AN: Again sorry for the length of time it is taking me to update. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own ER or the characters only Dr Paige Staker.

There She Goes

Chapter 4 - Good Morning

"Paige? Sweetie?" Morris whispered as her gently brushed her hair away from her face. She looked peaceful despite the dark circles beginning to form under her eyes.

"Come on, time to get up." He continued in a whisper.

"Morris?" She began to stir but kept her eyes closed. "What time is it?"

"Almost nine." He informed her as she pushed herself into a seated position using her elbows.

"Oh my God!" She ran a hand through her messy blonde locks and swung her legs over the side of the bed, pulling her lab coat on as she stood up.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be on till twelve?" Morris asked confused as he watched his young friend attempt to smooth her hair down.

"I was supposed to be on at twelve but Carter needed an extra pair of hands." She replied agitated.

"So he called you, his student, instead of a resident or an attending?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

Paige shrugged. "Don't ask me, I don't know how his mind works."

"Maybe it's because he knows you wouldn't say no to him. You would dutifully do anything he asked you to do, wouldn't you?" He pointed out.

Paige remained silent. Morris was right.

"I have to tell you something." She said, suddenly feeling very small.

"Okay." He replied calmly as she sat on the bed beside him, smoothing out her creased lab coat.

"I think I like Carter." She said barely audible, while staring at the floor. "As in like, like him." She finished softly.

Morris took one of her hands in his. "I think you like him too. But, you know nothing can happen right? He said tentatively.

She nodded slowly, still not meeting his gaze.

"Cause if anything happens you'll both be out on your asses before you can say Emergency Room." He told her seriously, keeping her hand in his.

"I know, I know! God what am I going to do?" She moaned.

"Try to stay composed around him, be careful you don't get too touchy feely with him in public. You don't want anyone you don't trust picking up on your feelings for him." He told her truthfully as their eyes finally met.

"Okay." She said slowly. "But what do I tell Carter? Do I tell him I like him, or do I keep my mouth shut?" She asked, looking confused and slightly naïve, but never taking her eyes from Morris'.

"That's up to you. I can tell you whether or not to confide in Carter how you feel if you don't know how he's going to react. You can always come to me and talk about it; I'd rather you did than bottling everything up." Morris flashed a small smile.

"Morris, you're such a good friend!" She hugged herself close to him and he wrapped his arms around her. "How'd you get to be so wise?"

"I dunno. I guess it's something that comes with age." He mused as they separated from their hug.

"So what, I'm not gonna be wise till I'm forty?" She said seriously, eyebrow raised.

"Hey you! Less of the cheek I'm not forty." He playfully slapped her arm.

"I know, I'm kidding!" She gave a gentle laugh.

"Come on, we've been summoned. That's why I woke you." He stood up and held out a hand.

"Summoned by who?" Paige asked apprehensively as she took his hand and he pulled her up off the bed.

"Brenner." He stated simply as they exited the exam room.

"Great!" She muttered sarcastically under her breath as they walked to the desk, zoned out on whatever Morris was saying.

"Morris!" Paige hissed grabbing his arm as she saw Carter reach the desk and flash a smile in her direction.

They stopped in their tracks. "What's the matter?" He asked concerned.

"Carter asked me to a dinner at the Carter Center next week and I've already said I would go." She flashed a worried glance from Morris to Carter.

"Well, you've already told him you want to go right? It would look suspicious if you retracted the offer now." He reasoned.

"Right." She agreed.

"Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" He offered, trying to put her at ease.

"I could get really drunk and end up sleeping with him." Paige said, with a hint of sarcasm and a raised eyebrow.

"Pessimist!" He sighed as he half pushed her to the desk.

"Hey." Carter smiled. "You feeling better now you've had some sleep?"

"Yeah, thanks." She smiled back, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You need coffee don't you?" He grinned boyishly.

"God yes!" She admitted under her breath causing them both to laugh.

'I can do this.' Paige thought. 'I'm with him now; we're just talking like friends. Everything's cool.' She smiled at him once again as she noticed his usual charming smile present on his features.

"You know how I said I would make it up to you for coming in early?" He asked in hushed tones.

"Yeah." She replied softly, keeping her eyes focused on his.

"Well how about you stay on till five and I'll take you for dinner or hit a karaoke bar or something?" He asked softly.

"Can I come in for my normal shift tomorrow, no more shift changes?" She asked Carter warily.

"Sure." He promised with a grin.

"Okay then dinner would be nice." She relaxed. If she could get through an intimate dinner with Carter tonight, dinner at the Carter Center would go fine.

"Alright kids." Brenner began, causing everyone to stop talking. "I'm off home, we've got three critical's that you need to chase up ICU beds for, a girl in Curtain Two who needs a cast and a few patients in curtains waiting on x-rays. Goodnight!" He wiped his name off the board, collected his coat from the lounge and left.

"Someone's not in a good mood." Morris commented as soon as Brenner was out of earshot. "Was it a hard night?"

"Not really. He did have a bit of fun tormenting Paige though." Carter commented with a glint in his eye and then received a gentle slap on the arm from Paige.

"Hey!" He complained as he began to rub his arm where Paige had hit him, look of mock hurt on his face.

"You guys still aren't getting on." Morris concluded.

"I have no idea why, the guy really doesn't like me." She shrugged.

"You'll figure out how to get in his good books eventually." Morris tried to convince her.

"Mmm." She shrugged again. "I need coffee." She decided and headed of to the lounge to get coffee.

"Junkie!" Morris and Carter shouted to her retreating figure.

"Whatever!" She called back.

"So, she not getting along very well with Brenner but you two seem to be getting on great." Morris commented to Carter.

"We do get on great. It makes life so much easier for me when I get a student I like and vice versa. She's gonna make a great doctor someday." Carter replied proudly.

"Just be careful. She's still young and innocent, this place hasn't gotten to her yet." Morris warned him.

"What do you mean?" Carter enquired, a hint of a frown playing on his features.

"I mean all the drama. Staff being held at gunpoint by addicts. Illicit affairs between older and younger colleagues." He tried not to hint too heavily toward Paige's specific problem. Both parties involved were his friends. If he told Carter how Paige felt she would feel betrayed and Carter would feel awkward. He would lose out either way.

"So what are you saying? You want me to try and protect her from every challenge the hospital presents her?" Carter folded his arms across his chest.

Morris sighed. "All I'm saying is keep an eye on her. She sees you as her mentor; it will be you she comes to looking for guidance and comfort."

"She'll be fine. She's strong." Carter convinced himself.

"Whatever you say Carter. I'm going to see about this girls cast." He found the chart on the desk and went off to Curtain Two to sort out the young girl.

"What was that about?" Paige asked softly, green eyes sparkling brilliantly.

Carter turned around, startled at hearing her voice. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked her gently.

"Just a few seconds. What was that about?" She asked again.

"Morris is under the impression you're so young and fragile you need someone to constantly baby-sit you." He gestured to himself with his hand.

"Oh my God!" She put her head in her hands. "I'm going to kill him! I'm fine just ignore him." She pleaded, her eyes imploring him to forget what Morris had told him about her.

"Hey calm down that's what I told him." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Oh." Her expression softened when she realised he had stuck up for her. "Thanks." She smiled.

"You're welcome." He grinned picking up a few charts and holding them out like playing cards. "Now, pick a chart, any chart." He told her playfully.

She grinned, curling her fingers around the middle chart, pulling it out of the stack Carter held. She gave a gentle laugh as her eyes skimmed the chart. "LOL, weak and dizzy all over."

"Need any help?" He enquired.

"I think I'll manage. I'll come find you if I need you." She smiled, flicking her blonde locks from her face as she walked past Carter to find her patient.

He grinned as he watched his young student walk away confidently to deal with her patient alone. "Make sure you consult me if you're unsure of anything, if not you still need me to sign the chart and examine the patient briefly!" He called as she walked away.

"I've got it covered Carter!" Paige twirled round as she walked, turning to look at Carter when she heard his voice.

He shook his head at her and took a few charts from the desk and went to deal with his patients.

The day went in quickly for Paige who had a constant flow of patients to deal with. "Carter!" She caught his arm as he passed her in the corridor. "I need you to sign the chart for my LOL."

"Hand it over." He held his hand out impatiently.

"You're busy." She frowned.

"I've got a minute. To be honest you're making my life easier today doing stuff on your own, I should really be keeping a closer eye on you." He confessed gently as he looked over the chart.

"Blood pressures a little low." He commented, rubbing his eyes then running a hand through his hair.

"Want me to get some more tests done?" She asked as he began to lead her up the corridor.

"No. I'll take a look at her in a bit or I'll pass her onto a resident if I don't have time."

"Are you okay?" She asked gently, looping her fingers around his free hand.

"I'm tired, and I have a lot of patients, one who is critically ill." He detected the worry in her eyes. "I'm fine." He forced a smile and squeezed her hand gently. Sliding his out of hers.

"Only an hour to go." Paige reminded him brightly before wandering back to the desk to grab another chart.

As she was walking towards Exam Two she saw Morris emerging from Curtains. "Morris!" She barked.

"Hey Paige. Who pissed you off?" He noted her tone.

"You did!" She stood in front of him, arms folded.

"Oh." Morris realised what she was referring to. "Paige I'm just . . ."

"Don't you dare!" She cut him off. "Where the hell do you get off telling Carter he needs to keep an eye on me? She hissed under her breath.

"I'm just looking out for you. You're my friend, I care about you. If you get too close to him you're going to get hurt, it's going to break you're heart." He said softly, his eyes pleading with hers.

"You're right. But it's my heart and I'll do what I want thank you! I'm not a child!" She emphasised.

"Paige." Morris whispered gently.

"Leave me alone!" She pushed him away tearfully rushing down the corridor away from him.

"Someone else is going to have to take this patient." She murmured as she pushed the chart into Jerry's hand when she passed the desk, and continued on outside to the ambulance bay. She sat down on a bench. Holding her head in her hands, the tears flowing thick and fast now. In the space of five minutes she had managed to fall out with the person she considered her best friend in the hospital. True, Morris had only been looking out for her but it seemed her heart had overruled her head.

Paige forced her head away from her hands, leaning back against the wall and breathing in the cool evening air. She gently dabbed her wet eyes with the sleeve of her lab coat, mascara transferring from her eyes to her sleeve. She repeated the process on her tear stained cheeks, more mascara staining the sleeve of her lab coat.

"Hey." Came a soft voice next to her.

"Julia, hey." She sniffed. "Sorry." She said, apologetic of her current state.

"I saw your argument with Morris, you looked pretty upset." Julia explained. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." Paige admitted, more tears slowly making their way down her cheeks.

Julia sat next to her, wrapping and arm around her shoulders. "You need to stop hanging out with they guys so much. Have a girl's night out, catch up on all the gossip." She tried to comfort her.

"Suppose." Paige muttered sadly.

"I'm really sorry I've gotta go now, I have some studying to do. You gonna be okay?" She asked gently.

"Yeah I'm fine." Paige nodded as Julia stood up.

"You have my cell number right?" She asked. Paige nodded.

"Call me if you need someone to talk to." She smiled brightly.

"Thanks Julia. I need all the friends I can get right now." She admitted truthfully, rubbing her sleeve across her tear stained cheeks once more.

"See you later." Julia smiled before turning round and heading out through the ambulance bay.

After calming down she headed back inside, straight into the lounge, dumping her lab coat in her locker and pulling on her leather jacket, grabbing her bag afterwards. Carter came in just behind her whipping off his lab coat and blood soaked shirt. Paige gasped as she saw his toned body.

"Hey I'll just be a sec." He told her, pulling on a clean scrub top and then shrugging into his outdoor jacket. "Where do you want to go for dinner?" He asked.

"Screw dinner, let's hit a bar." She replied.

"It's not really been a great day has it." Carter asked.

"No, it hasn't." She sighed.

"Let's go." He agreed.

AN: This chapter has been changed slightly just towards the end, not much and not really integral to the plot, just to let you know.