* * *

The threat of bad weather did nothing to keep the avid skiers away. Danni shook her head at the amount of people that were waiting in line for the chair lifts to the top of the ski runs. The young nurse stood waiting patiently for her private instructor outside of the rustic ski lodge as she watched the snowflakes glistening in the air around her. Casting a wayward eye to the heavens, she noted the heavy gray storm clouds in the northwestern sky. The heavier snow would be coming and soon.


Danni’s always-empty stomach sensed the smells of the outside grill. The wafted aromas that were so inviting to her nose, that she fought to resist the temptation for a taste of their wares. Trying to get her mind off the food, she started looking at the people around her. Danni felt a little out of place still in her leather jacket and flight suit. It seemed the populace of the resort opted for the more fashionable and colorful trends in nylon and down. ‘Well, there’s only just so much room when packing for a helicopter.’


The petite nurse turned back to the ski lodge, watching the door for any sign of her tall friend. ‘Can’t say that I’ll miss her. She looks just about as out of place as I do.’ Danni chuckled to herself, as she thought of them in their matched set of Flight suits and jackets. As the chuckling trailed off, the corners of Danni’s mouth edged ever upward. Coming through the doorway, her arms filled with skis, poles, and boots was Garrett. The nurse waved her arms in an attempt to be seen. It didn’t take long before the women locked eyes as they closed the distance between them. It was like a homing beacon that cut through both time and distance, welcoming the other into safe harbor.


"So, you ready for this?" Garrett tossed her head from side to side, motioning to the array of equipment in her arms.


Danni nodded her head while her voice trembled out a weak, "No," after which she found herself giggling as a wave of nervousness came over her.


She hid her face from Garrett as she peaked out her open fingers. ‘I can’t believe I’m this nervous.’


Garrett shook her head. "Come on, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m not that tough of an instructor that you need to hide." Shifting the equipment in her arms, she used her right index finger to cross her heart and then held the hand up in a mock oath. "Honest, I swear. I don’t bite, not even a little."


"Gee, and I was hoping for some nips here and there." The words were barely above a whisper as they came from the blonde’s mouth.


"What’s that you said?" There was the gentle sound of laughter on her voice as her eyebrow slowly crept upward. The woman felt like a kid again, free and laughing easily with the friend standing before her.


Danni was caught dumbfounded. ‘Ah…what can I say…’ Her eyes rolled around as they grew bigger. "Tips, I was hoping you could give me some tips…about skiing." The lone bead of perspiration started to roll down her forehead. ‘Why do I even try to whisper around her?’



* * *

It was almost 1100 hours when the first sign of any E.R. personnel, other than those who arrived by helicopter, were seen. The small troop of nylon garbed caregivers slowly made their way out of the lodge. The bustle of their pent up excitement was evident by the rapid banter and cackling that emitted from the group. Rosie, of course, being the loudest and in the lead while Mom dawdled along at the rear.


"Come on, Mom, it will be dark before we get a run or two in at the pace that you’re at." Rosie’s sharp comment was meant to hasten, not degrade the older woman.


"Yeah, well, just remember if I fall it’ll be you that’s gonna pick me up." Karen shuffled her feet a little faster in response. "I don’t see why we can’t put the darn skis on now instead of up on the top. It would give me a lot more stabilization in this crushed down snow. Go ahead and laugh, young lady. I want to see you when you’re my age."


"Come on, Granny, you want me to hold your hand?" Rosie stopped and took several steps in Karen’s direction only to be shooed off with the older woman’s gesturing hands.


"All right then, but don’t say that I didn’t offer." The sassy nurse did an about face and headed back to the group who had now paused trying to decide on which ski run to challenge first.


The sound of skis cutting across the packed snow was what first came to the attention of Karen. Lifting her head to make sure that she was not in anybody’s way, she spotted the tandem figures slowly coming towards her. With the utmost grace, the taller skier shifted her feet as her body turned slightly to the right, her weight now leaning to that side as she came to a stop, the snow spraying in her wake. The tall woman smiled, "Hi, Mom!" then digging her poles into the packed snow, Garrett turned to watch the progress her young protégé was making.


Only a few yards behind was a miniature figure clad in the same outfit, the skis and poles proportional in size to her body. The closer she came to them, the easier it was to see her tensed lips and slightly rigid body looking uncomfortable in the slightly seated, flexed knee position.


The surgeon watched with great concern, mumbling encouragements under her breath until she knew that her friend was within earshot. "Okay, now shift! Lean back with your weight." Garrett held her breath. "You can do it." Danni was only a few feet away now and sliding into a stop right in front of her tall friend.


The beaming smile on the petite nurse’s face was priceless as she realized that she was finally getting the hang of stopping. It had been an elusive adventure up until now. She was usually too fast or making her turn too sharp to be able to get everything to happen at the same time without ending up headed off in some new direction that was not of her choosing. In fact, Danni was so excited, she almost forgot to shift her body weight back into a standing position to keep from falling. Trying to correct it at the very last moment, the nurse could feel the strong grasp of her team member on the arm of her leather jacket helping to bring her up to the needed position.


"I did it…I stopped." The over exuberant woman was laughing as she spoke. "Mom, did you see? I didn’t fall down."


"Yes, seems like you have a better teacher this year." Karen looked over to the surgeon. "Great job, Doc."


"Hmmm…I don’t know, she’s not a Jean Claude Kyle by any means." Garrett chuckled. "But I guess she’ll pass." The tall woman pulled down her wraparound sunglasses and winked.


"Hey, Danni, where’d you learn to ski?" Rosie called over to her. "Is that part of being on the Flight Surgeon’s team?" She smirked, "I guess you got to be able to use all sorts of ways get to where you want to be," then wiggled her eyebrows.


Danni’s eyes shot over to Mom’s, only to see the older woman looking back at her seriously and shaking her head. ‘Mom, you didn’t? Then how does she know?’


Garrett noticed the concern in Danni’s face. "Come on, Dan, she’s just jealous." She waited a moment until the nurse’s face showed signs of relief. "What do you say we get out of the cold for a while…maybe go inside by the fire and get something to eat before we have to do our presentation for the ski patrol?" The surgeon began to get out of her skis and picked them up, holding them tightly under her one arm while she grabbed at the poles with the other.


"Yeah, I’m getting a little cold out here now." The nurse rubbed her arms with her gloved hands. "Maybe some hot chocolate would help defrost my frozen bones."" Danni bent over to release her bindings and shoulder her skis, the tiny poles dangling from her wrists by the straps attached to them.


"Hey, Danni, you might want to keep an eye out for some of the others who are coming up. I think you might enjoy seeing one in particular." Rosie was being coy as she taunted her fellow nurse. She knew whom it was that she had invited explicitly for the purpose of giving Danni something to think about. The sassy nurse waved, and together with her group, headed for the chairlifts.


"Mom?" The word was drawn out as Danni looked sternly at the woman.


Shaking her head, Karen feigned all knowledge of anything that Rosie had arranged. "I have no idea, Danni, honest." She shrugged and started off after the rest of the group calling out to them as she walked. "Hey, wait up for the old lady."



* * *

The snow had been coming down more heavily by the time the presentation was over. It had been a good one with many of the ski patrol interested in exactly when the use of the Flight Surgeon Team would be warranted.


Danni turned in search of their pilot when she was met by a cold biting wind as it swept down off the mountain. The leather jacket kept her upper torso and arms from the stinging cold but the Gore-Tex material of the flight suit was no match for it. "Brrrrrrr!" She quickly turned with her back to the wind. The nurse grabbed for the door of the helicopter, opened it and climbed inside. "Jeez! Is it cold!" She was thankful for the shelter out of the wind.


Looking around as she tried to warm her body by rubbing it, she saw the drawn look of the pilot as he was studying his charts. "Hey, Cowboy! We going to be able to go home or what?" Her eyes were hopeful as she waited for his reply.


Cowboy rubbed his chin with his right hand as he thought for a moment. "Don’t rightly think that would be a good thing to do now. The wind’s a little more than I would like to be flying in. Talk about some turbulence now," he chuckled, "we’d be like a dandelion seed cast out on the warm summer air."