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“Well based on her symptoms she either has food poisoning or…” she stopped talking when she saw a nurse rush in conveying Dr. Bates to follow her.

“Dr. Bates your needed in the ICU there was a head on collision with a trailer and a bus with lot of people injured. We have a total of ten coming to Sinai and the others are being sent to other hospitals.” The nurse said in a fast rate.

“Miss Mendez you have a great opportunity here, diagnose Mrs. Lopez and treat her; once your done I expect you in ICU ready to see blood and what not.” He told Valerie as he went to leave the room.

“Yes Dr. Bates I will there as soon I am done.” Valerie told him excitement heard in her voice, it wasn’t that she wasn’t sad about the situation but that meant hands on education.

*******


“Yes mother,” Valerie said into her phone. “No I won’t overstay my welcome I am already looking for a place. I love you too…yes I will tell him. Mami, please I promise to tell Howie that you think little James is an angel. Yes I tell him to send you more pictures.” She rolled her eyes as she entered the house. She shut her phone and looked around, it seemed that no one was home; it was good because she felt like shit. Today she had witnessed one of her patients pass away while under her care.

Even after Dr. Bates hugged her and told her it was ok to feel like she did. “We did all we could,” were Dr. Bates words as he held her in his arms. Since when had she started to think that maybe Dr. Bates was attractive in his own way? He had been so nice to her today as she felt like she was a failure, sure you are taught that you can’t always save everyone but this was her first fatality. She jumped when she heard the door to the house open. “Hey,” she greeted Leigh and Howie.

“You beat us home,” Leigh told her as she gave Howie the carriage with James in it.

“I’ll go put him in his crib,” Howie said as he walked away.

“What’s wrong,” Leigh asked as she saw the blood stain on her scrubs.

“I got hands on training today,” Valerie told her trying to cover her sadness. “I lost a patient today,” she said her lips trembling.

“Oh, wow I’m sorry…” Leigh told her giving her a hug. “I wish I knew what to say Val,” she told her hugging her tightly.

“I’ll be fine I just need to shower and I’ll be fine,” she told her as she walked away and into her room.

Leigh watched Valerie disappear into the guest room and sighed, “Something is wrong with her.”

“Yeah you think so?” Howie said startling her. “Sorry,” he said realizing he had surprised her.

“Call it woman’s intuition but something is not right with her,” Leigh told him.

“I know Val she’s fine just a little stressed. She is a very strong girl.” Howie told his wife as he wrapped his arms around here. “I think she will be happy to know that I found the perfect apartment for her just a few blocks from where she works.”

*******

She made sure the coast was clear as she opened the front door and walked out. She didn’t want to have to explain her break down to Howie. “Yes,” she said as she lit her cigarette.

“Vals?” AJ said as he walked up to the entrance of Howie’s home.

“Do you seriously want to fucking kill me from a heart attack?” she asked him as she exhaled the smoke.

AJ laughed, “Yeah you’re still the same girl, no sorry I just always seem to surprise you.” He kissed her on the cheek, “So is Howie here?”

“Yeah I believe so,” she told him as she step aside so he could go through. “Uh, you could you not tell him I’m out here…please?”

“What already got in each others nerves?” he asked.

“No it’s just I want to be alone,” she told him as she disposed of her cigarette butt. “I’m going to go for a walk,” she told him as she put her wet hair into a messy bun.

“Well…do you want company?” he asked her realizing something was bothering her.

“Nah, I will just be forced to run if you get mobbed by fans. I’ll be ok…” she gave him a weak smile as she began to walk. She was almost out of the gate when she heard him calling her.

“Val,” he said as he reached for her. “Come on get in my car we’re going somewhere.” He told her not allowing her to say no he began to pull her toward his car.

“I guess I have no choice,” she told him a little annoyed. “Where are we going? I thought you were here to see Howie.”

He laughed as he began to drive, “Well I was just going to bug him. But we have a lot to catch up in,” he told her staring at her. He watched her from the corner of his eye, she hadn't change she still had that temper. “So, do you have a beau we don’t know about?”

“No… I am a tough chick to handle I always chase them away with my smart ass or my physical appearance. What can I say? So what about you, we all know you get laid often. But I mean an honest to good gal?” she gave him a grin.

He laughed at her comment, “What can I say I am very handsome guy…it’s not my fault chicks just throw themselves at me…” he said acting all cocky. “No kidding that was the old me, the new me isn’t like that Val, I am a changed man. Now I want the real deal…” he told her in a more serious tone.

She gave him an honest smile, “I’m happy for you…soon we will see you like Howie all lovey dovey with twins.” She laughed as she finished her statement.

“Twins???” AJ said in surprise. “Well at least you said that I get that with my luck I will be the one to have the girl.”

“Yeah I don’t know I get that, you look like you have twins in your genes. It will be a girl and boy…” she told him as she turned to look out of the window. “So are you going to tell me where we are going?”

“You’ll see don’t worry Val I am not going to take advantage of you…” he grinned at her.

“Oh I know you won’t unless you want to end up in the hospital…” she laughed back at him she knew he was joking. She knew better than to think that AJ would ever look at her as anything more than a friend.

“Talking about hospital how’s the internship going?” he asked as he looked through his pocket and took out his cigarette pack. “Want one?” he asked as he stopped at a red light giving him the chance to light his cigarette.

She gave a big sigh and gladly accepted another cigarette…she lit it and spoke, “Good I guess…” she told him exhaling out the smoke.

“You guess? What happened that you don’t sound too excited with your internship. Don’t tell it’s not what you expected?” he said as he pulled into his home.

“No it’s exactly what I expected yet I guess I didn’t realize that…” she sighed and looked at him. “That this time it was real people I was treating. I lost someone today…he flat lined on me.”

“I’m sorry Vals, maybe it was his time to go… don’t blame yourself you did your best. I know your going to be the best god damn doctor out there,” he told her as he patted her shoulder. “Come let’s go,” he said turning off his ignition.

“What? This is your house?” she said finally realizing where they were. “God damn it, you guys need a new member right since Kevin left? By golly I will fucking dress like a man and sing with you all if I can get a house like this.” she said stepping out of the car.

AJ laughed at her comment he knew she was joking, “Yeah I’d pay to see you do that, how would be explain the…” he stopped talking and pointed to her well endowed chest.

“Plastic surgery AJ,” she told him rolling her eyes at him. “Come I want to see the inside.”

********

“Oh hell yeah,” Valarie said as she pocked the eight ball. “Man you really were rusty,” she told him dancing. “This is my victory dance,” she told him as she danced around.

AJ laughed as he watched her dance around, “I want a rematch,” he told her as he went up to her and stopped her. “Stop doing that it just doesn’t look right,” he said giving her sly move. “You’re going to give bad ideas.” He said walking out of the room.

She stopped and watched him walk out, was he serious? No he was just being a tease like always, “Oh its ok AJ I don’t think you can handle me either way,” she spat back also giving him a sly smile as she saw him pouring himself a glass of ginger ale.

He looked up from what he was doing and watched her. He looked her up and down, “You want something to drink,” he asked her changing the subject. She was a little on the heavy side but she was pretty. He wasn’t going to admit that to her, he didn’t want to make her feel awkward around him.

She felt herself blush when she saw him looking at her, “Yeah, water.” She told him.

“Yeah ok,” he said as he went to get another glass from the cupboard. He wasn’t watching his step and making the glass fall breaking into pieces. “Shit!” he said as bending down to pick up the pieces.

She ran toward him bending down to help him, “Its ok here, where do you have the dust pan?” she asked him looking around his big kitchen.

“In the laundry room,” He said pointing toward the door. He continued to curse as she walked away. “Fuck,” he said as he saw the blood oozing from his hand.

“AJ!” she said dropping the dustpan. She pulled him to his feet and dragged him to the faucet, “here put your hand under the water, where’s your aid kit?”

“In the guest restroom down the hall,” he said watching his hand under the running water. “That was fast,” he said as she came back with the kit.

“Well I do this for a living AJ,” she told him as she started to help clean his cut, “It’s not that deep…” she told him as she cleaned it and put some peroxide on it. “Does it hurt?”

“Not right now,” he told her as he watched her. She was so gentle and it seemed like she really cared for his hand to be ok. “Thanks I can see why you’re in that field.”

“Well its like abuela Rita use to tell me, Pisces are caring people they always feel for the others. They are healers,” Val told AJ as she finished putting on the band aid. “Your set, wait here I will clean the rest up.”

“So you went into the medical field because your grandma told you that?” he asked her as he watched her clean the rest of the glass off the floor. He couldn’t help but watch her butt from where he stood; he smiled as he watched her.

“No…only part of it. I am a Pisces and to be honest I like my job. I didn’t like loosing someone today but, besides that I feel good helping sick people feel good.” She told him as she threw away the glass. “I think I should go,” she told him as she turned to see him.

“You have a natural blush on your cheeks,” he told her touching her cheek. “Thanks for helping with my injury…” he told her. “I guess I should take you back. But you owe a rematch,” he told her.