Nurse Jackson had seen a lot of things in her time working at Ocean Park. So many things that she even learned for them. One of the things she's learned was that though things may look bad, they might get actually benefit the situation; and that sometimes, you had to go through the bad stuff first before the situation got better. So, when she walked by that small table by the window after rounds, she smiled. Though Mandy was crying, and her husband was shedding a few tears as well, they were crying to together, and that was a step in the right direction.
"Emma," Leo called after her. He felt bad about what he'd said, and though he wasn't suffering form the same disease, but he understood more about it than she thought. Every time she'd say she had to leave for her weigh in, he saw the war in her eyes. Every time she said she wasn't hungry, he saw right through her lie, and knew, from paying attention, that she felt compelled to lie because the hope of telling herself this lie repeatedly so it eventually would be the truth was too good to pass up. And every time he saw her stare her tray down in the café, as if it were her own personal demon sent from hell to destroy her, and disguised itself as an essential of life so as to break her sooner. And when she shoved that tray away in determination, Leo's heart broke for her.
"Emma, please, stop," Leo called again. He only wanted to help her. He knew he wasn't the prime candidate, due to their history and how she hated him now, but someone had to, because sooner or later her actions would catch up to her, and from the looks of her charts, the consequences weren't so far away.
"What, Leo," she said whirling around. "What do you want from me," she pleaded, "you've already said your piece, I heard you, why won't you leave me alone?"
"I'm sorry, okay?"
"What are you sorry for now," she asked, coolly.
"Can't you just accept the apology, and stop being such a b*tch?"he laughed, uncomfortably.
Emma raised her eyebrows in shock. "Wow, worst apology ever."
Leo took a deep breath. "Look. I'm sorry about what I said about you being selfish, and doing this to yourself. It was stupid and misinformed thing to say, I'm the worst person ever, okay?"
"You don't have to apologize. It's my fault, really, I should've seen it coming."
"Seen what coming?"
"You make this whole overture like you actually care, you know? Like you see me, and the whole time, you're really into Kara."
"That's what this is about? You think I like Kara?" Leo needed to make sure that's all this was about, so he could set her straight, and she wouldn't keep shoving him away.
"I don't know why I kept pretending you were anything other than the alpha-male American Dream. The athlete, popular guy."
"The one-legged cancer patient," Leo pointed out.
She walked closer to him, got right in his face. "Leo, you're only gonna come out of this brighter and shinier, with a bright, shiny cheerleader as the take home prize. She's the natural finish to your sentence."
"Can we pause just for a second to acknowledge that I disagree with everything you're saying?"
"Why bother? Why bother with me," Emma snapped.
Leo looked in her eyes and saw some sort of emotion, but it was buried too deep for him to know what it was. He knew she wanted him to give her a certain answer, and he would, if only he could figure out what that answer was.
"Don't slum it in my account Leo, because I don't care what you do."
"Really? Cause you're kinda acing like a person who cares."
When Leo said that, he triggered something, but he couldn't figure out what. She began to walk away, but Leo wanted some answers.
"How is it okay for you to be this self-righteously angry? I don't get it. You're the one who insisted we just be friends," he said, chasing after her.
She whirled around to face him. "Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Alright? I don't want to be friends!"
"Great, neither do I!" Leo knew she meant something totally different than what he wanted, but she needed to know that he cared about her. Words weren't working, so he decided to take action.
Leo grabbed her and kissed her. She didn't have time to gasp in surprise, it all happened so suddenly. All she knew was the feeling of his lips against hers. She knew it was wrong, but as much as she hated to admit, she missed him. She didn't even realize that she was kissing him back, until he grabbed at her, pulling her closer to him. It snapped her back into reality. She attempted to regain consciousness, and pushed him away as suddenly as he had grabbed her.
She practically ran away from him, not stopping until she reached her bed, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes that had formed there.