Posted by Kim on 12/31/2001, 4:59 pm "Hi," Kevin said warmly. "I came to pick up this file on a patient I'm seeing for the first time tomorrow, and I wondered if you were in today." "I just finished my shift and I'm on my way out too. What has you so busy that you're working weekends these days?" Ellen inquired. She considered not having to work on Sundays as one of the nice benefits of being a psychologist on staff at GH. "It's my own fault. I just got behind in my preparation work; I guess I have had other things on my mind lately," Kevin said with meaning, looking directly into Ellen's eyes. Averting her eyes away from Kevin's, Ellen murmured, "Oh." As she removed her coat from the hangar, Kevin smoothly took it from her and held it open for her to put on. Against his better judgment, Kevin couldn't stop himself from letting his hands slide down Ellen's arms as she stood with her back to him and buttoned her coat. Hearing the sharp intake of breath from Ellen, Kevin quickly broke contact with her and stepped back a few paces in order to place some physical distance between them. Fumbling with the pencils on Ellen's desk, Kevin worked to steady his voice. "I'm on my way to grab something for lunch. I would really love it if you'd join me for lunch today," Kevin asked, hoping that she'd say yes. Slowly turning around, Ellen shook her head, "I would love that also, but I can't. Matt is coming back this evening and I'm leaving now for his apartment to prepare some homemade vegetable soup for him." For some reason, Ellen wanted to kick herself because she thought her reply sounded a little too disappointed, which was ridiculous. She and Kevin could have lunch anytime; why did she sound so disappointed? Kevin shrugged and nodded. "Well, maybe we can get together later this week. Come on, I'll walk you to your car." As they exited the elevator for the parking garage, Kevin and Ellen encountered Mary Scanlon and Grace Sullivan. It was probably Ellen's imagination but something about the way Mary said, "Dr. Collins, Dr. Burgess," made Ellen face flush with embarrassment, and she swiftly continued walking to her car. Kevin was almost a full foot taller than Ellen yet he had to walk fast to keep pace with her. When she reached her car, nervousness and embarrassment made Ellen clumsy as she fumbled with the key trying to place it in the door lock. Her shaking hand actually chipped some of the car paint on the door with the key. "Stop, let me." Kevin large hand enclosed Ellen's smaller one as he steadied her hand to unlock the door. Opening the door with one hand, Kevin released Ellen's hand but moved his other hand to gently rest at the small curve of her back and looked at her and waited. They stood there for several seconds, not more than an inch of space between them, watching and waiting for the other person to make a move, and barely breathing. Finally Kevin whispered hoarsely, "Do you really think that we can do this?" Ellen closed her eyes and sharply turned her face away from Kevin's, her voice cracking as she said, "I don't know. I don't seem to know anything anymore. I have to go." Dropping quickly into the car seat, Ellen started the car and briefly locked gaze with Kevin again before she drove away. Ellen was still replaying these memories in her mind when the sound of the apartment door opening interrupted her thoughts. "Ellen?" Matt called out. He had missed her terribly during the week. More than once he joked that she should hop on the next plane to New York City to join him and he was a little disappointed that she didn't take him up on the offer. But the week was finally over and he was ecstatic to be back home with his fiancé. Ellen promptly turned off the stove and rushed from the kitchen to welcome Matt home. Mike, who met Matt at the airport, carried Matt's suitcase at they entered the apartment. "I am so glad that you are back home Matt," Ellen said as she hugged and kissed Matt. From the few occasions Mike had seen Ellen during the week, she seemed troubled and Mike was starting to worry about her. But seeing how happy she was that Matt was home, Mike's worries disappeared. "Hey, I brought him home for you? Shouldn't I get something too?" Mike joked. Ellen laughed and replied, "Your good deed hasn't gone unnoticed. Can you join us for dinner in an hour?" Mike shook his head and smiled, "Oh no. I'm not going to intrude on your first night back together. I'll just put it on your tab." Mike deposited Matt's suitcase in the bedroom and left to give Matt and Ellen some much needed privacy. For the rest of the evening Matt enjoyed the delicious dinner that Ellen had taken a lot of time to prepare and told her of his week in New York City. He mentioned some of the sightseeing he was able to do and the major speakers at the medical conference. Ellen filled Matt in on most of the new news from General Hospital. During their telephone conversations Matt thought Ellen had sounded somewhat distracted but tonight he only saw her joy at his being home. Ellen debated for several days whether she should tell Matt anything of her recent encounters with Kevin, but as soon as she heard Matt's voice tonight she didn't have to think about the issue anymore. She didn't want anything to put a damper on their evening tonight. Maybe, one day in the future she might tell Matt about what happened with Kevin but tonight definitely was not the right time. Snuggling in Matt's arms on the sofa, she was just glad he was home and told herself as she drifted off for a brief nap that everything would turn out alright.
Slowly stirring the vegetable tofu soup she was preparing for Matt, Ellen couldn't keep her mind from drifting back to a brief encounter earlier that afternoon. At 12:30 she was ending her shift in the emergency room of GH and had just changed clothes when someone knocked on her office door. Kevin Collins was standing there with a particularly attractive and infectious smile on his face. He was in an overcoat and obviously on his way out of the hospital.
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