A Shift in Perspective

A few weeks had passed since Tony had started to notice Pam in a different light, and he had grown more comfortable with his colleagues in the ER. One day, as he was grabbing a bite to eat in the cafeteria, he spotted Pam and Susan sitting at a table, chatting and laughing together. He decided to join them, walking over and clearing his throat to announce his presence. "Hey, mind if I join you?" Tony asked, nodding at the empty chair. Susan smiled and waved him over. "Not at all, Tony. We were just discussing the excitement of our day so far." Pam looked up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Doug had a patient who tried to pay with a coupon," she said, chuckling. Tony's eyes lit up with laughter. "That's our Doug," he said, shaking his head. As they talked, Tony found himself stealing glances at Pam, smiling at her as she shared stories about her patients. He couldn't help but feel drawn to her warm and caring nature. Just as they were getting into a conversation about their favorite cases, Doug walked over and plopped down beside Pam, flashing her a charming smile. "Hey, beautiful," he said, winking at her. "What's for lunch?" Pam laughed and playfully rolled her eyes. "Just a sandwich, Doug. What about you?" As Doug started chatting with Pam, Tony found himself feeling a twinge of surprise. He hadn't expected to feel jealous, but as he watched Doug flirt with Pam, he couldn't help but feel a little possessive. He pushed the feeling aside, telling himself he was being ridiculous. Pam was a grown woman, capable of handling herself. But as the afternoon wore on, Tony couldn't shake the feeling. Later that day, as he was walking out of the ER, Susan caught up with him. "Hey, Tony, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. Tony nodded, curious. "What's up?" Susan smiled mischievously. "I noticed something in the cafeteria today. You seemed a little... distracted when Doug was flirting with Pam." Tony raised an eyebrow, surprised that Susan had picked up on it. "What do you mean?" Susan leaned in, her voice low. "I mean, you seemed jealous. You were watching Doug and Pam, and you looked a little... possessive." Tony felt a flush rise to his cheeks. He hadn't realized he was that obvious. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to play it cool. But Susan just laughed. "Don't play dumb, Tony. I think you might have feelings for Pam." Tony's heart skipped a beat as he considered Susan's words. Was it possible that he had developed feelings for Pam? He hadn't thought about it before, but now that Susan mentioned it, he couldn't deny the flutter in his chest whenever he was around her. As he walked away from Susan, Tony couldn't help but wonder what the future held for him and Pam.