Numb

The hustle and bustle of the ambulance bay at Cook County General was chaos. Nurses and doctors scrambled this way and that, unloading gurneys out of the two ambulances that now occd thd the bay. An EMT rode on the gurney occupied by a small boy with several others moving around it.
Luka walked up to the large, glass sliding doors, looked over his shoulder at the turmoil behind him and smiled. He really loved his job. All the movement and high pressure suited him just fine.
It was his first day back on the schedule after returning from Africa with Malaria. And he had been anticipating it greatly. He hated sitting and doing nothing. This is where he thrived.
Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned quickly and saw a boy standing beside the door, watching the sight before him.
" That might not be the best place for you to stand. " he said, lightly.
The boy turned to him quickly as if pulled out of a daze.
" Huh ? "
" Standing in the doorway might not be the best idea right now. They are going to be moving pretty fast. You could get knocked over. " Luka explained.
The boy still stared wide-eyed, only at Luka now, but he backed up a few paces, placing himself in the corner where traffic wouldn't be coming.
" Is there something I can help you with ? " Luka asked, walking to him and stepping out of the way as well.
" I've never seen anything like this. Everything is moving so fast and people are shouting. " his voice trailed off as he continued to watch.
" Are the people in the ambulance people you know ? "
" No, I just got out of school and I have to hang out here until my mom gets off at eleven. " he said, distractedly.
" Your mom works here ? " Luka asked, confused at having never seen the boy before.
" Yeah, she's a nurse. I haven't seen you here before. " the boy said, tearing his eyes away from the scene to look at Luka.
" I just started back today. Been gone for a while. " he explained. " You come here everyday ? "
" No, just when Mom can't find anywhere else for me to go. Our neighbor is sick today. "
The boy was staring at his feet and shuffling them slightly.
" My name's Luka. I'm a doctor here. " Luka said, extending his hand to him.
The boy looked uncertain until he heard the word doctor. Then he took the hand enthusiastically and shook it.
" I'm Alex. I belong to Sam. " he told him. " You really a doctor ? "
" I sure am and right now I'm a late doctor so I 'll see you around okay ? "
Alex beamed a smile at him. And Luka walked away smiling as well.

Sam sat at the triage desk and looked into the throat of yet another ailing c. Sh. She could feel the muscles in her back tightening as she reached forward with the tongue depressor. She hated sixteen hour shifts.
No one should have to work this long, she thought with a frown.
" Is it bad ? " the mother of the child asked, at seeing Sam's expression.
" Well, he needs to be seen. Why don't you go and sit in the waiting room until we call your name ? " she forced a smile.
" How long will we have to wait ? " the mother asked, picking her son up in her arms.
" I really couldn't tell you. Traumas get priority of course so there's no way to know. "
The woman left with a wary look.
Sam understood how she felt. Stretching her neck she looked out into the crowded waiting room. Then she stood and stretched her back as well.
" How's it going ? " Abby asked, looking around the side of the desk.
" I'm caught up here. I was just going to take a break. "
Sam moved to a large board that displayed the cases waiting to be seen. She grabbed a marker and started to put the child she had just seen under the empty doctor's slot.
" When did we hire a new doctor ? " she asked, indicating the name above the slot.
Abby looked to where she was pointing and smiled.
" That's not a new doctor. That's Luka. He just got back from Africa. He's an attending. " Abby smiled.
"Oh, okay. " Sam answered marking the board. Then she cast a sideways glance at Carter leaning against the desk be her her. " Didn't you just get back from Africa ? "
Carter smiled and shook his head.
" So does this place make all the doctors train in the Congo ? " she smirked.
Abby laughed out loud. " Yeah, it makes sure they can get along with Romano. "

Sam was still chuckling as she made her way to the lounge for a moment of peace. She threw the door opened and slipped wearily into the closest chair. Moving her hand to her neck, she began to massage it gently.
" Bad day ? " a deep, heavily accented voice asked from behind her.
Sam jumped and spun towards the voice. Her breath caught in her throat as she was meet a pair of deep-set blue eyes.
" Huh ? " she breathed, realizing that he had spoken to her.
" I asked if you were having a bad day. " that voice, like velvet sliding across satin, repeated.
" Oh, yeah. " she managed around the lump that had formed in her throat.
" I'm sorry to hear that. Chances are if you are having a rough day, I will be, too. " he smiled, as he shut the locker he was standing beside.
" Who, Who are you ? " she finally asked, coming to her senses when he looked away from her.
" Oh, I'm sorry. " he said, extending his hand to her.
Oh, God ! She thought, Now I'm going to havetouctouch him. He is going to see my hand shaking.
Taking a deep breath and trying her best to steady her nerves she accepted his hand letting it rest in hers for only a moment before pulling a

" I'm Luka Kovac. I bet you're Sam. "
She smiled slightly and nodded.
" I found something outside the ambulance bay earlier that said he belonged to you. "
" You met Alex ? " she asked.
" Yeah, he was watching a trauma come in, almost got ran over by a gurney. " he smiled again. " Seems like a nice boy. "
" Precocious is more like it. " she said.
" Precocious can be good. " he answered, donning a white coat over his deep blue shirt and navy tie.
" Yeah, but more often than not its trouble. " she quipped.
" Am I loaded down out there ? " he asked, gesturing towards the door.
" Nah, not really. You will be in about an hour when Carter leaves though. He's been seeing most of the non emergencies today.
" That's good. I could use some hard work. I've been a little out of touch. " he grinned sheepishly.
" Yeah, I'd consider Africa out of touch. " she nodded.
" No, I've been back from Africa for a little while. I guess all that was before your time. I've been upstairs with Malaria for a while. Just finally getting back to work. " he explained.
" You're the dead doctor that Carter found and brought back ? " Sam said, realizing that she had heard about him before.
" Yeah, that's me. The dead doctor. " he laughed.
" Romano calls you a saint. I don't think he meant it as a compliment though. " she grinned.
" You know I would rather have Malaria than deal with Romano. "
" I think I would, too. I'm pretty sure I caught him checking me out the other day. " She made a disgusted face.
" That's pretty awful. "
" Vile is more like it. " she corrected.
" I better get out there and heal the masses. " he said, walking towards the door. " It was nice meeting you. Hope your day gets better. "
Sam nodded and smiled.

The quiet sound of the heart monitor beeping softly filled the small exam room. The smell of antiseptic hung heavily in the air. It was chilly almost to the point of cold.
Luka leaned over the helpless woman lying in the bed. Tubes and wires came from various points on her body. He checked her vital signs once again before turning from her and making his way out of the room.
His head ached, a steady pounding in tase ase of his skull. He needed to get used to the fast paced routine again. He walked quickly to the lounge and heaved a relieved sigh as the door slide quietly shut behind him.
" Hi, " a small voice came from one of the chairs in front of the television in the far corner of the room.
Luka looked to the chair and smiled.
" Hi, Alex, right ? How have you been doing ? " he asked.
" All right, I guess. " the boy answered, " Mom is making me stay in here. I'm bored. "
Luka walked to his locker and slipped the white coat from his shoulders.
" Well, I'm sure she just doesn't want you getting in trouble. " he offered, lightly.
" That mean doctor yelled at her for me being here. She said I was going to get her fired."
" Yeah, our boss is pretty mean. " Luka smiled again.
" I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just watching everything. " Alex huffed.
Luka closed his locker after depositing his coat inside. Then he walked to the door.
" Hang tight for a minute. Let me see what I can do. " he said, pausior aor a second before leaving the room.
He went to the nurses desk and smiled when he spotted Sam sitting at the triage window.
" I know you don't know me very well, but I'm about to go on break and I was wondering if you'd let me take Alex with me. " he said when she looked up at him.
She considered him for a minute, looking him up and down. " You aren't some kind of pedophile, are you ? " she asked finally.
Luka chuckled out loud. " No, I am not a pedophile. I just like kids and I figured he could use a break from the lounge and a good meal. "
Sam still just looked at him. " That little boy is my life. " she said simply. " If you do anything to him, or do anything that might get him hurt, I will hunt you down and hurt you. "
Luka chuckled again. " Okay, I promise to protect him with my life. No harm will come to him if I can help it. " he promised.
" Okay, have fun. Are you going to Doc Magoo's ? "
" Yeah, I figured I would. " he answered.
" I'm going to break in about fifteen minutes. I might join you. " she said.
" Okay, that sounds great. We'll see you there. " he called over his shoulder.

The jukebox droned a soft, haunting song, barely loud enough to be heard over the hum of conversation the flowed from around the room. Several people in scrubs sat eating or just drinking coffee. A few waved as Luka and Alex took a booth at the back of the cafe.
He smiled and acknowledged them politely.
" So what's it like being a doctor ? " Alex asked, as he scooted into his seat.
" It's great. I get to help people. " Luka answered, settling himself as well.
" Thank you for bringing me. I hated that lounge. I can't believe my mom went for this. " he commented, as he looked over the menu.
" She was a hard nut to crack but I sweet talked her. " Luka told him, staring at his menu, too.
Alex smiled around his menu. " You're pretty cool. "
" Thank you. You're pretty cool, too. "
Alex dropped his menu to the table. " Wow, no one has ever called me cool before. "
Luka put his menu aside. " I'm sure your Mom has told you that before. "
" Yeah, but she doesn't count. " he answered off-handedly. " Do you play baseball ? "
Luka smiled at the abrupt change of subject. " Yeah, I can play baseball. Do you play ? "
" I don't ever have anyone to play with. Mom throws like a girl. " he mumbled.
" How about we see how your mom feels about us going out to catch a few sometime. " Luka offered.
" I don't really know how to play. " Alex answered.
" I'll teach you. "
" Really ! ? " Alex exclaimed.
" Sure, if it's okay with your Mom. I would love to teach you. " Luka laughed.
" Teach him what ? " a voice asked, from over Luka's shoulder.
" Baseball, Mom, Luka says he will teach me to play. " Alex nearly shouted excitedly.
" Yeah, well, we'll see. " Sam smiled, slightly.
" Oh, come on, Mom I really want to learn to play. " Alex whined as she came and slid in beside him.
" I said we will see, Alex. Enough. "
" Okay. " he answered, losing the smile that had briefly come to his face.
Luka's smile fell, also.
" Have you ordered yet ? " Sam asked, looking over Alex's shoulder at the menu in front of him.
" No, not yet. Can I have a hamburger and fries ? " Alex asked.
" Sure, you can have whatever you like. " Luka answered, before Sam had the chance to.
She looked across the table at him silently.
" Okay that's what I want. Mom, give me some quarters for the jukebox please. "
Sam reached into her pocket and pulled out a dollar for him, then stood and watched him as he scooted out of the booth and took off down the aisle to the jukebox.
" Don't do that. " she said, after sitting back down.
" Do what ? " Luka asked honestly confused.
" Don't make promises to him that you aren't going to keep. He doesn't understand that people just say things sometimes. " she explained.
" Hey, hang on a minute. I don't make promises I don't intend to keep. I told him I would teach him to play ball and I will. If it's all right with you, that is. "
Sam looked at him for a long moment. " Why would you want to take time out of your life to teach my son baseball ? "
Luka smiled. " I believe that baseball should be part of every boys life and I heard a rumor that you throw like a girl. "
Sam smiled back at him. It was the first time he had seen her really smile and his stomach fluttered for a moment at the sight.
" All right, you can teach him to play baseball. But Don't break his heart. He's had a hard life and I don't want to pick up the pieces again. "
" No pieces will fall on my account, I promise. " he told her, truthfully.
" Then I guess you got yelf elf a new best friend. "
" Two of them I hope. " he answered.
" We'll see. I'm not as easily bought as Alex. " she laughed.
" Then I will have to work extra hard on you. "
They turned their attention to the waitress that had finally made her way to their table long enough to order then put their menus away and looked at each other.
" So, how was Africa ? " she asked, after a moment of awkward silence.
" Miserable and hot and wonderful all at the same time. " he answered, distantly, as the waitress brought their drinks and placed them in front of them.
" It must have been an amazing experience. " she commented.
" It was. I was thinking of going back some time in the future. "
" Really, even after the Malaria ? "she asked, taking a drink from her glass.
" Yeah, even after the Malaria. I did so much good there. I helped so many people. I felt needed, I guess. " he smiled, wistfully.
" I guess we all need to feel needed. " she answered, setting her drink back down.
A long silence fell between them as they drank their drinks. Luka noted a slight smile playing at the corners of Sam's mouth and realized that he was smiling, too.
" You should see that jukebox. There is nothing good on it. I had to hunt to find something to spend my money on. " Alex said, coming back to his seat.
Sam stood and let him beside her.
" I decided it was okay for you to go and play baseball. " Sam told him after taking her seat.
" Really ! ? You mean it ? " he exclaimed.
" Yeah, I mean it. But you can't bug him. He will take you when he has time. " she warned him.
" Okay, Luka. I'll be ready whenever you are. I can't wait. " he smiled.
Luka smiled back at him. " I have to work the next few days so I'll have to get back to you, but it won't be too long. "
" Cool. "
Their food arrived and they ate and chatted idly about the weather, the hospital and baseball again. Luka found that he was truly enjoying himself for the first time in a long time. Alex was easily excited and enthusiastic. Sam was friendly and, Luka noted with a fair amount of guilt, beautiful. He always felt guilty when he found a woman attractive. Even after thirteen years, he still felt like a married man. He tried his best to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and just concentrate on feeling good again.
" I should be getting back to the hospital. " Sam commented after their food was gone.
" Yeah, I should be, too. " he answered. " This was nice though. "
Sam considered for a moment before answering. " Yeah, it was. "
" We should do it again sometime. " he said, quietly.
" That would be nice. " she smiled, shyly.
Alex looked from one of them to the other and smiled brightly.