Thanks for the great reviews you guys are the best! Still building up to Ray's visit... that will probably take place in the next chapter
They got off the phone shortly after Neela's admission that night. She had finally admitted that she wanted to be with Ray, shifting the equilibrium, now it
was all sort of up in the air. They had both acknowledged their feelings for one another but now what?
Ray was still completing his residency in his new specialty in Baton Rouge and Neela was well on her way to becoming a surgical attending whether it be
at County or another hospital. They were still miles apart.
Neela was going over possible scenarios in her head over and over again on how they could make it work as she hurried into the hospital for her shift
the next morning. She was so distracted she walked right into someone and heard an
"Ouch... easy there doctor" she looked up to see Simon Brenner.
"Oh, crap I'm sorry I was distracted, I wasn't even looking where I was going..." Neela mumbled trying to scurry past him.
"Wait" Simon braced Neela's arms with his hands and held her in front of him.
"What? No welcome back Simon... how was your trip home to Australia Simon?" he kidded as he smoothly smiled at her.
"Uhh... right, how did that go?" She feigned interest.
"Wonderful, I have a gift for you, I'll find you later..." he finally released her as an ambulance rig pulled up and he walked away to see what trauma was
coming in.
"Grreat..." Neela muttered under her breath, this guy is relentless.
I guess that's what I get for trying to have guilt free commitment less sex with someone I barely know.
She thought to herself about Brenner and her relationship.
I mean, he was just there... and I was upset over Lucien possibly leaving... ugh.
She sighed as she ran to the elevator, ready to head up and begin her day in surgery.
Later on that day, Neela was down in the ER at the admit desk doing some paperwork after being called down for a consult.
Morris snuck up on her,
"Hey" he said casually.
"Oh, hello... it's busy down here today" Neela replied.
"Full moon madness... how are you?" Archie answered.
"I'm fine. Are you okay, you're looking at me funny?" Neela questioned.
"Nope, nothing, I mean yes I'm fine. Sorry... err have you talked to Ray? Just wondering how he's doing?" Morris reacted to her question very oddly.
"Yes, actually I did last night, he's well." Neela said.
"Ah, did he mention the girlfriend?" Morris prodded.
"Apparently, that is over." Neela smiled.
"Oh really?" Morris looked at her suggestively as he noticed her smiling and raised an eyebrow.
"Yep... why are you still looking at me like that? Forget it. I gotta run seeya later" Neela hurried back upstairs to the surgical floor.
"Sure, bye" Morris shouted after her smiling to himself.
He had spoken to Ray that morning and would be covertly helping him with his next visit to Chicago. Morris hoped that this visit would end better than
the last one had appeared to.
Neela seemed kind of sad and distant the last time Ray had visited and left. Then she told Morris that Ray had a girlfriend!?! Archie could've sworn by
Ray's line of questioning that day he visited County in the fall that he was still interested in Neela. That night, Morris had called Ray up and given him an
earful about this silly dance Ray and Neela had been doing for years now.
Huh, I guess my scolding did some good Archie thought to himself realizing that something positive had transpired between Ray and Neela lately if Ray
was considering coming up for another visit.
It seems things will soon be working out for those two, he hoped.
Simon caught Neela again in the ambulance bay at the end of the day.
"Neela" he shouted out to her retreating back chasing after her.
Bollocks, so close. She cursed herself as she turned around.
Brenner ran up to her and passed her a package.
"What's this?" she questioned flatly.
"Your gift remember?" he answered.
She unwrapped the package carefully, it was a beautiful necklace.
"Wow, Simon really you shouldn't have..." she trailed off. "I can't accept this..."
"Why not?" Simon pleaded.
"Perhaps you can thank me by joining me for dinner or a drink or two?" he asked.
"Simon..." Neela bit her lip, not sure how to proceed.
"I'm sorry if I haven't been clear in the past... but there is something else, uh... someone else, I apologize if I've led you on or led you to believe..." she
started,
"I know, I know, Ray." He stated matter of factly.
"Yes" she answered definitively,
"I know I said we were just friends but at the time I was not only lying to you, I was lying to myself as well" said Neela.
"I uhh I understand, but please keep the necklace, it's a gift, I brought back something for everyone" Simon closed her tiny hand around the chain she
was still holding out towards him.
"Have a good night Neela" Simon sounded broken as he swiftly turned around and headed back towards the ER.
"Good night Simon."
Neela exhaled deeply, glad to have finally been honest with him, it would seem that their one sided courtship would hopefully now be over. She placed
the necklace in her pocket and headed for the El train.
Days turned into weeks and although they talked daily there was still no mention of seeing each other between Ray and Neela. Ray still insisted that
when it did happen Neela would least expect it and be completely surprised. Neela joked back that he may have fooled her with his first visit when he
dressed up as Frankenstein. But this time she would catch on much quicker. No pulling the wool over her eyes this time. She looked forward to their
conversations every day or night; they would sit on the phone for hours and got to know each other all over again. Ray talked of his rehabilitation, the
painful surgeries, and his decision to leave emergency medicine and specialize. Neela took Ray through her achievements as a surgeon and her thoughts
of applying for attending positions at other hospitals. It was as close as it could be to the old days when they lived together, except they were still miles
apart physically. It would seem by all intentions that Ray and Neela were finally heavily involved in a long distance relationship.
Morris would never fail to ask Neela how Ray was doing almost on a daily basis.
She found his interest in them odd but sweet at the same time.
It was nice to know that someone was rooting for them in the end.
Ray told her about Pratt and how he had advised Ray to give her some space after Michael's passing, only to have Neela run into the arms of Tony.
Ray laughed as he told her that he finally had to tell Pratt to stop giving him advice, because thanks to listening to him Ray had thought he'd lost Neela
forever.
He told Neela about the day in the ambulance bay that he literally had to shush Pratt when he tried to offer Ray more advice about Neela.
Pratt had laughed that day, and so had Ray at just how ridiculous the whole situation had become.
For Neela, hearing that Pratt was supportive of a relationship between her and Ray was comforting.
Greg was one of Michael's closest friends, she had no idea Ray had even discussed his feelings for her with Greg.
Neela couldn't remember the last time she was this happy, she woke up every morning with a smile on her face and went to bed giddy with love.
This must be how it feels to finally truly be in love.