"Erin Jones?" a nurse called "The doctor will see you now"
Leo pulled up a moody looking Erin who reluctantly followed the nurse into the doctor's office. She'd been grumpy all morning and Leo wasn't sure if it was from the fact she was feeling ill or that she just didn't like doctors
"Hello Erin" the doctor said greeting her with a smile on his face "I haven't seen you for a long time"
"Hello" Erin said looking down at the floor
"Take a seat up there for me Erin" he said pointing to the bed "And you must be Leo, her guardian" he said shaking hands with the pathologist "Now Erin, Leo tells me you've not been feeling well. Is that right?"
Erin shrugged and kept gaze at her feet "I don't know"
"Ah, I remember now" the doctor smiled suddenly "You were never keen on doctors were you"
"Do you blame me?" she muttered moodily
"No I suppose not. After all I'm the man who sticks needles in painful places and pokes and prods people…"
"Exactly" Erin grumbled
"…But how about we have a truce. I was quite worried when I heard you were in hospital with hypothermia. So how about you let me examine you and we'll put my mind at ease. I'm very fond of you Erin and I don't like to see you ill. So how about you let an old codger like me have his way just this once"
"Fine" Erin sighed resignedly
"Good girl" the doctor gave her an encouraging smile
Half an hour later they were back in Leo's car driving towards his house
"That wasn't so bad was it?" Leo gave a quick glance at the girl
"Yes" Erin said sulkily
"At least we known you're ok" he said
"I don't feel ok" she sniffed
"I know but the doctor said your chest infection will clear up in a week and those antibiotics will make you feel better"
Erin was about to reply when Leo's mobile rang interrupting her
"Can you get that please?" He said and she nodded
"Professor Dalton's phone, how may I be of assistance" she said and Leo chuckled
"Very professional" and Erin gave a small smile, the first smile he had seen all morning from her
"Erm…no he's driving at the moment. Can I take a message? Yeah…that's fine, ok bye"
She pressed a button to end the call and twisted in her sear to look at Leo "That was Janet"
"I see" Leo said keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the road
"Who's Janet?" Erin said watching Leo blush slightly
"A work colleague"
"Ah" Erin nodded "It's like that is it?"
"You've perked up a bit" Leo said shaking his head at Erin's questions
"So have you" she smirked
"Subject is closed" Leo said shooting the young girl a look that meant she should push the subject no further "I'll drop you off home, I want you to go to bed. No arguments and I'll be back around seven ok?"
"Ok" Erin said watching Leo closely
"And then we need to sort out your schooling"
"Ok"
"And then…."
"Ok" she repeated for a third time
"Erin!" Leo sighed loudly "She's a work colleague that is all and there is nothing more too it"
Erin gave him a lop-sided grin and Leo couldn't help but smile at her. She was always able to keep in his good books and already she seemed to have him wrapped round her little finger
A couple of hours later the three pathologists were working in the lab. Leo lad noticed that Nikki and Harry were a lot more flirty and giggly than usual and had decided that their drinks must have gone well last night
"Is Erin alright?" Nikki said as herself and Leo looked over some toxicology reports
"She's got a bit of a chest infection. She'll be fine in about a week"
"Good…good" Nikki said sounding distracted
Leo followed her eye line and saw that she was staring at Harry's backside "Nikki?" he said finally
"Yes Leo?" she turned back to him with an innocent look in her face
"Nicola Alexander don't you give me that 'butter wouldn't melt' look. I know what you and Harry were up to last night and I am fully aware both of you are exremly hung over this morning"
"Sorry Leo" Nikki said bashfully "He started it though, he bought the first round"
"I don't care whose fault it is, you're both on paperwork duty for the rest of the week" Leo said firmly "Even Erin's more mature than you"
"I'll tell her you said that" Nikki grinned
"You are in enough trouble as it is young lady!" Leo mock scolded Nikki
"What's she done this time?" Harry said as he walked over to the pair
"It's your fault!" Nikki said looking at Harry with an exasperated look on her face "You got me drunk"
"You weren't complaining this morning…" Harry said without think
Nikki sighed and slapped a hand against her forehead "Harry you have the world's biggest mouth"
"So do I take it you two…?" Leo gestured and Nikki nodded "Well I don't know what to say except…"
"Then don't say anything" Harry said hoping that what ever he and Nikki had wasn't over before it had even started
"I'm glad you two finally got your act together"
"What?" Nikki and Harry said in unison
"Well" Leo said "I've had to put up with the sexual tension between you two for years; it's about time you sorted it out"
"Thanks…" Harry said not knowing whether it was a compliment or an insult
"So you're really not cross?"
"Well not about you and Harry finally getting your act together no, but you both coming in with a hangover well…"
Nikki put on her best 'puppy eyes' face and looked at him "Leo…."
"I'm resistant to that face Nikki" Leo rolled his eyes,
Harry felt a tingle when he looked into Nikki's eyes, he was clearly not resistant to that face and Nikki clearly knew it and would use it to her advantage no doubt
Leo's phone rang cutting the conversation short; he picked it up and held it to his ear
"Janet, Hi" he said and Nikki and Harry passed each other a knowing look
"Hi Leo, is this a better time?"
"Yeah it's fine, sorry about earlier I was driving"
"It's no problem; I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up for a drink sometime. To catch up for old time's sake"
"That would be lovely but…"
"Leo" Nikki hissed in his ear "We can sort Erin out"
"Are you sure?" Leo asked and Nikki nodded "I won't be interrupting anything between you two?"
Nikki shook her head "You go and have fun"
"Thank you" Leo said gratefully and turned back to his phone conversation "Hi Janet? That sounds great, when are you free?"
"Tonight… I know it's sudden but I was in the area"
"Tonight sounds great" Leo smiled at Nikki and Harry and moved away into his office to talk further to Janet in private
"He hasn't told Erin about Janet has he?" Harry asked Nikki
"Nope" she said keeping her eyes on Leo
Erin sat curled up on her bed at home glancing at the clock watching the hands pass the seven. Leo wasn't back yet and she was starting to get anxious. She stood up suddenly and hit her head on a shelf knocking several books off in the process. Tears from the pain starting welling up in her eyes and she sniffed loudly
"It's ok Erin" she said using the mantra Leo always had on hand to calm her down "You're safe I promise you. Nothing can hurt you here, and you're safe I promise you that"
After a while of repeating it she started to calm down. She picked the books off the floor and rearranged them back onto the shelf. Just then the doorbell rang making Erin jump, with a shaking body she crept downstairs worrying already who it was but she was relived when she saw Nikki's outline against the frosted glass
"Hi" Nikki greeted the young girl as she opened the door
"Leo's going to be late isnt he" Erin said already able to read Nikki very well "And Harry I know you're there"
Harry moved into her line of sight and Erin could see he was embarrassed at being found out "Nothing gets past you does it?"
"Leo is going to be a couple of hours late tonight…he's…he's…"
"…With Janet" Erin said bluntly
Nikki looked taken a back "You know?"
"A woman called Janet phoned Leo this morning when we were in the car and judging from his reaction I gathered their relationship was more personal than professional"
"Have you ever considered a career in psychology?" Harry said amazed at how the girl had pieced everything together so quickly
"Anyway" Nikki said turning back to the conversation "He asked me to phone you but I wanted to come round in person, we said we'd look after you for the evening"
"'we' being the operative word since you two clearly are doing a 'Janet and a Leo'"
"How does she do that?" Harry said looking at Nikki who had the same expression of shock on her face
"I loved on the streets for months, you get good at reading people" Erin sighed
"Sorry Erin" Nikki murmured annoyed at herself for brining parts of Erin's past up
"It's fine. You two go and do whatever it is that you do. I'll be fine here" Erin pushed a false smile into her face
"Erin I'm not so sure…" Nikki said sounding apprehensive
"I'm seventeen, I can take care of myself and anyway I can't keep jumping at my own shadow forever"
"But…"
"I'll be fine; I'm still not feeling great so I doubt I'll be good company. I'll probably get an early night or something"
"Are you sure?" Nikki said looking doubtful and Erin nodded "Alright" she said finally "Call me if there's anything you need no matter how small. Oh and these are for you, Leo picked up your prescription earlier" she said passing the girl a white paper bag
"Thanks" Erin said peeking inside
"One tablet every four hours" Nikki said "There's instructions on the box anyway" and Erin nodded "And remember, if you need anything, even if it's just to chat, call me"
"I'll be fine" Erin said starting to shiver in the cool night air
"Alright we'll be off now" Nikki said smiling "You go back inside and keep yourself warm"
"Sleep well" Harry said to Erin who nodded
As the young girl closed the door Harry and Nikki made their way back to the car and into the welcoming warmth
"She'll be fine" Harry said already knowing what Nikki was going to ask him
"I know…it's just…"
"Nikki" Harry sighed "You have to let her do things for herself. She's a lot more independent than you think"
"I know" Nikki finally agreed
"We'll both have our phones on and she'll ring if she needs anything and we can phone her on the hour every hour if you're that worried"
"Ok" Nikki said sounding a lot more convinced and happy
"Now where do you want to go?"
"You're place" Nikki said quickly "I need to test out the bed to see if it's suitable"
Harry snorted with laughter "That's very forward doctor Alexander"
"Well I'm a modern woman, Doctor Cunningham"
Harry grinned at her as he started the car and stared the drive to his flat. The two of them felt so relaxed in each other's company and above all things felt right between them
Back in the house Erin sat on the end of her bed and hugged her knees close to her chest. She was all alone again, a single tear fell down her cheek, she batted it away but the flood gates were now fully open and the sobs racked her body as she began cry openly.
Author's note: Sorry to end on a depressing note there! The good thing about the summer holidays is I have time to type up these chapters as my one handed typing isnt exactly fast. I will try and update tomorrow but I have to go to the doctors because my dog jumped up at me and knocked me to the ground. I feel a bit battered and bruised and my arm hurts like mad. So I'm hoping things will be ok but updates might be slower from now on.
