Summary: Perry and Carla go on a date.
Note: Their first and only date is mentioned in season 4's My Quarantine.

Carla

Carla Espinosa was the newest nurse at Sacred Heart. She'd been there a few months and attracted quite a bit of attention from the male doctors there. Mostly, they were guys she knew who wanted nothing more than a quick night of passion and no commitment. But one was different. Perry Cox. She'd found him a little intimidating at first, although she tried her hardest to make sure he didn't realise that. But on the few times she'd been with him in a room when things went bad, there was something in him she saw that completely contradicted that tough show that he would put on. Laverne told her that Cox was a good doctor and he was, if nothing else, honest with people.

And that was why, when he asked her to go to the theatre with him, she'd said yes. She liked the fact that he wasn't showy with their date, he didn't brag about it around the hospital to the other doctors, he just acted normally. They went to the theatre and he took her to a dive of a pizza place afterwards. She wasn't sure why he took her there. It was unimpressive. And as they sat there, making awkward conversation that they both realised that this wasn't meant to be.

He did the gentlemanly thing and took her to her apartment and she invited him in for coffee, making it clear that it was just coffee and they wouldn't end up having sex. He still went though.

It was when Carla bought in the two cups of coffee, that they started to really talk. As he sat on one of the chairs that encircled the tiny coffee table, she stood, leaning against the back of the couch.

"I had a nice time tonight." Carla said.

"No you didn't." Perry responded.

"I did." Carla said again. "The pizza place was a strange choice."

"You blew me out with the theatre tickets, I had to cut costs somewhere."

"I could have paid my way." Carla said.

"I don't ask a lady out and then let her pay her way."

"You know what our problem is?" Perry simply shook his head. "I think that I need a good friend rather than a relationship I'm not ready for." She saw him avert his gaze. And as hard as she knew this was, it was still better now than later. She didn't want him to think that maybe in time there'd be a chance of something happening between them. She felt a connection with him, just not one that came from being in love with him.

"I think it's time I went, I've got work tomorrow." Perry said, about to get up from the chair. Carla stopped him.

"Listen, I know you wanted more from this, but I like you enough as a friend to tell you the truth now, rather than to hurt you later." She gently kissed him on the forehead.

Perry stood up and made his way to the door. Carla followed, waiting for him to respond. She opened the door for him and he stepped out, turning to her. "You know what, Carla. Save the speeches about hurting people for your actual friends, 'cause I'm not one of them." She didn't even watch him walk away, as she slammed the door shut.