Dr. Cox P.O.V

I wake up on the couch feeling sore and uncomfortable. I hold my head in my hands and take a half hearted look at my surroundings. Oh, my head! It feels like it's going to explode. I should probably stop drinking. I groan. It's all coming back to me.

Why did I tell Newbie how I felt? Dear God, even in my head that sounds gay. I laugh to myself and sit myself up. I guess that's exactly what this is. Gay. Did I actually kiss him? Jeez, I should not have done that. But the look on his face, you can't put a price on that. I bet he got all giddy with excitement once he got home though. I wonder if he told Carla.

I guess I can't blame him from running away; it's exactly what I expected him to do. I mean, why do you think I chose that time to hit the can? I'd been needing to go for ages, but I timed it to perfection. I let him go. Maybe it was me who didn't want to talk. Maybe I was hiding.

I wish I had had a little more time to prepare my ground. Jordan knows my deepest, darkest secrets, and with a woman as powerful and manipulative as her, I had to jump in first. She'd have left a greater path of destruction had she got to him first.

I should probably admit to you that I feel a little disappointed that he bailed on me like that, but I won't. He's been my little lapdog since day one and I know just how excited he got when I asked him over. I suppose he was hoping he would get the hug he had always dreamed about.

Work is going to be awkward, how am I going to be able to brush him without causing too much suspicion? Who am I kidding; I spend all my time brushing him off, which should be easy. Speaking of work, what time is it? Damn, I'm gonna be late! Oh well, Bobbo can shove it up his arse, I've done too much overtime this year. I'm sure the hospital can survive without me.

God, I'm rambling aren't I? Newbie's stupid habits are starting to grow on me and I hate it. I am the influencer, not the influence!

Anybody else would have given up trying by now, I promise you. But Newbie, he's so desperate for attention that he just keeps coming back for more. I rant, I rave, I treat him badly, but he just shakes it off and keeps trying to establish some sort of relationship with me. The funny thing is I want that with him. You know, an R thing. But not the kind he's after.

I tried so hard to make him hate me. Really, I did. Things would be so much easier if he hated me. I could have just ignored what I felt for him and got on with it, sort of like I did with Carla, and we could have just had the indifferent relation I have with almost every other doctor in that God damn hellhole. It's almost impossible to try to repress feelings for someone who's constantly all over you.

I tried to ignore Newbie and get on with my life. I tried so hard to work with the devil woman, especially for Jack's sake, but she knew, and she couldn't let it go. I suppose in a way I made it obvious she was no longer my number one, just so I watch how it tore her apart and got her angry. I loved it when she spent time away from the apartment. So now I am wifeless, kidless, Newbieless and soon to be jobless.

Now, I have to go to work completely hung-over in a dump where Newbie and I are going to spend all day trying to avoid each other, which obviously means we're going to spend the day in each other's hair.

Why do I do this to myself? Oh, yeah. All the sick people I am supposed to be helping. I mean, if I left all those idiot interns alone, there'd be no patients left to treat. It'll be over soon, and then I come home and start drinking again.

"What the hell…" I open the door to find Newbie asleep in my son's bed. I am glad he is still sleeping, I don't think I would ever be able to live down the look of surprise I am currently sporting. I'm not going to lie; he looks like a girl all curled up in that undersized bed.

Questions start running through my head. What's he doing here? I could have sworn he left, the broken lamp proves as evidence. Maybe he regretted it, I don't know.

Waking him up seems to be a pretty good idea right now. I'm sure how I feel about him actually being in my apartment. What if Jordan comes back? Or Carla drops by? Or his stupid scooter has been stolen and I have to bring him into work with me? No way. The kid sleeps like a rock. I almost have to shake him off the bed to get him to even try to open his eyes.

The disorientation on his face makes me chuckle. He has no idea where he is for the few moments, but his eyes start to focus and he looks at me expectantly. There's a lot I feel like I should say. To justify the previous evening in the hope he doesn't think I'm deranged or weird, or whatever. Like I actually care what he thinks. I growl and head back towards the door.

"Come on, Newbie. Beauty sleep's over. You gotta get up, we're gonna be late."

I hear him fumble in the background and footsteps indicate that he is finally up. "So, we're not going to talk about last night?" He seems confused.

"No," I bark, a little too loudly. "Just get ready for work, we'll talk later."

I expected him to resist, to argue his case. I was surprised to hear him murmur his consent.

"I'm getting in the shower," I call out in his direction. "I have some clothes you can borrow in my room, there's no way you're being seen anywhere near my apartment looking like that."

Once we're ready and out of the apartment I watch as Newbie instantly heads in the direction of his scooter. I reason with myself and stop him before he manages to mount her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm driving Sasha to work," he looked at me like I was an idiot.

I look at my watch and growl. "We're already late; you're not going to make your shift at all if you drive that stupid excuse for a vehicle."

"Hey!" He shouted, the anger not quite reaching his eyes. "Don't insult Sasha. She's right here, you'll hurt her feelings."

"Oh!" I mock his outraged tone. "Hurt your scooter's feelings? Well, I am sorry." I shake my head and start walking towards to my car. "Get in, Newbie. I'll drive."

"Really?" He tried (and failed) to hide a hint of excitement in his eyes at the thought of riding in my car.

Somehow I can believe it. I mean, last night was awkward enough, but he still gets excited by getting in my car. Good old Newbie.

The drive is silent for some time. Eventually, in nothing more than a whisper, he apologised for running from me.

I interrupt. "Newbie, it's fine. We both know you're spineless anyway."

He looks over, outraged. I laugh and keep my eyes on the road. "Seriously, Newbie. It was quite a revelation to stomach."

I see him relax into the leather of the seat. I try to hide my smile.