Hey guys I'm back! Finished my S/S classes last week! To make up being gone, this chapter is the longest one so far with 7,254 words.
Enjoy!
Connor walks through the CT floor and scans around the room till he spots Dr. Latham working at the computer and Ava looking over charts on the tablet. He walks towards the two.
"Dr. Latham." Connor spoke as he approached the older man.
Dr. Latham turned to look at the young surgeon before looking back at the computer. "Dr. Rhodes. Light day today."
"That's good, 'cause we just got a call from Mercy Hospital over in Rock Island." Said Connor.
"What happened?" Ava looked up from the tablet and approached the two.
"They have a young woman with a Type A aortic dissection who needs a valve-sparing root replacement." Connor spoke looking at her.
Ava widen her eyes at his words. "Really?"
"Rare, difficult procedure." Dr. Latham agreed with the news.
"Mm-hmm, and none of the surgeons there have any experience with it." Said Connor.
"They're asking us to perform the procedure?" Ava spoke with anticipation as her eyes lit up.
Connor nodded in her direction.
"Have the air ambulance bring her in, and I'll clear an O.R." Dr. Latham nodded towards their direction.
"I'll do it myself." Ava quickly turned around, only for Connor to reach for her shoulder, signaling to her that there was more. She turned her head back.
"I'm afraid we can't. She's multi-trauma from a car accident, and she's too unstable to travel." Connor explained.
"Then they'll have to perform a standard repair." The older man sighed.
"Dr. Latham, I..." Connor started to speak till he was cut off.
"I do not like to travel." Dr. Latham stated.
Connor took a quick look at Ava to see she was mirroring the same look he was giving her. Their mouths weren't moving, but they were talking to one another through their eyes. It's been a habit of theirs to do when doing surgeries together.
They both wanted to perform the surgery and they needed to convince their boss to go.
Connor started to speak. "I can understand that given your situation..."
Dr. Latham turned his head to his left and looked straight at Connor's face. "You can say it. My Asperger's."
Connor nodded and closed his lips, slightly taking in his lips.
Ava then stepped in, seeing that Connor was signaling it was her turn. She stepped closer to Connor, shoulder to shoulder.
"Dr. Latham, these cases are indeed rare. And while both Dr. Rhodes and I have assisted you on one before, I have performed one in Groote Schuur."
"I would also like to be able to say I have done one running lead." Connor jumped in, adding his input.
Ava slightly turned her head to look at Connor, slightly shaking her head with a smirk.
'Trying to one-up me again, Rhodes?'
"Now, it's only a 20-minute chopper flight, and we don't even have to spend the night." Connor kneeled closer as he finished.
Dr. Latham continued to stare at him, carefully thinking and taking in his fellows' words. He nodded and turned his head back to the computer. "This is important to the both you."
"It is." Connor and Ava answered at the same time then looked at each other in surprised then back at their chief.
He quietly sighed. "Perhaps I shouldn't be so rigid. A broading experience might do me good."
Connor and Ava both slightly nodded their heads, having the same hopeful look in their eyes.
Dr. Latham thought about it some more then turned to face the two. "All right, Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Bekker. You'll both get your procedure." His eyes looked down then back up. "We'll even spend the night." His eyes darted towards the right then back at the two. "A hotel...gonna be interesting."
Connor and Ava both had a mix of stun and hesitant looks and smile on their faces at his words.
"I'll let them know." Connor said standing up straight and walking away.
At the corner of his eye, he glanced over at Ava who was looking at him with smirk on her face then back down towards her tablet.
As expected, the helicopter ride was about 20 minutes. Once they reached the Rock Island's Mercy Hospital, the three surgeons exited the aircraft with their overnight bags and followed the hospital workers towards their destination. Once they reached the O.R. floor, they were greeted by two men in suits.
"Drs. Rhodes, Bekker and Latham, Mayor Hendrix." The larger man wearing a brown suit introduced the doctors to the man wearing a navy-blue suit.
"Call me, Jim." The mayor shook their hands. "My family and I can't thank you enough for coming."
"I can assure you we will do everything we can for your daughter." Said Connor.
"If there's anything that you need, please let Bob or me know." Said the mayor.
"Of course." Ava nodded.
"We will." Said Connor.
"Thank you." Said Dr. Latham.
The three doctors walked past the two men and deeper into the floor.
"Must be hard staying upbeat under such trying circumstances. Guess if you're a politician, it's expected." Dr. Latham looked at the two.
A few hours later, the three doctors were now on the O.R. performing the surgery on the mayor's daughter with two CT surgeons watching them how to perform it.
"Graft is in. Let's re-implant the coronaries." Said Ava.
"We'll do the left coronary first, due to its anterior location." Said Connor.
"How far do you prefer to dissect for implantation?" The male doctor looking over Connor's right shoulder asked.
"Five or six centimeters." Connor replied.
"Even when it's a little shorter, there could be some tension." The man replied.
"That rarely becomes problematic." Connor responded.
The female surgeon looking over Connor's left shoulder turned to look at his face before opening her mouth. "Though, Kessler et al did report pseduo-aneurysm formation in 20% of implants under tension."
Both Ava and Dr. Latham looked over at the three.
"Which we can avoid with added dissection." Connor replied.
"So, you'd prefer to risk a branch injury and possibly force a double bypass?" The male doctor spoke.
"No." Connor's shoulders became tense, realizing that he messed up his words.
'Really, Rhodes? How many times do I have to save your ass today?' Ava smirked under her mask.
"I believe, Dr Rhodes means we can do a Cabrol. Attach an 8-millimeter woven graft to the left coronary, in order to ease the tension." Said Ava.
"Exactly. Is that correct, Dr. Rhodes?" Dr. Latham joined in.
Connor's shoulders relaxed at their words. "Yes. Yes, that is what we should do." He nodded towards them. "Open an 8-milimeter woven graft." He instructed to the team. His eyes flicked up to look at Ava's hazel eyes and can tell that she was smirking at his stupidity.
'She's not gonna let this one down.' Connor thought to himself.
The surgery was successful, and the mayor's family were so grateful for saving their daughter that the mayor was paying for their stay at their best 5-star hotel and Bob has invited the three to have drinks in the hotel.
After the three checked into the rooms, they were walking towards the meeting place Bob he will be.
Connor was wearing a navy-blue long-sleeved shirt. dark black jeans and a pair of dark brown leather Oxford dress shoes.
Ava was wearing a black leather jacket, a white blouse underneath, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and Delilah women's black water-resistant soft toe non-slip dress shoes. She had her hair down and was in curls.
Dr. Latham simply wore the same grey suit he was wearing when he came to work.
"Hey, back in the O.R. you two." Connor started to speak. "Thanks for not letting me look like an idiot."
"Oh, no need to thank us." Dr. Latham politely spoke.
"Still, I appreciate it." Connor replied.
"I always thought that needing to be rescued was a sign of weakness. I'm starting to see it's more complicated than that."
"Dr. Latham! I'm glad you could join us." Bob spoke with wide open arms and shook the taller man's hand in a firm aggressive handshake. "Now, we may not be Chicago, but I bet you men and women have never had a wicked sidecar inside a hundred-foot rock dome."
"Um, no." Dr. Latham spoke softly.
"Come on!" Bob wrapped a warm around the uncomfortable doctor away into the dome.
Connor and Ava gave each other a side glance at the scene before them.
"Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Bekker, Mike Evans. chamber of commerce." A light grey-haired man wearing a red sweater and white dress shirt underneath introduced himself and shook both of their hands.
"Hey, pleasure to meet you." Connor spoke.
"Let's get you two a drink."
"Absolutely but give us just a moment to talk in private. We'll meet you inside in a minute."
"Sure, I'll get you both a drink in the meantime." Mike nodded and headed inside the dome.
"Strap yourself in!" Bob spoke to Dr. Latham as they entered the dome's bar called, "The Cave".
Ava smirked as she tuned to face Connor. She crossed her arms waiting for him to speak.
"Now that Latham's currently preoccupied at the moment, and just so we're clear, we can't leave him alone any longer."
"I totally agree." Connor nodded.
"Anything else you would like to add?" She raised her left eyebrow.
Connor sighed in defeat. "Thank you for saving my ass from looking like an idiot surgeon infront of those doctors and nurses."
"Well, ya know, consider it as, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch as yours."" Ava was referring to Connor helping her out with Dr. Jaffrey a few weeks ago.
"So, we're even then?" He caught on what she meant.
Her eyes looked down at their feet. "Like what Latham just said, "needing to be rescued was a sign of weakness" and that's something I don't like to feel." She recalls back to Dr. Jaffrey's case.
Connor took notice of this and realized that she was still hurt by that case...
"Plus, I thought it would really look bad if Number 11 from the 2016's Spotlight Chicago's 40 Rising Stars Under 40 made himself look like a fool outside of Chicago." She looked back up and a mocking grin appeared on her face.
… or maybe not.
Connor sighed in disbelief about that. 'There it is. Of course, she would know about that.'
"For starters, Goodwin approved that article to get the hospital more attention and I didn't know about it till the other doctors told me about it. And second, how am I not surprised that you would know about that." He shook his head in embarrassment.
"I believe the words were, "Dashing young surgeon is poised to lead Chicago Med into the future." Her grin becomes wider.
He cringed at those words causing Ava to laugh.
"Buy you another drink if you stop talking about that article. It's embarrassing."
"Looks like Latham isn't going to be the only one having a hard time tonight." Ava grabbed his left arm and dragged him towards bar.
Connor and Ava were sitting at a table with Bob and Mike and weren't paying attention to the conversation the two gentlemen were having but instead were focused at the scene 3 tables in front of them.
Dr. Latham was sitting a two-person table with an attractive pale skinned, medium length blond haired woman. Wearing a red V-neck long sleeve shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black heels. The woman was grinning at him and he was smiling at their conversation.
Connor and Ava both looked at each other in confusion.
"Ah, excuse us for a second, guys." Connor and Ava both stood up with their glasses.
"Sure." Bob paused his conversation with Mike for a brief second.
Dr. Latham had stood up as well and walked towards the bar with his almost empty glass.
Connor and Ava approached him.
"Looks like you're having a good time." Connor spoke first.
"Ah." Dr. Latham put something inside his left breast pocket and looked down at his watch. "Very nice young woman." He quickly glanced back at the woman then back the two. "We're going up to my room. She has an irregular mole she'd like me to take a look at."
Ava was at a loss of words at what she just heard.
'That is something I did not need to hear.' She glanced back at the woman.
"Was that her idea or yours?" Connor asked.
"Here, Doc, let me freshmen that up." The male bartender poured him another glass. He glanced over at the blonde-haired woman and she glanced over with a small smile on her face.
The two young surgeons both saw that and glanced at each other, talking with their eyes.
'Do something, Connor!'
'I know!'
"Ah, why don't the four of us go over to the steakhouse? My treat." He grinned, feeling a sweat drop at the side of his neck.
"I agree! We haven't eaten yet after all." Ava also put on a reassuring grin.
"Dr. Rhodes, Dr. Bekker, are you two trying to...what is the expression..." He looked up to think then back facing the two, "interrupt my flow?"
'I give up.' Ava closed her eyes and kept within her thoughts on the situation.
"No. No, we're not." Connor closed his eyes and shook his head.
Dr. Latham quickly chugged this drink. He sighed then looked back at the blonde woman. She stood up and grabbed onto his right arm and the two exited the bar together.
"Night." Connor spoke softly as they watched the two walked away.
He turned his head to look at Ava and was about to open his mouth till she pressed two fingers towards his lips.
"Let's just go the steakhouse and forget what just happened in the last 60 seconds." She spoke with her eyes still closed, faced forward, away from his face.
She felt Connor nodding against his lips.
"Okay, let's go." She grabbed his left arm and left the bar.
"Maybe I should have dinner with you more often, Rhodes. If you're treating me that is of course." Ava spoke as Connor held the door for her as they exited the restaurant.
"If I had a nickel every time a girl said that to me, I think I would have about...$5."
"You've had a meal with 100 women?" Ava smirked and raised her right eyebrow.
"Hey." He held up his left index finger. "That includes three meals a day and it's women I'm friends with and have treated multiple times."
"So desperate to get a date, you always offer to pay?" She spoke in a smug tone.
"No, the nurses in the ED really enjoy putting everything on my tab with the food truck. And this includes Ms. Goodwin."
Ava laughed. "Maybe I should add my name to the list as well then. In the cafeteria that is. I don't leave the building to eat by the food trucks cause I'm CT."
"Good, the list is long enough as it is already." Connor pretended to sigh in relief. Ava playfully elbowed him.
She placed her hands back in her coat pockets. "So, what else do you want to do here while we're out of Chicago?"
"Hmmm." Connor furrowed his eyebrows thinking what else to do. "It's still winter so I'm not sure. What do you want to do?" He looked over at her.
"Not sure." She took out her phone to look at the time, it was 8:58 PM. "It is getting late, I guess we sure head back to the hotel now. Especially since we're waking up early to fly back to Chicago."
"Yeah you're right. Hopefully Latham's already called it a night with his friend." Connor scratched behind his right ear.
"Ugh, that's the first and last time I wanna see him with women outside of the hospital." Ava shuttered as the two started walking.
"Why cause it was bad or disturbing?" He asked.
"Both and she's a gold digger and the bartender were her accomplice."
"Let's hope that he didn't bring anything important here."
"He doesn't seem to be that type of person who carries important things with him so there's hope." She nodded looking at him.
"Yeah." He agreed.
They walked in silence for two minutes before Connor started laughing. Ava looked over at him in confusion.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I just can't help but remember what Dr. Latham said to us." He looked at her. "When you said, 'interrupt my flow?' part." He laughed again.
Ava laughed with him. "Oh yeah, that!" She continued to laugh. "That's when I gave up on trying to stop him cause what do you say to him after he says something like that? Talk about awkward and embarrassing"
"Luckily, most of my embarrassing moments with girls ended in high school." Connor admitted then quickly widen his eyes at what he just said to her. "Shit." He whispered.
"Oh!" That caught her ears. "Don't stop on my accord. Please continue." She smirked as she urged him to continue.
Connor sighed. "Guess the cat's out of the bag now. Me and my big mouth." He sighed again.
"Enough with the sighing and get on with the storytelling, Rhodes." She crossed her arms.
"Okay, okay." He held up his arms surrendering. "In high school, back during my sophomore year, there was a science fair and Rebecca Stone, the prettiest girl, the top honor student and class president in the senior class was entering."
Ava's smirk grew wider. 'Oh lord, this should be interesting.'
"And I wanted to impress her enough to get second place cause I knew she was gonna win first place like how she does every year."
"So, what was the project?"
Connor bit his lip recalling the memory. "Testing which different types of carbohydrate drinks would be effective to create a... Mentos cannon."
Ava instantly laughed out loud at his words.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. It was really stupid and childish."
Ava calmed herself down. "Okay, okay. How did it turn out in the end?"
"Well, to sum it up, it went terrible. My friend who was helping me, accidently bumped into the table, and that caused all the cups to fall over into the cannon that was placed below, along with the Mentos."
Ava covered her mouth trying to imagine the scene in her mind. "Let me guess. It exploded."
Connor sighed as he looked up into the night sky. "Good news, the cannon worked. Bad news, it shot right at Rebecca and the principal."
Ava giggled and patted Connor's back. "Look on the bright side, at least she knew who you were cause of it."
"That was the second worst day of my life in high school."
"Second?" She raised her right eyebrow.
"It was first, till the next year later with the school play."
That caught her attention. "You were theater kid?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I always auditioned for the school plays since middle school. Always got the leading role as well." He grinned.
"Guess that pretty face of yours does belong on the stage. Care to explain why you're not on Broadway then?" She joked.
"Because of what happened on the stage during my junior year." He rolled his eyes at the humiliating memory.
"Is it somehow related to Rebecca Stone?"
"No. But she was there in the audience cause her sister was in the play."
"What happened?"
He paused for a moment before opening his mouth. "To sum it up, during opening night, a romance scene with my character and the female lead, my pants fell, and I was wearing the wrong type of boxer that night."
Ava grinned imagining it as she giggled.
Connor must have known what she was gonna say when she opened her mouth cause the next words that came out of his mouth were, "And no, you may not know what they looked like." He shoved his hands back into his coat pockets. "That was also the last time I was in the school play. Everyone in school knew about what happened because of the quarterback who hated me was there, along with the entire cheerleading squad."
"Aw." Ava playfully rubbing his shoulder in comfort. "Even with all the money in the world, they can't protect you from these moments."
"Well, not all of us can be perfect in their lives and not have any embarrassing moments. Did you not have at least one?" He stopped walking and looked at her.
Ava's body froze at his words.
Connor could tell from her body language that she was hiding something from him. He knew about her terrible past, but he knew there were more stuff she was hiding from him.
"Oh yeah, you do have at least one, or two embarrassing moments. Perhaps high school as well?" He crossed his arms.
"Don't talk like you know me." She scoffed and looked in the opposite direction.
"Well, compared to everyone else in Chicago, and perhaps in the country, I'm the only one who knows certain events that happened in your life."
Ava paused for a moment, recalling what happened in the bar a week ago. "That is true."
"And since you already know so much about me and my past, I think it's only fair for me to know more about yours to even it up."
She sighed. "I guess it's only fair, just to save your pride." She crossed her arms. "Yes, I've had embarrassing moments in high school as well. Compared to yours, I think they're about the same."
"Uh-huh. Go on."
"I don't want to go further in detail cause I really don't want to relive the memory." She looked down at the ground.
"It can't be that bad." He shrugged his shoulders.
Ava looked back up and gave him a look. "From a guy's point of view, no. From a woman, it's bad." She sighed. "When I was 17, I went to the mall to see a magician show and many people from school was there. I didn't' check my surroundings when I sat down on an empty bench, only to find out a few seconds later that someone had spilled their red drink all over it. I stood back up to check and it was that exact moment when a group of people from school walked by. All who happened to be from the cheer team."
"Oooh." Connor spoke softly.
"And I was wearing white pants." She frowned.
"Oooh." Connor rubbed her right shoulder in comfort. "Yep, that's the same level of embarrassing of the underwear thing for me. At least it's not the same level as the whole Mentos thing."
"Well..." Her voice started to go higher. "Another thing happened that month that's actually worse thing the whole Mentos thing for you."
"How?" He raised an eyebrow.
She held her left elbow in her right hand. "I had a history presentation with a guy I was crushing on and I got sick that morning. And I didn't want to miss the presentation or else we would lose points. So, during the presentation, I got even more sick and... I ended up...throwing up on him."
"Oooh." While his embarrassing moments appeared funny to her, he doesn't find any of her memories to be funny at all.
In fact, he just felt bad for her.
"Yeah, high school girls are mean. The head cheerleader who was at the mall was also in the classroom. She was also dating him."
"Yikes." He spoke softly. "Well, there's always a lot of drama going on in high school. All that matters now is we're done with school and we're doctors now." They started walking again.
"Which is why I try not to think about high school so much. After all, I was alone for most of it." She looked up ahead and saw that were getting closer to the hotel. "And by the way, what we discussed, stays between us." She motioned with her fingers.
"Likewise. Last thing I need is Maggie spreading word about my Mentos cannon experiment to the entire hospital, let alone the ED."
"As much as I love gossip, the hospital is really the hotspot for one."
"I'm not surprised that you would know. As I recalled on your first day, you said I was a gossip magnet."
"And you are." She replied.
Connor turned his head to give her a look. She smirked in response. They locked eyes with one another for a few more seconds before they started to laugh. They continued to walk ahead and made to the front of the hotel.
"Regardless of our reasoning to eat out, I actually enjoyed our time together, Connor." Ava opened the door for them both as they got inside.
"So did I." He grinned at her.
Ava grinned as well.
The two walked towards the elevator. Ava pressed for the 3rd floor they were staying on.
"Hold the door please!" A man called out.
"Sure!" Connor answered and stepped forward to hold the elevator doors.
A loud group of chatter was soon followed. Connor looked up to see it was a group of party goers in their 20s.
"Thanks man!" Said a young man carrying a bottle of wine.
Connor backed up as more people started to pile into the elevator. He turned around to make more room and was faced with Ava who looked uncomfortable in the small space.
"Come on Danny! What's taking you!" A young woman called out.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your horses!" The young man shouted as he got into the elevator, pushing his friends to make more room. Pushing Connor towards Ava against the wall. They were standing chest-to-chest, their faces millimeters apart, their noses barely touching one another, and they could feel each other's breaths and heart beats. They were closely staring at one another.
"Sorry." Connor spoke softly as he tried to move but couldn't due to the lack of space. They bumped noses.
"It's okay." Ava replied softly.
The party goers ignored them and continued to talk loudly and laugh with one another.
The two ignored the party goers and just focused on each other.
They stood close to one another before during surgeries, but this was the first time outside of the O.R. and without wearing any masks. Unlike those times, their hearts were beating faster than normal.
'Never thought I would be standing this close to Ava Bekker. I mean, I was attracted to her when we first met cause she's hot. But then things change, and the way things are now...I..." Connor thought to himself.
'Why is my heart acting crazy? It's not the first time I've been this close to a man. It's just Connor and..." Ava thought to herself. She looked straight into his cerulean blue eyes. 'Has his eyes always been this blue?'
Ding!
What felt like a long time, the elevator made it to the 2nd floor and all the party goers exited.
"Thank god we're out of there!"
"Yeah it felt like a long time!"
"Next time I'm taking the stairs!" The party goers said as they exited the small space.
Connor and Ava stayed in the same position they were in. They didn't realize they were the only two left in the elevator till the doors closed. The sound caught their attention and Connor quickly backed away from Ava.
Ava started to miss his body warmth that was pressed against her slim body figure. Her heart was still beating rapidly.
There was silence between the two before Connor started to speak.
"Wow, maybe I should have let the doors close on them."
"Yeah, was the other one taken or something?" She replied.
They gave each other a sheepish smile as the elevator doors opened on the third floor.
Ring! Ring! Connor's phone started to ring. He pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.
"It's Latham."
Dr. Latham was wearing his pink-collar shirt with two buttons undone at the bottom. He was walking around the dining area in the lobby looking very distraught, shocked and confused.
Connor and Ava approached him.
"Hey." Connor called out. "I got your call."
Connor approached the older man.
"Dr. Latham, are you..." They could tell the way he was acting; something was not right.
"Is something wrong?" Ava asked.
"That woman, she asked me to get ice for our drinks and when I returned she was gone, as was the $200 in my wallet and my watch!" He cupped and held up his left wrist. "That my parents gave me for graduation. I..." He was shaking.
"Really?" Said Connor with an expressionless look on his face as well as Ava.
"Your skepticism was well-founded, I should have..." He shook his head. "never allowed myself to get involved like that." He looked down. "My mother would be very upset." Dr. Latham then walked away in the opposite direction.
Connor and Ava watched him leave in sorrow.
"This is on us." Said Ava.
"Yeah." Connor rubbed his face.
Connor and Ava walked back into the "The Cave" and spotted both the bartender and the blonde-haired woman.
Ava placed her right hand on Connor's left shoulder. "You take the guy and I'll take the blonde."
"Deal." He agreed.
Ava nodded and proceeded towards the woman as Connor walked towards the bar.
"Hey, man." Connor greeted to get his attention.
The bartender grinned as he approached him. "Hey, there."
"So, here's the deal." Connor looked straight into his eyes. "I'm gonna need everything that she took from my friend," He motioned with his eyes towards her direction where she was currently talking to Ava. "and I'm gonna give you" he looked down at his watch "one hour." He looked back up.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." The bartender replied taking the towel off his right shoulder.
"Dr. Latham came all the way out here to save the life of the mayor's daughter, so how do you think the mayor's gonna react when he hears that you ripped that doctor off?"
The bartender listened to his words carefully about the situation. He took a quick look behind him to see his friend had a terrified look on her face as Ava was talking.
"The watch and the $300." Said Connor.
The bartender was startled by the amount. "It...it was only $200." He stated.
"Call it punitive damages for pain and suffering."
"Come on...man." He pleaded."
"One... hour." Connor finished.
The bartender placed the towel back over his shoulder and started to walk towards the two women.
Connor had a stern look on his face watching them, as well as Ava.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Dr. Latham heard someone knocking on the door to his hotel room and slowly walked towards it and opened slowly. Appearing on the other side was his two fellows. He opened the door wider seeing it was them. He was now wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of sweats.
"Your friend wanted to make sure that you got these back." Connor handed him his missing items. "She had an emergency phone call. She had to leave. It turns out that the whole thing was just a big, old mistake."
"This is too much. I only had $200." Dr. Latham looked back up after counting the money.
"Yeah, she just felt terrible about the whole thing. She wanted to buy you dinner." Said Ava.
"A $400 dinner?" He asked.
"She felt really terrible." Connor replied.
"Oh." Dr. Latham nodded and looked between the two, not entirely believing their words. "Is that really what happened?" He asked.
Connor and Ava stared at their chief with an apologetic smile on their faces.
"Dr. Latham, we're sorry that we brought you out here." Connor apologized.
"Yes, our ambition to do the surgery got the best of us. It was selfish." Ava apologized.
"Mm." Dr. Latham took in their words. "Well, don't apologize. All in all, I had a really good time." He looked at them.
They both slightly widen their eyes and had a puzzled looks on their faces before he closed the door on them.
Connor's mouth was slightly gaped open as he turned to his right to face Ava and was about to say something when she placed left index finger against his lips, preventing him to speak again.
"Just walk me back to my hotel room and forget what just happened in the last 60 seconds." She turned to face him.
Connor nodded against her finger to his lips.
"Okay, let's go." She turned Connor's body around with her right hand and the two started to walk away from Dr. Latham's room.
"By the way," He started to speak. "What did you say to her anyway? She looked terrified." He raised an eyebrow.
"Oh that. I just said I took a picture of her and Latham in the bar and was going to blackmail her by giving the photo to the mayor and the police and they were going to use facial recognition on other people she stole from."
"Did you really?"
"Nope." She spoke with a flat tone.
"Smart."
Ava smiled looking at him then realize that she was still holding onto his arm. She released it. Somewhat missing the feeling of it.
"Well, this is me." Ava pointed towards the room marked, '3-104'. They stopped in front of the door. Connor watch Ava unlock her hotel room then turned around to face him after she opened it.
"Thanks for today, Connor. It's nice to do something new occasionally." She was referring to Latham.
"Yeah, let's hope we don't have to do that again in Chicago, or anywhere else for the matter." He chuckled. "And also, thanks again for saving my ass today in the O.R." He muttered looking up in the ceiling.
She chuckled. "Always a pleasure."
They didn't know what else to say. All they did was stare at each other.
"Good night." Ava spoke softly with a soft smile and sincere look.
"Good night." Connor spoke in the same tone and with a sincere look before turning his body to head to his hotel room.
Ava then closed her hotel door and leaned her back against the wooden frame. She felt her cheeks become warmer and touched her right cheek. "Why did I have Connor walk me back? I didn't have to." She ended with a smile on her face
- One Week Later -
"Right this way." Connor guided an older red haired pale skinned woman in her early 40s dressed in a red blazer suit out of the elevator and onto the CT floor.
"Uh, is this really necessary?" The woman asked. "Like I said, it's probably indigestion."
"First thing they teach you in med school: Always take chest pain seriously." Connor replied going through a set of doors to the main area.
She sighed. "I guess this is what I get for calling a heart surgeon about chest pain after meeting at an art gallery. I had assumed it was something mild and didn't need to go to the hospital for."
Connor gave her a timid smile then leaned forward for an empty examination room. "Here, why don't you pop into this room right here, and I'll be in as soon as I can." He pointed and she entered the room. He then walked towards the nurses' station where the CT Charge Nurse was watching the entire exchange.
"Who'd you just plant in my room?" Nurse Belinda asked looking at the unfamiliar red-haired woman.
"She's a friend." Connor replied.
It was that moment when Ava walked towards the counter after finishing up on the computer.
"Uh, she woke up this morning with tightness in her chest. I'd like to get an EKG and troponins." Connor ordered.
"What's your friend's name?" Belinda asked pulling out a tablet.
"Margo DiMilio." Connor answered.
"Okay, how long have you known her?" She asked.
"Uh, last night." Connor spoke shyly.
Ava's eye rolled up to stare at him after hearing his answer.
Belinda's lips started to curve in the corners.
"It's not what you think." He slightly shook his head at her as she walked around him to enter the examination room.
Ava slightly turned her head to slightly glare at the red-haired woman in the room as she walked towards Connor. She stood right next him and placed down a blue folder. She placed her left hand on the counter and her right hand in her coat pocket as she leaned. She looked at him. "Now, I read that Derek Jeter used to send his conquests home with a gift basket, but a full cardio workup is...is much classier." She smirked.
"Jeter, huh?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You...you're a baseball fan?" That is something he did not expect from her. He gave her a puzzled look for confirmation.
"No." She slightly shook her head. "It's too boring. But I love gossip." She grinned at him.
'Of course, she does.' Connor thought to himself. He knows that better than anyone else that Ava Bekker loves gossip.
He sighed softly. "It's not what you think."
She gave him a small smile, encouraging him to continue.
"I went to a fundraiser last night at an art gallery and we met. We just talked, for a while. She asked if I wanted to head back to her hotel with her, I said no, but then asked for my card for business reasons. Then I went home. Before I left for work, she called me about feeling chest pain, I went to pick her up at her hotel and brought her here." He finished.
She nodded listening to his story. "Did you pick her up at in her room?" She raised her right eyebrow at him.
"No, she was waiting outside of the hotel." 'Well then, two can play this game, Ava.' He thought to himself as he turned to lean against the counter. "First that woman that said good morning to me after seeing my new car and now this?" His voice became smug. "If I didn't know any better, Ava, it almost seems like you're jealous of other women trying to get my attention." He mocked.
"Oh, please~." She scoffed.
"I mean, it's not the first time that's happened to me. That's the reason why Robin dumped me. She couldn't handle other women trying to get my attention." He placed his messenger bag and took off his jacket and placed them behind the counter.
"Well, let me assure you that I'm just colleague who's curious what's going on in her friend's life, and nothing more." She stated.
But really, she was concern. She has come to see him as someone important to her, her first real friend…And maybe something more?
"Well I'm flattered that you're concern about me. It really means a lot." He replied placing a stethoscope around his neck and entered the examination room. Ava grinned trailing behind him.
"So, you're in from Missouri?" Nurse Belinda asked looking at the patient's driver's license.
"St. Louis. Here on business." Margo answered.
"Well, we will get you in and out of here as quickly as possible." Connor said placed his stethoscope on her chest to listen.
"That's not what Dr. Rhodes is renowned for around here: quick in-and-outs." Ava joked.
Both Margo and Connor turned to look at her. He slightly glared at her.
"I'm Dr. Bekker, by the way." She saluted her.
'Dr. Jaffrey did the same thing. She really is his student.' Connor commented to himself.
Margo politely smiled at Ava.
"Your insurance card has you listed as a dependent of Theodore J. Dimilio?" Nurse Belinda asked.
"That would be my husband." Margo answered.
'Husband?' Connor thought to himself as he looked up at her.
'Husband? Well, then it's a good thing Connor didn't sleep with her then.' Ava thought to herself.
"Would you like us to contract him?" Ava continued to act like she didn't know who the woman was to Connor.
"No, thank you. Not just yet." Margo smiled as she shook her head.
"I'll make some copies and be right back." Nurse Belinda smiled looking at her before leaving with the room with Ava trailing behind her.
Ava gave one last grin look at the back of Connor's head before she left.
Connor waited till the two of them were alone in the room. "So, you're married? Did you mention that to me?"
She turned to look at him. "If I had, would that have convinced you to come back to my hotel room?"
He shook his head. "It would have convinced me even more not too."
"That's why I don't tell that to the men I meet on my business trips."
'Thank goodness I didn't go back to her place last night.' Connor thought to himself.
"Care to explain to me why you weren't interested to go to her hotel room last night." Ava asked catching up to Connor as they were exiting the hospital after finishing their shifts.
The ED was short a Trauma surgeon, so Dr. Latham volunteered Connor, so Ava had to perform Margo's surgery.
"I told you a while, ago didn't I. I'm not really interested to do any hookup nights and she seemed to be an off-limits type of woman last night. And it turns out that she's a married woman who's been cheating on her husband for a while. If you asked me, I dodged a bullet there." He sighed in relief. "The last thing I need is to be caught up in a marriage drama." He walked a little further ahead of her.
"Dr. Rhodes." A female's voice called out to him.
Both doctors looked at the direction it came from. It was a dark-haired tanned woman dressed in a black attire, under a grey coat and carrying a black purse. It was ASA Ramirez who oversaw investigating the shooting that took place today where Natalie was.
"Impressive save today." ASA Ramirez asked approaching them, directing her attention to Connor.
"Yeah, thanks." Connor replied.
She looked him up and down. "You headed somewhere?"
"No, just headed home. It's been a long day." He shook his head.
"Shame." She stated.
Ava carefully eyed her.
"I know a spot over in the West Loop. Makes the best Old Fashioned's in town. Care to decompress over a drink?" She asked.
'There it is.' Ava commented to herself looking between the two before walking faster to catch up with the two.
"Connor, are you getting a drink without me?" She pretended to appear innocent.
Connor looked at the blonde.
'Was she listening the entire time? That's three times already, Ava. You sure you're not jealous.' Connor hid his smirk.
"I was planning to go home, but since you ladies feel like having a drink, I guess I can be persuaded to go." He looked at the lawyer. "Is that okay with you?" He asked if it was okay if Ava joined.
Ramirez paused a bit to look at Ava. "Yeah it's okay."
Connor nodded. "Car's right here." He pointed.
"All right." Ramirez said getting in the passenger's side, pulling the car forward, signaling to the South African doctor to get in the narrow back.
'I see what you're doing there. Just know that I'm gonna make sure Connor drops you off first tonight.' Ava commented to herself getting into the back seat.
This chapter covers 2x13 & 3x10
*I decided to include an episode from Season 2 to add more development between Connor and Ava cause the writers didn't have a lot of scenes of them outside of the hospital. Plus I've had this idea in my a lot to include Ava in this episode
*Also changed the storyline from 3x10 where Connor didn't hook up with the married woman. In canon, he became a playboy after Robin dumped him. In my story, he's not.
*Connor and Ava are now close enough to be considered friends and are both slowly feeling something growing between them.
Until next time!