***********
The ride did not seem as long this time and soon the beaming cabby pulled into the drop off area of the train station. His time in the presence of this alluring creature had come to an end, but he did not mind. After all, she had chosen him to share in her touching farewell and he was glad that he could be of service.
He got out and held open the door for his passenger. She emerged and stood next to him. He gauged her at close to six foot as he looked up into her bronzed complexion and azure blue eyes.
She smiled at him while reaching with her right hand into her Dockers front pocket. She took his hand and pressed a bill into it. "This should take care of everything. Oh, and Jake, Thank You again," her eyes expressed her sincerity.
"Sure, anytime ma’am." was all he could say.
She hoisted the strap of the garment bag over her shoulder with ease and reached back to grab the small overnight duffel bag off of the seat. She nodded to him and strode over to the entrance of the train station.
He watched her pass through the doors and sighed. She was gone from his sight when he finally opened his hand and looked at its contents. "Wow! A hundred bucks!" His eyes bugged out. Yeah, he was glad she had picked him.
*************
She presented her folder to the older man at the ticket window. "Is the train on time?"
"It starts here, it better be on time," he said with a wink, shuffling through her ticket vouchers. "Lets see now, train #6 to Chicago with a final destination of Pittsburgh. Do you have any bags to check in?"
She shook her head, "No."
"Then you’re good to go, Miss. We’ll be boarding in a few minutes. Have a nice trip." He stapled a boarding pass to the folder and handed it back to her.
She smiled at him and nodded, "Thanks."
The statuesque woman shifted her luggage from one hand to the other and ambled out onto the platform, thankful that she never accumulated many possessions in her life. She detested being tied down to anything or anyone in particular. It just wasn’t her style.
**********
The train had slowed to a stop and the smartly dressed conductor leaned out of the stairway, looking up and down the length of the train. He descended the steps and yelled, "All aboard!" His eyes fell to her as he held out his hand for her boarding pass. She handed it to him and waited silently.
"You’re in sleeper #1304. That’s two cars down, just passed the dinner."
"Thank you," she answered and found her way down to the appropriate car.
With her hand on the railing, she stepped up into the doorway. She halted on the step and slowly turned half way around as to survey the scene. Taking a deep breath in she muttered to herself. "And so, the journey begins." Her steps were filled with confidence as she continued into the passageway to find her reserved sleeper area.
The young uniformed man turned to her asking, "Ticket, please."
She handed the folder to him and again waited.
"You’re in #6, that will be half way down on the right." His voice was clear and energetic. "First time on the train?"
"Yes, I thought that I might want to see the country."
He shook his head as he handed the ticket folder back to her, "That you will. Press the call button if you need anything. My name is Carl and I’ll be your train attendant for this leg of your trip."
"Thanks," her hand trying to steady the large garment bag in the narrow aisle.
"Ma’am, you can stow that big piece of luggage on one of those compartments." The train attendant motioned to the metal shelving. "The sleeper will be a little crowded otherwise."
She smiled at him and carefully placed her piece of luggage on the top shelf. She nodded in appreciation and ascended the narrow stairway. She continued down the aisle until she came to the lighted #6 suspended from the ceiling. The door was open and she peered inside.
It appeared no smaller than the area she was accustomed to be quartered in on board ship for the last year or so. ‘Yeah…I can do this for three days with no sweat.’ Her thoughts were of her first night aboard ship and trying to find enough space to relax and stretch out. A tiny smile toyed with her lips as she placed her duffel under one of the seats. ‘Well, at least I have a view with this cabin,’ she thought as she made herself comfortable using the seat facing her for a footrest. ‘There, that should discourage anyone from visiting.’ Her eyes gazed out of the large window at the landscaped area around the station. It was stark, much like her life with only her goals acting as the mile markers.
‘The next few days will surely help me to make the transition into civilian life a little easier. After all, no one will be saluting me from now on,’ she reflected. It was her decision not to let anyone know who or what she was on her journey into the next part of her life. Yes, this trip she chose to use all of her time to reflect on her life and her goals in her future. She had lived with the past and now she intended to let it catapult her into the future.
The train began to inch away from the station, the scenery now slowly moving by as she noticed the gentle sway of the car on the tracks. The muffled clickety-clack was a welcomed background noise as she thought of what might await her at her destination.
"Well, perhaps I’ll find my destiny in Pittsburgh. Who knows?" Her voice was anticipatory as she let her head lean against the window and enjoyed the view, not to mention the ride, alone.
Chapter 2
Small droplets of perspiration showed almost immediately on the woman’s brow as she exited her air-conditioned car into the stagnant heat and thick humidity of the inner city parking garage. It was only the last day of June and already it felt like the dog days of summer. She gathered her small cooler and backpack from the trunk of the car and began her habitual journey out of the garage.
The sun was edging down on the city skyline as the young woman wondered about the night to come. Her thoughts turned to her job and where it would lead her over the course of the next twelve hours or so. Years of experience told her that it would very likely be a hectic night. She could almost predict the jam-packed waiting room as she turned the corner of the building. The large plate glass windows allowed her to see inside the emergency room foyer just as a familiar voice called to her. She turned her attention to the doorway and found the smiling face of one of her co-workers.
"Tell me that you’re just coming in, too." Her eyes were beaming as a smile crossed her face.
The freckles on her red haired friend danced in laughter as she shook her head, "No, as a matter of fact, I’m on my way home to a long cold drink and a quit night. You would do better to go home, too. It’s been a real zoo in there today."
The young woman tossed her head to one side allowing her dampened blonde hair to rearrange itself on her forehead and with hands on both of her hips she demanded in jest, "Now, Dr. Potter, when have you known me to run from work?"
"Never and that’s the problem. I think you run towards it, Danni."
"Yeah, I know," the small blonde grinned. "Why don’t you have a cold one for me, Jamie? If that’ll make you feel any better."
"You bet it will," her glasses now sliding down her nose from sweat. "Enjoy your night."
"Thanks." Danni pushed the revolving door to gain admittance into the slightly cooler building. She waved at the security guard as she crossed the lobby and walked down the hall towards the Staff locker room. She was eager to get into her almost nightly routine and this tonight she might even appreciate the artificially cooled climate.
************
The evening was continuing exactly as her friend’s day had been…a real zoo.