Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All rights go to the actors, writers and creators of the show "When Calls The Heart".

Alright here we go again. Another story … this one will be slower to update as I'm trying to finish A Different Town and get Remember further along but this one was flowing too so after the requests to continue here's Chapter 2!

(23/08/2018)

Over four months earlier …

Jack had been working a long double shift at the hospital. He was exhausted and felt like his face was going to fall off. He stood in the staff tea room having another cup of coffee. One more hour and he was out of there. He just had to make it until then.

Jack finished his coffee and went back to the triage station, tablet in hand.

"Hi. I'm back. What have we got out there?" he asked Florence, the triage nurse.

"Jack, you look terrible!"

"Great, thanks Florence. I have an hour left."

Florence smiled at him. "I have just the thing to improve your day" she said. "Can you take a look at Miss Thatcher?"

Jack nodded and ran his eye down the list on the tablet. Thatcher. She was second in line. He quickly read her notes. Apparently, Miss Thatcher had been knocked off her bicycle by a car.

Jack went to the doors to the waiting room and opened it.

"Thatcher" he announced in a loud, clear voice. He was used to everyone turning each time the door opened to stare.

He saw movement on the chairs against the wall as a man stood up dressed in exercise gear. He leant back over, pulling someone else from their seat. A slim young woman with auburn hair stood beside him and was practically dragged toward Jack. The man was determined but the woman did not look impressed. She looked up as she got closer. Her bright blue eyes captivated Jack as they drew closer.

"Miss Thatcher?" he said again.

"Yes. This is her" the man said.

"Are you okay to walk?" Jack asked her.

The woman with the blue eyes nodded. She was beautiful.

"Right this way" Jack said as he led them toward a bay with a free bed.

Jack could hear the two people whispering behind him. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he could tell Miss Thatcher was not too happy with whatever was being discussed.

"Okay take a seat here" he said, indicating the bed. "Your partner can sit over there." Jack waved toward a chair.

"He's not my partner. He's my cousin, Andy" she quickly corrected him.

"Okay. Sorry." Jack helped her up onto the bed. "Miss Thatcher, I'm Dr Thornton. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was riding my bike along the bike track near the harbour and this taxi just pulled out of nowhere and knocked me off my bike."

"And what happened when you fell?"

"I had a helmet on but I hit my head and I lost consciousness for a second."

"It was a few minutes" Andy piped up. "I thought she was dead."

Jack turned his attention back to the woman.

"So it was just your head that was hurt?"

"And my wrist" she said, holding up her left hand gingerly.

Jack put his hands out and took her wrist in his. He ran his hands over it, checking the bones. Jack had done this hundreds of times before, but he had never felt like there was electricity between him and a patient.

He glanced back up at the woman and he could see she was breathing quickly. Jack was standing close to her and could smell her perfume. She smelt really good. Her eyes found his and he knew he could get lost in them. Jack pulled his eyes away, concentrating on the bones in her hand and arm.

"You might have a fracture. Does that hurt?" he asked as he manipulated her wrist.

"Just a little." He placed her hand back down.

"Okay now do you mind if I check your head?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Just lean forward a little." Jack's hands glided over her skull, feeling for any bumps. He couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary.

"Do you have a headache or do you feel faint or dizzy?" Jack asked as his hands kept moving, his fingers pressing.

"Mmm" was all he heard her mumble.

Jack pulled his hands away. He looked down at her and found her eyes closed.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes snapped open. "I'm fine" she said.

"So no headaches or feeling faint?"

"Oh she's feeling faint alright" her cousin said from behind. Jack turned to the voice. He had forgotten that Andy was even there.

As Jack turned back to Miss Thatcher, he caught her glaring at her cousin. Jack smiled at her.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, fine" she said smiling back at him. She had a beautiful smile too.

Just then, one of the residents, Carson, brought a patient into the same room. Carson was a friendly, calm doctor who Jack got on quite well with. Since Jack started, Carson had more or less taken Jack under his wing and Jack felt forever indebted to him. They had become fast friends and Carson's wife Faith was a paediatrician at the same hospital.

Carson helped an elderly man onto the bed across from Miss Thatcher. Jack glanced at Carson, who gave him a look. Jack wasn't quite sure what it meant though.

"Right Miss Thatcher, I'm going to have to send you for an x-ray to check that wrist. Are you or could you possibly be pregnant?"

Jack watched as her eyes went wide. "No, I …"

"She doesn't have a boyfriend" Andy interrupted.

Jack nodded. "Well, it will be fine for you to have an x-ray then. I will just go check what the wait is like for the x-ray machine. I'll be back in a moment."

Jack walked out of the room. When he came back, with the appropriate paperwork in hand, it seemed that he walked in on another private conversation between his patient and her cousin. Carson was standing nearby and Jack could tell he had been listening.

"It's about a ten minute wait" Jack announced. Miss Thatcher looked up at him, a pink tinge covering her cheeks. "Are you still feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine" she said with a small smile.

Jack got her to sign the paperwork, their hands brushing against one another as he handed her the pen. He couldn't deny there was something about her. But she was a patient. A beautiful patient.

"I'll just hand this paperwork in and I will be back when they're ready at the x-ray machine."

Jack left again and he heard Carson excuse himself as well. Once Jack got back to the doctor's desk, he found Carson right behind him.

"What are you doing?" Carson said.

"Huh?"

"Get back in there."

"Why?"

"Ask her out."

Jack looked at Carson in surprise. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because she thinks your cute and she's single. I was watching you too. You seem pretty enamoured with her?"

"Enamoured? Really? She's my patient."

"So? You've been single for ages. Ask her out."

"Carson, you know that crosses a major boundary."

"Fine. I will do it for you."

"Don't you dare!" Jack said glaring at him.

"Just admit it. You like her."

"She is … really beautiful but that's all I know about her. She has a cousin and she likes bike riding. That's it."

"It's more than that and you know it" Carson said heading back to his own patient.

Jack finished off his entries on the computer and went back to check the queue for the x-ray machine.

"Your patient is next, Jack."

Jack went back to the room. Miss Thatcher still sat there, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed, her arms straight beside her resting on the mattress.

"Miss Thatcher. You're next" he said, causing her to look up. She slid off the bed as Jack approached her. She must have still been a bit dizzy because she stumbled before Jack caught her. She landed against his chest, his arms around her.

"Woah. You alright? Are you still dizzy?"

"Just a bit" she said into him.

Jack felt like he had known her forever. She fit perfectly in his arms. Jack bent down and lifted her up and put her back down on the bed. He pulled out his torch and checked her eyes. She stared back up at him. Jack couldn't deny she intrigued him.

"I'm just going to get a wheelchair. We'll take you around and get the x-ray done but I think you will need to stay a bit longer so we can keep an eye on that head of yours."

Jack looked over at Carson who was giving him another look, only this time Jack knew exactly what it meant.

After the x-ray was done, Jack helped his patient back onto the bed. Her cousin had left to get something to eat and make some calls. Carson had moved his patient on so it was just the two of them in the room.

"How are you feeling now, Miss Thatcher?"

"Better, thank you. You can just call me Elizabeth."

Jack smiled down at her. "Fine, Elizabeth. You can call me Jack."

Florence happened to walk by a minute later and called out to him. "Jack, aren't you supposed to be finished by now?"

"Yeah, Miss Thatcher is my last patient" he said as she gave him a knowing smile on passing by.

"You're shift is over?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah."

"How long have you been on for?"

"About fourteen hours."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Fourteen hours? You had better get home then. Your family is probably missing you."

"Oh no, it's just me. No one will miss me" he said with a small smile. "I will go check your x-rays now. They should be uploaded onto the system by now. Hang tight."

Jack found the x-rays and found the hair line fracture in her radius. Elizabeth would need a cast for a few weeks to stabilise the joint. He went back to give her the bad news. She looked up from the bed at him as he came back into the room.

"Sorry Elizabeth, your wrist is fractured. I'm going to have to put a cast on it."

Elizabeth groaned, her head flinging back onto the pillow.

"Hey, its okay. Just for 3-4 weeks. Are you right or left handed?"

"Right."

"That will be fine then."

Jack would normally ask a nurse for assistance but instead he went and collected the gauze and plaster and other materials to make the cast himself. He laid everything out on the bed beside her and cradled her hand as he began to wrap the gauze around it. He rested it back down as he prepared the plaster, dunking it in the warm water bowl, before wrapping it around as well.

"Right, just keep it still while we wait for the plaster to dry."

"Thanks Jack."

"No problem" he said with a grin.

They sat there in silence for a minute before Elizabeth spoke.

"How long have you worked here for?"

"Just a few months. I'm hoping to get my residency here at the end of the year."

"So you're only temporary?"

"Kind of. I have to prove myself first" he said with a smile.

Elizabeth nodded.

"What about you?" he asked. "What do you do for work?"

"Currently I work at the family business."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes and no. I hate being under my father's thumb all the time."

"I can understand that."

"Is your father the same?"

Jack looked over at her. Her blue eyes pierced his own. He didn't normally open up to anyone but he felt like he could trust her.

"No, my mom and dad passed away when I was little. It's just me."

"Oh I'm so sorry." He could see her eyes were wet with moisture. "I'm so clueless" she said, looking away.

"Don't worry about it. It is what it is."

"Jack, I …"

"Elizabeth, it's fine. Really" he said, his hand automatically resting on her shoulder. "I am sorry about your father though. I don't really remember my dad but I knew he wasn't like that. He was a policeman but I think he would have been proud of me now, whatever I did."

"But you're a doctor. What parent wouldn't be proud of that?!" she said with a little laugh that Jack found adorable. He felt himself staring at her, but she didn't seem to mind.

Jack checked her plaster and it was sufficiently hard. He cleaned up all of the mess.

"I'm still worried about your head. Have you felt faint or dizzy again since we were talking?"

"No."

"Okay, well how about you sit up again and let's wait another ten minutes and if you're feeling okay then I can let you go. Do you live with your parents?"

"No, I'm on my own."

"I would prefer if someone stays with you tonight, just to be sure" he said, his hand resting on her shoulder again.

"I can find someone to stay."

Jack nodded. "Good. I'll be back in a few more minutes and we can sort out the paperwork and get you out of here."

Jack raced around and finished off everything for the day. When he came back, Elizabeth's cousin Andy had returned. Jack heard Elizabeth groan.

"Why did you tell him?"

"I thought I had better. He'd have my balls if he knew I hadn't called him" Andy replied.

Elizabeth shook her head, her eyes closed.

"Here's the paperwork for you to sign to get out of here" Jack said. Elizabeth's eyes shot open and a smile formed. He could tell she was glad to see him again. He brought the paperwork over and she quickly signed the form. Her cousin disappeared again and seeing they were alone, Jack decided to take a chance.

"Here's my number. If you have any problems, like if you feel dizzy or light headed give me a call." Elizabeth beamed up at him.

"Thank you Jack."

"You're welcome." Jack helped her to her feet. "Feel okay this time?"

"Yes."

Jack led her back out to the waiting room, his arm around her. "Is your cousin coming back?" he asked as he helped her take a seat.

"Yes, my father is coming too."

"Okay. Are you sure I should leave you here?"

"Yes, Jack, go. It was the end of your shift ages ago. Thank you for everything."

Jack nodded. "I will forward the x-ray report to your doctor. You can get the cast off in about 3 weeks."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Bye Elizabeth."

"Bye Jack."

Jack walked back through the waiting room doors and went straight to the staff change rooms. He had a quick shower and changed into his jeans and button down shirt. The whole time he was thinking about the woman he had just met. Elizabeth.

Jack looked at his watch. He was supposed to meet Lee and Rosie for dinner in just under half an hour. He grabbed his bag and headed out the door. As he walked through the carpark he saw Elizabeth and Andy waiting out the front of the hospital.

"You two still waiting?" Jack said as he got closer.

Elizabeth looked up and beamed when she saw him.

"Yes. He won't be much longer. Where are you off to?"

"Just dinner with some friends. I will finally make one on time. I'm almost always late."

Elizabeth laughed again. He really could get used to hearing that sound, but the ball was in her court. He had subtly given her his number. That was all he could do.

Just then a black Mercedes pulled up nearby.

"That's my dad" Elizabeth said as her cousin rushed forward to greet the car. Elizabeth stood and Jack immediately stepped forward, holding out his arm for her. "Thanks Jack."

He led her over to the car where a gray haired man had gotten out.

"What the hell were you thinking Beth? Getting hit by a car? Are you insane?" he began yelling. Jack was surprised. He thought her father should have been a little more compassionate. Jack felt her hand tense on Jack's arm.

"It wasn't my fault that the guy hit me!" she countered.

"I've told you not to ride that bike, but you don't listen to me."

"I was getting some exercise. It's not a crime."

"Yes, but look what happened! You could have been killed!"

"You could have been killed driving your car over here. Life is a risk" she said adamantly.

Jack watched the argument unfold and immediately understood what Elizabeth had been talking about. Her father didn't offer her a hug or anything to suggest he cared about her. He just held out the door as Jack helped her over.

"Who are you?" he said rudely.

"Dr Thornton. I was just on my way home, when I saw Miss Thatcher waiting."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Jack helped Elizabeth into the car.

"Bye Elizabeth" he whispered with a grin which she matched, giving his arm a squeeze before he left. Jack stood back up and giving Mr Thatcher a brief nod he walked away.

To be continued …