Whole heart
Chapter 1: the beginning
Cat looked down at her watch and cursed to herself. 8.58 am, she was going to be late again. Sooner or later her luck would run out. Cat ran out of the subway and ran as fast as her feet would carry her. Cat look down at her watch again 9.03 am and cursed. She was definitely going to get fired this time. Cat almost cried in relief when she saw the sign of St Vincent's hospital but when she looked down at her watch again 9.15 am she cursed again before pushing herself to run faster. Cat pushed the doors open to the ER and she sagged against the nurses' station.
"You're late." Linda Reagan said her eyebrows raised like a disappointed mother.
"I know… I know." Cat replied trying to get her breath back.
"She is definitely going to fire me this time." Cat added.
Linda shook her head.
She was Dr Diana Wilson in charge of Cat while was a resident here at St Vincent's.
"I told her you were already here she's gone looking you." Linda told her.
Cat smiled before jumping in and kissing Linda on the cheek.
"I love you Linda Reagan. You are amazing." Cat said before disappearing to get changed.
Linda laughed and shook her head following her.
"You have to find a place closer to live." Linda said as Cat got changed.
Cat currently lived with her older brother Hunter just outside of the city, it took her over two hours to get to work.
"I can't afford it." Cat admit.
"What about house share?" Linda asked.
Cat snorted.
"I have lived in New York just over a year the only friends I've made her either you who's married or my nephews babysitter who's 17 and still in school. Who would I share with?" Cat replied.
Cat had come over from London just after her brother's wife died to help him with his son Max.
Linda seemed deep in thought for a minute as she followed Cat outside to the ER.
"Danny's brother is looking for a housemate." Linda suggested.
Cat shook her head unsure.
"That's a cruel thing to do a family member." Cat said.
Linda laughed.
"Why's that?" she asked.
"I work 16 hour days and when I am not here I'm at Hunter's or the club. I don't sleep like normal people and I can be kind of lazy." Cat confessed.
"It's not like Jamie's much better than you." Linda replied.
Cat raised her eyebrow indicating she should continue.
"Jamie's shifts are all over the place and when his not working as an officer his working as a handyman to pay off his student loans. Trust me his sleep patterns are not much better than yours." Linda reply.
Cat thought about it for a second.
"I mean would he be ok with it?" Cat asked.
Linda looked at her confused.
"I mean he doesn't know me and I am a chick some guys can be kind of funny about that stuff." Cat explained.
Linda smiled.
"There's only one way to find out." Linda said pulling out her phone.
Jamie Reagan whipped his hand over his face, tiredness was getting the better of him.
"You alright kid?" His brother's voice called over as he approach the table with fresh coffee.
Jamie had arranged to meet his brother to coffee last week but his shifts changed and he end up working nights, feeling bad enough about cancelling on his brother twice in one week Jamie decided to meet Danny anyway.
"Just tired that's all." Jamie replied.
Danny nodded.
"So how are the boys and Linda?" Jamie asked but before he could reply Danny's phone started ringing.
"One sec kid, that's Linda now." Danny said answering his phone.
Jamie felt his eyes start dropping as he waited for Danny to get off the phone.
"Kid?" Danny called.
Jamie forced his eyes open as he looked at his brother.
"Yeah, Danny?" Jamie asked.
"Linda's been trying to call you." Danny said frowning.
Jamie looked at his phone and noted three miss calls from Linda.
"Crap, sorry what's up?" Jamie asked realising he still had his phone on silent.
Danny just shook his head before handing Jamie his phone.
"Hey Linda everything ok?" Jamie asked.
"Hey Jamie everything's ok. You ok though you sound tired?" Linda replied.
Jamie sighed.
"Just got the night shift I'll be fine once I get some sleep." Jamie replied.
"Make sure you do." Linda replied.
Jamie sighed.
"So you needed something?" Jamie asked reminding Linda that she called him.
"You still looking for that housemate?" Linda asked.
Jamie was having trouble keeping up rent with his apartment and paying his student loans and thought having a housemate might make his worries easier.
"Yeah," Jamie replied.
"I think I found someone. She's a resident here, she works long hours like you and when she not here she helping out with her nephew so she won't be around much." Linda said.
"Then why she looking for an apartment?" Jamie asked.
"She's late for work every day her lucks going to run out soon." Linda replied.
Jamie thought about it for a moment.
"I don't know this girl…." Jamie started but Linda interrupted.
"Look Jamie I have to go but think it over and I invited her to Sunday dinner if you don't like her fair enough just don't count her out to you meet her." Linda asked.
"Ok." Jamie sighed.
Cat was beyond nervous and it wasn't because she was meeting Jamie it was because she was meeting the whole family who just happened to be cops and she happened to babble when she nervous not to mention the fact she was on call today. Cat swallowed her nervous and she rang the door bell.
Jamie was tired, nights on the job were long and busy and Jamie had always found it hard to sleep during the day.
"Cat should be here soon." Linda reminded him.
Jamie was in too tired to meet anyone right now but he promised Linda he would meet her before making up his mind.
"What time she getting here?" Erin asked.
Linda opened her mouth to reply when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." His father called.
When Linda had said she invited Cat to Sunday dinner Jamie felt a little pity for the women his family were bound to bombard her with questions.
Cat took a deep breath as the door opened. She had seen the Commissioner many times on TV but somehow he seemed a lot bigger in person.
"You must be Cat." The Commissioner said welcoming her into his home.
"And your Commissioner Reagan you look so much younger in person. Not that you look old on the TV or anything." Cat babbled nervously.
"I'm just going to stop talking now." Cat said her face flushed from embarrassment.
The Commissioner laughed good naturedly.
The Commissioner led her to the kitchen where Linda stood with an amused smile on her face.
"You babble." Linda said laughing.
Cat shook her head.
"You're a genius and you babble." Linda said.
Cat glared at her and Linda laughed.
"Let me introduce you to everyone." Linda said.
"This is Danny and our kids Jack and Sean." Linda said pointing out her two sons her.
Cat smiled.
"It's nice to meet you." Cat said.
"You have a funny accent." Sean said.
Jack hit his brother.
"She's from England." Jack said.
"Your right." Kat said to Jack.
"But I have a funny accent too." She said looking over at Sean who smiled.
The boys both laughed before disappearing.
"This is Danny's sister Erin and her daughter Nicki." Linda introduced.
Erin shook Cats had and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Its nice to meet you." Erin said.
"You too," Cat replied.
Nicki smiled.
"This is Danny's father Frank and his grandfather Henry." Linda introduced.
Cat smiled and shook both the men's hand.
"Its lovely to meet you." Henry said smiling.
"And this is Jamie." Linda said.
Cat followed her gaze and smiled nervously.
Jamie watched the women with fascination as she interacted with his family. He could tell she was nervous.
Cat was a very pretty women around 5' 6 with long legs and generous curves. She had long dark hair that the fell to the middle of her back and unusual grey eyes.
"Hi," she said softly.
Jamie smiled.
"Hi." He replied shaking her hand.