Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they belong to MGM, etc. No money
has changed hands, yadda yadda yadda. The opinions expressed in this fan
fiction are the author's. Therefore, those opinions should not be taken
seriously. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. This fan
fiction contains Jonas Quinn. If you don't like him, stop reading now. Turn
back. This is your last warning.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
This had to be the worst storm of the year. First there had been near drought conditions for months and now this. The pouring rain and the rock hard ground were not making for a good combination. Tanner MacKenzie had just climbed into bed and turned out the lights when she heard what sounded like an elephant trying to knock down her front door. "Now what?" she muttered.
Climbing out of bed and pulling on her robe, she padded barefoot down the stairs to the front door and turned on the porch light. "Who is and what do you want?" she yelled.
"It's me, Doc. Travis," came the reply. "I got an injured man here that I need you to take a look at."
Tanner unlocked the door and flung it open. "Travis, how many times have I told you? I'm a veterinarian, not a people doctor and he's a people. I mean, a person."
"All the roads are washed out and you're the closest thing we got, Doc."
"Oh, all right. Bring him in." She turned on the lights in the living room. Travis, the local deputy sheriff, half dragged a young man in the door. "Where did you find him?"
"He was just wandering down the old logging road, Doc. I think maybe his car slid off the road." Travis was young, but not entirely stupid. At least he thought to bring the injured man to her instead of taking him into the town jail. "There's a torrential downpour out there."
"Sit him down here, Travis. Let me get my things." Tanner disappeared into the other room. She came back with her little black doctor's bag, and a pan of warm water. She pulled a small flashlight out and shined it the man's eyes. He flinched slightly. "Looks like he's got a concussion. Was he alone?" Her doctor's instincts were taking over. She opened the man's jacket and started checking for broken bones.
"I looked around, but I couldn't find a car or anything. He could have wandered for miles, Doc," Travis replied.
"That's what worries me. He doesn't have any ID on him, just these dog tags and they don't tell me much. Not even a wallet. See this mark on the right side of his neck?" Travis looked closer and then nodded. "That's from the seatbelt. He wasn't driving. So unless he was just dumped out, there's someone else out there."
"It's terrible out there, Doc. We'll never find him or her if we don't know where to start looking. The storm has washed away all the tracks."
"I know, Travis, but we have to try. The driver could die if we don't find them. They might already be dead."
"I'll contact the sheriff and see what he says. We may have to wait until the storm is over."
"The driver may not have that long," Tanner replied. She worked to clean the man's face of mud. He wasn't bad looking and he didn't look like he had been on the run.
"Well, our patient has a concussion, but no broken bones. He's going to have a killer headache in the morning. He doesn't look like a fugitive from justice."
"What makes you say that?" Travis asked.
"He's well fed and basically clean and he doesn't appear to be dehydrated. If he was on the run, he wouldn't be in this good of a shape."
The man had seemed to be in a daze, the effects of the concussion. He was slowly starting to come back to life. His eyes drifted around the room, taking in his surroundings. His eyes came back to rest on Tanner's face. "Were am I? Who are you?"
"My name is Tanner MacKenzie. I'm the local vet. You're sitting in my living room at the moment. What's your name? Do you know what happened?"
The young man thought for a moment before speaking. "We were driving up a dirt road when it started to rain. It started to rain harder and then he couldn't see and the car started to slide."
"Who couldn't see?"
"The Colonel."
"Colonel? What colonel? Do you know where he is?"
The man just looked at her, but didn't really seem to see her. Then he just slowly shook his head.
Travis thought he'd give it a try. "What's your name?"
The man turned toward the new voice. "Jonas."
"Jonas what?"
"I don't know."
"Leave him alone, Travis. He's got a concussion. He can't think straight. You need to call the sheriff and then get back to where you found Jonas. This colonel that he said was driving may be trapped in the car. If they were on that old logging road and the car went over the embankment, he could be in a lot of trouble. That's close to river. If the river starts to rise, he could drown or the car could be washed away before we find him. Now move it!" Tanner ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." Travis gave a mock salute and started back to his car. He turned and called back to Tanner, "Doc, the phone lines are down and cell phone signals aren't getting out either. Radio signals are barely getting through. You're likely to be cut off for a while."
"Thanks for the heads up, Travis," the young veterinarian called from the porch. After seeing Travis off, she headed back to her patient.
"Well, Mr. Jonas. Let's get you out of those wet clothes. There isn't much I can do for a concussion, but you do need some rest." Tanner pulled Jonas off the couch and steered him toward the guest room.
He just shuffled along, still in a daze. He stopped and then turned to look at Tanner. "What about the Colonel?"
"Travis and the sheriff are going to try to find him, but it's going to be difficult with this storm. Now come on. Let's go."
Tanner walked into the guest room and turned on the light. The lamp glowed softly by the bed. "Come on, off with those wet clothes. I'm a doctor. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," she joked.
Apparently the joke was lost on Jonas. He just sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her blankly. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to take off his clothes in front of a woman he had just met. But, she had said she was a doctor. He started to take off his coat. Tanner helped him off with it, and then she walked across the hall to grab some towels. He was soaked to the skin and starting to shiver uncontrollably.
"Are you stationed at Cheyenne Mountain?" she inquired.
"How do you know about that?" he asked.
"It's the only military base around these parts, unless you're from out of town."
While Jonas removed his wet clothing, Tanner pulled a pair of pajamas out of the dresser drawer. "Here. These belong to one of my brothers. You look about the same size." She left so Jonas could have some privacy while he finished changing.
She returned a few minutes later with a pot of tea and a cup. "I don't drink coffee, so you have to have tea to warm you up."
"Tea is fine, thank you."
"Come on. Get into bed. We need to get you warmed up." She turned back the covers on the double bed and plumped up the pillows.
Jonas drank the tea, and then climbed into bed. Tanner tucked him in, retrieved his wet clothes, the empty teapot and cup. "I'll be back in a little bit to make sure you're all right."
She turned around to ask if Jonas needed anything else, but he was already asleep. She smiled at how innocent he looked. Then she closed the door part way and went downstairs.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
This had to be the worst storm of the year. First there had been near drought conditions for months and now this. The pouring rain and the rock hard ground were not making for a good combination. Tanner MacKenzie had just climbed into bed and turned out the lights when she heard what sounded like an elephant trying to knock down her front door. "Now what?" she muttered.
Climbing out of bed and pulling on her robe, she padded barefoot down the stairs to the front door and turned on the porch light. "Who is and what do you want?" she yelled.
"It's me, Doc. Travis," came the reply. "I got an injured man here that I need you to take a look at."
Tanner unlocked the door and flung it open. "Travis, how many times have I told you? I'm a veterinarian, not a people doctor and he's a people. I mean, a person."
"All the roads are washed out and you're the closest thing we got, Doc."
"Oh, all right. Bring him in." She turned on the lights in the living room. Travis, the local deputy sheriff, half dragged a young man in the door. "Where did you find him?"
"He was just wandering down the old logging road, Doc. I think maybe his car slid off the road." Travis was young, but not entirely stupid. At least he thought to bring the injured man to her instead of taking him into the town jail. "There's a torrential downpour out there."
"Sit him down here, Travis. Let me get my things." Tanner disappeared into the other room. She came back with her little black doctor's bag, and a pan of warm water. She pulled a small flashlight out and shined it the man's eyes. He flinched slightly. "Looks like he's got a concussion. Was he alone?" Her doctor's instincts were taking over. She opened the man's jacket and started checking for broken bones.
"I looked around, but I couldn't find a car or anything. He could have wandered for miles, Doc," Travis replied.
"That's what worries me. He doesn't have any ID on him, just these dog tags and they don't tell me much. Not even a wallet. See this mark on the right side of his neck?" Travis looked closer and then nodded. "That's from the seatbelt. He wasn't driving. So unless he was just dumped out, there's someone else out there."
"It's terrible out there, Doc. We'll never find him or her if we don't know where to start looking. The storm has washed away all the tracks."
"I know, Travis, but we have to try. The driver could die if we don't find them. They might already be dead."
"I'll contact the sheriff and see what he says. We may have to wait until the storm is over."
"The driver may not have that long," Tanner replied. She worked to clean the man's face of mud. He wasn't bad looking and he didn't look like he had been on the run.
"Well, our patient has a concussion, but no broken bones. He's going to have a killer headache in the morning. He doesn't look like a fugitive from justice."
"What makes you say that?" Travis asked.
"He's well fed and basically clean and he doesn't appear to be dehydrated. If he was on the run, he wouldn't be in this good of a shape."
The man had seemed to be in a daze, the effects of the concussion. He was slowly starting to come back to life. His eyes drifted around the room, taking in his surroundings. His eyes came back to rest on Tanner's face. "Were am I? Who are you?"
"My name is Tanner MacKenzie. I'm the local vet. You're sitting in my living room at the moment. What's your name? Do you know what happened?"
The young man thought for a moment before speaking. "We were driving up a dirt road when it started to rain. It started to rain harder and then he couldn't see and the car started to slide."
"Who couldn't see?"
"The Colonel."
"Colonel? What colonel? Do you know where he is?"
The man just looked at her, but didn't really seem to see her. Then he just slowly shook his head.
Travis thought he'd give it a try. "What's your name?"
The man turned toward the new voice. "Jonas."
"Jonas what?"
"I don't know."
"Leave him alone, Travis. He's got a concussion. He can't think straight. You need to call the sheriff and then get back to where you found Jonas. This colonel that he said was driving may be trapped in the car. If they were on that old logging road and the car went over the embankment, he could be in a lot of trouble. That's close to river. If the river starts to rise, he could drown or the car could be washed away before we find him. Now move it!" Tanner ordered.
"Yes, ma'am." Travis gave a mock salute and started back to his car. He turned and called back to Tanner, "Doc, the phone lines are down and cell phone signals aren't getting out either. Radio signals are barely getting through. You're likely to be cut off for a while."
"Thanks for the heads up, Travis," the young veterinarian called from the porch. After seeing Travis off, she headed back to her patient.
"Well, Mr. Jonas. Let's get you out of those wet clothes. There isn't much I can do for a concussion, but you do need some rest." Tanner pulled Jonas off the couch and steered him toward the guest room.
He just shuffled along, still in a daze. He stopped and then turned to look at Tanner. "What about the Colonel?"
"Travis and the sheriff are going to try to find him, but it's going to be difficult with this storm. Now come on. Let's go."
Tanner walked into the guest room and turned on the light. The lamp glowed softly by the bed. "Come on, off with those wet clothes. I'm a doctor. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," she joked.
Apparently the joke was lost on Jonas. He just sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her blankly. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to take off his clothes in front of a woman he had just met. But, she had said she was a doctor. He started to take off his coat. Tanner helped him off with it, and then she walked across the hall to grab some towels. He was soaked to the skin and starting to shiver uncontrollably.
"Are you stationed at Cheyenne Mountain?" she inquired.
"How do you know about that?" he asked.
"It's the only military base around these parts, unless you're from out of town."
While Jonas removed his wet clothing, Tanner pulled a pair of pajamas out of the dresser drawer. "Here. These belong to one of my brothers. You look about the same size." She left so Jonas could have some privacy while he finished changing.
She returned a few minutes later with a pot of tea and a cup. "I don't drink coffee, so you have to have tea to warm you up."
"Tea is fine, thank you."
"Come on. Get into bed. We need to get you warmed up." She turned back the covers on the double bed and plumped up the pillows.
Jonas drank the tea, and then climbed into bed. Tanner tucked him in, retrieved his wet clothes, the empty teapot and cup. "I'll be back in a little bit to make sure you're all right."
She turned around to ask if Jonas needed anything else, but he was already asleep. She smiled at how innocent he looked. Then she closed the door part way and went downstairs.