As per usual, Lee picked up another shift straight after his own had finished. Generally if someone was working too hard, the hospital board would have an issue with it. But due to the fact that they were extremely short staffed, they seemed to turn a blind eye to it. It was probably because Lee was regarded so highly by his superiors. He was the only one they'd really trust in such a position.

It didn't bother him in the slightest. Firstly he'd be getting paid for it. Secondly, the more he worked, the less time he was spending at home. Something he knew he was the only one who would see it as a positive. Thirdly, he would get a better idea of what Carly's shifts were so that he could learn when to "conveniently" take time off.

On the taxi ride back to the hospital at lunch, Carly had explained to him that they didn't share the exact same hours, but she didn't specify what the differences were.

In truth, Lee didn't mind her all that much. Sure she was incredibly annoying, and had crashed his lonely lunch two days in a row, but she was alright. At least she wasn't totally unbearable like Phil. Her resume also spoke volumes for her. He didn't doubt that she was terrifically qualified for her job. His only real gripe with her was that her insane levels of enthusiasm were more suited to someone hosting children's parties then a nurse.

He politely showed an elderly woman out of the hospital after telling her that all she needed to do was rest. He sometimes felt bad for the older people who came in asking about their "Fevers". There was never usually anything actually wrong with them and he would always give them the same advice. He also tended to find that it was the same people coming in every two weeks or so. A few months ago he had a man in nearly every single day, complaining about a different symptom every day. Each time nothing came up. Lee simply came up with his own theory. The only thing these elders were suffering from was boredom.

Lee was about to head back to his office, when he was startled to find Carly standing right behind him.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you" She said.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked. "I thought you left?"

"I did" She replied. "They were short though so I picked up an extra shift"

"But I picked up the extra shift?"

"You did. But then Phil had to call in sick so I'm covering for him" Carly explained.

"Fucking Phil!" Screeched Lee.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine" Lee said sarcastically before marching down the corridor to pay a visit to yet more older patients. He wasn't surprised to see that Carly was following him again. "Where are you going?" He asked her, irritated.

"To check down the E wing. I got asked to top up their medication" She said kindly. "You?"

"E Wing" He sighed. When she asked what for, he simply replied "To make sure none of them have died yet"

The E wing was often secretly referred to as the old folk's home by the hospital staff. That's basically what it was. All the residents were elderly citizens who needed twenty-four hour care whose families either couldn't afford to put them into care, or couldn't care for them themselves.

They arrived simultaneously, much to the amusement of the four eighty-something year olds.

"Hey guys! When was the last time you saw two people move at the same time?" The first one called, forcing them all to burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Don't laugh too hard or it might be the last thing you do?" Lee muttered as he checked the first mans chart. He looked up only when he realised that the whole room had fell silent. "You know I'm kidding right?" He asked. When no one said a word, Lee confirmed that he was joking, causing yet more laughter.

"These look like some energetic patients" Carly commented.

"Sadly, they are" Lee told her.

He then told her who each of them were. The first one who'd spoken was Robert Alexander, an 80 year old with a crazy sense of humour that was often the bane of Lee's life. Next to him was Edward Robinson who was the oldest of the men at 86. The other two were both 83 and were known as Bill and Ben. Lee had their last names written down somewhere but he never remembered it. No one cared either. They were more interested in the comedy act these four men brought to the hospital.

"And who's this lovely young lady here?"Bill asked.

"Is she your girlfriend, Doc?" Ben continued.

"He wishes" Carly laughed. "I'm Nurse Oliver but you can just call me Carly. How does that sound?" She smiled as she prepared their tablets.

"I'll call you whatever you want me to" Edward said, staring straight at her as if he could see beneath her uniform.

"I was wondering when you'd say something like that" Lee said. "Edward hear fancies himself as quite the Romeo"

"Hey son, you listen here!" Edward yelled. "I have been single all my life. You got no idea how many chicks have had a piece of this" He began swaying his hips at a disturbingly slow rate.

"Ok, that's enough of that" Carly said, rushing over to him and holding him in place till he stopped writhing. "We don't want you falling off the bed now do we?"

"See that doc, even she can't resist it" Edward said smugly.

"Whatever. You're all alive and looking good. I'm out of here" Lee said. This seemed to upset the men who all looked at him with disappointment.

"Come on, doc! How about watching the game with us?" Ben asked, gesturing towards the television set that sat opposite their beds.

"People to see I'm afraid" He replied.

"But there isn't anybody booked in" Carly said in confusion. At this statement, the old men looked at Lee like four puppies trying to convince passersby to give them a home.

"That will be all Nurse Oliver" Lee said, letting his anger be heard. She grimaced.

"Hey doc! What's the difference between a Doctor and a Nurse?" Asked Robert.

"I paid more attention in school" Lee said before leaving the room quickly so that he couldn't be asked any more questions.

"Why's he always such a dick?" Asked Bill.

"It's just how he is" Shrugged Carly.

"He should take some of the pills they give me. Makes pissing in a bedpan funny" Robert joked. This time even Carly joined in the laughter.

The rest of the evening was largely uneventful with the only major issue being a young child being kept in overnight who kept wanting to walk around the hospital because he couldn't sleep. After what felt like the hundredth time, Carly finally got him to nod off in his bed. In between times she came in to visit the men in the Ewing as much as she could until it was time for them all to get to sleep.

Lee spent the remainder of the shift in his office listening to the football game that Carly and the old men were watching down the corridor. When it was time for him to go home, Lee wasted no time in leaving the hospital. He was almost at the end of the car park when he heard Carly call his name. He sighed and turned to look at her. By the looks of her, she was finished for the evening as well.

"What do you want from me now?" He cried, almost as if he was asking the heavens as opposed to Carly.

"I just wanted to ask you one question. If that's alright?" She asked.

"What?" Lee asked impatiently.

"Why don't you like Vermont?"

"What?"

"Why do you hate Vermont? You said the other day "Why would I go to Vermont?" So why did you say it?" She spoke as though she'd always wanted to ask him this question. She probably had, he thought.

"I don't have anything against Vermont" He told her. "I just don't want to go there"

"There's nothing wrong with it" She said defensively.

"I dare say there isn't. But I still don't want to go there. Just like I don't want to go to Texas. Like I don't want to go to California, or New York, or Virginia or any other place then here" He explained.

"Why not?" Carly persisted.

"Because, this is home ok? I've lived here all my life and I don't see any reason to change that! Goodnight Nurse Oliver" He said, deciding it was best he walked away now instead of shouting at her. He didn't want another warning.

Moments later, Lee saw the only thing that could make his night any worse. The bus. Moving. Away from the stop.

"Hey! Hey wait!" He yelled, chasing it down even though he knew it was hopeless. The driver would never hear him and knowing public transport, even if he did he still wouldn't stop. "Wait!" Lee tried one final time and saw that it definitely wasn't going to work. After kicking the bus shelter in frustration, Lee walked back to the hospital to call a taxi. However, even that plan wasn't without interruption.

Just as he reached the hospital car park, a red Mondeo stopped straight in front of him and rolled its window down.

"Where are you going?" Carly asked from the driver seat. He explained to her that he had missed the last bus (choosing to leave out the part where he'd missed it because of her question about Vermont), and that he was about to phone a taxi to take him home. "If you'd like, I can give you a ride? It'll save you paying for a cab and I'm heading in that direction anyway" She offered.

"How do you know we're going in the same direction? You don't even know where I live" Snarled Lee.

"Sure I do. It's on your file" Carly shrugged.

"You read my file?" Lee cried, although he didn't know why he was so surprised. Carly shrugged again.

Despite not really wanting to get in the car, Lee decided that it was in fact better than paying a taxi driver, not to mention a whole lot quicker. He promised himself that there wouldn't be any talking on the journey though.