Three
"Dr. Scorpio, do you have notes on the Krakauer case?"
"No." Robin didn't look up or miss a beat when responding to Dr. Patrick Drake's question.
"There are patient's lives on the line while you pout, Dr. Scorpio," Patrick snapped. The tone of his voice caught the attention of everyone else standing at or near the nurse's station. Not because the tone was new, indeed, Dr. Drake had been snappish and short with just about everyone over the past week. What attracted attention was finally seeing him taking it out on what everyone knew was the cause of his distemper – Dr. Robin Scorpio.
Robin barely restrained herself from slamming her pen down before turning her head to look at him. "You never gave me the file, Dr. Drake." Her cheeks burned in embarrassment at the implication of his accusation – that she was unprofessional - and the unwanted attention he attracted with it.
Patrick opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out when he looked into Robin's eyes. He frowned and looked over to Nurse Epiphany for confirmation.
"You said you left it in your office and would bring it back after you finished your surgery," the nurse confirmed smoothly. "You were standing right where you are now, hovering over Dr. Scorpio like you are now."
Robin closed the file she was working on and reached around Patrick and handed it to Epiphany. Then she turned back around and opened the next one in the pile that Epiphany had ordered her to finish before disappearing back into the lab. At least, she thought to herself, all this avoidance of Patrick was doing wonders for her lab work. She pointedly kept her eyes averted from Patrick. Her cheeks were still red and she could still feel all eyes on them.
"I'll go get it, now." Patrick cast one of his now habitual longing looks at Robin's back and then walked off. The moment he was clear of the nurse's station Robin turned and gave his back her now habitual longing look.
Epiphany closed her eyes and muttered under her breath something about stupid children.
Robin heard her, scowled and scratched out the gibberish she had written while pretending to ignore Patrick's scowling looks. She signed off on the last file with an exaggerated groan and stretched her neck back and forth. "Epiphany, could you just leave Dr. Drake's file in my box. I'll look at it later."
Before Epiphany could respond Dr. Kelly Lee rushed over and leaned across the counter. "You have to come with me, Robin!"
Robin turned around to look at her new roommate. "Come where? What's happened?"
"What's happened is that we have a ton of things to pick up for our housewarming party and Lainey has a client in crisis."
"Housewarming party, we haven't even finished unpacking." Robin blinked at her.
"The unpacking isn't going anywhere and it's the perfect time to throw a party."
Robin blinked again. Sometimes she really didn't get her new roommate's logic. "When are we throwing this party and why is it such an emergency." A small smile curved her lips now, though. If nothing else, Kelly was fun and a great distraction.
"Well, not until Friday…"
"Kelly, we have five days to get ready," Robin pointed out reasonably.
"And if you don't get out of that lab you're going to turn into a bat."
"That's so…so…scientific of you, Dr. Lee." Robin laughed despite herself.
"Epiphany, sign Dr. Scorpio out. She has shopping to do."
"Wait, wait, you can't just…" Robin sighed as she saw Epiphany sign her out.
"You're signed out, Dr. Scorpio," Epiphany added. "Go get some color back in those cheeks."
"I still have lab work." Robin knew it was a half-hearted protest, so when Kelly chimed in with "lab assistants" she gave up. "So, where is it I'm going and just who is invited to this party?"