Bullets & Bandages

4

I rubbed my face as I tried to stay awake through the end of my second shift. Giovanni insisted I stay at the hospital and sleep in my office. I wasn't completely sold on the idea, but he had a point. The boss was less likely to strike in a crowded hospital. The couch had been uncomfortable, but I was so wiped out it didn't matter. Hell, I could have taken one of the labor and delivery rooms and not cared.

I was finishing a chart before the shift change when I caught sight of Giovanni approaching me. I slipped the chart into the slot at the end of the patient's bed and met Giovanni in the hall. He didn't look quite as stressed as I thought he would and I didn't know if that was good or bad.

"How's Nikki?" I asked.

"Soaking up the attention as usual."

I nodded. "Good. I'm glad she's feeling better."

"I talked to Lorenzo."

"Yeah?" I asked casually. I didn't want to let on how much I worried about this very moment.

"He's extending your debt."

"For what? For not wanting to kill a baby?" I demanded as quietly as I could.

"Look, Aria, I don't make the rules-"

"Well that's fucking obvious."

He let his carefully composed features slip to show his true irritation for a moment. "You should be thanking me. You have no idea the shit storm that was about to rain down on you."

"Thanks for getting my debt extended. You know, you act like I can't take care of myself-"

"You can't," he responded flatly.

"I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

"Are you off yet," he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah. I'm going home and sleeping for the rest of the weekend."

"No you're not. You're staying with me until I know Lorenzo is keeping his word."

I scoffed. "Stay with you? I've never even been to your home."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately I'm having to break that barrier."

"You've purposely never had me over?"

"We were just having sex, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're such an asshole."

"Says the woman that is ungrateful I kept her alive."

"I'm not ungrateful, but you're acting like you did me some huge favor. I was almost done with all of this and you got me further involved."

He nodded slowly. "You are unbelievable. You got yourself into this situation and I fixed it for you. I didn't have to go beg him to spare your life. I could have let him do whatever he wanted, but I didn't."

"You should have let me handle it."

"Because that's worked out so well for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're naive, Aria. You honestly think you're the only doctor he can get his hands on? You're just the cheapest labor he could find."

I was caught off guard and he knew it, but Giovanni wasn't the type to take back something he said. He meant it and he wasn't budging.

"Sometimes I really hate you."

"No you don't. You want to, but you don't."

"You don't know that."