The residents spent the next few months settling into their new routines of having no routine whatsoever. Their lives belonged to the hospital and they worked harder than they ever had before.
They had started to bond as a team and would regularly arrange to go out together to let off steam. This particular Wednesday, there were four of them heading to dinner. Neil offered to drive, vaguely explaining that he needed to be up early in the morning so would just have one beer.
Doctors Chen and Perry couldn't make it this time around. They were still monitoring a patient that had developed complications during a simple procedure. The rest of them went off to a local, cheap and cheerful bar to get dinner and drinks.
His car was a battered old Ford but it got him where he needed to go. As they got in, Kevin moved a pile of CDs from the passenger seat. Looking through them as they drove, he blurted "Who is Gabi? You didn't say you had a girlfriend Melendez!"
Neil laughed "Kev, she's my sister" and watched as a blush crept up Kevins cheeks.
"Ah, you share the car?"
Neil looked over at him and smiled. After a slightly rocky start, Kevin had settled in well over the last few months. Despite his very impersonal introduction, his personal skills had improved a lot so Neil decided to throw the guy a bone.
"Nah, she likes to choose the music when I take her out that's all." He paused briefly. "She's in a residential home about 30 minutes from here. She needs full time care."
The admission was met with silence from all three passengers. Nobody knew how to respond.
"It's fine, she's doing really well there and she's got great friends" he continued.
"Why is she in there?" Kevin asked. The question earned him a clip in the back of the head from Audrey which didn't go unnoticed.
"We were messing around when we were kids and she fell. Hit her head so hard it left permanent damage. It's not degenerative, but my parents were getting older and finding it all a bit much so there wasn't much choice."
As if on cue, they arrived away the bar and parked at the kerbside. Audrey hung back as Neil locked the car to walk in with him.
"Was that ok? The conversation in the car" she asked.
"Sure, why would you think otherwise?"
"You've never mentioned her before, that's all."
"Nobody really asked" he smiled as he held the door for her to walk through.
X
They were seated at a booth towards the back of the bar. As it was a Wednesday, it was not particularly busy so their server came by quickly. They placed their orders and started chatting and comparing stories since their last get together.
Kevin had the story of the night that made them all laugh until their eyes watered. "So, I get a call about an patient who needs a CBC to be checked but nursing cannot get blood" he began. "They have been trying throughout the day without success so trying to think out of the box, I headed to the NICU for some supplies."
"I had to do some serious begging but i convinced the nurse to give me a capillary puncture kit and headed to the ward with my victorious solution in my hand" he gestured raising his glass.
Joanne put her head in her hands "I can't bear this. Come on Kevin, how did you manage to mess it up?" she laughed.
"Patience now, I've got to build the suspense" he laughed. "I begin speaking to the family explaining what the kit was, how it was normally used on babies and how I was going to use it on the patient."
"I pushed the button to demonstrate and it dawns on me that I was holding it backwards. I rush out of the room and go to the sink. My finger just wouldn't stop bleeding."
At this point both Audrey and Joanne were almost crying and Neil was sat with a shocked look on his face.
"A nurse comes rushing over, takes one look and asks "Do you need a band aid?" I had to go back to the NICU, explain what had happened while they all had a good laugh and beg for another kit."
"It was a good idea, Kev" Audrey said through the tears that were flowing freely.
"Ah no" he replied. "Worst bit was, I didn't totally believe them when they said he was dry so I stuck his finger feeling like a hero for figuring this out and nothing. Stuck it again. Nothing. The man doesn't even give a drop, he was as dry as a bone" he laughed
They found the time they spent telling these stories therapeutic and sharing their failures made them closer as a team.
X
After the check was paid, Neil rose and said his goodbyes. He explained that he was heading out early in the morning to pick up Gabi so needed to be fresh.
Audrey decided to call it a night and asked if he wouldn't mind dropping her closer to home. Of course, he was happy to oblige.
Kevin and Joanne watched them leave and with a few beers giving her courage, Joanne turned and said "I give them six months."
"For what?" Kevin replied.
"They'll have slept together in six months time" she said laughing to herself. "They are always looking at each other when they think the other one isn't looking. It's so obvious!"
"I'll take that bet" Kevin said holding out his hand to seal the deal.
X
Oblivious to the conversation back at the booth, Neil and Audrey walked to the car. Ever the gentleman, he reached to open the door for her accidentally brushing her hand as she reached to do the same.
They jumped at the spark they felt and stood, staring at each other not knowing what to do next. Audrey's eyes flickered down to his mouth as Neil's tongue absent mindedly moistened his lips. He leaned a little closer and she didn't back away. Her gave her a small smile and leaned closer again.
This time, as their lips were millimetres apart, he heard "Stop, I can't" escape under her breath.
He backed away as if he'd been struck by lightning, apologising and opening the car door as was the original intention.
They drove in silence to the end of Audreys block and she asked him to stop the car.
"I can take you to the kerb" he teased. "I won't try any funny business, I promise" he said with a nervous laugh.
Audrey looked apprehensive and replied "it's fine, I can walk from here."
"It's no problem" he argued back.
"It is" she said as she opened the car door. "My husband won't like it. I'm sorry."
She closed the car door and Neil watched as she walked away, both of them feeling emotions they hadn't felt before.