Once again, I'd like to thank supernae for sending in a review! Thanks guys! Now, onward to one of my most favorite chapters yet!!

Chapter 10: Hello Nurse

It was yet another day at the Clinic, but the usual farmer hadn't shown up yet. This ended up leaving the good Doctor and his nurse alone together for a substantial length.

"It's been yet another smooth day at the office hasn't it, Doctor?" Elli said.

"It looks like it is," the Doctor replied, "None of my viral samples escaped, Lilia's check-up went smoothly, and all my files are in order. I'd say you're right."

"Then how about we take this time for a mini-celebration? Maybe we could take a load off and do something relaxing together for once?" Elli suggested with a nudge.

"Come now, Elli. You know there's still so much work left to take care of, even after the office hours. Besides, that one single Wednesday of the week is more than enough to tie me over for break time, and if that still doesn't settle your nerves, I have all the festival days in the year to rest." Doctor Trent explained.

"That…that still isn't enough. What about the occasional emergency that pops on your days off? That could always cut into your break time!" Elli argued.

"Relax, Elli. You know I try and keep myself at a careful pace when I'm pre-occupied. It wouldn't be productive to exhaust myself on duty." Doctor Trent assured his assistant.

"I still don't think that's enough…" Elli sighed.

"In any case, you're most certainly right about today… for the most part."

"For the most part?" Elli repeated, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Doctor Trent began.

He gave the front door a suspicious glance, then eyed a nearby clock with similar intensity.

"I must admit: I find it strange that Claire hasn't arrived with her usual sample of grass in the early afternoon. I'd have not seen as big a concern if we had not established this agreement, but she's been far too diligent to make one day's absence barely noticeable." The Doctor confessed.

"Just one day, Doctor? Don't be silly. If it was a weeklong absence, then I'd be concerned, but one day is nothing to have a cow about," Elli argued, "She's most likely out spending the day with Mary and/or Gray. The three of them have become really great friends despite Gray's rough attitude. I'm sure she'll come by with extra tomorrow to make up for today's missed batch."

"You have a point…" Doctor Trent said with a nod.

"And if that is the case, I'd have to say that girl has the right idea! Even a hardworking farmer like her is willing to deviate from daily routine just to enjoy herself! That's a big life lesson you could use, Doctor!"

"But some life lessons out-prioritize others." Doctor Trent simply stated with a shrug.

"It shouldn't be the case for this one!" Elli insisted.

The two met with intense, opposing stares for a good long while, before they both diverted their eyes and groaned.

"Well, since we're on the topic of Claire, I'd like to know: What do you think of her now?" the curious nurse asked.

The Japanese-proclaimed Doctor of Death stared back at her quizzically.

"What?"

"You two have grown pretty close in the past few weeks, probably not as close as she is with her other best friends, but close enough I'd say. As your longtime nurse and partner, I'd really like to know how it is now." Elli explained with a grin.

"Are you planning something with this?" Doctor Trent asked with a suspicious glance.

"H-hey now! This is a perfectly innocent question between friends!" Elli defended herself.

Doctor Trent refused to drop his glare of suspicion for just a brief moment before casually discarding it.

"She's alright, I suppose. By some incredible instinct, she knows how to relieve the tension when the air is thick with it. I suspect there is some reason behind it, but that simply tells me she must have some life experience that keeps her going. However, that seems to make her prone to recklessness at the same time." He shared.

"…You really don't hold back, do you?" Elli sighed.

"Have I ever?"

"N-no… I suppose not. But I do notice that she's actually able to get you to lighten up on occasion."

"She has a couple of interesting stories in mind, and she's really good at showing herself. In that regards, I could say she has something in common with you in the later sense." Doctor Trent.

"Really?" Elli spoke up.

"Actually, while I remember you stating that I have much in common with Miss Kafka, she may in fact have much more in common with you."

"Oh! Well that's… that's a very interesting observation!" Elli replied with a shaky laugh. "I never really thought of us to be so similar."

"On the surface, yes. But when someone gets familiar with the both of you in his own time, the similarities are crystal clear: Open, Earnest, Affable, Hardworking… I'd say the two of you were cut from the same mold. Heck, if the two of you looked alike, you'd both be practically twins, body and soul." Doctor Trent commented.

"How about that?" Elli said with a weirded out expression. "But that does bring us to a good point: looks. What do you think of the new girl regarding her physical appearance?"

"I'd say… she's cute." He simply stated.

" "Cute"? Like in what way, please be more specific, Doctor." Elli insisted impatiently.

"Um… I guess cute in a "high school girl little sister" kind of cute. The kind someone would be naturally compelled to look out for." He replied.

The faithful nurse's face lit up with deep curiosity, aside from another inexplicable emotion.

"Really? That's how you think of her?" Elli pressed.

"Sure, that's how I generally think of her. Although I will admit that she has this uncanny mature side that seems to come out on a whim that somehow strikes me as a "natural beauty", but usually she's like a charming little sister that I enjoy looking after."

Elli was somehow taken aback by the Doctor's answer, but otherwise felt fine with it.

"I see… then, what about me?"

"You, Elli?" Doctor Trent tried to confirm.

Elli gave a single nod.

"I'm amazed, Elli. You seem particularly bold today." Doctor Trent stated, sounding quite impressed.

"Yeah… I…I just thought I might as well see how far I could go with this discussion and decided to take this turn. I-if you don't mind, of course, Doctor. I don't mean to intrude on your private thoughts." Elli stammered.

"I don't mind," Doctor Trent began, "But if you insist… I'd have to say that you are quite the adorable assistant."

"…Adorable?" Elli repeated with a blank look.

"Yes. "Adorable."" He confirmed, "Like the adorable, old-fashioned sort of housewife that has an uncanny way of warming the heart of a weary man after hard day."

Elli's face then became thoroughly red and confused.

"…Doctor?"

"You know what? I must say that it has been a great pleasure having a lovely farmer being my assistant for the day."

"I-It was a pleasure, Doctor!" a flushed Elli replied, "I was glad to--what?"

"Yes, I'm thoroughly impressed. Even though this was your first time handling the job, you performed quite professionally." Doctor Trent continued.

The young nursed started back at him with heavy doubt.

"W-what are you talking about?" she asked shakily.

"As I said, I am thanking you for your first-time assistance. Now, if you will please hand me those spare contacts, Miss Kafka?" he requested with a casual smile.

"Elli" shook in her big blue dress before she reluctantly removed her pair of brown pupils, revealing blue ones in their place.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"First of all, you and Elli have the same haircut. Secondly, I retained my suspicions about you being gone for the whole day. I'd also have to say that Elli seemed unusually pleased at flattery directed towards the farmer." Doctor Trent deduced.

The now-brunette Claire was laughing most nervously at the scene of the crime.

"Now, if I may insist, you take a look at the leftmost cupboard. There should be a blonde hair dye that should get your color back to normal." Doctor Trent instructed.

"No, no, that's okay, Doctor. This kind of dye is easily washable." Claire explained. "I'll wash it off when I get home."

"Then please take care, Miss Kafka. Sadly, it's that time again where I have to close up."

"Okay…." Claire droned with a deep sigh.

"By the way, shall you be leaving that dress for Elli as a return?" Doctor Trent asked.

"No… she said I was welcome to keep it. This spare anyway, but I actually kinda like it." Claire shared.

"Very well then. In any case, it was a pleasure having this discussion, Miss Kafka. Good Night."

"Later, Doctor Trent." Claire said back with a small side.

After the thoroughly-disguised farmer left the clinic, Doctor Trent resumed his after-hour duties. But not before tying up a few loose ends.

"Elli, you can come out now. I know you put Miss Kafka up to it."

The original nurse herself froze as she was crawling to make her stealthy escape. Knowing it was now useless, she got up and walked towards the perceptive doctor.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I just felt that it was necessary." Elli sighed.

"If you wanted to know all of this for yourself, you could've just asked me directly... instead of coming up with this convoluted plan." Doctor Trent groaned.

"But Claire deserved hear all of this herself... from your own mouth!" Elli declared. "She's been really good to you these past two weeks, yet you really share anything about yourself aside from anything work related!"

"Two weeks is hardly enough time or excuse for me to get into those details so willingly." Doctor Trent argued.

"That's not fair! Poor Claire's been sharing herself with you all this time! You said so yourself!"

"True…"

"And besides, you did just the same today if I heard correctly! Unless you were countering us by trying to pull the wool over our eyes!" Elli accused.

"No, I was actually being quite honest about the two of you." Doctor Trent stated.

This time, it was the genuine Elli's turn to blush, but it lasted very briefly.

"A-anyway… if you insist that Claire is so cute, it wouldn't hurt to build on that relationship. Maybe make something of it." Elli suggested.

"What about you?"

"O-or me… if you'd really rather have it that way…but I really do see something strong and deep in you when she's around." Elli shared.

"What are you talking about? You're just as valid at brightening up the day is Miss Kafka is." Doctor Trent insisted.

Elli's face turned ever redder.

"D-doctor?"

"If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're trying to set me up with Miss Kafka and now you're struggling to go through with it because I've been complimenting you so much."

"W-w-what? That's… that's nonsense, Doctor!" Elli refuted shakily.

"Fair enough." The Doctor shrugged, "How about we just forgot today ever happened and just call it a night?"

"...I'll agree to it."

"Then it's settled. Today was nothing but a work of fiction, if it ever occurred at all."

"I'll just check upstairs one more time and fix the beds of they need tidying." Elli said aloud before heading up the stairs.

"Thanks, Elli! I appreciate it!" Doctor Trent cried back.

After the exchange, the diligent doctor looked back at his paperwork with an uncanny smirk.

"I knew my previous aspiration to be a detective would pay off for me in the long run." He thought to himself.

His eyes then wandered towards a clear photograph of his trusted assistant, and afterwards, a window showing the setting sun that lit the sky in a familiar shade of gold.

"Those two really are a lot alike…"

So, how long have you guys been waiting for the drama? Because finally, emotions are about the get high! That's right, the drama is just about to arrive! But first... Gray has a mayonnaise fettish?! Find out what that's all about next chapter! ;)