151A/N: This story follows episode 3.11 Another second chance. When I wrote Making things right, things were still easy to fix. At this point it won't be so easy to fix things anymore. But I've given it a lot of thought and thought, what if something was to happen with Charlotte which makes Cooper rethink his feelings. Is he willing to change his opinion and can things be fixed then? That's what this multiple-chapter story is about.
Chapter 1 - A difficult evening
8:45 pm - Outside Reggie's bar
Why couldn't she have just said 'no'? Why did she have to say that it didn't matter anymore now, and just walk out, leaving him wondering? Why did she make him feel as if it were all his fault? Because he tried. He fell in love with her and he tried his best to make it work. He forgave her when she cheated on him. He took care of her when her father died, even though he was really mad at her at the time. And then she dares to say that he didn't love her?
Cooper Freedman entered a bar. He was feeling so mad right now, that he needed a drink to calm himself. To try and forget about her. He couldn't go home anyway because she most likely was there getting rid of her stuff. So that she was all out of his life when he got home. Whenever that was.
He entered a bar called Reggie's. He'd never been there before but it was in an area where he had the least chance to run into her. Just in case.
There was quite a crowd in the bar. At least people his own age and not a bar filled with teens. That only made him feel old. He went to the bar and ordered a beer. He looked around when he emptied his glass, and immediately ordered another.
It had been a while since he went to a bar all by himself. He usually went with her. Or with Pete or Sam. But when he saw a woman he liked at the other side of the bar he slowly started to forget about his sorrow. Taking another sip of his beer, he found his way towards her.
"You seem a bit lonely." He tried, as he sat down on the stool next to her.
"I'm waiting for a friend." She replied. Trying to let him know she wasn't interested.
"So am I. Do you mind if I wait here with you?" He knew she was trying to blow him off, but tonight he wasn't ready for that. If someone would show up, he could always leave.
"It's a public place so I can't forbid it." She said, taking in the man next to her. "Are you having a bad night?"
"Yeah kind off." He replied, while emptying his glass.
"Wanna talk about it?" She said as she took a sip of her own drink.
"Not really. I just want to forget about it. Can I get you another drink?" He said, while trying to make contact with the bartender.
"A martini please." She said. "So what's your name?"
"Cooper. And yours?"
"Amber."
"Nice to meet you Amber." He finally made contact with the bartender and ordered their drinks.
When they were placed in front of them he asked. "Who are you waiting for?"
"A friend of mine. But she's always running late."
"I know how that feels." He replied, although he wasn't really waiting for someone.
"But it's nice to have good company while I'm waiting. Tell me, what are you doing out here without your girlfriend. Or is it her you're waiting for?"
He suddenly started to feel mad again. But he took a few breaths to calm himself and replied. "I'm a single guy. You?"
"Also single."
"Aren't I lucky then." He said, and forced a smile.
"Who said anything about getting lucky?" She replied, while showing him a real smile.
9:07 pm - St. Ambrose Hospital
Charlotte King had trouble focusing during the staff meeting. All she wanted was to get out of there and check into a hotel and finally forget all about today. But her staff members couldn't seem to agree on anything tonight. There were long discussions about every subject brought into the meeting and hardly any decisions were made.
They were currently having a discussion about adding to the ICU ward. Which never really was an option so she started asking herself why they were discussing this subject for the past 30 minutes. Finally finding enough energy to get things over with she said. "Listen people, I have no idea how we got to this subject but Dr. Raynord was talking about a new research lab on the fifth floor. This has absolutely nothing to do with our intensive care unit, which is the most modern facility in this area. There are enough beds in this hospital and adding to our ICU would mean adding more medium care units for which there just isn't enough space.
Which brings us back to the original discussion. Dr. Raynord, why is this research lab so important to you?"
"Because I need more modern equipment for my cancer treatment center. There is this big spectrometer which will allow me to separate DNA on a molecular level and…"
Charlotte cut him off. "Six months ago we bought a new spectrometer which you said would allow you to do the same thing. You can't come running in here every time a new machine shows up on the market. You will do with the equipment you have, and if you won't have any successes in the next 12 months, we will have a private discussion on whether there still is a position for you here in the hospital. Understood?"
Dr. Raynord nodded. "I hear you loud and clear."
"Good, which brings us to the last discussion on the agenda. Housekeeping wants more money and have threatened to go on strike if we won't grant them what they want."
Everyone started talking through each other again and Charlotte stood up, hitting her hand on the table.
"This meeting has gone on long enough. You're all acting like kindergarten children who are afraid they won't be heard. And to tell you the truth I'm done with that. It actually has been 2 years since the housekeeping staff got a raise so we will grant them a 2% raise so they will actually keep this hospitals clean. A strike would be a disaster for this hospital. Not only would it ruin this hospital's good name, but we can't run a hospital that isn't clean. And hiring an external company to do the cleaning during a strike would only cost this hospital more. The only question is from which budget the money will come. And of course I've given this great thought. None of you can work in a hospital that isn't clean so I will take 1% out of each of your budgets. I know this is not what you all hoped for, but it's the way it is.
With that taken care off, this meeting is over. I'll see you all next week."
She picked up her papers, put them in her briefcase and left the room, leaving behind her stunned staff members. Finally one of them got up and ran after Charlotte. "Dr. King you can't be serious."
"The meeting is over dr. Finch." Charlotte replied, without stopping her pace.
"Are you alright?" Dr. Finch asked. "You seemed a bit off tonight."
"That's none of your business. Now if you don't mind I really want to go home." Her pace suddenly slowed down as she realized there was no home for her anymore. Dr. Finch noticed her change in pace as well.
"Please, I'm not asking as a staff member whose budget just got cut. I'm trying to be a friend here."
Charlotte stopped and looked at the doctor next to her. "I respect that. But it's nothing you should worry about. I just need a bath and a good night sleep and then I'll be fine. I promise I will take a good look into the budgets and see if there's something I can do. But I really have to make this deal with housekeeping."
"I understand."
"Thank you." Charlotte said, and with that she walked towards her office to get her stuff.
9:23 pm – Reggie's bar
"So you went up there, introduced yourself and asked him why the heck he was wearing yellow pants?" Cooper asked, impressed.
Amber laughed. "You should have seen the look on his face. He looked at me, stunned, then looked down at his pants and started laughing. He said it was the most interesting question he heard in weeks."
"What else happened?"
"Nothing really. I just realized he was a normal guy, just like you. So I said. 'Good luck with your band. If I ever get my hands on some tickets I will come to see you. If only you promise you'll never go shopping by yourself again.' He promised me he'd take someone else and toss these pants in the trash as soon as he got home."
"So did you ever went to one of his concerts?"
"Going next week."
Cooper smiled. "My glass is empty again. How did that happen?"
She laughed. "Mine's empty already again too. But my friend is now an hour and a half late and I promised myself last time that happened, that I would leave before she does shows up. So maybe I can guilt her into showing up in time next time."
"So we'll go for a walk?" He asked. Not ready to call it a night. And not feeling like drinking alone anymore.
"Sure. I live 10 blocks from here. You can walk me home."
"Sounds good." Cooper said, while he got of the stool and put his coat on.
9:54 pm - West Pico Boulevard
Charlotte pulled her suitcase with clothes behind her, as she slowly made her way down West Pico Boulevard. She got the most important things from Cooper's apartment before the staff meeting because she was least likely to run into him then. She would have to go there in a few days to pick up her pieces of furniture. But when they finally moved in together she gave her own house up. So it would take a few days to find a new place.
For now she called ahead and booked herself a room at the Sheraton Hotel in this street. She decided to walk all the way from the hospital to try and clear her mind. It was an almost 30 minute walk but she was getting closer to the hotel now. She could see it at the other side of the street and walked towards the nearest traffic light to cross. When the light jumped to green she started walking, not paying attention to the traffic. She heard someone yelling "Watch out!" But she couldn't even respond when the world suddenly went black around her.
T.B.C.