by Hannah West
“Already did,” Noelle said, pointing to the relevant parts of the file.
“Yes, you did,” Riley said, amused. “But do it again. Try Bardo’s shop, especially. The murder was around his area and he cracks like a nut if you hit him hard enough.”
“I’ll take that into account,” Noelle said, grinning. The mental image of smacking the short, bald gunshop owner with a mallet and having him split in two was enough to give her the giggles.
“Want me to come with on the neighbor?” Riley asked. “Doesn’t hurt to have two of us, and if it takes too long, I can finish it up on my own.” He smiled, glancing at her phone. Noelle blushed and then damned herself for blushing. She wasn’t a delicate flower. Blushing was ridiculous. She certainly felt ridiculous, the way Riley hid his expression with a hand. “I’ll meet you in the car in five.”
“Yes sir.” Noelle saluted with a file, shooing Riley when he took his time, trying to get a glance at the screen of her phone. “Six pm, and I’m bringing coffee. No, it’s not a date.”
“Not yet,” Riley called as he sauntered into his office to grab what he needed.
Noelle sighed. Not yet, she agreed. Maybe not ever. Only time would tell.
Noelle strode into the coffee shop, smiling at the barista before ordering the same thing they had drank last time. She had parked outside and was planning to walk the few minutes to the hospital - then she and Sara could get dinner somewhere. Probably local? "Here you go," the barista said, handing her the two tall coffees.
"Thanks." Noelle nodded her head, smiled, and turned and left. She hadn't had a chance to change out of work clothes - she had gotten called into an unexpected meeting to discuss a case that Riley was taking from another detective. Not that slacks, heels, and a nice blouse and blazer were a bad thing - she just worried that they were too formal for what Sara had planned. If. Well. She had planned anything. Maybe she hadn't.
She nodded at the receptionist as she passed, heading straight for the elevator. She walked purposefully, as if she knew where she was going. She mostly did. Up to the fourth floor, to the nurse's station, and Sara would likely be somewhere around there. Hopefully. If not, she would ask one of the nurses.
The elevator ride was short and sweet and she smiled as one of the nurses passed her on the way out. It was exactly six pm. "There you are." Noelle turned to see Sara grinning at her, leaning against the station. She was dressed neatly, business casual, slacks and a loose, comfortable fitting professional top. "Had a bit of a talk today," Sara said when she saw Noelle glancing at her clothes. "Have to dress up for the administration."
"Oh." Noelle nodded, understanding. She extended the hand holding Sara's coffee. "Just like you ordered it," she said with a smile.
"Thanks," Sara said, grinning. "I've been waiting all day for this." She took it from Noelle and sipped it, sighing with happiness. "Their coffee is so much better than the swill we have here."
"I heard that," Ariel called from the nurses' station.
"That doesn't make it a lie," Sara shot back, grinning. The nurse rolled her eyes and then went back to her work, smiling to herself. Sara turned back to Noelle, searching her face, curious. Noelle tilted her head, not sure what Sara was searching for. "How are you doing?" Sara asked, her voice soft.
Noelle shrugged, taking a drink of her own coffee. That was a good question. How was she doing? She was excited and nervous, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Her chest hurt, a little bit, but the emotional pain was starting to ease off, to be replaced by the excitement and contentment that she felt around Sara every time she saw the other woman. "Good, I think." She smiled slightly. "Work is dramatic, as usual. It'll be nice to have an evening off."
"I thought you had the day off?" Sara tilted her head.
"I went to a krav maga practice," Noelle explained. "It's technically a night off, but when you spend it beating up your coworkers, does it really count?" She winked.
"You'll have to teach me sometime." Sara sipped her coffee, a glint in her eye. "I've always wanted to learn self-defense."
"We carry guns," Noelle said, "but I don't really like to use them." She touched her belt, where her holster would be. "There's not many cases when it's actually necessary and besides, if you're properly trained, any sort of physical attack can be more useful in close encounters."
"How often do you use your gun in homicide, anyway?" Sara's eyes twinkled over the lid of the coffee. "Aren't your people usually dead already?"
Noelle elbowed her, chuckling. "So morbid humor does exist outside of the police department, then?"
Sara's eyes dimmed for a moment, then returned to normal, and she smiled. "It's a coping mechanism, like any other." The two fell quiet for a moment. "Would you like to go say hi?" Sara asked. "I told her you were coming by for a visit. She said she was going to try and draw you a picture."
"Is she - is that okay?" Noelle asked, standing closer to Sara but angled in the direction of Julia's room.
Sara nodded. "We encourage manual dexterity in all of our kids. We'll hopefully be able to transfer her down to general peds in the next few days. She's making excellent progress."
For some reason that struck Noelle as sad. "So she won't be your patient anymore, when she leaves?"
Sara shook her head. "I just take the critical kids. She'll go back to her regular pediatrician, depending on where she goes." She waved a hand. "But we can talk about that later."
Sara pushed open the door to Julia's room. Noelle followed, nervous but uncertain as to why. Mel's words danced through her mind - Julia needed a home, after all. Why couldn't Noelle be her parent? Even with her hours, she had a support system - and she knew her mother would come down and help out, if she had a daughter. Still, she was single, and soulmateless - hardly fit to parent, even if one ignored her career choice. Pushing those thoughts aside, she smiled as she saw the little girl on her bed.
"Hello," Sara said with a warm smile. "Miss Noelle came with me today." She slid into a chair next to Julia's bed. "How are you feeling?"
Noelle pulled up a chair next to Sara, smiling warmly at Julia. The little girl glanced between the two, her face solemn. "'kay," she said shyly. She looked down at the table that had been propped in front of her, at the pieces of paper and crayons scattered about. Carefully she picked up one of the papers and pushed it towards Noelle.
"Is this for me?" Noelle asked, picking it up. It was a picture of a stick figure, with brown hair, dressed in jeans and a pink shirt. Julia nodded. She twisted a hand in the fabric of the sheets, angled in Noelle's direction. "Is this me?"Another nod. Noelle smiled. "It's beautiful, thank you."
"Did Ariel help you draw?" Sara asked, looking at the other picture. Julia nodded. "Did you have fun?"Another nod. Noelle watched Sara glance at the monitors and followed her gaze. There were so many readings, most of which Noelle didn't understand. "Are you tired?"
Julia nodded again, still toying with the sheets. Sara checked her watch. "Nurse Ariel will be in in a few minutes with your meds, okay?" She leaned forward, smoothing back Julia's hair. "We'll let you get some rest."
"We'll come back again soon?" Noelle said, glancing at Sara for confirmation. Julia pushed the paper closer to Noelle. "You want me to keep it?" Julia nodded. Noelle folded it carefully and placed it into her purse. "I'll put it on my fridge," Noelle promised. Julia smiled shyly but didn't look at Noelle.
The two said their goodbyes and then left, passing the nurse in the way in. "Not a good day for her?" Noelle asked quietly, she and Sara stopping near the elevators.
"I think she misses her parents," Sara admitted. "We have a therapist coming in regularly, but it's hard, since she's still so sick."
"I thought she was getting better?" Noelle asked.
Sara waved her hand so-so. "I can't disclose details unless they're relevant to your case, but safe to say, she's still a pretty sick little girl."
Noelle nodded. Privacy was important, particularly when it came to vulnerable populations
, such as children in Julia's position. "Did you -" she stopped herself. "Did you still want to get dinner?"
Sara glanced at her, surprised, and smiled. It was her proper smile, and it lit up her face, making Noelle blush slightly. "I'd love to," she said warmly. "Did you have a place in mind?"
Noelle didn't. She hadn't truly thought this far ahead, assuming that Sara would have a place in mind. "When do you work again?"
"Tomorrow evening. I'm already off for the day." Sara gestured to her clothes. "We could go somewhere nice, since we're both dressed up?"
"I don't really know of any around here," Noelle admitted. Her knowledge of restaurants was dismal.
"I know a good place." Sara grinned. "Not opposed to bars, are you?"
Noelle raised her eyebrows, glancing at their clothes. "Not really."
"It's a nice bar," Sara assured her. "Bit of a walk, fifteen minutes or so."
Noelle laughed. "I walk further than that on a daily basis."
"In those shoes?" Sara raised her eyebrows, glancing down at Noelle's heels.
"They're not that bad," Noelle chuckled. "I can keep up with you." She winked.
Sara pressed the elevator button, and together they rode down to the first floor. The receptionist nodded to Sara as they left. "They'll know me here sooner rather than later," Noelle remarked, amused.
Sara laughed. "That's Eileen," she said. "She knows me well. And since you're with me, she'll learn your name pretty fast." They strode out the front door, listening to the hydraulics of the door as it closed behind them. "This way," she said, nudging Noelle carefully.
Noelle shifted as Sara touched her. She didn't mind it - liked it, rather. It made her skin feel warm. They walked together, talking about small things - the weather, passersby, other random trains of thought. "Here," Sara said, gently using Noelle's shoulder to turn her in the right direction. It was a small little pub, neat and clean, and Noelle felt at home as soon as she entered the door. "I come here sometimes, when I need a drink. Sometimes we come here after work."
"It's cozy," Noelle said, looking around. The wood was dark and homey, the booths a russet red. It seemed like a good place to go after work, or when one just needed to relax.
"Isn't it?" Sara smiled, obviously happy that Noelle liked what she had chosen. "Their food and drinks are superb, too. You're in for a treat."
Noelle nodded, picking up the menu on the table and looking at it. It wasn't long before they ordered, Noelle getting nachos and Sara a burger. "I don't like burgers," Noelle confessed.
Sara raised her eyebrows. "Vegetarian?"
Noelle shook her head. "Just don't like beef, I guess." She chuckled. "Chicken and pork, though - I can cook with those." She took a deep breath. "I could cook for you, sometime. Like. Next Tuesday. If you're free."
Sara leaned back in her side of the booth, her eyes warm. "Is that a date?"
Noelle swallowed. Was it? "I guess so," she said.
Sara's smile widened. "In that case, today's my day to pay."
"I can pay for myself," Noelle insisted.
Sara shook her head. "This time it's my turn, and then you'll be paying for dinner when you cook it."
Noelle hesitated, then decided to let it go. "Okay."
Sara smiled at the waitress as she dropped off their drinks. "So how is work?" she asked.
Noelle made a face. "Same, same," she said. "Too many people doing stupid things and not enough time to catch them." She sipped her soda, grateful that Sara hadn't ordered alcohol. "Too bad we can't drink properly."
Sara chuckled. "Don't drink and drive, and all that boring stuff, eh?" She lifted her coke and toasted Noelle. "Next time."
"So how is work for you?" Noelle asked. She fidgeted with her drink, glancing shyly up at Sara. Was this a date, then, if Sara was paying? What did a date mean? Why was her heart racing so fast? Was it normal? Was it supposed to be that way? So many questions that she didn't know the answer to. Her situation wasn't one that showed up in books.
"Good." Sara smiled, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. "Rough, actually." She grimaced. "Two deaths on the ward this week. It's been hard on everyone."
"I can barely imagine." Noelle shuddered, thinking of the two child homicides she had worked under Riley. Often a grief counselor was brought into the department for at least a while. They saw death every day, but there was nothing that made seeing a dead child any easier.
"Have you worked child cases?" Sara asked quietly, glancing up from her drink.
"Two," Noelle admitted. "Couple years ago. We're still working on them." She grimaced. "We're prosecuting one, but the second - we don't know."
"That's harder than what I do, I think," Sara mused. She looked at her hands, fiddling with a napkin.
"They're both hard." Noelle didn't see the point in arguing semantics. "The loss of a child is painful, no matter how they go."
Sara nodded, looking at Noelle as their food was delivered. "That's true."
Their dinner passed quickly, topics ranging from books to television to a wide variety of topics. Noelle was relaxed and Sara was casual, easy to talk to. There was a quiet comfort, being around the doctor, something that Noelle had not felt with anyone else. Part of her wished she had met Lydia before she died, even if it was just once. What did it feel like, having a soulmate? How was it different? Then she felt guilty for not appreciating what was in front of her.
"Noelle?" Sara asked, cutting into Noelle's thoughts.
"Yeah?" she asked, looking up from the table.
"I was asking if you wanted to come over and watch another movie." Sara finished the last of her fries, then drank the last bit of her soda.
"I have to work tomorrow, early," Noelle said, apologetic. She would have loved to go with her, in all honesty. A night with Sara was likely more entertaining than getting enough sleep before a 24 hour shift. "But can you do Tuesday? It'll be at my place."
"I can do Tuesday." Sara grinned, excited.
"I'll text you my address," Noelle promised. She finished the last of her soda, enjoying the fizzy carbonation. She rarely drank soda at home, so she savoured it when she got a chance to get it.
"You can always text me just to say hi," Sara said, tilting her head.
"I'll try," Noelle promised. "When I'm not working, that is." She ignored the fact she had a horrible track record of texting.
"Sounds good to me." Sara nodded, pushing away her plate and tossing a couple bills onto the table. "Ready to go?"
Noelle surveyed her empty plate and nodded. The nachos had been good and she was thoroughly full. There was still the walk back to the hospital, then to her car. "Are you parked at the hospital?"
"Yeah," Sara said. She stood, waiting for Noelle to join her, and then together the two of them walked out of the bar and into the sunshine.
Noelle surveyed her apartment, anxious. She had spent the better part of the day shopping and preparing dinner for when Sara arrived. Now the food was in the oven and all she had to do was prep the salad and finish cleaning while the chicken cooked. She hadn't been brave enough to try a new recipe, instead choosing to stick with something she had made several times before. The last thing she wanted to do was try something new and have it fail with no backup plan.
Mentally she went through her to-do list. She had showered, prepped dinner, cleaned the kitchen and the living room, and ensured that anything and everything that could have been potentially embarrassing was out of sight. She would get to see Sara twice this week, once at dinner and then once at the loss meeting they had on Thursday night. Not that Noelle particularly looked forward to her Loss Meetings - she really didn't - but she did enjoy excuses to see her friend outside of the time they set aside for each other.
Or whatever Sara was.
She spent the next hour cleaning what she had already cleaned while she listened for the timer for the chicken. Dry chicken was worse than no chicken, and the timer allowed her to get it perfectly moist and flavorful. It was her first time
cooking dinner for someone other than her family or department potlucks and she wanted it to be perfect. Well, maybe not perfect. But good. Good enough that Sara would come back.
Not that Noelle thought she wouldn't. Maybe. Noelle didn't really know. It was a strange sort of thing, thinking about what her life had become. It was nothing like what she had come to expect, not after reading all of those books and watching her favorite movies and seeing the happily ever after she had always dreamed of. Instead she had something else, and that was okay. She hoped.
Pulling the chicken out, she flipped it it, judging it had another five minutes to go before it was done. She prepped the salad for dinner, stopping only when she heard the doorbell ring. Sara. Sara was here already? A quick glance at the clock revealed that Sara was indeed a few minutes early, but Noelle couldn't hold it against her. Better to be early rather than late. She sat aside the bowl of salad greens and walked to the door, unconsciously smoothing down her sweater and ensuring that she was well-dressed, even while barefoot.
Opening the door, she tried not to sound like an idiot. “Hi.”
Sara's smile was warm and made Noelle's knees a bit weak. "Hello," she said, her voice soft. "May I come in?" She was dressed smartly, but not business casual - just comfortable enough for a dinner at home and possibly a movie. If Sara wanted a movie, that was. Noelle certainly wasn't going to object to it.
"Of course," Noelle said hastily, moving aside and allowing Sara through the door. "Dinner's in the oven -" She was cut off by the insistent beeping of the timer and she smiled. "Salad's ready too. I have wine to be uncorked. Not the greatest stuff, though." She walked into the kitchen and shut off the timer, pulling on oven mitts and pulling the chicken out. "How was work?"
"Better," Sara admitted. "Julia's to be moved down to regular peds tomorrow. She'll be there three weeks or so, but she's cleared to leave the critical unit."