Disclaimer: Never had it, never will.

Author's note: Thank you for the encouraging reviews. Please excuse any mistake with the medical stuff.

Ray's day had been getting worse by the hour; His day off hadn't helped him to unwind any. He had spent the rest of it (he'd woken well past midday with a pounding hangover) shopping for a new phone, after tidying up what was left of the previous one.

It had being getting gradually worse after having to not only work with Gates on several occasions already but then he had caught the tail end of Gates conversation with one of the EMT's about his date with Neela.

He hoped He had managed to look indifferent as his heart plunged into his stomach, He couldn't believe that Neela would be dating Gates so soon after Michael's death. It made him furious at both Neela for even considering seeing anybody right now, and Gates for preying on her when she was so venerable. He managed to grab a quick coffee break to calm him down, the cold fury settling in his gut needing to be quashed before he released it onto the annoying intern the next time her name dared to cross his lips.

"Barnett, we got a MVA, 29 year old female, no other casualties, Chest and head injuries, ETA 3 minutes" Abby yelled at him from where she had flung open the door, before disappearing again to meet the said trauma. He dropped his half finished coffee in the sink and followed quickly behind her.

There was that usual brief moment of silence when they arrived in the ambulance bay, Anticipating the incoming trauma but waiting impatiently for it. It was reminiscent of the calm before the storm, you knew it was coming but it wasn't there yet.

"How you doing Ray?" She asked concerning lacing her voice. He didn't answer straight away, briefly considered letting out all the hurt that he held inside in a flood of confusion and pain, but that wasn't fair on Abby. She was a good friend to both Neela and himself and it wasn't right to put her in-between the awkward chasm that had opened between the former roomies.

"Yeah, just a little tired" He sighed heavily.

"You look like crap" She smiled casually.

"Thanks" he grinned; Abby had a great gift for endearing herself with people. "You getting much sleep?" He enquired feeling more at ease with the familiar banter.

"Not enough, Joseph's pretty good but I find myself checking him all the time to make sure he's okay" She laughed tightly, Despite Abby's strong capable nature Ray knew that she was concerned that she wasn't going to be a good mother.

"He's a lucky boy, having such good parents" He meant it, in his time at county a lot of the staff at county had become his surrogate family.

The Ambulance pulled in and suddenly the storm was on them, Stats flying towards them as they wheeled their patient into the ER constantly working to keep them alive.

Abby had to move to another patient leaving Ray with Gates to assist him, It didn't matter now how he felt about him, they had somebody to save and they had to work to save the woman in their care.

"She's Bradying down, unresponsive" Ray called out concerned that her heart rate was dropping rapidly.

"Push atropine" He called out wondering how bad the impact to her chest had been. There was severe bruising to the chest already where she must have made contact against the steering wheel.

Gates had moved to make a call to surgical, but Ray wasn't ready for that yet.

"Sam, She'll never make it to surgery if we don't get her heart rate up, She's got a Cardiac tamponade, I need to do a Pericardiocentisis " Ray said it with certainty, taking the syringe that Sam had already gotten for him. Wasting no time in stabbing it through her breast plate and draining the fluid from her pericardial cavity.

"Don't worry about the consult Gates we'll send her straight to the OR tell them we'll be on our way as soon as she's stable."

Ray called over his shoulder, finding him conspicuously absent.

He looked at Sam who looked equally surprised that he had disappeared whilst they were working on the trauma.

"Damn it" He muttered under his breath.

His patient out of the worst of it, he worked on cleaning up the mainly superficial head wounds.

"Clean and suture these, I'll be back in a sec" He headed to the door looking to find Gates. He didn't get far. He strolled back in with Neela, She banged into him clumsily her attention too focused on Gates.

She met this gaze briefly before her eyes shot back down to the chart in her hands.

"We don't need you Neela, she's stable now, we are now sending her up to the OR for you guys to finish up." He dismissed flatly, he had to get out of here, he moved past her quickly heading for the door.

"I put in a drain to take the pressure off her heart, She's stable enough to move," He added trying to keep his voice even. His brief glance taking in their closeness as they watch him leave.

He retreated back to the doctor's lounge trying to put some distance between him and them. He felt sick at the thought of Gates being so close to her.

The door slammed open heavily and Ray's startled glance met a very angry looking Gates as he slammed it closed behind him.

"What the hell was that Barnett?" His voice raised and Ray was well aware that it would be heard outside.

"We had to stabilize the patient, we didn't have time for a surgical consult" Ray wasn't sure what Gates problem was.

"You're pathetic Barnett, you pine over Neela. You need to work out she's not interested and move on, instead of trying to make me look stupid in front of her" He spat angrily. So that was what this was about.

"Firstly Gates" He stated his name like an insult. " I was doing what was necessary to save that woman's life, and secondly I really don't have to try and make you look dumb" He smiled sweetly and strolled out passed gates. He knew this wasn't over but he really didn't need it right now.

He only had forty minutes of his shift left and he could keep away Gates till then.

So what do you think?