AnnaBeth's day hadn't been off to the best start with Chilli showing up late for work. With everything that had happened between Chief Boden and Chief Riddle she had picked the worst day to do it. The atmosphere at the firehouse was pretty low. Chilli just made it in time for their first call of the day.
AnnaBeth leant into the car to place a C-Collar on the driver.
"Now how is it that you managed to crash into a parked car?" She asked somewhat amused as the driver seemed to be ok.
"It was an emergency; Justin Bieber was playing" The driver told her.
"Oh, I don't know, I think it depends on what song was on" She replied with a grin.
"And I thought you'd understand" The man told her "You've got really pretty eyes by the way".
"Oh, sweetheart I think you've hit your head" She told him.
AnnaBeth stepped back as the front of the car caught fire. Truck were pretty quick to put it out. Herrmann said he saw a child in the RV at the side of the road that the car had crashed in to.
"Who leave's a child alone in an RV?" She asked furrowing her brow as the patient was lifted into the ambulance.
She jumped down as Chilli finished checking the patient as Herrmann came out of the RV holding something wrapped in a blanket.
"What is that?" Gabby asked.
"I think it's a robot" Herrmann said placing it down on the ground.
"A what?" Gabby asked.
Herrmann fell back as he lifted the blanket up making AnnaBeth jump back and clutch her chest.
"That is the biggest turtle I've ever seen" Otis said in disbelief.
"That's not a turtle it's a tortoise" She corrected him.
"I'm pretty sure it's a turtle" Herrmann said looking it over.
"Trust me, I have one and that is not The Shell Obama" She said shaking her head.
"The Shell…" Matt started but Gabby just gave him a look that there was no reason to question anything AnnaBeth came out with.
AnnaBeth left them with their tortoise situation and hopped up into the driver's seat to head over to med. She hadn't had time to really talk to Chilli yet. She wasn't entirely sure what to even say to her. She was still finding her feet with her new partner. She liked her but she wasn't connected to her the way she was with Dawson or had been with Peter Mills.
They unloaded the patient when they got to med.
"Oh, Chilli look at the Daisies" She said wistfully as they walked by the flower shop.
"I would have taken you for more of a roses girl" Chilli told her.
"Peony's, but I love all flowers" She said, "Centrepieces are my favourite part decorating for a dinner party or the gazebo for valentine's day".
"You should have been a wedding planner" Chilli told her.
"Oh, she does that on the side" Jonah said falling into step with them.
Chilli passed on all of the information about their car crash victim Austin to Maggie while AnnaBeth stopped to say hi to Jonah.
"I heard a rumour that you've had a job offer for a hospital in New York" She said.
"Who told you, wait let me guess Zoe mouth of the south Hart" He said
"We have our weekly text catch up" She nodded "I'm guessing Lemon doesn't know".
"That I'm maybe moving and it's not back to Alabama, absolutely not" He said shaking his head "And it's just an interview, I might not get it".
"Jonah Breeland being modest?" She asked teasingly.
"You're right" He nodded "I am the best surgeon for the job".
"Only because I'm not applying" Connor told him "Hi AB".
"Doctor Rhodes" She said smiling back at him.
"I haven't seen you at the café recently" Connor said as he reached over the nurse's station for a pen.
"Things have been so crazy at the firehouse lately" She replied as she filled in the rest of her paperwork.
"I think that's Connor's not so smooth way of asking you out AB" Jonah told her "I'll catch up with you later".
AnnaBeth felt the colour rushing to her cheeks.
"Ok, maybe I can try and do that a little better" Connor said with an awkward laugh "Would you like to go for dinner tomorrow night?".
"AB we've gotta go" Chilli called over to her.
"I have to go" AnnaBeth replied apologetically "I'll call you later".
AnnaBeth walked quickly out towards the ambulance. Chilli still seemed a little distracted on the way back to the firehouse. Gabby had called and said they had brought the tortoise back to the firehouse. AnnaBeth dropped Chilli back and then went to the store to buy some supplies for the little guy. It also gave her some time to think about what to say to Connor. The problem was she was still thinking about Kelly. What she really needed was some girl talk.
When she got back to the firehouse everyone was just sat watching the tortoise. He had a seat next to Mouch on the Couch. Pouch was the only one not to seem happy about it, well other than Connie. AnnaBeth put out some water and food because no one else seemed to know how to care for him. Or her, she wasn't quite sure.
She looked at Gabby and then over to the door trying not to draw attention to them both. Gabby furrowed her brow not sure what AnnaBeth was trying to get across. AnnaBeth widened her eyes looking at Gabby and then back towards the apparatus floor.
Gabby put down her coffee cup and rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to go and check, er halogens" Gabby said walking out towards the apparatus floor.
"I have to take inventory" AnnaBeth said following her out.
Gabby waited until they were out over by the ambulance.
"AB you can just say you want to talk" Gabby pointed out.
"You know those boys in there are the biggest gossips around" She said shaking her head.
"Can't argue with that" Gabby shrugged sitting in the back of the ambulance "Spill it."
"Connor asked me out" She said biting her lip "But then Chilli said we had to go so I took the opportunity to just not answer, and now I don't know what to say".
"He is cute" Gabby pointed out "It's just a date, it's not like it's a marriage proposal".
AnnaBeth was about to reply when Kelly walked back into the station. There really was no good place for a totally private conversation.
"Why are you two hiding out here?" Kelly asked with a smirk on his face.
"Girl talk" She replied simply "Where have you been all day?".
"I went to see Jamie" He replied.
AnnaBeth felt her heart sink. She knew Jamie was the woman he had slept with when he was sent on the management course.
"I think she knows something about the woman who's accusing Boden of attacking her, it's all linked to that slumlord" He added.
"I hope she helps" AnnaBeth said eventually.
"She's stonewalling me" He sighed.
"You just need to try again" She said, "Don't give up so easy".
AnnaBeth and Gabby watched as Kelly walked back over to the squad table. Gabby gave her a sympathetic look. Even if AnnaBeth said she was fine it was always going to sting a bit.
"Isn't that our victim?" Gabby asked as she jumped down from the back of the ambulance.
AnnaBeth furrowed her brow as she turned around. The man Casey had pulled from the car earlier that day was walking towards them carrying bunch of peonies.
"Hi" She said "Austin, right?"
"Right" He nodded with a smile "The paramedic with the beautiful green eyes".
"What are you…" She started.
"I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of me earlier" He said handing her the bunch of flowers.
"These are my favourite" She said looking down and them "How did you…. never mind, when we went by the gift shop I was talking to my partner".
"I was hoping I could take you out some time" He told her.
AnnaBeth looked up as the bell went off for Ambulance. It was twice in one day she had been saved from having to answer a question she didn't want to answer.
"Sorry, I have to go" She told him "Thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful".
Gabby looked like she was trying not to laugh as AnnaBeth handed her the flowers. She shot her friend a warning look.
"Can I at least get your name?" He asked.
"AnnaBeth" She told him as she got into the drivers seat putting on her seatbelt.
"Give me a call AnnaBeth" He told her handing her his card.
"Oh…I…." She said awkwardly.
Thankfully Chilli got into the passenger side, so she was able to drive off.
"Bye Austin" Gabby called after him.
She turned around shaking her head with an amused grin on her face as she carried AnnaBeth's flowers to put them in water.
"Who was that?" Kelly asked.
"Just another member of AB's fan club" Gabby said teasingly "Casey pulled him out of a car that caught fire today".
"He brought her flowers?" He asked.
"Her favourites, it's kind of cute" She told him "And he asked her out".
"What did she say?" He asked, "She should be careful".
"Nothing yet" Gabby told him.