Awake in a Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except the "female lead". Although I got the idea for this story because Bosco does have a neurologist on the show and we might get to meet her.

Ch. 1

"Officer Maurice Bos…lli, 35 y.o. male, treated at Mercy hospital ER on Sept. ? with four gunshot wounds to the abdomen and thorax and one shot to the head…has been in a coma since,…possible cranial and facial nerve damage…"

I shook my head. After a week as the newest Neurology resident at Mercy, I still could not decipher my attending Dr. Mercer's case history. I had just finished my pediatric rotations at another hospital and realized that apart from six year old kids, physicians in general possess the worst penmanship, myself included.

As I paused at the door with my daily dose of caffeine in hand, I gave up on trying to pronounce the illegible name. I was told to take the vital signs only and consult a physical therapist later about starting a program for the comatose patient to prevent muscle atrophy. Easier enough to handle, and I didn't think I need his name for that.

As I opened the door, I was struck by the strong scent of flowers (lilies are my favorite) and the huge amount of cards that piled on the tables and spilled over onto the walls. "Get well soon, Bosco", "hang in there, man", "you can beat this"…etc. I tried to suppress a smile. His friends or colleagues definitely lacked the Hallmark touch, but I could tell that however brief, the messages came from the heart. I opened the blinds, cracked open the window, and turned around to meet the man the whole floor nicknamed "the hero".

I have seen my fair share of attractive men and dated some of them, but I had to admit that Officer B's looks far exceed his reputation. The man was some kind of a celebrity on our floor, and just yesterday I overheard a nurse and a volunteer gossip over coffee break.

"The cop in B-15 is sooooo cute."

"I heard that he was injured in the shootout down in the ER when some gunmen shut down the hospital a while ago. He saved his partner by blocking all those bullets."

"I know, too bad about the wound on his cheek though, that's gonna leave a mark."

"Well, I think he's got bigger problems to worry about than his face, like waking up first and being able to walk again."

I moved closer to the bed to examine his facial wound, but soon got distracted. He had curly brown hair (definitely due for a cut), strong features with lines around a square jaw and a little stubble on his chins. Despite the thick bandages on his right cheek, he was still a very attractive man. I didn't know if I was imagining this, but even in his slumber, his lips seemed to be fixed in a smirk, as if he was contemplating an inside joke. I hope he's not in pain and that he is smiling in his dreams. I wonder what colored eyes does he have? Wait a minute, what am I doing? I've got 7 more patients to see before rounds and I'm behaving like a teenager with a crush.

Snapping myself out of a trance, I got back to work. Pulling out a chart, I tried to refocus on the monitors when all of a sudden, the machine produced the sound dreaded by all residents—code blue.

I jumped as if it was my heart that has stopped, a second later my pulse raced wildly. I jammed my finger into the emergency panic button on the wall and rushed over to the bed. As I was looking for the paddles, I noticed something and a huge sense of relief washed over me. He hasn't flatlined! The monitor had simply slipped off from his finger and couldn't read his pulse. Wait a minute, it slipped because…his hand was moving! It seemed to be reaching and trying to grasp for something. Instinctively, I took his hand into my palms. "It's okay, I'm here." I felt as if I'm trying to comfort someone trapped in a nightmare when his eyelids fluttered and opened.

It wasn't the first time I've seen someone wake up from a coma, but the sense of amazement and awe never diminishes. I knew I should be doing a million other things like checking his reflexes, asking him questions, but this time everything felt different. As he tightened his hold of my hands, the only thing I could think of was "blue". His eyes were blue.

Whew, first chapter done. Please review and tell me if I have enough of a premise to go on with the story. What do you think? A little romance some angst? Next chapter is told from Bosco's point of view and we'll get to know more about the "female lead". Any suggestions for her name? Dr. ? ?

p.s. please check out my other story and let me know if anyone's interested in a Finney sequel.