* * *

Morning came all too early for Garrett, as her body woke her with the urgency that only a full bladder can have. Trying to open her eyes, she inhaled deeply and the resources of her brain efficiently detected the closeness of one small blonde. "Danni?" The blue orb popped open searching for her friend only to find the pillow pressed tightly into her body, her arms hugging it to her. She sniffed again and sure enough it was Danni. The surgeon’s head now popped up trying to get her bearing on where she was. The last thing floating through her mind was coming upstairs for the journal. With the haze rising from both her eyes and her mind, Garrett realized where she was and sat up in bed. There, in her left hand was Danni’s journal. She sat the book down on the nightstand and rubbed her eyes. It was now that her bladder once more pleaded its case for emptying. Garrett groggily took her crutches and got up with a quick trip to the bathroom as her only plan.


Emerging from the small room more awake and feeling relief, Garrett headed for her own room to get a change of clothing before she showered. Bracing herself at the door with her crutches under her armpits, the surgeon opened her door. There, to her amazement, was Danni sleeping in her bed.


Garrett stood watching the peaceful expression on the young woman’s face. It was almost angelic in nature as she slept sprawled over the large pillow that the surgeon always used. The petite woman’s arm was thrown over the upper half of the pillow as was her same side leg bent at the knee and covering the very lower half of the soft cushion. ‘I wonder who that lucky pillow is in your dreams, my friend, David or someone you’ve yet to meet?’


The surgeon halted that thought as the journal came to her mind. Garrett’s logical mind kicked into gear as more pieces of the puzzle were fitting into place. ‘It can’t be David, otherwise you would have stayed with him last night. Now that’s my gain and your loss, David.’ She closed her eyes in thanks to a higher being. ‘Why would you not wake me from your bed but instead, come to sleep in mine?’


For some reason, Garrett almost felt jealous of the pillow being held so tightly and with nothing but love written on Danni’s face. Staring at the woman in her bed, the surgeon stood mesmerized by the beauty of the moment.


Like clockwork, the inner workings of Danni’s brain registered the eyes that were staring at her. Slowly her brain summoned her body to wake. The first thoughts of the petite woman were of long strong arms pulling her in tightly until their bodies became one with each other. Trying to focus her thoughts through the cobwebs of distraction, she singled in on the form of one tall, dark-haired surgeon standing over, watching her sleep. Gentle purrs, much like that of a kitten, emulated from her body. Opening her eyes, she could see the distant form of the surgeon in her view. ‘Now, this is the way to dream, no cryptic jumbles and obliterated faces. Just what I know and trust to be real.’


The blonde woman pushed back her tousled hair and focused once more. ‘This couldn’t be real.’ But it was and Danni soon realized it. The crutches were too new to have left that good of an impression in her subconscious mind.


Now Danni felt like she was caught in the act. She could feel the slowly rising heat of a blush coming over her neck as it steadily rose to her face. She moved quickly, knowing that the redness of her embarrassment would soon follow, and moved away from the pillow. Turning over on to her back, she reached for the covers and threw them off as she sat up with her feet dangling over the edge of the bed.


Her body revolted at the loss of its warm bed and sent her into a shiver when the cool air of the room struck her. Danni stood facing the surgeon in the doorway and tried to explain. "I…I didn’t want to wake you when I got home…I thought that you wouldn’t mind…" Her mind stopped in mid sentence as the sensation of her body took hold. She looked at Garrett who was staring at her from the doorway then down to her own body where the two pointed shapes protruded from the T-shirt at her mid chest. ‘I’m going to die of embarrassment.’


Garrett stood watching the turn of events, and found herself smirking at the sight of the raised points of interest on Danni’s shirt. Hiding it quickly so as not to embarrass the woman more, the surgeon let her eyebrow edge upward without much regard.


The nurse realized that there would be no way for her to hide the signs of her impending blush. She could feel it coming fast and hard as the heat built in her chest getting ready to explode with a red so strong that Rudolph would be envious of it for his nose. Danni had to get out of there before it was too late. She shook her head and made way for the door.


"Excuse me, please!" It was the only thing that she could say when coming face to face with the surgeon. Then, as each did a quick side step at first to one side then the other, she stopped and stared directly into the tall woman’s eyes. The message conveyed was understood and Garrett turned her body sideways in the doorway allowing the woman barely enough room to pass by.


Holding her breath, Garrett waited for the petite woman to push by her. In doing so, Danni’s hardened nipples grazed ever so slightly across the upper abdomen of the surgeon. The sensation stirred something in Garrett and she found her own nipples becoming aroused. The cool air in the room was not the cause. No, it was something else. Garrett looked down the short span of hall to Danni’s room and then back to her own now empty bed. And her mind began questioning what had just happened.



* * *

Choosing not to talk about the embarrassing encounter, Danni continued on in her daily activity. Garrett followed suit, not wanting to cause any more to come of it than the petite woman already had. And so, the days went by with neither broaching the subject.


Garrett continued to heal and Danni continued to be her nurse until the time finally came that the surgeon could no longer stand to be cooped up in the house. The several days of rest had done wonders for the ankle, letting it almost return to its natural coloring. Her advancing ease at using the crutches helped to lessen the cursing from her mouth, and now it was evident that the surgeon needed to start back into the world. It was with this in mind that Danni agreed to take her into the hospital for a few hours to visit and feel as though she was herself again.


Even though Garrett could not drive, they used her Blazer allowing her the extra room for the maneuvering with the crutches. Danni looked like a child sitting behind the wheel as she pulled into the driveway of the hospital to unload her eager-for-action cargo. With the passenger door opening before she could set the gear selector in park, Garrett was grabbing for her crutches.


"Whoa! Stop right there, young lady." Danni’s voice became loud and clear. "Can’t you even wait until I park?"


Garrett’s eyes flashed with anticipation and laughed. "Yeah, I guess I can wait another minute. I sure don’t want to get hurt again." Her head swung back to the tall building as her mind raced with all the things that she wanted to do and see on this first trip out of the house. The phone call last evening from her colleague Rene had spurred on this episode of cabin fever. She found herself needing to be back in touch with her world of medicine and not as the patient.


"Okay, I’m parked. Remember, I’m only going to be working for a half a shift in the E.R. and I’ll be done at 1530."


Garrett nodded, eager to get out of the vehicle. "Yes, and I have my pager on just in case you feel this need to track me down and make sure that I’m being good."


Danni smiled. "Alright then, if everything goes well today and you’re a good girl, maybe I’ll bring you tomorrow, too."


The surgeon stood on the ground looking back into the Blazer. She stood with her two crutches in one hand and used the other to fish behind the seat for something.


"What are you looking for?"


"Rene, asked me to bring my Flight Suit today. He’s thinking of staying on here and being part of the team."


"And he needs your Flight Suit to make up his mind?" Danni looked at her friend skeptically. "I think you have plans for that suit."


"Honest, he just wants to try it on. See if he feels comfortable working in it. That’s all, I swear."


"I don’t know, Gar…you seemed pretty antsy the last day or two at home."


"Look, no boots, just suit, okay?" The surgeon held up the folded Flight Suit and shoved it under her arm. "You know the rules, steel toed boots are part of the uniform. I couldn’t get that boot on if I tried."


Danni nodded in agreement. "Okay, Gar, go have yourself some fun with Rene. Just don’t forget about going home. Now, get going, while I park this beast." She laughed waiting for Garrett to close the passenger’s door, then put the Blazer into gear, heading for the garage.



* * *

The surgeon chose to bypass the E.R. and headed right for her office. It felt good to be back in the bustle of the medical world. After the quick elevator ride and the humbling pace of her stroll down the hallway, Garrett arrived at the door to her office. Reaching into the pocket of her Dockers, she produced the key and entered.


Her first sight was that of Lucas’s picture on the shelf above the monitor. A smile came over her face and all was right with her world. She was home. Home to her feelings of family and love, home to her world as she thought it should always be. The events of the last few months, even days, had begun to throw her slightly off kilter. It was here in her office that she knew she thought the best, tucked away from the world around her or so she thought.