"If she leaves me alone, we won't have any problems," Liz said, flashing a big grin at the trio. "But they're always starting something."
"Miss Baker, I don't care who's starting what, I will not have fights in my hospital, is that clear?" Mrs. Rikka asked.
"Crystal." Liz nodded as she turned toward me and rolled her eyes. Then asking in a sweet voice, she said, "Shall we get back to work, Mrs. Rikka?"
"Yes, please do," the supervisor responded as she motioned for the other girls to follow her. I could hear her lecturing them on proper hand washing techniques for each floor as they exited the ER.
"That Violet Metzler is a menace to society," Liz muttered once they were gone. "I wonder if her parents are aware of that."
"Aw, Liz, you need to ease up on her a bit or you're going to get yourself in trouble," I warned.
"I'm not the problem," Liz replied. "She starts everything, I just finish it."
I laughed as I shook my head and went back to stocking the exam areas. It wasn't until midnight that I noticed Liz had disappeared again, but then a string of ambulances flooded the ER and I got busy triaging patients and restocking supplies.
Around two in the morning, when the rush had died down, I heard the front doors swoosh open and a familiar laugh fill the ER. I looked up from the patient charts I was filing and saw Cam walking through the door in full gear. His face was covered with soot and his hair was even wilder than it normally was. I smiled as I watched him scan the ER and find me. His eyes lit up and a smile spread across his lips as he turned and said something to his buddies before taking long strides toward the desk where I was sitting.
"Hi, Alex Pierce." He grinned down at me. "Fancy meeting you here."
"Hello, Cam Connor." I laughed as I stood up and walked around the station. "I'm not sure why it's such a surprise for you, other than maybe you were hit on the head by falling debris at your last call."
"Good one." He laughed as he bent down and leaned on the counter. "No, no falling debris. Just a car fire that got a little out of control."
"Is there ever a car fire that is not out of control?" I asked with a skeptical grin.
"And again with the astute observation." He laughed before adding more quietly, "I'd like to see you again."
I stared at him for a few seconds until he looked down and muttered, "I mean, if you'd like to see me again, that is."
"Silly man, of course I'd like to see you again!" I laughed as he looked up visibly relieved. "I was just trying to think about when I'll have time what with exams, classes, and work this week."
"I could help you study," he said hopefully. "Quiz you
on whatever it is you're being tested on."
"You know, that might actually work." I nodded, but when I looked back up at him, I realized that any pretense of studying was likely to be abandoned if we were in a room alone together. I could feel the magnetic pull of his body, and a memory of his lips pressed against mine flashed before my eyes causing me to look away.
"Uh huh, sure it would," Cam said as if he'd just read my mind. "Well, at the very least I could take you to dinner to help keep up your strength."
"I'd like that." I smiled.
"How about tomorrow night?" he asked as the guys from the squad signaled that it was time to get back to the station. "I'll pick you up around seven?"
"Sounds good!" I called as he ran for the door. It was only after he'd left that I wondered where he was taking me.
"Got a date with the firefighter, do you?" Leslie asked with a smile. "He's a hottie."
"Do you all conspire to make that same joke?" I laughed as Leslie laughed with me. I looked around and wondered where Liz had wandered off. I told Leslie I was going to go look for Liz, and she nodded as she updated more patient charts.
#
It took twenty minutes of searching to finally find Liz. She was standing outside the pharmacy, staring at the poster covered with a diverse group of people, presumably employees, which announced Chicago General would soon be part of a larger network of hospitals throughout the area.
"Liz, are you okay?" I asked as I put my hand on her shoulder and turned her around.
"Yeah, fine. Why?" she said in a brisk voice. "Just learning about the changes coming to Chicago General."
"I see," I said. "We've missed you down in the ER. Want to come back with me?"