Page 94 of Rookie Days

“To your apartment?”

“Yes. You two can sleep in the guest room tonight. If Janet gives you any trouble about this, arrest her.”

Determined to follow that advice to the letter, Ellie hurried to her car under leaden skies. A major thunderstorm was on the way, prompting one of the first official weather warnings they’d had in a while, even with all the snow. Her ribs were sore from their recent slamming, though painful butterflies in her stomach had nothing to do with it. She tried and failed to differentiate between anxiety and intuition. Maybe it was just a concentration of electricity in the air that made her feel so tense.Or maybe not…Hayes had come within striking distance of Dr Elliott again at the hospital. He was arrogant enough to speak to the guard and try to convince her to let him in. This had to be a game for him. He’d messed up but he was still showing off. Crazy, yes… But clever. Devious, cruel, and incredibly dangerous. Ellie stuck her phone on the dash holder and she dialed Janet’s number as she got under way. The phone just rang and rang.

“Come on, pick up.” She hung up, switched on her wipers against the rain, and tried again. This time the call went straight to answerphone.What the hell?She left a message. “Hey, it’s me. Call me back when you get this, alright? Thanks.”

Of course, her lover might just be in the OR. The ER. Or the swimming pool, for that matter. A streak of lightning flashed in the distance. Thunder rumbled. Unable to stop herself, Ellie was about to redial when the phone went off.

“It’s me, babe.” Janet sounded just fine. “You okay?”

“Better now you’re on the line. Are you still at work?”

“I was just about to leave. With Officer Blake, as per your instructions.”

Ellie settled a bit, even as thunder rolled ever closer.

“I hear it’s a rare thing in your community, uh?”

“What is? A surgeon who can follow instructions?”

“Ah… You’ve heard that one before?”

“Only about a million times,” Janet snorted. “What do you want, rookie?”

“It’s home time. I’m on my way to pick you up.”

“Oh, great.” Janet sounded genuinely relieved, which told Ellie she must not feel as confident as she projected. It made her wish that she’d called her sooner.At least I won’t have to arrest her now.She smiled. “I’ll be with you in fifteen minutes. Wait for me inside, okay?”

“No problem. See you soon, darling.”

It was raining hard by the time Ellie arrived at the hospital. She parked in front of the door, walked briskly into the lobby. Janet stood next to the main desk, surrounded by three younger doctors who seemed to literally hang on to every word that came out of her mouth. Easily done. Ellie stopped to watch.

“Look,” Janet declared. “What I’m saying is that sometimes, a headache is just a headache. Dr Singh, your evaluation would be perfect if it was grounded in solid reality. As it is, I suggest you stick with the results of the brain scan and give your patient some Tylenol. Okay? No need to crack her skull open just yet.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“Go to it.” Janet turned to her with a smile and immediately reached to take her hand. “Hi, baby.”

The greeting was warm, her touch incredibly comforting. It was like coming home, and Ellie swallowed around a ball of raw emotion.

“Hello, Doc. Are these some of your eager students?”

“That’s right. So eager in fact that they’ll probably attempt to drill a hole in your skull if they find you standing still a little too long.”

“Jeez. I knew there was a reason I disliked hospitals.”

“They’re good guys.” Janet laid a soft hand against her side. “And you’re safe with me. Now, how’s your ribs?”

“Instantly much better for some reason.”

“Mm?”

“Sore,” Ellie confirmed. “But just being with you makes me forget all about it.”

“Excellent. I see we’ve got some major placebo effect going on with you.”

Ellie lingered over the sexy smile on her lips. She observed her dark eyes, glittering full of warmth and intelligence, and the teasing but tender look that Janet fixed her with. Her head swam with a hundred replies, all pretty much around the same theme. Unable to settle on just one, Ellie pulled her into the corner, and out of sight, for a heartfelt kiss that left them both grinning and breathless.

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