"Yo! Brenda! You OK or somethin’? You want I should get a nurse?" Lucky pounded his hand on the tray-table in front of her, trying to draw her attention back to the game.

Brenda suddenly snapped back to stare at the three men sitting around her hospital bed. "I’m sorry, you guys," she moaned, wincing as she shifted position in the bed. "I guess I’m not a very good fourth today."

"You’re an *excellent* fourth as long as you keep losing to me the way you are, honey," Reggie gushed, pulling the chips towards him as Brenda threw her cards down in the middle of the tray. He leaned forward towards Brenda.

"Whatsa’ matter, Bren? You been distracted ever since we got here today." Lucky took the cards from Reggie and began shuffling again. "You got a pain or somethin’?"

Brenda sighed and propped her elbows on the tray table with her chin cupped in her hands. "Yeah -- I got a royal pain, all right. A royal pain in my butt. And his name is Dr. Jasper Jacks."

"Oooooo," Reggie gushed as Lucky dealt the cards. "He can be a pain in my butt ANYDAY he wants!" He squirmed in delight as Lucky grimaced.

"Reggie, will you get your mind outa your pants and take a look at our girl here?" Lucky patted Brenda on the hand. "Whatsa matter, Brenda?" His eyes narrowed. "He didn’t do nothin’ against that hypothetical oath, did he?"

"No, Lucky, he’s been a perfect gentleman," Brenda sighed as she picked up her cards. "And he’s taken really good care of me – medically speaking, I mean. It’s just that he....." The three musketeers leaned forward anxiously, each thinking of their own brand of revenge to wreck on Jax, when they heard his happy greeting from the doorway.

"Well, how’s the most gorgeous person in my life doing today?" Jax didn’t notice Lucky, Nicholas and Reggie in the room as he studied Brenda’s chart on his way in. He had apparently come to her room directly from surgery as he wore pale blue cotton drawstring pants, a blue cotton V-neck shirt, and his usual choice of long white lab coat, unbuttoned, of course.

"I’m just fine, thanks, Jax," Reggie oozed, "but I think you’d better check on Brenda since she’s the patient -- don’t you?"

Jax looked up in embarrassment and smiled at the poker buddies. "Gentlemen! What a surprise!" He walked over to stand next to Brenda. "I wasn’t aware that you were having a floating poker game here today."

"It wasn’t something I exactly planned," Brenda replied, opening her mouth as Jax pulled out a disposable thermometer and inserted it.

Jax reached down to take Brenda’s hand, placing his fingers against her wrist and glancing at his wristwatch. "So, gentlemen, who’s the big winner this afternoon?" He shot a smile at Lucky. "As if I have to ask."

"Actually, doc, the cards don’t seem to be fallin’ my way today," Lucky groused. "Old Reggie here seems to have the golden touch."

"Well, you know what they say," Reggie said, moving his chair closer to where Jax stood next to Brenda. "Lucky in cards, unlucky in love." He batted his eyes at Jax, who cleared his throat uncomfortably and then took the thermometer from Brenda’s mouth.

"How’s she doin’, Jax?" Nicholas asked.

Jax smiled and made a note in her chart. "Excellent. Temp’s normal and pulse is just slightly elevated."

"Well, who’s wouldn’t be?" Reggie babbled again, giving Jax a hungry look.

"Seriously, Jax," Brenda exclaimed, shooting Reggie a killer look. "Am I doing well enough to be released from this prison soon?"

Jax took another look at her chart. "Well, actually I’d say that you probably have a strong chance of going home day after tomorrow."

Brenda squealed and genuinely smiled for the first time that afternoon. "Looks like those were the magic words, Jax," Nicholas said dryly. "That’s the happiest I’ve seen her in days."

"Well, I can’t say for sure without checking her incision one more time," Jax replied. "So, if you three don’t mind stepping outside, we have to break up this little session for a few minutes."

"It was just about time for us to go anyway," Nicholas replied, gathering up the cards. "Take good care of our girl now, Jax."

"Yeah, and don’t go doin’ anything that I’ll hafta hurtcha for, OK?" Lucky said, leaning towards Jax with a menacing smiile.

"I wouldn’t dream of it," Jax replied. Lucky and Nicholas left the room but Reggie stopped at the door to look back at Jax. "Was there something else, Reggie?"

"Well....I just couldn’t leave without telling you how *divine* you look in that hospital uniform, Jax." He waved his hand up and down in Jax’s direction, smiling at Brenda. "Don’t you think the blue in those scrubs just makes his eyes look *divine*, Brenda?" Reggie clasped his hands to his chest dramatically and then waved. "Well, Ta-Ta all!"

Jax blushed as he turned back to Brenda so that Reggie wouldn’t see his embarrassment. She glanced around him towards the door and then looked up at him with a snicker. "You’re safe -- he’s gone now."

Jax looked back over his shoulder. "Does he always act like that? How do Lucky and Nicholas stand him?"

Brenda laughed and crossed her arms. "No -- he only does it around you because he knows that you expect it." She smirked in superiority. "And besides -- I think he’s smitten with you."

"Smitten? Lord help me," Jax groaned as he pulled Brenda’s blankets back.

"Hey! Watch it there, buster! I’m still kinda sore, you know!" Brenda tried to pull the blankets out of Jax’s hands but he held firm.

"Now, Brenda," Jax said with a sigh. "We’re not going to have a tug of war with the blankets again, are we? You know I can’t very well examine your incision when it’s hidden beneath the blankets and your gown."

"What about a nurse?" Brenda peered around him. "Don’t you have to call a nurse or something when you examine me?"

"I *will* call her as soon as you agree not to act like a prude!" Jax replied, placing her chart on the tray and pushing it out of the way.

"I do NOT act like a prude," Brenda muttered, folding arms like a chastised 5-year-old.

Jax put his hands to his hips. "Well, I don’t call throwing your water bottle at me exactly normal behavior!"

"It was empty!" Brenda protested, sticking out her lower lip. "And besides -- your hands were cold. You made me jump."

Jax walked deliberately back to Brenda’s bed, a wicked smile on his face. "And do you have any suggestions on how I might warm them up this time, Ms. Barrett?"

"That’s it! I’m callin’ Lucky!" Brenda tried to sit up quickly and swing her legs out of the bed, but then grimaced in pain as she pulled the stomach muscles that were still recovering from surgery.

Jax was there in a flash to grab her legs and swing them back into the bed. "That was a dumb stunt, Brenda." He folded his arms across his chest and gave her his best dominant look. "So -- are you ready for me to examine you now?"

"Ready as I’ll ever be." Brenda sank down onto the bed as Jax walked to the door and called for a nurse. She was in a room close by and he returned almost immediately to Brenda’s bedside.

"Now, Nurse Andrea is here to help me. I’m just going to be changing the dressing on your incision and making sure it’s healing properly." Brenda nodded and closed her eyes as she felt Jax pull the hospital gown up and tuck it under her breasts.

She felt Jax’s fingers touching her gently in the lower part of her stomach as he removed the tape that held the dressing in place. She yelped once as the tape was persistent and he pulled vigorously to remove it. "Sorry about that, Bren. Dressing’s off now." Brenda vaguely heard Jax talking in a low, professional voice to the nurse, saying something about the skin being pink and healthy. "It looks good, Brenda. Those sutures should be ready to come out by tomorrow."

She heard Jax ask the nurse for some kind of dressing and tape and then she felt him pressing something to her stomach again as his fingers worked quickly. In a few minutes, she felt him pull her hospital gown back down and she heard the sound of the door to her room opening and closing as the nurse left.

"So -- am I going to live?" Sarcasm dripped from her words.

"That’s not funny, Brenda," Jax replied, making notes in her chart. "You’ll never know how badly you scared me the other night when you showed up here in the ER." Brenda chewed her lip, contemplating just what feelings might have been running through Jax’s heart when he thought she was seriously hurt, when he cleared his throat nervously.

"So.....have you.....um....did your...."

Brenda closed her eyes. "Yes, Jax......my intestinal tract is back to normal functioning again." She opened her eyes to find him checking back on a previous page in her chart. "All of my *disgusting* bodily habits are chronicled there for your *glorious* reading pleasure." She folded her arms in aversion. "Besides -- Dr. Muschany already asked me all of those questions."

"Norm was here?"

"Uh-huh." Brenda’s eyes started to sparkle like a pixie. "In fact, he was quite surprised to see how many notations in my chart were in *your* handwriting."

"Well...uh....there’s nothing really unusual about that," Jax stammered, placing her chart back at the bottom of her bed. "I *was* your admitting physician, after all."

"Yes, but shouldn’t you be downstairs in the ER, stitching up split lips and zapping heart attack victims with those paddles or something?"

Jax perched on the side of her bed. "You’ll really be glad to be out of here and rid of me, won’t you?"

"I’ll really be glad to be out of here," Brenda echoed. "But only because that way I’ll be able to still make my flight to New York at the end of this week."

"New York? What’s in New York?"

"A book tour. Lucy set this up some time ago for me and I was afraid I wouldn’t be out of here in time to make it." Brenda let out a long sigh. "I just love going to New York for a book promotion --the hotels, the traffic, the television spots...."

"Television? You’re going to be on television?"

"Yes, on the Charlotte Peters show. She’s going to be interviewing me about my newest book." Brenda suddenly stopped and gave Jax a panicked look. "I *will* be able to go, won’t I?"

"Physically I don’t think there’ll be a problem," Jax shrugged, "although you probably won’t have as much stamina as you usually do for these things. Just try to take it easy and be sure you get enough sleep while you’re there." He rose from her bed reluctantly as his beeper went off. "Well, looks like I’m needed in the ER." He gave her a smile. "I guess they just couldn’t get those paddles to work without my expert advice on plugging them into the electric socket."

Brenda watched as he walked towards her door. "I’ll be back tomorrow to take out your sutures, Brenda." He stuck his head back in for one parting shot. "And if you’re a good girl when I do, I’ll even give you a lollipop.......Tooshie."

Brenda threw her tissue box at his head as he closed her door behind him with a loud chuckle. {D*mn. Why did he have to be wearing the blue scrubs again? They really *do* make his eyes look divine.}

"AMY!!!!!!"

The strawberry-blonde abruptly shoved her fashion magazine under the desk and her head popped up. "Yes, sir, Dr. Jacks!"

He looked at the bulletin board behind the desk with a frown. "Why isn’t Trauma Room 2 clear yet?"

Amy came back to stand next to him. "Because I think that V is still in there with that diabetic coma case."

Jax frowned. "I told her to administer insulin over 30 minutes ago and then transfer the patient to a room when she was stable."

"Ummm…..do you want me to call Dr. Kilo for an endocrinology consult?" Amy held her breath and when Jax turned to her and she saw the fire in his eyes, she backed away from him.

"Bloody h*ll, no, Amy!" Jax spun around and went to the main desk, grabbing a chart from the rack so vehemently that the entire stack rattled. "If I can’t manage a simple case of diabetic coma by myself, I should go back to med school!"

Amy stood at the front desk and craned her neck as she watched Jax stride briskly down the hall. As Karen Wexler came to the desk to deposit a chart, she looked first in the direction that Jax had gone and then at Amy. "Has he still got a burr up his butt?"

"Yep," Amy grinned, "and V’s about to find out -- up close and personal."

Jax pushed open the door to the trauma room to find V standing beside a middle-aged blonde woman and taking her pulse. "V -- what’s this patient still doing here? Why hasn’t she been transferred upstairs yet?"

"You *told* me to transfer her once she was stable, Dr. Jacks," V replied, clearly annoyed. "And I don’t think with a blood sugar of 395 I would consider her exactly stable yet."

Jax’s eyes widened and he pushed V aside to place his stethoscope to the woman’s chest. "Has she regained consciousness?"

"No, doctor. She’s moaned a few times, but that’s all. Still showing classic symptoms of ketoacidosis."

Jax opened one of the woman’s eyes and shone a penlight at it. "And we’ve already administered thirteen units of regular insulin?"

V’s mouth dropped open in shock. "No, sir -- you told me to give her three units."

Jax muttered an oath and grabbed for the chart. "I distinctly remember writing the order for thirteen units, V."

"No, Dr. Jacks, I remember it as clear as day. You......"

"Bloody damnation, V! I don’t care *what* you recall. Give the woman ten more units of Humalog!" V’s hands shook as she quickly reached for a small vial and she began to draw the injection. As soon as she had filled the syringe, Jax took it from her. "Here -- I’ll do it myself," he barked, double-checking the dosage before he began to swab an area on the woman’s arm with a sterile wipe. He deftly sank the needle into the fleshy part of her upper arm, aspirating to make sure he hadn’t hit a vein, and then injected the insulin quickly.

"Now -- if she doesn’t begin to regain normal color and consciousness within five minutes -- FIND ME!" Jax ordered. staring bullets at V and pushing the chart into her hands. He didn’t wait for her response but whirled around and was out the door before she could even take a breath.

Jax stomped down the hall towards the lounge and pushed his way through the door. He went to the coffee machine, grabbed his mug, and filled it to the brim with the inky liquid. He took a sip, muttered another oath about motor oil, and then sat down at the table in the lounge, covering his eyes with his hands.

About five minutes later, there was a knock at the door of the lounge. "Is it safe to come inside?"

"Coast’s clear, Dr. Cichon," Jax replied in a tired voice. "Hurricane Jax has moved offshore for a while."

Jean gave him a smile and came into the lounge. She wore a short white lab coat over a slim, navy A-line skirt and pale blue oxford-cloth shirt. Shoving her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, she nodded towards an empty chair, asking permission to sit. Jax reached over to pull the chair out for her and then put his fingers back to his temples. "Bad day?"

"Seems like they’re all bad days lately," Jax sighed. He peeked at her from behind his fingers. "What happened -- were you the last of the Christians left to feed to the grouchy old lion?"

"Now, Jax," Jean drawled, patting him on the hand. "Whatever makes you think that your staff is afraid of you?" She giggled. "I mean, the fact that they’re taking up a collection to buy you a cat to kick means absolutely nothing!"

Jax shook his head and finally cracked a half-smile. "That bad, huh?"

"Even *V*, who always says your name with the reverence reserved for a deity, is using a word that starts with a "B" to describe you!" She leaned forward and patted his hand again for emphasis. "And it ain’t Barney!" Jax shook his head and smiled again, staring intently at his cup of coffee. "You miss her, don’t you?" Jean asked gently.

"Miss her? Who?"

"Jax!" Jean shook her head. "I don’t know how you ever play poker, cause you’re a lousy bluffer." Jax blushed a little and shifted in his chair. "Brenda, you dope. You miss Brenda."

"Brenda? Oh, you mean Brenda Barrett?" Jax fiddled with the handle of his coffee cup, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No, I mean Brenda Starr, ace reporter," Jean replied sarcastically. "You’ve had a thing for her ever since you saw that movie with Brooke Shields. OF COURSE I MEAN BRENDA BARRETT!"

Jax sank lower in his chair. "I didn’t think it was that obvious."

"Jax, there’s nothing wrong with admitting you care about someone," Jean said, pulling her chair a little closer to him. "Have you told *her* how much you miss her?"

"I haven’t spoken to her since she left for New York." Jax raised sad eyes to Jean. "She’s on some kind of book tour. She’s even making appearances on some television shows -- probably hob-nobbing with big shots like Oprah and Montel. How can a mere doctor back in LA compete with that kind of life?"

"And you haven’t tried to call her? Or watched her on the TV?"

"I tried to watch but I missed the one show she mentioned," Jax groused.

Jean just shook her head, clucking her tongue, and rose to walk to the television set in the lounge. "You know -- maybe you ought to talk to Dr. Ashton every now and then. He would have told you that she’s on Leeza Gibbons, even as we speak."

"She is?" Jax’s face visibly brightened as the television screen began to hum. Jean fiddled with a few of the controls and began scrolling through the channels until she found the one with a panel of guests and a host/interviewer. "That’s it!" Jax cried happily, pointing to the screen. "There she is!"

Brenda had never looked more beautiful to Jax than she did at that very moment. She was wearing a pale pink, long-sleeve charmeuse shirt that hung loosely over her dark maroon designer jeans. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail high on her head with loose tendrils of hair that cascaded over her delicate ears. Just as Jean started to turn up the sound, Brenda laughed and it was music to Jax’s ears. "How’s......"

Jean never finished the question as Jax pulled his chair closer towards the television. "Ssshhhh.....I want to hear what she’s saying." Jax’s face shown but then he suddenly looked at Jean, who was smiling smugly. "Strictly for medical purposes, though," Jax amended, trying to sound extremely professional. "After all, she’s technically still my patient."

"Of *course* she is, Dr. Jacks," Jean replied. She smirked at Jax as he stared hypnotically at the screen and pulled her chair next to his. "You might want to mention to her that she should wear shorter sleeves," Jean whispered to Jax as they went to commercial. "Those things are a menace to her health -- the way they hang past her fingertips."

"Hmmmm.....menace? And I thought that was a word they reserved to describe you, Dr. Cichon," Jax replied smartly.

"It takes one to know one, Dr. Jacks," Jean returned. She was about to continue the verbal sparring match when Jax pointed at the screen as the commercials ended.

"So, Brenda, can you tell all of us concerned readers how you’re feeling?" Leeza asked. "We heard that you were recently involved in a serious accident and needed surgery."

"Yes, Leeza," Brenda answered. "But with the help of excellent doctors and a great surgeon, I’m feeling much better now." Jax sat up straighter in his chair and smiled, folding his arms proudly.

"I think she’s referring to Dr. Muschany, Jax," Jean whispered.

"And I think you can go ....." Jax never finished the sentence as Jean gasped and pointed back to the television.

"So....have the doctors given you a clean bill of health?" Leeza smiled and winked at Brenda. "My spies tell me that you ate *three* servings of that famous cheesecake they have at the Plaza last night!"

Brenda laughed heartily and gripped the arms of her chair as she leaned forward. "Your spies are everywhere, aren’t they, Leeza?" She sat back and blushed a little as laughter rippled through the audience. "Well, I have to admit that the menu at the Plaza always seems to be my downfall, especially their cheesecake."

Jax began to frown. "In fact," Leeza went on, "my spies also tell me that your father has been having cheesecake from the Plaza flown in to your house monthly ever since last Christmas! That was some Christmas present!"

Jax’s frown grew as Brenda smiled again. "You’ve got me there, Leeza." She shook her head and blushed prettily. "Those cheesecakes have been piling up in my deep freeze for months!"

{Cheesecakes? Piling up? And a monthly dividend check she’s not even cashing?}

Jax’s fury began to grow and Jean noticed he gripped the armrests of his chair more tightly. "Jax -- are you OK?" She glanced up and noticed that the program had gone to commercial again as Leeza promised to bring out her next guest. She rose and turned off the television, beginning to think that maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. "Is something wrong?"

Jax let out a measured sigh and then rose purposefully from the chair. "I’m fine, Jean," he said, his face softening a little as he looked at her. He came over to her and landed a kiss on her cheek. "And you’ve helped me a lot this morning -- really, you have!"

"I did?" Jean couldn’t help but notice that Jax slammed his coffee cup down on the sink and then spun towards the door to the lounge with a vengeance.

"Definitely!" He was about to leave the lounge when he turned back to Jean. "Oh, and could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor, Jax," Jean purred.

"#1 -- get your mind out of the gutter," Jax quipped. "And #2 -- tell Amy I’m going up to Radiology for a few minutes to kill someone."

"If you’re looking for Ned, he’s not up there," Jean replied. "He’s at home today, spending some time with his wife and new baby."

Jax sighed, and then glanced down at his watch. "Thanks." He let the door close and jogged up to the front desk. "Amy! Is Dr. Quartermaine on the floor anywhere?"

"Yes, sir, he just came down," Amy replied, glancing up at the board. "He’s in Trauma 1 with a patient."

"Good." Jax pulled the stethoscope from around his neck, stuffed it in the pocket of his lab coat, and then whipped off the coat. "Amy -- consider me signed out."

"Can we page you if there’s an emergency, Dr. Jacks?" Amy hadn’t seen her boss this happy in days.

"You can try, but I’m not sure I’ll hear the pager above Dr. Ashton’s screams of agony," Jax replied, glancing once over his shoulder before he slammed his hand against the double doors of the ER and was on his way.

To be continued......