*****

...you are snared by the utterance of your lips,

caught by the utterance of your lips.

- Prov. 6:2

*****

Luka wondered if everyone had noticed his inability to tear his gaze away from Abby whenever they were both present in the same room. Today was his first shift with Abby since he found out that she had broken it off with John. He had waffled back and forth the entire afternoon about whether it was an option to ask why. In the end, he had decided he could wait until she brought it up.

The day had been pretty busy though, so it wasn’t as if he was bogged down with free time to think about Abby in a ‘swooning-teenage boy’ kind of way. Luka had been very appreciative of the compounding files that towered in front of him, excusing him from any lame reason to speak with anyone on staff, especially Susan.

“Luka!” Susan chirped, as she stuck her head in the darkened trauma room, with the exception of a lone overhead lamp.

“Hey,” he replied, without raising his head, hoping she would take a hint.

“Aw, you’re not going to get rid of me that easily.” The dirty-blonde ER doctor slipped into the room, allowing the hinged door to swing rhythmically behind her. “You know you’ve been avoiding people all day. Have a bad night?” she asked worriedly.

Luka closed his eyes and shook his head reluctantly. “No.” He looked up to see her sincere azure eyes gaze concernedly at him. “I just have a lot of paperwork to do.” He gestured to the several different piles of charts which surrounded him.

Susan frowned; her gaze narrowed, as if she were debating whether he was telling her the truth. “Oh,” she said, accepting his lame excuse reluctantly. “Well, I could make it look better with a few drinks at Excalibur?”

Excalibur? “What does a sword from a Welsh myth have to do with anything?” he asked, completely confused. The name was familiar and he had heard of the legend of King Arthur…

Susan bent over and chuckled. “It’s a club, Luka,” she explained with a twinkle in her eye. “I thought we’d take that snazzy car, out for a ride. We can’t just have it sitting out there all by itself!”

Luka leaned to the side as Susan nudged him with her hip. “Oh.” He groaned slightly. “I don’t know if I’m up to a club tonight. Besides, I don’t really like that kind of thing.”

“Like what ‘kind’ of thing?” Abby asked as she slipped into the trauma room to replenish the supply of surgical trays, overhearing a part of the conversation. Kneeling, she carefully stacked the sterilized kits into the lower cabinet.
“Abby,” Luka breathed, startled by her sudden appearance. He hadn’t even seen her approaching.

Susan smiled wickedly. “Abbby! Girlfriend…”

Abby didn’t even need to see Susan’s face to know that some wild idea was being concocted in that little mind of hers. She shook her head, as she finished putting the last of the intubation tubes away, and chuckled. “No.” It was a safe answer. As she turned around and pushed herself to her feet, Abby found herself standing in front of a positively giddy Susan Lewis.

“C’mon Abby, you gotta come. You have to help me convince Luka that a night out is exactly what he needs!”

Abby glanced over Susan’s shoulder to see Luka’s grave face; his expression more clouded than she’d seen before. She frowned. She really had no desire to go out to a club tonight, especially after her near ‘slip’ last night. “I don’t know,” Abby said hesitantly. “What does Luka want?”

Susan interrupted before Luka could answer. “Of course he does! He’s just a little slow getting motivated…”

Luka couldn’t believe her. He was a little uncertain and she drags Abby into the fray. Susan really used what she knew to her advantage. He glanced subtly over at Abby. Not that it didn’t work.

“You really don’t have to come, Abby,” he said dismissively. “Really. I know you probably are tired from your double-shift two nights ago and then getting called in again today…”

Abby folded her arms across her chest, as her gaze darted between a pleading Susan and a stoic Luka. She wasn’t sure if he was just being enigmatic or whether he really preferred that she not come. As Abby debated back and forth whether she should go, Susan grabbed her bicep and dragged her roughly, out of the trauma room.

“Excuse us for a second,” Susan sang.

“Hey,” Abby exclaimed, squirming out of the unusually strong grip of the 40-ish doc. “Will you let go of me?” She stared at Susan with unusual alarm.

“I’m sorry,” Susan apologized, raising her hand in surrender. “I just think it would be a good idea for us to help a guy out.”

Abby was completely lost. Luka was stoic and sometimes even morose, but nothing in Luka’s behavior today, suggested anything else except that he was being his regular withdrawn self. “What are you talking about?”

Susan paused a moment, as if she had lost her train of thought. “Uh…well,” she hedged. “Luka’s been in the dumps lately.” Her words tumbled out quickly, as if she was afraid she wouldn’t get them out.

“He seems fine,” Abby shrugged, watching Luka through the door windows, who was preoccupied with charts again. Susan’s expression seemed more serious and concerned. She leaned in, causing Abby to follow suit.

“Can I tell you something?” she whispered.

“What?” Abby arched her brow skeptically.

“Luka is so head over heels in love with you, that he doesn’t even know it.”

Abby shook her head. This was not something she needed or wanted to hear right now. Derek was so firm in his confidence that this was time she needed alone, and hearing that Luka was head over heels for her left her head in a tailspin.

“Abby?” Susan touched her forearm gently. “Are you all right?” Her expression revealed a hint of regret at her boisterous admission, which was not hers to reveal.

Her gaze was fixed on Luka, who had briefly looked up from his work and smiled demurely at her. It made her heart flutter. “Abby.”

“Huh?” She shook her head and realized Susan had her shoulders gripped tightly, and was shaking her. “What?” Abby exclaimed, distractedly.

“You were zoning out there.” Susan glanced over her shoulder at Luka. “If I’ve screwed this up, then please tell me. Luka would kill me if he found out what I told you.” Her eyes looked at her, questioningly with dark, brown, puppy dog eyes. “Did I open my big mouth when I shouldn’t have?”

Abby knew Susan hadn’t meant to hurt anyone, but the revelation was anything except unexpected. But she had no desire to make Susan feel horrible for wanting to help out Luka, who wouldn’t express his feelings about anything if his life depended on it, frustrating as it may be. She sighed loudly, all the while staring at the oblivious, Croatian doctor in Trauma 2. Who was she kidding? She was exactly the same way.

Susan seemed to be anxiously waiting for reassurance that she hadn’t damaged her relationship with Abby.

She shook her head. “No. You’re fine. We’ll forget what you said, okay?”

“So I guess that means tonight’s a no go, huh?”

“What’s a no go?” Luka asked, sticking his head out from behind the trauma door. His curiosity had gotten the better of him. The furtive glances he kept getting from his two ER co-workers made him nervous. It was obviously about him.

“Uh, nothing!” Abby chirped, jumping at the unexpected interruption. “We’re just talking about tonight.”

Luka frowned. “You’re not going?” His spirits rose, in part, at the thought; but deep down, he knew he had begun to look forward to a night out with Susan and Abby.

He had kept his voice level so Abby was unable to read whether he was disappointed or relieved. She really couldn’t go on Susan’s biased observations. Abby rubbed her brow with her index finger, uncertain of her answer. “Uhhhh…”

Luka’s mind was racing. Should he seem non-chalant about the whole thing? Or should he urge her to go?

”Well, Abby, if you don’t want to go…” Susan said hesitantly.

Luka turned a curious eye to Susan’s sudden change of tune. “Do you already have plans?” he asked Abby, curiously.

Abby looked blankly at Luka. “What?”

“Do you have plans?” Luka repeated, chuckling at Abby’s also unusual behavior. Glancing between the two women, he was certain something had happened while he was whittling down the pile of charts.

Abby thought about her evening and frowned. “Uh, no,” she replied, biting her thumbnail distractedly.

“Well then come. I have a feeling that Susan’s been to this place before and I don’t want to be left alone when she ditches me from some handsome stranger,” Luka teased, winking at Susan, who gaze seemed intent on Abby’s reply.

“I....” Her voice trailed off.

Luka was certain she was going to decline his offer, which he could understand. It wasn’t as if he was just some co-worker – they had dated – and he had managed to make her uncomfortable by admitting his partial feelings for her. What did he expect?

“Yeah. I’ll come,” Abby blurted out. As soon as she said those words, she clamped her mouth shut. What had possessed her?

‘Well, you’re not going to be alone with him,’ a voice reasoned in her head.

Abby closed her eyes and shook her head. Slowly she glanced up at Luka and Susan who were staring at her strange behavior. Plastering a smile on her face, she shook her head again and sighed. “I gotta go, I’ve still go to do inventory.” Brusquely she excused herself and headed down the corridor.

“What was that?” Susan laughed, with a perplexed look on her face.

Luka narrowed his eyes and gazed intently at Susan. “You tell me,” he said suspiciously. “You two were out here a long time. What were you talking about?”

Susan plastered a smile on her face and shook her head fervently. “Nothing.” With that she spun around and muttered, “I’ve got a patient,” as she walked towards the nurses’ station, in the west end of the hospital.

"Dr. Chen!" Jing Mei spun around to see Stephen hobbling through the main entrance of Mercy Hospital. A chorus of staff greeted Stephen with much enthusiasm. Jing Mei was pleased at the warm welcome. It had been the first time Stephen had stepped foot in Mercy since the accident. He had spent so much time at County because Stephen had seemed to prefer Kareah's intense therapy regime.

"Hey, if I had known it took a car accident to get this kind of attention from my co-workers, I'd have done it sooner," he joked, enjoying the clamor of hugs and kisses.

"What are you doing here?" Jing Mei asked curiously. He hadn't mentioned anything to her last night about a visit.

The tall pediatric surgeon grinned mischievously. "I thought my sister would like to go for lunch with her poor brother." His confident expression melted into the soft round woeful brown eyes, like he'd suddenly reverted into a five-year old child.

"I've got rounds in a couple of minutes, but you can accompany me while I run up to Radiology to find out some results?"

"You don't get lunch around here anymore?" he said in a loud boisterous voice.

Jing Mei nudged her brother with her elbow. "I've got an appointment for lunch," she whispered, embarrassed by her brother's nonchalant attitude. "So take it or leave it."

Stephen sighed, yet seemed satisfied with her offer. "Okay." He turned to his uniform-clad groupies and winked. "I'll catch you ladies when I come back in two weeks."

JIng Mei rolled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the young nurses twitter amongst each other - no doubt giggling and blushing at how the up-and-coming ped's surgeon had flirted with them. "You're pathetic, you know that?" she chided, as she pressed the smooth plastic button. Stephen grinned as he leaned up against the sterile white wall as they waited for the elevator.

"What?" he exclaimed, feigning complete exculpablity.

"You're terrible with the nurses." Jing Mei chuckled as the elevator door opened and they stepped into the wood-lined compartment. "You let them fawn all over you," she huffed. "What would Jen think?"

Stephen laughed heartily. "You really think that Jen's worried about those women out there?" he motioned to the nurses outside the closing doors. "Then you don't know Jen." He winked at her and nudged her with his hip.

Jing Mei tried to keep a straight face, but Stephen always managed to bring a smile to her face. She sighed, giving into his obvious attempt to lighten her 'feigned' dismay. "So what did you need to talk to me about?"

Stephen shrugged. "Nothing big." There was a slight pause.

Jing Mei knew something was up.

"What?" she asked ruefully.

Stephen furrowed his brow and lifted his shoulders, as if he had no idea why she was apprehensive. "It's nothing," he drawled innocently. "I just wanted to check on you and..." She knew it. "Apologize for springing that on you." He exhaled loudly, as if relieved to finally get that off his chest.

Jing Mei looked up at Stephen skeptically. He'd never apologized to her in the entirety of their relationship. Even when he had snuck into her bedroom when she was seven and took a pair of scissors and lopped off the length of her floor length hair. "What is this?" She spun around, searching for hidden cameras. "Is it the drugs or are you playing some prank?"

Stephen furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"You've never apologized to me, Stephen. Ever. So I know something's up." Jing Mei folded her arms across her chest, arching one eyebrow and gazing intently at her brother. "So spill."

Stephen rolled his eyes. "Well, Jen found out..."

Jing Mei's mouth opened wide as she realized what he was about to say. "Ohhhhh, don't tell me," she laughed out loud, slapping her hand on her knee. "Jen sent you here." Jing Mei could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You...are...so......whipped!" She managed the words in between breaths.

They continued their conversation, as the elevator door opened and Jing Mei located radiology. Stephen seemed unamused himself, now; his once boyish grin wiped off his face, replaced by a little boy's pout. As Jing Mei exited the radiology lab, she joined Stephen who had met a friend in the corridor of the hospital. "So as I was saying..."

"Hey," Stephen growled. "I still have stories about you..."

Jing Mei studied her brother, who seemed to be in a good mood, but unwilling to be called 'whipped' one more time. "What stories?" she said dubiously.

"Fun ones," he teased, as his eyes gleamed wickedly. "You know the standard, 'Jing Mei used to run around naked when she was three...that kind of thing."

Jing Mei furrowed her brow, trying to recall if any of what he was saying could be true. Stephen seemed to realize this because he jumped in again, saying, "Oh, it's true." She turned and looked him straight in the eyes, trying to search out any twitchy tell-tale sign of a lie. There was none.

They stepped into the elevator once more. She remained silent for a moment before turning to him gruffly. "Fine," she huffed. "But you better never breath a word of this to anyone." She stood on her tip toes and pointed a dangerous index finger at her brother, while giving him an evil glare.

Stephen did not seemed the least bit worried. He shrugged casually and chuckled. "We'll see."

Jing Mei hit her brother on the shoulder and folded her arms across her chest dejectedly. "I'm warning you," she repeated darkly, just as the door opened and they stepped off the elevator.

"Dr. Chen!" Kat, a 22 year old nurse, beckoned from the nurses' station.

Jing Mei was surprised when she realized they were calling her over and not her brother. There was a small group amassed around one area, beside the station. "What's with that?" Stephen asked curiously.

"I have no idea."

The group of nurses parted and a tall casually dressed man stepped from behind them.

"John!" Jing Mei smiled, as she greeted him with a hug. As they parted, John nodded his head in Stephen's direction.

"John, what are you doing here?" Stephen asked suspiciously.

"Good to see you too," John joked, reaching out and shaking his hand.

Jing Mei noticed Stephen's expression was one of complete surprise. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. As much as her brother teased her about John, he was still as protective as ever. "John, you're early." Stephen's attention snapped to her, when she said that.

"You were expecting him?"

Jing Mei glanced up at her older brother and smiled innocently. "Yeah," she said slowly, as if she was surprised at his 'surprise'. "We're going for lunch."

"Lunch," Stephen said slowly, as if mulling over the idea in his mind.

"Yeah," John chirped. "Did you want to come?"

Jing Mei grinned wryly as Stephen seemed speechless. "Yeah, Stephen, do you want to come with us?" She was getting a kick at watching her brother realize that her 'appointment' was with John.

She was, in fact, not a miserable spinster lady that needed to be taken care of.

Jing Mei swallowed hard. She knew it wasn't completely a far gone assumption, since she hadn't had a serious relationship since...well, she couldn't even recall when. Her whole focus had always been medicine and then she was off trying to discover herself after killing that one patient; it was only now after several set backs at County and her move to Mercy, that she was finally feeling comfortable even thinking about dating anyone seriously. But her prospects weren't too bright. Besides John, she hadn't even come close to finding a possible 'Prince Charming'.

Stephen shook his head and took a step back. "No. It's all right. Jen's got lunch waiting for me at the apartment. I was only supposed to come and do my little 'thing', and come straight home," he explained slowly, as if trying to quote from memory. "You guys go ahead."

"Are you sure?" John asked hesitantly. "Because we'd love for you to come."

Jing Mei waited for her brother's reply. His eyes remained intently on hers, and she was careful not to give any indication of what her preference might be. She had been looking forward to lunch with John alone, but it wasn't going to ruin her plans if Stephen decided to join them.

Stephen shrugged. "Nah. I'd better not," he protested. "Jen said I was only allowed to run this one errand and then it was back for some bedrest."

"But you're doing okay, right?" John asked tentatively.

Jing Mei smiled. "Yeah, he's doing great." She patted her brother on his forearm. "Stephen's coming back to work in two weeks."

John seemed surprised at the news. "Really? That soon, huh?" He nodded approvingly. "That's great!"

Stephen smiled. "It's only paperwork and consults, but still...it'll be good to be getting back to work again."

Jing Mei watched her brother's face relax while talking a little more about his return to Mercy. She never thought she'd see this day come when he was rolled into County by the EMTs. Now he was going to be back at work...with her.

"Well, we'd better get going," John smiled. "I'm sure your lunch hours here, are still as short as ours are at County."

Jing Mei nodded. "Yeah. Just a sec." She turned to kiss her brother on the cheek, and then let the nurses know that she was taking off for lunch - not that they hadn't overheard the entire conversation. "I'll see you tonight maybe?" Jing Mei said.

"Yeah."

Jing Mei felt John's arm escort her towards the exit, but as they stepped out into the cool breeze of the welcoming Fall, she turned to see Stephen smile and wave from the main entrance of the hospital. She glanced up at John, who was looking straight ahead and smiled. How did things turn around so fast?

"Are you hungry?" John asked casually.

Jing Mei grinned. "Starving."