DESTINED AFFECTION

TWENTY

Ally dropped into a chair at the nurses' station next to Lauren and heaved a sigh. "God, what a day."

"Mmph," Lauren grunted without looking up from the EKG she was studying. A minute later, she pushed back in her chair and ran a distracted hand through her hair. "It's been nonstop since we walked in this morning."

"Oh, how I love summer in the city," Ally moaned. "More sports-related accidents, more vehicular trauma, more fistfights. Ain't we got tun."

"Only a few more weeks until school starts, thank God." Lauren glanced around the ER restlessly. The hallways were nearly impassable with stretchers, x-ray machines, and instrument carts parked haphazardly outside patient cubicles. She saw several residents, nurses, and attendings, but not the one person she was seeking. "Have you seen Camila?"

Ally smiled. By her count, that was the tenth time that Honor had asked the same question since the three of them had arrived for work eight hours before. She doubted that Lauren realised that she became agitated and outright grumpy whenever Camila wasn't in eyeshot. "I think she's casting that navicular fracture in seven. The painter who fell off the ladder and landed on his wrist?"

"Oh, right."

"It's a damn good thing she came back to work today," Ally observed casually. "Half the patients in here have surgical problems."

"She's earning her salary, that's for sure." Turning on the swivel stool, Lauren glanced behind her at the large intake board with columns of patient names, in and out times, and chief complaints. The flow did seem faster, and part of it had to be the fact that fewer patients were waiting for surgical consults because Camila was dealing with their problems herself. "I just don't want her to burn out."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Ally said with a snort. "She's incredibly fast, and I don't get the sense she's tired."

"I'm sure you're right." Lauren tried to sound casual, but Ally knew her too well.

"What are you worried about?" Ally studied the shadows swirling in Lauren's eyes, then asked gently, "Are you concerned about her health?"

"No, of course not."

"You are. Why? Is she having problems?" When Ally saw Lauren's jaw set in the way it did when she was being stubborn, she added impatiently, "I already know what's wrong, remember? You're not giving away any secrets."

Lauren's shoulders sagged slightly, and she shook her head. "I don't know what's bothering me. She seems perfectly fine. I've seen her running with the kids on the soccer field, and believe me, she's totally functional."

"You wouldn't be half this worried if you weren't falling for her."

"I'm not falling for her." Lauren stood and gathered her paperwork. "I'm going to discharge the man in one with the chest pain. His EKG is fine, and his chest x-ray is clear. He's got esophageal spasm, and he needs an upper endoscopy. Can you give him the phone number for the GI department so he can schedule a follow-up appointment?"

"Sure." Ally stood as well and angled her body so that she was blocking the exit path. In an insistent whisper, she said, "And I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other this morning. I thought I was going to have to hose you both down before you got in the car."

Lauren couldn't help smiling. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She most certainly is." Ally gave Lauren a quick hug. "And so are you. I am so happy for you."

"There's nothing to get all excited about. We're just going on a simple date."

"A date!"

"Shh! God, will you be quiet" Lauren glanced around surreptitiously, relieved to see that no one was nearby. "I hate hospital gossip, and I'd rather not be the subject of it."