Caught in the Middle

Chapter 18

"You're only heading home now?" I startle from the unexpected voice behind me, dropping my car keys in the process. "Ah, shit, Delucs. I didn't mean to frighten you." Amelia quickly jogs the few steps separating us before she bends over to pick up my keys for me. "I saw you leave the hospital and thought I could bum a ride from my best friend to my girlfriend's house? It's Link's night with Scout." She gazes up at me with those sappy eyes that I can't say no to, even after a nine-hour surgery.

I hold out my hand, palms turned upward for her to drop my keys in them. Amelia snaps the keys back just before I can wrap my fingers around it. "On second thought, maybe I should drive you home and call Brooke over. You seem ready to fall asleep as soon as you blink." I roll my eyes but can't fault her for her observations when I feel myself getting woozy, the longer I stand still next to my car. "Dio. I don't know how Maya works doubles like this nonstop. My limbs feel disconnected from the rest of my body right now."

My friend laughs as she moves past me to open the passenger door for me. "Try to stay awake until we reach home, please. I'm not your superhuman wife and will leave your heavy ass to nap in the car if you don't walk up to our apartment yourself." I start chuckling at her as I get in but stop immediately as soon as I see how serious she's being. "Stai zitto. Do you want a lift home or not?" She shuts the door in my face and blows me a kiss through the windscreen as she runs to the driver's side.

When I hear Amelia start the engine, I drop my head against the window and close my eyes. "I just want to soak in a tub for the rest of the year. My feet are killing me, and I smell like antiseptic. Remind me again why we signed up to do this?" Amelia shakes her head at me and reminds me of her fourteen-hour surgery on Dr. Herman, which was the record at the hospital until Meredith recently broke it. "Which means you won't be getting any sympathy for your measly nine-hour surgery, Dr. Deluca. Sorry."

I don't lift my head from its resting place or even open my eyes as I flip her the bird. "Just call your damn girlfriend and leave me alone. At least Brooke's not at work. I wish I could call my wife and complain about my shift in peace. She'll definitely be more sympathetic than you." She barks out a laugh once more, before reaching over to reward me with the most condescending hug I've ever received. She sticks out her tongue at me when I push her away, just as I press dial on the entertainment screen to divert her attention.

"I'm strapped on and ready for you." Amelia frantically waves around the entertainment screen to decrease the volume when the husky voice of her girlfriend comes over the line. "Shit. Fuck. Shit. Shit. Shit. I'm sorry." I can't keep the grin off my face at how flustered the neurosurgeon becomes while she presses buttons on the steering wheel until silence surrounds us. My friend stops moving around in her seat and looks at me with wide eyes after realizing she had just accidently hung up on her girlfriend.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think she'd pick up the phone like... we're not usually like this." I raise my eyebrow at her ludicrous statement seeing how I share a wall with them whenever Brooke comes over. Which happens to be a lot since her girlfriend has become a third parent of sorts to Scout. "Let me just..." She shushes me when I throw my hand over my eyes to save myself from witnessing this situation. I start shaking on a tired laugh as she speedily shoots off a text before calmly redialing the last number from the car's stereo.

"Hi, sweetheart. Hi, Carina. Can we please pretend that none of that happened?" I roll my head against the back of my seat and smirk at Amelia. I honestly thought she was my one friend that didn't get awkward about the sex, especially after the amount of times she's come to me for advice on how to please her girlfriend. Now her face has turned redder than her shirt over listening to the plans her girlfriend has with her tonight. "Caio, Brooke. Please don't mind me. I'm already fast asleep. I didn't and will not hear anything all night."