Previous scene: Chapter 9. The babygirl is dead and Tom is alone in the parking, watching the area the police has surrounded the car where the babygirl died.
"Beyond Friendship"
Part 1
Christina came closer, slowly, to where Tom was. She was confused by his reaction over the babygirls's death. Never had she imagined that he would show so much anger in public. Tom had always been very restrained, he could really control himself and did not normally lose his temper. Both she and those surrounding the baby, trying to save her, had been surprised by his reaction, but nobody uttered a single word.
"Tom, are you OK?" a worried Christina asked.
Tom watched with his green eyes, now filled with fury, the car where the sad incident had taken place. His folded arms and tight jaw, made Christina feel he was going through a bad patch. He was caught by her voice behind his back and turned to face her. He looked at her.
"It's been a really tough day, Christina".
"This is our job. You know, some days are bad, others are worse" She said, trying to force a smile, which she failed to get, in Tom's face.
"That's not the point".
Christina took him by the arm. They were walking slowly. Tom, with his hands in his grey trouser pockets, let himself go. He felt down-hearted and really angry, with himself, with the whole world and of course with the kind of God who lets things, like the one in the ER today, happen. His mind would not stop spinning. He did not want to give himself over to the desperation of recalling his past, but he was finding it really hard to stay calm. Once again, he felt powerless. Suddenly he felt Christina's hand touching his arm and he realised he was not on his own.
"As I was saying, the day could not be worse, but we have to keep fighting, Tom. Imagine how I feel. Responsibility over the ER staff will rest and apart from that, Camille is driving me nuts"
"You should be a bit more tolerant with her, Christina. She is at a difficult age" Tom whispered looking Christina into her eyes, which were shining with a special gleam.
"I know. But she is really inappropriate. Even after the hard day we had at work she has been calling endlessly" she said upset.
"Ok. I think we both could do with a talk. Would you like a drink after work?
Christina did not expect to hear that question from Tom. Since her husband died, they had become friends. Maybe he was her best friend, because her job did not leave her any time off to go out or for anything else. She was lucky enough to have Tom at the hospital so she could share with him the labor issues that, at some point, weigh on her. She regretted having accepted being the Chief Nursing Officer because of the responsibility it entailed.
"Do you think that is a good idea?"
"I'll meet you in my office in an hour" Tom said, without answering her question.
Part 2
Tom was sitting at his table in his office finishing the report he had to hand over to Morrissey. Time stood still. He moved his hand over his face and sighed. Never did he think he had to relive that horrible past again, but he would. He shook his head trying to get rid of that terrible memory. He watched his watch again.
In fact he did not know where he had gotten the courage to arrange to meet Christina in his office, even more after what Dr. Marshall had said: "your girlfriend, Hawthorne"... How he could have been so stupid. Christina was a friend, a good friend, with a special ability to get herself in trouble. Tom smiled while thinking about this. However, something was happening lately. His heart jumps with joy when he sees her in the morning and greets her by calling her "sunshine" which she seemed to like. When he looked her in the eye, he felt an inner nervousness that he did not feel with other women. The previous day, while he took her face between his hands to check the injury on her cheek a delightful shiver ran down his back and an immense tenderness took control of him. He felt so vulnerable⦠she, the one that always showed herself so strong, so competent, so powerful...she also had her weaknesses. He loved watching her like that, surrender for a moment, in another person's hands.
It was hard to confess these feelings to himself knowing that she had recently lost her loving husband and that he had been his doctor.
Some hard knocks on the door, took him away from his mental self-absorption.
"If you are busy, I will come back later" Christina said, sticking her head around the door after she had slightly opened it.
"Come in, Christina" Tom said while standing up and walking to the door.
Christina came in, closed the door and leaned her back against it. That day had been a really scorching one and she could not remember where she had forgotten her shirt, so she showed up in Tom's office only in her T-shirt. She was nervous but she did not know why. She had been there a thousand times. Only a week before they had had pizza for dinner in his office. That night, Tom was extremely handsome. She had to admit it. So much, that she had joked calling him "Tom Bond". That was the first thought that she come up with when she watched him in his tux, walking around in the corridors of the hospital. But it had only been self protection. She felt utterly astonished. She was used to seeing him dressed both in his white coat or his scrubs, she felt a great hormonal stir in his presence. Later, during their dinner, confessions were made. Not many, but meaningful⦠to the point of both feeling awkward. They had exceeded the limits of friendship. She was afraid of what that date could mean. His friendship was the last thing she wanted to lose and her own experience told her that was exactly what would happen when that line was crossed.
"What's going on, Chistina? Anything else happend?" He asked worried.
"No. It is just that I am exhausted" she said moving away from the door and getting closer to Tom.
"Sit down. I'll give you a massage."
"What?" she answered with her eyes wide open and a wicked smile.
"Let's see. Don't you get the word massage?"
"Tom?"
"Don't be nasty-minded. Come here." He said.
Christina obeyed again. It was the second time that he ordered her to do something and she just agreed without protesting. What was going on with her? She could not recognize herself. Tom stood behind her and before she realized it, she felt his hands on her shoulders massaging her tight muscles. The heat from his hands gave her a comfort she never would have expected. Without realizing it, she let a well-being moan escape from her mouth, that she took back instantly with a "Sorry". Tom busted out . He loved how she gave in under his hands.
"Don't ever laugh at me again."
"Oh, it's just been really funny to see that you are not as tough as you are trying to be.
"Trying to be?"
"You know what I mean, Christina. It's good to relax from time to time" he whispered in her ear.
It was at that moment that she could smell his natural odor. Tom smelt after a long and hot work day but there was still a hint of his cologne, Paul Smith, the cologne she liked so much. She had never told him, but she inhaled his scent every morning when they met. Ok, this could not go any further. She had to stop this situation right now.
Christina jumped up and without saying a word she made her way to the door when one of Tom's arms stopped her.
