DISCLAIMER: Mark VII and NBC Universal own all characters. I own Julianna.
A few days later, Julianna was working in the ER, the events of her late night shift having softened a bit.
The only thing that seemed odd was Johnny and she hadn't had a chance to talk about anything since he'd gone home the day after his snake bite. He was supposed to return to work this shift and they hadn't said anything to each other. Julianna was wondering if they were both reacting to the fact that they'd nearly lost each other. She shrugged her shoulders and went to start seeing patients.
She was standing at the nurses station when a Squad brought in a patient.
"Juli," Bob called as he entered the ER.
"Hey, Bob," she said, greeting her friend with a smile.
"How is my date doing this afternoon," Bob asked.
"Date," Julianna questioned.
"Yeah. I don't have a date to the fireman's ball and you promised you'd be my date if I didn't find one. So you better go and pick out a dress," Bob said.
Julianna looked at him. She knew he had been seeing Beth and she wasn't sure why he was asking her to go to the ball instead of the nurse he was seeing.
"What about Beth," Julianna asked, writing on a chart.
"She's been asked by another fireman and she had already accepted before we started seeing each other. I told her to go with him. After all, I already had a standing date in case I needed one. He didn't," Bob answered.
"Fine. I'm supposed to go with Joanne to pick out her dress, so I guess I'll get one for myself. We'll probably drag Barb out with us," Julianna said.
"Great! I'll call you to set up the details," Bob said.
"OK, but you're going to owe me for this one," Julianna said.
"I believe, I'll still come out ahead if we're adding up tabs, Juli-bird," Bob said, walking away from her.
Julianna, hating that Bob had called her that, turned her attention back to her charting and didn't hear Dixie approach.
"What was that," Dixie asked.
"Oh, Bob was just making sure I would go to the fireman's ball with him," she said.
"Can't his girlfriend go," Dixie asked.
"She apparently got invited by another fireman before she started seeing Bob. He said for her to keep the date because he could always get me to be his date," Julianna said.
"Well, I guess you're going dress shopping," Dixie asked.
"Look that way. I'm going to call Joanne and see what time she wants to go shopping," she said.
Dixie directed a squad into a treatment room, leaving Julianna free. She gathered her materials and went to the small office Kel had set aside for her.
She picked up the phone and called Joanne.
"Hello," her friend said.
"Hey, Jo. You still going shopping this weekend," Julianna asked.
"Yeah. You coming along," Joanne asked.
"Looks like it," Julianna said.
"Who's the lucky fireman," Joanne asked.
"Bob," Julianna answered.
"Great! Let's meet here at 8 Saturday. Roy's supposed to go with Johnny and take the kids to a baseball game," Joanne said.
"Sounds good to me. I'll see you Saturday," Julianna said.
She opened a folder Kel had given her. It was a quarterly test she was required to take for her residency and she needed to finish it and give it to Kel. She called Dixie and told her she'd be in the office doing her test.
For the next three hours, Julianna worked on the test. When she finished, she slipped it back in the folder. She left her office and put the folder on Kel's desk in his office.
She strolled to the nursing station and saw Johnny and Roy leaning against the desk.
"I hear you guys are going to a ball game, Saturday," Julianna asked.
Johnny held out his coffee cup and Julianna took a sip before handing it back to him.
"Yep. Taking the kids to see a game," Roy said.
"I'm meeting Joanne at your house so we can go shopping," Julianna said.
"Shopping," Roy asked.
"For dresses. Joanne is buying one for the ball and I was asked to go this afternoon, so I've got to get one, too," Julianna said.
"That's funny. Junior here told me about his date this morning," Roy said.
"Really? Who you going with, Johnny," she asked.
"Just a nurse from the third floor. You probably don't know her. You about ready, Roy," Johnny asked.
"Yeah. See ya, Juli," Roy said.
"Bye, Jules," Johnny said.
Julianna said her goodbyes to the guys and went to the doctor clipboard and signed out her patients.
She went back to the office and gathered her stuff before heading out to her car and her house.
When Roy slid into the Squad next to Johnny, he turned to his partner. "Don't you want to know who she was going with," he asked.
Johnny shook his head and grinned. "I already know. I'm the one that planned it," Johnny said.
"Planned it? Planned what," Roy asked, confused.
"Jules is going with Bob and I'm taking his girlfriend. She knows about it. The plan is for him to bring Juli and then I get to sweep her off her feet," Johnny said.
"Does my wife know this," Roy asked.
"Yeah. She's supposed to call you today. I called and told her about it this morning and she thought it was a great idea," Johnny said.
"I hope, for your sake, it doesn't blow up in your face," Roy said.
Julianna and Joanne walked through an endless stream of boutiques before Julianna found the perfect white silk gown with a lace bodice. She found a pair of white sling backs and paired them with her dress.
"You look stunning, Juli," Joanne said.
"You know, it might be nice to get out of scrubs and jeans and pants for a change. Even if I'm going with Bob," Julianna said.
Julianna and Joanne paid for their purchases and headed back to Joanne's house.
"Would you like to sit with Roy and I at the ball," Joanne asked.
"I guess that could work. Is Johnny sitting with you," she asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Joanne answered.
"OK. I guess Bob and I can sit with you guys for the dinner."
Julianna went home and hung her dress in the closet. She was tired from the shopping trip and laid down on her bed and went to sleep.
At 6 Saturday night, Julianna was greeted at the door by Bob. "I don't think I've ever seen you in your dress uniform. Looks a little uncomfortable," she said, grinning as he pulled at his tie.
"I think I've gained a few since I got this jacket. You, my dear, look beautiful. I'm going to be the most envied guy at the ball," Bob said.
Julianna smiled at him. "You always know how to make me feel good. Let me get my wrap and my purse," she said.
She grabbed the simple white wrap and the small lacy bag she was using for a purse and headed out the door. Bob locked the door for her and opened the passenger side door for her.
"Wow, such a gentleman," she said.
"Thanks. I never thanked you for the introduction to Beth," he said when he got in the car.
"Oh, it was nothing. I thought she might like you and thought you'd get along well," Julianna said as they headed to the location of the ball.
"Well, she's a sweet girl and she enjoys bowling. I really like her," Bob said.
"Good. Glad one of us has a love life that's working out," Julianna said.
Bob ignored her comment and pulled up to the front of the hall. The valet helped Julianna out of the passenger seat and Bob took the keys and the valet ticket. He met Julianna on the sidewalk and offered his arm. She took it and they headed inside the hall.
As soon as Julianna and Bob arrived at the ball, they met some of the others from Station 51. Roy and Joanne were standing by the entryway, talking with Barb and Mike. Julianna loved to see her brother in his dress uniform. In that uniform he looked like their dad and her father was a hero in her eyes. She leaned into her brother. "You look like daddy," she said. Mike smiled and kissed her cheek.