The rest of my day was spent treating patients. We were suddenly hit with loads of traumas and emergencies, which is exactly what I needed to get everything that had happened in the past couple days out of my head.

"Alright Ms Hudson…" I say with a smile as I wrap a bandage around a patient's burnt hand "Just make sure this stays wrapped up, and put the cream on it three times a day and you should be alright…"

Ms Hudson nods and offers me a weak smile "Last time I cook with that old pan…next time I'll just get Ricky to do it…"

I let a small laugh and a nod slip in her direction before finishing off my work and stepping back. "You're free to go home now…come back and see me in about a week, so I can check to make sure it's healing up alright.

She nods and I leave the room, marking down what I had told her on her chart. Looking down at the clipboard, I didn't notice as I plowed right into someone, knocking me back a few steps, and them onto the ground.

"I'm so sorry I was just…" I look up to see Sam getting up off the dirty ER floor, and dusting herself off. "Sam…I'm sorry I was just marking on this chart and I didn't see you…are you alright?"

She glares at me, and I could tell she was angry, probably not just for the little bump I had given her.

"Neela…I've been meaning to talk to you…is there an empty room or something we can go to?" she asks, anger dripping from her voice as she brushes past me, leading me back to the room I had just left.

Ms Hudson was just putting her coat on as we entered. She looks between the two of us, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like you two want to be alone…that's my cue to leave…unless there's going to be some kind of oil involved in this fight which in that case I would stay and referee…"

I give her an odd look and she smiles "Alright…leaving now…" she brushes past us and exits the room quickly, leaving Sam and I alone.

I swallow and turn back to the angry nurse, awaiting the worst. "You had something you wanted to speak to me about?" I ask, trying to sound brave and casual.

She nods "Yea I do…" she takes a breath and glances out the door to see if anyone was coming before continuing. "Ray and I…we have a thing…nothing serious I'm not claiming him but we talk…and I see what you are doing to him…Neela he loves you and you treat him like garbage. He told me what you did to him, which was low, even for you."

"That is between Ray and I." I respond defiantly "You have no business in it. Like you said, you're not 

with Ray you just fuck him every now and then when you're bored or lonely…so you have no say in what goes on between him and I."

"Come on Neela, don't give me that self righteous bullshit. You fucked things up with your husband so your moving on to the next male body you can find. Lay off Ray alright, you've put him through enough."

Anger boiled up inside me now. Anger for Sam sticking her nose into things she had no business knowing, and anger at Ray for telling her the details of my personal life. "Ok Sam let me clue you in on a few things. ONE, you have no right sticking your nose into any of this. What happens between Ray and I AND my husband and I is my fucking business, not yours. And TWO, you don't speak for Ray. So piss off and go bother someone else…"

I move to brush past her, but she grabs my arm and spins me around "I chose to speak for Ray, since you don't seem to be listening to him. He told you he was over you, he didn't want you as anything but a roommate, so listen to him, back off and leave him alone before you crush him."

I glare at her and yank my arm from her grasp before opening the door and storming out of the room. Who did she think she was? Telling me what I should and shouldn't do…bloody bint was lucky I didn't knock her teeth down her throat…

"Hey don't walk away from me, I'm talking to you!"

Michael's angry voice dug me free from my thoughts. I frown and follow the sound to the main reception area, where Michael and Ray stood, looking as if they were about to do what I wanted to with Sam.

"Bloody hell…" I mutter under my breath as I jog to the boys, hoping I could reason with them before someone was hurt.

"I already told you man. Neela is my roommate, that's all." Ray argued, "I have nothing else to say to you…."

"Neela is my WIFE Ray, despite what you heard last night, that's not going to change. I'm going to work things out with Neela and you are going to quit harassing my wife. No more guitar pick necklaces or mixed CDs…" Michael yells

"Those were gifts for my friend. I don't want to steal your wife from you Michael are you even listening to what I'm saying?" Ray retorts

I jog up to them, standing between them and giving them both a stern glance. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Sam watching intently, but I shrug her off. Her issues wasn't what was important right now, it was getting Ray and Michael away from one another.


"What the hell?" I ask, looking between them "Honestly I have no idea where to start, with either of you…I mean my god…" I look to Michael "You were supposed to be on your way back to Iraq…why are you still here? I already told you how I felt, and I gave you my bloody blessing…why haven't you gone?"

"I was on my way…but I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't leave you Neela, not like this…" He answers tilting his head to the side and giving me those puppy dog eyes I used to find so irresistible

I shake my head "Nothing has changed Michael, and nothing will. This marriage was a mistake, we are just too different, and I barely know you…" I glance down at the floor for a moment before looking back to him and continuing "I went to see my lawyer at my lunch break… and he drew up the divorce papers…"

Michael shook his head "I won't sign them…not so you can go traipsing off with him." He points to Ray

I sigh and close my eyes, biting my tongue, holding back the things I really wanted to say. "I'm not with Ray Michael. I already told you that."

"But you want to be." Michael shot back "Don't even try to deny it Neela…I can see it in your eyes."

I shake my head again "No…I'm not sure WHAT I want right now, but I know what I don't want, and that's you. And that is nobody's fault but your own Michael. You pushed me away, shoved me off so you could go play soldier some more. Don't blame me, and certainly don't blame Ray, because it was all you."

It became clear to me now that people were watching and listening intently. My whole life, put out for everyone in the ER to hear…

"How long until he makes his move huh?" Michael asks "How long till he has you, till he's fucking you in our bed…"

"Shut the fuck up Michael!" I say as I slap him hard in the face "I already god damn told you I'm not with Ray! Do I need to say it again? Fine I will. I will say it to EVERYONE in this ER right here and right now and maybe then you will get in through that moronic brain of yours. I AM NOT WITH RAY!" I shout the last bit louder then the rest. "Would I like to be…maybe but does that matter? Not really. He's already fucking Sam; apparently has been for weeks…did I know? No and why? Because you did all you could to keep me from even speaking to Ray outside of work because you are nothing but an insecure little boy."

I run to behind the main desk and grab an envelope containing the divorce papers, hurrying back to him and shoving them into his hands. "Sign them, leave them on the desk and get the hell out of my life."

I storm off before he could say anything, before anyone could say anything…I needed to be alone right 

now…I needed a good hard shot of Whiskey, but that would have to wait until I arrived home after my shift.