The End
Gisela never wanted this to end. She hated when good things ended—the last bite of warm apple pie, the last day of a festival, or in this case the wind down after being wound up.
She laid on a hospital cot enjoying the way her boldly green strands of hair splayed out across Julia's soft blue waves. It seemed a shame the other woman couldn't appreciate such a sight or any sight for that matter.
The young healer was drawn from her reverie by a gentle hand sweeping over her bare thigh. Her instructor's fingertips were always exploring, and she wasn't about to complain.
"You'll catch a cold if you don't cover up," Julia warned without making any effort to obscure the other woman's body with a sheet.
"Is that your expert opinion as a healer?"
"Of course."
"Well, with age comes wisdom I suppose," Gisela quipped before bringing her lips to Julia's to silence whatever retort that might have inspired. It was her new favorite way to get the last word in.
"Mmmm…" murmured the blind healer.
"Noooo!" Gisela protested sharply.
"No?" Julia was one part confused and one part amused with the girl who was curling her unclothed body even closer, now under a blanked built for one.
"I know that 'Mmmm' sound. That sound means that you want to stay, but you've just thought about a cabinet full of bottles that need to be labeled or about some change you need to make to next week's schedule or about how you need to get this room scrubbed down in case we suddenly get a new batch of patients."
"Gisela, sometimes Mmmm just means Mmmm."
Bright green eyes gave the other woman an appraising look. "Is this one of those times?"
Julia's lips parted, but there was hesitation.
"I knew it!"
"At least you get to be right. I know how much you like that." The older woman took a page from Gisela's book and leaned in to give her a kiss before she had a chance to respond.
The girl with green hair sat up. She knew there was no changing Julia's mind once it was made up. The woman was devoted to her work. "Let's have dinner tonight," she suggested
"Will you be cooking it?"
"No," Gisela replied suspiciously, "I thought we'd just have whatever was prepared."
"Then it sounds perfect," Julia teased.
"Hey! I make great…sandwiches."
"Yes, you do." She kissed the young woman's forehead this time as she slipped off the cot. They really should have spared the time it would have taken to reach one of their rooms instead of using a quarantine room but what was done was done. And it was done well. "You should hurry, your shift starts soon."
"Don't worry. I have the lead wrapped around my finger."
Julia only smiled in response. They both knew Gisela wouldn't risk being late. Julia could hear the door open and close as the healer-in-training proved that very point.
Alone, the older woman dutifully removed the sheets to take to he laundry. She couldn't help reflecting on their unexpected relationship. Gisela was significantly younger and under her tutelage. She was also Gunter's adopted daughter and he would most likely not appreciate how close they had become without his input or some kind of formal declaration of intent.
Perhaps she would request a meeting with him soon.
A knock on the door distracted her from thoughts of a potential future with Gisela. She opened it to find a messenger with a letter from her father. She politely asked the young man to read it to her.
Of course, after the words political alliance, arranged marriage, and Aldebert von Grantz, she stopped listening. The rest was a blur of details she would need to sort out later.
And just like that it ended before it could begin.