"Dr. Anderson," Maggie called out to get Rae's attention, "I've got someone for you to check out. Be warned, he won't want you around, but he needs to be looked at."
Rae rolled her eyes, "Sure, sounds fun. Point me in the right direction," she replied.
Maggie pointed at bay 6 causing Rae to nod.
Once Rae drew back the curtain, she knew what Maggie meant, "Sergeant Hank Voight, now I see what Maggie meant. You have quite the reputation. I'm Dr. Rae Anderson, a Physical Therapist. I'm going to check on your range of motion after your shoulder injury. Are you alright with that?" she asked.
"I don't think I have much of a choice," Voight replied, his gravelly voice showing his annoyance.
She glanced down to hide her smile as she reached out and grasped her forearm, "Ok, I'm going to rotate your arm. Tell me if anything causes pain, ok?"
"Understood," he responded as he attempted to hide a wince while she moved his arm toward the ceiling.
She continued rotating his shoulder until she released her hold of his arm, noticing the possible blush on his cheeks from her touch before she spoke, "It looks like the injury is only compromising a small amount of your range of motion. I'd recommend that you come back two to three times a week to work on it with me, but I know better. Can you, at least, attempt to take it easy on this arm? I know you're planning to head straight back to the streets."
Voight held back a smirk as he replied, nodding, "I'll do my best but I can't make any promises. Will you be here to help me out if I don't let this heal correctly?" he inquired, unsure of his true motivations.
Rae nodded, "I will, but I hope that I only see you again on a non-injury-related basis. You're clear to go. But, listen to what I said, please," she added as she exited the room wondering if he'd felt the same spark she'd noticed during their short interaction.
A week later, the ED was having a slow day so Rae decided to talk to Maggie about the police officer she'd been thinking about.
"Hey Mags," Rae called out, "Do you have a minute?"
Maggie glanced her way, "Of course, what's on your mind?"
Rae looked away for a moment, gathering her nerve, "I just wanted to find out what you know about Voight. Is he seeing anyone? Is he even interested in that sort of thing? I haven't been able to get him off my mind since the day he was in here," she confessed.
Maggie's eyes lit up at Rae's inquiry, "I love this! Voight's wife died a few years ago from cancer. As far as I know, he hasn't dated anyone or even had a fling since. I think you'd be really good for him. You should know that he's not one to ask someone out. You'll probably have to make the first move," she suggested.
Rae shrugged at the information, "I'm surprised that he isn't the type of guy to make a move. He seems like someone who knows what he wants."
"He is, but he's also someone who has lost a lot in his personal life so he stays pretty glued to his work," Maggie shared.
Rae nodded, "That makes sense. I guess I'll ask him out if I see him again. I'm ninety-nine percent sure that shoulder wound will bring him back in," she went on, lost in her own thoughts, causing Maggie to nod in agreement.
Another week passed when Rae was walking through the ED before she spotted Voight in a bay with Will.
She made her way into the area, "Dr. Halstead, what brings the Sergeant back in today?" she asked, to make her presence known.
Will looked up to see Rae in the room, "Dr. Anderson, he broke the stitches on his shoulder injury. Did you need to evaluate him? We're keeping this visit off the books if you know what I mean?"
"I do and I would like to take a look once you're finished," she replied as she stepped to the side to wait for her turn.
Will nodded before he continued stitching up the wound. Once he was finished, he stepped aside to leave the room while also leaving Voight and Rae alone.
"You didn't follow my advice very well, did you?" Rae inquired as she grasped his forearm in her hands as she'd done previously.
Voight shook his head, "It wasn't for lack of trying. I've been working some pretty serious drug cases and things just got out of hand," he explained.
She nodded, "Well, it doesn't look like you've done any additional damage but you really need to take it easier this time around. I'm sure you don't want to lose function in your arm?"
"No, I need it to do my job. I will try better. If that's all, I'd like to get out of here and back to my case," he replied, avoiding eye contact with her.
Rae took a breath before she answered, "You're cleared to go, but I do have an additional question. How would you feel about grabbing dinner with me tonight?" she asked, closing her eyes as she realized how she'd put herself out there with zero safety net.
Voight glanced down, hiding his smile, but his crow's feet gave him away, "I'm not sure I'm the kind of guy you want to date. But, if you're not worried about the risk then I'll pick you back up here at 7. Will your shift be over by then?"
"I will," she replied, "See you then," she added as she stood and left the exam room.