On with the story!

Docter Greg left shortly after Montgomery did. This meant that Kate was totally alone, which wasn't good at all: it gave her some time to think about it. She absolutely couldn't believe it: forced leave?! She wasn't going to survive. She really didn't want to do it, but the captain was pretty damn clear: take theleave or fired. Her mind was going in overdrive. It couldn't be that bad, could it? All she did was skip a couple of meals, work a little harder. Nothing that could get you killed, really. So she did the only thing she could think of: call Lanie Parish, medical examinor of the 12th, but also her best friend. Although she would nag like hell, at least she would tell her what to do.

"Lanie?"

"Girl, you better be calling about something really important, to interupt my date like this!"

Kate checked her watch. Shoot! It was 10 PM, which meant she kind of ruined Lanies night. "Never mind Lanie, I'll call you again tomorrow! Go back to your date, and I want all the details in the morning!"

"Nu-uh sweetie, this is not how it works. You called, which means there is a: something really important you want to ask or discuss, or b: you have a craving for ice cream and wine, which means we'll have to do that really soon. Which one is it, Kate?"

Well, here goes to nothing! "While b sounds very interesting, and probably very true aswell, there is something I want to discuss with you. You see, Montgomery came by, and..."

"Montgomery? As in Captain Montgomery? What on earth is he doing at your place?"

"No Lanie, I'm not at home, I'm in the hospital, but that's not what I was going to talk to you about..."

"THE HOSPITAL? Girl, you bettter tell me the whole story! Like yesterday! Somebody got shot or something?"

Oh damn. In her hurry to tell Lanie the story, she kind of ignored the whole collapsed-admitted-at-the-hospital-thing. Lanie would pry and ask untill she had the whole story, so it was easier to just tell the whole thing.

"Well Lanie, the thing is, I kind of fainted at the mall yesterday?" She didn't know why it sounded like a question, but it did. "Nothing bad, really, I guess I just forgot to eat yesterday, and I didn't sleep a whole lot, so..."

"Katherine Houghton Beckett! What in the world is the matter with you?! Why am I only hearing this now? When did you get admitted?"

"I don't really know, yesterday afternoon maybe? I was kind of out of it for a while.. So, to resume my story.."

"No way, uh-huh, this is not how this is going to work! Which hospital Kate?"

"Bellevue hospital, Lanie, but it's already 10.30 PM! You can't visit now!"

"Watch me, girlfriend! Roomnumber?"

"523. But Lanie..."

"Beeeeeeeep"

The line was already dead, and so was Kate apperently. Lanie coming to visit was not okay: she would go ballistic! All Kate wanted to do, was talk to Lanie. But she hadn't thought about how intuitive and protective her best friend could be. She better prepared herself: Lanie wouldn't be easy to persuade that everything was allright.

Half an hour later, the door to her room flew open.

"Girl, you better tell me now exactly what happened in the mall yesterday, and how it is possible you are still here. And you better start talking fast, sweetcakes, 'cause you should've called me yesterday!"

Oh-ow, here we go, this sure was going to be a nice conversation.

"Look Lanie, it's not that big of a deal, allright? I just fainted at the mall yesterday in the late afternoon. I woke up in here a couple of hours ago, and I had some check-ups and saw a docter. It's nothing, really, the docter said I should eat and sleep more, that's all there is to it. He also adviced me to take a break, go on a holiday or something. I don't really have the money to go on a holiday, so I figured I would take a few days, rest a bit. But then he called Montgomery, and he said I HAVE to take a forced leave, or else I'll get fired. But Lanie, three weeks is waaaay to long! I would be so incredibly bored!"

While Kate was talking, she didn't notice the chances on Lanies face. Her face went from angry, to hurt, to confused, and now she looked really sad. "Lanie? What is wrong? I told you, it's not that big of a deal! There is nothing wrong with me! Lanie, are you listening? Lanie?!"

Lanies face showed no emotion but sadness. She opened her mouth and said: "Kate, sweetie, can't you see? You're letting yourself go, not taking care of yourself.. You look way to skinny, and you look you haven't slept in weeks. The docter is totally right to advice you to go on a holiday. Girl, you really need one!"

Kate was kind of shocked. Okay, so maybe she should eat a bit more, and sleep a few hours longer, but it really wasn't that bad, was it? She was good at her job, worked extra hours and was always available. And yes, she looked really skinny, but she was like this for months now.

"Kate, I can see you don't understand, but honey, you need to get away from things. This isn't fair you know."

"Fair to whom, Lanes? Everything is allright, I feel good enough, I look okay, I don't really..."

"Good enough and okay aren't really positive things, sweetie. You should be wanting the best, to feel and look great. Sweetie, I know the past year has been really hard for you, but do you really think that is what your mother would have wanted for you?"

"Lanie, what does my mom have to do with anything? I'm telling you, I'm just fine..."

"Sweetie, you are not fine. You said it yourself: you're okay. But that isn't good enough honey, you should want better things! I KNOW it's only been a year, but I think the captain is right."

"What do you mean, the captain is right? I should get fired?"

"No, Kate, I mean you should take a vacation. A long one, three weeks maybe. Alone, with friends,.. I don't care! Somewhere you can relax, be yourself, and rest. Heal a bit. Sleep, eat, exercice. That way you will not only be doing yourself a huge favour, the captain will also notice you want to be better. Taking a vacation will be for the best, honey, for everyone!

"Are you serious, Lanie? Going on a holiday? Where, when, how? I can't even afford that! I can't go visit the other side of the world, you know!"

"Sweetie, you don't have to go very far, you know? My family owns a house in Floride, at the beach. I can go there whenever I want. I can give you the key, and tell my family I'm going up there, so nobody will bother you. You don't have to pay for a thing when you arrive, a part from the food. You can pay your flight with your airmiles, so everything is set!"

"Lanie, I can't ask that of you! That's to much!"

"Sweetie, I don't wanna hear no for an answer. I can even come down for a weekend, when I'm not on shift. I'm going to talk to your docter now, see when you can leave. I'll arange your flight and the house when I come back. Rest a bit, Kate, I'll stay here for the night."

"Lanie, you really don't have to! I'll just sleep, I won't be very interesting. I can arrange the flight myself aswell."

"Kate, just shut up and sleep already! I'll be here when you wake up." With that, Lanie left the hospital room, in search of docter Greg. The poor man didn't know what would hit him. Kate snuggled deeper into the pillow, and finally closed her eyes.

I'm not really sure about this chapter, I just started writing, and this is what happened Now, I have a question: does anybody know how you can get beta-readers? I'm totally new to the whole writing part of fanfiction, and I'm (obviously) not a native English speaker. I'm actually from Belgium, so I don't really know if it is well written. I hope you liked the second chapter!