The Doctor's Heart

A Sea of Blood

Benn echoed Riza's question with, 'Me neither.' For a completely different question, still staring at Riza as if in a new light. He never knew that side of his crew's doctor or even knew that she had that side.

"I had a late surgery and then, I had to stay over night to observe my preme." Jess smiled at Riza, setting a cup of coffee in front of Riza like an offering. The coffee was doctored just to Riza's liking from what she saw. Jess had remembered. Riza's brows furrowed as a silent question formed on her lips. Jess then set a slice of cake in front of Riza and everything was completed. She knew Jess long enough to know what it was. Death by Chocolate Cake. Her favorite, a bribe for Riza. "I had a craving and just started baking. Sorry."

"Awesome." Riza grinned, digging into the cake. She tried to ignore Mark as he sat down next to her. "Not a problem. Bake whenever, you're an amazing baker, Jess." Riza said and threw a wink at Jess. Riza moaned after the first bite, heaven on a fork.

Mark and Benn raised their eyebrows at the noise that came out of the doctor. "Wow, that kinda sounds like what came out of-" Riza elbowed Mark in the side, hard. The plastic coughed in pain, his remark was cut off by a displeased trauma surgeon.

"Good." Jess nodded with a satisfied blush, she started pouring another batch of cupcakes in the pan and moved to iced a cooled batch of cupcakes. "I'm making a lot of extra cupcakes for your crew." The Pedes doctor said with a bright grin and looked over to the plastics with a curious look in her eye. Mark mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.'

"You'll be dead later." Riza growled at her Mark. She stabbed into the cake with a little more force than necessary. "Oh, Benn? Did you loose Shanks, last night?"

The puzzle was starting to solve itself to Benn. "Yeah, around 11 last night."

"He's upstairs." Riza answered. "He came by and I steered him towards a spare room." Everything clicked and Benn had a suspicion about the second stupid thing that Riza did, last night.

"Huh," Was all he could say. What exactly happened last night? And did Shanks remember anything? Riza didn't look like she wanted to elaborate on the subject and if Mark was loyal to Riza, he wouldn't tell Benn. So, wisely, Benn dropped to subject. "So, what's on the agenda for you?"

"Hospital." Three doctors chimed. Benn stared at the three doctors, deadpanned.

"I'm going to check on Johnny's process and then help Mira on her big surgery." Riza said, taking another bite out of her cake and drank the rest of her coffee. Jess poured her another cup, Riza started to doctor the coffee. "Hopefully,we can get this surgery scheduled for the next few days."

"Mornin'." A sleepy voice broke out across the room. Shanks moved from the kitchen's entrance and settled on the chair next to Benn. "Ugh." His red head dropped into his hands, trying to ease the hangover.

Benn was acutely aware of Riza's growing blush and she glared down at her plate, her violet locks falling to hide her red face. "Regrets, Captain?" He asked, watching Riza cringe with amusement. Something had definitely occurred between Shanks and Riza.

"Riza was right about that liquor." Shanks groaned. Jess set a coffee cup in front of the pirate captain and poured him a cup. She set a sugar/creamer dolly down on the countertop. "Thank you, I'm Shanks. Normally, I'm more pleasant than this."

"Jess." Jess greeted back with a smile. "Don't worry, I've had this plenty of times before with everyone. Normally, the morning after a night of Jim's." She smiled at Shanks and continued to make cupcakes.