Heads up on a vacation for me next week with no cell service. I'll be back though!

"Did we look that young and scared twelve months ago?" Kevin asked, laughing. They were leaning against the nurses station watching Dr Glassman show the new first year residents around. All of them were feeling old and tired after an intense year and the first years were all looking fresh and eager to get going.

"I guess we did" replied Audrey. "But look at us now! Lean, mean, surgical machines" she said smiling at the little group.

"I feel like I've aged ten years" Jo snorted. "They've got no idea what's coming, poor guys."

"As long as they stick together like we did, they'll be fine" Neil said earning himself some wrinkled noses in response.

They stood a moment longer, watching until the sound of Kevins page got their attention and they carried on about their business.

In the last month they had said goodbye to two of their friends. Delun had agreed that surgery wasn't for him and was going to redirect his focus on general practice. He had the medical knowledge, of that there was no doubt. It was just the high pressure situations which didn't suit him.

Alex was heading up to Seattle the week after the meeting so they'd had the chance for one last night out together before going and it was very bittersweet. They splashed out on a nice dinner for a change and were sat at a fairly upscale restaurant.

As usual, during dinner, the conversations turned some of their more interesting cases but due to the new surroundings, they talked in more hushed tones. They weren't the kind of conversations that the other diners would want to hear.

Once they paid the check, they headed out to the nearest bar. They walked along in a little group, the boys laughed as Jo linked arms with Audrey and dragged her along ahead to have a chat.

"So where does Kash think you are tonight? Late night study group? Emergency surgery?" she teased.

"Neither" Audrey replied with a smile. "I told him we were all going out because a couple of us were leaving."

"Aaaannndddd..."

"He was fine about it, wasn't bothered at all. I even said I might share a ride home and he was fine. Was very odd" she laughed.

"Wasn't expecting that" Jo replied.

"Neither was I" she replied. "But I'm certainly not going to complain."

"And you and Neil are acting differently I've noticed. A little less tension there maybe? " Jo continued, fuelled by the wine she'd had with dinner. "What's happened" she asked wiggling her eyebrows.

"Get your mind out of the gutter woman!" Audrey exclaimed. "We had a good talk, figured that it'd never work out and he's actually meeting up with Jessica in a couple of weeks."

"Ok, didn't see that coming" Jo replied sounding a little disappointed. "I figured you'd run off together and have beautiful, clever little babies!"

"We'll make good friends. We're total opposites, it'd never work as anything else" Audrey replied as they approached the entrance to the bar.

"Who exactly are you trying to persuade here Aud?" Jo teased as she turned and walked into the noise of the bar before she could answer.

X

They settled into their roles as second year residents quite easily over the next few weeks. The extra responsibilities that came with the role were embraced and they particularly enjoyed giving all the menial tasks to the new first years.

Jo and Kevin were still as thick as thieves and were beginning to become the topic of some hospital gossip. They took no notice and brushed it off, neither of them were bothered by it and they were happy that nobody actually knew the truth behind the relationship.

Audrey's newfound honesty with Kashal led to her being a little less surly. She seemed to be enjoying her new found freedom and was found by Jo studying some motorcycle brochures into get bag at the end of a shift which was a hot topic for the next few shifts.

Neil had been seeing Jessica quite regularly over the last few weeks. Audrey asked after her now and again to be polite, but was regularly berated afterwards by the others. They protested that they didn't want to know about the little rich girl who was using Neil for his obvious attributes and she rolled her eyes.

X

She remembers quite clearly she saw Neil and Jessica as a couple for the first time. Afterwards, she would reflect that she was glad she wasn't alone.

They were walking along in the sunshine in Hellyer Park. There were cyclists and joggers everywhere but one particular blonde head caught her eye. She must have left out an audible groan because she caught her walking buddy's attention.

"What's up?" Jo asked innocently.

"Can we walk a different way?"

"Why? This goes up along the creek and we get into some shade soon" Jo countered. "I need some shade."

Sat up on a wall up ahead, she had noticed Jessica. She just seemed to be sitting, enjoying the sunshine but Audrey figured differently. From what she had deduced from her awkward chats with Neil, this wasn't the type of place that Jessica would normally hang out.

"Jessica" Audrey said flatly nodding ahead. "Neil will be around here somewhere" she added trying not to sound as if it were a problem.

"Not necessarily" Jo replied.

Before either of them could say anything else, they saw him. He was running along the trail they were about to take and if they carried on, they would walk right into him. Instead, they stopped a while casually looking at a noticeboard, hoping that the couple would move on.

They watched as Neil approached and Jessicas face broke into a wide smile. He slowed as he got closer and when he was near enough, he nudged her knees apart to stand between them trapping her up on the wall.

She seemed to push him away in the first instance, but he refused to move and stood fast, laughing. He took a bottle of water she offered, took a few gulps and poured the last of it over his head. He looked up at her smiling and put his hands on her thighs while he moved closer and kissed her.

Jessica took his face in her hands and kissed him back. Audrey turned to Jo who read her face like an open book.

"Let's go Aud" she said, taking her friends hand and heading back to their parked car. "Let's ditch the sneakers and go for brunch. We both need a couple of mimosas after that" she smiled sadly.