They were all worked hard over the next few months and each one of them was impressing Dr Glassman with their skills and dedication. He had continued to note how close they were as friends and how they provided endless, unwavering support for each other through the good times, and the not so good. He had actually taken to thinking how he could get them all to stay on at the end of their residencies, that kind of camaraderie would only be a benefit to the hospital.
Before they could think twice, the festive period was approaching fast. On a rare occasion where they all had time for lunch at all, they found themselves sitting at a table in the cafeteria with Christmas songs playing quietly in the background. As it turned out, no matter how quiet they were, they were too loud for one particular member of their group.
"It's December 5th for goodness sake" Kevin pointed out to them, despite the fact they were all well aware. "Can't they wait a little bit longer before they start playing this crap?" he asked rhetorically.
"What's bugging you?" Audrey asked him as the others looked on curiously.
"Nothing" he snapped. "It's all just too happy and joyful. It's pissing me off."
Neil raised his eyebrows and tried to turn the topic to something else.
"Have you thought about going for the Fellowship here?" he asked Kevin. "Rumour has it that Dr. Richards is shopping around elsewhere. By the time everything goes through, you could be first in line. "
This piqued his interest briefly until he saw the hospital maintenance staff dragging along a Christmas tree of giant proportions which was intended for the entrance lobby.
"Oh for goodness sake" he huffed as he stood abruptly and stalked away muttering to himself.
"What on earth is that all about?" Audrey asked. That was certainly not normal behaviour for Kevin.
"His parents" Jo said quietly. "They told him a couple of months ago that if he continued with his current 'lifestyle choice' then he was no longer welcome there. I don't think he can go home for Christmas" she said sadly.
"That's crap" Neil exclaimed, causing a few heads to turn in their direction.
"Shush now, it's still not public knowledge" Jo said. "He'd be even more pissed if you kicked him out of the closet before he was ready" she scolded.
"But he's the only one if us who actually has leave, the rest of us have to stay here anyway. We need to figure something out we can't leave him by himself" Audrey said animatedly.
"Last he said, he was cancelling his leave. He wants to be working, says it will take his mind off things" Jo said sounding sad for their friend.
After throwing a few ideas back and forth they came up with a plan. They would have dinner at Neil's place. Their shifts were varied and in some cases overlapped, but there was a small window of a couple hours where they could do something.
"My place is only small" Neil said. "But we can get four around the table. I'll borrow a couple of chairs from the lady downstairs."
The last comment was met with raised eyebrows and caused Neil to scoff. "She's almost a hundred years old, I swear. I just help her with some stuff now and again like changing lights and carrying her bags. You two are like children" he said defensively as they continued to giggle.
"So you need to be at the hospital by 4pm yes? Do you trust us to lock up if we stay to clear up?" Jo asked.
"Of course, let's do it" he said.
"And your good Aud?"
"Yes, Kash will be with his parents in Denver for a few days so I'm good to go. Whatever you need."
With the wheels of their plan set in motion, they happily headed off back into the depths of the hospital so finish off their shifts.
X
When Jo casually informed Kevin of what they intended to do, his eyes brimmed with tears and he engulfed her into a bear hug. His mood shifted instantly and he was looking forward again which they were all very glad to see. The spring was back in his step and everyone around could see it.
The preparation for their little Christmas dinner was meticulous, it needed to be. Jo was working Christmas Eve and into the early hours of Christmas morning. She would head home for a few hours after her shift to sleep then head over to Neil's to help however she was needed.
Audrey was only due to finish at 11am Christmas morning so would likely go straight to Neil's and catch up on any sleep later that day after they had cleared up.
Neil was working Christmas Eve but then not due at the hospital until 4pm the following day which allowed plenty of time to get things set in motion.
And finally, after cancelling his leave, Kevin had secured himself the graveyard shift and was due into St Bonaventure by 8pm that evening.
Happy with their plans and arrangements of who was bringing what and when, they were confident that it would all go without a hitch.
X
The weeks coming up to Christmas were always extremely busy and this year was no different. The Emergency Room was always particularly crazy with people abandoning sensible behaviours during parties and events and often ending up worse for wear.
There were a large number of people brought in under the influence of alcohol with various outcomes. Some had their stomachs pumped, others needed stitches after brawling and one poor individual who required surgery after his attempts to impress a lady dancing on the table ended in a tib-fib fracture which need plates and pins.
They all took great pleasure in watching Neil fight of the advances of inebriated young ladies as he attempted to treat them until eventually he begged the triage nurses to share the load a bit.
A week before the big day, they treated a guy who had fallen from his roof in an attempt to have the most extravagant Christmas decorations on the street. A neighbor had called an ambulance when he had found him lying on his front lawn. He had slipped from a ladder while trying to carry another reel of lights to his roof. He argued that he was doing it for his children who turned out to be a couple of surly teenagers who actually preferred their father in once piece, instead of their house looking like a grotto.
Christmas Eve brought in a number of walking wounded for treatments after a last minute sale at the local mall had turned ugly. The crowds had been pushing forwards and once the doors opened, the surge knocked a poor employee off their feet but not a single person stopped to help them up. The employee needed sutures which Kevin did seamlessly, assuring the young lady that if it did scar, then it would be barely visible.
When their shifts finished on Christmas Eve, they were both more than ready to head home.
"See you tomorrow!" Neil called as he jogged to his car.
"Yes indeed!" Called Kevin. "Can't wait!"
X
Christmas morning, Neil surfaced at a decent hour and immediately switched on his little oven. Most of what they needed was at Neil's in various states of readiness, but the turkey was priority.
Once that was safely roasting away, he spent some time on a call with his parents. They weren't actually too far away logistically, but just far enough that going there for dinner would have been a stretch with having to work later in the day.
He'd gone from the call back to preparing dinner and was enthralled in what he was doing until he heard a knock at the door.
"Come in" he yelled. "Hope you remembered your wine, you drunkard!"
"Um, Jo was bringing the wine" Audrey replied as she walked into the kitchen area. "Isn't she here yet?"
Neil looked up and quickly tried to disguise the look of shock that had crossed his face. She had seen it flitter past and noted that she was not quite who Neil was expecting.
"Isn't she here yet?" Audrey asked, not really needing an answer. "Do you want me to come back later?"
"What, no! Why?" He asked, maybe sounding a little more aggressive than he meant to. They had never talked about what Neil had said the night after the Gala. Neither of them knew how to bring it up and the moment had passed the minute Neil stepped into that elevator without her.
"Just, well, you know" she started, sounding nervous. "Maybe it's not a great idea that we're here alone?"
"I'm sure we can control ourselves" he said with a soft smile. "Now come here and help me with these veggies, they aren't going to chop themselves."
"Let me check on Jo first, I'll be right back" she replied, smiling right back. She walked back into the small hallway and let out a big sigh as she leaned back against the wall. She took out her cell and called her friend who answered on the second ring sounding a little groggy.
"Where are you?" Audrey asked. "It's almost midday."
"No way! I'm so sorry, I overslept" she replied with a hint of panic in her voice. "See you as soon as."
"Sure, hurry up and don't forget the wine" Audrey said before hanging up.
"Do you think she suspected?" Kevin asked Jo, once they were sure the call was finished.
"No, of course not" Jo replied. "That was my best 'just woken up' voice. Hopefully those two will take the chance to talk a bit."
"Or something else?" Kevin teased.
"I don't think that'll happen" Jo smiled. "But maybe there'll be a bit less tension. The stupid thing is, they don't even see it, they think they are carrying on as normal" she laughed.
"We can only hope" he replied.
X
Audrey headed back inside to find Neil still stood at the kitchen counter.
"All ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, over slept apparently" she replied.
"Apparently?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I heard Kev in the background chuckling at something."
They stood a moment, not sure of what to do next but Neil fixed that.
"Come on then, peel those potatoes" he smiled. "They won't cook themselves."
She shucked off her jacket and held it up with a questioning look.
"Just through there" he said pointing at a closed door.
She covered the small distance in a few steps, opened the door and found herself in the doorway of Neil's bedroom. She took a breath and stepped inside, briefly talking a moment to appreciate what she was seeing. She quickly threw her jacket onto the bottom of the big, perfectly made bed and headed back to the kitchen.
"Here" he said passing her a peeler. "Get to it" he smiled widely and she happily obliged.
They moved around the small kitchen taking particular care not to touch each other, nervous that there would be another spark that they couldn't run from today. They worked in harmony, casually chatting away for the next thirty minutes or so and were pretty much done, still with no sign of Jo and Kevin.
Audrey moved into the living area to check the table and put out the cutlery while Neil kept an eye on dinner. When she was done, she came back to look for the wine glasses. After opening a few doors, she was still at a blank.
"Up there" he nodded. "No, not there" he continued as she opened the wrong door again. "Hang on" he said and he moved closer to put his hand on her hip to hold her still as he went to reach past her up into the cupboard behind.
He heard a sharp intake of breath from her and stepped back a little when he realised just how close they were.
Just a little though.
As he looked at her, about to apologise, a looked flashed across her face so briefly, that if he wasn't staring so intently, he would have missed it.
She moved one hand in between them and placed it gently on his chest, but she didn't push him away. She closed her eyes briefly and thought of her fingers tracing the inked antlers underneath.
When she opened them again, he was still just as close, his eyes black and looking at her with an intensity she hadn't felt for years. He took a deep breath and her eyes shifted to watch her hand rise and fall with the movement of his chest.
"Neil" she whispered making him blink for what seemed like the first time in an eternity. "We shouldn't."
He didn't reply. He reached up and got a glass from behind her, the movement edging him slightly closer. When he moved to repeat the action again, he felt pressure from the hand she had so firmly planted on his chest. He stopped.
They were mere inches apart, noses almost touching and all sensible thought disappeared from Audreys head. She shifted again and put their lips to just millimetres apart.
"Hi, we're here! Merry Christmas!" they heard as the front door burst open and Jo and Kevin bustled in. They startled apart looking sheepishly at each other while their friends went about unpacking the wine and desserts they had brought seemingly oblivious to the moment they had just disturbed.
They didn't step to far away from each other, feeling it would look suspicious, but neither of them could help from smiling, probably like idiots. That brief moment had almost made for a very Happy Christmas for both of them.