Won't Happen Again

3

He came out of the exam room peeling his gloves off and scanned the ED. A smile spread across his face when he saw her standing at the desk filling out paperwork. He came around to her side quietly and nudged her playfully.

"You spelled abdominal wrong," he teased.

Erin looked up from her report and gave Will a soft shove, laughing, "I did not!"

He chuckled back at her, "What brings you to my office on this fine evening," he asked.

"Rape victim," Erin nodded solemnly towards one of the exam rooms. "Just waiting for the okay to go interview her."

Will nodded, he could see Choi and April through the crack in the door with Erin's victim.

"Well I have some good news for you while you're waiting," Will offered.

"Oh yeah," Erin stopped writing her notes and turned to look at Will.

"Last night was officially my last night sleeping on your couch," he bragged.

"Oh," Erin exclaimed trying to sound more curious then relieved.

"Gee Erin, why don't you tell me how you really feel about me crashing with you guys," Will teased.

"Stop. You know you're welcome to stay with us, anytime."

"There's a but in there," Will laughed as Erin rolled her eyes. "I know, not exactly what every couple wants, to have their big brother mooching off them," Will admitted.

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" Erin probed.

"Nina and I talked, worked it out. I'm no longer in the dog house and am allowed to move back home," he explained.

"That's great," Erin was happy Will decided to focus on his relationship with Nina. She was about to tell him so when she caught him staring with daydream eyes across the ED. Erin followed his line of sight and shook her head. He was watching Nat talk to another doctor. "Hey," Erin said touching Will's arm. "You sure that's what you really want?"

"What?" Will asked, pulling his focus back to Erin.

"Nina, you sure that's where you want to be?" Erin clarified and nodded in Nat's direction letting Will know she'd caught him staring at her.

Will glanced at Nat then turned back to Erin and squared his shoulders. "Yes. It's the right decision," he confirmed.

Erin opened her mouth to say more but Will got called away to tend to another patient. She shrugged it off as Dr. Choi motioned to her that they were ready for Erin to interview her victim.

//

Two weeks later Will stood waiting anxiously by the ED entrance watching the rain pound down when Miss. Goodwin put her hand on his arm.

"Dr. Halstead, we're clear on this right?" She asked gently. "You cannot be involved in the treatment of this patient." She said firmly.

Will only nodded. Words wouldn't form past the lump in his throat. Time was moving way too slowly. That ambulance needed to get here already.

The ambulance pulled up a moment later and backed into the bay, trauma team pushing past Will. The ambulance doors flung open.

"PD in the house," he heard Maggie call. The gurney was lowered out and updates on the victims status exchanges. Will tried to focus on their words, ascertain how bad the injuries were but his heart was thumping loudly in his ears. "Baghdad," Maggie directed the team as they rolled past Will. He caught a glimpse of the victims face, pale and rain soaked. He turned, about to follow, when he caught sight of the cop who rode in with the victim. She was rain soaked too, her hair plastered to her face and her hands, shirt sleeves and vest were blood stained. She approached slowly, looking exhausted and at a loss for what to do with herself. Will glanced towards Baghdad. As much as he wanted to barge in and take over they'd refuse to let him and it would only distract from their efforts to save a life.