Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis, Cheryl Banks, and Captain Newman do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are once again the product of my own undisciplined imagination, and any dubious resemblance to any living person is totally unintentional. Reference to the wonderful Tony Bennett, however, is intentional, as I can't imagine Mark not being impressed by Steve's ability to secure tickets for one of his concerts. My thanks also to Krys of DMAS for asking for a virtual season episode along these lines and giving me an excuse toindulge myself by writingthis story!
"The best laid plans o' mice and men/Gang aft a-gley
And leave us naught but grief and pain/For promised joy."
Robert Burns, "To a Mouse"
From far away, he could hear rain; not a torrential storm, nor a mild drizzle, but dreary, unpleasantly regular, tedious dripping, just hard and cold enough to soak and chill the skin to the bone for any unfortunate caught in it. The steady splattering finally forced him to rouse and take notice, and he gazed about in consternation at the wreckage around him. There was a suspicious wetness trickling down his forehead. As he reached to investigate, he started as the hand of the unconscious passenger next to him came along.
He stopped, puzzled, contemplating the handcuffs connecting his right wrist to that of his neighbor and pondering the reason for their existence. Who was this guy, and what was he doing there, he wondered, struggling to make some small degree of sense of his surroundings; but he was still too weak, and they faded away from him even as he strained to remain awake and aware.