Way Down I'll Go

'Twere Wiser to Forget

"Rachel, my love!"

Rachel groaned at Katie's sickeningly sweet tone. "What do you want?"

"Would you be a doll and cosign this blood with me?"

"I'd absolutely love too," she said, plastering on a sarcastic smile. "Let me guess. It's for Penis Man in 8?"

"I heart you!" came Katie's reply as she scampered off into room 8.

Rachel sighed, and followed Katie into the dreaded room. Penis Man was still in restraints, having tried to punch Rachel only an hour before when she'd been helping Katie hold him down to put his IV in. The haldol they'd given him had taken the fight out of him, but did little to calm his tongue.

"Well hello there, gorgeous. Bring that ass to papa."

Rachel looked him in the eye. 

"That is inappropriate. We're here to take care of you, but if you keep harassing staff, we will have to call public safety again."

Penis Man jerked against his restraints. 

"You don't have to be such a bitch," he mumbled, but kept to himself.

Rachel and Katie hung the blood and when Katie had finished her vitals, she joined Rachel at the nurses' station.

"Girl, I'm about to take off whatever's left of his penis. He's driving me nuts!"

Rachel chuckled as she sipped her 5th cup of murky hospital coffee. 

"He'd probably enjoy that."

Katie snorted. 

"Seriously. You should have been there when I put in his catheter. Easiest placement ever but he enjoyed it way too much!"

"Well, if you can fit 2 double-A's up there, a catheter's no big deal."

The two snickered and settled into a quiet rhythm of charting, relishing the few, rare minutes of peace.

"Are you working at the free clinic tonight?" Katie asked.

"No. They actually have enough volunteers for once."

"Oh! You should come out with me! Lance has a friend who's super cute and super single. We could make it a double date."

Rachel cringed. 

"Thanks, but...I'll be busy...brushing my teeth."

"You're ridiculous!" Katie giggled. "Seriously, he's really nice. And he's loaded."

"You should tell Melissa. Sounds like he's more her type than mine."

"Rach, you're not still hung up on that other guy, are you? That was months ago. Any guy who would dump you is clearly crazy. Move on already!"

"I think 8's call light is going off."

"He can wait."

"Katie..." 

Rachel tightened her ponytail and rolled the kinks out of her neck, then faced her friend. 

"I know it doesn't make any sense to you. It doesn't make any sense to me either. I've never fallen that hard before. I'm going to need a lot more than a few months to get over it. Hell, I still love the guy, Katie. I really wish I didn't, but he's seriously an amazing person. He just doesn't know it."

"He sounds like a mess."

Rachel smiled. 

"He is, in a lot of ways. But considering his background, he's way better adjusted than most would be. He just needs..."