"Paging Dr. Stewart."

Holly rose from her bunk like a zombie suddenly awakened from the dead. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and waited for her eyes to adjust to the light of the living.

"What time is it?" she asked, feeling under her pillow for her glasses and stethoscope.

Traci, one of Barber Memorial's finest nurses, and Holly's personal sleep bandit, was standing in the doorway of the on-call room, smirking. "3am."

Fan-freaking-tastic. Eight whole minutes – that's how long she'd been asleep for. It was at times like these when she was tired and irritable that she considered taking up coffee again, a vice she'd given up a month ago in the hope that it would help curb her insomnia. While her insomnia may have subsided a little, her willpower had been seriously waining, and not a day went by where she didn't daydream about hooking herself up to a coffee-filled IV that she could drag around with her while treating patients.

With a shake of her head, she pushed away thoughts of the sweet Panamanian roasted beans her self-proclaimed nemesis, Dr. Frankie Anderson, had brought into the break room with the sole purpose of messing with her. "Why am I awake?"

"MVG, one minute out."

Holly pushed her glasses up her nose as she planted her feet on the floor. "Motor vehicle…"

"Man versus giraffe," Traci corrected her before disappearing down the corridor, her laughter echoing off the walls.

"Of course," Holly muttered to herself, "because what else could it be this early on a Monday morning?"

She slipped on her white coat and wrapped her stethoscope around her neck, tucking it neatly under her collar before exiting the on-call room. She took the elastic from around her wrist and tied her hair into a low ponytail as she made her way towards the ambulance bay where Traci was likely already waiting.

"I bet you're kicking yourself for not taking that nap earlier," Oliver Shaw, the Emergency Department's charge nurse said with a knowing smile as she approached the central hub of the ED.

"Next time I won't hesitate." Holly smiled at him despite her annoyance with herself. If she had listened to his suggestion earlier, when the ED was practically dead, she would've gotten at least ninety minutes of uninterrupted sleep, but being the stickler that she was, she'd chosen to do administrative work instead.

"Bay Two is free," he offered as she passed by.

"Thanks. Hey, do you think you could locate the other portable X-ray for me? I think the NICU pinched it when they came down for that preemie earlier."

"Anything for you, darlin'."

"You're the best, Ollie." She glanced back over her shoulder. "Remind me to buy you dinner sometime."

"I'll add it to the list." He winked at her.

Holly laughed despite the guilt gnawing at her insides. She must have promised him at least ten dinners over the past month, none of which he'd held her to. But that was Oliver for you; he always knew how you were feeling before you knew yourself, and Holly had been feeling bone-tired lately. Despite sleeping a little better, she'd had very few opportunities to try over the last week with the department being down an attending and the floater being a "totally useless winbag" - not Holly's words, but she definitely agreed with the sentiment.

Chief Landry was currently conducting interviews to fill the position and promised she'd appoint someone by the middle of the week. Holly just prayed the chief stayed true to her word because it felt like Holly was the only one picking up any of the slack. In the meantime, she would continue to curse Dr. Collins for leaving without giving any notice.

As she rounded the corner towards the ambulance bay, she promised herself that she'd make it up to Oliver when she wasn't so exhausted.

As she expected, Traci was standing inside by the security door waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Standing next to her in matching royal blue scrubs was Barber Memorial's newest addition to the ED's nursing staff, Gail Peck, who must've come on shift while Holly was taking the world's shortest power nap.

Gail, with her prickly demeanor, long, pristine platinum locks, and perfectly timed barbs, had been working in the ED for two weeks. During this time, Holly had studied her closely, and learned that Gail was conscientious and determined to do a good job.

But what she appreciated most was Gail's wealth of knowledge, and the way she effortlessly anticipated every doctor's moves, especially during intense traumas. It's not that the other nurses didn't do this; it was part and parcel of their job, but Gail seemed to be on another level entirely.

Holly was certain Gail could run rings around the residents and most of the attendings (definitely the totally useless windbag floater), which Holly had determined after Gail's very first shift.

There was just one thing bothering Holly, though: Why did Gail have to be so good looking? The number of times Holly had caught herself staring at the stunning blonde had grown to a mortifying number. In all her thirty-eight years, she couldn't remember having such a strong, visceral reaction to a woman before. There was just something about the slope of Gail's neckline and that porcelain skin that made Holly's nether regions spring to life. To put it bluntly, Holly was a HR nightmare waiting to happen, and that thought was mortifying in itself.

She took a deep breath to collect herself before wandering up between her colleagues.

"Peck," she greeted the pensive looking nurse, trying and probably failing to sound even remotely cool. Two weeks in and Holly was still waiting for the day Gail suggested she call her by her first name.

Gail lifted her chin in lazy acknowledgment, her expression anything but delighted as her eyes flicked sideways for half a second allowing Holly a glimpse at cool blue eyes that she would happily get lost in if given half the chance. She wanted to ask Gail if she'd enjoyed her first few weeks on the job but her question died on her tongue when the rig rolled up and Gail sprang into action.

Not usually one to stand back and let everyone else do all the work, Holly was more than happy to on this occasion, because watching Gail do her thing was mesmerising.

"Is Gail still giving you the cold shoulder?" Traci asked as they watched Gail help the paramedics guide the stretcher of out the rig.

"I don't get it. Surely she can't be still angry over last weeks cheesepuff incident. I apologised, more than once, and replaced the ones I ate. I even threw in a half-dozen extra packets."

"Mmm hmm," Traci mused. "She certainly does love her snacks."

"How does she act around you?" Holly's eyes followed Gail's hands as they reached for the small tube of hand sanitizer the nurse kept in her uniform shirt pocket.

"She's pleasant enough. Doesn't have a whole lot to say but when she does, she's hilarious, in an awkward, mean girl kind of way."

"She doesn't exactly give off an approachable vibe."

Traci nodded and then chuckled to herself, "Have you noticed that when the first years see her coming their way they walk in the opposite direction? A couple of days ago I watched a herd of them cram into a supply closet and turn off the light."

Holly laughed. "And here I thought the Chief was the only one who had that effect on them." Holly probably would have noticed if she hadn't been busy watching the sway of Gail's hips, or the way Gail liberally applied her hand sanitizer, just like she was doing now. Christ! Of all things she had to find sexy, it had to be that, Holly chastized herself.

"It's pretty clear Gail isn't that fond of people and she isn't above letting them know," Traci added.

"And yet she works a job that requires constant contact with them. And sick ones at that."

Traci shrugged. "She does seem to love working with kids, though."

Holly sighed. "You couldn't pay me to go back that age."

"Well, I guess you're screwed then, Doc." Traci playfully slapped her on the shoulder before making a move to join Gail.

Holly laughed at her friend as she trailed close behind her. She could always count on Traci to dole out a healthy dose of truth.

As soon as the security doors opened, and the gurney was pushed inside, Holly switched to doctor mode. Ignoring the stench of alcohol coming from the patient, she raked her eyes over the half-naked young man who was bear-hugging a giant stuffed toy giraffe. This was not what she was expecting when Traci said MVG but it was far from the weirdest thing she'd seen this shift.

She laid a hand on the gurney, mimicking Gail's position on the opposite side, and addressed the paramedics. "Dov, Chris, what have you got for us?"

"Patient is seventeen year old male, Alex Stone," Dov answered. "GCS fifteen, heart rate, ninety. He complained of chest pain after jumping off his parents roof."

Holly directed them towards the trauma bay Oliver designated. "How far did he fall?"

"Flew," the patient groaned as he tried to sit up but Gail didn't allow him to get very far, pushing him back down by the shoulder.

"Drunken bystanders said he jumped from the first floor and landed awkwardly on his left side," Chris explained. "Lucky for him, the giraffe was there to soften the blow."

"And apparently he still had enough brain cells left to at least put on a helmet," Gail added, though Holly noticed that the patient was no longer wearing one. It must have been taken off on the ride over. She'd witnessed enough preventable traumatic brain injuries to last her a lifetime.

"He also has a possible fracture to his left ankle, which we stabilised on scene," Dov added.

Holly nodded, taking in the pivotal information as they transferred the young man, along with his giant stuffed toy that he didn't seem to want to let go of, off the transport gurney and onto another.

"And the giraffe?" Holly wondered why they hadn't taken it from him.

"No apparent injuries."

Gail and Traci chuckled and Holly looked up, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, but someone ought to laugh at Epstein's jokes," Gail said as she handed Traci an IV bag.

"Excuse me, plenty of people laugh at my jokes," Dov defended himself.

Gail and Holly stared at him in disbelief. "Your girlfriend doesn't count." They both looked back at each other when they realized they'd said the same thing in unison. A wry smile appeared on Gail's face and Holly had to look away, afraid that if she stared at the polarising sight for too long she'd run the risk of people, including Gail, noticing her embarrassingly obvious crush. That is, if they hadn't already.

After the paramedics left, Holly asked her new patient a few routine questions before listening to his chest. Both sides sounded clear, and he no longer looked to be in pain, which was a very good sign, but she still needed to rule out any broken ribs and get a chest x-ray as a precautionary measure. She couldn't risk him bleeding into his chest or developing a collapsed lung.

But before she could even attempt to examine him more thoroughly, there was the small matter—or rather, tall matter—of the stuffed giraffe to deal with. She tried in vain to pry the giraffe from Alex's vice-like grip, but it seemed to be stuck to him like glue. Scratching her head in confusion, she leaned over him and, upon closer inspection, found that it was in fact stuck to him with glue.

"I was aiming for the pool," Alex said solemnly, his eyes glistening up at her, "I missed."

Holly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled. The good news: Alex Stone had likely escaped his crash landing with only minor injuries, albeit a possible bruised ego. The bad news: His furry companion was about to meet one of Holly's most reliable friends, Mr. Scalpel.

Before Holly had even uttered the word out loud, Gail had placed the sharp item in her hand.

Alex took one look at the scalpel and sobbed.

"Don't worry, dude," Gail consoled him as she pulled the giraffe towards herself, stretching the fur so Holly could see the contact points more clearly, "Dr. Stewart is a pro. She performs giraffectomy's all the time."

Holly smiled to herself while Alex groaned. He masked his eyes with his free arm as Holly began trimming back the fake fur. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Probably," Gail said frankly.

Holly chose a softer approach, "I'm sure they will just be happy to see that you're okay." Holly raised an eyebrow at Gail who shrugged.

"You don't understand. That was my kid sisters birthday present. It took them forever to track it down. It's imported from Japan or something."

Holly only wished he'd said that a few seconds earlier, before she'd severed one of the giraffes legs from its body. "Shit!"

Gail's quick reflexes were on display as she caught the leg before it hit the floor. "Alex, did you know that Dr. Stewart has the best subcuticular sutures in the entire hospital? She'll sew that bad boy right back on. Your parents will be none-the-wiser."

Holly appreciated the glowing review of her suturing skills, and would likely take time to revel in it later, but frankly, she had slightly more important things to do during her shift than sew up a stuffed toy.

After a few minutes of intensive cutting, Holly finally freed Alex from his giraffe friend and sent him to X-ray. (Alex, not the giraffe.)

"I'm going over to The Penny to get a bucket of coffee," Traci said once she was done updating Alex's chart. "You want anything, Gail?"

Gail looked somewhat surprised to be asked. "Uh. A coffee would be great, thanks."

After giving Traci her order, Traci looked to Holly. "What about you? Still abstaining?"

"Unfortunately. I'll take a weak hot chocolate, though."

"So basically hot milk. Got it. Anything else? Bag of cheese puffs?" she smirked.

Holly glared at Traci and mouthed "I hate you" when Gail wasn't looking.

"I'll come find you guys in a bit." Traci pushed through the doors, grinning back at Holly.

An awkward silence fell over the room. Seeing as Traci brought it up, Holly contemplated apologizing again for the cheesepuff incident but ultimately settled on a safer, less humiliating topic. She cleared her throat, which got Gail's attention.

"Since when did kids have parties on a Sunday night?" she asked.

Gail shrugged, seemingly uninterested in the topic.

"Back in my day," Holly began, attempting to share a nostalgic story.

Gail chuckled, interrupting her. "Did you really just say 'back in my day'?"

Holly's cheeks reddened. "Um, no?"

"Okay, grandma," Gail grinned. "I guess I must have misheard you."

"You should probably get your hearing checked, Grandma." Holly cringed at her comeback and quickly left the bay to avoid further embarrassment.


Two hours later, Holly wasn't even close to her next attempt at a nap. She found herself in a treatment area, suturing a rather gnarly laceration on the forearm of a thirty-year-old woman named Yun. Yun had come into the ED, clearly exhausted and nursing a bloodied arm. As soon as Yun came in contact with a bed and her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep. Holly couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

In Yun's moments of lucidity, Holly learned that she was a single mother of three young children and had been cleaning their apartment very early in the morning - the only time she had free - when she'd tripped and put her arm through a glass coffee table. Holly knew the simple procedure could have easily been handled by one of the med students, but she always found the repetitive process to be calming. Besides, she needed to warm up if she was going to replant the leg of that kids toy giraffe before her shift ended.

Holly was in the middle of tying the final knot when her concentration was broken by the sound of raised voices echoing through the corridors. With a sigh, she put down her instruments, wheeled her chair back, and popped her head around the curtain to check what all the commotion was about.

At the end of the corridor, Chief Landry was gesticulating widely at someone, which was never a good sign. Holly couldn't see who was on the receiving end of the Chief's rant because her view was obstructed by a vending machine.

She looked around for a free nurse but none were available. "Chloe," she beckoned the third-year medical student who was walking by. "Would you mind bandaging Mrs. Li's arm?"

"Want me to also write up her wound care instructions and send her on her merry way?"

"Actually," Holly looked down at Yun who was sleeping soundly, "let her sleep for another hour and then send her on her merry way." Yun had mentioned that her neighbors were watching her kids until her mother came to take over. Holly didn't see any harm letting Yun sleep for a little longer seeing as it wasn't too busy and they had the free bed.

"You got it, boss."

Holly stood and stripped off her gloves. She was about to dispose of them in the waste bin a couple of feet away but saw one in earshot of the argument. Her curiosity ultimately won out and she made her way towards it.

"You've only been here two weeks," Chief Landry warned as Holly inched closer. With there only being one knew hire recently, Holly knew the chief could have only been addressing one person: Gail.

"Two weeks of hell."

Holly winced at Gail's huffy response. This wasn't going to end well for her. Chief Landry was a known ballbuster who didn't tolerate any kind of insubordination.

"This is your last strike, and then..."

"And then what? You're gonna fire me? This is such bullshit!"

"Gail…"

Holly's eyes widened when she heard movement. When Gail rounded the corner, Holly threw her used gloves into the trash, hoping to appear busy. Gail stopped right in front of her, surprised, and by the disgruntled look on her face, pissed to see her there.

Holly cleared her throat as Gail continued to glare. "Is, um, everything okay?"

Gail crossed her arms and remained standoffish. "You make a habit of eavesdropping?"

Holly didn't appreciate Gail's accusatory tone, even if the gorgeous woman was right on the money.

Holly mimicked Gail's stance, raising her chin. "Not really eavesdropping when the entire hospital can hear you."

There was a long pause, and then Gail uncrossed her arms. "How about next time you mind your damn business."

"I…" Apparently the conversation was over because Gail brushed past her shoulder and strode down the corridor. Holly watched after her as she headed for the closest restroom. "Okay, bye. Great talking to you," she said to herself. "What the hell just happened?"

"Don't mind her."

Startled, Holly instinctively placed her hand on her chest. "Christ, I think you just aged me twenty years."

The Chief walked up beside her. "And that would make you twenty years closer to retirement age. I can't lose you just yet, Dr. Stewart, you're my best doctor."

"I think you just lost your best nurse, though."

"She'll be back, don't you worry."

Holly sighed. "She hates me."

"Don't feel special, she hates everyone."

"But why?"

"That's an excellent question, doctor. If you ever ever figure it out, let me know. I'll see you in my office at 1pm. Sharp."

"Looking forward to it."

She was also looking forward to a nap in her own bed, but not before she fixed Mr. Giraffe.


"Motherfucker," Holly grumbled through the pain, having accidentally pricked herself with the suturing needle for the fifth time in a minute. It was almost 7 a.m., significantly later than she had originally intended to be at the hospital. Reattaching the toy giraffe's leg to its body was proving to be far more challenging than she had anticipated. It turned out that polyester was nothing like human skin. Who would have guessed?

She was busy sucking a spot of blood from the pad of her thumb when Gail pushed through the door of the break room. The nurse's gym bag hung low on her shoulder, and Holly couldn't help but notice she had changed out of her scrubs and into some black leather pants and a blue blazer. Gail had been filling in for a sick colleague for a few hours.

Holly bit her lip as she tried to ignore her growing attraction. "You're supposed to be mad at her," she silently reminded herself before getting back on task.

Gail walked straight to the fridge where she proceeded to rummage through the shelves. "You've got to be kidding me." She slammed the fridge door shut and kicked it with her boot. "Where the fuck is my fucking water bottle?"

Holly considered not helping her, as she was supposed to be mad at her, but, alas, she couldn't resist. "Ahem," she cleared her throat.

Gail startled. When Holly caught her eye, she pointed to the table a few metres away, where the nurses Darth Vader themed water bottle sat. Fitting choice, Holly smirked.

"Oh. I didn't realize anyone was in here." Gail went and picked up the bottle.

Holly said nothing but she could distinctly feel Gail's eyes on her.

"Whatcha doing?"

Holly carried on suturing. "You mean besides 'minding my damn business'?"

She heard Gail sigh deeply, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching. Shortly after, she felt the sofa dip beside her.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I was... I'm having a rough week, not that it's a legitimate excuse. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up bearing the brunt of my frustration."

Holly looked up. "Don't you mean bad two weeks?"

Gail squinted at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"While I was totally not eavesdropping, you said that working here had been, and I quote 'two weeks from hell'. Are we really that unbearable to work with?" Holly would be remiss to say that Gail's comment earlier hadn't hurt. Holly was proud of the tight knit team she had around her, and she actually thought Gail had slotted in seamlessly.

Gail stared at her slack jawed. "What!? No, of course not! That's not…" Gail closed her eyes for a moment as she rubbed her temples. "Look, you're probably learning that my mouth has a mind of its own sometimes."

Holly raised her eyebrow at her.

"Okay, fine. I know exactly what I'm saying one-hundred percent of the time, but when I made that dig earlier, I was simply trying to piss off the Chief, that's all. I was being a brat. I'm a brat. Despite my obvious shortcomings, you have all been very welcoming and professional. Unlike me. I'm a thirty-six year old woman who holds grudges over stolen snacks and has arguments with their superiors in hallways for everyone to hear, like an asshole." Gail looked down at her hands where she began fidgeting with the eclectic rings that covered half of her fingers. The human skull ring on her middle finger was particularly eye-catching.

"Yeah, but you're a beautiful asshole," Holly was so so close to saying out loud. Instead she went with, "Apology accepted."

Gail looked up in surprise. "Seriously? Just like that?"

Holly nodded. She wasn't one to hold grudges. "However, I do not forgive you for lumping me with this giraffe, and will likely punish you for the foreseeable future.

Gail tugged on the giraffes foot. "You know, I only said that to calm the patient. I had always planned to fix her myself."

Holly raised an eyebrow. "Her?"

"Yeah. See here?" Gail pointed at the giraffes private regions. "No pee pee. You should really brush up on your stuffed toy anatomy, Dr. Stewart, for next time."

"I will definitely do that, right after I finish sewing her stupid leg back on." As Holly fought with the last suture, she got a whiff of Gail's intoxicating scent - it was a mix of vanilla and musk and just the right amount of hospital, if that was even a thing. She soon realized Gail was leaning over her, watching her work.

"I was right about you," Gail stated ever-so-simply. Holly looked up and they made eye-contact. Prolonged eye-contact. "Those are beautiful."

Holly had to agree as she looked into Gail's eyes. "Uh, thanks." She pushed her glasses up her nose, blushing. "I think it's gonna scar though."

"I think you're right." Gail stood and and with a glint in her eye said, "Back in our day, toy giraffes were far less fragile."

"Touché," Holly said, appreciating the callback to their embarrassing conversation earlier. Well, embarrassing for Holly.

Holly's watch beeped, marking the hour. She stood and stretched out her tired limbs. "Ugh. I should really get some sleep." She began gathering up her things.

"You heading home?"

"Yeah, but I've got to come back in a few hours."

"Why? Didn't you just pull a double?"

"I have a meeting with the Chief to discuss a new journal I want to write. Which reminds me, I need to ask Andy if she wants to collaborate." Andy was a physician's assistant Holly had worked with for close to four years, and they had an excellent rapport.

"Which case?" Gail asked.

"The Denton case from last week."

"Mary Denton. Sixty-four year old female with history of rheumatoid arthritis, presented with worsening dysphasia."

"Good memory."

"I would hope so, considering I was also on the case with you."

"You were? How interesting." Holly attempted to play coy.

"And I take it you weren't going to ask for my help?"

Holly scratched her head. "I ate your snacks. It seemed…Unwise."

"I see," Gail said as she stuffed her water bottle in her bag. Holly couldn't tell if she'd annoyed Gail again, and if she should apologise. She had decided to let it go when Gail said, "I'll do it."

"You'll do what?"

"Help you with your journal."

Holly squinted at her. "Are you only offering out of guilt?"

"Yes."

Gail said it so straight-faced that it made Holly laugh. "You're nothing if not honest."

"But also because I know Andy is dealing with some personal stuff on the home front, so I doubt she will have the time."

Holly raised a questioning eyebrow.

"That's right, I also haven't been eavesdropping," Gail said, smirking. "Look, I have an awesome memory and an eye for detail, which you could benefit from if you just say yes and free me of my guilt."

Holly considered playfully stringing her along but she didn't have the energy. "Okay, yes, that would be helpful, thank you."

"Cool."

"Did you want to grab some breakfast and discuss it further?" Holly asked, her desire for sleep momentarily overridden.

"Oh, I can't. I'm already meeting Chris for breakfast."

"EMT Chris?"

Gail nodded, a hint of redness creeping onto her cheeks.

"Interesting," Holly mused. Because of course Gail was dating someone—how could this woman not be dating someone? She was beautiful and smart and kind, in her own weird way. And she wore leather pants.

"Don't worry, you won't catch us making out in a supply closet," Gail assured her.

Holly shrugged. "Meh. It happens."

Gail eyed her curiously. "But I thought you were..."

"You thought I was what? A boring, old spinster lady?"

Gail laughed, shaking her head. "No, a lesbian."

"What does me being a lesbian have to do with...Oh. You thought Chris and I had...In a supply closet." Holly laughed. "Maybe in his dreams."

"That's exactly what I said to him after I punched him in the stomach for proposing it."

"Good for you," she said lightheartedly, trying to ignore the sting.

"He promised me pancakes so I have forgiven him."

She was slowly figuring out that food was the way to Gail's heart, or at least into her good books. "Pancakes huh? I'll have keep that in mind for the next time a piss you off."

"You're a quick learner, Dr. Stewart. You will go far. Did you, um, want to join us for breakfast?"

"As much as I love being the third wheel, I should probably get home to Lucy."

"Is Lucy your wife?"

Holly laughed a little too hard, as if the notion of her having a wife was so ridiculous. "My cat," she clarified. "I'm not currently attached." Holly wasn't sure why she shared that last bit of information.

"I hate cats." Gail said matter-of-factly.

"Well, she's not too fond of people."

"What a coincidence, neither am I. Do you need a hand with your Lunchbox?"

"It's my Med kit."

"Uh huh." Gail waited for Holly to finish packing and then held open the door for her.

They stopped by the central hub and Holly handed the toy giraffe to Chloe. "Could you please give this to Alex Stone in Two."

"Sure thing, boss." Chloe smiled. "Have a great day."

"She has a crush on you, you know," Gail said as they walked out together.

Holly looked back into the hospital. "Who? The Med student?"

Gail nodded.

"That's ridiculous."

"Why is that ridiculous? Do you not consider yourself crush-worthy?"

"She's like… Twelve. And I'm…"

"A boring, old, spinster lady?"

"I think you mean 'a boring, old, spinster cat lady,'" Holly corrected her.

Gail raised her hands, smiling. "My mistake."

As they walked towards the staff car park, Holly wished she could prolong the conversation with Gail, but she was too tired. "I guess I'll see you in a couple of days," she said, reaching her car first.

"Sure. Assuming I don't get fired before then." Gail turned towards her own car, which was parked directly opposite. "Later Lunchbox."

Holly shook her head but smiled. She'd never been given a nickname before. Could it be that Gail was actually warming to her? One could only hope.

She popped her trunk and stowed her lunchbox - damn it, med kit - inside.

"Actually," Gail spun back around, "I have parting question for you."

Holly closed the trunk. "Okay…" she said, sceptical.

"If not Chris, who have you been making out with in the supply closet?"

A sly smile crept onto Holly's lips as she retreated toward the driver's side door. "That I'll never tell," she replied.

Moments later, Traci appeared out of nowhere and approached Gail.

Gail's eyebrows shot up as Traci whispered into her ear. She looked over at Holly, her shock evident. "Really, Lunchbox? Anderson?"

Holly stamped her foot at Traci's betrayal. "Damn it, Traci! Is nothing sacred in this place?"

Gail was studying Holly intently as Traci walked away laughing.

"What?" Holly huffed.

"Nothing." Gail smirked.

With Gail's gaze still lingering on her, Holly rolled her eyes and climbed into her car, desperately hoping that the next time she encountered Gail, she would manage to avoid further humiliation. However, her track record at this point suggested otherwise.