The Starting Line

Chapter 8

Chief Webber had called them all into a conference room and they were all a small confused.

Eleanora pushed her way through the crowd, giving a small 'sorry!' when she bumped into someone. She stopped next to Alex, looking at the Chief and his secretary.

"What is this about?" Eleanora questioned, tilting her head. Alex shrugged, moving his hand to rest on the small of her back.

"No idea. I just hope it passes quickly so I can get out of here and get back to my patient. The guy has an ovary." He whispered the last part, leaning closer to her face so she could hear. Her eyes opened and she looked at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. And his wife is pregnant." Alex says, raising an eyebrow. Eleanora's brow furrowed as she thought for a minute.

"Shouldn't this be-" she noticed the look Alex was giving her and let out a small gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. "-Oh my God!"

Alex just nodded, but his attention was caught by the Chief. Everyone in the room quieted and listened, most confused as to what was happening and the rest simply annoyed at being called away from their patients.

"Three interns, four residents and six nurses on this surgical floor have been diagnosed with... syphilis."

Eleanora's cheeks reddened and she glanced at George from the corner of her eye, watching him slowly slide into his chair. Alex gave a small laugh, looking up at the sky.

"Thank you. God, thank you for making this day so wonderful."

Eleanora hit his arm weakly, trying to tear her eyes away from Olivia. She only knew about those two, and she really didn't want to draw people's attention to any of them. But she still couldn't take her eyes completely off of them.

Patricia says, her voice somehow cheerful despite the awkward conversation. "There are more than 70,000 new cases each year. If undiagnosed, syphilis can cause blindness, insanity and even death."

"If you have unprotected sex with another member of our staff, please get tested." The Chief said. The room laughed, but his face still held the serious, stern expression he always seemed to have. "That's not a request. Patricia..." the Chief cleared his throat. "Patricia will now give everyone a demonstration of safe sex."

The laughter continued; Alex was one of them. Eleanora knew that her face had to be red and that George was in the same state as her. His made sense, but hers didn't.

Eleanora simply hated situations like this. She felt as if his eyes were watching her and Alex, and that they noticed how when they were together, he always touched her in some way or vice versa.

When Patricia stands up, she is holding a banana and a condom. "When the time is right, and gentlemen, you will know when that time is, carefully open the condom package and roll it over the banana."

Eleanora let out a small squeal and turned her head to burrow into Alex's side. She could feel the vibrations of her laughter and she shook her head.

"No. No, my God, no! It's like talking to my mom again." She murmured, Alex closeping his arm around her side.

They stood there for the entire demonstration, Alex playfully teasing Eleanora and her practically begging him to stop or for Patricia to stop.

"This is so embarrassing! Everyone here has a medical license and should know how to have safe sex!" She hissed, finally looking at him. "We have safe sex!" Her voice was low but shaky, and Alex looked at her.

His face fell slightly when she said "we." They, together, had safe sex, of course, and Alex planned to continue. However, he felt guilty that she assumed he used a condom every time he had sex in the past and that she obviously thought he would tell her if he hadn't done it lately.