The older nurse just watched the expressions on their faces and knew what each one was thinking.

Chapter 5


The atmosphere in the CT Scanner was quieting compared to the din of the emergency room area. The low lighting gave the room a more casual appearance than the high intensity lighting of the Trauma Suite. The soft melodic hum of the computers after a few minutes was hardly noticeable and became more of a background noise that was very soothing on the nerves. The coolness of the air-conditioning was something that always stood out in Garrett’s mind as a reason to linger in Radiology. No, it was nothing like the surgical theater where life and death drama was played out on a minute by minute basis, but the surgeon enjoyed it just the same. It was a chance to not only look deep within your patient but also yourself. There you had the time to think about what you had done and properly evaluate the effect that it had on your patient. The surgeon was not as concerned about the patient this time as she was about the events that had taken place in the last hour or so.

Doctor Trivoli rested comfortably in the high-backed chair, letting her long tapered fingers drape over the arms. Her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles kept the subtle swaying motion of the swiveled chair from stopping. The back was just high enough to allow the resting of Garrett’s head against the very top of it. It could have been a great time for a few moments of stolen shuteye but the woman was too emotionally charged to allow sleep to overtake her. In this position, she could study the young blonde without the effect of staring. Her head raced with thoughts of what Karen had said to her before the trauma beeper had gone off. Trying as she might she wanted to put some kind of answer to the question she was now plagued with. ‘Why the disappointment at who I am? My surgical skills are perfect, without a doubt. What more could they ask for?’ Finally she disregarded it all with the thought that there was nothing she could do about it, so why let it bother her.

The surgeon studied the young nurse as she monitored the patient’s vital signs during the imaging procedure. Her poise demonstrated confidence in both herself and her professional ability. Occasionally, Garrett noticed that a side ways glance was thrown in her direction, as if the nurse wanted to ask a question but then changed her mind. This intrigued and at the same time unnerved the tall woman who prided herself on being totally in control of her emotions at all times. In fact, she was used to being in control period. What was it about this small slip of a woman that made her want to lose all control and just scream out to ask the damn question? She was nothing out of the ordinary two legs, two arms, two eyes, two ears, and one head. She was not drop dead gorgeous but at the same time she possessed an inner beauty that would rival most. Perhaps it was the charisma that surrounded the small nurse that made her irresistible to those who came in contact with her. Perchance this was why Garrett needed to know more about this young woman.

Danni was biting on the end of her pen, her nose wrinkled up the harder she thought. Finally, she could wait no longer. The question was out before she could stop it. "Did Karen know who you were before I called her back for your apology?" Almost as a reflex when she heard the words coming from her own mouth, the blonde brought her small hand up in a feeble attempt to halt them.

The words got Garrett’s attention. Her head slowly rose off the back of the chair as she watched the stunned blonde try to regain her composure. ‘So, I’m not the only one trying to figure things out, eh…?’ "Ah…no," she glared at the petite woman. "Why do you ask?"

The nurse was caught in the middle now. "I was just wondering how Mom was able to call you by name." She swore at herself and how she must look to the Trauma Fellow.

"Oh, is that all." Garrett decided to add a little fuel to the fire and see if she could get the nurse to really ask what was on her mind. "You know, it is customary for people to introduce themselves if they are allowed to, that is."

"Well, I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable, like I was making a big issue out of the run-in this morning." Danni was getting a little defensive. "Gods! We thought you were…"

"Some wet behind the ears med student. Right?" Garrett finished the sentence for her. Her voice was tense; "Did it ever occur to you to find out just who you were talking to before jumping to conclusions?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Her voice trailed off. She thought for a moment then raised her head and looked over at the seated surgeon. "Do you think we could start over?"

An eyebrow raised high on Trivoli’s forehead almost hidden entirely by the dark hair that swept across it. "I guess it could make the year a little easier," a tight-lipped smile on her face, "if that’s what you mean. But I would have thought that you would known who I was before I even arrived."

"You’re expecting too much. The photo identification sheets for all of the new house staff won’t be out for at least another week or two. So until then…" the young nurse traveled the short distance over to the surgeon and held out her hand in friendship. "Hi, I’m Danni and you are?"

"Garrett Trivoli, one of the new Trauma Fellows." The handshake was returned and the two women began to eye one another up.

"Isn’t Garrett a man’s name?" Danni asked. "We thought the female fellow would be Rene."

The light was now coming on. Garrett realized what all the looks and stares were for during the trauma room episode. "You and the other nurse thought I was a man. Or at least supposed to be by name, right?"

Danni looked down at the floor a little embarrassed. "I guess so. I know that Rosie’s more disappointed than me."

"Well, next time maybe you should get all of your facts straight, or do you two just assume everything?" The surgeon eyed the nurse, trying to find her answer from the visibly shaken manner she was witnessing.

"Excuse me, are you implying that Rosie and I…"

"Ah, Rosie, is she the one that smelled like a cheap…I mean, had that terrible perfume on. You know, she should really be more sensitive to the people that she subjects to her aroma."

"Yeah, well, she said that it was specially formulated for a man’s nose." Danni was chuckling at the thought. Then eyeing the tall surgeon she muttered under her breath, "and we sure know that’s not your gender."

"I sure hope she didn’t spend too much on that. I’d hate to be the cause of her bankruptcy." There, the ice was broken and Garrett was feeling that McMurray would be pleased by her attempt. Her soul contact with the E.R. staff was enjoying her. She could tell by the way that the young nurse was looking at her, green eyes twinkling in laughter. She never had a problem, winning people over always came easy to her, as long as they did things her way.

"Doc, don’t worry about Rosie, she’ll get over it. She always does."

"Gee, that’s what Karen said when I introduced myself to her."

The nurse shook her head in disbelief. Mom had set both of them up.

‘Rosie will be fit to be tied.’ "So, tell me Doctor Trivoli, how did you get the name Garrett?"

The surgeon eyed the young woman. She didn’t like talking about herself, at least not in context to her family life. She never enjoyed bringing up her past. "Why? Does it make a difference in how we treat the patient?"

The blonde looked puzzled. "I was just being curious, Doc." She wrinkled her nose and with a tilt to her head looked over at the tense looking surgeon. "You don’t have to tell me, if you’d rather not."

The raven-haired woman thought about it. It wasn’t a bad memory; in fact it was just a story that she herself had been told. ‘Ah, what the hell! McMurray better appreciate this.’ "My parents named me after a dead relative." She looked direly at the petite nurse.

"You sound like you have always had problems with it?"

"Let’s just say that it has surprised a few people along the way. People seem to think that I’m something other than who I am."

Danni rolled her eyes with that thought. ‘Yeah, and who wouldn’t want to climb off of their death bed to keep an appointment knowing that it’s with such a beautiful surgeon?’ Even in the dim lighting Garrett had a raw beauty in her angular well-defined features that were outlined by dark colored hair and eyes that were like giant pools of azure water inviting you in. The dark blue surgical scrubs acted more like a thin veil delicately covering the well-proportioned muscles of the surgeon. The bronze coloring of her skin added to her god-like appearance. The young nurse let her gaze take in all that was offered. "So, I take it that you are Irish and Italian by heritage."

"That’s right." Her tone was a reflective one. "But I don’t follow any of the customs."

"I’m curious, do you know what ‘Garrett’ means?" The nurse cocked her head to one side and looked over at the tall woman.

The surgeon thought for a moment and offered, "I have been told that it means brave spear man." She chuckled softly, "I guess that’s why I like those sharp cutting instruments, huh?"

The surgeon was now suddenly confused. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more agitated she became at the thought of letting so much of her personal life come to the surface. There was no need for this information to be known. After all, it had no bearing on the patient’s outcome or survival rate. How could she let this happen? Garrett closed her eyes trying to ward off any further investigation of her life from the impertinent nurse.