J: "I heard you and Matt had a fight."

J: (innocently) "Whatever gave you that idea?"

J: "Oh, Norman's roommate's cousin works at the ice cream shop."

J: (sarcastically) "My, how gossip spreads."

J: "Norm said you two left the shop in a huff."

J: "We did not fight."

J: "An argument, then. What was it about?"

J: "None of your business."

J: (in a sing-song voice) "Bet it was about your embryos."

J: (harshly) "I said, it's none of your business."

Rae walks up..."What's the yelling about? We can hear you two down the hall."

Jules: "Great. Does everyone need to know what Matt and I discussed?"

Jackie: "Yes."

Jules looks daggers at Jackie. Rae cuts in, "Matt's a great man."

Jules: "I know he is. We only had conversation over ice cream."

Jackie: "Mmmm-hhmmm."

Rae: "You could have done worse than Matt for a sperm donor."

J & J: "Worse?" Jules continues, "Matt's a wonderful man!"

Jackie: "What do you have against Matt?" 

Rae: "Well, you could have asked Nicholas for sperm."

Jackie: "What's wrong with Nick?"

Jules: (rapidly, her voice rising in pitch) "What do you have against...oh, that. Well, it takes two to tango and you knew you were married."

Rae: "Some things should be buried."

Jules: "Tell it to Sean. I've a patient. Later." (Jules walks off, then spins and walks backward, facing Rae & Jackie) "Nicholas would be a great catch. Don't be so hard on him."

(Jules spins around again, walks off, a spring in her step. Rae looks disgusted at Jules' statement.)

Jackie: (looking trapped) "Well, I've a patient as well...parrot bit Miss Teen California's nose, left a scar."

R: "Ah, well, duty calls."

J: "Nothing some mederma and some laser lights won't correct."

(Jackie walks away. Rae calls after her) "David must be happy about the increase in income." 

(Jackie lifts her hand and waves it, leaving Rae to stand in the hallway. At the far end of the hallway, she sees the top of Matt's head bobbing through the crowd of people, then the mass of hair pauses...the crowd thins a bit and she watches Nicholas catch up with Matt...)

N: "Heard you and Jules had a tiff."

M: "It was not a tiff."

N: "Not according to Norman."

M: "How the bloody hell does he know what went on?"

N: "Roommate's cousin."

M: "Seems everyone knows. I'll have to speak to him."

N: "Good idea. What I came to tell you was that your testicular cancer diagnosis for Mister Zoller was correct."

M: "Did you...have...to remove...?"

N: (nods) "Yeah."

M: "Bloody hell. He wanted to have kids, too." 

N: "He'll just need a little help. That's Harriet's department."

M: "I hear the understatement."

N: (looks surprised) "I didn't mean to imply anything."

M: "Look, we didn't get an agreement and my feelings have changed."

N: "In a positive way?"

M: (looks away for a moment) "Yeah. She flat out refused support and I didn't do anything to her."

N: "Jules can be a bit insensitive."

M: (smiling) "Now that is the understatement of the year." 

(Nicholas catches sight of Rae through the thinning crowd. She glares at Nick. Matt notices.)  

M: "She brought her problems on herself."

N: "I was in on it too." 

M: "She's married. You're not."

N: "I knew she was married."

M: "Rae knew what she was doing. Now she has to deal with the consequences of her actions."

(Rae sticks out her tongue at Nick and Matt and Nick both shake their heads)

N: "See you later."

M: "Yeah, see you." 

(Matt and Nick walk in opposite directions, leaving Rae still standing at the far end of the hallway. Matt goes towards the kitchen, where Letty is looking over the edge of a pair of reading glasses when a frustrated Matt walks into the kitchen area.)

L: "Jules again?"

M: "Yeah."

L: "Don't let her reaction bother you."

M: (looking agitated) "Well, I'm sorry, but it does bother me. Despite her opinion, I do have feelings."

L: "What are you going to do about the embryos if Jules decides not to implant them?"

M: (surprised) "I, uh, don't know."

L: "Would you consider donating the embryos to an infertile couple if Jules doesn't implant them?" 

M: "I, well...(he looks confused)...I suppose I would donate them. I mean, the embryos."

L: "You really need to get a lawyer before too long."

M: "I think I agree with that. Is this hazelnut?"

L: "Yeah. Another flavored coffee."

M: "I've had hazelnut before. I like it with half and half. Milk tastes too thin and cream tastes too rich."

(Letty pours half and half into the cup, stirs, then sips) "You're right. Half and half does taste better. Gotta run." 

(She walks away, stopping at the door) "Matt?"

M: "Yes?"

L: "You're a fabulous man, and you'd make a great father."

M: "Thanks."  

(Matt is left stirring his coffee and looking off into space, his expression is sad. After a bit, he smiles wanly, then says softly:

M: "I would make a great father." 

A bit later, Norman walks into the kichen. 

N: "Hey, Doctor Slingerland."

M: "My compliments to your roommate's cousin."

N: "Oh, man. That's gotten around to you?"

M: (nodding) "Yep."

N: "Wasn't me that spread it." Matt looks dubious. "It must have been the new nurse."

Matt raises his eyebrow at Norman; the nurse in question walks into the kitchen.

Nurse: "Hello, Norman."

N: "Amarie, I'd like to introduce Doctor Slingerland."

M: "Charmed, I'm sure."

Amarie looks guilty. 

A: "Aye yuh yuh...I suppose I shouldn't have told that plastic surgeon what I heard?"

N: "No."

A: "I overheard his roommate telling him what his cousin said."

M: "Well, gossip hurts. To set the record straight, Jules and I didn't have an argument or a tiff or a spat."

A: "Sorry."

M: "Don't let it happen again."

Matt takes his coffee then walks out, a hurt and pained look on his face, leaving Amarie and Norman looking after him in puzzlement. 

Jules comes across Harriet in the elevator. 

H: "You really hurt Matt's feelings." 

J: (sounding annoyed) "Why is everyone on my case?"

H: "Because you didn't consider Matt's feelings might change with the passage of time." 

J: "It's only sperm." 

The elevator doors open and Harriet steps out. She turns and faces Jules. 

H: "Only sperm? Jules, I'm surprised at you. You're a pediatrician." 

J: "But it is just sperm." 

H: "Well, Matt's feelings have changed towards a more active paternity. Think about that." 

Harriet turns and walks away as the elevator doors close, leaving Jules gaping at Harriet's retreating back. The elevator rises a floor, the doors open and Matt's waiting to get on.

J: "Matt!" Matt pulls himself up short. He's surprised. 

M: "Ah, Jules...uhm, we need to..." he pauses, unsure of what to do...

J: "Later."

(the elevator doors close. Matt doesn't try to stop the doors from closing. He is left standing with a frown on his face.

Rae is coming out of the bathroom. She's adjusting her jacket. Looking up, she and Nick spot each other. Nick walks up to Rae.

N: "Are you angry at me?"

R: "Yeah."

N: "Why?"

R: "I'm angry at everyone."

N: "Yourself included?"

R: "Yeah. I didn't think things would turn out like this."

Nick raises his eyebrow. "Why not?"

R: "Oh, I don't know. I mean, when she phoned me, I was angry at her, angry at Sean. But we got over it."

N: "Where does that leave us?"

R: "I told you that I needed to work on my marriage."

N: "That's not an answer."

R: (angrily) "It's as good an answer as you're going to get now." 

Rae pushes past Nick, leaving him staring after her.