Chapter 4

"Why does he have to be such an asshole?" Dr. Turtle exclaimed as Katie helped her lay down on the x-ray table. Katie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"No offense Annie, but why were you such a bitch to him? He was only trying to help you!"

"By carrying me around the hospital like an infant?" The agitated physician fumed. Katie placed the lead apron on her friend.

"Yes, so you wouldn't hurt yourself further! Gosh Annie, you have to learn to take a favor! Now hold still while I take this." She positioned the machine over the Doctor's rib area and shot the picture. "Okay, you can get up now...slowly!" 

Annie grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, yeah, yeah." She sat up on the table while Katie hung the x-ray on a light board. "Did I break anything?"

Katie squinted at the picture.

"I don't think so, it just looks like a bad bruise to me. Take a look yourself." She replied, stepping to the side so the red head could see. Dr. Turtle sighed.

"I'll need to be taped up..could you do it?" Katie frowned.

"I could, but my arm is really killing me and I kind of need both of them to do that. Why don't you let Dr. Richardson do it, he'll be wondering how the x-ray came back and anyway and you are his patient." Dr. Turtle made a face.

"Not by choice I'm not! Where's Nick, this would be a good learning experience for him?"

"He's in with Dr. Littrell on a pediatric case."

"McLean?"

"Being punished."

"ARGH!" The doctor exclaimed. "Fine, lets go find Dr. Richardson and make nice so I can get on with my life!" Katie followed her coworker out of radiology smiling.

"This should be good."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dr. Richardson shut the door to the lounge and stood against it, hands across his chest. He looked at the med. student in front of him who didn't look the least bit fazed.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about in the hallway before?" AJ shrugged, leaning back into the couch.

"What's there to tell?" The green eyed doctor frowned harder.

"Mr. McLean, we do not use physical force with patients unless absolutely necessary and even them we do not punch them out!"

"Well, man I think that the situation was extreme and the patient was in danger of doing more damage to our staff than he already had and I felt it ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to step in and take care of him."

"Take care of him by knocking him out?" The doctor continued int he same tone, trying to ignore the fact that the med. student was mocking him. AJ smiled.

"What can I say? He was a wuss...a drunk wuss." Dr. Richardson's eyes narrowed.

"Then you wait till we call security next time, you hear me? If you ever pull that again, you're ass will be out that door so fast you won't know what hit you. I don't care what kind of patients come in here, we treat them all the same and we don't fight them. got it?" AJ leaned in so he was eye to eye with the doctor.

"Listen, you don't know how drunks are and don't you go telling me you do. I used to be just like that guy, sleeping on the corner when I was too drunk to get myself home. The only difference is that I tried to make something of myself, I got better. I'm sorry if I over reacted but I can't promise you it won't happen again cause it may. I don't want people making the mistakes I made and I don't want them hurting my friends!" And with that he exited the lounge. Dr. Richardson shut his eyes and tried to avoid the migraine he was getting. Suddenly the door slammed open. He spun around.

"Look AJ.." But he was greeted by the two females. "Oh, you're back, how's the ribs?" He asked his red head coworker. She shrugged. Katie stepped in handing him the x-ray.

"She needs to be taped up, could you do it?" Kevin half smiled.

"Only if she doesn't kick me in the same place while I do." Katie smirked.

"She won't I promise, will you Annie?" She asked, glaring at the doctor. Annie just nodded and proceeded to follow Dr. Richardson out into an exam room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick Carter stood nervously to the side while Dr. Littrell presented their newest case to him, a little boy with vomiting and fever. He tried to pay careful attention.

"Seven year old Tyler here has had a fever for two days along with vomiting and weakness. He presents with a temp of 101.6 and a stomach ache. Why don't you do the exam Mr.Carter?" Brian smiled at the med. student. Nick jumped to attention.

"Um..okay." He replied, walking over to the child.

"Hey buddy, my name's Nick and I'm just gonna look you over to see what's wrong okay?" The child narrowed his eyes and made a face at Nick. Nick raised his eyebrows "Okay then." He proceeded to push his hands into the little boy's tummy. Dr. Littrell looked on.

"What do you feel?"

"Abdomen is soft, feels normal." Nick replied. Dr. Littrell nodded confirming him.

"Good, now how would you check for dehydration?"

"If the mucus membranes in the mouth are dry."

"Excellent, take a look and tell me what you see." Brian said. Nick walked over to Tyler and tried to look inside his mouth.

"Can you open up for me there sport?" Tyler made another face and turned his head to the side. Brian's eyes widened and he began to walk over.

"Um, Nick, don't push him.."

"No, it's okay, I almost got it." The student replied, pulling down on the little boy's chin. "It's okay, I won't hurt you, I just need to look." The child began to gag.

"Nick look out!" Brian shouted as Tyler puked projectile style all over Nick. He covered his mouth trying to stop the smile that threatened to surface there. Nick stepped away from the now calm child and turned to Brian.

"Diagnosis, the stomach flu"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ouch!" Dr. Turtle winced as Kevin finished taping up her injured side. Kevin smirked.

"Well, if you wouldn't move around so much, it wouldn't hurt." Dr. Turtle pouted and turned away.

"There all done! Now you can get away from me, which I know you want to do." He told her, stripping off his gloves and throwing them out. Dr. turtle pulled her shirt on and started to walk out, she stopped at the doorway and glanced back at the surgeon.

"Thanks." She told him. "And I apologize for being a witch before, it's just that that idiot hurt me and he hurt Katie and I was a little peeved." Dr. Richardson shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it, you wanna join me in surgery? I got an appendectomy in 15 minutes." Dr. Turtle was stunned that he didn't even acknowledge her apolligy, but then figured that him offering her a spot on his surgical team for the operation was his way of saying she was forgiven. He was a strange man that Kevin Richardson, but she was dertermimed to figure him out. She gave him a tight grin.

"Sure lets go."