"I won't sleep with you. I don't give a d.a.m.n what you threaten me with." Her protest sounded as weak as she was staring at the offer of relief scribbled on that piece of paper. Her insides were torched. She was riddled with tremors from needing it so badly. She craved it so bad she was almost desperate enough to agree. "Why are you doing this to me? I've never done anything to you."

"I want to help you, Kim," Patel repeated.

"That's a lie. You put me on the Oxy to make me beholden to you."

"Don't play the victim." Patel cut her off. "You're a nurse. You knew the risk and you abused that prescription. How exactly do you take the Oxy?" he smirked. "I hear it works best once snorted, or smoked? Have you tried smoking it Kim?"

She shook her head sadly.

"You've ignored me for years. Now I have your attention," Patel grinned.

He set the prescription down on the desk then walked around it. Kim's eyes never left the desk. She just stared at the prescription. He stopped at her side. "Don't worry. I'm a patient man. I want you to come to me freely. You have a little time to think it over. That's my peace offering. It's up to you what happens next."

She looked to the floor.

Satisfied he left her there.

Kim dropped in the chair next to her. She squeezed her eyes so tightly shut she saw bands of color behind her closed lids. He was right. She knew the day she took the first pill and snorted it what she was doing. She was guilty. She knew he flirted with her each time she came to him with a lame excuse for a refill. She was guilty. She knew that her entire career would was in jeopardy. Again, guilty. How she loathed herself for sinking this low-for becoming Diane. After everything she worked for, after all she had to protect, she was a junkie. She was a d.a.m.n junkie. A junkie. A junkie. A junkie...

Her eyes flipped open once more. Again she locked in on the only offer of help. Tears dropped from her long lashes to the front of her scrubs. If she took more, then what? She'd need more and he'd demand the unthinkable. She felt like vomiting at the thought of it. She put her face in her hands and wept until it hurt just a little less. She'd never given anyone power over her, how could she be so stupid! He could report her and she would be fired. Worse than that, she could go to jail. She'd lose her nursing license. She'd lose her kids. What was she going to do?

Minutes ticked by. She finally lowered her hands, cheeks wet with regret. She sniffed. She wiped under her eyes, stood and then walked over, taking the prescription-tucking it in her front pocket. She just needed it this time. The lawyers would settle her case soon and she'd quit Mercy. She just needed something to tide her over, she reasoned.

The ER was a noisy crowded mix of doctors, nurses, police officers, paramedics and the wounded. They kept coming. Women, men, and children arrived battered bleeding. Many of them were dying. Dr. Mathew Donnelly was off duty. He was enjoying a day of beer and chips in front of the tube on his boat, then bam an accident along the Hudson tunnel. The call came in on his personal line that they had a car pile-up that the rescue teams were still trying to sift through. He got in and didn't even put on his lab coat. He was in the thick of it. Not since his time in West Africa had he dealt with so much death at once.

"Where the f.u.c.k is he?" he yelled at the nurse. The woman was working to stop the bleeding, listening to the fetal monitor for any sign of distress.

"I paged him, Dr. Donnelly, twice."

"What do we have?" Dr. Patel asked with a yawn, pushing his way inside the crowd.

Mathew's head shot up. "A dying pregnant woman, or did you not see the others on your way down?"

"Funny," Patel snickered. He checked the patient's chart as the nurse began to shout off her injuries and current state. The gist of it was that she was impaled in her upper chest and now in labor. They just removed the beam, but she and the baby were in distress. "The patient's name is Alice Mills, and she's, I guess, seven or eight months."

"I have it!" Patel snorted. "Get her to the OR now. Dr. Donnelly, unless you want to a.s.sist, back away from her so I can save her baby's life."

Their eyes locked, and Mathew stepped back, putting his hands up. The other nurses glared, knowing that the woman would have surely bled out if Dr. Donnelly hadn't jumped in. Evidence was all over his blood stained shirt. "She's all yours."

Patel smirked, turned on his heel like a German soldier, and followed the wounded woman who Mathew just resuscitated out of the ER. The p.i.s.sing match between the two men was a waste of Mathew's time. He wasn't looking for glory.

"f.u.c.ker," he grunted. He removed a glove and then the other, dropping them in the pail. When he looked up, he saw her. She walked fast with her head down. If he hadn't had her on his mind so heavily since yesterday, he would have missed her.

"Doctor, we need you in three. Patient with ruptured spleen. They're taking him to surgery. Dr. Roberts suggested we bring you in."

He nodded. "Let me get changed. Tell them I'm on my way."

"Yes, sir."

Curious, he wrapped his stethoscope around his neck and went after Kim. She wasn't on call today. He had checked. Why was she at work? What a stupid question. Of course she had returned for the same reason he was at work, obviously.

"Kim?" he said when she rounded the nurses' station. She looked up at him. Her eyes were puffy and gla.s.sy. Mathew felt a sense of panic at the pain he saw there. "Something wrong? The boys?"

"What do you need, doctor?" she asked. She turned to the board to see where everyone was. He stepped in closer to the counter. "I thought you were off. That you didn't have to work today."

"Have you looked around? Does this look like a day off for anyone?" She turned to the nurse next to her and took the file folders she was carrying. "Back on the floor. Dr. Roberts needs someone to a.s.sist," she ordered the nurse.

Maggie frowned. "What about the backlog of those that weren't admitted into emergency?" She referenced the line of patients that needed to be checked in.

"I have it," Kim said in a weary tone. She sat down behind the monitor, refusing to give him an opening. Mathew stood there for a minute, unsure of what to say next.

"Maybe we can do lunch?" Immediately he regretted it. He needed to back out there. Still, she looked like she needed him.

"No."

"Dr. Donnelly, Dr. Patel is paging you. He needs you in the OR," another nurse said. He hadn't realized he was ignoring his pager. He looked at Kim again wondering what had put up the new wall between them, and then turned away. She never looked up again.

"She's a lucky lady," Patel said, walking out of the surgical room and removing his mask. "Or, I'm just that good."

Mathew followed, peeling off his gloves. "We'll see if she makes it through the night without any hemorrhaging. The baby will survive. You should go update the family with the good news."

"Dr. Patel?" Kim stuck her head in. She blinked up at both men with her soft brown eyes. "Mr. Mills is out here wanting to know about his wife."

"I'll be right out." A sly smile slid over Patel's lips.

Kim looked to Mathew. He met her stare, but her eyes dropped away and she closed the door. He shook his head, disappointed. He had overplayed his hand. He sucked at dating or even making friends in this city. Things were a lot simpler down south. New York women weren't the shrinking violets that could be plucked with a simple smile.

"A tease," Patel said.

"Who?" Mathew asked removing his surgical cap.

"Nurse Hot t.i.ts. That's who. She's a tease. It's all an act."

Mathew looked from the five foot six middle-aged East Indian doctor to the door that just closed. "Are you talking about Kimberly Jensen?"

Patel laughed. "Yeah, she keeps waving her a.s.s at me. Even offered me a b.l.o.w.j.o.b in my office earlier. Would have gotten it too if you hadn't paged me. Decided I'm going to go for it. Get a piece."

Mathew could feel the delicate muscles of Patel's throat cave in as he gripped and squeezed it tightly. Patel gagged then gasped, his mouth puckering like a fish with his tongue protruding as he struggled for air. In a flash, Mathew had pinned him to the wall. So swift was the action, he wasn't sure it had happened. He blinked to consciousness and Mathew could tell that Patel realized he had his hands wrapped around his throat. The choking was so tight the doctor's face went from flushed pink to blue in seconds. He clawed at his attacker's hands, kicking his feet. Mathew towered over him a full six inches. "Le-le-let me go," Patel choked out.

"You stay away from her," Mathew seethed.

Patel nodded that he understood. The anesthesiologist walked in. The young woman gave a startled cry at the scene. Mathew responded by tightening his hold. He was minutes from snapping the p.r.i.c.k's neck.

"Dr. Donnelly! Stop!"

He let go. Patel dropped to his knees coughing, hacking. Mathew knelt down to his level. "If I even think you are on her, it's me and you. You got that?"

"Yes, ye-ye-yes," Dr. Patel nodded.

"No trouble here, Jessica, Dr. Patel tripped." Mathew said helping him to his feet. Patel s.n.a.t.c.hed away fixing his lab coat. He picked up his gla.s.ses and walked out. Mathew bit down hard on his bottom lip for losing his cool. This wasn't Carolina. He was supposed to make a new start in New York. Dropping back on the counter, he shook his head. He blew it.

"OmiG.o.d!" Jessica gushed. At five foot-two and nearly two hundred pounds, she had a waddle to her shuffle as she hurried to the nurses' station. Kim looked up from her typing. She had just returned from the pharmacist refilling her prescription, not easily done with the chaos of the hospital that morning. Things were settling down and here came trouble. The last thing she needed was Jessica coming over distracting everyone from paperwork.

"You are not going to believe what I just saw." She kept looking back over her shoulder. Kim frowned now fully invested in the news. The other nurses checked as for doctors as well, or worse Murphy in the hall.

"What, what did you see?" Maggie asked.

"Spit it out, girl," said Gwen.

"Dr. Hottie put the smack down on Dr. Pervert. That's what!"

The nurses exploded in laughter, along with the chubby anesthesiologist. They laughed it up for a good minute before any of them could speak.

"How, where?" Amy gasped through fits of laughter, clutching her chest.

"She's lying!" Gwen chuckled.

"It's true. it just happened a few minutes ago. Right after they finished with the Mills woman in surgery. I walked back in to get the equipment and Dr. Hottie had him up against the wall. He was choking him."

"Are you for real?" Maggie asked.

"I swear to G.o.d. It happened. He didn't stop right away either. He dropped him though...after a couple of minutes. Then he leaned down and said something. I swear Dr. Creepy looked like he was going to pee himself."

"That's enough," Kim said standing. Gwen, Maggie and Amy both gave simultaneous eye rolls. "Don't you two have paper work to finish from this morning? Rounds to make?"

They nodded and left out from behind the cubicle. Jessica shrugged. "Sorry, Kim, but it's about time someone put the jerk in his place. All of us are sick of him."

"Don't come over here gossiping, Jessica, I mean it."

Jessica stomped off in a huff. Kim stood there with her hands to her hips. She saw them just minutes ago. Why would Mathew strike him?

She didn't finish the thought. If Patel told him about the Oxycodone she was done. "s.h.i.t!"

She hurried out into the hall. She was in such a hurry she didn't bother to knock once she reached his closed door. She threw it open without reason.

Mathew's eyes lifted from the doc.u.ments before him. "Yes?"

Kim came inside and closed the door. "Can we talk?"

He didn't answer. She wouldn't have waited for him to either way. "I saw Jessica. She said you were in a fight."

"It wasn't a fight. Patel and I had a disagreement. We settled it."

"What about?" she asked taking a timid step toward him. She twisted her wedding ring nervously. She needed her job, and if Mathew knew about her stealing the Vicodin it was all over. He was too much of a stand-up kind of guy to let it go, especially with the Dagwood incident hanging over both their heads.

"Has he been hara.s.sing you, Kim?" Mathew asked her directly.

"Me?" she asked.

"You."

"No. Who told you that?"

"I got eyes and ears. I don't like the man. What I don't like even more is him using his position here to hara.s.s nurses. If he has said or done something, you would report it...wouldn't you?"

"Is that what it was about? Did you hit a man because he... hara.s.sed me?"

"Like I said, I don't like the man."

"I don't need you defending my honor, Mathew. I don't need what that implies to these people we work with. This is my job. We're colleagues. I-I-I can take care of myself."

Mathew sat back. His eyes held her in place, absorbing every detail. She feared the invasion, the critical way he stared. Giving a nervous chuckle, she managed a smile. "I appreciate it if you were, you know defending me, but please, I just don't want any trouble. Besides, I barely know Dr. Patel."

"Has he hara.s.sed or threatened you, Kim? If he has, I can get his a.s.s thrown out of here, and there won't be any trouble."

"No! I told you he wasn't. Just let it go." She stepped forward. "He flirts, but I'm a big girl. Besides, he's not the only doctor here guilty of flirting."

Mathew shook his head. She knew that was a low blow. But she needed him to back off. If Patel turned her in, then her life would be over. And Mr. Prince Charming would run from her as fast as he could.

"Fine. I was out of line for flirting with you and defending your honor. Anything else? I'm kind of busy."

Kim's eyes lowered. "I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to insult you."

"No, you were trying to remind me that you don't need my help or friendship. I get it."

"Mathew." She bit down on her bottom lip. "Thank you for offering, but I told you I have a lot going on. I just don't want the trouble."

He rose from his desk. Her eyes flipped up. She stared at him as he approached her. "All I'm offering is friendship, Kim. Is that something you can't handle? A friend?"

"Of course not."

"Then let your guard down with me some. I'm not blind. Dr. Patel is an arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d that has hara.s.sed most of the nurses here. I can help you."

She shook her head. He just didn't understand. She could never tell him how bad things were. Never. As if he read her mind, he nodded that he'd back off the topic. "Forget Patel. I have a better idea. When is your next day off?"

"Why?"

"Answer the question," he smiled.

"Wednesday, since I came in today, but I was going to work so..."

"What a coincidence. I'm off on Wednesday too."

"You are?"