That Healing Touch Series by K.Darblyne

Book Two

Up in the Air

Chapter 1

The warming water danced along her body like spring showers over newly budding vegetation. Her long form was like a harboring reservoir as the tiny drops of water built up in its dips and cervices and then allowed them to cascade down her limbs and trunk. The warmth of the shower made her think of how much she had come to think of her new family here in Pittsburgh. It was as though each of them had extended a welcoming embrace to her, with that small blonde nurse being right at the heart of the matter. It had been a long time since she connected herself with anybody, yet to think of someone as family. The surgeon shook her head.

Garrett Trivoli had only been in the city five months but it felt more like home than anywhere she had ever lived before. Her time in college, medical school, residency, or the Navy had no holds on her like this place. It was proving to be very different, this year of Fellowship for her. More than she expected. It wasn’t the job or the training that she was impressed with, it was the people who went out of their way to make her feel as if she was a part of them. And she was more at home with the petite blonde than anyone.

Garrett thought about the warm-hearted nurse, Danni Bossard, who had talked her into sharing her house when the new Fellow found herself seeking a place to live, joking about being homeless. The surgeon thought about how appropriate that it was for Danni to have short golden hair. It made her think of the nurse’s unending heart of gold, always giving and caring about others before she ever thought about herself.

A lopsided smile came to her face as she thought about the woman. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see all of the similarities before.’ She shook her head and continued her shower routine, lathering as she went. ‘It was my brother telling me all along. She’s the soul to replace him in my life.’

She no longer had sadness in her heart when she thought of him. She realized that life goes on, and that for every soul that leaves us, one is sent to take it’s place. It’s just that we have to carry their essence with us until we find that replacement. "Maybe Rene had something there? He did ask me to open my eyes." She chuckled as her mind was pulling things out of the last five months and creating a new order for them in her brain.

Her colleague Rene Chabot had teased her that he would even turn Jewish if it would help her to find someone special. She thought about his tall, thin frame and that rugged French-Canadian accent of his leading prayers at a Synagogue and laughed out loud. ‘I could see you better cast as the Yenta in the Fiddler on the Roof, Chabot.’

Then there was Karen, the E.R. Charge Nurse at night. Mom, as they all called her, had gathered her into that E.R. family, which she was the matriarch of, without a second thought, even though their first meeting was almost life-threatening in nature. Garrett wondered about her own mother, had she lived. Would she have been like Karen in some respects, always the tough disciplinarian on the outside with a soft spot for a heart on the inside?

The surgeon turned off the shower as she reached out for a towel. The sound of music was filtering into the bathroom. ‘Danni must be up now!’ She smiled and thought about the woman who found nights too long when working, but way too short when she was able to sleep through them. "I bet this early morning stuff is going to put a serious dent in her restfulness." Garrett cracked open the door and yelled out, "You better get some livelier music on, my friend. That is, if you want to get up." She paused before continuing with her toweling off, waiting to see if she was heard.

The sound of saucy Latin music was her answer. The lively beat causing even the surgeon to begin moving to the music as she dried off; the towel snapping as she reacted to its rhythm. Her mind filled with thoughts of Rosie, the auburn-haired nurse that was another pseudo-daughter of Mom’s in that growing E.R. family. She had been the outspoken one in the E.R., always riveting to the action of the night. Her loud acclamations of landing a distinguished doctor had only set her up for a fall again with this year’s candidates. Garrett looked down at her own body and sighed, ‘Too bad, Rosie. I guess the name just didn’t have the right body attached to it for your liking.’ She raised her eyebrow at the concept of being a male. Then, just as quickly shook her head, "Nah!" She liked the body she had been given, besides she was finding it quite comfortable.

Garrett continued on with her morning ritual as she readied herself for the meeting that both she and Danni were to have with Dr. McMurray. Her mind thinking about all the people that were making her life different from what it had been. Never would she have dreamed of feeling at home again. Yes, she had found some very good people here in the "’Burgh".

**************

The lively beat of the music was doing its job. The slow movements of the woman were beginning to show more life as her eyes began to open and survey the dimly lit bedroom. "By the gods! The sun isn’t even awake yet," she cried. Then she remembered what today’s meeting was to be about and her mind took on a new attitude. ‘Ah, yes! That meeting with Dr. McMurray about the proposed project.’

Her mind conjured up the image of her tall, raven-haired friend. The demanding perfectionist of a surgeon had scared them all, except for her. She wasn’t quite sure what it was about Garrett, but she knew that underneath the entire attitude was a really good person. "Yep, glad I called that one right.’ She smiled at the thought. ‘I bet she didn’t even know that she carried that baggage around with her all these years.’

As Danni closed her eyes, she could see the interior of the dimly lit cabin, the dark form sitting huddled in front of the fireplace, just staring into it. ‘I’m just glad that you bared your soul to me that night.’ She chuckled at the thought. ‘Not to mention your body, too!’ She could feel her face flush with warmth at the thought. ‘Oh! Better not go there.’

The nurse’s mind jerked her thoughts from the surgeon, to that of getting her small frame up and out of bed. She threw back the covers and found her dream journal tucked neatly where she had left it, under the extra pillow to her right. She picked it up and fingered the cover as she contemplated reading a passage or two. Then, deciding that she didn’t really have any time for it this morning, she placed it on the nightstand. She had her favorite passages and those she knew by heart. She let her mind recount them in her head. Her favorite one of all being that of the fierce, dark-haired warrior with the twinkling eyes. There wasn’t much more to remember. The dreams never lasted longer than a moment or two, and usually occurred right before she was waking. ‘If only I knew what they stood for. Maybe someday they’ll all make sense.’ "I’d better get a move on," she mumbled as she let her feet go over the edge of the mattress and on to the floor. She grabbed her robe and headed for the bathroom.

******************

She wasn’t quite sure whether it was the excitement of beginning the project or the anticipation of the meeting with the Chief of Trauma Services, but Danni was ahead of schedule for a daylight shift. Her morning was moving along rather nicely as she waited for Garrett to finish up in the bathroom. The half-cup of coffee left in her mug attested to that. She never would drink coffee at home in the morning, simply because she couldn’t get up in enough time to fix it and drink it, too. But Garrett, now that was a different story. The woman was an early riser. The routine of her mornings could be timed and viewed with the precision as any close ordered drill in the military, each second planned and executed without delay.

She settled into the comfortable, overstuffed chair in the living room. Danni liked the fact that she was able to relax a few extra minutes and slowly sipped at the creamy brown liquid that was completing her morning wake up. Her thoughts drifted to the upcoming meeting with Dr. McMurray. She thought about her apprehension the last time and decided not to let her nerves get the better of her. It didn’t make for a good impression of their team when one of them had to be pushed into the office while the other had to be physically dragged out of it. ‘Never thought that I could do that one.’ She flexed her biceps and laughed.

"What’s so funny?" Garrett asked as she passed through the room on her way to the upstairs. She dropped her duffel at the foot of the stairs as Danni began to answer.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how strong I’ve become." She flexed her muscle once more and pointed at it. "See?"

The surgeon shook her head and continued up the stairs. "I’ve just got to get my toiletries for the night. I’ll be right down."

"Okay, I guess that you’re on-call tonight." Her voice trailed off as she made a face, wishing that she could be there all night, too. She contemplated the next twenty-four hours, or more, for the surgeon when the ringing of the phone disturbed her thoughts.

"I’ll get that, Gar," she yelled and made her way to the phone on the hall stand.

"Hello," she greeted the caller.

"Oh, Dan! I’m glad that I finally got a hold of you." The voice was full of life, as her younger sister always was.

"Yes, Brie. It’s me. You’re up awfully early. What can I do for you?" Danni liked her sister, but she knew what the phone call was going to be about, her missing Thanksgiving Dinner with the family. ‘Well, I made my choice and they’re going to have to live with it.’

"I was wondering why you didn’t come home for the holiday. Mother was very disappointed that we weren’t all together. You did remember that it was Thanksgiving last Thursday, didn’t you?" Her tone was sharp as she tried to show her sister what she thought. She paused, silently waiting for an answer.

"Danni," the husky voice called out from the second floor. "I can’t find my razor, do you have one that I can borrow?" Garrett stood patiently at the top of the stairs.

"Who’s that yelling?" Brie was quick to ask.

"Hang on a minute, Sis." Danni laid the phone down on the stand then crossed to the bottom of the staircase. "I have a spare one in the top drawer of my nightstand. Go ahead and take it. I’ll get some more at the store later this week."

"Thanks." The surgeon called back. "I owe you one."

The petite woman returned to the phone with a smile on her face. ‘I like this new Garrett even better.’ It was amazing how much they were growing to rely on one another. Taking a breath to bring her mind back into focus, Danni spoke into the receiver. "Okay, Sis, I’m back. Now, what was that question?"

"Never mind the question, I want to know who that was?" Brie was surprised at what she had heard over the phone. ‘Now, why would anyone want to borrow a razor? Unless…’ Her mind raced with possibilities until she heard her sibling start to talk.

"That was just Garrett, Brie."

"Garrett…Garrett who?"

"Oh, Dr. Trivoli, one of the Trauma Fellows this year." Danni’s voice was clear and without hesitation.

Then her sister took on another avenue of pursuit. "I guess that’s the reason you weren’t at dinner?" She smiled to herself. ‘Way to go, Danni. Mother always wanted a doctor in the family. We all knew you’d come around.’

"Ah…yeah, Garrett pulled that holiday to be on-call, so I volunteered to work, too. That way we ate together and Gar didn’t have to be all alone." Danni was proud of herself. She had answered with the truth and was feeling good about it. No more caving in to her family’s wishes. She was bound and determined to stand on her own.

"So you and this doctor are getting pretty friendly I see." Brie was testing the waters, trying to see just how much information she could extract from her sister without it being considered prying.

Garrett was standing at the bottom of the stairs now, putting her toiletry bag into her duffel. She motioned to her watch to signal her friend of the time, then whispered. "I’m leaving in two minutes, are we driving in together?"

Danni nodded her head and picked up her keys, shaking them in full sight. "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you, Gar moved in with me a couple of months ago. Hey, Brie, I really got to run now or I’ll be late for work. I promise I’ll talk to you soon. Okay?"

"Yeah, get going, but we have to talk, and soon." There was a bit of urgency in her voice and Danni readily picked up on it.

"As soon as I can, Brie. Nothing’s wrong is there…with the pregnancy, I mean?"

"No, nothing with the baby. Now hurry before you’re late. Bye." She lingered on the phone line, straining to hear any other clues as to what was going on in her sister’s life.

"Bye," the nurse said, then called out to the waiting surgeon as she replaced the phone on to its cradle. "Okay, let me get my coat and I’m ready." ‘Well, that went better than I anticipated. She must be mellowing with the second pregnancy.’

Grabbing her coat as she passed by the chair that it was thrown over, she quickly put her arms into it and worked at the buttons as she went out of the already opened door. Pulling it closed behind her, she checked to make sure that it had locked and then went down the steps trying to catch up to her friend.

The nurse pushed all thoughts of the phone conversation out of her mind. It was going to be a big day and Danni wanted nothing to overshadow it.

**************

The tall surgeon had quickly begun her day as she accepted the trauma pager from her colleague. The ease with which she and Rene had at handing off to one another made others believe that they had been associates for a long time. It seemed that since Garrett had stepped foot into Pittsburgh, her whole life was changing for the better. So often her earlier days in medicine had been met with challenges by the mostly male dominated profession. They had all considered females to be inferior to them and therefore only tokens to keep the equal opportunities people off their backs. Oh, how she had proven them wrong. Her intent was to be the best and nothing less. That is where all of her energies were channeled, to her studies and to honing her skills as an aspiring surgeon.

Now, her efforts were beginning to pay off. She was at the top of her learning experience and had an excellent mentor in Dr. McMurray. She knew that what he had confided in her that first day on the job was true. Her technical skills were impeccable. It was her people skills that she needed to work on. ‘Thank the gods, for Danni.’ Her mind turned over how the petite nurse was making such a large impact on her life. It was as though fate had planned this move for her and there was nothing that was going to change it.

Garrett fidgeted behind the metal desk in her small office. She was growing nervous about the meeting with the Ol’ Cutter. She thought about his nickname, it seemed so appropriate for someone of his medical stature. McMurray always made her more aware of the world around her each and every time he started to talk about one of his photographs that decorated the large office, or his experiences in previous operative procedures. They were taken directly from his life and travels with his wife during his budding career. In a way, it was like learning from a wise old soul.

For a moment, Garrett turned very introspective and thought about what she would have to show of her early days in medicine as she imagined herself as Chief of Trauma Services sometime in the future. She looked down to her hands, the only thing that really symbolized her career thus far. "Maybe I should have them bronzed?" She joked. She could see herself now, trying to make a point, any point, and always reverting back to the bronzed hands. Sighing, she thought about it. ‘I guess they’re only good when you reach out to someone. I can see that talk becoming pretty boring after the second time.’ "Hmm…guess I’ve got a lot of reaching out to do."

Her thoughts were disturbed by the soft rapping on the office door. She looked up pensively from her hands. "Come in," she called out and waited to see what needed her attention now. She was relieved to see the face of Dr. Kreger, the Chief Resident on her service today. "Rob! What can I do for you?" Her voice was sincere. She actually liked her colleague and was glad to see that his initial fear of her was being overcome. She got the impression that he was a sponge trying to soak up all of the surgical skills that she could possibly show him. She liked having him on her trauma nights, especially now that he was coming into his own as a surgeon and finally realizing it himself. The importance of having confidence in yourself was necessary in this field, it added to your maturity and the sooner you learned it, the better you could become.

"I just stopped in to tell you not to worry about the meeting with the Ol’ Cutter today. I’ll cover the E.R. while you’re in conference with him." Rob winked in the knowledge that McMurray’s conferences were never short, his stories always taking precedence over time.

Garrett let her lower lip extend into a pout. "And I was going to hope for the trauma pager to go off," she teased. Her face took on a more normal expression as she nodded in acceptance. "Thanks, Rob. I appreciate that."

"Well, I know how much this project means to you. Say, if there is anything that I could help with…." Rob noticed that the Trauma Fellow’s expression was changing to one of happiness as her eyes began to twinkle in delight before she attempted to reign in her emotions, showing only the stoicism that she was known for. Her intermittent gaze distracted him as he followed it, turning to see what she was focusing on right past him. There, in the doorway, stood the blonde E.R. Nurse, Danni. Kreger’s voice stammered slightly as he continued. "But I…I…see that you probably have more help than you need already." He acknowledged her presence with a dip of his head.

Garrett spoke, her eyes still transfixed to Danni, "I’ll keep you in mind, Rob."

"Okay, I’ll…I’ll just go check in on that patient from earlier this morning. Good luck with McMurray." The Chief Resident excused himself to Danni as he made his way out the door. To be truthful, he felt a little awkward in that small office, especially standing in-between the two women. It was strange. He almost felt that he was intruding on something but just what, he wasn’t sure.

"Thanks, Rob!" "Thanks for the offer." The pair called slightly out of sync as he started off down the hall.

The nurse stepped into the room, her hand lingering on the doorknob. "Hey, Gar," she greeted her friend.

"Hey," was the return as the surgeon allowed the lopsided grin to take over her face. "You’re a little early, aren’t you?" She looked down at her watch. It was 0940.

"Yeah, well, tell it to my stomach. I don’t think those butterflies know how to tell time." She held on to her midsection and grimaced. "They started getting flighty about twenty minutes ago."

"Hmmm…" the surgeon looked very serious in thought. "Would you like me to write you out a script for some compazine? It will settle your stomach right up." Her eyebrow raised in question as she opened a drawer searching for a prescription pad.

The blonde hair quivered as the nurse shook her head, "No, I’ll pass this time." She then ventured further into the small office and closed the door. "Gar, do think that they accepted the whole proposal?"

"Well, I guess we’ll find out when we get the official rundown from McMurray in just a little while." The surgeon watched her friend as she was deep in thought. "Hey, this is really worrying you, isn’t it?"

"It’s just that I’ve never done anything like this before. I mean, write a proposal and all." She shrugged her shoulders. "I feel a little…" she searched for the right word to use, "overwhelmed by it all."

Garrett smirked at Danni’s insecurity. ‘You…insecure? Hardly!’ "Well, if I were you, I’d get used to it. I have a feeling that if we pull this project off, McMurray and the Board are going to expect more from us." ‘I’m sure of it. He’s into that damn teamwork thing. I know it.’

"Let’s just see what he has to say first, then maybe my stomach will settle down a bit and I’ll feel better." Danni bit at her lower lip then spoke. "Do you think we could change the subject? I mean, just for a few minutes."

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" She was curious now, was it just Danni’s nerves getting to her or did she have something genuine on her mind. "Anything in particular?"

‘Okay, it’s now or never.’ "Have you given any thought as to what you’re going to do after your Fellowship year is done? I mean…where you want to practice?"

"I’ll be honest with you, Danni. I’ve been too busy just getting through this year so far to really give it any kind of serious thought." The surgeon noticed the disappointed look on the face of the woman. "Why do you ask? Does it make any difference?"

The blonde casually shook her head, keeping a disinterested look on her face now. "No. I guess it doesn’t." ‘YES! Yes, it does! By the Gods, please don’t let her leave.’ "I was just wondering if the project would continue without you being here, that’s all." ‘I wonder if McMurray will expect me to continue it without you.’

"I really think that to give it any chance to do some good, it’s going to take more than just a couple of months to even get it off the ground. I don’t think that they would discontinue their support without giving it a fair shot." ‘She may have something there. Maybe I should plant my feet and stay a while, just to get it going. Hmmm…what do you think, Lucas?’ Garrett thought about her brother, after all, it was he that had brought her to this point in her life anyway. ‘I wonder, what exactly it is that you have planned for me?’

The small office was silent with the somber thoughts of the two women. Each one trying to figure out what role they played in this ongoing puzzle of their lives. Each one wanting to keep the other in sight, yet knowing that sometimes friendships are made only to be lost in the events of life with all of its comings and goings. Whatever happened to them down the road of life, each one knew that the other would always be there for them, if only in their memory.

The petite nurse raised her hand to wipe an isolated tear from her eye, as she thought of life without her ‘Amazon’. It would be lonely again just like before. In an effort to distract from her motions, she began to speak. "So, don’t you think we better get up to Dr. McMurray’s office. We don’t want to be late."

Garrett nodded her head. "Yeah, let’s show him how eager we are." She looked over at the nurse. "Danni, am I going to have to push you inside this time or are you walking in with me?" She teased.

"What do you think?" Her tone was defensive and her body reacted to the challenge, her balled fists now rested on her hips. "I was just…just a little taken aback by how big that office was last time, that’s all." She tried to make an excuse for her previous shyness at their last meeting. "Now don’t be silly. You’ll see. I’ll follow you right in." She winked and wrinkled up her nose, still a little shy about being in the presence of such a powerful player in the hospital politics.

The surgeon got up from her desk, moving to the door where she stopped before opening it. Then, with Danni filed in behind her, she softly stated, "Oh, so that means that I’ll be pulling you in after me instead, eh?"

The tall woman quickly let her long strides move her body just out of reach into the hallway. The small nurse was still in the office doorway as she tried to swat at the surgeon in a playful fashion for the comment. The joking banter that ensued as they made their way to the meeting place was like music to their ears and put both of them very much at ease. All thoughts of coming or going were gone and only the time at present would fill their minds. Somewhere along the way, Danni forgot all about those pesky butterflies and just enjoyed her time with her friend.

*******************

The snow was blowing across the driveway in little whirlwinds of flurries. The year was fading fast into winter and the cold weather was being more than generous in its down pouring of the white ground covering.

McMurray stood transfixed to the window, taking all of the conditions into account. His mind still drawn to that warm sensation that he felt when he saw the excited look on his new team’s faces when he had told them the good news on Thanksgiving. He laughed and shook his head at his own doings on the insistence of his wife. ‘I ought to have my head examined. The Chief of a whole department braving a snow squall on a holiday just to pass on some news to a nurse and a Trauma Fellow.’ "Bet they never expected to see me," he grunted. ‘Guess I did look kind of funny being all covered with snow like some arctic teddy bear all bundled up.’ His face was one of disgust at the thought of being a teddy bear, all cute and cuddly. It was not the persona that the Ol’Cutter would like to be thought of. After all, who would respect and fear a teddy bear?

The intercom buzzer sounded, putting an abrupt end to his thoughts. The irritation was evident in his voice. "Yes! What is it?"

"Your ten o’clock appointment is here. Shall I send them in?" The voice of his secretary squeaked and crackled over the intercom, the transmission barely audible.

‘I don’t understand why in the age of computer technology we still can’t get a better system installed in this hospital. That system was probably new in the late 1950’s.’ He glanced over at his desk and the note that was jotted on his daily calendar sheet, a reminder of a problem that needed to be addressed if the proposed project was to get off the ground. ‘Well, at least they’re eager. I wonder how long that will last when they find out what they have to do?’

Several minutes had gone by without a response from the man on the other side of the door. The secretary was concerned that her transmission had not been heard. As she leaned forward in preparation of rebroadcasting it, the mechanically disjointed sound of McMurray’s voice filled the room. "Send them in."

The older woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You can go in now, Dr. Trivoli, Nurse Bossard."

Danni could feel the wings of those butterflies coming to life as she edged closer to her tall companion. She found comfort in the quiet reserve of the surgeon. Their eyes met as they each assured one another of their conviction to the project. Garrett had already plotted their course and now it was time to set sail. With renewed vigor, the surgeon stepped forward into the large office as the nurse followed closely behind, pausing only to close the door.

With the team intact, they stood silently before the large desk, waiting for the Ol’ Cutter to acknowledge them. They exchanged several sidelong glances between them as they waited to hear what Dr. McMurray had to say, the nurse and the surgeon both wondering what held his attention as he stood peering out of the window. The first sound that they heard coming from him was that of a deep sigh.

A moment passed before his voice slowly asked the question. "Do you believe in fate?" He didn’t wait for either of them to answer him. Instead he continued with his own thoughts for them to hear. "I used to believe that I controlled my own destiny until I learned a valuable lesson. You’re always at someone’s mercy.

You just have to hope that you can fulfill their needs first before you can fulfill your own." He shook his head as he started to turn to face them. "Enough about philosophy, you want to hear about that proposal of yours. Right?"

The two women were confused by his opening of philosophy, but were eager to find out what they were going to be doing at the Board’s request. The quick flickering of their eyes from one to the other was all that McMurray needed to see to know the answer to his question. "Well, let’s get down to business then. Take a seat." He motioned to the two cushioned chairs that faced the front of his desk. "We’ve got some things to discuss."

Danni and Garrett took their seats without hesitation and sat leaning forward in an ever-attentive manner as they watched the burly man settle into his own high backed chair.

The Ol’Cutter eyed them up, one at a time, then smiled rakishly as he began his speech. "The Board liked the idea and commended you both for the proposal. You have their full blessing and authority to proceed with your plan. The other departments have been instructed to give you all the support that you feel is necessary."

He watched the faces across from him, as each one took the information into their beings. As a team, they covered both ends of the gamut, Danni whose face was beaming with excitement, and then there was Garrett who seemed more reserved and hesitant. ‘Hmmm…one balances the other. They will be a good team.’ "In other words, you have carte blanche on the project. It’s all in your hands. You’ll report directly to the Board."

The blonde became shell shocked as that last statement settled on her ears. It was more than she had hoped for. "WOW! Talk about teamwork!’ The butterflies had subsided and an euphoric feeling was rolling across her being now. The petite nurse was so pleased that her friend would be given a chance to heal and, in the process, help others that needed it too. The shimmering of her green eyes was evident as they bounced from Dr. McMurray to her surgeon teammate and back again. "Why, that’s great news. Don’t you think…" Danni looked at Garrett’s face and stopped dead in her thought.

The surgeon narrowed her eyes and gazed across the desk, completely intent on studying the man on the other side. Her mind thought back to Thanksgiving evening when McMurray made the surprise visit to them in the E.R. He had casually mentioned something about getting a lot of rest to them before he left. ‘Something about the Board having plans for us…’ She reached out her hand until it came to rest on Danni’s, causing the nurse to pause and look at her friend.

"Danni, I don’t think that’s all the Board has in mind for us. It’s too good to be true. There has to be a catch somewhere."

The nurse thought for a moment then slowly realized that Garrett was right. "What do you mean by a catch?" Her face turned solemn as she waited for the answer. She looked back and forth between the two surgeons and waited.

It was like a game of poker between the two surgeons, where the stakes were all or nothing, and each one trying to outwit the other before showing their cards. The stoic masks dropped over their faces in an effort not to divulge their thoughts as each one wondered who would be the first to speak.

Finally after several minutes went by, Danni spoke up as she tried to mediate an end to the childish behavior. "Come on now, we’re all on the same team here I thought." She got up and physically stood in the middle of their gaze, putting an abrupt end to the stand off. ‘These two have to have been made out of the same mold.’ She placed her hands on her hips and demanded their attention. "Now, is someone going to tell me what this is all about? Or do I have to give you both a time out?" ‘If you want to act like children, I’ll treat you like children.’

She glared at them both taking turns from one to the other. The shocked look on both of their faces made her think of whom she was dealing with. Suddenly Danni felt small and insignificant as she stood with the Chief of Trauma Services on one side of her and the perfectionistic Trauma Fellow on the other. ‘By the gods, I’m making a fool of myself.’ She smiled politely and moved slowly back to her chair, apologizing for her interference. "I’m sorry, but I just don’t think this is getting us anywhere. Do you?" She collected her composure and waited for the storm to break around her. ‘Why did I ever think that I needed to get involved in this?’ She wrinkled her nose and sat quietly waiting for any kind of response.

McMurray was stunned by the nurse’s actions. He could tell by the look on Trivoli’s face that she was, too. ‘Good God! She’s got moxie! She’ll do all right.’ The man just shook his head in disbelief. "You think that you could work closely with her on a permanent basis, Trivoli?" The Chief nodded in her direction.

Danni bit at her lip, waiting for Garrett’s answer. She prayed that it would be to her liking.

"Perhaps I should ask what you mean by closely before I answer that." Garrett found herself intrigued by the question.

The sound of a half laugh and half grunt was all that came out of him as he smirked at his underling. "You have good reason to ask," he acknowledged her. "Seems that the Board liked the numbers that you two have when you work together. Ian McCormick may not be an ideas man but he knows his way around the numbers." McMurray rubbed his chin. "The Board is willing to give you what you want on your proposal if you do them a favor."

Garrett eyed him cautiously. "What kind of…" she toyed with the word, "favor…would that be?" Her voice was cold and calculating. She thought of all the possibilities in an endless list of scenarios. ‘I’m a damn good surgeon. What more could they want?’

McMurray drew in a deep breath. He knew that what he had to say was not going to be received well at all by either of them. ‘I just hope that they see the merit in all of this.’ "All right! The bottom line is this. The Board wants you out of the O.R. on a regular basis for the rest of you Fellowship." ‘Okay, time for the volcano to erupt.’

"They’re idiots!" ‘My life is the operating theatre, how can I walk away from it?’ Garrett’s eyes were turning to crystals of ice as she stared at McMurray, while her blood was quickly rising in temperature to boiling mad.

Danni quickly picked up on her friend’s outrage. "You’ve got to be kidding!" She looked jokingly at Garrett, small quips of laughter coming from her throat, then seeing the surgeon’s face unchanged and serious, she gasped. "You’re not! What kind of favor would that be for the Board or for the patients?" Her eyes shifted to McMurray as she searched for an answer. The blonde’s eyes penetrated deeply into the brown of the Doctor’s to see if he was serious.

He nodded. "It’s not what you’re thinking, although…" he paused for effect, "you may think differently about it when it’s over and done with. Why, look at all of the exposure you will get to different hospitals and surgeons."

The two women looked at each other then concentrated their gaze at him, each one raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"And what exactly would you mean by that?" Garrett was first to ask.

"Yeah, what exactly?" Danni’s brow furrowed with worry.

"Let’s just say that you two," he laughed and pointed to them both, "are going to spend more time together than most married couples do."

"I don’t understand. What could that possibly…"

"Trivoli, you’re not paid to understand. You’re just expected to do your best in the environment that we give you." His ears picked up the sound of an incoming helicopter, the whirring of the blades getting louder as it sliced its way through the air in the distance. A smile came to the face of McMurray as he swiveled his chair to look out the window. ‘I couldn’t have asked for any better timing if I’d have planned it.’ His eyes followed the speck in the distance until it became clearly visible on its descent to the helipad outside of the E.R.

"The Board wants to draw some marketable attention to the hospital and what we do here. They all feel that their best bet is to capitalize on you and the good PR that you can bring, not to mention that you two aren’t lacking in the looks department." He gauged the landing of the helicopter outside and continued as he swiveled back to face them. "Everybody and their brother was hyped about the new millenium last year. Well, this New Year’s actually the start of that millenium with the date 2001. They want to use it to our advantage."

The noise of the spinning rotors was getting louder now as the Ol’ Cutter raised his voice to speak over it. "You, Dr. Trivoli are going to be our first Flight Surgeon onboard the helicopters and Nurse Bossard will be your team member.’’ McMurray theatrically swung his chair to face his window, just as the helicopter was hovering in its descent to the pad below. "Welcome to the new millenium of care."

The swirling snow outside the window gave the helicopter an eerie appearance. The eyes of both women were riveted on it, their minds in a quandary of thoughts.

Finally, after the noise of the helicopter had died down and the window was now devoid of any remaining reminders of it, Garrett spoke out. "You can’t expect me to operate in one of those. There’s not enough room to take care of a bad splinter let alone a trauma of any significant source."

"So, you’ve been in one…eh?" His voice was gruff but teasing.

"Been in one, hell! I’ve ridden in them when I was in the Navy and those were a lot bigger."

Garrett’s mind flashed with the scene of the military helicopter as it sat there on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. The hum of the engine was gone, as were the members of the crew that had flown her in. Well, all except for the lone crewman that stood a silent vigil at the tail section. His eyes never left the sight of the tail rotor as it moved slightly with the rolling seas underneath the ship. She watched the man standing alone, noticing that he was mumbling from time to time to some unseen entity. The closer she came to the tail section, the more details drew her attention to the rotors. There, on one of the blades, were the stains of dried blood. Her naturally curious mind analyzed the pattern of blood splatters as her eyes searched for more. With only a few more feet to travel before she was next to the crewman, he turned toward her, revealing the remnants of bits and pieces of a human being that were still clinging to his uniform. He looked almost catatonic in his stare. The mumbling barely loud enough for Garrett to hear his isolated phrases. It took only a minute or two before she could piece together that the downed crewman had been his friend. His lips moved with words that only his heart had ever thought about before, professing the camaraderie that they had shared.

Danni was still in shock from the recent turn of events. Her mind trying to grasp at anything that could bring her back to something real and tangible. ‘They can’t expect me to ride in one of those. There’s nothing holding it to the ground.’ Her eyes blinked rapidly as her mind fathomed a plummeting airship. Then with a note of disbelief she stammered out. "You…You’ve ridden in hel…helicopters?"

The surgeons mind was pulled back to the present as she tried to focus her attention to the question. "Yeah, that’s how they got me from ship to ship when I’d have to replace a surgeon for any reason." She thought back on her Naval experiences, then smiled and commented. "It sure beat using a Boson’s chair." Her mind flashed with the scene of the blue green water of the Pacific Ocean churning below her as she made her way from one ship to another, belted into a chair that was tethered on a cable stretched between the two. The weather had been too rough for anything to be launched off of the Carrier. By the gods, how she had prayed that the Captains would keep the ships on course and matched in speed so as not to snap the cable, allowing her to be tossed into the ocean or worse. Garrett shuddered with the thought. ‘Don’t even want to think of that one.’

"Boson’s Chair?" The blonde was at a lose for an explanation. "I don’t understand. What’s so bad about a chair?"

Garrett thought for a moment trying to find something that the nurse would understand to compare it to. "It would be like sitting on a chair dangling by a cable stretched between two race cars. One wrong move and…"

"Oh, my!" Danni drew her hand up to her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. For the first time, the young woman was realizing just how sheltered her life had been. She could just see her mother’s reaction if that had been her. ‘Those times at the cabin were nothing compared to that.’ She remembered her fondness for climbing out on the limb of that old Maple tree as it overhung the lake and diving off it into the water below. ‘But at least the tree was planted firmly on the ground and when I dove in, the water cushioned my fall.’ She felt a shiver run up her spine at the idea of falling from the sky, untethered to the ground below and nothing to cushion the impact.

The nurse studied her tall friend who was now pacing the room. She could see the maturity that life and its experiences had brought to the surgeon and wondered why she was being exposed to all of this now. Danni looked up at the man who was eyeing her.

"You’re kidding, right?" She waited for an answer. McMurray only shook his head and smiled warily. Her shoulders slumped and she voiced a breathy but disappointed, "You’re not. The Board wants Garrett to fly into surgeries, literally."

"And you, too, Nurse Bossard."

"The Board feels that your presence in the air will be a highly visible marketing tool to the smaller hospitals in the area, a Trauma Surgical Team flying in to their world. They want your faces to be more recognizable than the presidential candidates." He further elaborated.

Danni chuckled at that thought. "Well, that won’t be hard." It was the nurse’s attempt at weak humor, her usual front line defense when she felt ill at ease in a situation. "But what am I suppose to do? I’ve never been in a helicopter. In fact, the last time that I was even on an airplane was…." The petite nurse gulped hard trying to settle her stomach at the thought, but the telltale pallor was stretching across her features.

Danni’s mind rehashed her only plane ride. It wasn’t hard to remember. There is only so much that one can commit to memory spending almost the entire flight in a catatonic state. Her fear of flying was not easily overcome. Rosie had tried numerous times to get her to come out of her self imprisoned denial of the flight, but Danni just couldn’t do it, or at least her mind wouldn’t let her. It had been the worst vacation that Rosie had ever had, not to mention the blonde nurse. Even after they had landed and she was back on firm ground, it didn’t ease up. The only thing that her mind kept focusing on was the return flight home. It not only effected her waking mind but also her sleep. Rosie finally conceded and cashed in their plane tickets for the return flight home after a second sleepless night. Danni thought about the little trip into her not so pleasant past. ‘I wonder if she will be able to understand?’

The eyes of the surgeon noted the change in her friend’s coloring and the uneasy look on her face. Garrett stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned to face her mentor. Her eyes narrowed and she raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You…You want us to fly in and save the day at these little ass Podunk’s of a hospital and make the Board look like it’s reaching out with services to every little nook and cranny of the area." The surgeon’s eyes flashed with anger. "Whose idea was that, the accountant?"

"What’s the matter, Doctor, you afraid that you might have to interact with more people who don’t know your likes and dislikes?" McMurray looked directly at the tall woman. ‘Okay, call me a liar, but I know that’s part of the reason.’ "Maybe if you would put the patient first and not your damn need for perfection, then…" McMurray stopped and just stared at her. ‘Jeez, I just pushed that too far. She’ll bolt and run for sure now.’

Both women were studying his face now, trying to see where he stood. Could he seriously be considering this? The office was silent as all three stared at one another, then finally the silence was broken.

"Come on, Danni. We don’t have to listen to this nonsense." She turned and started to walk toward the door of the office as the nurse slowly rose to join her.

"You do if you want that proposal to become a reality." McMurray called out to her. Garrett’s outstretched hand hesitated on the doorknob as Danni froze in mid step and turned to look back at the man. "You do this for the Board and you have carte blanche with your project. It’s as simple as that." The Ol’Cutter got up and circled the high backed chair. "I know that this project means something to you both. Damn it! It’s that or nothing as far as the Board’s concerned."

"I’m not going to have our faces put all over the place. I’m not some publicity seeking egomaniac and neither is she." The dark-haired woman pointed to her friend and then just shook her head in dismay. "We don’t need to be high profile in our jobs. Flying in a helicopter is dangerous enough with the blades looming overhead and the jet fuel onboard. We don’t need to be on the lookout for crazed fans, too."

"Is that your concern, fans? I’ll tell them that the PR is for the hospitals only and not to go to the general public. Will that help?" McMurray sat down and waited for an answer.

"Gar…er…Dr. Trivoli, maybe we should think about this." Danni looked pleadingly to the tall surgeon. ‘How bad could it be…I mean she only has six months left to the Fellowship. I just know that the project would help her, too.’ There she was, putting her friends and others before herself, once again. ‘Now, really, how many flights could they need a surgeon on? Maybe I’ll feel better in a helicopter…Yeah, right!’ She rolled her eyes knowing that it wouldn’t make a difference.

Garrett thought about all the lonely people that the project could bring out of their depression and agony of being the one left living after a family tragedy. ‘If I can’t do it here, I’ll just wait and do it somewhere else after this year is up.’ She looked over at Danni. Those green eyes were speaking in volumes that were screaming into the surgeon’s head. ‘By the gods, how can she be so giving? I bet she doesn’t even understand all of the hazards that she’s asking me to let her be a part of. Why, if anything were to happen to her….’ The tall woman pursed her lips and licked her teeth as she thought about the situation. She weighed the pros and cons in her mind as she occasionally stole glances at the blonde woman in front of her. She was probably going to regret this one day, but she didn’t have the heart to say no while she was looking at those hopeful eyes. ‘I’ll just have to make sure that she’s well prepared for this endeavor. By the gods, I don’t want anything to ever happen to her.’

"Oh, all right!" She muttered and walked back over to the chair then sat down. "But there’ll be some things ironed out here and now, first." She’d go through with it but only on mutually agreed upon terms.

The nurse’s happiness was piqued at the idea of her friend getting the help and support that she’d need to deal with her past experiences. Danni smiled, allowing her nose to wrinkle up in delight. She patted her friend’s arm and quickly assumed the role of mediator in the ensuing peace talks.

********************

It was nearly lunchtime when the petite nurse and her tall companion emerged from the office of Dr. McMurray. Neither one looked truly happy, but they were rather satisfied that an agreement had been worked out. Danni had done her best to keep the tempers and the egos from gaining any footholds in the negotiations. Garrett’s main concern was for both her and her partner to be properly trained and readied to assume the roles of a flight crew. The surgeon was not one for improvisation when the lives of her crew or their patient were at stake. The nurse had also pointed out that the time spent indoctrinating them into the routine and workings of the helicopter crews would only add to their PR potential. One mistake in the public eye would not only discredit them but the hospital as well.

Danni was glad that the compromises were ones that everyone would be able to live with. ‘Well,’ she thought, ‘almost everyone.’ She still wasn’t sure that she would be able to do it, but she was willing to walk through hell if she had to for the support group to become a reality. ‘I’m not about to be the cause of this not happening.’ She thought about her nice and easy world as she was used to it. It was never going to be the same. At least not for the rest of the time that Garrett Trivoli was here in Pittsburgh. She sighed at that thought and felt the butterflies once again coming to life in her stomach.

Garrett’s mood was somber and thoughtful as she matched strides with her friend while they walked away from the office. She was pleased that she had stood her ground enough to get them the training that they would need to be a cohesive team. She realized that it would be taking away from her time in the O.R. but didn’t want to chance any unforeseen problems with her new friend. The surgeon cast a wayward glance in the nurse’s direction. ‘I bet she’s scared to hell and back.’ She was amazed at how much she was finding out about this woman. More than she had known about anybody in her lifetime. ‘Lucas, you’d be proud of her. She’s just like you, following me wherever my path leads.’

Chapter 2

The days seemed to fly by with little or no effort on the part of Danni. Her mind was being kept occupied with thoughts of everything but her normal nursing duties. First it was the rigorous physical conditioning that started off each and every morning for both her and the surgeon. It was to give them better strength and endurance for the days ahead. At times, she wondered if they were ever going to see a patient again. Thanks to the Cardiac Rehab Unit, they were able to use the indoor walking track each morning before the daily patrons made their way to it. With the weather turning more and more towards winter, it proved to be a blessing in disguise. She just couldn’t imagine herself being pried out of her nice warm bed to run out of doors. At least this way she was able to wake up a little first without the help of the elements.

They were already into the second week of their training when they were informed of the demands on their time for additional classroom periods and mock flight simulations to round out their days. If anybody had thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, they were badly mistaken. Danni could remember her days in nursing classes in college and thinking that they were tough with little or no time for herself. Now she found herself wishing for those days once more. They were cramming everything that they could into her, from how to use pieces of field equipment on the patient, to how to suppress the outbreak of fire in the helicopter while in flight. With each new day and skill that she learned, her admiration for the members of the EMS System and Flight Crews rose considerably.

At times Danni found herself enamoured with the thought of being a part of the "White Knight’s" team and swooping in with rotors-a-whirling to rescue the victim of trauma from the clutches of death. Then there were the other times, mostly at the end of the day, when all she wanted to do was just go home and die in a hot bath. Today was one of those. They had been learning to move patients on and off of the helicopter. It sounded easy enough, besides, she and Garrett moved patients in the trauma room all of the time. Boy, was there a difference when it was just the two of them and not an entire trauma team plus the medics to help. Garrett seemed to have no problem, but with the nurse’s petite frame and stature, she was finding muscles that she never knew existed as she tried to compensate for her size.

‘Gosh! I feel like every muscle in my body is crying for attention.’ Her body seemed to just melt into the warm water of the bath as she lowered herself down into it. The suds of the bubble bath encased her body as it passed through them.

Danni didn’t know whether her shoulders were sore from lifting the dummy filled stretcher in and out of the back of the helicopter or from the constant hunching over that they had to do when in the vicinity of the blades on the rotor. ‘I wonder how Garrett can keep up that posture?’ Then, when she thought of watching her friend in the O.R., standing stoop-shouldered as she worked on the patient. The nurse began to shake her head. "It figures! She’s used to it."

"Used to what, Danni?" The tall surgeon yelled out as she stopped outside of the door in the hall.

‘Caught, again!’ The blonde stuck her tongue out at the door. "Nothing, Gar. I was just talking to myself." ‘Sometimes I swear that she hears better than an owl.’ Then she laughed to herself as her mind played with an idea. ‘I wonder if Superman had a sister?’

"If that hot soak doesn’t loosen up those muscles in your back, I could give you a massage when you’re done. Danni…Danni…." Garrett listened for a reply but there was nothing but the sound of small splashes coming from the room. ‘Poor kid. I don’t think she realized that it was going to be this strenuous. I sure hope she isn’t going through all of this for nothing.’

The woman thought about all the things that they had been doing together as a team now. Each one learning more about the other without really trying to. When they worked as a team, their catalyst was pure instinct. ‘We’re either going to do this together…or not at all. I'll never find someone that knows my needs like she does.’

She started to walk back towards her room. The more she thought about the young woman that fate had brought into her world, the more Garrett realized how empty her world had been. ‘I don’t really think that I’d want to do this with anyone else.’ Then she smirked and shook her head. ‘Who’d be able to put up with me…especially in such cramped quarters?’

Garrett thought about the turbulent rides that she had in a helicopter, her mind then compared those to Danni’s growing motion sickness in the back of a swaying ambulance. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t let her eat before we take that first flight…just in case?’ The surgeon made a mental note to look back in on her friend in a little while then went to check on her mail.

Danni yawned, as her body was beckoning her to rest. The day was quickly catching up to her. Her body had finally allowed itself to come off of full alert status, and now…it needed sleep to heal and strengthen itself. The tired nurse succumbed almost instantly to the lure of the warm water as it swaddled her into sleep.

"Danni…Danni…" the throaty tones echoed in her head. "Ahhh! There it was!" Her muscles recognized that sudden feel of warmth as it stretched across her shoulders. Her flesh seemed to move willingly with the pressure as the strong touch molded her like clay in an artist’s hands. The gentle kneading sensations acting like a cosmic regeneration of some long ago depleted life force. Every change of direction causing the electrically charged particles to run rampant throughout her body, registering passions and delights beyond her realm of thought. She could feel her body tingling now as it betrayed her silent want to it’s very core.

Shadows of the night now loomed across her eyelids as the dark form called out to her from above. The outstretched hand summoning her with a warming sensation that would fill her body with its own language of the night, causing it to soar aloft in the sweet basking glow of the heavens as she floated amongst the clouds. Tender, so very tender was that soft, lingering touch that her body wanted nothing more than to melt at this very moment, never again to feel the need for another’s touch.

Her senses were dulled now as the last waves of exhaustive pleasure rolled through her body taking all of the aches and pains from her. She could hear the world calling to her and with a blurry eye, chose to slowly grasp on to her place and time. There, coming into a sharper view in front of her was the dark form, with beams of dazzling light emitting from around it. It seemed so surreal that it took her breath away, causing her to gasp for air.

"Danni, are you okay?" The voice whispered, trying hard not to startle her. The large but gentle hand reached out to caress her cheek again. "Come on sleepy head. I think that this hot soak has given you just about all that it can. Time to dry off now before you catch a chill." Garrett was sitting on the edge of the tub. Her tall form was towering up above the small woman as it blocked the overhead light from her eyes.

The petite woman felt unclear as to what was real and what had been part of her dream. She could feel an inner peace within herself as her mind acknowledged the presence of her friend. "That was nice," she purred in her wakening state. "Could we do that again some time?"

"Sure, anytime that you want." The surgeon spoke softly, not wanting to scare her. ‘She obviously isn’t talking about today’s activities.’ Garrett brushed a stray lock of hair from the woman’s face. "Well, by the look on your face, my friend, it seems to have done you a world of good, whatever it was." Garrett eyed her with a slightly raised eyebrow.

The blonde’s eyes were open now as her mind registered where she was. The loving expression that was on her face only a second ago now turned quickly into one of startled embarrassment. ‘This couldn’t have been real, could it?’ She asked herself as her eyes searched for a towel. Danni was finding it hard to avoid Garrett’s gaze. "What do you mean, whatever it was? Didn’t you just massage…I mean…offer me a massage?" She looked into her friend’s longing stare and realized that nothing had transpired between them. ‘No, just a dream, that’s all it was.’ Her shoulders slumped at the thought of missing the warming touch of her friend.

"Here," Garrett held the bath towel out for her to take. "It looks like you’re pretty relaxed right now. Maybe next time." ‘Maybe next time I should give her the massage before I let her bathe?’ Then getting up as she sensed the embarrassment that she had caused, "I’ll…I’m just going to go to bed now. I’ll see you in the morning." Garrett hesitated before moving toward the door, letting her eyes wonder across the flexed shoulders with just hints of clinging bubbles remaining on the delicate skin.

The nurse watched in amazement as the door closed once more leaving her alone. ‘By the gods! It felt so real.’ Danni lifted her body partially out of the tepid bath water, allowing the cooler room air to give her a chill. Her arms automatically crossed over her chest in an effort to stave off the multiplying goose bumps on her skin. "What the…?" The blonde woman looked down at her nipples that were already hard and raised. She hung her head and sighed, then mumbled under her breath. "Danni girl, you’ve got it bad. Real bad!"

********************

The night was winding down to the pleasure of the E.R. staff. It had been a little hectic at the start of their shift last evening but soon cleared out around 2 A.M. when the traumas started to roll in the door. There hardly ever seemed to be a slow time anymore. When all the rooms were emptied out and the last trauma sent to Radiology for an angiogram, the staff tried to relax.

Karen, the Charge Nurse, was finding it a little lonesome without her two pseudo-daughters around. She hadn’t seen either of them except for a quick pass through of the E.R. on their way to the gym or the classroom for the EMS Services. Her girls both looked fine except for the hurried look on their faces as they waved and yelled a warm hello in her direction, never pausing or breaking their step as they continued off into the world of helicopters.

It was a little over two weeks now and even Rosie was showing signs of an empty nest syndrome. The spirited nurse was looking at the door in anticipation of her friends’ arrival. "It’s funny how you get used to people being there and then one day, they’re just not." She looked kind of funny at the older nurse next to her. "Mom, are we ever going to get Danni and Garrett back…I mean…to the E.R.?"

Mom just shook her head in disbelief. "Weren’t you the one that wanted to crucify her on July first?"

"Well, yeah, but that was then. She ain’t so bad once you get to know her a little." Rosie shrugged her shoulders.

"And we have Danni to thank for that not so small feat." Mom sighed.

"You miss her, don’t you, Mom?"

Karen sniffed back a tear and nodded her head slowly. "Yes, I do. I miss them both." She hesitated, and then continued. "I even miss you, too, Rosie, when you’re gone for a length of time."

Rosie opened her mouth to answer that but just stared at the door instead. Then glancing over to Mom, she whispered. "Well, don’t look now, but the prodigal daughters just walked in." Her face was turning into a smile.

"Huh? Oh…ah…" Karen was trying to peer over top of the computer screen at her desk. Then the two familiar figures came into sight and her mind felt at ease. "Hi! How are you two doing today?"

The pair walked toward the desk, as each one, in their own way, waved and greeted the group, calling out their names as they came into view. Danni felt like she was coming home with all of the faces smiling her way.

Finally the question was asked. "What, no quick wave and run through of the E.R.? You two doing something different today?" Rosie was just being her usual smart aleck self.

Garrett raised her eyebrow at the remark. "Like we actually have a choice at what’s planned for us." The tall surgeon was not at all enthused about the day to come, and it was evident.

Danni just shook her head. "It’s not going to be that bad now, Garrett. Let’s try to be positive about this."

"I am. I’m positive that I’m not going to enjoy this morning."

"Why? What do they have planned for you this morning?" Mom asked, looking directly at Garrett.

The tall surgeon coughed and talked at the same time, causing her words to be mumbled and unintelligible.

"What did you say?" Mom looked at the uncomfortable posture of the surgeon. "Come on, it can’t be all that bad. Just say it and get it over with."

Her voice registered low and slightly more than a whisper at first. "Publicity photos. We have to have the publicity photos done today."

The petite nurse reached up and rubbed her hand across the back of the leather jacket that Garrett was wearing. "Now it wasn’t that bad to say, was it?" She looked up at her friend, trying to get her to agree. "Garrett?"

The tall woman was noticing that Danni took every chance that she could to be touching the leather of her jacket. ‘Hmm…could she be liking this jacket that much?’ "I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. Why can’t they just use my hospital I.D. photo?" The surgeon took her wallet out of her pocket and proceeded to sort through it until her hospital issued identification tag was in her hand. "Now, tell me, what’s wrong with that picture?" She held it out for everyone to see.

"Dr. Trivoli, nothing’s wrong with it…if you’re already in jail." The older nurse could barely keep a straight face. The tall surgeon was part of her family now, and fair game, just like everyone else. "If you showed me this, I wouldn’t leave you anywhere near my drugs. Yeah, this would make for a wonderful press release." All attempts to keep from laughing were put to a stop as Mom openly started a contagious belly laugh.

The surgeon just shook her head from side to side. "I should have expected as much from you."

The sight of a man slowly walking in through the doors took all of Garrett’s attention away from the group. She didn’t know what was wrong with the man, if anything, but her gut feelings were that he needed her help now. The surgeon had learned a long time ago to follow her intuitions without hesitation and this time was no different. She took off abruptly for the man as she lobbed her open wallet at Karen for safekeeping.

Karen caught the wallet as the contents spilled out onto the counter. "Hey, I was only teasing you. You didn’t have to throw…" She looked up to see Garrett catching the slumping man in her arms and laying him down on the floor. "Oh my! Danni, Rosie go help her." Mom quickly gathered up the disheveled contents of the wallet and stuffed them inside of her lab jacket pocket along with the wallet. She quickly made her way over to the empty stretchers lined along the hallway and wheeled one over to the area of activity by the door.

The two nurses quickly dropped to the cold tile floor and joined the surgeon as they tried to evaluate the cause of his collapse. Garrett hastily ascertained his ability to breathe as Danni searched for a pulse. The only visible sign of trouble at this time was the trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. Rosie busied herself with the removal of his bulky outer clothing as they waited for Karen and their mode of transport to the back hallway and the Trauma Room.

"Sir! Sir!" The strong commanding voice of the surgeon broke through the quiet of the area but elicited no response for the man at her knees. Faces of the staff now emerged from every corner and filled the desolate hallway. "We need a little assistance here." Her words sparked a flurry of motion as the staff rallied to help and together they lifted the weighty man up from the floor and onto the waiting stretcher.

Within seconds they were in the room set up for such emergent needs, with all of the necessary equipment at their disposal. The impromptu team all worked together to find the cause of the patient’s ill health, each one accepting their role in this life or death scenario without a second thought. They were all there for the patient and for each other.

Mom assumed her role as overseer of the flurried activity within the brightly-lit room. Her job would be to record the actions taken and their time of deliverance, along with anticipating any ancillary needs of the team before her. She knew her job and did it well. The arrival of a technologist from the Radiology Department was evidence of that.

Garrett looked up from her patient as the last remnants of his clothing were stripped off, only to see the familiar face of the X-ray Tech across from her, as she loaded a cassette for an X-ray under the patient’s chest. When their eyes met, she nodded her approval and continued on with her physical assessment of the downed man. Only seconds later did she hear the warning, "Clear the chest. X-ray!" She reflexively withdrew her hands from that area of the body as she let her eyes continue assessing the man’s condition.

Danni and Rosie responded in their usually coordinated manner of working together. It was as if they had never been separated for the last two weeks. The petite blonde nurse assuming the role of Trauma Nurse One, as she readily connected the patient up to the telemetry monitor and verbalized the initial readings, as each one became available. "Pulse 110, BP 100 over 76." She turned to double check the positioning of the finger probe for the pulse oximeter, "O2 saturation 94 per cent."

Rosie was right next to the tall surgeon as she was that first day of Garrett’s fellowship, only this time any thoughts that she had were strictly on the patient as she worked feverishly to gain I.V. assess in the patient’s left arm. "Okay, I.V.’s in! Sixteen gauge in the left AC." She announced without ever really thinking about it, as she placed the last piece of tape to secure it in place.

"Okay, no injuries showing on his anterior aspect. Let’s role him and check his back." Garrett watched as the staff opposite her log rolled the patient’s body into themselves to expose his back to her. The skilled eyes of the surgeon roamed freely over the entire expanse of the man’s posterior surface. There, just below his costaphrenic angle on the right was a small laceration. She gently inserted her gloved finger to see the extent of its penetration. ‘Hmmm…there’s his rib,’ she moved her finger in the opposite direction. ‘Feels like a downward direction to me. Look’s like I’m going to get some surgical time in today since the team hasn’t responded here yet.’ She tried to fight back the happy feeling of being in the O.R. once again. "Get us an O.R. room, Mom. He’s been stabbed in the abdomen." She removed her finger and motioned for the patient to be placed on his back once more. "Let’s hang a unit of O positive blood. Somebody put in a Foley catheter and finish drawing the blood work." She stepped back and removed her bloodied gloves. "Get him typed and cross matched for four units and send them to the O.R."

The surgeon came out of the scurrying room of activity to view the now processed chest X-ray. Her keen eye studied it making sure that there was no need for the insertion of a chest tube into the man’s lung.

"Would you like an abdomen film, Doc?" The technologist waited patiently for her reply.

"Huh…oh, yeah! Get that film and then we’re off to the O.R." Her mind went back to the X-ray displayed on the viewer as she studied it once more.

Karen stuck her head out from the room. "O.R.’s ready and waiting for you." She winked at the tall surgeon when she saw the pleased look on her face. "You miss it, don’t you?"

"Yes, I do." Her tone was somber and for the first time in her life she thought about what it must be like to know that you can never do or be with something that you loved more than you own life. ‘I hope that never happens to me.’

Garrett pulled herself back to the situation at hand and stepped into the room. "Let’s get up to the O.R. They’ve got a room waiting for our patient." She smiled as she saw the already assembled entourage in its first steps toward the door. ‘You just got to love these people.’ Her thought surprised her. ‘Never thought I’d be saying that.’ The surgeon stepped to the side of the stretcher as it passed her and matched her steps to the forward motion that had already been established.

Once the patient was on his way to the O.R., Karen finished the last of the charting and went back to sit at her desk up front. Being a Charge Nurse had certain duties to it, one of which was being relegated to staying in the department. ‘Well, the least I can do now is put her wallet back together again.’ She pulled the rather thin looking wallet out of her pocket thinking how appropriate it was for her pseudo-daughter to have. ‘Nothing heavy to tie her down.’ She mindlessly pulled out the assorted bits of paper and plastic cards that had fallen out earlier and tried to give them some order before stuffing them back into the wallet. She couldn’t help but noticing the absence of photographs so far. ‘Now, that’s odd. Mine is stuffed with pictures of my family and friends.’ Then at the end of the pile she came upon a worn and slightly tattered photo. She tried to make out the faces on it but just couldn’t seem to get them into focus. Mom resorted to using her arm to move the photo back and forth to get a better view of it as she concentrated on it.

"Hey, Mom! What you trying to look at?" The pleasant voice of Danni called over to her. She moved closer trying to see.

"Oh, these darn bifocals. You’d think that they’d help." She handed the photo over to Danni. "Here, see if you can make out who’s in this."

Danni took it and studied it carefully. "Mom, where’d you find this?" A smile was slowly coming to her mouth. Her eyes dancing in merriment as she recognized the strong features of her roommate evident on the youthful face in the picture.

"It was in her wallet. Must have fallen out when she tossed it at me." Karen craned her neck trying to see it. "Who do you think it is?"

"Well, the tall one is definitely Garrett," she turned the photo over and looked at the back of it. The youthful writing on it made the nurse sigh as she ran her finger over it. ‘Luc, and me 1980. I’ll be…’ She flipped the photograph over and stared down at it. "It’s her brother," the words slowly came out almost like a prayer.

Rosie’s ears perked up. "Tall, dark, and gorgeous has a brother. How come she’s been keeping him a secret? Let me see." Rosie moved to get a better look from over Danni’s shoulder. "Well, I’ll be." She let out a low whistle. "I wonder were I can find him now."

Danni hesitated as she worked out the numbers in her head. ‘Let’s see, She told me that she was seventeen when the accident happened. Hmm…that would have been…’ then she slowly spoke. "I think this was taken the same year of the accident." The blonde closed her eyes wishing that she could bring him back to her friend. She knew that Garrett and her brother were close but this photo only confirmed it more. ‘By the gods, how she must miss him.’ The looks on their faces and the openness of their posture with one another in the photo told her all that she needed to know. In her mind she just wanted to go right up to that O.R. suite and find the tall surgeon and throw her arms around her in an understanding hug for the loss of such a vital part of her friend’s life. The petite nurse considered it, but knew that the stoic woman would just think her crazy.

Their attention was broken with the banging of the fire doors as John walked into the E.R. The male nurse was considered to be the black sheep of the E.R. family, as his sleazy reputation afforded him. Seeing the women standing around he put on a lecherous grin. "So, you girls want to be the first ‘Maids of Desire’ on my new website?" He held up a shiny looking pocket camera and pointed to it. "It’s digital." The assembled nurses all cringed at the thought. "Danni, come on," he winked at her. "I’ll make you and that tall roommate of yours famous on the Internet. What do you say?"

Nothing ever changed with John. She’d been absent from the E.R. for two weeks and he still wouldn’t pass up a chance to try to seduce her. No ‘Hi! How you been?’ just right to the point of his warped mind. Sex, that’s all her ever thought about. Then an idea came to her mind and a sly smile trickled across her face as she looked up at the camera and back down to the photograph in her hands. She had an idea and John’s camera was just what she needed at this moment. "So, you want a picture of Dr. Trivoli…eh?" She fanned herself with the photo and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

*****************

Garrett finished scrubbing her hands as she donned her sterile gown and gloves. She adjusted them into place on her way to the surgical table. She positioned the lights and accepted the first of the sterile draping towels to expose the area over the already Betadine prepped abdomen. Upon placing the last drape, she looked up to see the hurried form of her colleague Dr. Chabot enter the room.

"Ah, Rene, you’ve come to assist me." She nodded. "I was wondering who would be my second."

He grabbed at the gown and thrust his arms into it. "McMurray sent me in here. He said that you’re not to be operating." He was breathing hard from running up the back stairs from his office. "He said that you already have a job to do and that I should let you go do it." His eyes searched hers, pleading for her not to take out her wrath on him. ‘I’m only the messenger.’

The tall surgeon’s eyes turned to a steely blue and the nurse standing next to her could feel a change in the climate of the operating theatre, as her stare seemed to turn the air to ice. She wanted to explode on him but knew that it would do no good for any of them, her patient included. The favor that the Board had asked for came dancing back through her head. Her gaze lessened and she let her hands come down to her sides as she stepped away from the table. She was a woman of honor and that meant keeping her word.

Rene moved to replace her at the patient’s side. His eyes looked into hers as he thanked the gods above for not letting him be the brunt of her anger. "I’ll take good care of him, Garrett." He nodded in assurance as he readied himself to take over for her.

Garrett pulled off her gloves as she relayed the knowledge she had about the patient and his injury site. She wasn’t used to walking out of an operating suite before the patient was even worked on. She made her way to the door, then turned and watched as the tall thin man guided his team to best serve the patient. ‘I hope that there’s something good that comes out of this next six months.’ Listening to the quiet direction of surgical equipment to use in the operation as Dr. Chabot began the surgical incision, she pulled open the door and left the operating theatre. ‘I better not keep my job waiting.’ She pulled off the gown and threw it into the first debris container that she passed as she made her way out of the O.R.

****************

The bright lights were making the small blonde perspire as she stood waiting for her friend. It wasn’t going to be a physically strenuous day, but the heat of the lighting was sure to sap her strength. She could feel herself becoming anxious as she wondered how Garrett was making out in the O.R.

"Okay, I’m strapped for time. Set up for the individual shots." The man working with the camera was directing his assistants now. "Somebody give her that flight suit to put on. Come on now, we don’t have all day to get this shoot done."

Danni was handed the dark jumpsuit and directed to the entrance of the changing room. She walked through the studio taking in all that she could see. "Jeez, who would have thought that all this would be in a hospital."

The young assistant just laughed at her awestruck wonderment. "It’s actually not that much, just a big old room with some lighting and a few background props. I’m sorry, my name is Ronnie." She smiled at the blonde.

"I’m Danni, one of the…" Danni twisted and turned to see everything as she went by it, never finishing her introduction. "Is all this for us?"

"Nah, we do all the PR photos for the research and the special events that the medical staff is involved in." She stopped and opened the door to what Danni thought was a closet. "You can get changed in here. Just come out when you’re done. We’ll be waiting for you."

"Okay." She accepted the directions and entered the changing room, then paused. She stuck her head back out of the door saying, "Thanks, Ronnie. It was nice meeting you."

"My pleasure. You’d better hurry and get changed." The young woman looked around for the Photographer. "He hates to be kept waiting," then motioned with her head in his direction.

Danni nodded as she closed the door to the changing closet. She held out the bundle and let it unfold before her eyes. There wasn’t much to the uniform. It was nothing but a jumpsuit with a multitude of zippers and Velcro pockets all over it. After dressing quickly she looked into the mirror and had to laugh. She placed the flight helmet on her head. The mirror reflected back her image, making her look more like a miniature version of a space man. She started out the door only to find the high top jump boots reaching almost to her knee. She just shook her head and continued on. "I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re short.’ She thought of her tall, well-proportioned friend. "I bet she makes these look like a million bucks."

Danni made her way back to the group of people and found herself quickly positioned in a large area of emptiness, engulfed in lights, while hands reached in to tug and pull on her clothing and to arrange her hair. Within minutes she was the center of attention as everyone was talking to her and directing her as to how to stand and where to look. ‘Those models make it look so easy.’ The man with the camera circled around her, snapping and talking to her as he did. Just when she thought she knew where to look, they were yelling some other direction to her. ‘It surely can’t be this confusing for everyone.’

Then, finally from out of nowhere the shout came. "Alright everyone, take a fifteen minute break." The lights dimmed slightly and suddenly Danni was left there, standing all alone.

The photographer strolled over to the man seated in the corner out of the way. "You want me to give you an excited, accomplished looking subject for that PR release." He shook his head. "She looks more like a lost child out there." The photographer sat down next to the man. "Isn’t there someone else that you can use? I’m never going to get any good shots of this one."

Dr. McMurray nodded his head. "She’ll be alright. Danni’s a team player. She’ll do better when the other half of the team shows up." The Ol’ Cutter kept his eye on the young nurse. He could tell that she was floundering under the bright lights and all the attention.

She stood there with a questioning look on her face. It was like she was missing the other half of her soul and didn’t know where to find it. ‘I guess it’s not as easy as it looks.’ Danni looked up just as the tall figure came strolling into the room. She could tell instantly that her team member had arrived. Her face took on a new appearance and seemed to beam forth a newfound confidence in herself.

"Look!" McMurray whispered to the photographer. "That’s the image I want you to get."

The man quickly placed his camera to his eye and began to focus on the radiant women in the light. His face took on a new exuberance as he captured her on film, easily running through the roll in only a minute or two.

Danni never noticed the flashes going off around her. Her mind was only absorbed by the figure coming toward her. "Hey! Glad to see that you could make it, Doc." She smiled at her friend, still unable to see her in nothing but silhouette.

"Yeah, well, there’s not much left to do if your not allowed in the O.R." Garrett shrugged her shoulders. "I figured my job was down here."

The petite nurse reached out for her hand. "Come on. I’ll show you where your flight suit is."

Garrett felt the small hand in hers and a feeling of relief filled her. It was as if she was coming home after being away for a long time. She was no longer mad at being asked to leave the O.R., feeling that her place was here for some odd reason.

Danni turned to face the tall surgeon as she continued walking her through the maze of lighting equipment. "I’ve been waiting for you to come." Her face was full of love as her eyes met Garrett’s.

McMurray sat in his chair and smiled at what he was witnessing. It made his heart feel good to know that he was at the root of her change. With his vision obscured by the photographer making his way back over to the corner of the room, he lost track of the two women.

When he was only a step or two away, the photographer spoke. "So, who’s the tall, good looking one?" He motioned with his head toward the dark-haired beauty. "I’d like to get her on film. Heck, I’d like to have her, myself." He chuckled snidely.

"That, sir, is the other half of the team." The Ol’ Cutter turned to look at the salivating photographer. "And I don’t believe that you could handle her if you tried."

"A wild one, huh? What are they, your secretaries?"

McMurray curled his lip up into a smile as he nodded. "Head strong is more like it." ‘But I think she’s met her match.’ He thought about the two women and how they were coming together in their training and in their lives. He just sat there, a smile etched across his face. The Ol’Cutter wasn’t sure that the man could accept the fact that the pair of women he so loosely referred to were highly skilled caregivers. "My secretaries," he chuckled, "no, hardly."

Within a few minutes the tall woman had changed into her outfit and walked over to the lighted area with her flight helmet under her arm. Her figure was striking in the one-piece jumpsuit. Her tall form commanded attention and brought awe-inspired looks from the photography crew. She was all business as she asked where to go and what they wanted her to do.

Danni stood off to the side until directed to join her fellow team member on the backdrop area. They wanted a picture with the both of them standing side by side. Each of the women waited for the crew to address the small details of their clothing and hair. Their minds deep in thought as they tried to calm themselves. The photographer walked around them, letting his gaze wash over the entire length of their bodies. He snapped his fingers and pointed to Danni. The assistants scurried, rushing back with a small stool.

"Step on it." He directed the blonde. "Much better. Now you," he pointed to Garrett. "Come just a little closer to the lens." She complied and looked slightly back to her right at Danni. "Look at me, not her," he snapped. "Okay, now I want you to think of something that would make you very happy for Christmas." He positioned himself, watching the women’s faces in the viewfinder of the camera and waited.

‘Christmas, huh?’ Danni’s face lit up as she thought about the idea she had for Garrett’s present. ‘She’s never going to expect that. I’ve got to remember to thank John for his help.’

The tall woman’s eyes twinkled as she remembered her friend’s fondness for touching her leather jacket earlier in the day. ‘I guess I’ll call the closest Navy base for that. Hmm…I wonder if they even come in her size.’ The corners of her mouth turned upward as she imagined the look on Danni’s face when she opened the box.

The photographer quietly watched and at the appropriate moment began taking his pictures. After exhausting his roll of film he switched cameras and walked slowly around the two women.

His quick hand jerks and the snapping of his fingers brought the support crew to life once more. Ladders were being positioned and equipment was being moved to his constant directions. The two subjects of the photography session just stood there until his gaze turned to them and, with a flourish of hand motions, he dismissed them from their position.

Once on the sidelines of the activity, Danni watched as the backdrop that they had used was efficiently rolled up and another one was repositioned in its place. The crew moved in the ladders and swiftly moved several of the boom lighting stands out of the way. Ronnie and another crewman carried a pole with different lights attached to it and began climbing the ladders.

"Hey, Gar, what do you think they’re going to do with that?"

Garrett turned a watchful eye to the pair as they climbed to nearly the top of the ladders. "I’m not sure, but I guess we’ll find out."

"Come on now, I don’t have all day for this shoot. I want that up higher and over more." He waved his hands and cursed under his breath. "No! Not there. Over more Ronnie. Can’t you move it any further?" His voice sounded angry.

Danni felt like it was like a slow motion viewing of an event. She knew what was about to happen but had no way of stopping it. Before she could even shout out a warning, Ronnie was falling from atop the ladder. Within seconds the sound of the body impacting with the hard floor was reverberating in everyone’s ears and the lifeless form lay draped over the small stool that Danni had been given to stand on.

The photographer spun around to see the woman on the ground. "Jeez! Don’t go and bleed on the backdrop." His hands moved excitedly. "Hurry up, get her off of there."

The surgeon and the nurse sprang into action, each one sensing what the other would do. Danni found the phone and called the E.R. reporting the nature and whereabouts of the accident within the hospital itself. Garrett made her way to the downed woman. "I wouldn’t touch her if I were you," she warned.

The photographer stopped short and retreated back a step as Garrett pushed past him to get to the figure on the ground.

The surgeon quickly knelt down, positioning herself at the victim’s head, making sure that the woman was still breathing on her own. Having noted the rise and fall of her chest and the gentle flaring of her nostrils, Garrett checked for the quality of the patient’s breathing. ‘Good deep inspirations.’ Then she moved on to see where all the bleeding was from. The petite nurse was coming into view as she looked around for something to help contain the bleeding.

"Ronnie, can you hear me? Ronnie!" Danni called out her name. The muffled sound of mumbling was evident as the woman began to stir. "Don’t move. You’ve fallen. We’ll take care of you." The nurse brushed back the loose hair that had fallen across the patient’s face. "You’re gonna be alright, just let us take care of you."

"Did you get us some help, Danni?"

"Yeah, I called the E.R. and told them we needed a backboard, collar and a stretcher."

Garrett was assessing the patient’s extremities now. Carefully checking each of the arms and legs for any signs of deformity or swelling. ‘Obvious deformity in the left leg. I bet she landed on that one.’ The leg was twisted underneath her and the lower half of her pant leg was beginning to soak through with blood. The surgeon looked around at the people gathered around the outskirts of the lit area. "I need a knife or a pair of scissors."

"Here, will this help?" An older man stepped out of the shadows, holding out a pocketknife.

"Yeah, thanks." She took the offered knife and opened it. Using the large blade, she carefully slit the jeans up the side of the pant leg and exposed the injured site. The skin was hanging from the avulsion and the jagged ends of the bones were showing. It was going to be a nasty fracture, nothing that couldn’t be repaired. "How’s she doing, Danni?"

"Mumbling some, but nothing really coherent." Danni continued to talk softly as she maintained stabilization of the patient’s head.

The clamoring of the arriving group of caregivers announced their arrival. The speed and efficiency that the combined group worked with was evident to all that watched. Within minutes of when the teamwork had begun, the patient was placed in a cervical collar and on a backboard. The flurry of activity was all being directed by the tall, dark-haired woman in the flight suit.

The photographer stood there not moving a muscle, his eyes riveted to her. When the activity had subsided and the entourage of caregivers gone, he walked slowly around the site of the earlier commotion as though he was in shock.

Sensing his inability to cope with the situation, McMurray approached him. "You okay?"

"She…she…" he stammered. "She was telling them all what to do. Why would they listen to a secretary?"

McMurray just chuckled at the thought. He patted the photographer’s shoulder gently and said. "Times have changed, my boy. They’re not just secretaries any more."

********************

The E.R. was buzzing with excitement when the group made its way into the trauma room. The full team had been alerted and was assembled there, waiting for the patient. Garrett noted that it felt funny to be arriving with the patient. After giving a brief report about the patient in hand-off to Rene, the flight-suited surgeon left to go stand in the hallway with Danni.

"Hey, nice outfits. Do you know where I can get one?"

Danni felt the tug on her sleeve. "Huh?" She turned to see John standing next to her, a smile plastered across his face.

"Nice try, but it still won’t get you two on my ‘twins’ page."

"Knock it off, John." Danni wasn’t in a mood to be toyed with, especially not by John. "We were doing the photo shoot for PR when one of the crew became injured. These," she pulled at her jumpsuit, "are the flight suits that we’ll be wearing."

"Oh…you mean you’re still going to do that helicopter thing, even after what just happened in North Carolina? I thought you didn’t like to fly."

"North Carolina…why…what happened in North Carolina?" Danni was curious now.

"You didn’t hear?" John looked at the surgeon and then back to the nurse. "One of the medivac helicopters went down. It burst into flames, killing the pilot."

Garrett’s eyes narrowed as she studied John’s face. "What happened to the rest of the crew?"

"They’re fine. The pilot got some kind of warning signal or message and put down so that they could ground transport the patient. They thought that the problem was fixed and on the test flight it just happened."

The petite nurse gasped as her hand grabbed at Garrett’s sleeve. She was trying hard not to react to the news. Her face turned pale and she could feel the butterflies multiplying in her stomach. ‘How am I ever going to get through this. I can’t pull out now.’

The surgeon sensed Danni’s fear. ‘I’ve got to do something to keep her from thinking about this.’ Come on, Dan. We had better go get our clothes back at the studio." She nudged her shoulder and once she had Danni’s attention, motioned for her to follow.

"Yeah, right…our clothes." The nurse was pre-occupied, her mind seeing flaming balls dropping from the sky, but her body followed after the surgeon.

*******************

McMurray stood waiting patiently at the door for his team when they were ready to leave. "You two worked well together today," he called out.

Garrett felt Danni nudging her in his direction. "Considering…" the tall surgeon questioned him with her raised eyebrow.

"You both knew your responsibilities and you did your best." The man shrugged. "I want to thank you both for the help you gave us in the E.R. today."

"Well, we were right there and everything just kind of clicked together." Danni was honest in her facts.

"I know. That’s why the Board wanted you two for this project." He reached out and touched Garrett’s shoulder. "Six months isn’t too long. You’ll see."

"Yes, sir." Garrett nodded her head. "Did he make it?"

McMurray thought for a moment. "Oh, Dr. Chabot’s patient, yes, he’s doing fine. Said that he was out shopping for Christmas when someone came up and robbed him. I guess they thought that they needed an advantage, so they stabbed him."

The surgeon smiled weakly, "That’s good that he came through alright then."

"Come on, Garrett. We need to get to class." She stepped around her friend and acknowledged the Chief of Trauma Services nodding, "Dr. McMurray."

He stepped aside and watched as the pair walked down the long corridor. Listening, he could hear the almost non-stop banter of the smaller woman as she tried to cheer her friend out of her self-imposed doldrums.

"So are you hungry? I’m starved, want to go to the gift shop on the way to class?"

The tall woman just raised her head and rolled her eyes. ‘Where does she put it all?’ "Yeah, I guess I could use some coffee."

"Okay, but it’s my turn to buy." Danni stopped dead in her tracks. "Jeez, I almost forgot. Mom said to give this to you." She dug into her coat pocket and pulled out the thin wallet. She smiled as she handed it to the surgeon.

Garrett took it and pressed it into the interior pocket of her leather jacket. "Thanks, Danni."

"No need for thanks." ‘Well, at least not yet.’ She wrinkled up her nose and smiled as she thought about the holiday that was fast approaching. "Now, come on…I’m starved." With that, she hastened her pace to keep up with her soaring spirits.

Chapter 3

Garrett stood staring off into the distance. Up on the roof of the hospital, it was as though you could see for miles. Her head turned to survey the glowing city skyline. Each tall building stood out as a testament to the men who built it. ‘I wonder if they ever doubted their effort?’ Her thoughts mirrored her own doubts about the effort that she was giving in the final half of her Fellowship. It seemed like no effort at all, except for her to stay out of the operating theatre.

The bitter wind at her face was no match for her resolve. She had come up here to think and sort out some of her life without any interruptions. It was quiet up here, away from the rest of the world. She looked down on the streets below watching the random moving of the people as they traveled in the cars below. Each one either moving toward or away from some familiar destination, all in a hurry to be with loved ones, whether they were near or far.

She looked up into the darkening night sky and let her eyes shift from one faintly glistening star onto another. The heavens were full of shimmering lights tonight, some of them shining more brightly than others. Like an old navigator trying to set his course, she sought out the North Star using the position of the Big Dipper for her guide. She’d learned a lot in the Navy, more than she realized. The surgeon closed her eyes and imagined herself once again out on the deck of the aircraft carrier, with the strong seas rolling beneath her.

The Flight Surgeon had worked savagely trying to save the young man. The numerous wounds and severity of the blows had made it impossible to stop the bleeding. Within minutes of reaching her operating table, the young seaman was dead. Her mind could not fathom anything with such a degree of morbidity as to what the body before her attested. She needed to know what had caused the man’s death. No, not medically, but mechanically. She had seen for herself the horrors of automobile and airplane crashes as a surgical resident. Nothing compared to this.

The tall woman stood with her hands tightly wrapped around the railing on the ship. She watched out over the sea as the waves broke and then came crashing down on themselves. The sound of the waves deadened her nerves with its watery lullaby.

She had never seen as many emotions on one face as she had earlier today. She closed her eyes and the scene was immediately before her again. The lone sailor standing vigil for his comrade. She wasn’t sure which emotion was strongest or which was more touching to her heart. It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that his friend was gone.

She tried to cast the images out of her head, but before she could, she felt a presence around her. Slowly she turned to see the gaunt face of the seaman with his haunted eyes. She didn’t know what he wanted but she was sure that it would be in reference to his fallen friend. She turned around to face him and returned his salute.

"Permission to speak, Ma’am" His voice was strong and clear with a hint of determination in his manner. He had something to say and it was going to be now or never.

"Permission granted, Sailor. Stand at ease." She waited patiently for him to speak.

"I want to thank you, Ma’am, for working on my…" he paused to clear his throat and then continued. "…On Seaman first class Williams. I know that you did your best and that he would have been grateful for your effort." Tears were stinging in his eyes as he thought of his friend.

She nodded in acceptance. "I did what any Military Surgeon would have done. I only did my job."

"I know that Ma’am, but you didn’t give up."

The words were echoing through her head as the image of the young man faded from her mind. ‘Maybe it will be worth it.’ The surgeon looked back down to the streets below. Garrett thought about her new role here in the Fellowship, and everything became clearer to her. She was here for a reason and whatever it was, she wasn’t about to give up.

She took one long last look at the night sky and began to walk toward the portal to go back inside and rejoin the world again. Looking over in its direction, she noticed that it was open now and a small figure was silhouetted against the incandescent light of the bare bulb hanging within the stairwell. The stature of the figure brought only one person to her mind, Danni. The surgeon found a smile slowly coming to her lips the closer she came to the doorway.

She watched as the form stepped back on the top landing of the stairwell, letting its figure bathe in the light. The warm glow of the light dulled in comparison to the exuberance of love radiating in her direction. The petite nurse had a heart that could encompass the world and usually did. Her patients could all attest to that. The nurse could make them feel so at ease with her friendliness, giving her heart without a care as to how it was handled. She gave whatever she thought was needed to expedite the patient’s recovery. Danni chose to reveal her true inner beauty to only a certain few, letting them into that peerless heart of hers, to do as they please. The surgeon was privileged to be one of them and realized the responsibility that came with it. Garrett knew that she could never allow anything to hurt her friend, physically or emotionally.

"Hey!" The blonde’s quiet smile was evident even in her greeting. "I was hoping you hadn’t left without me."

The surgeon’s lopsided grin was her only reply as she advanced into the doorway. "How’d you know where to look for me?"

"It’s my getaway up here when the world seems to be crashing in on me. I come up her and just let my spirit soar out over the rooftops. Sooner or later my mind settles and I calm down." She brushed past the surgeon, walking out onto the roof. Taking an exaggerated deep breath with her eyes closed, she turned slowly around with her arms outstretched and then pulled them in tightly to herself as she crossed her chest. "I can almost sense the peace and quiet of the forest here: the air cleansing my mind with its clean smell and fresh scent." She opened her eyes and became noticeably shy as she shrugged her shoulders. "My mother told me that I was a bit of a dreamer, always waiting for the natural wonders of the world to come to me."

Garrett stood watching her, taking in the entire innocence of the moment. Before her stood a woman who was more like a child in her wonderment of the world than the capable caregiver she had come to know, whose dreams seemed to be only the pure and simple kind. The surgeon was beginning to see so much of her brother in the young woman that sometimes, from a distance with the shadows playing tricks on her eyes, she thought that Lucas was here again, in her presence. ‘How could I have been so blind, not to have seen it before?’ Then, she thought of her brother beaming down on her with pleasure and it inspired her. ‘Thanks, little brother for looking out for me.’

"Well, what do you say we take our dreams home and get some rest? We’ve got a full day tomorrow." The surgeon beckoned to her.

"Yeah," she nodded with a weak smile. "That sounds like a plan to me."

The two women headed for the stairway, neither having any need to speak, yet knowing the presence of the other’s mind. Each one was a little nervous about the events of the next day. They didn’t need to draw any more attention to it or their own thoughts about it. It would be their D-day and the truth would be there for all to see. They had to prove that they could indeed deliver an intact and functional Flight Team to a destination and back. The question that everyone was concerned about, was could the nurse keep it together and deliver the payload without becoming a casualty herself?

Danni thought about how lonely it would feel to watch Garrett take off, matched up with another nurse. ‘It would be like watching half of myself leave, never knowing if it would ever return.’ At the bottom of the first set of stairs she turned to look back at her friend, the worry and loneliness etched across her face. "Gar…" she bit at her lip, undecided whether to continue or not.

Sensing the trepidation in her voice, the surgeon looked into Danni’s eyes and saw the concern in the wallowing green pools. Garrett stopped on the landing. She had to find out what was wrong before it took any further hold on the nurse. "What’s on your mind, Danni?" She watched as the young woman still battled within herself. "Come on. We’re a team, let’s talk about it." She lowered her body to meet Danni eye to eye.

With furrowed brow the young woman searched the face of her teammate then started. "What if tomorrow’s the end of our team? I mean…what if I can’t do my job up there and just go off in some catatonic trance? I’ll never get to work with you again."

"Hey, don’t go thinking like that. We work well together. Our numbers prove that. Heck, it’s what got us in this team, isn’t it?" She reached over with her hand and gently lifted the nurse’s chin so that they made eye contact once more. "We’ll do fine up there, you’ll see. We’ll do our job. I can always count on you to do that, whether it’s in the Trauma room, out on the softball field, at a photo shoot or up in the air." Garrett narrowed her gaze and let the fire of her crystals penetrate deep within the shimmering green as she tried to drive home her point. "WE ALWAYS DO OUR JOB. Right?"

Danni was receiving the message louder and clearer than she dared even think was imaginable. ‘She thinks of us as a team, I can’t let her down now.’ Resigning to try her hardest, she slowly nodded in acknowledgement of Garrett’s belief in her ability to come through when the chips were down. She only hoped that her tall, dark-haired friend was right.

"Now, enough of this worrying. What do you say we go home and relax?" They nodded in unison. Each one trying to reassure the other as smiles slowly resurfaced. "Hey, I’ll even get dinner ready for us. How’s that?"

"I didn’t know that you could cook?" Danni was a little reluctant about this newest revelation of her friend’s abilities.

"Well…" the surgeon started off toward the door to the inner hallway and the elevators. "I never said that I’d actually cook now, did I?" She smiled mysteriously and winked at the petite blonde, then laughed.

Danni shook her head and smiled. "No, I guess you didn’t. Okay, let’s go home. Now you’ve got me curious as to what’s for dinner."

The surgeon just smiled as she reached out, pushing the button to summon an elevator.

‘This I gotta see.’ Danni just watched as the doors opened and the two stepped on. ‘She never ceases to amaze me. There always seems to be something more to her when you think that you have her all figured out.’

******************

The ride home had been a quiet one, with only occasional words spoken between the two women. The majority of the limited conversations pertained strictly to the sights and sounds of the approaching holiday. The brightly colored lights and glistening decorations that seemed to be on just about every door or window gave the quaint streets an almost "Dickens" feel. The ethnic neighborhoods of the city, all giving a distinct flavor to the decorating style of its residents made for a rich and flavorful distraction.

Danni hadn’t spoken much on the way home. She had been doing a lot of speculating and thinking of ways to overcome her fear between now and tomorrow morning. ‘Maybe if I just get my mind off of it, I’ll do better.’ She looked around for something to occupy her mind. ‘Who knows, I may even end up enjoying the helicopter ride.’ She picked up the pile of mail and started sorting through it. ‘Yeah, fat chance of that happening.’ The nurse pulled out the two or three pieces of mail with the surgeon’s name on it and placed it in a neat pile by her keys and pager on the hall stand.

"Hey, Gar! How long before dinner?" Danni looked at the return addresses on her mail. "Do you think that I have time to open my mail?"

The voice came floating in from the kitchen, "Sure! It’ll take me a little while to get things done." There was the sound of kitchenware clanging in the background as doors and drawers opened and closed. "I’ll call you when it’s ready."

Danni looked out towards the kitchen, her face attested to her puzzlement at what could be going on with all of the noise that she was hearing. "Okay!" She hesitated, then continued. "Gar, if you need any…"

"No, I’ve got it covered. Thanks."

The petite woman settled onto the couch as she started to open the first envelope. A thought sprang through her mind. ‘I wonder if she’s…nah, she doesn’t seem like the type to want to find their Christmas presents.’ Danni let her mind visualize the gift-wrapped box that now resided in her nightstand drawer. ‘I’ve got to remember not to send her in there for another razor until after Christmas.’ She smiled at the thought and started on the pile of mail in her lap.

Garrett busied herself in the kitchen trying to find something…anything that she could make. ‘You had to go and volunteer, didn’t you?’

It wasn’t that the domesticated world was foreign to her, it just didn’t fit the surgeon’s demanding career. She’d been on her own since she went away to college. Between fast food and cafeteria cuisine, she never needed to provide much more than a sandwich or a bowl of cereal for her daily sustenance. ‘Now, what am I going to make? Hmmm…’ she kept looking through the cupboards in search of anything that would be within her limited capabilities. She found herself muttering under her breath. "You’re a skilled surgeon and perform major lifesaving operations with intricate procedures on patients, there has to be something here that you can…." Her eyes got bigger as she reached for the box on the shelf. "Yeah, I can do this," her voice taking on a renewed determination. She hurriedly looked through the rest of the shelves finding the necessary items to accompany the contents of the box, then set her plans in motion.

The ruckus had subsided from the kitchen and quiet was growing like the calm before a storm. Danni gave thought to investigating the sudden stillness, but decided to have complete and utter confidence in her roommate’s ability to make something for dinner. ‘I’d trust her with my life if I ever needed her skills as a surgeon. I’m sure she can handle making something to eat.’ The nurse bit her lip for a moment, then forced herself to press on to the next piece of mail in her hands.

Her eyes gazed over the front of the envelope, searching for some clue as to whom the sender was. The large looped fancy scroll of the writing was all that she needed to see. She had seen that style of penmanship all of her life. She quickly opened it and set about reading the card from her parents, more specifically, her mother. The Christmas card was of her usual type, the kind that automatically told you who it was from after reading the few words across the front of it. Somehow after all these years, "Merry Christmas to Our Daughter" seemed like a dead giveaway.

Danni’s brow furrowed as she opened the card to reveal the standard printed sentiments on the inside. Instead of the usual scrolling of "Love, Mother and Dad," there were a few sentences penned before it. ‘I guess that I’m still being reprimanded for missing Thanksgiving Dinner with them.’ Her eyes quickly skimmed across the message. Bewildered by the conveyed thoughts, she reread them, only this time aloud as she tried to understand them more fully. "We hope that your plans will include visiting us on Christmas Eve. The family would love to meet your friend, Garrett. If at all possible, please attend. Love, Mother and Dad." ‘By the gods, it sounds like they are summoning me home. Hmm…but why with Garrett?’

"Hey, Dan, where do you keep your…" Garrett saw the deep thought that was etching itself across the younger woman’s brow. "Something wrong?" She motioned toward the card that was still in Danni’s hand. "Pretty special looking card there." The surgeon’s eyebrow rose slightly.

"Huh? Oh, this. No, it’s my Mother’s usual Christmas card, just not her usual penned phrase this year."

"You still taking heat about working on Thanksgiving?" Garrett sounded concerned. ‘Jeez, I know that she did that for me.’

"No," she smirked. "The funny thing is, that’s what I expected. Here take a look at it." Danni handed the card over. "Mother hasn’t mentioned a thing about Thanksgiving to me."

The surgeon read through the card then pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Gee, Danni, you’ll have to give your mother my apologies for not being able to attend."

"You’re working Christmas Eve? I thought you told me that you were covering Christmas Day." ‘Great! Tell me I volunteered to work sixteen hours on the wrong day.’

Garrett smiled, chuckling as she answered. "I felt bad for Nathan and Rene both. I told Nathan I’d cover for him on Christmas Eve from 1800 hours on so he could go home for Christmas." She shrugged. "I figured that it was the least that I could do for them. Besides, I’ll get to treat some real patients for a day and a half."

"McMurray and the Board are all right with that? I mean…they’re going to let you?"

"Not much that they could do. They needed someone here and since I don’t have any family to go home to, it was the only logical choice." ‘But it will be like going home to family for me.’ Garrett thought of the assortment of characters that comprised her new family. ‘Yeah, and with you there for sixteen hours, I’ll really feel at home.’

"Humph! Well, I guess I’ll let Mother know that it will be just me coming home for Christmas Eve." The blonde looked thoughtful as she concentrated on the strange smell coming from the kitchen. "Say, what are you making for dinner, anyway?" She sniffed at the air. "Almost smells like…"

Garrett sniffed at the air also. "Oh, damn!" Then took off for the kitchen, all thoughts of Christmas now forgotten.

Danni chuckled. ‘I’m sure glad that she has other talents to fall back on.’ "Hey, Gar! You better not quit your day job. I don’t think that there’s too much need for Chefs that specialize in Blackened cooking." ‘Besides I bet I could find a few things for you to do with those skilled hands of yours.’ The nurse just shook her head. ‘Where did that come from?’

She picked up the few cards that were left to open and quickly busied her hands as if they would get her mind thinking about something other than the talented surgeon. With the last card left to open, her mind was once again thinking of the Christmas holiday to come with memories stirred by family and good friends. ‘You know, this writing looks vaguely familiar.’ Danni thought of a few people that it could belong to but dismissed all of them. Her curiosity now piqued, she opened it. A softly broadening smile came across her face. ‘David! Isn’t that thoughtful of him? He still hasn’t forgotten us.’

Garrett had stuck her head into the doorway from the kitchen, when she noticed the beaming smile of her young friend. ‘I wonder if that smile is because I’m making dinner tonight?’ Then she noticed the card that the blonde was holding and glancing down at. ‘Whoever sent that card must be somebody special by the look on her face.’ She felt an overpowering urge to be jealous but couldn’t think of why or whom she should be jealous of. ‘Let it go, Garrett. She’s got her own life. Not everything revolves around you.’

"You ready to eat?" She waited for an answer as she watched the young woman before her eyes, as Danni’s mind was a million miles away. "Danni, dinner’s ready."

"Huh? Oh yeah, dinner. I’ll be right there, Gar." She motioned with her head as she glanced over in the dark-haired woman’s direction. ‘I’m going to have to tell Mom and Rosie about the card the next time that I see them.’ She put the card down on top of the pile and went toward the kitchen.

Danni looked around the kitchen as she stood in the doorway. The lighting had been reduced to only the glow of the light from the rangehood, giving the room a moody atmosphere of mystery. The table was set with two place settings and food was neatly piled on the plates. "Safe to come in?" Her eyes swept the room for the tall surgeon. ‘Hmmm…I wonder if the lighting is to hide the burnt offerings or to lessen the stress of the day that we had?’

Garrett came in from the door at the rear of the kitchen, a bottle of wine in her hand. "Brrr! It’s cold out there. I figured that it would take less time than the fridge to chill this down outside." She took one look at the amazed blonde and held the bottle up in offering to her. "I thought some wine would go nicely with the meal. Besides, it will help us relax and get some sleep tonight." She pushed the door closed and locked it. "Nothing goes better with spaghetti than a little wine. What do you say?"

"Spaghetti? You made spaghetti."

"Well, my last name is Trivoli." The surgeon laughed as she began pouring the wine into glasses.

"But I didn’t think…I…" The nurse looked over at the cupboard next to the counter where her pantry was. ‘I know that I didn’t have any spaghetti sauce. Where’d she…’

"Come on, sit down and eat before it gets cold."

Danni did as she was instructed taking note of the table and its settings. The nurse was learning something new about her friend. ‘I’m impressed. She even has the knack of setting a pleasantly looking table. I guess she’s just full of all sorts of hidden talents.’ She looked at the spaghetti that was so neatly arranged on the plate in front of her, the aroma of which wafted up, filling her senses. She closed her eyes to concentrate, trying to analyze the many intermingled scents that filled the air.

Garrett watched her friend closely as she sat down at her place and quietly drew her chair in closer to the table. She studied the expression on the young woman’s face, eager to find out if she would be pleased with the offering. ‘Well, it’s not dad’s sauce but it can’t be too bad. Heck, I watched him make it often enough, I should have remembered something.’

Finally the nurse opened her eyes to see the tall woman across from her become a little startled and grab for her napkin, quickly unfolding it to lay across her lap. The rapidly flicking motion of the surgeon’s eyes was a dead give away that she had been watching the blonde intently. Danni only smiled coyly, the skin around her eyes wrinkling slightly at the outer corners. ‘Well, it looks and smells good. I bet she’s anxious. Hmm… how cute that apprehension is on her face. I bet many people haven’t seen that side of her before.’ She picked up her fork and twirled a small bite on the tines. The nurse glanced up to see Garrett once again watching, and smiled graciously at her as she brought the fork full of spaghetti to her mouth. ‘Okay, no matter what it tastes like, I’m not going to…’ She placed the food into her mouth as she deftly slipped the fork out and began to chew. ‘By the gods,’ she looked over at eagerly waiting eyes. ‘This is…’

The anticipation was too much. Garrett quickly let her eyes shift from the young woman’s face to the plate of spaghetti and back again. "What?" She was getting worried now. ‘Jeez! Tell me that I forgot something.’ Her mind quickly went down the list of ingredients that she had used in the sauce. ‘I know that it’s been a while since I’ve made any. No, I didn’t miss anything that could be detrimental to it.’

The blonde stopped chewing and swallowed. ‘What could she have used for this?’ Her mind was trying to put together some kind of idea. She saw the concerned look on Garrett’s face and couldn’t help but giggle.

‘Gosh, she’s laughing at it now. I must have done something wrong.’ The surgeon speedily twirled a forkful and placed it in her own mouth. The delicate tastes burst forth across her palate as she searched for the cause of her friend’s reaction. It was getting just too much now. She had to know. "What?" She asked as she tried to swallow.

Danni face lit up and her smile showed brightly. ‘I’ve never seen her so concerned. She’s not even this worried when she’s got somebody’s life oozing out all over the place.’ She reached out and placed her hand on Garrett’s trying to calm her fear. "It’s okay. Great, if you really want to know." She smirked. "I just can’t figure out what you used to make it."

The surgeon breathed a little easier now as she sighed in relief. "Well, I had to make due with what you had in the pantry. It’s surprising what you can do with odds and ends." Her mouth curled up in a smile.

"Okay, I’ll bite. What did you use?"

"Well, first off was the Heinz Ketchup and a can of stewed tomatoes. Then I used the spices in your rack, oregano, celery salt, garlic powder, and added a touch of my dad’s special ingredient." Her eyebrows were wiggling as she teased. The shifting of Danni’s hand on hers as she began to laugh at the site Garrett was giving her made the surgeon a little self-conscious about the lingering contact, and she slowly withdrew her hand to her lap. Suddenly she felt alone and contemplated bringing her hand back up on the table. ‘What’s all that about?’ The surgeon forced her mind to the conversation at hand.

"What special ingredient?" Danni tried to not let the loss of contact with her friend disturb her, but it did. ‘Why does it feel so natural to reach out to her?'

Garrett picked up her utensil and began pushing the food around her plate. The stolen glances only confirmed her suspicions. The nurse was watching her closely. With her eyes cast downward to the food in front of them, Garrett mumbled the name of the secret ingredient. "Sugar."

"What did you say?" Danni leaned toward the woman across from her. "Did you just say, ‘sugar’?" The young woman shook her head. "I’ve never had pot luck spaghetti before. Gee, I guess red sauce is right up your alley." She smiled, her eyes laughing with kindness.

"Hey, blood isn’t the only red liquid that I’m familiar with, if I do say so myself." The surgeon’s eyebrow raised slightly in mock dare.

"Guess not. Ketchup…huh?" The two woman both let the lightheartedness of the conversation take them over as they continued the playful banter throughout the rest of the meal, all thoughts in anticipation of the grueling next day was pushed out of their minds.

********************

The friendly ease that the evening had given the woman before her attempt to sleep didn’t abate the long bouts of restlessness and tortured nightmares. She was worried, and rightfully so. Danni didn’t want to lose the close working relationship that she now had with the surgeon. The nurse knew what she was like on a flight of any kind, the only thing that kept coming to her was her own feeble attempts in the past to overcome her fear. She tossed and turned all night with the fear of the helicopter flight in the morning. If only she could do well enough to be kept with the team, she was sure that Garrett’s strength and friendship would help her, over the course of time, to feel more comfortable with the situations that would arise.

Morning came all to swiftly and the hours quickly flew by. Before Danni knew it, she was standing in the E.R. waiting for Garrett to join her. She looked down at her watch. It was 0900. The nurse marveled at her acceptance of military time since the tall surgeon had entered her world. It was just one more thing that put them on the same page, separating them from the rest of the world around them. Little by little, the young woman was realizing that her world was growing with the addition of Garrett in her life, but shrinking also. She found her world more complete and satisfying when the two of them worked together, especially now.

‘Don’t let that all end today. We make such a good team. I don’t want to be the cause of that falling apart.’ Her mind raced with her own thoughts as the words ‘falling apart’ dredged up her fear of flying and caused the butterflies in her stomach once again to flutter their wings. The fingers of her small hand gently rubbed her flight suit over the area of her abdomen, as she tried to pacify those wings from bursting into full upward motion.

Mom was just coming out of the conference room when she caught sight of the small blond looking out the window at the helipad. She could sense the trepidation in her pseudo-daughter and ventured over to her, compelled to help in any way that she could. "Hey, know anywhere that I could get a suit like that?" She walked up to Danni and rubbed the material of the flight suit between her thumb and forefinger. "Sure makes for an nice look. Doesn’t feel bad either." She chuckled.

"Hi, Mom." Danni’s mood was somber, although she was trying hard at masking her feelings.

"What’s the matter, Danni? Anything that I can do to help?" Karen leaned up against the window ledge.

Danni looked at the older nurse’s face, then back out to the helipad. She blinked and then slowly began. "Today’s…today’s the test flight to see if we…I can make the team." The blonde looked downward, then closed her eyes for a moment as though in prayer. She opened them back up and looked at Karen, her eyes conveying her feelings. "I don’t want to let Garrett down, Mom. We’ve become so close over the last few weeks that I…"

"I know, Danni, I know." Karen patted her shoulder. "You never left me down in all the years that I’ve known you. I’m sure that you won’t let Garrett down now." Mom offered a smile, hoping that Danni would follow along. "Just do your best. I’m sure that once you get started, you won’t even have to think about what needs to be done."

Danni smiled weakly in return. "That’s what I’m hoping for Mom."

The older woman took Danni into her embrace and hugged her like a small tyke. ‘God, watch over my child.’ Then her other pseudo-daughter came to her mind. ‘Watch over both my children.’ She hugged the small woman just a little tighter with that thought before she slowly released her grip, stepping back to view the young woman’s face.

Danni looked up into the understanding eyes. Her smile broadened as she cautiously nodded at Karen. "Thanks, Mom. I think I needed that."

"See, I knew staff meetings were good for something."

Danni furrowed her brows at Karen. "Huh?"

"Well, I wouldn’t have been here now if it wasn’t for that mandatory Charge Nurse meeting with Nan." She winked and chuckled softly. "At least it was good for some reason." Karen watched as the tiny spark of Danni’s ever-eager spirit was once again returning to those green eyes of hers. ‘Yep, best staff meeting that I’ve ever attended and probably the most important one, right here with Danni.’ The young woman smiled warmly as she turned to view the length of hall coming from the elevators, trying as she might to get a fix on someone in the distance.

******************

Rene Chabot stood silently in the doorway of the small office. The very intense look on his colleague’s face as she viewed the computer screen was of concern to him. She was deep in thought and had not even heard him open the door. Garrett’s eyes scanned the screen as she read down the page of words, her finger tapping at the ‘page down’ button every few moments.

The tall, thin, French-Canadian finally spoke up. "Reading up on some new operation that I should know about, or just killing a little time?" He motioned toward the monitor.

Garrett finished the sentence that she was reading then looked up with a questioning glance. "Operation? No, nothing like our kind of operation." The woman shook her head in disbelief. "If I didn’t know better, I’d say that the Middle East is gearing up for war."

The man thought for a moment trying to reason what her interest would be in global matters. "Surely you don’t think that your team would be called to transport. That’s a little far for one of our helicopters." He joked.

She looked up once again, her eyes narrowed, becoming steely in color. He could feel them burn into him with her intense look. "Hey, I’m Canadian, remember?" Rene held up his hands in mock surrender. "Why does this upset you so much? I mean, I know that you were in the Navy…"

"I’m still in the Navy, Rene. All that they have to do is whistle and I’m off to their beck and call without any choice in the matter."

His face turned thoughtful as he pondered the newly acquired information. It was becoming clearer to him now. ‘I guess she is finding herself at home here.’ Dr. Chabot’s voice turned somber. "I’m sure that they won’t let it escalate to that."

"I sure hope not. I’m just concerned with this latest act of terrorist bombing. The USS Cole was made to look way too easy to attack. It’s got to be a well-organized group to be able to do that." She bit at her lip. "I’m sure that they have more things planned in the future. I just hope that it won’t include me anyway."

Rene didn’t know what to say to that. Her outlook on the global matter seemed all too ominous for his liking, and it was far from what he wanted to be concentrating on now. Not when it was two days before Christmas. The tall man only wanted to think about his twins and their first Christmas together with he and his wife. It was going to be a joyous holiday and he had the woman in front of him to thank for it.

The thin man rocked back and forth on his heels as he contemplated his next move. "Dr. Trivoli," his mind suddenly thought that this was way too formal an opening for what he was about to say, and his voice turned softer. "Garrett, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to spend Christmas with my family." He smiled at her warmly. "You don’t know what that means for me…for us. My wife was so upset about being away from the rest of the family. Now, she’s in heaven that we are going to be able to set our own family traditions."

"No thanks necessary, Rene. I’m the one who should be thanking you. After all, I’ll be able to treat patients again, and maybe even be able to do a little surgery if the need arises."

"You miss it, don’t you my friend?"

She nodded her head slightly. "We all do what we have to, Rene. I know that I’m here for a reason. I just hope that whatever the fates have planned for me, I’m able to do to the best of my ability."

Dr. Chabot smiled at the woman. He had liked her from their first meeting and marveled at the way she was changing. Nothing dramatic or earth shattering but he could still see the change. Garrett Trivoli was beginning to let that stoic mask of hers down, facing life with new emotions and feelings. It was all that he could ask for, to just know that her world was becoming more alive.

"So, what are you up to today?" Rene pointed to her clothing. "A little spin around the city, perhaps?" He made his hand imitate the spinning blades of the helicopter.

"Perhaps!" Garrett logged off the computer and stood to her full height. The long line of the dark blue jump suit with all of the glittering metal from the zippers made for a stunning image. "Enjoy your holiday, Rene, and tell your wife that I said Merry Christmas." She rounded the desk and laid her hand on his shoulder, leaning into his ear as she whispered. "And don’t forget to kiss the twins for me, too." He looked at her and nodded in agreement. "Now, I have an appointment with a nurse for a helicopter ride. If you would excuse me?"

He turned and smiled as she walked out the door. "Good luck," he called out after her. "Merry Christmas!" Rene craned his neck out the doorway to watch as she walked away. The casual wave of her hand and nod of the head was Garrett’s only form of reply.

The efficiency of the elevator and the speed of her gait brought the tall surgeon into the E.R. within minutes of leaving her office. She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was 0905.

Garrett thought about the nurse that she was teamed with. The small woman was a dynamo of strength and vitality when it came to helping the sick and injured. ‘Danni may be small in stature, but she more than equals my size in effort and determination.’ Different scenarios ran through the surgeon’s head. Each one played out the same with Danni and Garrett matched as the team. There would be no team without the two of them working together. That was for sure.

The surgeon peered down the hall to where they were to wait for their ride. She could see Karen in a motherly hug with her arms wrapped protectively around the small blonde. ‘Okay, only positive thoughts. We’re going to do this together.’ Garrett had come to rely on Danni more than she would ever admit, even to herself. The surgeon knew that today would either broaden their experiences, or send them both back to the comfort of the E.R. No one else could do it for them. This was something that they had to do, as a team.

As the space between them lessened, each one could sense the close proximity of the other. The air felt as if it was charged with energy, as only they could know. It was a reaction that the surgeon was becoming more comfortable with as time wore on. Garrett squared her shoulders and strode straight toward the two nurses standing in front of the window.

"Anybody know what time the next helicopter comes by?" The surgeon winked at Mom. Once Danni had turned, making eye contact with Garrett, the tall woman’s lopsided smile came shinning forth. The genuine nature of the greeting was a timeless one, as though it had been given and well received a million times before. "Hey, Mom!" The surgeon never let her eyes leave those shimmering green pools.

Karen waved, returning the greeting as she finished speaking to Danni. She watched as the space dwindled down to almost nothing and soon her two pseudo-daughters where standing together in front of her. ‘I wonder if they realize the power of the attraction that they each have?’ She marveled at the quietness of their communication, but knew enough that even though not a single word was spoken, volumes were actually being transmitted. ‘Boy, are they ever going to be surprised.’

"Oh my gosh! Look at the time," the older nurse made a show of glaring at her watch. "I should have been home and in bed by now." She reached out and pulled both Garrett and Danni in for a group hug. "Now, you be careful up there." She looked from one to the other with motherly notions. "God, I feel like I’m sending you off to your first day at school." She sniffed back a tear, then dredged up a smile. "Look out for each other," Karen’s gaze lingered on Garrett until she detected the slight nod of the surgeon’s head in understanding. ‘She needs you now more than ever.’ Then she looked directly into Danni’s eyes. "I want to hear all about it when I see you on Christmas. Now I better get going before I really lose all control."

The petite nurse gave Karen a quick hug. The whispered gratuity was kept between the two of them as the sound of a helicopter in its descent prevented it from traveling any further. Mom stepped back from the embrace and took in a deep breath as she tried to compose herself before walking through the E.R. After all, she had an image to uphold.

The surgeon had moved closer to the window, letting the tender scene unfold around her. If she had to be taken into a family of any kind, she was certainly glad that it was under the leadership of this loving woman. For a brief moment, she wondered if she could ever offer anyone that sort of unconditional love as she was witnessing now. It seemed too farfetched to think about at the present time, but in her soul Garrett knew that it was something that she had always wanted.

Listening to the increasing hum of the blades outside the window, Garrett noticed the changing pallor of the woman in front of her. The blonde’s fair skin was becoming devoid of all color and she was finding it hard to swallow. Her hand reflexively came to rest over her stomach, rubbing it in a soothing manner. The surgeon could sense her fear and decided that nothing in this world was worth the torture her friend was experiencing. "Danni, if you don’t want to go through with this, it’s okay. I’ll understand."

Golden hair shimmered as Danni’s head turned in Garrett’s direction. The pleading green eyes churning like rough seas as everything from self-doubt to rage at the thought of not being allowed this challenge crossed her mind. ‘What is she doing, giving up for my sake?’ "No!" The feisty woman was putting her foot down. "If I’m not going to be part of this team, they’re going to have to tell me that to my face. It’s not going to be because I didn’t try." Her voice was full of determination.

The nurse looked out the window to see the helicopter just touching down on the pad. The air was full of small bits of debris as the blades slowed down to a stop. The butterflies in her stomach were beginning to stir as her mind began chanting a mantra of positive reassurance. ‘You can do this. It’s just a ride…a nice, safe ride. You can do this.’ "You coming with me, Doc, or are you giving up?" Her eyes shown like emeralds, glowing with a deep burning passion as she waited for a reply.

Garrett liked the fire that burned within her friend. She had felt its warmth and knew of its compassion. But now, she was about to see its mettle put to the test. She knew that Danni had to prove this to herself and no one was going to stop her. That’s when the surgeon decided to help her in any way that she could. "Okay, what do you say we go for that ride and put an end to all this talk?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, partner." Danni reached down to pick their jackets up off the chair. Her hand refused to give up the leather flight jacket to the surgeon, holding on until it was gently tugged from her grasp. The softness of the leather was such a contrast to the stoic woman who wore it. ‘Maybe one day, Garrett, I’ll get to see that soft spot in your heart.’

They both quickly donned their coats and turned to look at each other for reassurance, each one giving the other the "thumbs-up" sign.

"Okay! Let’s go kick some butt." The surgeon gave the "thumbs-up" sign through the window to the pilot as he waited for them inside the helicopter, then headed to the door.

Danni gulped hard trying not to let any of her butterflies’ escape. ‘If I’m going for a ride, we’re all going for one together.’ She replicated the signal to the pilot, and moved quickly to catch up with her team.

****************

Continued

McMurray stood silently at his window watching the scene below on the helipad. That was one thing that he enjoyed about the placement of his office, he always knew when a helicopter arrived or took off. He thought of it as one of the perks for being Chief of Trauma Services.

The rotor had spun down to a stop before he saw the first figure approach the ship. By the physical attributes he reasoned it to be his Fellow, her long, dark hair being held back by a loose braiding. She paused at the open door, turning back to look for the rest of her team. Only seconds later did the wind-tossed blonde hair emerge into his view. The petite form cautiously reached for a handhold on the ship before attempting to step up into it. The surgeon quickly followed her in and soon the door slid closed.

The Ol’ Cutter knew that it would be a few minutes before the ship lifted off. That would leave him just enough time to pass the news along. He strode over to his desk and pressed down on the ancient call buzzer for his secretary.

"Yes, Dr. McMurray." The intercom crackled to life with the sound of the secretary’s voice.

He cleared his throat and then proceeded to wet his lips before speaking. "Let that pack of glory-seeking revenue hounds know that the Surgical Flight Team is onboard the helicopter and getting ready to take off."

The voice came back rather hesitantly. "Am I correct in assuming that you want the Board notified?"

"You’ve got that right. Then, call Communications and tell them to notify us as soon as they land."

"Yes, Sir. Will there be anything else?"

"No, nothing else for now." McMurray went back to his window and patiently waited for the helicopter to lift off.

******************

The nip of the cold weather had brought some color back to Danni’s cheeks, the rosy blush giving her a healthier appearance. Garrett kept checking on her from time to time as they went through the preflight checklist that was their responsibility. The nurse had eagerly begun the task once she had strapped her helmet in place. The list was small in comparison to the one that she used in the Trauma Rooms for daily stocking. Within several minutes, the chore was done and Garrett gave the thumbs up sign one more time to the pilot. The nurse sat in her assigned seat and fumbled with the seatbelt trying to get it to connect.

"Here, let me." The voice sounded as though it was inside of her head. It was going to take some time to get used to the speaker inside the helmet. Danni held the ends up in offering to the surgeon as the whirring of the engine began to turn the blades overhead.

"Thanks," she yelled into the microphone, trying to be heard over the noise.

Garrett grabbed at the helmet trying to muffle the amplified voice that was screaming in her ear. She grimaced, then smiled sweetly. "Danni, just speak in your normal tone. I’ll be able to hear you."

The nurse grinned apologetically and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She handed over the seatbelt locking mechanisms to the surgeon who deftly worked in her Gore-Tex gloves to secure the small team member into her seat. Garrett pulled at the belt, making the final adjustment to the size of Danni’s lap, then hurriedly secured herself into her own seat.

The pilot’s voice now spoke to them. "We’re cleared for lift off. Everyone secured back there?"

Garrett glanced over at Danni in time to see her tug at the seatbelt trying to make it tighter. "Yeah, we’re in and ready to go."

"You know that we are just going to get up there and land. Then you ladies will go into the hospital and evaluate your mock patient and deem what needs to be done. Then load him up into the medivac and we’re off again for home. Nothing fancy they told me. You got that?"

"Yeah, they mentioned that to us." Garrett nodded her head. She was glad that all Danni had to concentrate on was just getting there and back again. ‘At least this way, I can keep an eye out for her.’ The surgeon looked over to the nurse and smiled pleasantly, trying not to alert the petite woman of her growing concern.

"Okay, I’m going to increase my revolution speed so that we can lift off. It’s going to be a little bumpy at first. Just sit tight." He gave the back passengers "thumbs-up" and then quickly busied himself in his duties.

Danni closed her eyes. The incantation of earlier quickly coming to her mind. ‘You can do this. It’s only a ride…a nice safe ride. You can do this.’

The noise coming from the rotors increased dramatically. Soon afterward the shaking started as the engine whined under the heavy strain to lift the ship off the helipad. What had started as small tremors and vibrations were now escalating into outright shaking of the ship underneath them.

Danni’s hands clasped tightly around the edge of her seat, willing it to stop. Her eyes opened, searching for comfort of any kind to calm her mind from the ravaging effects that were overwhelming her. The mantra in her thoughts being replaced by one of immense terror as her eyes caught site of the buildings around them as they slowly gained height. ‘I’m going to die. Please don’t let me die.’ Then suddenly her mind went blank, as did her gaze. Her body was shutting down any sense that would bring harm to her. She sat still, transfixed on nothing, suspended in time within the realm of her own body. The nurse’s shallow breathing and glazed-over eyes were the only evidence of her being alive.

Garrett was reveling in the adrenaline rush of the moment. During her Naval Career, each time she had set foot into a helicopter it was the beginning of a new experience for her. The surgeon’s mind compared those ascents to the one she was now a part of. It was a much smaller airship then the kind used by the military, with more vibrations emanating through the hull. The bumpiness of the ride was unmistakable, as the extra weight of the helmet on her head seemed to intensify it.

Turning back from the window to look at her companion, the surgeon was met by lifeless eyes staring aimlessly into space, the petite body stiff as a board. The sluggish movement of her body to the violent bumping of the airship was the only visible motion of life.

"Danni!" She spoke softly at first trying not to startle her. Then repeatedly calling out her name, increasing louder with each time until she was yelling at the top of her lungs. The surgeon reached over and gently shook her friend. Nothing was breaking through into the world of catatonia.

Garrett’s first reaction was to have the pilot land the ship back at the helipad. Then she remembered her friend’s anger and determination to prove herself earlier when she had suggested not taking the flight. It only took a minute for the surgeon to decide doing it would be a blatant act of betrayal on her part.

She had been witness to this kind of behavior one other time. It was a young sailor who had done the same thing on his first flight. As soon as the turbulence had diminished he was fine and able to function with no problems. In fact, he had no memory of the event even happening.

Garrett waved her hand in front of Danni’s face as the ride started to smooth out. To coin an old phrase, the light was on but nobody was home. The young woman’s features remained devoid of any emotion, her skin a pasty white. The surgeon fumbled with her seatbelt. Once it was released she positioned her body in front of Danni’s, bringing her face within inches of the young nurse. Blue orbs searched relentlessly into the abyss of green straining to see some semblance of life. Gone was the spark that had flickered and danced with mirth giving that familiar impish quality to her features.

With one hand on Danni’s shoulder and the other under her chin, Garrett talked calmly in an attempt to pull the nurse out of her catatonic state. "Danni, I’m right here with you. Can you see me?" She searched the depths of her friend’s eyes but still could see no inkling of recognition in them. "You’re safe here with me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you."

The surgeon turned to the pilot, motioning for him to turn his headset controls to monitor the back of the ship. She waited for him to comply with her request. "How much longer until we set down?"

The pilot scanned the horizon for his pivotal landmark then came back with his reply. "One minute to designated LZ." Then he quickly turned his attention back to piloting the ship into its downward approach.

The surgeon repositioned herself in front of the nurse and started talking to her in a reassuring tone. "We’re going to be setting down in the landing zone now. You’ll feel some vibrations as the ship descends. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You hear me, nothing." Garrett detected a slight nod of Danni’s head and feeding into her encouragement, the surgeon continued to reassure her young friend. Within minutes the helicopter had landed, the blades spinning to a stop. It was now safe enough for them to leave the confines of the airship. Garrett hastily released the seatbelt on her friend and scooped up the rigid form into her arms. The surgeon’s only thought was to get Danni onto firm ground and show her that she was out of any danger.

The large powerful hand of the surgeon jerked open the door giving her access to the outside. The sting of the cold against her flesh made Danni turn her face into the leather-clad form. Its soft feel against her skin mixed with the familiar scent of the leather helped to bring the nurse back to life. The barely audible mumbled rambling that came from the young woman was like music to Garrett’s ear as she continued to talk to her, coaxing her back from catatonia. There, they remained oblivious to the world around them, absorbed only in the sight, sound and feel of each other.

*******************

The dignitaries of the two hospitals that had been gathered to witness the test of the Surgical Flight Team were unimpressed. The huge build-up that they had been given ahead of time simply fizzled with each passing moment. All that anyone could see were two figures, one in the arms of the other. There was no action and excitement as they had been told. For all that any of them knew it could have been two housekeepers in those suits.

The random grumbling of the executives began to take on more pointed comments as to the team’s abilities. Each one voiced their opinion in an effort to outdo the last one.

The co-founder of the team, Dr. Ian McCormick was finding it downright embarrassing. Where had he gone wrong? The numbers were there. He had checked the data himself. The only thing that he had never considered was human frailty. And now, it was biting him in the ass.

"Hey, McCormick! Do we need to provide a Psychiatric Consult each time they come, or will they bring their own shrink?"

Before Ian could address the question, another one was thrown his way.

"Is that all they can do, or do they faint at the sight of blood too?"

There was laughter coming from all around him now. This was not how it was supposed to happen. There were supposed to be cheers of triumph not of defeat. One by one the gathered crowd started moving back into the warmth of the building. Soon Ian was left standing there all alone.

**********************

Several minutes had passed by and the young nurse was becoming more aware of the world around her. The microcosm that was theirs now started to expand to include more than just the two. Danni’s hands clung on to the feel of the leather underneath them as she began to look about. There, off in the distance was the familiar figure of Dr. McCormick. The lone man was making his way toward them with puffs of steam coming from his mouth and nose with each labored breath.

"Gar…"

"Hmmm…"

The small hands tugged on the leather that they were curled around. "Gar, I think you better put me down now."

"Oh, ah…yeah." She didn’t want to break the bond of having the small woman in her arms. "You able to stand?" The blue eyes looked for any indication of the opposite.

Danni closed her eyes and nodded. "Don’t look now but I think we’re in for trouble." Garrett spun around to view the approaching form, then delicately lowered the nurse until her feet were touching the ground. The surgeon’s strong hands stayed in contact with the petite woman, ready at a moment’s notice to catch her if the situation warranted it. They stood side by side waiting for the impending confrontation.

"What the hell do you two think you’re doing?" Ian’s voice was menacing. "You look more like the poster for Boy’s Town, than a Surgical Team." He shook his head wildly. "I can’t believe you made me look like a fool in front of all those people. Because of you, we’re going to be the laughing stock of the entire area. Hell, within a week it will probably be across the entire nation." McCormick kept advancing until he was within a few feet of the women.

Danni could feel the tension increase in the hands that still held on to her. She glanced up to see Garrett’s jaw becoming set and her body straightening to its full height. The nurse stood her ground when the gentle tug came as the surgeon tried to position herself between the approaching man and the petite blonde. Their eyes met, each one of them intent on their own plan.

Finally Danni spoke up. "I’m not hiding behind you."

With that understood, Garrett nodded in agreement. "All right, we face this together, like a team then."

They both turned to eyeball the man who was now only a few feet away, his hand moving all around in emphasis to his spoken thoughts. "I expected more from you, Trivoli. God damn hot shot! I should have known that a woman would fall to pieces at the first sign of danger. You were supposed to be our ace in the hole. Now look at where you’ve gotten us." He spit on the ground. "We look like asses now. It will take years to get rid of this fiasco."

Garrett’s hands dropped to her sides, her fists balling tightly, waiting for the call into action. The sounds of her snorted respiration were a definite sign of the anger that was building up on the interior of the usually well-regimented surgeon.

Her eyes narrowed, their steely color turning to ice blue. "You don’t even care what happened up there. You’re more concerned with how you look to those idiots than you are about your own people." Garrett clenched her jaw. "Why I have a good mind to…"

"If you had a good mind, you would have been able to complete your mission." He snapped. "What’s the matter with you?"

"Nothing! Nothing is the matter with her." Danni spoke up. "It was me. I…I kind of zoned out during the flight. She was only trying to…"

"Only trying to what? It certainly wasn’t part of her job, or yours for that matter. All you had to do was get off the damn helicopter and come over to the mock patient: assess, treat and take him for a ride back in the helicopter. Nothing fancy. It was all to be a show." He turned and took a step or two then quickly pivoted back in their direction. "Bossard, you’re grounded." Ian’s arm thrust forward and his extended finger pointed straight at Danni. "Better yet, you’re out of the program."

The nurse nodded, resigned that her fate was sealed. She looked to Garrett apologetically. The tears were starting to well up in her eyes, her hands just hung dejectedly by her sides. She had let her friend down, and now there was nothing she could do to correct it.

"We’ll get you another nurse as a partner, Trivoli. Try not to be so soft with the next one."

"Soft? You call being compassionate and caring soft? I thought that doctors were supposed to come to the need of the sick or injured." The surgeon slowly inched her way toward the man until she was within reach of him. Her fist shot up to his face and her forefinger extended as she brought it down into his bulky coat covered chest. "I suppose that you would have wanted me to walk away from her in a catatonic state." With each new point she made, her finger pushed a little harder into the coat until finally he began to backpedal. "Would it have been a better show for you? We’re a team. Do you know what that means? In the military that means you take care of your own first and foremost. You can her. You can me. I don’t want another partner. I won’t have another partner. Do you understand that?"

By this time they were several steps away from where they had started. Danni watched in awe at the temperament of her friend. She stood frozen in time until she caught sight of Garrett raising her opposite arm. Sensing what was to come, the nurse bolted toward the arguing figures. She readily stepped in between the two towering figures, facing the surgeon. Bringing her hands up above her head, Danni caught hold of Garrett’s arms preventing them from slamming into the E.R. Attending’s chest.

The icy cold, blue crystals raged with an all-consuming fire as the surgeon locked her gaze on the petite woman. The green pools churned with the will of a giant wave, first capturing the attention of its prey, then crashing down on it, releasing its cooling effect all around.

"Gar, he’s not worth it. Nothing is worth that." Danni could feel the anger letting go in her friend and breathed a sigh of relief.

Ian McCormick was appalled to think that a Fellow would have the balls to confront him in such a manner. Then he remembered that Garrett Trivoli was a woman, and his mind was completely intrigued by the force that she had displayed toward him. He quickly took check of his body and found himself to be turned on by the sheer power that the raven-haired beauty exuded. ‘God! What I wouldn’t give to taste all of her treasures.’ He could feel his heartbeat quicken and his breathing becoming ragged. He wasn’t sure whether it was the excitement of the exchanged words or the heat of passion that was coming over him.

He stepped back and threw up his arms in disgust. "Have it your way then. I’ll see that the Board is aware of your feelings. I’m sure that they’ll have a few things to say to you both when you get back." Ian turned and marched off in the direction of his parked car, never once looking back.

There were a few moments of silence while the accountability of their actions was being reconsidered. They each knew that they were both responsible for the dismal performance during and after the flight to warrant their departure from the program. Each one blaming themselves solely for it and absolving the other at the same time.

"Gar, I’m sorry."

"No need to be sorry, Danni. This wasn’t why I came here for the Fellowship. I’m a surgeon. I never really wanted to be riding around in helicopters and doing drop-in surgeries." Garrett looked away for a minute before casting her gaze back on Danni. "I…I never wanted you to have to go through that." She motioned to the helicopter. "I guess we should find another way back to the hospital. I’m sure that by the time we get there, McCormick will have the Board asking for our heads on a platter in retribution for today."

"Come on, let’s go tell the pilot his crew has been grounded."

The two women walked slowly back to the airship.

******************

The pilot had seen enough when he got out of the ship to know that he didn’t want to be a witness to an altercation of any kind. He was an older man, his face worn with experience. He had seen many a heated argument between enlisted men and their superiors during his time in Vietnam. It’s funny the way men will fight to save your life and then, when they get back to the safety of the home base, want to rip your head right off for some foolhardy judgement call that was made. He had learned early on to stay out of the way, but mostly out of sight of any confrontations.

He figured that there was at least enough time for him to find a restroom and a good cup of java before he’d be needed again. After shutting down the engine, he exited the ship and walked across the helipad to the warmth of the building directly ahead. Once inside, he nodded a silent greeting to the clerk at the desk and made his way back into the treatment area. This was one of the frequent outlying hospitals that he had flown into often during his time with civilian medivacs. It was a hot bed for trauma. That’s why, he guessed, that it was chosen for today’s little demonstration.

He took his time using the facilities. He was certainly in no rush. Nobody’s life was at stake. Well, maybe just one. His mind thought of the tall surgeon and the fury that he had seen in her. ‘Nope, sure don’t want to be in her path when that pent up tornado lets go.’

The pilot strode down the hall to the nurse’s lounge with its tall urn of coffee waiting for him. His pointed toe boots clicked against the tile floors as he went. They weren’t regulation but they were his trademarks and that’s how he got his nickname. ‘Cowboy,’ that’s what he was known as.

He poured himself a drink of the potent black liquid and sat down to warm up as he slowly sipped away. It wasn’t long before he heard the scurry of activity around the E.R. A few seconds later, he heard one of the nurses calling out his name.

"Cowboy!" The woman stuck her head around the corner looking into the lounge. "Jeez, Cowboy, we’ve been looking for you. They need a medivac up at the old logging site. There’s been an accident. A tree came down wrong and someone is pinned underneath it." Her eyes had that desperate look to them, as if there was more to it than she was saying.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I’m out of service, strictly a training mission on this one. You better call dispatch and put in your request."

"We already did. They’re all committed to patients right now. The best time to get one here could be over an hour." She pleaded with him. "Can’t you do anything to help?"

"The best that I could do is check with dispatch and see if they can hurry one along." He grimaced at the thought. He always knew how dangerous it was to think about the next flight when you were still locked into one already. That’s when a pilot would make mistakes that could be fatal.

He picked up his Styrofoam cup that was half full of java and got up. "Okay, show me to your phone." He followed her out to the front desk of the E.R.

******************

After waiting at the ship for the pilot’s return, the two women decided to go looking for him inside the building. They walked over to the hospital as Garrett thought about what might be their best form of transportation to get back home without exposing the young nurse to another bout of catatonia. She had made her mind up. The surgeon was not about to ask Danni to step foot on another helicopter for as long as she knew her. ‘I wonder if there’s a rental car place around here?’ She thought about her habit of carrying a credit card with her, even into the operating theatre. ‘I guess it’s going to come in handy today.’

The blonde was somewhat let down by her own inability to cope with the thought of flying. She had so wanted to be there and functional for her friend. ‘Fat chance in hell, now. I’ll never be able to make this up to her.’ She thought a moment and considered all the ramifications of the botched job today. ‘I bet that carte blanche on the survivor project goes right down the tubes, too.’ She was beating herself up over something that she had no idea how to remedy. ‘I wish…’ she sighed. ‘Damn it! I’ll never get another chance.’ The tip of her small boot made contact with a stray stone on the driveway in front of the building and sent it flying.

The motion caught Garrett’s eye. She looked over to her friend and sensed the frustration that she was in. ‘If only we could prove to them that it would be different when it was for real. I know that Danni could pull it all together when there’s a patient involved.’ It was such a shame. The two had literally been thrown together and found that they both flourished in each other’s presence. The last three weeks had proven that, not only to them, but to others too.

The now defunct Surgical Flight Team entered the sparsely populated waiting room in search of their pilot. Eyes scanning the room, Danni spotted the flight suit through the window of the doors leading into the treatment area. She reached out and touched the surgeon’s arm drawing her attention. "Gar, I think I see him."

The tall woman followed Danni’s line of sight. "Hmmm…Might as well tell him that he’s free to go without us."

They each reached out and pushed open the doors of the E.R. and stepping through them presented a unified front. Between the unison of their actions and the commanding flight suits, it was a sight to behold. The head of the E.R. Clerk bobbed up and his mouth dropped open. Another nurse at the front desk fumbled with a chart dropping it onto the floor. She was so startled by their presence. Garrett turned her head slightly toward Danni and raised an eyebrow in question. While Danni’s only response was the subtle raising of her shoulders and the tiny giggle that she tried to restrain.

The waving hand of the pilot motioning them to come nearer grabbed their attention. He covered up the mouthpiece of the phone and called out to them. "Dr. Trivoli!" He waited for a few seconds until they were standing next to him. "I’ve got dispatch on the landline here. Seems that all of the other helicopters are committed to patients and there’s an emergency call for a medivac up here in this neck of the woods." He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I told them that I’d ask you if you’d take it."

The nurse quickly spoke up, trying to fill them in on what little details that she knew. "It’s up at the logging site. One of the men is pinned underneath a tree." Her eyes pleaded for assistance.

Danni looked up to see the strange twinkle that her friend’s eyes always got when their own trauma pagers beckoned them. She knew that the surgeon felt compelled to help. "Garrett…"

Garrett pushed the rising adrenaline rush back down. "We’ve been officially grounded. Sorry, but we won’t be able to help."

Danni looked over at the surgeon. Her eyes showed the confusion that she was experiencing. Then it came to her like a flash of lightning. ‘I never thought she would refuse to help anyone.’ Green eyes darted back and forth from the pilot to Garrett and back again. ‘She’s doing this because of me. She won’t go without me.’ "Wouldn’t it be best for us…"

The surgeon peered down at the blonde. "I’m not making you get back on that helicopter."

"Gar, we just can’t not help." The nurse was determined to speak up. "We could be his only hope. I can’t just walk away."

The voice started out as a low growl. "Danni…"

The blonde planted her hands on her hips and looked directly into the taller woman’s eyes. "We’re wasting time here, Dr. Trivoli. Are you coming or not?" A few seconds passed when Danni delivered her one-two punch straight to the surgeon’s brain. "This could be the only chance I ever get to prove myself. At least let me try."

Garrett thought about what Danni had just said. ‘Maybe that will do it. I know that her patients always come first.’ She nodded slightly then turned her gaze to the pilot. "Well, don’t just stand there. We’ve got a patient to take care of." The surgeon could feel the adrenaline already surging through her veins. One look at Danni was all that she needed to tell her that this ride was going to be different…a lot different.

******************

Within minutes they were belted in and going over the checklist of supplies and equipment, making sure that everything was ready should they need to use it quickly. Garrett looked up from her task in time to see the familiar twirling finger of the pilot signifying that he was ready for lift off. The surgeon watched as Danni busied herself now with the small satchel that held the drugs that they may need to give for one purpose or another. The nurse wasn’t even noticing the vibrations that were going through the ship as it gained altitude. Her mind seemed completely centered on what she was doing.

Garrett breathed a sigh of relief when the helicopter started its forward flying and the shaking became almost non-existent. She watched the young nurse for any sign of distress, or the reemergence of the catatonia. Seeing none, the surgeon settled into her thoughts of what she needed to do to keep the man alive.

Either the pilot was finding no pockets of air turbulence, or flying with kid gloves on, holding the ship steady. Cowboy was giving his passengers the smoothest ride that he could, even on his descent into the designated LZ.

The surgeon looked over to see Danni unscathed by the experience as she readily released her seatbelt and grabbed for her assigned satchels to carry.

Garrett opened the door and the team quickly disembarked the craft. They knew that it would have to be a hot unload, and remembered to keep their heads low, bodies hunched over and out of the way of the blades spinning over them.

They were met by the foreman of the logging crew who told them what had transpired when the tree fell incorrectly. This simple miscalculation had caused a chain reaction of unbelievable events to happen. That’s when they found out that the trapped man was not a member of the logging crew, but instead a Road Department Worker who was just driving by in his dump truck filled with road salt.

The trio walked to the edge of the road and looked down at the truck, as it lay on its side halfway down the hillside, the huge tree resting on top of it.

"Where’s the driver?" Garrett immediately asked, her eyes darting across the wreckage.

Danni took in a breath when she saw the wreckage shifting ever so slightly as a few loose stones took off rolling down the hillside.

"He’s trapped under the side of the dump. Got his foot pinned underneath the edge of it." He wiped his brow with the coat sleeve on his forearm. "We tried, but we can’t get him free. His foot is between a ledge of rock and the body of the truck. I think he’s going to either lose that foot or his life."

"Is EMS or the fire department here yet?" The surgeon looked around for any sign of their arrival.

"Well, Doc, we usually take care of our own evacs up here. We just call for the helicopter to get them out. Takes the locals way too long to get up here to our part of the hill. Besides, they usually get stuck on our mud roads."

The surgeon’s eyes narrowed. This was a whole new ballgame from the one that they thought that they were going to. "You got a backboard?"

"Yeah, it’s already down there."

"Danni, we’ll take the drug bag, the surgical tools, and large dressings."

"Okay, Doc." The nurse quickly ditched the rest of the bags. "Already to go."

They walked along the edge of the road until they were parallel to the rear of the dump truck. Looking down they could see the loose stones shifting under the weight of the wreckage. Garrett evaluated the degree of tilt and the slope of the hill. She needed to figure out just how long they would have to do the necessary procedure if it was warranted. She didn’t like what she was coming up with.

Staring down at the truck, she held her hand out to Danni. "Give me the bags. There’s no sense in both of us risking our lives."

The nurse grabbed back the bags. "Listen Garrett, we agreed that we were a team. Where you go, I’m going. You’ll be able to work fast with another set of hands to help you."

Garrett clenched her teeth together as she traded glances with Danni. "Okay! Just stay right beside me and do what I say."

The blonde nodded her head. "Right by you."

The two women took off down the embankment being careful not to loosen any more soil then necessary. Once they were below the level of the wreckage, they crossed over to where the man lay, trapped from his ankle down.

"Hey, sir. We’re going to get you out of this mess. How are you doing?" The surgeon was yelling out to the man as soon as she saw his body.

"For the love of God, get this damn truck off of me," his voice was filled with anger. "I should never have came up over that damn hill."

"Well, so much for the A and B." Danni was making reference to the man’s ability to maintain his airway and that he was breathing. The nurse hastily knelt down next to the man and looked into his eyes and around his upper body for any signs of injury. "Just try to stay still. Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Nah, just that damn ankle." His breathing was labored as he tried to control the excruciating pain. "I’m a goner Doc…You’re not going to get that dump off of me. Go on, get out of here before it shifts."

Garrett surveyed the damage to the man’s ankle. The foreman had been right. That rock ledge wasn’t going to allow them any leeway in releasing the extremity. "Sir, I may have to amputate that foot to save your life. From what I can see of it here, it’s pretty well crushed from the weight of the truck."

"They told me that they had a surgeon flying in. I kind of knew that it was hopeless then. Just get me out of here." His eyes widened and he let out a scream as more stones traveled down the hillside, the evidence that the truck was again shifting.

"Sir, are you allergic to anything, any medications?" The nurse was opening the drug compartment of the bag she was carrying, in anticipation of the surgeon’s orders.

He grimaced in agony. "No…Nothing."

"Danni, start an I.V. and give him 5 milligrams of morphine."

The nurse quickly set about her duties, finding a large vein in his forearm for the I.V. site. Her years of trauma experience were evident by her skills. She had already prepared and flushed the tubing prior to their landing. Now all she needed to do was to insert the I.V. catheter, secure it in place and make the final connection to the fluid-filled bag. Next she reached for the pre-filled syringe of the ‘pain-killing’ drug. "Five of morphine in. You should feel that starting to work very soon, sir."

By this time the surgeon had exposed the trapped limb from all clothing. She didn’t like the idea of amputating the foot but it was going to be his only chance to live. Garrett prepared her mind for what she was about to do.

"Oh, boy! That’s some good stuff, Doc." He winked at Danni. "Thanks little lady." His face was becoming less tortured looking with pain as the drug began taking effect.

The surgeon observed the patient as she pulled on her surgical gloves and took up her scalpel. The logging crew had placed the man in a cervical collar to protect his spine and slid the long backboard underneath him as far as they could with one belt around his waist holding it in place.

Several small stones again started rolling down from the edge of the wreckage. Then more trickled down from the other side of the patient. What had begun as only a few, now turned into a cascade of shifting stones and dirt as Garrett looked up to see the movement of the dump body coming over top of them. She threw the scalpel off behind her and dove over top of the patient pulling her team member into the shelter of her body. There, the three lay huddled, one on top of the other, as the weight of the wreckage caused the truck to turn over on them, trapping them in the now empty dump bed. The tree came shifting over top of the wreckage, causing it to continue to roll down the hill until it stopped abruptly at the bottom with a loud metallic crash.

Garrett and Danni slowly raised their heads, looking cautiously as to where the next barrage was going to come from. Seeing none, they allowed themselves a brief glance at each other, the warming smile of each telling the other that the other team member was safe. They had survived a fate much worse than any helicopter ride, and they knew it.

As they pulled themselves up off of each other and their patient, several members of the logging crew had come down the hillside to assist them. Within minutes, the group of rescuers had made their way to the road with the patient strapped onto the backboard ready for transport. Even though his leg was still intact, the crushing injury might still result in his losing the lower portion of the extremity. Garrett knew that with injuries like that, the faster they get to a Trauma Center, the greater chance they had for saving it.

The surgeon pressed the group for their best effort in making the trip to the awaiting helicopter an expedient one.

Danni took off ahead of the group gathering up the bags that they had brought with them. She reached the helicopter easily and motioned for the pilot to get ready. Stowing the bags quickly inside the crew compartment, she emerged just in time to take up her position as tail guard. This would assure that no one would accidentally venture too close to the spinning tail rotor blades. Keeping her body hunched over, she motioned for the rescuers to do likewise.

Once the patient was loaded in and the logging crews were away from the ship, the nurse left her safety position and climbed in, closing the door after her. She scampered hurriedly to belt herself in as Garrett signaled to the pilot that they were ready to lift off.

Danni attended to the patient as Garrett relayed information about the patient’s condition to the awaiting Trauma Center by radio. The commanding voice was precise with her description of the injuries that were sustained. The nurse waited until the surgeon was finished before looking over at her and smiling proudly.

"What?" Garrett looked around the patient and then herself.

The nurse’s voice was soft and loving as she spoke. "Thanks, Gar, for back there. I realize that it could have been a little messy if you hadn’t pulled me in." Her facial features were expressing her sentiment better than her words.

"Hey, we’re a team. Remember?" Then with a look of genuine concern she asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine now." She let her look linger on her friend for only a moment before she went back to caring for her patient.

********************

They landed unceremoniously and whisked their patient into the Trauma Room where the team of Orthopedic Surgeons had been assembled at Garrett’s request. After giving a speedy report, Danni and Garrett both wished the patient a quick recovery from his injuries and turned to leave the room.

"Hey, Doc!" He hoarsely called out. "Thanks for everything. You two are ‘A’ number one in my book." Then he held up his forefinger in an exemplary display of the number and then waved. The two women just smiled in silence and nodded at the acknowledgment as they left the room.

Outside in the hallway, the pair was meet by Nan, the Nursing Manager. "Danni, Dr. Trivoli," she greeted them. "I’ve been asked to inform you that your presence is requested in Dr. McMurray’s office, STAT."

They each took in a deep breath and then let it out, knowing that the excitement was not yet over for the day.

******************

The Surgical Flight Team stood before the desk in the outer office of Dr. McMurray, their clothing rumpled and dirty but their spirits united in their newfound teamwork. The satisfaction of a job well done reflected in their confidence as they waited to be admitted in to see their boss.

Danni leaned in toward the tall surgeon, whispering. "I thought Nan said STAT. I wonder what we’re waiting for?"

"Be careful what you ask for, you may find out sooner than you’d like." Garrett joked back at her, keeping her voice just slightly above a whisper as they took up seats along the wall.

The door to the Ol’ Cutter’s office opened and members of the Board of Directors filed out, each one with a grim look on their face. Bringing up the end of the line was Ian McCormick himself. He cast his eyes down and just kept walking. Obviously he was not getting what he was after. The scowl on his face was pretty evident.

Danni nudged Garrett’s arm with her shoulder. Even sitting, the surgeon was still taller than the nurse. The quick shift of her eyes and the subtle nod of her head were all that was necessary for the surgeon to understand.

Garrett took in a deep cleansing breath as she tried to calm her already edgy nerves. It had been a tough day. Tougher than she had ever imagined that it might be. She had been troubled by the prospects of a Middle East conflict, terrified when her teammate suffered from catatonia, put on display then subjected to the belittling tantrum of Dr. McCormick, and then thrust into a real life rescue that nearly got her team killed. The kicker of it all was that today was only supposed to be a dry run, a test of their preparedness as a team. Well, by the looks of it, her team was prepared for just about anything that life could throw at them. The surgeon closed her eyes to help further instill her calming thoughts.

The feather light touch of the small hand on hers was all that Garrett needed. The soft tingles of electricity coursed through her body, chasing out the last remnants of anger or apprehension for the upcoming meeting with her mentor. As the calmness overtook her body, the beginning hints of that lopsided smile of hers came to the surface. The two women glanced at each other and began to chuckle.

McMurray stood in his doorway observing the subtleties about the interaction between the surgeon and the nurse. He could actually see that the two were now closer than ever, both in mind and body. He reveled in his keen insight and made a mental note to talk to his wife about it when he got home.

The Ol’ Cutter cleared his throat and called out crankily. "Trivoli! Bossard! In my office now!" Then he turned and walked back to his desk.

The two slowly got up from their seats and then filed into the office, Danni taking the lead.

‘Now that’s a switch.’ McMurray sat down and motioned for them to do the same. He watched them closely for a minute and then began to speak. "I understand that you two have had a pretty rough day. Seems to me that all you were supposed to do was go for a little ride in that helicopter of ours and show your faces at an outlying facility." He paused studiously then added. "Isn’t that correct?"

Garrett’s thoughts were in a quandary now. ‘He’s way too calm for all that happened today. I wonder what’s up.’

They both nodded and answered meekly, "Yes."

"You didn’t do that, did you?"

"Sir, if you would allow me to explain…" The surgeon leaned forward to talk.

McMurray threw up his hand in a halting motion. "When it’s your turn to talk, I’ll tell you." The man peered at them over top of his glasses.

The women sat quietly and nodded.

"Let me tell you what you did manage to do today." He looked directly at Danni now. "You, Nurse Bossard, should have told us of your problem with flying. But you didn’t and therefore put the entire helicopter crew in a high-risk situation. The confined space of a ship such as that is no place to lose it and go berserk."

"Yes, sir." Danni answered weakly.

Now, McMurray turned his gaze to the Fellow. "Did you know about that phobia of hers, Trivoli?"

"I suspected she might."

"Don’t you think that it might have been a good idea to let us know about it?" He snorted and then coughed. "I guess not…eh?"

"I was looking out for her." The surgeon stated.

The man looked sternly at the tall woman then cleared his throat. "You are the only two that I know of who could totally botch up a simple little exercise to the point of embarrassment on the part of the entire hospital. McCormick wants your heads on a platter and has the whole Board of Directors in an uproar." The Ol’ Cutter paused to watch their reaction. Watching the uniform slumping of their shoulders told him that they both were taking responsibility for their actions.

"You get grounded, Nurse Bossard," he paused then shifted his glance to the other. "Then you go barging right in and ground yourself along with her."

The woman both nodded in agreement.

"Hmmm…" He sniffed and then scratched at his chin. "Then, when an emergency call for a helicopter comes in, you two just up and decide to take it. Oh, let me correct that. First you argue about not letting her ride in a helicopter again." He points to Danni. "Then miraculously you overcome your phobia of flying and ungrounded yourself only to have her," now pointing to Garrett, "follow right along and commandeer the airship."

McMurray looked questioningly at them both. "I’ve gotten everything right so far, haven’t I?" He waited a minute. "I thought so."

He got up and walked behind his chair. "Then you put yourselves in a damn near suicidal rescue, thinking that you’re going to have to amputate a man’s foot to save his life. Now if that’s not enough, things go drastically wrong fairly quickly and nobody gets hurt. The logging crews are your biggest fans and the media had gotten wind of the botched up training flight and is now clambering at our doorsteps to do a human-interest piece on the new Surgical Flight Team. A team that is already saving lives in heroic rescues and they aren’t even fully trained yet."

There was dead silence as the Chief of Trauma Services glared down at them from his standing position.

Danni spoke first. "We’re sorry. We didn’t…"

"Sorry, hell!" The voice was loud and strong. Then he walked over to them and smiled. "It was the best damn PR that this hospital has ever gotten. All the news stations want to know about the two women who overcame adversity to save a public works employee."

"So," Danni wrinkled up her nose and asked shyly. "Does that mean you’re not mad at us?"

"Damn right. Now, go and have a Merry Christmas." He shooed them out of his office.

"Thanks, Sir." "Thanks," was their slightly off beat reply.

"Oh, and Trivoli, you are allowed in the operating room for the next two days. I can’t have my holiday Trauma Fellow standing outside looking in. Now, can I?"

Her eyes immediately perked up. The slump of her shoulders was now leaving, causing her to stand proud and tall. She looked to her friend and saw the mirror of her own self-realization taking affect in her, too.

They went through the door and McMurray could hear the bantering of close friends start. Yes, they had bonded well into a team and he knew that they could go even further if they would only put their hearts and souls into it.

"Yes, it’s going to be a very good Christmas after all." The Ol’ Cutter sat down in his chair and picked up his phone. He suddenly felt the need to tell his wife how much he loved her.

Chapter 4

The day started early for Danni. There were a lot of things to be done and little time to do them in. It was the morning of Christmas Eve and she still needed to wrap presents, decorate the tree that she and Garrett had picked out last night on their way home, and bake cookies. It was going to be a big task, but Christmas was her holiday and she considered it a labor of love.

She crept out of her room with the biggest grin on her face. She had awakened before Garrett this morning. That in itself was something to be happy about. There were times she thought the surgeon never slept.

She noticed that the door to her friend’s room was slightly ajar. Tiptoeing over to it, she opened it just enough to look in. By the lumpiness of the covers and the soft rhythmic sounds of breathing, the woman was asleep and probably would be for a while longer. ‘Gar’s probably beat after all that we went through yesterday. I can’t believe how she stuck by me. I’m sure that anybody else would never have set foot into a helicopter with me again, after witnessing first hand my terrible performance on that initial flight.’ She thought to herself as she closed the door and then rested her forehead against it.

Danni remembered how it felt to be in Garrett’s arms when she came out of her phobia-induced stupor. The leathery scent of the surgeon’s flight jacket and the warmth of the body that she was being held against were so comforting to her soul. It was as though, somewhere in the expanse of time, she had experienced it before. The nurse closed her eyes, then made a wish that she would experience them again some day sans her stupor. She sighed heavily, then pushed off the door trying to get her thoughts back on track.

Within minutes of taking care of her morning toilet, the young woman was eagerly sorting through her favorite recipes, looking for just the right one. Christmas came once a year and therefore dictated that everything be special. She had a certain recipe in mind. It was just a matter of finding where she had placed it for safekeeping.

Danni’s mother had always made a fuss over her daughters’ effort in the kitchen. To her, it was one of the mandatory skills for a good mother and wife. In that spirit, Brie and Danni liked to show off their culinary advances each year as one tried to outdo the other. Christmas was always the big showdown. The older daughter now considered herself to have the edge this year. What, with Brie being pregnant she wouldn’t have the energy to go all out as in previous years.

Danni paged through the cookbook one last time. She had overlooked it on her first pass of the category but found it this time. It was a festive Stollen recipe that she had come across several months ago in a seldom-used book on her shelf. The dough was raised and the braiding of the layers gave it a very ornate appearance. ‘Now with just a little creative liberty for the filling, I’ll have something that looks and tastes like Christmas, as much as Santa himself.’ She chuckled and then tried to imitate the deep belly laugh of the old elf.

Moving quickly around the kitchen, the young woman set to work making her Christmas creation. The dough would need time to rise and that would allow her to pull together the rich nut and cranberry filling that would be used in conjunction with it. Danni was in her element with the soft music of Christmas carols and the smells of the holiday baking.

The time was passing quickly when she finally put the neatly braided Stollen into the oven. It was approaching 0700 and Garrett still hadn’t come out of her room. ‘I guess she was really tired.’ Danni set the timer on the stove and decided that now was as a good time to go wrap the few remaining presents in her room. There was one gift in particular that needed to be wrapped and soon. The small blonde thought about it and a sly smile came over her face. ‘I hope she’ll like it.’

*******************

The soft strains of seasonal music were filtering in under the door as the long limbs began to stir under the covers. Slowly, the woman became more in tune with the world around her as each of her senses began to come to life. The smooth, silky touch of the sheets stimulated parts of her body as they brushed against it, causing her to moan in a low throaty tone. She turned over and nestled her head into the pillow, a slight smile gracing her face. Garrett’s nosed twitched, trying to distinguish the scent that was wafting in around the door. The sweet smell of nuts and berries was causing her mouth to water.

One eyelid opened as her mind struggled to gain a foothold on waking up. The lone orb surveying the room as it tried to establish some sense of time. The muted light coming from around her blinds gave a soft appearance to the furniture in the room. ‘Damn!’

By the look of the day breaking outside, she knew that she had slept in. The surgeon was used to rising early, long before the first rays of daylight ever came on the horizon.

Garrett rolled onto her back, bringing both her hands up to scrub her face free of any last lingering remnants of sleep. Stifling a yawn, she momentarily drifted to the events of yesterday. Lost in her thoughts now, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the facial expression that Danni had shown her. The agony of seeing that emotionless face was making Garrett feel like her heart was being torn from her chest. It was as though the bubbly nurse had never existed except in statue form. The surgeon’s heart began to race with fear of never again experiencing the warmth and laughter that the young woman brought to her being.

Suddenly she felt short of breath, like the life was being drained out of her body. Her strong arms pushed her upper torso off the bed, her elbows locking to hold her steady. Before she knew what was happening, she could hear her own loud gasping for breath. Her mind flashed with the dump truck bed crashing down toward the small blonde nurse. Garrett’s eyes widened with terror. Then she realized just how close they had come.

‘Jeez, I nearly lost her yesterday.’

"Gar…are you awake?" The soft voice was coming from the other side of the door.

The surgeon’s eyes flashed with awareness at the sound of the voice. ‘By the gods, if this is hell, they really know how to torture me.’ Garrett tried to slow her breathing as she leaned forward, clutching the covers to her supple form. She took a deep breath in and out before she cleared her throat to answer. "Yeah…I’m up. I must have overslept." She could feel the surge of adrenaline that her system had been given dissipating.

"Well, when you’re ready, come on down and I’ll fix us both a good hot breakfast."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I think I’ll take a shower first and get dressed."

Garrett threw back the covers and let her long muscular legs gracefully drop over the side of the bed. She looked at her digital clock at the bedside. It was 0715. The surgeon sat on the edge of the bed trying to sort out her feelings or at least what day it was. Then she remembered. It was December 24, Christmas Eve. ‘I’d better get a move on, Danni will be headed out to her parents this afternoon.’ She thought about the large garment box that was so neatly wrapped in shiny gold paper and wondered about when to give it to her friend. "I bet she’ll never guess what it is."

**********

Danni stood back and looked at the small flat box. It was the last of the presents to be wrapped but in her mind, the most important. Her fingers reached out and toyed with the lid as she made her mind up to look at it one last time. She quickly removed the lid and folded back the tissue paper that was obscuring her view. The antique brass corners set off the rich mahogany of the wood as her eyes focused on the frame. Slowly Danni allowed her finger to run over the row of carved scrolling pattern that interlocked running along the border of it. ‘I only hope that we get to be that close.’ Her eyes shifted to focus on the photograph that was the purpose of the gift. ‘She’ll never guess this.’

The nurse reluctantly put the box lid back in place. She felt good about this gift and the joy that she knew it would bring. Thinking for only a moment, she made her choice of wrapping paper and set off to finish her task.

***********

With the Stollen cooling off on the counter, Danni gathered the needed ingredients for the batch of cut-out cookies that was a tradition for her nephew, as Garrett cleared off the table of their used breakfast plates, putting them into the dishwasher.

The morning hours were already slipping by faster than either woman cared to admit. Danni was trying to think of a way to get everything she needed to get done, and still have time to spend with her friend. Finally, she just broke down and asked for help, to which Garrett was eager to lend a hand. Soon the surgeon was pitching right in, her sleeves rolled up and in the middle of decorating the unbaked cookies with colored coarse sugar. The two of them were like little kids left alone for the first time to bake by themselves.

The joy of the moment was priceless to Danni. Here was the friend that she had always longed for growing up. ‘Well, better late then never.’ The nurse smiled as she watched the meticulous care that the surgeon gave to covering each cookie with the colored sugar. She couldn’t believe that they were actually enjoying this time together, she’d never have imagined that at their first meeting. ‘By the gods, what six months can do.’

Then she thought about the time that Garrett had left to her Fellowship. It was only six months more that the tall surgeon would be here for sure. Danni closed her eyes and took a deep breath at that thought. It was too much to think about, at least right now. She only wanted to enjoy the time that she had left with Garrett, not pine it away in a melancholy mood. Danni opened her eyes to see the surgeon watching her carefully.

The dark-haired woman sensed her friend’s reserved attitude. "Something wrong, Danni?"

The blonde shook her head. "Nothing…nothing’s wrong." She shrugged her shoulders. "It’s Christmas Eve, what could be wrong?"

***********

It was nearly noon when Garrett was banished from the kitchen for pilfering cookies. The surgeon rubbed the back of her left hand as she walked out into the Dinning Room. ‘Damn, that woman has eyes in the back of her head.’ Then she smirked as she thought of the petite nurse standing her ground when she had figured out where all the cookies were disappearing. ‘Yep, she’ll make one darn good mother someday.’

"Do you think that I could trust you with some popcorn and cranberries to string for the tree?" Danni yelled out to the surgeon. "I figure it will be easy for you. It’s just needle and thread and you could probably use the practice for later tonight." The nurse was making reference to Garrett’s forced absence from hands-on medicine.

Garrett looked through the doorway into the Living Room. There, in front of the window was the Norfolk Pine that they had purchased last evening on their way home from the hospital. If ever there was an official Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, this was it. The scantily branched tree stood with its roots planted firmly in the soil-filled pot, looking like something out of a low budget movie. The surgeon thought that Danni was joking when she picked out the little tree, declaring that this was just what she was looking for. Only her friend could see the beauty in the wanton tree. There were a hundred trees to pick from ranging in height and price, all different in shape and color, not to mention needle length and degree of softness. It surely wasn’t what Garrett had remembered as the perfect tree from her childhood, but it made the nurse happy and that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I think that the popcorn and cranberries will be safe. I’m full now anyway." The surgeon teased her as she stuck her head back into the kitchen. "So where’s the stuff?" Garrett wiggled her eyebrows and licked at her lips.

Danni had grown to love this playfulness that the surgeon was exhibiting. It was something that she knew only her eyes were privy to, making her feel especially close to the once aloof woman. "I’ll pop the corn for you in a minute, just let me finish this last pan of cookies so that I have some to take with me tonight."

"Gotcha!" The surgeon retreated back into the Dinning room.

"Hey, Gar! Out on the hall stand, you’ll find the decorations for the tree. Maybe you could put the lights on, while I make the popcorn."

"Sure, okay." Garrett’s mind conjured up images of her family’s Christmas decorating rituals. They had always spent the better part of the afternoon unearthing the hordes of boxes from deep within the recesses of the attic and carrying them down to the area next to the tree. A tree, that took up every inch of space from floor to ceiling.

The surgeon walked out in the hallway and looked at the lone box resting on the hall stand. It couldn’t have been much bigger than a box used for a pair of the petite woman’s boots. Opening the lid, she marveled at the treasures that were held within. ‘I bet she picks out the same kind of tree every year.’ The large hands picked up one of the fragile looking tiny balls. Cautiously Garrett held it between her fingertips. Putting the ball down, her eyes were drawn to the tiniest of lights that she had ever seen. Nothing at all like the large ones that had so boldly and brightly graced her childhood trees.

The corners of her mouth edged higher into a smile as she thought about the habits of this wonderfully compassionate person that she had allowed into her life. Garrett shook her head in amazement. She was beginning to understand the true nature of the woman a little more each day that they were together.

The surgeon carefully carried the opened box into the living room and placed it on the end table next to the tree. Her agile fingers took special care as she unpacked the bound string of lights, checking to see that none of the bulbs had become loose in storage. Once plugged into the nearby electrical outlet, the multicolored flashes of light soon mesmerized her. She was lost in thoughts of enchanting moments where the glittering of lights had played a part of the mystic. Garrett quickly cleared her thoughts then set about to the task of illuminating the barren looking tree.

********

Danni stood there, turning her head from side to side as she thought about where to place the last of the ornamental balls that she held in her hand. It had been so easy to place the other balls, but this one was special. Her gaze settled back onto the crystal blue ball and she thought how much it was like the eyes of her new friend. The nurse hesitantly looked over at Garrett who was storing the last of the packing cushions back into the small box. ‘It’s her! No one else has ever come to my mind when I’ve looked at this ball before.’ She nodded to herself and moved closer to the tree with her eyes searching for the right spot to hang the ball that would forever remind her of the tall surgeon.

Garrett watched as the delicate hands of the nurse tenderly placed that last remaining ball before she whispered. "Is there a reason why you placed that one there? I mean…I noticed that the others went up fairly fast, as if they had a designated place from year to year."

The petite woman could still feel the warm sensation still coursing through her body when she heard the question. ‘Do I tell her that each ball is someone that I hold dear? Better yet, do I tell her that was her ball that I’ve just given the spot next to my heart?’

Danni had always thought of herself as the tree extending her branches in friendship and love to the people that she invited into her menagerie. Each ball on the tree was a representation of some member of her collection, no two balls ever being the same in color, shape, or size. Each year, she had tried to use the ball but somehow it just never fit the person that she had added to her group. It had always made her a little disheartened to know that the beautiful ball would again stay locked away out of sight. Now, the ball that had always intrigued her with its unique hue had finally found its way onto her tree and there it would stay for the rest of her life.

Standing back to eyeball the tree, the young woman took a few strands of silver colored tinsel and carefully placed them on the branches. "Each one is someone that I think of as a friend." Danni smiled and looked up at the tall woman next to her. "I remember them as I place their ball on the tree, that way each year I think about them and how I helped along their way."

"But I don’t see any names on them."

"There here," she pointed to her chest. "Written in my heart for the rest of my life." Her speech was barely a whisper.

Somehow, Garrett knew that a ball had been added to the tree this year with her name etched into Danni’s heart. The surgeon couldn’t help but feel honored that she would be a part of this woman’s Christmas ritual for a long, long time.

The blonde turned to face her friend. "You think I’m silly, don’t you?" Her eyes were sincere and searched for an answer.

"No, not silly at all." Garrett offered her more tinsel. "Just very caring and filled with more love than you know what to do with, that’s all."

Their gazes lingered, neither wanting to be the first to look away. The moment seemed almost magical in nature, with the twinkling lights giving the periphery of their vision an illusion of the season that they were in, while their full focus was on each other.

Garrett could feel a wave of embarrassment coming over her, not understanding at all why she was so mesmerized by this moment. She let her gaze drift off to the colored lights, trying to reason what had just taken place. There was no reason why this woman held her attention, she just did.

"So…ah…what time are you going to leave for your parents’ house?" It was a weak attempt to cover her feelings and the surgeon cursed herself for her feeling of inadequacy. It had been years since she allowed anyone close to her and now, here with Danni, things were just coming about all too fast.

Looking over to the small clock that rested on the mantel, Danni sighed. "I guess I’ll have to be leaving in about an hour or so." The nurse put the last of the tinsel on the tree and stood back to admire the symbol of her life. "I’m pretty sure that will do it for this year. What do you think?"

They both looked at the tree, which had started out barren, to see it filled with decorations and the popcorn/cranberry garland. The twinkling lights seemed to multiply as their shimmering reflections were mirrored off the metallic tinsel. To look at it, one would have never known that it was an ugly tree. It had come to new life, just like all the members of Danni’s menagerie did when placed in her loving care.

"Yeah, I guess that does it." The surgeon’s voice reflected her growing sadness of their lessening time together. She turned to speak to Danni, but she was gone. Garrett looked puzzled at the spot where the young woman had been. ‘She was just here a minute ago. Where’d she…’ The tall woman searched the room with her eyes. Then her gaze stopped and fixed on the young blonde coming down the stairway from the second floor.

Danni looked somewhat pensive as she made her way over to Garrett. She was carrying a bright red foil wrapped box with complimentary green ribbons edging the corners. "Gar, Merry Christmas!" Danni held out the box for her friend to take. "I know that you like to travel light so…I…well, just open and see." She waited patiently for the surgeon to respond.

The long sinewy fingers of the surgeon drew across Danni’s hand as she accepted the present. Garrett let her eyes meet the shimmering pools of green that looked back at her. The word was spoken out of courtesy but with more meaning than the simple syllable indicated, "Thanks."

Danni nodded. "Go on now, open it up. I want to see if you like it."

Garrett set to work undoing the ribbons and stripping the foil from around the box. Her fingers trembled in anticipation as they lifted the lid. ‘I wonder what it is that she could have found to give me?’ The surgeon stared down into the thin veil of tissue paper that separated her from Danni’s gift. Her eyes flicked to the petite woman and then back down to the box. ‘I don’t understand. What would I need a picture frame for? The only picture that I…’ Her fingers pulled back the tissue paper to reveal the gift.

The furrows grew a little more pronounced in Danni’s forehead as she waited to see how her gift was going to be received. It wasn’t normal for her to worry, but this gift was different and she hoped that it was not misconstrued. The nurse let out the breath she hadn’t realized that she was holding, when she heard the gasp from the tall woman.

"I hope that you like it. I got the idea the other week when that man went down on us in the E.R."

The surgeon searched her face, puzzled by the comment. "But how…"

"When you tossed your wallet at Karen, things sort of…fell out."

"But Danni, you gave me everything back intact an hour later. I don’t know how you got this." Garrett’s eyes were glued to the image of her brother, her fingers moving slowly over the scrolling pattern that ran along the wood of the frame. ‘If ever there was a gift that could touch my heart, this has to be it.’ "This is way to clear to be a Xerox of that wallet size photograph."

"Believe it or not, John actually helped me out on this."

"John? How?"

"He had his new digital camera and I kind of borrowed it for a minute or two. I hope you don’t mind." Danni’s eyes searched for any glimmer of approval from her friend.

"Thanks, Danni. Only you would realize what this means to me."

"I thought that perhaps with you having an office you might like to be able to look at it a little more often than you do now. I mean…with it in your wallet and all." The nurse wrinkled her nose. "Besides, I saw how you always look around McMurray’s office when we have to meet with him. I figured that it would be your first photograph for your desk when you’re a Chief of a Department somewhere."

"Danni, I’m only a Fellow now. What’s this talk of being a Chief?" Garrett eyed the blonde wondering if she had some hidden talent for predicting the future.

"Don’t worry, I know that it will happen. It’s you destiny."

The surgeon looked down at her friend. "If you say so." Their eyes met conveying the faith and goodwill that each one wanted for the other. Clearing her throat, Garrett suddenly became somewhat shy as she stammered her way through the next sentence. "Hey…I…uhm…I got you something, too. Why don’t you sit down on the couch and I’ll run up and get it?"

"Okay!" Danni’s voice was soft and reassuring. She could tell that Garrett was not in the habit of giving or receiving gifts.

Placing her gift on the table, Garrett strode over to the stairs where her pent up excitement could hold back no longer. Like a child, the long legs of the surgeon carried her up the steps at breakneck speed. Danni watched her friend disappear from sight, as a smile overtook the nurse’s face. ‘I would have loved knowing her growing up.’ She shook her head at the surgeon’s antics and made herself comfortable on the couch.

Within seconds, the sound of someone bounding down the stairs was evident. Garrett finally reigned in her excitement. Now, she walked from the bottom of the stairs into the living room at a somewhat reluctant pace. In her hands was a large box shining brightly of gold, the wide ribbon of silver contrasting nicely against it. She sat it down on the coffee table in front of the nurse and stood back.

"This is for you. Merry Christmas, Danni." Her eyes twinkled with excitement, anticipating the look on her friend’s face once she opened it.

Danni looked up at the towering figure in front of her. "You know that I’m not going to be able to open that without trying to guess what it is first, don’t you?"

"Guess away, you’ll never get it." The surgeon sounded very confident and once again she compared the gold coloring of the gift-wrap to the heart and hair of the woman. ‘Yep, that was a perfect match. I’m glad that I chose it.’ She watched as the petite hands lifted the box as if trying to judge the weight of it. Garrett had never seen the likes of concentration she was witnessing now. "I can tell you…" The surgeon’s speech was met with quickly upturned eyes of green that cast a silencing effect on her. "Sorry," she whispered.

Lifting the box higher, the nurse bent over and turned an ear toward it, listening for any sounds being emitted freely from inside. Having heard none, she gently shook the package, eliciting any information on size and distribution of material that she could. She could only feel the slight movement of the article hidden from her view. "Hmmm…." Danni looked over to her friend and then sniffed at the box. ‘Damn! This is going to be a tough one.’ "A robe!"

Garrett shook her head in response, too amused to speak.

The nurse was now more daring with her investigation. She flipped it upside down, watching Garrett’s face for any clues. ‘Must not matter whether it is inverted or not.’ Now she shook it again, this time more vigorously. "Hip boots for fishing up at the cabin," she declared triumphantly.

"Nope!" The surgeon chuckled at the thought. ‘I’ll have to remember that one for next year.’ "Good thing it isn’t something that’s still alive. You’d have traumatized it by now."

"Ah ha! So it’s something that’s dead." She reached for the bow and started to undo it. "Hmmm…let me think." The wrapping paper was next as she slid her hand along it to find the tape holding it in place.

"You’re not going to give up are you?"

"Not until it’s totally uncovered." She smiled rakishly and went right back to her slow and deliberate torture of guessing. She pulled off the wrappings and looked at the box. ‘No writing or name of a store.’ Danni lifted the lid slightly being careful not to expose the gift too soon. A familiar aroma was filtering from the box. She closed her eyes to sniff, then sniffed once more before bringing her head up in a satisfied way. "A leather knapsack." Her eyes opened to look at the surgeon.

"Nope!" Garrett laughed as she watched the green eyes shift back and forth trying to re-evaluate the clues. ‘I think that I could enjoy trying to stump her every year.’

"A purse. That’s it, a big ol’ purse." She was so sure of herself now that she opened the box without waiting to hear Garrett’s reply. She ripped back the tissue paper and stopped short when she viewed the article underneath.

The surgeon was pleased. She had surprised the young woman beyond belief. In fact, it had rendered her speechless and that was something to behold in itself.

Finally after a few moments of shock, the petite blonde spoke as her fingers ran over the collar of the jacket. "Gar, I never expected this." She looked up just as a tear slid over her eyelashes and trickled down her check. "I…I don’t know what to say."

"Nothing elaborate, a simple thanks will do." Garrett smiled and felt her heart warm with love for the woman in front of her. ‘I can’t believe I went this long without having a real friend.’

Danni sprang up and stepped around the coffee table until they came face to face. She reached out, allowing her hands to grab onto the broad shoulders and pull her in for a hug. The nurse just couldn’t find the words to convey the feeling that she needed to show. It only took a second or two for the nurse to realize that she had made the tall woman feel awkward.

Garrett stood there hunched over, not knowing what to do. Her arms felt like they should be doing something, not just hanging there. For the first time, she realized just how lacking she was when it came to people skills. It scared her a little to actually make physical contact that she had not initiated.

For the first time in a long while, the surgeon realized she wanted to let someone in this close to her.

Releasing her grip, Danni eased out of the close range of the surgeon. "Sorry, I tend to get a little emotional at Christmas." She looked up to see stunned blue eyes looking back at her.

"That’s okay…" was Garrett’s weak response. "I just wasn’t ready for it."

The nurse nodded and looked back to the present as she tried to put a little distance between them. She lifted it out of the box and held it in front of her to view the entire jacket. "I don’t deserve this, Gar. I almost cost you that project."

"But you didn’t. You came through when the chips were down and I appreciate that." The surgeon pointed to the embroidery on the front of the leather jacket that looked very similar to her own, only much smaller in size.

"That’s what I consider us…a team."

Their eyes both gazed down at the decorative writing on the jacket as Danni read it out loud. "Flight Surgeon Team, D. Bossard R.N."

"I figured we’d need something to help us tell them apart in a hurry." Her tone was light as she joked about the difference in size.

Before she knew what had hit her, the surgeon was wrapped in nurse from head to toe. The young woman clinging desperately with her arms around the tall woman’s waist and resting her check on the taller woman’s chest. It was only minutes after the first hug from her friend but this time Garrett knew what to do and let her body respond as her heart told her to. She slowly wrapped her strong arms around the petite woman, enveloping her like a shield from the world around them. Bending her head down, the surgeon rested her check into the golden tousles of Danni’s hair and gently kissed it without making a sound. Closing their eyes tightly, they both wished for this moment to never end.

Somewhere up in the heavens, in that late afternoon sky, a small star twinkled in delight just like the lights that twinkled brightly on that tree of love known as Danni’s life.

***********

The house seemed quiet now without the small blonde. Danni had left for her parent’s house over an hour ago, but all that Garrett had done since was sit on the couch and watch the lights on the tree. ‘Danni’s tree, it’s so much like her, reaching out and touching the lives of everyone.’

The surgeon looked down on the framed photo that she held in her hands, her eyes sweeping over the images of her and her brother at a memorable time in their lives. ‘We were so close then, almost inseparable, Luc. You were in my every thought of the future. We were going to rule the world, you and I.’

The random patterns of the twinkling lights caused her eyes to drift from the photograph, her gaze now held by the warming glow of the tree and its lights. ‘Now it seems that my thoughts are filled with someone else.’ The surgeon’s lips grew into the lop-sided grin as the image of Danni strolled lazily through her mind. ‘But you already knew that, didn’t you, Luc?’

It was so nice to have a tree at Christmas time, and the surgeon considered how long it had been since she could call one hers. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen decorated trees or even hung an ornament on one every year she had, usually as part of the program that she was in or in the Navy when each sailor had to place their own symbol on the ship’s tree. She thought about that and how she had always used some piece of medical bric-a-brac to represent herself. Now that just didn’t seem like her at all. She was finding out that there was so much more to life than just medicine.

The gentle ding of her wristwatch alarm pulled her out of her daydreams. It was 1720. Time for her to get her duffel bag and head on out to the Blazer. She got up from the couch and placed the gift that the nurse had given her into the top of the duffel. It was meant for her desk and there is where she was taking it.

Pulling on her own leather flight jacket, she looked around the house that had come to mean so much to her. It was feeling more like home than any place she had ever been before. Sighing, she grabbed her bag and went out the door. At the bottom of the steps, she turned slightly to look over her shoulder to see the twinkling lights of the tree that now acted like a beacon in the window waiting for their return.

***************

It had taken her less time to arrive at her parents’ house than she had thought. The roads had been kept fairly clear, even after she had gotten out of the city limits. The slowly falling flakes of snow gave the scenery an almost magical appearance as Danni drove the last two miles of the county road. Her mother had always liked the stately driveway leading up to the house but her father simply thought of it as getting closer to the country that he loved while keeping the city folks at bay.

The nurse thought about how different as night and day her parents were. Sometimes she even wondered what it was that had brought them together in the first place. ‘I guess that it had to be love.’ Her mind brought forth images of stolen moments that she had seen between the two. Ones that they thought would not be seen by their children, like the tender embrace of two hearts that were devoted one unto the other.

Danni’s mind drifted to the country with its fresh air and open spaces. Her father always seemed bigger than life when he was at the cabin, but that could have been merely due to the fact that her mother was never around to cast a shadow over his spirit. She loved the memories that she had of the times spent with her father up there. The only thing that was better was the addition of her grandpa to the mix. I guess that was why she and her mother never seemed to agree on summer activities. Her mother wanted Danni to cultivate her social standing, while all that Danni wanted to cultivate was a good day of fishing and the warm laughter that she and her grandpa would share.

The glowing orange of the dashboard readouts made the young woman think of the bobber that she always used when fishing, just so that she could daydream. She hadn’t used that the last time she was at the cabin fishing. She didn’t have to. Her mind had been totally engrossed in the activity, not to mention the friend who was with her. Thoughts of the tall, dark-haired surgeon casting out into the creek that fed into the lake now took over her mind’s eye. The graceful movements had captivated her, holding her attention on the fishing as she tried to impress the woman with her. The bond that they had built from that weekend was now stronger than any she had ever had before. Giving her friendship to this woman was something that she found to be as natural as breathing itself.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the smell of the leather from the jacket she wore. It was funny how some smells just triggered your senses to conjure up the image of someone. This smell was definitely Garrett to her. Danni brushed her cheek against the soft leather of the collar and instantaneously could picture herself earlier today in the surgeon’s powerful arms. Her mind focused momentarily on that image until it started to fade from her sight, the last wavering glimpses fleeting like a mirage with her sigh.

It was at that moment that the seasonal music on the car radio was interrupted by the mellow voice of the announcer. "For all of you holiday travelers and last minute shoppers, let me just remind you that it is now five twenty and time to be making your way home."

The rest of the message was lost from that point on. All that the blonde could think about was the home that she left with its twinkling tree in the window and the tall figure that had waved to her from the door. Danni looked up over the steering wheel at the large house with the huge wreath hung on the door. It’s bright red ribbon proclaiming the excitement of the season. ‘This used to be home to me, but not any more.’

She turned off the engine and removed the key. ‘Okay, Danni, you can do this. You’re here to see everyone else, not just her.’ Taking a deep breath, the nurse opened the car door and started gathering the brightly colored packages into her arms. ‘It’s only sixteen hours, not sixteen years,’ she chastised herself as she walked to the door. ‘Just keep thinking of what’s waiting for you when you get back home.’

As she stepped onto the landing, the door opened and there, waiting to greet her, was the warm smile of her father with his arms out stretched to welcome her.

"Merry Christmas, Danni!" His arms wrapped around her as his cheek brushed pasted hers, planting a kiss as he hugged her tightly. "I’ve missed you lil’one," he whispered in her ear. He gently rocked her as he savored the moment with his daughter in his arms.

"Dad, I’m the oldest of your children. You can’t keep calling me lil’one." The nurse looked up with big green eyes to her father.

The man’s face, etched with years of worry about his children, became drawn and serious. "You’ll always be my lil’one, Danni. Brie is still two inches taller than you and Matt. Well, he was taller than a wild weed when he was born. Face it daughter, the title is all yours." He winked and kissed her again, this time on her forehead.

The embrace faded as he started to take some of the packages out of her arms. "Here, let me help with those." He looked over her shoulder, half expecting someone else to be behind her.

Danni noticed that her father was searching for something and turned to look, thinking that one of her siblings had also just arrived. Seeing no one, she turned back to her father with a puzzled look on her face. "Who are you looking for, Dad?"

"Your mother seemed to think that you might have someone with you this year." His eyes were hopeful. Sensing his mistake, he quickly countered his thought. "Hey, I see you got a new car. Malibu, is it?"

His daughter nodded. "Yeah, I got a good deal when Garrett needed to buy a car. I traded in mine and we each got what we wanted."

"So you finally got one big enough for more than just yourself, a sensible around town car."

"Yep, and Gar got the full-size Blazer, four wheel drive, of course." She laughed. "Now, we’re set for any style of transportation or road condition."

"Henry, what are you doing with the door wide open? You’re letting all of the…" the voice trailed off as Danni’s mother stepped into view. "Oh, Danni! I’m glad that you could make it home for this holiday."

Her mother’s words brought an end to her excitement of being home. Some things never changed as much as you wanted them too. "Hello, Mother. Merry Christmas to you and Daddy both." She hated the fake kiss that her mother was planting on her. "I guess I’m a little early." Danni had always dragged her feet when coming to the family functions. She didn’t hate everyone. It was just that she had never really felt all that much a part of their world.

"Nonsense! It will help make up for the time you missed with us at Thanksgiving." Her mother looked out to the driveway.

"If you’re looking for Garrett, Mother, I told you surgeons have responsibilities to the hospital. Besides, with all the coverage that Nathan and Rene have done for us. They deserved some time off with their families." She watched as the woman, whose looks she remotely mirrored, turned a sour face.

"I thought that perhaps being such a great surgeon that the hospital could pull some strings…"

"Mother, the only strings that Gar will be pulling are the tails on the suturing material after a round of stitching up a patient tonight."

"Well, let’s go in and wait for the rest of the family to come by." She turned and walked away leaving Danni and her father to follow.

The young nurse rolled her eyes and looked to her father.

"You know your mother. She thinks that the world should move for her wishes." He shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head. "Come on, let’s get these under the tree before your brother and sister get here."

With her father in the lead, Danni followed into the Great Room of the house, its cathedral ceiling made it feel open and airy. As usual, the towering Douglas Fir was situated in the corner. The petite nurse stood at the base of it deciding that it was at least three times her height if not more to the large gold star that adorned its upper most branch. She let her eyes follow lazily down the tree looping right along with the intricately ornate metallic garland that made its way around the branches. There didn’t seem to be an empty spot for a single ornament to be hung if indeed one was needed. In fact, she didn’t even remember really seeing any pine needles at all.

‘She’ll never learn to concentrate on the heart of Christmas, just its garish over-manipulative commercialism.’ Danni looked at the presents piled under the tree and tried gingerly to fit hers in where best she could. Taking the last one from her father, she turned to see the front door open and heard the pattering of small feet as they ran across the polished wooden flooring.

"Auntie Dan! Auntie Dan!" The small tyke of two and a half years screeched as he leaped up into her open arms.

"Hey," the nurse giggled. "Merry Christmas, my little dumpling."

"Berry Chrissmust to you, too." The boy held on as Danni danced him around. "Hi, Grampa!" He waved to her father as they danced by.

"Hello, Gunther." The smiling man waved and teased as he grabbed the young child’s hand. "You got a kiss for your Grampa?"

Danni held the wide-eyed little boy as he stretched to give her father a kiss on the cheek. "Wuv you." Then he put his head down onto his aunt’s shoulder and hid shyly.

The nurse rocked him in her arms and nuzzled her face in his hair. "You’re not afraid of Grampa, are you, Gunny?"

"Danni, I wish you would call him by his name and not that." Brie whisked into the room, her coat bulging as it showed her advancing stage of pregnancy. "Now tell Aunt Danni what your name is."

The little tyke pouted as he looked up into his aunt’s face. "Gunter, Auntie Dan. Mommy says my name Gunter."

"And a nice name at that." Danni could obviously see that the child didn’t like it. "You know that my name is really Danielle, but everybody calls me Danni. That’s why I’m always going to call you Gunny. Okay?"

The little boy eagerly nodded his head and began giggling. "I wuv you." He leaned into her and kissed her cheek.

Danni smiled as she touched her forehead to his. "Merry Christmas, Brie…Mark." She looked out of the corner of her eye to see the couple standing together.

"Auntie Dan, how’s come you smell?"

"Gunther! You know better than that." Brie’s voice was sharp.

Danni laughed at her nephew’s directness. "It’s okay, Sis. I think what he is referring to is my present from Garrett." She tugged at her leather collar. "Is this what you smell?"

The child took a whiff and wrinkled up his nose. "Yeah!"

"So Garrett got you a leather jacket for Christmas." Brie moved closer to see it. "What’s that writing on it?"

Danni looked down at it, her smile stretching from ear to ear. She looked up with all the pride that she could muster. "It’s embroidered: ‘Flight Surgeon Team, D. Bossard R.N.’ Garrett and I are a team."

Brie looked strangely at her sister. "Danni, you don’t fly. You never could." She looked over to her dad. "You remember don’t you? That time you tried to fly us all down to Disney World and we ended up having to drive down instead."

Mrs. Bossard had entered the room as her younger daughter was speaking. Without any hesitation she joined in the conversation. "I was never so embarrassed in my life. As soon as we started to taxi away from the loading ramp she went into a trance. The stewardess stopped the pilot from going any further and made the whole family get off the plane. She said that it wasn’t safe for her to go up in the air."

"Well, I did perfectly fine after Garrett helped me through my first time."

"I bet!" Brie rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, thinking that Danni was naïve.

"Nobody else would have been so loving and kind when I kind of zoned out on the test flight. They would have all walked away from me but not Gar." Danni shook her head. "Not even when I got grounded. Garrett just told Dr. McCormick that we were a team and if they grounded one of us, they grounded both of us."

"So he lifted your ground restriction?" Mark was showing an interest in the story. "I mean, you fly now, don’t you?"

The blonde wrinkled her nose and kind of squinted at her brother-in-law. "Well…not really. I kind of ungrounded us."

"Danni!" Her mother was appalled. "You disobeyed your superior?"

"Actually, Mother, I disobeyed our superior and Gar both. You have to understand the circumstances though. They needed our helicopter and a surgeon for a rescue but Garrett didn’t want to make me get back on the helicopter again. I…I kind of jumped right in and told that surgeon that I wasn’t going to be the excuse for us not to help that patient. Well, the only thing that I can say is that when a patient’s involved, I have no problem flying." She thought about her last statement. "As a matter of fact, I can say that I have no problem doing anything when someone is in need."

Gunny tugged at the blonde’s hair then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I need a cookie, Auntie Dan." He leaned back and let those huge brown eyes of his look into hers as his lips rolled into a pout.

"Okay, Gunny. Enough talk of flying now. I’ve got to get something out of my car along with my overnight bag." She began to walk out towards the front door, the child still in her arms. "I made some special cut-out cookies just for you."

"You’re going to spoil his dinner Danni." Brie nudged her husband. "Mark, take Gunther from her. He weighs a ton."

The petite blonde shifted her precious cargo to the other arm opposite Brie and Mark. "He’s not heavy. Don’t even think I’m giving him up while I’m home. Right, Dumpling?" Danni kissed his cheek. "Now, let’s go get those cookies." Her face was full of joy and laughter as she went out the door, her nephew held tightly in her arms.

****************

The ruckus of all the arrivals had finally died down when Mrs. Bossard quietly announced that the holiday meal was ready, requesting everyone to take their seats. As everyone assembled at the table, Brie went from person to person filling the wineglass in front of them with their choice of the local favorites. With the many wineries to the north of them along the shore of Lake Erie, they did not have to go far to find excellent wine. Danni had always, without fail, chosen the special holiday wine known as Kir from the Penn Shore Winery. As Brie readied to pour from the bottle into her sister’s glass, a hand was quickly placed over top of it.

"It’s Kir, Danni, your favorite."

"I think I’d better join you and Gunny this year by having some juice instead. I’m not sure that wine would be a good thing for me right now." ‘With the little bit of sleep that I had after yesterday, I’m going to be lucky to make it to the candlelight service tonight,’ she thought.

Brie looked at her sister for a moment then shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. Mark can you give Danni some of the juice that we poured for Gunther and me?"

"Sure, no problem, hon." Mark was quick to make his way over to Danni’s empty glass, making hers the last one to be filled.

With the bottles resting back in their coolers and everyone seated at their place, Mrs. Bossard began her orchestration ritual of the holiday dinner. Her stately mannerism of nodding politely at the appointed person came from being diligent of the duty that never changed over the years. The first official nod went as always to Danni for the prayer.

Danni smiled in acceptance of the duty and looked to her nephew next to her as she whispered, "Are you ready?"

His little head was eagerly nodding in agreement.

Danni cleared her throat and then looked around the table at the gathered family that was present. "I’m going to break with tradition a little bit this year," she explained. "I’ve asked the oldest grandchild to join me, the oldest child, to give thanks." Her eyes roamed the table looking for any sign of disapproval. Seeing none, she looked over to her nephew. "Gunny, would you please start for us?"

With all of the seriousness that a two and a half year old can have, the boy debated which hand to use, then finally deciding on his right, making the sign of the cross on his body as he spoke. "In the name of the Father," he touched his head, "The Son," his hand moved to his belly, "And the Holy Spirit," he hesitated then touched his left shoulder and moved his hand to the right shoulder. His head turned to look at his Aunt who would fill in the middle part.

"Father in heaven, look down on us gathered here in the name of your Son, whose coming birth we are celebrating tonight. May the goodness of your love and mercy live on in us now, and throughout the year to come with the new life that you have graced our family with. Thank you for the good times that we have shared with family and friends during the past year and we ask that you look down with kindness on those that could not be present with us here tonight. Let them feel the love that is held within our hearts wherever they may be." Danni tapped her nephew on his leg and nodded slightly to cue him for his next part.

Sitting up as straight as he could, the tyke began the sign of the cross again as he repeated his words once more. The immediate response for those gathered around the table was a very content "Amen."

Danni smiled down at her nephew with pride at his performance. It was something that she had practiced with him while they had waited for her brother Matt to arrive.

"You have a way with children, Sis. I’ve tried teaching him that and he couldn’t seem to get it right without confusing the order." Brie looked at her sister, amazed at what she had done in such a small amount of time. "I can just see what your kids are going to be like when you start having them."

The blonde woman cast her eyes to the table as she felt the blush starting up her neck and fought to keep it at bay. "I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, Brie."

The congratulations came to a halt as the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard, bringing everyone back to the ritual of the holiday.

"Now, if we can continue, please." Mrs. Bossard closed her eyes trying to regain her air of dignity. She opened them when the room was once again quiet, letting them meet her son’s. "Matthew, a toast please."

Danni’s brother rose, holding a wineglass in his hand. Nodding in acceptance to his mother, he then turned slightly to offer the same courtesy to his father at the opposite end of the table. He brought the glass up in toast fashion and slowly began. "Well, since my nephew is too young to imbibe, I guess I’ll have to wait for his help in this duty."

There was a chuckle that escaped from just about everyone at the table in response to the comment. The only one not to laugh being Mrs. Bossard.

"Okay, here goes." Matthew announced causing the family to listen. "May the season of Christmas, with all of its love stay with us always." He thrust his glass into the air. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

The rest of the table followed suit, each turning to the people beside them and wishing the greetings of the season. The clinking of the glasses in toast rang merrily in their ears as they sipped from the swirling liquid in their glasses.

*************

With dinner over and the table cleared, everyone sat around the living room content from the huge meal. The only persons missing were the wives of the clan, who were busy in the kitchen with the leftover food.

Danni found herself sitting by her brother and soon became engrossed in small talk with him. Their conversation coursed through the many years that they had grown up together. Each one remembering just a little different than the other the events that had taken place each Christmas morning. They each laughed as they thought about the past and how they had planned their life for the future so many years ago. Danni noticed that her brother was growing silent in thought after she had teased him about his wish to be married and have ten kids by the time he was thirty.

"What’s the matter, Matt?" Danni had stopped laughing. "You didn’t really believe that, did you?"

Her brother became somber. "At one time I did. I guess we never really know what the future will hold for us, do we?" He shrugged. "I’ve spent so much of my time becoming a lawyer that I’ve forgotten about that dream until now."

"It can still happen. I mean not by the time that you’re thirty, but you can still find someone and settle down. Heck, I expected you to come waltzing in today with a girl on your arm, ready to show her off to the family." Danni watched as her brother bit at his lip.

"I’ve been seeing someone that I think I’d like to really get to know." Matt looked to his sister. "But I’m not sure that Mother would approve of her. She’s not exactly what Mother thinks of as wife material."

Danni leaned back to get a better look at her brother. The astute lawyer now reminded her more of the clumsy, young boy she had cared for every summer at the cabin. "What gives? Is she some alien or does she just have seventeen kids?" The blonde teased him.

"No, nothing like that. It’s just that…she…well…she wants to make her own way in the world and not rely on anyone else for support."

The petite woman looked out to the kitchen as she thought about how her mother would handle such a prospect for her son. "Matt, you can’t let Mother rule you heart. You know what it is that makes you happy and if there is even the remote chance that she is the one, you have to go for it."

The siblings’ eyes met and the unspoken words told each one how the other felt. The closeness of their relationship had held strong over the years even with the distance that their careers had placed between them. The silence was broken as Danni took the lead. "Let’s make a promise to each other right here. Next year we each bring the one person in our lives that makes us happiest, whether we think Mother will like them or not."

"I guess that it couldn’t hurt if we both did it. You got a deal, Danni." He reached over and circled his smaller sister in his arms. Suddenly this Christmas was looking up on his part and all because of her. "I love you, Sis. I’m sure you know that Garrett does, too."

The sound of the soft whisper made Danni’s heart beat faster with the thoughts that they provoked. As they released the embrace the insistent tugging on her sleeve captured her mind and she looked to her side to see her nephew.

"Auntie Dan, I think that its time for my belly to sleep."

Brother and sister both giggled at the comment as Danni turned her attention to Gunny. "You want me to take you upstairs for a nap?" She held her arms out to the tyke, who nodded dutifully and climbed into them. "Matt, let Brie know that I put him down for his nap."

She rose from the couch with him in her arms. "I’d tell Mark, but he and dad look like they’re in a good discussion."

"I’ll let them know, Danni."

"Okay, Dumpling, it’s off to nap time for you. I might even be tempted to join you if you ask me nicely." ‘That might not be a bad idea with how tired I’m starting to feel. I’ll never understand how Gar can be up over twenty-four hours and still function as a surgeon.’

"Pleaz, Auntie Dan, pleaz."

"All right, but only for a little while." The nurse carried her nephew up the stairs, her soft voice lulling him into his dreams by the time they reached the top.

************

The family had returned from the candlelight services to the warmth of the roaring fireplace. The rest of the evening was a continuation of storytelling and the singing of seasonal carols. Their parched throats were easily taken care of with glasses of eggnog that had been passed around. One by one, the family members excused themselves and retired to bed.

Soon the only ones left were Danni and her father. They sat silently watching the embers of the fire slowly die out, each one deep within their own thoughts. Danni looked down at her watch. It was nearly midnight and soon, she too would retire to her old room upstairs. ‘Only twelve more hours and I’ll be back home.’ The woman noticed that her father was now studying her. He had been for some time, she just hadn’t noticed it.

Danni sighed, then spoke softly. "Dad, how did you know that Mother was the one for you?"

Her father smiled. "I was wondering how long we were going to sit here before you finally got around to talking about what was on your mind."

The blonde nodded her head and smiled. "You were always the one that could read my moods. So tell me, how did you know?"

"There’s no real explanation for it. Love just happens, lil’one. One day someone walks into your life and your world just changes. Things that were important no longer matter and all that you can think about is that one person out of all the ones that you know."

"But what if it’s someone that you never expected to love. Someone that you don’t even really know everything about."

"Danni, you never know everything about a person. Why, everyday I find something new out about your mother. That’s what makes it last. There is always another facet to look at and learn."

"Will I know enough to be sure when it happens?"

"That’s assuming that your heart doesn’t already know. Love is a funny thing. It doesn’t always come knocking at our door and announcing itself. Sometimes it comes from places that we least expect it to." He looked his daughter squarely in the eye. "Listen to your heart. That’s how you’ll know."

Danni thought about that for a moment. ‘I can’t believe that my father is such a romantic. I would have never guessed it when I was growing up. I guess we see them in a different light the older we get.’ The young woman opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone.

"I think that you should get that, Danni. I’m afraid that anyone who would be calling me this late at night, is already here." He motioned to the phone in the hallway. "I’m betting that it’s for you. I’m going to head up to bed now, anyway."

The nurse walked briskly to the phone as it rang the fourth time. "Hello, Bossard Residence."

Mr. Bossard passed by his daughter as she greeted the incoming phone call. "Night, lil’ one. Tell Garrett that I said, ‘Merry Christmas,’ too."

"Danni, is that you?" The voice on the other end had a familiar sound to it.

The blonde nodded to her father and answered. "Yeah, Gar, its me." Her voice turned soft. "Night Daddy." Danni waved her hand to the man starting to ascend the stairs. "Hey, my Dad says, ‘Merry Christmas’."

"Wish him the same from me. Maybe one year I’ll get to do it myself."

Danni called to her father at the landing of the stairs in a hushed voice. "Gar, wishes you a ‘Merry Christmas’, too." She watched the man smile and nod his head approvingly. Then she turned her attention back to the phone. "So what’s your night been like so far? Did you get to the O.R. yet?

"Yeah, Nathan was kind enough to leave me with a hot appendix in a twenty year old. It felt good to be back in there. Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet. How was your drive today?"

"Nice! I actually got here earlier than I expected. Dad and I were just sitting and watching the fire die out from earlier tonight. It was nice being able to just sit and talk to him again."

"That’s good. Sounds like you are enjoying the visit then."

"Yeah, I guess I am. My nephew is a howl and he’s been keeping me pretty busy. Oh, Gar…he said to tell you ‘thanks’ for decorating his cookies."

"Why would he say that?"

"Well, I told him that you helped me. I guess he’s heard about your cooking ability already." She could hear the surgeon laughing on the other end. "Somehow, he just assumed that you did the sugar decorating." Danni chuckled. "He’s so cute. I wish you were here to see him."

"Me, too. He sounds like a lot of fun to be around."

"Gar, was there any reason in particular that you called me tonight?"

"I…I just wanted…I needed…." The conversation was now interrupted by the sound of the Trauma Pager beeping in the background. "I…I just called to say ‘Merry Christmas’, Danni, to you and your whole family. Well, I got to go. Trauma calls, you know."

"I wish I was there with you…for the trauma. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Gar. I’ll see you at noon. Bye."

"I’ll be here, come find me when you get in. I’ve really got to go, Dan. We got a Santa coming in that fell off a roof. Bye."

The static on the phone become evident as the line went dead. Danni held the receiver in her hands, not wanting to set it back down on its cradle. In her mind, it was a connection to the tall surgeon, and she didn’t want to let it go. ‘I can’t believe she called me here, at my parents. How did she even get this number?’ A few minutes passed before Danni let the receiver down gently in the cradle.

She looked back over her shoulder to the fireplace to check on the embers. They were out and the living room was dark except for the small light that had always stayed on. The blonde started up the stairs to her room. Her mind mulled over the things that she and her father had talked about earlier. ‘I guess it’s true. The older you get, the wiser your parents become. Well, Dad did at least.’

Entering her old room at the top right of the staircase, she got ready for bed. Danni remembered how alone she had always felt growing up in her family’s home, especially late at night when she would lay in bed trying to go to sleep. That feeling was creeping up on her even now. Finally she got up from the bed, seeking solace. The nurse fingered her leather jacket. ‘If anybody sees me, they’ll think I’m crazy.’ She picked up the garment and put it on. ‘There, now maybe I’ll be able to sleep.’ Climbing back into bed, she nestled down and wrapped her arms around herself. The scent of the leather invaded her thoughts as her mind replayed the emotions and physical senses from earlier in the day when the strength of the surgeon had wrapped around her to protect her. Set adrift with the memory of blue eyes, she fell fast asleep.

*********

Garrett stood waiting for the trauma patient to arrive. The adrenaline rush had started when she was on the phone with Danni. Now, for some odd reason, it was no longer there. The surgeon looked around at the gathered staff members who would be her assembled team for the night. They were all good people but something was missing. Something that she just could not put her finger on, at least not yet.

‘Danni!’ Crystal blue eyes flashed at the realization. Danni was the missing piece of the puzzle. It seemed odd not to have her in close proximity. They had become such a huge part of each other’s world over the last month that now the emptiness was quite evident. Garrett felt at a loss without her blonde-haired nurse at her side. She looked up at the large clock on the wall of Trauma Room One. It was 0020. ‘Only eleven more hours to go without her.’

The Trauma Fellow was caught off guard as the Paramedics wheeled in the man in the red suit and white beard. Rosie nudged the tall woman standing next to her, eyeing her through the clear plastic of the shielded mask that she was wearing. "Hey, Doc! You want to come back down to earth or are you still stuck up in the air?"

The teasing from Rosie broke the trance that the young blonde had held over the surgeon. Danni’s image faded as the professional in her once again took over. "Alright people, on my count." Garrett looked around to the faces of the group, letting her eyes stop at the Trauma Nurse One position. The blonde hair was there but attached to the likes of John. ‘What I wouldn’t give for that to be Danni.’ Sighing, she continued. "One, two, three."

The team transferred the patient and briskly set about their duties. When all of a sudden there rang such a clatter that everyone stopped to see what was the matter. There on the table the bearded man in the red suit waved his arms and one good leg that still had on his boot.

"Get away from me. Don’t cut the suit, it’s not mine. Hey, I’m gonna make you be the one to pay for it if anything happens to it." He pointed directly at the tall Trauma Fellow.

"Sir, have you been drinking tonight?" Garrett rested her hands on his shoulders as she kept him down on the table.

"Well, of course I have. How else do you think I’d get enough courage to get up on the damn roofs?" He sighed heavily and then let his body relax. "How was I supposed to know that they’d have ice up there." He looked directly at John. "Doesn’t heat rise? You’d think that roofs would be cleared of all that stuff with the heat and all."

The male nurse just shook his head. "Buddy, not everyone keeps it as hot and steamy in the bedroom as I do."

The surgeon just rolled her eyes with that comment. ‘Danni, where are you when I need you? Nothing like having a little compassion, John.’ "Okay, everybody just stop right where you are." She looked around the room. "Santa, do you hurt anywhere?"

"Just that darn ankle." He pointed to his bootless limb. "I think that I twisted it when I came down on the garbage can."

"All right, let me give you a quick exam here and some X-rays to make sure that you’re not hurt. I promise that I won’t cut the suit unless I absolutely have to. Okay?" Garrett looked down on the man with sincerity showing in her eyes.

The bearded man looked at her for a long moment before he conceded. "Okay, but I’m still not paying for it if you do."

The surgeon nodded. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

‘I can see that it’s going to be a long night without you, Danni.’ Garrett’s eyes glanced up to the clock on the wall opposite her. She brought her attention back to the Santa suited man, examining him as Rosie and John both undertook the effort to disrobe him. It was going to be a long night for all of them.

************

The gentle knock on the door was met with no answer. Brie stood patiently in the hall as the rest of the adults slowly emerged from their sleeping chambers, drawn by the sound of a gleeful child on Christmas morning. She rapped a little harder this time as she tried to arouse her sleeping sister. Again, she was met with no answer. Knowing that Danni was alone, Brie dared to be bold, opening her door and looking in.

The dim light from the hallway illuminated the room barely enough for her to see the tousled hair blonde snuggled deep in her childhood bed. Venturing into the room, Brie made her way over to the bed. "Danni, are you going to wake up?" Her question was met by the rustling of covers and the emergence of a leather clad arm out from under them. ‘How cute! I bet she missed a certain surgeon. I wonder how she’s going to explain wearing that coat all night?’

Brie’s thoughts turned to how her older sister had needed to have Gunther with her nearly the entire time. She had even taken a nap with him after dinner. ‘And speaking of dinner, what’s with her refusing her favorite wine? Then Danni’s words echoed in her sister’s head. "I’m not sure that wine would be a good thing for me right now." That prayer of hers, such a soft touch, even remembering to mention the littlest of the family in it. The woman found herself rubbing he belly reflexively at the thought of her unborn child. Suddenly Brie’s eyes grew bigger when she thought of her exact wording of the prayer. "…And throughout the year to come with the new life that you have graced our family with." Brie’s eyes fell on her sleeping sister. "Danni, are you trying to tell us…" but she couldn’t complete the thought. Brie turned to leave when the husky sound of her sister’s voice stopped her.

"Gar?"

"No, Danni, it’s me, Brie. You’re at home, remember?"

"Huh?" One very tired eyeball rolled lazily as it began to awaken. Danni began to recognize her old room. She pushed her upper torso off of the pillow. "How’d I get…" She looked over at her sister standing in the doorway as the sound of an excited toddler echoed throughout the house. "I remember now. Merry Christmas, Brie."

"Merry Christmas! You going to come down for the present opening or are you going to lay around missing that surgeon of yours?"

"Missing Garrett…why would you think that I was missing…" She looked down to the jacket that was wrapped around her small form. She could feel the blush start as it rose up her neck and began to take hold of her face. Danni rubbed her arms across her chest, acting like she was cold. "I…I was…" The small blonde searched for a reason. "Cold! I was just cold that’s all." It was all that she could do to keep the blush from overtaking her face.

"Whatever you say, Sis. I’ll let mother know that you’re up, that way you won’t have to get embarrassed twice about sleeping in that gift." Her sister chuckled and started to close the door. "I’ll see you downstairs, Danni. Your nephew will be waiting for you."

Danni let the door close before she glanced over at the clock. It was 0600. ‘Only six more hours to go. With any luck, I’ll be out of here in about four or so.’ She rose from the bed and headed for the door. Then with her hand on the doorknob, she looked into the mirror of the nearby dresser. ‘Guess I better wear my robe instead, huh?’ Reluctantly she exchanged the jacket for her robe, continuing out the door and down the stairs.

The morning had been one that the family had relived many times before. The only difference now was that the children were grown up, taking the places of their aunts and uncles. Rightfully so, their parents were now taking on the roll of grandparents with the offspring that Brie and Mark were adding to the family. The roles of everyone may have changed with time but the ritual was still the same, presents from Santa followed by presents from relatives and last of all, presents that Mother had picked out for everyone.

***********

The hours had flown by when Mother had announced that the buffet breakfast was ready. This had always signified that gift exchanging was done. Dutifully the family would put their gifts down and move with a zombie-like walk to fulfill the matriarch’s command. This year was going to be different. Danni had stayed playing on the floor with her nephew when her Mother had approached her.

"Didn’t you hear me, Danni? I said breakfast was ready." She stood over her, waiting for an answer. "You don’t want to set a bad example for Gunther, do you?"

For a brief second, the young woman felt like a child again, being chastised for not setting a good example. Then it dawned on her. ‘I’m not a child anymore. I’m an adult and I can do what I please.’ "Mother, I’m not really hungry right now. I think that I had a little too much eggnog last night. I don’t really feel like eating."

"In all my years as your mother, Danielle, I’ve never known you to pass up breakfast."

Brie came back into the room with a plate for her son. "Something wrong, Danni? I don’t ever remember you not being first in line for breakfast."

"Nothing, Brie. I’m just a little queasy this morning and with having to ride for an hour to get to work, I’d rather not eat, that’s all."

Her mother looked at her daughter still sitting on the floor. "Are you sure? Maybe you should call your work and tell them that you’re not coming in."

"I’m fine, really." Danni got up holding her hand out for her nephew to follow her. "Come on, Gunny, your mommy’s got breakfast here for you."

She led him over to her sister, helping him up onto the couch. "You be good for mommy, now. I’m going to go get my shower and get ready to go to work."

The small boy looked up to his aunt. "I glad you here Auntie Dan."

Danni smiled, brushed his hair off of his forehead, then planted a kiss in the vacated spot. "I love you, Dumpling."

"I wuv you, too."

Danni waved to him and headed for the stairs. His eyes grew big as he watched his aunt go.

It was only a short time before Danni had showered and gathered up her clothing. There was little to pack in the overnight bag as she made one last look around the room that she grew up in. She compared it to her house in the city and for the first time realized that here in her mother’s house she was never allowed to really be herself. Her mother decorated the room for her and she supposed in that same vein, it was an attempt to have Danni live her life like her mother wanted. Now she longed to be home, in her own house, even more. She gathered her bag and jacket then left the room, never looking back.

With her belongings at the door, Danni made her rounds of ‘good-byes’ through the rooms, stopping to hug and kiss each family member that she came upon. Her last stop was the kitchen where Brie and her mother were clearing away the food from the table. Watching from the door, she could see the similarities that her sister and mother shared. ‘Thank the gods that it’s you, Brie. I don’t think I could ever be like her.’

Brie was the first to notice her sister. "Danni, are you leaving already?"

"Yeah!" The nurse went over to her sister to say good-bye. "I’ve got to be at work by noon. I don’t want to have to rush with the weather out there." She leaned in to hug her sister.

"It was nice seeing you. Next time maybe we’ll get to meet Garrett, huh?"

"Sooner or later, I’m sure you will." Danni turned to her mother. "Mother, thanks for inviting me." She waited for the official hug and kiss that was always initiated by her mother.

Brie waited until the greeting was finished before she addressed her sister. "There’s a piece of your Stollen left, would you like me to wrap it up for you?" She held up the small section that was left. "I’m sure that Garrett might enjoy a little sugar burst when you get in."

Danni could feel the warm hands of her father resting on her shoulders. He bent slightly and spoke softly into her ear. "Or maybe Garrett won’t need anything at all to get a boost once you show your face. Huh, lil’ one?"

‘Is it that noticeable?’ The young woman could feel the growing heat of the blush that was starting at the base of her neck. She fought hard to arrest it in its early stages but it was no use. Slowly her skin was turning from pink to deeper shades of red. "I…I think I forgot something upstairs. I’ll be back for it in a minute, Brie." She put her head down trying to keep the ever-growing blush from their sight. Danni left without another word, too afraid of what might be said.

Mr. Bossard just shrugged to his wife. "I guess she’s not used to being in love. In fact, I’m not sure she even knows that she’s in love yet, come to think of it." His mind reviewed the discussions that they had the night before and he was sure that was her situation.

Danni had made her way to the front door. She stood cursing her body that betrayed her at the mention of Garrett’s name. She wondered if anyone else had noticed it or was her father just so intuned with her that only he could tell? Danni pulled on her jacket and pushed her hands down deep into the pockets, as her lip rolled over into a pout. The young woman stood there, unsure of her next move when the tug at her pants caused her to look down. There, was Gunny with a look of genuine concern on his adorable face.

"Auntie Dan, why you sad?"

Her heart melted in his stare. She didn’t want to lie to him but she couldn’t tell him the truth. Hell, she didn’t even know what the truth of the matter was. She knelt down next to the boy and gave him a big hug. "Dumpling, I’m just sad that I have to leave you and I won’t see you for a while. That’s all." Danni tried to muster a smile. It was a weak one at that.

His little mouth puckered up as his hands guided her face towards his. The moment held a special quality to it and Brie recognized it as soon as she came through the Living Room. The pregnant woman slowed her steps to a crawl as she absent-mindedly rubbed her protruding abdomen. Brie actually felt a twinge of jealousy toward her sister. Gunther was so cute and loving when she was near.

After another hug, Danni stood and waved to the tyke, then picked up her bag and headed for the door.

"Danni!" Brie moved quicker now. "I’ve got your Stollen for Garrett." She held up a hand with the bag in it. "Come on, Gunther, its time for you to get dressed. We have a schedule to keep." She grabbed his hand in exchange for the bag and started to tug him away from her sister. "Your Aunt Danni is too busy to spend the rest of Christmas with us."

"Brie, hospitals don’t close on holidays. We all deserve a chance to be with our families for part of the day. I’ll be taking someone’s place so that they can be with their family for a while."

"Whatever you say, Danni." Brie rolled her eyes in disgust.

Danni took the bag and gave her sister a weak hug. "Thanks, Brie, for everything."

"I’m pregnant, I won’t break." She reached out and hugged her sister tightly. ‘I’m the matriarch in training here. God knows you could never be strong enough to keep this family running like a well-timed watch.’

The petite blonde felt like a young child that was being shown who was in charge. Closing her eyes, Danni waited for the "kiss" from her younger sister. ‘Yep, there it is, just like Mother’s.’ She let out a sigh as she felt her body being released.

Danni’s father waited patiently until his younger daughter had gone up the staircase with his grandson in tow before he let his presence be known.

The clearing of his throat caught his older daughter’s attention.

"Oh, Dad…I didn’t see you standing there." She crossed into the doorway of the Living Room and circled her arms around the man’s waist. "I’m headed back to Pittsburgh. Thanks for the time we shared last night." The nurse reached up and kissed him.

"I asked Brie to pack a little something for you, on the drive back." He looked down at her. "I noticed that you didn’t start the breakfast line earlier. Too much eggnog last night, lil’one?"

"Maybe! Thanks." Danni was pensive for a moment, then spoke what was on her mind. "You know, Dad, I really miss grampa but I’m glad you’re able fill his shoes."

Her father tipped his head in appreciation of the compliment. He knew that his oldest daughter had spent many a long summer day talking to his own father during her childhood. The man had given her all of his time while his son was busy building a business. They had been almost inseparable when she was not in school. Now, it made her own father happy to be there for her in his father’s absence. "If you ever need to talk, I’m here."

Danni nodded in response. Taking in a deep sigh, she went out the door.

Her father watched as she loaded the trunk of her car and drove off down the driveway.

The car was slowly driving off of the property when Brie noticed the movement outside of the window. She stopped undressing her son for his bath as she thought about the impressions that her sister had left her with. ‘All of the things from yesterday I could let go, Danni, but this morning. Now that was the clincher! You with a queasy stomach, not likely unless…’ Then Brie knew that her earlier suspicions were true. ‘She’s pregnant!’

She had wanted to confront Danni before she left, but not in front of the rest of the family, especially their mother. Brie saw no reason to ruin Christmas for the rest of the family. Perhaps if she gave it a little while longer, Danni would take the matter into hand herself and not disgrace the family with a bastard child. ‘Danni, I hope you know what you’re doing. Raising a child is tough work with two parents, but with just one…I hope this Garrett is the one for you, at least for Mother’s sake.’

************

Continued

 It was several miles before Danni came to a stoplight. Her curiosity was peaked now by the presence of the second bag. ‘Hmmm…I wonder what Brie packed for me?’ The nurse opened the sack revealing a sleeve of crackers, a can of ginger ale, and a sealed baggie with a moist paper towel inside it. The brows of the young woman furrowed deeply. "Huh?" Then she chuckled to herself and opened the sleeve of crackers. Taking a bite out of one, she thought. ‘Well, she’s had enough queasy pregnancies to know what it takes to feel better. I’m sure glad she knows what will sit well on an unsettled stomach.’ She shook her head in disbelief. The light changed to green and Danni pushed her foot down onto the gas pedal, urging the car to carry her back to where it was she wished she never had left.

************

Not feeling that much in a holiday mood, Garrett had brought her tray of food for lunch to her office. There, maybe she could eat in peace. The Cafeteria, although not as crowded today because of the holiday, was just not the place for her with it’s sentimental music. The song that helped her to make her mind up was an old familiar one entitled "I’ll Be Home For Christmas." The hospital and her work had always been her home. Well, that was until she let this town and its friendly inhabitants get to her. Now, when she thought of home, her mind conjured up images of a small, blonde nurse and her passion for life.

Garrett looked down at the tray of food before her. She wasn’t really that hungry but she had felt a need to have more than enough food at her disposal. ‘Well, it didn’t cost me anything.’ Whenever she felt like this before, it was usually her sixth sense telling her that she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near food for a long time. ‘Well, you did say that you missed the O.R., didn’t you?’ Her mind thought about the random lengths of time that she had been in surgery, going from one patient to another on a busy trauma schedule. ‘Let’s just hope that whatever comes my way today, only good comes from it. Yeah, right!’

The surgeon picked up half of the sandwich and bit into it. Her eyes looked for a focus point and found it in the new addition to her desk, the photograph of Luc and her. Letting her mind wander, she almost didn’t hear the soft knocking on the door. Swallowing rather quickly she took a sip of her coffee before she answered. "Come in." The seated woman waited as the door slowly opened, first revealing soft blonde hair.

"Hey, Doc!" It was John. "We’re going to eat…and Nan sent me to…." He looked at the food in front of the surgeon. "Oh, I guess you’re doing that already. Would you like to have some company?" His eyes perked up as he glared at the large desk in the small office.

"I don’t think so, John." Garrett had a dead serious look on her face, knowing how his mind worked. "But tell Nan that I said ‘thanks’."

"Okay, but just remember, I don’t go out of my way for just anybody. Sorry, I won’t bother you then…" He excused himself then left muttering to himself as he closed the door again. ‘Damn, you’d think she’d be grateful for my help in that present. Oh, well.’

The surgeon took another swig of coffee before biting once more into her sandwich. Her mind fell back into its memory and she was again reliving a day with her brother, out fishing on the lake. A few minutes went by before the soft knocking was heard again on her door. Garrett shook her head. ‘When will he learn that I’m just not interested and finally give up?’ She got up and lunged at the door, pulling it open as she began to speak. "John, when are you finally going to…to…Danni?" Her eyes grew wide as she gazed at the petite form of the nurse standing meekly on the other side of the door.

"You told me to let you know when I got in. If it’s a bad time, I’ll go." Danni watched as the ogre that had ripped open the door become dormant, retreating back into its hiding place deep within the surgeon. The stunned face now showed signs of welcome.

"Come on in. Hey, did you eat yet, I’ve got some extra food." She ushered in her friend, closing the door behind her.

The nurse looked down at the array of food on the tray. It was more than she had ever seen the tall woman eat at one sitting. "Were you expecting me or what?" She settled into the chair in front of the desk.

"I don’t think so…but it is a nice surprise. Care to help me with all of that?" She picked up the plate with the other half of the sandwich on it, offering it to Danni. "I’ll share."

The words were too enticing to the younger woman. She smiled and reached for the proffered food. "Thanks! I didn’t feel like eating this morning. I guess that I had other things on my mind." She bit into the sandwich, nodding her approval.

"Yeah, I didn’t feel much like eating earlier, either."

"Oh, Brie wrapped you up a piece of my Stollen." She sat the bag on the desktop. "Dad thought that it might give you a boost of needed energy."

"I wondered if I was ever going to get a taste of that…Stollen, I mean." The surgeon swallowed a bite as she watched the young woman across from her smirk in surprise. ‘But the only boost that I needed was to have you here.’

"Umm…" Danni swallowed, trying to get her thought out. "It looks nice on your desk, Gar." She pointed to her Christmas present that she had given the surgeon. "I’m glad that you liked it."

‘How could I not like it?’ Garrett looked to the frame and then to her friend. "It’s definitely something that I’ll cherish for life. Thank you, again for thinking of it."

There was silence between the two for a few moments when the young blonde looked over and locked the taller woman in her gaze. "Gar, that jacket…it kept me pretty darn warm against even the coldest of chills. Thanks." The image of her mother flicked across her brain as she made her statement.

"I hoped that it would."

The two women were content to spend the remainder of the time eating in each other’s company. The silence shared between them was one of comfort and familiarity, each one realizing that they were finally at home and at ease with the other.

************

What was left of the daylight shift soon came to an end. The E.R. had been slower than usual with everyone enjoying the holiday, even the staff. It was as though sickness and injury had called a truce until the end of the day.

The arrival of the evening shift was a welcome sight for the surgeon. She had been finding herself constantly wanting to hang around the E.R. but kept her visits to a minimum. Aside from Danni, she knew the other nurses by name but didn’t really feel that friendly with the daylight crew. Garrett found her anticipation of the evening shift’s company quite surprising. She rounded on the patients in her care as she waited, giving them a little more time for their exchange of report.

***************

Karen sat at the desk looking over the information on the computer screen. The E.R. basically was empty except for the homeless man that was sleeping in the only occupied room. Dr. Potter didn’t see the need to release him into the cold when the room would have been empty anyway and Karen was in agreement with her. ‘Everyone needs a little warmth and comfort on Christmas.’

Her attention turned to Danni. The nurse sat silently at the computer, reviewing an article on helicopters. Her face serious, lacking any emotion.

"Say, I hear that you and Garrett did one heck of a rescue on Saturday. I bet everyone was excited about that." Karen watched Danni’s face come alive with emotion.

"Mom, excited isn’t even close. I thought that Garrett was going to pulverize Dr. McCormick when he grounded me."

"Grounded? What do you mean…grounded?" Mom sat up straighter, her senses anticipating the story. "That’s not what I heard. McCormick told us that he sent you and Garrett out on that rescue." Karen looked around. "Grab your coat, Danni, we need to talk outside. I’ll meet you out there in a minute."

Danni stood under the awning watching the snowflakes fall slowly to the ground, as she zippered the leather jacket closed. It hadn’t taken Mom long before she was coming through the door to the outside. The blonde nurse turned her body to greet Karen. "Look, Mom, it’s snowing.

"Yeah, I see." She looked around, then settled back on Danni. "Hey, is that a new coat?" Karen pinched the material between her fingers. "Leather, must be nice to get perks like that." She pointed to the embroidery.

"It’s not a perk. Gar, gave it to me for Christmas." Her face brightened at the thought. "I’m just glad that we’re still a team."

Karen shook her head and teased. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Mom, I really flubbed up on Saturday. I froze on the helicopter ride out of here. Garrett had to carry me off it when we landed. That’s when McCormick grounded me. I never thought that Garrett could be so protective of anybody but her patients. I was wrong."

"How were you wrong, Danni?"

"She told McCormick that if he grounded me, he grounded her, too. She told him that we were a team and that she wouldn’t be paired with anyone else." Danni looked self-conscious and speculative. "I’m not sure that I could have been so supportive and understanding."

"You…not supportive?" The older nurse laughed. "Danni, I’ve seen you support what others would have called a hopeless cause and Garrett Trivoli was one of them."

The young nurse wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, I guess you’re right." She pulled the collar of the jacket up to give her face added protection from the cold. "I’m thinking that we really are a team, now."

Mom saw the tall figure standing at the door and motioned with her head towards it. "I’ve been thinking that for a while. What do you say we go back in and have some fun since it’s all nice and quiet?"

"I’d like that…I think we’d all like that." She smiled and waved to the surgeon standing behind the plate glass door. The two nurses walked back into the hospital as they teased and taunted one another about saying the forbidden word… ‘Quiet.’

"Hey, Merry Christmas, Mom!" Garrett greeted the older nurse. "So when is the action going to start?"

Danni laughed as she removed her coat. "Should be anytime soon. Mom just said that "Q" word."

"No! She didn’t!" Rosie was adamant. "You know better than that. I wanted a nice…" she paused, placing her hands out in front of her with her thumbs and forefingers pinched together and drawing them out in a slow, smooth horizontal line, starting at the center and ending opposite one another. "Night." Her last word was little more than a whisper.

Karen just shook her head. "Ain’t going to happen. Nope…no way! Trivoli is on and you know what that means."

Rosie turned to face the Charge Nurse. "We’re doomed. Trauma gravitates to her like iron shavings to a magnet." Her shoulders slumped and her head dropped down. Then her face slowly came back up into sight, with a devilish grin stretched from ear to ear. "At least we got Danni back with us tonight."

Without warning, Rosie began to dance wildly around the petite blonde nurse. "Danni’s Trauma Nurse Number One, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."

The somewhat subdued singing from the rest of the staff soon began to snowball as Rosie lead them from one chorus to another.

"Trauma time ‘til Garrett’s done," Rosie sang out to which was met with a growing chorus of, "fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."

"Don we now our traum’ apparel," the nurse was beginning to dance around as the rest sang out, "fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."

Just as Rosie was about to start the next line, the shrill tone of the Trauma Pager Alert went off causing everyone to stop what they were doing.

"Trauma Team Page, Trauma Team Page. Medivac Two is inbound with a 22-year-old male victim of electrocution. Contact was made while attempting to unscrew a broken light bulb from an outdoor display with a pair of pliers. Patient has suffered burns of right hand and left foot. ETA five minutes."

"Well, there goes that quiet night, Mom!" Danni laughed at the face the older woman was making at her. "Then again, you just knew that it wouldn’t stay quiet long with both of us here, didn’t you?" She pointed to herself and the tall surgeon standing next to her. "Come on, Gar…let’s go get ready."

Soon the only one left standing there was Karen. She had deserved the harassment for saying the "Q" word but she wasn’t mad. How could she be? She had her girls back, if only for the rest of the night. ‘It feels good having everyone home for the holiday.’ She thought as she made her way down the hall.

At the Trauma Room, everyone was in their places and waiting for the patient. Garrett looked around at her assembled team, studying each one as her eyes circled the room. The last team member she gazed upon was the one opposite her with blonde hair. Their eyes met and if anyone could have seen underneath the masks, they would have found warm, loving smiles. Their gaze lasted for only a moment when Garrett winked at her Trauma Nurse One. Each one now realized that this was indeed their real family and the best way to spend the last hours of Christmas.

Chapter 5

The stacks of paperwork were well on their way to becoming mountains ready to avalanche down on her when the dark-haired woman finally let out a scream of anguish. All that Garrett had wanted to do was help those who were now in the same position that she had been in for the last twenty some years, that being a lone survivor. It sounded so easy to do in the proposal that she and Danni had worked on. The surgeon had never realized all of the paperwork that would be involved to even get the program on its way to that first meeting.

"No wonder the Board gave us cart blanche for this program. They knew that the paperwork would be insurmountable." Garrett looked over to her brother’s image that was now perched in its frame on top of the monitor where it could be seen. ‘Luc, I’m not going to let this get me down.’ She was more determined than ever to get the group going. ‘Not after what Danni went through to get us here. I’m not letting this foil me now.’

The surgeon started shifting through the stacks of papers, looking for the necessary forms, in triplicate no less, to reserve the meeting room. She let her mind go about its logical thinking, "First things first, a room to meet in."

Garrett’s mind was so focused that she didn’t hear Rene open the door. The tall, thin man crossed his arms over his chest and stood staring at the mound of white where the empty desk used to be. Shaking his head, the man thought out loud. "First the coffee cups and now all this." He held his arms out to emphasize. "My friend, if you wanted to be buried alive in a snowdrift I could give you the location of several nice ones in Canada. You’d have a better view at least than in here…eh?" Dr. Chabot let his eyes sweep across the small room. "Not much more air to breathe, mind you." He made a comical face as he tipped his head from side to side.

"Sorry, Rene. I didn’t mean to…" Garrett looked around her, "take over the office. I’ll have this all cleared up by the time I leave today."

Her colleague let a low laugh escape his lips.

"What?" Garrett’s eyes riveted back up to him. "What are you laughing at now?"

"You!" Rene shook his head. "I know how you are, Dr. Trivoli. You will get so caught up in everything," he motioned at the mounds of paperwork, "that you could be here for days and not realize it. I don’t even think that you would stop for nourishment. Coffee…" he wiggled his fingers in indecision, "maybe."

Seeing the small blonde figure that was partially hidden by Rene’s taller frame, Garrett commented. "Rene, haven’t you heard, I’m part of a team now? One thing that I’ve learned this last month is that everything is for the good of the team."

The tall Canadian felt a tapping at his shoulder and turned to see who it was. "Nurse Bossard!" Chabot nodded at her with a smile.

"And I’m in charge of keeping this team running with a full tank." Danni held up the take-out bag from the fast food place down the street. "Season’s Greetings to you, Dr. Chabot. Care to join us?" The nurse smiled up at him and dangled the bag out before her in an enticing manner. "I’ve got more than enough." The petite woman moved around him and into the room. Once behind the desk, she looked for a place to set the food down. Finding none, she pulled open a desk drawer and placed the package there.

"No, thanks. I’m still trying to get rid of all the food that my wife stuffed me with on Christmas." Rene patted his stomach. "I take it that you both had a nice holiday?" His eyes went back and forth between the two women searching for any subtle exchanges.

Garrett rolled her eyes. "What is this…everybody needs to have a nice holiday with you? Of course mine was nice, I got to operate for the first time in over a month."

"Gar, I think he meant with friends and family." The petite nurse looked over to Rene.

Rene put his hands up in mock defense. "Hey, coming from her, that’s more than I expected."

"Well, I for one had a nice holiday," Danni nudged the woman next to her, "Unlike some people."

The closeness of the team was evident by the relaxed attitude the two had. Rene could see it in their faces. ‘Perhaps this team is what you needed, my friend.’ He could see the change that had taken place in his colleague and liked it. No one would ever call the tall surgeon cute to her face but that was the only word that Rene could think of to describe how Danni and Garrett were together. There was something about the growing friendship that he could sense was timeless in its nature, as if they had known one another for an eternity.

"Come on, I had fun, too." Garrett reached for the offered burger that was gradually being held just out of her reach. "Okay, so I ate almost all of your sugar cookies."

"Stole is more like it…and from a child too." Danni laughed and then handed her the sought-after prize. "Dr. Chabot, you have two children, would you do that?" Her gaze turned to him.

The smile grew on his face as the thought crossed his mind. "If it were my favorite kind, I might be tempted. I’d better leave now and let you two get back to more important matters…eh?" He looked at the paper-filled desk. "Like finding the desk so that I’ll be able to use it later tonight when I’m on call." He waved and backed out of the doorway, closing the door behind him.

Garrett turned a worried eye toward the petite blonde. "Do you think he’s serious about finding the desk?"

Danni rolled her eyes and smirked, "Yeah, I guess so."

"That’s what I was afraid of." The tall woman bit into her burger and started sorting through the mounds of paperwork.

*****************

Things were finally settling down into a nice routine of preparation for the upcoming programs to be inaugurated. First would be the official flight of the Surgical Team at midnight on New Year’s Eve to kick off the year 2001, followed by the initial meeting of the support group that Saturday. Everything was going as planned until three days before the end of the year.

McMurray paced in his office, worried about the reception he would get from his next meeting with the Board of Directors. They needed proof that the nurse could indeed fly and didn’t care what it took to prove it. As hospital tradition dictated it, the last meeting of the calendar year would be on December 31 at noon. That left him with only a day and half to work miracles. Finally his mind was made up. He had to do it. He walked over to his desk and summoned his secretary informing her to get his Surgical Flight Team, STAT! There was little time left, and he was going to make the most of it.

***********

Without delay, the two curious women found themselves ushered into the Chief of Trauma Services’ office upon their arrival. There on the desk were several large manila envelopes, each one with the name of an outlying hospital on it, and the name of the Head of Emergency Services. The envelopes seemed to hold a special interest to Danni as she craned her neck trying to read the writing that was on them, while Garrett looked around the office for the Ol’ Cutter. The surgeon thought that it was strange to be requested to come to his office and he was nowhere to be found once they had arrived.

"Hey, Gar, take a look at these." The nurse pointed to the envelopes. "It’s all the hospitals that send us trauma patients on a regular basis." She picked one up and turned it over. "Hmmph! It’s sealed."

"I don’t like…" her words were cut off at the sound of the door opening behind them. Slowly she turned to see who had entered the office. It was Dr. McMurray.

The man breezed into his office with another stack of envelopes, like those on the desk, underneath his arm. "Good to see you two here." He crossed behind them and strode to the other side of his desk. "I’ve got a mission for you, Nurse Bossard." McMurray looked up from his desk, a smirk beginning to show on his face. "Seems like you’re the personable one out of the two of you. Sorry, Dr. Trivoli but there was never really any question about this." He chuckled. "You’re a damn good surgeon. Everybody here knows it. What we need is a person who can get right next to someone and open their arms up to them in a loving embrace."

"I don’t understand…" Danni’s brows furrowed.

"He’s saying that I’m not a people person and you are." The dark-haired surgeon matter-of-factly stated. "In other words, Danni, you’re the lead in this next mission and not me."

"Lead! Lead in what? I’m not a doctor or a surgeon." The nurse’s head spun wildly from one to the other. "Will somebody please tell me what’s going on? I thought we were a team."

"You are." His voice was gruff as McMurray made his point. He didn’t want them to think any differently. "We…ah…we need to make sure that this program doesn’t fail. That’s all." The Ol’ Cutter’s tone smoothed out. "I’ve made up a packet of informational material for each of the outlying hospitals that send us patients on a consistent basis."

"What do you want us to do…hand deliver them?" Garrett’s voice was tinged with sarcasm.

McMurray grinned at the perception the Fellow had. "Why, yes! That’s it exactly."

Danni looked at the stack of envelopes that McMurray had piled one atop the other as he spoke to them. "But that would take days."

The man only chuckled.

"Not in the helicopter it won’t." Trivoli watched as the expression on her mentor changed to one of impressiveness at her logic. ‘That’s it, they want us up in that helicopter before Sunday night.’

"What is so important that it has to be hand delivered?" Danni’s eyes glared at the Chief of Trauma Services.

McMurray played with an envelope as he spoke. "Oh, it’s just a lot of information that the physicians will need to know when they utilize our service, besides a few other associated things." His eyes twinkled with delight. "I think that they will meet with your approval."

"And exactly how long are we going to be playing meet ‘n greet?" Garrett did not look enthused.

"I’d say a day…day and a half to be on the safe side. I’ve already requested that same pilot for you from the other day. I figured that you would feel more comfortable with him."

"Cowboy’s going to be our pilot?" The blonde was showing signs of relief.

The tall woman watched and hoped that she was right. ‘Please, let it be him. I think she could be a little more comfortable now.’

"You’ll leave bright and early tomorrow morning. My secretary is already contacting the people that you need to see at each hospital and will have an itinerary ready for you by five this evening. Any questions?"

Danni hesitantly spoke. "Dr. McMurray, what exactly are we supposed to do on these little meet ‘n greets?"

The Ol’ Cutter smiled. "Why, just be yourselves. Let the directors of the Emergency Rooms get to know you. Let them see who will be coming when they yell for help. Okay?"

"That doesn’t sound too bad, does it, Gar?" Danni looked to her teammate for support but was met with only a blank stare instead.

The surgeon never liked being put on display, like a pet retriever that was being sent out to bring back the stick each time. Garrett bit her tongue. She knew that it was another way for the nurse to get comfortable with flying and far be it from her to be the one to stop it. She wanted, no, needed this team to stick together, whatever it took.

Life came back to Garrett’s eyes when, finally after a minute or two, she chose to answer the question. "No, doesn’t sound bad at all." Her eyes came to rest upon her mentor and Trivoli made sure he knew that she was on to his little plan. "When do we start?"

McMurray read her right. She knew what he was up too. He nodded in acceptance of the situation. "Tomorrow morning at eight. I’ll have the pilot waiting for you to go." The Ol’ Cutter picked up an envelope, using it for emphasis. "I’ll even have these all loaded and ready to go, myself."

"Thanks!" Danni was eagerly waiting to get to work. Her hand reached out to touch Garrett’s arm as she turned to leave. The small gesture was caught before she made contact and corrected herself. ‘By the gods, I can’t seem to keep my hands off of her since that last flight. What’s gotten into me?’ Then she remembered what it had felt like in the tall surgeon’s arms when she had been carried out of the helicopter. It was a feeling that she had always craved but never had experienced before. ‘Could this be…? Nah, who are you kidding, she’s just a friend.’

Garrett looked down at the dazed nurse. "Danni are you all right?" She snapped her fingers and waved a hand in front of her face until the petite woman came back to reality.

"Huh?" She shook the thoughts from her head as she tried to clear her mind.

"Yeah, I was…was just thinking of something. I’m okay, really."

It was McMurray who spoke now, "You two should get a good night’s sleep tonight so you look all fresh and alive for tomorrow." The man waved his hands as if to shoo them out of his office. "Now go on, I’ve got work to get done."

The pair turned and walked out of the door, each one feeling as though something had been overlooked or missed completely. Once in the outer office, Danni knew what it was that was missing. "Gar, I wonder why he didn’t show us any photographs this time? I kind of missed hearing a story about one."

"Hmm…Maybe we’ve seen them all."

"Somehow, I doubt that." The blonde thought for a moment. ‘Or maybe… we just haven’t seen it yet.’

************

The next morning started off fairly well with Danni up and ready to do the meet ‘n greets. Her mind was set on making a good impression and promoting her team. McMurray had given her the lead in this mission and she wasn’t about to let him or Garrett down. If she could only keep that foremost in her thoughts, she knew that the helicopter rides wouldn’t get to her.

The tall surgeon, on the other hand, was as much enthused about the mission as she was to having a hernia. Publicity was never what being a doctor was about, at least not to her. It was skill and knowledge along with the conviction to do her best for her patient. Her disdain for the promotional flight was overridden by her feeling of protectiveness where Danni was concerned. If this mission would help the young woman gain her confidence in the air then so be it. Garrett would allow herself to be put on display.

It was with those mind sets that each one had come, prepared to do whatever they could to make the team a success. Cowboy saw the look of determination in both of the women as he watched them transverse the driveway. The smaller of the two moved with more confidence than the last time he had watched her take the same path to his helicopter. Her shoulders were squared and he could see that the nurse was sporting a jacket that was very similar to the surgeon’s. The word ‘team’ immediately popped into his mind as he watched them return his ‘thumbs up’ and climb aboard. The pilot gave them a minute to get settled before he turned to greet them.

"Morning, Ladies." His smooth drawl emphasized the time of day.

"Good morning!" Danni beamed when she recognized the pilot from the other day. "Gar, look! It’s Cowboy!"

The surgeon leaned in to see the pilot. A slight wave of the hand was her only greeting. She quickly donned her helmet and buckled herself into the seat. ‘The faster we get going, the sooner this will be done.’ She never could get excited about meeting people.

"I understand that they want us to drop in and visit a few places." The pilot talked as he looked over his shoulder. "When you’re all buckled in back there, I’ll be ready to lift off."

"Where are we headed to first?" The nurse asked as she adjusted her helmet straps.

"We’re going North, Franklin Regional Hospital will be the first stop. You about ready?" He looked back into the crew area as Danni clicked her seatbelt into place. When she was finished, she thrusted out her right hand with a ‘thumbs up’ signal. His eyes moved to the surgeon, but there was no sign of readiness from her.

Danni noticed the pause in his actions and looked over to Garrett. The woman was a million miles away in her mind. "Gar…" she waited.

"Huh?" The surgeon saw the ready signal that was being displayed by the woman next to her. "Oh…yeah…" She quickly imitated the sign with her hand and smiled weakly at the pilot. "Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention."

Cowboy gave the sign back in acknowledgement. ‘It’s going to be a long day with that one in a stew.’ He turned his gaze to the instrument panel and readied for the flight.

The lift off seemed smoother than the first one or maybe she was just getting used to them. Danni was trying to keep her thoughts on how she was going to greet everyone when she noticed that the building was no longer outside the window. In its place was the city’s skyline. They were already flying and she could hardly decide how to address the first E.R. Attending that she would encounter.

Garrett kept a close watch on her friend, ready to act within a moment’s notice of any sign of trouble.

**********

The routine had all been pretty much the same: disembark, greet, get introduced to the Physicians working in the E.R. and answer any of their questions. Garrett marveled at how casually the nurse was able to joke and laugh with these new faces. At each stop, they would leave the manila envelope that McMurray had given them for that specific hospital before they departed.

The more relaxed that Danni became, the more the tension seemed to also ease out of the surgeon. Without thinking about it, Garrett was even beginning to respond with a smile when she was drawn into the conversations. Her stoic nature gave way to the warming touch of the nurse as she became more human.

By the afternoon, the pilot was seeing the playful banter exhibited between the two. They were as different as night and day, until you put them together, and that was amazing to him. He could sense that they were closer than just workmates. Whoever had put this team together knew what they were doing. It was then and there that Cowboy made up his mind to try to match up with these women as often as he could. There was something special about them and he wanted to be a part of it.

************

Giddy from a day of ups and downs, Danni led the way into the last hospital on their itinerary with the large manila envelope tucked under her arm. Her easy smile and pleasant-sounding voice had gained them a quick response from the clerk at the window. Soon they were being ushered into the Emergency Room and to the office of its Director.

The team stood there only for a moment as they each tried to stretch their legs. It had been a long day with most of it spent seated inside the helicopter. The ability to just stand up and walk was a welcome relief. The sound of the door opening soon got their attention as they turned to view the man standing in the office.

"Well, if it ain’t Ian’s little girls. Come on in. I don’t bite." The physician had obviously been expecting them. "I’ve been waiting to see you in person."

"Excuse me, sir, but we’re the Flight Surgeon Team, not Ian’s little girls." The low contralto voice retorted as the surgeon narrowed her gaze.

Danni looked over to see Garrett raising her eyebrow in contempt of the familiarity with which he spoke. The nurse’s natural ability to mediate took over in light of the growing confrontation. "I believe we had a prearranged meeting with you to answer any questions that you might have about the new assistance that the Trauma Services is offering to you. My name is Nurse Danni Bossard." She stepped up to him and offered her hand. After shaking it, Danni continued. "This is Trauma Fellow Dr. Garrett Trivoli." The nurse looked back to the surgeon and motioned for her to come forward.

Complying, Garrett reached out to shake his hand, her eyes never blinking as she stared directly into his. His eyes moved swiftly over her as he studied her face. The E.R. Director’s smile grew into a smirk, then he let out a laugh. "Ian was right. That pin-up poster doesn’t do you justice." He looked over at Danni for a brief second then added, "Neither of you."

The surgeon broke out of the handshake. "What are you talking about?" Her eyes flashed to Danni and then back to the man.

"Why, the one that he sent me the other day. He said I’d be getting another one of them," He pointed to the large envelope in Danni’s hand. "I figured that’s what’s in there." He looked at them rather eagerly. "Do you think that I could get you to sign this one for me? I mean…since you’re here and all."

The nurse undid the clasp of the envelope and looked inside of it. Besides several small brochures and few sheets of papers there was a heavier-weighted paper that was folded over. She removed it from the envelope and began to spread it out.

There, before her eyes was a large two-foot by three-foot poster of Garrett and herself in their flight suits. It was a quarter view of them showing the upper portion of their flight suits with all of the insignias on it and their faces.

Danni’s face grew intense as she studied her own likeness in the photographed image. The gentle blush of embarrassment started to rise on her neck and face. ‘This must have been when that photographer asked us to think about what we wanted for Christmas.’ Her mind remembered that it was when she had thought of Garrett’s gift. ‘And I had only thought of it then. I’m glad that she liked it.’

By now the surgeon had moved behind the petite nurse to see for herself what was on the large piece of paper. The stoic face remained unchanged as Garrett looked at her image on the poster. She was captivated by the beguiling smile on her face. The gentle upturned corner of her mouth in the picture reminded her of Danni. She had noticed that lately the right side of her mouth turned upward when she would think about the young woman standing in front of her. ‘That’s when I thought about getting Danni that leather jacket for Christmas.’ Her hand came forward to touch the young woman’s leather garment. ‘I’m sure that she was pleased with it.’

Without a word, they each cast an eye to the image of their team member and wondered what had been on the other one’s mind when the photograph was snapped. Obviously it had been something that meant a lot to them by the candid looks on their faces. Each one wondered if the other even could remember.

The anxious voice of the E.R. Director broke the spell that held them to the poster. "I said…are you gonna sign that for me now?" He repeated himself louder this time as he held out his pen.

Danni was the first to break her trance, remembering their mission. She smiled kindly at him as she accepted the proffered pen. "I’d be happy to. How about you Dr. Trivoli, would you like to autograph this for him?" The nurse nudged Garrett for a response, her green eyes flashing mischievously. Under Danni’s breath, she whispered through her fake smile. "Meet ‘n greet, not kill ‘n eat." Then she looked over her shoulder to the woman behind her, handing her the pen. The nurse knew what was going through Garrett’s mind but this was neither the time nor the person to allow her anger to be vented at. ‘Ian, you deserve every bit of hell that she brings your way.’

Accepting the pen from Danni, the surgeon rolled her tongue over her teeth, then smiled pleasantly, nodding to the physician in front of them. She leaned over slightly to scroll her signature across the poster. "There you go. It’s a one of a kind now." She stood back up and winked at him as she handed back the pen. ‘McCormick, sometimes you can be worse than John.’ "I can guarantee you that nobody else will have one like that."

"She’s right, you know." Danni smiled graciously as she handed the poster and the manila envelope to him. "I’m sorry, but we have another appointment this afternoon so we’ll need to forego the tour of your E.R. I hope that you don’t mind."

"But…" he paused for a moment, then continued, "if you’re running late I guess that will have to be."

I’m sure that when we come back next time, your staff will make us feel right at home."

He nodded vigorously. "I’ll make sure of it." He held up the poster as Danni and Garrett walked out the door and called after them, "Thanks!"

They made their way out of the E.R. in silence with only nods and waves used as greetings to the passing staff. Each one was afraid of what would happen if words were to form in their mouth right now.

Cowboy stood by the door with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands when the two women burst through the swinging door. He looked up to see the tall surgeon in the lead, her strides lengthening to distance herself from where she came. Pulling the cup out of her way, he saw the determined look on her face, her eyes casting a steely glow. In an instant, she was out the door and headed to the aircraft. The young blonde slowed only for a second and looked him in the face. "It’s time for us to go home," she announced and proceeded to follow the path already being forged by her teammate.

The pilot gulped and swallowed his last mouthful of coffee. Something was wrong, very wrong. He looked back into the E.R. and then to his helicopter.

The two women were almost at the ship when he hurriedly sat the cup down and took off after them. Something told him that it was not going to be a pleasant ride back home.

***********

The surgeon could barely wait to get out of the helicopter when it touched down. She didn’t even allow the rotors to slow before she was out of her seat and sliding the door open. The petite nurse hurried to keep up with her, fearing that she might do a certain Attending Physician, namely Ian McCormick, physical harm. Garrett hunched over into the ‘hot’ unloading position and made her way towards the door of the E.R., Danni closely following at her heels.

It wasn’t until they were inside that they began to pull at their helmets. Taking her helmet off, Garrett shook her head, trying to release her hair. The raven darkness cascaded out of the loose braiding and fell across her shoulders, giving her a rather wild appearance as she strode in through the waiting room and up to the triage desk were she demanded, "Is McCormick in?"

Nan, the Nursing Manager had been walking by when she heard the loud voice. "Dr. Trivoli, is there something wrong?" She came to the aid of her nurse sitting behind the desk.

"Wrong, I’ll say wrong!" Garrett’s voice dropped an octave. "Tell that…that…man I’m waiting for him in his office." She pushed her way past Nan, heading for McCormick’s lair.

"What the heck’s wrong with her?" Nan looked to the blonde nurse for an answer.

Danni just shook her head. "I’d stay out of it if I were you, Nan. You don’t even want to know." She looked at the Manager, her green eyes churning with the violence of a storm at sea. Once the silent message had been sent, the young nurse continued in her pursuit. "She’s not letting this one drop, and neither am I."

*********

Garrett paced back and forth in McCormick’s office, waiting for him to arrive. Her mind raced with thoughts and feelings that she had been holding in. Danni stood back out of the way, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire when he arrived. It had been several minutes before the sound of someone turning the doorknob grabbed their attention. They turned and waited to see who it was.

In sauntered Ian, the smile being quick to leave his face when he was met by the fury in the surgeon’s eyes. His reflexes reacted to the waving of the tall woman’s arms. He only had time to look from one woman to the next before the barrage of words battered his ears.

Garrett spun around to her teammate and tossed the helmet from her hands. Danni juggled the thrown piece of equipment, deflecting the helmet and causing it to bounce off the desk, then a chair, rolling onto the floor. The nurse quickly bent over, trying to stop the helmet, her fingers grabbing at it as she picked it up.

"What the hell is it with you that you think every woman is your ‘little girl’?" Garrett drew her shoulders up as she placed her hands on her hips, creating a foreboding image. "The only little girl that I’ll ever be is my father’s and even he knew better than to call me that."

McCormick moved behind his desk in fear. "But I…"

"Men like you are all the same. You think that every female is nothing unless they belong to you. Ian, not every woman wants to be branded as your little girl." She turned and walked away toward the door. Stopping short, she reversed her direction and strode right back towards his desk. "If I ever hear of that term used in reference to me, my team, or any female in this hospital, I’ll go directly to the Board of Directors with a charge of sexual harassment and you’ll be one sorry excuse for a mobile sperm bank if I ever saw one!"

Ian watched as the tall woman pulled open the door and left. His eyes looked over to the nurse in the corner, waiting to see her reaction. "Well, what do you have to say?" He felt braver without the surgeon’s presence.

Danni looked him over then folded her arms tight against her chest. Her voice was calm and reserved. "Nothing! I believe my teammate said it all for the both of us." The nurse turned on her heels and left.

McCormick dropped to his chair and, with a shaking hand, wiped his balding head. ‘That woman is going to drive me crazy,’ he looked up into the empty doorway, ‘one way or another.’ His eyes sparkled with delight, amazed that a strong woman could turn him on.

*********

The tensions of the day before had eased some when Garrett bumped into Dr. McCormick on his way into the E.R. The narrowed glare that emanated from her was warning enough as Ian stepped back to allow her free passage as he waited his turn. After the Flight Surgeon Team member had passed, McCormick followed the tall woman with his eyes. Ian’s torquing of his emotional well being was demonstrated by the seething look that followed her as she met up with the rest of her team.

As Ian watched her move away, his mind conjured up images of one very scantily clad, tall surgeon walking from his bed in the dim morning light. Lost in the daydream for a moment, McCormick pulled himself out with the sound of a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He reminded himself to steer clear of the tall surgeon, at least for a little while. There would be time enough to play later, if he just waited. ‘She’ll come around. They all do.’

Danni’s brow furrowed as she watched her teammate approach her. "By the gods, I hope they didn’t get into it, again."

The pilot looked with some concern from one crewmember to the other as he remembered the hasty departure after their last stop yesterday. All that he was looking for today was a pleasant morning, enjoying the scenery from above. They only had a few stops to make and then the rest of the day was his. Well, until 2300 tonight when he’d check over the ship for their flight at midnight and the dawning of the year 2001.

In a voice filled with ancient wisdom, Cowboy spoke softly. "It’s a new day in an almost finished year, time to look to the future and not back."

Danni listened to his comment and mulled it over in her head. The more she thought about it, the bigger her smile got. "I like that. I just wish we could get her to live by that one." The nurse’s eyes sparkled at the thought as she tilted her head in the surgeon’s direction.

The pilot nodded in agreement. Then leaning forward, he whispered, "We’ll see what we can do," and winked. Straightening up, he greeted the surgeon as she grew near. "Morning, Doc! We all ready to leave?"

The tall woman rolled her eyes, "I’m not the one in charge today. I’m just coming along for the ride." She looked over to the woman next to him. "Okay, boss," Garrett smirked, "What’s our plan for today?"

Danni let out the breath that she was holding when the lopsided grin emerged on her friend. ‘Thank you!’ Even though she shared the same house with the woman, there were times when she just couldn’t read her moods. Today had been one of them. Garrett had been quiet and withdrawn on their ride to work, and it had worried the nurse that a storm, bigger than the one she was witness to yesterday, was out there lurking on the horizon.

"Hmmm…Let me see." Danni teased as she squinted and tapped on her chin with one finger trying to remember. "Oh, yeah! More meet n’ greets today." The sound of laughter rose from the trio, as did the steam from their breaths as the cold morning air surrounded them.

The pilot shivered and rubbed his coat-covered arms with his hands trying to stimulate some warmth. "Well, it’s too cold out here for me. What do you say we get these under our belts and stay warm for the rest of the day."

Garrett jumped up into the open door of the helicopter then extended her hand out to Danni. "Sounds like a plan to me."

***********

The morning had been pleasant with only a handful of stops to make. Each E.R. Director that they had met with today seemed eager to bring the new service to the attention of their staff, often taking them personally on the tour of the department. The staff would first show signs of hesitancy for fear of their jobs, but once it was explained that this was a specialized team for only the worst of traumas, they soon became friendlier. Nobody wanted to see a traumatized patient die, and if there was some way to prevent it, they wanted to know.

The rides to and from each stop were filled with small talk and teasing as the trio settled into a nice pattern of friendly bantering, each one in turn being teased. The mixture of personalities hadn’t surprised the nurse, but what did was the ease with which Garrett had taken Cowboy into her small circle of friends. Danni supposed that it may have been the shared experience of the military service that bonded them together, but she was happy that her friend was showing signs of her humanity. The cold aloofness that Garrett had exhibited the day before had Danni worried that all of her groundbreaking strides would be reversed. But it hadn’t, and the petite nurse was grateful for it. Before any of them realized it, the helicopter was touching down on their home base. Danni’s mission was over and she had proven herself to everyone, including herself.

**************

Danni made the last of her phone calls before she slumped back into the chair, her sigh loud enough for the surgeon to hear.

"You’re done?" The monotone voice came complete with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! All ten of the lone survivors that we needed to talk to have been contacted. I think it’s going to be a pretty good turnout on Saturday." Danni sat up straighter. "You getting nervous about it yet?"

"It’s not like I’m going to run the meeting. What should I be nervous about?"

Danni shrugged her shoulders. "I don’t know. Maybe ‘cause it’s your project?"

"Our project, Danni." Garrett corrected her. "You’re as much a part of this as I am." The surgeon studied her friend. "You getting nervous about tonight?"

The nurse wrinkled her nose. "Well, maybe. I mean…I’ve never been up in the helicopter at night. How does he see to land in the dark?"

Garrett smiled at Danni’s honesty. "It’s all by radar. You don’t have to see anymore. Don’t worry, Danni, I’ll be right there with you."

"That’s what I was hoping for." The nurse’s eyes twinkled in delight. "Who wants to be alone at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve?"

"Well, you’ll have me and Cowboy for company." Garrett thought for a moment. "If that’s alright with you?"

The blonde nodded and smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Danni thought about all of the years that she had spent on duty as a nurse when the stroke of midnight changed the date from one year to the next. The toasting with ginger ale that was done between staff members had always been her signal that another year had come and gone. The handshakes and pecks on the cheek were nice, but there had never been anything special about them at all. In fact from one year to the next, the nurse couldn’t even remember to whom it was that she first wished a Happy New Year. All of the faces and names of the people seemed to blur in her mind. There was never anything that stuck out as memorable. That was until this year, and she could just feel that things were going to be different.

Garrett logged off of the computer and opened the drawer where her valuables were stowed. Reaching in she gathered them all with a single hand: one wallet, a daily planner and her set of keys. She grabbed her leather jacket from the hook on the door and shoved the valuables into its pockets.

"Well, how about we stop in to see Dr. McMurray and then go home. Not much that we can do around here until later tonight." She looked to Danni all comfy in the chair. "Besides…we both should get some sleep before we actually are on-call for the next six months." She chuckled knowing that the few hours of sleep would never be enough to last that long.

Danni nodded in agreement. "Okay, let’s go see McMurray." She pulled herself into a standing position and took the leather jacket that Garrett was holding out to her. "I guess since I was in charge on this mission I’ll have to give the report." She wondered if any word had gotten out about the confrontation yesterday and decided not to say anything unless McMurray brought it up to her.

They left the small office of the Trauma Fellow and headed for the Chief of Trauma Services. The hallways showed little signs of life as the evening hours were approaching. The holiday atmosphere seemed subdued in the working staff tonight. The skeleton crew that staffed the holidays had more than enough work to keep their minds off the gaiety that would embark on the rest of the world at the stroke of midnight.

The echo of their footsteps down the corridor to the Ol’ Cutters office seemed out of place in the usually busy hallway. Upon reaching the office, they noticed that the secretary was getting ready to leave for the day, with her boss doing the same.

"Excuse me, but is Dr. McMurray able to see us?" Danni was polite and soft-spoken.

The older woman looked in through the open door. "Well, he hasn’t left yet. I think he might be able to for a few minutes." She reached over and pressed one of the buttons on the intercom. "Dr. McMurray, there is someone here to see you."

He stopped what he was doing and leaned across the desk to enable himself to reach the button on the intercom. "Who is it?"

"It’s Nurse Bossard and Dr. Trivoli."

"Bossard…Trivoli…send them in." He looked up and there they were, standing in his doorway. "Come on, you don’t have to stand out there." He motioned for them to come in. "How did the meet n’ greets go? Do they sound receptive?" McMurray looked directly at the surgeon. "Anything that you couldn’t handle?" His eyes searched into her crystal orbs for an answer. The slight shake of the surgeon’s head was all that he really needed to know. That had been the answer that he was hoping for. The rest, he didn’t really care about.

"They all seemed to welcome us, once they realized we weren’t there to steal patients from them. I think we made some fine contacts and hopefully they’ll think of us before they’re in over their heads." Danni was proud that her mission could be considered a success.

"Good! That sounds very good." He turned and walked over to the window. "Looks like a nice night for being out under the stars. I guess you two will have a front row seat on that one." The Ol’ Cutter turned back to them and smiled. "It’s times like these that make me wish that I was twenty years younger."

"I think we could squeeze you in for a fly-along tonight. That’s if you really want to go." Garrett offered her mentor.

Chuckling, he shook his head, "Don’t think that the wife would be too happy with me. She’d be entertaining a whole slew of people by herself. No, that’s not the way that I want to start off a New Year." He reached out his hand to touch the picture of her on his desk. "Maybe some other time. Tonight is just for you young people. Enjoy it."

"Thanks, sir," came in stereo from the two women, then Danni continued, "We will."

McMurray picked up his coat and walked toward the door. "Oh, and Dr. Trivoli, just remember that the next time you have a need to use your helmet for something other than what it’s intended for…"

Garrett gulped, "Yes, sir…" ‘Here it comes. I can feel it, reamed out because of that asshole McCormick.’

"Make sure that your mike is turned off. It does a number on the ear drums when it bounces across the furniture like that." He looked her in the eye. "Never thought that they picked up quite that well, ‘til yesterday. Seems that dispatcher was quite upset with you. He even wanted to file a report against your rough usage of their equipment." He raised his hand. "No! Not a single word." McMurray turned to each one, tipping his head as he spoke. "Happy New Year, Ladies." Then he winked at Garrett. "I’ll see you next year." With that, he went out of the door and down to the elevators without another word.

They stood looking at one another for a moment, then slowly turned and followed suit.

*************

The few hours spent relaxing at home gave Danni the courage to do what she thought a good daughter should. She picked up the phone and made the required connection to speak to her parents. Hearing the ringing on the other end, she secretly hoped that no one would answer it. ‘Maybe I won’t have to speak with them this NewYear’s Eve.’ The rhythmic pattern of the ringing giving her a false sense of security. Abruptly it stopped and she heard the voice on the other end.

"Bossard residence, Mrs. Bossard speaking."

Danni sighed, ‘It’s her, why couldn’t it have been dad?’ "Hi, Mother."

"I thought that you would have been here by now, Danni. It is a holiday. You are aware of that, aren’t you?"

Danni nodded to herself, "Yes, Mother, that’s why I’m calling to wish you and Daddy a Happy New Year."

"When are you going to learn that holidays are meant to be with loved ones?" The tone of her mother’s voice left a sting in her ears. "I don’t understand why you insist on working under these conditions. I really think that it’s time you give some thought to your future and settle down. Your sister Breanna understood that early on. I don’t know why you can’t."

There was silence on Danni’s part, and she wished now that she had never felt compelled to call in the first place.

"A young woman like you shouldn’t have to be around all those drunkards tonight."

"But I won’t be, I’ll be spending my night with Garrett and we should be flying pretty high by midnight," her words came out in a rush, "that’s why I was calling now instead of later. I may be a little too busy to get to a phone."

"Well, there’s nothing that I can do about that now. I suppose your mind is already set on it. I just hope that you know what you’re doing with this Garrett before it gets too late."

"I’m a trained nurse, of course I know what I’m doing." Danni was confident in her own knowledge.

"I hope that you’re right, dear. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt." Her mother hesitated and thought about what her daughter had meant. ‘Trapped men don’t stick around in today’s society like they did in my day. That’s all I need is for her to saddle me with a bastard grandchild. What would everyone think?’ Then she continued, "You…you will take all the necessary precautions, won’t you, Danielle?"

The nurse thought of all those hours spent learning safety procedures and rehearsing them. "Yes, Mother, I know how to watch out for a spinning tail rotor." Danni chuckled slightly. "And Gar is pretty good at keeping that head down and protected when the lower hatch opens. See, you won’t have to worry, we’ve already practiced it to the point that we could do it in our sleep."

The shock of what her daughter had just told her registered. ‘I guess that’s what they’re calling it today with that high tech language. Thank God she has the decency not to say that word to me…Pe...pen…I don’t even want to think it.’ Mrs. Bossard closed her eyes and made a horrible face at the thought. She couldn’t believe that her daughter would be so open and cavalier about it, especially to her own mother. ‘It’s time to put an end to this conversation before she gets into any more details.’ "Happy New Year then Danni, from all of us." Her tone was sharply final sounding.

"I’ll pass that on to Garrett for you and Daddy. Bye." Danni didn’t wait for an answer. She pulled the receiver from her ear and laid it on its cradle. ‘Well, it wasn’t the conversation that I was hoping for but at least it’s over with now, for another year.’

The sight of the advancing figure coming down the stairs sidetracked Danni’s thoughts. "Hey, Gar! Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah, a little. I think I’m getting kind of excited…about being on-call for the next six months. How about you?" The surgeon rubbed at the back of her neck as she tried to work the kinks out.

"Me, too, I guess." The petite woman’s brow furrowed with thought.

"Something the matter, Danni?" Garrett stood in front of her, letting her doctor-mode assess her friend. "You look a little worried."

"It’s probably nothing." She shook her head in denial. "Did you ever have a conversation with someone and after it was over think that you both weren’t talking about the same thing?"

"Hmm…can’t say that I have." Garrett thought for a moment longer. "No, not that I’m aware of. Why do you ask?"

"It doesn’t matter." She looked at her watch. It was 2230. "Gar, look at the time, we’d better be on our way back to the hospital."

The surgeon nodded and reached for the jackets that they had left on the couch. "If we’re lucky, we’ll be back home by 0030."

Danni nodded as she put on her jacket. "Hey, I gotta get lucky sometime. Maybe it will happen this New Year." The young woman sighed as she headed for the door. ‘Don’t I wish!’

**********

The pilot had been laboring long and hard over the mandatory pre-flight safety checklist. His painstakingly intense attention to every aspect of the aircraft was obvious in his diligent double-checking of every detail. Nothing would slip by him. After all, it could be the possible downfall of the craft and those onboard if it did. He was never ready to accept that form of defeat.

Cowboy was making his last pass around the tail section when he saw the rest of his team approaching. He held out a lone arm raised high in the air and waved his hand. The pilot made the last check mark on his clipboard full of paper work when they were close enough to exchange greetings. "Good evening, ladies. Looks like one fine night for a little fly by of the town. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Danni was eager to get it over with. "You sure it’s not too dark for you to fly?"

"Little lady, you could paint my windows black and I could still fly this machine. Just like bats, we got us some good radar here." He winked at her, "Now don’t you go worrying, I’ve got everything covered.

"Great! That’s all she needs to hear. You better show her that your window glass is spotlessly clean." Garrett chuckled as the petite woman next to her pushed her in playful retaliation. "How you doing tonight, Cowboy?"

"A little cold right now, but otherwise, just fine." He slid the pen back into his outer jacket pocket. "Just as soon as you’re ready with your checklists, we’ll be on our way."

Garrett slid the hatched door open. "Just give us a few minutes and we’ll get to work." The tall surgeon waited for Danni to climb into the craft ahead of her, then followed swiftly, closing the door behind her.

The pilot shook his head. ‘Those two are just like kids, the way they tease each other. I wonder if they know…’ He stomped the snow off his boots before reaching for the door to his own compartment. ‘Nah, that would be too easy to tell them. Just have to see what happens tonight.’ Cowboy pushed back the cloth on the basket wedged next to his seat, checking to make sure that everything was as he planned it. Yep, this ride should be real interesting come midnight.’ The broad toothy smile lit up his face and set a twinkle to his eyes as he covered the contents of the basket then settled into his seat.

***********

Garrett watched her friend as the lift-off started. This nighttime flying was a little unnerving to her team member and she knew it. The young nurse wouldn’t come out and say that it bothered her but at the same time she wouldn’t say that it didn’t. The pensive eyes and the subdued mannerism were an indication that a total zone-out was a good possibility.

The surgeon thought about ways to keep Danni’s mind from taking that first step off the deep end. She’d had no problem when there was something to keep her busy and her mind occupied. There wasn’t much that they could do here in the confined space of the helicopter. They’d already done all of their checklists and equipment preparation, leaving nothing but conversation and the scenery of the nighttime skyline of the city of Pittsburgh.

"It’s a couple of minutes before midnight. They wanted us high overtop of the Golden Triangle when it comes time for the New Year." Cowboy informed them of his instructions. "I’m going to buzz around the Point, it sure is a pretty picture down there." His right hand pointed down to the land below them as he watched the airspace they were moving into.

"The Point?" Garrett made a funny face as she craned her neck to see what it was he was referring to. "I don’t see no golden triangles. Well, maybe one, atop of that building over there with the red light at the tip."

Danni shook her head. She had forgotten that Garrett was relatively new to the area. The nurse loved her hometown and was proud of it. Smiling, she commenced to educate the woman from the West Coast.

"That golden-looking, illuminated, triangular-topped building is the old Gulf Building. It used to be their corporate headquarters. That little red light is a weather forecaster meaning fair tonight. If it’s blue, that means rain and if it’s blue and flashing that would be indicative of snow."

"Oh, I get it, that’s the point."

"Not really. The Point is the very tip of the land where the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers meet to form the beginning of the Ohio River. That’s why Pittsburgh is noted for its three rivers."

"Oh! So that’s where the name Three Rivers Stadium came from." Garrett nodded. "I remember that one from the football games during the seventies when the Steeler’s where the championship team."

"You remember back that far, do you?" Danni teased the surgeon.

"Yeah, my dad was a big football fan." Garrett rolled her eyes until something dark and lumbering in the shadows on the opposite shore caught her eye. "Hey, what’s that?" She pointed to a semi-constructed building.

Danni stretched to view the designated area. Pausing for a minute to get her bearings, she then began, "That’s the new football stadium next to the old Three Rivers Stadium, which will be torn down early in 2001." She pointed to an area just past it with a large sign that was lit. "And that’s the new PNC Park for baseball. I’ll have to take you to a game this summer."

The helicopter turned on its path around the downtown area, changing the view that was outside of their window. The tall spray of illuminated water was in their view as Danni continued on with her private tour from high above the Golden Triangle. "See that." She pointed it out. "That’s the fountain at the Point."

"I’d hate to have to pay that water bill." Garrett teased. She noticed that as long as Danni was thinking about this impromptu tour, the less chance there was for her to zone out. ‘I’m going to learn a heck of a lot tonight.’

"Silly," she nudged her friend. "They don’t pay for that water. It’s kind of fascinating where it comes from though."

"The river?"

"Well, yes and no." Danni started into her explanation. "It’s water from the underground river actually, not one of the three that you see. It’s kind of a subterranean river." She turned to study the surgeon. "You’ll find out that we have a lot of buried treasures around this town. You just need to know what you’re looking for and then go after it." The nurse’s eyes searched into the blue pools of Garrett’s. ‘I guess you could say that still waters run deep.’

The helicopter took another banking turn and the scenery once again changed outside of their window. The glistening metropolis view had become one of vast darkness, with two lines of lights stretching up the hillside, one yellow and green while the other was white. On the top of the hill was an ornately lit yellow-orange brick building that reminded Garrett of a church.

"Okay…now what am I looking at? What are they, lighted pathways?"

Danni shook her head. "No, not exactly. The hillside is known as Mt. Washington, and those lighted pathways are the Monongahela Incline," the nurse pointed out the green and yellow stretch of lights, "while the other is the Duquesne Incline. They used to be the only way to get up to the top. Now they’re kind of like tourist attractions for the city."

"I see. What about that building?"

Danni smiled as she sat back in her seat. "That’s St. Mary of the Mount Church. It’s stands as a landmark for the overlooks on the hillside."

"Okay, I’ll bite. What overlooks?" Garrett chuckled.

Danni once again edged on her seat toward the window until she spotted what she was looking for. "There, that lighted platform with the railing around it. It’s not real easy to see from up here."

"Right across from that church?"

"Yeah, that’s it. The platforms are extended off the hillside to offer the best view of the Point. Supposedly it was the ‘in’ thing to do back in the late forties and fifties to have your picture taken on your wedding day, posed on them with the city skyline as your background. I remember seeing my grandparents wedding photograph."

"Hmmm…must have been nice. I guess that way you could always remember the city that you got married in."

"Somehow, Gar, I think on a special day like that, you’d be able to remember it without the photograph." Her voice trailed off to a whisper. "I know that I would." Danni could feel the heat starting to grow as the blush swept up her neck and to her checks. ‘Thank the gods her attention is out the window and not on me.’

Out of her peripheral vision, the surgeon could see the reserved demeanor come over her teammate. ‘I can’t believe that she’s blushing. I’ve never seen anyone like that. You’d think she’d be….’

The Pilot broke the silence as he informed them of the time. "It’s two minutes to the real new millennium. Doc, could you grab these?" He held out his hand with two fluted wineglasses in it, handing them off. Next the same hand held out a small capped bottle. "You’ll need this, too."

"What’s all this for, Cowboy?" Danni’s brow furrowed with her curiosity

as Garrett handed her a wineglass to hold.

"Well, I got to thinking earlier today that since this is New Year’s Eve and all, we should really offer a toast to the New Year. I mean, you and Doc that is. I’m not allowed to drink while I’m flying."

"Hey, we’re on duty too!" Garrett quickly shoved the bottle back into his hand in refusal.

"Yeah, I know that. Take a look at the label, it’s non-alcoholic. I didn’t know what it was you two liked, so I just got Sparkling Cider. I hope that’s all right."

The surgeon’s eyebrow rose as she accepted the bottle and turned toward the dim background lighting to read the label. "Non-alcoholic…hmm…thanks."

Garrett offered the bottle to Danni for inspection.

The nurse shook her head. "Thanks, Cowboy. I can see that you’re a full service pilot here." Danni chuckled.

"I figured that the Doc might want to make a toast to new beginnings at the stroke of midnight. It would only seem proper since it was the first official flight and all." The pilot looked back long enough to catch Danni’s attention and wink. "I’d hurry up and pour that if I were you, there’s about a minute to go."

"How will we know when it’s time?" The surgeon was twisting off the cap on the bottle.

"Hey, I know!" Danni turned and looked out of the window. There on the hillside was a lighted advertisement board. "The Bayer sign, see the readout on it. It’s 11:58:55 right now."

Garrett leaned forward to view the sign. "Yeah, there it is. Here, give me your glass and take this one." She poured the bubbly liquid into the glass that she was holding. "Careful. Got it?"

The two women exchanged glasses and Garrett poured one now for herself. Danni smiled coyly as she watched the surgeon allow the last drop of the sweet sparkling beverage roll down the long neck into her glass. The small bottle had held only enough for the two glasses. ‘Why, Cowboy…’ the petite woman glanced over in his direction, ‘it’s as though you meant for only the two of us to share in this toast.’ She watched as he took the empty bottle back from the surgeon, placing it down beside the pilot’s seat. ‘I wonder what you are up to?’

The man was keeping an eye on the changing numbers of the digital billboard-size clock as he steadied the helicopter in mid air, hovering high over the city of Pittsburgh. Slowly he began counting the seconds down right along with the timepiece. "Ten, nine, eight," the two women looked out the window to the clock, "seven, six," Danni turned to look at the strong featured woman next to her, "five, four, three," Garrett turned, raising her glass to the nurse, "two, one, Happy New Year!" The pilot became silent as he waited to hear the toast.

Garrett eyed the amber liquid in her glass as she began her toast. "Here’s to dedication and team work, it’s what brought us to where we are now and will carry us into the future. May the year 2001 be the turning point in our lives, showing us nothing but the happiness that we all deserve."

The fluted glasses clinked in honor of the toast. Each woman watching the other as their hands guided the wineglasses to their lips. The upward tilting of the glass was causing the cider to wash down over their tongues. The vivacious nectar was sweet to taste. Their eyes gazed at one another as though studying each other’s response to the lively liquid as the emptied glasses were lowered from lips that craved for more.

Danni watched as an errant drop lingered on the lower lip of the surgeon. Willing her body to stay where it was, she could feel the attraction of the woman in front of her reaching out and pulling her closer with each second of time that passed by. The nurse wondered how long her will power would hold out when she noticed that her upper torso was beginning to lean into the woman already. Her attention only heightened as the lips she adored parted. Her sudden intake of breath was unnoticed as Garrett’s tongue reached out to catch the wayward drop before it cascaded down over the fullness of her lip.

The electric blue of Garrett’s eyes danced as she watched the green pools shimmer and dazzle with delight. It was as though a trance had befallen each of them, sealing them off from the rest of the world. There was no sound or thought that was heard in this silent world of communication. It was simply the language of the heart that was compelling them to react to each other. The surgeon found herself taken in by the heartfelt warmth that was evident in the eyes of her friend. Reflexively, Garrett wet her lips, trying to stave off her parched feelings.

That action alone set off what seemed to be a cataclysmic event of major proportion throughout the blonde’s body. Danni’s skin tingled with excitement in anticipation of the touch she was longing for while other parts of her body, long thought to be dead, came to life. ‘By the gods, it’s going to happen and I’m not even sure how it will be met.’ The nurse’s heart beat wildly inside her chest. The distance dwindled down to only inches when something felt different. The force that had been drawing her close was being met with resistance.

Without warning, the helicopter was shifting and causing the blonde to settle backward into her seat once again. What had been so close for the taking, now seemed miles away. "Hey…"

The surgeon shook her head and turned abruptly to the pilot. "What the…" her voice was gruff and demanding.

"Sorry! I should have warned you." The pilot was astutely aware of the ship and airspace around him. "They’re requesting us for a scene run. I thought you heard that." He tapped his helmet motioning to the speaker each one had.

Danni grew warm as the blush started up her neck. She had been so engrossed in those lips that she had lost all sense of where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. Drawing in her breath in short gasping spurts, the young woman tried to calm her raging soul. ‘I was so close…I wonder if…’ the petite woman looked up into the sky searching for the answer, ‘just maybe she feels the same.’

Closing her eyes and nodding in acknowledgement, the surgeon let out a long breath. She blinked trying to fight to control these strange feelings she was experiencing. She wasn’t sure where the earlier effort was leading but something deep within her seemed caught up in that moment. She stole a glance in Danni’s direction only to find the nurse just as confused looking as she herself felt. ‘I could have really blown this whole friendship right out of the water.’ Then letting her eyes drift to the stars that could be seen from the window, ‘That’s all that it was…just caught up in that whole New Year’s moment. But could it be…could she have felt just like I did?’ "Okay, what are we going to and how long before we get there?" The professional in her once again emerging.

Cowboy watched as his two new friends each refused to admit the feelings that he knew they had for each other. He had prayed that he would have been able to ease them along their path. Now he was angered not only at himself but at the world of trauma that robbed these two of such a grand and special moment. It wasn’t often that two people were so right for each other, each one pushing and pulling the other to new levels of achievement. They belonged together for the rest of all time. It was evident to him and with renewed resolve, Cowboy vowed that it would never happen again. At least, not if he could help it. "MVA with an entrapment, north of the city on I-79, ETA approximately ten minutes."

"What’s so special about this one that would require our team?" The nurse was trying to get back into her professional manner.

"The entrapped woman is in hard labor with contractions four minutes apart." The pilot looked into the mirror that reflected the figures in the rear compartment. It was then that he saw the stoic mask of the surgeon slide into place as Garrett prepared for the job that she would have to undertake. Cowboy thought, ‘Now how does that line go…ringing out the old and in with the new? I sure hope not.’

************

The shock of blonde hair that could be seen as they approached the wreckage made Danni stop dead in her tracks. She gasped and blinked, trying to steady her pounding heart that was now gripped with terror. "Brie?" ‘By the gods, not this way!’ The nurse was losing her fight to remain the professional that she was. The panic-filled eyes riveted to the figure next to her. "Gar…" Her small hand clutched at the surgeon’s leather clad arm.

Garrett saw the consternation in Danni’s eyes. Looking at the wreckage and then back to her young friend’s hair, she could see the resemblance in the color. The surgeon held on to the nurse’s upper arms and bent over to look her directly in the eyes. "Danni, it could just be somebody that looks like her. Stay here! I’ll go see if they know who it is." She paused, only for a moment, letting her silent gaze express her concern. Then she turned to leave, but was stopped short by the grasp of a small hand on her sleeve.

"I’m going with you. I’m a professional and even if that turns out to be my sister, she’s going to need the both of us." Her eyes were filled with determination. "Remember, we are a team."

The surgeon nodded slowly, letting only the corners of her mouth edge upward. She was pleased that Danni would be at her side.

The closer that they got to the wreckage, the severity of it became more evident. The dark colored car could barely be recognized as such with all of the distortion and twisting of the metal. The bustle of rescue workers on the passenger side of the vehicle was almost deafening. The whining hum of their hard-pressed hydraulic tools straining with force as they tried to free the entrapped woman laden with child.

The surgeon made her way around the scene to the other side where the ambulance stood; its flashing strobe lights acting like a sentinel to the grizzly scene. The lone attendant’s attention was glued to the activity as she stood by the stretcher waiting to be called into action.

The appearance of the tall surgeon went unnoticed until she spoke. "Do you know who that is?"

The resounding voice caused the woman dressed in regular clothing in a heavy parka with the letters ‘E.M.S.’ on the back of it to turn quickly in surprise. "Huh?" The woman’s eyes roamed the tall figure trying to recognize the form.

"Dr. Trivoli, Fight Surgeon. They requested my team. This is Nurse Danni Bossard." Garrett held out her hand in greeting. "Do you know the woman’s name?" She looked over to the wreckage and then settled back on the attendant.

"Oh, …sorry, Doc." She clasped the offered hand in greeting, not wanting to be rude. "Yeah, it’s Bre…"

Garrett’s heart jumped at the sound that the medic was emitting, her eyes glancing over at her nurse. ‘Please, don’t let it be her.’

"Bre…" She was obviously racking her memory, "…nda…Brenda Connors."

Danni closed her eyes and sighed in relief. "Thank you!" Danni hung her head realizing that it was someone else’s loved one instead. ‘What would I have told Mother and Dad or Matt? I can’t let anyone else have to do that.’

The surgeon quickly regained her composure and delved right into business now that her question was answered. "What do we know about her. When is her due date? Who’s her Obstetrician?" Garrett began eyeing the back of the ambulance thinking that in a pinch it may have to do for an operating room.

"Hey, Doc, I ain’t no medic or nothing. They all left with the people in that other car. They were hurt pretty bad. It’s just Ed over there and me."

"What exactly are you and Ed?" Danni finally spoke up.

"Ed’s in EMT class right now and I’m just a driver." She gulped at the look that she was receiving from the taller woman. "Heck, we ain’t got but two medics in the whole town. Our two EMTs went with the other ambulance. They said that they’d send help." She looked over at the helicopter in the distance. " I guess you’re it."

Garrett took off in the direction of the wreckage in search of Ed, while Danni thanked the woman for her help.

"Hey, Are you Ed?" The surgeon yelled over the noise of the tools.

"Yeah, you here to help?" The young man turned to face the approaching woman. "Gosh, I sure hope you’re a paramedic."

Garrett smirked, "I think I’ll do. I’m Dr. Trivoli, and the other one dressed just like me is my nurse, Danni Bossard." The surgeon pointed to the entrapped woman. "How’s she doing?"

Ed started rattling off the information that he knew. "She’s full term and was on her way to the hospital in labor when the accident happened. She said her due date was about a week ago and that this is her first pregnancy. They were meeting Dr. Jenkins at hospital. We checked in with him and he’s already delivering a baby as we speak. They figured your team might be a good choice."

Garrett’s eyebrow edged upward at that last comment. "Thanks, for thinking of us. Let me get the other half of my team." She started to walk away.

Reaching out and grabbing at the surgeon’s coat, the boy called out, "Hey, Doc!" Trivoli’s body stopped and turned to look at him. "I forgot to tell you something."

"What?" The concern was written across her face.

The boy pointed to the tarp-covered mass on the ground not far from the wreckage. "That’s her husband."

Garrett gulped down hard as she tasted the bile at the back of her throat. Her eyes darted back to the woman in the wreckage. ‘Not another lone survivor! I won’t let either one of them become that.’ Her mind thought of the unborn child, never knowing either of its parents. She made her mind up to do everything she could not to let another person join her elite club.

She went back to where Danni was standing, waiting to hear the worst.

"Do you know what you’re going to do yet?"

Garrett looked back over to the wreckage. "No…no, I don’t."

**********

There was little that Garrett or Danni could do while the woman was still trapped. The biggest part of the care that they could administer was to keep track of the contractions, timing them as they came. After giving the pregnant woman their attention and bolstering her will to survive, all they could do was wait. The only exposed areas of the woman was her head, shoulders and left arm and that gave them no access to the baby at all. What they had done already was to quickly assess the patient and establish a large bore I.V. line of warmed Ringer’s Lactate Solution. The night was cold and crisp out here in the country and the team worried about hypothermia in their patient.

Danni stayed with the patient, giving her words of encouragement, while she timed the contractions as they came and went. Her close proximity to the woman helped to keep her warm, as she sheltered her from the wind on her only exposed side. The time of the contractions had slipped to almost three minutes apart now, and the nurse was beginning to be concerned.

The surgeon had thought about all of her options and set them out for the pilot to consider. She needed to know just how long it would take to transport the patient to the list of facilities that she had given him. If none of them were acceptable, she’d have to consider doing the delivery herself.

Cowboy studied his charts and weather patterns hoping to give the best route to the surgeon. He mulled over the calculations in his head before coming to a decision. ‘I hope she knows what she’s doing. Helicopters don’t make good delivery rooms.’ The pilot straightened up and went back to where his team was standing and waiting.

"Any progress yet?" He stood next to Garrett and leaned in toward her.

The surgeon shook her head. "No! How about you?"

"Yeah, I got the answers that you were looking for." He handed her his scribbling on a piece of paper. "But that’s only if we are able to lift off in the next thirty minutes. There’s a change coming in the weather pattern."

Garrett looked at the paper and started planning her method of care. "Thanks, Cowboy."

Suddenly the sound of elated human voices crying out into the night overpowered the deafening drone of the engines and hydraulic tools. The members of the Flight Surgeon Team looked over to see the mass of metal being peeled back away from the entrapped victim, while sidelined firefighters and ambulance personnel whooped and hollered in a victory cry. They had been challenged, and won, the battle to free the woman and her unborn child. The wreckage and carnage would not take them without a fight.

"Cowboy, get the ‘copter ready for lift off." The surgeon directed, then pushed off, heading at a brisk run toward the released hostage.

Danni was helping to stabilize the patient as she was placed onto the long backboard to immobilize her spine. The removal of the wreckage from her body allowed the nurse to finally visualize and assess the woman. The odd angle that her arm was positioned meant only one thing to Danni, a fracture. With swift movements, the nurse quickly directed the splinting of the deformed right lower arm, as Garrett was already examining the woman with her hands on her abdomen, checking for the baby’s positioning. It wouldn’t really matter if she had to take it but it, was always good to know.

The nurse slipped in next to Garrett and handed her the stethoscope from out of her jacket where it had been kept nice and warm with the heat of her body. Danni noticed the pained look on the woman’s face and the rushed short exchanges of air from her mouth.

"Contraction?" The nurse picked up the patient’s left hand and held it. "Go ahead and squeeze my hand if you have to." The nurse’s eyes moved along the exposed areas of the pained woman’s body, searching for any obvious injuries or indications of potential blood loss. Seeing none, Danni looked to see what progress her team member was making.

The patient looked to her and the message was given in grunts, "Ye…ye...yeah."

Danni looked down at the woman’s abdomen to see the stethoscope being moved from area to area as the tall surgeon listened intently. Within a few seconds the spasm lessened and the woman began to relax. The nurse looked into her eyes and began to introduce herself and Garrett but the only concern of the woman was that of her unborn child.

"My baby, don’t let anything happen to my baby." She was sobbing now for the life of her child. Her hand clutched at Garrett’s, drawing her attention. "Take the child if you have to save only one of us." Her eyes pleading what her words could not.

"I’m going to do everything that I can to keep you both safe and alive. Just trust me." Garrett broke her gaze at the woman and demanded of those around her, "I need a flashlight and another blanket. NOW!"

Within seconds, the items were produced and the surgeon undertook the task of assessing the promptness of her impending delivery. Danni quickly draped the lower half of the woman with the blanket as Garrett positioned her legs. Under the privacy of the blanket, the surgeon used the flashlight to illuminate the opening to the birth canal. ‘There’s no crowning yet. We’ve got a little time to go.’

Danni’s hand was clamped down on by the woman’s with such strength that the nurse feared for broken bones. "Gar, it’s another contraction."

"I got to PUSH!!! It’s coming. I can’t hold it." The voice was ragged and loud. "Help me, please." She started to whimper.

It was too late; the baby was now in the birth canal, its buttocks presenting for delivery. Garrett quickly made her decision, based on Cowboys calculations. She emerged from under the blanket and locked eyes for a second with her nurse. "She’s delivering. Let’s get her into that ambulance and out of the cold."

It was all that Danni needed to know. Right away she knew that they were going to need an expedient flight, once the baby was born. Spouting off orders as she handed the flashlight to the person next to her, they hustled the group to the waiting rig. Danni and the rescue workers loaded the patient into the ambulance as Garrett prepared for the birth.

"Danni, change places with Ed. I need you down here with me." The surgeon was pulling on her gloves as she kneeled at the foot of the stretcher.

"Turn the heat up to high and get us some blankets to warm up."

The nurse knelt down on the side of the stretcher. Grabbing gloves, she quickly pulled them on as the surgeon gently positioned the woman’s legs for the impending birth. It was then that Danni noticed the small bottom protruding from the woman’s perineal area. ‘I guess nothing is going to be easy.’

Garrett slid her gloved fingers gently along the small body as she tried to gain access through the birth canal and up into the dilated cervix itself. She had to find out whether or not the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck. Her long sinewy fingers finally felt the cord. The surgeon worked to loosen it with little effort. Now with her hand still in place, she could feel the beginnings of the next round of contractions starting.

"Okay, when the contraction comes, I want you to push and push hard." Garrett looked over to Danni. "You ready?"

The nurse nodded her head.

"Here it comes!"

"GRRRRRaugh!!!!" The scream was frightening to the boy clenched in the death grip of the delivering mother. His face turned white and his knees buckled underneath him. He plopped down onto the bench seat.

"Ed…Ed! Lean forward and put your head between you knees. You’ll feel better in a minute or two." Danni shot glances in his direction as she waited to receive the baby from Garrett.

"Okay, just one more push and you’re done." Garrett was encouraging her. "Just let the contraction wave roll around once more and it’s all over."

The tears were streaming down her face as the injured woman could feel the wave rushing like a wild ocean tide from the sea. Within seconds it was here and she could feel her body releasing the form that it had nourished for the last nine months. "AAAAAAUUUUUURRRRGGGGGGGGHHHH!"

Garrett had emerged with the baby in her hands. Hastily, Danni worked to wipe the face with gauze, trying to clean out its airway in preparation of that first gasp for air. A small soft rubber bulb was used to suction out any additional fluids that may have blocked the airway.

The piercing screech of a baby’s first cry broke through the air. Garrett and Danni both saw the small newborn as it sucked in its first taste of fresh air. Anything that they could do to withstand the finality of death in another human being, they knew it had been worth it at that moment.

Working quickly, they clamped off the cord and cut it. The baby was wrapped in a towel and then bundled into a warm blanket. The nurse held on to the baby as she moved up closer to the head of the stretcher.

"He’s beautiful. You have a baby boy." The nurse’s eyes shone lovingly as she positioned the infant so that the mother could see.

Tears of joy began streaming from the woman’s eyes. "Thank you," she mouthed as she reached out to touch the soft skin of her son with her left hand.

Danni moved in closer. "Careful of the I.V.," she cautioned. The nurse watched the tender scene as mother met son for the first time, their touch bonding them in a way that only mothers know.

Within a few minutes, they were ready to go. Danni cradled the baby in her arms as Garrett oversaw the movement of the woman up to the waiting helicopter. They were headed for home, the trauma hospital that would give both mother and child the best chance that they could have.

*******

The quick response of the helicopter was welcomed and the skilled hand of the seasoned pilot was evident. The ride had been smooth and uneventful from that standpoint. The swiftness with which they had transversed the countryside was recorded in the shorter than estimated arrival time. Garrett chose to save as much time as possible by utilizing the dangerous hot unload procedure where the blades are still spinning at full revolution. The team carried out the maneuver as if it had been done thousands of times before.

Within minutes they were wheeling their patient down the short hallway and into the room where the combined team of trauma and obstetrics personnel waited. The exchange was made and Danni and Garrett left the crowded room knowing that they had made the right decision.

"Feels a little funny, huh?" The petite nurse slumped up against a wall where her tall friend was standing.

Garrett’s eyes never left the action in the Trauma Room. "Yeah, it does."

"Think that we’ll ever get used to this…I mean…not being the ones in there?"

"Hmm…I’m sure that we’ll have our moments, again."

"I hope so." Danni thought about what had almost transpired between the two of them when the call for assistance had come in. She had felt cheated at that instant, but not, after she watched the woman straining to bring a new life to the world.

Dr. Ian McCormick was the attending on duty this night and much to Garrett’s surprise he walked over to the pair with a huge smile on his face. She nudged her team member to get Danni’s attention. The surgeon kept her voice to a low whisper. "Wonder what words he’ll use to describe us now."

Danni smiled back at him. "Dr. McCormick, nice to see you again."

"Danni, Garrett, how’s my…" he caught himself before it could slip out. "How’s the team doing? Look’s like it got off with a quick start. What was that…two, three minutes into the New Year?"

Garrett smiled. She was glad that her threat was taken seriously. "Yes, that’s about what it was…two or three minutes."

"Good work you two. Now, go on home and get some rest. We’ll take it from here." He chuckled to himself. "You know, you’re both on call until the end of June." He turned and walked away, feeling as though he had won some kind of quest.

With a raised eyebrow, Garrett followed his form down the hall until he was no longer in view. "What was that all about?"

Danni shrugged her shoulders, "I’m not sure."

The surgeon smiled as she heard the sound of the baby’s cry. It was somewhat infectious as Danni also broke into a wide glowing smile as she looked up to her friend. Garrett Trivoli may not have been the Trauma Surgeon on duty, but she had met her goal of keeping another person from her own fate of being a lone survivor. For this they were both happy.

Chapter 6

The petite blonde stood silently off to the side of the room watching the interaction between the people that had attended the meeting of The Lone Survivors. They seemed to be from all walks of life, some well educated, some very much the blue collar workers of society and even a few that were trying to pull themselves up by their boot straps.

Gender didn’t seem to matter when it came to trauma. It chose at random from all age groups, well, that was after the age of twenty-five. Before, it was predominately males that were the victims. It was a fact of our society. The young males had a much greater chance to be cut down in the prime of their lives by some traumatic occurrence.

The first meeting of the lone survivors had been nothing more than a get-acquainted social with several of the Department Heads outlining the services that they would provide to the group. Now, as the second meeting was starting, they were about to get down to the business of the group: realization and recovery.

Danni looked over the gathering until she found the person that she was concerned most about, her friend Garrett. The nurse knew how much this endeavor meant to her. It had pained her greatly to learn that the strong surgeon was a lone surviving member of her family.

Aside from helping to write the proposal and organize the gatherings, Danni felt out of place knowing that her family was intact. She had offered to leave, once the meeting had begun, but the strong willed surgeon refused to allow it. The nurse had learned a lot from the woman in the almost seven months that she had come to know her. Danni respected her judgement and therefore agreed to stay. She had noticed by doing just that, Garrett had seemed more at ease than before.

Over the months, Danni had learned to pick up on small habits and speech patterns that denoted special moods about the raven-haired woman. She watched the tall surgeon standing off to the side as the meeting was being called to order. Her hands were hidden in her lab coat pockets, but Danni could tell what they were doing. The surgeon had this habit of fumbling with small items, such as change or paper clips, when she was nervous. Danni smiled as she took a seat at the rear of the room, watching the gentle motion that emulated from those pockets. The nurse knew that Garrett had a calming affect on her when they were airborne; perhaps it was her time to return the favor now.

The man at the podium was motioning for silence. Finally receiving it, he began. "Good evening, my name is Dr. Jaffers and I’ve been asked to moderate tonight’s meeting. I’m sure that you remember me from the last meeting." He looked around, watching for signs of familiarity. "For those of you who may not know, I’m a psychiatric counselor for the Trauma Services workers. Yes, even the rescuers need somebody to talk to sometimes."

Danni’s mind flashed back to several of the scene runs that she and Garrett had made in the hopes of saving someone, only to find an almost lifeless body that they could do nothing to help. It could be so depressing at times. ‘I’ll never understand why the rescuers do it day after day after day, especially the ones who volunteer.’ She was lost in her thoughts until she heard the name of her friend being announced. Focusing back on the here and now, she watched the tall woman walk slowly over to the microphone.

Garrett paused before stepping up to the podium. Once there, she let her eyes sweep the room until she found what she was looking for, blonde hair and pools of deep green. Locking gazes like this had always given her a sense of inner peace that she had never known before. Garrett was thankful that Danni had agreed to stay. The surgeon knew that what she was about to say would come out only once. If anyone was going to be witness to it, it was going to be her friend. The surgeon blinked and let her eyes look up to the heavens. ‘Okay, Luc, don’t let me fall on my face.’ She took in a breath and then began.

"My name is Garrett Trivoli, and before I became a surgeon I was just a normal everyday child growing up in a typical family. That is, until one day when my sense of belonging and my family were shattered. You see, I too, am a lone survivor just like you."

"Dr. Jaffers thought that it might be a good thing to have someone talk about his or her experience tonight and I thought that it would only be right for me to be the first. I’ve asked you to attend these meetings but I wasn’t about to ask one of you to share your experiences with the rest of the group just yet. I know that each one of us has to do that in his or her own time. Some will take longer and some will be willing to share their experiences sooner. I only ask that when you feel ready to do so, you let us know."

Garrett paused as she looked out over the group. Many were nodding in agreement while some others were showing no signs of any emotion at all. She remembered her days of that stoic mask and how she had hidden behind it. But now, she was finding it easier to let the mask only come out every so often, when the situation was just a little to close to home, instead of all the time. The last person the surgeon looked to was her team member and friend. She owed thanks to her for standing by her and now she just hoped that Danni would continue to do so after she heard her story, the full story.

"It was a normal Saturday evening for any seventeen year old. I was out with a group of friends at a movie while my parents and younger brother were together at one of his baseball games. I came home afterward to find the house dark and empty. I didn’t think anything unusual by it, except that I remember being envious that I was not sharing in the victory celebration that always occurred after one of his games. Win or lose, they would always stop for ice cream and discuss the game. On their way back home that night, the car they were in was broadsided and pushed into a telephone pole."

"When the phone rang, I answered it hoping it was my father asking me what flavor ice cream cone I wanted him to bring home for me. It wasn’t. Instead of that familiar voice, there was a monotone female informing me that I needed to come to the hospital. I remember hearing the word accident and the name of the hospital but nothing more than that. I don’t remember leaving the house or even hanging up the phone. The only thing that I remember was the look of terror on our next-door neighbor’s face right before he reached out to hold me in his arms. Within minutes, he and his wife had brought me to the hospital that had requested my presence. It was then that I was told my parents had been killed in the accident."

Danni could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she listened to Garrett talk. It hurt her to think of that young girl being thrust into an adult world with little sympathy by the medical community that she was now a part of. The nurse thought about how concerned her friend was over telling Diana Morgan about the outcome of her family’s accident. She could see now that the surgeon hadn’t wanted to make the same mistakes.

Garrett paused, biting at her lip. ‘Even after all these years, it still hurts.’ She cleared her throat then continued. "If that wasn’t enough, the doctor informed me that my brother was hurt beyond help. I was taken to his room and shown the array of machines and tubes that were connected to him. I was told that there was no way I would be able to care for him now or in the future. They then produced a paper and asked for my signature, explaining that it was a release for the funeral home to remove the bodies." There was a gasp that came from the audience as one woman brought out a tissue to dab at her eyes.

"By the gods!" The words escaped Danni’s mouth in a hushed toned.

"I found out a few years later, when I was in college, that I had signed for my brother to be taken off of life support." ‘I’m sorry, Luc, I didn’t know.’

Danni could see the guilt that the woman in front of the room had been carrying for the first time. Her heart went out to not only the woman that she knew, but also the child that she had been when it happened. ‘She must have felt that his death was of her doing.’ Danni could see the clouded color of Garrett’s eyes turning the blue into a dismal gray.

"I can’t tell you the torment and wondering that I experienced from that knowledge. I second-guessed myself over and over. If I had known, would I have done it?" Garrett paused, looking down to the ground. "I do know that I felt isolated and always wondering what would have happened if I had been with the rest of my family that night. Would that extra few minutes to wait for my ice cream cone make any difference in their outcome? Or was it fate that I live a life without them? I can admit to you now that thoughts of ending the pain did cross my mind. I had no one to really miss me if I were to commit suicide and the memory of my family would all but be wiped out from the face of this earth."

Danni’s eyes grew wide at this revelation. She had often wanted to ask but didn’t want to scare the surgeon off. Friendship was a new and fragile thing when Garrett had first told her of her youth that night at the cabin. Now, she could see first hand the torment that the woman held inside for all those years.

The petite woman fought back the urge to leave her seat and wrap her tall friend in her arms. ‘This…this is why she wanted me to stay.’ The nurse finally realized the strength of the surgeon. ‘She had learned to rely on nobody but herself and demanded more of herself than anybody could.’ Danni struggled to concentrate on what Garrett was saying, letting only a few tears roll down her cheeks.

"So, you see, I’ve been where you are. Desolate…alone…isolated from the rest of the world at times that should be filled with happiness and family. It wasn’t until I came here to Pittsburgh that I found that it did not have to stay that way. There are people out there that can be just as much a family member to you as the ones that are no longer with you physically. It’s up to you whether you open up your eyes and your heart to them or not. I strongly suggest that you do." Garrett’s hand sank down into her pocket as her fingers fumbled with the coins that were there. ‘Okay, Danni, I hope you’re listening.’ "I have and it’s made a world of difference to me."

The sound of polite clapping was heard as Garrett left the podium. She wasn’t sure whether she was more nervous now or before she had begun her talk. The surgeon found herself shaking hands that had been thrust at her only half hearing the words that accompanied the action. Her mind was concerned with only one thing, what Danni thought of her now? The tall woman scanned the crowd that was gathering around her, looking for the blonde hair of her friend.

Several minutes passed until blue eyes meet with green, the draw was like that of a magnet on iron shavings. Garrett found it impossible to remain where she was. Without breaking her gaze for more that a second or two, she excused herself and headed to the rear of the room where Danni was standing.

Danni watched as Garrett pushed through the crowd. She was so glad that her offering of friendship had been taken. Now, to hear what it meant to Garrett was even more heartwarming than she could believe.

"Hey…nice talk." Danni tried to downplay her excitement.

"Well…" Garrett looked back at the gathering as they mingled together, "I hope that they liked it. I’m not sure I could do it again."

"I think it struck a lot of them very close to home."

The surgeon sighed. "I hope so. Danni thanks for helping me…" The tall woman’s lips were met with a finger hushing them.

"Not here, Gar." The blonde took her friend’s hand and led her out of the room and down the hall. They traveled the corridors in silence until they found themselves in front of Garrett’s office. Taking out her keys, the surgeon opened the door.

Danni waited until they were inside and the door was closed. She didn’t see the need for the woman to air her guilt in the witness of others. "There’s no need to thank me. I did what any friend would do. I just wish that I had been able to do more." Danni paused. "Gar…why didn’t you mention…"

"What? That I was so upset about what I had done to my brother that I wanted to end it all. That I had even gone as far as to plan it all out." Garrett looked away.

"Gar, you didn’t know." Danni let her hand lay upon her friend’s arm, trying to get her attention. "Besides, you didn’t go through with it. Your nature is to preserve life, not end it."

"Danni, it took me a long time before I could stop thinking of myself as a murderer." She looked down at the nurse. "Yes, I’m no better than any of those criminals on death row. I killed my own brother. I was the one that let them take him off the machines, not someone else." Her eyes were clouded with the storm that she held inside. An irate tear ran down from her right eye as she fought back the deluge.

"No! Don’t even think that." There was genuine concern in the nurse’s eyes for her friend. "You’ve saved more patients in your lifetime already. I don’t ever want to hear you think like that. Where would all of those patients be today if it weren’t for you? Can you tell me that?" Her small hand traveled up to the taller woman’s face, where it captured the tear that was languidly rolling down over Garrett’s cheek.

The surgeon sniffed back her emotions and thought about her career, with all the saves she had been a part of. "I guess maybe you’re right." Garrett swallowed hard as her eyes fell on the framed photograph of her brother. "Thanks, Danni."

"Gar, I didn’t do those saves. You did. So what are you thanking me for? I’m your friend and I can only point these things out to you."

"Yeah. Well, I’m thanking you for sticking around long enough to be a friend. I know that I’m a pretty arrogant person and demand a lot out of those around me."

"Well, then, I see that half the battle is already won." The nurse laughed. "Come here." She reached out and wrapped her arms around the tall woman’s waist. "Thank you for asking me to stay."

Garrett let her arms embrace the shorter woman. Then leaning down, she whispered, "Thank you for not leaving…and for taking me away from the group just now." The surgeon was feeling a little lackluster by her recent revelation.

"I just wish that I could’ve been there for you then." The words were soft and heartfelt in nature.

The surgeon brushed the golden hair with her lips and let the scent of the person in her arms fill her nose. Garrett wanted everything that she possibly could to help her remember this night. It was the first time that she had ever told anyone of her dark secret, but somehow she knew that Danni would listen no matter how black it was.

***********

After the meeting of the support group, Danni noticed that the behavior of the tall surgeon seemed to be somewhat unguarded, especially around her. It was as if letting that deeply hidden secret of hers come to light had allowed her to move on with her life. Each time that Garrett told of some hint of adventure that she and her brother had shared, the nurse knew that she was being allowed to see what her friend held dear. It was at these times that Danni wondered if she, too, would be thought of in such a fashion.

The only thing that she knew for sure now was that at times the friendship between them was shrouded in both her and Garrett’s inexperience. Nothing that was planned or contrived, but just a feeling that something more was to happen, only it never did. Friendship was still a concept that the surgeon needed to grasp more fully and Danni was only too eager to help. The nurse, on the other hand, had no idea of how to deal with her own lack of inexperience, advancing relationships to the next level, deepening the emotional tie while bringing it into the realm of the physical. That is what made this friendship so different from the rest, the need to advance.

The young woman thought about all the times that they had shared in their day-to-day lives now that they were a team. They could be anywhere, doing anything and they each felt as though they were at home, as long as the other was there. It didn’t matter how serious or remotely insane the situation was. Just knowing that they were there, together, was enough. Danni knew what it felt like on her part, she wandered if Garrett was feeling the same.

There was a peace that would take over her soul, especially when she found herself locked in a gaze with the raven-haired woman. It could be only a few seconds or lasting much longer with the intent to convey some deep seated knowledge between the two, but nonetheless, it was there.

Danni felt at a loss. Her youth had not been one shared with friends, perhaps that was where this awkwardness was dealt with in relationships. The petite woman looked no more than a child did even though her age was thirty-two. At times like this, she wondered if emotionally she wasn’t still locked into those teenage years where the passions of life and love are learned.

The nurse stared out of the window as she waited for her team member.

Danni’s thoughts turned to Garrett, who at the age of seventeen, was thrust into an adult world. There was such a difference between her life and that of the surgeon’s. Garrett had been forced to delve whole-heartedly into life with little or no help from those around her. Danni questioned in her own mind if she would have had the courage to do it if their roles were reversed. ‘Maybe that is what makes her so sure of herself now? I only wish that I could know my mind like she does hers, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so lost now.’ She sighed and turned to the sound of footsteps coming down the hall toward her. She thought about all her feelings that were rushing to a head, all centering on her emerging emotions of love.

"Hey, Mom!" Her greeting reflected her mood.

"What’s wrong, Danni, no flights today?" The Charge nurse for evening shift was making her customary rounds of the department to assure that everything was as it should be.

"No, just thinking, that’s all."

"If you ask me, it looks like some heavy duty thinking." Karen stopped next to her and reached out her hand to rub across Danni’s back in a comforting manner. "Come on, you can tell me. Can’t be anything that I haven’t heard already with my own brood when they were growing up."

The petite nurse looked up into Karen’s face. The older woman’s eyes were kind and loving in such a way that Danni wondered if her own mother had ever once looked at her in the same manner. Without hesitation, she knew the answer. No! Not once could she ever remember seeing anything but the demanding look that was so characteristic of her mother. Well, to be truthful, there was another look. It was the look of disappointment that she remembered best on her mother’s face. That was what she had always thought of herself as to her mother’s belief in the way things were meant to be. "It’s nothing really, Mom." Danni shrugged her shoulders. ‘How do I tell her that I think I’m gay?’

"Nothing?" Mom looked wide-eyed at the woman next to her. "Must be a pretty important nothing, your back muscles are as tight as a knot."

There was silence for a moment before Danni slowly began to talk. "I’ve been thinking a lot about…relationships." The last word was just more than a whisper. "Why can’t things be simple whenever two people are involved?" ‘Especially if they are the same sex.’

"Hmmm…sounds like you’ve gotten an early hit by one of Cupid’s arrows." Karen’s voice teased.

"I wouldn’t exactly say that I was the one he was aiming for, Mom." Danni hung her head. "I’m not sure that I’m ready for this. Even if I were, I’m sure that this arrow wouldn’t be for me." ‘Hell! I don’t even know what Garrett’s preference is.’

Mom’s eyes showed nothing but concern. "Danni, sometimes we don’t get to choose who it is that we fall in love with. It just happens without any rhyme or reason. There’s nothing scientific or mathematical about it. One day out of the blue, our heart just tells us, this is the one for you."

‘I can’t believe my heart couldn’t give me an inkling any sooner than now. I’m going to be thirty-two and still don’t know what I like.’ "That’s all well and good, Mom, but what if the other person isn’t feeling the same thing?" Danni looked up to Karen, her eyes pleading for understanding. "Could it…" she bit her lip as she let her gaze drop to the floor. "I mean…what if the other person thought it wasn’t right and walked away?"

"Not right? Danni, love is always right. It’s the most natural thing on this earth. A person would have to be a fool to walk away from love that was honest and pure, especially from someone like you." Karen watched the subdued demeanor of the usually vivacious blonde. Her heart ached for the petite nurse. Danni was at a crossroads in her life and both Mom and she knew it. ‘Do I tell her to forge ahead and let her feelings be known or do I just tell her to sit tight and wait for a sign? God, why does life have to be so hard?’

It was then that the elevator doors at the opposite end of the hallway opened. The tall, dark-haired figure stepped off with confidence and was making her way toward them. Karen noticed the look in Danni’s eye as the young nurse watched her team member advance. It was a mixture of pure love and agony. Mom had often thought they had shared a friendship that was closer then most, but now, she could see what Danni was really referring too.

"Garrett?" The word escaped from Karen’s mouth before she could stop it.

‘I should have known.’

Danni looked up to Karen with deep furrows forming in her brow. The young woman waited to see that same look that she’d expect her real mother to have if she were here. Instead of disappointment, the look on Karen’s face surprised her.

The upturned corners of the Charge Nurse’s mouth were evident as she glanced from Garrett to Danni. "I’d give her some time," Karen whispered, "she’s just learning what it’s like to have a friend." Mom squeezed her pseudo-daughter’s shoulders.

Danni was shocked. There was no repulsion or attempts to correct her statements, just unconditional love. The petite nurse didn’t realize that she was even speaking until she heard her own voice. "Thanks, Mom."

Garrett could feel the lop-sided grin as it began to show. She thought it was funny that the only time she felt like smiling was in the presence of her friend. Long legs carried the surgeon down the last section of the hall to the two women standing side by side. "Hey, Mom, haven’t seen you in a while." Garrett’s eyes initially looked at Karen but drifted down to settle on Danni. "When is the next outing?"

Danni’s back tightened and she could feel the breath escape her as though she was punched in the gut. ‘I’ve never thought of myself as gay…I guess maybe I am.’ Her eyes grew big in the realization. ‘ Well, there’s your answer. I can’t tell her now, I’ll lose her friendship for sure.’

Karen felt the tension overtake Danni, her own head snapping from Garrett to Danni and back again. ‘Surely she couldn’t have heard us.’ "Out…outing?" Her voice was strained and raw.

"Yeah, who’s it going to be…Danni…me…"

"Whoa, whatever you heard, it wasn’t meant like that." Karen felt like she was backpedaling in a plot of quagmire. She’d seen the wrath of the surgeon first hand and wanted no parts of it. "I…we…"

"Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you." Rosie turned the corner in the hall and stood next to Garrett. "Did you to hear about the ski trip?" She looked directly at Danni. "I know how much fun you had on that outing last year with David," she teased.

Whew! Karen breathed a sigh of relief. ‘That’s what she meant by an outing.’

The tall woman noticed the slightly upturned corners to Danni’s mouth as her eyes began to twinkle. Garrett’s mind thought back to the look on Danni’s face when she had walked in on her reading that card the night she made dinner for the two of them. ‘Wasn’t that Christmas card from someone by the same name…David?’

"We’re booking the lodge for the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, February tenth to be exact." Rosie looked hopefully from Danni to Garrett. "You, two will be able to come, won’t you?"

The petite nurse’s face became sullen as she slowly shook her head. "Sorry Rosie, but we’re on call every weekend. I don’t think you’ll see us there."

Rosie turned to the surgeon. The thoughtful look in Garrett’s eye seemed disjointed from her speech. "She’s right, Rosie. I guess you’ll just have to have this outing without us." ‘But maybe there’s something that we can do about that. McMurray, I think you owe us a little R & R.’

**********

It was back to the usual day-to-day activities for the two women. As they waited to respond to calls for the Flight Surgeon Team, they pushed the Lone Survivor Group along, and kept plugging along at a thing called friendship, each one taking turns at being either teacher or student.

The ride home that evening was uneventful, with each of the women lost in their own worlds of thought. Garrett had stolen glimpses of her friend whenever she could. The young blonde seemed pensive. The only discussion that the two held was a brief decision on what to have for dinner. Once that was made, they each became bastions of their own making.

Garrett thought of how she could approach the Ol’ Cutter to let them join in the much needed fun and socialization that she knew Danni craved. She hated to see the lively woman looking so forlorn and withdrawn. The surgeon’s mind raced with ideas and possibilities until she finally devised a plan of action. As she maneuvered the Blazer to the drive-thru window, a smile came to her face. ‘I’ve got it. He’ll never refuse a good PR run…now would he?’ Her mind was made up. She’d talk to McMurray in the morning, without Danni present.

Garrett quickly ordered and waited for the food to be packaged up. She found it hard to keep from smiling as she turned to face her friend. The surgeon was new at this side of the conversation, but heck, Danni was her friend and she’d try to do what she thought was right. "You…you want to talk about it?" Her heart skipped a beat as the words came out of her mouth. ‘I hope I know what I’m doing here.’ The tall woman gulped hoping that maybe Danni hadn’t heard her.

The green eyes lifted and looked over to her friend, slightly amused. "What?"

"You know, talk about it." Garrett looked out through the windshield trying hard not to lose her nerve. "The ski trip last year, you and David."

"Oh, that!" Danni let her eyes roll, relieved that it was something else that the surgeon wanted to talk about. "David was one of the Chief Residents last year. We just had a good time trying to learn how to ski, that’s all." A pleasant smile crossed her lips as she reminisced. "Neither one of us were any good, seems that we just kept falling into one another."

Garrett tried to imagine the petite nurse on skis that were probably longer than she was tall. Somehow, a long trailing scarf just seemed to fit the blonde along with a wildly designed knit hat, complete with a yarn tassel at the top. ‘I bet she looked cute.’

"Yeah, if you ask Rosie, she’ll tell you that David had more time with me in his arms trying to get ourselves upright than he did holding on the ski poles." She laughed. "All that I know is that after a while, sitting in that snow can sure get cold."

The surgeon didn’t understand why, but suddenly she had this feeling of jealousy when Danni mentioned being held by David. It caught her off guard, just like the food service worker that was holding out the bag and calling her.

"Ma’am…ma’am your food?"

"Ah…oh, thanks." Garrett took the bags and handed them over to Danni.

The blonde woman had noticed the abrupt change in her friend’s attitude. She wasn’t quite sure what exactly had set it off but she knew that something had changed. The surgeon had resumed her role as chief stoic and chauffeur as the Blazer once again pulled out into traffic. Each one was once again immersed in their own thoughts.

Garrett considered her own skiing ability and how she might be able to teach the woman in the passenger seat how to stay on her feet and out of the cold. It was all a matter of balance and timing. Once that was learned, there was little more to do than enjoy the scenery. It was just like anything else in life, it would take time and a good teacher to get through it. The surgeon stole a glance at Danni. ‘Boy, am I glad that I have a good teacher.’

**********

The services of Cowboy were enlisted as Garrett plotted her appeal to McMurray. Being in the business for fifteen years, Cowboy had connections in just about every hospital and clinic that the medivac helicopters flew in and out of in the tri-state area. Once the surgeon had mentioned her plan, the pilot took care of the rest. It was easy to get McMurray to allow a PR flight up to Seven Springs under the guise that the Resort itself had requested it to coincide with the big holiday weekend. Besides, if anything were to happen, they were just a short flight away. Now, all that Garrett and Cowboy had to do was to sit back and wait until the pieces were in place.

Through Cowboy’s connections, the two soon learned that the educational PR trip was granted and would be scheduled for early in the afternoon on Saturday, February 10. Each one of them beamed with the excitement of their scheme, and hiding it from the petite blonde was becoming something of a chore.

The blonde had a way of sneaking up on them when they were talking, causing them to suddenly abort their conversation and go off on some military past life that one of them had lived through. Their tight-lipped grimaces seemed to be the only thing that didn’t let them burst right out, telling her of the plan.

************

It was Friday afternoon, February ninth when they got the page from McMurray. They had been summoned to his office for a special meeting. Nothing more was said by the secretary, just that they needed to be seen. Once they arrived, Garrett and Danni were ushered into the office and offered a seat. The older woman left without saying another word.

The team members looked at one another and shrugged in response to the questioning look that each one was wearing. Garrett had thought that she knew what the meeting was going to be about, but right now, she wasn’t so sure.

"Gar, did we do anything wrong lately?"

The surgeon racked her mind for a moment, "No, can’t think of anything."

There again was silence as they waited to find out why their presence had been requested. Each one studying another aspect of the room, letting themselves become absorbed into a photograph of the Ol’ Cutter. Danni had always been partial to the one on his desk that he often reached out and touched when talking about his wife. Today, Garrett’s interest had fallen on the one behind his desk, on the wall. It wasn’t big or flashy and by no means impressive. Instead it was just a simple photograph of the McMurray’s standing outside of the hospital, dressed in regular clothing, his arm around her waist and a smile beaming on both of their faces. Garrett wondered what significance the photograph had in the milestones of his life. She made a mental note to ask him one day.

It wasn’t long after that thought that McMurray bustled into the room, striding briskly until he was positioned behind his desk.

"Good, I’m glad that you’re here." He was shuffling two envelopes in his hand. "Seems that these are for the two of you." He handed them over to the person whose name was typed on the front.

Garrett accepted it and looked at the return address in the upper left-hand corner. The name and address was unfamiliar to her. She looked over to Danni’s, only to find it a carbon copy of hers, but with the nurse’s name on the front. ‘What’s this about?"

Danni commenced opening her own and taking out the enclosed paper, unfolding it to read. "Gar, these are summons."

"What?"

"We’ve been subpoenaed for material witnesses to a court in Fayette County."

The surgeon quickly ripped open her envelope and read through the verbiage, stopping at the name. "I don’t remember treating any Leza McCoy." Her eyebrow shot up as she looked directly at her mentor. "Somebody has to be mistaken here."

The Chief of Trauma Services picked up a folder and flipped it open. "Do you remember working on a…Sunshine Doe?"

Danni’s head popped up from her own letter. "Gar, that was the woman that was assaulted and raped. The one that Jam…er…Dr. Potter had to intubate on the helipad."

Garrett thought back for a moment, that night had seemed like a million years ago.

"Let me help you, Dr. Trivoli. It was the night you chose to banish a medical student and throw Nurse Bossard out of your trauma rooms. Does that help you any better?"

‘Damn, I’ve tried to put that night out of my mind. I was such a fool then.’ "Yes, Dr. McMurray, I remember it now." She hung her head in disgrace. She’d learned a lot from that night, and by the looks of things, she was going to learn even more.

"You’ll have to be present at the Fayette County court house next month, starting on that date, March 6, a Tuesday. Seems that they’ve subpoenaed the whole lot of you that gathered evidence that night for the rape kit."

"You mean Rosie and Karen, too?" Danni eyes darted back and forth from surgeon to surgeon.

"Yeah, can’t see the reason for it but they want the whole bunch." He sighed deeply. "Keep me posted on what happens so we know whether or not you both will be available for flights."

"Yes, sir." Garrett turned to leave but was stopped by the burly man’s laughter.

"I almost forgot. I’ve got a special request for you two to do a little PR show up at Seven Springs Ski Resort tomorrow. I thought that it was rather funny coming on the exact same day as the E.R.’s outing but who am I to question coincidence." The Ol’ Cutter looked from one crewmember to the other, deciding who it was that pulled the strings. It didn’t matter; they had done a good job so far, and as far as he was concerned, needed a little reward.

Garrett blushed slightly at his insistent stare while Danni’s face beamed with a knowing smile as she eyed her tall friend.

"If I where you two, I’d pack a small bag and take it with you." He winked. "You never know what storms sweep through this time of year and ground your helicopter for the night. I mean…just to be on the safe side."

"Yes, sir!" Danni was exuberant, her eyes flashing wildly at the opportunity to spend some time with her old friends. "We’ll do that."

"Thanks, sir." Garrett remained reserved and professional. Her plan had worked even better than she had hoped for. Then the thought hit her, ‘I wonder if Cowboy had anything to do with this? Somehow, she knew it was a good possibility.’

"Now, go on. You got things to do and bags to pack." He waved them out of his office and watched until they hit the door. "Just remember, don’t come back with any broken bones on either one of you."

With that thought, they shook their heads and went out the door.

*************

Garrett sat watching the television, her eyes glued to the screen. She’d been waiting now for the local forecast of the weather channel. She trusted Cowboy’s judgment but somehow she just needed to see that advancing cloud pattern for herself. She wasn’t even cognizant of Danni as she breezed through the room with her small overnight bag in hand.

"Hey, aren’t you going to pack anything?" The nurse wasn’t used to seeing the tall woman so engrossed in television programming of any sort. "Garrett…you listening?" Danni shrugged at the undisturbed woman and went back to her packing.

The surgeon waited patiently until the commercial was over and the catchy jingle started to alert the viewers that their forecast was next. The screen swiftly changed to a map of the Northeastern United States. The voice of the announcer read off the weather patterns as they crossed the area. There, outside of Detroit was a storm front that was guaranteed to come across the Lake Michigan and Lake Erie as it swooped down into the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was promising to bring snow in lake effect squalls with winds that could create a near whiteout effect in some areas.

The tall surgeon smirked as she turned off the television. She’d seen enough. ‘Well, Cowboy, looks like we’re spending the night tomorrow. I’ve got to remember to thank him for the heads up, otherwise, we’d be in our flight suits all day and sleeping… in our undies.’ Garrett got up and started for the stairs. The surgeon thought Danni in her normal flannel sleeping attire complete with woolen socks. ‘No wonder he wanted us there at 0900.’

Garrett peeked in Danni’s open door as she passed by. There, on the bed sat the blonde woman, her hands filled with bras and underwear. The surgeon watched for a moment as the petite nurse took turns tossing out a bra or bikini bottom on to a pile at the end of the bed, before she shook her head and continued on to her own room. ‘You would think she was packing to meet someone special.’

Danni had mixed emotions at this point on whether to be practical or not as to packing. On one hand she knew for a fact that sitting in snow was darn cold. She’d learned that fact last year. But on the other hand, the nurse figured that she’d end up sharing a room with Garrett, and that brought all kinds of possibilities through her mind. Some of which, were causing her to blush just thinking about them.

Danni could feel the heat rising up her neck and across her cheeks to the tip of her ears. She’d never gotten this way around anyone before. That fact alone made her stop and wonder about what exactly was causing her reaction. ‘Is it the idea for being able to be with the rest of my friends for the weekend or is it the idea of being alone with Garrett in the same bedroom that has me all in a tizzy?’ Her mind kept adding more favorable conditions to the scenario with every second that ticked by. ‘And grounded for the night…in a snow storm…in a ski lodge…’ Then her eyebrows wiggled with delight. ‘Or maybe even a cabin with a fireplace.’

Danni’s hand brushed across the delicate lace on a pair of thongs that she had added to her collection when she came across them last summer right before her customary end of June vacation. She had no idea then why she wanted them but now it seemed to be just the right thing to throw into her bag. ‘They’re small enough, they won’t take up that much room. Besides, didn’t Gar say that I should pack light?’

The woman could feel her face once again turn into a blazing showcase for her emotions when the voice of her friend came lilting across the hall.

"Hey, Danni, don’t forget to take something to keep you warm at night."

The petite woman’s eyes bugged out as images of a tall, raven-haired woman with her arms wrapped tightly around her danced across her mind. It was too late. The fire had been turned up another ten degrees and beads of perspiration were building on her forehead. Silently she fell back upon her bed, her mind screaming at the top of its imaginary lungs, ‘Auurrggghhh!!’

*********

Continued

 Cowboy sat in the cockpit waiting for the arrival of the rest of his team. He watched the seconds tick by on his wristwatch until they would get there. He’d learned it early on, when there was an appointed time to be met; Garrett Trivoli was one punctual lady. The minute clicked over to 0859 and the seconds began ticking away. When exactly 30 seconds had gone by, the pilot let his eyes gaze over to the door at the rear of the emergency room that lead directly to the Trauma Rooms. Within the blink of his eye, there emerged the tall surgeon and her petite nurse, each sporting their flight gear and carrying a small bag with their necessary clothing for the night. A smile came to his lips with the sound of the rear door opening. Cowboy glanced down at his watch. ‘Yep, right on time.’ It was 0900.

"Morning, ladies. I trust you had a good night’s sleep."

Danni became self-conscious now of her appearance. ‘Was it that noticeable that she had trouble sleeping?’ The poor girl’s mind had been full of thoughts of an anticipated night sharing a room with the tall surgeon, reeking havoc with her sleep. The nurse sighed and climbed on board. She could feel the beginnings of the flush that slowly crept up from her chest into the base of her neck and struggled to keep them at bay.

"Thanks for the tip about spending the night." Garrett reached out and cupped Cowboy’s shoulder.

"Huh?" He turned to look back at the woman, puzzlement written on his face. "I didn’t…we’re staying over night?"

"Yeah, I figured that it was you that suggested it to McMurray."

"Sorry, Doc, it wasn’t me. All that I suggested was that we move the departure time up so that we could get back before the storm front was anywhere close."

Now the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together. "I guess it’s his way of rewarding us."

"Doesn’t matter where we are, Doc, once that storm hits we’ll be grounded. I guess he figured why have you stuck at home when all of your friends are going to be up there."

Garrett began to feel bad that Cowboy was not warned in advance of the overnight stay. "I’d feel better if he’d have warned you, too."

"Hey, don’t worry about it, Doc. The women will go wild for the uniform." He tugged at the material of his flight suit. "Besides, I’m an old ‘Nam vet, we always have an extra pair of socks with us." He winked and patted her arm. "Now get on board so we can take off, will you?"

The woman nodded and complied with his request.

Danni could hear the muffled voices of the surgeon and pilot, but she had things on her mind that was distracting enough. Now, she tried to busy herself with the routine of checking their equipment before the flight. She looked over to see Garrett entering the door and then closing it making sure that the lock was engaged. ‘Okay, Danni, you’re a professional…try to act like one. There’s a whole day to get through before you have to worry about the sleeping arrangements.’

The surgeon buckled herself into her seat and donned her helmet, adjusting the strap to keep it on. "What’s left to check?"

Danni focused her mind. "Just the items that are in the drug bag and the intubation kit." ‘There, you can do it. Just like any other day.’

Garrett nodded and quickly began the drill of checking the bags. When it was over, she looked up to see Danni watching her intently. "Something wrong, Danni?"

"Ah…no…ah I was just…waiting for you to get done." Then as if to cover her motives she hastily flashed the "thumbs up" sign and spoke to the pilot. "All accounted for and ready for lift off, Cowboy." To which the surgeon agreed giving her "thumbs up."

The pilot returned the signal then started his routine for flight departure and within moments they were up in the air.

************

The progression of the landscape below them had changed drastically, long gone were the tall building of the metropolis that had stretched out into the areas of suburban homes. Now, underneath them could be seen the sparsely placed farms with their rolled hay randomly strewn about the fields like dots on a page and churches, where pointed steeples reached upward towards the heavens. It seemed so peaceful out here in the country where distance was measured as the crow flies instead of city blocks.

Garrett settled back in her seat, her gaze still lingering on the passing countryside. ‘One thing that I can say about this job, I’d never have this view in a windowless operating theater.’ Her head turned, taking in first the pilot and then the form of her team member. ‘Or even good friends to share them with.’ The surgeon watched the petite woman for a moment before she turned her vision back towards her own window. ‘I’m glad that we’re going to have a little down time. Danni’s sure been acting funny here lately.’ The tall woman found herself shrugging her shoulders. "I guess she needs more than just me around…I don’t know why."

There was silence for a few moments before the soft sound of Danni’s voice came across the headphones. "Gar, do you know how to ski?"

The surgeon smiled as memories of weekend skiing trips with her family flooded her mind. "Ski?" Garrett nodded her head. "I’m not any Olympic caliber skier but yeah, I can ski." She looked over to the petite nurse. "I haven’t been on a pair of skis in years. Why do you ask?"

The young woman squinted, wrinkling up her nose in the process. "I was hoping that maybe…well, I’m not very good…"

"You want a few lessons?"

The nurse nodded. "Even if you could just teach me how to stay on my feet, that would help." ‘Just hold me and don’t let go, that would be sufficient.’

Garrett’s grin widened. "Sure, no problem. It’ll help me get back in the groove of things, anyway."

Danni struggled with her emotions. She could feel the temperature rising. ‘Thank the gods, its cold out there.’ The young woman’s mind was endlessly adrift in a sea of nameless faces, all with outstretched arms and resembling the tall, raven-haired woman seated next to her.

***********

The threat of bad weather did nothing to keep the avid skiers away. Danni shook her head at the amount of people that were waiting in line for the chair lifts to the top of the ski runs. The young nurse stood waiting patiently for her private instructor outside of the rustic ski lodge as she watched the snowflakes glistening in the air around her. Casting a wayward eye to the heavens, she noted the heavy gray storm clouds in the northwestern sky. The heavier snow would be coming and soon.

Danni’s always-empty stomach sensed the smells of the outside grill. The wafted aromas that were so inviting to her nose, that she fought to resist the temptation for a taste of their wares. Trying to get her mind off the food, she started looking at the people around her. Danni felt a little out of place still in her leather jacket and flight suit. It seemed the populace of the resort opted for the more fashionable and colorful trends in nylon and down. ‘Well, there’s only just so much room when packing for a helicopter.’

The petite nurse turned back to the ski lodge, watching the door for any sign of her tall friend. ‘Can’t say that I’ll miss her. She looks just about as out of place as I do.’ Danni chuckled to herself, as she thought of them in their matched set of Flight suits and jackets. As the chuckling trailed off, the corners of Danni’s mouth edged ever upward. Coming through the doorway, her arms filled with skis, poles, and boots was Garrett. The nurse waved her arms in an attempt to be seen. It didn’t take long before the women locked eyes as they closed the distance between them. It was like a homing beacon that cut through both time and distance, welcoming the other into safe harbor.

"So, you ready for this?" Garrett tossed her head from side to side, motioning to the array of equipment in her arms.

Danni nodded her head while her voice trembled out a weak, "No," after which she found herself giggling as a wave of nervousness came over her.

She hid her face from Garrett as she peaked out her open fingers. ‘I can’t believe I’m this nervous.’

Garrett shook her head. "Come on, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m not that tough of an instructor that you need to hide." Shifting the equipment in her arms, she used her right index finger to cross her heart and then held the hand up in a mock oath. "Honest, I swear. I don’t bite, not even a little."

"Gee, and I was hoping for some nips here and there." The words were barely above a whisper as they came from the blonde’s mouth.

"What’s that you said?" There was the gentle sound of laughter on her voice as her eyebrow slowly crept upward. The woman felt like a kid again, free and laughing easily with the friend standing before her.

Danni was caught dumbfounded. ‘Ah…what can I say…’ Her eyes rolled around as they grew bigger. "Tips, I was hoping you could give me some tips…about skiing." The lone bead of perspiration started to roll down her forehead. ‘Why do I even try to whisper around her?’

************

It was almost 1100 hours when the first sign of any E.R. personnel, other than those who arrived by helicopter, were seen. The small troop of nylon garbed caregivers slowly made their way out of the lodge. The bustle of their pent up excitement was evident by the rapid banter and cackling that emitted from the group. Rosie, of course, being the loudest and in the lead while Mom dawdled along at the rear.

"Come on, Mom, it will be dark before we get a run or two in at the pace that you’re at." Rosie’s sharp comment was meant to hasten, not degrade the older woman.

"Yeah, well, just remember if I fall it’ll be you that’s gonna pick me up." Karen shuffled her feet a little faster in response. "I don’t see why we can’t put the darn skis on now instead of up on the top. It would give me a lot more stabilization in this crushed down snow. Go ahead and laugh, young lady. I want to see you when you’re my age."

"Come on, Granny, you want me to hold your hand?" Rosie stopped and took several steps in Karen’s direction only to be shooed off with the older woman’s gesturing hands.

"All right then, but don’t say that I didn’t offer." The sassy nurse did an about face and headed back to the group who had now paused trying to decide on which ski run to challenge first.

The sound of skis cutting across the packed snow was what first came to the attention of Karen. Lifting her head to make sure that she was not in anybody’s way, she spotted the tandem figures slowly coming towards her. With the utmost grace, the taller skier shifted her feet as her body turned slightly to the right, her weight now leaning to that side as she came to a stop, the snow spraying in her wake. The tall woman smiled, "Hi, Mom!" then digging her poles into the packed snow, Garrett turned to watch the progress her young protégé was making.

Only a few yards behind was a miniature figure clad in the same outfit, the skis and poles proportional in size to her body. The closer she came to them, the easier it was to see her tensed lips and slightly rigid body looking uncomfortable in the slightly seated, flexed knee position.

The surgeon watched with great concern, mumbling encouragements under her breath until she knew that her friend was within earshot. "Okay, now shift! Lean back with your weight." Garrett held her breath. "You can do it." Danni was only a few feet away now and sliding into a stop right in front of her tall friend.

The beaming smile on the petite nurse’s face was priceless as she realized that she was finally getting the hang of stopping. It had been an elusive adventure up until now. She was usually too fast or making her turn too sharp to be able to get everything to happen at the same time without ending up headed off in some new direction that was not of her choosing. In fact, Danni was so excited, she almost forgot to shift her body weight back into a standing position to keep from falling. Trying to correct it at the very last moment, the nurse could feel the strong grasp of her team member on the arm of her leather jacket helping to bring her up to the needed position.

"I did it…I stopped." The over exuberant woman was laughing as she spoke. "Mom, did you see? I didn’t fall down."

"Yes, seems like you have a better teacher this year." Karen looked over to the surgeon. "Great job, Doc."

"Hmmm…I don’t know, she’s not a Jean Claude Kyle by any means." Garrett chuckled. "But I guess she’ll pass." The tall woman pulled down her wraparound sunglasses and winked.

"Hey, Danni, where’d you learn to ski?" Rosie called over to her. "Is that part of being on the Flight Surgeon’s team?" She smirked, "I guess you got to be able to use all sorts of ways get to where you want to be," then wiggled her eyebrows.

Danni’s eyes shot over to Mom’s, only to see the older woman looking back at her seriously and shaking her head. ‘Mom, you didn’t? Then how does she know?’

Garrett noticed the concern in Danni’s face. "Come on, Dan, she’s just jealous." She waited a moment until the nurse’s face showed signs of relief. "What do you say we get out of the cold for a while…maybe go inside by the fire and get something to eat before we have to do our presentation for the ski patrol?" The surgeon began to get out of her skis and picked them up, holding them tightly under her one arm while she grabbed at the poles with the other.

"Yeah, I’m getting a little cold out here now." The nurse rubbed her arms with her gloved hands. "Maybe some hot chocolate would help defrost my frozen bones."" Danni bent over to release her bindings and shoulder her skis, the tiny poles dangling from her wrists by the straps attached to them.

"Hey, Danni, you might want to keep an eye out for some of the others who are coming up. I think you might enjoy seeing one in particular." Rosie was being coy as she taunted her fellow nurse. She knew whom it was that she had invited explicitly for the purpose of giving Danni something to think about. The sassy nurse waved, and together with her group, headed for the chairlifts.

"Mom?" The word was drawn out as Danni looked sternly at the woman.

Shaking her head, Karen feigned all knowledge of anything that Rosie had arranged. "I have no idea, Danni, honest." She shrugged and started off after the rest of the group calling out to them as she walked. "Hey, wait up for the old lady."

**********

The snow had been coming down more heavily by the time the presentation was over. It had been a good one with many of the ski patrol interested in exactly when the use of the Flight Surgeon Team would be warranted.

Danni turned in search of their pilot when she was met by a cold biting wind as it swept down off the mountain. The leather jacket kept her upper torso and arms from the stinging cold but the Gore-Tex material of the flight suit was no match for it. "Brrrrrrr!" She quickly turned with her back to the wind. The nurse grabbed for the door of the helicopter, opened it and climbed inside. "Jeez! Is it cold!" She was thankful for the shelter out of the wind.

Looking around as she tried to warm her body by rubbing it, she saw the drawn look of the pilot as he was studying his charts. "Hey, Cowboy! We going to be able to go home or what?" Her eyes were hopeful as she waited for his reply.

Cowboy rubbed his chin with his right hand as he thought for a moment. "Don’t rightly think that would be a good thing to do now. The wind’s a little more than I would like to be flying in. Talk about some turbulence now," he chuckled, "we’d be like a dandelion seed cast out on the warm summer air."

"Guess we’re spending the night then, aren’t we?"

"Yep, looks that way."

A chill swept through the inside of the helicopter as the door opened and a tall form climbed in. "Whew! That’s a little cold out there." The surgeon settled into her customary seat. "Stuck for the night, aren’t we?" She posed her question to her teammates.

The nurse and the pilot slowly nodded their heads while their faces turned into beaming smiles at the prospective of being down for the night. Within seconds the giggling started as Danni reached for her small bag of clothing and Garrett grabbed her duffel. They looked up to the pilot.

"Hey, I told you I always have extra socks. What do you think I carry in that flight case?" He laughed as he pointed to the large bag that was to carry all of his maps and navigational tools. "I don’t need much room for a map of the Tri-state area. Got to keep them from bouncing around somehow. You ever try reading off of a dog-eared page?"

Garrett shook her head at the antics of the pilot. "Only you, Cowboy, only you."

"Well, I for one vote that we get out of these Flight suits and relax a little, what do you say?" The young nurse was feeling excited. "I wonder if any of the people from work are staying over. I know that some of them did last year."

"Speaking of staying over, I think we better go and see about getting some rooms." The surgeon patted her zippered pocket holding her wallet. "Never leave home without one." She unzipped the pocket and pulled out her ever-present credit card. "I’ll take care of the rooms." Garrett winked and threw open the door, heading for the main lodge.

"Hey! Wait up for me." Danni was scrambling out the door.

*************

The late hour and the weather conditions on the mountain had sealed their fate, just like most of the skiers there. The best that Garrett was able to muster even with the corporate clout of the hospital and the medivac company behind her, was a single room for the night. The harried desk clerk had apologized but there was nothing more that he could offer to them, aside from sleeping in the halls or lounges warmed by the ever-glowing wood stacked fireplaces of the resort.

The surgeon looked down at the single set of keys that she held in her hand. ‘Well, at least we got a room.’ She turned away from the desk and looked over to her crew. ‘I’ve shared less space with guys on the submarine. Besides, it’s only for a night.’ Garrett took in a breath and shrugged her shoulders as she walked over to her team.

"So what did you get us? What floor are we on? Oh…." Danni looked up at Garrett her eyes twinkling like a child’s on Christmas morning. "Or did you get us a cabin, instead?"

"Hmm…." Garrett thought for a moment, "A room, the second and sorry, no." She watched the twinkle slowly fading from Danni’s gaze as the petite woman slowly associated the words to her earlier questions.

Then the green eyes flashed with a new brilliance as her eagerness bubbled over into her speech; "You got us a suite!"

"No, sorry, just a room. It’s all that they had left." Garrett felt bad that she had to burst the child-like excitement of her friend.

"Hey, at least we won’t have to sleep in the helicopter." Danni, the eternal optimist, tried to make light of the situation at hand. "What do you say we get rid of our bags and get changed while we’re at it."

Cowboy looked around. "You ladies go on. I’m going to get me a cup of java and warm up a bit first over there by the fire."

Garrett handed him one of the room keys. "Then take this, you’ll need it to get into the room."

"Thanks, Doc. I’ll see you a little later at dinner."

*************

The sound of metal interacting with metal could faintly be heard as Garrett turned the key, unlocking the door to their room. Standing at the threshold, both women stood peering into the blackness, each one conjuring up in their own mind what they hoped the room would hold.

Danni’s head swam with thoughts of soft candlelight and gentle sounds of intimate mirth brought on by the shared revelations of emotions long held in. She closed her eyes tightly, offering a prayer that they would not be met with rejection as she took that first step into the unknown. Her right hand slowly inched along the wall on the left side of the doorframe in search of the switch as she leaned further into the room. The nurse’s mind thought about how much time she had spent in the dark to her own feelings. Now, could she illuminate the room and possibly what was to become of this newfound life of hers all at the same time. One, hopefully, that would include the dark-haired woman next to her as well.

Danni’s fingers felt the switch as she accidentally turned it on. The glaring brilliance of the light caused her to squint in an effort to shield her eyes, just like her mind had shielded her growing up. Never once had she thought of a woman as she did now. Why all of a sudden was there a change? Was it her or was it fate that had finally taken the nurse’s blinders off? It was like seeing a marvelous jewel for the first time, dazzling the eye and tempting the senses.

Slowly the radiance dulled, revealing a typically set up hotel room, complete with a large king-sized bed and a small love seat off to one side. Danni thought about her own queen-sized bed at home and how she made use of all of its abundant space. ‘Hmmm…guess it will be big enough for the two of us…well, maybe if we get real close.’ She giggled to herself at that thought. Her head turned enough to take the tall woman next to her into her view. Out of the corner of Danni’s eye, she could see the thoughtful expression etched on the surgeon’s face. ‘I guess I’d feel the same way if I liked having my own space all the time. Maybe I could…’

"Mind if I take the bathroom first?" Garrett threw her duffel bag down on the desk along the wall.

The voice startled Danni out of her thoughts. "No, go ahead. I’ll just get my things ready."

The tall woman nodded then moved into the bathroom and closed the door.

The nurse sighed deeply and ambled over to the other side of the bed. "Now, let’s see what’s in store for the night." She plunked her bag down on the huge bed, removed her leather jacket, and started to assemble her clothing to change into.

Garrett stood looking into the mirror, her face showing signs of disappointment. "Well, at least we have a room." Her voice was not very enthusiastic. "I’ve shared before." ‘Space, Gar, that’s all you’ve ever shared with anyone,’ the little voice crept into her brain. She let her hand wash over her face trying to rub away the guilt of never really being able to let another human get close to her. It had been so simple before, why wasn’t it now? What had changed to make her even feel guilty now? "Maybe if I freshen up I’ll feel better." The surgeon lingered, trying to make herself feel more at ease with her own reflection until she finally gave up with a shake of her head. ‘I’ll just get my toiletry bag.’ She reached for the doorknob and slipped out into the next room.

The surgeon grasped her duffel and quickly untied the flap. Grabbing the small bag that she used for her call nights, Garrett turned and caught an eyeful as she stopped abruptly. A few seconds was all that it took for the tall woman to become embarrassed that she was seeing her friend in the act of dressing. Slack jawed and mesmerized she stood there, unable to move, her hand holding tightly onto the toiletry bag.

The petite nurse hadn’t heard the door open as she started to slide her jeans on over her sock-covered feet. Tugging at the waistband of the jeans, she extended her left leg allowing the denim to slide up along the curve of her calf. The strong musculature of her legs was becoming evident in her actions as she shifted from side to side, the soft faded material inching over them easily. The higher up the material rose, the more it clung to the underlying form that held it in place.

Danni straightened up, letting her gaze sweep upward from the bed that she was facing. There, across the room, she locked gazes with blue eyes that were transfixed on her. The exchange of information was inevitable from one to the other as longing haunted each of them in the recesses of their minds. Within seconds, Danni realized that she was standing there, practically nude and facing the woman that was gnawing at her very soul.

The blush of embarrassment started as Danni thought about the lace trimmed underwear that she had brought along, hoping that Garrett would see her in. She’d changed into them and now her wishes had come true. Her presence of mind was coming back to her as she quickly turned her back to the tall woman.

Garrett could sense the embarrassment as she watched the woman suddenly turn in an attempt of modesty. Or was it? Now, the surgeon could clearly see the full contour of the nurse's buttocks as revealed by the almost non-existent thong. The blue eyes watched as the rear portion of the waistband snuggled just under the smooth looking skin of the petite woman’s derriere.

It was at that exact moment that Danni realized she was now giving more of a show than she was before. ‘By the gods!’ Danni paused only momentarily before she hurriedly shifted the material, allowing it to slink smoothly over the posterior portion of her body falling into place at her waist. She sighed at her own thoughtlessness as she fumbled with the button. ‘What’s she going to think of me now? I must look like some floozy to her.’ Danni grabbed for her sweater and held it up to her chest as she turned to look back at her stunned friend. Her eyes opened to see no one. Darting from corner to corner she searched for the tall familiar form only to find it gone. The sound of bathroom door closing stopped her from hunting any further.

"Damn!" The nurse spun around and crumpled down on the edge of the bed. "I wonder what she’s thinking about me now?" Danni slowly pulled the sweater over her head, then sat there with her elbows resting on her knees, her head in her hands.

Garrett stared at the wall opposite the door. Her left hand held tightly onto the doorknob for fear the wave of emotions that had met her out there would demand entrance to continue their barrage of her soul. Her breathing was somewhat labored as she fought to calm her racing heart. She looked to her left at the reflection in the mirror. The clothing was the same as before, but for some reason, the woman seemed different. Her mind searched for the correct word to describe her feelings. Then it came to her. The word was…scared. The surgeon’s pallor was far from her normal golden-hued skin. It was as if she had seen a glimpse of some long forgotten treasure that had been hers in a previous life, the ghost of which still haunted her soul.

Jumbled thoughts ran rapid. The cool level head of the surgeon was nowhere to be found. She released the doorknob and turned to face her image in the mirror. Leaning forward, her shoulders slumped as she locked her elbows and caught herself on the counter top of the vanity, her hands wrapping around the edge for support. Blue eyes gazed blankly at her likeness trying to find something that would clear her mind and bring it back to the world that she knew well, the world of self control.

‘You’re an accomplished surgeon, not some medical student. You’ve seen hundreds…no…thousands of human bodies in all forms of disrobe.’ Garrett peered deep into her own eyes, the windows to her soul. ‘What makes this one any different than the rest?’ She watched, breathlessly, then it came to her. ‘Danni…it was Danni.’

The petite blonde was in a quandary. ‘Do I say something to Gar, perhaps I should tell her of my feelings for her or just let it go and make like it was no big deal?’ Danni closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. ‘This sure wasn’t how I imagined the night to be.’ She thought for a moment, then decide her course of action. Nothing! She’d just pretend that it was no big deal. With that thought in her mind, the young woman got up and walked to the bathroom, pausing only for a moment to look at the closed door that separated them. ‘Jeez, Gar, I didn’t mean to scare you.’ Danni bit at her lip, then nodded and went out the door. She was now resigned to accept whatever treatment she received from Garrett. Hopefully they would still be friends.

**************

Garrett stood at the bottom of the stairs surveying the crowd of stranded skiers. The ski lodge was busy with patrons that were letting the weather outside give them reason to eat, drink and be merry. After all, what else was there left to do in the near whiteout condition?

Stepping around to the other side of the stairway, the tall surgeon looked, desperately trying to find the petite blonde. Not seeing her, Garrett began to worry. ‘ I wonder if I embarrassed her more than I thought? Maybe I should get Cowboy and…’ That’s when she heard the laughter and jeers. She knew that voice and turned a little more just in time to see Rosie teasing everyone around her as she readied to chug a glass of beer. Garrett rolled her eyes and in doing so, noticed the name of the area that she was entering into, the Foggy Goggle.

Making her way over to the group, Garrett saw Danni seated between Rosie and a young man that looked vaguely familiar to her. For a moment, the surgeon thought that she knew him but then decided she didn’t.

Trying not to stare, the surgeon let her gaze take in the whole area. This part of the ski lodge was arranged with small, round, green tables, each one with seating for four. The normal array of neon beer logos hung from the rafters, each one lighting the way to the large fancy ‘U’ shaped unstained pine bar complete with stools. It was obvious which beers were the ones of choice in this establishment, Coors, Bud, Miller’s, and of course, the hometown favorite, I.C. Lite hung directly over the table that the D.J. was sitting at.

The lighting was dim at best without the bright sun coming in the large expanse of windows that lined the walls, all giving excellent views of the slopes on the Front Face of the mountain. The night gave way to the more moodily lit tiffany-styled shades with their low wattage bulbs. This wing of the lodge was now ready for the soft whispers and the tingle of emotions that the consumed alcohol would bring. It was by rights, your typical bar or meeting spot of the young and single crowd.

Danni picked up her glass to take a sip of the rum and coke that had been so graciously ordered for her. ‘I can’t believe David remembered what I had last year.’ She smiled at him and sipped once more before setting the glass down on the table. Looking up, she saw the tall form of Garrett approaching the group. "Hey," her eyes softened with a friendly glow, "Gar, over here." The petite woman waved her hand to signal her friend. Once Danni made sure that the surgeon was coming towards her, she hastily looked for somewhere to set her at the group of tables. Seeing that there were two empty chairs across the tables and down a few spaces from her, Danni motioned for Garrett to have a seat.

The surgeon took her time getting to it, not knowing quite how to act toward Danni. ‘I better play this one by ear. However she treats me…that’s what I’ll return.’ Garrett eyed the chair as she pulled it out from under the table and sat down. Looking around the collection of tables, the surgeon picked out several people that she didn’t know. Studying the close proximity that they had with a staff member next to them, Garrett reasoned that they were either mates or dates of the people she knew. Her eyes wondered over to Danni and the young man sidled up to the nurse’s side. ‘I wonder who he is…and what he is to Danni?’

The group from the E.R. was all talking at pretty much the same time. The constant chattering seemed to be about the events of the day on the slopes outside. Garrett sat and listened to the stories until she felt as though someone was staring at her. Turning slowly to her left, the surgeon looked to the empty chair that had been next to her. There, to her surprise, was Ian McCormick sitting back in the chair with his hands resting on a tall glass of beer and a smile leering at his lips.

"I’ve had enough skiing for one day," Rosie announced, "It’s time to dance." She jumped up and headed toward the D.J. and the small open area for dancing. "Who’s coming with me?" She yelled at the group, "Mom, Danni, come on. David, pull that nurse up and bring her out here."

Not wanting to have anymore attention drawn to herself, Danni obligingly got up from her seat and followed David to the dance floor where the fast beat music was playing.

"I see you saved a seat for me, Dr. Trivoli. Could it mean that you’ve decided to thank me for the little weekend that I’ve arranged for your team?" Ian began to let his gaze move up and down her body as his head motioned to Danni. "I thought that maybe you girls were working a little too hard lately and needed…shall we say…a little fun." His eyebrows wiggled causing the lines in his forehead to follow suit, rippling nearly up to the top of his baldhead.

The words caught Garrett off guard. Now, things were coming to light. Ian had arranged this rendezvous with a little down time to make a little time himself. The coy smile of the surgeon was hidden from the man. She needed to see how far she could go without tipping her hand. ‘Two can play this game, Ian and I’d say that you’ve met your match, if not better.’

The tall woman pulled her chair just a tad closer to the physician, hoping he would see it as an attempt of letting her intentions to be known. Garrett glanced at him, then out onto the dance floor where Danni filled her view.

The surgeon sat there for a while watching the smooth movements of her young friend as the music beat a rhythm that made you want to move right along with it. Danni looked happy and carefree as she moved in conjunction with the man that seemed to know every step she was about to take.

"So, tell me, Dr. McCormick, how easy was it to get McMurray to agree to this." Garrett used her hand to motion to the group and the lodge. "I’m sure you just didn’t tell him what your agenda was, now did you?"

Ian chuckled. "That old man has no idea what’s really going on. He’s set in his ways, doesn’t know what us young people are all about."

Garrett raised her eyebrow at that idea. ‘Remember how the saying goes, Ian. It’s the young and beautiful people.’ She eyed his baldhead, swearing that she could see the reflection of the tiffany shade above them in it. She looked casually out to the dance floor once again, her eyes quickly finding Danni. She watched the movement of the nurse’s torso, finally allowing herself to concentrate on the derriere as it was now facing her. The memory of cream colored lace was still fresh in her mind.

"So, you think you know what it is that the younger bunch is looking for, eh?" Garrett let her eyes drift off to him without moving her head. "Tell me, what is it that we need right about now."

"Say, why don’t you let me get you a drink?" He winked at her as he began to rise. "Beer, or would you like a drink with a little more kick? I’m going to get myself another shot and a beer." Ian leaned over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. "You know, you are down for the night, why not just let yourself go and enjoy."

Garrett fought hard not to get angered at this last statement. Putting on a sickening smile, the surgeon turned her head to whisper right back at him. "Humor me. I can be just as relaxed drinking coffee. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to not be able to remember it later, now would you?"

Ian’s face lit up. "Coffee, anything special in it?" His eyes were aglow with licentious thoughts.

Garrett smirked as she thought about her young friend on the dance floor. "Yeah, I’ll have a little cream with that."

It felt good to be dancing. It was the one thing that Danni ever enjoyed that her mother had thought of as a necessary requirement for all young girls. The long hours spent practicing paid off in situations like this one. The teasing was a lot less if you only took a little bit of coaxing to get up and dance than it did if they had to drag you out of your chair.

The entire time that Danni was up there dancing, she tried to position herself in such a manner that she would be able to keep an eye on the tall surgeon still seated at the table. At one point when the music stopped, Rosie drew Danni’s attention toward the more than civil appearing conversation happening between Garrett and Ian.

"What’s with those two anyway?" It actually looked like they were getting along for once and Rosie just had to comment on it.

Danni immediately spun around to see what she was missing. That’s when she saw Ian lean over, whispering into Garrett’s ear. Danni held her breath, waiting to see the sparks fly but they never did. Instead, Garrett reciprocated the whisper with one of her own, which sent McCormick scurrying off to the bar. ‘Huh?’ " Maybe she’s just being nice in front of everyone."

"I don’t know. They always say that the ones that protest too much end up being strange bedfellows. You think maybe her and McCormick…" Rosie wiggled her eyebrows, "will you know…do the tango under the sheets tonight?"

Danni looked at Rosie then at the dark-haired surgeon and shook her head. ‘Great, that’s all I need. I finally fall in love with someone and lose her to the likes of Ian McCormick.’ "I’d be surprised."

"Yeah, well rumor has it that’s why you got grounded up here today. Ian arranged for his girls to have some "fun" time. He’s the one who told me to invite David up."

Danni stopped and turned in the direction that her hand was being tugged. David had her and was leading her back towards the dance floor. "May I have this next dance?" As if it had been cued to start at that exact moment, the slow and mellow music filtered across the air. Danni obliged him as she stepped up and laid her hands on his body just like she’d been taught so many years ago. With her head resting on his shoulder, the nurse kept a wary eye on her tall friend, praying that Rosie was wrong.

David let the music set his pace for conversation. Slowly he talked of little things to bring Danni’s mind back on to him and the times that they had shared in the E.R. He wanted her to know that he valued her friendship above all else. It was with that in mind that he ventured into the discussion of having a room all to himself for the night. Then without warning the words took Danni by surprise. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you stay in my room tonight? We’re friends aren’t we? We could just talk about old times and get reacquainted. What do you say?"

Danni let him spin her around as she thought about what he was saying, but her mind only could see what was going on back at the tables with Garrett and Ian.

The two nemeses had gotten physically closer, the baldhead of the physician contrasting with the shoulder length raven-hair of the surgeon. Each one waiting for just the right time to spring their trap on the other. Ian lifted his shotglass, draining it once more then quickly followed it with the chaser of beer. He wanted to build up his courage before he would tangle with the demanding surgeon. He reached into his pocket and dangled the key in front of Garrett.

The surgeon’s eyes twinkled with the dangling key dancing in front of her face. She snatched the key with her hand and held onto it. Ian’s eyes bugged out in shock. It was as if the tall woman was actually eager about sharing the night with him.

The physician began to rise from his chair, only to be pulled down by Garrett’s strong hand on his arm. Garrett leaned in closer to whisper as she juggled the key so that the soft metal on metal sound could be heard. The surgeon wink as she released his arm. Ian slowly nodded. He looked around making sure that no one was in earshot of their plans, then went back to his glass of beer.

Danni stood in disbelief as she watched her friend get up and slowly walk away from the table and Ian McCormick. ‘What is she doing? Danni girl, she’s doing what Rosie said she would, playing with the big fish, not some little minnow like you.’

************

Still dressed in his Flight suit, Cowboy was lounging in the main lodge by one of the open fireplaces, sipping on a cup of java. The man was relaxing as he listened to the world revolving around him, lost in a trance of days gone by. The surgeon watched him for a minute or two before approaching.

"Guess you didn’t make it to the room yet, eh?" Garrett pointed to his clothing.

A slow toothy grin spread across his face. "Nah, figured I’d give you two enough time to do whatever it is that women do when they change clothes."

He chuckled then winked. "So what’s the sleeping arrangements, Doc, shifts or floor?"

"Hey, I can’t have my pilot sleeping on the floor. Seems that Dr. McCormick arranged this little free time for us and he’s so graciously given me his room key." Garrett withdrew it from her jean’s pocket and dangled it in front of her face. "He didn’t think that he should be sharing it with a nurse and his implication was that he was more interested in someone of a higher capability." She tossed the key in his direction. "I figured since you were flying all the time, he meant you." She winked. "I told him that the door would be open for him and he could get into the room in about an hour."

Cowboy rolled his eyes and laughed. "You expect me to sleep with that idiot instead of you?"

"No, more like in my place." Garrett shook her head. "He thinks this little girl can’t wait to be with him. I’d get there first and take the bed, if I were you, that’ll leave him to the love seat in the other room."

The pilot did a half salute and started to get up. "Gotcha, Doc. Here, I won’t be needing this then." He handed her his room key. "You and the lil’ one get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning."

"Night, Cowboy." ‘Okay, McCormick, let’s see how you feel about sharing your bed with someone now.’ The tall woman chuckled and sat down in the place that the pilot had vacated, waiting to see Ian get the elevators up to his suite. ‘Hmmm…I sure hope he don’t bust in calling Cowboy his little girl.’

**********

It wasn’t long before Garrett had seen what she was waiting for. Apparently Ian had bolstered his courage more than he needed with a few more rounds of drinks. The telltale unsteadiness of his gait and the time spent in making a decision on which button to push for the elevator was a dead give away to the trained eye. ‘Yep, that will do you. With all that alcohol on board he’ll be lucky to make it to the room let alone try to do anything to disrupt Cowboy’s sleep.’ The surgeon chuckled to herself. "Say nighty-night, Dr. McCormick."

Now, it was imperative that she found Danni and get to the room, far away from the wrath of McCormick when he found Cowboy in her place. The woman made her way back down to the Foggy Goggle. The numbers of people were dwindling as the hour grew later. Several of the hospital staff had already headed to their rooms when Garrett saw Danni sitting at the table without David at her side. The young nurse looked pensive as she played with her half empty glass.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Danni was startled by the familiar voice. "Huh?" She turned to see who it was. ‘Gar, what are you doing here. I thought you and Ian…’

"Hey, you coming to bed or are you going to party all night?" Garrett motioned toward the nurse’s drink.

"I…ah…" Danni’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Could she really be asking me that question?’ "Why don’t you go ahead and enjoy the bed. I’ll just stay up and talk to David."

Garrett studied her friend. "David? How do you know David? I mean, I don’t remember seeing him around the hospital."

"You’ve seen him before, Gar. He was the Chief that handed off to you on your first day at the hospital. Remember?"

"Oh, guess that’s why I thought he looked a little familiar."

"Gar, I know how you like your space, and one less in that room will help."

"What are you saying, Danni?"

"David offered to let me share his room tonight. I just figured that you and…"

"Whoa, wait a minute." Garrett’s face turned serious. "The only one I’m sharing a room with tonight is you. Cowboy’s sharing a suite with Ian." She glanced down at her watch. "Although McCormick doesn’t know that yet." Blue eyes looked deep into green as she conveyed her sentiment.

"I thought you and Ian…"

"Yeah, well, so did he. Let me tell you, you’re both mistaken." The surgeon smiled. "Now what do you say we go sack out. Never know when we might be called upon with that storm out there."

The nurse pushed her drink away and rose from her chair. "Yeah, well, I hope you got a dog sled and a team of dogs, cause their ain’t nothing else getting through out there tonight."

"Ah…sorry, they’re in my other duffel bag." Garrett teased. "You want to let David know where you’re going?"

Danni looked over to the bar where David was conversing to someone he knew as he waited on another drink. "I guess, maybe I should."

"What are you going to tell him?"

Danni thought for a moment then let the one side of her mouth edge upward into a smile. "I’ll tell him the truth." She shrugged her shoulders. "You go home with the one that brought you." She teased.

**********

Ian tiptoed into the dimly lit room. There, over the back of a chair was laid the Flight suit. It’s reflective tape showing in the dark. The long form in the bed caused the physician’s mind to race with anticipation. ‘Hmm…she’s resting up for the long night ahead.’ He eased himself down on the bed, being just a tad unsteady from an evening of drinking and started to take off his shoes when the sound of snoring became quit evident. ‘I guess she’s a snorer.’ He shrugged his shoulders, ‘I wonder if she’s as vocal in the heat of passion?’ Then continued with his disrobing.

Ian could feel the perspiration building up on his brow and took the shirt that he had just removed and wiped his forehead, stretching up onto his head. ‘Maybe I should catch a little sleep first before we get down to business. I think that alcohol is getting to me.’ And with that thought, the physician slipped under the covers and fell fast asleep, adding his own harmony to the music of the night.

**************

The elevator door opened and the two women stepped off in mid conversation.

"Gar, I said that I could sleep on the love seat."

"Nope, you’re small but not that small. You’ll never be able to stretch out and relax."

"Well, I’ll sleep on the floor then. You can have the bed."

Garrett slid the key into the lock and turned it. "Danni, there’s more than enough room in a king size bed for the two of us. End of discussion." She opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for her friend to follow her.

Danni knew that she had nothing left to argue with. "Okay, but you pick which side you want then." She walked over to her overnight bag and started to rummage through it for her bedclothes.

The surgeon closed the door and locked it, making sure the security latch was in place. ‘I wonder if McCormick’s figured out that I’m not in bed with him yet?’ "Danni, why don’t you take the bathroom first."

"Okay." The nurse gathered up her things and headed into the small room. "Don’t worry, it won’t take me long." She turned on the light and pulled the door closed.

The tall woman looked at the bed. ‘Does it really matter what side?’ Her eyes traveled to the far side of the bed where all of Danni’s things were laid out. "I guess that’s her favorite side." The lopsided smile shone brightly as she went to the left side of the bed and pulled down the covers. ‘And this is my favorite side. What a team.’

With the precision of the Navy behind her, not to mention many nights on call, Garrett efficiently stripped off her jeans and sweater, laying them out for quick access. She reached into her duffel bag and pulled out her clothing for the night, one pair of silk boxers and a thin strapped tank top and proceeded to dress for bed.

The nurse emerged from the bathroom with her jeans and sweater tucked neatly under her arm. As she turned the corner into the larger part of the room she caught a glimpse of long legs slipping under the covers. Trying to steady her mind, Danni clutched at her clothing a little harder as her head turned to see the rest of the body that was attached to the legs. The large expanses of flesh caught her eyes immediately and stuck in her head.

It took her a minute, but finally she was able to get the words out. "I’m…I’m…" she stuttered, "ah…done. Yeah, I’m…ah…done in the bathroom, if you need it." ‘Great, Danni, you sound like an idiot.’ The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, but I won’t need it." Garrett snuggled down under the covers then looked back over to Danni. "You’d better get some rest, who knows what could happen during the night."

"Yeah, who knows?" Danni shook her head in disbelief. ‘Does she realize what this is doing to me or is she just teasing me, unmercifully?’ The nurse made her way to the other side of the large bed, then put her clothing away before she sat down on the turned down covers for a restful night. She sat there for a moment before she proceeded to remove her shoes and got in under the covers, clinging desperately to the very edge of her allotted side of the bed. ‘Rest? How can I rest with her just a few feet away from me and under the same covers, too?’

Garrett reached out from the covers and turned off the light next to her side of the bed. "Night, Danni." She nestled down into the pillow, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

Sighing, Danni picked up her feet and carefully pulled the covers over them as she lay back on the bed. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling for a moment until it registered with her brain that she needed to turn off the light. Rolling over, she stretched out just enough to flip the lever on the light switch and then the room was black. Sinking down into the bed, Danni rolled up on her side and grabbed onto the edge of the mattress like a ship moored at a dock. It wasn’t long before the events of the day had brought her sleep with a welcoming grin.

**********

The dream was becoming more and more real with each minute that went by. The young woman was trying desperately to free herself of the burden that had been placed upon her. It was as though she was in a small box with the walls closing in on her. Given a chance, Danni swore that they had arms and legs that reached out and grabbed on to her in a vice-like grip.

Gradually the walls of the box cleared and she was able to call out, but no one was listening to her pleas for help. Each passer-by only took whatever he wanted from around her and continued on without a single word. They acted as though it wasn’t her time yet to be noticed.

Danni struggled to wake up and as she did, her imagination gave way to reality. She was, indeed, being held down by arms and legs cast over and around her body. At one point in her foggy mind, she imagined herself with more than her allotted amount of appendages. Cold sweat broke out on the young woman’s forehead. She was working hard to rid herself of the weighty problem when she finally realized that her dream had been brought on by the tall surgeon who was sharing the bed with her. Only then did her wild and strained movements stop for fear of waking the woman wrapped around her.

Not wanting to embarrass her friend, Danni slowly and methodically eased herself out from under the death grip. Once back on her side of the bed, she sat looking at the woman next to her, still asleep and unaware of what was going on. Thankful for that small favor, the petite nurse grabbed on to the edge of the mattress, vowing to stay to her side. As she drifted back to sleep, Danni committed the dream to her memory, not wanting to awaken her team member by turning on the light to find paper and a pen to write it down. It was definitely one that needed to be logged in her journal at home.

************

Garrett struggled to breathe. The world seemed to be pressing down on her, keeping her in place for some odd reason. It was as if she needed to be here in this space and time for her destiny to come to her.

The keen mind of the surgeon tried to grasp at her surroundings with all of her senses, using each and every one of them to help her. Her body could feel the warmth exuding from the force that held her down, its moist heat coming off like the settling warmth of a cup of hot tea. Inhaling as deeply as she was able to, Garrett tried to savor the unique scent of softness reaching out to her in the night with such an essence of purity that it kept her fear from surfacing.

Garrett was able to breathe now, as the weight on her began to shift and new sensations brought her body closer to being fully awakened. The rhythmic feel of heat gently encompassing her left breast acting like a lover’s tender caress, both stimulating and relaxing at the same time. The surgeon found her body wanting to sink into that realm where everything is an elusion to the perversity of what was real. Letting her mind savor those sensations, Garrett turned to her keen sense of hearing for more information. There, in the dead silence of the lumbering night, the almost nonexistent sound of childlike snoring could be heard. It was then that she knew she was not alone.

The gentle exploration of her right hand as it swept from its resting-place at her side touched warm, soft and supple flesh. The kind that would bring a smile to your face as images of newborn babies flashed across your mind. She wasn’t quite awake yet but knew that what she was feeling could change her outlook on life as she knew it. Like a new beginning, it beckoned her.

The dark-haired woman fought through the last remnants of her dream-like state, she needed to know what it was that was having such a pleasant effect on her night. Her eyes struggled to open, then focus on the form intertwined with her own. The dim light of the very early morning only cast enough brightness that she could barely make out the silhouetted form next to her, hints of gold casting about its head.

Slowly, looking from side to side, she realized that she had not invaded the young woman’s area, but rather met in the middle, each one acting as a bridge to the other’s side. Thoughts of staying there, in that world of comfort soon drifted by as Garrett dutifully slipped out from under the young blonde’s leg. Sliding out from under the covers, Garrett wiped her face with her hand as she got out of bed to answer the needs of her body.

***********

The first real rays of light drifted in around the drawn window coverings, as Cowboy got rolled up on one elbow and looked over to the lump of human flesh that was on the far side of the huge bed. Smiling to himself, the pilot had to give the Doc credit for her idea. ‘He’s never going to realize that he slept with me instead of her. Hmmm…that gives me an idea of my own.’ The skivvies-clad man crawled out of bed, put on his boots and headed into the bathroom with his shave kit in hand.

It wasn’t long after the door closed that Ian’s sleepy form rolled over to face the now empty half of the bed. Feeling for the warmth of a long sensuous body, his hand came up empty. His blood-shot eye opened, revealing the thrown back covers and rumpled sheeting where the warm body had been only moments before.

The sound of water running in the shower now trickled through Ian McCormick’s mind. He imagined himself a drop of water rolling over the soft skin and ample curves of Garrett Trivoli. His eyes darted to the chair that he remembered the Flight Suit had been on. Seeing it still there, Ian sighed. Yes, she’d have to come out to get dressed and he’d be able to view what he dreamt of often. Ah! Life was good.

The physician rolled on to his back, the thought of nights to remember flirting with his mind, and drifted off into a world of dreams.

Cowboy emerged from the bathroom, quickly dressed and grabbed his flight case from under the desk in the sitting room of the suite. Setting the case down on the chair, he pulled open the drawer and removed a piece of the complimentary stationary and penned a brief note. Folding the paper in half, the pilot scribbled ‘McDoc’ on the front and left it there with the room key for Ian to find. Being careful not to make too much noise, Cowboy picked up his case and exited, pulling the door shut as he left.

***********

The dream came to her only seconds before she woke. Its snippet of vision was not a vision at all but rather a feeling that her world was as it should be…or was that as it used to be? The strong arms that held her tightly in her dream were like vigilant sentinels standing guard over her heart while the lush green of the forest that surrounded, cradled them both with its moss covered ground, acting like a velvet blanket for them to lay on. Her world seemed complete with the soft refrain of the birds’ overhead and the antics of the small creatures that watched over them. They were alone with each other, sheltered from any that would do them harm.

Her thoughts were a jumble of confusion as she fought to stay with the dream for as long as she could, never wanting it to end. Perhaps that is why Danni couldn’t believe she was lying there awake. The same feeling that she had in the dream, she was feeling now. It was like all the love in the world was being self-contained in her very own soul. ‘By the Gods, what I would give to have this all the time. I’ve got to remember this one.’ She sighed, thinking that it had been quite a while since that last journal entry of hers. The nurse could picture the worn book, still on her nightstand next to her bed at home. ‘Who would have thought that I’d have a dream after all this time.’

The lone blue orb peered out into the morning’s dim light. The soft blurring of blonde hair was in front of her face. Slowly Garrett began taking stock of the wonderfully restful sensation that she was a part of, her body spooned up against the petite woman lying next to her. Each body seemingly fit like a piece of a puzzle, one to the other with no areas left untouched.

The surgeon could feel the gentle stirring of Danni as she came out of her world of dreams. Garrett’s hazed state made her slow to react, knowing that her arm now encircled the nurse and held her tightly, denying any thought of letting her go.

Each woman laid there, basking in the warmth of human contact, not wanting to draw the other’s attention to the fact that they were enjoying the moment. The seconds grew to a minute, then lingered even longer letting time be a measure unto itself.

The sound of the ringing phone in the room had startled both into a frenzied separation of their bodies. Their eyes avoided each other for fear of their friend’s embarrassment. Danni, rolling off to her edge of the mattress while Garrett moved to put a stop to the ringing of the phone.

"Hello!" The surgeon voice was crisp and clear, meaning nothing but business.

Danni sat on the bed, her heart racing like a wild animal. ‘She’s going to know for sure now.’ The nurse stole a glance over her shoulder. ‘I can’t believe that I…she…’ Her eyes got bigger. ‘That we were laying there like that.’

The nurse could hear words but nothing was making sense to her. Just the thoughts running through her mind and the pressing need to write down her dreams that seemed to be grasped by her mind. Danni’s eyes roamed the room in search of something, anything that she could use. ‘The desk! There has to be something there.’ The petite woman got up and went to it.

Within the time it took Garrett to complete her phone call, Danni had finished recording her dreams. ‘One day, I know these will make sense to somebody.’ Danni kept her back turned when she heard Garrett hanging up the phone. She wasn’t ready to see the look on Garrett’s face.

"That was Cowboy!"

The nurse kept her pen going in a mock writing motion while she answered. "Hmmm?"

"He wants us to get ready to leave. Seems like there is going to be a brief window of opportunity to fly in about 30 minutes."

"Okay, I’ll take the bathroom first." Danni rose from the chair and grabbed her Flight Suit off of the hanger. "I’ll be done in just a few." She entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Garrett got out of the bed and paced the room briefly, not knowing whether to be the first to say something or not. She could see that Danni was obviously upset by the situation. "Damn, I don’t want to lose this friendship," she muttered under her breath and she knew what she had to do.

Danni vacated the bathroom to see Garrett’s duffel bag packed except for her toiletry bag, and the woman herself already dressed in her Flight Suit. The surgeon brushed past her as she grabbed her small bag and entered the empty room. The sound of the door locking behind her made the nurse feel as though she was having an important part of her life taken away. She felt herself being closed off, her lungs crying out for air, her heart ripping in two. ‘If only she would have left me sleep on the love seat or floor. I’d be sore but at least I wouldn’t hurt like this.’ Danni hung her head and slowly packed her bag, her eyes stealing glances at the king-size bed that they had shared.

The tall woman had been silent in her entry to the room. She stood there, watching the sullen nurse finish her packing. Stuffing her toiletry bag into the duffel and tying it shut, Garrett spoke softly. "Danni, I’m sorry for what happened earlier." She paused but the petite woman did not turn around or slow her efforts in packing. "I must have been dreaming. Honest, I didn’t mean anything by it."

The words echoed in Danni’s head, ‘Didn’t mean anything by it.’ It felt like a stake going through her heart each time it repeated itself. She closed her eyes and held onto the overnight bag, fighting the tears back. "Don’t worry about it." She picked up her bag and turned around to face her team member. The eye contact was only for a second but it hurt more than she thought. Hurriedly casting her eyes to the floor, she started for the door, "I’ll meet you at the helicopter," and was gone.

Garrett picked up her bag and followed the nurse, pausing at the open door to turn and gaze one last time at the rumpled blanket covered bed, then stepped out, closing the door behind her.

***********

Ian McCormick walked out into the setting room when he spied the folded over paper on the desk. Picking it up, he studied the handwriting. "Gosh, you’d think for as well educated as we are, doctors would be able to write more legibly." The only word on the front was a strange one at that. "McDoc," he muttered then let the corners of his mouth edge into a smile. "Must be her pet name for me." He opened the sheet and began to read aloud, wanting to hear the words as if she were saying them. "Thanks for letting me rest before taking off to new heights." That was all there was, nothing more.

The sound of blades spinning in the thin mountain air as the helicopter readied for take off drew him to the window. Ian stood with the note still in his hand, watching the lift off begin. The slow motion of his waving hand was like a metronome to the song of the rotors as the ship flew out of sight.

************

Danni sat, buckled into her seat. Her close proximity to the surgeon was not an easy one to maintain but in the cramped quarters of the helicopter it was as far as she could get. The nurse could tell by the quietness of her team member that her time up in the air was going to be filled with lots of thought about what had happened between the two friends.

She closed her eyes, and tried to remember the feeling of her dream. Each time her mind brought the same image to her. Garrett…was all she could think about.

Chapter 7

Garrett didn’t know what to make of the mood that Danni had been in lately. They were still a team but something was missing. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. It was almost like a piece of the petite woman’s heart was taken away.

Ever since they had come back from the ski lodge, Danni seemed to be nothing but all business around the surgeon. Even Mom had noticed and commented to Garrett about it. The only thing that the surgeon knew was it all started with that overnight stay.

Often during the last three weeks, the dark-haired woman found herself just sitting there thinking of what she could have done or said that may have caused the change in Danni. Each time she was becoming more puzzled than the last. If only she could think of what it was, then perhaps she could correct it and they could once again have their comfortable friendship back.

Another thing that the surgeon was feeling baffled about was the pleasant attitude toward her by Dr. McCormick. It was the complete opposite of what she had expected, especially after that night at the ski lodge. Garrett wondered if perhaps there was something in the alcohol or food that Ian and Danni had partaken of. It was as if their attitudes had changed places toward her. The surgeon finally decided that she needed to talk to Cowboy and find out what happened in that room with Ian. Something had definitely changed him. Maybe if she could figure out what it was, it would give her some insight into Danni’s mood.

*************

The tall surgeon rounded the corner just in time to see the pilot step out of his craft. The faint rays of the late February sun gave his metal boot tips a glimmer of reflected light. It was still cold but Cowboy refused to wear anything but his customary clothing, including the down ski vest with the insignia of the company on it. Garrett watched from the Trauma doors of the E.R. as he made his way into the hospital.

"Morning, Cowboy!"

"Morning to you, Doc. You know of a flight that I don’t?" He looked at her seriously for a minute then continued, "Or do you just need to talk?"

Garrett wet her lips, stalling for a moment then she closed her eyes, and sighed. "Talk is more like it." The woman looked around the busy hallway. "But not here. Do you have a minute or two?" Cowboy nodded. "Then let me buy you a cup of java. Come on." She motioned with her head for him to follow her as she moved down the hallway.

Cowboy had sensed that something was troubling Garrett and Danni both for the last week or so, maybe longer. He’d wanted to ask if he could help but chose wisely not too. The pilot had hoped that he was enough of a friend to the both of them that if they needed help or even just wanted to talk, they knew he’d be there for them.

Garrett opened the door to the E.R. Lounge and looked around the room. Nobody was there and the smell of fresh coffee filtered across the air. She crossed over to the large urn of liquid gold, the sustenance of the medical profession, coffee. The surgeon picked up the package of Styrofoam cups and offered one to the pilot. It was her way of making him feel at home. A lot was riding on this conversation and she didn’t want him thinking that she was going to interrogate the hell out of him.

With their cups of coffee in hand, each one stood quietly, sipping away and thinking until Cowboy finally started the conversation.

"Doc, something going on between you and that lil’ nurse?"

Garrett’s eyes flashed at him with an intensity of lightning bolts, her eyebrow raising almost into her hairline.

"I mean, stop me if I’m wrong, but you two just aren’t the same anymore. Like one of you is hurt or…I don’t know, but it’s just not right." He shook his head then sipped at his coffee some more. "I thought you two…" Cowboy stopped short, "well, it ain’t no business of mine either." His voice became a whisper.

Garrett looked him square in the eye, one military person to another. "What was it that you were going to say, Cowboy? Don’t try to spare my feelings, I’m looking for a reason for the uneasiness between Danni and myself. If you have any ideas, I want to hear them."

Cowboy knew the saying before it was even the directive in the military. Don’t ask and don’t tell. As long as the person did their job, it had never matter to him whom they chose to be friendly with. That was their business and none of his. In his mind, he was still that age-old enlisted man standing before an officer. It didn’t matter that they never served together or that they weren’t even in the same branch of the service. What did matter was that he respected her. "Doc, I really don’t think that what I was going to say had any real bearing on the matter at hand. At least, I don’t think so."

The surgeon sipped pensively at the hot liquid. "Damn! I’ve got to find out why things aren’t right. It’s like McCormick and Danni changed minds." She smirked, "At least where I’m concerned." She paused for a moment in thought. "You know, I really expected some wild tantrum from him up at the ski lodge when I gave you his suite key. Funny that nothing ever came out of that." She gave Cowboy a sidelong glance. "Or did it?"

"Whoa! Hold those horses right there. I stayed on my side of that huge bed and he did the same…er…I mean…he stayed on his side." Cowboy was adamant. "Jeez, Doc! Give me some credit for at least picking someone better looking than that bald pecker head. Besides, he ain’t my type, not enough curves in the right places." The pilot winked at her and used his hands to illustrate what he meant.

Garrett smiled at the concept that was left floating in her mind of Ian McCormick. "Pecker head, eh?" With that statement, they both chuckled at the thought. She was glad that he had not taken offense at her comment.

Cowboy tilted up his cup up to drain the last mouthful of coffee out of it. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he stepped over to the urn and poured himself another cup. "You know, Doc, I don’t think I even saw him. Heard him though, with all that snoring he was doing."

The surgeon thought about the last time that she had seen Ian on his way to the room that night. He’d walked in front of her and over to the elevators to the top floor where the suites were. "He didn’t seem that drunk, but come to think of it now, he did take a long time to push the button for the elevator and when he got in he did the same with the button for the floor."

Cowboy stirred his coffee. "I didn’t hear him come in. I hung that Flight suit over the back of a chair and crawled into bed. I must have fallen asleep right away. The last thing that I remembered was pulling those covers up over my head."

"Hmmm…interesting."

"Next thing I knew, it was morning. When I got up I remember looking at the bed and he was sound asleep, his clothes were draped over the foot of the bed."

"Can you think of anything else that happened?" Garrett was starting to see a definite misconception on Ian’s part; she just needed something to confirm her suspicion.

"Nope, I just did my morning ritual in the bathroom and came out, put my Flight suit on, then got my case and left."

"Did you say anything at all?" The surgeon watched his face. "Do anything that he could have…"

"Oh, shit! I left him a note with the room key on it." His eyes widened in realization of his actions. "I bet he thought it was from you."

"Why do you say that?" Her steely eyes grew in intensity.

"I…I didn’t sign it."

"What did it say, Cowboy?" She braced herself for the worst.

"I don’t remember off hand. Something about being thankful for the rest before I took off." His eyes flicked back and forth as he tried to remember. "Oh, God!" He looked her straight in the eye. "I wrote, Thanks for letting me rest before going off to new heights."

Garrett laughed. The puzzle of Ian’s attitude change was solved. "That’s why he’s been treating me that way. He was drunk, passed out and doesn’t remember anything but seeing that Flight suit and the note. He thinks we had one heck of a good time before I slipped out in the morning."

"What you going to do, tell him the truth?" The pilot took a long draw on his coffee.

"All in due time, Cowboy. But it will be when I need the advantage." She raised her cup to the pilot and winked. "Boy, is he going to be surprised."

*************

The late February weather in Pittsburgh was anything but predictable. Between the cold, snow, and ice Garrett found herself with more time on her hands than she knew what to do with. Even on a day like this when they were grounded by the elements, she still couldn’t finagle her way into the O.R. as hard as she tried. She’d round with the Trauma teams, and check in on the patients that she had treated in the field. The rest of her day would either be spent in the medical library reading journals or just thinking.

It seemed that she did a lot of that lately, thinking. Sometimes it would be about her past, sometimes about her future. It didn’t seem to matter what she was thinking; Danni was always what she ended up with. The petite blonde nurse would pop up in Garrett’s thoughts in the most peculiar of times, but today, it was all that she could think about, period.

The talk with Cowboy earlier had helped her understand why Ian McCormick was going out of his way being nice to her. He thought that Garrett and he had something going, if only for that one night. The night that he had no recollection of at the ski lodge. She pondered that thought for a moment, realizing that at least one part of her puzzle was solved. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the part that she was the most concerned about.

Sitting in her small office, away from everyone else, the surgeon closed her eyes and tried to remember what had taken place that could be making such a difference in her young friend. They hadn’t quarreled or exchanged words of any kind. Well, except about where Danni would sleep that night. Garrett immediately shook her head. ‘Why would she be upset about sleeping in the bed?’ Then it dawned on her. Perhaps it was who she was going to be sleeping with that was the problem.

Garrett’s mind conjured up images of waking up with the small blonde draped across her body at first then quickly changed to the intimate posturing of their bodies that morning before the phone rang. The surgeon’s mind lingered on the spooning of her body with the petite blonde woman. She could still remember the warmth of their bodies as they were molded together and the scent of her friend from the very moment that her senses had stirred. The sweetness of that moment washed over her like a sun lit summer day and Garrett found herself sighing deeply, wishing that she were still there with her arm wrapped around the nurse.

‘Why would this time standout when we did nothing more than lay together?’

The surgeon let her mind delve deep into her past, when she had shared more than just lying together with another woman. It was hard to remember that nothing noteworthy from those shared experiments had registered in her memory when they had happened or now, when she tried to bring them back to life. The sensations that those unions had brought lasted only for the brief time when she had first felt them and nothing more. Even if she tried, she couldn’t remember their names. They were nothing more to her than a passing of time in her search for love. A love that had remained just out of her reach. That was until now.

The welcoming ways of the petite nurse had opened her mind if not her heart to the world around her. It was Danni that had given the stoic woman a sheltering home in the mist of her inner storm and helped her lay her demons to rest. The love of that friendship was more than she had ever had with another human outside of her family.

Garrett’s mind drifted once more to the blonde woman nestled in her arms, her tousled hair resting just under her nose. She inhaled trying to savor the scent of her. Then, without warning, the blonde hair was teasing someone else’s nose. The surgeon’s mind now flashed with images of Danni held in the arms of David as they moved slowly around the dance floor.

"That’s it! She wanted to be with him." Now, she had an idea about why the nurse was different towards her. Garrett thought about how many times she had seen the young woman put others before her own needs.

The surgeon snapped her large hand through the air in front of her and quickly grasped at some elusive idea, snagging it as she spoke the words, "I got you now." Her mind had just perceived that last piece of the puzzle and Garrett began to devise a plan to get Danni what she wanted.

She got up from her desk and headed for the door. "First stop, Rosie!"

**********

The auburn-haired nurse came sweeping through the door at the main lobby. Rosie was always early for her shift and especially on a day like today with the temperature hovering around zero. She would need time to change and warm up before starting her shift.

Garrett had been waiting patiently in the gift shop, watching for the feisty nurse to pass by. The surgeon quickly put back the piece of giftware that she had been holding when Rosie came into sight just outside the glass that separated the lobby from the shop. Moving swiftly, the long legs of the surgeon soon caught up with the nurse.

"Hey, Rosie, can I buy you a cup of coffee to warm up?" Garrett slowed her pace to match, the nurse’s stride.

"Doc, you feeling okay?" Rosie eyed her cautiously then looked around for Danni. "Where’s she at?"

"Where’s who at?"

"Danni. You two are usually inseparable anymore." Rosie looked around but could not find the petite nurse anywhere. "Okay, what’s the joke? Where’s she hiding?"

Garrett stopped and reached out for Rosie’s arm, bringing her to a halt. "I need your help." The surgeon swallowed the lump in her throat then continued. "I want you to see if David could come here for a visit next weekend."

Now, Rosie didn’t know what to think. "You…interested in…David?" Her voice was hesitant but questioning.

"Not for me. I…I want to set things right with Danni. I thought that seeing David again could help."

Rosie chuckled. "So, you want to play Yenta…eh?" Then her head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, I’ll get David here." The thought of another chance for Danni and David sat well with her. "They make a cute couple, don’t you think?"

It wasn’t exactly what the surgeon wanted to think about but she did want her friend to be happy again. "Yeah, they do." The tone of Garrett’s voice was indicative of her thoughts as she mustered a weak smile, if only for show.

**********

The next few days found Danni wishing that the unpredictable month of March would make its appearance soon. Whether it roared in as the Lion or gently emerged as the Lamb, didn’t matter to her as much as the passing of the time. It would mean that another month was over and the time left to the new Staff year was dwindling. In her heart she hadn’t wanted this year to pass, but now, she was finding it unbearable. The woman who had filled her heart with joy and hope had found a way to squash the life right out of her.

She was trying desperately not to show it, but the words spoken that morning at the ski lodge left a lasting impression on her tender heart. When Danni even thought of the raven-haired woman and her non-chalant manner of saying, I must have been dreaming. Honest, I didn’t mean anything by it…her heart felt as though it was breaking.

How could something that felt so right, not mean anything to the other person? There were times, even now, that Danni wanted to trust her heart but then the words echoed through it again. She didn’t mean anything by it only equated she didn’t love me and once again the nurse would busy herself with anything that she could find to stop her mind from thinking.

The mundane act of stocking supplies had always fallen on the aides in the E.R., but Danni needed something to have her mind focused on. She could hide in the supply room and not have to be reminded of Garrett Trivoli or the feelings of her own awakening sexuality.

It was during that last Tuesday in February, that she was beckoned out of the closet to the sound of a familiar voice on the telephone.

"Hello! Nurse Bossard speaking."

The smile on the other end was evident in the tone of the male voice. "Danni, how’s my favorite nurse?"

"David…is that you?" Her voice became softer and more relaxed.

"Yeah, it’s me. I’m going to be in Pittsburgh over the weekend. I was wondering if we could get together and do something say…on Friday night?"

"I’ll have to check with the rest of the bunch, but I know they’d all love to see you again." Her thoughts traveled to the rest of the E.R. family that he had been a part of.

"Oh…I…I was thinking that maybe we could do something together, you and I." There, he had finally managed to do it. He’d asked her out after all those years.

Danni was in shock. David had always been so shy around her and now he was asking her out. She smiled at the accomplishment of another one of her menagerie that had grown under her care and was now standing on his own. "David, I’m…I’m flattered but…"

"Come on, Danni, you name it, anything you want to do. Think about it and let me know. I won’t be leaving here until Friday at noon." The man paused to catch his breath. "I’ve been thinking a lot about you since the night up at Seven Springs. Just give me a chance, that’s all I’m asking for."

The nurse knew that her heart was already taken but she couldn’t let him know that now. Once again, Danni pushed her own feelings to the side and agreed to meet with him. "Okay, David. Let me see what I can come up with and I'll let you know on Friday morning."

"Okay, I’ll be waiting to hear from you." The excitement was evident in his voice. "Bye."

"Bye, David." Danni hung up the phone and stood there thinking. ‘Is it really fair to David when I know that my heart doesn’t feel for him like he would like it to?’ "It’s only a date."

"Date? Did I hear you saying date?" Mom turned the corner of the desk.

Sighing, Danni looked up to her and offered. "David, just asked me out on Friday night. Seems he is going to be in town for the weekend."

Karen looked around to make sure no one could hear their discussion. "Danni, I thought you had feelings for…"

"Mom, I don’t think Garrett is that kind of woman." Her eyes showed her hurt.

"Did something happen that I don’t know about?" She pulled the blonde down into a chair and sat next to her. "Talk to your Mom."

Danni hung her head in disbelief. Her own mother would have been jumping for joy if she knew about David. "We shared a room at the lodge that night."

"And?"

"Well, it was a king sized bed but we kept…a…meeting in the middle." Danni swallowed down a blush. "I…we…kind of woke up spooned together and her arm was wrapped around me."

"So, what’s wrong?"

"We didn’t say anything about it ‘cause the phone rang and well, Gar apologized for it. She said that she must have been dreaming and that it didn’t mean anything to her." Danni bit at her lip trying to quell the tears that were about to start.

Karen looked at her and brushed a lock of hair from Danni’s forehead like you would a little child. "Is that what has been the cause of your actions around her? You think that it didn’t mean anything to her?"

The young nurse sniffed back a tear. "Yeah." Danni nodded her head without looking up.

Mom wrapped her arm around Danni’s shoulders. "If you ask me, she was just trying to save you some embarrassment. I see how you both act around one another. Trust me, I think it matters a lot to her." Karen rubbed the blonde’s arm and then patted it gently. "Have you ever seen her not care about her patients?" Danni shook her head. "I bet she was only trying to take the blame to leave you off the hook."

"Really, Mom?" The nurse looked up with the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Talk to her." Karen got up from the chair. "Don’t write her off until you find out. You owe her that much."

Danni nodded her head. ‘Could she have really tried to do that? Was she just shielding me from my own embarrassment?’ She looked over her shoulder at the retreating form of the Charge Nurse. "Thanks, Mom." Her words were soft and thoughtful. ‘I need to find Garrett and we need to sit down and talk.’

**********

It would have been too easy to use the surgeon’s pager or her personal cell phone. What Danni had to talk about was not something that she wanted to discuss over the phone. She needed to see Garrett in person and register her reactions first hand. After all, her future…no, their future was riding on it.

It didn’t take long for the petite nurse to track Garrett down. There were only so many hiding places for a nearly six foot trauma surgeon, especially one that wasn’t allowed in the O.R. After a few phone calls, Danni made her way to the Medical Staff Library.

The raven-haired woman sat with her back to the far wall, her head bent over a large and dusty volume of some long forgotten medical book. She liked to know how things were done before all of the modern technology arrived.

‘Always looking for something to fall back on in times of disaster, aren’t you, Gar?’ Danni mused at the sight. She stood there watching the studious nature of the woman who had come to mean so much more to her than she could realize. The nurse wavered for a moment before she approached, not wanting to disturb her deep thoughts.

It wasn’t a moment longer before the blue eyes looked up and were filled with the blonde vision in front of her. The softness of the subtle smile that graced Danni’s face took all of the weeks of avoidance away. ‘I wondered if it was because of David that her attitude had changed.’ If so, then she was glad for it. The surgeon loved seeing her friend happy and whatever it was that made her that way, she was prepared to do it.

Danni smiled, "Hey!"

The gentle word and smile was more of a greeting to Garrett then any she had ever received. ‘I could come home to that everyday.’ The surgeon closed the book and pushed it away. "Hey, yourself."

There was a renewed closeness that overtook them both. The world around them slowly vanished while only the essence of their beings remained. Each one willing to let their being melt, losing themselves only to find the other.

Slowly the noise of ruffling pages and the muted cough of another seeker of knowledge brought them back to reality.

Garrett let her eyes drift in the direction of the coughing then back to her friend. "Come on, I’m done reading for a while." She slid her chair back and got up, put the book under her arm. "Care for something to drink?"

"Not really." Danni shook her head. ‘It’s now or never. Come on, Danni girl, give her a chance.’ Gar, I think that we need to talk."

The surgeon held her finger to her own mouth in a hushing motion. Then made her way to the desk at the front of the room. Handing the book over to the librarian, Garrett looked back to see if the petite woman was following, then walked out the door.

"We can talk better out here." The tall woman held the door open for her friend. "Librarian’s don’t enjoy conversation as much as you do."

Danni glanced back at the staunch-looking woman behind the desk. "I guess not." She turned to look back at the surgeon.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?"

Danni bit at her lip, "Gar, could we go somewhere else besides a hallway to talk?"

"Okay," she shrugged her shoulders, "Is the cafeteria alright with you?" The surgeon turned to start walking towards the elevators but the gentle tug on her sleeve stopped her. Looking back at the pleading green eyes, Garrett’s eyebrow rose in question.

"Maybe somewhere a little more private. Your office, perhaps."

Garrett nodded slightly and reflexively reached into her pocket for the keys. ‘What is she going to say that needs to be so private?’ Flashes of David and Danni dancing at the lodge invaded her mind. They were twirling around the dance floor much like the figurines on top of a wedding cake. Garrett suddenly felt weak-kneed at the thought.

"Gar, you alright?" Danni’s hand went out to steady the surgeon. "You look a little pale."

"Yeah…I…I’m fine." Garrett’s voice became stronger. "My office then." She motioned with her hands to follow her down the hall. "I’m not sure if anybody else is using it. Let’s have a look." ‘Come on, Gar, get a hold of yourself. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. She deserves to be happy and in love.’

Stopping at the door, Garrett inserted the key and opened it. To Danni’s relief, the room was dark and without any human inhabitants. Now, came the hard part, where to start the conversation. The nurse closed the door after herself and got comfortable on the only other chair in the room, while the surgeon sat across the desk from her, trying not to fidget. The silence in the room was louder than a summer thunderstorm, each one dreading what the conversation could bring about.

Finally Danni rallied enough strength to show her cards. Whether she would win the pot of gold or come away the empty-handed one was dependent on the woman seated across from her. ‘By the gods, let me say this the right way without making her repulsed by it.’ The petite woman gritted her teeth and slowly started. "Gar, there’s something that I have to say about me and…"

That was all she could get out before the sound of the Flight Team pagers drowned out her voice. The cacophony of tones sliced through the air in the small room with a nerve-racking sound, interrupting anything that was within earshot of them.

The surgeon winced at the noise on her sensitive ears as she grabbed for her pager to silence it. She pressed the button and listened to the voice page.

"Dr. Trivoli and Nurse Bossard please call the Command Desk by phone."

They looked at each other for a second, each one questioning the reason for the page. Garrett reached for the phone on her desk and made the call. She listened intently to the message that was relayed to her, then hung up.

"What?" Danni was interested in where they were off to next. "Where are we headed to?"

"McMurray’s office." The surgeon’s voice sounded ominous. "He wants us there for some kind of meeting."

Danni’s brow wrinkled with thought. "When?"

Garrett got up and headed for the door. "Now! You coming?"

"Right behind you, Gar." She rose and followed the surgeon. All thoughts of her needing to talk were pushed back to the far corners of her mind for another time.

*****************

The Ol’ Cutter hung up the phone and thought about the proposal that had been presented to him. He loved the idea of getting recognition for the services that his staff provided but found himself being a little more than concerned with how a particular staff member would take it, namely, one Dr. Garrett Trivoli. There were some areas of that Fellow he just could not quite put his finger on. He thought about the effect that the other member of the Flight Team, Nurse Bossard, had on the surgeon and was glad that she would be a part of this, too. Perhaps she could help.

‘Trivoli has a long career ahead of her, it might as well start now. She’s going to have to learn to accept the honors that go along with it.’ The swivel of his chair allowed him to shift from his desk to the large expanse of windows behind him. It always helped to calm his nerves to look out at the city he called home. With a little luck, he might even be able to persuade another talented surgeon to call it home, too. If only there was something that could anchor her in this port. His mind drifted off to his wife and how his own anchoring had brought him the needed satisfaction in his life that he had only dreamed of in his younger days. He sat, staring out the window, lost in his own memories.

**************

After a pleasant smile and greeting, McMurray’s secretary ushered Garrett and Danni into his office. Her only words to the man behind the desk were both businesslike and polite. "Dr. McMurray, the Flight Team is here to see you." The older woman motioned for them to go in and then left, closing the door after her.

Each one stood just inside the door and looked around the office until their gazes met with each other’s. The absence of the man from their view and the silence that surrounded them only added to the suspense as to why they were here in the first place. Shrugging to each other, they then turned their attention back toward the desk in time to see movement as the chair swiveled back to face the room.

The contemplative look on his face gave them no clue as to why they had been summoned. Garrett searched her mind for any reason that could have brought them here. All of their flights had been without problems and she knew that Ian had never realized the switch that she had pulled on him. She resigned herself to the fact that she had no clue.

McMurray stopped his chair as it came into his favorite position at the desk. He leaned forward to rest his arms on the desktop and greeted them. "Nurse Bossard, Dr Trivoli! I’m glad that you could come so quickly when I paged."

"That’s part of our job sir, a quick response to any call." Garrett raised her eyebrow as if to challenge her mentor for the reason that they were summoned.

"Gar!" The word was only a whisper but Danni knew that her friend heard it. The swift glance in her direction by the tall woman confirmed it.

"Ease up, Trivoli. You would think that I called you in on the carpet for something or other. Nothing of the kind." He rose slightly and motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat, will you?"

Danni rolled her eyes and thanked every god that she could think of. "Thanks, Dr. McMurray." Nudging her team member to do the same.

The eyebrow receded to its normal position. "Sir." Garrett tipped her head to him, remembering her military days and stifling the salute that she had grown accustomed to.

The women sat down, positioning themselves attentively, waiting for the man in front of them to continue.

The Ol’ Cutter eyed his guests and let the corners of his mouth turn upward in a smile. "Relax, ladies. It’s nothing bad. In fact, it’s something very good for both of your careers."

The Fellow eyed McMurray suspiciously. She’d been pushed into more things in the last eight months for her career by this man then she cared to think about. What was she going to have to do now?

Garrett felt the gentle touch of the small hand on her arm. It acted better than any drug she could have taken. Her anxiety seemed to fade as she let her eyes take the gesture into view. ‘Well, maybe not everything in this Fellowship year was bad.’

"I’m sorry, but you’ve got us at a loss." Danni tried to take the attention away from her friend. She flashed a smile first at Garrett then to the man behind the desk. "What is it?"

‘Teamwork, that’s what makes them so good together. Each one looking out for the other.’ "The Board of Directors would like you to honor them with you presence at the Dinner they are hosting on Friday evening." He looked at the women, hoping for some kind of response. "I know that there’s not much time between now and then but they’d like you there all the same."

Danni was the one looking concerned now. "This Friday? I already have a date…" She trailed off on the last word, sensing that Garrett was a little more attentive now, noticing that the surgeon’s head had turned toward her on that revelation. ‘I can’t believe I said that.’

"Good! Then you’ll have an escort. Bring your date along." He winked in approval. "Anyone we know Nurse Bossard?" McMurray turned a wayward eye to the tall surgeon. He noticed that her eyes were a little larger than normal as she digested that last exchange.

Danni, on the other hand, was trying to repress the first signs of a blush. ‘Why did I ever agree to that date? It could have been just me sitting side by side at that dinner with Garrett.’ "I think so. It’s Dr. Beckman. You remember David, don’t you?"

"Yes, last year’s Chief Resident, " The sound of a muted snort came from the tall surgeon as she listened. "Fine man and a promising surgeon." The Ol’ Cutter nodded. "I thought he was somewhere in West Virginia."

"He is. David is just going to be in town for the weekend and wanted us to get together."

Garrett lost the conversation at that point. It was all her doing and she now felt like it was going to backfire on her. ‘Beckman…at least she won’t have to change any of her monogrammed items.’ Her thoughts of sounding out Danni’s name with his came to a crashing halt when she realized that both sets of eyes were staring at her, waiting for an answer. "What?" She replied as her eyebrow shot up.

"Gar, Dr. McMurray just wanted to know if you’d be bringing someone. An escort maybe?" Her hand slid over to pat the surgeon’s, trying to comfort her from the startled look she possessed.

"Ah…escort? I…I guess I could find one." Her eyes darted from side to side as she thought. "It’s short notice…"

"Well, see what you can come up with. Oh, and Dr. Trivoli…" he paused waiting for her full attention. "I wouldn’t raid the School of Medicine’s Cadaver Lab. That style of escort didn’t go over very big the last time it was tried."

"Danni wrinkled her nose and imagined the sight. "Ewe!" ‘Yeah, like there aren’t guys standing in line that would take her out.’ The nurse’s mind flashed with the thought of lines of cold, stiff, embalmed bodies hanging by tongs waiting in the cold room of the Medical School for their turn to fall into the skilled dissectionist’s hands. The petite woman’s hand raked through her hair as she tried to shake the image out of her mind. ‘Change the subject, Danni. NOW!!!’

"No, sir. Wouldn’t think of it." ‘I wouldn’t have put it past him to have tried that.’ Garrett tried to make light of the situation.

Straining to clear her voice, Danni began to speak. "So…uhm…is this formal or what?"

McMurray chuckled. "No, no tuxedos or gowns." He scratched his cheek. "Suits and whatever is appropriate these days for you women." His eyes wondered over to the tall surgeon in front of him. "No, designer original scrub clothing, Trivoli. You hear?"

The woman nodded her head while Danni giggled behind her cupped hand until the lone eyeball made its appearance at the corner of Garrett’s eye.

"Now, get going…I’ll see you on Friday night."

The team got up and headed for the door. When they were just about ready to pass through the open doorway, the Ol’ Cutter swung around in his chair and yelled out a closing remark. "Trivoli! You’d better have something else on your arm other than that Flight Suit when you walk through that door at 7 o’clock."

Garrett stopped short at the sound of his voice. Upon hearing it cease, she muttered under her breath, "Damn!" and closed the door.

*****************

The remainder of the week leading up to the dinner was spent in training exercises in the weather sanctioned downtime and running on Flights when the weather permitted. In times of need, they even found themselves filling in for regular Flight Crews when the need arose do to illness of the crewmembers.

It was Friday morning and the blustery arrival of March had come in like a Lion the day before. The young nurse had already made her call to David and informed him of the Dinner and the need for him to bring a suit with him on his weekend trip. He graciously accepted the invitation to escort Danni. Now, all she had to do was decide on something to wear herself.

She pondered what to wear. She didn’t want to give David any wrong impression but she did so what to make Garrett take notice of her. It was a hard decision but she finally chose the dark green suit that always made her eyes stand out. ‘Now, if that doesn’t do it, I don’t know what will.’ She laid the clothing out on her bed in preparation of later that evening.

************

Garrett ran through the narrowing list of escorts as she sat sipping coffee in the Doctor’s Lounge outside of the O.R. It was as close as she was allowed to come to her forbidden ground without breaking her promise. Her body just tingled with life when she was in there. She turned her eyes back to the inhabitants of the room. All that was left in here today was the gangly medical school students as they regrouped before heading off to their rounds. She eyed them all disapprovingly considering the need to possibly change a few of their diapers during the course of the evening. Time was running out and so were her options.

She went to the bank of phones on the one wall and pulled out the yellow pages, turning the pages to cast a wary eye to the listing of "Escorts" but then changed her mind. ‘Now that is getting too damn desperate.’ She closed the book and pushed it away. ‘It would be so simple if David wasn’t here.’ She closed her eyes and cursed herself for doing what she had thought was in the best interest of her small friend. She went back to the leather couch and slowly sipped her cup of coffee.

The room was almost empty when Garrett noticed the telltale weight of someone on the couch sitting opposite her end. She opened one lone orb and caste a watchful eye in that direction. ‘Who would be so bold as to sit next to Garrett Trivoli?’ She should have known. ‘Ian!’ She hurriedly closed her eyes feigning sleep.

Sensing that the Chief of the E.R. wanted to speak privately to the slumbering Doctor, a lone medical student quickly gathered his handful of papers and stuffed them into his pocket as he rose from the small table against the wall. His rushed greeting was met with a scornful eye as McCormick had a way of leering at the students, making them shake in their shoes. Today was no different and soon the room was empty, accept for himself and the beautiful woman.

Garrett knew that she’d have to talk to him sooner or later and chose to let him stew for just a few moments more. At the first stirring of her eyelashes, Ian shifted his position and faced her more fully.

‘Well, time to get this over with.’ The Fellow turned her glance in his direction. "Y-e-s?" She drew the word out as her eyebrow edged upward.

The bald man laughed nervously. "Let’s cut the crap, Trivoli. We’re adults and from that little tryst at Seven Springs I can say that we both know when to keep our mouths shut." He eyed her approvingly.

"You could say that." She smiled coyly, images of Cowboy and Ian sharing the same bed flashed briefly through her head.

"I figure that the two of use could attend this Dinner tonight and no one would have to be the wiser. I understand that you haven’t given them the name of your escort yet for the place cards." He chuckled under his breath. "A busy woman like you doesn’t have time to meet a lot of people. I rented a limo and we could just walk in together. Do the mingle-mingle game then after the awards, split. What do you say?"

Garrett thought for a moment. ‘Hmmm…It would be an escort. I could talk Danni into doubling with us in the limo and that way I wouldn’t have to amputate Ian’s hands for something he’d try to do if we were alone.’ The twinkle in her blue eyes grew as the physician setting next to her watched in silence. ‘Besides, that way I could keep an eye on David. I mean…just in case. Hey, didn’t every girl’s mother teach you that there was safety in numbers?’ Her throaty chuckle teased at McCormick’s imagination of what the night was to bring. "Sure, what time can I expect you?"

The man swallowed hard then smiled in delight. "I’ll pick you up about six-thirty." He made a little growling noise then winked and got up to leave just as the door to the room opened. He turned his back to her and left. The surgeon found herself smirking at his sense of sexual prowess and shook her head as she rolled her eyes. ‘Now, to talk Danni into doubling.’

*************

They had both driven in today. Danni being Danni, knew that she would need more time to get ready for the Dinner date with David than Garrett would ever imagine taking. She had already showered, shaved her legs, and even plucked a wayward eyebrow hair before she sat down on her bed to paint her nails. The shade of opalescent pearl was chosen and she began to shake the bottle in preparation.

The sound of someone entering the house and walking through the first floor was evident as Danni stopped what she was doing to yell out a greeting. "Gar, I’m up here in the bedroom." She continued with her ritual as she waited for the woman to ascend the steps. Seeing the raven hair shifting in through the door, Danni smiled. "Hey!"

"Hey," the surgeon looked around the room at the clothing that had been laid out. "What time is David coming?"

"He said that he’d be here a little before 1830." The military time was something that she had picked up from Garrett.

Garrett nodded her head. "Good! Then we can all leave together in the limo." Her words were nonchalant as she worked them into the conversation.

The petite woman stopped what she was doing. "Limo? I don’t remember anything about a limo."

Garrett feigned smacking her forehead with her hand. "I must have forgotten to tell you. They are sending a limo with a Staff member in it to pick us up. It’ll be here about 1830." Garrett looked at the nurse trying to decide if she was buying the explanation or not. Then she began reasoning what she had said in her head. ‘What’s one little white lie going to hurt? Besides, it is a white limo.’

"Well, yeah, I guess we could do that." Danni was feeling better about the evening already. She’d have her date with David and still be in the company of one tall, raven-haired woman. Then she said with more conviction than she needed to. "I’m sure that David won’t mind." ‘I know that I sure won’t.’

Garrett breathed easier. It was all set and done. Now all she had to do was get ready before they came. She looked down at her watch as she made her way to her room across the hall. It was 1740. ‘Just enough time.’

The tall woman stood at her sparse closet of civilian clothing. "Hmm…now, what to wear."

************

David stood waiting at the door. He’d already rung the bell once and was just about to do it again when the sound of the dead bolt lock could be heard. He stood up straighter, letting his shoulders shift into a more confident appearance while the truth was that he was really scared to hell. All during his Residency at the hospital he had dreamed of this day, the day that he would take Danni out. He wet his lips and swallowed realizing that his dream was just moments away and on the other side of that door.

When the door was finally opened, a tall, dark-haired woman met him. Her statuesque form was covered by a dark pinstriped pantsuit that was classic in nature. The open style of the jacket allowed him to see the draping of the silk blouse over her well-proportioned body. Her blue eyes met with his as she stepped back to allow him to enter. "David, I presume?" Her voice was edged in sarcasm and her eyebrow rose in challenge to the man.

"Yes," he nodded. "I’m here for Danni." His eyes drifted into the room trying to see if his date was anywhere around.

"Come on in. Let me introduce myself. I’m…"

"Garrett Trivoli. I remember you. You’re the one that I handed off to on my last day in Residency." He smiled.

"Make yourself comfortable, Danni should be down any minute." Garrett led the way into the living room. "Did Danni tell you that we will all be going together? They’re sending a limo for us." ‘Top that one, will you.’

"No, she didn’t." He seemed a bit disappointed.

There was a brief moment of silence before the sound of someone descending the stairs was heard and all eyes shifted in that direction. Garrett watched the petite nurse move slowly down the steps as she made her grand entrance into the room. David stood; his eyes glued to her every move.

"I thought that I heard the door. David, it’s so good to see you again." She crossed the room and took his hand in hers. "I take it that Garrett has introduced herself to you."

"Yes, she has." He smiled nervously, like a boy on his first date.

"Well, the limo should be here any minute. Danni, do you have your Flight Gear in the bag?" Garrett walked over to her duffel that was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yeah, but I left it upstairs by my bed." She turned to get it.

The surgeon held up her hand to stop her young friend. "You have company, I’ll get it." ‘Get me away from him, now. Man, he’s nothing more than a boy with a crush on her.’

David looked at Garrett then at Danni. "You’re flying tonight?"

"Well, yes. The weather is fine and we’re not grounded. If they need us, we’ll go." She watched his expression turn sullen at the thought. "We’re the only Flight Surgeon Team, David. It’s not like we can refuse."

He nodded in understanding as he watched Garrett come back down the steps with Danni’s bag of gear in hand.

Garrett could see the gleaming white limo as it pulled up at the curb. "I think our ride is here." She picked up her duffel and headed for the door.

Danni started for her bag but David reached it first, refusing to give it up as they went out the door.

Garrett stood at the curb, waiting for the door to the limo to be opened for her. The driver came around the vehicle and, with a flare of eloquence opened the door to usher her inside.

Ian McCormick sat on the far side of the leather seat, a smile etched across his face as he saw the tall woman climb inside and take a seat. "You look lovely this evening, Dr. Trivoli." The beads of perspiration already were appearing on his forehead.

"Why thank you, Doctor." She settled her bag on the floor and herself in the curbside seat. "I hope you don’t mind but I thought that we could all go together." She motioned to Danni and David as they closed the door to the house and started for the limo.

Ian looked out the window, eyeing the young couple coming his way. ‘What will it hurt. We can always drop the kids off on the way back home and have some fun of our own after the dinner.’ "Sure, why not?" It wasn’t what he had in mind initially but this way, he knew that they would make it to the dinner for sure.

‘Okay, that was easy enough.’ The raven-haired surgeon watched as David helped her friend into the vehicle, mindful of exactly where he was putting his hands the entire time.

*****************

It was amazing what could be done with the medical staff dining room at the hospital. If they hadn’t come in through the lobby, they never would have guessed that this was the same room. The decorations and floral pieces all added to the illusion of some grand ballroom.

Finding their table, Danni and Garrett stowed their bags underneath, hidden from sight by the long tablecloths. The pre-dinner mingling was already underway when they had arrived, and they joined in, graciously passing on the cocktails.

Although they went their separate ways around the room full of Board members and dignitaries, Danni never lost sight of her tall friend. It was all that she could do to keep her mind on the conversations that were going on around her as David greeted colleagues and old friends alike. The few times that she was called upon to speak, she felt out of place. ‘So this is what it’s like to be on someone’s arm." She thought of her sister Brie and how she had always glowed at parties of this nature. ‘I don’t know how you do it, Brie.’

The conversation was stimulating with its talk of new procedures and techniques as the group of surgeons exchanged ideas. Garrett was more absorbed in keeping an eye on her petite friend as she watched David move from group to group, with Danni at his side. It seemed odd to be separated from Danni. The surgeon felt as though there was something missing. It was funny how in a room full of people that one could feel so all alone.

With the announcement of Dinner, the guests all took their seats. Garrett sat next to Ian while Danni sat across the table with David at her side.

The exchange of small talk had been centered on Garrett and Danni’s summons to court in the next week. Ian, of course, showing his concern for the members of his E.R. staff.

"Which side summoned you?" McCormick waited for an answer.

"I believe the prosecution. The summons mentioned something about material witnesses." Garrett offered the information.

David shook his head. Seeing the action, Danni wondered what he was thinking. "What’s wrong, David? You don’t seem too enthused with that fact."

"I’ve had some bad experience with the defense counsel in a case like that."

"How so?" Ian’s interest was piqued.

"They almost made me sound like I wanted the patient to have been raped." He shrugged. "It just was a little nerve racking."

Garrett eyed the man across from her. The mention of rape from David’s mouth made her neck hairs tingle and stand on edge.

"Well, there shouldn’t be any problems with you in that respect." Ian laughed as he admired the woman next to him. "What interest would you have in that woman but as a patient?"

Garrett shook her head. "Never know what some people will do to get their client’s off. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday when we have to appear in court."

"Well, I’ll feel better when it’s over." The nurse was obviously not looking forward to the trial. "What do you say we change…"

Her words stopped in mid sentence as the vibration of the pager on her waistband startled her. Reaching down, she unclipped it and looked at he message that was displayed across the viewing area. The side ways glance to her tall companion showed Garrett bringing her cell phone out, as she started to punch in the numbers.

"Excuse me." Garrett slid her chair back from the table. Her eyes flashed with interest as the voice on the other end relayed the message. It didn’t take long before she was done. The cell phone being slipped back into her pocket. "I’m sorry, but we’re needed." With that she got up from the chair, her duffel in hand. "Cowboy will be picking us up in five minutes on the helipad."

Danni already had her bag in her hand. "Sorry, David." She excused herself from the table and followed Garrett out of the room.

************

After a hasty change in the restroom, they stowed their clothing in Garrett’s office and made their way to the helipad where Cowboy was just touching down. Giving them the sign for a hot load, he eagerly awaited their arrival onboard the craft.

Once belted into their seats, Garrett relayed the all information that she knew to Danni.

"They have someone pinned up in the railway yards north of the city. They don’t think that there is much hope for the man’s survival but they want us to come take a look."

Danni closed her eyes and nodded. She knew by the sound of it that it could be much worse than she could imagine. It was then that she started her task of doing the pre-flight checks. Within minutes, the ‘thumb’s up’ sign for take-off was given and the pilot began their journey upward.

****************

The train yards below them were a mess of red lights and emergency equipment positioned around the two railroad cars. From their approach overhead, they could tell that the bustle of activity was all directed to the space between the two cars where the man was supposedly pinned. Within minutes they would be on the ground and making their way to see what they could do, but for now, all they could do was watch.

Touch down had been uneventful, and soon the surgeon and nurse found themselves being escorted to the patient. Traveling through the lines of rescue workers, they could see the growing look of despair on the faces as they got closer to the source of everyone’s concern. The last line of human bodies opened, revealing the grizzly scene.

Garrett and Danni had been filled in on the situation as they were brought across the yard to the patient. He’d been checking the cars when one had broken loose and trapped him. The coupling had penetrated his body and locked itself into position with the other car before he could get out of the way. Now he stood in that same position for the last hour as railroad employees and rescue workers alike put their minds together to save him.

There, before them, was a man living on borrowed time. His body obviously trapped between the massive metal coupling devices that are used to hold the cars together in a line. It was like some surreal scene out of a horror movie.

The man stood living and breathing but grossly in pain. His frantic eyes sweeping from one rescuer to another as he prayed for another chance at life. It wasn’t long before those piercing eyes fell on the tall surgeon and the nurse.

Sensing the almost hopelessness of the scene, Danni reached out for the man’s hand. Her gentle touch acted like a tranquilizer on his nerves.

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" Her eyes conveyed her concern, more for his mental well being than anything else. "My name is Danni, I’m a nurse. This is Dr. Trivoli." She motioned to the tall woman next to her.

Even through his pain, the man tried to find humor in the situation. "Bet you never saw nothing like this before, eh Doc?" His forehead creased with each new wave of pain.

"Not exactly." Garrett’s tone was serious. "How’s the pain?"

"What do you think, Doc. It ain’t everyday that you have two railroad cars coupled through your belly." His weak attempt at a smile quickly turned to a grimace.

The surgeon surveyed the man’s body, her mind contemplating any possible chance of helping him. "Danni, give him 2mg. of morphine." She turned her attention back to the man for a moment then went to talk to the man in charge of the scene.

"What’s a nice girl like you doing here?"

Danni smiled as she readied her drug for injection. "Just out for a ride and thought that I’d stop in."

"You sound like my wife." He grimaced again. "I know that it doesn’t look good for me. I just want to see her again. Sounds stupid, huh?"

"No, not at all." Danni slipped the syringe into the I.V. line. "This is going to make you feel a little better. Take the edge off of that pain."

"They said that my wife was on the way. I don’t want to be out when she gets here." He looked nervously at the syringe. "If I’m…" He paused trying to muster the courage to say his thoughts. "…Gone before she gets here. Will you tell her that I love her?"

Danni’s heart felt like it would break as she listened to his plea. "Don’t worry, she’ll be here soon. You’ll tell her yourself." Danni patted his hand. "I’ll be right back." She moved away from the man and sought out the tall surgeon.

"Doc, there ain’t nothing we can do. When that coupling comes apart he’s going to bleed out. We thought that maybe you could…" The rescue worker looked hopeful.

Garrett looked back to the patient. Sighing deeply, she thought about the possibilities. Even with a full team of surgeons in the O.R., there would be a very slim chance to save the man. The disruption of organs and the involvement of the spine alone would be debilitating enough to render his quality of life to a very low level if indeed he would survive. It would just be a matter of time now. When that coupling was undone, the life would flow out of him within a few minutes and his body would be at its final rest.

The only thing that she could possibly do for the man was keep him comfortable and fulfill any last wishes that he may have.

"Gar, can you do anything for him?" Danni’s eyes looked for comfort in the pools of blue. The desolation in the surgeon’s eyes was all she needed to see. "I see." The nurse looked up at the rescuer in charge. "He said that his wife was on the way. Is she here yet?"

"The police went to get her from her job. They should be here any minute."

"Then what?" Danni pushed for an answer.

Garrett bit at her lip, disgusted that she could do nothing for him. "Then when he’s ready, they uncouple the cars."

The blonde nurse looked puzzled. "Uncouple the cars, how do they do that?" She looked back over to the man. "Can’t we do something then?"

Garrett looked back over to the trapped man. The priest that had been called to hear his last confession had just arrived. "He needs a few minutes of privacy. Follow me."

The tall surgeon took off across the railroad yard to the pair of railroad cars that stood off in the distance. Her long strides made short work of stepping over the numerous sets of tracks as she quickly reached her destination. Danni scurried to keep up. Her much shorter legs lifted higher to clear the 6-inch metal rails soon began to tire, as the walk resembled more a step aerobic workout.

Finally arriving at their destination, Danni showed signs of being slightly winded. The heaving of her chest was noticeable to Garrett. "Why didn’t you tell me I was going too fast?"

"What, and make you think that I can’t keep up with you? Never!" The corners of her mouth turned upward as she sucked in another round of breath. "Now show me this coupling thing."

Garrett moved between the two uncoupled cars and Danni followed right along.

"See how the metal is shaped like a hook?" Danni nodded. "Now follow me to the other car. You’ll see that the hook is just the opposite. They slide into one another and mesh together in the middle, locking them together."

"Then when it went through him…"

"It caught everything in the middle and pinched it off." Garrett’s brow furrowed. "That’s what I was talking to the Scene Commander about. The liaison for the railroad was kind enough to explain it to me."

The nurse moved even closer to see the menacing coupling. Her petite frame next to the boxcar made her look even shorter than normal with the coupling’s height being just about the area of her heart. The mechanism amazed her and caused her to lose all concept of the world around her. Bending over, she tried to study it from the underside, twisting and turning around several times. ‘By the gods, I bet that there’s nothing left to his vertebrae but splinters.’ Danni’s mind brought vivid images of the man’s anatomy and the trauma that had occurred to his internal organs. She shivered in response.

Suddenly Danni could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as the idea of knowing that this would be the day of your death over powered her. She closed her eyes against their sting as the first tear rolled down over her cheek. A wave of fear washed over her as she thought of what the man was going through. The nurse stole a look at her tall, raven-haired friend and imagined herself in that same position as a giant lump came to her throat. Brushing the tears off her face, Danni forced her mind to concentrate on the coupling device. Maybe, just maybe, something would come to her mind to help save the man.

The tall woman stood back and watched her for a moment, amused at the intrigue of her curious team member. ‘I wonder how she would act if I let her into the O.R. for one of my operations?’ Garrett shook her head and turned to lean up against the other boxcar. The surgeon looked back across the yard at the gathering crowd of onlookers and rescuers alike. Her center of attention now focused on the scene of the entrapped man and the priest.

Danni was having a hard time understanding the locking device. ‘Maybe if I can understand how it goes together, I could figure out some way to help.’ She stood now in front of the claw-like device on the car closest to her. Something seemed to elude her but she just couldn’t think of what it was. ‘Maybe if I eye them up in line…" Danni turned and stood with her head at coupling level, trying to see how it would connect and spring into action. She turned back to the closer coupling and studied it intently.

The noise of the yard was resuming as the trains in the other parts of the yard were being moved and rotated into the lines of cars that were needed to carry the freight to their destinations. The sound of squeaky wheels and groans of the rails as the engines passed over them brought images of the travel that Garrett had taken to get here to Pittsburgh from San Francisco. The ride had been so soothing for her, and the scenery magnificent. If she closed her eyes right now, she could feel the constant jiggle in her body and hear the slow sounding clickity-clack that both started and stopped any rail journey. It was enough to lull her into dreaming of taking more rides by train in the near future.

The moment of quiet contemplation was suddenly thrown out the window with the jolting push her body felt and the sound of metal snapping into metal. The surgeon was thrown out of her comfortable position and found herself headed for the ground. Remembering where she was, her first thought was that of the safety of her friend. Blue eyes opened to see Danni still squatting in front of the coupling device and staring at it.

Garrett could feel the boxcar pushing her forward as she fell. There was no time to call out. Instead, she lunged forward, stretching her body to it’s full potential with her arms outstretched, fingers grabbing for the Flight Suit of the nurse.

"Hey! What the…" Danni’s body was being pushed forward and pulled down all at the same time. She didn’t know what to think but to go with the flow of force to keep from getting injured trying to fight it.

Thud! Humph!

Within seconds, the petite woman was laying on the ties with the tracks off to either side of her, the sound of metal clashing with metal coming from directly over her head. Wide green eyes stared at the action above her as the coupling latched itself together with a thunderous clap.

It took a few seconds for Garrett to catch her breath. The fall had knocked the wind out of her. Drawing in air to expand her lungs, she held on tightly to the smaller form next to her.

"Dan…" she tried to talk, "you okay?" The sting of the air expanding her lungs burned as it entered her chest.

Danni took only a moment to take stock of her body, and then she answered. "Yeah, everything seems to be okay. How about you?"

The surgeon’s breathing was becoming easier. "Okay, now. Got the wind knocked out of me, I must have landed wrong." Must have, you know that you did, otherwise you couldn’t have pulled her out of the way.’

The thought of what could have transpired shot through Garrett’s mind like a bolt of lightning. She hastily closed her eyes then opened them trying to get a fix on the blonde hair that could have been separated from its body, had things happened differently. She looked over at Danni’s face, never gladder to see it than at this very moment.

The boxcars had stopped moving and the noise had quieted when the pair of baggy pant-covered legs came into Danni’s view.

"Hey! You people want to get hurt or something? You can’t lay down in the middle of the tracks like that." The railroad worker stood on the side of the tracks. He had gotten off the engine to check the coupling before the boxcars were led to there place in line.

The women slowly crawled out from under the connection and began dusting their clothing off as they stood next to the worker.

"What the hell were you two doing, trying to commit suicide?" His voice was now becoming more agitated.

"I wanted to know how the coupling worked." Danni spoke as she dusted off her pants. His eyes glared at her. "Don’t worry, I understand how it works now, you won’t have to do it again." She smiled politely as she raised her hands, declining any further need for a demonstration.

Garrett came up angry. Her temper was quick to spark at the cause of the near fiasco. "Don’t you people look before you just go and try to kill someone?" She rose from her knees to her full height, towering almost a foot above the man’s head. "No wonder you have a man trapped over there."

She looked over to the scene of the entrapment. The frantic waving of arms was like a message in Morris Code to her, spelling nothing but trouble. "Danni, we’re needed." Her hand reached out to tap the blonde on the shoulder, then she was gone.

The railroad worker stood dumbfounded as he watched the two women make their way across the yard to where they were being beckoned.

The surgeon and the nurse sped across the open yard and began pushing through the throng of rescuers, spurred on by the rush of adrenaline that they had going from the near accident of their own.

The Paramedic that was with the entrapped man met them. "Hey Doc!" He waved them over to himself. "He’s in a heap of pain. My protocols won’t allow me to give him anything else."

Garrett nodded in understanding. "He’s going to need more to keep the pain to a bearable level." She could tell that the Medic’s nerves were wearing thin with the magnitude of the situation. "You better go distance yourself for a while." She could see the tension growing in his face.

"But I…" the medic started to protest until Garrett’s steely-colored eyes relieved him of his duty.

"We’ll take over from here." The authority in her voice over powered him and he turned and walked off into the crowd.

Danni sniffed back a tear and nodded. "I’ll stay with him until his wife gets here."

"Dan, if you think he needs anything, just give it. He doesn’t need to experience any pain."

Garrett kept her silent vigil as the man’s wife was soon brought through the crowd. The surgeon could do nothing to help the man and quickly explained this to his wife, making her well aware of the serious nature of the accident. The grief-stricken face of the woman was tugging at her heart as she watched the tender scene unfold before her very eyes.

The surgeon was amazed at the concern her patient had for the welfare of his wife. It was as if what happened to him was of no importance. She didn’t understand the man’s concern at all. His feelings seemed foreign to her. Most patients fought to cling to life, placing all emphasis on themselves and their goal to survive. She never anticipated a love beyond one’s self by such a common and seemingly uneducated man as this.

Danni left the man’s side when his wife arrived, affording them the privacy that they needed to convey their last sentiments. It made her think of her own life and brought home the importance of not waiting until it was too late to tell people that they mattered. The nurse could feel the sting of the tears as they ran down her cheeks. It was too emotional of a scene for her tender heart to take.

After several minutes, the young wife was escorted away and the railroad employees readied to uncouple the cars.

The patient’s last words were to his rescuers, thanking them for trying to help him. He had commended them on their valiant effort and at the same time apologized for the cruel hand that fate had dealt them. At the end of his small speech, he nodded to his fellow worker that he was ready.

The sound of metal scraping on metal grated on one’s nerves. The signal was given and the engine pulled the car away from the other. The life drained out of his face as the final realization set into his soul. These were the last visions he would see of this world. It was over in no time, the pool of blood soaking into the ground underneath his lifeless body.

Garrett Trivoli knelt on one side of the patient as Danni clung to his hand willing that he would feel her spirit until the end. The surgeon bent down and closed his eyelids. She looked down at her watch then spoke the words for those around to hear. "Time of death, 2037."

There was nothing more for the Flight Team to do now but go home.

***********

Continued

The ride back to the hospital was spent in quiet as each of the crewmembers thought about events of the last hour or so. It was funny how death had a way of making you think. The fact that someone could be living one minute then lifeless the next was a heavy concept for anyone to accept. The Flight Surgeon’s Team was no exception.

Danni couldn’t get the words of the dying man out of her head. The words that he had entrusted to her wove a web of confusion inside her head as it haunted her every thought. Here she was debating whether to tell someone that she thought she loved them, and there he had been, adamant about making sure his loved one knew it was the last thing on his mind. The nurse was thankful for the dark of the night, as the tears began to fall down her face. It was all that she could do to keep from letting the rest of the crew know how much this had touched her.

The surgeon had seen death come from many sources. Her experiences had taught her that life was a fleeting thing and death a matter of permanence. It wasn’t often that a death would effect her, but this one did. The fact that she could do nothing to even try to preserve that man’s life was the hardest thing for her to accept. Garrett knew that they had done all that they could in making the man comfortable and staying with him until the end. Death was something you just learned to accept in the profession she was in, but it didn’t mean that you had to like it.

*************

Their arrival back on the helipad was met with no fanfare or waiting crowd of caregivers eager to lend a hand. The fluorescent lighting of the area cast a stark illumination of their shadows on the pavement, creating an eerie black and white portrait of life that welcomed them home. Each member slowly making their way into the safety of the building carried a little more insight into the frailty of the human being than when they had left.

Garrett had kept a watchful eye on Danni. She had been the one most involved with their patient from beginning to end. Her gentle and compassionate nature left her vulnerable and the surgeon knew it. The noticeable shedding of tears during the flight home worried the surgeon. She cared too much about her friend to see her consumed by guilt over something that she had absolutely no control of.

"Danni, do you want to talk about it?" The surgeon asked as they stood outside of the door to the E.R.

"Talk about what, Gar? It’s not like we were able to do anything."

The surgeon nodded her head. She knew the nurse was right.

"I don’t much feel like going back to that dinner. Do you?" The blonde looked up to her friend. "It just doesn’t seem right to be having fun now."

Garrett let out a long sigh. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

They continued through the doorway and after a few steps, Garrett had made her mind up. "Danni, let’s go back to the dinner." ‘She needs to be with someone…someone she loves…David… after what she’s gone through. Poor kid, I can’t blame her for it. She needs to be with someone she loves tonight.’ Garrett looked down at her watch. It was 2105. "Dinner will be over by now." The surgeon knew of her friend’s insatiable hunger.

"I know, but I think our dates at least need to be the ones to take us home. Besides," she smirked, "it will make them…"

Garrett’s head sprung up. "Date? I never said that McCormick was my…"

"Gar, nobody else was picked up with a limo." Danni teased her friend. ‘Think you could pull the wool over my eyes, do you.’ "Don’t worry Gar, I’m good at keeping secrets." ‘I even have a few of my own.’

The surgeon eyed the nurse suspiciously. ‘She thinks I’m having an affair with…’ her eyebrow arched high. ‘How could she think that idiot could turn me on…Why, I don’t even know what turns me on.’

Danni saw her friend’s face and tried to comfort her. "It’s okay. What you do outside the hospital shouldn’t make a difference." ‘I just wish it were me instead of Ian.’ "We might as well get back to the guys in our Flight Suits. I know that my other clothing will be pretty wrinkled by now."

"Yeah, let’s… just get this night over with."

*************

The sound of a single voice was heard as Garrett and Danni stood outside the opened door to the room. Inside they could see the rows of dinner guests all sitting in their seats, attentive to the words that they were hearing. They weren’t quite sure what the speech was about but knew that it was leading to an introduction of some type. Finally, the announcement of the person was made and the sound of applauding soon filled the area.

"Gar, come on. We can sneak in now. Now one will notice us." Danni nudged the tall woman into the doorway.

"Okay, but be quiet. I don’t want to attract any attention."

The two women stealthily moved into the room as they made their way towards the table where they had left David and Ian.

The applauding continued for a moment until the man made his way to the podium in the front of the room. There, he turned to greet the Chairman of the Board of Directors and waved pleasantly toward the attendees of the dinner. The man had the charisma of a leader and it showed. His good looks and pleasant voice held the attention of the crowd. He had chosen his career well. His witty rhetoric suited him as a politician. The speech hinted at self-sacrifice and caring for people even when it meant danger to one’s own life.

Danni and Garrett were more interested in getting to their table than listening to the usual ‘pat the caregiver on the back’ speeches by the endless line of politicians that would do anything for a vote. They didn’t really feel much like caregivers tonight, any way.

The polite clapping starting at the tables around them drew Danni’s attention to the front of the room. She watched as Dr. McMurray walked over to the man and shook his hand. "Hey, Gar," she whispered as she tugged at the surgeon’s arm. "It’s McMurray!"

The tall woman looked up to see her mentor positioning himself at the podium to speak. She watched the Ol’ Cutter as he looked over the crowd of familiar faces. "He must be getting some kind of award."

"Maybe that’s why he asked us to come." Danni kept her voice low as not to draw attention. She looked up to the podium and found the Chief of Trauma Services looking straight back at her. It was at that exact moment that she heard both her and Garrett’s name being called out over the speakers. For a moment, she knew what it felt like to be a deer caught standing in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. They were only a few feet away from their seats. Maybe if they’d just sit down nobody would notice their late arrival or their clothing.

Now, the sound of that polite clapping was starting all over again and the sound of David’s voice could be heard. "Way to go Danni!"

Garrett turned to stare at David with her eyebrow arched high on her forehead. That’s when she could see Ian motioning them to go to the front of the room. "What?" she mouthed.

"Go up and get your award." McCormick whispered as he rose, his hands spent in clapping. "That’s why you’re here."

Danni and Garrett turned to each other. The look on their faces questioning the other and answering at the same time. "No!"

"Dr. Trivoli, Nurse Bossard, please come forward." McMurray was now commanding them. Then, while they obeyed, he talked briefly into the microphone. "I’m glad we waited for last. As you’ll be able to tell, these dedicated woman just got back from a flight." He chuckled. "They wouldn’t let me ground them for the night. They thought that it would be unfair if someone really needed them."

Danni and Garrett stepped up onto the raised area around the podium. The sound of applause covered the short conversation that McMurray held with the tall surgeon before he went back to the podium.

"Thought I told you to have something else on besides that suit." Her mentor teased.

"If you’d like, I could go and change right now."

McMurray smiled at the raven-haired woman. "You’re not getting off that easy. You both deserve this." McMurray reached out and shook first his Fellow’s hand and then the nurse’s. "Great teamwork, great team."

Danni held onto his hand. "Sir, what’s this all about?"

"Just a little thank you from the Lt. Governor for that road worker you saved. You know, the one when you were supposed to be grounded."

The blonde wrinkled her nose, as she tried not to giggle nervously, "Oh, that one."

Garrett took the lead at the podium, as she did in the Trauma Room with Danni by her side. Her strong presence brought a hush over the room. It was a difficult time for her, accepting an honor for saving one man while only an hour ago losing another. Her mind raced with thoughts of deep emotions but she knew that was not what was needed here at this place and time. Instead, she just stated the facts. "We were just doing our jobs. It’s what we’ve dedicated our lives to. Thank you." Then, she stepped back from the microphone as she looked to the woman standing next to her.

Danni stepped forward and reached to adjust the microphone to her height. First looking out over the crowd, then to her team member she began to speak. "What Dr. Trivoli has stated is true." She cleared her throat as she thought. "We…ah…we learn a lot from the different patients that we treat. Tonight’s patient taught us a very important lesson. He taught us that life is not worth living unless you can put the welfare of others over that of your own. He taught us that love is something to hold dear and to let that be your last thought when you finally are called to leave this world."

The hushed silence of the audience was immeasurable. All eyes were riveted to the petite blonde at the podium as their minds let the words sink in. It took only a few seconds for the realization of her words to illicit the horrified results, mostly from those not of the medical profession, each one thankful that they did not have to deal with situations like that in their daily work. The stunned faces needed no words to explain how they felt. It only made them think how truly precarious life was.

The moisture accumulated in Danni’s eyes until a small tear rolled slowly down her cheek. Brushing it back with her hand, she continued. "He knew how precious life and love can be. It was his last wish to hold the love of his life one last time. It is now, my wish for all of you. Thank you."

Danni stepped back from the podium, politely smiled, and shook the hand of the politician. With the polite clapping of the audience in the background, she felt the gentle touch on her shoulder and saw the hand of the surgeon resting on it. The growing level of hand clapping was beginning to burst into an occasional whoop or holler from an over-zealous advocate of what she had just said. It seemed to be catching on, as each person wanted to show their acceptance of her wish for one and all alike.

"You alright?" Garrett’s blue eyes were full of concern.

"Yeah, I’ll…I’ll be okay. Just give me a minute." ‘By the gods, I need a hug so bad right now. Gar, I need you.’

The normally stoic surgeon was touched by her friend’s emotional expression in response to the award. The pain and love that had been stated in such a moving speech touched Garrett in a way that she couldn’t quite understand. Something inside of her had stirred during it, and now she was having an insatiable urge to wrap her arms around the petite woman and never let go.

Garrett looked out into the now-standing crowd as she tried to figure her emotions out. Through the rows of tables, David was making his way to come up to where they were. Before she had a chance, Danni was lost in the whirlwind that was David while resentful blue eyes took note.

***************

They left the dinner shortly after the speeches were concluded. Garrett could still see the image of Danni with David wrapped around her. She had thought that the security of his arms would help to ease that pained look from her face, but it didn’t. Instead, it had almost made it worse and that bothered the Fellow.

‘He didn’t do anything wrong, but why can’t I get used to the idea of Danni being with David?’ Garrett stared up at the ceiling of her room. This friendship thing was starting to really make her wonder about where it was she exactly fit into Danni’s life. And now, with David in the picture, the surgeon felt a need to reach out to the nurse, more than ever.

The surgeon rolled over in her bed. The events of the night were doing nothing to ease her body into a restful sleep. Finally, she just wrote it all off to experience and forced her body to drift off into the realms of Morpheus.

*************

Though the woman loved to sleep, Danni could not find rest easy this night. Her mind was consumed by thoughts of David and Garrett, both. One loved her and the other was the one that she loved. It made her feel like a child caught in a lie. She could be David’s friend but she needed more than friendship from Garrett. She couldn’t fool herself any more than Garrett had with that lame limo excuse. How could she tell her now, that she loved her? It was obvious to anybody that Garrett preferred men. Besides, all that it could do is drive the woman even further away then she was now.

Trying to rid her mind of the thought of Garrett in someone’s arms other than her own, Danni repositioned her body, rolling onto her side and grabbing her pillow. Nestling down into that mound of fluff, new thoughts rose into her head. She could hear the words as clear as if they were being said right now. It was the scene from earlier that night. The trapped man worried that his wife would not know of his profound love for her.

She turned over quickly as if that would rid her mind of his torture. Instead, it followed her, proclaiming even louder his wish. ‘Tell her I love her.’ She closed her eyes begging for sleep to overtake her but the words only brought about the look on his face as he uttered them knowing he was about to die.

Bolting upright, she breathed heavily trying to calm her haunted heart. She had seen the face of death before, why was this one so disturbing to her? Her job had given her plenty of exposure to tragedy. Was it because for once in her life, she finally felt close to someone? Finally realizing what it would be like to lose that connection and never letting them know what they had meant to you.

Danni threw back the covers that seemed to be suffocating her now. She couldn’t stay here alone with only her thoughts around her. They were just too agonizing. She needed room and fresh air to breathe.

*************

Having felt the urging of her bladder for relief, Garrett climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Still half asleep, she thought that she heard the muffled sounds of crying as she made her way down the hall, stopping by Danni’s door to listen. There were no sounds emanating from the room and she continued on her way.

Whether it was the shock of the cold seat on her body or the sound of the running water, her senses were coming to life. There, she heard that noise again, the muffled sound of tears. Her ears strained to detect were it was coming from as she held her breath. There it was again. Garrett’s mind flashed with images of Danni, hurt or alone. With hastening footsteps, the tall woman followed the sound.

Halfway down the stairs, Garrett could see the tightly rolled ball of human that was her friend. There, on the couch, in a fetal position, was Danni. Her emotions had withstood the storm but surrendered to its aftermath like most rescuers.

The slow, rocking motion of the nurse tugged at the surgeon’s heart. It was a sign associated with wanting and needing comfort of an emotional sort. The soft whimpers coming from the woman were as heart rendering as those of a puppy being crated for the first time.

Garrett closed her eyes against the pain that was being displayed before her. Being a healer, she knew that only time, understanding and the love of family and friends would help. She resumed her path leading to the woman so desperate for understanding.

"Danni…" Garrett’s voice was barely above a whisper, but there was no response. The surgeon reached out to stroke the wildly arrayed blonde hair and spoke her name once more. "Danni."

The motion of her head was into the hand that touched her while her green eyes lifted to meet those of blue. Danni couldn’t believe that her prayers had been answered that quickly. It seemed like only a moment or two ago that she had prayed for love to come and find her. Now, suddenly, here was the woman whom she loved standing before her. She blinked back an irate tear as she willed her hands to wipe dry her swollen eyes. "Gar!" The word was more of a sigh then anything. "I didn’t wake you, did I?" The nurse sniffed as she wiped her hands against her nightgown.

"No, I needed to use the bathroom. That’s when I heard you down here."

"Oh!"

"Danni, how about I give David a call to come over. You need someone…"

Danni shook her head. "David doesn’t understand."

"Then talk to him." Garrett sat down beside the nurse. "I can see that he loves you." ‘He better love you!’ "Give him a chance to…"

"Gar, he’s just…" Danni was reduced to tears once more.

The surgeon walked over to the hall stand and took the portable phone from its cradle. "What’s David’s number? I’m calling him." ‘I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.’ She walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Please, Gar. Don’t call David, he’ll only think I’m foolish." Danni let the lie rattle over her hollowed heart while her mind screamed out her true feelings for only her to hear. ‘You! You’re the love that I’m waiting for. Can’t you see that? What do I have to do to make you realize that its you?’ Her pleading eyes darted to Garrett, their puffy redness looking more like anger than despair. "I really don’t want him to know what I’m feeling right now. I’m not sure anyone would understand what I’m feeling."

The surgeon wrapped her arm around the small frame of the woman and pulled her in close. Letting her cheek rest on top of the blonde’s head, she lightly patted Danni’s leg. "Alright then, but only if you get some rest."

‘Okay, David. You had your chance and you blew it.’ Garrett could feel her level of annoyance rise when she thought of someone not being able to understand her friend. ‘How can anyone not understand what a kind and loving person this woman is? Why, I can feel the warmth and tenderness of her even now while I’m just touching her.’

The warmth of the nurse had started to invade her heart even before she ever came in contact with her. Garrett thought back to their first meeting in the Trauma Room. Danni’s warmth had shown then, without knowing who the surgeon really was. Soon all of the times that they had encountered one another seemed to hold some kind of memory for the often thought of cold and demanding Dr. Trivoli. Garrett wondered if now it wasn’t this woman who was the one demanding more of her heart then the surgeon knew ever existed. ‘Perhaps I need to be thinking more about this than being angered with David.’

Danni thought for a moment then nodded her head, slowly allowing her body to resume a more humanly formed structure. In doing so, she felt the brush of Garrett’s face across her hair and the gentle planting of a kiss. Her body trembled with excitement as the strength of the surgeon’s arms flexed against her body making her feel the warmth of their embrace.

Danni let out a slow sigh as she tried to imagine what it would feel like to be held in a lover’s arms. What it would feel like to be loved by someone that could hold her heart captive for all of eternity. Right now it looked like she’d never be able to find out.

She remained seated like that until Garrett’s words brought her back to reality.

"Come on, let’s get you up to bed."

The low whispered words were like an elixir to her soul. Danni felt herself being helped from the couch and headed for the stairs. With each step they took together, it was as if they had been down this path before. Somewhere in time or in some other place, but she knew that it had been this way. It was like coming home after a long absence.

Garrett guided her precious cargo with the utmost of care as they rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. Her soothing voice helping to steady the nurse as they approached the door to her room. Stopping only long enough to remove the obstacle from their path, Garrett sidled through the doorway and over to the empty bed, helping to keep the momentum of the young woman from slowing.

Holding on to her friend with one hand, she reached to pick up the covers and waited for Danni to lay down. As soon as she had, Garrett pulled them up and tucked them neatly back into place. The surgeon ruffled the short blonde hair and bent down to kiss the woman like one would a child.

Danni felt the touch of the moist lips on her forehead and reached like a drowning woman for the lifeline that had been thrown to her. The nurse’s small hand clung to the arm of the surgeon. "Gar, don’t go."

"Danni you need your sleep."

The petite woman was glad for the dimly lit room. The light from the hall would not give her longing eyes away as she stared up at the woman she loved. "I don’t want to be alone tonight. Stay here with me."

"I…"

"I think that if you just hold me…" Danni could feel the bed shift as the weight of the surgeon sank down into the mattress. "I’ll fall asleep."

Garrett slid under the covers. She could feel the change of the body next to hers as the petite woman snuggled in close. With her arms tightly holding Danni in place, both spirits came to rest in a night that had brought them both accolades and sorrow, but most of all had brought them where they needed to be, together.

Chapter 8

Here it was the fifth of March and already it felt like Spring was in the air. Danni looked up to the blue sky above. She couldn’t believe that the weekend had already gone by and tomorrow would be their scheduled day in court for the rape trial of one of their patients. How fast the time was passing!

The weekend events danced through her mind. What a really different and unique weekend it had been. From the lows of losing a patient, to being honored at the Dinner on Friday night and then to the feeling of despair for not being able to verbalize your love for another human being. The epitome of Friday was waking up in that person’s arms on Saturday and feeling so right about it that she wished it could be like that every morning. The nurse felt her heart racing at the thought.

The corners of her mouth turned upward as she allowed her mind to move on with the weekend. It wasn’t anything special but rather just things that would be shared by good friends. Things like the slow-paced breakfast, the sharing of chores to once again rid the house of any speck of dust, or the quiet afternoon spent watching a movie with their feet up and sharing a huge bowl of popcorn. It was almost like there was something different from the night before with the raven-haired woman. Her mood was more open then she had ever seen it. It was nice to laugh and joke with a good friend.

Then, as the day progressed into the evening hours, Danni had noticed that Garrett started to sink back into her quiet ways. It was as if she was anticipating something going to happen, showing signs of dread as the hours advanced into night. The nurse thought back to that evening. Nothing happened, they had not even been paged out for any Flights and the world had forgotten that they even existed. There they were, lost in their own little world. Well, that was until David had called. The nurse concentrated on the time shortly after when Garrett had walked back into the kitchen as Danni was hanging up the phone. The surgeon had not said a single word, but the look on her face was one of disappointment. Danni remembered the look well. She had just said good-bye to David and that she would be waiting for him to arrive.

‘Could it be…was she?’ The petite woman thought about it for another moment. What she wouldn’t give to see the look of jealousy on that well-chiseled face. "What I wouldn’t give to see that face." She sighed and shook her head knowing full well that the idea of Garrett loving her the way she did the surgeon would be a dream come true.

Danni’s mind went back to Saturday and she thought about how Garrett had reacted after that phone call. ‘Gosh, it was like she couldn’t get out of the house fast enough.’ "I wonder what’s going on with her, any way?"

Now, David’s visit shortly after Garrett had left was anything but boring. He showed up with flowers and a box of chocolates like a lovesick boy out to impress a teenage girl. How he ever remembered that her favorite kind was dark chocolate covered cherries was beyond her. He showered her with attention, watching her move from room to room as she took care of the flowers to ensure their long life. His efforts at small talk were at first labored and nervous sounding then soon gave way to a more relaxed and comfortable conversation.

Danni had been caught up in hearing about his practice in West Virginia and all the things that he had done since moving there. She had completely forgotten about being a good hostess. She’d offered to get him something to drink and when she came back in from the kitchen, she was met with dimmed lights and soft music filling the air via the CD that was now playing on her sound system.

David had been so cute when he took the glasses from her hands and set them down on the coffee table. He then took her hand and politely asked for the honor of dancing with her. Danni was in awe and nodded in acceptance. ‘What was one friendly little dance going to hurt?’ The nurse considered the events that followed to be anything but coincidence.

With the song almost over, David had gone from whispering song lyrics to nuzzling her upper neck until she could feel the kisses inching their way down her throat. That’s when she froze. The front door had opened and the bright lights of the overhead fixture illuminated the room. Garrett had returned!

Without a word, Danni’s eyes met hers. The steely blue ones reached out at first then the growing storm raged fiercely as they moved from Danni to David. It was at that instant that the petite woman knew that some deep hidden emotion had been brought to life in Garrett. The nurse’s heart fluttered as she pushed David away from her.

There had been no exchange of words, but Danni knew what had been placed in her own heart by the communication of Garrett’s eyes. If that look meant what she thought it did…there was a glimmer of hope for them yet. With renewed faith that love would conquer all, even the heart of a stoic surgeon, Danni had worked to hasten David’s farewell.

There wasn’t a word from Garrett. The tall woman crossed to the stairs and went to her room. Danni remembered the sound of the door as it came to rest in its frame. The echo of it could still be heard in her head, even now.

Perhaps it was the upcoming court appearance playing on the surgeon’s mind that kept her in a thoughtful, moody grip for the remainder of the weekend. However, Danni wondered if something else was not on Garrett’s mind. Something that could possibly be related to the incident on Saturday evening that was being mulled over, like the pieces of a puzzle.

Looking back up to the clear blue sky above her, Danni sighed, then continued on her walk into the main doors of the hospital. It had been a while since she had driven to work without the company of the surgeon. She felt a little uneasy by it and thought of what it would be like without Garrett in her life. It was a possibility that she would have to consider now that it was March and there were less then four months to go in the Fellowship year. There was one thought that kept running through her mind: A lot can happen in four months.

***************

Garrett had left the house early today. Not that anything special was happening or that she needed to be at the hospital by a certain time, the surgeon just couldn’t stay in the house any longer. She needed to be out in the open or somewhere that her mind could think clearer than it had been for the last day or so. In fact, setting there at her desk, she didn’t even know what it was that she wanted to be thinking about.

She had always known her mind. Why was she having a problem now? Better yet, what was the problem, anyway? She liked the blonde nurse and if anyone were able to draw the stoic woman out of her shell Garrett was glad that it had been her. The surgeon didn’t even mind the gentle ribbing that Danni occasionally was able to do to bring her playful side out into the open.

Garrett’s mind drifted back to Saturday evening. The earlier part of the day had gone quite well, especially after the roller coaster ride of emotions that they had been met with on Friday night. First the whole dinner thing with Ian and David, then the near mishap at the Railroad yards that had sent them both crashing to the ground. The surgeon shook her head in amazement that neither one of them were hurt in any way.

Her mind replayed the scene as it unfolded before her, the noise, and the nudge then the outright shove. ‘If you hadn’t thought fast, Gar…’ She shuddered to think of the metal coupling that would have obliterated Danni’s face and head had she not been guided out of the way. What would she have done then, seeing the decapitated lifeless form dangling from the vice-like grip of the device?

The veteran Navy Flight Surgeon grew pale at the thought of losing the other half of her team. She had grown to rely on the nurse over the last several months of working hand in hand with her. Garrett laughed. ‘How can you not bond with that woman?’ And it was true. Danni was like a breath of fresh air let into the surgeon’s tightly run and well-organized life.

Garrett wondered why she could not stand to see the petite woman with David anywhere near her. David had done nothing to the surgeon but hand off his beeper to her on that first day of her Fellowship. He seemed like a nice person. Garrett smiled as she thought about that for a second. ‘Just not the right person for Danni.’ It was funny, but that was the exact thought she had had when she walked into the house Saturday night and saw the two of them together with the dimmed lighting and the soft background music.

Garrett thought of the slightly pudgy, dusky, brown-haired man whose medium height was just barely a few inches taller than her friend. ‘How could he watch out over her? Danger follows her like a magnet.’ Sure he was quiet compared to her vivacious character, but that was due to shyness and nothing more. There was no quiet inner strength that oozed from him. Quite frankly, there was nothing about him that screamed love but the goo-goo eyes that he wore as he followed Danni’s every motion. Garrett was sure of it now. David was all wrong for the nurse, not at all what she had pictured as Danni’s perfect partner for life.

Closing her eyes, the surgeon leaned back in the chair and tried to picture the image of the other half of Danni’s soul. She could see a tall statuesque form whose coloring was the opposite of the fair skin and hair of the nurse. The gentle mannerisms of Danni would be complimented by the power that exuded from her soulmate. A power that would be used for good and righteousness while tempered with compassion. Garrett saw Danni as a force of life, the up-lifter of souls, knowing that anyone who would be so closely connected with her would be a leader in their own right.

The surgeon was pondering the thought, her expression one of sereneness and peace. Happy in the fact that she knew what the woman needed.

Rene Chabot stood in the doorway, admiring the peaceful face of his often-troubled friend. It was rare to see her so caught up in her dreams, especially ones that brought such an enjoyable smile to her face. He dared not move for fear of breaking the spell that someone had cast upon her. Finally he could see the fluttering of her eyelashes as she began to come back to the present.

The French-Canadian took a step backwards, bringing the door with him, feigning a first step into the occupied room. His startled face at her presence aided in the deception. "Garrett, my friend, what brings you in so early?"

The raven-haired woman smirked then answered. "I wish I knew myself, Rene."

"I don’t understand. You looked so peaceful and happy when I first saw you." The tall, thin man sat on the corner of the desk. "I thought, perhaps, you finally found someone to make your dreams with. No one looks like you just did without thinking of a loved one. Eh?"

"I don’t know Rene, it’s not all that easy." Garrett shifted in her chair, the sign of a nervous mind. "I…ah…I’m finding my patience really being tried by someone. I just can’t seem to not get upset when they come around or even the sound of the name gets me going."

"Surely that person was not the one that your were thinking of when I walked in. The look on your face wasn’t one of annoyance at all."

Her eyebrow inched its way higher on her forehead. "Meaning?"

Dr. Chabot slid his body to the far corner of the desk. "That maybe your feeling of annoyance is out of love for some other person." He watched the expression on her face turn from menacing to thoughtful. "Maybe it is the possibility of love that you are annoyed at."

"Love! Chabot you think that the world is filled with nothing but love. That’s all you married people see is love." She pushed her chair back and got up to leave.

Rene reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder, stopping her as she passed by. "Love doesn’t make you weak, Garrett. Love can be a very powerful thing when the right two people are drawn together. It is something that can move mountains and bring calm to a troubled soul."

Crystal blue eyes stared into his. "I’m sure that it is, Rene. But I wouldn’t know what love was if it was standing beside me."

The thin Fellow withdrew his hand. "And that is because you are thinking with your head and not your heart." He motioned to his body parts in mention. "Remember Garrett, open your heart and love will come to you."

"Rene…"

"Think about it. That’s all I ask." He looked at his colleague with hope in his eyes.

Her eyes pleaded with his but it was a fight that she knew she could not win. Finally she nodded. "Okay, I’ll think about it. I’m thinking about everything else, why not love, too?" She watched the corners of his mouth raise up and a broad smile stretch across his face.

*************

The warming trend in early March was a sure sign of things to come. The old saying is that the warmer it gets, the more traumas there are. Now, after several months of below freezing weather, having the temperature reach up into the fifty degrees Fahrenheit range would only bring out all of the people crazed with cabin fever. The E.R. was gearing up for an unusually busy day.

Not having anything special to work on, Danni volunteered to help out. If a call for the Flight Team came in, she would meet up with Garrett at the helipad. The young nurse found it different to be working with the daylight staff. Not that she didn’t have any friends among them but just that Mom and Rosie were missing from the group. Her day progressed quickly as she rolled up the sleeves of her Flight Suit and got back into the swing of E.R. nursing.

Before Danni realized it, the shift was over and she was headed for the locker room to collect her things to leave. As she pushed open the door, the nurse was meet by a rather startled Charge nurse on the other side. "Sorry, Mom!"

"You’re here late. Garrett tied up with something?" The older nurse studied Danni’s face.

Shaking her head, the blonde nurse moved into the locker room. "I wouldn’t know, Mom, we drove in separately."

Karen’s face was full of concern. "Did you say anything to her about…"

"No, I’m still not sure what her response would be." Danni shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I really need to be thinking about that."

Karen reached out and patted the petite nurse’s shoulder. "You’ll know when the time is right. Something will give you a sign. I’m sure of it."

"I hope so, Mom. This year is two-thirds over already." The young nurse walked toward her locker, opening it. "Say, Mom! You and Rosie got subpoenaed, too, didn’t you?"

"Yeah, just what I want to do instead of sleep tomorrow," Karen made a face, "go to court."

Danni looked up at the woman, her eyes sparkling as she voiced her idea. "Why don’t we pick you up? That way you wouldn’t have to drive and we could all go together, at least for tomorrow."

The Charge Nurse looked seriously at Danni. "You afraid to be with her on that long drive?"

"MOM!" The young nurse chastised her friend. "I’m not afraid of Gar." She wrinkled up her nose and squinted at her. "I just thought that maybe you could see some sign…"

Karen rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Okay! I brought some clothes to change into, pick me up at quarter to eight here in the E.R. But I’m not promising to see anything after working all night."

"Okay, Mom! I’ll come in and get you."

Danni left the locker room feeling a little more at ease than she had for a while. If she couldn’t spot some sign then maybe Karen could. The nurse made her way out of the building and to the parking garage. After a quick ride up to the third level, she was headed for her car when the sound of the familiar beeps stopped her in mid step.

"Damn! Well, at least I didn’t get all the way home first." She reached for her pager and looked at the message that was displayed. ‘The E.R., I wonder if I forgot something.’ Then she remembered that any use of the beeper had to be through the Command Desk. "Something’s up!" Danni promptly turned, hastening her steps back to the building from which she had come.

***********

The tall woman felt out of place sitting on the bench of the hospital’s chapel. Garrett felt lost in the small room with its non-descript religious décor. It was a place that many people came to contemplate and make decisions in reference to a loved one or even themselves. It was a place where one was supposed to feel nearer to your maker, the higher being. The surgeon felt nothing of the like. She was still puzzled as to why she reacted so strongly towards David. Why was it not helping her? Was it because she hadn’t ventured anywhere near a house of God since she was old enough to be on her own? Maybe her name had simply been forgotten by the powers that be.

Disgusted from lack of enlightenment in her plight, Garrett sighed and resigned herself to being one of the hapless few who could neither believe nor disprove the power of God. ‘I guess you have to use it often to keep it with you.’ The only thing that Garrett Trivoli knew that she could count on was herself and the skills that she possessed. She’d done that for the better part of her life. Why would she think that it would be any different now?

Garrett’s mind drifted back to a time in her life where going to church with her family was a Sunday morning routine. Her parents proudly were displaying their faith and working to instill it into their children. The surgeon thought of the last real time she was at a church. One that she at least prayed at. It was the day of her family’s funeral. After that, she saw no reason to go, not by herself anyway. It had always been a family function and without a family, church just didn’t make much sense to her.

She got up to leave and felt the urge to genuflect. It was something that her mind had at least remembered in association with religion. Casting a watchful eye around the room and seeing no one, she bowed her head and lowered her body down on one bent knee. As she looked up to the altar the sound of beeps emanated from her pocket. Reaching for it, she viewed the message and silenced it in one well-practiced motion. The number was familiar to her. It was one that she had called often enough during her first several months as a Fellow. ‘The E.R.! If it’s that McCormick again…’ The woman’s blue eyes flashed with fire. Garrett squared her shoulders and left the small vestibule to the gods, setting her course straight for the E.R.

************

Stepping off the elevator, Garrett let her long strides propel her across the lobby of the hospital. The revolving doors of the entrance were in motion as she came by them and the petite form of her teammate stepped out into the lobby. It was the first time that either of them had been in the presence of the other all day. Each one of them anticipated a cold reception from the other only to find the soft warm glow of friendship when their eyes met. It was like they had never been out of the other’s close proximity

"Hey!" Danni smiled as she fell into step with the surgeon.

"Hey, yourself." The first signs of her lopsided grin surfaced. "You got the page, too?"

"Yeah, I wonder what’s up?" The nurse reached out for the button on the wall that controlled the automatic doors leading into the E.R.

"Not sure." Garrett slowed her stride. Waiting for the doors to open fully, together the team stepped into the E.R. that was full of activity.

The red, frizzed hair of Dr. Jamie Potter could be seen sitting at the monitor screen of patients occupying the E.R. The serious look on her face was a real sign that something major was going on. Her eyes darted back and forth across the screen as her mind started playing its game of patient chess. It was her job as E.R. Attending this evening to clear out as many patients as she possibly could and in record time.

The Flight Team crossed the hall and stood at the desk. "Jamie, do you know why we’ve been paged to your E.R.?" Garrett stood leaning on the desk with Danni right beside her.

"Never thought that I’d be calling in you guys." Dr. Potter pushed her glasses up on her nose. "There’s been a huge pile up on the Parkway East. They gave us a report of at least seventeen cars. We’re not sure how many will be injured yet. My guess is at least twenty or more."

"What do you need us to do?" Danni was eager.

"You two do what you do best, act as a team. I’m pairing up a nurse and a physician for every two rooms. I figure that we can staff at least six teams that way. That will leave the Attending Trauma Surgeon for the first O.R. case, with Dr. Chabot and then Garrett as back ups. Until then, you can help us wade through the mess down here." The freckled-faced physician looked to Garrett for her approval. "Sorry, but I’m crying wolf to cover my butt."

"You sure that they won’t need us at the scene?" The level head of the surgeon was evident.

"Not sure right now. We’ll cross that bridge if we need to."

The surgeon and nurse turned their heads to look at each other. Then nodding their heads with smiles tugging at their lips, the reply came. "Just tell us where and which patients to cover." The excitement of being back in the Trauma Rooms and the O.R. was very appealing to Garrett. She had missed it and any chance to get her hands back in some operation was strictly a godsend to her.

Jamie looked up at the two women in front of her, happy that they were so willing to lend a hand. "You’ll be in Trauma Room Three." She smiled at them and immediately resumed her activity at the computer screen.

The hastened pace of the team found them at their assigned room, donning the lead apron, trauma gowns, masks and shields as they had done many times before. They readied themselves and stood in silent anticipation of the arriving patient load. Looking down the Trauma Hall, Garrett could see the other teams of paired off medical staff all waiting for their chance to save a life.

From the other end of the hall the voice of the French Canadian could be heard. "So, Dr. Trivoli, do you remember what you have to do? I mean, with the proper equipment and a room that doesn’t lift off." Rene was teasing his friend and trying his best to relieve some of the tension of the impending trauma.

Danni nudged her friend and Garrett nodded as she chuckled at his implied joke. "We could fly circles around you, just watch us."

Danni looked up at the surgeon, not sure that she had heard the woman correctly. ‘Did she just say we?’

"You know, Rene, working with few instruments leaves a lot of room for intuition. I’ll stake my reputation on the intuition of two women," Garrett motioned with her hand to Danni and herself, "any day."

The blonde nurse let the corners of her mouth turn up into a smile while her mind became ecstatic. ‘She really does consider us a team.’ Danni reveled in the knowledge that she was being accepted as an equal member of the Flight Team and by the surgeon herself.

The reverberating sound of the overhead announcement put a quick end to the playfulness between the two Fellows as it blurted out its message. "Traumas at the back doors! Traumas at the back doors. Three ambulances and more on the way."

The laughter and smiling faces now turned to somber professionalism as all the members of the orchestrated cast assembled to their stations. For the rest of the group, it was a time of harried chaos as the roadway disaster descended down upon them while the members of the Flight Team thought of it as just another challenge to their capable talents.

Looking across the stretcher in Trauma Room # 3, Garrett felt right at home with Danni as her nurse. The surgeon’s eyes sparkled as her mouth turned up into a smile underneath the mask she wore. It pleased her to have been paired with such a nurse.

The tall woman was finding herself to be very lucky lately, and wondering what her lucky charm truly was. Standing there, waiting for her patient to arrive, Garrett began to believe that it was Danni who was making all the difference in her life. ‘I’m going to have to think about this. Could she be my pot of gold?’ The surgeon thought back to something that her mother had always told her when she was growing up. ‘When you least expect it, there your leprechaun will come. You’ll know it by the color of the gold.’ Then her mother would always wink at her then laugh as if she knew what was waiting for the daughter that she loved. Garrett smirked as she watched the fluorescent light dance over the golden blonde hair of the nurse. She stood almost mesmerized by it.

"Gar, is something wrong?" Danni grew concerned by the woman’s concentrated stare.

The chuckle sounded in her voice. "Nope, not a thing wrong at all. I was just admiring the color of you hair."

The nurse shrugged her shoulders. "Okay!" Danni giggled like a schoolgirl for a moment as she questioningly looked at the surgeon. "Hey," the nurse caught sight of the Medic wheeling in the stretcher, "trauma’s here."

The brisk steps of the Medics delivered the patient to their room with an air of efficiency. There was more work to do and little time to do it in. The blunt facts of the patient’s role in the ongoing disaster were stated and the patient transferred to the stretcher inside of the room. With their job done, the Medics retreated and readied themselves and their equipment for the next patient.

The surgeon mulled over the facts as she began her primary survey of the blood soaked patient. The darting eyes keyed the surgeon into the panic that held onto the woman while the gasps and attempts at words provided enough to say that she was exchanging air on her own. By the look of the blood that covered the patient, Garrett knew there was an arterial bleed coming from somewhere. Her eyes moved quickly over the pattern of the stained clothing, trying to discern the source. The blood splatters were all in a downward motion causing Garrett’s trained eye to move further up the patient’s body.

There, atop of the woman’s head, was a rather large bulky dressing whose telltale smatterings of coagulated blood were evidence enough of what would be found underneath it.

"Danni, set me up a tray for suturing! She’s got an active bleeder under that dressing." The surgeon positioned herself at the head of the patient as she pulled the dressing away to take a look. The spurting, bright-red stream pumped its way from under the wrap as it left marks along its path. The crimson droplets splattered as they struck the protective shield the surgeon was wearing. Blue eyes squinted in reaction to the spray. Garrett kept looking for the source and within seconds found it. "Looks like it’s the temporal artery." She grabbed the sterile gauze that Danni held out to her and pressed it on the site, trying to stop the flow of blood.

The patient was aware of her loss of blood. It wasn’t hard to see the red staining her clothing or feel the warmth of the flowing life source. "I’m gonna die." The hysteria was setting in even more now. "Do something! Chris, oh my god! Chris!"

Danni leaned in to the patient so that it was easy for her face to be seen. "You’re in good hands, ma’am. We’re not going to let you die. Just hold very still and let us do our job. Okay?"

"But Chris…I have to know how Chris is."

The patient’s eyes bore into the nurse with such intensity that it sent a chill through her body. Danni took her hand and held it. "Chris was in the car with you?"

"Yes! I need to know…it...it can’t end this way. We’ve been together too long. "

"Let me check. Maybe Chris was brought in already." Danni’s eyes conveyed her sincerity. She worked her hand loose from the patient’s grasp as she soothed her with gentle pats. Danni studied the patient’s face trying to put an age to the woman. The blood masked her features but if pressed for one, the nurse could safely say that the woman was in her fifties.

"Don’t worry, I’ll find out what happened to your husband."

The patient’s eyes widened at the statement. Her eyes then darted around the room as though she was fighting some inner battle with herself. "There were four of us in the car, Chris, Bobbie, Charlie and me."

"I’ll get the Social Worker to see if they’re here. Let’s get you taken care of first, shall we." Danni’s reassuring smile put the patient at ease.

The nurse stepped into the hallway outside of the Trauma Room. It was a frenzied scene from some hyperactive movie. The scurrying feet of Medics could be seen coming and going as they delivered their patients into the care of nurses and physicians. The hither to and fro maneuvers of the Technologists from the Radiology Department added to the chaotic scene as they moved from room to room with their cassettes waiting to be developed showing the various vital body parts of the trauma patients. The fact that there were not collisions of the parties involved was a miracle in itself.

Danni scanned the area only to find the Social Worker nowhere insight.

‘Alex, where are you?’ The petite nurse turned back into the room, grabbing a suture tray and Mayo stand, she readied the instruments for the surgeon to use.

"Ma’am, you’ve got an artery that needs to be sewn to stop the bleeding." Garrett spoke softly to the patient. "It’s going to hurt just a bit but I promise you when it’s time to suture up the cut we’ll be giving you some numbing medicine."

The scared faint voice of the patient answered her. "Okay."

"Danni, be ready with some 4x4 gauze, will you. I’m going to need you to blot the blood away after I put the first suture in."

The nurse responded and stood ready for her part in the procedure as she waited for the signal from Garrett to take the absorbent gauze pad off of the site. The delft maneuvering of the skilled hands of the surgeon went through the motions that she had practiced thousands of times in her career. With the hemostat held tightly in her right hand, she picked up the curved needle with the 2-0 Silk threaded through it. The sharp needle pierced the skin in a tethering act to tie off the pumping artery. Her right wrist rolled with a motion that worked the needle and thread upon itself in a knotting effect, the fingers of her left hand helping as they held the loose end of the silk thread. Each set of motions being paused only momentarily as the nurse blotted away any escaping material.

After a minute or two, the relaxed sigh could be heard coming from the surgeon. "There," she let Danni blot it one last time, "I think we got it stopped now." Garrett tilted her head from side to side, looking for any possible oozing of blood from the site.

Danni read off the data that was being displayed across the monitor. "BP 146 over 82, Heart Rate 102, and Oxygen Saturation at 96."

"Danni, give her a 500cc bolus of fluids. That will help to bring her heart rate down."

"Okay, Doc. We’ve got Lactated Ringers running wide open for that bolus." The nurse opened up the drip rate on the intravenous fluids, taking note as to how much was left in the bag. "You should be feeling a little better in just a little while. The fluid will help compensate for the blood that you lost."

"Thank you." The patient was feeling a little more at ease in the situation now. Her mind was still heavy with the weight of her loved one’s safety. "Could you please see if my Chris is here. I’m really scar…worried."

The surgeon looked over at Danni. "Go, see if you can find Chris for her. I’ll finish out the secondary survey and see if we can’t get her out of this room."

The nurse nodded, then looked down at the patient. "Be right back." She winked and went in search of Chris.

"I hope Chris is alright. I don’t know what I’d do without h…" the patient stopped before she could finish the word. "That nurse is so nice. You two work well together. Have you been doing that long?"

Garrett smiled underneath her mask, "It seems like forever sometimes but no, I just arrived in Pittsburgh eight months ago."

"Oh, I thought…maybe…"

"Let me finish your exam and by that time Danni should be back with word on the rest of the people in your car."

The surgeon went about doing her job as the patient wondered how she could have been so wrong about the relationship between the nurse and the woman examining her. She had seen the way they worked together, the silent communication. It was so much like her and Chris.

The expertise of the surgeon coupled by the quickly procured radiographs of the patient’s cervical spine, chest and abdomen soon brought Garrett to the conclusion that the head wound was the patient’s only real injury. Aside from a CT Scan of her head, there was nothing left but to clean her up and suture the laceration on the side of her face.

Garrett stood at the viewer outside of the Trauma Room going over the patient’s films one last time when Danni came back to the room.

"Did you find her friends and husband?"

Danni hesitated a moment. "Friends, yes…husband, no."

"Maybe the next grouping of ambulances will…"

Danni laid a hand on the surgeon’s arm. "Gar, Chris is another female."

"Why wouldn’t she just tell us? It doesn’t make a difference to me."

"Consider her age. She probably grew up hiding the relationship. She may have be a teenager in the day of free love during the sixties but there were still some very taboo things, that being one of them." Danni looked in on the patient for a moment then continued in a whisper. "Bobbie and Charlie are both males. They probably used each other as cover."

"Oh. Where is this Chris, I’ll go see how she’s doing?"

"She’s on the next ambulance in. I pulled a few favors from some of the Medics to find her."

Garrett nodded. "Let’s get this one into another room then for suturing and we’ll take her friend next in Trauma Three."

Danni smiled and considered how much she loved seeing the gentle nature of the stoic surgeon. "Okay, I’ll get her moved and hooked up with Plastic Surgery right away."

The surgeon stripped off her gloves, gown and mask. Rolling them into a ball, she stuffed them down into the trash. She stood there thinking to herself. ‘Now why did I think of Danni when she told me that the husband was a woman? What could I have been thinking of?’ The image of the golden haired nurse was plastered across her mind. Garrett looked back to the Trauma Room only to see Danni wheeling the patient out and into the room directly across the hall. The surgeon reached out and pulled another fresh gown to dress in now for Chris.

****************

"Ma’am, I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name."

The patient smiled slightly and offered her hand. "Marie…Marie Remhouse, and you are?"

"Danni Bossard." The nurse smiled back. "I’ve made arrangements for someone to come and take care of the cut on your face."

"Thank you." Marie’s eyes narrowed as she formulated the question in her head. "Chris, is…is she here?" The patient closed her eyes when she realized that she had slipped, not wanting to see the disgusted look on the nurse’s face. ‘What will this nurse think of me…us…now?’

Danni reached out to comfort the woman, her hand coming to rest on top of the patient’s. "I know what it’s like to love a woman that deeply." Her words were whispered and her eyes conveyed the intent. "Gar…I mean…Dr. Trivoli and I will see that she’s well taken care of. I’ve made arrangements for us to treat her like we did you. No one else will need to know."

The tears flowed freely down Marie’s face. Their secret would be kept and no one would be any the wiser. "Thank you." The words were caught up with sobs of relief.

The surgeon had been standing in the doorway, watching the actions of her friend for few moments before she spoke out. "Danni!" Garrett stood looking into the room. "Our patient…Chris is arriving now. They’ve just pulled up outside."

The nurse wondered how long and how much of the conversation Garrett had heard. ‘Too late now, if she doesn’t know already. Guess that I just outed myself.’ Danni nodded in affirmation. "Be right there, Doc."

Marie watched the pained look on the nurse’s face. "She’s the one, isn’t she?"

"That obvious, eh?" Danni sighed. "Seems like everyone knows but her." The nurse turned to view the now empty doorway.

It was time for the patient to comfort the nurse. "Don’t give up. She’ll see it and soon enough." Marie now patted the small hand that was clamped onto the bed rail. "It makes a world of difference in life to be loved."

"I’ve got to go. I’ll tell Chris that you are…" Danni’s eyes twinkled, "THINKING…of her." With that, the nurse walked out of the room.

************

The sound of the overhead alert announced the next wave of incoming wounded to the busy E.R. personnel. "Trauma in the Department. Trauma in the Department."

Danni stood in the hallway making sure to direct the patient known only as Chris into the right room. The burly looking Medics with the balding man passed her by and turned in the direction of Trauma Room One. Next in through the doors was a face that seemed familiar to her. She studied the Medic and realized that it was the young man from her famed ambulance trip with Garrett from the annual softball game.

‘Gosh, I hope he doesn’t recognize me dressed like this.’ Her mind thought back to the upset stomach and surprised look on his face when she opened the door to the bathroom. ‘I didn’t know anyone was in there. The door wasn’t locked.’

The next stretcher in the line was upon her. "Where to?" The young Medic said, not recognizing her.

"Is this Chris?" Danni peered at the face of the patient.

"Chris…is…my name. How do you know…"

Danni pointed the way. "Trauma Room Three." She let them go first, then fell in line next to the patient’s head. "Marie told us that you’d be coming." She winked and followed along. The nurse looked at the patient’s wildly curled short locks of gray hair and smiled involuntarily. It reminded her of a pre-school stick figure drawing, especially since the patient had the body to match it.

The patient nodded as best she could being in a protective collar and strapped onto a backboard. "That’s Marie, always watching out for me," she muttered as her face showed the pain that she was in.

The group whisked into the room where they were met by the tall surgeon. Her blue eyes looked directly into the patient’s eyes as she greeted her. "Chris, I’m Dr. Trivoli. I’m here to help you. Can you tell me where you hurt?"

"My belly, Doc. It hurts like hell."

The advancement of the stretcher stopped and each member of the team grabbed on to the backboard.

"Ready, on my count. One, two, three." The strong voice of the surgeon directed the movement. "Airway clear, respiration’s good. No obvious signs of external bleeding." The surgeon cast her eyes over the woman’s clothed body. "We’re going to be cutting your clothing off and examining you more closely. Just tell us if we are hurting you at any time."

The soft sound of a resigned voice was heard coming from the patient. "Okay."

Danni quickly cut up the sleeve of the shirt and exposed her side of the woman’s chest. Shoving the trauma shears into her leg pocket on her Flight Suit, she grabbed the wires and connected them to the already placed electrode discs on the patient’s chest. When the last one was in place, she turned to view the monitor on the wall behind her, studying the tracing.

"Heart Rate 122 and showing a regular rhythm." Now she turned her attention back to the patient, placing a blood pressure cuff around the woman’s arm and a clip onto her finger to measure the concentration of oxygen in her blood. Once again she turned to the electronic monitor readouts and voiced their numbers for all in the room to hear. "BP 94 over 48, Respiration’s 28, Oxygen Saturation 90 per cent."

By this time, the surgeon had cut off her side of the shirt, then moved to the skirt and removed the pantyhose from the woman, leaving her body exposed for a better visual examination. The systematic laying of hands by the Fellow began with the shoulders, then the ribs and worked its way down the bony frame looking for any signs of deformity. Seeing and feeling none, Garrett now concentrated on the abdominal area, first feeling for femoral pulses. They were present but not as strong as she would have liked them to be.

The surgeon let her fingers gingerly press into Chris’s midsection. "Does this hurt at all?"

The scrunched up face was her only answer initially, and then the agony in the voice could be heard. "Yes!"

Garrett’s eyes looked up to the monitoring devices as she moved her hands around the abdominal area. ‘Pain on palpation, heart rate tachycardia, and blood pressure down. She’s got something going on in that belly.’

The sound of her voice commanded the urgency of the orders she rattled off. "Give me a Chest, Pelvis and Lateral C-Spine X-ray, now! Danni call Radiology for a CT Scan of the Abdomen, then get another I.V. started. I’ll draw the blood for gases and add a type and cross for some blood."

The room became a flurry of activity as each professional went to the business of their jobs. Each one realizing that it was going to be a fight against time with the spiraling downward spin of the patient‘s condition.

It was times like this that Garrett Trivoli had trained for. Her skills had been honed to as near perfection as humanly possible and then some, to meet her own lofty expectations for herself. The surgeon wondered how she would feel if this patient was Danni. Could she be holding up like Chris’s lover, Marie, or would she be even worse? She glanced across the hall at the form lying on the stretcher draped and being sutured. She knew then what she had to do, and that was to save another from the clutches of her elite group.

"Scans are backed up at least 45 minutes." The words tumbled out of Danni’s mouth. "Do you want to do an Ultrasound or DPL?"

Garrett fixed the last of the test tubes with the blood samplings. "Ultrasound! Call the O.R. and tell them to get a room ready for an acute traumatic abdomen."

Danni placed a warmed sheet over the lower half of the patient as the surgeon pulled the ultrasound machine out of the corner of the room. ‘I know that you’re bleeding. I just need some hint from where.’ She quickly typed in the patient’s name and squeezed out the cold gel onto Chris’s abdomen, spotting it here and there in the most strategic places. Placing the probe into the first mound of gel, Garrett rocked her hand as she scanned for any visible defect in the organs underneath it. "There’s blood in the pericolic gutter." The surgeon moved the probe to the next heaped up mound of gel, repeating the same motions. With each visual screen that showed on the unit’s monitor, it was evident that Chris was bleeding from several sources in her belly. There would be only one prudent thing to do.

"Danni, call the O.R. and tell them that we’re on our way." She wiped off the probe of gel and pushed the machine out of the way. "Chris, you got some damage to the organs in your belly. I’m going to need to get in there and fix them."

Chris blinked back a tear. "Okay, I understand." She paused then reached out to Danni getting her attention. "Marie…you’ll tell her?"

Danni nodded then moved closer to Chris. "Anything that you want." Their eyes met and the compassion was evident.

"Tell her I love her..." Chris whispered as though it were her dying wish, "Then, now and forever." She grabbed the nurse’s gloved hand and clutched it upward toward her mouth then kissed it. "Give her that from me."

Danni nodded in understanding. She kept silent fearing her voice to waver from the emotions she was feeling inside her own body. The tears were now forming in her eyes and she blinked several times to halt their motion. Finally she took in a breath and spoke. "You’ll be able to tell her all those things yourself. We’re not giving up on you yet." She looked over to Garrett and then back to the patient. "You’re in good hands with her. I’d trust her with my own life." Danni reached out and wiped the lone tear that cascaded down Chris’s cheek.

The surgeon mindlessly disrobed from the trauma room apparel as she studied the X-rays of her patient on the viewer. Satisfied that nothing else would be of any concern, she stepped back into the room. "Okay, let’s package up and get up to the O.R. now!" The words were out before she realized it. She, Garrett Trivoli was going to operate!

************

The evening hours had now slipped into the darkness of night when Danni was finally able to get a free minute to find where Marie had been given a bed on the 23 hour observation unit. The efficiency with which Dr. Jamie Potter had been clearing out the E.R. was amazing. There seemed to be none of the usual time delays in getting patients out of the E.R. and to their assigned rooms.

Now, finally after five hours of adrenaline filled activity in the E.R., Danni was standing outside of Marie’s room. She collected her thoughts before entering and wished that she had more to say. The last time she had called into the O.R., she was told that there had been some liver lacerations and that the spleen was removed. They were closing now.

The nurse could hear the sound of restless movements and guessed that sleep would be an elusive thing for Marie tonight. Danni knew that it would be the last thing on her mind if she were worried about someone she loved. ‘Garrett, when are you going to wake up and see?’

The sound of muffled crying became evident, tugging at Danni’s heart. She couldn’t leave knowing the state of Marie’s emotions. At least not until they knew for sure from Garrett what Chris’s outcome would be. The nurse had every confidence in the world in the surgeon, but there was always the possibility of something going wrong. ‘By the gods, don’t let it come to that.’

Danni silently offered up a prayer for both the women in the O.R. right now. Chris, for the obvious reasons and Garrett, so that her skills as a surgeon would keep another potential member of the lone survivors group from feeling the same way she had for most of her life, alone.

The nurse stood in the doorway, waiting for a pause in the sound of the crying. It didn’t stop, but instead only grew in its intensity. Danni raised her hand and knocked gently against the opened door.

It was a moment before Marie realized that the sound she heard was not of her making. Somewhat startled, she quickly dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and sniffed in the remainder of her tears. It would have to wait until she was by herself. Clearing her throat from its hoarseness, she croaked out the words. "Come in." Gathering up the spent tissues in her hand she hurriedly tried to hide them from sight. ‘Gosh, don’t let this be bad news.’ Marie’s brow furrowed with her growing fear of the unknown.

The figure bathed in light from the hall stood like a guardian angel at the door. The form moved into the room with such grace that, to Marie, it seemed to float. The sullen woman closed her eyes hoping desperately that this apparition was not some form of good-bye from her longtime lover. As much as she wanted to be in her presence, she didn’t want it to be like this.

A single tear broke through the dam of closed eyelids and embittered self-restraint. Marie could feel it escaping down over her cheek. Then, she felt the warm touch to her cheek and heard the soft words on her ears. ‘No! No! If I don’t listen, if I don’t hear that…then she can’t be gone.’ She tried to shut the world out of her life, out of her love, out of this time.

The words would not stop, but instead continued on. The soft soothing tone of the voice seemed mellow against the dark of the night with its growing fears lurking in every shadow. Finally Marie forced one eye to open, taking in the vision in front of her. It was not a heavenly body to the forlorn woman, anything that did not resemble her soulmate was a godsend.

"Marie?" Danni looked upon the patient lying in the bed as she tried to ascertain her emotional state. "It’s me, Danni. I’m the nurse that took care of you with Dr. Trivoli in the Trauma Room."

The tiny gasp at the recognition of the nurse coincided with her heart as it fluttered with relief. "I…I remember you."

Danni smiled and let her hand come to rest on the woman’s shoulder. "I hope you don’t mind." The nurse motioned to the drop of moisture on her finger. "I’ve always thought that a single tear shared between two isn’t as hard to bare as one shed alone."

At first, the idea didn’t make sense to Marie, but the more that she thought about it, it made the most sense that she had ever heard. It was in this light that the woman let the corners of her mouth twitch upward into a half smile, not wanting to aggravate the stitches that had been used to close the laceration on the side of her face.

"How did one so young get to be so wise?" The whispered voice challenged the nurse.

"I think that sometimes I’m older than dirt. Pretty good disguise…eh?" Danni winked and let her broad smile shine through the abyss that the woman was climbing out of.

The older woman began to smile nervously then stopped with the twinging pain that resulted from the stitches in her face. "Oww!"

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you hurt. Really, I just thought that maybe you’d like to have someone to talk to…I mean…while we wait to hear about Chris." Danni was amazed at the delicate features of the woman before her. Now that the bloodstains were all removed, it allowed the beauty of the woman to grab you at first sight. She still had the youthful skin and physical appearance of a much younger person, the tinges of gray at her temples adding a well seasoned look. Her hazel eyes sparkled with the attention she was being given.

Marie nodded her head. "Yes, I think that I might like that." She studied the nurse trying to figure her out. "You always dress like that?" She pointed to the Flight Suit.

Danni looked down at herself. "No, actually we were paged out to assist with the trauma disaster. I’m the Flight Nurse on the Flight Surgeon’s Team."

"Your doctor…she’s the Fight Surgeon?"

"Yeah," Danni nodded her head as her smile grew bigger. "She’s the one operating on Chris in the O.R." Danni face brightened as she thought about the surgeon. "Gar…er…Dr. Trivoli is a great surgeon. I’ve seen her do things that an ordinary surgeon wouldn’t even think of. Chris is in the best of hands."

"Oh, is it…I mean…was she bad," Marie bit her lip, "They won’t tell me anything about her."

"Do you two have a legal document…a written power of attorney?"

"No, Chris wouldn’t think about it. She said that we were too young to worry about things like that." Marie tried to get her mind off what her life had been. "You seem to think very highly of this surgeon. Have you known her long?"

The nurse had to think about how to answer that question. "You know there are times that I think I’ve known her for ions but in the reality of it all, I only met her on July first of last year." Danni shook her head. "I guess living with someone, you get to know them better than you know yourself."

"Then you two are…"

The smile faded from the nurse’s face. "No, we just share the house that I own. She’s a Fellow and her year will be up in a few more months."

"She’s going to stay, isn’t she?" Marie found herself wanting it to be so.

Danni shrugged her shoulders. "I…I don’t know." Now it was the nurse’s turn to look for another subject. "Chris told me to tell you something for her." She paused trying to remember the exact words. "She said to tell you: ‘Tell her I love her...Then, now and forever.’ Yeah, that’s it." Danni grabbed the older woman’s hand and clutched it upward toward her mouth then kissed it. "Give her that from me, she said." The petite woman looked, trying to gauge the effect that it was having on the woman before her.

Marie’s face paled and her eyes searched the nurse’s face. "How? Those phrases are what Chris always says to me when we are apart from one another. How did you know?"

"She told me, right before she went up to surgery."

"That’s my Chris, always worried about me." Her voice trailed off as her mind wondered down a timeless path of their souls’ journey together.

"How long…I mean if you don’t mind…How long have you been together?"

"Not long enough." The patient smiled thinking about their time together. "It’s been over 35 years since we first met."

Danni pulled a chair over closer to the bed and sat down on it. Her full attention now focused on the woman in the bed. "I’m curious, how did you know that you were…I mean…that she was…gay?"

"Hmmm…You know back then being gay wasn’t as accepted as it is today for you young folks. You really put yourself out on a limb if you just came out and said anything."

"Oh, I see. It’s not any easier today, either." Danni sighed. "I’ve always known that I didn’t fit in with the way my mother had my life planned out. I just didn’t know what it was that I wanted until now."

"I guess that would be the tall, dark-haired surgeon?" The older woman watched Danni cautiously as a blush tinged her cheeks.

"I’m friends with her but I’m not sure that she’s…"

"Gay?"

The nurse nodded her head. "I don’t even have a clue."

Marie reached out her hand and let it rest down on top of Danni’s cloth-covered knee. "How about I tell you the story of me and Chris? Maybe it will help you decide about the surgeon."

Danni’s green eyes lifted and stared directly into Marie’s hazel eyes. "You’d do that? Tell me your story?"

Marie nodded. "I’m not going to sleep and if you’re willing to listen…"

The nurse smiled. "You’d do that for me?"

"Chris trusted you with her words, why not me with our story?"

Danni leaned onto the bed. "I’m ready when you are."

Now it was Marie’s turn to blush. She paused to collect her thoughts then started telling the story of her love.

"Back in the Sixties free love was all the rage, that was if you were a heterosexual couple. I met Chris when I was out one day for a long walk down by the Point. I used to love standing there and watching the rivers come together." Marie let her mind imagine herself there. "I used to see this skinny girl always fishing off the wharf. She hardly ever caught anything, at least while I was there. But everyday she would be sitting with that pole in her hands. Each day I'd walk a little closer until one day I was right next to her. Scared the daylight out of her when I asked her what she used for bait."

Danni smiled. "Do you fish, Marie?"

"No, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. I figured that it was the only thing to talk about." She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, to make a long story short, finally one day after a month or so, she invited me to sit down and offered me one of her poles to use."

"I take it that you did?"

"You better believe it. How else could I sit by her and talk for hours on end. She wasn’t too gabby when we first met but over the years, Lordy, she can talk your arm off now." They both giggled at same time.

"So how did you finally get together?"

"I got some bad news one-day, about a friend of mine in the army. He was stationed in Vietnam. He’d been shot and I wasn’t taking it too well. Chris offered to walk me home but instead we ended up at her place ‘cause it was closer. I was a basket case by then. Charlie and me, well, we grew up together. We kind of knew early on that we were different from everybody else and kept to ourselves. Our parents thought that it was cute and that we’d grow up and marry."

"Your parents didn’t know?"

"We did what all the other kids were doing at the time. I guess you could say that we started covering for each other even back then." Marie lost herself in the reminiscing.

"Marie, how did you know about Chris…that she was gay?"

"Some you can tell by looking at, some by the way they talk or act. With Chris it was by her touch. The first time we held hands," the woman closed her eyes, "it was like electricity running through me. Don’t know why, but I just knew."

"How did your parents take it when you told them?"

"Tell them?" Marie laughed. "I haven’t told them yet and we’ve been together for almost 35 years."

"They don’t live around you then, I take it."

"On the contrary, they live about a two mile drive away." Marie motioned for Danni to come closer. "They think that I’m living with Charlie and Chris and Bobbie live in the apartment upstairs."

"You four live together? Didn’t they ever ask about a wedding for you and Charlie?"

"Well, let’s just say that we all go in the same front door but Chris and I live on the first floor and Charlie and Bobbie live above us. Wedding, oh my, no child, we are children of the Sixties. Free love and no commitments, remember?"

"Is that the Charlie that you were so upset about being shot?"

"Yeah, you might say that it was his doing that brought Chris and me together at last. When we got to her place she just held me in her arms and I knew that I never wanted to be without them in my life, without her in my life. The safety and love that I felt in them was incredible."

Danni’s mouth turned into a broad smile. "That’s really great. You have your best friend and life partner all under that same roof."

"Yeah, I’ve been blessed in that manner."

"If you don’t mind me asking, where did Charlie meet Bobbie?"

"Bobbie was the nurse that took care of him in the hospital when he was shot." The older woman shook her head. "You might say that bullet had both our names on it."

*****************

Garrett Trivoli was at the helm of the operating theater as she fought desperately to save the woman on her table. Once she had opened up the abdominal cavity to inspect it, the surgeon could see the severity of the injuries from the blunt trauma the older woman had endured. Her abdominal contents seemed to be swimming in a pool of blood. The surgical team would have their work laid out for quite a number of hours to come.

With a feverish pace, the nimble fingered surgeon worked to find the major antagonist to the woman’s well being. Once the excess blood was suctioned out, the nasty remnants of spleen were evident. The force of the trauma to Chris’s abdomen had sent the spleen bursting at the seams. There would be no way to save this organ. Not even the skilled hands of Garrett Trivoli would be able to put this together again.

The tied-off splenic artery did nothing to stop the plummeting nosedive that the patient’s blood pressure was taking. The woman had to have another source for her lost blood, one that was possibly worse than the spleen.

"Damn it!" Trivoli’s eyes searched the smooth glistening surface of the liver. "She’s got to have an injury where we’re not able to see it."

Without delay, the sinewy fingers gently lifted the lobes of the liver and examined every side that she could possibly see. ‘I’m not going to be the one that has to tell your lover that she’s now a member of my group.’ Garrett could just see Danni’s face when she would hear the news. ‘I won’t allow it.’ Now she worked even harder so as not to have it happen.

***************

Danni had listened to Marie’s story of her life together with Chris until the woman finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted by the events of the evening. The nurse thought about her own shared experiences with one tall surgeon and found that there were some very close ties to that of Marie and Chris’s life. Danni was thankful that she had been the carrier of Chris’s message to Marie instead of someone else.

The dim light from the hall was barely enough to illuminate the watch on her wrist. Looking down at it, she could see that it was now past midnight. ‘Gar, please don’t let anything happen to keep them apart.’ Danni voiced her silent prayer as she watched the woman lying in the bed.

***************

With several small lacerations repaired in the right lobe of the liver, Garrett had turned her attention to the hepatic artery that came directly from the aorta. It was the main source of blood for the liver. The surgeon’s meticulous inspection revealed a small tear in the vessel where it attached to the liver itself. The spurting stream of blood pumping with every beat of the patient’s heart was soon stopped with the delicate suturing by the skilled hands.

The surgeon let out a breath with the last knot that she tied. Looking up to the electronic monitoring devices, she held her breath, willing the numbers to change to a more stable set. The numbers began to change for the better, slowly at first.

"Give her another unit of blood." Garrett stripped off her blood stained gloves and threw them into the waste bucket on the floor. "Give me a new set of gloves, please." Her command was acted upon without delay and she put on the clean pair as she watched for the changes to occur with the addition of more blood into the woman’s system.

The anesthesiologist rattled off the numbers that were being displayed across the screen. "BP 108 over 78, Heart rate 106."

"They’re better. Now, let’s make sure that we didn’t miss anything." With that statement, the surgeon took on the task of inspecting the remainder of the abdominal cavity for any signs of injury. The battle was over, all there was left to do was to fight the small skirmishes that could erupt into major catastrophe if not handled properly at this time.

The time seemed to eke by minute by minute until finally at her satisfaction, Garrett Trivoli announced that it was time to close. The evening hours had stretched into the early morning but the grueling day was not over by a long run. The surgeon looked up to the clock on the Operating Room wall. It was 0100. If she were lucky, she’d be out of the O.R. and into recovery within thirty minutes. Then it would be up to Chris as to whether or not she was going to make it.

****************

Danni woke to the sound of familiar footsteps in the hall. The nurse slowly rolled her head from side to side to ease the soreness in her muscles from sleeping in the chair when she saw the form entering the doorway.

"Is that you Gar?" Danni whispered trying hard not to wake Marie.

"Yeah, it’s me. Is she sleeping?" Garrett motioned to the woman in the bed.

"Finally, for about the last hour or so." Danni looked down at her watch, noticing the time. It was 0150. "You just finish up?"

"Yeah, I just stopped by to tell her that Chris is in recovery now." The surgeon walked into the room and stood next to Danni. "We had to remove her spleen and take care to suture some lacerations on her liver and the hepatic artery."

Danni took the hand of the surgeon in her own, feeling the small trembles it was having. It reminded her of Marie’s story about the first time she and Chris held hands. "Thanks for being there, Gar. If you want, I’ll tell her when she wakes up. I think I’m just going to stay here and keep an eye on her for a little while longer."

The tall woman nodded. "I’m going to spend the rest of the night down with Chris in recovery." She let her hand linger in Danni’s, feeling the strength that the young woman possessed.

"I hope that you don’t mind, but I asked Rosie to stop by the house and pick us up some clothes for court tomorrow."

"Hmmm…forgot about that."

"I figured that you would want to spend the night here, keeping an eye on your patient."

"You know me pretty well, Danni." Garrett drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "I…I better get back to Chris." She didn’t want to break the connection that they had but she knew that it was time to leave. Gingerly she let her hand slip from the nurse’s and walked to the doorway.

"I’ll come find you when Rosie gets here."

Garrett turned to look back at Danni and nodded her head in agreement. She lifted the hand that had been held and waved farewell until morning.

*************

Sitting and watching the monitors allowed more time than necessary for one’s mind to drift to other things, as the surgeon soon found out. Her mind kept coming back to the moment that her hand was taken and held by the blonde nurse in the dimly lit room. Garrett had never remembered her hands trembling before, not even when she had made her initial cut with a scalpel the first day that she started her career as a surgeon. Her hands had always been rock solid. Why was she trembling now?

Not wanting to think about it, the surgeon closed her eyes and let sleep come to her body.

**************

It had been touch and go at first with the patient, but Chris was now holding her own. The sigh of relief coming from Marie was loud enough for Danni to hear. The news had even brought a smile to the woman’s face when she learned of her lover’s condition. Her partner was going to live and they would once again be able to laugh and share their lives without the shadow of death circling them.

The nurse watched and hoped that she, too, could one day have a love that great in her life. It was her wish that it be Garrett Trivoli.

Chapter 9

Garrett sat in a daze. She’d been warned of the defense attorney’s tactics to try to get their clients off the hook, but the surgeon never thought that they would resort to something so low. She stared mindlessly out of the car window as they traveled back to Pittsburgh from their court date in Fayette County. She wasn’t even sure who it was that was driving, all she could think about was how could she have let herself fall right into their hands. ‘If it hadn’t been for the District Attorney protesting the line of questioning, I could have been the one that damn lawyer said tried to rape the waitress.’ There were so many questions and the answers that the slick lawyer demanded really had no bearing on the case except to find anything that he could about the surgeon and discredit her testimony in the eyes of the jury.

Garrett sighed as she watched the world go by around her. ‘Is that what I’ve been doing all of my adult life…watching everything go by?’ His questions and her testimony had given her a lot to think about and it wasn’t all cut and dry like she had thought her life to be. You either were or you weren’t, but what if you didn’t know? She could see now, reflecting back on it, how he had pulled the answers that he was looking for out of her. ‘How could people stoop that low?’ Her mind traveled back to the events of earlier that day.

The huge wooden doors opened up and she was beckoned to enter into the courtroom. The prosecution called her as a material witness and it was now her duty to give testimony to the collection of the samples from the body of Leza McCoy, the waitress that she had treated as a trauma patient.

Garrett was the last of the medical personnel to be called to the stand. The others had been called one by one as to their importance and involvement in the participation of the collection of evidence from the patient. Each one had remained in the gallery of the courtroom when they were dismissed from the stand. Whether it was for support of the next one to be called or just the interest in the case itself, it didn’t matter, it just let the number of witnesses in the hall dwindle down to the most significant, namely Dr. Garrett Trivoli. The lone survivor, again.

The surgeon took in a deep breath and started her walk to the front of the courtroom. Taking her place at the empty chair next to the bench, Garrett waited for the Bailiff to swear her in, then as she lowered her hand from the oath-taking position, took her designated seat. Once settled in, the smiling face of the District Attorney met the surgeon.

The polite mannerisms of the man made it obvious as to the reason for his early rise in the power structure of the county’s judicial system. The prosecutor’s first questions were ones of verification as to who she was and what her qualifications were on the night of the alleged crime. His boyish charm put Garrett at ease as he asked the pointed questions associated with the collection of the evidence from the victim’s body and the handling thereof as it was readied for the crime lab. When the events of that collection were relayed to the courtroom for the jury to hear, the young man courteously thanked her for her time and assistance in the trial. Having no more information to extract from her, the lawyer stated, "It’s your witness," nodding to the defense table. Then he turned and sat down pleased with the surgeon’s testimony.

The judge looked out over the jury and then announced, "It’s now the Defense’s turn to question the witness."

Garrett let her eyes drift over the courtroom while she waited for the defense to cross-examine her. The sight of blonde hair drew her attention to the last row where Danni was seated with Mom and Rosie. ‘Just a few more minutes and we’re on our way home. I’ve got to remember to check on Chris before I head home from the hospital. Don’t want to…’ Garrett’s thoughts were disturbed as she heard her name being called out by the Adonis of a man in the suit that was standing in front of her.

"Miss…I mean…Dr. Trivoli," the intense looking dark-haired man flashed his well rehearsed grin at her, "Isn’t it a little unusual for someone of your age and experience to be assuming such an important role in the Trauma Center?"

The question caught Garrett off guard. "Huh, what does my age have to do with it? I have plenty of experience."

He laughed and let his right hand slide smoothly into his suit jacket pocket. "I ask the questions here and you answer them, Doctor." He turned and played to the jury acting like the woman on the witness stand had no courtroom savvy. It would be his first attempt of many to discredit her testimony. "Then, can you tell us non-medical people exactly what is considered a trauma in the world of medicine?"

The surgeon didn’t need to think about this answer at all. It was her life and rolled off her tongue as though she penned its definition. "Trauma is any body wound or shock produced by physical injury, as from violence or an accident."

"Now, are you stating for the court that you have experience in handling traumas, such that are indicated in this case?" He watched her as though he was waiting for a child to answer.

"Yes," Garrett nodded slowly, "It is my testimony that I have experience in handling traumas."

"Where did you acquire your trauma experience?"

"In the United States Navy, as a Lieutenant."

The Defense Attorney strutted up to the front of the courtroom. "Dr. Trivoli, you tell us that you were a Lieutenant in the Navy. Where exactly were you stationed during your time with the Navy?"

"I was stationed onboard two or three aircraft carriers as a Flight Surgeon after my basic training."

"Can you tell me how the women onboard those vessels were treated?" He tilted his head as if really interested in her reply.

"They were treated like sailors, sir. We were all there to do our assigned jobs."

He stood before the jury, letting his right hand slowly play along the railing in a thoughtful pattern. "Were there any…oh, let’s say, fighter pilots that were female under your care?"

"No, not on my deployments to sea. Some were cooks, computer specialists, communication specialists, nurses."

"And, of course, you, the only surgeon onboard." He looked directly into her eyes and smiled. "It was your responsibility to treat the entire crew for any health concerns or accidental injures, is that correct?"

"Yes, I was the only surgeon paired with a general practice physician."

"Then tell me, Doctor, during those years in the Navy, how many rape victims did you treat?"

"None."

"How many did you see someone else treating during that time?"

"None."

The Defense Attorney turned to the jury and smiled charmingly at them one by one. "Dr. Trivoli, have you ever been raped?"

"No!"

"Have you ever witnessed a rape?"

"No!"

"Have you ever raped someone?"

The answer was prompt. "NO!"

The District Attorney stood, "I object, Your Honor."

The Council for the Defense was quick to begin a reply to the Judge, "Your Honor…"

The Judge tapped his fingers on the handle of his gavel. "The court will take a ten minute recess." Then looking from one attorney to the other, "I’ll see you both in my chambers, now!" He then got up and left the bench, retreating into his chambers with the two opposing lawyers not far behind.

Exactly ten minutes went by before the three men returned to the courtroom. The disgruntled look on the face of the Prosecutor was all anyone needed to see that, at least for the time being, this line of questioning would continue.

"Doctor, if you have never been raped, witnessed a rape or have raped another person, how would you know to identify a rape trauma, from any other trauma?"

"The introduction of bruising around the vaginal area, the teeth marks on the breasts, and the multiple contusions on the victim that would align with the placement of hands."

The Defense Attorney appeared to become very confident, his posture straightened as if he grew another six inches. He stood over Garrett in the witness stand asking, "Dr. Trivoli, have you never heard of sex partners that enjoy a variety of methods to become fulfilled? Such as sadomasochists?"

Garrett’s eyebrow quirked when the question was asked, yet she responded quickly. "Yes, I have heard of such practices, but that wasn’t the case here."

"Doctor, how can you be sure that wasn’t the case? Aren’t you the first one to mention the need of a ‘Rape Kit’?"

"Yes, I was in charge of the Trauma Room. I called for the Rape Kit."

"Did you ask all the males to leave the room?"

"Yes."

"Why was that?"

"To give the victim the privacy she deserved. She had been violated once. Having men in the room during the processing of the Rape Kit would be like having it telecast on TV, thus violating her again. I did not feel that the men needed to be in the room. She had been violated enough."

"Your Honor, would you please direct the witness to just answer the question and NOT add her own commentary."

The Judge smirked. He didn’t like the way the Defense Attorney was handling such an esteemed doctor. "Mr. Hanington, you asked a vague question, she seemed to answer it appropriately."

The Lawyer for the Defense felt that he was losing ground and attempted to discredit her answer. "Isn’t it true that you told one of the men who was in the room that you never wanted to see him step foot in your Trauma Room again?"

"Yes."

The slick attorney smiled to the jurors and asked a series of rapid-fire questions. "Isn’t it true that the real reason you asked those men to leave was because you don’t like MEN?"

"No!"

"And you feel you are superior to them in EVERY way?" Both his eyes and tone emphasizing the word.

"Why that’s absurd!"

"Doctor, that doesn’t answer the question. Don’t you really think that men are the weaker sex?"

The District Attorney stood up to object just as the final question was being asked. "Wouldn’t you just prefer to not have men around at all?"

Garrett’s response was quiet, her throat parched from all of the answers she had given. "No."

Just as the District Attorney got the words, "I object" out of his mouth, the petite blonde woman in the back of the gallery was standing up yelling. "Stop! Just stop it!"

The surgeon’s eyes adjusted to the figure in the distance off to the right of the Defense Attorney. There stood Danni, protesting the injustice that was befalling one of her menagerie, the most cherished one of all.

The Judge slammed his gavel down on the bench looking for compliance in his domain. "Order! Order in this courtroom."

"But Judge, they are lies, they are all lies." The petite nurse leaned over the chair in front of her, her arms now supporting her weight. "He doesn’t know her like I…"

"Young lady, if you don’t sit down and be quiet, I’ll throw you right out of this courtroom." The Judge banged the gavel once more for emphasis to his statement. "Not one more word, Miss." He cautioned her.

Karen and Rosie both reached up, grabbing onto Danni’s tensed arms and pulled her down into her seat. The small body plopped into the hard wooden chair in disgust.

"Hey, what are you trying to do, get us thrown out of here?" Rosie’s eyebrows were furrowed deep with concern for her friends. "She needs all of our support in here, where she can see us, not standing out in the hall behind closed doors." The blonde sighed and crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive positioning.

Mom leaned into Danni’s ear and whispered softly to her. "Do you want to give them more ammunition to use to discredit her?"

The young woman froze in the realization. Her green eyes grew wider and she found herself locking gazes with the raven-haired woman on the stand. Trying to draw no more attention to her, or Garrett for that matter, Danni closed her eyes and shook her head. "No," she whispered and then closed her eyes to the pain that was gathering in her being.

Danni’s face registered disbelief that anything Garrett said could or would be taken out of context. But the lawyer was doing a fine job of twisting everything that Garrett would answer to use in his favor. Danni sat riveted to her seat watching it all unfold.

Garrett let her eyes stray from the sparse country landscape outside of the car and turned her head only enough to bring Danni into view out of the corner of her eye. The blonde woman had been sitting quietly in the rear seat with the surgeon. ‘I guess she has a lot to think about, too!’ It wasn’t like Danni to travel this long and not try to get a conversation going, especially with the likes of Rosie and Mom in the front seat. The surgeon wondered if the four of them would ever be that friendly again after what had transpired in the courtroom today. She’d surely understand why if they chose not to be with her again.

The surgeon let her head drop and rested it in her hand, wiping her forehead as she tried to ward off the ensuing headache. When did everything start to go wrong? She loved her work, she was feeling comfortable in the hospital, and she was finally making friends, even letting one small blonde nurse begin to touch her heart. She’d never felt that comfortable before, no matter whom she was with. Now, in the matter of several minutes of courtroom interrogation, she felt like she was losing it all. She closed her eyes and let her left hand slide off her lap, coming to rest on the seat. She was just so tired from the night of surgery that the tension from the courtroom only made it worse. She felt as if all of the life had drained out of her being, leaving nothing but an empty shell.

Danni hurt for her friend. She could see the torment written in the tense muscles of Garrett’s face. She wanted to do nothing more than reach over and hug the woman, soothing her pain. The nurse wondered at this point how wise that might be. She had to do something to show the surgeon that she was not alone. That’s when she saw Garrett’s hand slip onto the seat. Reaching with her right hand, she let it worm right under the large palm and slide smoothly into place, locking their fingers together. Danni held her breath waiting for Garrett to notice her touch.

The surgeon cast her eyes down to her right hand. There she could see the petite fingers and thumb clutching onto her. The warmth that it brought with it seemed to invade and pulsate outward into the drained woman. Like a tiny battery it began its charging of Garrett’s depleted soul. ‘She’s wormed her way into my grasp just like she wormed her way into my heart.’ The surgeon could feel her heart warming and the love being poured into it. ‘To be there for someone when they are down? When there is no one else to stand by you? Is this what love is really all about?’

Garrett sighed. ‘Sex, is that all everybody ever thinks about? Is that all that love is really about?’ Hell, she was not a stranger to the mechanics of making love. ‘No,’ she thought, ‘not love, but rather the act of sex, itself.’ She was a doctor, for gods’ sake. They had made her well aware of anatomy and its uses in medical school, even in her early level biology courses. Then, who could forget the health classes that were a part of her high school years? They were all meant to prepare her for life…for love, whatever that was. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, a single thought raced through her mind. ‘Am I in love?’ Terror gripped her heart causing her eyes to widen, allowing the whites to show completely around the shimmering blue. ‘I’ve just learned…I’m still learning to be a friend. How could I possibly be in love?’ She fought back her fear. The idea of being intimate, that close to someone, letting that person know you sometimes better than you know yourself scared her. They said that you lost all control when you were in love, and control was one thing that the surgeon loved to be in. ‘Besides, who would I possibly be in love with…Danni?’

The surgeon lifted her eyes to gaze at the woman next to her. The concern and thoughtfulness of Danni’s small action was feeding into Garrett’s own insecurities about what love was supposed to be. It slowly became evident to the surgeon that love was a feeling that reached deep into your soul and gave your being the strength to survive. If that was what she was truly feeling now, it could be compared to the jump starting of a dead battery with one so full of energy.

She had thought of herself as incapable of love, well, at least in that sense of the word. Sure, she had experimented in college, just about everyone did. Heck, they were all young adults still searching for the meaning of life and love. But the few attempts had all been so meaningless, devoid of emotion. Maybe that was why the experiences were only that and nothing lasting had ever become of them. Perhaps it had not been the partners that she had paired herself with, but rather that she was primarily the cause of the lackluster couplings. There never was any passion or unbridled sentiment in it, just the mechanical couplings and manipulation of highly sensual areas. Besides, it didn’t seem to matter what the anatomy was. They had done nothing for her but reaffirmed her solitary life, spurring her unquenchable thirst for the knowledge that would be necessary for a stellar career as a surgeon. That seemed to be the only place that brought meaning to her life. It was the place where she found her passion giving her a sense of fulfillment. But now, she drew in a deep breath, was she indeed in need of something more, something that had always alluded her before?

This year of Fellowship was turning out to be more than she had anticipated. She closed her eyes, wishing that her life were not as complicated as it was turning out to be. ‘Thank the gods that this year would soon be over. Maybe then I can get some semblance of normalcy back,’ she mused. ‘Damn you, McMurray! This is all your fault.’ She cursed the man who was making her stretch herself into places, feelings and things that she had never thought of before coming here to the ‘Burgh.

‘The ‘Burgh,’ she chuckled to herself and wondered when her mind had grasped onto that hometown concept. ‘I never really associated myself with any one place before. Well, except for San Francisco were I grew up as a child.’ Then visions of a sparkling, slowly growing smile crossed her mind and she knew. Garrett turned her head, stealing a look at the woman whose hand was holding onto her own. ‘Could I actually be falling in love?’

Danni caught the last few seconds of the stolen glance and met it with one of her own. ‘By the Gods, I love the sensation of just holding her hand.’ Then to prove that it was not a dream, she gently squeezed her fingers and found the touch to be returned and very real. She closed her eyes, and savored the moment.

***************

Continued

The last thing that Danni wanted to do was to leave Garrett’s side. Slowly she slipped her hand out of the surgeon’s as the car slowed to a stop in front of the Hospital.

Karen turned to view the occupants of the rear seat. "You two going to be alright to drive home?"

"Yeah, if you want I could drop you off at your door." Rosie chimed in. Her eyes searched the rearview mirror for any indication of acceptance to her proposal.

"No," Garrett cleared her throat. "I have to check on my patient. Thanks for the offer Rosie."

"Hey, Doc, I don’t care what they asked you today, we’re still friends, right?"

The surgeon nodded her head slowly and then got out of the car. She couldn’t stand to be confined by the vehicle any longer and needed to be out in the open, free without any constraints. Garrett got out and headed into the lobby of the building, so thought of as home.

"Thanks, Rosie." Danni scurried across the seat and stood outside the door, ready to close it. "She’s had a tough day. I think it’s going to take some time for her to get it all together again. I’ll get her home, don’t worry."

The nurse closed the rear door of the car and followed the surgeon’s path.

There was a moment or two of silence in the car before either of the women spoke.

Rosie rolled her eyes then whistled a few notes slightly off key. "So, do you think Garrett is gay?"

"The only one that can answer that is Garrett. How about I let you be the one to ask her?" Mom stared at the driver of the car, challenging her to cross paths with the already emotionally charged woman.

"ME?" Rosie grabbed tightly onto the steering wheel and began shaking her head. "Don’t make no difference to me. She’s not my type anyway."

"Didn’t think you were a fool either, Rosie." Karen winked. "Either way, our Doc’s in good hands with Danni." The older nurse pried herself out of the front seat and closed the door of the car. She waved as Rosie pulled out into the flow of traffic. ‘God, Danni, I hope you get the answer you’re looking for.’

***********

Once inside the building, the old façade of the stoic surgeon was pulled in place. The air of arrogance that accompanied it was evident by the aggressiveness displayed in her walk. Reaching the information desk in the lobby, Garrett picked up the house phone and called directly into the Intensive Care Unit that she had admitted Chris to earlier that morning. After a few brief words with Chris’s nurse, the phone was replaced on its cradle and Garrett charted her course for the elevators.

"Gar, wait up!" Danni’s short legs worked double time in an effort do so. The nurse finally reached her as they stepped onto the elevator together. "Is Chris alright?"

Garrett nodded her response, keeping her thoughts to herself.

"I’m sorry for what happened today. You didn’t deserve to be verbally battered by that…" Danni found herself becoming embittered with her resentment of the defense lawyer. "Why I should have just…"

Garrett turned a weary eye at the nurse, "Danni getting yourself thrown out of court would have done nothing to stop him. I’m a survivor, don’t you know that by now?"

"But it didn’t make it right, what he did, I mean."

"No, I agree but it wouldn’t have stopped him either. He had a job to do, I was the one in his way." Garrett shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn’t matter anyhow."

"Doesn’t matter! Doesn’t matter, it matters to me and it should matter to you, too." The nurse was letting go of some pent up steam.

"It’s over, Danni." Blue eyes looked into green letting the calm after the storm penetrate the blonde. "It’s over." Her words were but a whisper that gave way to the sound of the elevator doors opening on the ninth floor and the tall woman stepped out onto the floor.

"Gar, I thought you were going to check on Chris?" Danni looked puzzled. "Isn’t she in the ICU on the Fifth floor?"

"Yes, but the best medicine in the world for her, is here on the Ninth Floor."

"Gar, pharmacy is on the…" Then it hit Danni. "This is the observation floor. You’re going to take Marie down to see her, aren’t you?"

The surgeon’s eyebrow rose. "I always thought that you were a smart nurse." Garrett let the corners of her mouth turn upward. "First I’m going to check her out and discharge her. Then, I’ll take her to see Chris."

The petite woman smiled. "Mind if I tag along?"

"No, not at all." The surgeon turned and started down the hall. "I was kind of hoping that you would."

Danni fell in step as they continued down the hall to Marie’s room. The blonde wondered what had gotten into the surgeon, but thought it best not to ask.

"You seem to have a pretty good rapport with her, perhaps you should go in first." Garrett stopped outside the door to Marie’s room. "I’ll go to the nurse’s station and get her discharged."

"Okay, but what should I tell her?"

"You’ll know what to say, you always do." Garrett let the lopsided smile come forth for the first time all day, then went about her duties, leaving Danni standing alone at Marie’s door.

Knocking gently first, Danni entered. "Hey!" She smiled at the woman sitting in the bed. "Care for a little company this evening?"

Marie’s face brightened immediately, seeing who it was. "Nurse Danni, come on in." She looked past the blonde and waited for a moment before speaking again. "You didn’t bring anyone with you? I was hoping you might."

"If you’re talking about Gar, I did. She’ll be in after she gets your discharge papers going."

"Discharge? I’m being let go?"

"Yeah, this is only a 23 hour observation unit. We kept you here just to make sure that nothing was missed last night. Besides, with the blood that you lost it was a good idea to keep an eye on you for a while." Danni studied the face of the older woman. Her hazel eyes darted back and forth in a worried motion. "Marie, is something wrong?"

"Nothing, really. It’s just that I didn’t want to be at home without Chris."

"Hmmm…I think that we might be able to get you in to see her. How’s that?"

"You could? That would be great." Her mood definitely perked up at the possibility of seeing her lover. "Will it be alright?"

"Gar, will make it alright." Danni winked and walked over to the closet in the room. "Let’s see about getting you dressed to leave. What do you say?"

The nurse opened the closet door revealing nothing but empty hangers. "Well, looks like you might just have to stay here until morning with nothing to wear but that "air-conditioned" gown."

"Okay, Marie. You’re all set to get out of here." Garrett came bounding into the room. She was excited about getting the two women back together. "I’ve taken care of the paperwork and all you’ll have to do is sign them."

"Thank you, when can I see Chris?" Marie got up off the bed in anticipation of leaving.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Let me get a wheelchair first." The surgeon motioned her to sit back down. "You lost a lot of blood yesterday, don’t go getting up that fast."

"I’ll be fine once I see Chris."

"Gar, we got a little problem here." Danni motioned toward the empty closet.

"Hmmm…I see." She thought for a moment then held up an index finger. "I’ll be right back." Then as fast as she said it, she was gone.

The nurse just shook her head in total amazement of her friend as a smile slowly stretched across her face.

"She is a beautiful woman. You’re very lucky to have her as a friend." Marie sat watching Danni begin to blush.

"Well, she is fun to be around when there’s nothing pressing that needs her attention."

"I can see that. Well, speak of the devil."

Garrett entered the room with a set of O.R. Scrubs in her hand. "Well, they’re not a brand name, but at least you won’t feel a draft." She handed them over to Marie. "I took a guess on the size. If they don’t fit, I’ll…"

"Thank you, I’m sure that they will be fine." She held them up and measured them against her body. "Yep, couldn’t have picked better if I did it myself." Marie headed toward the bathroom. "I’ll go change."

Danni waited until Marie had closed the door before she pulled Garrett toward the hall. "Gar, I think she really doesn’t want to leave without Chris."

The surgeon puckered her lips and thought for a moment with her index finger tapping on them. "I have an idea. Let me go check out Chris myself. I’ll meet you two up there."

"Okay, but what are you going to do?"

"You’ll see." The tall surgeon winked and took off down the hall.

*********

By the time that Danni had wheeled Marie to the ICU, a good twenty minutes had passed since she last set eyes on the surgeon. Stopping at the entrance to the ICU, the nurse picked up the courtesy phone and spoke to the nurse at the desk. Marie watched as Danni’s brow crinkled with lines as she listened to the voice over the receiver.

Starting to worry, the newly released patient fidgeted in her seat. "What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Chris?" The woman’s voice was full of concern.

"No, it seems that Dr. Trivoli thinks that it’s time to move Chris out of the ICU." Danni hung up the phone. "She’s in there ordering everybody around to get your friend moved. They want us to wait and accompany Chris to her new room."

"That’s good isn’t it?"

"Very good." Danni smiled and patted the woman’s shoulder.

No more than ten minutes passed by when the automatic doors of the ICU sprang into action. Danni instinctively pulled Marie’s wheelchair out of the way, knowing what to expect from the demanding surgeon. Marie’s mouth dropped open at the sight. There, pushing the bed herself was Garrett Trivoli. Her mouth spouted off orders as she moved ever-forward stopping for nothing and no one in her path. Danni hid her eyes and chuckled at the sight of the Charge Nurse from the ICU running after her, demanding to know want kind of medicine couldn’t be given in her ICU. The blonde nurse just shook her head as she listened to the surgeon’s reply.

"I told you before," Garrett’s strong voice bellowed, "it can’t be given in your ICU and I’m taking her to someplace that it can."

"I’ll…I’ll…" the flustered nurse was becoming winded.

"You seem to forget who the doctor is here. It’s me and I’m doing what is best for my patient. End of story." Garrett stopped only long enough to cast an evil eye at the ensuing nurse. "Do I make myself clear?" The surgeon’s eyebrow rose nearly into her hairline.

The Charge Nurse skidded to a stop. "Clear, yes, perfectly clear, Doctor Trivoli." She turned around and headed back into the unit, muttering as she did.

"I heard that, Nurse." The surgeon yelled over her shoulder. "The "R" for my middle initial does not stand for Royalpainintheass."

Danni and Marie could hear a muffled scream coming from the unit as the doors closed sealing the unit off from the outside world and found it impossible to keep from laughing.

"She is a card, I’ll say that."

Danni smiled, nodding her head as she started to follow the surgeon and bed ahead of her. "That, she is."

************

The reuniting of the couple was a tender scene to watch as each one greeted the other with whispered words and loving touches. Marie stood, bending over to give a gentle kiss to Chris’s forehead then sat back down letting her hand nestle into her lover’s hand. Just the idea of them being together was the best medicine of all for the both of them. Their faces brightened and the worry lines eased from around Marie’s eyes. They were home with each other and that was exactly what they both needed.

"Chris, you look so pale, I…"

"Now, Marie, you start that babying me and I’ll get Dr. Trivoli to take me back to that ICU." The skinny woman in the bed winked at her lover. "I understand that it was your fault that I got the best damn surgeon in the building to work on me. Thanks, Marie." Her voice softened and she brought Marie’s hand to her mouth and placed a gentle kiss upon it. "I love you."

Marie stood there like a schoolgirl and blushed at the blatant display of affection. The words were as welcome as the touch of her lover.

Garrett and Danni stood by the door mesmerized by the scene that they had brought about. Finally, Danni whispered, "Chris seems to be looking better already."

"Yeah, I guess that handholding is the best medicine that I could have ordered for her." Garrett moved her hand to Danni’s and squeezed it gently. "Providing that it’s with the right person, of course."

The nurse looked up at the tall surgeon and smiled. "You’ve got that right." Danni returned the squeeze with one of her own and turned for the door. "Let’s give them their privacy."

Garrett nodded and followed the blonde, closing the door after they were out. "I’ll just tell the nurses that if Chris needs anything, she’ll ask for it."

"Good idea." Danni winked. "I’ll meet you at the elevator."

The nurse couldn’t believe what she had felt. ‘Was that Garrett who just squeezed my hand or was I just imagining it?’ Either way, it sure felt nice.

************

Danni followed Garrett as they each drove their own cars home. Between the rush hour traffic and the events of earlier that day, sleep was a much-needed thing. The nurse noticed the tired look on the surgeon’s face as she opened the front door of the house to enter.

"Gar, you’re looking really tired. Why don’t you get some sleep? You know, you didn’t get more than a couple of minutes last night at the hospital."

The tall woman smirked then nodded. "You going to tuck me in, too?" It was a feeble attempt at humor.

"Yeah, I might just do that." She feigned swatting the surgeon’s behind stating, "Now off to bed with you. I’ll be up in a minute to tuck you in."

"Yes, mom." The tired surgeon pulled her body up the stairs one at a time using the railing to help her. "I’ll brush my teeth, too!" She teased.

Danni grabbed the mail from the box and closed the door. Sorting through it she noticed that most of it was for Garrett. "Hmm…interesting." She put them on the desk and took her coat off.

"Okay young lady, I’m coming up to check on you." Danni announced as she started up the staircase. "You better be in bed and fast…" By this time Danni was standing at Garrett’s wide open door. The woman was stretched out across her bed still completely dressed, but deep in slumber. "Asleep," she whispered. Walking into the bedroom, Danni took the ends of the comforter and covered her tall friend. Bending over, she lightly kissed the tension-lined forehead and whispered, "Sleep well, Gar." ‘I love you.’

Danni walked back to the doorway and leaned up against its framework. ‘How could anyone think you to be a monster of any sort? Why, if he was here right now…’ The nurse thought about what she would do to the weasel of a man who thought himself to be some god-brandishing hypocrite. She’d seen his type before. They do anything to get their clients off, no matter whose reputation they destroyed.

She watched the gentle giant sleeping and her mind began to relive the courtroom all over.

"Doctor, before that unruly outburst, you stated that you don’t have a problem with men, is that correct?"

Garrett glared at the attorney for his jab at her friend’s behavior. "Yes." Her voice was strong and vibrant now. The glass of water that she had found during the chaos helped her immensely.

"Doctor, if you don’t have an issue with men, then are you currently in a relationship with a man?"

"Objection, Your Honor!" The District Attorney stated.

The Defense Attorney smiled at the Judge. "Your Honor, it is my intention to show a pattern that will indicate that the witness does have a problem with men."

"The objection is over-ruled." The Jurist turned a wary eye to the Defense Attorney. "But, Mr. Hanington, don’t stray too far."

"That won’t be an issue, Your Honor." The attorney replied smiling cockily at the jurors. Turning back to the witness, the well-manicured man asked. "Do you have somebody that you date occasionally, say a boyfriend, Dr. Trivoli?"

"I don’t really have much free time for relationships." Garrett glared at him wondering what right he had to pry into her life. She wasn’t the one on trial.

"NO?" He looked puzzled for a moment, and then a look of revelation came over his face. "Are you married?"

"I object, Your Honor, relevance?" The quick voice of the District Attorney could be heard.

"The objection is again over-ruled. We have to give the Defense the opportunity to prove the point he stated that was his purpose for questioning the witness."

The Defense Attorney was getting smug. "Doctor, please answer the question. Are you married?"

"No."

"Doctor, is there ANYONE in your life now? Are you perhaps living with someone?"

The look on Garrett’s face indicated that she was taken aback by the question. She eyed the blonde in the back row. "Yes, I currently share a house with a friend."

"Have you slept with your ‘FRIEND’?"

The surgeon paled at the question, it was as if she was struggling to answer the question. "Yes, we have shared a bed if that is what you mean."

"So, Doctor," he strolled over to the jury box, "is your FRIEND a man,"

he adjusted his tie, "or a woman?"

"A woman, but it’s not the way you are implying." Garrett gazed at Danni while she was answering the question.

The blonde woman thought about the look she’d seen on Garrett’s face when their eyes had met for that brief second or two, it was almost apologetic for some reason. ‘No use in speculating, Danni, it’s her past and you weren’t part of it.’ Her mind drifted back to the courtroom.

"Doctor, what is it exactly that you think I am implying?" He looked, at her wide-eyed and innocently.

"It appears, sir, that you are implying that we were intimate, which isn’t the case. We were stranded at a ski lodge due to the weather. There was only one room left, and it had only one bed."

"Thank you Doctor, but it appears that you are rather defensive on this issue. Have you ever been in intimate contact with one of your ‘FRIENDS’?"

"Only as far as giving one a massage after a particularly hard day at work."

"Let’s be honest here, shall we? Isn’t it true that the real reason you aren’t in a relationship with a man is because you don’t WANT to be with a man?"

"No!" Garrett let her eyes dart between the two attorneys. "As I stated before I don’t have time for ANY relationship right now with my career."

"Career, yes, your career…" he thought out loud as he planned his next attack. "Doctor, do you think that the so-called ‘Glass Ceiling’ actually exists?" He smiled coyly at the jury stand. "You do know what I’m talking about don’t you?"

"Yes, that women only rise to the point of the ‘Glass ceiling’ in the workplace while men continue to rise above it."

"Why is that?" The Defense Attorney slowed his step and looked directly at her.

"It seems that there continues to be the ‘Good Ol’ Boys Network’ in play for all areas of the workforce."

"Does that bother you, Dr. Trivoli?"

"Of course it bothers me."

"Isn’t it because you feel that men are held in higher esteem than women?"

"To a certain extent, yes."

"Isn’t that the reason you got the position of Flight Surgeon on your deployments to sea? They thought that by the sound of your name that you were a male."

"I didn’t make that decision."

"But you did make the decision to ask for the Rape Kit, because you felt that this was a way to get back at a man, for all the injustice that happens to women. Didn’t you?"

"No!" The surgeon was distraught, her hand playing nervously with the contents of her pocket.

"Your Honor, I object to this line of questioning. The Defense has yet to get to his point."

"The objection is sustained. You have had plenty of time to make your point, Mr. Hanington, that’s enough. Either move on or dismiss the witness."

"Your Honor, I will only be questioning this witness for a short time longer."

"Mr. Hanington, this is your final warning." The Judge settled back into his chair, his eyes stern and full of admonition.

"Yes, Your Honor." The Defense Attorney turned to the witness. "Isn’t the real reason you left the Navy because you couldn’t stand the fact that it was predominantly men?"

Garrett smiled slowly. "I never left the service, sir. I’m still an active member of the U.S. Navy for the next two years." The twinkle in her eyes danced in delight as she leaned her elbows on the railing of the witness stand and rested her chin in her hand waiting for his reaction.

The Defense Attorney looked like a deer in front of headlights. He was in shock. Defeated by his own line of questioning, he swallowed hard. "No more questions for this witness."

The Judge smiled at the witness. "You are excused."

Sighing, Danni shook her head. "If looks could have killed, I think both of us would be up for murder right now, Gar." She thought aloud in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the sleeping woman. ‘How does he know what you are like. I do. I’d trust my life in those hands of yours a million times over.’

Lost in her dream of Garrett’s hands, Danni jumped when she heard the sound of the ringer on the phone. Racing down the stairs, she grabbed it on the end of the second ring, not wanting the sleeping woman to be disturbed.

"Hello," she hoarsely whispered.

"Danni, are you feeling alright? Are you sick?"

"Brie! No, I’m fine…well, actually I’m a little sick to my stomach right now but I’m getting used to that. Why do you ask?"

"Your voice, why is it so hoarse?"

"I was…a little vocal at the court case today. I must have…"

"Court case? What court case?"

"Brie, nothing for you to get worried about. It was a case that Garrett got summoned to. It was a rape trial."

"Rape trial? Was it someone you know?"

"No, a patient that we worked on together. They really grilled Garrett though. You would have thought Gar was the one charged with rape the way the questioning was directed from the defense attorney."

"Danni, it was good that you were there for support. That sounds like it was some kind of hell."

"Yeah, well, it still plagues us now. We were up all night with a disaster and Gar was in surgery until the early hours of the morning. It didn’t leave much time for us to sleep." Danni let her voice trail off. "Sis, was there any reason why you called?"

"Oh, I was…was going to be in town tonight and I thought that maybe I could meet that surgeon of yours."

"Gee, Brie, I don’t know. Gar is sacked out across the bed too tired to even get in it. Another time might be better." Danni sighed. "This court thing really got us both pretty beat."

"Danni, you are taking care of yourself, aren’t you. I mean, you don’t want to be losing any weight right now."

"No way, Sis. I’m starting to fill out that Flight Suit quite nicely. I’ve been getting enough exercise to carry those few extra pounds of muscle that I’ve picked up since I teamed up with Garrett."

There was silence on Brie’s part as she thought of what few extra pounds her sister might be talking about. ‘The baby or certain parts of Garrett’s anatomy?’

"Hey, Brie. I think I really need to sit down and rest for a while, I’ve been on the go for the last 36 hours or so."

"Danni, get off your feet and rest. You take care of yourself and Garrett, too, mind you."

"Sure, Sis. Talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye!" Brie hung up the phone. "I’ve really got let Mother know about Danni’s situation otherwise, she’s going to have a bird getting two grandchildren in the same year. Good thing I’m meeting her for lunch next week. This may go over better in person." Brie rubbed her own extended stomach. "Yes, my little one, you’ll have a cousin your same age. I can’t wait to see Mother’s face when she finds out that her precious Danni is going to give her everything that she wants…but in the wrong order." There was a gleam in the pregnant woman’s eye with that thought. "I’ll be your favorite for sure then."

*****************

Garrett woke up with the weirdest sensation that she had ever had. She felt like a mummy that had been left out of its tomb, alone, after it was sealed. Ready to fight the material that surrounded her, she slowly found her freedom from the confining wrap. With one eye opened, she looked for something that would tell her where she was. It was dark, darker than most mornings when she got up. Then she saw the illuminated digital readout of the alarm clock. It was 2300. She was nowhere close to morning, yet her body was telling her that she’d slept long enough.

Letting her fingers sweep over her body she realized that she was still fully dress, sans her shoes. "Damn! I must have been so tired that I didn’t even get changed." She rolled over and pushed herself up off the bed, scanning the nightstand for her beeper. "I wonder if…" fumbling with the beeper she found that it was still turned off. ‘I guess that wasn’t what woke me then. I wonder if Danni told them we were available for flights? Guess not!’ The surgeon flopped back on the bed. "I’m up now. Guess I’ll go call us back in service." She sat up and let her legs slide over the edge, then down onto the floor. The carpet felt good under her stocking feet as she made her way into the hall.

‘Looks like Danni is still awake, the light’s on in her room.’ Garrett touched the door lightly with the back of her knuckles and it opened slightly. Shrugging at the door, she pushed it more fully open and stuck her head in. "Danni?" She spoke softly. "Danni, did you…" She stopped and peered in at the sleeping woman who was sprawled under the covers, her fingers tightly clenching onto her journal. "I guess you didn’t."

It was a beautiful sight, the petite woman looking more like a child than anything, lost in the confines of the queen size bed. ‘It didn’t seem that big the other night when I slept in it with her.’ Garrett thought about how good it felt to wake up beside this woman the next morning. It was almost like she had done it hundreds of times before. It was such a natural thing to do.

‘Mom, is this what you were laughing about when you told me all those pot o’gold stories when I was a kid?’ Garrett wished she could turn back the hands of time and have her mother here to guide her. Just this one time she wished for someone else’s wisdom to guide her life. It was so easy when she was a child. You just did what you were told. But now, as an adult, no one told you how to live, you had to do that for yourself. And contrary to her beliefs as a child, those decisions didn’t get any easier with age. In fact, they just got more complex and compounded by the reaction that they would have on the world around you.

How could she give up her friendship with Danni in the hopes of having something more? She knew the friendship was strong but would it be strong enough to withstand an invitation for love on a higher plane? Especially if that was not what Danni was after.

Then her mind began to wonder. ‘Could I still be friends with her if she didn’t want to pursue that type of relationship?’ She thought of David and the gnawing pain that she felt each time that she pictured the two of them together. No, to Garrett Trivoli, the names of Danni and David did not belong in the same sentence let alone the same lifetime together.

The surgeon entered the room and crossed the floor to the side of Danni’s bed. She stared down at the woman sound asleep, gauging the space left in the bed. ‘There’s enough room. I could just lie down beside her and…’ Garrett shook her head and let a lung full of air escape out of her mouth. ‘What are you thinking, Trivoli. Don’t be stupid.’

She picked up the journal from Danni’s hand and tucked the covers around the young woman’s body. "Night, my friend," she whispered and smoothed out a stray lock of hair on the blonde’s forehead. Turning to the nightstand, she flipped over the journal and started reading the lines on the page where Danni had left off before sleep overtook her.

The two bodies seemed to morph from one into two and then back again. Each time, a little more of one became part of the other until after a while they could no longer be seen as two distinct people but rather only as one soul, housed in two bodies.

Garrett set the book down, but the words kept running through her head. Her blue eyes drank their fill of the woman in the bed. The surgeon started taking stock of herself and how much she had changed in the last eight months since meeting Danni. It seemed to be funny, as she was changing, so was the nurse who now took chances that she would have walked away from before. The surgeon looked back to the journal and the words came to haunt her again. ‘No longer be seen as two distinct people but rather only as one soul…’

Wasn’t that what they had become when they responded to a call for assistance? The Flight Team was the embodiment of their soul and even though they were two distinct people, they acted more like a single unit with one mind.

Garrett closed her eyes, trying to calm her fast-paced mind. She felt like the walls were going to crash right in on her. It was time to get out into the open and let her mind think about the whole thing without being pressured. Without the woman that tormented her soul being so close at hand. The surgeon turned off the light on the nightstand and let the light from the hall be her guide away from this Garden of Eden that was so ripe for the taking.

***************

The nurse stirred as she heard the sound of the front door closing and the locks clicking into place. Gazing over at her bedside clock, Danni saw that it was only 2330. She put her head back down on her pillow and began to burrow into it when the sound of Garrett’s Blazer being started made her sit up. Leaving her bed and looking out the window, Danni could just make out the set of taillights as they drove off down the street.

The young woman sat back down on the bed, her heart sinking with the pain that her friend must be in. "Please, keep her safe and help her to weather this storm," she prayed to any deity that would listen. "Let her eyes be opened to what is in my heart. But most of all, let her find what is true and right in her own."

*************

Driving around aimlessly in the night, the surgeon found herself at the one place that she always considered as her domain. She was the authority figure here and that never changed. It was one world of hers that had not been rocked by the turmoil she now was confronted with.

Throwing her Blazer into park, she jumped out, leaving the vehicle haphazardly placed in one of the on-call spaces right outside the door to the E.R. Striding with an air of purpose in her steps, Garrett breezed by the waiting room and the nurse’s station on her way to nowhere. She needed time to think, and people, well, they would only get in the way and confuse her all the more. The surgeon made her way to where she always thought the best, the O.R.

Changing into a set of scrubs, she stepped into the first empty surgical theatre and just let the aura of the room seep into her being. She thought about her many hours spent in rooms just like this one and all the patients that had benefited from her skills, her confidence in her own judgement. From that first simple appendectomy when she was just a budding Medical Student, to the woman she had worked on the night before where all of her experience was needed to keep her alive. What would they think of her now if they were privy to her mind? If only there was someone that she could talk to. Then it dawned on her. Perhaps it was time to check in on her patient, Chris.

***********

Garrett stopped in at the nurse’s station, taking time to check Chris’s chart. She made every effort to act more like a doctor than she could admit her mind was presently capable of. The few minutes that she spent perusing the chart afforded her the time to muster her courage for what she intended to do. With a steady gait and a determined purpose, the surgeon strode to the patient’s room, where she knocked first before entering.

The short curly ringlets of hair stood every which way on the head of the woman in the bed. Her thin wiry build gave her a comical cartoon look.

Garrett was nearly to the bed before her eyes opened and she greeted her savior. "Hey, Doc. Thought only those students keep these late hours. You didn’t have someone up in the O.R. did you?"

Garrett shook her head. "No, just came in to check on you." The surgeon fiddled with the I.V. line acting as if it was customary for her to do so. "Besides, I didn’t want anyone else to come in her and disturb you and Marie."

"Hmmm…sounds to me like you got some things weighing on your mind." Chris watched Garrett’s expression as it changed to one of almost startled disbelief. "I guess that just goes with the job, though. Don’t it?"

The surgeon cleared her throat. "Ah…yes, I believe it does." She smiled weakly and then motioned to Chris’s abdomen. "Mind if I take a look while I’m here?"

"Heck, Doc, you know me inside and out." She giggled and looked over to the sleeping form of Marie in the chair next to her. "Almost as good as her, except she’ll tell you that she don’t know me at all sometimes." The thin lips of the patient pressed together and formed into a smile.

"I guess that comes from living so closely with someone. My friend says that she seems to know me better than I know myself, then out of the blue I do something that completely baffles her." Garrett drew in a breath. "Say, Chris, how did you and Marie ever get together? You seem so different from each other."

"I just held my breath and waited her out. I wasn’t the kind to strike up a conversation. I guess she knew it, too. It took her nearly a whole month before she spoke those first words to me."

"What were they, something philosophical?"

Chris looked over at Marie and stroked her hair. "No, she asked me what I was using for bait."

"Bait?" Garrett raised her eyebrow in response. "Was she referring to you cologne or your style of dress?"

"Neither, I was sitting out in the morning sun with my feet dangling over the edge of the wharf with a fishing pole in my hand." They both smiled at each other for a moment while Chris waited for the next question from the surgeon.

"Was it love at first sight or did you have to think about it for a while?"

"Hmm…now that’s a tough one. In my heart, I think it always was love, even before we talked. Now, my head, well let’s just say that I could have known her more closely for a lot longer if I’d listened to my heart."

"You’d choose going with your heart, then?"

"Every time! It has a funny way of knowing what it needs."

"Then you never regretted…"

"Life’s too short for regrets, Doc." The thin woman motioned to her own body. "Look at me. I don’t regret you being here yesterday. Why should you regret something that reaches out and acts like a life preserver?"

"Life preserver? I’m not following you."

"Love, Doc, love. It can get you through the low times and help to keep you grounded when the world keeps pushing you higher." She winked and nodded toward Marie. "She’s my anchor. Keeps me from running aground in high seas, and stands waiting for me like a homing beacon when I’m running off on a tangent."

Garrett cleared her throat as she made an attempt to look at the incision site. "Well, that seems to be healing nicely." The surgeon hoped that Chris would welcome the change of subject. "Maybe in a day or so we might be able to get you two home. What would you say to that?"

"Grateful, that’s what I’d say. Truly grateful."

Garrett smiled and put the bandages back in place. "Thanks, Chris. You’ve been a wonderful patient to take care of. You and Marie, both."

"Well, it wasn’t our doing to be in here but I’m glad that if I had to, it was you and that little blonde nurse…"

"Danni." The surgeon smiled just saying her name.

"Yeah," she smiled, "Danni took care of us. Marie was telling me about how you each stood watch over us last night. I appreciate that."

"I only do it for special patients, you know." Garrett winked and laughed with the older woman. "Thanks for talking to me. I’m going to think about what you said."

"Don’t mention it, Doc. You’re a good woman. I’m sure that you’ll know what’s right if you just follow your heart."

"You," the surgeon pointed directly at Chris, "get some sleep now." Garrett patted her hand. "I’m going to go listen to my heart."

The surgeon stepped away from the bed and out the door leaving the two women to bask in the love that had filled their hearts years ago.

***********

The chilly air of the predawn hours did wonders to clear Garrett’s head as she got into her Blazer. It was always darkest before the dawn and the surgeon was hoping that with the rise of a new day, her last twenty-four hours would be her darkest for years to come.

Perhaps it was the quiet of the late night hour or the solitude but Garrett could sense that things were going to become easier for her, especially after talking to Chris.

She turned the key in the ignition and put it into gear as she charted her course for home. ‘I’ll call command when I get home and tell them to put us back on as of 0700. Danni needs the rest.’ It amazed her, how many times she thought about the nurse lately. It seemed to be the one thing that she honestly could say was a constant in her life.

"Okay, Trivoli, now all you’ve got to do is listen to your heart. Well, that’s as soon as you find it."

The tall surgeon pulled out into the sparse traffic and headed home, still searching for her pot o’gold.

Chapter 10

With the warm weather moving into the area sooner than usually anticipated, the Flight Crew was being utilized more and more. The gentle rains of April had moved into the picture making the roadways hazardous to drivers of all skill levels. There was hardly a day that the helicopters didn’t fly and the number of their call outs was increasing drastically.

Danni found herself pressed for time to even take care of the mandatory things in life like shopping for groceries, house chores, and keeping up with her nursing journals let alone the things that she thought she needed to do. It was playing on her mind, ever since the court case in March that she needed to talk to David. She’d finally made her mind up and wanted to take care of some things before she would feel comfortable to move on in the direction that she had chosen. The several attempts to get in touch with David never seemed to pan out. She’d call him and leave messages at his apartment and the hospital but in like manner, his replies ended up the same way. Talk about playing phone tag with someone, but this was getting down right ridiculous.

With all of the technology present in the year 2001, you’d think that it would be easier. The life style that each party had was a major contributor to their own unavailability. The nurse had often thought of using the computer and sending him E-mail, but never liked the idea of using it for something as delicate an issue as this. Besides, it just wasn’t her style. She was more a "look-you-in-the-eye" kind of person when things of this importance needed to be discussed. It had always been her trademark. Danni would just have to wait for the next time she could get a day off and drive herself down to West Virginia. Once there, she’d let David know exactly where he stood in her life and in her heart. There would be no more time for misconceptions if she were to try to do what her heart was telling her to do. June would be here soon enough and she still wasn’t sure what Garrett was thinking of doing come the first of July when her year of Fellowship would be over.

Danni thought about her tall, raven-haired friend. She seemed more contemplative now than before. It was as if she was weighing a great choice in her mind. Perhaps it was what to do with the next year, or where to go with her career. The only thing that the nurse prayed for was that somehow, someway, she would be a part of it. Most of the Residents and Fellows at the hospital were talking about where they would be working come the first of July, but Garrett hadn’t said a word. She’d never even mentioned it in any way. It was as if she only existed for that day, that Flight, and the rest would take care of itself when it got there.

The nurse looked at the stack of envelopes with Garrett’s name on them. What had started as only one or two in February was now adding up to a large handful. She could only speculate what they were about, since the surgeon had chosen not to even open them and read what they were offering her. Danni fanned through the handful of sealed letters letting the return addresses flash before her eyes. It amazed her that so many large institutions wanted a shot at Dr. Garrett Trivoli.

Now what would it take to entice her to stay? Danni knew what she was willing to throw into the pot, but would that make the surgeon stay on here in Pittsburgh or run like hell to get as far away as possible? The surgeon could name her price anywhere she wanted to go, but could she possibly find what she really needed away from Danni? These were all questions that the nurse knew were soon to be answered, whether she liked it or not.

Putting the stack of envelopes back where they belonged, she climbed the stairs to bed, wondering if they’d even get to sleep until morning before they would once again be summoned with a call for help.

****************

The clock read 0202 when the sound of the beeper woke the surgeon. Throwing back the covers, she sat up and scrubbed her face trying to get the sleep from her eyes. She picked up the pager and read the alphanumeric read-out on the display screen. The cryptic wording only added to the puzzle. "MVA – Man in Tree." "What the hell?" She pushed off the bed and started getting her Flight Suit on. "Danni!" The surgeon opened her door and yelled out into the hall as she rounded the corner to the bathroom. "Danni, we’ve got a flight. Time to get up."

Garrett closed the door in what seemed like seconds later. Then, the sound of a flush could be heard, followed by running water. She came out of the bathroom zipping up her suit as the sleepy-eyed blonde opened her door.

"I’m coming, I’m coming. I don’t know why we just don’t sleep in these suits anymore." She grumbled as she crossed the hall to the bathroom.

"Because they’re too hard to get off to go to the bathroom." Garrett yelled back as she picked up the phone to call into the command center.

"Oh, yeah, right!" Danni picked up the pace as she went about her abbreviated ritual that she had begun calling the "splash and dash routine." She had it worked out to a precise method. While seated on the commode, she would splash the water on her face from the sink and dry it with a towel helping to wake her up. Stepping into her Flight Suit she would pull it on, zipping it up and then wash her hands. Stepping into her boots at the bottom of the stairs, she would quickly tie the laces and dash to the already warmed Blazer with Garrett ready at the wheel.

The drive at this time of night was a quick one and within ten minutes they were standing at the helipad waiting to be met. The wash of debris-filled air picked up the closer the helicopter hovered to the pad. Protecting their eyes, the Flight Team waited patiently for the craft’s skids to touch down.

With the go-ahead signal from the pilot, Danni and Garrett scurried under the whirling blades of the helicopter toward the door. The surgeon quickly released the handle, opening it and the nurse entered and took her seat. Once Garrett was onboard with the door shut, Danni was alerting the pilot that they were preparing for take-off. The ease with which the surgeon maneuvered her tall body in the tight quarters of the ship always amazed the nurse. Her friend could be in the ship, and buckled in her seat within seconds.

"One of these days, you’re going to have to show me how you do that."

"Do what?" The surgeon looked surprised.

Danni shook her head, "Nothing, don’t worry about it." The nurse held her thumb up and the surgeon copied it for the pilot to see. They were lifting off.

Cowboy had made the quick ascent that was his usual approach to any of the trips when he rode with the Flight Team. He had already charted out the trip and was ready to convey any information that he had to the women in the back. "Morning, ladies. We’ve got to quit meeting like this or some people are going to think that the three of us have a thing going." He laughed casting a wayward eye over his shoulder to catch their reaction.

But there was none, the women were busy doing the preflight checklist of drugs and equipment. They could do it in their sleep that’s how often they were being called out. As a matter of fact, they had only been off of the ship for three hours this last time. They were beginning to have the look of drones as they went through the motions.

"We’ll be there in about twelve minutes." Cowboy warned them, then turned his attention to the sky ahead.

Any minute that could be, was used for sleep and if it was going to take twelve minutes to get to the scene, then that meant at least 10 minutes of snooze time. Garrett was used to the sporadic segments of sleep. It was a part of her training with long hours on call and surgeries to all hours of the morning. It was just like an old shoe that felt comfortable when you slipped it on. She folded her arms over her chest and set her head to a comfortable tilt, ready for sleep.

The nurse just watched, amused at how quickly the snores would come from the body of the surgeon. It amazed her to no end that anyone could just decide to go to sleep that fast. Danni sighed, looking out the window at the darkness of the night. She was one, that unless her petite body was exhausted, the comforts of bed would be the only place for her to sleep. Randomly the nurse let her eyes stray, finding herself gazing on the restful form in the seat opposite her.

"Rise and shine, ladies! Looks like every darn emergency vehicle in the county is parked down there." Cowboy shook his head. "Looks like a bad one, Doc."

That was all she needed. The simple sound of a voice stirred her out of her state of sleep. The surgeon rolled her head and stretched, trying to work out the kinks before they touched down. Having done all that she could to limber her tired and sore body, she waited for the craft to land.

"Have a good nap?" Danni smiled.

"You get used to it after a while. You know, you should really try it sometime."

"Not my style," the nurse giggled, "bed, covers, something warm, soft and plush to cuddle up to, that’s what I need."

Garrett looked at her kind of strangely, then slightly shook her head. "I don’t remember seeing you with any stuffed animals in bed."

Danni just smirked, thinking to herself. ‘I guess not when you’re the something warm, soft and plush to cuddle up to.’ "I guess you will just have to look a little harder the next time you see me in bed."

"Hmmm…I just might have to." Garrett let the corners of her mouth turn up as she allowed her eyes to gaze into Danni’s.

"Whoa, doggies, look at that!" The pilot was amazed at what he was viewing. "Doc, Danni, look out your window back there. You ain’t going to believe this one."

Garrett craned her neck trying to see out the window to the scene below. "I can’t see anything but a red glow."

"Gar, that glow is coming from all the vehicles down there. Where’s the…" Danni moved trying to find the best view of the unfolding rescue below. "Jeez, I hope they don’t expect us to get to him there."

"What?" The surgeon stretched trying to see.

"I don’t think I’m up for this one." The nurse mumbled in amazement.

"I’m starting decent." Cowboy informed his crew. "We’ll be on the ground in less than a minute."

"Where? What?" The surgeon was puzzled at her friend’s mumbled thought. "Danni, give me some idea of what we’re going into here."

"You’ve got to see this one for yourself."

The helicopter landed outside the ring of emergency vehicles. Cowboy had done his job well positioning the craft in such a way as to have the doors for the patient compartment in direct line with the scene. Garrett was pleased with his timesaving effort for the loading and liftoff but slightly miffed that she still had no idea of what they were walking into once she threw open the doors of the crew compartment.

Loaded with gear, Danni got up from her seat and waited patiently for the strong arm of the surgeon to open the door. Throwing the handle to release the locking mechanism, Garrett slid the door open and emerged to her first sight of the precarious rescue.

There, perched halfway up a huge tree, was the small compact vehicle. From the looks of the scene, the car had gone off the road at the top of the hill were it curved to the left and by some unknown force, became airborne, thus landing in the tree. By the looks of it, the only thing keeping the car in place was the long branch that had skewed it through the front and back windows. The car teetered like a hanger hooked on to someone’s finger.

Garrett took in a deep breath and let it out. "Well, standing here ain’t getting our job done. Let’s go find the Scene Commander."

Danni nodded and they trooped off together in the direction of the man in charge.

**************

It was only a matter of ten or fifteen minutes before the bloodstained body of the small vehicle’s driver was lowered out of the tree. The use of an aerial ladder raised to the side and above the treed vehicle afforded them the vantagepoint that they needed. They rigged their rope and pulley assembly there to lower the victim secured to the backboard down to the ground and into the waiting hands of the medical personnel. Surprisingly, the victim was alert and oriented to his plight. His anxious cries for help tore at the young nurse’s heart. It was her nature to care and comfort, not stand around, waiting for the patient to come into your reach.

"He’s going to be full of glass, Danni. You’d better make sure to have your heavier gauge gloves on." Garrett thought out loud as they stood there watching.

"Yeah, got them right here in my pocket." The petite nurse touched first her right then her left side leg pockets. "Never leave home without them." Then she began to pull them from her zippered pockets. In the process a small vial of solution started to emerge with them. ‘What the…oh, forgot I had that in there from yesterday in the E.R.’ She pushed it back into her pocket, pulled the zipper shut and stood ready for the patient as she pulled the gloves onto her hands.

Within minutes the lowered form was disconnected from the rope system and carried across the rough terrain. The group of litter bearers never stopped until they were well out of the danger zone, and the patient placed on the framework of the helicopter’s stretcher.

The rescue worker in the lead looked directly at the Flight Surgeon, his eyes pleading for help. "He’s bleeding from somewhere on his face and we just can’t get it to stop."

Garrett glanced quickly at the blood soaked clothing of the rescue personnel then to the patient himself. If something weren’t done to stop that bleeding soon, there would be little blood left to keep him alive on the inside. She caught a glance of the lone I.V. site in his left arm. The fluid chamber of the regulating gauge was dripping so fast that it was almost a steady stream.

"Danni, get another I.V. line established and hang Ringer’s Lactate wide open." The surgeon muscled her way into the group of concerned E.M.S. personnel. "Shine those lights on his face. Let’s get a look at this wound." She reached into the pile of gauze and absorbent dressings, carefully lifting them from his face.

Garrett grabbed the offered gauze from the Medic’s hand and used it to try to wipe some of the blood from the patient’s face. As fast as she blotted the area, more blood appeared. It seemed to be gushing out of his very pores, all concentrating in the area around the right eye. After a few more handfuls of fresh gauze, it appeared that she was making a little headway. The long jelly-like masses of coagulated blood clung to the gauze like a baby to its mother’s nipple. Now, the injury could be seen much clearer.

Danni noticed the quietness at once as the voices around her halted. She looked up from her ministrations with the I.V. tubing to see several shocked faces on the rescuers. "What’s wrong?"

Her question was meet only briefly by the blue eyes of the Flight Surgeon as Garrett looked up from the brutalized flesh, then, continued examining the right side of the patient’s face.

The nurse looked directly at the traumatized patient’s face. Even from where she stood an arm length away, the injury was horrendous. The right eye was protruding from its socket and grossly misshapen. There wouldn’t be much that they could do for that eye now. Stopping the bleeding was their major concern. Knowing that head wounds have a tendency to bleed more due to the vascular nature of the body, Danni was not appalled by the site like many of the rescuers were. She just kept moving along about her job.

"Artery?"

Garrett shook her head. "No, the blood just keeps coming from that whole area." She blotted the raw flesh again trying to see it better. "Danni, we don’t carry Lidocaine with Epinephrine in our drug bag, do we?"

The nurse handed the bag of I.V. solution for a rescuer to hold. "I.V.’s in and running wide open. Lidocaine with Epi, not likely. They only use that in Plastic Surgery." She moved out of her position and joined Garrett at the head of the patient. "We don’t carry that in our bag," she smiled as she remembered the vial in her leg pocket, "but I know where we can get some."

Danni quickly produced the vial from her pocket. "Would 20cc be enough?"

She held the bottle up with the label facing the surgeon.

The lopsided grin spread like a bolt of lightning across Garrett’s face. "Yes, that just might be enough." Her eyes twinkling with delight at the sight of the drug she needed. "Get me a syringe and a few needles, 25 gauge if you have them. Were going to use an old plastic surgery trick to stop this blood loss."

With needles and syringes procured, the Flight Team worked to arrest the bleeding by injecting small amounts of the drug under the skin. It was a way of keeping the very vascular regions of the face that were filled with multitudes of capillaries, small veins and arterioles from bleeding while the plastic surgeon would do the tedious job of stitching up any lacerations through the layers of nerve sensitive tissue. It would allow plastic surgeons a lengthier time to work at the tiny hair-fine stitches that were necessary. Garrett finished the last of the injections, using up the last of the drug. "There, that should give us a chance to get him to the Trauma Center and replace some of his blood." She straightened up and rolled her shoulders trying to release the kink that was forming already. "What’s his pressure now?"

The medic took another reading while the surgeon studied the exposed globe and placed moist gauze then the domed plastic shield over it for the protection of the once sighted organ.

"BP is 100 over 76, Heart Rate is 108, and Respirations are 24."

"Okay, let’s get him loaded for transport, there’s nothing more that we can do here."

The Flight Surgeon’s words were like gold taken at face value. The group of rescuers hastily carried the helicopter litter into the receiving door as Danni slipped inside the craft to direct the stretcher into place and lock it down. The surgeon brought up the rear, as she gathered the equipment bags, bringing them with her. Once the bags were stowed inside, Garrett slid the compartment’s door closed, locking it in place. She promptly took her seat and buckled herself in for the ride. A quick visual check assured her that Danni was in place and ready for flight. Garrett gave the thumbs up sign to the pilot and they were on their way.

The sound of the whirring blades picking up both speed and power for lift off were a welcome noise. It would mean that they were at best, only twelve to fifteen minutes from the hospital and an awaiting ophthalmologist to whisk him into surgery. That was, if there was any hope to save the eye.

The surgeon continued on with her secondary assessment of as much of the patient as she could reach while Danni monitored his vital signs. With the abbreviated survey giving her no additional speculations of injury, the surgeon called in her report. With that out of the way, the Flight Team settled into their seats and waited for the familiar sights of the City of Pittsburgh to come into view.

"Danni," the soft voice of the surgeon could be heard over the helmet radio, "that was a nice assist back there. Where did you come up with that Lidocaine with Epi?"

The nurse shrugged her shoulders rather tiredly. "Sometimes it pays to help out in the E.R. when we’re waiting to be called out. I was assisting the Maxillo-Facial Surgical Resident yesterday and just happened to pick up an extra vial." She let the smile spread across her face, content in the thought that she had everything that Garrett could possibly want.

**********

With their patient turned over to the Trauma Team at the hospital, Garrett and Danni waited to see what the ophthalmologist could report after his close scrutiny of the traumatized globe. It wasn’t looking good in respects to being able to save the eye even cosmetically. The lens was ripped out of its place and the cornea, what little there was left to it, was trashed. Even though the loss of the eyesight would be a permanent thing, the patient still had his life, which was lucky considering the nature of his accident. It could have been so different an outcome if the car had propelled itself a little more to the right.

Wearily, Danni and Garrett replaced their supplies and bid Cowboy farewell and safe flying, as they themselves headed back to their home. It was almost morning now and sleep was still nothing more than an allusion to them.

***********

The ringing clamored so close to her, that Danni initially thought it was coming from inside her head. The blonde woke to the sound of the phone. There it was again. Her single eyelid opened as the tired green orb tried to find the source of the racket to stop it from ringing another time. Her jumbled mind fought from dominance over sleep. ‘What’s the phone doing in my room anyway?’ There it was, starting all over again. She reached out her hand and swiped it from the table next to where she lay.

"H...Hel…lo," she croaked, her voice husky from sleep. The nurse tried to push herself up from her warm pillow but the effort was too much as she sank back into it.

"Danni? It’s nearly 1 in the afternoon. I thought you didn’t work the night shift anymore."

"Don’t…" she mumbled into the receiver. "I’m with Garrett now."

"You’re still in bed?" Brie was shocked by the openness of her sister. She hadn’t even tried to hide the fact. "Are you feeling alright, I mean, you’re not sick are you?"

"No, Brie, no queasy stomach today. I haven’t had one since the last time we spoke." Danni laughed softly, as she grew more awake with each exchange of conversation. "Gar and I were up and down so many times last night, I never thought I would get to sleep."

"Danni, is that good right now?" The concern was coming across loud and clear from her sister.

"Yeah, they said that the call to action would grow steadily before it would level off and then slow down later in the season. Everybody tells us to enjoy it while we can."

Brie thought of her own family and the limited times that were available for sex once her son was born. "I got to admit it, Danni, they’re right. Is that snoring I hear in the background?"

Danni pulled her head up off the pillow and tried focusing her eyes on her surroundings. Much to her surprise, she was on the couch in the living room and her pillow was none other than one very worn-out surgeon still dressed in her Flight Suit. The nurse looked down to her own body stretched out along the length of the couch. She, too, was dressed in a very similar fashion. "Yeah, Brie, that’s Gar snoring."

Images ran through Brie’s head of her sister in bed with a man and she fought hard not to go there. "Are you happy with this, Danni?"

"I’m finding that I’m liking it more and more. You might even say that I just can’t seem to get enough of it." The nurse turned a loving eye to the woman sleeping next to her. "It’s really wearing Garrett out, which is surprising because that surgeon can usually go all night long without a problem. I guess it’s a little too much right now."

"You know, sis, you could just kick back a little and skip a time or two."

"Are you kidding me?" Danni laughed joyously. "That little signal goes off and I know that Gar will be coming in any minute, banging on my door trying to get me up and ready for action. Hmmm…I guess we’re getting more physical than Gar is used to, just standing around in that Operating Room all day." She thought about her friend and how peaceful she looked at rest.

Brie was no prude, but she never expected these kind of explicit details from her older, unmarried sister. ‘I wonder if knowing that Mother is listening in on this conversation would make a difference?’ Casting a watchful eye to her mother across the table, one daughter wondered about the other.

"Hey, Brie, I’m like really tired. If you just called to chat, can we do it later? I’d like to get some more rest before we’re up and at ‘em again."

"Okay, I’d better say goodbye. Talk to you later."

"Bye!" The blonde turned off the phone, laying it back where she had found it. Likewise, Danni did the same with her head.

Brie disconnected the line and stuffed her digital phone back into her purse. Mother’s face was becoming more stern and tight-lipped then ever. Her narrowed eyes resembled black holes that would suck you right in and lose you in her wrath forever.

"Now, do you believe me, Mother?" Brie sat with a smug look on her face. "I told you they were living together. Now I’m sure of it. Danni’s pregnant. First the morning sickness at Christmas time and now the unbridled sex urges. Why, by my pregnancy book, she’s right in step with her second trimester."

Mother looked shocked. ‘Where did I go wrong? She knows my wishes…find a doctor, get married and raise children.’ "Get the check for lunch, Brie. We’re going to Pittsburgh. I’ll see for myself."

"Ah…Mother I’m not sure that would be a prudent idea right now. I mean, they didn’t sound like they were receiving company any time soon." Brie motioned for the waitress. "Besides, Mother, if Danni is pregnant you don’t really want to go getting her all upset do you?"

Mrs. Bossard had anger building up inside of her that equaled the power of the atomic bomb. "You’re right, Brie, Danni would never be the one responsible for this. I’ll take my anger out on the real culprit, Dr. Garrett Trivoli." Her eyes glowed with the fire of hell and brimstone. "Who does he think he is to turn my eldest daughter into a little trollop? I’ll not accept any bastards in this family. He’ll marry her alive or posthumously. It doesn’t matter to me."

The matriarch breathed deeply, trying to calm her outraged emotions. "I have a meeting in Pittsburgh next week. I’ll just stop in at that hospital of theirs and talk to him without Danni being around. We’ll see who’ll have the last laugh here." She pushed herself up from the table. "Come, daughter, we have things to take care of."

The young woman watched her mother turn and walk away. ‘Yeah, Danni, you can have fun with your surgeon, but I’m the matriarch-in-training now.’ She doled out several bills from her purse to pay for lunch and followed in her mother’s footsteps as she gently rubbed her own ever-expanding with new life stomach.

*************

Shades of evening were drifting in the windows as the sun slowly sank in the west, when Garrett first started to stir. Her long frame draped over the comfortable couch had received more sleep in the last eight hours than she had in the last five days. It was a miracle that they got any sleep at all. For once, in a string of days, the beeper remained quiet. She dreaded moving for fear the tired and aching muscles of her body would scream in protest to the punishment that she was causing them to endure.

What was supposed to be a year spent in learning the techniques of Trauma Surgery was becoming a year of learning more and more about herself than she ever realized existed. The once cut-and-dried approach that she had meant for her life was now crumbling around her. She was feeling things that made no sense to her and for the first time in her life, she felt like she was losing all control. Control, wasn’t that what had ruled her life before? She thought about how she was the controlling party in the orchestra of her life’s work. It was she who had put in the long tedious hours of mastering her surgical skills. No one else had made her practice the fine motor skill movements that her hands and fingers could perform now without her even giving them a second thought. Now, when all of her hard work was about to be paying off, she felt her life spiraling out of control with a petite blonde at the center of it all.

The surgeon slowly rolled her head from side to side, easing out the stiffness in her muscles. She let her body take its time in waking up. Yawning, she opened her eyes and saw where she was, the living room. She’d never even made it up the stairs. Now that was tired. ‘Good gosh, if I was this tired, I can only imagine what Danni must be feeling like.’

It was then that she felt the strange sensation of movement, as something stirred against her body. The tiniest of sighs came dancing on her ears and the surgeon knew that Danni was not far away. Lifting her weary head, Garrett could make out the blonde hair that fell so haphazardly in her lap. The woman’s body warmth had melted her heart. Garrett rested her head down on the back of the couch and moved her arm so that her hand was laying gently upon Danni’s head, the blonde tresses weaving themselves in between the long sinewy fingers of the surgeon.

****************

Danni had awakened, surprised to still be in her Flight Suit. But the bigger surprise was being on the couch with her head on Garrett’s lap and the surgeon’s hand playing with her hair. Wow, was that a surprise! The blonde felt her heart racing and her mind clouded with thoughts. ‘By the gods, if it could only be like this forever.’ The nurse nestled in enjoying the closeness of the woman she loved and letting all of her senses drink in their fill of information to keep the moment fresh in her memory. Now, this, this was something to write about in her journal. Danni made a mental note to do just that the minute the large, soft hand was no longer holding her.

************

The warming days of April had settled in and now the rain descended down upon them. The medic crews that came into the E.R. this night were dressed in their slickers and dripping with the elements from outside. Rain was always depressing but even more so to the hospital staffs, especially the nurses in the E.R. With rain came slippery road conditions and with the darkness falling, that meant more accidents than normal.

The trauma beeper had been going off on what seemed to be a regular basis.

At least that’s what Karen thought it to be. She looked up to see the doors open, allowing another group of medics to wheel in their patient. "It’s going to be another one of those nights." She shook her head. "Okay, Medic 4 we got your report. Knee injury, right?"

The young, skinny medic nodded his head. "Yep, minor fender bender and no seat belt. His knee hit the dashboard. Nothing else hurts and his vitals are fine."

"Okay, let’s see," the Charge Nurse looked at the board, "Take him into room 10. I’ll have the Doctor see him in a minute or two." She turned and looked around for an available nurse, "Rosie, can you take this one?"

"Not really, Mom, we just got a report of two more coming in from an MVA, a Level One and the other one is a rescuer."

The older nurse nodded to the patient and medic combo, "Come on, I’ll take you myself." Leading them to the room, she prepared the patient to be seen.

Rosie stepped out of the way of the medics as they wheeled in past her. Within seconds, the perky nurse was headed for the back hallway and the Trauma Rooms. Passing the assignment board, the auburn-haired nurse looked at the names, longing to see that of her friend’s up there once more. She missed Danni like she missed a sister. The two women had worked side by side since the blonde had come to the E.R. and now, with being on the Flight Team, Rosie seldom, if ever, got to see her. ‘What I wouldn’t give to be working with her tonight.’ The nurse hastened her pace to assure that the room would be ready and she in it when the patient arrived.

The tired team assembled and took their places ready for the next trauma to roll in the doors. As each one prepared themselves, they thought of things ranging from home and family to what to do and where to stand. The evening was a long one and with each new trauma coming in, it became even longer still.

Dr. Rene Chabot rounded the corner into the Trauma Room as the loudspeaker announced the arrival of his patient. "Traumas in the department, Traumas in the department."

"Okay, everybody ready, eh?" The French Canadian was in a chipper mood even though the day had been busy. He looked from face to face as he grabbed the lead apron and put it on. "Dr. Kreger, you’ve got the second patient. I understand that it’s one of the rescuers. I’ll take the Level One."

The Chief Resident nodded his head and moved out into the hallway. "I wonder what happened?"

"Don’t know…they never said what the injuries where, just that they were both coming in the same ambulance." Rosie was hoping that it wasn’t too bad, it was never a pleasure to work on someone that you knew.

Just then the first sight of the ambulance crew came into view and all eyes were on them, eagerly anticipating the report. The Medics wheeled the stretcher into the room but instead of a deep male voice giving the report, a familiar female one was heard instead. Rosie looked up, surprised to see Danni dressed in casual clothing consisting of jeans and a pullover top.

"Fifty-two year old male unrestrained driver of a single car into a utility pole accident. We initially found him unresponsive on our arrival at the scene." Danni watched as they transferred the man from one stretcher to another. "Heart rate was Sinus Brady at 56, showing some PVC’s with occasional runs of bigeminy lasting for a minute or so. His BP was 110 over 82 and Respiration was at a rate of 12."

"Okay, thank you Nurse Bossard." Rene looked questioningly at her. "New uniform?" he teased.

"This?" Danni looked down at her clothing, "No, just out shopping when we saw this accident happen in front of us."

"Us?" Rene looked behind the blonde woman. "Where is the rest of the ‘us’ at?" He knew that Garrett would not be far away.

Danni tried to hide a knowing grin. "She’ll be here in a min…"

"I told you that I don’t need this!" The sound of Dr. Trivoli’s commanding voice traveled down the hall to the Trauma Room. "I can walk perfectly fine."

Danni wrinkled her nose in response to the voice. "There she is now." Then turned to see the hallway filled with the presence of the Flight Surgeon.

"Sure you can Doc." The medic pushing the wheelchair just rolled his eyes and laughed. "Just humor me, okay?"

"Humor you! You want me to humor you? How about you humoring me and let me out of this thing." The surgeon was twisting and turning in the chair as she ranted and raved.

Danni just sheepishly grinned, "They always say that doctors make the worst patients." Then shrugged her shoulders and left the patient from the car accident in the hands of the Trauma Team. "Looks like I’m needed elsewhere."

Rosie shook her head. "I’m glad that I’m not the nurse to get her out of those clothes." There was a subdued chuckle coming from the members of the team with that comment.

"Okay, everyone! Let’s get to our jobs, eh?" Rene urged them on as he thought. ‘And I’m glad that I’m not the physician to treat her. Ah…But Danni will keep her from killing anyone…I hope.’ The Trauma Fellow turned his attention back to the MVA patient before him. "Let’s get a 12 lead EKG and draw some blood for labs."

**************

The Charge Nurse passed by the room with the mutterings of anger casually spewing out into the hall. The patient was obviously upset and blaming everything from the rain to landmines as the cause of his or her misfortune. Curious of the voice, Mom stuck her head into the room. "Is there anything that I can do to…Dr. Trivoli?" Karen’s eyes bugged out to see the surgeon trying to get her pants off over the swollen left ankle.

"What?" The voice was loud and irritated. "Can’t you see that I’m busy?"

Karen had now let her face reflect the Charge Nurse that she was. "I’ll get your nurse to help you with those, Doctor. Now, could you just stop with the cursing out of the world? I mean…what kind of example are you setting for the rest of the patients?" Mom’s hands were on her hips by now and her right foot tapping to the cadence of her words. "Now, who’s your nurse? I’ll go get them."

The blue eyes of the surgeon lifted to meet Karen’s. The raging sea in them only worsened with the mention of calling her nurse for help. "You call that perverted little man back in here and I’ll send him off on another wild goose chase again. I’m not having him take my jeans off."

Mom had to laugh; Garrett was right. She thought for a moment and could hear the stories in her head already that would boast of John’s ability to get into the tall, dark, and deadly-with-a-scalpel, surgeon’s pants. It would read like something out of a romance novel of wanton lust. The seductive power that the male nurse possessed to land the great and all-powerful Dr. Garrett Trivoli would be told again and again.

"Come on, let me give you a hand." Karen closed the curtain to shield the woman from any wayward eyes. "You know, I bet Danni would just love to help you out of these. Where is she anyway?" The nurse looked at the swollen ankle and asked rather shyly, "What the heck did you do to this…use it to beat that lawyer over the head when no one was looking?"

"No, I was going over to the accident scene after parking the Blazer and all of a sudden, I was almost knee deep in a blasted puddle in the middle of the lanes of traffic." Garrett sighed pointing to the other trauma. "So Danni’s over there filling out the report with the Medics."

The Charge Nurse laughed trying not to let it show. "Garrett, welcome to Pennsylvania. You’ve just been sucked into one of our famous potholes."

"Pothole, damn it! It felt like a crater in a minefield."

"Well, we’ve been known to have small cars swallowed whole in them." Karen shook her head, "Come on now, let me help you with those jeans."

"Why would they let them get that big? Doesn’t anybody see them when they start out little?" The surgeon winced as the older nurse gently eased the stiff denim material over the injured limb.

‘Should I? Hell, I might as well try! Danni, here goes.’ "You know, Doc, not everyone sees things the same. It takes some little feeling or emotion to let some people know that things are different about a person while another may be pretty dense to the activity going on around them." Karen watched for any sign that she was being understood before she continued on. "Take the way that you and Danni have become friends over the last few months. Most people might think that you two are very close friends."

"Well, of course we’re close. You work with a person long enough you get to know them."

"I don’t mean in that way, Doc. There’s something different about the relationship that the two of you have." Mom felt like she was sticking her neck out on the chopping block and hoped that Garrett would know what she meant.

Garrett looked down at her discolored ankle. "Hmmm…" she wasn’t happy with the way it looked "That’s because we live together. We both know what is going on in the other’s life."

Mom’s eyes rolled at that statement. "Sometimes, Doc, I think you’d need to be hit with a railroad tie to wake up and see what’s going on." Karen set the jeans down on the foot of the stretcher as she prepared to let the steam out of her boiler. This was getting her mad now. Who would believe that the skilled surgeon in front of her could not know that Danni had feelings for her? "Doc, you can be so observant of the tiniest imperfection in someone’s anatomy and not see the giant good that your being here does for her. I don’t get it. I just don’t get you." Karen pulled the sheet up, covering the surgeon to her waist. "You better start thinking about what’s going to happen when this year is all over. I swear, Garrett Trivoli, if you just leave without so much as a goodbye, I’ll…I’ll…" The Charge Nurse saw the puzzled look on Garrett’s face. "Well, just don’t! I don’t know what she sees in you, but then again who does when they’re in..." Mom ended her thought without finishing when she heard the footsteps at the door.

"Hey! There you are. How’s the ankle? Ouch!" Danni stuck her head into the curtained off room, her face showing pain at the sight of the surgeon’s ankle.

"Yeah, too bad it ain’t as thick as her head, she’d be just fine then." Karen bustled out of the room. "I’ll go get an attending to come look at that."

"What’s up with Mom?" The petite blonde motioned toward the door.

"I’m not sure. She was telling me about the car-swallowing potholes and then started to talk about…" Garrett stopped short of finishing her thought out loud. ‘Our friendship and saying goodbye.’ "Ah…my ankle and how bad it looks." The surgeon studied Danni’s face. ‘Could Mom be right? Is there more than just an everyday friendship between us?’ This was something that she was going to have to think about and this just wasn’t the right time or place.

"It does look kind of nasty, Gar. Are you going to be able to walk on it?"

The surgeon tried to move her ankle in any easy direction. Each way that she tried, her action was met with pain. "Maybe you better call the Command Desk and notify them that we’re out of service for a while." A scowl was on her face as she handed over her cell phone to Danni.

The nurse accepted it and began the round of phone calls that would be necessary.

***************

Being a medical professional, especially one that is known for her demanding nature, helped to hasten Garrett’s time in the E.R. It wasn’t long after the customary examination, X-rays, treating, and teaching that the petite blonde assisted the crutch-using surgeon to the door of the Blazer in the driveway.

Using crutches was something new for the surgeon and she found herself feeling a little like a baby bird does going out for its first flying lesson. The tall woman was in no mood for joking as everyone within earshot could tell. The faint mutterings under her breath hinted at first of the pothole but were now turning in the direction of the crutches instead. The surgeon always thought of herself as striving for perfection while now all she was striving for was to go home and rest, away from the staring looks and pity-filled faces of those who saw her.

Garrett looked up into the compartment of her Blazer. She’d never seen it from this angle, the passenger’s side. "How’d you get the…"

Danni smiled graciously. "The Medics dropped me off when you were having your X-rays done. I figured that it was better then taking the bus."

The nurse’s eyes were hopeful. "Now let’s get you home."

The surgeon nodded her head. "Thanks. Guess you’re driving, huh?"

"I’d say so, at least for the next few days." Danni smiled. "I’ve got the written orders to prove that, too!" She held out the yellow discharge slip from the E.R. "All signed and sealed by Dr. Kreger and Dr. Porter. Besides, when I talked to Dr. McMurray about your injur…" she stopped short seeing the intense eyes of the surgeon, "ah…incapacity for the next several days, he suggested that I take some time off, too. You know, to relax a little. Now, get in before I have to have John help you in."

"I’m going...I’m going!" Garrett picked up her crutches and maneuvered her body into the seat of the Blazer. Once settled in she turned toward the driver’s seat waiting for Danni to climb in. "Home, James." The surgeon giggled. "You know, I always wanted to say that."

The petite nurse rolled her eyes and shook her head, then cautiously pulled out into traffic.

**************

Danni was trying her best to be a good nurse to the injured surgeon. She had brought her breakfast in bed and helped her assemble her clothing for the day, even drawing her bath and having everything ready for it, all within Garrett’s reach. She’d even made the corner of the couch into a comfort zone for the beleaguered woman with the edition of extra pillows for her to rest and elevate her foot on, while the close proximity of several surgical journals that had just arrived in the mail completed the zone. She would check in on Garrett from time to time, asking if she needed anything or wanted something to eat or drink. By the end of the supper, the nurse could sense that the injured woman was in need of some space of her own. The pleasant smiles had, over the course of the day, dwindled to forced smiles and annoyed mumbling after she left the room. The surgeon had taken care of herself for so long that it felt too confining having someone look after her almost every need. Danni had to agree coddling was not the surgeon’s style.

It was with Garrett’s best interest at heart that she decided to let the surgeon have some time to herself. After all, they were together as the Flight Team day and night; she didn’t have to be with her in their down time too. Perhaps some time away from each other would let the surgeon feel more in control. Besides, this was the perfect time that Danni had been looking for to go talk to David face to face. And with that idea in mind, the petite woman would set her plan into action the next morning.

Danni rose early, getting herself ready for the day ahead. All night long she thought about what she would say to David. It was still on her mind as she began to make breakfast, a rather large one that would last the surgeon all day if necessary. She knew the eating habits of her friend if she was not around to reminder her to eat. Garrett would go without food before she’d think to make some.

The petite woman’s thoughts drifted to her tall friend. ‘What if Garrett doesn’t accept me in a more involved relationship? Could I live with that?’ The nurse flipped over the pancakes and sighed. ‘Danni…you know that you could live with anything as long as she stays in your life.’ She turned from the stove and was startled by the long lean figure that was staring at her. "Gar, I…I didn’t hear you come down the stairs."

"I’m getting better on these crutches than I’d like." The dark-haired woman motioned with her head toward the stove. "What are you making? It sure smells good." Her eyes were eager, like that of a child.

"Pancakes and sausage. I thought that I’d make you a good breakfast since I’m not going to be home for the rest of the day." She hesitated to see her friend’s reaction.

Garrett looked at her for a moment then let her eyes move downward to the floor. ‘I can’t blame her, I wouldn’t want to be around me either, especially now.’ The surgeon played with the handles of her crutches trying to console herself. "Going anywhere special?"

It was now or never, Danni knew what she had to do. "Yeah," she nodded, "I’m going to drop in on David, we’ve been playing phone tag just a little too much lately."

"Oh…." Garrett felt as if someone had just punched her in the stomach. ‘She’s got a life of her own, Gar. She’s a big girl and can do what she wants without you in tow.’ It was David again and for the life of her, the surgeon couldn’t fathom why she felt the way she did.

"You…you didn’t want to do anything special today, did you?" Danni had picked up on the shift in moods. "I just thought that you might like to have some time to yourself, maybe get some reading done."

"Yeah, I guess just because I’m the one that’s hurt, you should take advantage of the down time." Garrett nodded as she moved toward the seat at the kitchen table now. "You should go and have a good time. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine." ‘What am I saying?’ She sat down and thought about it. ‘Why am I giving her my blessing to be with David when the mere thought of them being close to each other sends a chill down my spine?’ Garrett stared at her plate as Danni placed the food on it.

"I don’t know how long I’ll be down there." The petite woman fixed her own plate and then sat down. "Will you be alright here alone?"

"What am I going to do but read and keep my leg elevated? You go ahead, I’ll be alright." Feeling the need to say something, the surgeon mumbled out her words. "Maybe I’ll give some time to planning a few activities for the Lone Survivor’s Group." Garrett started to cut her food into small bites. "When were you thinking of leaving?"

"I thought that I’d throw a few clothes into a bag and leave after I clean up the breakfast dishes." Danni took the food on her fork and chewed it until she swallowed it. "Hey, Gar! You told me before that you liked figuring out puzzles. Why don’t I give you my journal to read? Maybe you can make out what all those pieces of dreams are about."

The surgeon thought for a moment, she did make that offer several months ago. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. It will keep my mind occupied for a while."

"Good, I’ll bring it down for you before I leave." The petite woman dug into her piled-high plate of food, now relieved that Garrett would have something to keep her busy while she went down to see David. ‘David, now that is still the question here. I wonder how he’s going to take it when I tell him that I have no feelings for him other than as a friend.’

The rest of their breakfast was spent in silence, each with their own agenda on their minds. Their eyes each taking turns to steal glances from one to the other. Once finished with the meal, the women set about their courses, each with thoughts and plans for the day to come. Danni pushed herself to finish the dishes, knowing that her resolve was quickly fading to leave the side of the surgeon. With great haste, she assembled her bag and came down the stairs to the living room. "Gar, I’m leaving now. Don’t expect me home ‘til late, or more likely tomorrow." The nurse knew that if she spent one more minute in the house that she would never leave it…leave her friend.

Garrett looked up from the surgical magazine that she was reading. There was no logical reason to stop her, so the surgeon just let her go with a simple "Goodbye." All the while, the voice in her head was screaming ‘NO!’

The rush of air on her back and the sound of the door as it closed were the last sensory things that her body could feel as Danni’s presence faded from the room. The muffled sound of the Malibu as it started up in the parking space in front of the house and then slowly pulled away left a gaping hole a mile wide in the heart and soul of the woman sitting there on the couch. The essence that was Danni still clung to the air and that was all that Garrett was left with in the house, all alone.

************

The several hours that it took Danni to drive to West Virginia gave her ample time to reason everything out in her head. She knew that she was doing the right thing and that David would just have to understand how she felt, not only about him, but about Garrett Trivoli as well. The nurse wasn’t looking forward to the talk with David but there was no other way to deal with her heart. He had to know and it had to be before she said a word to Garrett. ‘This way she’ll know that I’m sure…sure of what I want.’

Danni hoped that David would understand that love was just not something that could be turned on or off. It had to come from the heart. She was sure as she ever would be that one tall, dark and deserving surgeon in Pittsburgh was the only one that had ever made her heart stir, had ever made her aware of love and would forever hold her heart in the palm of her hand.

************

The surgeon put the medical journal down and rubbed her eyes. It was quiet with no one here. Finished with the first one, Garrett laid it on the coffee table and picked up the second magazine. Her eyes caught sight of the glass of water and piece of fruit that was on the table next to the magazine. She could feel the smile creeping across her face as she thought of the petite blonde who had left them there as a reminder. "You always know what I need, don’t you?" Danni was on her mind now and she looked around the room almost hoping to see her walking through it.

Garrett picked up the orange and began peeling it, the sweetness of its fragrance filling her nose. She broke off a piece and divided it into the smaller segments that it grew in. With each division of one segment from the other her mind drifted to how much like oranges that she and Danni were. Each one a part of the whole while being an individual, yet coming together and fitting each other as though they were meant to be that way for life. After a minute or two, the surgeon just shook her head wondering what she was thinking. ‘Danni is in love with David. She’s your friend, be happy for her, she’s found that someone to love for the rest of her life. Why else would she be headed down to meet him?’ Her mind kept telling her, but deep in her heart she was still bothered by it. Sighing, the surgeon opened the magazine on her lap and started to read, hoping that her mind would let her.

****************

The casually dressed blonde woman in jeans and blazer stood before the information desk in the lobby of the hospital. She knew the ins and outs of finding a medical professional when she needed one in particular and even though this hospital was in a different state, they all worked pretty much the same. Danni waited for the older woman to finish her phone call and turn in her direction. Smiling politely, Danni looked at her. "I’m a friend of Dr. David Beckman, I was wondering if you could page him to let him know that Danni Bossard is here?"

"Dr. David Beckman," the older woman nodded and returned her smile. "If you’d like to have a seat over there, I’ll let you know when he returns the page." She motioned to several chairs in the lobby.

"Thank you." Danni smiled once again and took a seat from which she could see the information desk.

Within minutes the woman had motioned for Danni back to the desk where she was told of David’s involvement in a surgical procedure. "He asked me to direct you to his office for you to wait there for him." The older woman attempted to repeat his message word for word.

Danni agreed and was given directions to his fourth floor office.

Following the directions, she soon came upon a large wooden door with a shinny new placard on it reading, ‘Dr. David Beckman, General Surgery.’ Danni smiled realizing that the young medical student that she had first met was now known as a surgeon. It was all those years of growing in knowledge and skill that had brought on the friendship that they shared. The blonde woman closed her eyes wishing that she would still have his friendship when she came back out of the office after they had talked.

The nurse knocked gently then opened the door to the empty office. She looked around and could sense the man that used it. His love of cars was evident by the models that decorated his shelves and the calendar emblazoned with the Porsche emblem on the wall. "He may be practicing in West Virginia but he’s got a New York state of mind." Danni shook her head as she sat down to wait for him. The seat was comfortable and it soon conformed to her body as the minutes turned to hours waiting for his appearance. Waiting for David’s appearance reminded her of the many times that she sat waiting for her own surgeon, Garrett Trivoli to meet her for the ride home.

*************

The surgeon was restless. She’d sat in one position longer than she ever cared to and now it was time to get up and move about. Garrett gingerly lowered her leg, letting it hover just off the floor as she positioned the crutches under her arms for support. ‘How long did I sit like that?’ She looked at the clock on the hall stand. "It’s 1700 already?" Garrett couldn’t believe that she was missing the constant chatter and helpful interruptions of her roommate already.

The tall woman worked her shoulders before she started on her way roaming aimlessly around the first floor of the house. Each room reminded her of some moment in time that she had shared with Danni as they all came rushing back into her mind. The laughter, the joking, the stark reality of their profession when one of their patients didn’t make it, in fact, all the words, the thoughts, but most of all, the face of the blonde was what haunted her soul.

Garrett sighed considering what to do next to keep her busy. Then it came to her, ‘The Journal…Danni asked me to read it.’ She looked around the living room for it, then the hall stand. It was nowhere in sight. "Hmmm…I bet she forgot to bring it down." The woman smirked and shook her head. "Well, I guess it’s time for a bathroom break any way." She slowly turned around and headed for the stairs.

The slow and tedious ascent to the second floor was met with feelings of relief as she emerged from the bathroom, ready to sit down once again and begin to read Danni’s journal. She had faith that she’d be able to solve the puzzle of the young woman’s dreams if given enough time. She made her way to the nurse’s room and stopped before the door, hesitant at first to enter. "This is crazy! She said that I could read it. So what if I have to go into her room to get it?"

Garrett pushed open the door and was immediately hit by the fragrance that was Danni. She closed her eyes and savored it, letting it settle in her mind and soon she swore she felt her presence in the room with her. It was subtle but there, like the petite woman herself. As the surgeon entered the room, she eyed the journal on the nightstand and a wonderful thought came to her head. ‘Why not, perhaps it will help with the puzzle?’ The corners of her mouth gently turned upward until the open smile could not be controlled.

She made her way to the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. After getting herself comfortable, she reached for the book and turned on the small reading light. Settling into the pillows, Garrett reclined on the bed and began reading the small handwritten book filled with the bits and pieces of Danni’s dreams.

**************

Between the lack of sleep the night before and the long drive to come to see David at his place of work, Danni had nodded off waiting for her friend to finish his surgery. It was one of the rare occasions where exhaustion overwrote her need for a blanket and pillow. Her petite body relaxed in the chair like it had been designed specifically for her comfort while wisp-like dreams of dark hair and the hint of leather came dancing across her mind. So engulfed in them was she, that the nurse didn’t even hear the door as it opened.

David stood looking at the blonde woman whose face was graced with love. There, in his very office, was the woman on whom he had carried a crush for his entire medical career. How peaceful she looked. He hoped that it was himself that she was dreaming of.

Without a noise or word, he moved to her side and gently placed a soft kiss upon her head, then leaned back waiting for her to wake up with his image in her eyes.

The quiet stirrings of eyelashes heralded the moment as the loving expression remained on her face. The softness of her voice immeasurable of the love that it carried with the single syllable that it uttered. "Gar?" Then slowly her eyes opened, revealing not the woman of her dreams but the man whose friendship she had shared for many years. It took her a minute before she realized where she was.

His brown eyes were transfixed to her form. He stood there wondering what she was thinking. Then slowly he realized that his likeness was not the one in her dream as the more she awoke her expression of love changed to one of mild embarrassment. He swallowed hard to choke back the emotion, then began to speak as if he had not seen the look on her face. "Danni, I’m sorry it took me so long in surgery. I…I lost track of time there for a while."

She pushed herself up into a more alert position letting the fog clear from her head. "That’s okay, I’m used to it. I know that nothing is ever predictable once you start a surgery."

David smiled at her, his eyes beaming with love. "Always the understanding one, aren’t you Danni?"

She blushed with embarrassment, the red color rising from her neck and up over her cheeks. "I try David. That’s all we can hope to do, is try to be understanding of one another."

"Say, why don’t I make up for it over dinner tonight? Let me take you out to the best restaurant in town here. We could do a little dancing to start off the night. What do you say? You don’t have to be anywhere, do you?" His eyes looked deeply into hers, pleading to be given the chance to make it up to her.

"David, I…"

"Come on, Danni. Hey, maybe we could take in a show if you don’t want do go dancing. Or maybe you just want to have a long, leisurely dinner filled with candlelight and conversation. Anything you want, just name it."

Danni smiled at his boyish charm then she bit back on her lip as she readied herself to speak. "David, I really just came to see you and talk. I don’t really think that dinner would be such a good idea. At least not right now." Her eyes searched his for understanding, then she ventured forward toward her goal.

"I was hoping that you might be…"

"Hiring?" His eyes lit up. "Are you thinking about coming here to work? I could talk to the Director of Nursing for you." He was delighted at the thought. "Have you seen our E.R.? I could show it to you right now."

"David I’m not interested in leaving Pittsburgh, at least not right now. I’ve made a commitment to the Flight Surgeon’s Team until the end of the staff year."

"You’re teamed up with Trivoli." David studied her face. "She’ll have offers from everywhere. So how about at the end of her Fellowship instead of teaming up with a new surgeon, why don’t you come here and team up with me?" He stared into her eyes, hoping for his eagerness to be returned. "We could see more of each other then, who knows we may even find out that we," David wiggled his eyebrows, "like each other better than friends."

Danni felt the realization of his words. Yes, he was right, Garrett could go anywhere she wanted, leaving the nurse and moving on in her career and life. She could feel the tear slowly spill over her eyelashes and roll down her cheek. The petite woman closed her eyes in an effort to stop the tears from continuing and to arrest her fears of losing the one thing that she had truly come to love, Garrett Trivoli.

"But I don’t want her to leave. We have so much going on with the Flight Team and the Lone Survivor’s Group that we started this year. I can’t…I don’t want to try to carry on without her by my side." Danni’s voice crackled with emotion. "I know that I can’t force her to stay, but I know that she would if she knew how much it means to me. How much she means to me."

David stood frozen in place. He’d never seen the blonde in front of him so emotional about anyone in all the years that he had known her. He saw the pain of anticipated loss etched on her face and immediately knew that he didn’t like what he was seeing. He had always thought of love when he thought of Danni. Now, seeing her on the edge of emotional upheaval brought a tear to his own eye as he reached out to her and wrapped her in his arms. He rocked her gently and talked in hushed tones trying to soothe her agony over events not charted yet. It was in this space of time that he saw what she was truly trying to tell him. She was in love with Garrett Trivoli!

Holding her at arm length, he studied her tear-streaked face, then mustered the courage to speak to his friend. "You love her, don’t you?" He waited to hear what her answer would be, already knowing it in his heart.

"Yes," she nodded slightly, "she’s touched my heart and my soul like no one has ever done before. David, I’m sorry. I know that you thought we…"

"Danni, what I thought and what is in your heart can be two totally different things. You have to choose what is right for you. No one else can, only you."

The nurse wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I never had feelings of love for anyone in my life, David. Friends, yes, but love," Danni shook her head and wiped away another tear. "I never dreamed that I’d have them for another woman. It’s taken me a little while to figure them out. I’m still trying to figure it all out. You’re not angry or mad because of my choice?"

"Danni, I had a friend in college who realized that she was gay. It’s not something that you wake up with one day and just decide from there. It’s something that takes time and a lot of rationalization to come to terms with. I know you, and I know that you only speak what is in your heart." He held open his arms and found them immediately filled with a blonde, quivering nurse. This time her tears were tears of joy at being accepted for what she was and hoped to be. "How could I be angry that you didn’t choose me?"

He paused then added, "Well, maybe just a little bit, you know, I had this God-awful crush on you the whole time I was in school and my residency."

She looked into his eyes, taken aback by his last statement. "I’m sorry." she whispered, "I never realized."

"All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. If Garrett Trivoli makes you happy then, that’s all I can ask for."

"If I told you that I want to have her in my world for the rest of my life, loving her and sharing myself with her, that wouldn’t upset you?

David swallowed and fought back the urge to plead his love for her one last time. "No, I’m just sorry that it couldn’t have been me."

"Thanks for being so understanding, David." The nurse felt the load on her shoulders lighten and the path was set for yet another person to know what was in her heart. Her only wish now was for Garrett to know.

************

Continued

Danni watched the miles fly by as she made her way home to Pittsburgh and the woman she cared deeply about. Her mind, all the while, mulling over the time that she had spent with David. She had thought it so sweet of him to insist on eating dinner with her, allowing them more time to talk and her more time to tell David exactly how she felt about the woman she wanted to share the rest of her life with.

Quite frankly, David had amazed her with his understanding. Now, if she could only get another surgeon to understand, her worries would be over and she could move on with her life…no their life together.

Finally reaching home, she parked her car and went into the house, relieved that her day was over. Turning on the lights just inside the door, Danni could see the well-used comfort zone that she had made on the couch and smiled. To be honest, she half expected the tall, dark-haired woman to be sprawled out on it, with a magazine still in her hand. Walking over to it, she noticed the orange skins all neatly piled on a Kleenex and the empty glass of water next to it. ‘Well, at least she had more than just the breakfast that I made.’ She picked them up and went to the kitchen.

The room was immaculate except for the lone bottle of juice on the counter with only a mouthful or two left in it. ‘Well, she can find the refrigerator, that’s a good sign.’ The nurse smiled and emptied the bottle in the sink and rinsed it out before throwing it in the trash along with the orange peels. She placed the glass in the sink and turned, noticing the time on the stove’s clock. It read 0038.

She closed her eyes and listened to the quiet of the house, willing her soul and spirit both to follow suit. Danni wound her way through the downstairs rooms and headed for the stairs and the bed waiting for her at the top of them.

Coming down the hallway, she could see the soft rays of light streaming around the slightly ajar door. ‘I wonder if I left…no, I didn’t use any light this morning.’ Her mind thought about the hurried pace that she had set for herself to get out of the house that morning. Suddenly her eyes widened and she realized that she had never taken the journal downstairs to Garrett before she left. "Jeez, Danni!" She whispered. ‘I bet she went in and got it for herself and forgot to turn off the light.’ Resolved as to what happened, Danni stopped at the door and pushed it open.

Her eyes squinted to adjust to the light. Then slowly, the form of a human could be made out on top of her bed. There, with the comforter pulled across her body, was Garrett. Danni couldn’t help but smile at the sight. She had dreamed of the tall woman coming to her bed and here she was with her long graceful arm wrapped tightly around Danni’s pillow, fast asleep with the small bound journal still in her hand.

She ventured in for a closer look at the sleeping woman and found herself wondering what could bring such a relaxed, peaceful look to her face. Then without warning her mind offered up a prayer. ‘Please let that look be on her face because of me.’ Danni looked at the large portion of unused bed and eyed it longingly. Oh, how she’d love to crawl right in and take that pillow’s place. ‘Later Danni girl, there’ll be time for that later.’ She reached out and moved a wayward wisp of hair from the surgeon’s face. "Good night, my love," she whispered and turned out the light.

Retreating in silence to the hallway, she closed the door and stood now at a crossroads. Mentally, she pondered her options. ‘The couch or Garrett’s bed for the night?’ With those as her only options, it wasn’t hard to choose. The petite woman moved several feet down the hallway and opened the door. Even in the dark, she could feel the presence of Garrett in the room. Maybe it was the smell of the leather jacket that she loved or the feel of the raw power that the woman commanded in her daily life. Whatever it was, Danni knew that it was a source of life and love that she needed so desperately.

The dim lighting of the streetlight outside the house gave her enough sight to find her way to the bed, Garrett’s bed. The bed that she wanted to wake up in every morning with the tall woman wrapped around her body, their limbs intertwined and the feel of bare skin upon hers. Yes, this would definitely be more comfortable than the couch in the living room.

Danni took off her shoes and socks then slipped out of her jeans. Next to go was the bra as she unhooked it and slid it over her arms leaving her loose fitting T-shirt in place. It was a make shift sleeping outfit in her bikini underwear and shirt but it would have to do. The nurse lifted the edge of the covers and slipped down into the surgeon’s bed. The coolness of the sheets gave her body new sensations as she sank deeper into them. Her mind wondered if that is what the surgeon felt when she crawled in between them as they glided over her unencumbered body.

The nurse’s heart raced for a moment then slowly came back into its own pace as she nestled into the pillow that smelled so sweetly of her friend’s essence. Gathering up all that her senses could register, Danni logged them away in the memory of her mind, eager for the day that Garrett too, would be there with her. Invigorated but yet exhausted by the day’s events, the petite nurse was soon fast asleep.

***************

Morning came all too early for Garrett, as her body woke her with the urgency that only a full bladder can have. Trying to open her eyes, she inhaled deeply and the resources of her brain efficiently detected the closeness of one small blonde. "Danni?" The blue orb popped open searching for her friend only to find the pillow pressed tightly into her body, her arms hugging it to her. She sniffed again and sure enough it was Danni. The surgeon’s head now popped up trying to get her bearing on where she was. The last thing floating through her mind was coming upstairs for the journal. With the haze rising from both her eyes and her mind, Garrett realized where she was and sat up in bed. There, in her left hand was Danni’s journal. She sat the book down on the nightstand and rubbed her eyes. It was now that her bladder once more pleaded its case for emptying. Garrett groggily took her crutches and got up with a quick trip to the bathroom as her only plan.

Emerging from the small room more awake and feeling relief, Garrett headed for her own room to get a change of clothing before she showered. Bracing herself at the door with her crutches under her armpits, the surgeon opened her door. There, to her amazement, was Danni sleeping in her bed.

Garrett stood watching the peaceful expression on the young woman’s face. It was almost angelic in nature as she slept sprawled over the large pillow that the surgeon always used. The petite woman’s arm was thrown over the upper half of the pillow as was her same side leg bent at the knee and covering the very lower half of the soft cushion. ‘I wonder who that lucky pillow is in your dreams, my friend, David or someone you’ve yet to meet?’

The surgeon halted that thought as the journal came to her mind. Garrett’s logical mind kicked into gear as more pieces of the puzzle were fitting into place. ‘It can’t be David, otherwise you would have stayed with him last night. Now that’s my gain and your loss, David.’ She closed her eyes in thanks to a higher being. ‘Why would you not wake me from your bed but instead, come to sleep in mine?’

For some reason, Garrett almost felt jealous of the pillow being held so tightly and with nothing but love written on Danni’s face. Staring at the woman in her bed, the surgeon stood mesmerized by the beauty of the moment.

Like clockwork, the inner workings of Danni’s brain registered the eyes that were staring at her. Slowly her brain summoned her body to wake. The first thoughts of the petite woman were of long strong arms pulling her in tightly until their bodies became one with each other. Trying to focus her thoughts through the cobwebs of distraction, she singled in on the form of one tall, dark-haired surgeon standing over, watching her sleep. Gentle purrs, much like that of a kitten, emulated from her body. Opening her eyes, she could see the distant form of the surgeon in her view. ‘Now, this is the way to dream, no cryptic jumbles and obliterated faces. Just what I know and trust to be real.’

The blonde woman pushed back her tousled hair and focused once more. ‘This couldn’t be real.’ But it was and Danni soon realized it. The crutches were too new to have left that good of an impression in her subconscious mind.

Now Danni felt like she was caught in the act. She could feel the slowly rising heat of a blush coming over her neck as it steadily rose to her face. She moved quickly, knowing that the redness of her embarrassment would soon follow, and moved away from the pillow. Turning over on to her back, she reached for the covers and threw them off as she sat up with her feet dangling over the edge of the bed.

Her body revolted at the loss of its warm bed and sent her into a shiver when the cool air of the room struck her. Danni stood facing the surgeon in the doorway and tried to explain. "I…I didn’t want to wake you when I got home…I thought that you wouldn’t mind…" Her mind stopped in mid sentence as the sensation of her body took hold. She looked at Garrett who was staring at her from the doorway then down to her own body where the two pointed shapes protruded from the T-shirt at her mid chest. ‘I’m going to die of embarrassment.’

Garrett stood watching the turn of events, and found herself smirking at the sight of the raised points of interest on Danni’s shirt. Hiding it quickly so as not to embarrass the woman more, the surgeon let her eyebrow edge upward without much regard.

The nurse realized that there would be no way for her to hide the signs of her impending blush. She could feel it coming fast and hard as the heat built in her chest getting ready to explode with a red so strong that Rudolph would be envious of it for his nose. Danni had to get out of there before it was too late. She shook her head and made way for the door.

"Excuse me, please!" It was the only thing that she could say when coming face to face with the surgeon. Then, as each did a quick side step at first to one side then the other, she stopped and stared directly into the tall woman’s eyes. The message conveyed was understood and Garrett turned her body sideways in the doorway allowing the woman barely enough room to pass by.

Holding her breath, Garrett waited for the petite woman to push by her. In doing so, Danni’s hardened nipples grazed ever so slightly across the upper abdomen of the surgeon. The sensation stirred something in Garrett and she found her own nipples becoming aroused. The cool air in the room was not the cause. No, it was something else. Garrett looked down the short span of hall to Danni’s room and then back to her own now empty bed. And her mind began questioning what had just happened.

*************

Choosing not to talk about the embarrassing encounter, Danni continued on in her daily activity. Garrett followed suit, not wanting to cause any more to come of it than the petite woman already had. And so, the days went by with neither broaching the subject.

Garrett continued to heal and Danni continued to be her nurse until the time finally came that the surgeon could no longer stand to be cooped up in the house. The several days of rest had done wonders for the ankle, letting it almost return to its natural coloring. Her advancing ease at using the crutches helped to lessen the cursing from her mouth, and now it was evident that the surgeon needed to start back into the world. It was with this in mind that Danni agreed to take her into the hospital for a few hours to visit and feel as though she was herself again.

Even though Garrett could not drive, they used her Blazer allowing her the extra room for the maneuvering with the crutches. Danni looked like a child sitting behind the wheel as she pulled into the driveway of the hospital to unload her eager-for-action cargo. With the passenger door opening before she could set the gear selector in park, Garrett was grabbing for her crutches.

"Whoa! Stop right there, young lady." Danni’s voice became loud and clear. "Can’t you even wait until I park?"

Garrett’s eyes flashed with anticipation and laughed. "Yeah, I guess I can wait another minute. I sure don’t want to get hurt again." Her head swung back to the tall building as her mind raced with all the things that she wanted to do and see on this first trip out of the house. The phone call last evening from her colleague Rene had spurred on this episode of cabin fever. She found herself needing to be back in touch with her world of medicine and not as the patient.

"Okay, I’m parked. Remember, I’m only going to be working for a half a shift in the E.R. and I’ll be done at 1530."

Garrett nodded, eager to get out of the vehicle. "Yes, and I have my pager on just in case you feel this need to track me down and make sure that I’m being good."

Danni smiled. "Alright then, if everything goes well today and you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll bring you tomorrow, too."

The surgeon stood on the ground looking back into the Blazer. She stood with her two crutches in one hand and used the other to fish behind the seat for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"Rene, asked me to bring my Flight Suit today. He’s thinking of staying on here and being part of the team."

"And he needs your Flight Suit to make up his mind?" Danni looked at her friend skeptically. "I think you have plans for that suit."

"Honest, he just wants to try it on. See if he feels comfortable working in it. That’s all, I swear."

"I don’t know, Gar…you seemed pretty antsy the last day or two at home."

"Look, no boots, just suit, okay?" The surgeon held up the folded Flight Suit and shoved it under her arm. "You know the rules, steel toed boots are part of the uniform. I couldn’t get that boot on if I tried."

Danni nodded in agreement. "Okay, Gar, go have yourself some fun with Rene. Just don’t forget about going home. Now, get going, while I park this beast." She laughed waiting for Garrett to close the passenger’s door, then put the Blazer into gear, heading for the garage.

**************

The surgeon chose to bypass the E.R. and headed right for her office. It felt good to be back in the bustle of the medical world. After the quick elevator ride and the humbling pace of her stroll down the hallway, Garrett arrived at the door to her office. Reaching into the pocket of her Dockers, she produced the key and entered.

Her first sight was that of Lucas’s picture on the shelf above the monitor. A smile came over her face and all was right with her world. She was home. Home to her feelings of family and love, home to her world as she thought it should always be. The events of the last few months, even days, had begun to throw her slightly off kilter. It was here in her office that she knew she thought the best, tucked away from the world around her or so she thought.

Within minutes of her arrival, Dr. Chabot stood smiling broadly in the doorway. "Dr. Trivoli, the rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated, I presume?" He teased her like one would tease a sibling. Her hard stare or growling bark had never scared him off.

"Cut it out, Rene, I’m stir crazy from being at home; don’t lock me in a small pine box, too!" Her face was tense until she could no longer hold the smile in.

"See," he pointed to her face, "I knew that I could get you to smile."

"Yes, you did." She shook her head at his antics of dancing like a puppet on strings. "What makes you so full of life today, Rene?"

He grinned and beamed loudly, clutching onto his heart. "My wife and babies, they come home today from Canada." His face got somber for a minute and he eyed the woman across from him. "You have never experienced love until you cannot touch it at your fingertips where it was just a few days ago. Garrett, can you not say that being away from someone that you love would make you want them all the more?"

Garrett looked at the picture of her brother. Her eyes would not stay focused on it but instead slipped onto the frame itself. Try as she might, her eyes would not see Lucas but substituted the image of Danni in his place, slipped neatly under a young Garrett Trivoli’s arm, fishing gear in hand. The surgeon was stunned, not knowing what to think. "Ah…ah…" she stammered, then quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Rene, here’s that Flight Suit for you to try on."

Sensing her uneasiness, Rene let the subject drop. "Thanks!" He held it up to himself, measuring it for fit. "Would you mind if I wear if for a little while? I mean…to see if I like the feel."

"Sure, go ahead. Just don’t go home with it."

"You are my friend, eh…are you not?" Rene smiled at the prospect of letting her know how he felt.

"Yeah, I guess so. Now, go try it on." She motioned to the door. "I’m going to go check on the units and scare a few nurses." She winked and grabbed for her crutches. "I’ll see you on the floor."

*************

Danni walked into the E.R., after changing her clothes and was met by Dr. Jamie Potter. The redhead waved and smiled at the nurse until she was close at hand. "So how is tall, dark and dumped by a pothole doing?"

Danni shook her head and laughed. "Better not let her hear you call her that. She’s still pretty mad at that pothole not to mention you for grounding her on crutches."

Jamie rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Oh, if they were my only problems in life."

"She’s actually doing better. The discoloration is pretty much gone but the swelling is still there. I keep telling her to give it time."

"She’ll do okay, as long as she stays off it for a few more days. She’ll be good as new and reigning havoc on the staff before she knows it."

"Ain’t that the truth." Danni’s eyes closed saying a silent prayer for anyone caught in the surgeon’s way today. "So, you got me with you for the next four hours, what can I do to help out?"

They both turned their attention to the assignment board. "Looks like Nan has you assigned to cover Trauma Nurse One." Jamie smiled. "There’s one coming in about 15 minutes from now. Why don’t you go get ready."

"Thanks, Jamie. You guys always know how to make me feel right at home."

Danni went to the Trauma Hallway and checked out her room. Finding nothing to do, she grabbed a lead apron and began dressing for her part in the incoming trauma.

************

The stern-looking woman slipped her car keys into her handbag and quickly shouldered it setting off on her mission. No one, especially a surgeon, was going to slap her in the face with her own daughter’s moral ineptitude. There would be no bastard in the Bossard family line and she was going to make sure of it. Her eldest child had always bucked her guidance in the past but now, it was going to be different. Without Danni knowing it, Mother was going to make things right again.

The woman crossed the street and started down the walkway to the huge building that was Danni’s place of work. Eager to find her man, Mother stopped the first medical looking person she could find and asked the only question on her mind. "Excuse me, but could you tell me where I might find a Dr. Garrett Trivoli?"

The O.R. Nurse looked directly at the woman. "That one’s nothing but trouble lady, do yourself a favor and find somebody else." The nurse thought about her first day with the surgeon and shivered at the arrogance of the demanding surgeon. "Your best bet would be to check the helipad. That surgeon is the only one in a Flight Suit. " The bitter nurse excused herself and continued on her way.

Mother fumed. "Trouble…eh? You have no idea." She altered her course for the Emergency Room driveway and the helipad that was near it.

************

Danni stood at the Trauma door, waiting for her patient. She thought that it was poor planning to have one helicopter on the way in while one was still seated on the pad. Her concern continued to grow as each second ticked by. The sound of the familiar long strides came from around the corner, the clicking of the toe taps sounding out its warning. A slow smile grew on the nurse’s face as the familiar figure of Cowboy came into sight.

"Hey, Cowboy!" She greeted the tall pilot by throwing her arms around his shoulders. To say that she missed him was an understatement.

The tall man leaned in to reach his long arms around the petite nurse. He had his visor flipped up on the helmet and greeted her with a warm smile. "Danni, my lil’ one!" He held her at arm’s length and poofed out the trauma gown. "I can see why you don’t wear these around a helicopter." He teased at the expanse of material that made the small woman look much bigger than she was. "You could hide a small army in there."

Danni let her hands feel the material as it started to settle down into place again. "You should see Garrett in one."

"No, I’d rather see you in those Flight Suits and back in my helicopter. Do you think it will be much longer for her ankle?"

The nurse reached out and pulled him down to her height then laid a gentle kiss on his check. "Soon, Cowboy, real soon."

The man smiled shyly as he fought the blush creeping up his body. "I…I feel like I don’t deserve that."

"But you do, and I just wanted to let you know that we miss you. Though I’m sure that Gar would have just shaken your hand."

Cowboy nodded in agreement. "That woman is going to wake up one day and surprise us all with the size of her heart."

"I’m praying for that more than you could believe. I just hope it happens soon."

"It will. Trust me, it will." The man saw the hope in the nurse’s eye. "Hey, I better get this craft up in the air if you want that pad for a trauma. I’ll talk to you later. Take care, Danni." He turned and walked into the hospital. "I’ll be back in just a minute or two," he chuckled, "got to let that coffee out."

The woman at the end of the driveway had stopped her forward motion and watched the touching display. Looking for a better view of his face, she moved closer to the building once she realized that the small blonde was her daughter. "Okay, Dr. Trivoli, I got you now." She watched with a renewed interest and when the Flight Suited man entered the building, Mother changed her direction and made for the front entrance. There was no way that she wanted Danni to know what she was about to do. "You may have picked him, daughter, but I’ll make sure he accepts his responsibilities to MY family." ‘After all the trouble that you’ve put me through with you not accepting your place in life. You should have been married a long time ago. That’s it! There’s no more time for you to squander away now Danielle.’

Mother was on a rampage now. She’d let her daughter have a say in her life and she could see that it wasn’t a good one. It was time for her to be shown how it was going to be for the rest of her life.

*************

Dr. Rob Kreger stood in the hallway waiting for the trauma to arrive when he caught sight of the Flight Suited figure headed his way. He squinted, not believing what his eyes were telling him. "Dr. Chabot?" The Chief Resident took a step forward. "Is that you? Why do you have Trivoli’s Suit on?"

The tall man squared his shoulders and preened his sleeves. "Don’t you think that I do it more justice than her?" He was obviously in a good mood. He tugged at the chest of the suit to show the room that was unused. "I think maybe I need just a little take in up here though."

"Hmm…I think she fills that out better." He looked around to see if the ominous woman was in earshot but the only person he could see was the matronly dressed woman with the handbag on her shoulder. He smiled at her but she didn’t seem to take note of his greeting and turned her back is if she were searching for someone. "Does she know that you’re getting it?"

Dr. Chabot smiled. "And with her blessing, too!" They both laughed at the thought. "I’m not sure she’ll ever let anyone into her pants any other way."

Dr. Kreger shuddered. "Don’t want to go there."

"Speaking of going, I’ve got to get back to the O.R. to schedule my case for tomorrow morning. I’ll see you then, remember you’re assisting me."

"I won’t forget." Rob Kreger waved good-bye to his colleague and watched him head on down the hall toward the elevators.

"Hey, Rob!" Danni waved in his direction. "Have you seen Garrett around?"

"No, but I think Rene is meeting your surgeon in the O.R." He watched the young woman walk toward him. "Anything special that you need Garrett for that I can’t help you out with?"

"No, just checking up on my surgeon. Making sure that there’s no trouble I need to watch out for."

The matronly visitor edged her way toward the elevator trying not to be seen by her own daughter. She needed to get this Garrett Trivoli by himself if she was ever going to set things right. ‘I couldn’t believe that he could be joking about ‘getting it’ with his friends. Has he no couth?’ Finally the doors to an elevator opened and Mother moved to get on it. ‘And that friend, outright lying to my daughter to cover for that cad.’ Her raging temper was going to get the best of her if she didn’t keep it under control. ‘Why, hearing him talk, he even sounds French-Canadian like her grandfather.’ The woman shuddered at the thought. She’d fought long and hard to have her family thought of as French and not French-Canadian.

The woman took one last glimpse of her daughter and ducked into the loaded car.

"Hey, Danni, did you see that creepy old lady?" Rob motioned with his head toward the elevator doors that were just closing.

"Not a good one, why?"

"Nothing, I guess." The Chief Resident thought to himself for a moment than looked at Danni. "You know, if I were a betting man I’d bet that woman was up to no good."

Danni thought back to the brief glimpse that she had gotten of the woman right before the doors closed. ‘Hmmm…no, it couldn’t be. What would she be doing in Pittsburgh?’ The nurse shrugged her shoulders. "The trauma’s going to be landing in two minutes. We better get back there." She grabbed the sleeve of Rob’s white lab coat and tugged at it until he followed her.

*****************

Mrs. Bossard got off the elevator and looked around. There, at the end of the corridor was a sign pointing out her way. "O.R., Hmmm…let’s see if I can’t catch up to you now." She was a woman on a mission and no one had better get in her way. That was until she turned the corner and saw the huge signs hung on the doors. "Authorized Personnel Only! Damn it!"

The staff coming out of the door could hear the mutterings and one nurse quickly came to the woman’s aid. "Is there anything that I can do to help you?"

Mother looked up at the woman with fire in her eyes, "Yes! I need to find Dr. Garrett Trivoli."

The intense look on the woman’s face gave the nurse a fright. She sure wouldn’t want this woman tracking her down. "You’re looking for the Trauma Fellows. Why I just saw both Garrett and Rene Chabot outside of the doctor’s lounge just a moment ago."

"Where?" She was no longer asking but demanding. "Which way to that lounge?"

"Down the hall and to your left." The nurse watched her with a wary eye as the woman turned around and stormed off down the hall, her hands acting like excited robots as they opened and closed around the shoulder strap of her handbag.

************

"Oh, there you are, I’ve been looking for you all over. I thought we were going to make the rounds together." The Flight Suited surgeon held open the door for the woman on crutches.

Garrett had finally met up with Rene when she came out of the Doctor’s Lounge outside of the O.R. She stood casually leaning on her crutches with her back against the wall as Dr. Chabot stood in front of her. "What…no greeting, you just want to get right down to business?"

He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Oh, but you are lovely this fine day."

Garrett shook her head and chuckled. "You’ll never give up will you? What would your wife say if she saw that?"

"But how could she see it, if she is nowhere around." He wiggled his eyes and smiled broadly at her. "Wife? Do I have a wife?"

"Well, whatever you want to call her then."

"Ah, yes! The mistress of my nights," his eyes grew wide, "well, at least when I’m not on call."

"You’re never going to change, are you?"

"And why should I…eh? I’m having way too much fun." He winked at the dark-haired woman and leaned against the wall next to her with one arm. "If you would listen to me, you’d be having some fun, too!" He cast his eyes down to the placement of her heart. "Open you heart and let the love find you."

"You keep telling me that. So, any news as to when the babies are coming?"

"OH! It will be so good to have the twins here, safe and in my arms finally. I can’t wait to see them. They’re changing everyday, getting bigger and bigger now. Why just the other day, one kicked me while we were playing…what is that game? Hard to get…no, hide and seek."

Garrett opened her mouth to speak but stopped at the sound of a commotion just a little piece down the hall. "Rene, did you see what happened?" She motioned to the matronly looking woman being attended to by several Staff Physicians and nurses.

Dr. Chabot studied the scene and shrugged his shoulders. "I don’t know, maybe she got some unexpected news that she wasn’t prepared for. Come on, let’s go back to the office and I’ll give you this Flight Suit back." He dramatically motioned for her to lead the way, saying, "After you, my friend."

The two colleagues made their way past the group of people attending to the dazed woman. The Flight Suited man stopped and gathered up the belongings that had spilled from the handbag, then set it down next to the woman. "Nothing surgical looking for us to worry about. She must have a bad heart," Rene said in passing, and headed for the elevator.

Chapter 11

Garrett sat deep in thought, her foot resting on the chair across from her. Even though it was now several weeks out from her injury, the ankle gave her pain at times. The act of elevating her foot during the day was now in her subconscious rather than an afterthought. She looked at her ankle as she tested its range of motion, wincing when she'd gone too far. 'Yeah, Trivoli, that pothole got you good.' Her mind drifted slightly to the image of a petite blonde nurse. 'Just like she did.' The surgeon closed her eyes and sighed.

The end of May was fast approaching and here she was with a stack of letters in her hand, all of them with offers of jobs trying to win her skills for their very own purposes. They all seemed to enjoy boasting that they had the best and brightest of the new rising stars on their payroll. It was their plan to entice the surgeon with offers of money, stock options, cars, houses, and even computer dating arrangements to name a few. She had to laugh at that one and wondered just how much they knew about her, probably more than she knew about herself. 'What do I know about myself?'

It was a puzzle that Garrett had been working on for the past month or two. Each time that she thought she had it all figured out, something else would happen to make her reevaluate what she had deliberated. Her life seemed to be constantly up in the air, as did the people that surrounded her. Each one always looking at her as if this great enlightenment should be taking place any minute. Some even more than others, like Danni. How often had she seen that hopeful look in the blonde's eyes? The surgeon's heart went out to her friend but she wasn't quite sure what it was that woman wanted from her. She was trying hard at this friendship but perhaps there was something more, something that she just wasn’t getting.

The dark-haired woman was finding that her responses to some situations were even more up in the air than anything. She often wondered why Danni’s touch sent shock waves through her as if she’d touched a live wire. No one’s touch had ever done anything to her before. Then there was the time the petite nurse had squeezed by her in the doorway to her room and suddenly Garrett had felt a stimulation surging through her body that to this day just thinking about it still took her breath away. These were all feelings that she’d never had before.

It all made Garrett wonder if there wasn’t some plan that was being put in motion without her knowing about it. Fate had brought her here to Pittsburgh, obviously, for some reason. Now, somewhere in her hands was the fate for the rest of her life. She stared down at the handful of letters and wondered how and when the fates would interact with her again.

"Maybe I should cast my fate to the wind. What do you think, Danni?" She mused aloud unaware that the nurse was standing at the bottom of the stairs within earshot.

Danni noticed the letters in Garrett’s hand and her brow furrowed with consternation. She closed her eyes to stave off the tears. She’d looked at the return addresses on the corners of the envelopes as each one had been delivered to the house with Garrett’s name on them and committed them to memory. Most had been from the West Coast, big name facilities, but several were also from the South. Heck, she’d even received a letter from Hawaii. The nurse bit her lip at the thought of Garrett leaving, being so many miles away. The pain was almost unbearable.

‘A little over a month to go and I could lose her forever. I can’t lay my feelings out on the line now, she’s got too much think about as it is. I pushed her into this friendship. I want her to make this decision on her own. If she loves me, she’ll stay, we’ll work something out.’ Danni was still concerned for her friend’s career. How would her peers, patients and the power structure of the hospital that she’d work in treat a gay surgeon? These were all concerns of the nurse’s in regard to her friend. Danni knew how she would treat her, lovingly, tenderly, with kindness and consideration. The nurse would downright cherish the day that the spark of love ignited into the flame of passion between them, if only it would.

Danni pulled herself together before she spoke. The words were soft and reverent in nature. "I’d rather you let your heart rule your fate than the wind."

Garrett sat up, startled by the voice. Turning her head, she could see that same hopeful look on Danni’s face that had been haunting her for sometime now. "I…I didn’t know that you were up yet."

"I’m sorry, Gar, but I thought you were asking me a question. I didn’t mean to disturb you."

The blonde crossed the room toward the kitchen. The entire time blue eyes were on her, watching each step and savoring it. The surgeon could feel her own pulse quicken when she focused in on the gentle swaying movement of the nurse’s anatomy from side to side with each stride. Garrett closed her eyes as Danni turned the corner into the other room. ‘Was that lawyer right? Gosh, what would Danni say if she knew I was looking at her like that?’

The surgeon hung her head in disbelief. ‘Face it, Trivoli, you’re gay. You always thought that you might be. Hell, you even tried having sex with women when you were in college.’ She breathed in a cleansing breath and opened her eyes. ‘Now what do you do?’

She ran her hand through her hair as her mind brought forth scenarios of Danni interacting with the surgeon, one of denial, one of rejection, one of acceptance and one of avoiding the issue all together. The surgeon looked back down to the handful of job offers. The thought of what being involved in a gay relationship might mean to the nurse with her career and family came running through her mind until it smacked her in the face. ‘Then again, I could always just run.’

The sound of the beeper put an end to the thoughts as Garrett reached for her pager. The message scrolled across the screen, "Call command immediately." And she did.

Coming into the kitchen, Garrett looked sheepishly at the blonde woman as she was coming away from the refrigerator. "Danni, we’ll be driving in separately this morning."

"Huh?" The confusion was evident on her face. "W…why?"

"That was the Command Desk calling for Dr. McMurray. Seems like he has plans for me today. I’m not sure of what it’s all about but he wanted to make sure that you had a way home tonight."

"You don’t think something happened to Nathan or Rene do you?" Danni’s heart was quick to show its concern.

"They didn’t say." Garrett bit at her lip, "I hope not. They just told me to report to McMurray’s office as soon as I can get in."

Danni nodded her head. "I’ll drive myself in. You’d better go get your shower."

"Thanks, I’m kind of curious as to what’s up." She turned and started for the doorway into the living room.

"Gar…" Danni’s voice was soft and quivering, "you’ll let me know what’s up, won’t you?" She watched the surgeon nod in agreement then head toward the shower.

***********

Garrett stood in the outer office waiting to be seen by Dr. McMurray. It was his summons that had brought her here. Waiting patiently, she moved along from one wall to the other gazing at the photographs of the man’s life and career. It always intrigued her how he had managed to have some pictorial archive from every aspect of his illustrious tenure in the capacity of Chief of Trauma Services. Even the fact that most of the photographs were also taken with his wife in them, kept her more in awe than she cared to openly admit.

‘I bet it’s wonderful to know that someone stands by you no matter what. I can see why he loves his wife so much.’ Garrett moved on to study the next picture in the line up and stood tilting her head from side to side, deciding just what it was about the picture that caught her eye. Absorbed in it, the surgeon hadn’t noticed the opening of the door or the advancement of her mentor into the reception area.

"I was a young snipper when that one was taken." The Ol’ Cutter stood next to her and studied the picture for the zillionth time in his life. "I was fresh out of my transitional year and ready to take on the world of surgery." He chuckled slightly. "I had a new shiny scalpel in my bag, back then we still carried them, and two dollars in my pocket. You would have thought I was a king." McMurray leaned in toward her. "Do you see anything out of place about that picture? Go on," he nudged her, "take a good look at it."

Garrett stepped closer and studied it intently. "Why, isn’t that your wife in the background?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, technically not. I hadn’t even met her yet, let alone married to her. She just happened to be there, like she was in all of the rest of the pictures. It was like fate had dictated that we would meet and spend the rest of our lives together."

The tall woman stepped back slightly, shaken at what he had said. The surgeon’s mind jumped to the loop of her memory where she had come barreling through the front E.R. doors at the beginning of her shift on that first day, nearly running smack into Danni.

"Do you believe in fate, Dr. Trivoli?"

"I’m beginning to think so, sir. Why do you ask?"

"I think that our fates are planned out for us even before we are born. They write our story in the sands of time and it’s our obligation to live them out here on earth."

"Excuse me, Dr. McMurray," his secretary spoke up. "You have that Board Meeting at eight o’clock, remember?"

"Yes, the Board. Thank you, Stella, for reminding me." His voice was now more business-like than mystical. "Come on into the office Garrett and I’ll tell you why I asked you to stop by."

Garrett followed him in and sat in the chair that he offered to her. She didn’t know why she was there and right now she didn’t really care. All that kept running through her mind was the young "snipper" photograph and the thought of someone else being in control of her life.

The Ol' Cutter rounded his desk and sat down. Leaning forward, he began to speak. "I won't beat around the bush, Trivoli. I don't have time for that. I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything, sir, just ask." Garrett respected her mentor and would do anything to help him out. "I’m getting kind of bored, not being able to fly and all."

"Good, I was hoping that you would be eager to help. I figured that you’d be pretty tired of doing rounds and the clinic by now. You having any trouble with that ankle…I mean…standing on it for a while?"

"I’m not using the crutches if that’s what you mean." She tested her ankle and smiled. "I think that I could manage a round of surgery or two a day. Of course, that’s without jumping up and down." She teased him to make her point.

"That’s good then. One of our former Chief Resident's is in a bind and needs some surgical bail out." He looked at her coyly. "You wouldn’t mind doing a few emergent appendectomies or anything like that, would you? I mean that if you would, I could always send somebody else…"

The woman's eyes lit up as thoughts of O.R. time was being dangled in front of her. "Me, mind a few appy’s? Never, just tell me where to go and who to talk to. I’m on my way."

"I believe you know him, too. It's David Beckman." McMurray watched the expression on her face turn cold. "Is there some problem between you and he that I'm not aware of?"

"No, sir. No problem professionally." The woman's body tensed, as she was becoming more defensive.

"Personally, then?" He eyed her suspiciously as he watched her eyebrow raise in challenge. "Did something happen the night of the dinner that I don’t know about?"

"No! I…I…it’s nothing. I assure you that nothing will get in my way of treating the patients."

"Alright then, I made arrangements for you to stay at the hospital in a call room of your own. While you are there, all of your meals will be covered by the Department of Surgery."

She nodded. "When do I start and for how long?"

The Ol’ Cutter smiled at her, pleased that he could count on the talented surgeon. "I told them you’d be there by noon." He winked and nodded. "Stella will have the directions for you and anything else that you might need. Who knows, maybe this is something that the fates have had in store for you all along." He teased.

She smiled wryly at his remark. "If that’s all, I’ll get my things, along with a few changes of clothing and be on my way." She watched him, nodded, and rose from the chair to leave.

"Trivoli," he called out as she came to the door.

Turning back to him she answered. "Yes?"

"Thanks."

************

There was no need to leave the house, not just yet anyway. Garrett had taken her own car and Danni really did want to address the pile of mail that was left on the desk in her slot. She hadn’t had time to do any of the normal things that her life used to consist of since the tall, raven-haired woman came into her life. ‘Normal? How can anything be normal when I’m gay?’

The petite blonde thought about the topsy-turvy way that her life was spinning out of the realm of control. ‘I can hear it now when Mother finds out that I’m gay. She’s going to have a stroke.’ Danni shook her head as she sorted through the mail. ‘She’ll disown me and throw me right out of the…’

Danni put the rest of the mail down and hastily opened the one with the familiar writing. The delicate paper from some rich looking stationery set fell neatly open with little help from her. The nurse’s eyes quickly skimmed down the page until she came to the last line. It was now that she began coughing and hitting her chest with her empty, open hand. The nurse’s eyes got bigger, "Mother," she sighed. "How did you find out already when the woman of my dreams shares a house with me, works with me, and she still doesn’t know it yet?"

"What the hell is she talking about?" Danni turned the page over and looked at the back of it. It was blank. The petite woman picked up the envelope and stared into the gaping hole as she held it opened and then reread the name on the front of the envelope. It was for her all right, only Danni had no idea what in the world her mother was talking about with the phrase, ‘Take care of my Grandbabies.’

The woman looked down at her compact but shapely body, even going as far as to lift her T-shirt and gaze at her own flat stomach. "Mother, you are really losing it now if you think I’m…I’m pregnant."

The tall dark-haired woman froze in mid step as she came in the front door, her cool blue eyes flashing in total amazement of what she had just heard. The instant replay of her mind spinning backwards then forward again. Each and every time it did, the same phrase rang true. ‘I’m pregnant.’ The pained blue eyes slowly looked over Danni’s taunt exposed abdomen. Garrett felt the anger grow deep inside her when she realized who it must have been by. David, no doubt.

If she thought that she had personal issues with Dr. Beckman before, well, this just put the icing on the cake. ‘And you thought everything was fine when you found her asleep in your bed that morning, didn’t you? Well, I guess it didn’t take all night to give her that present.’ The surgeon breathed deeply trying to calm her body from the out crying of rage that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Feeling the reigns of control take over her body, Garrett focused on controlling her mind.

It was not what the surgeon had in mind for the way things should be, not after her body had given her the idea that Danni may be as interested in her, as she was becoming in the petite woman herself. But she was certain of things now and that was that the nurse would prefer males, with that one particular male being none other than Dr. David Beckman.

The blonde woman released her shirt as she clutched tighter onto the letter. The sound of the opening door had startled her and she stood staring at the tall figure as if she were a deer caught in the headlights of some fast moving vehicle. Finally, she was able to speak. "Gar? What are you doing home?"

"I came home to pack a bag. McMurray is sending me down to help out at…" Garrett thought before she finished, "another hospital."

Danni shoved the letter into her pocket. "Where are we going and for how long? What am I supposed to pack for, flying or inside hospital work?" The nurse was eager to get underway. She loved working with the surgeon.

"Ah, Danni, Dr. McMurray didn’t say anything about you coming along." Blue eyes looked directly into green and could see the pained look of separation hidden there. "I…I guess that I could call him and see if it was an oversight on his part." The surgeon slipped her phone from her pocket, hitting the speed dial as she brought it up to her ear.

The nurse stood looking hopeful while she waited for Garrett to get her the answer.

"Stella, is Dr. McMurray still in the office?" She paused than nodded her head. "I just wanted to ask him a quick question."

Danni stepped close to the tall woman, her head leaning towards the phone.

"Oh, good. I caught you before you left. I don’t remember you saying anything about Dan…ah…Nurse Bossard. Is she to go with me?"

Danni strained on tiptoe to get closer until she was practically leaning on Garrett’s shoulder. She could hear the gruff voice coming across the airwaves. "No, she’ll work in the E.R. for the time that you’re gone. They just need a surgeon to cover their emergencies for now."

Garrett turned to observe Danni’s face and saw the start of tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, sir. I’m sorry if I wasted your time." The surgeon was glad that she didn’t have to tell the young woman next to her that she was not going along. It would be hard enough to not have her around but to have to be the one to tell her that she wasn’t needed would have been even worse. ‘You better get used to it, Trivoli. She’s not going to be in your life for much longer, at least, not how you’d like it to be.’

She brought the phone away from her head. The look on her face said it all. She was disappointed at both McMurray and David for taking the one thing that she had come to rely on in her life out of the picture, Danni.

************

Thrown back into her world of self sufficiency, Garrett drove along the highway until she reached her destination, a rather moderately sized brick building that was the work place of Danni’s baby’s father, Dr. David Beckman. Oh, would she love to do a few things to him. Leaving her emotions for the man and the situation in which she found herself in the car, she gathered her duffel bag up and walked into the hospital ready to accept her new assignment.

"I’m here to meet with Dr. Beckman, I’m Dr. Trivoli. Could you page him for me?" Garrett let her eyes drift over the lobby. It wasn’t the kind of hospital that she had been used to working at. Her career had always driven her to choose the larger, more cutting edge kind.

"Yes, Doctor." The receptionist was polite.

Garrett turned her back to the desk and took in the feel of the entire room. Her mind sent images of Danni in every corner as she imagined the petite blonde moving down to West Virginia to live with David and raise her family. She could see Danni sacrificing herself for the good of the baby and David’s career. ‘Good gosh, she’s so good at doing that. Giving it all up for everyone else and grabbing on to nothing for herself.’

It was now that Garrett Trivoli wondered if she could ever be like that, giving it all up for the sake of someone else. But wasn’t she doing just that now? Giving up exploring a remote chance with Danni because she thought her friend wanted something…no, someone else. Well, wasn’t it? The surgeon’s mind questioned her own motives and that was when she realized that the young woman behind the desk was talking to her.

"Huh?" Garrett turned back to the woman. "I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention."

The woman had noticed, but it wasn’t her job to point this out. "He’ll meet you on the second floor, right outside of the Operating Room." She stated for a third time.

"Thank you." Garrett said reluctantly and reached down into her depths to put that old mask of stoicism back into place.

*************

Danni had reported into the E.R. for work. She would be an extra pair of hands in an already short-staffed emergency area. The nurse welcomed the chance to keep busy and willingly jumped into her duties. She thought positively. The more that she worked, the faster the time would pass and her raven-haired friend would be back in her world.

The nurse stood waiting for an elevator, after having transported a patient to the floor, when the familiar voice startled her.

"Nurse Bossard." The older gentleman nodded toward her in greeting. "I’m glad to see that you’re keeping busy without a certain surgeon to look after."

Danni turned on her heels, ready to meet the challenge, only to see the Ol’ Cutter standing just a few feet away. "I…ah…good morning, sir," her voice having a bit of an edge to it.

"Hmmm…mad at me are you for breaking up the team?"

The petite blonde just glared at him. "You’re the boss."

"Trivoli needed a little time to herself, O.R. time." He grunted. "Besides, who else could I send and not worry about doing their best. In fact, I was kind of glad when Dr. Beckman called me with the request."

"David asked…"

"For a surgeon to help out in a sticky situation. Seems some of their surgeons were at a conference and got stuck without transportation for a couple of days and just yesterday, another one of their surgeons fell and broke his arm. They seemed to be in a bit of a bind for a few days."

"He didn’t ask for her specifically did he?" ‘David if you did, I’ll kill you.’

"Why no. He just asked for someone to cover their emergency surgeries." He thought about that for a moment. "David said that he wouldn’t need someone for more than two or three days."

Now Danni really had something to think about while she waited for Garrett to come home. ‘I wonder if I’ll be one of the subjects that come up when he talks to her?’

The sound of the ding for the elevator was heard and grabbed both of their attentions. The arrow pointed up as the doors began to open.

"That’s for me." Dr. McMurray advanced onto the car and turned to face forward. "She’ll be home before you know it." He nodded reassuringly just as the doors closed.

Danni stood there wide-eyed and wondering. ‘Home before I know it. Now if I only knew what David's going to do, now that he has her all to himself? As if I don’t already know.’

************

Garrett waited outside of the swinging double doors to the Operating Room, her fingers nervously playing with the change in her pocket as she thought about how it would feel to be back in surgery. How she loved to be in the thick of things, the leader in a well-orchestrated symphony of surgical skills. She let her thoughts drift as she turned and stared out the window overlooking the small rural area.

It was funny how her mind evolved from the thick of surgery to one petite blonde, but it did. Everywhere she looked, the surgeon saw Danni in different stages of her pregnancy and with David not far behind. Garrett closed her eyes tightly trying to will the images away from her view. ‘Well, McMurray, I guess this is my fate now, isn’t it?’ She turned and opened her eyes to see David emerge from the doorway. ‘Why did you have to send me?’

"Ah, Dr. Trivoli. I see that you made it a little earlier than I planned."

The surgeon swallowed the bile that was gathering in the back of her throat. "Yes, it seems that I’m a little earlier than planned for all around today." Garrett thought of the earlier surprise that made her aware of Danni’s condition. "I hope I’m not too early for you now."

"No, in fact, now is a good time. I just finished a case and I can show you around."

Garrett reached for her duffel bag and shouldered it. "Lead on," she said dryly and waited to follow him.

"First, let’s get you settled in." He motioned for her to follow and after a few quick turns down the hallway, they stood in front of a door. Producing a key, he opened the door and ushered her into the room. "This is my call room. I’ll let you put your things in here and this will be where you’ll sleep when you need to. I’ll use my office for the nights that I’m on call." He held out the key for her to take.

"Thanks," she took the key and then eyed the mattress as she laid her bag down on it. ‘I wonder if this was where…NO, I don’t want to go there now.’ "I won’t be spending much time in here, but thanks. Now, can you show me to the Emergency Department? That’s what you want me to cover, right?"

"Yeah," David noticed the changed expression in her eyes when she looked at the bed, "I’ll show you the way right now." He motioned for her to go through the doorway ahead of him. As she did, the man looked back at the single, made up bed and wondered just what Danni saw in this woman. She just seemed so cold and aloof to have someone like the blonde nurse be interested in her. He exited the room and closed the door behind him, hearing the click of the lock as it set in place.

"I’ll need to see the E.R., the O.R., and the Recovery Room." Her voice was all business as she followed him down the hall. "Maybe the Cafeteria, too." She added with the thought of Danni running through her head.

"I can do that." David chuckled. "I didn’t think that you were a big eater like Danni." He watched the expression on her face soften at the mention of the woman’s name. Yes, she had a soft spot for the nurse somewhere in that stoic heart.

"I’m not. I’m just used to asking, for her sake." She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

David smiled and nodded his head. "She grows on you after a while, doesn’t she?"

‘And I’m sure that you’re going to get first hand evidence of that in just a very short time.’ Garrett bit at her lip not wanting her thoughts to slip out. After all, it wasn’t her place to tell him he was a father in the making. No, that was strictly between Danni and him. The tall woman continued to follow his lead without commenting on his question, hoping to put an end to the small talk.

They rounded the corner and came to a door marked Stairwell No. 3. Opening it, David started on his rehearsed speech. "We’re headed down to the first floor now and the area right outside of the Trauma Room. The hospital is only providing services on a Level Three accreditation, that means we only receive and keep traumas during the hours of 7 in the morning until 7 at night when the full compliment of services are available."

"And what of the other twelve hours?"

"We stabilize and transport to a Level One facility, such as the one that you are on loan to us from."

Garrett wasn’t quite sure that she liked that thought, but it was one that she would have to live with for the next few days.

As they reached the bottom of the steps, David’s pager beeped as he reached for the door.

"Trauma Team Page Level One, Male mid to late 20’s with a single gunshot to chest, agonal breathing noted. ETA 2 minutes. This is a Level One Trauma Team Page."

David stopped short. He turned to the tall woman, his eyes pleading silently for help.

"Care if I scrub in with you, doctor? I’ll be able to get a first hand look at how your department runs that way." Her eyebrow arched as she waited for his acceptance of her help.

With a smile breaking at the corners of his mouth, he silenced the beeper. "Right this way, Dr. Trivoli. I’d be happy to have your assistance."

With a few twist and turns down the hallway, they soon found themselves in the newly arranged trauma room. The gathered nursing staff was dressing quickly in lead aprons, gowns and masks. The two surgeons followed suit, finishing as the medics wheeled the patient into the room.

Gasping, intermittent, labored breath sounds of the patient were noted as the stretcher passed in front of Garrett, alerting her of his dire straights. His skin was cool and clammy to touch while looking to be a pasty color of white.

"Can someone page Anesthesia to this room, STAT," her voice rose above the din of the room. Her ever-observant eyes caught sight of small pool of blood on the left side of the stretcher sheet. "Cut his shirt off on the right side of his body and across the left shoulder and sleeve, we’ll need to keep that left side intact for the police."

David pressed his finger deep into the nail bed of the patient’s thumb then released it. The poor blood return allowed the whitened nail to remain that way for a lengthy period of time. "Let’s hang two units of blood." Looking up to the heart monitor he could see the slowing complexes signifying the outcome of a dying man. "Let’s check for pulses," he directed his staff.

Both surgeons felt for pulses, Garrett at the neck and David at the groin. After several seconds had passed by, they met each other’s gaze. The look in their eyes became cold and steely, as each of the surgeons knew what had to be done.

"Set up for a thoracotomy tray, we’re going to open his chest." David gulped. This wasn’t something that he had done on an almost daily basis anymore. The last time had been in his last week of residency back in Pittsburgh with Danni at his side. His thoughts drifted to the petite blonde nurse that he had come to adore but were quickly turned back on the task at hand when he saw the orange-brown splash of Betadine across the now bared chest to prep the area. ‘Thanks, Danni, for telling me that Dr. Trivoli was the one to steal your heart. And for her being here at this moment.’ He thought as he looked at the intensity on the face of the woman surgeon across the table from him. It gave him a newfound confidence as he forged on. "Let’s give a dose of Epinephrine."

The crash cart was pulled into place and opened, revealing the drugs necessary to work a cardiac arrest with ease. The expertise of the dark, curly-haired nurse betrayed her look of youth. This was something that she was evidently deft and well rehearsed at over the years. With a calm air about her, she readied the prefilled syringes, giving each one in succession as she called out the drug and time that it was administered as well as location of intravenous line used.

With a flurry of feet a new person entered the arena. "I’m here now, what is it that you…" the anesthesiologist suddenly realized that his skills were indeed needed immediately. "Let me through, I’ll need a curved blade on that laryngoscope and set up a size 8 endotracheal tube." He called out his orders, making his way to the head of the patient. Grabbing a set of gloves from out of his pocket, he readied himself to intubate the hardly breathing patient. With skilled hands that had a lifetime of practice, the physician started to place the tube. "Damn! I need suction, he’s got vomit blocking the airway." A suction catheter appeared in the hand of the male nurse standing by his side. After a few quick passes to remove the obstruction, the vocal cords could be visualized, allowing the intubation to be completed successfully. He remained at the head of the patient, manually breathing for him with the large oxygen-filled bag attached to the endotube, holding it in place while the nurse secured the tube from dislodging. The anesthesiologist watched as both sides of the patient’s chest rose as he squeezed the oxygen into the patient’s lungs. Convinced that the tube was properly positioned, he gave a nod to the surgeons to begin.

Garrett stood poised and ready with a scalpel in her hand; after all, it was her side of the chest that had been penetrated by the bullet. "Okay, everybody ready?" She began to make the incision down the length of the ribs cutting hastily through the tissue to bring the contents of the chest cavity into view.

"Rib spreaders," David commanded, his hand held out ready to accept them.

The nurse held up two pieces, looking at him with horror in her eyes. "I don’t think these are going to do anything, Doc."

"Shit! What the hell…" his mind raced with thought. "Get me another rib spreader."

Garrett acting in her normally cool, in control manner didn’t let the moment of failed equipment stop her from obtaining her goal. She would just use what she had at hand. "You and you," she motioned with her head to the two people on either side of her. "Each one of you grab on a rib and separate them until the rib spreader comes."

The two nurses jumped at the command, not knowing what else to do as the aide took off down the hall for the spare set of rib spreaders. When enough space was gained, the sinewy, gloved fingers of the surgeon gently pushed aside the expanding lobes of lung, revealing the inner contents of the cavity.

The nurses peered down into the chest, realizing that their own hands were literally now a part of the procedure.

David adjusted the large surgical spotlight above them as they looked to see the extent of the damage caused by the small 22mm bullet.

"I have the rib spreaders!" The aide came dashing back into the room as she tore open the sterile packaging.

Taking the intact spreaders, David worked to put them in place. "Okay, you can let go now, thanks." He watched as the hands of the nurses withdrew, making sure that the hands of the other surgeon were not encumbered in any way.

"Get an abdominal X-ray, there seems to be hardly any blood in this chest cavity. She looked over the muscle that pumped the blood throughout the body. Instead of a full, well-rounded and beating heart, there was a contracted and non-moving mass. "We’ve got to expand his volume. Give him two more units of blood and open up the other lines with Lactated Ringers’ going." She began to gently massage the firm muscle, trying to get the chambers to open up and accept the newly replenished volume of life giving fluid. A moment or two passed by until she could feel the muscle begin to beat of its own accord. She withdrew her hands as both surgeons bent over the opening, looking for any source of bleeding and injury.

"Here! It looks like a hole in the diaphragm." David saw it first.

"Suture, please." She responded immediately to his words. "Call the O.R. and tell them that we need a room, we’re coming up." The words rolled out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying. Her eyes flashed over to David, in hoping that he realized the critical nature of the patient. "Don’t you think, Dr. Beckman?"

"Yes, definitely." He hurried to assist her with clipping the suturing thread after it was knotted. "Get us an elevator to the O.R. Pack up, we’re moving in a minute." He threw down the surgical scissors onto the pile of utensils that they had used and draped a sterile blue towel over the still exposed chest.

He stepped back long enough for the nursing staff to attach the patient to a portable monitor and accumulate the bags of hanging intravenous fluids onto the one-wheeled pole that the blood infuser was on. The quantity of activity in the room was mind boggling as every person readied the patient for the trip to the operating theater.

"The elevator’s here," someone announced.

Garrett motioned to the surgeon across from her, "Lead on, I’m right behind you." She ripped off her gloves and grabbed a fresh pair as they left the room, David in the lead. She stopped momentarily as the X-ray of the patient’s abdomen was being hung on the view box. She sighed deeply, knowing all too well that the extent of the patient’s injuries lay within that area. She fell instep behind the entourage as it started into the elevator.

"Who else would end up in the O.R. assisting on a Trauma Case during an orientation?" She shook her head in disbelief, making a mental note to tell her roommate of her adventure. She could see her already, her mouth open and wanting to know why she wasn't along for the ride. A smile hid itself under her masked face as thoughts of the blonde nurse danced through her mind. She found that happening more and more. ‘Better learn to squelch that now, before it becomes a habit, Trivoli. She’ll be his dreams now.’ The tall woman looked ahead to David, slowly resigning herself to that fate.

*************

Danni sat at the kitchen table without a single light on in the house. It was getting to be dusk and the light was fading from the day. So much like her life. Without the surgeon there with her, the nurse’s life seemed to pale in spirit. The petite woman didn’t like the feeling of loneliness that was creeping over her, nor did she enjoy the emptiness of the house around her.

And so she sat there, waiting for the dark to overshadow her, while that ill- begotten letter kept coming to the front of her mind. What the hell was her mother talking about? She took it out and read it once more in the fading light. Her mind searching for answers, she thought to call Brie then quickly decided against it. To call Brie would be like talking directly to Mother and Danni didn’t need that right now, not when her mind was on Garrett. Besides, wasn’t that what was making the whole letter of Mother’s a little confusing anyway? Why would Mother say that Garrett was flirting with a woman unless…did she know that Danni had feelings for her?

*************

Tight-lipped and calculating, Mrs. Bossard sat waiting for her son to return her phone call. It had taken her several days if not almost a full week to come to terms with the idea of having her oldest daughter impregnated with twins, bastards as they were. Now, she was ready to deal with the fact and, after some drastic planning, she considered the legal issues to be her best bet here. Matt was a lawyer and would, of course, know just how to go about it. The matriarch was pleased with herself for pushing him in that direction. It was one part of her blueprints for her children’s lives that had seemed to be working as planned. Now, if she could only get Danni’s life on track like she wanted it to be, then life would be good again.

The phone rang and she hurriedly picked it up, caring to not waste another second in time before her daughter and the family’s good name would be vindicated. "Hello, Mrs. Bossard speaking."

"Hello, Mother."

"Matthew, I’ve been waiting for your call. What took so long for you to find time to return it?" The sternness of her voice was evident.

"Mother, I was in court when you called."

"I bet if that Judge knew that it was your mother, he’d…"

"Well, I’m here now, what do you need?" He tried to corral her assault on his ears.

Her eyes flashed red at being directed in her thoughts by her son, but he was a good lawyer and she knew it. "Matt, your sister Danielle has gotten herself into a bit of trouble. I need you to take care of it without dragging the family name through the mud."

"Danni?" He thought of his gentle sister. "What could Danni have possibly done to get in trouble?"

"I prefer to think that it was not her fault at all."

"Mother, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, I can’t help her," Matt pleaded his case.

"Alright, but this is strictly between you and me." The matriarch continued on in a hushed tone so as not to be heard by anyone but her son. "That surgeon that your sister has been seeing has gotten her pregnant and with twins, no doubt."

"Danni’s pregnant? Why I…"

"Oh, it gets better, too. Dr. Garrett Trivoli is also referring to her as his mistress and laughing about it to all his friends at the hospital. Then, if that’s not enough, I saw him proposition a lovely young woman right before my eyes to have…" she paused momentarily, "to have ‘IT’ in his office." Her face became red with anger and her lips tightened to thin little lines.

Matt was shocked at what he’d just heard. Quite frankly, being a lawyer and all, it took a lot for him to be speechless and he was indeed.

"His friends are even lying to Danni about his activities with other women. Trying to cover for him. Matt are you still there?"

The question startled him. "Yes, Mother, I’m here. What is it that you want me to do?"

"I won’t stand for any bastards in this family. Do whatever you can to correct this situation and do it soon. Why, to see your sister, she’ll be ready to deliver those babies before the summer is over. I want the name on those birth certificates to be Trivoli and not Bossard." She sniffed, trying to once again establish her dignity. "Do I make myself understood?"

"Yes, Mother. I’ll get on that right away." He heard the click on the other end and slowly lowered the phone from his ear. "Danni, what do you have yourself into now?"

He sat down at his desk and thought about the sister that he had always looked up to. She’d always been a freer spirit than Brie or he when it came to Mother’s law. Now, look at where she was, unmarried, pregnant and with a man that didn’t respect women in the least. He closed his eyes and prayed for guidance.

***********

Continued (Conclusion)

The surgeon sat crumpled up in a ball on the armed chair in the Recovery Room. It had been a long afternoon spent in surgery and an even longer night spent by the patient’s bedside. Garrett stretched her long limbs trying to get some life back into them before getting out of the chair. She wasn’t unaccustomed to going that extra mile for her patients; in fact, she regarded it as her duty and not just a job. It was the likes unseen for some of the nurses here in this smaller hospital. Most cases of this severity would be transferred to larger better-equipped hospitals.

Wiping the sleep away from her eyes, the surgeon focused on her patient. Her groggy, sleep-filled voice broke the air. "Any change since the last time?"

"No, he’s holding his own," the efficient nurse answered as she checked the drops in the I.V. chamber. "Can I get you some coffee, Doctor?"

Garrett nodded as she continued to gradually allow the rest of her cramped body to wake up. "Thanks. Say, what time is it?"

"Why, it’s just about change of shifts, ten minutes to seven…in the morning."

‘Well, that’s one night down and only a few more to go.’ She accepted the offered cup of coffee and sipped at it slowly. ‘I wonder what today will bring with it?’

***************

The blonde nurse plodded along through another day without the sight of her dark-haired friend and already it was taking its toll on her spirit. Her steps seemed just a little less buoyant and her smile, not as quick to rise. But what it did to her work was even more obvious. She was like a taskmaster doling out the most menial jobs to herself. Everyone around her could see what she was doing, and that was to wear herself out. Perhaps, that would finally bring her sleep. She’d spent a long restless night and there were no signs of it being any different tonight.

Forced to take her lunch, Danni had ventured to the cafeteria to sustain her body with nourishment. It was there that she thought about the surgeon again, wondering if she was eating or just surviving on coffee and a quick bite here or there. Downing only a few morsels of food, the nurse made her way back to the E.R., sick to her stomach by the absence of her friend.

On her return to the E.R., her Manager, Nan, greeted Danni. "Hey, you got a message while you were at lunch."

Danni’s eyes perked up, as did her whole body. "I did?"

"Yeah, it’s on the clipboard at the charge desk."

The petite nurse’s eyes immediately looked in that direction. "Thanks, Nan." She made her way over to the desk and slipped the note out from under the clipboard mechanism; eager to see who it was from. Her thoughts were of Garrett as she unfolded the paper. "Call me tonight when you get home." The words murmured over her lips, then she looked at the name below it and her shoulders slumped as it registered. ‘Matt.’ She folded the paper and shoved it into her pocket. Just what she needed, more family members to see her in her pain.

*****************

The day in the rural community was not turning out too badly for the tall woman surgeon. The small but ever-busy E.R. had provided her with several cases for minor surgeries, two appendectomies and a nasty boil to be lanced at the bedside. It wasn’t much, but after not being in the O.R. everyday for several months, it was enough to keep even a surgeon of her caliber happy.

Garrett used the inside of her scrub top to wipe her face. She looked down at her watch and saw that there would be only another hour to go before her services as a Trauma Surgeon would be vanquished at 1900 by the decree of the Level Three Trauma Rating. ‘Then,’ she mused, ‘It’ll be time to hit the showers.’

Making her way back to her call room, she’d stop in and check on her patient from last night in the ICU and then the rest of the night would be hers to do with as she pleased.

************

Danni wasn’t more than a few steps inside of the house when the phone started to ring. Jumping on it as fast as she could, she lifted the receiver to her ear and spoke, "Gar?"

Taken aback by his sister’s eagerness, Matt was speechless for a moment then slowly began to speak. "Sorry, sis, it’s me, Matt."

With her hopes dashed, Danni slowly fought back the tear that was starting to roll over her lashes. "Matt, hi, I was just getting home when you called."

"I guess that Garrett is not with you." He sighed, not wanting to do this over the phone. "I was hoping to maybe talk with you both."

"Matt, I’m not sure when that could be. Ever since Gar’s ankle injury, we’ve been grounded. They’ve even loaned Garrett out to another hospital for a few days to fill in for an incapacitated surgeon. For all I know, it could be tonight or next week before we’re home together again."

His sympathy went out to his sister. ‘I wonder if that’s the truth he told her about not being at home for a while?’ "Sis, how about I drop in on Friday evening right after work. I’ll take my chances that Garrett will be there then."

"If I get a chance to talk to Gar, I will."

"Danni, are you taking care of yourself?" She felt the concern in his voice. "Mother mentioned that you were in court for something. I hope it was only to give testimony."

"Testimony on my part, but that Defense Attorney really tried to put Gar through the wringer. Thank the gods that it didn’t do any good." Danni sighed audibly. "You’re not like that are you, lil’ brother?"

Matt cleared his throat and coughed.

"Okay, I’ll let you off the hook." Danni shook her head. "Yeah I’m taking care of myself, I’m just a little lonely without Garrett being around. I’ll see you on Friday, Matt."

"Friday, then. Bye." He listened until he heard the sound of the line going dead. Man, how he hoped that his feelings about this surgeon were all wrong.

*************

David had noticed that the tall, able-bodied surgeon had been avoiding him like the plague for the last day or so. Resolving to correct the situation by confronting her, he set on a course to intercept her before she could lock herself away behind a closed call room door. After several inquiries into her whereabouts, he was able to track her down to the surgeon’s showers in the O.R. dressing area. Now, all he had to do was wait for her to emerge. Armed with a cup of coffee, the man laid claim to a leather recliner in the lounge that faced the windowed door leading to the hall outside of the dressing room and waited.

Three coffees and a stale half a donut later, the tall woman surgeon emerged with her hair still damp and shaking it to help it dry. David brought the recliner to its upright position and got up to intercept the advancing woman.

"Garrett, could I have a word with you in my office?" He looked her straight in the eye. "Now?"

She did not want to do this for fear of something that she might say. But she was on his turf and needed to play by his rules not hers. Reluctantly, she nodded her head and stepped aside waiting to follow him down the hall.

Before she knew it, they were in his office and he was taking the seat behind the desk, leaving the lone upholstered chair in front of it for her. Self-consciously, she placed her toiletry bag down next to her in the enormous chair and shifted in the seat until she felt comfortable. There was silence in the room as each one watched the other for a moment before David finally spoke.

"So, Garrett, are you enjoying your stay with us?"

The stoic woman eyed him cautiously, not at all suspecting that to be the first thing out of his mouth. It took her by surprise. "As best as can be expected."

"Good, I’m glad that I finally got the chance to see what all the fuss was about. I mean…all that PR with the Flight Surgeon Team is building you up rather strongly. You even have Danni quite impressed. Now I can see why she picked the surgeon that she did."

"What do you mean, picked the surgeon that she did?" Her eyebrow rose with the emphasis of what she said. "We were put together by the Board of Directors."

David just smiled. "You do know that she is smitten with you, don’t you?"

"Yeah, right, that’s why she’s been seeing you. You’re a pompous ass if you don’t realize it. Why do you think that I had Rosie invite you up for that weekend of the Dinner?" Garrett glared at him. "It wasn’t to keep me company."

"Pompous ass? You think that you were doing me a favor?"

"Well, somebody had to take the bull by the horns. I’m just sorry that I didn’t stay out of it. I’m the one feeling responsible now that she’s…"

David looked at her suspiciously. "Now that she’s what?"

Garrett bit her tongue. It wasn’t supposed to come out this way and surely not from her mouth. "I just think that you’d show a little more responsibility in her favor."

"Responsibility for what?" He started to get angered by her vague accusations. "What did I do…try to show her a good time, take her out and go dancing with her?"

That was it. Garrett had had enough. There would be no more beating around the bush. "You’re the one that got her in that condition and you don’t even have a clue."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"She’s pregnant." Garrett’s eyes locked into his and the icy cold of their gaze nearly froze him.

"She’s what? How could that be?" His face turned pale. "Why you don’t think that I…I had anything to do with it?"

The steel blue-gray eyes bore holes into his flesh as the lone eyebrow edged ever upward with her answer. "You’re a doctor, now what do you think?"

"Hey, I never…I never made it past her neck. How could I be the one that…" David sprang to his feet in his defense. "She told me she was…"

"What, on the pill?" Garrett now rose to her feet in defense of her friend.

"That she was a lesbian and I…"

That was all that David could get out before the large hand hauled off and struck him in the face. The smart of her knuckles grinding into the side of his face stung like crazy and it wasn’t long before the small trickle of blood came running from his nose. To say that it caught him off guard was an understatement.

Holding the side of his face, he shook his head trying to get the stars to stop spinning in front of his eyes. He wasn’t sure what had hit him, a Mack truck or the woman in front of him. David wiped his nose with his sleeve, the blood smearing across his face.

"Trivoli, you’re a fool. I don’t know what she ever saw in you to love you. I can’t believe that she could ever love you knowing that violent side exists."

"What do you mean, she loves me?"

"You heard me. She told me that herself when she was down here last month." David shook his head in disbelief. "You are a dense idiot, aren’t you? You don’t even believe it when it’s told right to your face."

"She couldn’t be…why she’s…she’s…"

"She’s in love with you. Head over heels, I might add." His voice was growing calmer and the major blow up was over. "If you don’t believe me, maybe you should ask her yourself." He watched as the tall woman worked her mouth, speechless at what had just been said.

She blinked several times as it all began to sink in.

"Surely, you must have known."

Garrett’s eyes darted around the room as the words were sinking further in. Her hands relaxed and the fists became undone. She carefully looked David in the eye and knew that there was truth in what he was speaking. It was then, that she saw the growing bruise on the side of his face and the telltale rings of discoloration around his eye. "I…" she cleared her throat. "You better get that checked out and get some ice on it." She bent down and picked up her toiletry bag from the chair. "I’m sorry." The surgeon spoke quietly then turned to leave. She needed time to think things out. Everything was just rushing at her like the wind in a hurricane.

Garrett wandered off down the hall and found herself standing in front of her call room. Producing the key from her pocket, she let herself in and sank down onto the bed. There she sat with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

It only took a few minutes for her to feel as though the walls were closing in on her in that small room. The closer they came in her mind, the more her heart pounded, and soon she grabbed her belongings, and shoved them into the duffel bag. It was now or never, and she left the room striding, never minding to close the door. Off down the hall she bolted until she could feel the fresh air in her face as she walked out the hospital’s door.

Suddenly she found herself seated in her Blazer, staring into the night’s sky. She rolled down the driver’s window and sank down into the seat letting her headrest on the open window’s ledge. She watched the stars in the sky overhead and wondered about her own insignificant place in the workings of the universe. ‘Is this really where the fates deem me to be?’

The surgeon stayed like that for what seemed an eternity but was really only the batting of an eye in the scheme of the universe before she sat up and turned the key in the ignition to on. The powerful engine answered the call as the rough idle turned into a steady purr. She slipped it into gear and was ready to go.

************

The small blonde form lay curled up in her bed. Sleep was not as casually sought as it had once been and the lines were beginning to show on her forehead. How much longer could she go without sleep and still be able to function in her job was now her biggest concern. Perhaps a warm soak would ease the tension in her body.

Danni got up and headed to the bathroom to draw her tub. Within minutes, she was disrobed and slowly lowering her body into the soothing waters. There she lay, allowing the warmth of the water to leech out the aches and pains that had built up over the past few days. When the time had come that she could feel her eyes becoming heavy with sleep, she unstopped the bath water and reached for the large lush towel to dry off on. Raising her body up, she wrapped in the towel and proceeded to her bed.

Letting the bath towel slip from her body to the floor, she climbed in between the cool crisp sheets and found her somniferous mind to be filled with lecherous thoughts as she felt the bedding glide over her body. It was only minutes before sleep held her in its realm.

Ebbing somewhere between sleep and awake, Danni could feel the presence of another in her world and struggled to welcome it as though it had always been there, though just out of sight. Her eyes now opened to settle on the tall form standing in the doorway. The splash of back lighting from the hall kept the form in silhouette. The nurse’s body cried out with want as the form drew closer.

Before she realized it, the womanish form was next to her bed, kneeling down to get closer to her face. There, she heard the whisper that her heart had been longing for forever. In the soft tones of a voice filled with emotions, Garrett’s words came to her ear. "Danni, I love you."

The nurse reached out her small hand and cupped the cheek of her friend. "I know…I’ve known for quite sometime."

Danni stared into the soft silhouette of the face she’d gazed at in longing a hundred times before and felt the wetness of the single tear that rolled gently down its cheek. Capturing it with her thumb, she wiped it from the face and drew her nearer to her own. The long strands of hair fell loosely over her arm as the two bodies merged closer to their goal, the kiss, and the tie that would forever sustain their love.

Soft, moistened lips edged ever closer to their matched set until they touched in the firm sensual embrace that only lovers share. Their bodies were full of emotion and their souls longing to once again establish that searing energy that gave life to the spark of their passion. Each stood mesmerized in time by the other’s touch until they broke apart, gasping for the breath to continue on with their quest.

The heavily labored breathing was like a catalyst to their bodies’ desires as words rushed forward from one’s lips to the other’s ear.

"Garrett, I love you like no one else on earth."

"I want you to feel my love as it pours out of my very soul."

The surgeon lured Danni up from the bed with soft kisses that slowly pulled her to a sitting position, the covers falling away from the woman’s body. With Danni’s legs cast over the side of the bed, Garrett stood up before the nurse and straddled her lower limbs, bringing their bodies closer than before.

Reaching up under the loose fitting scrub top, the nurse let her hands roam freely over the taunt musculature of the woman before her. The soft touch made Garrett inhale deeply then exhale with the undertones of a moan in her throat as her head was thrown back to gaze at the darkened ceiling with closed eyes. The waves of sensation were coursing through her body to the point of making her weak in the knees and she felt herself come to rest against the bed. Soon she could feel the coolness of the room air on her body as the shirt was lifted over her shoulders. Lowering her body to assist with its removal over her head, Garrett found her unencumbered arms now wrapped tightly around the soft, warm body of the nurse and their lips once again finding the other’s.

The petite blonde now slipped her hands under the sides of the sports bra and slowly slid it over the fullness of breasts that it was used to support. The kiss was broken only long enough to remove the article of clothing from encumbering them any further. The excitement of skin touching skin was like an elixir to their souls and Danni sought more flesh to revel in. Untying the drawstrings of the scrub pants and loosening the material allowed it to glide smoothly down to where the surgeon’s knees rested against the bed. The only thing left now was the small amount of silky material that covered her most intimate assets. The stretchiness of the elastic in the boxers allowed for ease in their removal as first one leg was lifted and then the other stepped out of the gathering of clothes at her ankles.

The closeness of the two bodies became much like that of a dance as their presence was felt on the bed, each kneeling and leaning into the other. Hands and arms moved independently of the other as large expanses of skin were left tingling by each other’s touch. Words were at a minimum now with all of their efforts concentrated on the physical as one body rejoiced in the sensation aroused in it by the other. Danni was the first to succumb to the heady aroma as her mind became clouded with visions of passions from times long forgotten in her soul’s journey. Her body was held in Garrett’s strong arms as they laid her down into the soft bedding that nestled around her.

It was there in that warm soft cloud, that her nipples became hardened and tender to the touch of the long, sinewy fingers that plied them with caresses.

The nurse tried to form words in her mouth but with her first syllable, she heard instead the rich, soft tone of Garrett’s voice. "Not now my love. Let our actions speak for us both." And with that, the stage was set. No more words would fall between them, to be misunderstood or misconstrued, until their hearts knew what the other was feeling.

Soft kisses laced the expanse of warm flesh as each took turns with the other in this game of heightened sensual arousal. Garrett worked her way meticulously down nearly every inch of upper torso until it all had been covered. With nothing but the petite woman’s lower half left to explore, the surgeon eased her hands lower to just brush fluidly over Danni’s hips and cross over to her thighs. Immediately the alarms were going off in the young blonde’s head. Her blood pressure rising to heights never ventured as the ringing in her ears grew louder.

It was finally going to happen and Danni found herself rejoicing in the fact that her first, last and forever lover would be none other than Garrett Trivoli.

Her body’s alarms seemed to be going off consistently with a pattern of their own, not keeping beat with the passion that the two were moving with. Deep within the realm of her subconscious mind, Danni recognized the noise and found her right hand leaving the warm, sweaty body of her lover to reach for the phone on the nightstand. Tempered with the reality of their almost continuous state of being on-call for emergencies, Danni brought the phone to her ear.

The dead silence on the other end threw her until she heard the start of slow rhythmic breathing that became heavy at times and startled her. Opening her eyes, she stared out into the blackness of the room and realized that she was alone with the covers wrapped tightly around her. She could feel her body still pulsating from the touch of her invisible lover and felt cheated by the sound of the raspy breathing on the other end. Staring into the phone she found herself angered and on the verge of tears. "Like I really needed this phone call right now. Let me tell you, buddy, you’re way too late." Her words were sharp and she could feel the tears streaming down her face as she slammed the receiver onto the cradle of the phone.

"Damn it anyway. Garrett, where are you?" The young woman’s voice sounded out into the night with anguish. "I need you."

Rolling over Danni hugged at her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

***********

Garrett rolled back into her parking space just a little before her time to come on shift. She’d spent the night driving and thinking about what David had said to her the evening before. Her only stop during the last nine hours had been at an all night coffee shop on the highway where she sat and drank down several cups of the warming liquid.

If David was right, and Garrett’s own emerging feelings were true, the surgeon felt like she had wasted a year of time by not allowing Danni to get closer than she had. How could she approach her now with only a few short weeks left and offer her love? She couldn’t, it wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.

The surgeon had already made a commitment over the phone with a hospital that was across the country in Arizona. She’d followed her plan and finagled her best offer into one of truly stellar proportions. It would be impossible to carry on a relationship of any kind that far away from one another. Besides, all of Danni’s family and friends were here in the ‘Burgh. How could she ask her to give them all up just to be with her?

It seemed like the fates had already decided what would happen and there was nothing that she could do about it. ‘Well, at least it’s not like we’re lovers or such.’ "She’ll forget me after I’m gone." Garrett thought about the friendly, outgoing nurse. ‘The question is, will I ever forget her?’ And deep in her heart, the surgeon knew the answer, never. Not for as long as she breathed would she forget the kindness of the young woman’s soul to have shown her the warmness of friendship and the comfort of love.

With a new mindset, Garrett Trivoli emerged from that night to cherish the rest of her time with the young nurse, Danni Bossard, for she would never know when the next time would come that she would be graced with her company might come along. She vowed to herself, more than anything, to be able to carry her always within the realms of her heart.

***************

The days moved swiftly now as each worked long, tedious hours until the day arrived that Garrett was no longer needed to help out. The few days spent in David’s company had been more than enlightening. The slightly chubby teddy bear of a man showed her all of the grace and charm that a well-schooled host could offer his guests. It would have been easy for him to turn on her with anger, but he didn’t, and instead explained his well-defined black eye as one being received by a delirious and wildly swinging patient under his care. He had no intent to single her out, but instead felt for the woman as she was coming to terms with her life.

As she left that last day, David had offered his hand in friendship and meant it. Garrett took it and thanked him for his understanding of her beleaguered soul. He would be the first of many that she would need to say good-bye to. With some, it would not be as difficult but with others, she dreaded the day that was coming.

Her time had been short in this rural community but she had learned a few valuable lessons, ones that she would never forget. And with that, she got into her Blazer and headed back to Pittsburgh.

*************

Danni waited patiently for her roommate to arrive home. She’d gotten word through Dr. McMurray that the Flight team would be back in service for the Memorial Day Weekend. Delighted by the thought, she readied for their first flight together again as a team. With the end of the work day fast approaching and no sight of the large stoic surgeon, she gathered up her gear and headed home to where she hoped one tall, dark and dreadfully missed surgeon would be waiting to see her face.

Pulling into the parking space outside her house, Danni got out of her Malibu and scoured the street for the familiar black, full-size Blazer. It was not there. Perhaps she had run into a late surgery or had trouble on the road. The nurse’s mind thought for a minute to use the number of her cell phone but thought that it might seem too needy on her account. Walking up the steps to her front door, Danni paused and looked one last time up and down the street, but there was nothing. She entered the door and pulled it tightly closed behind her.

Her routine was running its normal pattern as she shuffled through the mail and sorted it out. It was an easy sort as everything was for her except one lone envelope addressed to Dr. Garrett Trivoli, M.D. She looked at the envelope curiously, as it was not the first from that same place. "Arizona, huh?" Danni tapped it on the palm of her hand. "They must be eager to entice her." She laid the letter on Garrett’s side of the desk and went on to her next chore, dinner.

Moving into the kitchen, Danni made herself a large salad for dinner and pulled out a chair to sit down and eat it. Her attention was distracted by the sound of someone trying the front door. With a surge of anticipation a mile long, Danni sprinted for the door, convinced that it was her missing roommate. Pulling the door open, Danni was surprised to see the figure of her brother poised to knock on the door. "Gar…Matt?" The look on her face was one of utter disappointment. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Sis! Nice to see you too." He said sheepishly.

"Oh, Matt, sorry, I forgot you were coming." She pulled the door wide open and welcomed him in. "Come on, let me get you something to drink. Have a seat and I’ll be right in."

Matt did so and took a seat in the first available chair. He watched as his sister went out on the doorstep and looked up and down the street for the familiar vehicle. Not having seen it, she came back in and closed the door.

"Water, juice, beer, wine?" she asked him as she breezed in toward the kitchen.

"A beer would be fine, Danni. It will help me to unwind."

"So, what’s so important that you need to come here to see me and to meet Garrett?" Danni yelled in from the kitchen. "Is mother in a snit about something?" She decided to play dumb and not acknowledge the letter she had received.

"Well, Sis," he took the beer and opened it. "Mother wanted me to check out this Garrett and make sure that you were being well taken care off." He eyed her rather flat stomach as she walked past him and thought about the possibilities. "How have you been feeling lately? I mean…nothing to put you into the hospital for?" He’d hoped that she would not be foolish enough to use some scumbag wannabe doctor to do an abortion.

Danni sat down on the couch and interlaced the fingers of her hands on her knee. "Now Matt, it’s just you and me here. Tell me what this is all about?"

"Mother seems to think that you are…or were…pregnant." He grimaced. "She even thinks that it was with twins, by Garrett of course."

Danni burst out laughing. "Me, pregnant?" She shook her head. "The woman is delusional, I’m still a virgin." The red blush started up her face with that statement.

"Well, you know Mother. It only takes one thing to get her going off on a tangent."

"And I bet that one thing was Brie."

"Well, Danni, you did give a few of us the idea."

"When, and how?" She was curious now more than angry.

"Let’s face it, Danni, you refused your wine at Christmas dinner, you took naps with Gunny and you were queasy when breakfast rolled around that next morning." He shrugged. "I even gave it a thought in the back of my mind."

"Why didn’t you just ask me? I would have told you."

"Hey, it was a holiday. Do I have to be a lawyer all the time?" They both chuckled at the thought.

"So why are you investigating this now?"

"Well, by Mother and Brie’s recollections, your phone conversations have been…" he cleared his throat, "rather explicit of what you and Garrett are doing in your time together."

"Huh?" Danni’s brow furrowed with concern. "I don’t understand. They asked me what was going on and I told them about our helicopter flights."

Matt tried hard not to laugh. "Well, do you remember telling Mother about you knowing how to watch out for ‘a spinning tail rotor’? Or that you and Garrett had been up and down so many times that it was taking up all your sleeping time?"

Danni put her face in her hands, embarrassed by what her mother had thought she was saying. "Oh, Mother!" The blonde blew out a long breath. "Okay, stop, I understand now." Then she looked up into Matt’s eyes. "But why does she think that I’m having twins?" Danni motioned toward her non-existent stomach full of twins.

"Mother said that she heard Garrett talking about not being able to wait until the twins would get here."

"Why would Garrett talk about twins? The only twins that we know of are Rene’s…" Danni stopped dead in her sentence. "Oh, good God. Mother heard Dr. Chabot talking about his twins. I bet that was the day that I thought I saw someone that reminded me of Mother at the hospital. That was the day that Gar lent him the Flight Suit." Danni shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, I can understand the twins now." She started to calm down.

"Don’t you think that it’s kind of funny?" Matt looked at her. "In an odd sort of way."

"Yes." They both lost it laughing at the misconception of the events in question. Only Mother would be able to pull that one off.

Danni thought for a moment and then decided to test the waters a little. "Matt, do you believe that every one has someone out there for them?"

"Gee, Sis, I sure hope so. Why, have you found your someone?"

"I think that I just might have."

He searched her face looking for some clue. "It’s Gar, isn’t it?"

Danni closed her eyes and nodded her head. She bit at her lip and then continued. "Matt, Garrett is a…"

"Hey, I’m home." The sound of the voice was all that Danni needed. She jumped up from the couch, moving toward the door and the figure that was coming in through it, setting down her duffel bag on the floor.

Grabbing the big hand in her small one, Danni pulled the lumbering surgeon over in the direction of her brother. "Matt, I’d like you to meet Garrett Trivoli. Gar, this is my brother, Matt." The blonde beamed with pride at the introduction of the two.

Caught off guard, Garrett offered her hand and smiled politely. "Hi, Matt. It’s nice to meet you." Her lopsided smile then came shining through as her eyes moved between the two. "Yeah, I can see the resemblance."

This last observation definitely broke the ice as Matt now returned the smile and stuck out his hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Dr. Trivoli."

"You can call me, Gar."

"Gar, then." He watched the change in his sister and knew what she was about to say when they had been interrupted. "So, you and my sister are…friends. I’m glad that someone is keeping an eye on her here in the big city." He winked and started to laugh. He liked the tall woman and decided that what he saw in his sister was nothing but pure love. A love like he had never seen her have before. Anything that could bring that to her was worth its weight in gold or at least his friendship.

The visit by Danni’s brother went on into the evening with food being ordered in and laughter shared among all three. The time spent learning about his sister and her friend was nice and he hated to leave but all good things must come to an end. With another firm handshake and a kiss from his older sister, Matt was out the door and on his way home.

At the first red light away from his sister’s house, Matt opened up his cell phone and hit the key for his mother’s phone. He waited the customary rings and then the answering machine picked up for the leaving of a message. At the sound of the beep, he started. "Mother, I’ve cleared up that situation with Danni. There will be no bastards for you to worry about since Danni was never really pregnant. I’ve talked at great length with Garrett and I’m assured that the surgeon has nothing but the best at heart for your daughter." He thought for a moment, then closed his cell phone, terminating the call.

"There you go Danni. That should give you some more time to reel that surgeon in." Matt smiled at the thought of his sister happy at last as he pulled away from the changing light.

Chapter 12

The petite blonde marveled at how warm the days were becoming. The golden rays of the soon to be summer sun bathed everything in its path with its gentle warmth. Danni was even wondering if it wasn’t having some kind of effect on the Flight Surgeon as well. Ever since their time spent apart, she noticed that Garrett was warmer, and friendlier than before, at least to her. It wasn’t by any great leaps or bounds but by the simple, little things that she did that made her almost like a new person, one that truly loved and was ready to be loved.

The nurse had noticed it first in the often-lingering touch whenever their hands would reach for the same thing. The tenacious touch of their flesh was like a burning ember searing across their hearts. The excitement of their souls stimulated the flesh like nothing else could on earth. More and more it seemed that there was reason to touch or look at one another. Was it that they each knew what was in the other’s heart, or was it some long forgotten feelings that lured them to be together? Danni wished that she knew for sure.

Each time that a new day dawned, the nurse felt more love and contentment than she ever imagined existed. It was becoming a little overwhelming, even to her. She never looked for love in the people she'd come in contact with each new staff year; she just wanted to extend a hand of friendship to them for the time that they were here. What happened with this one?

Danni closed her eyes and let her memory relive the time that she had first seen the tall, raven-haired woman come barreling in through those E.R. front doors. 'I thought she was a Medical Student off on her first Trauma page. Boy, was I ever wrong.'

The nurse opened her eyes to see the profile of the woman in question across from her as they readied to take off on another flight. It was time to get her mind back to work and the job that they would soon be doing, together as a team.

The surgeon leaned back in her seat and looked at the nurse as she finished her last checklist. She would miss being this close to the woman who had opened her eyes to the world around her. There would never be anyone who could take her place, whether it be next to her, or deep in her heart. Garrett was glad that she was making every effort to enjoy Danni’s company until their time was up. She’d have to live on those memories for God knows how long. ‘Who knows, maybe if the job in Arizona isn’t as good as I’d like it to be…’ The surgeon sighed, closing her eyes to the pain. ‘Who’s to say that she’d want to give it a try. I wasn’t that easy to get along with this time around.’ Somehow, Garrett knew that she would survive. She’d just throw herself into the job like she did with everything else. ‘Too bad Danni wasn’t the job.’

It was time to get back to the present. The surgeon reasoned that she would have the rest of her life to think about Danni. She noticed the small blonde looking at her. "What?"

"Are you ready?" Danni teased her with a beguiling smile.

‘Oh, Danni, if you only knew what that smile of yours does to me.’ "Yeah," the surgeon stuck her thumb up as she made a fist, "I’m ready for whatever comes my way today."

Danni raised her fist with the thumb extended and side by side, they gave the signal. Cowboy turned to look over his right shoulder and smiled cordially as he mimicked them with his own thumbs up sign.

*************

It was a short flight, but a flight none the less, as they landed outside the series of two story buildings. The landing zone had been prearranged and within close proximity to the drill site on the athletic field for the scheduled afternoon display of modern rescue practices. The publicity was always good for the program, not to mention driving home the idea of summer safety to the masses of teens, all in the possession of a new driver’s license. The idea had been Danni’s, and the surgeon was glad that McMurray had gone along with it. She’d rather meet these teens this way than on some lonely stretch of road, traumatized to no end. If it made a difference in saving even one life it would be worth the time and effort.

This was the first of several live demos that the Flight Team would be involved in, and the nervous jitters were evident on Danni. Her constant talking and fiddling with the equipment was finally starting to get to Garrett when the ship touched down. The surgeon watched the woman next to her go from nervous to self-confident in less than a minute. It was show time and Danni was prepared to drive her message home about safety to the gathered assembly of teens.

"You ready for this?" Danni looked at the Flight Surgeon.

"Yeah, just like any other flight we’ve had." That settling lopsided smile crossed her face. "It’s simply a meet and greet for me." Garrett winked at Danni.

"Well, ladies, its show time." Cowboy announced as he let the rotors spin down. "Just go out there and have some fun." He winked and gave them a thumbs-up sign. It was clear to go.

With a quick tug of her safety belt, the surgeon was out of her seat and unlocking the door. Danni took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. It was all up to her, now. This was her show and Gar was just the icing on the cake. The young woman pushed off, out of her seat and stood next to the surgeon. With the ease of her strong arms, Garrett had opened the door, stepped down onto the ground, and held out her hand for Danni to join her.

The pre-arranged drill was to be a simple one. The local Fire and EMS Services would provide the actual rescue scenario reenactment and the Flight Team would land, accept hand-off of the patient, load and take off for a brief spin of the athletic field. After the fly by, the helicopter would once again land, allowing the mock patient to get back to his or her everyday life and then it was Danni’s turn to address the student body seated in the stands. All told, they should be on the ground for no more than thirty to forty minutes. It was a well-planned program.

Everything had clicked and ran smoothly as planned. The person who had been the mock patient was thrilled by his flight in the helicopter, not to mention being attended to by the likes of two beautiful women. The heart of a seventeen-year-old male was easy to win, especially in such close quarters. They had landed and now the young man was the hero of his class as he paraded triumphantly off the field and into their ranks. All three members of the crew stood watching as he was met by whooping and hollering, each one thinking how excited the young man was over something that they did every day. Oh, the pleasures of youth.

As the revelry in the stands was meeting its crescendo, the odd procession of nurse, surgeon, and pilot made their way to the small stage that had been constructed on the field. It was planned that they all would be introduced to the students in an effort to show that although not all of them were medically trained, they worked as a team to deliver the patient the best of their care. It was the dream of every Guidance Counselor to show that people in everyday walks of life could make a difference to more than just themselves. The Flight Team stood on stage and waited for their names to be called as they watched the group of cheering students in the stands.

Garrett looked around the field and the days of her youth soon flooded her mind. She’d only played soccer for one season but she could still remember how it felt to come running onto the field with her parents and brother in the open-ended stands, cheering her on. 'God, what I wouldn't give for just one more day with them?'

Her attention was grabbed by the nudge she received, and the whispered command to wave as her name had just been announced. The surgeon stepped forward and obliged, then turning her attention to Danni, she waited for the young woman to deliver her speech.

The petite blonde stepped up to the microphone; she let her eyes scan over the students and teachers who were assembled there. All eyes were on her as she began. "I’m happy to say that our services were not needed here today but that doesn’t mean that safety is something to be taken for granted. Each time that any of you slide in behind that steering wheel, you hold more than just your own life in your hands."

Garrett watched the nurse intently, letting her senses drink in all that they could. She loved the way Danni could speak to the whole-assembled group but yet make each one feel as though they were the only one she was talking to. It was as if they had suddenly all become part of her menagerie. She was concerned about them and it showed. Now, it was the surgeon who was proud to be on the nurse’s team. This she could tell by the smile stretching across her face, the likes of which she’d never felt before.

Lost in a dream world of what might have been, Garrett stood mesmerized by the young woman. It was then that Cowboy leaned in and whispered in the tall woman’s ear. "Wonder what she’s looking at?"

The surgeon’s thought pattern was broken and she now studied the face of her friend. Danni’s furrowed brow showed more concern than Garrett thought necessary and she began looking up in the direction of Danni’s gaze. It was at that precise moment the mock patient of just a few minutes ago fell from the side of the stands, landing with a thud; followed by the gasps followed by the students around him. Before Garrett could react, Danni was asking in the most calm and reassuring voice for Cowboy to step up to the microphone and tell the group a little about the helicopter.

The pilot stood there, wide-eyed and in shock. ‘Hey, that’s not part of the routine,’ he thought as he watched both of his team members step off the stage and break into a run toward the bleachers. ‘What the heck?’ Then Cowboy saw the commotion to the left of the bleachers and realized that he had been handed the most important part: to keep everyone calm and out of the way of the medical personnel. He hurriedly stepped up to the microphone and began to speak. "Well, let me tell you what this little baby can do if you really need to get somewhere in a hurry." He laughed and pulled out from his memory any story that he could think of to hold the students’ attention.

The Flight suited pair came up to the victim within seconds. The commanding tones of the surgeon parted the crowd of onlookers as they made their way to the young man who was being attended to by several of his instructors. The angle of his arm and the spattering of blood on the ground about his head were enough for the surgeon to know the severity of the fall. She determined his point of impact to be first the arm and that fractured under the stress. His head then took the remainder of the force associated with the fall.

"Okay, everybody step back. Please, give us some room to work." Garrett announced as she made the final steps to her now-real patient. "Danni, you’ve got the head until someone from EMS gets here." She glanced at his chest and watched for the rise and fall of it. "He's still breathing on his own."

The nurse slipped in behind her and steadied the patient's head with her gloved hands, protecting him from any further injury due to a traumatized spine. "Has someone called for EMS?"

One teacher stepped forward in answer to her question. "Yes, I sent one of the student's over to their vehicle. Is Richie going to be alright?"

Blue eyes met with green and the exchange of thoughts was done. Danni spoke calmly as the surgeon continued with her assessment of the patient. "We're going to do the best we can for him."

By the time that Garrett had made her initial assessment, the EMS personnel arrived with their equipment. She was quick in directing them in the patient’s care. After a fast splinting of the arm and the further protecting of his cervical spine with a collar in place, their next priority was to get him onto a backboard and packaged for transport via helicopter. Danni kept a constant vigil over the young man's vital signs, reporting any of her concerns to the Flight Surgeon.

With the patient strapped onto the board, Garrett did one last round of neurological checks. After clapping her large hands together in front of his face, she yelled out his name as she bent closer to his ear. "Richie…Richie can you hear me." She paused for a brief moment, seeing no sign of reaction to the noise or to his name, the surgeon moved on to the next evaluation of his status. Taking her thumbs, she found the small-notched bone in the supraorbital rim. Pushing on it to elicit pain, she waited for a reaction of any sort. 'Come on, blink…open up those eyes.' But again, nothing happened.

"Gar, his respirations are becoming a bit labored." The nurse cautioned.

Garrett nodded and continued on in her quest as she placed her fingers in his uninjured hand. "Richie, squeeze my fingers if you hear me." She repeated herself but again there was no response. "Damn it, Richie, move something." Her frustration was getting the better of her as she thought about the reaction of the parents once they found out the severity of their son's accident. Only a few moments ago, she had been wishing to spend one more day with her parents. How could she let him not have that and more now? Making a fist, the surgeon roughly ran her knuckles up and down his sternum in the middle of his chest much like the washboards of early twentieth century. It was a painful experience for someone who had sensation, but again, the young man was motionless to it all.

"How's his breathing, Danni?"

"It's becoming more labored as we speak." She assessed her monitor. "His heart rate is up in the 120's. He's cool and clammy to the touch."

"Neurogenic shock." Garrett looked to the EMS providers now. "Do you have intubation equipment?"

The young woman nodded eagerly, "Yeah, Doc. Right here."

"Good, then let's get him intubated before we load him into the ship." She walked to the head of the stretcher and accepted the offered equipment. "Danni, can you give me a little pressure over the cricoid, please?" She opened the laryngoscope and positioned it in her hand. Then she slid the blunt straight blade of the scope into her patient's slightly agape mouth and followed the tongue to the back of his throat using the instrument to prevent his tongue from dropping into her view. The tiny but bright fiberoptic bulb lit her way into the darkened region of his throat as she searched for his vocal cords and where to place the tube for his breathing.

"Press a little harder, Danni. That's it, I see them. Give me the tube."

The size seven and a half endotracheal tube was pushed into her hand after having been approved by the nurse who made sure the small retention cuff on the end worked. Taking it, Garrett inserted it through the cords and into the trachea, letting the blade slip out of the patient's mouth, then pulled out the stylet that was used to hold the flexible plastic tube’s shape as it was inserted. The surgeon held on firmly to the tube so as not to lose her placement of it as Danni inflated the small retention cuff once more only this time to hold it in place. "Okay, let's bag him. Danni listen for his breath sounds."

A roll of tape was quickly produced from the EMS provider and the end of it was hastily wrapped around the tube protruding out of the patient's mouth. Danni slipped the earpieces into place and positioned the bell of the stethoscope over the patient's chest. Listening for a moment, she moved the instrument from one side to the other, then to the upper most abdominal region.

"Lungs sound good, equal and clear bilaterally." She pulled back from the patient and looked at her friend. "Finish the securing and we're ready to go."

Garrett nodded in agreement as she held the tube with one hand and squeezed the plastic bag with the other, delivering air into his lungs. "Danni, run ahead and have Cowboy get the ride ready for us. Tell him he's done a good job so far." The surgeon motioned to the stands of interested students mesmerized by what they were hearing. "We'll start out to the ship while you do that."

"Will do, Doc." The nurse took off on her mission while Garrett directed the EMS personnel to deliver their patient without delay.

As she got closer to the small stage, Danni could hear what the pilot was saying and tried to keep from laughing as she recognized the story of her first flight. She waved to get his attention, then motioned to the helicopter.

He understood what she wanted and just as calmly as the podium was handed over to him, he ended his story, thanking the students for their attention. It was his turn to jump into action as he made his way for the craft and started his checklist for take off.

The nurse caught up with him as she opened the back door and readied for the oncoming patient by getting her helmet on. "We'll need a fast lift off, Cowboy. It doesn't look good for the patient. We need to get him to the Trauma Room, STAT." The pilot nodded and continued with his routine.

With the patient loaded and the surgeon boarding the ship, the pilot made sure that no others were near the blades as he readied to throw them into action. Once seated and buckled in, Garrett checked for Danni's safety belt and gave Cowboy the thumbs up for take off. The surgeon was concerned for her patient and needed additional testing to determine whether the head injury or perhaps an injury to his spine was causing his deteriorating condition. The faster that they could determine this, the better his prognosis would be.

The sound of the whirring rotors cranking up to speed signified their fast approaching take off and soon they were in the air, speeding toward the hospital that they had left no more than an hour ago. This time the patient was for real and in a life or death situation.

***************

Only a few minutes had passed since they handed off their patient to the Trauma Team when the X-ray images started to appear on the view. The surgeon studied them and sighed. The bones in his neck where not in perfect alignment and suspicion was high for a cervical spine injury from his fall. That finding could attest to his lack of movement and labored breathing alone. But until she saw the CT Scan of his head, Garrett would not put all her coins on that single injury as the cause of his problems.

She stood back from the viewer after examining the chest X-ray, content that there was no underlying problem there and that the placement of her intubation tube was correct. Sensing the presence of someone behind her, Garrett turned and commented. "Nice job with that speech. I don’t think anyone outside of that area knew that there was a real emergency going on when you handed it off to Cowboy. Nice idea to get him involved." She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I'm going to miss that after the end of the month."

Danni looked at her funny. "I don't understand."

"I've a…" the surgeon turned her attention back to the viewer, "accepted a position at a hospital in Arizona. I'll be working there next month." The surgeon felt the sting of tears at her eyelids as she closed them to hide the pain. "I guess I didn't quite know how to tell you."

The Flight Nurse stood there somewhat in shock. The thing she thought that she was prepared for was finally said and she realized that she wasn't ready for it. She'd never really be ready for it as far as she was concerned. "Oh." The word fell out of her mouth like a whisper. This was something that she didn't want to hear and surely didn't want to accept. Danni chose denial and, to the best of her ability, that's what she would do until there was no more time to deny it and she'd have to accept reality. Garrett would be gone from her life and, more than likely, from her world.

"I…I’d better replace the supplies that we used." Danni turned and walked away, not wanting to show her feelings to anyone, especially to the surgeon herself.

Garrett let her head tip downward and sighed. She knew that she had just dealt a blow to her friend. ‘She’ll just have to understand that it’s for the best…’ then she turned and watched the young nurse walk away, ‘for her best.’ She hated causing Danni any pain but some things couldn’t be helped. ‘It’s better this way than if….’ No, she didn’t want to think of anything that could possibly hurt her friend anymore.

Realizing the nurse’s need to walk away, the surgeon emersed herself into the X-rays displayed on the viewer once more, content that she was doing what was right for all of them.

***************

The time was flying by quickly now as Danni began to count the days she had left with the tall surgeon. Vowing not to let even a minute go by without some sort of contact with the woman, the nurse got ready to spend the day lost in the fun of a picnic with her friend. No, it wasn’t the kind where a simple blanket and food would be all that was needed besides each other, but instead it would involve games, contests and a large group of people. People who were there for one reason, they were all lone survivors. It was one of the things that Garrett had planned when she was off healing her ankle injury.

When Danni had first heard the surgeon’s idea, she wasn’t sure that it would be a good thing for the group to do. But now, faced with the fact that in a few days she too would be a member of their ranks, in spirit then not in reality. It made it all that more apparent to her that she needed this time with the surgeon. She needed to bank away all of the sunshine and good times that she could before the gray and lonely days would overrun her life. And with that in mind, the petite nurse got out of her bed and met the day head on with only positive thoughts involving one raven-haired woman.

*************

Garrett’s choice of North Park was a good one. She’d reserved the flat area around the Boat House for the group to use. The activities that it afforded in close proximity were numerous and would meet with everyone’s approval.

The day had started early with Danni and Garrett arriving ready to set up the areas for fun. After that was done, they had time to spare before the first members of the group would arrive. It was then that the two women let the spark of adolescence light up their eyes and take off running for the swings. It wasn’t more than a minute before the long legs of the surgeon could be seen kicking off the backward stroke of the swing as she strove to go higher. Like two children out for a day of fun, their laughter could be heard as they giggled and talked back and forth.

"Gar, did you ever have a really good friend when you were growing up? I mean, besides your brother."

The surgeon didn’t need time to think. The answer was easy. "No, why?"

Danni shrugged her shoulders as she let the swing glide down of its own accord. "I was just wondering."

Garrett’s swing swooshed past the nurse’s in the opposite direction and her body leaned back with her head almost upside down to watch her friend. "How about you?"

"No," the blonde shook her head. "Mother would never allow it. Gar, why don’t we make believe that for just today we’re kids again? You know…do all the things that we missed out on doing with a close friend growing up." ‘Please, Gar, let me remember you as that close friend.’ Danni’s eyes pleaded her case.

Slowing, the surgeon brought her swing to a stop and sat there dangling on the seat as the chains jingled back and forth. The raven-haired woman took on a shy smile and nodded. "I think I’d like that."

And so the theme for the day was set by the words on their lips. Each one acting more like a big child than they would ever care to admit. From going out on the paddleboats, playing volleyball, to running as a team in the three-legged race they spent their time together. Then, when it came to tossing raw eggs back and forth until they finally broke, they were teens trapped inside the bodies of women, enjoying the day, the sun, and their time together as if nothing else mattered. It was a day that each one would remember for a long time.

Then without warning the laughter all came to a crashing halt. While waiting in the food line for their dinner, Diana Morgan had asked the question that Danni didn’t need to hear.

"So, Dr. Trivoli, will you be staying with us?" Diana waited hopefully for the answer. She didn’t want to think of losing another member of her growing pseudo family this soon. The young girl had come to look up to the surgeon for the caring way she handled the delicate situation when her family had been so devastatingly snatched from her.

The surgeon stopped short, her face became serious, as all she could do was shake her head, not wanting to ruin the day for either Danni or herself by saying what they both already knew but chose not to think about.

"Oh, I see," was Diana’s muted reply, "well, I’m glad that you’re with us today."

Garrett agreed and turned to see Danni become pale and nervous looking. Without a warning, the nurse swallowed hard and found herself needing to walk away before the tears sprang forth. "I…left something in the car. I’ll be back." Then she was gone.

She just couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to know what was going to happen. Danni just prayed that she’d be able to live through it.

In a few minutes, the nurse was able to cope once again as the rest of the day drew to a close. It would be a memory-filled time for them both to reminisce about.

**************

Everything was dwindling down to the last in a series of things for the women. First it was their last ride into work together that started off the day, then their last mid morning coffee, and their last slow wait through the express line in the cafeteria for lunch. Then, on their way home from work, it was the last take-out pizza dinner that they’d pick up. Now in the hours slowly ticking by, they waited for their last call out and emergency flight. Each one wanted just once more to remember their time as a team but not really wanting to wish misfortune on anyone.

Just when it looked as if it was over, the pager went off, startling them both from the late night news broadcast that they were watching. Danni jumped up, and ran for the bathroom as Garrett got the message from the pager. "MVA with multiple victims."

The surgeon flipped her cellphone to her ear as she pressed the speed dial to the Command Center. "Trivoli here." She listened for a minute then ended the conversation. "We’re on our way with a ten minute ETA to the helipad."

**************

The ride both by automobile and helicopter was quick and they were soon circling for the descent to the designated landing zone. The fly by over the accident scene showed the severity of the crash. They were able to make out the form of a vehicle in pieces as the impact with the utility pole had split it in two. Off to the other side of the road was another vehicle with its front end smashed and flipped onto its roof.

Danni shook her head in disbelief. "Can you image that?"

"Looks like we’ll have our work cut out for us down there." The surgeon sighed and mentally prepared herself for being the triage person who would decide which patient would be given a chance at life and who would be beyond help. "Cowboy, are there more choppers being sent to this scene?"

"That’s an affirmative, Doc." He looked into the rear compartment. "We doing a load and go?"

"No, I’ll have to triage and take the last one out."

"Gottcha, I’ll park us in the farthest slot." He turned his eyes back to the ground below as he picked out his spot. "I wonder if that was a wedding limo down there. What do you think?"

"No, there’s different colors to the clothing. My guess is that it was Prom Night." The blonde’s face was filled with emotion as she remembered the numerous Proms that she had attended at the hand of her mother. "They were probably having the time of their lives and now look at where they are, just trying to stay alive."

"Get us down there, Cowboy, and we’ll see what we can do." Garrett picked up on the melancholy in Danni’s voice.

**************

The Scene Commander had explained the accident as another result of drunk driving at its best. The car on its roof had been traveling at a high rate of speed and went airborne when it crested the rise of the hill. The Limousine driver saw the hurtling car coming in his direction and stepped on the gas to get out of its way. That’s when he lost control and went broadside into the utility pole.

Garrett surveyed the scene of rescuers as they worked to meet the needs of all the patients. The team first took note of the patients that they could easily access as they made their way to the very open rear half of the limo. None of them had been wearing seatbelts as the array of bodies intertwined one with the other was evident. There were six in all; only two of which had been backboarded and collared as of yet. Danni and Garrett each stopped by one of them and did a quick assessment of their injuries and condition in general. Each one had some broken bones but was stable enough for a quick transport to the hospital without any other medical intervention. Their I.V.’s were checked for infiltration and drip flow and then they moved on to the next in the long line of patients.

Two more helicopters filled the air and made Danni feel a little relief at the thought of getting them all to the care of an awaiting Trauma Team. There was only so much that she and Garrett could do in the field and right now, their resources were stretched to the limit. The nurse met the incoming Flight Crews and directed the patient flow out of the scene as deemed by the surgeon. Within minutes, the two packaged patients were loaded into the helicopters and on their way to definitive care. Danni turned around to find out where Garrett was and headed for her.

The surgeon stood over a young woman who had been closest to the point of impact. The patient’s shallow, gasping breaths were a sure sign of fractured ribs. Garrett’s concern for her breathing and the fact that the impact had already broken bones, made her more worried of the possible spinal involvement, too. It was certain that this patient needed to be flown out next.

The surgeon looked over her shoulder as Danni approached. "This one goes next," she directed the nurse. Garrett watched as her team member nodded in understanding.

The nurse turned her eyes to the heavens and looked for the next helicopter to start its descent. Knowing that it would be a few minutes for it to land, Danni turned her attention back to the patient and monitored her condition.

"GAR!" The cry came out as the nurse lifted her stethoscope from the patient’s chest. "Her pneumothorax is getting bigger by the minute. I think she needs a chest tube fast."

The surgeon’s attention was split now. "Danni, we don’t have that ability out here. Besides," Garrett looked up from the patient that she was getting ready to intubate, "I’m needed here first. You’ll have to needle it and use the tip of a glove for a flutter valve."

"But I’ve never…"

"You’ve watched me do it a couple of times. I’ll talk you through it. You’ll do just fine."

The nurse nodded her head. "Okay, I’ll try."

"You’ll do it." The order was given in no uncertain terms. "Now get an 18 gauge needle and cut off the finger of a glove. Insert the needle down through the tip of the glove."

"Okay, done."

"Now find the fourth intercostal space on the effected side of the chest." The surgeon paused until Danni had found it. "Give me some suction here. You got that tube ready?" She asked the ambulance member that was assisting her in the intubation.

"Did you find it, Danni?"

"Yeah, found it."

"Good, now pass the needle just over top of the rib and insert it into the chest wall at the midline of that side, parallel with the nipple." She picked up the laryngoscope and opened it. "You’ll know that you’re deep enough when you hear the trapped air escaping out of the make shift flutter valve." Inserting the tube into the mouth of the patient that she was working on, she continued to guide her team member. "Once you’ve got it in place, tape it down."

Danni offered up a prayer on both her and the patient’s behalf and did what she was told. "PHSSSSSSSSST!" The rush of air escaped and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Got it, Gar."

"Good, I knew you could do it." The surgeon pulled back the stylet as she held the endotube in place. "Now secure it." She directed to both Danni and her help mate in the intubation. "Give her a minute and she should be breathing easier." Garrett looked over to the nurse and beamed with pride in the woman, then resumed her ministrations to the patient before her.

Danni smiled with confidence at what she had done. It was just one more time that proved how well the surgeon and the nurse worked together.

Now, with their patients handed off to the next two Flight Crews, Garrett and Danni pushed on to the last two remaining teens. Their injuries were not that devastating but the emotional drama that they had been witnesses to was taking its toll. The surgeon assessed their physical conditions while Danni took care of the emotional support that they needed.

It absolutely tore at the young nurse’s heart to see the effect of emotional carnage that the one young man was displaying. His wild-eyed, frenzied look was enough to show that this night would be forever locked in his memory to haunt him when he would least expect it.

Danni sat next to him and held his hand, talking to him and comforting him as only she could do. Healing was not always done with medicine, especially when it came to the emotions of trauma. It took a while, but her soft voice and concern for him and his friends soon soothed the young man enough to allow him to be loaded on the next helicopter and transported to where his friends had been taken.

Garrett, on the other hand, had been plagued by the non-stop questioning of the teenager in her care. His constant need to know what happened only attested to his evident head injury, along with his being amnesic to the event of the crash. The surgeon maintained an even keel in her attitude for the first one hundred times that she heard the same question. It was somewhere during the second hundred times that her level of irritation became noticeable. That was just about the time that Danni came to her rescue having handed her patient over to the first arriving Flight Crew.

"I’ll take care of him, Gar. Why don’t you go check out the one in the car?" The nurse motioned to the overturned car that the rescue people were working on.

"Thanks, Danni." The surgeon looked relieved as she got up and started to walk toward the ongoing rescue attempt.

Just as she made it to the outer circle of rescuers, the lifeless body of the driver was released from the car. His injuries were numerous and his skin had already taken on that ashen-gray look of death. Once Garrett was able to look down at his body, she knew the outcome of the night. The odd angulation of his neck and the indentation on the top of his head said it all. The only thing he could have possibly been was an organ donor and even now, that was too late.

The surgeon knelt down next to the body and listened for signs of life. No breathing was heard and no pulse was felt as she reached for the carotid artery in his neck. Out of habit, Garrett looked at her watch and pronounced his time of death. "0138."

***********

The night had slowly edged into the wee hours of morning as the last patient was being loaded onto their helicopter. Danni and Garrett had triaged, shipped off the earlier patients, and were now on their way into the Trauma Center with the last one. It would be their last patient together.

The limo driver was resting as comfortably as could be expected with a badly fractured ankle and wrist as the nurse and surgeon watched over him. Each one was thinking of the scene that they had just left.

Danni willed the trip to take forever as she didn’t want it to end. Stealing glances in the surgeon’s direction as best she could, the nurse wanted to freeze time and keep her team together. But as the saying goes, all good things must end. And so, as Cowboy started his steady descent to the helipad below, the petite blonde found her eyes to be misty with a veil of tears. Blinking rapidly, she fought to hide them from the others onboard.

Garrett sat silently, thinking of what she and Danni had been through. They had served together and learned that they had more to give than they ever expected to, not only to each other but also to their patients as well. Now, their time together would be gone and the learning would have to start all over again in another place, in another world. Each one would need to learn for themselves what it was like without the other close at hand. The surgeon turned her face toward Danni’s and stared into it, memorizing this moment in time. In Garrett’s estimation it had been their finest hour, meeting the challenge of multiple casualties and winning the battle with only a single life taken.

They went through the motions that they had done what seemed like hundreds of times before, and handed off their patient to the awaiting Trauma Team. Now, it was finally over and they left the E.R. to deposit their helmets and put the equipment back in order for the next crew that it would serve.

Cowboy waited until they were done before he approached the women. He’d liked both of them and had only found out earlier that day the choice that the Flight Surgeon had made concerning her future. It pained him to see another take her place but when you were military, you got used to it. They all did and the pilot knew the mixed bag of emotions a reassignment carried with it. Eagerness to start the new job, while still having feeling of sadness at leaving the one you were familiar with. Then he thought of Danni and wondered if she, too, would be leaving to follow the surgeon, after all, a team like that was hard to walk away from.

He held out his hand to the turning woman, "Doc, it’s been a pleasure flying with you. Anytime you want, I’d be honored to have you as a team member."

Garrett smiled and extended her hand to him. "Thanks, Cowboy, you made that easy for us." She looked over to Danni to include her in the thought then felt her hand being taken in his and her body being pulled into a hug with the man. She returned the embrace that felt so much like the ones that her father had given her when she had achieved a milestone in her life.

The petite blonde watched her team members as best she could with the tears that were streaming down her face. ‘Its over, it’s really over.’ She felt at a loss for words and hoped that she would not be called on for any. She closed her eyes and felt the hand on her shoulder guiding her into the group hug. ‘You just can’t leave well enough alone, can you, Cowboy?’ But it was too late and soon all three stood close together, the man’s long reach encircling them both as the sky slowly turned a lighter shade of dark.

*****************

It was early on Sunday morning when Danni rose and started packing for her yearly two weeks of vacation. The destination didn’t matter much because of her fear of flying. The trip was usually somewhere she could travel by any other mode of transportation. This year, her destination was simple. It was the place that she had grown up feeling secure and loved. The cabin that had been her grandfather’s and she knew it well. There, she could let her wounds heal while not worrying about what others would think or say. It would give her the time that she would need to grieve the loss of her loved one.

The tall woman stopped by Danni’s room on her way back from the shower. Knocking first and then opening the door to the muffled response, Garrett watched her friend, first put a stack of clothing into her suitcase and then take it back out again. "Is it alright to come in?"

The blonde nodded and looked away. She knew that the time for good-byes was fast approaching and she was stalling for all she was worth. "Yeah, I just can’t seem to decide if I’ll need some heavier clothing for the evenings or not. It can get pretty chilly up there with nothing to keep you warm." Danni smiled weakly as images of Garrett’s long arms wrapped around the nurse’s body to stave off the chill of the night air. ‘By the gods, I wish you were going with me.’

Garrett held up her finger, "I’ve got the perfect thing." She disappeared from the doorway and returned with an old heavy sweatshirt in hand. The surgeon walked into the room and held it out for Danni to take. "I don’t think I’ll get much use out of it in Arizona. Here, you take it, that way if I ever come back this way, I’ll have something to wear."

The petite woman took it from her friend and held it out to see. "Gar, I can’t take this, it’s from your college days. Don’t you want to keep it for a remembr…"

"I’ll never wear it down there. Besides, it’s a favorite of mine, took me quite a while to get it all broken in and soft. See?" Garrett took the sleeve and rubbed it against Danni’s cheek. "I’d rather see you with it than for it to collect dust in storage."

The nurse realized what her friend was doing and held the garment next to her heart. "Thanks, Gar." She folded it and packed it neatly into the suitcase with the large, faded letters U.S.C. showing. "It will be here if you ever need it." Then clearing her throat, she sniffed back a tear letting the breath she was holding ease out of her mouth. ‘You don’t have to do this yet, Danni, stall for more time.’ "Hey, I made some coffee. Do you want me to get you a cup while you get dressed?"

"Thanks, I’d like that," the tall woman disappeared from the room.

Danni closed her eyes and breathed through her mouth. ‘Control, Danni, keep it in control. She was never yours for the taking. If she doesn’t want to stay on her own, you can’t hold her here.’ She swallowed hard and headed for the door and the pot of coffee downstairs.

As she came to the top of the staircase, Danni heard the familiar beeps of the Flight Surgeon’s pager. Curious, she turned to see Garrett coming through her bedroom door, pulling a T-shirt over her head with one hand. The other hand was holding her cellphone as she did a quick answer or two, flipped it shut, then stuck it in her pocket of her jeans.

"Danni, forget the coffee. I got to get to the hospital. They need another surgeon for a Trauma patient." Garrett walked up to the petite woman and gathered her up in her arms. "Thanks, for everything this last year. I guess you’ll be gone by the time I get home." The surgeon felt the grip of the small woman tighten for a second and then let go. Bending her head down, the surgeon kissed the top of Danni’s head. "I’ll send you my address when I get settled." Her grip released and she was striding toward the door with the same determination that she had when she came into the nurse’s life.

"Good-bye." The words were mere whispers on either side of the door as it shut. The surgeon headed toward her Blazer while a lost soul floundering in the sea of life still stood on the steps to the second floor.

Danni had wanted to say so much more, and there she stood saying nothing, just giving her heart with that short embrace. Slowly sinking down to sit on the top step, the nurse heard the sound of the Blazer as it pulled hurriedly out of its space and took off down the street. There was an empty feeling in her heart as well as the pit of her stomach. Garrett was gone, and now she was left alone. ‘You are such a coward, Bossard. Why didn’t you tell her?’

The tears flowed freely now and the petite woman got up and walked down to the desk in the hall. Taking out a piece of stationery, she picked up the pen and poured her heart out into words that she hoped the surgeon would accept. Done after only a few minutes, Danni folded it noticing the few tearstains that had been left on it. She placed it next to Garrett’s mail for the surgeon to find.

She returned to her room, finished packing, and left. There would be no need to stall for more time now. What she dreaded for so many months was over and done with. It was time for healing, and then she would have to move on with her life, if she could.

Chapter 13

The last week of her Fellowship year slid by before Garrett Trivoli knew it. The days were filled with rounds, answering trauma calls, and occasional cases in the O.R. Things that she loved doing, but somehow now, without the bubbling, blonde nurse, the surgeon was just passing time with. She couldn’t believe how much one person had changed her whole outlook on life.

Often during a free moment, the surgeon thought about how she had left so abruptly, saying good-bye to Danni with nothing more than a hug and a few mumbled words of thanks for all that the nurse had done and been to her. She was ashamed for it, knowing that the blonde-haired nurse with the heart of gold deserved more. The surgeon had found the note placed by her mail slot when she had returned home later that night. It made her think that Danni had more on her mind to say when they parted than she had been allotted time for. Maybe that was why the surgeon kept putting off reading the note that Danni had left, afraid that it would blast her for it. Then Garrett would reason out that Danni could never do anything of the like. In fact, that knowledge made her not want to read the letter at all, at least not while she was still in Pittsburgh. That was why she left it in her mail slot, to be taken out with the last of her belongings.

It was Thursday and nearing the end of the day when Garrett received word during an appendectomy case that Dr. McMurray would like to see her. The surgeon planned to finish her case and once her patient was in the Recovery Room, she’d stop by her mentor’s office. ‘He probably wants to wish me well,’ she reasoned, knowing that he was headed out for a long weekend with his wife. She continued on with her procedure in the sterile environment.

*************

McMurray was standing, his back to the door when he heard the brisk knocking on it. "Come in," he yelled never taking his eyes from the sights outside of his window. He pondered how to approach the subject that was on his mind. He thought about how well the surgeon performed her job with the petite nurse at her side. They were a crack Flight Team; why wouldn’t that extend to their personal lives? They always seemed to look out for one another, taking on the other’s battle as if it were their own. He could see the love in their eyes when they were together. ‘Just like the love that I still see in my wife’s eyes when she looks at me now.’ The Ol’ Cutter couldn’t understand why the surgeon wanted to leave. She could have it all and keep contact with the friends that she had made. ‘It’s almost like you’re leaving for another reason. Perhaps to distance yourself from someone?’

The door slowly opened, revealing the tall surgeon. "You wanted to see me, sir?" After closing the door behind her, she strode into the room, taking up a position near the desk. She wondered if he had heard her enter, he never moved a muscle, just stood there staring out of the window.

After a few moments, he nodded his head, as if in deep thought, then turned to address her. "Dr. Trivoli…Garrett," his eyes softened when they met hers. "Have you ever felt like you were caught between a rock and a hard place?"

Her eyes narrowed as she regarded his question. "Yes, sir, I have." Her eyebrow rose as she continued. "I’ve found either way you are damned if you do or damned if you don’t." She could sense that something was on his mind. She was pretty sure that whatever it was involved her.

Sighing, he nodded in agreement to her statement, as his fingers absently played with the picture frame on his desk. He made his mind up; he saw no reason to beat around the bush. McMurray had always thought of the skilled surgeon as a straightforward person and would treat her in the same manner. "You’re really set on heading to Arizona aren’t you? I suppose that they offered you everything under the sun and then some."

"It met my needs." The woman answered without batting an eye. ‘Far enough away and with enough work to keep my mind off of Danni.’

He took in a breath. Without allowing her time to answer further, he began speaking again. "You know in another 4 or 5 years, I’ll be looking for someone to take my place as Chairman of Trauma Services. We could’ve illuminated your career during the next few years, making you one of the most renowned authorities on trauma. That way no one would be able to dispute you replacing me when the time came. That is, if you would have chosen to stay here, under me." He looked her straight in the eye and waited for her reply.

She stood shocked at what he was offering her. "I…I hadn’t really considered staying, sir." She gulped. "I’ve been a little preoccupied lately, I guess." Her thoughts turned ever so briefly to the reason, allowing her face to blush. She chastised herself for letting her emotions come to the surface. She was losing control again and fought to regain it. Pursing her lips to speak, she was cut off before she could start.

"So," he barked. "Does the object of your affection know about it yet, or are you going to keep it all to yourself, Dr. Trivoli?" The Ol’ Cutter sniffed as he searched her face for an answer. "Hmmm, I can see that you haven’t even discussed it with yourself, let alone that person." He eyed her with disdain. "Or if you have thought about it, you think that you know what’s best."

"But, Sir, it’s not that easy." Her eyes darted on and off of his face as she tried to find the words. "There are a lot of things to consider before I…"

"Before you what? Let love pass you by." He looked at the photo that he now was holding in his hands. His eyes falling on those of his wife’s in the picture. "Sometimes you only pass by once in life before the world takes you in another direction." He put the frame back down on the desktop. "Don’t live the rest of you life wondering what life would have been like."

‘I know that from experience. Thank God, I came to my senses after only a year, and what a year it was, filled with anger and heartache.’ He eyed her suspiciously. "You aren’t trying to be gallant and not let your feelings be known, are you?"

Garrett closed her eyelids, trying desperately to hold back her resolve. She mustered up all of her energy to resume her display of the stoic mask she had used so many times before. Her eyes burned deep into his. "I’m afraid, sir, that you are correct. I’m not sure that my feelings would be well received, anyway." Her voice trailed off in thought.

"This person," he paused. "They’re not already married, are they?"

Her face registered shock at the thought of breaking up a marriage. "NO!" She protested. "I could never…"

"All right then." McMurray abruptly turned back to gazing out the window, deep in thought. Suddenly it all became clear to the man. ‘Perhaps Dr. Trivoli, you just need to know where I stand.’ After a moment, his voice turned mellow as he spoke. "You know that things are viewed a lot differently today than they were in my day."

Her eyes grew big in realization of what he was alluding to. She muttered under her breath, fearing that he could read her thoughts. "I can’t believe that it wouldn’t be an issue, an obstacle to some."

"Dr. Trivoli let me remind you, when an injured patient comes seeking help, they don’t care whether you are a left handed surgeon or a right handed one. All that they care about is that you are able to help them, to heal them and make them as whole as possible. Why do you think that it will matter who you have beside you in your life’s path?" His brow furrowed in thought and anger both at her insecurity and her bullheadedness to realizing what her heart was telling her all along.

"I know how some people are. They wouldn’t understand." Her eyes were cast down to the floor.

"I’m sure that anybody you operated on would rather know that in this day and age of devastating, deadly diseases, the surgeon with her hands inside of them is engaged in a monogamous relationship. No matter who that relationship was with."

Garrett’s mouth dropped open at the candor with which the man spoke.

"Hell, you’d have to be a fool to take chances on someone that wasn’t. Now, don’t think that I feel that every patient needs to know your private life, I don’t," he barked. "At least you could answer that question if it were ever an issue. You’d be able to assure them of your complete and undeniable dedication to your partner, putting their minds at ease."

Unsure, she answered. "I just never thought…"

Turning quickly, his gaze pinned her in place tighter than if he had used a hammer and nails to do the job. "Then you’d better think about letting the other person know what’s in your heart or you’ll lose her for sure, before you know it." He shook his head as he thought aloud. "I can’t understand how you can be such a damn good trauma surgeon and not be able to take control of your own life." A sigh of disgust could be heard as it left his mouth. "I would have thought that you could have learned more while you were here with us, Trivoli, but I guess I was wrong." The Ol’ Cutter shook his head in frustration. "I suggest that you would at least be woman enough to confront the other person and see where they stand before you throw it all away." He turned and walked over to the window again, his back remaining in her view. "Now, go and think about what I’ve said. You’ve got a lot of things to consider before you plot out the rest of your life."

She stood motionless, her eyes not being able to stay fixed to any one place. Her mind was a jumble of mixed emotions raging from fear to hatred of the man who had been able to crawl inside of her head without her realizing it. Was it so obvious to everyone around her? Was she in such denial of her own feelings for so long that she couldn’t even recognize them when they were pointed out to her? The once proud and defiant surgeon stood there, her shoulders rounded in self-doubt. Biting her lower lip she closed her eyelids to try to calm her turbulent soul. Shaking her head as she left the office of her mentor, she knew what she needed to do next, and it wasn’t going to be easy.

************

After a restless night, Garrett rose to her last day of work here in the ‘Burgh. She’d puttered through the silent house hoping to hear the sound of a lumbering Danni climbing out of her bed to start the day, but it never happened. The surgeon was there by herself with only memories to keep her company now.

The tall woman pulled on her Dockers, polo shirt and grabbed a freshly laundered white Lab coat for her final day in the clinic. There would be no surgeries for her today, instead it would be a day of checking up on patients that she had seen initially in the past and she thought of it as coming full circle in their care. It would be a short day for her. Even with making the several stops to say her good-byes, she knew that she would be home earlier than on most of her previous work days. She looked around her bedroom and made a mental note to bring a few boxes home with her tonight to pack her meager belongings in, then left to begin her last day.

************

She had seen several of her patients as the morning wore on into the afternoon. Each of the visits had shown a steadily improving patient recovering both from their injuries and from the trauma of the accident itself.

Take for instance the woman that the Trauma Team had simply known as "Sunshine." Her ability to come back after the devastating attack and rape was testament in itself. The surgeon knew how hard the rape trial had been for both her and the victim but luckily some good had come out of it for the both of them. Garrett realized that she did indeed have tendencies leaning toward being gay, and for "Sunshine," the woman was able to find some sort of justice in knowing that the man who had violated her would be locked up for quite a while.

Then, there was the young boy who by bad luck had gone from mock patient to patient all in the same day. It would take some time but his rehabilitation was going along nicely. His initial neurogenic shock was resolving as well as the head injury that he had sustained in that fall from the bleachers. It would be another month or so before the Cervical Spine fracture was healed completely, but his prognosis was looking better every day. He would not be a victim of paralysis.

She felt proud of the work that she had been a part of in all of her patients’ efforts to bring their lives back to near normalcy. Her skills had been well used and relied upon over the course of the last year, making her feel good that she had played an important role in their lives.

Garrett looked at the clock as she went to the desk for the last set of folders that were waiting to be seen. It was nearly 1630. With a little luck this would be the last ones for today. She opened the first folder and smiled. Then as she quickly opened the second folder her smile grew broader. ‘What a nice way to end this day,’ she thought and went to the examination room where the patients were waiting to be seen.

The surgeon opened the door slowly and smiled at the pair. "Marie, Chris, I’m glad that I get to have you two as my last patients to see."

The eyes of the women lit up as they recognized the tall surgeon. "Why now, if it isn’t Dr. Trivoli, what a surprise." Marie voiced in her calm and eloquent manner while Chris nodded in delight from the chair next to her.

"So what do you say we get the exams done first, then we can chat?" Garrett looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Chris, how about you first?" The surgeon motioned to the examination table in the room. "Care to hop up and let me take a look at how well that incision of mine is doing?"

"Sure, Doc," she stated as she got up and tugged her shirt out of her pants. She walked over to the table as she unbuttoned the shirt and then laid down waiting to be examined. "Looking pretty good, I think."

The surgeon pulled on a pair of gloves and gently probed the site, checking it for how it had healed as well as signs that the scaring was fading. After inspecting the length of the incision and the areas around it, she straightened up and smiled as she pulled off the gloves, throwing them into the trash receptacle. "Looking very good, Chris. Are you experiencing any problems, any tightness of the skin as it’s healing?"

"Hell…I mean heck no, Doc." Chris corrected her language and looked over sheepishly at Marie. "I been trying not to use that as much since I almost landed up there." She giggled as her curly hair shook in response to it. "You did a good job of patching me up and I wanted to thank you for it." The older woman nodded. "Marie told me what all you did and I wanted you to know that I appreciated it."

"Yes," Marie chimed in. "She was on the road to recovery much faster since you let me stay with her. Thank you for doing what was best for her and not what somebody else stated as policy."

Garrett smiled and nodded. "I like to think that I do what is best for the patient, not just follow the rules."

"Well, you do. I just hope that you do it for yourself too, Doc." Chris winked and searched the face of the surgeon to see if she understood.

"Well, some things don’t always happen like you want them to." She turned her attention to Marie now. "Let me take a look at that face of yours, Marie."

The quick glancing of eyes passed between the two older women as each wondered what she had meant.

"Doc, ain’t Danni, the nurse, here with you?"

"No," the surgeon cleared her throat. "She’s on vacation."

"But she’s coming back, right?"

"Yes, she’ll be back shortly after I’m gone." Garrett rolled her tongue around her teeth and raised her eyebrows like a shrug. "I’ve accepted a position in Arizona. I’ll be leaving tomorrow."

"You sure that you want to do something like that? I mean…all that way across the country?" Chris was intent on bringing it to her attention.

"Yeah, I’m sure. It’s a good job offer that I can’t pass up."

"Does Danni know about this?" Marie was quick to ask. "I’m sure that she wouldn’t want you to…" she stopped suddenly noticing the face that Chris was making. "Well, we’ll miss you, Doc. That’s for sure."

"Thanks." It was all that Garrett could say as she continued with the closer examination of the woman’s face. "Looks like that scar is healing nicely. A little while longer and you’ll hardly know that it’s there." The words echoed into the surgeon’s own head and she hoped that they would be true for her too as she thought about the scar that would be etched on her heart by leaving Danni.

**************

It was the end of her day and now all she had left to do was stop by the office for her picture of Lucas and turn in her keys, Hospital I.D., and pagers to Dr. McMurray’s secretary. It wasn’t much but it was the last reminders of her year of Fellowship here in Pittsburgh, well, that and the occasionally sore ankle from that pothole.

Garrett turned the doorknob on her office door and was surprised to see it was unlocked. Opening it, she saw Rene Chabot sitting at the desk, his long frame stretched out and lounging from chair to desk.

"Taking over a little more of the office since I’m leaving, eh, Rene?" She teased him, her eyebrow high upon her forehead.

"Well, I did think that the office was going to be a little bigger with you gone, if only for the last week. But I can see that I was wrong." He smiled at her and joined in her laughter. "So, you really are going to Arizona?"

"Yes, I’ll be leaving to drive out there tomorrow." She shrugged not knowing what else to do. "Why, you going to miss me?"

He slowly nodded his head, "Yes, I will."

"Well, don’t let me disturb you. I just stopped by for my photograph." She motioned to it on the bookcase. "It was nice working with you, Rene. Heck, you weren’t too bad to get to know even if you were Canadian." The tall woman chuckled at the face he was making to her comment as she picked up the framed picture and tucked it into her pocket.

"Hey, do you want an international incident or what?"

"No," Garrett shook her head. "It’s just my way of letting you know that I enjoyed our little talks here in the office. You know, Rene, they always made me think."

The tall man sat up, attentive to her words. "That’s what they were supposed to do. Although…I’m not sure that they did."

Her raven hair moved softly around her shoulders as she nodded her head. "They did, believe me, they did."

Dr. Chabot stood and held out his hand to her. "Well, perhaps our paths will cross again, my friend and I’ll get another chance to work on you to open you heart and let the love enter in."

She took his hand and shook it first as one colleague to another and then as friend to friend. "Maybe someday. You never know what the fates hold in store for us."

They let their hands glide smoothly past one another, as their eyes registered what they could not say.

"Good-bye, Garrett." He moved around the desk and hugged the tall woman who had become more of a friend to him than his colleague.

"Good-bye, Rene. Kiss those little ones for me, will you?" She said softly next to his ear.

"I will." The man let her slip away from his grip even though he wanted to hold her in place, not letting her leave until she would come to her senses.

Garrett nodded and left the office as the tall French-Canadian sank into his chair and propped his head on his hands with his elbows on the desk. He sighed loudly. ‘Now what is Danni going to do without you, my friend?’ The man shook his head in disbelief. ‘Better yet, what are you going to do without her?’

**************

She was off the clock now, if you wanted to think of it as such. The surgeon entered the reception area outside of McMurray’s office.

"Hi, Stella." She greeted the woman behind the desk. "I’m supposed to drop these off to you." She held out her hand with the key, pagers and hospital I.D. for the woman to see.

"Yes, Dr. Trivoli, I was expecting you." The older woman smiled politely as she accepted the items. "If you would just sign here, you’ll be free to go."

Garrett acknowledged the requirement and complied by lifting the pen on the desk and scribbling out her signature. Standing back up, she turned and stopped looking at the wall to the left of the door.

"New pictures going up, Stella?" The surgeon pointed to the empty nails on the wall and wrapped frames on the counter right below them.

"McMurray didn’t tell you?" She thought for a moment. "I bet he forgot in his hurry to get out of here last night." The secretary rose from her chair and went over to the packages in question and opened them.

The surgeon’s eyes grew wider as she saw what was going to be hung on the wall. They were mounted photographs of her and Danni. The larger of the two was the PR shot for the Flight Team, while the smaller one was in black and white from the E.R.’s annual Softball game that she had participated in. It was the one that they had used in the hospital newspaper of her and the petite nurse sprawled out like two rag dolls on top of each other in the dirt.

Garrett stood in shock, not realizing that the woman was picking up a third package and unwrapping that also. When she finally saw what it was, she sank down into one of the chairs and just stared at it.

"When…when was that one taken?" The dazed surgeon asked, still glued to the photograph.

"You should know, you were there, Dr. Trivoli."

"I had…I had no idea."

"You don’t think that it’s a good likeness of you?"

"No, it’s good, in fact, it’s great even." Garrett bit at her lip. "I…I got to go. Thanks, Stella for showing them to me." The surgeon got up and left, letting the third photo be the last thing she saw as she walked out of the room.

Stella watched as Garrett departed from the room. "Hmmm…" she turned back to the picture in question. "You sure do always know how to pick them Mrs. McM." She went over to the photo and brushed a piece of lint from the glass. "Don’t want anything to cloud your vision." She giggled. "Just like that Ol’ Cutter of yours, she’ll be back once she finds out what she’s left behind." The secretary looked at the photograph of the four people, Dr. and Mrs. McMurray and Dr. Trivoli with Nurse Bossard at her right. "Yep. Just going to take some time."

**************

The tall surgeon had taken off her lab coat and draped it over her arm as she walked down the hall thinking about the photographs that she had just seen. ‘And you thought you were doing the right thing by leaving and not staying around for her to see. She’ll see you every time that she walks into or leaves McMurray’s office. Damn that awards dinner.’ She let out a long breath. ‘Guess you were wrong about that, eh Gar?’

"Well only one more stop to make and you’re out of here." She spoke out loud to herself. "Next stop the E.R." With renewed emphasis on leaving, she set her course for the busiest area of the hospital.

*************

Between the warm weather and the beginning of the summer, the waiting room for the E.R. was packed with people all waiting to be seen. The Spring cold and flu season had given way to injuries of every type and nature. Garrett surveyed the crowd of waiting patients as she wound her way through the seating section and past the registration desk. She could tell that the night would be a busy one for anyone left working. In a way, it kind of unsettled her to know that for the next week or so she had absolutely nothing to do but pack up and drive to Arizona.

She pushed open the double doors and walked into the main hub of the E.R., faint glimpses of Danni played across her mind as she looked around for the faces she wanted to see. God, was she going to miss coming in here. Not wanting to cry, Garrett quickly pulled out that stoic mask and let it fall in place.

"Hey, Dr. Trivoli." Jamie Potter waved to her. "Can I get you to take a look at a belly for me?"

Garrett smiled then shook her head. "Sorry Dr. Potter, I no longer have O.R. privileges here."

"Oh, jeez, I forgot that you were leaving." She grabbed a chart and started to walk by. "I guess you won’t be playing on our team then this year."

"No, hardly. I’ll be in Arizona."

"Good luck then, and take care." The wild haired E.R. Attending winked at her and waved. "I got a patient to see. Bye."

"Bye." Garrett sighed. ‘Well, that wasn’t too bad.’ She turned and looked for the older, no nonsense Charge Nurse. Seeing her, she called out, "Mom."

Karen turned and smiled. She was glad that the surgeon had stopped by. The nurse finished her writing and put down the chart. "Come here you." She reached out for the tall woman. "Now who’s going to nearly run me down and make me a trauma this year, huh?" The nurse hugged Garrett as if she were her real daughter, going off to live on her own for the first time. "I’m going to miss you, you Amazon." She released the surgeon and wiped a tear from her own eye. "You’d think that I’d get used to my kids growing up and leaving home. Never."

Garrett smiled and nodded. She too, had grown to think of this as her home and the woman in front of her as dearly as her own mother. "Yeah, well, you should try it from this side sometime. It’s not much better." The surgeon bit at her lip trying to remain in control.

"Hey, Trivoli." The loud voice was heard over the din of the hall as Rosie came up and put her arm around the dark-haired woman. "You stopping by to help out or to say "bye" as you get out?" She was one for teasing as always.

"Getting out, Rosie. I just stopped by to say thanks for all the good times this last year."

Rosie opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of the overhead paging system. "Trauma’s in the department. Trauma’s in the department."

"Bye, Doc, I got to go." The auburn-haired nurse gave her a quick hug and left for the Trauma Hallway.

"Bye." Garrett watched as she faded from view.

"You know something, Doc? I never thought I’d see that the first day you came through those doors. Nope, Rosie was ready to hunt you down and throttle you good."

Garrett looked puzzled. "Why didn’t she?"

"Danni. Danni promised that she’d make you more ‘E.R. nurse friendly’."

"And that she did." The words were muttered and meant only for the surgeon.

"Hey, speaking of Danni, she gave me something awhile back for you. Let me get it out of my locker." Mom took off, headed for the locker room before Garrett could react. Within a minute she was back and holding out a small box for Garrett to take. "Here, open it."

The surgeon looked to Mom. "Do you know what’s in it?"

"No."

Garrett nodded, then pulled the lid off of the box. Inside on a pillow of velvety material was a small, gold, free floating heart, the kind that could be worn on a necklace. The surgeon’s eyes blinked back a tear as she looked at the Charge Nurse.

"She never told me, honest. I have no idea what it was meant to be for." Karen debated whether or not to say anything about how Danni felt or what the young nurse had confided in her. "You know, Doc, that little nurse really does love you with all of her heart."

"Thanks, Mom." She leaned over, hugged the woman, then put the lid back on the box. "I…I got to go. Bye, Mom, and thanks." The stoic woman who was loosing her control held up the box, nodded, turned and walked out of the E.R.

Karen stood there and watched the doors close on another chapter in the life of the E.R., a chapter that she’d hoped would have ended differently.

************

It was a pleasant summer evening as she drove with her windows rolled down, her arm hanging out of the opening as Garrett headed towards home for the final time. Traffic wasn’t that bad for a Friday night and the flow seemed to be moving faster than usual when it was her turn to stop at the traffic light outside of the mall entrance. Sitting there, she eyed the listing for a jewelry store on the first level of the mall. ‘Hmmm…maybe I should get a chain for that heart.’ With her decision made, the Blazer pulled to the right as she turned into the mall drive.

It didn’t take long before the black full sized Blazer was once again sitting at the traffic light, only this time it was coming from another direction. The raven-haired woman at the wheel was playing self-consciously with the shiny new necklace and floating heart that moved freely about her neck. It had been almost a year since she had worn a necklace. The surgeon had only ever worn her dog tags from the Navy and that was because they required it. Now, she chose to wear something that reminded her of one petite, golden-haired woman with a free-floating heart all her own. Yes, Garrett decided that she’d wear this necklace for rest of her life, that way she’d always keep Danni close to her heart.

*********

The surgeon found sleep to be nothing more than an illusion as she spent most of her time walking from one room to the next, reliving all of the things that had happened to her in this house, Danni’s house. She thought back to the first day that the nurse had even suggested that they share the space. Garrett had been so sure that it wouldn’t work out and now to look at her, she would have been better off if it hadn’t.

Somehow she ended up sitting on the couch for the longest time in the early morning, watching the sky change colors through the front window. The twinkling of the stars in the heavens made her think of the tiny ill-shaped Christmas tree that turned into a beautiful sight when the final decorations were done and the colorful lights were illuminated.

Garrett shook her head as if to try to clear it of the memories for a while. She pushed herself up from the couch and grabbing the two or three empty boxes that she had brought home, headed for her room. ‘If I’m going to be up all night, I might as well finish packing.’

It didn’t take her long before the few things that she had accumulated while living here in Pittsburgh were packed and ready for shipping when she would have an address to ship them too. She stacked them in the corner of the hall by the door. She hoped that Danni wouldn’t mind. They wouldn’t be there that long, just until she sent an address to have them delivered to.

"Well, Gar, shower time for you and then its time to hit the road." She stretched her body to its full height and felt the bones ease into place. "Yep, a good hot shower will do you wonders." The surgeon started for the stairs when she heard the house phone start ringing. "Hmmm…the hospital knows that Danni is on vacation, I wonder…" Garrett stopped next to the phone and listened, undecided as to pick it up or not.

Finally the answering machine picked up and the prerecorded message with Danni’s voice clicked on. "I’m not here, like always, so leave a message and I’ll get back to you."

Garrett closed her eyes and pictured Danni as she heard the voice.

There was a moment of silence, and then a male voice began to speak. "Danni, I’ve taken care of damage control with Mother. She knows now that you aren’t and never were pregnant. I hope that note she sent you didn’t get you too upset. See you later, Sis. Ah…almost forgot, it’s Matt." He trailed off with the sound of his laughter then hung up.

The surgeon stood there staring at the machine. She was in shock. "David was right…he never…" She closed her eyes tightly now and fought back the tears. "Too late now, Trivoli. You’re a fool to think that someone like Danni would even think of doing something without love being involved in it." Garrett shook her head in disbelief. "And if it happened any other way, I’m sure she would have come to me as a friend for advice." The surgeon rolled her eyes at the thoughts going through her head. "Damn it!" The large fist slammed down on to the hall stand. "You’re committed. You’re due to start that new job in Arizona on the first of July. Your word has always been like gold." She squared her shoulders and set her course for the shower, her right hand raised slowly to her chest and long, sinewy fingers touched the golden heart.

With her shower completed, Garrett dressed, picked up her bags and headed down the stairs. With purposeful steps, she made her way out the door and to her Blazer. Once the suitcases were stowed into the rear, she walked slowly back into the house and made one last sweep for any forgotten belonging.

Finding nothing more of hers to take, the surgeon stopped at the desk and pulled the few remaining letters out of her slot. There in the middle was the piece of stationery that was folded over. She hadn’t read it yet and knowingly shoved it into her jeans back pocket for another time. She took one long last look around, then picked up her leather flight jacket and flung it over her shoulder. Taking the house key from her pocket, she placed it on the desk next to Danni’s slot. The surgeon turned and went to the front door. With the lock set to secure the house upon closing, Garrett let her gaze fall upon the furnishing of the house once more.

"Good-bye, my love." She whispered as she closed the door.

*************

It was mid day when the surgeon finally felt the need to pull off the road for a rest stop. She had been pushing herself to put as many miles in as she could before she stopped for the night. Here was good as any to get a bite to eat and some coffee to fuel her mind. She watched for the next exit that would take her to a roadside diner. Within a few miles the neatly displayed signs pointed her way.

"Mabel’s Home Cooking, sounds good to me," and the surgeon slowed her car to a stop at the end of the turnpike ramp. Pulling into the parking lot, Garrett got out and stretched until it felt good. "Yep, you’ll sleep tonight, that’s for sure."

Entering the small diner, she picked out a booth that was away from the crowd. ‘Alone, as usual, eh Trivoli?’ She settled into the seat and looked over the menu. After giving her order to the waitress, she found herself playing with the gold heart about her neck. She looked around and came up empty handed, "Hmm…nothing here to read." Then she remembered the folded piece of stationery in her back pocket. "Awe…I might as well read it now." She mumbled to herself and dug it out.

Hesitating for only a moment after she unfolded it, she began to read.

My Dearest Garrett,

This past year has been a wonderful experience that I would not trade for the world. Your friendship and understanding has touched my heart in such a way that I can not describe. I have no past liaison to compare it to and even if I did, I’m sure that it would pale to the love that I hold for you in my heart. Thank you, my friend for your confidence in me when I didn’t have any in myself. Even now, I’m lacking the confidence to tell you that I love you and that you will always have my heart.

Take care, my friend.

Danni

Garrett sat transfixed to the letter. The words racing wildly in her head as her mind thought about what to do. There it was in black and white. How could she deny it now?

"Hey, hon. You alright?" The waitress stared at her as she set the food down in front of her.

"Yeah…Yeah, I’m fine." The surgeon’s eyes darted back and forth as she thought. "Do you have a phone here?"

"Sure, right back there by the restrooms."

Garrett jumped up and went in the direction that the waitress had pointed.

"Silly, girl." The waitress smacked her gum and scribbled out the check that she left on the table next to the coffee. "Don’t think she’ll be staying long."

And the waitress was right. After a few moments on the phone, the tall, dark-haired woman sat down, ate quickly, finished her coffee and stood up to leave. Pulling a couple of bills out of her pocket, she counted them out and placed them on the meal check for the waitress, then walked toward the door.

"Hey, don’t you want any dessert?" The waitress yelled from behind the counter as the tall stranger reached for the door.

"No, I think I’ll save room for that later." Then she was out the door and headed toward her Blazer.

Chapter 14

The rhythm of small branches snapping under foot added percussion to the song of the birds as the petite woman strolled through the deafening quiet of the woods. It was a version of the song that she had heard many times in her youth when she had gone on the long, thoughtful walks with her grandfather. She smiled at his favorite saying as it came to her mind. ‘To refresh the soul you only need to listen to your heart beat in time with the song of nature.’ That was exactly what she was trying to do, refresh her soul, but this time it just wasn’t happening. Perhaps it was the fact that ever since Danni had watched Garrett walk away from her and go out the door for the last time her heart just didn’t want to beat. The aching in her chest would not go away and it truly felt like her heart was breaking in two. There seemed no need for it to be whole anymore. It beat now only to sustain the agony and torment that she felt.

For each of the last seven days, Danni had spent most of her waking hours walking through the paths that she and her grandfather had used in the days of her youth. Things seemed so much simpler then, when all she had to do was go to school and follow the wishes of her mother. She had often dreamed, back then, of finding her someone to share her life with, to become one with in the everyday working of the world around her. She just never dreamed back then that it would be a tall, raven-haired woman surgeon by the name of Garrett Trivoli. Would her life be any different if she had known back then? She was sure that it would have been, especially if her mother had known. "I probably would have been forced into a marriage so that I’d come to my senses with the first man my mother could find that met her plan for my life."

She thought about that for a moment and brought her walking to a halt. "Maybe it’s good that I didn’t know that I was gay back then." Her mind tumbled aimlessly over the thought of being in a physical union with someone but still feeling alone, her soul was not joined with the half that it sought to feel complete. "By the gods, it couldn’t feel worse than this."

The tears that were so easy to form were there in a second. At times she wondered where her body was getting all the moisture to keep the river of sadness flowing through her eyes. After bringing her arms up to wipe the tears away from her cheeks, she opened her eyes to see the large upside down letters of U.S.C. written on the sweatshirt she wore. Suddenly, the rush that she had felt at Garrett’s touch coursed through her body as the image of the woman implanted itself firmly in her mind.

The petite woman stood there on the forest’s floor and raised her eyes to the heavens above. Then, as if offering a prayer that the pain of this separation would be soon replaced by only the memory of the friendship and love that she had experienced over the last year, she remained silent with her thoughts.

It seemed now that everywhere she looked, everything she touched brought back memories of the beautiful woman. Danni prayed that it would become easier over the next week without her. She shook her head in wonderment at how she was going to be able to resume any kind of normalcy to her life once she entered that hospital again. She was certain that the wispy illusions that she had been seeing here in the forest would only be multiplied a thousand times. They would come out from every corner and every hallway that the woman had used over the last year, popping up at the most inopportune times she was sure.

Once again the petite woman started walking down the pathways of her life, as she crossed the woodland floor, letting her pain eke out so as not to gather it all in one place. She followed the trail now as she had followed the surgeon, being ever mindful of the many skills that were needed to keep her balance and attain her goal. But that was part of the problem, her goal had been moved, eradicated of sort. Perhaps that was why Danni felt as though for the past week she had been walking with nowhere to go, no goal to achieve, and most of all, no one to come home to.

As the light of the forest floor began to dim, the forlorn woman brought her arms across her chest and held on, both for comfort and for warmth, as the sun began its slow descent in the sky. It would be dark soon and there she would be, alone in the cabin with only the warmth of the well-worn college sweatshirt to hold her through the night. She wondered when the pain would end but then thought if it did, would that mean that she no longer had Garrett in her heart? She hastened her steps toward the cabin, afraid of what the answer would be.

************

The golden rays of the sun setting low on the horizon bathed the clearing that the cabin was nestled into. As the young woman came to the end of the trail, her eyes took in the beautiful sight of the sun-drenched lake reflecting the colorful hues of the sky. It was a breathtaking view as the shimmering water moved with the glow of the world around it. The lure of it called out to her as she slowly came to its edge. Like a lover’s arms outstretched to her, the water beckoned her closer.

She walked along the sandy shore until her steps led her to the long-standing pier that stretched out into the lake, away from the land. There, standing at the furthermost point of dryness in the mist of water, she felt like she was now a part of the images that her eyes beheld. She turned her head slowly to drink in the sight of nature at its finest. Lowering her eyes to the water in front of her, Danni once again saw the illusion of her friend rippling with the rhythm of the lake. The words slipped out of her mouth before her mind could register them. "What I wouldn’t give to have you here with me now?" Then she closed her eyes and turned her head trying hard not cry.

"Could you give me another chance at friendship…perhaps, even a chance at love?"

The words came to her ears in the form of the voice she was so familiar with and it scared her. ‘By the gods, I’m really losing it now. First, it’s her image and now I’m hearing her voice. Danni girl, you’re really losing it now.’

"Danni?"

That was it. She heard the voice again. She was definitely getting worse and not better. How would she ever survive? Then she remembered her Grandfather’s lectures about life and confronting your fear head on. And that was what she decided to do as she spun around and opened her eyes.

Through the veil of tears, her vision fell on golden hued skin encased by raven hair and the blue eyes that she remembered so well. Needing to prove to herself that her mind was the one playing tricks, the petite woman stepped forward and readied herself to meet the illusion. Her arms reached out and wrapped around the form bringing it to her. ‘Whoa! Wait a minute here.’

The shock of having a solid form in her arms startled Danni and the woman gasped in alarm.

Pushing her arms out at length, Danni leaned back and looked with renewed interest at the being in front of her. "Gar?"

The dark-haired form nodded and the two embraced as though they had been separated for all of eternity. Slowly the life came back into the hearts that were lacking as the women basked in the rich glow of the sun and the warmth of the love that was filling their hearts.

"Gar, is this really you?"

The softly whispered words fell like music on her ears and the tall woman responded to it with the gentle nodding of her head. "Yes, Danni, it’s me."

That was all that the young woman needed to hear and she tightened her embrace vowing never to let go again. "I was hoping it was."

The sentiment that it brought to Garrett was enough to give her the strength she needed to overcome any fear she might have had about how she would be received. If this moment was any example of the love that the two shared, the surgeon was sure that she had done the right thing by coming back.

She was sure of it now, as she felt the tears soaking into her shirt from the young woman in her arms.

"Tears of joy, I hope?"

Danni felt the blush start in the base of her neck as she struggled to respond. "Now, they are." She sensed the touch of long, sinewy fingers under her chin as she felt her head being tipped back and Garrett’s face came into her view. Blue eyes met with green and the silent outpouring of two long separated souls spoke volumes to one another of their journey to where they were now.

It was as though the world had stopped revolving and time stood still. The draw of the souls longing to be together edged each one closer and soon, soft, moist lips pressed one against the other. The charge of the electricity surging through their bodies was enough to start any weakened heart, healing the wounds that had been placed there in a now forgotten time. The kiss was soft and tender as their bodies adjusted to the touch. After a lingering moment, the touch of lip to lip faded and they stood looking into each other’s eyes, drinking in the love that they had seen and now tasted.

Like two small children eager to tell a secret, they whispered what was foremost on their minds, bothering not to listen to the other.

"I love you," was the nearly unison verbiage that filled the air between their bodies.

Each one looked in wonderment of the other as dreams long sought were finally being realized. Suddenly all of the time and torture that they had gone through meant nothing compared to what they were feeling now and looked forward to in the future. They had finally come to their senses and it felt good.

The sound of a distant motorboat broke the spell that they had been held in and they found themselves feeling shy with the other. With nervous giggles catching in their throats, they moved away from one another leaving only their hands to make contact now. This was all so new for the both of them and they weren’t quite sure how to act.

With the threat of the outside world invading their newly found realm of each other, Danni’s mind was soon wondering what had happened to bring the surgeon to her.

"Gar, is something wrong? Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to Arizona?" The questions rolled off of her tongue before she could stop them. The concern was evident in the furrowed brow under the wind tossed golden hair, green eyes looking deeply for answers in the blue reflective pools of the surgeon.

"Nothing’s wrong, Danni, at least not now. I think I finally came to my senses. I’m not taking that position in Arizona." Garrett watched the nurse’s face for any sign of disapproval. There was none.

"But Gar, they’re expecting you to be there. What did you tell them?"

The raven-haired woman looked out over the lake. "I told them the truth, my heart just wasn’t in making the move." Garrett looked back at Danni. "No matter where I would move, my heart would always be here with you." It was the truth, and the surgeon knew it.

The petite nurse stood mesmerized by the complete truthfulness of the statement. It was the exact thing that she herself considered to be true, her heart would be with the surgeon no matter where they both were.

Content that their hearts were in the right place, Danni turned around to view the sunset over the opposite shore of the lake. It was the first time that they would share a sunset together as a couple, and arm in arm, they basked in its waning glow. The silent show of nature drawing the curtain on the day’s magnificent glory was more beautiful then they could have ever imagined.

Garrett moved behind Danni and wrapped her long arms around the woman in front of her, holding her close to her body. ‘I’d give anything for the rest of my life to be like this, embracing the one that I love and enjoying the beauty of nature together each evening.’ But it was only a wish and she knew that the reality of it happening with their given professions was not likely. She’d have to be content with whatever they could steal from their demanding jobs and enjoy it as best they could.

Together they stood and watched until the last burnt orange glimmer of sun faded from the sky and the faint twinkles hinted at the stars in the darkening ceiling above them.

"Gar?"

"Hmm…"

The blonde smiled at the warmth she was feeling nestled up against the surgeon’s body. "What are you going to do now? I mean…where are you going to work?"

"I thought that I’d talk to McMurray when we get back at the end of the week. I’m afraid that a job in surgery might be a little up in the air right now. I’ll have to see."

Danni nodded, and for the first time knew exactly how much the surgeon thought of her. Garrett had given up a lucrative position in a wonderful setting and all because of the love that she had for the nurse. The petite woman closed her eyes and thanked the gods for bringing Garrett Trivoli back to her. Whatever had caused it, she would forever be grateful.

"Why…why did you want to leave in the first place? Was it because you weren’t sure I’d return your love?"

The surgeon swallowed hard, half-afraid to admit what she had thought. "I…I thought you were pregnant and didn’t want to be the cause of the child not having both parents. I thought you and David…"

"Me and David?" Danni spun around in the long arms to face the surgeon. "Gar, whatever gave you that idea?" The green eyes searched the shadowy face for a clue. "David was just a friend, I’d never…"

"I know, David told me." The tall woman cast her eyes to the ground. "I knew that you were in love with someone, I just assumed that it was him. I never dreamed that it was me." Garrett raised her gaze to look into the sea green pools asking for forgiveness.

"Gar, but why…why would you think that I was pregnant?"

"The day that McMurray sent me to David’s hospital, I opened the door to the house and that was when I heard you say. ‘I’m pregnant.’ I have to admit it caught me off guard. I just assumed that it was from your time with David in West Virginia."

"Oh, Gar." Danni shook her head and began to laugh. "Mother strikes again." Suddenly Danni knew exactly where the misconception came.

"What?" The surgeon’s eyebrow shot up on her forehead.

"Mother thought that I was pregnant and having twins. That was the letter that I was reading when you walked in. She seemed to think that I was having a wild, torrid love affair with a staff member at the hospital."

The eyebrow pushed ever upward now. "Who?"

"Why that tall, dark and always on the prowl for new meat," Danni chuckled at the thought, "Trauma Fellow, Garrett Trivoli."

"Huh?" The surgeon was dumbfounded. "I don’t understand."

"Mother was at the hospital the other week and saw Rene in your Flight Suit and overheard him talking about expecting to get his twins in his arms soon. I had told her long ago that you, Garrett Trivoli had moved in with me and well, I guess one thing lead to another and…I was pregnant." Danni smiled not believing herself what she had just said.

"I bet my parents never realized how much trouble my name was going to be."

Danni smiled coyly. "Or maybe they did?" Then winked at the surgeon and tugged at her hand. "Come on, it’s getting dark and I’m famished. Hey, how about I make us something to eat and you start a fire going in the fireplace?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Garrett moved in tow as Danni led her up the pathway to the cabin.

**************

The two women sat on the rug with their backs against the couch, each one leaning into the other as they watched the dying embers of the fire. Neither of them wanted to part or skirt the issue of sleeping. They were content in just sitting there together with the outside world locked up and being kept far away from their door.

They had continued in their lives of making small talk and eating but the main emphasis of their time was just being together. Taking the time to explore the new realm of friendship that they were embarking on, they stole looks at one another and even tender kisses as the fire glowed brightly both in the hearth and in their hearts.

It was during one of those stolen glances that Danni first noticed the gold chain around Garrett’s neck. Following it down to the top of the surgeon’s open shirt, the petite woman recognized the free-floating heart pendant that it carried.

"Something new?"

Garrett looked down to where Danni’s eyes were fixed. "You should know, you left it with Mom to give it to me on my last day."

"I did? Gar, I didn’t give it to Mom…" and then she knew. The staunch old Charge Nurse, Karen, had taken things into her own hands. Danni had looked at the exact same heart with the thoughts of giving it to Garrett if she had ever gotten her courage up to tell her of the love she held for the woman.

"How did Mom know?"

"You mean that you didn’t…"

"No, but I have to admit that I was looking at that exact pendant with the thoughts of telling you that I loved you."

Garrett touched the heart and looked into Danni’s eyes. "Maybe Karen knows us both better than we know ourselves. This heart and your letter finally made me realize that I was just running from opening up my heart and letting you in."

There was silence for a moment as both thought of how their lives were changing.

"Gar, I don’t want any more misunderstanding or miscommunications between us. We’ve wasted too much time with that already."

"I agree. Let’s just be open and honest with each other and take it slow until we both feel comfortable with this. Okay?" The surgeon looked deep into the green eyes, wishing to see the innermost beauty of the woman in her arms. "We need to come to each other with anything that concerns us. I’m sorry that I didn’t do that earlier."

"Agreed. We’ll take it nice and slow but we are going to talk a lot more than before."

"Hmm…talk. I might be able to do that." The lopsided grin spread slowly across her face as she turned back to look at the dying fire. "Well, let me start talking by saying that I’ve got a lot to learn about love, Danni. It’s not something that I’ve had a lot of in my life, at least not in the last 20 years."

The young woman nodded. "I know. I’m not that experienced with it myself, at least not in the physical sense." Danni’s gaze dropped to the floor as the hint of a blush started up her face. "Gar…I’ve never…"

"Shhh." Garrett hushed her and kissed her forehead. "We’re in this together, like a team. We don’t rush into anything until we’re both ready for it. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I understand." Danni looked at the almost non-existent fire and sighed. "I guess it’s bedtime, huh?"

Garrett nodded and looked over to the bunk beds against the wall, not wanting to lose the connection that she had just found. "There wouldn’t be any other bedding in this cabin would there?"

The smile spread slowly across Danni’s face. She too didn’t want their closeness to stop at the thought of sleep. "Yes, there is," and she lifted her gaze to the loft overhead. "It was where my grandfather slept." And she got up from the floor tugging the surgeon with her as she did. "Come on, let’s get ready for bed."

What had been a dreaded time now became one of jubilation as they both realized that they could spend the rest of the night sleeping while still reveling in the closeness of the newfound love. Eagerly they both dashed to their suitcases and sought out the apparel for the night. With their backs to each other they hurriedly dressed and then shyly turned to the staircase leading up to the loft.

There was no worry about who would sleep on what side for both women knew that the sides would be left empty and the two would cuddle one up against the other in the middle of the double bed. Crawling under the covers, their bodies soon entwined with long strong arms encircling the petite form of the blonde.

The surgeon lay there content in her being as she reflected on the past year of her Fellowship that had taught her many things. The two most important of them all did not concern her surgical skills but rather what had been haunting her life. The ability to open her heart to love and the knowledge that she was no longer alone came to her like a message from beyond the grave in the form of one petite nurse who was now held in her arms as well as in her heart.

"Danni?" The soft whisper came out.

"Yeah, Gar."

"I was just thinking. I’m glad that I’m going to be learning what love is all about from the best teacher that I could possibly have. I just hope that there aren’t too many curves for me to get around along the way."

"I’ll try to keep them to a minimum. Now, let’s get some sleep, we’ve got the rest of our lives to learn how to love." Danni snuggled into the shoulder of the surgeon, happy that her heart and soul were now feeling whole. She had put her faith for love into the hands of the gods and they had delivered her the tall, dark, surgeon, Garrett Trivoli. And there through the pathways of life they would walk, sometimes leading sometimes following, but always they would be together.

Kdarblyne@aol.com