A Love found in Affliction

Chapter Four

Elaine looked up and her temper flared. She knew that look very well, the one on Aaron's face. She got it all the time during her internship and residency.

It was the look of "how can a pretty face like you be doctor?" Elaine never understood that concept. How did her looks dictate her career? Was it a sin to have brains with good looks? She knew she wasn't bad looking. Her mother had been a beautiful lady and she got her height from her dad because her mom ended short of 5 feet 4 inches. Just because Elaine had a pretty face screwed on a tall and lean body automatically people presumed she was some model, not that anything was wrong with that. Models had it tough when it came to career just as any other person pursuing their career with passion.

Elaine looked at Aaron squarely and raised one of her eyebrows.

"Nothing. Let's go. I will drop you off on my way to the office." Aaron said as he looked away from her scalding gaze. He knew he had pissed her off and he was impressed to see this fiery side of her though last night's events had already revealed that.

He wondered how she must be in bed with her wild auburn hair.

"Get your head out of the gutter" Aaron muttered.

"You said something?" Elaine asked

"No"

"You can say it. I know that look"

"What look?"

"The one you gave me when I told you my job"

"I didn't give you any look."

"You jaw was hanging."

Aaron ignored her and opened his car door for her. She huffed and got in. Aaron stifled a laugh. This woman sure was something.

Aaron got in and decided to pull her leg some more.

"So you get that "look" all the time, I mean from the patients also? Do people say something as well?"

"Nah, even the look gets wiped clean off their faces once they realize I will be the one holding a scalpel over their open skull."

Aaron laughed out loud and his brain halted. He hadn't laughed like this in a long time. Even the past year with Olivia had been stressful because of the increasing demands of her career. He also realized from the past hour or so, being with her, Olivia didn't cross his mind once.

They reached the hospital and Aaron stepped out along with her.

"Thank you once again for everything" Elaine said and then she looked at the hospital and sighed.

Aaron didn't miss the look of utter pain cross her eyes. What was her story? This damn hospital seemed like hell to him. Even he felt the dull ache set in once again.

With one final smile Elaine walked inside, without a backward glance and Aaron suddenly felt cold. The dull ache became more pronounced and all his sorrow came back and drowned him. It was like she was holding his head above the flood of sorrow.

"Stop being sappy Clark" Aaron thought and got back in the car.

Elaine walked towards the doctor's lounge to change into her navy blue scrubs. She smiled as she recalled his deep laugh. She was good with eye contact, it was needed as doctor to make your point clear to the patient, especially the one who had trouble with compliance but with Aaron she couldn't look at him for three seconds straight. First of all the steel grey of his eyes was simply stunning and second the pain that Elaine saw hidden there in plain sight scared her. He did a good job of covering it with his shoulder shrugging and that smirk, oh God that smirk, did things to her body.