The shower had revitalized her, but she knew the burst of energy she was feeling was going to be short and the lack of sleep would eventually catch up with her. For that reason she wanted to get the more important task finished. Theo came first whether he wanted to or not.

She was also feeling relaxed and sure of herself again. She was on safe ground at the hospital and knew that she and Theo could let their guard down here. No one would be shooting at them. There was safety in numbers. She thought it might be a good idea if they slept at the hospital and was going to suggest it when Theo turned her attention.

"Slow down," he demanded. "Who do I talk to about getting personnel to start looking?"

"Those people have jobs to do."

"This is a priority."

"You could call the administrator. He's usually here by eight, and it's almost that now, but he's not going to cooperate with you.

He doesn't like anything disrupting routine."

"Tough," he said. "He'll cooperate. You're practically running. Slow down," he said once again.

"You're dragging your feet. Are you afraid of a couple of stitches?" The possibility made her smile. "Scared I'll hurt you?"

"No, I just don't like needles."

"I don't either," she said. "I faint every time I see one."

"That's not funny, Michelle."

She thought it was and laughed. Frances, the nurse of the perpetual frown, was standing outside one of the exam areas. She

pulled the drape back. "Everything's ready, Doctor."

Michelle patted the exam table while the nurse raised the head so Theo could lean back. He sat down, his attention on Michelle now as she put on a pair of sterile gloves. The nurse distracted him when she came at him with a pair of scissors and took hold

of his T-shirt. He reached over and pulled the sleeve up over his shoulder. While she swabbed the skin around the cut with a strong-smelling disinfectant, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

"You can't use that cell phone in the hospital," Frances told him, and tried to snatch the phone out of his hand.

He wanted to say, "Back off, lady," but he didn't. He turned the phone off and put it on the exam table next to him. "Get me a phone I can use."

He must have sounded hostile. Though it didn't seem possible, Frances's frown intensified. "He's an irritable one, isn't he, Doctor?"

Michelle was working at the corner with her back to Theo, but he knew she was smiling. He could hear it in her voice when she said, "He needs a nap."

"I need a phone."

Frances finished cleaning the area and left. Theo assumed she'd gone to get him a phone. Then Michelle walked over to him with her hand behind her back. He took exception to the fact that she was treating him like a ten-year-old, hiding the syringe so he wouldn't see the needle.

Exasperated, he said, "Make this quick. We've got things to do."

He didn't flinch as she injected the lidocaine. "This should be numb in a minute. Would you like to lie down?"

"Would it make your job easier or quicker if I did?"

"No."

"Then I'm fine. Go ahead and start."

Frances had returned with a clipboard and papers. She'd obviously heard Theo tell Michelle to get started.

"Young man, you shouldn't rush the doctor. That's how mistakes are made."

Young man? Hell, he had to be older than she was. "Where's a phone?"

"Relax, Theo," Michelle said as she motioned for Frances to move the tray closer to her side. "I'm not going to hurry." Then she smiled and whispered, "Someone told me that if you want something done right…"

"What?"

"You have to be slow and easy. It's the only way."

In spite of his irritability, he had to smile. He wanted to kiss her, but he knew the nurse from X-Files would probably try to deck him if he did.

"Frances, are you married?"

"Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking Michelle should hook you up with her brother, John Paul. You two have a lot in common."

"Doctor, we don't have paperwork on this patient," she said curtly.

"Where's my phone?" Theo asked.

"He'll fill out the forms after I'm finished," Michelle said.

"That isn't proper procedure."

"I'm gonna count to five. If I don't have a phone in my hand by the time I'm finished, I'm getting off this table…" Theo warned.

"Frances, please bring Theo a phone."

"There's one on the wall," she pointed out.

"But he can't reach it, can he?" Michelle sounded testy now.

"Very well, Doctor."

Frances delegated the task to Megan, who was leaning over the nurses' station flirting with a paramedic.

The phone was an old-fashioned desk model. Megan undipped the wall phone outlet, snapped the plug in, and handed the phone

to Theo. "You have to dial nine to get outside."

Michelle had finished cleaning the wound and was ready to begin stitching. "Quit squirming," she told him. "Are you trying to get Noah again?"

"I want to talk to the administrator first and get us some help. If we have to tear this place apart, that's what we're going to do.

I want to find that package."

"I'm the one who has to look… maybe you and one other person could help. If you have everyone searching, I won't know

where they looked and where they didn't. Let me look around the ER and the surgical floor before you call in reinforcements."

"Why just those two areas?"

"Because any mail I don't pick up down here is sent up to surgical. All the surgeons have cubicles upstairs, and that's where

they drop our mail."

"She's right," Megan said. "I've taken lots of mail up. I go upstairs at least twice a day. I try to be helpful." Then she added, "There's a really cute tech up there. I've been trying get him to notice me. I'll help you, Dr. Mike. Nothing much is happening in the ER, and Frances will page me if she needs me."

"Thanks, Megan."

"No problem. What am I helping you do?"

"Find a package that was delivered by the Speedy Messenger Service."

"Oh, we get lots of packages."

"Michelle, honey, are you almost finished?" Theo asked.

"Wooo! He just called you honey," Megan crooned.

"Megan, you're in my light."

"Sorry, Doctor." As she stepped back, her gaze bounced from Theo to Michelle and back again. "So what's the deal?" she

asked in a whisper.

"Why don't you start searching through the desks and cabinets down here while Michelle finishes this," Theo ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Be thorough," Michelle said without looking up.

The second Megan pulled the curtain closed, Michelle whispered, "You shouldn't have called me honey."

"Did I undermine your authority?"

"No. It's just that…"

"What?"

"Megan's sweet, but she tells everything, and I can only imagine what the gossip will be tomorrow. They'll have me barefoot

and pregnant."

He tilted his head. "The pregnant part… that's a nice image."

She rolled her eyes. "For heaven's sake."

He smiled. "A woman who could breeze through a snake crawling up her leg can handle a little gossip. You're tougher than you look."

She focused on the task at hand. "One more stitch and I'm finished. When did you have your last tetanus shot?"

He didn't miss a heartbeat. "Yesterday."

"So you hate shots too, huh? You're getting one."

He reached across to touch her cheek. "You get flustered when I tease you, and you get embarrassed with compliments.

You don't know what to do with them, do you?"

"Finished," she announced. "You're back together again, Humpty-Dumpty. Don't get up yet," she quickly added when he moved. "I'm finished. You're not."

"What does that mean?"

"Bandage and shot."

"How many stitches?"

"Six."

The curtain parted as Michelle was removing her gloves. Megan interrupted. "Dr. Mike, there's a detective from New Orleans wanting to talk to you and your boyfriend."