Despite the initial uncertainty from the hospital bosses, Chris' scheme was an instant success with the relatives of the incoming patients.

As usual when someone was brought in for an emergency, there was a lot of panic. The doctor on call would assess the patient as quickly as they could and then, depending on the severity of the situation, would give Chris a brief summary of what was wrong, what would happen next and then Chris would relay this information to the interested party.

Families and friends weren't the only one's pleased with the system either.

Many of the hospitals doctors and nurses quickly noticed a decrease in not only the amount of stress being put on them by any patients' entourage, but also the amount of potentially bad news they had to deliver. All in all it led to a much better atmosphere around the place and Chris found more and more staff members wanting to help out whenever they could.

There was no choice for Jack other than to approve the scheme.

"This is pretty exciting" Chris grinned as he signed the necessary paperwork, much more relaxed in Jack's office then he was the last time.

"Well you remember everything I said before?" Jack asked. "Those terms still stand"

"I understand. But don't you want to be a little more lenient on the music ban? I'm pretty sure no one would mind" Chris was filled with such confidence after his successful trial that now he didn't mind joking around with Doctor Hunter. He still found that act alone incredible.

"No" The boss stated. "And in fact, just for that, I'm going to make the rules even stricter. No Adele. Anyone hearing that won't want to live anymore"

"I guess I could agree to that" Chris laughed.

The good humour between the two, now co-workers, was short lived though as Doctor Hunter was called to an emergency patient.

"What's going on?" He asked as he arrived in the consultation room and joined Lee and Charlie in looking down at a woman who was clearly in some discomfort.

"You recall Miss Dobson?" Charlie grimaced.

"I do not" Jack said, reading the patient notes. "Update me"

"I'm the one that keeps getting my monster vibro's stuck up my hole! That good enough for you?" The woman shrieked.

Jack looked away from the sheets of paper and straight into the woman's eyes, doing his best to remain impassive.

"That will do fine Miss Dobson. Thank you" He smiled.

"You really gotta stop doing this, lady" Charlie told her sympathetically.

"What do you think?" Lee asked the others, stifling a laugh. No matter how often it happened, he'd never get used to a woman lying before him asking for help whilst simultaneously having the time of her life.

"I think the two of you are going to get . . . that . . . out of there" Jack gulped, knowing that Miss Dobson was the only one who was going to get any enjoyment out of that task.

"Hey that's not fair!" Charlie complained. "What are you going to do?"

"Seeing as Doctor Harrington is off today, I am about to go see about employing another female doctor to deal with things like this" Jack answered.

"I guess we can let you off then" Lee shrugged reluctantly.

"This time" Charlie sneered.

"Come on let's get this done" Lee sighed as Jack backed out of the room. "I can't wait to wash my hands of this one. Literally"

"I'm still here you know!?" The patient panted.

"Oh trust me; I am quite aware of that!" Lee replied.

"Uh . . . Doctor D?" Charlie asked.

"What!?" Lee groaned. He wanted nothing more than to be done with this patient once and for all.

"I think I'm getting aroused"

Before he knew what he was doing, Lee found himself slapping Charlie in the face with the pair of latex gloves that he'd yet to put on for the extraction. He then threw them at the young doctor for good measure. Just to make sure he got the point.

Off in her own little world and completely unaware of the doctors' antics, Miss Dobson gasped once more before calling out "Guys!"

"What?" Both doctors glared at her after they'd finished glaring at each other.

"I haven't had one like that in years" She grinned, making the two men even more uncomfortable.

*

Carly stalked the halls feeling like a vengeful spirit.

She was feeling a mixture of frustration and nerves, only calmed somewhat by her new curiosity about how many spirits there actually may be in the hospital. Her current mood was a result of being summoned to Doctor Hunter's office once again.

Despite his somewhat better mood recently, Carly knew that Doctor Hunter didn't want to spend any more time with anyone in Burlington then he needed too. This could only mean that this meeting wasn't a well wishing one. She was frustrated because Jack had made such a big deal about them getting along and as far as she was aware, she'd been sticking to it. Obviously she hadn't been jumping at the chance to socialise with him but surely that wasn't reason enough to call another private meeting?

She arrived at the office which she had now decided that even the most evil of spirits would avoid like the plague. Could the plague affect ghosts?

Not entirely happy about silently talking to herself, she knocked on the door quickly so that she was forced to put her professional face on.

"Come in!" Called the boss and Carly did as she was told.

"You wanted to see me?" She sighed, unable to keep her annoyance at bay.

"Yes, yes, sit down" He smiled. Again, she reluctantly obeyed.

Jack sat for a while in silence, as if thinking on how to word what he wanted to say. He was clearly someone who liked to prepare what he was going to say in advance. Finally, he seemed content with his preparations.

"I've been going over our recent patient files and I couldn't help but notice that you treated a Mister Rodwell?" He asked.

Nick.

"That's right" She nodded.

"He's your ex, I believe?"

"How do you even know that?" She asked, irritated that her privacy had clearly been breached again.

"Relax" He laughed. "I didn't ask anyone about you or anything. People talk, as you know from your time in Pittsburgh"

"Fair point" Carly conceded that whatever Jack had done, it can't have been as extreme as what lengths she had went to herself.

"I overheard some of your friends talking and it piqued my interest. That must have been a little awkward?"

"You could say that" Carly rolled her eyes, shuddering at the memory.

"You know . . . I honestly wouldn't have allowed you to be his nurse. To treat him at all. I personally believe that it's a conflict of interest and there's a chance that things could go a little haywire. I honestly don't know where I was when all this went down" Jack told her.

It was obvious that Carly wasn't in a mood for any more lectures so he moved on to his next point of conversation.

"I'm not having a go" He assured her first. "I just want to tell you that I'm proud of you"

"Excuse me?" Carly asked, certain that she'd misheard.

"I'm serious" Jack laughed in the most genuine manner that she'd heard from him. "I know what it's like treating people you know and it isn't easy. Especially when it's someone you hate"

"I don't hate Nick" She said.

"Yes you do"

"Yes I do" She giggled, being honest with herself.

"How did you do it?" Jack asked.

"Do what?" She laughed, not sure if it was from Jack's curiosity or still from admitting that she hated her ex.

"Well we both know that I wouldn't be able to keep my neutrality, or at least I'd struggle to. I like to hold a grudge" He admitted.

"You think?" Carly answered sarcastically.

"So seriously. How did you manage it?"

Carly looked at her boss curiously and saw something in his expectant face that she hadn't imagined him capable of. Humility. He genuinely wanted to know.

"It's my job" She shrugged. Nothing else had even crossed her mind when treating Nick's injury. "All that stuff that happened doesn't matter anymore. It's all in the past"

"It's all in the past" Jack echoed.

"Sometimes the only choice you have is to let it go and move on" She shrugged again, confident that Jack wasn't talking exclusively about her past relationship woes.

"Thank you, Carly. This has been very helpful"

"You're welcome I guess"

Carly nodded and left Jack to it, still baffled by this strange turn of events. If she didn't know any better she'd say that this was still a secret ploy by Doctor Hunter but she didn't know what his endgame would be this time.

But this time felt different. This time it felt like he was showing her genuine kindness and admiration.

If she was right, and this was a preview of what her new working relationship with her boss could be, then Carly Dawson felt that everything was going to be ok.

_______________________________________________________________________

FINALLY!

I am so sorry it's taken so long for this chapter to get released but . . . ugh. So much stuff has been happening!

But anyway its finally here! 30 chapters! How crazy is that! I've had a heap of inspiration lately and the next chapter is one I've been planning for quite some time! Hope you're excited!

As ever, votes are appreciated and comments get me so excited! Not as much as Charlie and Miss Dobson though ;)