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."