Carly spent the long walk back to reception thinking about Dr. Dawson. What was his problem? She'd heard so many good things about him and now she was wondering if everyone she'd spoken to had lied to her. Maybe he was just having a bad day? She tried to convince herself that that was what the problem was, but somehow she didn't believe it.

She got to the front desk and saw that Lou was standing having a conversation with the receptionist. Her instincts told her not to, but she couldn't help herself. She waited patiently till Lou spotted her nervously hovering around. He waved at her and told the receptionist he'd talk to her later before coming over to Carly.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Yeah. I think so. I love it here" She said, suddenly changing her mind about asking him about Lee.

"Glad to hear it" Lou smiled as he began to walk down the hall, away from her.

Carly stood, using every bit of strength she had to not pursue the matter any further, but eventually she lost the fight.

"Dr. Johnson! Wait!" She called as she ran after him down the hall. She liked keeping fit as much as the next girl, but today she'd already done more running then she felt comfortable with. "Actually, I wanted to ask you about Dr. Dawson" She told him.

"What about him?" Lou asked, although he knew exactly what she was about to ask. He hadn't mentioned to her that Lee didn't have the most charming of personalities.

"Well, I dunno. What's his story I guess. Is he always so . . . so . . .?"

"Cheery?" Lou finished for her.

"That's the one" She said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't worry about it. He's like that all the time these days. It's just his way. He's great at what he does. I can assure you that if you can put up with . . . well, him, then you will learn a great deal here at the hospital" Lou chuckled.

"What do you mean these days?" Carly asked. "You mean to tell me that he cracked a smile once?"

"Once yes" Joked Lou, before turning serious. "I wouldn't be too hard on him. He hasn't had the easiest of times lately"

"Why, what happened?"

"Well, it's a long story" Lou said. "He was on course to be a doctor for the UN. They were assembling a team of the best doctors around the world to head to some of the world's poorest places on earth to help disadvantaged families. It was his dream. All he wanted to do really".

"That guy?" Carly said sceptically, pointing towards Lee's office.

"Yes. He was really looking forward to it but unfortunately he wasn't selected"

"So he became a prick?" Carly regretted her word choice as soon as she said it. "Sorry" She covered her mouth hoping to put the word back in it.

"It's quite alright, we all say it" Lou laughed. "It certainly contributed to his . . . prick-ness, but it wasn't the only reason. He had a bad breakup at the same time. He caught his fiancé in bed with another man" Lou told the story as though it had happened to him.

"That's awful!" Carly was stunned.

"It certainly is. He became a bit of a womaniser and party boy for a while but eventually I think it all hit him at once. Nowadays we all just try and stay out of his way". Lou could see how startled the story had made Carly so he quickly got back to work talk. "But don't worry about that. He's a fantastic doctor still and he puts 100% into everything he does. We're very lucky to have him here at Allegheny General. He could work anywhere he wanted to but lucky for us he's happy here".

"I kind of feel sorry for him now" Carly said.

"Don't. He'd hate you for it" Laughed Lou. "Just be professional. That's the best way to keep on his good side and keep him happy. As happy as he's going to get anyway. I better get going. Don't want to miss my lunch date with the wife!" He patted her on the shoulder before heading down the long corridor and out to meet his wife.

Carly was happy that she'd been filled in on Lee's attitude, and happy that it wasn't her that had upset him. Part of her couldn't be happy though. It wasn't in her nature to leave people be, especially when they seemed as unhappy as Lee did. It was this thought that made her decision for her. Lee wouldn't like it, but he now had himself a lunch partner.

In his office, Lee found himself incredibly bored. He hadn't had a patient all day, unless you counted giving that bimbo a tour of the hospital as a patient. He looked at his chart for the third time since returning to the office and unsurprisingly, nothing had changed. Unless someone had a bad car crash or something, Lee was in for a very boring day. And worst of all, a long day.

He cast his eyes over to the picture of his mother that had been on his desk since the first day he arrived at the hospital. In fact, it had been the first thing that he'd taken in when he heard he was going to be given an office. The frame was gold and probably very expensive. His mother had bought it for him as a good luck gift for his first day. He thought it was only fitting to put her picture in it. He took it in his hands and stared, remembering how much she'd inspired him to chase his dream of being a doctor.

From an early age, Lee Dawson had been obsessed with knowledge. If there was something he didn't know, he pestered his parents until they told him the answer. Even at school he put every bit of effort into his studies that he could. He didn't have much friends so had plenty of time for extra studying. It had bugged him for a while that no one seemed to like him, but his mom kept telling him that he'd end up with better exam results than them, and in turn a better job. Being a teenager he obviously disagreed. He'd have much rather have been attending wild high school parties and dating some of the several girls he'd had a crush on.

As it turned out though, his mom was right. He was accepted into medical school right away and trained for almost a decade before, as a 26 year old man he moved to Pittsburgh from his small hometown and became a full staff member at the hospital.

Here he was now, a year later and he'd not made any friends. Not that it bothered him. He was more interested in getting friendlier with women he met in bars. Or at least he used to be. He'd kind of lost the motivation for that at the moment. Besides, he was practically a workaholic now. Women don't seem be interested in men like that. However for all the years he'd told them he was training to be a doctor, they'd been very impressed by that. The more he thought about it, his high school self was a genius for choosing this career.

It was in one of these exact situations that he'd finally fallen in love. He certainly didn't expect that! He surprised himself further by getting engaged!

He quickly put those thoughts out of his head though. Some memories were better left in the back of the mind.

He put down the picture of his mom and left the office for a wander around the hospital to try and put his empty day to some good use. He just hoped he didn't bump into Carly on his travels. He'd had enough of her for one day already.

He managed to succeed with his mission to avoid his new nurse. He'd walked around the entire hospital twice, three times once you added the morning tour. He hadn't seen Carly since closing his office door in her face, which he was now starting to feel slightly bad about, but at least she would have gotten the message. Not only did he avoid her, but he'd witnessed Phil leaving the hospital, indicating that his shift was over. That was always a good thing in Lee's mind. On top of everything else, it gave him a little exercise as well. His day was starting to look up a bit. Until lunch time.

He was sat a table alone again, eating another mundane hospital sandwich when he saw Carly heading towards him with a tray of food in her hands. She was clearly going to be joining him. Two days in a row his lunch had been interrupted, and twice it had put him off his food. He wasn't losing out because the sandwiches weren't great, but this was still getting beyond a joke!

Carly had known Lee wouldn't be happy at being joined for lunch. She hadn't quite expected him to be this angry though.

"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled.

"All the other seats were full" Carly lied.

"Don't bullshit me. I can clearly see an empty seat right behind you" Lee pointed.

Carly looked and saw he was right. "Sorry. Ok. I know you didn't want to sit with me but it's my first day and I really don't want to be seen sitting by myself. I don't want people to think I'm some antisocial witch or something" She explained. This time she was only half lying.

"Believe me Carly, you'd be better off to be seen by yourself then you would be with me. I sometimes think people do think I'm some sort of witch or whatever" Lee said, finally throwing his sandwich onto his tray ready for the bin.

"Maybe we can be "witches or whatever" together?" Carly joked.

"Are you a nurse or a poet?" Lee asked without really wanting an answer.

"Why are you so down? I thought someone like you would want as much friends as possible?"

"What do you mean someone like me?" Lee asked, offended.

"That's not what I meant" Backtracked Carly. "I just don't see how it would hurt to get along with each other. Especially working in a place like a hospital"

"What difference does that make?" Lee snorted.

"It's a place we want to be as cheerful as possible. Nobody likes to be in a hospital but if we all get on and people see that then they're going to feel twice as good about their time spent here" Carly explained. Lee wondered if she only stopped because she'd run out of breath.

"That's great, Nurse Sunshine. It really is. I'm sorry if I can't be like you though. You see I personally find it quite difficult to go around spreading cheer around a place where half the people here die!" Although he hadn't started out that way, Lee finished his sentence by yelling at Carly. He hadn't realised how angry he'd gotten.

Carly prided herself on not taking anything to heart, especially when someone was giving her a hard time. For some reason though, Lee had pushed all the wrong buttons. He didn't seem to be taking her seriously, and worst of all he'd said something negative towards her profession. That, she could not stand for.

"You know what Dr Dawson? That's your problem. You can look at it that way if you want, but unlike you, I see this as a place where half the people here live!"

"Are you still here?" He asked uncaringly.

"I don't care who you are, or what you've been through. You have no right to talk to me, or anyone like that! Enjoy your sandwich Dr Dawson" Carly stood up and stormed away to eat her lunch by herself, whilst Lee sighed in relief now that he had finally been left alone. Perhaps today's lunch break wasn't a total disaster after all.

The only disaster Carly was imagining was how her first day could get any worse. After her argument with Lee she didn't feel much like eating anymore. She sat outside, hoping the fresh air would dry her newly formed tears. She was having no such luck.