As Scott and Deidre sat in the hospital room, a nurse with a clip-board came into the room.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt,”

“You didn’t interrupt anything.” Deidre said.

The nurse gave Deidre a strained smile. Throughout the hospital Deidre had garnered the reputation as a hard-ass. Not many doctors and nurses liked her. Deidre took every law suite against the hospital seriously. Not wanting any surprises to crop up when it was time to negotiate a settlement, Deidre was known to grill the doctor or nurse the case involved. And she was not polite about it. Because she didn’t spare people’s feelings in her line of questioning, most considered her to be a bit heartless.

 “Oh good, I have some papers you need to sign Dr. Walker.” The nurse said. “They’re just discharge papers. You’ve been cleared to go.” She handed Mark the clip-board, who promptly signed them and handed them back to the nurse. “Thank you very much. I hope you feel better Dr. Walker.” She turned around and walked out of the door.

"So we started out as friends.” Scott said as he attempted to get out of the hospital bed by himself.

 "Yes." Deidre said. She watched as he tried for a second time to maneuver himself off of the bed. “You know you don’t have to try and do this on your own.” Deidre said.

Scott leaned on the shoulder she offered, but he decided to ignore her comment. "So what exactly am I wearing home?" Scott asked as he looked down at the hospital gown he was currently wearing. "As nice as this lovely gown is, I'd prefer not to feel a breeze every time I walk." He attempted to lighten the sober mood that fell between them.

"I don't know Scott, I'm kind of liking the view I get from behind." Deidre laughed.

"I suppose it is a nice view, but do you really want to share this view with the entire hospital?" Scott asked.

"No, I don't share very well, which is why I brought you a change of clothes. Everything you need is in the bag.” Deidre said pointing to a duffle bag that sat in the corner. “Do you need my help changing or anything?”

“Look,” Scott said. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think I’d rather have a nurse help me.”

“Right,” Deidre said. “Why don’t you sit back down and I’ll get a nurse.”

"Thanks." After she left, Scott tried to change clothes by himself. He was able to get his underwear and jeans on, but he was struggling with the shirt.

Deidre came back followed by a different nurse than the one who had come in before. She found Scott sitting on the bed with his shirt off. His chest was bruised from where the seat belt restrained him in the accident.

“I thought you were going to wait for a nurse.” Deidre said crossing her arms and giving him a look that said ‘I’m not happy about this.’ But underneath her disapproval, Deidre was aching to soothe the bruises on her husband’s muscled chest.

“I was, but then I thought I can do this.” Scott looked at her with a goofy smile and laughed. “As you can see I was able to get my pants on, but I’m having issues with the shirt.” He picked up the collared button up shirt to show her his dilemma.

Deidre walked over to Scott and took the shirt in her hands. “Put your arm through slowly.” Deidre said. She took her time helping him gingerly put on the garmet.

“Am I still needed here?” The nurse asked.

“No you can go.” Deidre said never taking attention away from the task at hand.

After Scott slipped his arm into the other sleeve, Deidre stood in front of him as she buttoned his shirt. He got a whiff of her scent; trying to figure it out, he attempted to take a deep breath. Before he could properly distinguish Deidre's intriguing smell, pain shot through his chest.

“What are you doing?” Deidre asked just as she finished the last button.

“Nothing I just wanted to take a deep breath. That’s all.”

“Yeah well you need to take it easy.” Deidre said. “Here,” she said reaching into the bag, “I brought some shoes you can just slip your feet in.” She said dropping them on the floor.”

“Thanks. Is that my jacket?” He asked noticing the leather outerwear on the chair.

“Yeah, here.” Deidre helped him into his jacket.

Just as the couple was about to walk out of the door, Chase came back.

"I’m glad I caught the two of you before you left. Scott, I don’t want you to drive for a while as a precaution. I also don't want you coming into work for at least two weeks."

"I forgot the last seven years, not how to be a plastic surgeon." Scott said.

"Yes well, this is another precaution. You’re a doctor; you know this." Chase explained.

"What am I going to do for two weeks? I’m in too much pain to go golfing or do anything entertaining." Scott asked.

"Don't ask me. Ask your wife." Both men looked over at Deidre who smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Right." Scott said.

"I'll see you next week then. Ms. James." Chase said as he exited the room.

Scott looked to Deidre, "Two weeks, at home? I’m assuming you’ll be coming in to work."

"Don't be such a baby Scott. There’s plenty of stuff to do at home, or I could take you to our house on Whidbey Island. Either way, I'm sure you'll find something to do. If you want I can call Miguel." Deidre said.

“We have a house on Whidbey Island?” Scott asked.

“Yes, it’s a nice place to get away.”

“I think I want to go there. Maybe I can do some fishing.”

“What about Miguel. I can call him and he’ll be happy to come up sometime later. The two of you can do some fishing.” Deidre suggested,

"Miguel, Emi’s friend?” Scott asked as they walked through the halls of the hospital toward the exit.

"Yes, the two of you are good friends as well. And he’s Emi’s husband. He can work from where ever he wants as long as he has Internet connection, so he could keep you company."

"Emi's married to the guy she brought to dinner, wow." Scott said as he held open the door for Deidre.

"Yeah well, their dating is kind of what got us to start seeing each other." She explained as they made their way to her car.

"Is that so?"

"Uhuh."

"And how exactly did that come about?" Scott asked curious as to how he married someone so adamantly against dating him.

"It's really an interesting story," Deidre said getting into the driver’s side of the car. Scott raised one eyebrow and looked at her.

--------------------------------

By April, Emi had started to date Miguel, her childhood best friend. Emi’s dates began to interfere with the three friends scheduled time to hang out. On those nights, Scott and Deidre usually still went to the bar, but occasionally they would see a movie instead. When May rolled around, Deidre and Scott began to realize that their bar nights became more sporadic as Emi went on more dates.

One Friday evening, on the rare occasion Emi made it to a bar night, Deidre tried to remedy the situation between the three friends.

"So, there's this new billiards bar opening up down the street from my building. I think we should go sometime."

"Sounds like fun," Scott said.

"Yeah it does. We can make a few wagers." Emi said.

"So it's settled, we're going to go play pool at some point?" Deidre asked.

"Works for me," Scott said as he sipped his beer.

"Sure, give me a time and place." Emi said.

"What about a week from tonight?" Deidre suggested.

"Not next Friday night, Miguel has reservations to this amazing restaurant." Emi said.

"Okay then Saturday night?"

"That's better for me."

"Scott?" Deidre said.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there."

"So then it's settled, next Saturday night at Bob’s Billiards.” Deidre said.

As the next week passed, everything looked like it would work out as planned. Scott, Deidre and Emi would all meet at the pool hall on Saturday night at nine. However, when nine Saturday night rolled around only two of the three showed up.

Deidre and Scott sat at a table for thirty minuets waiting for Emi to walk through the door. "I think we should find a new friend," Scott suggested looking at his watch for the tenth time since they sat down.

"Calm down. She said she'd be here." While Deidre tried to remain hopeful about Emi's arrival, Scott answered his ringing phone.

"Hello," He said into the phone. "Uhuh. Oh Really. Alright then. Yeah, I'll see you Monday. I'll tell her. Have fun. Bye."

"Don't tell me, she canceled," Deidre said disappointed.

"She had a good reason," Scott said trying to defend their friend. Deidre narrowed her eyes as if she were shooting laser beams at the man who sat across from her. "How about we play some pool and have a good time any way?"

"Fine," Deidre got up and grabbed a pool stick. She then made her way over to one of the empty tables. Scott mimicked Deidre's actions.

They played four games of pool, three of which Deidre won, leaving Scott almost broke. "You know Scott this is no fun anymore, I feel like I'm just taking your money."

"That's because you are James. I have an idea, let's play for something other than money." Scott suggested.

"Like what?"

"If I win I get two things."

"Really? What is it that you want?"

"First, you let me call you Deidre from now on; this whole last names bullshit is getting old. And second I take you out on a date." Scott said with a smile.

Deidre looked at him. He looked so confident that he would win the next game. "And when you loose…"

"IF I loose, I'll stop trying to convince you to go out with me." Scott said.

"Deal," Deidre stretched out her hand and Scott shook it.

This game was more intense than the previous four, and Scott played smarter than he had before. This time there was more at stake than a few hundred dollars. This was his last chance for any possibility of him ever taking Deidre out on a date, and Scott did not want to miss out on that opportunity.

Deidre sunk her last ball and Scott watched as she lined up the next shot.

"8 ball, side pocket." Deidre pulled back her stick and hit the cue ball. She missed; the eight ball did not go into the side pocket. It didn't go into any pocket.

Scott still had one ball left on the table, as well as a chance. The way the eight ball was currently lined up, if he missed the next two shots, Deidre would surely win. He sunk his ball with no problem and lined up to shoot the eight ball. "Eight ball corner pocket," he said. He hit the cue ball and sunk the eight ball.

Scott smirked and looked up at Deidre. "So, Deidre," said Scott putting emphsis on her name, "it looks like we are going on a date."

Deidre laughed, she could not believe she had lost the game. She wondered if she subconsciously threw the game because a part of her really did want to go on a date with Scott. "I guess we are." She said.

The two of them played one more game, which Scott won as well, before they both said goodnight and headed home.