomie."

-o-o-

It was later on in the shift when Gates announced that they were going to stop for free coffee. He turned to Neela and say, "Now, don't make a big fuss over some java."

Zadro offered to get coffees for everyone, as Neela climbed to the front to sit with Gates.

"He has been having a secret affair with the lady who sells the coffee here. She's the only person in all of Chicago who can make coffee the way that Zadro likes it," Gates confided to Neela. He winked at her for an effect.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have a secret affair."

"Only with you, Mayday."

"My name is Neela Ragostra and I-" Neela caught herself from saying that she already have a boyfriend.

Gates noted her slip of tongue. "It doesn't surprise me if you already have a boyfriend, Mayday."

Neela sighed at the infernal nickname. "I don't have a boyfriend. I used to but ... oh, it's a long story."

"It was his lost for dumping you," Gates immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"No, not exactly. He died while fighting in Iraq."

Gates looked at her once and was silent as he allowed this piece of news to sink in. He was about to apologize when Neela interrupted, "You don't need to be sorry. You didn't know."

"Still, it doesn't surprise me that you have people who care about you especially the guy that you were talking to today."

"Who? Pratt?"

"No, the one that you were talking to over at the desk."

Neela cocked an eyebrow at Gate's seemingly innocent observation. "It must be Ray then. He's my roommate."

It was Gate's turn to stare but he allowed the contemplative silence to settle between them. The mood was only briefly interrupted by Zadro returning with cups of caffeine. Zadro didn't immediately return to the bus but instead opted to talk with the lady who was selling the coffee. Gates let out a small smile at his partner's predictability, even Neela had to concur with Gate's early assessment.

"I think he cares about you too."

Neela almost choked on her coffee. She coughed as the dark liquid went down the wrong pipe, while Gates wisely took hold of the Styrofoam cup.

"Do you always make random comments like that, Gates?" She asked when she recovered.

"They aren't random," but before Gates could elaborate further, they were interrupted by the distant sounds of an explosion.

End of Chapter 9


AN: This chapter is slightly shorter than the rest, but hopefully the next one will be longer. Do you guys think that Gates was OOC ... let me know what you guys think in a review 'k.