There had to be something in the air. All day long, the patients admitted onto AAU had been dealing with some sort of fallout from a romantic entanglement. Serena had been ready to scream in frustration when their latest patient, a sweet old woman by the looks of her, had told Morven that her pacemaker had been acting up. Serena had just walked away before she could hear just what outlandish thing had befallen her.

"And why is that?" she heard Morven ask as she stepped over to the nurses' station, looking at some results as she awaited Morven's report. Moments later, the young doctor was scurrying over to her side, her cheeks stained with a deep blush. "It's Mrs Myrkle. She has a vibrator stuck in the on position."

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Where?"

Morven looked away from her, as if she was too embarrassed to say. Jasmine joined them moments later, as if she could tell something was up, and grinned as she looked between them. "So, what's it now?" she asked with obvious enthusiasm.

"Apparently, Mrs Myrkle has a vibrator stuck in the on position. I'm just waiting for Doctor Digby to tell me where. Though it really can be only one of two places."

"Ooh, I bet it's up her arse! That's the only thing that could make Morven blush like that!"

If looks could kill, Jasmine would have been in severely critical condition, Serena mused, wondering if she should rebuke Jasmine's vulgarity. But then the young doctor used her wink on her, and Serena knew she couldn't say a word. Coughing to cover her giggles that threatened to escape, she looked around for Bernie, knowing that this sort of removal was right up her alley. "Do you know where Bernie is?" she finally asked Jasmine.

"Probably on the roof with Dom. That's where all the important talk happens, I guess. Do you want me to bleep her?"

"Please, do. I'll be in my office until she arrives." Jasmine gave her a tiny smile and nod as she turned on her heel and scurried over to the office, barely getting the door closed before bursting into a fit of inappropriate giggles. It felt so good to have this release, and as she sank down into her chair, Serena wiped away tears from under her eyes.

"She's going to be here in about five minutes," Jasmine said as she slipped into the office and took a seat on one of the free chairs. "Sorry, I couldn't stay out there. I didn't want to make the patient feel badly, after all. Can you believe what we've seen today? I thought nothing could top the man who forgot to thoroughly wash his hands after cutting ghost peppers."

"Well, that will teach him to think twice about being in a hurry to get off, won't it?" she asked with a playful smirk, watching Jasmine bite her lip as she nodded. "This has just been a day."

"Tell me about it! There has to be something in the air, nothing else could explain this level of weird. But I'm learning tips and tricks of what not to do, for when I finally snag a boyfriend."

Serena cocked her head to one side as she opened her desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of water, taking a long swig as she watched Jasmine closely. "You don't need a partner to take care of your needs. Mrs Myrkle certainly proves that!"

"Serena!" They both looked up towards the door, and she blushed a little at the look Bernie was giving her. "I would certainly hope that you're not leading our tender, impressionable, F1s astray." She shrugged a little as she took another sip of water. "Decorum, responsibility, drive. This is what we want in our protégés."

"Jasmine has that in spades. Can I help it if I also encourage her sense of humour, as well? After all, there are certain situations that just lend themselves to mirth. This is one of them, and you are just the doctor to help Morven out." Bernie squinted at her as she took a seat behind her desk, her pointer finger propping up her chin as she leaned forward to look at her.

"Go on."

"There is a situation, quite similar to one that we had to deal with in theatre last year. Only, this time, it appears to be a vibrator, rather than a shower head. Do you think you're up to the task?"

Bernie's lips curved upwards in a knowing smile, and Serena knew that she had thoroughly intrigued now. "I rather think that I am. But…"

"Yes?" she asked, trying not to sound too suggestive, since Jasmine was still in the room.

"I think that we should allow Morven the opportunity to decide which of us is more qualified to assist. Don't you?" There was an undercurrent to Bernie's words that Jasmine hadn't seemed to pick up on, since she was looking between the two of them, obvious confusion on her face.

"Oh, come now, I'd rather say that you're the better trauma surgeon, and this is, after all, a traumatic case. Doctor Burrows and I are more than happy to cede this to you and Morven. You are my big, macho, army medic, after all." The frisson that had been lighting up the air all morning seemed to increase tenfold as they continued to look at each other, and Serena swallowed thickly as desire pooled, hot and fast, in her core.

"Well, far be it from me to disagree with you there. Perhaps you could assist me, though? It is always nice to have you in theatre with me." Serena nodded as she licked her lips, watching Bernie mimic her move. A quick glance at Jasmine told Serena that she was trying to look at anywhere but them, and she tried to rein in her desire a little.

"I would love that, but someone has to watch the wards."

"I can do that, Ms Campbell. Please, let me do that."

Jasmine's voice sounded a bit desperate, and Serena gave her a small nod, listening to her scramble from the room as she continued to stare at Bernie. "I have the feeling that we might have embarrassed her, Bernie."

"You don't say." Bernie smirked a little as she got out of her chair and came over to her side, bending down to brush her lips against Serena's forehead. "Now, when, exactly, are we going to perform this extraction?"

"As soon as you're ready," Serena replied as she slid her chair back a little and stood up. "Shall we?"

"Yes." They shared another heated look, and Serena squirmed a little as she exited the room, knowing exactly where Bernie's eyes were drawn to as she walked. Morven and Jasmine were talking quietly at the nurse's station, occasionally stealing glances at them as they approached. "All right, ladies, I think it's time that I met Ms Myrkle and assessed the situation. Morven?"

She nodded and picked up her tablet, leading Bernie over to the bed, whilst Serena stayed back with Jasmine, unable to keep her eyes from tracking the slight sway of Bernie's hips. "You might want to be a little less obvious there, Serena."

"I'm sorry?"

"Your eyes give you away. You are totally starting at her bum."

"It's a cute bum!" she replied, knowing that the cheeky comment would make Jasmine blush. Sure enough, bright red bloomed on the apples of her cheeks, and she ducked her head into her tablet, trying to ignore Serena. "You're too easy to rile up, Doctor Burrows."

"Yes, well, you and Bernie are old enough to be our mums! I really don't relish thinking of you in less than chaste situations, you know."

"We're not nuns, nor are we dead from the waist down. When you get to be our age, you'll understand a little better." Jasmine arched an eyebrow as she shook her head a little. "Believe me, I thought the same thing of my mother when I was your age. And now that I'm her age, I realise just how much she gave up by not finding another partner."

Focusing on Bernie once more, Serena watched as she listened to Morven explaining the case history and then imagined the conversation that Bernie was having with the patient. Her lover looked up and gave her a small nod and wink, which she returned before turning and sitting at the computer, calling up the surgery schedule to find where there would be a slot for Ms Myrkle. "It looks like we could fit her in there," Jasmine murmured as she pointed at the screen. Serena nodded as she claimed the theatre before turning to look up into Jasmine's eyes. "Do you want me to go inform them?"

"Sure," she murmured as she leaned back in the chair, a small smile on her lips. It was hard to keep her focus on what was going on in the ward as she let her mind wander into a daydream of being home with Bernie, lazing around in the garden.

"Ms Campbell? Ms Campbell!" Her head shot up to look at Fletch, and she smiled sheepishly as she finally focused in on him. "There's been another weird case brought in."

"Can it wait? I was planning to go into surgery with Bernie in about twenty minutes."

"No, you're going to want to see this."

Frowning a little, she nodded and stood up, glancing over her shoulder to watch Bernie look at her questioningly. Shrugging, she shook her head and pointed to Fletch, trying to keep from frowning too much. Bernie nodded a little as she had a porter begin to wheel Ms Myrkle towards the theatre. "I do hope that this is something good, Fletch."

"Oh, it's not good, but it is fitting in with the theme of today."

Her eyes narrowed as they turned towards the private room, and the wheels of her brain started to turn a little. If it was too embarrassing to be out on the general ward, then it truly had to be an intriguing case, and her mood began to lift a little as Fletch opened the door. She was not prepared to see Essie stretched out on the bed, dressed in a very different manner than Serena was accustomed to seeing her. Sacha was by her side, trying to avoid direct eye contact with either of them. "Please, promise me that you'll be discreet about this, Serena. We do not want any gossip bandied about the hospital."

She wondered a little about his wording, until her eyes followed his arm down to where it was attached to Essie's with a pair of handcuffs. "Oh. Oh! Well, we'll try to keep things as quiet as possible here, but if anyone saw you come in, then the rumor mill is most likely already going. Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Essie blushed as she lifted their arms, wincing as she did so. "Well, firstly, we lost the key to these, and then somehow, I wrenched my arm, and I threw my shoulder out of socket."

"I hardly see why that brings you here. Wouldn't ED be the better place to handle that?" she asked as she glanced at Fletch, motioning for him to close the door and give Essie some privacy. He nodded and complied, allowing her to take a seat on the edge of the bed and complete a quick visual scan of the woman.

"Can you imagine what Connie Beauchamp would say? No, thank you, I trust you more than I trust her. Please, can you find a key to free us and then fix my arm?"

"I'll do my best. In the meantime, do you want me to help you get a little more covered? We might be able to finagle a gown on."

Essie shook her head a little, pulling up the thin sheet to cover her chest a little more. "I want to move as little as possible until we're free and someone pulls my shoulder back into place." She glanced up at Sacha, who was still blushing, Serena saw, and laughed lowly. "This one, though might like a gown to cover me up with. I think he might be afraid that you'll snap me up."

"Essie!"

Serena giggled as she glanced up at Fletch. "Be a dear and call Robbie? See if he has a universal handcuff key. Tell him that he owes me a favor."

He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. "I really hope that you two are the last in a string of very odd happenings on AAU. Really, you made me miss the most interesting extraction with your antics." Sacha tilted his head to one side as he regarded her. "A sweet old woman came into AAU with her personal massager stuck up her arse." Essie giggled, even as Sacha winced. "And I was going to assist Bernie, but instead, that honour went to Jasmine."

"I'd say sorry, but I'd rather have it be you than Raf or Bernie." She glanced up at Sacha, smiling to hopefully ease some of his discomfort. "There's still a bit of rough ground between us."

"I understand, completely." She gave them a warm smile as she reached out and patted Essie's hand gently. "But, while we're waiting for the key, I suppose that I should make my rounds. As soon as Robbie has brought by what we need, I'll release you and then we'll see about getting that shoulder back in joint. It's not good to keep it out of place for too long."

Essie nodded and smiled a little as Serena stood and made her way out of the room. She closed the door softly, hoping that no one would think to go in and check to see if the room was empty. It didn't take too long to do her obs, and then she was heading to the nurse's station where Fletch was just hanging up the phone. "Robbie should be here in about three minutes. He was actually on this end of town, which is good."

"Very good indeed. Look, I really don't want to talk to him alone, so I'm going to head into the office and when he gets here, lead him in, and then stay until I have the key."

"Of course, Serena." They shared a smile before she ambled over to the office and settled in behind her desk. Calling up her email, she read through the few new ones that had come in since yesterday, and then leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. The only way to make this day even weirder would be for a patient to come in with a broken penis.

"Don't even think it, Campbell. Thoughts become reality," she muttered to herself as she pulled open her middle desk drawer and grabbed the book that she was trying to read when she had a down moment on the ward. And just as she finished the first page of her current chapter, the doorknob rattled. Letting out a deep sigh, she shoved the bookmark into place and set aside the book as she looked towards the door.

"Serena! Nurse Fletcher said that you had an issue with a set of handcuffs?"

Robbie's genial smile made her smile in return, and she nodded. "I do. A couple managed to lose the key to theirs, and I need to set them free before I can reset her shoulder. I do hope that you've brought a universal key?"

He nodded and held it out between his fingers, letting it dangle. "I hope that this works. There are a few novelty handcuffs that don't fit the standard key, but those are becoming few and far between for exactly this reason." She stood and went over to his side, taking the key as she dipped her head a little. "So, how are things between you and Bernie? I didn't see her out there."

Serena knew that he was fishing for an opening with her, and she laughed a little as she brushed past him out onto the ward. "That's because she's the one in the handcuffs!" Robbie gawped at her, and her laugh deepened as she shook her head. "Really, Robbie, you are so gullible. She's in theatre with a patient, doing a delicate extraction. We're off at the same time today, so long as no trauma comes in at the end. I'll be right back with this, feel free to wait in the office."

He nodded, looking slightly defeated, and she gave a little wave before heading to the private room and knocking on the door softly. "Come in," Sacha rumbled out, and she slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Did you get a key?"

"Of course I did! Would you expect anything less of me?" She gave Essie a small wink as she came over to the woman's side and leaning over her body in order to look closely at the cuffs. "I think this is the same pair that Bernie and I have. Did you also lose the spare key, Sacha?"

Glancing up at him, Serena could read the embarrassment clear on his face as he struggled to look anywhere but at her. Essie giggled gently as she shook her head. "We actually kept them together on a ring. Which is not the smartest thing in the world to do, I know." Serena nodded in sympathy as she fitted the key into the hole and turned it, releasing the cuffs and freeing them.

Sacha rubbed his wrist absently, still trying not to look in their general direction. "All right, if you want to get Fletch in here, we can try and get Essie's shoulder reduced."

Serena arched an eyebrow as she regarded him closely. "You know full well that we're not supposed to work on our loved ones."

"That's never stopped any of us, Serena. And this isn't life threatening, either."

She still gave him a look as she got off the bed and went over to the door. "We'll see." As she exited the room, Serena bumped into Bernie, letting out a startled squeak. "Oh, did everything go well with Mrs Myrkle?"

Bernie nodded and they began to walk in tandem towards their office. "It did. Who's our VIP?"

"Essie, and I'm going to need your help reducing her shoulder, so I'm glad that you're finished with the extraction," she said as they entered the office. Robbie popped to his feet, giving Serena a wide smile that died when he saw Bernie just behind her. "These did the trick, Robbie, thank you. If you want to hang around for another thirty minutes or so, we could all get a quick bite to eat at Pulses."

He shook his head a little as he took the keys from her hand. "I really should go, though I'm glad that I could help you out, Serena. It was good to see you once more." He leaned in and kissed her cheek before nodding to Bernie and making his way from the room.

"Handcuff keys?"

"Yeah, there's a reason why Essie's shoulder needs to be reduced. She fits in quite well with our running theme for the day." Bernie raised an eyebrow as she closed their office door and closed the blinds. "Bernie?"

"What?" her partner asked as she leaned in and looked into Serena's eyes. "Are you afraid of getting caught snogging at work?" Serena blushed a little as she shook her head. "What is it, then?"

"We still have work to do. We just need to do our job."

Bernie groaned a little as Serena teased her with her own words. "Campbell! Will you never cease to remind me of that?"

"Not when I can cause such a reaction in you, darling." She closed the small distance between their faces and kissed her sweetly. "Now come along, we have to grab Fletch and then get this over with."

"Yes, Fraulein," Bernie murmured before stealing another quick kiss. Serena let out a soft sigh as they exited the office, her eyes immediately tracking the ward for Fletch, finally finding him talking to Morven and Mrs Myrkle. Catching his eye, she waved him over before pointing to the private room, and he gave her a small nod before removing himself from the conversation and quickly joining them.

"I take it the key worked?"

"Of course. And I'm going to need your help with the reduction. Sacha thinks that he should be the one to do the reduction, but I want you and Bernie to do that while I talk to him."

"Of course," he replied easily, falling into step with them as they made their way back to the private room. Sacha gave Serena a dark look as she entered, and she shrugged a little as she came over to his side. "All right, Essie, we're going to get that shoulder back into joint, don't you worry."

Serena reached out and pressed her hand to Sacha's arm, smiling warmly at him. "I needed the two strongest, most discreet, people on AAU to get Essie back to rights. You two have to be a little more careful when getting creative in the bedroom. Especially if you don't want to end up back here. Bernie and I always keep that in mind."

"Hey! I don't think we need to have five people know intimate details about our sex life when it only concerns two of us." She glanced over at Bernie, seeing the masterful way she was holding onto Essie's arm, and feeling a sudden thrum of desire pool between her legs. From the look Bernie gave her, they were on the same wavelength, and she blushed a little as she looked back at Sacha, seeing the knowing smirk that danced about his face.

"Don't even say a word, Sacha," she hissed, to which he began to chuckle deeply. "I mean it!"

"I didn't say a word! Though it's a good thing that it's almost the end of your shift." The wink that he gave her did little to calm her down, and she narrowed her eyes even more as she continued to stare at him. "That look no longer works on me, Serena. I'm sorry. At least we still have it, though?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree…fuck!" Their heads whipped around to see that Fletch and Bernie had used Essie's temporary distraction to get her shoulder back in working order. "Give a woman some warning next time!"

"Hopefully, there won't be a next time, Essie," Sacha said before looking at Serena. "I think that we have it handled from here. Thank you all for your discretion."

Serena nodded as she made her way over to the door, staring intently at Bernie. "It was our pleasure, Sacha. And remember, take a little more care next time!" Jerking her head towards the hall, she slipped out, knowing that Bernie would soon be following her out. She had almost made it back to their office before her partner's hand slipped into hers, squeezing lightly as they stepped inside. "Please tell me that the deck chairs are still on the roof!"

"They are, darling. Along with the rug. Do you need a little rest?"

"Oh, I want more than rest, Serena, and I think you know it. All these cases today have driven me to delicious distraction, and I know that they've had the same effect on you, too." She couldn't deny the truth in Bernie's words, so she just nodded as she swallowed thickly. "But we don't want it to be obvious, what we're about, now do we?" A slow shake of her head had Bernie grinning with pleasure, and she let out a little whimper at the sight. "All right, so, I'll go change into my street clothes while you head up to the roof and get us all set up. And by the time I get up there, that blouse needs to be gone."

"Yes, Major," she managed to whisper before letting out a long breath and straightening her shoulders. They exchanged a heated look before Serena slipped past her and made her way over to the stairwell. She made certain to keep her steps measured and light as she climbed the stairs, so as not to arouse suspicion from their colleagues that they were up to something.

Finally, she opened the door to the roof and the slightly overcast day was perfect for what was going to happen, since that meant it was less likely her fair skin would burn. Smiling, she pulled two deck chairs over to their spot on the roof and spread the rug out over them before bringing her hands up to the buttons of her blouse, undoing them and then slipping the garment off her shoulders. Next the shell came off, and she placed it atop her blouse.

The cool air lapped at her skin as she took a seat on one of the chairs, resting her head on her hands as she stared up at the clouds. They had never quite taken their games quite this far, but a part of her thrilled to know that there was the distinct possibility that they could get caught en flagrante delicato. A noise behind her immediately caught her attention, but Serena didn't move to see Bernie, knowing that her partner would soon be joining her.

"I tied our surgical caps to the door, so that hopefully no one will interrupt us."

A wide smile curved her lips upwards as she turned her head to one side, her eyes roving up and down the lithe body that stopped in front of her. "That was a good idea, darling. Join me?"

"Yes, darling." Bernie lowered herself onto Serena's lap and started to run her fingers through her hair. "Today certainly got my blood up."

"Tell me about it. But what are you going to do about that?" Serena pouted a little as she leaned her head up, hoping Bernie would take the hint and kiss her. Her partner smiled as she straddled Serena, bringing her head down to kiss her passionately as her hands slid down her neck and over her chest to cup her breasts, her thumbs circling her nipples and causing Serena bow up under her touches, trying to get in closer contact with her sweet fingers.

A throaty chuckle slipped from Bernie's lips as she reached behind Serena's back and undid the clasp of her bra, tugging it from her body and letting it fall to the ground as she started to drag her lips down the column of her neck whilst pulling the rug from the other chair and covering their bodies. Serena bucked her body upwards as Bernie's hand tripped down her body, somehow undoing the fly of her pants quite quickly, something Serena had never mastered herself.

Knowing that she had to get control of the situation, Serena pulled apart the edges of Bernie's shirt and swept her hands upwards, grinning when she felt the bare skin of Bernie's breasts against her palms. "Well, well, well, someone was quite certain we wouldn't get caught," she murmured as Bernie began to kiss her way down to her breasts, closing her lips around one nipple as she slipped one hand beneath the elastic of her pants, cupping her mound and running her thumb along her slit, slipping it between her labia to circle her clit in the same rhythm that her tongue was using on her nipple, effectively distracting her from her mission.

Soon, Serena felt overwhelmed by sensation, unable to focus on anything other than the way Bernie was kissing and caressing her. Pressing the back of her hand against her lips, she let her legs part a little more, giving her more room to work with. A strangled whimper broke from her lips as her lover finally released her breast from her mouth and began to trace kisses and nips down the soft flesh of her torso before pressing her lips to the hair of her mound and humming lowly, a move she knew always drove Serena wild.

Her hips bucked upwards, trying to get in closer contact with those sweet hands and lips of Bernie's. "Do you want something, Serena?"

The question rumbled through her skin, sending a flood of passion through her body as she nodded. "I, I, I want more!" she cried out, her hands fluttering about as she tried to find some sort of purchase. Glancing down, she saw Bernie grin lasciviously up at her before leaning in and starting to eat her out. Just the way her nose bumped against Serena's clit as she licked and sucked on her overheated flesh made her see stars, and Serena finally dug her fingers into Bernie's hair roughly, holding her in place as her hips ground against her face, trying to come in closer contact with her lover.

Finally, she let go completely, her orgasm sweeping over her body in short order. Every muscle in her body contracted with pleasure, and still, Bernie was driving her upwards, trying to make her see literal stars. And then, she was falling, collapsing back onto the chair as she panted and stared into Bernie's eyes. "Did that satisfy you?"

"A little. But still, I want more." A questioning look swept across her features and Serena smirked a little as she tugged Bernie up her body and claimed her lips in a torrid kiss, loving the taste of her on her partner's lips. "I want you," she said as she slipped her hands down Bernie's back, cupping her arse and squeezing almost roughly before using her shoulder to flip Bernie. Her partner took the hint and turned them over, letting Serena look down into her face. "There's only one thing I don't like about these skin-tight jeans you wear."

"Yeah, I know. You always complain about them when you're trying to get into my trousers!" She shrugged a little as she finally opened the fly and started to push them down Bernie's slim hips. "Do you want some help?"

"No, I'll get it on my own. It makes my prize all the more enjoyable." Bernie nodded as she bit the corner of her lip and lifted her bum into the air, letting Serena tug and wrestle the jeans down her legs until they were completely off and then she made just as quick work of Bernie's pants, baring her lower body completely. "No foreplay today, darling. I need you now."

Bernie nodded as Serena fitted herself between her legs, her fingers stroking the soft hair that covered Bernie's mound before she wriggled them between her lower lips, fitting them into her tight channel and moving in and out in a fast pace, occasionally brushing Bernie's clit with her thumb, wanting to draw out her pleasure as long as she could. Still, her partner's hips rose and fell against her hand, encouraging her to pick up her pace a little, and Serena pulled back a little, smirking as she listened to the sharp whine that slipped from her lips. "Don't tease me, Serena!"

"Yes, darling." Contorting her body just so, Serena captured Bernie's lips in a rough kiss as she picked up the pace she was using with Bernie, knowing just how to build the pleasure within her lover until she was panting beneath her lips and hands. A possessive smirk danced on her lips as she felt Bernie tighten around her fingers, swallowing the cry of her orgasm and slowing the motion of her fingers as Bernie came down from the pinnacle of pleasure.

Knowing that it would drive Bernie wild, Serena delicately sucked her fingers clean of the taste of Bernie, listening to the growl that her lover let out at the sight, and squeaking a little when Bernie pulled her in close once more, kissing her deeply as her hands ran down her back to squeeze her arse and tug her down flush against her body. "You know what that does to me, Serena."

"I do, which is why I did it. Now, to just rest here and get our wind back. Pull the rug up a little more around our shoulders, darling." Bernie nodded and did as told, tucking it in around them before nuzzling her nose against Serena's. It was so easy to smile at Bernie, to let her eyes close as the warmth of love settled around her body.

"We cannot fall asleep up here, Campbell. If we're discovered…"

"I know, I know. Just let me rest for a moment, okay?" She peeked one eye open to look at Bernie, seeing the loving grin she was receiving, and winked before blowing her a soft kiss and closing her eye once more, snuggling in a little closer as she snaked one hand up to play with Bernie's curls. "I love you."

"I love you, Campbell." Serena smiled to feel Bernie bend her head and kiss her hair lightly. "But I'm still only giving you five minutes before we get up and get dressed. Otherwise, I know you will fall asleep up here." She pouted a little at being found out, but only shrugged as Bernie started to rub her back in soft circles, humming under her breath. There was no other place that she ever wanted to be than in the arms of her lover, in a moment like this, always wanting more.