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.

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.

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 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?’

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.