"Hi Eddie." Emma said, walking into his room. Eddie smiled from his bed. Buck sat beside him as he was yesterday when Emma walked into the room after he woken up.
"Hot doctor, I remember you." Eddie almost giggled.
Emma chuckled, checking his vital signs. When Eddie woke up yesterday, he was still a bit loopy from his pain medicine. Emma had cut a lot of it down. However, he was still feeling the effects of it this morning.
"Sorry." Buck spoke, "Normally he would never say something like that out lout."
Emma looked to Buck and smiled. "It's no problem. I know what pain meds can do to do someone."
"Pain meds or not, you are so hot. Buck, don't you think so? You can't be blind." Eddie said, pointing at his friend.
Buck chuckled, a slight blush to his cheek.
"Come on Buck, admit it."
"Alright, Dr.Riley is a very attractive woman." Buck spoke, locking eyes with Emma.
Emma tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, returning her brown eyes back to Eddie's chart. "I decreased the pain meds by 90% he should be his normal self by the end of the day."
"I feel great!" Eddie protested. "Dr.Riley, are you single?"
Snapping his chart closed, Emma looked at Eddie. He was an attractive man. He was tan with dark hair and dark eyes. However, she had to admit that Buck would be more her type if she was looking.
"Eddie, that has no weight in your recovery, so I plan to keep that answer in my back pocket." She winked at him.
"Edmundo, are you hitting on Dr.Riley?"
Emma turned to see Paul walking in the room with a wide smile on his face.
"Who are you?" Eddie asked quizzically.
"I'm your surgeon, I took the bullet out of you." Paul said. "How are you feeling?"
"Dude, thank you so much!" Eddie said. "I feel amazing."
"He's not really himself." Buck said to Paul.
Paul chuckled. "Pain meds will make you feel that way."
"I decreased them, I am hoping he returns to semi normal today." Emma spoke to Paul.
Paul smiled at her, winking. She felt a knot in her stomach and looked to Buck. He saw that.
"Well, I will get out of your hair and let you talk with Mr.Diaz. Eddie, I will be back later in the evening to talk to you again." Emma said.
Eddie grinned. "I can't wait."
"See you." Paul said, grazing his hand on her hand.
Emma glanced to Buck again, he noticed that too. Emma shuffled out of the room. She did agree to go on a date with Paul. However, it surprised her that he was behaving that way in front of patients. Her mind went back to the conversation she had yesterday with Paul regarding lunch with Buck. Was he trying to make Buck jealous?
That would be absurd. Buck was a patient's family member. Even if he was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen, she could not pursue him for the sake of professionalism. She had also agreed to go out with Paul. It is the first date she has agreed on since the night that changed her life. It was the first date she was going on since the night she saw the roses...
Maybe she could cancel. Her and Paul had not made any concrete plans. However, she knew Paul. She worked with him every day for the past six years. He wasn't exactly a stranger. Emma sighed when she got to her desk. She checked her phone for the first time since late yesterday. She had a text from Claire.
Any work tea?? Claire texted at 11pm last night.
Emma laughed, typing out a response.
Just that I agreed to go on a date with Paul McFoster.
Emma locked her phone and fired up her laptop. Claire is going to have a field day with that message. Emma Typed up several notes and treatment plans through the morning, getting done about noon. Her stomach grumbled. She closed her computer and made her way to the cafeteria.
She got her usual sandwich and made it to Joy's line.
"Hi Emma." Joy said, scanning her items. "On another 72 hour?"
"Yeah." Emma sighed, "The worst part is I'm not even 24 hours in."
"Good luck baby."
Emma made her way over to her favorite corner table. She unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite when she heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to see beautiful bye eyes and pale skin. It was Buck.
"We have to quit meeting like this, Dr.Riley." He smiled. She saw a tray in his hands. If he asks to sit here, say no Emma thought.
Emma smiled to him. "We must have lunch the same time."
"Is this seat taken?" Buck asked.
Say yes, Emma thought, say yes.
Emma shook her head. "It's empty."
Buck pulled the seat down and sat down across from Emma.
"What do you have?" He asked.
"I get the same thing every day." Emma said. "A sandwich and my apple. How about you?"
"I think today I got chicken tenders."
This caused Emma to laugh, and Buck to return the laugh. They locked eyes for a moment. Emma was the first to break eye contact, biting into her sandwich.
"How is Eddie?" She asked.
"He's good, he is still a bit loopy. I'm sorry for the things he said this morning."
Emma looked up and met his eyes smiling. "It's fine, Buck. I have heard a lot worse."
"It had to be uncomfortable for your boyfriend to hear." Buck said, biting into chicken.
"Boyfriend?" Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Dr.McFoster."
"Boyfriend is a lot of a stretch. I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh." Buck perked up. "I just assumed."
Emma shook her head. "I really don't have time to date."
"Of course, I'm sure you are really busy."
"I am. How about you? When are you going back to work?"
"Tired of seeing me?" Buck teased.
Emma chuckled. "Not exactly."
Buck shrugged. "I'm supposed to go back in tomorrow."
"Oh." Emma's smile faded. "That will be good for you." How do you know what's good for him, Emma?
"But I still plan on coming back after my shift. I'll be back around 7 hopefully."
"Just in time for dinner." Emma blurted.
Buck smiled at her, "If you're hungry we can meet in the same place."
Emma chuckled, meeting his eyes. Was she flirting?
"You're not bad company." She said honestly.
Buck smiled, "Neither are you, Emma."
"It's Dr.Riley."
Buck laughed, "Right, Dr.Riley."
"How long have you been a firefighter?" Emma asked.
"About 8 years. How long have you worked here?"
"Six." Emma said. "I done my residency here."
"Where are you from?" Buck asked.
"What do you mean?"
Buck laughed. "You're not fooling anyone with that southern accent."
Emma blushed. "I'm from Kentucky. I moved here for college when I was eighteen."
"That's a long move." Buck commented. "What made you come?"
Emma bit her lip. "I had to get away." Don't think about the Roses, Emma thought. Not here and not now, you can't.
"I understand." Buck nodded. "I'm from Pennsylvania. I had to get away too."
Emma smiled at Buck. "I'm glad someone else can understand."
Buck nodded. "You don't have to have a reason for everything you do."
Emma smiled to herself, finishing her sandwich.
"I better get back." Emma said, standing up.
"Yeah." Buck said, "I'll see you tomorrow at 7?" He asked.
Emma smiled, nodding. "Yeah."
She was still smiling when she made it back to her desk. She was smiling like a school girl, this is ridiculous, she thought. Austin was at his desk across from her. Emma sat and began working. She was still smiling.
"What's got you all smily?" Austin asked.
Emma moved her lips to a hard line, looking up at him.
"Nothing." She spoke.
Austin chuckled. "You have a beautiful smile, Emma."
"Spare me." Emma whispered, pulling out her phone.
OK EMMAAAAAA, Claire had typed.
She also had another message from Paul.
I know you are on a 72 hour shift. What are you doing Tuesday evening? Paul had wrote.
Emma starred at the message; her mind flickered back to Buck. She didn't even know him. However, she knew Paul. She had not been on a date in so long. Claire was right, she deserved a little fun. Emma bit her lip, typing out a message to Paul.
Tuesday would be great. What do you have in my mind?
She put her phone back in her drawer and reviewed all the cases she had coming through. It was going to be a long day, she thought.