Even though Kate had gone over the scenario about five hundred times in her head, she was still nervous about putting the plan into action. One thing was certain; Rose was still around and would be trying to observe another one of Kate's surgeries sooner or later. She knew because she had spotted her walking into the cafeteria. Needless to say, Kate had skipped meat stew in favor of a hotdog from the hospital kiosk.

For the moment, she was hiding behind a shelf that held brightly colored magazines. The scent of pizza from behind the counter mingled with that of the hotdog and confused her sense of taste. She would occasionally pick up a fashion magazine or two, but the others didn't interest her much.

Her resolve was already beginning to waver. What good was kissing Rose out of nowhere really going to do? It had sounded like a workable plan back when Mari had presented it, and it might have been if an admirer was her actual problem. Last time Rose had already made prior arrangements with the hospital director. Why would she do otherwise this time?

A resigned sigh escaped her. If she couldn't escape observation that only left her with the option of not making it worth the while. If she only did standard cases there shouldn't be a reason to use magic. It would have been easy if not for the fact that she'd have to reject patients who would likely die as a consequence. But it would save many more in the future. While the idea made sense from a rational perspective it still left her feeling terrible.

"Hey, Kate!"

Kate jumped and nearly dropped her hotdog when someone addressed her from behind. When she turned around she found the culprit grinning broadly.

"Mari, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Good thing you've got a resuscitation expert by your side then." She clasped her hands together and eyed Kate expectantly. "Well then, when are you going to make a pass at mister lovestruck?"

"How would you know I haven't already?" The last thing she needed at the moment was Mari pushing her into making a pass at the hospital director's son.

Mari rolled her eyes. "Did you forget our state of the art information network, aka hospital gossip? The moment you did something it'd be on everyone's lips." She put her arms to her sides. "Don't tell me you're trying to worm your way out of this."

"Am I not allowed to change my mind? This is ridiculous."

"Oh come on. You didn't even try and you've already reached the conclusion that it won't work?" Mari pouted. "At least give it a shot."

Kate wasn't sure whether it was genuine disappointment over the fact that the problem wouldn't be resolved, or just disappointment over missing out on the show. Both plausible explanations when Mari was concerned. Kate knew that warding off Mari could take a while, but she'd be okay as long as she just stayed firm.

"No, I'm not doing it. I realized that it wouldn't accomplish anything in the end." Kate sighed. "The only real option is to make sure there's nothing remarkable to report."

"Meaning?" Mari's eyes suddenly widened and she held a hand in front of her mouth. "You don't mean that you're going to switch departments? Please reconsider!" She clasped her hands together stared intently at Kate. "Your desk is a very good addition to my standard escape routes. And you're a good surgeon."

"I like how my skills are your second argument."

Mari didn't waver. "Well, you know how it is. Help yourself before you try helping others. At any rate, you have got to stay. If there's anything I can do just say the word and I'll-"

"Mari, please calm down." Kate raised both of her hands. "I'm not leaving surgery. I'm just going to refuse the most complex cases for a while. That way there won't be much of an accomplishment to talk about."

"Oh, that's what you meant." Mari said. Her shoulders slumped. "At least Anna is going to be happy about that, eh? No more big risk-taking for her to get upset over." She cocked her head and smiled, but Kate could tell that it was forced.

Kate forced a smile of her own. "Hey, it's just going to be for a while. Until he loses interest. I'd be lying if I said I felt good about it, but it's for the best."

"No!" Mari threw her hands up in a gesture that was sudden enough to startle Kate. When she brought her hands back down, they were curled into fists. "I can't allow that. I won't let you take the avoidance route before you've made an attempt."

"What did I do to deserve this?" Kate groaned.

"I'm just doing what any friend would. If you don't try you're sure to agonize over the fact later. Would it have worked? Could this course of action have been avoided?"

Kate felt her gaze drawn to the shelf of soda behind Mari. The brightly-colored metal cans seemed easier to look at than her face. Not because what Mari was saying was wrong, but precisely because she had a point. If she didn't try she'd always run the risk of questioning her decision. If she tried she'd know for sure that it didn't work.

She heaved a sigh as she forced herself to look at Mari.

"Okay. You're right. I have to give it at least one try. If it doesn't work I'm falling back on plan B."

Mari beamed. "You won't regret it, I guarantee."

Kate finished the last of her hotdog without any comment. She drew a deep breath and braced herself. This was it. She was going to be doing it after all. And unfortunately she knew just where Rose was, because she was one of the people that walked past the kiosk at that very moment.

She glanced at Mari who grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. It was do or die time.