Hey, to those of you who've been reading this story from the get-go, I combined chapters. For instance, what used to be chapters 1 and 2, are now just Ch 1. Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are now Ch 2. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 are in chapter 3. Sorry for the change, but it needed to be done. I apoligize for the inconvience. Leave angry comments if need be.

I didn't want to get up this morning. Didn't want to drag my sorry ass outta bed, didn't want to deal with the whiny ingrates and peons at the hospital, and I sure as hell didn't want to deal with Patricia and her needyness. One would think that after 6 years of working together, Newbie's attempts to form a relationship would have cooled a little bit. But no, he never stops. Always asking me if I wanted to go have a beer, or grab a bite to eat. Honest to God, I thought if I told Meagan to leave me alone enough he'd take the advice and find somebody else to bother. But i'm not that lucky.

All I could think about this morning as I was getting ready was how much I didn't want to leave the house today. I was being completely selfish, I know that now, standing here over him. But this was before I knew what had happened.

I ended up going anyway.

Traffic on the way to the hospital was hellish. Absolutly hellish. By the time I actually made it to work, my attitude was complete shit. So of course, me being the complete and utter jack ass that I am, took out my every frusteration on Delilah. Didn't even look at him before I started into my rant. If I had I would have seen the covered bruising on his face and arms, the pained expression in his eyes, the way he walked with a limp or how he gasped with every painful breath.

But I didn't look at him at all. I really wish I had.

I told him what a God-awful doctor he was. That when one of his patients kicked the bucket because of his carelessness, or his stupid daydreams, I was sure as hell going to be there to kick his ass.

I didn't know why, but he took my words more harshly than usual. Normally he would stand there, most certainly off in his own little world, and ignore me until I shut up and stormed off. But today, I swear I saw tears in his eyes, the one time I actually looked at him. I also caught a glimpse at the bruises, the swelling on his face. A person on the street may have not been able to see it, but I am a doctor, for God's sake. A damn good one, at that. So I saw. But I tried to ignore it because there was a strange feeling forming in me as I watched Newbie on the edge of tears. Guilt? Did I feel guilty? No, I didn't. I don't feel guilty. Not then, anyway...

" Man up, Newbie, and get to work!! " I was screaming at him at this point, " Your patients aren't going to postpone their deaths because you are off in lala land, dreaming about your latest boyfriend!! Seriously, Angelina, get your mind out of the fucking clouds and do your job, you incompetent moron! " I felt my uncontrollable rage pour out at him. He raised his head and stared at me. It wasn't an angry stare, he obviously wasn't mad that I was yelling at him. The stare was fear. Fear and sadness and...emptiness. Instead of realizing this and leaving him alone, my anger thrived on his feelings. I kept saying in my head Stop it, just stop it you jackass. I didn't stop, because I just couldn't. When I'd finally calmed, when the red hot fury had ceased, I looked up at him and noticed the injuries were worse than I thought. He was staring at the ground, shamefully.

It was then and only then that I realized something was horribly wrong. So I did what I usually do when something is wrong with someone I am, dare I say it, close to. I walked away and left him standing there, those big fawn eyes filled to the brim with empty tears.

I didn't see the kid at all after that. I have to admit, it started to piss me off when i'd page him and he wouldn't come running up behind me and asking obediently, " Yes, Dr. Cox? " I was so used to him always bounding over to me as soon as I whistled and called out one of the many, various girls names I resevered for him.

But he didn't today. Today there were no responses to my pages, my whistles, my demands.

I did what I had to do. Not because I actually cared about the kid, but because I don't like change. And not having his annoying self trailing behind me all day was definitely a change. So I dumped all of mine and Newbie's patients off on a particularly panicky Barbie and ventured off to find Clorissa, mainly so that I could chew her out and watch those tears actually fall this time.

And maybe, just maybe I was a little bit worried.

Maybe.