5. Amory

Amory is in pain as she works. Her back aches and her neck has a crick in it, probably from sleeping on the floor all night. She is also exhausted. She was hardly able to sleep last night in the same cabin as Blake Gold and the floor was not comfortable at all.

She is faced with another cholera patient in the small clinic where they're working. She can hear Blake's gravelly sexy voice from behind the curtain and rolls her eyes as she tries desperately to tune it out and focus on her patient.

Why is her voice sexy?

The patient already has an IV in her arm and Amory prescribes some antibiotics to help before she leaves the small curtained-off area and heads to help another patient.

The day goes by like that and it's mind numbing, treating the same thing over and over again, but Amory is happy to help. She can't, however, stop thinking about Blake and their conversation last night. The repetitiveness of her work doesn't help either. She already has an overactive brain and is easily able to overthink while she works.

She doesn't want to forgive Blake. In her mind, what Blake did is unforgivable, but what she said last night has stuck in her mind. Blake is right, people do change, and they do stupid stuff when they're younger. Amory can attest to that. She did some horrible things when she was younger, like leaving a friend at a party and sabotaging Blake's notes.

But she's a different person now. She would never dream of doing those things now. She's learned and grown as she's gotten older and lived more. She wonders if she's being too harsh and if Blake has really changed. And if so, how much? Amory still knows Blake as the overly competitive, arrogant girlfriend stealer that she was when they were in their residency program together. She doesn't know her as the insightful and apologetic person that she was last night. Maybe she really should give Blake a second chance, get to know her better.

Amory thinks about how she has changed. She used to be a lot more optimistic, hopeful for the future, and full of love. Now, however, she's a lot more jaded, and she hasn't tried to date since Natalie.

She's still hurt, and Blake is partially responsible for that hurt, but now Amory's confused and conflicted as well. Even though she said differently, Blake not knowing that Natalie was her girlfriend changes things.

Amory had always assumed that Blake had slept with Natalie to target her specifically. She thought that Blake knew, but now that Amory knows differently, she doesn't know how to feel about that. Her idea that Blake was just vindictive has changed, and she feels like she doesn't know anything anymore, especially not how to feel.

Amory continues working, despite the pain in her hip, the crick in her neck, and the confusion in her heart. She enjoys working, enjoys her job, and enjoys making a seven-year-old Cholera patient smile as she distracts him from the IV that she puts into him. However, when the next set of doctors arrives and it's time to go back to the cabin, she is relieved.

The clinic is incredibly cramped and noisy and right now Amory needs some fresh air and quiet. Hopefully she can get some of that in the small cabin that she's sharing with someone she hates.

When she puts up her things into the locker with her name on it, she walks to the front doors of the clinic where she sees that Blake is waiting for her. That definitely doesn't help her confusion. She doesn't know why Blake is trying so hard to make amends or build a relationship with her when she said that she hates her. But now, looking at the painfully handsome Blake, casually lounging against the wall in black slacks and a tank top that shows off her athletic build, she takes a deep breath. Blake's brown eyes are enchanting and she has a smile on her face that looks seductive and Amory can't decide if that is on purpose, and now she's not so sure what she feels about her.

"Are you ready to go?" Blake asks, her white doctor's coat already off and probably stashed away in her locker.

"So ready," Amory says with an exhausted sigh.

"That bad, huh?" Blake asks, not even looking tired, and Amory feels jealous of her for that.

"I think I slept on my hip," Amory admits. "It hurts."

"Oh, poor baby," Blake says with a smirk, one that Amory wants to wipe off her face. "It's almost like there's a bed that you could have slept on instead."

Amory and Blake leave the clinic, letting the doors fall closed behind them.

"Oh fuck off," Amory says, walking away from Blake.

Blake just laughs, loud and joyous, as she walks to catch up with Amory.

Amory frowns and her heart twinges. Since when did Blake become so easy going? She was definitely not like this the last time the two knew each other. She then realizes that Blake is right; she has changed, and Amory doesn't know her at all anymore. She used to always be stressed and a huge flirt, saving her smiles for doctors or nurses that she thought she had a shot of sleeping with. Maybe she still uses that charming smile to get what she wants. Is that what she is trying to do with Amory?

When the two get to the cabin, Blake holds the door open for Amory, and Amory can't help but think this is something a girlfriend would do. Maybe Blake is just that kind of person now. She definitely seems a lot more caring and kind.

It's past five o'clock when they get inside the cabin and Amory is starving. The clinic had sandwiches for lunch, but they were honestly not that filling. And Amory wants real food. Fruits and vegetables. She also wants beans, but she knows that those will take hours to prepare.

"Tomorrow morning, before work," Amory suggests, "we should set out a pot of beans so that we can come back to supper."

"Oooh," Blake says, "that sounds like a great idea. I want chili."

Amory moans at the mention of her favorite food. "Chili sounds so good."

"That settles it then," Blake says. "I saw some canned tomatoes in the cabinets yesterday, so we'll have chili tomorrow. How about fried chicken tonight?"

"That sounds great," Amory says. "Except I have no clue how to make fried chicken."

"I'll show you," Blake offers. "My fried chicken is the best."

"You're full of yourself," Amory says.

"Maybe," Blake says with a shrug, "but it's true."

"I'll be the judge of that," Amory says, but she gives Blake a small smile.

"Okay," Blake says with a laugh as she walks to the kitchen area, "come over here and I'll show you how it's done.

The two of them work on making the fried chicken, and Amory is conflicted. This is the woman she's supposed to hate, who slept with her girlfriend, and made her life miserable for years. But now, as Blake shows her how to make fried chicken and the two of them make small talk, she can't help but think how easy Blake is to get along with. Honestly, Amory thinks, if the two of them had met like this and not all those years ago when both of them were at their worst, she can easily see the two of them becoming fast friends.

That thought terrifies her. She feels so conflicted around Blake, but she decides she needs to get over herself and make the best of things. After all, the two of them are working together and sharing a cabin. She can't just be miserable the entire time. Her grudge against Blake begins to dissolve little by little as the other woman patiently shows her how to bread and fry chicken.

"And now you know how to make fried chicken," Blake says, using tongs to take the last piece out of the frying pan. "It wasn't that hard, was it?"

"No," Amory agrees. "Now we just have to see if it's as good as you say it is."

"It is," Blake promises, "and if it's not, I'll just blame you."

"Hey," Amory exclaims at the joke, giving Blake a playful smile and a pout, "that's not fair."

"I think it's very fair," Blake says, tousling Amory's hair.

Amory fixes her hair and laughs at the attention. She's having a good time with Blake right now, and she kind of hopes that doesn't change.

Blake puts two plates of fried chicken on the small table and takes a seat. She motions to Amory to sit down. "Come on," she says, "don't just stand there looking all pretty. Let's eat."

Amory blushes a little at being called pretty, but then curses herself for it, for being affected positively by something Blake said. She probably didn't mean anything by it, and besides, Amory reminds herself, changed or not, this is still the woman who helped destroy her love life.

But Amory can't help liking being called pretty or being affected by it. It's been so long since anyone's said anything like that to her.

"Okay," Amory says, trying hard to stop blushing as she sits down, but Blake notices.

"Aw, you're blushing."

"Shut up," Amory says, her lips in a straight line as she tries to hide behind her hair. "No I'm not."

"Don't worry," Blake says, "it's cute."

"It's not cute," Amory counters, "it's annoying."

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing new."

"What do you mean?" Amory asks.

"People must call you pretty all the time," Blake says.

"They don't, actually."

"Really?" Blake asks.

"Yep."

"Well, that's a shame," Blake says, "because you're really very beautiful. People should tell you that more."

Amory blushes again.

"What? It's true."

"Shut up," Amory says.

"Why?" Blake asks. "Don't you think you're pretty?"

"Not really," Amory says.

Blake shakes her head. "And that's why people should tell you that more. Maybe you'd start to believe it."

"Can we just eat," Amory asks, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Fine," Blake says and then adds, "Pretty girl."

Amory's face is on fire, and she quickly takes a bite out of a piece of fried chicken to distract herself from Blake's words, and it works. Amory moans into the food and takes another bite.

"Oh my god, this is so good!"

"Right?" Blake says with a smirk. "I told you I make the best fried chicken."

"Well, I believe you now," Amory says.

"You should always believe me," Blake responds. "I'm no liar."

Amory tries not to think about that statement too hard. Because Blake is a cheater, or at least she was, and that's no better than a liar.

The two of them eat their food, talking a little as they do so.

"I wish this place had a TV or something," Blake says. "What are we supposed to do when we're not at work? Go crazy from boredom?"

"I don't know. I guess they didn't think about entertainment when they set this place up."

"I suppose I can't blame them too much," Blake says. "It is a pretty bad outbreak."

"I brought some cards with me," Amory offers. "We can play some games."

"Ooh," Blake says, "we can play poker."

"I don't have any cash to bet."

"How about strip poker?" Blake says with another smirk.

Amory flushes and doesn't know how to respond at first, but she's pretty sure Blake is only joking. She has to be, right?

"Yeah right."

"Hey, I'm never opposed to seeing pretty women naked."

"You'd have to win for that to happen," Amory says, "and I doubt that would happen."

Blake shrugs. "You're probably right. I'm shit at poker."

"I remember," Amory says, remembering how the residents would play poker and bet on cases when they had the time.

"How about we just play for fun?" Amory suggests. "No betting."

"Fine," Blake says, then adds, "Beats doing nothing."

The two of them spend about an hour playing poker together, and Blake sucks just as much as she did when Amory knew her.

"Maybe it's a good thing we didn't play strip poker," Blake says as she loses another round.

"Why?" Amory asks. "Don't want me to see you naked?"

"I mean," Blake says, winking at her, "I wouldn't mind that much."

Amory blushes again and Blake laughs at her. Amory can't tell if Blake is flirting, but she's sure that whatever she's doing is just so that she can embarrass her.

"Come on," Blake says, "let's get ready for bed."

"Fine, but I'm changing in the bathroom."

Blake laughs. "Okay, sweetheart."

"No nudity for you, you pervert," Amory retorts, and Blake only laughs harder.

"Okay then, while you go to the bathroom, I'll change out here and be very disappointed that I don't get to see your breasts."

Amory gasps, but she laughs. "Gosh, you're such a pervert."

"I never claimed not to be," Blake says.

Amory just laughs and gathers her clothes before she goes into the bathroom to change. When she comes out of the bathroom, she sees that Blake has also changed into sleep clothes and is staring at the pile of blankets where Amory slept last night.

"Are you still sleeping on that monstrosity?" Blake asks.

"You mean the floor?" Amory asks. "Yeah."

"That can't be comfortable."

"It's not," Amory admits. "I've had a pain in my side all day."

Blake gives her a disapproving look. "You know you can still sleep on the bed with me; I won't bite."

"I am not sleeping with you."

"Damn," Blake says, "I'm not asking to have sex with you, just offering a comfortable place to sleep. You know, where you won't wake up with a pain in your side."

"I'm good," Amory says, holding on to her stubbornness.

"Suit yourself," Blake says. "But it really is a comfortable bed."

"Oh, fuck off," Amory says.

She goes to the floor and lays her head down on the pillow, wrapping the blanket around her. Blake goes to the bed and lies down. Amory tries to ignore how the hard wood digs into her hip bone.

She closes her eyes and tries to ignore Blake. She turns around to the other side, the opposite of the one she slept on last night.

She hears Blake sigh from the bed and tries to ignore her.

"Oh my," Blake says in an overly dramatic voice, "This bed sure is comfy."

"Oh, shut up," Amory says with a groan. "Not this again."

It was annoying enough to hear Blake compliment the bed last night while she was trying to sleep, but she doesn't want to hear it for a second day in a row. Or any more days, which is sure to happen as long as Amory chooses to sleep on the floor.

"I'm just saying that I can hear you tossing and turning from the floor. And the bed is comfy. It also doesn't cause me pain or any of that shit."

Amory tries to ignore her, but she can't easily ignore the pain on her side.

"You know what?" Amory says, "I'm tired of this shit."

Amory stands up and walks over to the bed, carrying the pillow and blanket that she was using.

"Move over," she says to Blake.

"Finally! Do you know how hard it is sleeping while hearing you move around like that?"

"Try sleeping on the floor."

"No thanks," Blake says, and she moves over so that Amory can get in the bed with her.

Amory gets in the bed beside Blake and gives her a hard stare. "And no funny business, either. This is strictly professional."

Amory puts a pillow under her head and turns to face away from Blake. It's a little awkward, because while the bed is comfortable, it is still small, and she can't avoid touching Blake while she lays down.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Blake says, turning around to face away from Amory as well to make her a little more comfortable. "Just shush so I can go to sleep. I'm tired."

"Fine," Amory agrees. She has to be honest with herself, this bed is comfortable and she falls asleep easily.

When Amory wakes up, Blake is no longer on the other side of the bed. She has an arm wrapped around Amory and is snuggled close to her. Amory freezes, not knowing what to do. She's sure that Blake didn't do this on purpose, but she wasn't prepared for her to be a cuddler.

Amory used to be a cuddler, too. But she's been out of practice, not having someone else in her bed since Natalie will do that to a person.

She just lays there, not sure if she should wake Blake or try to get her arm off from around her without waking her. She lays in bed trying to decide, but then Blake wakes up and looks at Amory with a smile.

"Good morning," she says.

"Morning," Amory says, but notices that Blake is still cuddling her. "Would you mind getting off of me?"

"Oh, sorry," Blake says, but she doesn't sound apologetic. She does, however, move her arm away from Amory.

"You're a cuddler, huh?" Amory asks.

"A big one. Always have been. Whether I mean to or not. If there's another person in bed with me, I gravitate toward them."

"Good to know," Amory quips.

"That's not going to drive you back to the floor, is it?" Blake asks.

"No, it's fine. Besides you were right; this bed is comfy."

Blake gives her a wide smile. "I told you so!"

"Yeah, whatever," Amory says, but she smiles back at Blake. "Let's get up and make some beans."

"Woo, chili," Blake says, and Amory laughs and gets out of bed.

Blake follows behind her and the two of them work together to put the beans in a pot.

"Should we season them now or wait?" Blake asks.

"I always wait, but we can season them some now and finish them off later when we add the canned tomatoes," Amory says.

"That sounds like a plan," Blake says. She lets Amory season the beans, which Amory's grateful for. Her mom might say that Amory can't cook, but no one can complain that she doesn't know what she's doing when it comes to spices. Speaking of her mom, she hasn't talked to her in a while and Amory thinks that she should update her of everything that's been happening.

Amory: Mom. Things are going great

Amory: but you're never gonna believe who I'm working with

Amory updates her mom about everything that's happened since discovering that Blake is her cabin mate. She doesn't tell her that they're sharing a bed, though. It's not like she doesn't trust her mom or anything, but she's worried her mom will think something else is going on. When it is absolutely, definitely, not.

Mom: That's wild. Have you at least been enjoying work?

Amory: Yeah. It's a little different than what I'm used to

Amory: But I think I'm getting the hang of things.

Mom: Good. I believe in you. You've always been good at your job

Amory: Yeah, but I haven't had to deal with Blake in years

Mom: It sounds like you're handling it well

Amory smiles at that. She doesn't know if it's true, since being around Blake so much has brought up a lot of uncomfortable feelings, but at least her mom believes in her, and right now that's really what she needs.