"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Take off your clothes."

"Excuse me?" Kelly asked in bewilderment as that was the last thing he was expecting Serena to say, whilst Kelly had seen her do some pretty wild things during the years that he had known her. Never before had he heard Serena suggest something so brazen especially in the place that she worked. When they slept together all those years ago it was because the two were pretty hammered but she wasn't drunk now. Serena was stone cold sober with a very serious look on her face, which suggested that she meant business.

"I need you to take off your clothes, well actually only your jacket and t-shirt." Serena clarified.

"Oh…" Kelly slowly said as he realized that this wasn't what he thought it was and he was having a hard time figuring out whether that was a good thing or not. Probably a good thing considering what happened the last time him and Serena slept together but there was a tiny bit of disappointment on his part.

"What did you think I meant?" Serena questioned and Kelly knew it was best if he didn't respond to that but she still managed to figure it out, given that Serena McArthur was one of the smartest people he had ever met and her face to on a look of mile disgust. "Kelly Severide get your filthy mind out of the gutter! Not everything is about sex…"

"You told me to take off my clothes, what else was I supposed to think?" Kelly shot back with as he slowly slid off his leather jacket.

"Okay you have me there, I admit I could have worded that differently but I'm a doctor and we're currently in a hospital why else would I be asking you to take off your clothes here?" Serena retorted as she took Kelly's jacket off him mere seconds after he had taken it off and flung it onto the hospital bed. After that Serena all but forced him to sit down on the bed.

"So you never explained why we're here and why I have to take off my top and I'd kind of like to know before I take off my top and sit half naked in a hospital room." Kelly asked as Serena was still yet to give him any explanation of the kind and whilst normally he was just go along with Serena's occasional odd and eccentric behaviour, this time he wanted to know.

"You want to know why we're here? It's because I'm going to do what I should have done two weeks ago since I've first noticed it and that's take a look at your shoulder. Clearly your having some kind of problem with Kelly but being a typical man you won't man up about it and come see me or any other doctor about it so I'm forcing your hand." Serena stated and Kelly tried to refrain from panicking, he thought that he had the problem with his shoulder under a reasonable amount of control with the steroids he was using. He thought no one had noticed the problems he was having except for Shay but no, it seemed like Serena had picked up on it.

"What are you talking about Rocket?" Kelly asked forcing himself to laugh, there was no way he could tell her the truth as Serena was a worrier and if she even caught a whiff about the steroids. She's go straight to Boden or even her beloved Papa Severide. Kelly could picture the two of them arguing about it in his head, with him telling her that he couldn't just take time off from work. And Serena would day something like she'd take his life over his career any day.

"Kelly I may work fifty weeks a year and go just over my limit of 80 hours a week, not including the times when I'm on call or covering someone's shift but I am not stupid. I've seen you grabbing on to your when you don't think anyone is looking, you think no one has caught on yet because you've been careful but I have." Serena firmly stated and Kelly could see that she wasn't going to let it go.

"It's not what you think Serena, it's just a pinched nerve but I've kind of aggravated it due to some of the calls we've been on lately. That's it…" Kelly told her and he noticed that the expression on Serena's face softened.

"I still want to take a look at it Kelly." Serena told him and Kelly knew she wasn't asking him, she was telling him and he'd entertain her.

"Sure thing." Kelly replied, complying with Serena's earlier instruction and slipping off his t-shirt whilst she went and put on some latex gloves. Kelly couldn't help but watch Serena as she carefully examined his shoulder and made him do a series of things to test his range of motion. He noticed the concentration that she was putting into the exam and how quiet she was being and he had never seen that side of her. Usually when the two of them crossed paths it was generally chaotic and Serena would be doing ten million things at once. It was nice to see this side of her but as Kelly watched Serena he noticed the small bags under her eyes. "You look tired."

"Been a long week, lots of traumas and interns who don't know a catheter from their esophagus but don't worry about it. I wouldn't treat a patient or operate on someone if exhaustion was going to interfere and put them at harm. I make sure I get sleep whenever I can…" Serena quietly murmured.

"That's good to know." Kelly said as he noticed Serena staring intently at something. "See something you like?"

"Yeah that huge ego of yours."

"Well it takes one to notice one." Kelly retorted which caused Serena to quietly chuckle as she finished up the exam and once she did, Serena got rid of her gloves and sat down on a stool in front of him. "So what's the diagnosis Dr. Rocket?"

"That's the thing Kelly, whilst I've have seen that you are having a problem with a shoulder it could be down to a pinched nerve but I can't confirm that without a running a few tests to make a correct diagnosis." Serena began and Kelly didn't like where she was going with this in the slightest.

"What kind of tests?"

"A nerve conduction study, electromyography and possibly an MRI, I know that's a lot of big words but it doesn't take too long. Some of these tests can be done at the same time and I can have you done in just under two hours if I pull some strings and use some of the Rocket McArthur charm." Serena explained and Kelly knew there was a reason he had a bad feeling and what Serena had just told him confirmed it. She wanted to do all of these tests which he couldn't let her do.

"Tests means paperwork and official forms and if the CFD find out about this I'll be put on medical leave and I can't do that Rocket, I just can't." Kelly told Serena as slid his t-shirt back on.

"Look I've known you a long time Kelly and I know you love your job, I really do but you need to listen to me when it comes to what I'm telling you now as your doctor. I can't tell anyone about anything that we talk about because of doctor patient confidentiality but you need to listen to what I'm trying to tell you. Whilst it could just be a pinched nerve ignoring it isn't going to do anyone any favors."

"Rocket…"

"Kelly a pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissue and this pressure caused inflammation of the nerve. And that disrupts the nerve's function and if a never is pinched for only a short time and the pressure is relieved than permanent damage is least likely. But if the pressure continues? Chronic pain and permanent nerve damage can occur and given your job that's highly likely given the stress of your job and the high physical demands of it. You need to stop ignoring this Kelly." Serena said and Kelly just didn't even know what to say to convince her otherwise but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"I'm not ignoring this Serena." Kelly said using Serena's actual name to show her that he was taking and her medical advice seriously.

"Does the Chief know?" Serena demanded as she rose from her seat, walked over to a cabinet and looked over at Kelly with a disapproving look on her face.

"No… Why? Is this you trying to give me some kind of ultimatum." Kelly questioned as he wasn't exactly sure what was going on between the two of them right now.

"Of course not but let's take a look at the big picture here Kelly, Andy is dead and I just spent the last few hours saving the life of one of your colleagues and honestly the last thing I want is for you to end up on my table. Or you being forced to go on disability and spend the rest of your career at a desk pushing paperwork all day and growing a beer gut. You need to take this seriously because you know that your health is compromised by your job." Serena said and Kelly noticed her voice had gone up about an octave and he couldn't help but wonder how he ended up with someone like her in his life. She cared about him and his well being so much and Kelly knew he didn't deserve her. And whilst he loved her for worrying about him so much he was a big boy and capable of taking care of himself.

"Okay so what do we do about this then Dr. McArthur?" Kelly questioned as he got up from the hospital bed in which he had been sitting on the edge of and made his way over to Serena.

"You're going to take this seriously?" Serena skeptically questioned.

"If makes you happy and worry about me less than I will take this very seriously…" Kelly somewhat lied and he did feel bad about lying to Serena - as she smiled at that he had just told her - given that all she wanted to do was help. But he had his reasons for doing things his own way, however he'd sit and listen to her and promise to do whatever she said and then Serena would let the whole thing dropped if she believed he was actually following through with it all.

"We have a few options here the first is physical therapy, then there is Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories you can take it's stuff like Advil, which helps relieve pain and alleviate the inflammation. We can also treat this with oral corticosteroids as they can help reduce swelling, as well as pain. Then there are narcotics." Serena said and Kelly tried not to react when Serena mentioned narcotics.

"You can give me narcotics?" Kelly questioned.

"I can but I won't." Serena stated.

"It's not like I'm a drug dealer Rocket!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "I know that but the use of narcotics are reserved for patients with severe pain that is not relieved by any other options. I don't like prescribing them as it's not hard to get addicted to them as they are powerful stuff. Besides even if I did, which I won't as I've mentioned the use of narcotics are usually prescribed for a limited time only."

"So we have Advil, oral something, physio and narcotics… What else?" Kelly asked moving things along.

"We have spinal injections of steroids which would be injected near where the nerve is being pinched. While the steroid injections do not take the pressure completely off, they may lessen the swelling and relieve the pain enough to allow the nerve to recover with more time." Serena explained and Kelly just nodded as he already knew this given that he was using steroids already to treat his shoulder issue but he couldn't tell Serena that. "Then we have one final option which is a last resort which I'm telling you know is not an option for you as I won't let you get that bad."

"And what is this bad option oh wise doctor?" Kelly joked.

"Surgery." Serena said in a tone of voice that was practically devoid of all and any emotion and Kelly stopped laughing as surgery wasn't definitely something he wanted to avoid. Given that he'd be of work for god knows how long.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Serena wearily said before taking a deep breath and sighing. "Look I've given you a lot of information and you need time to think it over but what I think you need to do is take some time off from work. Sometimes the symptoms are alleviated by resting the affected area although I suspect that won't be a long term option with your job. But take the time off and try it and after that we'll start with the physiotherapy and some of the anti-inflammatory medication."

"Thanks Rocket, I think I'll do that." Kelly said lying yet again as there was no way he could take time off work now with Hermann being out for at least two weeks. It just wasn't do able. "You're the best Rocket, how can I thank you for everything you've done today."

"Well I take payments in the form of dinner and tequila."

"I'll see what I can do."