"So is it because of me they call you the monk?"

He snapped his head up to look at her. "Who told you that?"

She had a faint blush on her cheeks. "Every time I mention my trip to the ER, the next question is about my doctor. What is it with people and their fascination with doctors? My father is just a man."

"A gifted man. You didn't answer who."

"My college roommate works with your friend in surgery. She said he calls you a monk and even a virgin. Don't worry I didn't correct her."

"It's not that bad. It's just I've been busy becoming a doctor and, um, being a doctor." His excuse sounded lamer than it did in his head. The truth was he had been punishing himself for what he did to her. He had pressures to make his life count. Pressures most people wouldn't understand.

"OMG! You need to loosen up." She stood and took the empty bowls to the sink. "Life is too short to waste it."

His body went tense. What did she know about short lives? He knew more than any person should. Don't be angry, it's not her fault. She won't know if you don't tell her. He let the tension ease after his internal pep talk. He had no intention of telling her. He didn't talk to anyone, except his mother. It was his way of coping. When people knew they look at him funny and he didn't need the pity. He had lost touch with his high school friends years ago. He didn't like to look back. Ironically, he had been looking back for twelve years.

He felt something on his legs. When he looked down her black cat rubbed against him. He reached down and ran his hand along the soft sleek fur. Under his hand, he felt the vibration of the cat's purring.

"It's just that night was not who I am. I'm not that kind of guy and it scared me, so I just focused on things other than sex. Shit, I'm a nice guy. Got a flat? I'm the one to call. Need a place to crash? You name it. I'm there for my friends."

"You sound like me. I was always bailing my brother and sister out of trouble. It's not so bad now they're adults, but I felt like I had to be their voice of reason and they hated me for it."

She didn't understand how lucky she was. "Didn't you ever get in trouble?"

She smirked and her green eyes twinkled in the light. "Aside from my first successful business venture, only once but even then I didn't get what I deserved, because I lied and went to a party and got drunk. I only got in trouble for missing curfew."

He listened to her words and as if a bell rang in his head about what night she was referring to.

He couldn't stop his smile, although it wasn't funny. "You were sober enough to run when I told you the time."

"And to have my friend text my mother we were going to be late. She didn't even look up from her book when I got home. She trusted me and probably never even considered we were drinking. Still, I knew she was disappointed, because she told me my father would deal with me."

"What did he do?" He didn't remember his father ever being strict.

"He made me feel like crap, because I disappointed him. You heard him, I'm the responsible one. Then he changed my curfew to ten for the week with no driving."

"You drove! You're lucky you didn't get killed." That was stupider than what he had done.

"No! Not me. We had a designated driver. We weren't that stupid." He felt himself physically relax. "So are we good? I think your penance is over. I'm not saying I didn't look back with regret, but I moved on years ago. No hard feelings. Really."

He studied her to see if she was telling the truth. It would have been easier, if she wasn't even more beautiful than she had been at seventeen. If they were just meeting for the first time and he wanted to care about another person, he would be in trouble. The wall around his heart protected him from doing something stupid like asking her out or worse pulling her into his arms.

He nodded. "I should go.  But I'd like to hear about how a business venture got you in trouble.  I'm picturing Tom Cruise."  He winked.

She laughed.  "My brother's underwear was the commodity.  I earned enough for an iPod and didn't mind getting grounded."  He hoped she appreciated how lucky she was.  "Hey, thanks for the ice cream." He stepped outside and didn't look back because he couldn't face her smile.

As he walked the short walk home, he felt his steps get lighter. One burden which had weighed him down was gone. His other burdens, he lived with like old friends.  For twelve years, he worried about that night, so it gave him an odd feeling to close the chapter.

If he saw her again, it would be okay. They only lived a few blocks apart, but it took her illness for them to meet again. The odds were better they would meet next at the neighborhood Starbucks, instead it had been ten miles out of the city.

He slept that night for the first time since switching back to days. He felt rested and when Derek came down to examine a patient, Noah agreed to go to dinner with him.

"I'm done at seven."

"Let's hope I don't get caught in the OR."

Noah shrugged. "Raincheck, if you do."

At seven, he went to the surgical floor to find his friend. "Oh hi, Dr. Gentry."

He returned her smile. "Hey Molly, have you seen Derek?"

"He was in post-op with Dr. Landry. He should be out in a minute. Do you two have plans?"

"Just dinner."

"So I heard you treated my friend, Brenna Reilly. You know who her father is, right?"

So it was Molly who she had spoken to. It made sense, because Molly worked directly with Derek. "Yeah, I met him. He was your typical father."

Molly laughed. "I've been to their house. It used to be crazy. I didn't know her father was important until I got this job and then people looked at me funny the first time I greeted him as Doc. That's what I called him at their dinner table."

Noah couldn't separate the legend from the man. It was hard to picture the perfect family, maybe because it hurt so badly. His friends had called his father by his first name. It was odd because his mother was Mrs. G, but it was probably because she worked at the school.

"Noah, there you are." Derek walked up to him wearing scrubs. "I just have to change and then I'm good to go. What are you in the mood for?"

Molly said, "I'm trying the new brick oven joint tonight."

Once on the elevator, Derek leaned casually against the wall. "Pizza sounds good. Have you tried the new place?"

Noah shook his head. "I'm game."

Ten minutes later, Noah yelled towards the locker room. "Come on, you look pretty enough. I'm starving." The man was worse than a woman. Noah was lucky when his clothes weren't wrinkled.

"You should have brought a change of clothes." Derek stared at him.

Noah shrugged. He was probably stale and wrinkled, but he wasn't dating Derek. "I'll be sure to sit downwind of you."

Derek looked around the restaurant and waved to Molly. Noah was more interested in the scent of fresh-baked dough. He was starving.

"Come on." Derek waved and Noah followed him. His friend slid into the seat in the booth across from Molly.

Molly stood up. "If you're staying slide in, doctor. I'm going to the little girl's room."

As Noah sat, he looked up to see Brenna across from him.

Derek was introducing himself and turned to Noah who cleared his throat. "I already know Ms. Reilly."

"Brenna please, Br, um, Dr. Gentry." Brenna smiled.

He saw her blush again, as she stopped herself from calling him Brown. "Noah then."

Molly came back and sat next to Noah and smiled. He wondered if this was a coincidence, but couldn't figure out what their game was.

She pointed her finger at the surgeon. "Derek watch yourself with my girl here. One wrong move and you'll be..."

Brenna leaned forward. "Stop! My father can't ruin careers. He's human. He burps and farts, too."

Molly put her hand to her mouth. "Brenna! What would Doc say if he heard you?"

"Probably that at least his feet don't stink like Aidan's used to."

As the girls talked about personal odors. Derek raised an eyebrow at Noah.

"They're talking about Brian Reilly." Noah cleared up his friend's confusion.

Derek pulled his head back as his eyes got bigger. "Really?" Noah nodded. "How do you know this?"

Noah probably could answer him, but because he learned it when Brenna was his patient, he wouldn't. "Ask her." He nodded at Brenna.

Brenna looked at Noah. "Sorry. Molly and I often forget we aren't freshmen."

Molly leaned in to him and lowered his voice. "We shared a lot of secrets in our dorm room."

Noah hoped not all their secrets.

Derek angled himself towards Brenna. "So, Brenna how do you know my friend, Noah? He's being secretive."

Molly interrupted before Brenna even opened her mouth. "Oh, please! He's being ethical. Right Brenna?"

Brenna was giving Noah the eye. Did she think he was talking about years ago?

"What?" Brenna's voice was shaky and her eyes were on him.

He smiled hoping to reassure her. "He was wondering how we recently met."

"Oh, sorry." Her face relaxed. "Right, I had food poisoning, and I spent a night in the ER. My father was in the hospital, so he came to check on me."

"So, you were sick, and you got stuck with this guy. Not your lucky night." Derek pat her arm.

"Not funny, Brooke. I'm a well-respected doctor."

Molly bumped his shoulder with hers. "He is. Everyone loves him."

Noah looked down. He figured out what their game was, and it wasn't a coincidence he was sitting next to Molly.

By the time their pizza came, the conversation centered on medicine leaving Brenna to just listen.

Noah looked across the table at her. She was biting into a slice. "Is your appetite back then?"

She nodded. "One plus was I lost some weight."

He wanted to tell her she didn't need to but refrained. Derek commented about the baseball game on the screen.

Brenna looked up at the screen. "They're away. Less traffic on my street." As a batter swung and missed, she made a face leading Noah to believe she liked the game.

Derek said, "Noah lives near the park too."

Brenna looked up at him.

A/N For this series just like The Boy of Summer, the baseball park and team is nameless.  If you know Boston, you know the proximity of the Longwood Medical area to the real ballpark.

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