Sorry this took so long – this one is still going. No excuses for the delay except for life getting in the way! Thanks for hanging on in there!
X
They spent as much time together as they possibly could in the week that followed. Every break in their shift, just sitting together completing notes and doing handovers. Her replacement, Dr Matthew Coyle wasn't due to start for a week after she left as he was working his notice in his current position so any upcoming cases were being documented in detail to make things as smooth as possible.
Outside of work, they had the bittersweet task of helping Jo pack up the apartment that she and Matt had shared happily for the last six months. Many of their items were going into storage for now while they found their feet in their new city but she was keeping sentimental items close by, mementos and souvenirs of all their adventures together. They found, much to their amusement, that Jo was a terrible hoarder and had a shoeboxes full of programs and tickets stubs going back years and every now and then they'd stop and reminisce about things they'd got up to over the years that they had known each other.
"You know it's just a five hour flight" she said quietly to Audrey while they were packing her kitchen items in the other room away from the boys. "You will be more than welcome whenever you want once we've got ourselves a place sorted."
"I'll be taking you up on that" she smiled back. "Maybe you can take me to Disneyland" she teased.
"Be careful what you wish for" Jo laughed. "I went when we visited last Christmas and it's actually kinda cool."
"I think I'll take a hard pass" Audrey chuckled. "On the theme parks, not on the visiting. I'm going to miss you so much" she sighed as she folded down the top of the box she had been filling and taping the top.
"And I will miss you too" she replied, turning to look at her. "The boys will still be here for you though. I'm pretty sure Neil will be serving a life sentence at St Bonaventure" she teased, knowing that he would take the best care of their friend.
"I know, but it's not the same" Audrey smiled. "I'm not good at making girlfriends, it's such hard work and girls are so fickle. You took me for who I am, all my quirks and my weird ways with no questions asked and you liked me anyway" she said.
"I don't like you Aud" Jo said with a smirk. "I love you" she grinned earning herself a thump on the arm. "And those boys love you too. In very different ways, but it's love all the same."
"I love you too" Audrey smiled. "And I love them" she said not committing to anything further but smiling to herself.
"Maybe when you guys come visit, we'll put you in to share the guest room" Jo laughed, nudging her side. "That would be cosy!"
"Stop it!" Audrey laughed, blushing a little as Kevin and Neil showed up at that exact moment looking for more coffee to fuel their work.
"What's cosy" Kevin asked, oblivious to Audreys discomfort.
"Nothing" Jo smiled. "Just talking about Audrey coming to visit."
"We'll come too" Kevin announced, putting his arm dramatically around Neils shoulder. "Will be great fun!"
"Of course we will" Neil agreed, smiling softly but finding his heart beating a little faster at the thought of taking a trip with Audrey.
"So what time do you want me to pick you up on Friday?" Neil asked a little later as they tucked into the takeout pizza Jo had ordered them for dinner. He was met with a chorus of laughter and he looked at them, shaking his head. "What?!" he asked incredulously.
"Your in no position to be offering rides Melendez, you had to get the bus this morning" Kevin laughed. "We all saw you doing the walk of shame from the bus stop!"
"It'll be fine" Neil insisted with a laugh. "It's just a blip, it needs a new battery or something" he shrugged, taking a bite from his slice.
"I'm surprised that old thing hasn't actually fallen apart yet" Audrey teased. "I think Jo wants a ride to the airport, she doesn't want company to walk!"
Ignoring them both, he turned to Jo. "I'll sort something" he smiled. "Would you like a ride?"
"Yes I would" she smiled back. "Thank you."
X
"So are we painting the town red on Thursday night?" Kevin asked as they stacked up the last of the boxes into the back of the removal van. They would be driven across country and put into storage in Florida while Jo and Matt settled into their new lives. "We should definitely have a last hurrah!"
"My flight is quite early Friday morning" Jo reminded him sounding apprehensive. "Could we go to dinner? Or to the movies? Something more low-key?" she suggested knowing that Neil and Audrey had postponed their "non-date" to the new Avengers movie to help her pack up her apartment.
"We could go to the diner by the hospital if you want cheap and cheerful" Audrey suggested. "We've spent hours in there together for all occasions. It seems appropriate?"
"I like that idea" Jo smiled. "Lots of very good memories of that place and the best burgers in town!"
"You don't want to do anything more fancy?" Kevin asked, not up to speed on Jo's current train of thought.
"We've never been fancy Kev" Jo laughed. "We're not going to start now! We could go and watch that comic book film that you two want to see afterwards too?" she suggested to Audrey's surprise.
"But you guys hate all that stuff?" Audrey asked. "You should do something you like to do?" she said with an emphasis towards Jo.
"I like to see my friends happy" Jo said with a soft smile. "Now tell me, do I need to book tickets?"
Around an hour later, the evening came to a natural end and as Kevin gave Jo a hand carrying pizza boxes and glasses to the kitchen, he took the opportunity to corner her.
"Why on earth did you suggest we go watch that superhero rubbish for? I can't stand those movies! I would rather watch paint dry for two hours" he said, looking pointedly at her, not at all amused.
"I'm not sure how to explain this without sounding like a weirdo" she started, frowning to herself.
"Please try" Kevin said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'd love to know why you want to put me through that? I thought we were friends!"
"I wanted to spend this week doing all my favourite things with you guys" she started slowly, trying to make sure she got the words right. "And one of those things is to watch those two be around each other despite the fact they are both still in a state of denial. I can't help but love how much they love each other" she said with a sigh.
"You're such an old romantic" Kevin sighed.
"Less of the old" she chuckled giving him a gentle shove. "But thanks for humouring me" she smiled.
"Any time" he replied engulfing her in a hug. "I'm going to miss you, you know" he said quietly holding her tight.
"I'm going to miss you too" she said squeezing him back.
Neither of them said anything more, not wanting the tears to start flowing just yet, there would be plenty of time for that on Thursday. They parted with a smile just in time to hear Audrey call that their ride was outside.
"See you tomorrow for one last shift" Neil said as he hugged her and headed out the door after the others.
"Night" she said quietly to herself as she closed the door behind them for the last time.
X
Thursday was busy and their last shift was the usual organised chaos. Jo and Audrey had been in early and were first to arrive in the Emergency Room when the first patients of a road traffic incident arrived for treatment. It wasn't a major event but was certainly enough to keep them busy for the ready of the day. Neil had spent almost his entire day on a single procedure treating a gentleman who had been admitted the day before with heart failure. His options had been limited as his heart was so weak but they had done everything they could. Now it was just a waiting game to see what would come first - the transplant or the inevitable.
They were all very ready to leave later that afternoon and meeting at the diner just a couple of hours after they saw each other last was not unusual. Sitting in a booth by the window they took their usual formation. Jo slid into her seat first followed by Kevin and opposite sat Neil with Audrey sat next to him.
Ordering their favourites, they sat back and waited for the food and drinks to arrive. The diner was always packed out with hospital staff and despite the sheer amount of people, service was impeccable. The proprietors knew that efficient service for such busy people would guarantee regular custom and they had perfected the service over the years.
"I'm so disappointed I can't come tomorrow Jo. With Dr Thomas out sick this week, I've got to cover him. Andrews is being a total pain in the ass at the moment. He's brought in a couple of big donors with his plastic surgery suite proposal and I need to get myself noticed for something or I'll be on my way out" Kevin said ending with a huff.
"Probably best to not have you sobbing at check-in anyway" Jo teased with a smile and a gently nudge. They didn't discuss her leaving again for the rest of the evening and stuck to anecdotes and tales from their last six years together. There were plenty of them to get through from their first meeting in the Conference Room all those years ago, to their first Mass Casualty Event and they even delved into to their back catalogue of seemingly doomed romances over the years.
After picking up the check, they headed out to catch the movie and were happy to find the screen was quiet and even though Jo had booked seats, they could have pretty much had their pick of where to sit. The movie had been in theatres since the beginning of May but instead of their usual first week visit, Neil and Audrey had postponed for a fortnight while they spent time with Jo.
Both Neil and Audrey spent the entire feature glued to the silver screen and Jo watched them almost the whole time. She ignored the explosions and ultimate victory of the band of heroes in favour of watching the most recent instalment of her own six year saga. Absent mindedly picking from the same tub of popcorn and shyly smiling at each other each time their hands accidentally brushed. She noticed Audrey sat leaning towards him with one leg crossed over the other resulting in her calf gently resting against Neil's knee. It seemed like second nature, so natural and she couldn't figure out for the life of her why those two weren't together.
Walking back to the car after the credits rolled, she and Kevin strolled arm in arm watching their friends debate the more contentious points as they walked in front. They walked shoulder to shoulder with their hands brushing intermittently without even flinching and Jo gave Kevin's arm a squeeze.
"That's what I wanted to see" she said quietly. "If they aren't together by this time next year I'll eat my hat."
"I'm not so sure" Kevin replied with a sigh. "I think they've put each other firmly in the friend zone. Audrey is dating..."
"Casually" Jo added quickly.
"Yes, casually, but it's still not Neil" he agreed. "How long will he really wait? The guy wants the full package. House, wedding and kids. Do you think Audrey can give him that?"
"Maybe not" she sighed. "But maybe" she grinned. "Never say never!"
"Who will I gossip with after you're gone?" Kevin asked after a few moments of quiet contemplation.
"Errrr, Skype?" she suggested. "We don't live in the Dark Ages!"
"It won't be the same but it'll have to do" he smiled.
X
Next morning, Neil pulled up outside the apartment grinning to himself. The cab had dropped off both Audrey and Jo at the apartment last night before delivering the boys safely home. Audrey had stayed with her on her last night in San Jose and he was looking forward to picking them up and chauffeuring them to the airport.
Hitting the buzzer, he waited patiently to be let him in and was surprised to hear them announce they were coming down to meet him. Feeling excited, he walked quickly back to the car wanting to see their reactions as they walked out the door.
He was beginning to think that they had changed their minds when he saw movement in the foyer.
"This..." he said proudly, opening his arms wide. "This is a Tesla Model S! What do you think?"
"This is your car?" Jo asked with a hint if disbelief.
"Not yet" Neil admitted. "But you'll be surprised what you can test drive when people find out your a surgeon" he shrugged.
"You lied to borrow a car?!" Audrey scolded.
"It's not totally a lie" he said with a shrug. "I'll get one some day, just got to save a bit more cash first" he laughed.
Loading her bag into the trunk, he opened the passenger for her and she dropped a mock courtesy before lowering herself into the seat. Audrey gave a laugh and batted his hand away as she opened her own door and got into the back seat.
After circling the short stay car park twice, he eased into a space and they walked over to the terminal slowly. They were in no really rush to say goodbye and they stood watching quietly as she approached the check in desk to drop off her bag.
"She's not going far" he said, giving her a nudge.
"I know" she replied flatly.
He didn't really know what else to say so he just took her hand and held it tight. She didn't flinch, didn't look at him or say a single word. She just stood there.
"I'm going to miss her so much" she said eventually.
"I know" he replied.
"Do me a favour? Don't go leaving any time soon?" she said quietly.
"Won't be getting rid of me easily" he said squeezing her hand again.
After a few more moments of silence, he was disappointed to feel her shake her hand free and looked at her, a little confused. He followed her gaze to see Jo heading back in their direction and understood. Still disappointed, but he understood.
"Want a quick coffee before you head in?" Audrey asked hopefully.
"I can't" Jo replied with a sniff. "That line took longer than it should have. I've got to go" she said stepping right into Audrey's personal space and engulfing her in a hug.
The hug lasted a good while until a passer by clipped Jo's carry on with their own bag, breaking the spell. They stood back from each other, eyes red with tears threatening to spill.
She smiled sadly as she turned to Neil and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"Look after her" she whispered in his ear.
"Course" he mumbled back. No more words were forthcoming as he her tried to stay stoically strong.
"Bye" she said in a whisper as she turned and walked off into the crowd.
"Bye" they chorused after her watching her leave.
Standing in silence again, he dared to look over and the look on her face almost broke his heart. There was no sobbing, there were no tears running down her cheeks but she looked devastated. Without saying another word, he stepped around in front of her and enveloped her in his arms. She tensed initially before allowing herself to relax and bring her arms around his waist, burying her face in his shoulder. As Jo looked back from the security line she saw a sight that filled her with hope and gave a sad smile at the thought of her departure being the catalyst for something good. This year would be theirs, she could feel it in her bones.