Love or Something Like it

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey / Tobias Carrick and MC Penelope Saunders

Book: Open Heart 3 Chapter 9

Genre: Angst, Flirting, Jealousy and Drama

Summary: Ethan has been reminiscing with Harper about the good times they spent together. Penelope has been feeling left out. Tobias notices and decides that Ethan needs to learn to take the love of his life seriously.

Warnings: Teen

Penelope: "What cases do we have for today? Looks like our Bloom Barricade is working well so far. Let's pick something where we can make a real difference without Bloom interfering."

Harper: "You're right Penelope. Oh Ethan, talking about barricade I just remembered something. Do you remember during our residency we once jammed Naveen's office door? We had worked a 48-hour shift because of the sudden snow and that multiple car accident on the bridge. Yet, Naveen wouldn't stop giving us cases."

Ethan: " How can I forget? I have not seen Naveen that furious ever. Although he did have a good laugh with us later. I also remember what we did afterwards. You had the 'flu' and you gave it to me. Which was miraculously cured once we took a day off to play hooky."

Penelope: " Ahem, if you're done reminiscing about the past, can we focus on our case load please?"

Ethan: "You're right as usual Penelope. Thank you for refocusing our attention. Right, so we have a case of a 42-year-old man who has fully developed breasts. His primary care physician couldn't find anything wrong. So, he was referred to us."

Penelope: "This is right up our alley. It gives us the opportunity to make inroads into a new kind of illness and publish relevant facts for the benefit of other patients."

Tobias: "Fair warning Penny, if I diagnose it first then I'm going to be running to the AMA with the data..."

Penelope: "Oh you're on Tobias. We'll see who comes out on top."

Tobias: "Let's up the stakes, loser buys drinks at Donahue's tonight after work."

Penelope: "I like that, only if you promise to drive me home."

Ethan clears his throat loudly.

Ethan: "How very typical of you Tobias, turning patient care into a game. Rookie, I expected better from you. I'm disappointed."

Tobias: "Oh loosen up Ethan, it's all good natured. We're not going to put the patient at risk..."

With that the team heads out to meet Michael. They interview Michael and learn that he and his wife Naomi are trying for a child. They have been undergoing hormone therapy. Penelope asks if Michael has been injured recently or if there is any other changes to his lifestyle. Naomi asks if the symptoms are related to cancer.

Penelope: "Naomi, we will run a comprehensive panel of blood works and arrange for full body scans so we can narrow it down. We will know for certain what it is and what it is not, after we run the tests."

Ethan: "Don't worry Naomi, we will do everything we can for Michael. Harper – run the tests and get that tin-can to enrol Michael for the scans. Tobias – once they confirm the CT scan is free take Michael down. Penelope – I want you to research further into Michael's condition. Meet me back at the diagnostic team office. I'll go have a word with Baz to see if he has some insights to offer."

Ethan walks purposefully towards the research lab when Naveen way lays him.

Naveen: "Ethan, glad I caught you here. Bloom is going to be holding a townhall soon for a team bonding event. I wanted to tell you in person so that it doesn't come as a surprise. Please don't react when he announces it. He is quite serious about this. It will only paint a bigger target on your back than you already have."