meds. She should be ready to start getting up and moving around this evening.

I'm estimating a week and a half to two-week hospital stay. She'll then go home

and into outpatient rehab."

"Hey I am right here you guys. Damn, you talk about me like I'm not even in the

room." Sam complained.

Jess and Kim both watch with interest when Riley placed her hand on Sam's

shoulder.

"Sorry Sam, professional hazard." Riley said squeezing her shoulder.

Kim sat a large bag on Sam's bedside tray. The aroma coming from the bag was

heavenly. "Real food as requested." She told Sam leaning forward to kiss her

lightly in greeting.

A very loud growling sound interrupted Sam's thank you. Riley blushed when all

eyes in the room turned to her.

"Well Sam I'll check on you tomorrow. Have a good evening." Riley had taken a

single step away from the bed when Sam reached out and took hold of her

forearm pulling her back.

"Please stay and have something to eat. I'm sure there's more than enough."

Sam gave Riley her best puppy dog look. She glared at her sister when she

heard her snicker.

"I'm really not that hungry." Riley denial would've been more believable if her

stomach hadn't chosen that moment to growl even louder. She blushed at the

behavior of her protesting stomach.

Kim spread out the food containers on Sam's over the bed table. "Come on Riley

there's more than enough. It's from Sam's favorite restaurant Dim Sum. You like

Chinese?" Kim asked ignoring Riley's comment about not being hungry.

Riley's stomach answered for her and Sam surprised her by pulling her down to

sit on the side of the bed. She tried to get up but Sam even injured was

amazingly strong.

"Come on Doc. We can't have you falling into your patients on the operating

table." Sam teased her.

Riley gave in relaxing on Sam's bed and helped herself to the food Kim had

spread out on the tray she'd slid between them. Riley moaned with pleasure at

the first taste of the wonderful Sesame chicken. It was one of her favorites. Sam

felt her heart pick up speed at the sound and was thankful she wasn't still

hooked up to a heart monitor.

Riley was amazed at how comfortable she was around the other women. They

laughed and joked comparing stories of the various experiences at the different

hospitals they'd worked in. Sam was captivated, her eyes never leaving the

doctor for long. She was mesmerized watching Riley's many varied expressions.

She frowned suddenly realizing she could easily fall for the beautiful doctor.

She'd never been involved with a straight woman and wasn't about to start now.

She knew that way lead to heartbreak. Sam unknowingly let out a big sigh,

saddened by what might've been. Riley immediately caught Sam's change in

expression; she quickly got up and approached her.

"Are you alright? Do you need your pain meds?" She asked softly in concern.

Unconsciously she took Sam's hand in hers stroking the back of her hand with

her thumb.

Sam forced herself to smile though it was half hearted at best. "No I'm fine, just

tired."

Riley suddenly realized she was acting as if she was visiting a friend and not

checking on a patient. As much as she enjoyed the company of the three

women, Sam was her patient. Riley berated herself; she again had started

thinking of Sam as a woman and not as a patient. Riley turned to Jess and Kim.

"Don't tire her out too much. She's still weak. She does need to try and walk a bit

tonight but don't let her over do."

She turned back to Sam trying to regain her professional demeanor. "I'll send the

nurse in with your pain med. You might want to take a little nap before trying

your walk. Don't over do it" She smiled at Sam unable to help herself. "Don't

make me have to come back into the hospital."

Riley quickly made her exit, waving to the women as she left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kim had been watching the interaction between Sam and Riley while they'd

been eating. Riley's eyes rarely left Sam's face when she was speaking and

even when she or Jess were talking she'd watched Sam; obviously taken with

her. Kim had interacted with many patients in her career and it was clear to her

that Riley Connolly cared for Sam well beyond her concern for a patient. She'd

thought Sam might be beginning to have feelings for the doctor as well. Now she

wasn't quite sure what was going on.

She sat down on the side of Sam's bed. When Riley left the room, Sam had

leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Kim stroked Sam's arm

until she opened blue eyes so familiar to Kim. Even though she appeared

outgoing, friendly, and affectionate the total opposite of Jess, in many ways she

was the same. Her emotions ran deep and she never let anyone get too close

emotionally. Many people thought they knew Sam but the truth was all they ever

saw was the tough cop persona she presented to the world. None of them had

ever seen the true Samantha McKenna. Kim herself hadn't realized the depths

of Sam's personality until she'd spent extended time with her when she visited

with Jess. It had taken real work on Kim's part to get Sam to trust her as she did

her sister.

She made eye contact with Sam. "Want to tell me what's really wrong?" She

asked gently.

Sam looked down at the blanket. Kim knew her too well and could read her

expressions as easily as she did her sister's. "It's nothing... I'm just tired."

Kim sighed in frustration; she didn't believe Sam for a minute. That was Sam

and Jess's stock answer when they didn't want to talk about something. It's

nothing. Kim had been married to Jess for just over a year and had learned in

that time when to push and when not to with both women. Now was a time to

push.

Kim reached out and gently lifted Sam's chin forcing her to make eye contact. "I

don't think so. You were fine just a minute ago. Want to try again?"

Sam looked over at Jess silently asking for help. Jess took up a seat on the

other side of Sam's bed. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say. 'Don't look me;

you're on your own'.

Sam really did want to confide her developing feelings to someone. She trusted

Kim and Jess to keep her confidence. Giving a dramatic sigh, she met Kim's

eyes.

"I really like Riley." Sam explained glancing down before adding, "a LOT."

"So what's the problem Sam?" Jess asked. "She obviously likes you a lot as

well." Jess smiled raising one eyebrow at her wife's surprised expression

obviously Kim didn't think she'd noticed.

"I'm JUST another patient, I'm sure she treats all of us the same." Sam replied

disappointedly.

Sam's head pop up looking between the two women as they both started to

chuckle. "What?"

"Honey I've seen a lot of patients and believe me I don't react to any of them like

Riley reacts to you. I'd be willing to bet she doesn't touch her other patients like

she does you. You think she goes around holding all her patients hands or

having dinner with them?" Kim said trying to reassure Sam.

Sam thought back to the times she'd interacted with Riley. The woman did touch

her a lot. Maybe.... No, it was just her wishful thinking.

"It doesn't matter. She's straight." Sam stated. This time she glared at both

women when they laughed. "It's not funny!"

Kim looked at Jess gesturing for her to take this one. "No way that woman's

straight. My gaydar pinged the first time we met. She's hot and gay." She

glanced over at Kim noting her frown. "What? I'm married not dead," she

defended.

"Well I suggest you get your gaydar fixed." Sam suggested snidely. "Cause in case you've forgotten her ex-BOYFRIEND shot me!"

Kim and Jess's jaws dropped open in shock. Jess finally found her voice.

"What!" she yelled.

Now it was Sam's turn to be shocked. "I thought you knew."

"Hell NO we didn't know! All they told us was you'd been shot and that Dr.

Connolly had been in the room. Figured it was someone drug seeking. I want to

talk to Connolly right now." Jess started to get up from where she was sitting on

Sam's bed.

"You just leave her out of this!" Sam shouted then winced as she tried to grab

Jess's arm.

Kim had been shocked by the revelation as well but quickly regained her

equilibrium. She could see Jess building up to blow. She put a restraining hand

on her arm and her other hand on Sam's. "Everyone just settle down." She tried

to calm both women lightly stroking their arms. "How about you start at the

beginning Sam and tell us the whole story."

Jess settled back in place though Kim could feel the tension radiating off her.

She only hoped Riley Connolly had left for the night.

Sam proceeded to tell them the whole story starting with the dispatch to the

hospital and ending with her being shot twice. Jess calmed down as the story

unfolded. She'd thought the doctor had intentionally hidden the fact that her ex

had shot Sam. Now she realized Riley had assumed as Sam had that the other

officers had told them. Jess sighed as the tension left her body at the end of the

story.

She reached out squeezing Sam's uninjured shoulder. "I'm sorry you got hurt

Kiddo. You did a good thing protecting her." She told Sam. Sam smiled back

reassured. Remembering the comments that started all this Jess suddenly

grinned.

"That's why you think she's straight?"

Sam blinked at the sudden shift in conversation but nodded in answer to Jess's

question.

"I think you're missing the point here Sam, the operative word is Ex-boyfriend."

Sam frowned at her sister's persistence. "No the operative word here is

Boyfriend!" Sam insisted.

Kim looked over at her wife. She had that little half smirk on her face. This is

going to be interesting.

"Really? Do you by chance remember Steve Phillips?" Jess asked her sister

wiggling her eyebrows at her and grinning.

Sam merely glared at Jess. Kim looked at both women silently questioning.

It was clear Sam wasn't going to answer. "He's a guy Sam dated and SLEPT

with in high school." Jess explained to Kim. This was news to Kim for some

reason she'd assumed Sam had always known she was gay. Kim silently chided

herself, and you call yourself a psychiatrist.

Jess wasn't done. "Oh wait, what about Charlie... What was his last name? Yeah

now I remember Falk, Charlie Falk. She dated and SLEPT with him in college.

Gee, I guess that makes you straight Sis, two ex-boyfriends." Jess told her

snickering. Sam lowered her head and scowled refusing to make eye contact

with either woman.

Jess opened her mouth to say something else but Kim poked her in the ribs.

Jess pouted trying to act hurt. Kim's stern expression said it all. Jess

straightened up and reached out to lift her sister's chin and meet her eyes.

"All kidding aside Sis, just because she dated a guy doesn't make her straight

any more than it does you. Don't make assumptions. If you feel something for

her, you should give her a chance." She glanced over at her wife. "If she's the

one its worth whatever you have to do." Kim smiled lovingly at her wife leaning

over Sam to kiss Jess gently on the lips.

"None of that you two, I know you. Next thing you'll be in taking each other's

clothes off." Sam teased trying to lighten the mood. Jess arched her eyebrows at

her wife and reached over to undo one button of Kim's polo shirt. Kim slapped

her hand away. "Behave." She warned.

The door to Sam's room opened interrupting. A nurse entered. "Sorry it took so