MISTAKE-

Ahiru sighed, all but dragging her bag on the ground as she walked home. She had done it again; she'd mixed up patient charts, sent blood and urine samples to the wrong places, and even forgot to give a patient a glass of water they had requested. Understandably her boss had yelled at her and after her shift was over, she left, her head hung low in dejection. Perhaps she had made a mistake in becoming a nurse.

~E~L~S~E~W~H~E~R~E~

Fakir scuffed his show on the sidewalk, glaring in irritation at the ground. He didn't really understand. Sure he prepared food a little differently than other head chefs, but he had studied with the best, and he knew their way was more proficient and cost effective. So why was he yelled at for it? Why did the restaurant want to waste food, time, and money? Perhaps becoming a chef had been a mistake.

Perhaps he should have gone into mechanics like his adoptive father suggested. Sighing, he took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts away, steeling his posture.

~T~W~O~WEEKS~L~A~T~E~R~

No matter how hard he tried to conform, it went against everything Fakir knew, and by the weekend he had quit. He was able to quickly find another job, however, and at a place that greatly appreciated his skills. He wasn't paid nearly as much as before, but at least he could use his skills to help them save money. And his food was so good customers came in droves to sample his fine cuisine.

As good as he was he was not immune to accidents. A new waitress who fluttered about with nervous jitters bumped into another chef who in turn bumped into Fakir who was working the grill.

Needless to say, he had to go to the hospital to treat the burns. His wait in the emergency room was excruciating but short lived. Though most of the doctors and nurses ignored him (he hadn't been labeled as a high priority patient, or so he was told,) but a kind red-headed nurse quickly came over with ointment and bandages. She worked quickly and silently, almost as if she was going against a direct order.

Fakir was surprised with how gentle and efficient she was, and though her hands were warm, they were soothing against his burnt ones. It could have been the ointment. Or it could have been her smile.

"I would suggest sticking around to make sure your hands aren't infected—" she was about to continue but another nurse called out to her; 'Ahiru!' he thought he heard.

Her eyes grew wide and she turned to the voice, answering that she would be right there. Turning back to him, she smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry I can't do more for you. I really hope your hands heal properly and quickly." And before he could confirm her name or give his own she was off down the hall, chasing a stretcher with a clipboard in her hands.

Fakir stayed an hour more, saw the doctor who told him that his hands were clear of infection and made sure to remind him to change the bandages twice a day to avoid getting one. Before the young man left, the doctor told him to come back if the pain persisted or increased. Offering his thanks, he left, his mind wandering to the little red-headed nurse who had helped him.

Oddly, he wondered if he'd ever see her again.

~A~H~I~R~U~A WEEK~L~A~T~E~R~

Slumping against the break room chair, Ahiru breathed in deeply; the ER was as hectic as ever.

And it wasn't even a full moon!

Breathing in deeply once more, she slouched in the cushioned chair, balancing her elbows on her knees and resting her head in her hands. Her thoughts went to the young man with the burnt hands she had helped the week before. Her cheeks flushed; his eyes were sharp and piercing from afar, but when she bandaged his hands… she saw the vulnerability and shock. His expression took her breath away and she felt it might have been a bad idea to look, let alone smile.

But it wasn't in her to not smile, and the resulting color in his cheeks made her breath catch. She was intensely grateful when Pique called out to her for assistance. After all, it wouldn't do to make a scene in front of a patient. And she would have done just that had she stayed a moment longer than she had.

"Ahiru, I thought you clocked out already. Why are you still here?"

Her boss, Kraehe, was a stern lady who held little appreciation for anyone but her favorites, but she still played nice.

"Just deciding what to do for dinner," she answered.

Kraehe grabbed the pot of coffee and filled the mug in her hands, "can't think and walk at the same time?" She didn't give her a chance to reply before she left.

Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she got up, grabbed her bag and decided on "The Golden Crown" that Pique had been raving about. Perhaps good food at an affordable price would distract her from the mistakes in life she had made.

Her mind made up, she boot scooted out of the hospital, making her way quickly downtown.

~T~E~N~MINUTES~L~A~T~E~R~

Unsure of what to make of her waitress, Lillie, Ahiru quickly ordered a grilled chicken and veggie salad, wanting to get in and out before the pig-tailed blond could question her more on her tragic love life.

She didn't even know how Lillie knew the things she did.

Luckily her food came out quickly and Lillie was forced to gossip with someone else, apparently how Ahiru was going to choke on her meal and someone was going to have to help her.

Everything disappeared however as she took a bite of her salad. It was a burst of flavor! She sampled the greens, then the veggies, the chicken… everything had a top notch and fresh flavor. Seeing the look of ecstasy on her face, Lillie walked over again.

"So how is it?" She asked once she had swallowed her current bite.

"It is absolutely the best! My compliments to whoever had a hand in making it." She took another bite, "honestly, I've never had something so delicious."

She missed the devilish look on the blonds face, "the chef will be most pleased." Quietly, she snuck off, Ahiru not even noticing, engrossed as she was with her meal.

When she was done she heard, "this is the young lady who adored your cooking."

Blinking, she looked up, her eyes widening and her lips sputtering, "You!" the same time the dark haired chef exclaimed the same word.

Lillie went to hide in a nearby booth to watch the events unfold. She knew she had been right when Pique told her about their meeting. Giggling in a conspiratory manner, she thought perhaps some mistakes were meant to be made.