Title: A Clean Break
Author/pseudonym: ceindreadh
Rating: PG-15 contains adult conversation and a little bit of smut

Last episode seen: Rampage

Spoilers: Rampage, and some rumors regarding season 8

Disclaimer: "ER" and all its characters belong to Warner
Bros.  No infringement of their copyright is intended.  This story
was written for the enjoyment of "ER" fans everywhere, and
may be downloaded for your own pleasure.

Okay, this is a fun-fic that I'd been kicking around for a while before
actually writing.  It may turn out a bit smutty, and if we're lucky,
there'll be some gratuitious nudity before I'm finished  ;-)

--------------------------

A clean break

-----------------------

Jing-Mei and Cleo were working on charts in the lounge when the phone rang.

Jing-Mei looked up as it continued to ring.  "Aren't you going to answer
that?" she asked Cleo, who was sitting next to it.

"Nope," replied Cleo, signing her name to a chart and retrieving another
from the pile.

"It could be important."

"Maybe," shrugged Cleo, without moving.

The phone rang a few more times before Jing-Mei sighed with frustration and
reached across Cleo to pick it up.

"ER," she said crisply.  "Oh...hello Dr. Benton...you're looking for Dr.
Finch?"

Jing-Mei looked at Cleo, who was shaking her head and whispering, "Tell him
I'm not here."

"She's right here...I'll put her on," said Jing-Mei, grinning evilly at Cleo
before holding out the handset to her.

"Bitch," mouthed Cleo, before taking the handset with a resigned look on her
face.
"Hello Peter," she said out loud.

That was the last thing she said.  Jing-Mei watched in surprise as Cleo
carefully placed the handset on the table before returning her attention to
her charts.

"Aren't you going to talk to him?" she whispered.

"I think you mean, 'aren't I going to listen while he lists out all the
reasons why it would be good for *him* if we got back together.  Then he'll
apologize again for not being more supportive of me, and he'll promise to be
more considerate in future...finally he'll comment on how Reese is always
asking when he's going to see me again.  I've heard it all before...but
nothing's changed.  I broke up with Peter because he couldn't give me the
support I needed when I needed it.  I can't rely on him...from now on I'm
going to survive on my own...I don't need a man...and I don't want one."

"You said it girl," said Jing-Mei, "They're more trouble than they're
worth."

"Translation, you haven't got a date for tonight either?"

Jing-Mei looked disgusted as she said, "This is the first night I've had off
in what seems like weeks...I don't have to be back at work for thirty six
hours...and I've nothing to do."

"Me either..."  Cleo looked at Jing-Mei for a few seconds.  "You want to get
a pizza and some videos?  We can drink some wine and moan about how all men
are bastards?"

Jing-Mei thought for a few seconds.  Okay, so she and Cleo weren't exactly
the best of friends...she had always found her to be a bit distant...but her
social life wasn't exactly busy...

"Why not..."

--------------------

Several hours later, the pizza had been eaten, the wine drunk, and the
videos watched.  Both Jing-Mei and Cleo were feeling a little tipsy as they
went through the list of why cucumbers were better than men, having earlier
gone through the reasons why all men were bastards.

"You know the worst thing about surgeons?" said Cleo as she tried to refill
her glass from a now empty bottle.  Realizing the reason for her failure,
she cursed.

"Do tell," said Jing-Mei as she crammed a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"They're so...so arrogant...think they're the center of the universe...world
revolves around them...

"All the time?"

Cleo nodded, then hiccupped.  "And...you know the way they're always trying
to get through surgery as quickly as they can?"

"Yeah...that's good for the patient...right?"

"Yeah...but it's not so good when they try to do *everything* as quickly as
they can..."

It took a few minutes for Cleo's meaning to penetrate Jing-Mei's slightly
sozzled brain.  "You don't mean..."

Cleo made an obscene gesture.  "Sometimes I felt he was just trying to beat
his fastest time..."  She sighed heavily before continuing.  "And of course,
once *he* was satisfied, that was it...cost me a fortune in batteries..."
Cleo counted silently to herself as she waited for the penny drop.

And drop it did.  As Jing-Mei realized what Cleo was implying, she nearly
choked on her popcorn.  Thumping on the table, she hooted with laughter.
"Girl, you are really something."  In her amusement, she inadvertently
knocked the bowl of popcorn to the ground, spilling the remaining corns.

"Oh dammit," she said, falling to her knees to try and tidy up.

"It's okay," said Cleo lazily.  "I've got a cleaner coming in tomorrow
morning...she'll tidy the place up."

"Hmm," said Jing-Mei, sitting back on her heels.  "Maybe we don't have to
wait that long..."

Cleo raised an eyebrow as she continued.

"Remember that cute looking guy that I was treating last month?  The one
with the unexplained rash all over his hands?"

Cleo tried to think.  "The one that the nurses were drawing straws over to
see who'd get to, ahem, 'assist'?  What was it, some sort of allergy?"

Jing-Mei nodded.  "He was working for a cleaning firm, and was allergic to
one of the cleaning agents.  Anyway, he gave me his card before he left."

"And what makes his firm so special that we should call them now instead of
waiting for my usual cleaner?"

"Oh I don't know...maybe the fact that all their cleaners are as good
looking as him...and work nearly nude..."

"Pass me the phone..."

---------------------

Almost an hour later, both women had sobered up somewhat and were waiting
eagerly for their 'cleaner'.

"You sure he's going to be hot?" Cleo asked.  "I mean, they're not gonna
pawn us off with some middle aged loser...or worse, some perve who thinks
he's gonna score some action just because he drops his pants?"

Jing-Mei shook her head, "Don't worry, Michael told me that all the guys
they use have to be in peak condition.  No losers allowed.  As for
'action'...well, that's up to us..."  She winked at Cleo.

Cleo rubbed her hands in anticipation.

Just then, the intercom buzzed.  "That's him," squealed Jing-Mei.

Cleo waved her to silence as she went over to the door.

Pressing the speaker button, she said, "Yes?"

"Hi," said a muffled voice.  "I'm from the 'Bare Bones Cleaning Company'.
You guys order a cleaner?"

Cleo grinned, "You bet we did..."

Jing-Mei flung open the door, a big grin on her face.  The grin died away as
she took a look at the figure standing in the doorway.

Dave Malucci stood there staring back at her, a smile frozen on his face.
"Oh boy," was his only comment.

-------------------------------

To be continued.

ceindreadh
'Ford Prefect weaved his way around the hall.
There was no one there, but he weaved his way anyway' - Douglas Adams
'Three marriages and an adventurous girlhood,
had left Nanny Ogg with thigh muscles that could
crack coconuts' - Terry Prachett
http://homepage.eircom.net/~ceindreadh/index.htm