The Starting Line (Reupload)

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  Chief Webber had called them all into a conference room, and they were all a little confused.

Eleanora made her way through the crowd, giving a little 'I'm sorry!' when she bumped into someone. She stopped next to Alex, looking at the Chief and his secretary.

"What's this about?" Eleanora questioned, tilting her head. Alex shrugged, moving his hand to rest on her lower back.

"I have no idea. I just hope it passes quickly so I can get out of here and get back to my patient. The guy has an ovary." He whispered the last part, moving closer to her face so she could hear. Her eyes widened and she looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. And his wife is pregnant." Alex says, arching an eyebrow. Eleanora's brow furrowed as she thought for a minute.

"Shouldn't that be—" she noticed the look Alex was giving her and let out a small gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God!"

Alex just nodded, but his attention was caught by the Chief. Everyone in the room fell silent and listened, most confused as to what was going on and the rest simply annoyed at being called away from their patients.

"Three interns, four residents, and six nurses on this surgical floor have been diagnosed with... syphilis."

Eleanora's cheeks flushed and she looked at George out of the corner of her eye, watching him slowly slide into his chair. Alex let out a small laugh, looking up at the ceiling.

"Thank you. God, thank you for making this day so wonderful."

Eleanora slapped his arm weakly, trying to take her eyes away from Olivia. She only knew about those two, and she didn't really want to draw people's attention to either of them. But she still couldn't completely take her eyes off them

Patricia says, her voice somehow cheerful despite the awkward conversation. "There are more than 70,000 new cases every year. If left undiagnosed, syphilis can lead to blindness, insanity and even death."

"If you have had unprotected sex with another member of our staff, get tested." The Chief said. The room laughed, but his face still retained the serious, stern expression he always seemed to have. "That's not a request. Patricia..." the Chief cleared his throat. "Patricia will now give everyone a demonstration of safe sex."

The laughter continued, Alex was one of them. Eleanora knew that her face had to be red and that George was in the same state as her. His made sense, but hers didn't.

Eleanora just hated situations like this. She felt as if all eyes were looking at her and Alex, and that they noticed how when they were together, he always touched her in some way or vice versa.

When Patricia stands up, she holds a banana and a condom. "When the time is right, and gentlemen you will know when that time is, carefully open the condom package and roll it over the banana."

Eleanora let out a small squeal and turned her head to sink into Alex's side. She could feel the vibrations of his laughter and shook her head.

"No, my God, no! It's like getting the talking from my mom again." She murmured.

They stood there for the entire demonstration, Alex jokingly taunting Eleanora and her practically begging him to stop or Patricia to stop.

"This is so embarrassing! Everyone here has a medical license and should know how to have safe sex!" She hissed, finally looking at him. "We have safe sex!" Her voice was low but trembling, and Alex looked at her.

His face drooped slightly when she said "we." Together, they had safe sex, of course, and Alex planned to continue. However, he felt guilty that she assumed that he only used a condom every time he had had sex in the past and that she obviously thought he would tell her if he hadn't done it lately.