by R J Nolan
"What can I do for you, Dr. Johnson?" Kim asked, dropping the icy tone she had used with Bates.
"I've got a patient I could really use your help with if you're not busy."
"Sure. I'd be more than happy to help you. Lead the way," Kim said.
Without so much as a glance at Bates, she followed Terrell. As Kim stepped through the door, she heard Bates mutter something under his breath. She was glad she had not heard him clearly because she would not have been able to let it go if it was something derogatory. Which she knew more than likely it was.
Terrell led the way toward the back of the ER department. He stopped in the hallway just down from Jess's office.
Kim quirked an eyebrow. "What's going on? Where's your patient?" There were no patient rooms back here.
"I just..." Terrell shuffled his feet. He dug the tip of his shoe into the linoleum and refused to meet Kim's gaze. He looked like a little boy who knew he was in trouble. "I lied. There isn't any patient."
More curious than angry, Kim asked, "Why did you do that?" Even as she asked, Kim realized why — Bates. He was trying to rescue me.
"It's just... I know how Peter can be," Terrell said, his gaze firmly locked on his shoes.
"You didn't need to do that." Kim lightly touched the sleeve of Terrell's crisp white lab coat.
He looked up and finally met her gaze.
"While I appreciate what you were trying to do, I can handle Dr. Bates. Please don't interfere."
"I know. I just really like you a lot," Terrell said in a rush. His gaze darted away with the admission. "And —"
Although his blush was hidden by his dark complexion, Kim had no doubt it was there. God. What is this — ask Kim out day? She had never suspected Terrell was attracted to her. Unlike how she had dealt with Bates, Kim wanted to let Terrell down gently. "Thank you, but I'm really not interested in —"
"No. I wasn't." Terrell started to stammer. "I mean you're beautiful and everything, but I'm not...." He scrubbed his hands over his face as if trying to wash away his embarrassment. "I'll just shut up now."
Kim's face went hot. That's what you get for assuming. You know better. "No. I'm sorry. I misunderstood. Go ahead, tell me what you wanted to say."
Terrell blew out a breath. His dark-eyed gaze settled firmly on Kim. "I've learned so much from you. I don't want you to stop working in the ER because Peter is such a jackass. That's why I butted in when I shouldn't have. Sorry."
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I like working in the ER. As far as Dr. Bates goes, let me take care of the situation. Okay?" She smiled, trying to ease both their discomfiture.
Terrell returned the smile. "Okay. I better get back to work."
"Me too." And please let the rest of the day be quiet. I've had quite enough drama for one day.
Kim turned to follow him when the sound of footsteps behind her drew her attention. She glanced over her shoulder. A wave of relief washed over her at the sight of Jess opening her office door.
"Go ahead. I'll see you later," Kim said.
As soon as he was out of sight, she headed for Jess's office.
Kim's hand hovered over the door knob. Her insecurities gripped her once again. Just go in. You've done it plenty of times before. Still, she hesitated. She settled for knocking before she opened the door.
Kim stuck her head into the office. "Hi."
Jess was already halfway out of her chair. What Kim thought of as Jess's ER mask was already firmly in place on her face.
"Hey, Kim." Jess plopped back down into her chair with a grunt. Her mask dropped and she allowed Kim to see the stressed woman underneath.
Recrimination stung Kim. Instead of giving in to your own insecurities, you should have been more worried about Jess and given her the benefit of the doubt. Everything is not about you. Anxieties forgotten, Kim moved over to stand next to Jess's chair. "Are you okay?"
Jess rubbed her temples. "Long morning. And I've got a killer headache." She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. Popping the cap, she tossed two into her mouth and swallowed them dry.
Kim grimaced. "How can you stand to do that?"
"Lots of practice." Jess went back to rubbing her temples.
"I missed you this morning." It was as close as Kim could come to admitting her earlier anxiety.
Jess looked up. She offered a tired smile. "Believe me, I would have much rather been here with you instead of the GME meeting I was stuck in."
Surprise rippled through Kim. The Graduate Medical Education Committee met quarterly. The next meeting wasn't supposed to be until next month. Procedural and program specific problems could wait for the next meeting. If the committee was meeting outside its normal schedule, something serious must have occurred concerning one of the residents.
"It wasn't an ER resident, was it?" Kim asked. She knew Jess couldn't get into specifics, but worried that a wayward resident could be a black eye for her program.
"No. Thank God." Jess rubbed her neck.
Kim moved behind Jess's chair. Wanting to help, but taking into account Jess's need for both emotional and physical control, Kim held her hands just above Jess's shoulders. "This okay?"
"Yes. Please." Jess whimpered as Kim began to knead her shoulders.
The muscles under Kim's hands were rock hard. She increased the pressure of her massage.
"Oh. Yes." Jess's head dropped forward and she moaned, long and low.
The sound shot through Kim's body. Arousal pulsed insistently.
The ringing of the phone on Jess's desk made them both jump.
The noise acted like dash of a cold water on Kim's libido and reminded her just where they were. She let her hands drop and stepped away from Jess's chair. She propped her hip against the edge of Jess's desk.
"Thank you," Jess said before picking up the phone. Her voice was soft and warm. Jess sat up straight in her chair. "This is Dr. McKenna."
In the fleeting seconds between picking up the phone and answering it, all trace of the previous warmth in Jess's voice was gone. The ER chief was back.
Jess's jaw tensed almost immediately. Whatever was being said was not good news.
"Just like that she left? Without waiting for a replacement?" Jess's hand went back to her temple. "Did anyone in the department examine her?" She blew out a breath. "Contact Mrs. Gotti, and let her know what's happened and that we need coverage at the nurses' station...Thanks."
Kim's stomach sank. She had a bad feeling about this. Was her already rotten day about to get worse? Please don't let this be about Penny.
"What's going on?" Kim asked. Mrs. Gotti was the nurse-manager responsible for the nurses and ER clerks.
Jess started as if she had forgotten Kim was there. The mask dropped once again, and Kim looked down into Jess's face, seeing the tight stress lines around her eyes. "That was Henry."
Damn, it is about Penny. Henry was one of the ER clerks that worked at the admission desk.
"He was at the nurses' station dropping off patient intakes. Penny came up to him and said 'I'm sick, cover the desk.' According to Henry, she already had her purse in her hand and her coat on. And looked like she had been crying." Jess shook her head. "I don't know whether to be worried or angry. This isn't like her. She's always been very reliable. She should have at least let one of the doctors check her out."
This is really going to add to her already crappy day... and mine. You have to tell her what happened.
"I did this. It's all my fault," Kim said before her brain had a chance to censor her mouth. Smooth, really smooth. That made total sense. And you talk to people for a living. Shit.
Jess blinked several times. Her brow furrowed. "What?"
Needing some distance, Kim moved to sit in the chair in front of Jess's desk. "Penny taking off is my fault. She asked me out a little while ago, and I turned her down — twice." Kim sighed. "I tried to be as gentle as I could, but she didn't take it very well. I'm sorry. I know you don't need the extra
hassle, especially today." She clasped her hands in her lap. Guilt tugged her gaze down. The last thing she wanted was to add to Jess's stress or burdens at work.
"That's bull and you know it," Jess said.
Kim's head whipped up.
Jess's eyes had turned silvery and sparked with emotion. "You, of all people, know that you aren't responsible for another person's behavior. This is Penny's doing — not yours."
"But if I had handled her better —"
"No." Jess's hand slashed sideways in negation. "Remember, I've worked with Penny much longer than you have. I'm well aware of her strengths... and her weaknesses. Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her tomorrow."
Then Penny will feel that I talked about her behind her back. And it wasn't like that. This is going to make things worse. "Jess. I don't think —"
Jess held up her hand, stopping her. "I won't mention you telling me about her asking you out. It would just make things worse."
Took the words right out of my mouth. Jess was right. She wasn't thinking clearly about the whole situation. "Which one of us is the psychiatrist again?" Kim asked, her tone light and teasing.
Jess laughed. She rose from her chair and came around the desk to perch on the edge next to Kim's chair. "I could never do what you do every day. But I do have lots of practice handling ER personnel."
"And you're very good at it." And at reading me apparently.
"Thank you, ma'am," Jess said and gave a little bow, making Kim laugh. "Seriously, Penny's not the first staff member to run out of the ER because they had their feelings hurt. I appreciate you telling me so I wasn't worried all day that she was really sick."
Stuffing her hands into her lab coat pockets, Jess stood. A shy smile graced her face. "I um." She shuffled her feet. "I missed you on Sunday."
With those simple words, the tension and anxiety that had plagued Kim all morning vanished as if they had never existed at all.
CHAPTER 25
JESS'S HEAD JERKED up when her office door flew open.
Kim, dressed in blue scrubs and paper slippers, marched into the office. Sparing Jess a single glance, she headed straight for the couch. She dropped the plastic bag in her hand on the floor and flopped face-first onto the couch. She muttered something ominous-sounding into the cushion.
Oh. This is not good. Jess walked over to the couch. When she looked down at Kim's scrub-covered back, she noticed Kim wasn't wearing a bra. She winced. Got her underwear too.
The sight of Kim coming out of the exam room was one Jess would not soon forget. Kim had been in the direct line of fire when the activated charcoal a patient had been given made an explosive exit, along with the rest of his stomach's contents. Her shirt had taken the brunt of the nasty black slurry, but it had run down over her pants and into her shoes.
"Kim?"
"She's not here. She quit."
"You don't mean that." Jess nudged Kim's hip. "Scoot over."
Grumbling under her breath, Kim rolled onto her side and made room for Jess. "I hate Bates."
As Jess joined her on the couch, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep a straight face.
Kim glared.
Oops. Remember how well she reads you. Apparently, Kim was not in the frame of mind to see any humor in the situation. Of course, it didn't help matters any that the culprit had been Bates. After Kim laid down the law to him on Monday, he appeared to have given up on his infatuation. In fact, he had been conspicuously avoiding Kim — until this. Had it been anyone else, Kim would probably have laughed it off.
She took a chance and gently stroked Kim's arm. "I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. ER doctors just have a finely developed 'anti-puke' reflex."
"I've dodged my share of puke." Kim growled. "You weren't there. I hadn't even greeted the patient yet. I had just walked up to the gurney. Bates didn't say a word. He just smirked as he stepped behind me. Then — bam."
Kim smacked her open palm against the couch cushion. "He could've warned me. He knew what was coming." Her eyes narrowed. "I just know that little snake did."
Jess looked down into blue eyes that seemed to glow from within. Whoa. I've never seen her so pissed.
Now is not the time to suggest again that she wear a lab coat. After the last insult Kim's clothes had taken, Jess had asked her why she insisted on not wearing a lab coat. According to Kim, it intimidated her patients and made them less likely to confide in her.
Hoping to soothe her ruffled feathers, Jess stroked Kim's silky curls. "I'm sorry."
Kim leaned into the touch and sighed. "It's not your fault. But I still hate Bates."
Ah. I know. "I could assign him a bunch of really nasty, smelly patients if you want."
A smile ghosted across Kim's face, gone as quickly as it had appeared.
That's better.
Kim huffed. "Don't tempt me." She dropped her arm over her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "Is it Friday yet?"
"I wish," Jess said. "Only one more day to go."
It had been a hellish week in the ER. The situation with a wayward surgical resident had turned into a public relations fiasco. The press had been running loose in the hospital all week, wreaking havoc. Jess had been so tied up with the GMEC and the continuing repercussions of the incident, as well as the upcoming quarterly ER budget, that she and Kim had not managed dinner together even once all week. We could both use a break.
Jess smiled. "I know just what you need."
Kim lifted her arm and peered at Jess. "A stiff drink."
"Well, that's a possibility too. But I was thinking more along the lines of a glass of wine." Jess arched an eyebrow at Kim's somewhat dubious expression. "Okay, maybe two glasses of wine and a nice dinner." Kim still didn't look completely convinced. "Ah... did I forget to mention, a back massage and a long soak in a bubbling Jacuzzi to go along with it."
"That sounds heavenly, especially a good long soak." Kim tilted her head to the side. "You have a Jacuzzi tub?"
"I sure do." Jess had avoided taking Kim outside and showing her around the back deck, where the tub was located. 'Cause you couldn't deal with the thought of her in a swimsuit... but now. Jess grinned. "A big one with lots of jets. Guaranteed to fix what ails you. It's heavenly." Or it will be when I'm in it with you.
"You've got a date." Kim sat up and placed a soft kiss on Jess's lips. "And thank you."
"More wine?" Jess held up the bottle of Merlot.
"Maybe just a little," Kim said. This was the first time Kim had been at Jess's since the incident on her couch the previous Saturday. She had worried that things would be awkward, but that had not been the case. After sharing a quiet dinner, they had crashed on the couch to relax while the spa heated.
Jess poured while trying to stifle a yawn.
"Are you sure you still feel like getting in the spa?" When Jess had mentioned it at work, Kim had envisioned a Jacuzzi bathtub. She had been amazed earlier when Jess took her outside onto the back deck for the first time. There, tucked in a corner and surrounded by slatted privacy fencing, was a large hot tub.
Jess glanced at the clock on the mantle. "Absolutely. Should be up to temperature by now." She had turned the spa on before dinner.
The ringing of the phone pierced the air.
Jess picked up the portable from the table. She looked at the screen, then tossed the phone back onto the table. "Harold is the most persistent of the jackals. I'll give him that."
Several reporters had begun calling Jess when her membership on the GME committee became known. Watching Jess have to deal with them at work had been bad enough. Thankfully, so far none of them had tried to ambush her at home.
"What a mess," Kim said. "Who would have thought a single punch in a bar would lead to all of this." Although Dr. Woods had made a mistake, her heart went out to him. A mental shiver shook her. She pressed her arm against her stomach. This could have been you. Had the wrong person gotten wind of her situation at Memorial, she could have had her life and career shredded by the media.
The truth would not have mattered.
Jess snorted. "Tell me about it. These reporters are driving everyone to distraction. And the negative press is killing LA Metro." She shook her head. "All because some bozo captured the punch on his cell phone and decided to seek his fifteen minutes of fame. It was that damn reporter." Her hand stiffened on her wine glass. "Once he found out Woods was a doctor, he couldn't wait to splash some sensational bullshit all over the media." Jess took a healthy drink of her wine. "I can still see that video clip and damn headline. 'Violent doctors in our hospitals. Could your loved one be next?' Christ."
Kim set down her wine and moved closer to Jess. She started a gentle massage of her neck. Jess whimpered, and Kim increased the pressure.
Blowing out a breath, Jess pulled away. "I'm supposed to be giving you a back rub." She grimaced. "Sorry. I'm not doing a very good job of taking care of you."
You always find a reason not to let me comfort you for long. Who made you think you don't deserve to be comforted? "You're doing just fine." Kim placed a soft kiss on Jess's lips but made sure to keep her hands to herself. "Now how about that soak you promised?"
Jess smiled. "You got it." She jumped off the couch and offered Kim her hand.
She allowed Jess to pull her off the couch.
Anticipation and nervousness rippled through Kim. The thought of Jess in a bathing suit made her head swim and other parts of her body leap to life. The nervousness sprang from the expectation of just how this evening might end. As much as she wanted to be Jess's lover, she didn't want to make another mistake and ruin their first time together. Not knowing what other landmines might await in an intimate encounter with Jess was nerve-racking. Just remember to let her make the first move.
Shit. Something else occurred to her. "Oh. Wait, Jess. I wasn't thinking. I don't have a suit."
A familiar little half smirk made an appearance on Jess's face.
Kim would have given her next month's pay to know exactly what Jess was thinking.
