RJ Nolan - L.A. Metro

"Dr. McKenna," Karen said, her voice tinged with anger.

Oh crap! Kim did not want to get involved in anything between Jess and one of her residents. Not to mention the fact that it was also inappropriate for her to interfere. She sighed in resignation. No help for it now. She did not want to blow the resident off and leave. She decided her best option at this point would be to keep quiet and waited to see what if anything else Karen would say. It was a technique she had learned early in her own residency.

"Everyone says how she practically lives at the hospital. And she never talks about a girlfriend or anything from outside work. Maybe this job is her life, but I have a life outside this place. And a daughter and a husband who need me."

Kim's ears perked at the mention of a girlfriend. She was curious about Jess but this was not the way she had hoped to learn more about her. "Dr. McKenna has a lot of responsibility here. I'm sure that leads to very long hours for her."

Karen snorted. "I should've known you wouldn't understand."

Kim shook her head. "Actually I understand quite well. It's a lot of work to try and balance your professional life with your personal one, especially for a woman. A lot of people depend on you."

"I know that." Karen's shoulders slumped. "Okay, I admit I missed a few conferences, and was late a few times," she said. "But that's no reason to take my residency away."

Shock rendered Kim momentarily speechless. That seemed a bit drastic to her. Despite her best intentions not to get embroiled in this she asked, "Did Dr. McKenna actually say that? That she was going to terminate you?"

"Well... No. Not exactly," Karen admitted reluctantly. "She did say she was going to put me on probation... If I didn't do better." Karen banged her fist on the table. "It's not like I'm not trying. I'm not a screw-up!" Karen met Kim's eyes defiantly. That's when it seemed to dawn on Karen that she was talking out of school to someone she really didn't know. Her eyes went wide and fear chased across her face. "I really like it here. Dr. McKenna's a great teacher. I wouldn't want her to think I don't want to be here." Karen gazed at Kim with a pleading expression.

Kim laid her hand on Karen's forearm for a moment. "It can be hard adjusting to a new place and all the responsibilities of a residency."

"It is hard." Karen sighed. "But I guess I wasn't honest before. I have been screwing up. Dr. McKenna cut me some slack my first month... and I guess I kind of took advantage of it. I got pissed when she called me on it," she admitted sheepishly. Some of the tension drained from Karen's face.

Ah. Good. Sometimes it helped to vent to someone not emotionally invested in the problem. "So it looks like you know what you have to do," Kim said.

Karen rose from her chair. She smiled down at Kim. "Thanks, Dr. Donovan. I better get back out there."

"You're welcome." Kim leaned back in her chair and sighed when the door closed behind Karen. Not bad for your first day. Not bad at all.

CHAPTER 4

PENNY LEANED OVER the nurses' station counter slightly to get a clear view down the hall. The ringing phone distracted her from her vigil. She answered it and dealt with the caller while keeping an eye on the door down the hall.

"Has the ortho resident shown up yet?"

Penny jumped, startled by the voice close by. She turned to face Terrell Johnson. The tall, slim black man was one of the second-year residents. "No. I haven't seen him."

Terrell sighed. "Please page him again."

Penny leaned to the side to see past Terrell. "Sure," she said distractedly. A bright smile covered her face when she spotted the person she had been waiting for walking toward the nurses' station. It quickly turned to a frown when her quarry was intercepted before she reached the desk.

Terrell turned to look over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just needed to catch Dr. Donovan before she heads back to psych to give her a message," Penny said. What she didn't add was that the message was personal. She planned on asking her to lunch. She had been thrilled when the hot gossip about Kim reached her ears.

Terrell smiled. "Isn't she great? She's only been here a week and I've already learned more from her than from all the other psychiatrists combined."

"Hey. You guys talking about Kim Donovan?" Peter Bates, a fellow ER resident asked, barging into the conversation. "Man, she's hot!" He looked down the hall to where Kim stood talking with another resident. "I'd like to teach her a few things... Know what I mean?" he asked with a leer and made an obscene hand gesture.

"God, Peter. You are such a pig." Terrell's face twisted in distaste. "Grow up already."

Peter sneered. "Shove it, Terry."

Penny glowered at Peter. She knew how much Terrell hated that nickname. Terrell always treated her well. She didn't appreciate Peter giving him a hard time.

"Penny, please page ortho again," Terrell said. With one last disparaging look at Peter, he turned and walked away.

"What's got his undies in a twist?" Peter asked. He glanced down at Penny and scowled as if suddenly realizing he was talking to her.

Penny scowled right back. She was tempted to tell him that he didn't have a chance in hell with Kim. Penny snickered to herself. I hope she tells him in front of a big crowd that she's gay. Although Penny wasn't interested in him, it had always bothered her that the handsome blond resident had never asked her out. He had gone after most every other woman in the department. Penny was surprised when a warm, welcoming smile suddenly appeared on Peter's face.

"Hey, Dr. Donovan," Peter called out.

Penny turned to see Kim approaching with an armload of charts. Her smile was automatic at the sight of the beautiful doctor.

"How are things going?" Peter reached out and took the charts from Kim. He put them down on the counter. "I wanted to let you know if you have any questions you can come to me. I'll be glad to help you with any problems."

Penny rolled her eyes. Peter did not help anyone but himself. The way he was talking you would think he was staff instead of a resident-in-training.

The conversation was interrupted when Aimee came trotting up. "Excuse me. Peter, I need your help with a patient."

Peter glowered at Aimee. "Can't you see I'm busy? Find someone else," he said.

Kim glanced over at Peter with a perturbed look on her face, then turned toward Aimee. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked.

Aimee smiled. "I don't think so. It's not a psych case." She peered at Peter's forbidding glare, and then turned back to Kim. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about dislocated shoulders?"

Penny could almost see Peter weighing his options. Jerk. Now what are you going to do? He seemed to realize his abrupt response to Aimee made him look bad in Kim's eyes.

"Come on, Aimee," Peter said with a long, suffering sigh. "I'll take care of it." He turned to Kim with an ingratiating smile. "If you'll excuse me. You know how it is with these young residents. You just can't leave them on their own for a second."

He took several steps away from the desk, then turned back to Aimee. "Well, come on. I don't have all day."

Penny watched Aimee hurry to catch up with Peter. "What a jerk," she muttered. She glanced over at Kim. She didn't look particularly thrilled with Peter's behavior either. "Just in case you didn't know, Peter isn't even a senior resident. He's a second-year." Penny felt her heart give a strong thump when Kim turned to face her and their eyes met. God, she's hot.

"Yes. I'm well aware of that," Kim said.

"What?" Penny asked having totally lost her train of thought.

"I know Dr. Bates is a second-year."