Tsunami - Part One - Blue Sky Gray
If it was the dawning of a new day, then William Reese Durkee, III, wanted nothing to do with it. But as small flecks of light filtered through the closed blinds, hitting his barely open eyes the way a sharp dagger would shoot into its target, he solemnly wished he had installed shades instead. Too late now, he slowly dragged a pillow over his head, hoping it would do the job those blinds had been bought to do.
Five minutes later, Reese found himself wide alert and wide-awake when he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes to the world outside. Why was it, he wondered, that he never got the things he wanted? *Because you're a pacifist wimp, that's why*, the voice of reason echoed. And really, who was he to dispute those words. Hell, his whole life had been spent trying to steer away from conflicts in order to maintain peace among his small, and he meant small, circle of friends.
Throwing the pillow over the side of the bed, Reese sat up and looked towards the doomed blinds. Oh, they were definitely coming down, and soon. He would re-do the whole damn house if he so pleased and this was not up for debate. Sliding towards the edge of the bed, his warm feet met the cold surface of the wood floor as he stood and stretched, slow and leisurely because he was definitely taking his time this morning.
As he began in a leisurely-timed scratch of his belly, he slowly made his way into the adjacent bathroom, barely managing to flip the switch on before he made a characteristic stumble over the hamper that always managed to block his path. Stopping in front of the sink, he looked up into the mirror to see his unshaven face, red eyes, and sour disposition. It sure was going to be a long day, he thought to himself as he picked up his toothbrush.
Thirty minutes later, as he pulled his jeep into a parking space at the hospital, Reese's sour disposition had improved, somewhat, and allowed him to smile as he made his way through the garage connector and entered the doors that would bring him that much closer to another long shift of work.
"Good morning Reese," called out a cheerful voice from the information desk centered on the third floor's annex. "I thought you had the day off; you've been here every day for almost two weeks straight. Why on earth are you here so early this morning?" Looking at Gladys, the elderly woman who always had a smile on her face and greeted each visitor with it, day or night, rain or shine, the last walls of his sour mood fall away into a light chuckle.
"Gladys, I wish I truly knew the answer to that question," Reese responded. "Some would say its because I'm such a nice person; just a genuine do-good type of guy. But I'm beginning to think its because I'm easily manipulated into doing for others."
"No," Gladys gasped, hand to her heart. "Not you," she spoke shaking her head.
Reese nodded, a solemn look on his face. "Yes Gladys, I am. I'm a pushover, plain and simple. If you ask, I give. You need an arm," he held his right one out," go ahead and take mine." Seeing Gladys' return smile would be enough to put anyone in a good mood as he was finding himself slowly moving towards.
Yes, maybe he was a pushover, but he didn't care. It was just his nature; the way he had been born twenty-eight years ago. He couldn't turn a person away if he could somehow help them and in his opinion, that only made him a better person. That was something him and his mother could both be proud of in his mind's eye. Forget that he couldn't remember the last time he had slept eight straight hours; hell, three would be enough.
Returning his attention back to Gladys, he was able to catch one of her hundreds of, and he was probably off at that, stories about one of her grandkids, which one he wasn't so sure of. Gladys had so many of them that her family alone would keep the hospital's maternity ward in the black for years to come. The corners of his mouth lifting, Reese leaned against her station to listen for a few minutes when his gaze caught the profile of a woman across the room.
Startled that he had even noticed her, he tried to hone in his gaze for a better look. Her hair, tied in a ponytail with purple ribbons, was the color of wheat, not blond, not brown, but a mixture of the two that caught his attention because it seemed so familiar to him. He stepped forward, trying to catch more of her face as she moved behind a wall, but he wasn't as quick as she was.
"Reese? Dr. Durkee, are you alright?" Gladys asked with a note of worry inflected in her words.
Reese turned to meet her gaze, trying to shake away the feeling of dread that had washed over him with seeing that woman. He didn't know her. Hell, she could be anyone. This was a fairly large-sized hospital that served two counties, including some of the more scattered coastal towns of southern Maine. There was nothing to say that it had been. He wasn't going to go there. He had left all of those memories, everything about her, in the past. Years ago. He wouldn't drudge them back up for a nameless stranger that happened to have her hair color.
Reaching out to squeeze Gladys' hand and reassure her that he was all right, Reese spoke softly "My mind just wandered for a second. It won't happen again, I promise."
"Oh, your promises mean nothing to me Reese Durkee. Remember, I've known you since you were big enough to dig worms out of my garden."
Throwing a hand up in resignation, Reese laughed. "It would serve me right that you still remember that Gladys. It serves me right. But my only defense is that I was five and I loved worms. And I did help you re-plant your petunias or whatever."
"Championship Garden Club roses but who's traveling down memory lane, right?"
"You know what Gladys, I will bring you roses tomorrow as an offering of peace. Maybe then, we can forget about that worm story and move onto something better, like how I always came over for some of the sweet lemon pie you make. Gladys, I swear, just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
"Oh, hush now. You had some of that pie just weeks ago. And you're always welcome to come over for more Reese, you know that."
"Thank you Gladys." Looking at the clock above the desk, Reese noted the time. "I should get going before Robert sends out the troops to hunt me down." Gladys gave him a stern look, but he knew it was in mock. "I'll see you tomorrow with those roses," Reese called as he pushed away from her station and headed towards the elevators. He had hoped that his brief encounter with the "wheat-haired" woman would slide to the back of his mind, but as he stepped within the steel walls of the elevator, all Reese could think about was her and the girl from the past she reminded him of.
~ * ~
As she tried to keep up with the tour guide, Lisa as she had introduced herself, Kay Bennett hoped to hell and high water her heart would slow in its beats. Getting up this morning, she had figured it would be a good day. She was finally re-settled in Harmony, had a place of her own, and was beginning a new job. She was starting over, trying to make her life work, and nothing was going to stop her in doing that.
Then she had seen him. Or heard him, that is. His laugh had drifted over, like a bird singing to its mate, and she could do nothing but look in his direction. His appearance was much the same as it had been ten years ago; the last time she had seen him. Maybe his hair was a little longer, a little more unruly than usual. The one difference she had quickly noted was the absence of his glasses, the ones that had always managed to make him look like a grade A nerd. Somehow, by the grace of God, he must have heard of contacts.
But surprisingly, it wasn't his physical features that had kept her eyes trained on him. It had been his laugh, something she always found annoying years ago, but upon hearing today, had felt it as a missing part of her soul. Watching Reese talk to the older woman, Kay was captivated by his smile, his look of ease, the easy camaraderie he shared with the woman. And right then, she had realized just how much she had missed him in her life. For ten years, she had struggled to do for herself without the help of any family, any friends. Seeing Reese only served to remind her of that.
As soon as she had seen him spot her, she had turned and ran for the nearest shelter. Now, standing near a bank of windows overlooking the courtyard, she wondered why. What would seeing him do to her? Or mean to her for that matter. He was an old friend.well sort of. They had known each other for years; gone to school together; even dated, though that wasn't really much to speak of. But then the honest part of herself, where all the truths in her life were secretly tucked away, told her the reason. *Because you hurt him*.
God, what was she doing here, she wondered, panicked? She should have never come back, never returned to this place. There were too many bad feelings, to many hurt people that the chance of forgiveness seemed impossible. But she had no choice, really. James had died, she had lost her job by default, and she couldn't go on in Glendale. She had to move away, start new, begin again, and Harmony had seemed the place to do it.
"I hope that no one I know works here," she muttered, already having realized that would be impossible. Mrs. Russell, Dr. Russell, worked here. But so far, she had managed to apply for and be hired as a nurse without running into the longtime family friend. Maybe they would place her in some dark corner of the hospital where very few ever ventured to. Maybe she could make it a couple of more days without facing anyone from her past.
In all honesty, she wasn't ready for those confrontations. She couldn't release those hurts once again. She would try and do for herself and her daughter without the knowledge of anyone as long as she could manage. But she knew, with a certainty that had descended once the small airplane had landed at the airport, that a time would come where she would have to face her past. Her parents. Jessica. *Miguel*. God, just thinking about a confrontation with him made her want to turn tail and run for the highest hills. But she couldn't. And more importantly, she wouldn't.
Trying to keep up with the orientation tour, Kay sped her pace up, as she was the trailing member. Fortunately, her group had stopped in front of a plaque as Lisa began to go into another long speech about something or the other. And as much as she should have been paying attention to the words that were being spoken, all Kay could think about was seeing Reese. What had he been doing here? Having seen him at the information desk, the most logical reason would be because he was a patient. Was he sick? The natural worry of a mother seeped into her as he hoped it wasn't something too serious; probably just a cold or flu.
It amazed her that she had seen him at all. And for whatever reason, she couldn't stop thinking about him; not only in the present, but also in the past. Just thinking about that day made her stomach turn queasy. She had been fed up with her family, with Miguel and Charity, with all of Harmony, and she had let them all know it. When she had finished and run off, with intentions to leave and never return, she had not counted on Reese finding her at the bus station one town over. He had been adamant about her returning home, saying he would help her, that he would be there for her. And that's when she had lost all sanity.
If she could, she would take back every spiteful word she had threw at him that afternoon. The look in his eyes alone brought shame to her heart. When he had shaken his head, told her that she didn't mean any of the things she had said, she had decided to lay the final bomb; the dagger to their so- called relationship. But that had been a huge mistake; a regret from the past she had long ago forgotten of, until today. Until seeing him. Right then, Kay decided she would make it right. Whether he wanted to hear the words or not, she would find the courage to right wrongs with Reese. She only hoped for some time before that happened.
~ * ~
A sharp knock sounded on his office door, drawing Reese's eyes away from the computer screen. "Come in," he called out, pushing away from his desk to stand.
"Doctor, we need you out in the hall," Linda Cauller, one of the RN's in the pediatric wing told him.
"I shudder to think why," he said with a small frown, knowing that whatever was to come would not be pleasant. He followed Linda out the door, turning to the right to walk towards the area where nurses took preliminary readings such as temperature and weight before the little patients were seen.
Reaching the small-enclosed circle, Reese was surprised to see Didi Jenkins and her four-year-old son, Tommy. The two had been in just days ago with Tommy feeling sick. All his tests had come back negative and he had sent the boy home with a stomach-relaxer and orders to come back if his condition didn't improve.
Kneeling down so he could be eye-level with the little guy, Reese ruffled his bright red hair. "Hey Tommy-boy, how's it going today?"
"I'm sick Dr. Dorky," the small boy spoke. Reese gave a small smile at the use of the name he had been dubbed as ever since his first patient two years ago.
"Yeah? Is it still your tummy," Reese asked, his hand now rubbing the small boy's stomach.
"I'm sick everywhere," the small child spoke, raising his hands to point to his head, his throat, and the problematic tummy.
"Well, why don't we get you weighed in and everything so I can check you out, huh?" Reese was surprised to see the boy shake his head in the no. "Why not buddy?"
"You already did that the last time I was here. I don't wanna do it again." He turned his mouth down in a sad frown, a low "please" purring from his lips.
Standing, Reese motioned for Linda to pass over his file. As he grasped the yellow folder, about to open it to check just how long ago Tommy had come in, he was unfortunate enough to be standing perfectly inline with the little boy's out coming breakfast.
"Sorry Dr. Dorky," the small boy said as he wiped his face with his hand.
"Tommy," his mother admonished, quickly looking around for something to clean the mess up with.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I actually wanted to get new shoes and now I have a reason," he joked, taking a paper towel from Linda. He kneeled over, made quick work of cleaning up his shoes and returning to standing position. "Why don't you see if we can find Tommy something to wear and I'll put him a room," Reese spoke as he threw the dirtied napkin in a nearby bin.
"Seven is open," Linda spoke efficiently before walking off to find a smock.
Reese took the little boy's hand and led him and his mother towards room seven. Turning the lights on before he entered, Reese picked Tommy up and placed him on the exam table. "You may have a stomach flu," Reese told him as he and his mother helped the little boy out of his soiled shirt.
"But you did all those tests last time," Didi spoke, placing a hand over her son's forehead only for it to be pushed away. "Nothing came up."
"Yeah, I know. But sometimes, viruses need time to incubate before they become detectable with tests. We'll get some blood work done, and I'll have Linda start him on an antibiotic. We'll keep him on the stomach-relaxers until he's feeling better." Turning his attention back to the boy, who upon closer perusal looked ashen and pasty, Reese's brow furrowed in thought. "He hasn't gotten any better since the last time you were here," he asked the mother. At her reply of no, Reese told them both to wait, making his way out of the exam room just as Linda appeared with what looked like a shirt.
"It's a little big, but I think it will do." He heard the nurse say on his way. His head was down, thinking about the other possibilities of what could be ailing Tommy when he ran into a solid form. A body. "I'm so sorry," Reese began, raising his eyes to meet a pair of warm, chocolate irises. He stepped back, whether from surprise or repulsion he wasn't sure. The woman, who had been walking down the hall, blinked, took back the hands she had used to steady herself when they had collided. She looked just as surprised to see him.
"Reese," Kay spoke, amazed that anything had come out of her mouth.
Shocked into silence, Reese just stood there, staring.
"And actually, this is one of the doctors I was talking about," a familiar voice spoke, jolting Reese out of his stupidity. "Dr. Durkee is very well- loved pediatrician here. Lucky enough for this hospital and its patient, he was born right in Harmony and opted to join onto the hospital's medical staff when he was finished with his residency in Nashville." Lisa Yiug, the hospital relations tour guide, went on, singing his praises, telling the gathered group of women and men about his achievements and all Reese could do was stare at the one woman standing before him.
Finally, he shook his head, breaking the trance he had fallen into, and holding a hand up. "Really, Lisa, I just try and do my part. If you will all excuse, I have a patient waiting. I'm sure I'll see some of your faces around at one time or the other. Welcome to Harmony Hospital." He took one last glance at Kay before rushing off, practically sprinting, towards his office, the sweat sliding down his back in a habit he had thought he had clinched a long time ago.
As he shut the door to his office and took a calming breath, a myriad of thoughts flowed through his mind. But all he could focus on was one. The girl with the golden, wheat-colored hair, the person he had once dedicated all his love and attention to, the one woman who had told him exactly what he could do with that love, was back in Harmony.
Reese wished from heaven to hell he had not woken up this morning. Taking his stethoscope off his desk, Reese placed it around his neck before leaving the office. One thing was certain, he decided, rounding the corner. He was not ready to open old wounds. He had long ago buried the hurt and shame of that day and he would be damned if Kay Bennett's return would reduce him to the boy he had been years ago. Before he re-entered room seven, Reese only hoped that it would be as simple as avoiding Kay for however long she intended to stay in Harmony.
If it was the dawning of a new day, then William Reese Durkee, III, wanted nothing to do with it. But as small flecks of light filtered through the closed blinds, hitting his barely open eyes the way a sharp dagger would shoot into its target, he solemnly wished he had installed shades instead. Too late now, he slowly dragged a pillow over his head, hoping it would do the job those blinds had been bought to do.
Five minutes later, Reese found himself wide alert and wide-awake when he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes to the world outside. Why was it, he wondered, that he never got the things he wanted? *Because you're a pacifist wimp, that's why*, the voice of reason echoed. And really, who was he to dispute those words. Hell, his whole life had been spent trying to steer away from conflicts in order to maintain peace among his small, and he meant small, circle of friends.
Throwing the pillow over the side of the bed, Reese sat up and looked towards the doomed blinds. Oh, they were definitely coming down, and soon. He would re-do the whole damn house if he so pleased and this was not up for debate. Sliding towards the edge of the bed, his warm feet met the cold surface of the wood floor as he stood and stretched, slow and leisurely because he was definitely taking his time this morning.
As he began in a leisurely-timed scratch of his belly, he slowly made his way into the adjacent bathroom, barely managing to flip the switch on before he made a characteristic stumble over the hamper that always managed to block his path. Stopping in front of the sink, he looked up into the mirror to see his unshaven face, red eyes, and sour disposition. It sure was going to be a long day, he thought to himself as he picked up his toothbrush.
Thirty minutes later, as he pulled his jeep into a parking space at the hospital, Reese's sour disposition had improved, somewhat, and allowed him to smile as he made his way through the garage connector and entered the doors that would bring him that much closer to another long shift of work.
"Good morning Reese," called out a cheerful voice from the information desk centered on the third floor's annex. "I thought you had the day off; you've been here every day for almost two weeks straight. Why on earth are you here so early this morning?" Looking at Gladys, the elderly woman who always had a smile on her face and greeted each visitor with it, day or night, rain or shine, the last walls of his sour mood fall away into a light chuckle.
"Gladys, I wish I truly knew the answer to that question," Reese responded. "Some would say its because I'm such a nice person; just a genuine do-good type of guy. But I'm beginning to think its because I'm easily manipulated into doing for others."
"No," Gladys gasped, hand to her heart. "Not you," she spoke shaking her head.
Reese nodded, a solemn look on his face. "Yes Gladys, I am. I'm a pushover, plain and simple. If you ask, I give. You need an arm," he held his right one out," go ahead and take mine." Seeing Gladys' return smile would be enough to put anyone in a good mood as he was finding himself slowly moving towards.
Yes, maybe he was a pushover, but he didn't care. It was just his nature; the way he had been born twenty-eight years ago. He couldn't turn a person away if he could somehow help them and in his opinion, that only made him a better person. That was something him and his mother could both be proud of in his mind's eye. Forget that he couldn't remember the last time he had slept eight straight hours; hell, three would be enough.
Returning his attention back to Gladys, he was able to catch one of her hundreds of, and he was probably off at that, stories about one of her grandkids, which one he wasn't so sure of. Gladys had so many of them that her family alone would keep the hospital's maternity ward in the black for years to come. The corners of his mouth lifting, Reese leaned against her station to listen for a few minutes when his gaze caught the profile of a woman across the room.
Startled that he had even noticed her, he tried to hone in his gaze for a better look. Her hair, tied in a ponytail with purple ribbons, was the color of wheat, not blond, not brown, but a mixture of the two that caught his attention because it seemed so familiar to him. He stepped forward, trying to catch more of her face as she moved behind a wall, but he wasn't as quick as she was.
"Reese? Dr. Durkee, are you alright?" Gladys asked with a note of worry inflected in her words.
Reese turned to meet her gaze, trying to shake away the feeling of dread that had washed over him with seeing that woman. He didn't know her. Hell, she could be anyone. This was a fairly large-sized hospital that served two counties, including some of the more scattered coastal towns of southern Maine. There was nothing to say that it had been. He wasn't going to go there. He had left all of those memories, everything about her, in the past. Years ago. He wouldn't drudge them back up for a nameless stranger that happened to have her hair color.
Reaching out to squeeze Gladys' hand and reassure her that he was all right, Reese spoke softly "My mind just wandered for a second. It won't happen again, I promise."
"Oh, your promises mean nothing to me Reese Durkee. Remember, I've known you since you were big enough to dig worms out of my garden."
Throwing a hand up in resignation, Reese laughed. "It would serve me right that you still remember that Gladys. It serves me right. But my only defense is that I was five and I loved worms. And I did help you re-plant your petunias or whatever."
"Championship Garden Club roses but who's traveling down memory lane, right?"
"You know what Gladys, I will bring you roses tomorrow as an offering of peace. Maybe then, we can forget about that worm story and move onto something better, like how I always came over for some of the sweet lemon pie you make. Gladys, I swear, just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
"Oh, hush now. You had some of that pie just weeks ago. And you're always welcome to come over for more Reese, you know that."
"Thank you Gladys." Looking at the clock above the desk, Reese noted the time. "I should get going before Robert sends out the troops to hunt me down." Gladys gave him a stern look, but he knew it was in mock. "I'll see you tomorrow with those roses," Reese called as he pushed away from her station and headed towards the elevators. He had hoped that his brief encounter with the "wheat-haired" woman would slide to the back of his mind, but as he stepped within the steel walls of the elevator, all Reese could think about was her and the girl from the past she reminded him of.
~ * ~
As she tried to keep up with the tour guide, Lisa as she had introduced herself, Kay Bennett hoped to hell and high water her heart would slow in its beats. Getting up this morning, she had figured it would be a good day. She was finally re-settled in Harmony, had a place of her own, and was beginning a new job. She was starting over, trying to make her life work, and nothing was going to stop her in doing that.
Then she had seen him. Or heard him, that is. His laugh had drifted over, like a bird singing to its mate, and she could do nothing but look in his direction. His appearance was much the same as it had been ten years ago; the last time she had seen him. Maybe his hair was a little longer, a little more unruly than usual. The one difference she had quickly noted was the absence of his glasses, the ones that had always managed to make him look like a grade A nerd. Somehow, by the grace of God, he must have heard of contacts.
But surprisingly, it wasn't his physical features that had kept her eyes trained on him. It had been his laugh, something she always found annoying years ago, but upon hearing today, had felt it as a missing part of her soul. Watching Reese talk to the older woman, Kay was captivated by his smile, his look of ease, the easy camaraderie he shared with the woman. And right then, she had realized just how much she had missed him in her life. For ten years, she had struggled to do for herself without the help of any family, any friends. Seeing Reese only served to remind her of that.
As soon as she had seen him spot her, she had turned and ran for the nearest shelter. Now, standing near a bank of windows overlooking the courtyard, she wondered why. What would seeing him do to her? Or mean to her for that matter. He was an old friend.well sort of. They had known each other for years; gone to school together; even dated, though that wasn't really much to speak of. But then the honest part of herself, where all the truths in her life were secretly tucked away, told her the reason. *Because you hurt him*.
God, what was she doing here, she wondered, panicked? She should have never come back, never returned to this place. There were too many bad feelings, to many hurt people that the chance of forgiveness seemed impossible. But she had no choice, really. James had died, she had lost her job by default, and she couldn't go on in Glendale. She had to move away, start new, begin again, and Harmony had seemed the place to do it.
"I hope that no one I know works here," she muttered, already having realized that would be impossible. Mrs. Russell, Dr. Russell, worked here. But so far, she had managed to apply for and be hired as a nurse without running into the longtime family friend. Maybe they would place her in some dark corner of the hospital where very few ever ventured to. Maybe she could make it a couple of more days without facing anyone from her past.
In all honesty, she wasn't ready for those confrontations. She couldn't release those hurts once again. She would try and do for herself and her daughter without the knowledge of anyone as long as she could manage. But she knew, with a certainty that had descended once the small airplane had landed at the airport, that a time would come where she would have to face her past. Her parents. Jessica. *Miguel*. God, just thinking about a confrontation with him made her want to turn tail and run for the highest hills. But she couldn't. And more importantly, she wouldn't.
Trying to keep up with the orientation tour, Kay sped her pace up, as she was the trailing member. Fortunately, her group had stopped in front of a plaque as Lisa began to go into another long speech about something or the other. And as much as she should have been paying attention to the words that were being spoken, all Kay could think about was seeing Reese. What had he been doing here? Having seen him at the information desk, the most logical reason would be because he was a patient. Was he sick? The natural worry of a mother seeped into her as he hoped it wasn't something too serious; probably just a cold or flu.
It amazed her that she had seen him at all. And for whatever reason, she couldn't stop thinking about him; not only in the present, but also in the past. Just thinking about that day made her stomach turn queasy. She had been fed up with her family, with Miguel and Charity, with all of Harmony, and she had let them all know it. When she had finished and run off, with intentions to leave and never return, she had not counted on Reese finding her at the bus station one town over. He had been adamant about her returning home, saying he would help her, that he would be there for her. And that's when she had lost all sanity.
If she could, she would take back every spiteful word she had threw at him that afternoon. The look in his eyes alone brought shame to her heart. When he had shaken his head, told her that she didn't mean any of the things she had said, she had decided to lay the final bomb; the dagger to their so- called relationship. But that had been a huge mistake; a regret from the past she had long ago forgotten of, until today. Until seeing him. Right then, Kay decided she would make it right. Whether he wanted to hear the words or not, she would find the courage to right wrongs with Reese. She only hoped for some time before that happened.
~ * ~
A sharp knock sounded on his office door, drawing Reese's eyes away from the computer screen. "Come in," he called out, pushing away from his desk to stand.
"Doctor, we need you out in the hall," Linda Cauller, one of the RN's in the pediatric wing told him.
"I shudder to think why," he said with a small frown, knowing that whatever was to come would not be pleasant. He followed Linda out the door, turning to the right to walk towards the area where nurses took preliminary readings such as temperature and weight before the little patients were seen.
Reaching the small-enclosed circle, Reese was surprised to see Didi Jenkins and her four-year-old son, Tommy. The two had been in just days ago with Tommy feeling sick. All his tests had come back negative and he had sent the boy home with a stomach-relaxer and orders to come back if his condition didn't improve.
Kneeling down so he could be eye-level with the little guy, Reese ruffled his bright red hair. "Hey Tommy-boy, how's it going today?"
"I'm sick Dr. Dorky," the small boy spoke. Reese gave a small smile at the use of the name he had been dubbed as ever since his first patient two years ago.
"Yeah? Is it still your tummy," Reese asked, his hand now rubbing the small boy's stomach.
"I'm sick everywhere," the small child spoke, raising his hands to point to his head, his throat, and the problematic tummy.
"Well, why don't we get you weighed in and everything so I can check you out, huh?" Reese was surprised to see the boy shake his head in the no. "Why not buddy?"
"You already did that the last time I was here. I don't wanna do it again." He turned his mouth down in a sad frown, a low "please" purring from his lips.
Standing, Reese motioned for Linda to pass over his file. As he grasped the yellow folder, about to open it to check just how long ago Tommy had come in, he was unfortunate enough to be standing perfectly inline with the little boy's out coming breakfast.
"Sorry Dr. Dorky," the small boy said as he wiped his face with his hand.
"Tommy," his mother admonished, quickly looking around for something to clean the mess up with.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I actually wanted to get new shoes and now I have a reason," he joked, taking a paper towel from Linda. He kneeled over, made quick work of cleaning up his shoes and returning to standing position. "Why don't you see if we can find Tommy something to wear and I'll put him a room," Reese spoke as he threw the dirtied napkin in a nearby bin.
"Seven is open," Linda spoke efficiently before walking off to find a smock.
Reese took the little boy's hand and led him and his mother towards room seven. Turning the lights on before he entered, Reese picked Tommy up and placed him on the exam table. "You may have a stomach flu," Reese told him as he and his mother helped the little boy out of his soiled shirt.
"But you did all those tests last time," Didi spoke, placing a hand over her son's forehead only for it to be pushed away. "Nothing came up."
"Yeah, I know. But sometimes, viruses need time to incubate before they become detectable with tests. We'll get some blood work done, and I'll have Linda start him on an antibiotic. We'll keep him on the stomach-relaxers until he's feeling better." Turning his attention back to the boy, who upon closer perusal looked ashen and pasty, Reese's brow furrowed in thought. "He hasn't gotten any better since the last time you were here," he asked the mother. At her reply of no, Reese told them both to wait, making his way out of the exam room just as Linda appeared with what looked like a shirt.
"It's a little big, but I think it will do." He heard the nurse say on his way. His head was down, thinking about the other possibilities of what could be ailing Tommy when he ran into a solid form. A body. "I'm so sorry," Reese began, raising his eyes to meet a pair of warm, chocolate irises. He stepped back, whether from surprise or repulsion he wasn't sure. The woman, who had been walking down the hall, blinked, took back the hands she had used to steady herself when they had collided. She looked just as surprised to see him.
"Reese," Kay spoke, amazed that anything had come out of her mouth.
Shocked into silence, Reese just stood there, staring.
"And actually, this is one of the doctors I was talking about," a familiar voice spoke, jolting Reese out of his stupidity. "Dr. Durkee is very well- loved pediatrician here. Lucky enough for this hospital and its patient, he was born right in Harmony and opted to join onto the hospital's medical staff when he was finished with his residency in Nashville." Lisa Yiug, the hospital relations tour guide, went on, singing his praises, telling the gathered group of women and men about his achievements and all Reese could do was stare at the one woman standing before him.
Finally, he shook his head, breaking the trance he had fallen into, and holding a hand up. "Really, Lisa, I just try and do my part. If you will all excuse, I have a patient waiting. I'm sure I'll see some of your faces around at one time or the other. Welcome to Harmony Hospital." He took one last glance at Kay before rushing off, practically sprinting, towards his office, the sweat sliding down his back in a habit he had thought he had clinched a long time ago.
As he shut the door to his office and took a calming breath, a myriad of thoughts flowed through his mind. But all he could focus on was one. The girl with the golden, wheat-colored hair, the person he had once dedicated all his love and attention to, the one woman who had told him exactly what he could do with that love, was back in Harmony.
Reese wished from heaven to hell he had not woken up this morning. Taking his stethoscope off his desk, Reese placed it around his neck before leaving the office. One thing was certain, he decided, rounding the corner. He was not ready to open old wounds. He had long ago buried the hurt and shame of that day and he would be damned if Kay Bennett's return would reduce him to the boy he had been years ago. Before he re-entered room seven, Reese only hoped that it would be as simple as avoiding Kay for however long she intended to stay in Harmony.