Not Alone
By clp66
Chapter One: Road Trip
It took her three days traveling to get there with over 24 hours on the road. She could have flown, but she hadn't seen this section of the country in many years and was enjoying the scenery. The first day, she had driven just over 12 hours, stopping only for bathroom breaks, meals and finally a hotel in Indianapolis. That night, she tried to rest, but she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept going over the past year and what the future might hold for her – finally, she fell into a fitful sleep around 2:00 am.
The next morning she woke at 7:00, "Was it seven?" she thought. Had she crossed into the Eastern Time Zone yet? She looked at her watch, then her cell phone and realized that it was really 8:00; she couldn't remember when she crossed into the Eastern Time Zone. "Well, at least I'm in the right time zone" she said to herself as she adjusted her watch. As she got herself up and ready for another full day of driving, she contemplated the next couple of days ahead. Would she have opportunity to meet him? Would he recognize her? It had been nearly 40 years since they had seen each other. She put these thoughts aside as she got ready for the day. After having finished eating the complementary breakfast offered by the hotel, she loaded her jeep with her bags and continued her journey.
She drove as long as she was physically able on just 5 hours of sleep. She found an inexpensive hotel in Harrisburg and this time she was tired enough to fall asleep right away. The next morning she arose at 5am and took her time getting ready. Today she would fix her hair and put on her make-up, but she decided to wear her traveling clothes until she reached her destination. Another 4 hours and she would be at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Her interview with, she looked at her paperwork again, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, was just after lunch at 1:00pm. She left the hotel at 7am so that she would have plenty of time to find the hospital once she got into town. She didn't want to be late for her interview.
As she drove, she allowed herself to think over the last year of her life. Her father passed away nearly a year ago. Her mom had died several years prior and the loss of her dad was still weighing heavily on her, especially considering the things he had told her on his deathbed. Her husband and her daughter were supportive of her while she took care of her father during his illness, but his death brought little relief as very shortly afterwards her husband suffered a sudden heart attack from which he never really recovered. He passed away last winter and then this past May, her daughter graduated from high school. When her daughter left home for the University, she was alone for the first time in over twenty years. "Well, not really." she thought. She always had people she cared about and people that cared for her, but even with those around her, she always felt alone. She loved her husband very much and she missed him dearly, but he never really understood her. Her Dad was the closest person to ever understand her, but he was troubled and kept to himself, pushing her away as he did so. Only on his deathbed did he open up to her and then finally he was at peace. She pushed these thoughts aside as she drove into Princeton, NJ. Better start concentrating on her upcoming interview.
She pulled into the hospital parking lot. She still had two hours before her interview, so she decided to go inside to the cafeteria for a drink and a light lunch. She bought a salad and a diet soda and found a seat in the back of the cafeteria. As she started eating her salad, she saw him. There was no way it could be anybody else. He was tall and thin, he had a square jaw, brown hair and sharp piercing blue eyes. As he stood in line with another doctor, she saw that he used a cane, which she wasn't expecting. Her heart started racing and she had to force herself not to stare. She looked down and finished her salad.
It was time to get ready. She got up to leave the cafeteria and as she passed the table where he sat, she caught his eye. He stopped chewing for a minute as he watched her pass. She heard his friend ask him what was wrong as she walked out the door. She went to her car and got her clothes for the interview. A charcoal pinstriped business suit with a purple shirt and heals. She hated wearing heals, but with this outfit they were a necessity. She was short and at 5'2" it was hard to find pants that fit properly. The heels would add enough height to keep the pants from dragging the floor. She found a bathroom and changed. She looked at herself in the mirror and decided that her hair and make-up still looked presentable. She took her traveling clothes back out to her car, picked up her folder with her extra copies of her resume, the copy of the position announcement she had downloaded from the hospital website and a printout of the application she had made. She still had 30 minutes before the interview. She found her way to Dr. Cuddy's assistant and introduced herself. She was directed to wait in the clinic area until Dr. Cuddy returned from her meeting.