The Christmas Gift
It was a normal December day at the ER. Colin had been a resident at the NYU Emergency Room for six months now and he was pretty satisfied with his choice. He liked being in the city, medical school in Stanford was great, but he missed the four seasons, the Indian summer, the snow in the winter. And there it was, the first snowfall in Manhattan which meant more work in the ER.
"Rock paper scissors?" A blond young doctor asked a tall Asian man.
"What are you guys trying to decide?" Colin enquired.
"Who gets to treat the hot blonde in exam 3," the first resident answered.
"With her gorgeous friend," a nurse added.
"I'll make the decision for you." a brunette middle-age woman said sternly "Dr. McCrae gets them as he volunteered for the Christmas and New Year's Eve's shifts." She then handed him the chart and he walked to the exam room smirking.
"Thanks guys," he said waving the chart.
"No problem," the two residents muttered.
Colin walked into the exam room and gazed at an attractive blonde with long slender legs who was holding an ice bag on her head. He couldn't help smirking understanding why the guys wanted this case so bad.
"Ms. Pratt, I'm Dr. McCrae, I see in your file that you had a bad fall?" He eyed her five inches heels.
"I know, I already been lectured about that by my friend." Colin held up his hands.
"Wow, I'm not here to judge, just to do my job tending to you. So, tell me, how bad was your fall? What did you hit with your head?" He took the ice bag off and looked at her head.
"Will you need to cut my hair?" she asked worriedly.
"That should be okay, just 3 stitches. Did you pass out? Let me see your ankle." He palpated her ankle "The swelling isn't too bad, tell me if this hurts." She winced a little.
"Is it okay?" he asked gently. She had very nice ankles and it was a pity he hadn't seen her in those shoes.
"The coffee is pretty bad but it's better than nothing." Colin turned toward the door to identified a slightly familiar voice.
"Colin?" Rory stopped stunned to see her ex-boyfriend's friend.
"In the flesh and blood. What are you doing in my ER Reporter girl? You're with Ms. Pratt?" He asked still stupefied to see her even more beautiful than he could remember. "You should tell her that this kind of shoe is not very appropriate on icy Manhattan sidewalks, especially when it's snowing."
"Already did but you know, she's the new fashion columnist at the New York Times…."
He was still good-looking, but he lost he stuck up look which could make him so despicable in college. His sweet turquoise gaze was now according to his genuine soft smile. Back in Yale, she'd noticed that he was always looking at her, but he never asked her out, then Logan took the lead and that was it. Nevertheless, they had so much in common, when they were only the two of them, he was incredibly sweet with her, they used to talk for hours. She remembered how concerned and considerate he was after the bridesmaid incident. After his graduation, he went to Stanford and she never talked to him since then.
"Okay you two, Rory do you know the hunk doctor here?" the blonde interrupted.
"Yep, we were at Yale together, but haven't seen each other since… your graduation? Dr. Colin McCrae meet Amy Pratt."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Pratt." He shook her hand.
"Please, call me Amy, so tell me Dr. McCrae, what will you do to me?" She winked at him. "Oh, no pun intended." Rory rolled her eyes, as if it wasn't enough that Amy always had all men's eyes on her, she constantly need to flirt with them.
"Well Amy, you'll have to rest your ankle for at least a week, which means that you have to put these nice pumps in your closet, and you'll have to massage your ankle with this anti-inflammatory cream that I'm prescribing you. Concerning your head, I'll be right back to stitch you up" Then he immediately turned to the brunette.
"How have you been Rory?" Colin asked grinning at her.
,
"Good, I am now reporter at the New York Times for about year. You look good Colin. I'm kind of surprised to find you in the ER."
"Why?" he arched an eyebrow.
"I would have thought you'd be an ophthalmologist or I don't know…" They heard the blond clear her throat.
"Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but can I have my stitches?"
"Sure, sorry, I'll be back in a second with the suture kit."
He remembered the first time he saw her near the coffee cart at Yale. Back then he had this habit to become as obnoxious as possible when he was attracted to a girl. What was this girl doing with a guy as insignificant as Marty? He never had been her friend but her boyfriend's friend. He was continuously distant, but the truth was he always had a soft spot for her, and the more he got to know her, the more he was convinced that no woman could measure up to Rory Gilmore. He never understood how Logan let her go.
"So, tell me Rory, how well do you know him?" Amy asked curiously.
"He was the best friend of my Yale boyfriend but I haven't seen him in four years, and never thought I would."
Colin came back in the room with a nurse and proceeded to suture Amy's head. Rory stayed silent, pretending to look at her messages on her phone, but she was gazing at him with the corner her eye. Here he was, sweeter than ever, dashingly handsome.
"Ladies, you're good to go, a nurse will come back to give you the discharge papers. Reporter girl, it was nice to see you again." He beamed at her and just left.
Rory was walking out holding Amy when she stopped bluntly. She wanted to say goodbye properly to Colin, maybe leave her number.
"Rory? Did you forget something?" She turned around to see him just standing few inches from her.
"Just looking for you and leave you my card, maybe we can have coffee sometime, to catch up?" she eyed him expecting a sign that he could appreciate the gesture.
"Sure, I'd like that," he kindly beamed at her.
"Hey, guys..." they heard from a nurse who pointed up, and the two slowly looked upward. They were standing under the mistletoe. Rory blushed, which made Colin smirk.
"Hey, we have to follow the tradition, right?" He locked eyes with her and thought he would be willing to dive in her gaze everyday if he could. She nodded and he tilted his head and slowly placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes, stood on her toes and was surprised to be sent to mush by feeling his lips on hers.
It was a crazy day at the ER and Colin wished the end of his shift could be sooner. He was relieved that the incoming traumas were slowing down. He had lost a patient and even if it wasn't the first time, it was always hard on him in particular having to deliver the news to the family. He was filing his charts when he heard the ER chief.
"Dr McCrae, one last patient incoming for you, Santa collapsed at the United Nations Christmas party."
"What?" he stared at his chief.
"You heard me, don't make billions of children sad, go save Santa." Colin shook his head, and headed toward the paramedics who were rolling the gurney toward the room.
About an hour later, Colin sat at the bedside of the old man. He strikingly looked like the Santa Claus kids had in mind. He wore a real white beard, a big belly and a very gentle smile. His costume was stunning in red velvet, with golden buttons.
"Mr. Kringle, you scared us, but I think you're fine now. Nevertheless, you have to avoid overheated rooms and try to lower your sugar intake even if we ruled out a stroke. You were probably just exhausted. You definitely need some rest." Colin patted him on the shoulder.
"Thank you young man, but I'm sure you know that it's my busiest moment of the year, I cannot take some rest before Christmas is finished. And please, call me Kris." Colin smiled at him.
"I'm serious Kris, if you don't find a way to rest a little, you won't be able to please all the kids, I can't help you there, but you have to find a way. Don't you have elves or other helpers?"
"Oh I do, I do, but they need directions, just like you here need a chief to dispatch and supervise the work."
"If you want to make the comparison, the chief here has attending physicians to help her that are very capable, don't you have that?"
"I have to acknowledge that you're a very persistent young man. I'll do my best. So, am I discharged?"
"Yes, the nurse here will give you your clothes and you're good to go. Is someone picking you up?"
"Yes, don't worry. Before you go, as I'm here, can I ask you what do you want for Christmas, young man?"
Colin smiled at him. "I know as an ER first year resident I don't look like it, but I'm kind of a privileged kid as in 'able to get whatever money can buy', so I'll pass on that. Thank you for asking though. You'd better use your time to take care of the others that are in need."
"Oh, but I guess you know that not everything can be bought, right?"
Colin stared at him with furrowed brows. "Yes, I do, but could you get these for miscreant like myself?"
"I think you're too hard on yourself, young man. Choosing to be an ER doctor while coming from a privileged family while you could have become a plastic surgeon or any more remunerative medicine is not that bad. You decided to help people, this is very generous of you."
"I'm glad that you think that, if you could have a word with my dad," Colin replied sadly.
"So, you still haven't answered me yet."
"Well I have a little idea, but I'm not sure it's within your power."
"Why don't you tell me and I'll see what I can do for you?"
"There this girl that used to be my best friend's girlfriend when we were in college. I always had a crush on her but my friend was faster, then they broke up. She's terribly careful about her emotions. You could tell me that I have to be a big boy and go get her the traditional way, but I wouldn't mind having a little help…."
"Say no more, I'll do my best. Well, I still have a lot of work, it's the busy season for me," Kris gently beamed.
"It was nice talking to you, Kris. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Colin."
Colin didn't mind taking the Christmas Eve shift, he even liked it because he could avoid spending the evening with his father's new wife. This year, he was pretty lucky, people seemed to have been reasonable, at least the ER was not overcrowded and he hoped that he would be as lucky for the New Year's Eve shift. As he'd succeeded to empty the waiting room thanks to very efficient colleagues, he allowed himself a little nap in the break room. He was exhausted so he immediately fell in a deep slumber. He was lying on his side when he felt a hand caressing his side to his stomach playing with the hem of his scrub pants. He moaned slightly sensing small kisses on the nape of his neck. They were soft, tickled him a little and the combination of these motions seemed to awaken his penis. He turned to lay on his back and was surprised to immediately be covered by a female body and lips nibbling his ear lobe. It had been awhile since he hadn't been the reception of such delightful attentions and he was determined not to waste them. He moaned and moved his hands to enter in contact with this mesmerizing creature and touched a silky nighty. He then proceeded slowly downward to find the hem of this pleasant piece of clothing and noticed a curvy firm ass. He finally reached the soft skin of a thigh and delicately moved his hand underneath the nighty to notice the absence of panties. He made a satisfied groan and added his second hand to explore what was beneath the silk. The enchantress started to grind on him which definitely took him out of his sleep. Now that his brain cells were connected, he was beginning to wonder who was pleasing him. Was it Anna the attending that was flirting with him for months? She then moved her mouth to his and his tongue immediately reached for hers and his cerebral cells went missing again. He was already considerably turned on when it struck him that he still didn't know the identity of his assailant, even though her delicate scent seemed familiar. Therefore, when they finally broke for air, he slowly moved his head away from her to have a look at her face.
"Rory?" he stared stunned at her.
"No, it's Katy," he heard, "we need you, two big incoming traumas in two minutes!"
Colin shook his head and look around him: his surroundings started to melt as he opened his eyes. He slowly figured out where he was. Alone in one of the bed of the ER breakroom. He closed his eyes sighing when the door slammed open again.
"Move on, McCrae!"
In the subway on the way back to his apartment, he thought about his dream. He hadn't had a dirty dream about her since Yale, but back then, it never felt as real as it was a few hours ago. He wondered where he left her card. It was a sign, he was going to call her.
Once in his apartment, he got rid of his shoes and threw his coat on the couch when he heard.
"Honey, you're home? We have to leave soon, I packed everything for you, just waiting for you to shower they we can head to Stars Hollow." His eyes widened as big as saucers. Who the hell was talking to him? Suddenly, Rory appeared in the hallway wearing an incredible red dress. She walked to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him an amazing welcome kiss. She then gave him a small tap on his butt.
"I know you're must be tired, McCrae, just hop into the shower and I'll drive"
He was still paralyzed. What was she doing in his apartment? What was she talking about? Why was she acting as she was living there? As if he could understand what she was talking about?
"Colin, if it's again the little game you like to play to get me into bed, it won't work this time, all my family is waiting for us including my grandparents, we can't be late," she said sternly but still smiling.
She came back and looked at him with her mesmerizing blue eyes.
"Please, Colin." He beamed at her and thought that as long as she would gaze at him that way, he would do whatever she would ask. He walked to the bathroom even if he still couldn't comprehend what was happening to him. He thought that a good shower would help him to clear his thoughts. He threw his clothes in the hamper and looked at himself in the mirror. Maybe it was another dream again and he would finally wake up and all her toiletries that he could spot in his bathroom would have disappeared.
The warm water was running all over him. Actually, he didn't really want to wake up. He actually liked this dream. When he got out of the shower, all her stuff was still on the shelves. He walked into the room and pull a drawer to take a pair of boxers but instead found women's lingerie in it.
"Upper drawer." He heard her giggling from behind him "Still can't remember where your boxers are?"
While he was buttoning his shirt, he heard his phone buzz. He sighed hoping it wasn't the ER.
Hope you liked your present. Kris Colin grinned and texted back.
Beyond my expectations, Thank you!.