by R J Nolan
Jess pulled her hands away and stuffed them in her pockets. "I know you've heard the stories about Myra and what happened in the ER. I don't have the greatest reputation at work. So I understand if you don't want people to know you're involved with me."
Oh, Jess. No. She's been so open and honest with you. It's time to do the same.
Kim put her hand on Jess's thigh. Her heart sank when she felt her flinch. "Please, look at me."
Shadowed blue eyes lifted to hers.
Ah, Jess. Aren't we a pair?
"I'm sorry. You misunderstood me. You're not the only one with an ex from hell." Kim blew out a breath. "You know Anna didn't want to be seen with me at work. But what you don't know is she acted the same way away from work. If I even leaned too close to her in public, she would have a fit." Kim met Jess's gaze and held it. "She was more than happy to fuck me in private, but otherwise treated me like her dirty little secret." Tell her the rest. "I didn't realize it until much later, but I think she really got off on it."
A growl rumbled from deep within Jess's chest. "That bitch."
"My sentiments exactly." Kim winced. "And the other thing I might not have mentioned. Might not? You know you haven't. "She was the Chief of the ER."
Jess's eyes went impossibly wide. "Fuck." She shook her head. "And you still took a chance on me and became my lover? You are one incredibly special woman."
Warmth flowed through Kim, healing another piece of her psyche damaged by Anna. "So are you." God, I lov... Whoa. Where did that come from? Let's not get carried away.
A bright blush covered Jess's cheeks. "We're a pair, huh?" Jess asked, unknowingly echoing Kim's earlier thought.
"That we are." Kim's stomach growled. "Can I have my hot chocolate and cinnamon roll now?"
Jess laughed. "Some things never change." She stood and reached for Kim's hand. "Come on."
Kim had no more than stepped back into the building when she came face to face with Penny, accompanied by the older couple she had been sitting with. Damn. She had hoped Penny had left by now.
Penny stared. Her gaze went over Kim's shoulder, and her mouth formed an "oh" when she spotted Jess.
"Penny," Kim said by way of greeting. She worked not to let her trepidation show on her face. The last thing she needed was for Penny to realize how uncomfortable this made her. It would only add fuel to the fire.
She felt Jess step up next to her but didn't look at her.
"Dr. Donovan." Penny shot a look at Jess and scowled. "Dr. McKenna."
Kim chanced a glance at Jess to see her reaction. Her face was perfectly calm. She had her ER Chief mask firmly in place.
"Good evening," Jess said.
"Penelope, where are your manners?" the woman standing next to Penny asked.
"Mom," she whined like a petulant teenager.
Her mother arched an eyebrow.
Penny blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs. "This is Dr. Donovan and Dr. McKenna. I work with them."
Penny's mother offered her hand to each of them. "It's so nice to finally meet Penelope's co-workers." She shook her head as she let go of Jess's hand. "Oh my... my manners. I'm Cynthia Graham, and this is my husband, Gerald. We're Penelope's parents."
Mr. Graham nodded but didn't offer his hand.
"It's nice to meet you both," Kim said. She could feel Penny's gaze on her. Be pleasant, but brief. Get this over with.
Jess spoke up before Kim had a chance to. "Well, if you'll excuse us, we were just on our way to get some of the wonderful cinnamon buns they have here before the stand closes."
Nice segue, Jess.
"Oh. You'll love them. It's a family tradition. We get them every year," Mrs. Graham said.
Oh great. So we can look forward to running into them again next year. Kim plastered a smile on her face. "Have a nice evening." She started to edge away.
"You too, dear," Mrs. Graham said. "Merry Christmas."
"Yeah. Merry Christmas," Penny said. She glanced at Jess and then threw Kim a hard look. "I'll see you... both — at work."
Ah, crap. "Merry Christmas."
CHAPTER 28
KIM TURNED THE corner.
Two nurses standing outside an exam room abruptly stopped talking. One of them threw a smirk her way.
Kim barely resisted the urge to scowl at the man. The same thing had been happening all morning. Obviously, Penny had wasted no time in spreading the news of seeing her and Jess. The way everyone is acting who knows how the hell she embellished the story.
Although Kim knew Jess was more than capable of taking care of herself, the situation still stirred her protective instincts. Why can't they just leave us alone? Jess's job is hard enough. She doesn't need this. She was thankful Jess was tied up in a quarterly budget meeting. Maybe everyone would get the childish behavior out of their system before Jess got back. Yeah. And pigs can fly.
Ignoring the nurses, Kim continued down the hall to the exam room she had been in earlier. She had misplaced her small notepad and was backtracking her movements in hope of finding it.
She smiled when she spotted her pad sticking out from under the edge of the gurney's base. The notebook contained drug references and dosage tables. Glad I don't have to start all over.
As she squatted down to pick the notepad up, she heard feminine voices and laughter from outside the exam room door.
Kim grabbed for her notebook as the door swung open.
A loud familiar voice became crystal clear when the women entered the room.
"I'm telling you. They were hot and heavy." Cindy snorted. "Talk about beauty and the beast. I wonder what Donovan calls her when they —"
Kim stood, making the women aware of her presence. Bitch. Jess has never treated you anything but fairly and this is how you repay her?
Nancy, one of the nurses' aides, had the grace to look embarrassed.
Cindy met Kim's gaze with a gloating expression that dared her to comment on what she had overheard. Ever since she had berated the woman a few months ago for gossiping about Jess, Cindy disliked her.
Kim met the look head on and refused to look away. Cindy seemed to have forgotten an important fact about the lack of privacy in a hospital — it went both ways.
As Kim moved toward the door, she paused close to Cindy. She pitched her voice for Cindy's ears alone. "This is just the kind of behavior that got you transferred out of pediatrics. It would be a shame if that happened again."
Kim tried not to take too much satisfaction from the woman's stunned face. Leave Jess alone. She made her exit before Cindy had a chance to respond.
Jess became aware of the speculative looks being thrown her way as soon as she stepped foot in the ER. Great. Penny didn't waste any time. She glanced around, hoping to spot Kim. Wonder how she's weathering the storm? Jess didn't like it, but she was used to the gossip. People knew so little about her, they made things up to fill the gap or, like Cindy, talked about the only thing they knew about — the Myra incident. The thought of people talking disparagingly about Kim set her teeth on edge.
She made her way to the nurses' station.
Several nurses as well as Bates and Aimee were gathered around Terrell near the status board. Penny was at the counter on the phone.
"You should have seen the look on Dr. Donovan's face when this guy —" Terrell stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of Jess.
A spike of alarm hit as she flashed back to Kim with Brian. Calm down. Kim can take care of herself. And Terrell doesn't look upset.
"Morning, Dr. McKenna," Terrell said. "Dr. D —"
Penny cut him off. "So, did you have a... pleasurable weekend, Dr. McKenna?" she asked, her voice brimming with innuendo.
Jess turned to face Penny. She could feel the shift of everyone's attention to their conversation.
Penny tossed a smug look past Jess at the apparently rapt audience behind her.
You may have seen me with Kim. But I'm still your boss. Don't test me. "Yes. I did. Did you enjoy the holiday li
ght festival?"
Penny's eyes went wide.
Weren't expecting that, were you? Jess could almost hear the 'oh shit' from Penny. "It was nice meeting your parents."
Someone snickered behind Jess.
A bright blush suffused Penny's face. "I'm ah..."
Not the story you told them, was it? Jess had suspected as much.
The phone rang, saving Penny further embarrassment. She dove for it.
Jess turned on her heel.
Everyone scattered like rats from a sinking ship except Terrell.
"As I was trying to tell you before, Dr. Donovan asked me to let you know as soon as you got here that she wanted to consult with you about her patient," Terrell said. He shook his head and grinned, then pointed to the status board. "He's one for the books."
Jess scanned the board, looking for what room Kim was in. Her eyebrows shot up when she found the entry. The patient's name was listed as Cat Guy. What the hell?
"Thanks." She spun around and headed for the exam room.
Jess heard the sound before she even reached the door.
It sounded like a cat meowing. Okay. That explains the Cat Guy.
She pushed open the exam room door and winced at the increase in the volume. Kim and Karen Armstrong flanked a gurney. A little man with delicate, surprisingly catlike features was crouched on his haunches at the head of the gurney. His greasy hair was slicked back so tightly it resembled a skullcap. He was meowing incessantly. What looked like the remains of a saucer of milk was on the bed tray in front of him.
Jess strode up to the end of the stretcher. "Dr. Donovan, what do we have here?"
Cat Guy hissed like an angry feline.
Jess took a half step back and shot a look at Kim. What's this, an early start on the full moon tonight?
Kim bit her lip and struggled to keep a straight face. "I don't think he likes you, Dr. McKenna."
Karen laughed, then slapped her hand over her mouth.
Cat Guy resumed meowing.
"Let's step out into the hall," Jess said. She headed for the door.
Kim followed. Karen remained at the patient's bedside.
"Is he okay alone in here?"
"Sure. He should be as long as I can keep an eye on him through the door," Kim said.
Jess pulled open the door. "Join us, Dr. Armstrong."
Karen threw Jess a relieved look and hurried after them.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the meowing turned to yowling. He sounded like a tomcat in rut.
"What's his story?" Jess asked.
"Police brought him in. They picked him up in the park. He was approaching people and rubbing himself against them and meowing." Kim glanced in the exam room window. "He's been meowing or yowling like that since they brought him in. I haven't gotten anything from him. No name, nothing."
"And he tries to rub against you if you get too close," Karen said with a shudder.
"Any injuries?" Jess asked, directing her question to Karen.
"Small cut on his palm. I cleaned it." Karen's face twisted. "He kept trying to lick me and the cut. It was nothing. Didn't even need stitches."
"Did you do a complete physical exam?" Jess asked. The man was dirty and smelled bad. She knew the resident might have been tempted to skimp on the exam.
Karen nodded. It was clear from her expression it had not been a pleasant experience. "I didn't find anything else of significance on exam. He does have some fungus on his toenails. And lots of dirt," she added under her breath.
"Good job," Jess said. After a rough start to her residency, Karen had really turned things around. She was becoming one of the best of the first-year residents.
Karen beamed at the praise.
Jess turned back to Kim. "So why didn't the police take him straight to Gateway? They have the facilities for dealing with this type of thing. He doesn't need to be in the ER."
"I asked that too. They claimed it was because he was bleeding." Kim scowled. "I think they dumped him on us because they didn't want to deal with him and we were the closest place."
God. Jess rubbed her ears as the yowling continued unabated. "How long can he keep that up?"
"He's been here almost two hours," Kim said.
Oh great. She had only been here a few minutes and was already getting a headache. "So what can I do? Is there a problem with Gateway taking him? Do I need to contact them?"
"No. I wanted to find out if you'd seen him in the ER before. I'm convinced this guy is playing us. The tox screen came back negative. And as far as I've been able to tell, he doesn't fully meet the criteria for an axis I or axis II disorder." Kim rubbed her neck. "He's done this before. I'm sure of it. I'm willing to bet he's using this as a way to get a couple of days rest and some hot meals. He doesn't fit what I would expect to see with a furry gone too far either."
Jess peered in the window. "Well, he looks kind of catlike to me."
Kim laughed. "I noticed that. But I still don't believe that's what we're dealing with. You can almost see the calculation in his eyes."
"Excuse me, but what the heck is a furry?" Karen asked.
Jess made a go-ahead motion to Kim.
"It's not seen as a true psychiatric disorder. 'Furries' is an umbrella term that covers a group of people who prefer to interact with others as animals rather than as human beings. It feels safer for them."
"Seriously?" Karen shook her head. "So they what... dress up like animals or something?"
"They can. At the extreme end of the spectrum, some people modify their physical appearance with tattoos and implants to better match their 'inner' animal."
"Wow."
"So back to Cat Guy," Jess said. He still had not shut up and her headache was getting worse. "I haven't seen him in the ER before. And I'm sure I would have heard about it if he had come in while I wasn't here. What do you want to do with him?"
Kim shrugged. "I'd like to just street him. Maybe it would convince him to give up on this." Kim raked her fingers through her hair. "There are lots of ways to get shelter and a hot meal without draining an ER's limited resources. But as long as he's like that, I can't take the chance, in case I'm wrong."
Jess racked her brain, then grinned to herself when inspiration struck. Oh, yeah. This will flush you out, buddy. "So you're sure he's faking?"
"As sure as I can be. Nothing in psychiatry is a hundred percent," Kim said.
"Okay. I've got an idea." Jess looked at Karen. "Now, don't ever try something like this on your own without consulting Dr. Donovan or myself first. Understood?"
Karen nodded. Jess could see the questions in her eyes, but Karen resisted asking.
"When we get inside, I need you to follow my lead, no questions asked."
"I can do that," Karen said.
"What are you going to do?" Kim asked.
Jess smiled at Kim. I knew you'd ask. Although Kim thought the patient was faking, he was still her first concern.
She hadn't missed Karen's shocked expression on seeing her smile. Maybe it is time to loosen up a little. Kim was showing her that it was possible to be professional without keeping everyone at arm's length. Myra has claimed enough of your life. It's time to let all that go.
Turning her focus back to the business at hand, Jess said, "Sometimes an unusual situation calls for a unique solution." She pushed open the door and entered the room before Kim could question her further. For this to work, she needed the patient to see Kim's and Karen's shocked reactions.
As soon as they entered the room, Cat Guy ceased to yowl and began to meow again.
Jess strode up to the side of the gurney and met the patient's eyes. He stared right back and hissed. There was none of the gaze avoidance or any of the other behaviors she would have expected to see in a patient this dissociated from reality. Kim was right. This guy knew exactly what he was doing.
Karen took up position on the opposite side of the gurney.
"Dr. Armstrong, would you get a suture kit, please."
Karen's eyebrows shot up, but she turned and headed for the cabinet holding the trays.
Totally ignoring the patient, Jess turned to Kim. "This is a very interesting case. I've read studies about this. Once they devolve into their pure animal state, there is no going back."
Cat Guy's meowing got quieter with longer pauses. He was clearly worried about where Jess was going with this.
Karen returned with the requested suture tray.
"Ah, good. Thank you." Jess pushed the over-the-bed table away. She grabbed a stand and placed the instrument tray on it and then opened the tray, exposing the contents.
Kim's expression grew wide-eyed. "Ah... Dr. McKenna?"
Perfect. Kim sounded honestly concerned.
A glance out of the corner of her eye showed Cat Guy looking nervous. Jess could see sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Not such a great gimmick now, is it, bud?
"Don't worry, Dr. Donovan. It's a very simple procedure to neuter him. Believe me, it's the best thing for him. It will make him much calmer... and quieter."
Cat Guy squeaked, then his meowing stopped. Sweat ran down the sides of his face.
"But... don't you need permission," Karen asked. Her eyes sparkled with interest.
Good job, Karen. Jess sent her an impressed look.
"Well. I would, Dr. Armstrong, if he was a person. But as he has clearly demonstrated to us, he's a cat." Come on, guy. Break. I can't go much further with this. "A person could speak up and refuse the procedure."
Jess took her time setting up the tray before pulling on sterile latex gloves. Shit. He's not going for it. There was one more thing she could try. She moved over to a nearby drawer and pulled out a disposable scalpel. On her way back to the bed, she pulled off the outer wrapper, but left the sheath on the blade.
She faced Cat Guy. "Ready?"
Kim and Karen gasped simultaneously.
"Wait. No. You can't do that. I refuse." The words burst rapid fire from Cat Guy. He pressed himself against the opposite side of the gurney, as far away from Jess as he could get.
About time! Jess didn't relent. "People give their names when asked. Cats don't. What's your name?"
"Donny. Donny Nowicki. I swear. I'll give you my social security number. You can check."
