Tess sighed in relief as she sat down. She had her cup of coffee, and a book and hid her face immediately wanting to be alone and for everyone to know it. She was exhausted, she thought she smelled like anesthesia and hated the world.

She wasn't in the mood to be socializing; it was rare when those moods came, but when they did, she was much snappier than usual and less patient. All day today she had been a smile on her face, and one appointment after another, her smile grew dimmer and dimmer, as did the joy in her eyes.

"I hate my job" she mumbled to herself.

Her head was throbbing, she was having issues in her personal life, and nothing seemed as good as it could be. She hated those moods and yet she found herself in one. It was a funk she needed to get out of, and quick. So she hid her face behind an old book and hoped everyone would get the message.

Chale didn't often get any breaks, being the highest of the doctors. If he wasn't busy with his own case, it was others asking for help. So when he finally got a break, he left to the relaxing area for the workers and stayed there for the time being. But he could feel that there were someone there now, and though the room wasn't reserved for him, he got a bit annoyed at the thought.

He walked into the room and saw that is was Black. "Ah, Tomato face," he said calmly and sat down in a couch opposite, picking up today's edition of The Daily Prophet. "How is life treating you?" He could feel the tension and aggression in the air, and looked forward to see if she would remain silent or explode in his face. He was hoping for the latter.

Tess' tension was clear as her shoulders lifted and a sigh was emitted from her lips. He was one of the reasons she was alone, and sought to be alone, simply because he was such an arse. She didn't appreciate the nickname, especially since people were now sniggering when he said it to her across the hallway, or during a meeting, or during normal conversation. Of course no one dared to say it to her face, knowing that they were suppose to not be eavesdropping.

She lowered her book and looked at him glaring. She didn't want to yell, no she had to control herself. She also feared losing her job, and it wasn't like she could complain, for one thing he was her boss, the second was that...there were worse nicknames out there. It could always be worse, as harsh as that sounded.

"You would know, considering how you've been making my life, oh so sweeter Healer Donovan" she replied with a growl.

Her annoyance was clear in her gaze, and her body language, as she kept all her tension in the book she was currently gripping, till her hands were white.

Chale noticed how she tensed, how she was trying to control herself. It was so easy to see. He kept his face calm, even though he felt like he had just had a personal victory and wanted to smirk the life out of her. But that would make him look bad, and Chale didn't look bad. Not that he really cared about that either, but he wanted to have a bit more fun before he started breaking her spirits. Otherwise, she'd break instantly. But if she knew him better, she'd fight harder to prove herself. That was the way of healers.

But he couldn't stop the snort when she said that he'd made her life a living hell. Well, not directly, but it was definitely there. "You made your life a living hell deciding to take this job. Either you pay the consequences, or you stop," Chale said calmly, "If the stakes are too high, then get out of the game."

But despite the retort, Chale felt a distinct pride that someone was already set on fighting him as much as Black was. There had been a few of those, but not many. He gave her an intriguing look. "Unless you can take the heat," he said with a smirk.

Tess immediately slammed the book shut and found herself glaring at him. Why was he so cruel? She didn't understand how he could spit out venom like words, but then look so relaxed as he held the newspaper. He acted as if he wasn't a total prick to her moments ago. She gripped the spine of the book tightly and forced herself to remember that despite all she could say he was her superior.

"I chose this job because I'm good at it" she hissed. "and yes, I admit I didn't know that I would get a superior that such a..."

She took in a sharp breath and forced herself to remain in control. She might not have control over the conversation, for some reason he always had the upper hand, but she did have control over herself (or at least she was hoping she did). But as he sat right across from her she felt as if they were already at ends.

"Point is I'm not getting out, I've taken more heat than this before, and from stronger men, so I suggest that if you have any more to say, might as well say it now."

It wasn't something she'd usually say, but he was working on her last nerves, and she was getting just sick of it.

Chale didn't react when she shut her book and refrained from grinning. He then casually turned a page in his newspaper, and looked over the tip of it and over to her. "Now, now. If you can take all the heat, why do you force yourself to stay in control now?" he asked patronizingly.

Yes, Chale knew he could be a right arse, but he didn't care. He enjoyed being a dick. It was okay with him. And there was nothing anyone could say about it either. This hospital wasn't run by democracy, but by skill, and there wasn't a single person who was a greater healer than him. That wasn't bragging, that was a fact. And one couldn't deny a fact without being labeled as completely stupid.

He turned another page and then sighed. "The Daily Prophet is seriously turning into bullshit these days," he said annoyed, "Nothing they write about is interesting anymore. It's more of a magazine than a tabloid now. Horrible, that's what it is."

He knew it might seem weird to Tess that he just suddenly turned the conversation around, but she'd soon come to learn that this was another one of his personality traits. He rarely stayed on the same conversation for long. It so easily got boring. And now that the paper was gone, the full intensity of his eyes were fixed on Tess. She didn't look overly tired, though she had the normal bags under her eyes that pretty much every healer had. Even those who were fully educated. "So, Ms. Black, what kind of menagerie do you want to work with in the future?" he asked her.

Tess put her book down, as calmly as possible, she didn't want to become 'tomato-faced' as he so lovingly called it, but it was hard when she was reeling in her emotions. She wanted to hex him to the next millennium, to show him that she wasn't so meek or weak-minded as he probably thought she was.

'Personal and professional are separate' she thought to herself.

"Because if I didn't keep control, I would have hexed you to oblivion" she said with a gleeful smile at the thought.

She rarely resorted to acts violence or warnings, but she wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. He was handsome, but his prick nature just rustled her feathers in a way that angered her more than she realized. Like now for instance, he changed the subject as if he was talking about the weather before.

He was looking again, in the same piercing gaze that had once made her turn red and avoid it. Now, now she was just mad, and she looked at him dead on as he made her look like the crazy one. Why couldn't he be normal?

"I want to work in spell damage, or find a way to integrate muggle and magical techniques in my work" she murmured.

She was annoyed yes, but if he was jumping from one subject to another she would play along.

Chale grinned at her statement. "Yes, sure, but if you are so exceptionally good at what you do and being able to take the heat, why do you want to hex me to oblivion at all? Wouldn't you be able to ignore my statements and nicknames if you could take the heat?" he asked her wickedly.

Chale could barely keep from breaking into a fit of laughter when she met his gaze with an intensity that made her look half mad. He wasn't surprised when she said where she wanted to work. A lot of people wanted to work there. Which made it a harder place to get into. However, he knew she had the potential.

"And you'd be perfect for it," he said, his wicked grin dropping, being replaced with a kind and honest smile. One of the smiles he only gave people on really, really rare occasions and that often took people aback. "It even intrigues me a bit. How do you want to mix the muggle techniques in with the magical ones? What do they have that magic does not? And I ask that question not to sound judgmental towards muggle technique, they survive pretty well on that side as well," he added importantly.

Tess squinted at his comment and ignored the rising redness. He had her there; and it angered her more than anything. She wrinkled her nose at his assessment and stayed quiet not wanting to feed his glee that he had her.

But at his change of expression she tilted her head in bemusement, until he grinned. He had smiled before, that bastard smile that made her want to hurt him, but now it was different. Her whole expression softened and she looked at him in surprise, and embarrassment. She ignored the fact that she was flushed and looked down at her hands, his expression made her confused.

"Thank you" she murmured softly. "I just want to integrate machinery, like IV machines, or heart monitors because despite our magical treatment there is only so much we could do"

Chale was winning that discussion and he knew it. And being who he was... Well, let's just say he felt overly content with himself. He had managed to make another person miserable and red today, and he felt he had done enough spell damage for that day. Ironic to be using that phrase, but he felt it fitted.

His kind smile didn't change when she flushed at it and looked away from him and down at her hands. He was about to say tomato-face, when he remembered that he had done enough. So he simply cleared his throat in ignorance and then nodded professionally, his face falling into a serious mode, his smile altogether leaving his face.

"I see. Well, that is a fair point. I hope you'll succeed with that. And if you want a helping hand, all you need do is ask," he said calmly. Of course, he'd make her life a living hell if she asked, maybe even making up a new nickname, like calling her 'Bella Swan' since that girl always needed help in those bloody, saggy things called a 'book'.

That thought brought the wicked grin back to his face and he looked at her with what people would call the 'you're about to be burned'-look. "So, are you done for the day and have nothing better to do than hang around in the tea room? Something I presume since your constant red face leaves me to believed you're not very social," he said casually, though the tone of wickedness was resident in his voice.

For once, Tess felt happy that she could open up, if only a bit about her dreams within her field. Especially with Chale, because despite his bastardly attitude, he was listening and supported her.

She was about to thank him for even taking some time to motivate her, if only for a second, especially since he was volunteering himself to help...that all changed the moment that he uttered his comment. Her whole calm and shy demeanor changed and she found herself in square one once more: utter loathing.

At first her expression did nothing to hide her surprise and disappointment of his flip-flopping attitude. She leaned forward, towards him, before hitting his arm with the book glaring.

"No one ever complains about me, you stupid face" she snapped back. "And I can fairly say, that I definitely have people that socialize with me, it just happens that I have a great taste and not many fit that mold of people in this place that I want to deal with."

Chale played his pokerface perfectly at her expressive expression. But he couldn't help but bark a laugh when she leaned over and hit him with her book. He crossed his arms and made a terrified face. "Oh no, she's gonna eat me!"

Then his face, so quickly it was almost brutal, changed to a very psychiatrist face and listened with quick and short nods to her outburst. "I see," he said tentatively and then changed his expression again to a much calmer one.

"You have a great taste, huh? Interesting. And how does that make you feel, all the people in the hospital, being so utterly below your level?" he asked curiously, yet very seriously, almost reprimanding.

Tess glared, she didn't need his laughter, she didn't need him to see her like some stupid entertainment. She was a serious healer, and here she was, acting like a teenager. So much for her professionalism.

But once he took it seriously, once he made the whole feel around them be eerily cold, was when she looked at him with a clear expression of hurt. He misunderstood her, figures, everyone did it anyways, but what hurt her the most was that he thought that she was probably some pompous arse herself.

"I never questioned their work ethic nor them being below me. Who am I to judge, but why should I try to socialize with individuals that already belittle me on a daily basis for my work and create rumors of my private life. Why would I want to take constant crap, from them...from you. I don't need that."

Chale knew she was angry. But he didn't know she'd take it that personally. Ah well, infuriating people was his favorite hobby. He leaned back in his chair and fixed her with a inspecting gaze, though he was sure she was pretty much used to that gaze by now. He wasn't looking at her like that to make her go red at the moment. No, he was looking at her because she was absolutely furious. Chale had crossed the line, and he didn't feel the slightest bit sorry.

"You think people made the rumors about you because they thought you were below them?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow. "No, no. No they made the rumors up because they envy you. So, if you take a moment to look beyond your own misery, maybe you'll see that you do your work like any healer in the pediatrics does, while all your other classmates are struggling to keep up. Maybe you should try to walk over to them, give them a compliment on how well they did this and that. In their minds, they idolize you, but they can't admit that because they think it means admitting defeat," Chale said calmly, making very sure that he himself didn't sound reprimanding this time either. It was important that she got what he was saying, because she had the potential to go as far, if not further, than himself.

"Do you really think I call you names like 'tomato-face' merely because I enjoy it? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love your reaction to the name, but do you think that is the only reason? No, I call you names because I know you can take it. I have a nickname for every healer there is on this hospital, but I do not have one for the interns except for you because where all the other interns would give up, you work harder. And that might make you angry-," Chale said and put his hands behind his head, looking into the roof, "-but I'd take it as a compliment."

Tess looked at him wide-eyed. He was lying; he had to be. Because if they respected her, they wouldn't look at her with pure disdain, or talked about her in a manner that made her hide in her office until she could compose herself once more.

She lowered her gaze and took in a deep breath just listening to him. She didn't really want to think about this; it wasn't the time. She merely let him talk, and vent. Once he was done, she looked at him seriously.

"You really don't know me do you?" she asked softly. "I'm not you, I don't just demand respect with every step I take, I'm just me and despite how 'nice' I try to be it doesn't work. There is only one healer that was kind to me this moment and he's not even here anymore. So if it's all good with you, I'd rather then just be forgotten by them."

She wasn't mad at him, she really wasn't but his "wisdom" ruffled her feathers. Like he knew her, and knew them on a personal level that he knew their opinions towards her. She wrinkled her nose especially once he began to explain why he teased her. Tilting her head and felt her lip twitch lightly and she responded.

"So if I call you, scraggly git you'd take it as a compliment yourself?" she replied.

She wanted to ignore the fact that it got too personal, teasing she could take.

Chale raised an eyebrow in wonder. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she didn't have the abilities to go as far as he imagined after all. Because she clearly didn't understand the minds of healers. "I've been an intern, Ms. Black, don't forget that. And there was a person like you in that group. And that wasn't me. That was the person everyone admired and detested at the same time," Chale said calmly.

"That person would undoubtedly be sitting where I am today if it wasn't for the fact that he died in the crossfire of a battle, trying to rescue everyone in another hospital in Scotland," Chale told her. He then rose from his seat and looked down on her.

"As for the respect part, I never demand respect from others, others give it to me, and I oft times wonder why. I do not say 'you will respect my authority' to others. I simply did my job right. Now it's your turn," he said calmly as he walked over to the door.

He opened it and looked at her. "And of course I wouldn't. I didn't mean to take the fact that I call you 'tomato-face' as a compliment, but the fact that I think you're strong enough to cope with that. But I've been mistaken before. Maybe your social antenna isn't the only one that's off."

As that was said he gave her a slight nod. "Enjoy the rest of your day," he said calmly and shut the door behind him.

Tess felt like a scolded child once more as he spoke to her. For a second he reminded her of the "Ice Man" and how he father tended to speak her her, as if she wasn't bright enough to understand what he was saying. Her gaze lowered immediately and her posture straightened as he spoke, and she found herself listening, wanting to understand.

She closed her eyes as he explained how the man, his partner had sacrificed his life. She felt her eyes water, and she refused to look up. He spoke of the person, she wondered if he was close to them, because it hit a bit like home. She always sacrificed herself for whatever people wanted, and she wouldn't do that anymore.

As he got up she still sat there gripping her boo. She had disappointed him, she was used to disappointing people, but this was a person that she never expected to care about what they thought, but she did. As he left, she said nothing instead waited for the hallway to be open so she could call it an early day and allow herself to do some soul searching.