Standard disclaimer: All characters and material related to the ER belong to well, I'm guessing here, NBC, various production companies, the writers and all others associated with it. I'm sure they don't belong to me and I won't be making any $.

"Morning, Mayday! How are you feeling?"

Neela awoke to find Tony Gates towering over her bed.

"Tony. Good morning. I'm doing well, or so Lucien told me on rounds this morning."

"Want me to take a look at your chart and give you a second opinion?"

"That won't be necessary. Look, I guess" Neela felt awkward around him. He was looking quite good and being quite charming. He'd said that last in a rather playful manner, though there was the ever present arrogance underneath. "I mean, I want to thank you Tony. I hear you treated me on the scene and got me to the emergency room. You probably saved my life."

"I did save your life. I'm just glad you're OK, so you're welcome, Mayday."

"I asked you not to call me that."

"Look, Dr. Rasgotra, I'm trying here. I don't really know how to do this. I know you said we're done."

"Because we are."

"But we're going to be working together. So, I came by to say I'm glad you're back and to talk about what we do next. Are we just co-workers or are we still friends?"

"We're friends."

"Can I ask a question, as a friend? Are we done because of Barnett? And is that still your plan?"

"That was more than one question. We're done because we're done. Ray's my friend, too, and if you and I are going to be friends, you're going to have to deal with that. Clear?"

"Oh, I'm clear." Neela could hear the smirk in his voice, although his face hadn't changed expression.

"What does that mean?"

"Neela, now that we're just friends, I'm going to give you some advice. Make up your mind about what you want. Quit jerking people around." Tony could feel himself getting angry.

"I resent that, Tony."

He thought about some of the things he had lost, and how despite that, Neela had just decided they were done. He'd been around the block enough times to know that when a girl says it's over, it's over. And that another girl was out there somewhere. Now that Neela had given him his walking papers, Tony intended to just keep walking. But he couldn't help trying to get in a last word before he went. "Well, pardon me, but it's true." He was still angry, but he calmed down a bit when he considered that while Neela was a smart girl, and she had sometimes too keen an insight when it came to him, she was not good at examining her own motives. "Look, I don't think you meant to jerk me—or anybody else—around, but it is the effect of your inability to decide. No big problem for me, but frankly, Barnett strikes me as a less resilient kind of guy. But that's not my problem, either."

"Tony…" Neela started to make an argument in her own defense. She paused when she had to admit some of what Tony said was true. She considered whether she was any good for Ray. Katey had said what happened to Ray was her fault and Neela felt responsible.

In his usual exasperating manner, Tony sensed her moment of weakness and leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. To Neela's horror, it was at that exact moment that she found herself looking straight into the shocked face of Ray Barnett, who had just wheeled himself through the doorway to her room.