page7 (1/2)

"Are you hungry?" I ask as the doors slide open I reluctantly let her go so she can precede me into the elevator

"I could eat so," she says as she taps the lobby button

I step back and lean against the wall "Let's stop at Five Guys and grab soot beer at my house We'll work on the puzzle until you're too tired to see straight, and then we'll call it a night"

Josie turns to face ainst the wall She shoves a hand down into her pocket "This is sort of weird and also not weird, you know?"

"Granted, it's a little weird sooes into labor--"

"Not that," she says with an eye roll "You and me Our friendship It's really sort of weird, and not weird"

"Why would it be weird?" I ask her

I don't get an eye roll, but a spectacularly cocked eyebrow that's fully loaded with skepticis out with that is a female"

My h all the wo one of them has been a loose, casual sexual relationship I even push back further in tih school I've never been one to have platonic fe with my buddies, much as I do noith Marek and Holt Women were, I'm ashamed to say, not worth much of my time

Until Josie, that is

"Okay, maybe it's a little weird," I admit in defeat

"It's weird," she says staunchly "For uy friend It's kind of cool"

"So you're saying sex is off the table?" I ask her with a lewd smile

Josie looks ri to happen"

"Whatever," I tease her as I motion with my hand to my fabulous body "You'd fall down in worship if I let you have a crack at this"

"I think we need to y department," she quips as she turns away fro"

The doors to the elevator open up to the lobby, and I laugh at our easy bantering, knowing deep inunderneath all this friendly ribbing I loop ht do to show affection to his sister, but only I know that I'ainst me

Chapter 6

Josie

"Dr Ives," I hear fro her head into the on-call office

"What's up?" I say with a smile While most nurses are all about brisk efficiency in their co tone when they need so I've seen too many asshole doctors cause undue stress on nurses with their attitudes

"Dr Mills asked for your assistance in exa some stitches"

I nod and push up out ofover to lock the computer screen on the keyboard I head over to exa stitches into a kid is often a job for two doctors

Kevin Mills s on a stool next to the bed, a little blond boy lying there with a piece of gauze taped to the top of his forehead On the other side of the bed is a young woman in her midtwenties whom I presume is the boy's mother

"Ahhh, here's Dr Ives now," Kevin says to the little boy as I walk in "She's the best doctor in the entire e to help me make you all better"

The little boy looks atin his eyes

"Dr Ives, this is Peter He took a little fall off the monkey bars and has a bit of a cut on his head"

I give Peter a war smile as I step forward to take a look

"Hi, Peter My na to take a quick peek at the cut so we can decide how to best fix you up"

More tears well up in the little boy's eyes A quick glance at hisones in hers I smile confidently at her and turn back to Peter When I pull the bandage back he asksto stick a needle in me?"

I take in the laceration, which is only about a centi won't be much of an issue