They soon found themselves at the crossroads of completion, each one eager to finish the task but yet hesitant to see it end. The time that they had spent together seemed effortless, as each was reluctant to go back to their normal daily grind.


Danni sat reading over the information on the computer screen as they put the finishing touches on the proposal that was due in McMurray’s hands by the morning. Garrett’s tall body was unceremoniously draped over the armed chair as she watched in anticipation. Working at Danni’s house had given them the needed privacy to concentrate solely on the proposal without any unwanted interruptions. It had helped in her final closure and plea for the support program had taken much out of her in its writing. Her face was gaunt and her mood one of near defeat as she stared off into space. She had never opened up her soul like this before and she wasn’t quite sure that she would ever want to again. She thought of the wisp of a woman that had helped her reach this point, knowing that she would have never made it without her calm and comforting ways. "Hmm…?" Her mind drawn out of its thoughts by the sound of a voice directed towards her.


"I said," Danni began again as she looked over to Garrett. "I think it reads pretty clear and concise. I don’t think that we can improve it any more than we already have."


"You don’t think that it sounds like the ranting of a mad woman, do you?" She tried to joke at herself, but the look in her eyes told of her concern at how it would be perceived.


"No, I don’t. You should be proud of this, Gar. I am." The nurse’s positive attitude, ever present as always. "You know something?"


"Hmm…what?" She drew herself into a more humanly seated form.


"I’m going to miss this last week once we hand this over to your boss in the morning."


"My boss? Danni, you’re still on this team and he’s our boss right now." That drew an arched eyebrow from the tall surgeon as she dared her friend to repudiate it.


"Okay, our boss." She rolled her eyes and then bit at her lip pensively. "Well, do you want the honors of hitting the print key? After all, it is all your work." ‘I don’t really want this to be over. I’ve never felt so good about anything as I have this.’


"No, it was your idea, you get the honor." The surgeon forced a smile, nodding in assent. "Tomorrow, we’ll both take it to McMurray." She tried to reason with herself the benefits that the project could have for those who needed it, but all she really felt was remorse that the time spent putting it together was over. ‘Together,’ the word seemed to echo in her head as she reviewed the last six days. ‘I’ve never felt so together as I did during this last week. Well…up until now.’


Danni nodded as she hit the print key causing the inkjet to come to life. ‘At least it won’t be over for another day. I’ll just have to hope that this project becomes a reality.’ Her thoughts drifted to every known god that she could remember as she offered a prayer in the proposal’s behalf.


Within a minute or two the sound of the printer stopped, both women sat motionless as their eyes stared at the completed work lying there in its bin. Neither one wanting to make the first move to retrieve it.


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


Crisp white sheets of paper lay neatly arranged in the official looking folder with the insignia of the hospital on the front cover. The small hands held it tightly in her grasp as she sat waiting for her team member to arrive. The waiting area of the small outer office of Dr. McMurray was friendly, but carried an air of dignity about it. Danni’s eyes roamed across the paneled walls, taking in all of the photographs and distinguished looking certificates that adorned them. Her eyes flicked from one photo to another, studying them intently as she tried to pass the time.


She looked down at her watch only to see that her new interest in being early had taken on a different edge this morning. ‘Perhaps it’s the anticipation that made me get here so soon. I can’t wait to hear what Dr. McMurray is going think of our proposal.’ She lifted her eyes up to the heavens. ‘God, I hope he likes it. I’d hate for Garrett to have gone through all this and nothing to come of it.’ She looked down to her hands, taking note of the slight tremor in them stemming from her nervousness. Her thoughts drifted to the tall surgeon as she imagined her trying to do surgery right now. ‘Jeez, I hope she’s not this nervous.’ She repositioned her hands, holding on to the proposal a little tighter to steady them.


Danni smiled pleasantly at the secretary when their eyes met as she began to look around the room once more. Then she offered an attempt at making small talk, trying to hide her nervousness. "Nice waiting room," the nurse motioned to the walls filled with framed pieces.


The older woman nodded and spoke softly, "Yes, Dr. McMurray is as particular about what gets hung out here as he is about the ones in his own office. He thinks that they all tell a story about the Trauma Services Department."


"Oh! I’ll have to take a better look then."


The secretary smiled politely and resumed her work at the computer keyboard in front of her.


Danni gazed from photograph to photograph, paying much more attention to them now. In each of them she was able to pick out the familiar face of the Head of the Department, Dr. McMurray. She studied them again, this time noting the different stages of the man’s career displayed across the room. It was as though his chronological time line was in view for all to see, starting at the left side of the doorway from the hall and progressing to its right side.


Then an odd thing struck the nurse’s thoughts. She glanced quickly around the room again. ‘Yep, I was right! There is another face that is in almost every picture.’ She concentrated on the woman always off to the side and behind the ever present surgeon. "Hmmm…I wonder who she is?" Her voice was barely audible as she brought her right hand up to her chin, striking a thoughtful pose.


The older woman looked up from her computer screen, "Excuse me?" The question was directed at Danni.


"Sorry, I guess I was just wondering out loud," the nurse apologized. "The woman in the pictures, I don’t recognize her. Who is she?"


"Why that’s Mrs. McMurray. The doctor thinks of her as his good luck piece." She shook her head in disbelief. "He attributes her with his success and always insists that she be a part of the picture."


"Hmmm…I guess that makes her feel like she’s a part of his work then."


"You might be right. The doctor is always saying that behind every good physician is a nurse guiding them." The secretary smiled as she got up from her desk with a bundle of papers in her hand. "He shouldn’t be too much longer in surgery. I’ll be back in a few minutes." Then she left through the doorway into the hall.


The petite nurse got up, taking the opportunity to get a closer look at the photographs without being observed. She had just about made it full circle around the room studying each picture more intently then before, only this time looking for the story that each of the photos was revealing. She glanced at her watch when she heard someone enter the room. It was 10 A.M. and a smile slowly stretched across her face. She knew that it would be her team member and friend, Garrett. She could sense her presence. ‘Her punctuality is phenomenal. How does she do that?’ Danni caught a glimpse of the tall surgeon as she turned her attention towards the door.


"Hey! You’re here already." The surgeon sounded a little surprised at seeing Danni waiting for both her and McMurray to arrive.


"I guess you’re rubbing off on me," she chuckled. Then motioning to the inner office she continued, "He’s not in yet."


"I know…" she adjusted her collar and straightened her lab coat, "he’s still in surgery, just finishing up."


"Did everything go all right with your patient in surgery? You look a little…" Danni searched for the right word to use before settling on one, "edgy."


The eyebrow of the raven-haired woman slowly rose to new heights as she contemplated the idea of her patient being in jeopardy. "Why would you think…? I’m just anxious to get this presentation done and hear what the Ol’ Cutter thinks about it."


The nurse moved closer to the surgeon and rested her hand on the taller woman’s shoulder in a comforting manner. "He’ll like it, Gar. I know he will. When he sees all the work and thought that you’ve put into it…"


"We." The surgeon corrected her. "That we’ve put into it." She let her eyes meet and linger on the petite nurse’s in a silent exchange of thoughts.


For the first time in a long while, she realized the importance of working together as a committed team and the feeling that it brought with it. ‘Déjà vu!’ The surgeon thought. It wasn’t new to her, just long forgotten.


Her thoughts raced back to a time when the world was all fresh and new. There were so many times that she felt like this, when the combined effort of some plan that she and her brother put into action had turned into one of accomplishment. Often it had come as a surprise to her parents. When all was said and done, her brother would always reached up, cupping her shoulder in victory, while communicating as only close siblings do with a meeting of the eyes.


Dr. McMurray stood silently in the doorway, watching the unfolding scene knowing that the bonding of one human to another was of more importance then any meeting could ever be. It was something that his wife had taught him and he was grateful for it. The world always seemed to put more importance to things concerning money or prosperity instead of matters of the heart. Her words now echoing in his head. ‘Without the heart, one has no need of a soul.’ He was pleased that he was now witnessing the true awakening of a heart that had been lost in an abyss of everyday life. Yes, his plan was working.