The Doctor

5

The book on engines was propped up against flower vase in the tearoom at the hospital. Anna stared at the book with half closed eyes and her head resting on her hand, the smell of coffee laced with rum was the only thing that kept her awake and from not slipping into a coma like sleep. 

To know if an engine is four cylinders, you must...

To know if an engine is four cylinders, you must...

To know if an engine is four cylinders, you must...

Her eyes didn't seem to want to move past that line, no other information would sink in. A few nurses walked in the doors, chatting to each other about mutual friends and laughing at jokes. Anna smiled at them and they returned it politely, but their smiles didn't extend to their eyes and they bustled off to sit at a table, Anna returned to her book. She hated it, she couldn't care less about engines but she also had to finish it now that she started it and to be fair, she had fixed her dishwasher when it cracked it. The door opened again, sick of her colleagues that don't really care about her, she sighed and flicked the page on her book. A hand appeared on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Hey."

She looked up, Stella was smiling at her as she slid into a seat opposite her. She looked great, brown eyes twinkling and black hair shining. 

"Hi," Anna said, letting her head go and sitting up to smile back at Stella.

"So, what's going on in the life of." Stella flicked the book to the cover, smirked at the cover and flicked it back. "Hmm, 'All You Need to Know About Engines', interesting. I didn't peg you as a... mechanic?"

"Oh really?" Anna teased slightly. "What did you have me pegged as then?"

"A romance reader."

"Well, there's romance in engines, or that's what the author says, I think he's a bit of a crackpot though."

Stella laughed. 

"You reckon?"

They smiled at each other, Stella gazed into Anna's eyes hoping that she felt the same as she felt for her. She knew she didn't, Stella had once talked to Anna about her boyfriend and even though Anna had rolled her eyes at the mention of him being late to dinner, she was defiantly not into chicks. It would be stupid to fall in love with a straight girl when she had boys lining up to date her, who wouldn't line up to date her? She was almost too pretty for the hospital, she could have been a model, but yet she wanders around the hospital saving lives and making the imagination of teen boys, some teen girls and Stella wild. 

"So," Stella begun, trying to force out feelings from her head, "what time do you want me to come over?"

"12 ish, and don't bring anything," Anna said firmly, "I mean it."

"Sure, I'll just rock up with nothing," Stella said sarcastically.

"Don't."

Stella didn't answer just smiled.

"Anyway, I'm actually here now, so you can go home."

"Oh, yeah," Anna said, forgetting momentarily what Stella arriving meant and getting up. "Well, see you tomorrow." Anna stood and looked down at Stella, she didn't really want to go home, it was cold and lonely and even though it had been four days, she still saw the dying man's face swimming in the dark. 

"Your book," Stella reminded her, "you don't want to leave your engine book behind, what would read?"

Anna smiled.

"See you, then," she farewelled Stella and walked off.

"Um, you left your coffee."

"You can have it," she said, forgetting about the whiskey and then racing back to her. "Actually, no sorry." She took the mug, threw the liquid down the sink and smiled at Stella, who was looking at her in confusion. "Goodbye then."