Chapter Three

"Are you out of your mind?" Rudy fumed in the direction of the corner where Michael had slunk into a chair. "Oscar is furious and frankly so am I!"

"About what?" the younger doctor asked sullenly.

"About what? About what?!?" Rudy took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to regain a sense of composure. "You cannot have an affair with your patient, Doctor Marchetti!"

Michael shifted uneasily. "Oh...that."

"Slipped your mind, did it?"

"We're not sleeping together," Michael muttered.

"Not yet. But that doesn't matter; what does matter - a lot - is that you're giving that impression and -"

"To who?" Michael countered.

"To anyone with a pair of open eyes - and it's not a pretty picture!"

"Someone actually complained?"

Rudy ran a frustrated hand across his face and glared at his assistant. "It should never have gotten that far, but yes...and that someone was Oscar." Rudy sighed and sank wearily into his chair. "How did it start, Michael? When you were helping Jaime walk, did you hold her a little too close....a little too long?"

"Like you said - I was helping her!"

"By kissing her, in full view of Oscar - and Steve, I might add - while they watched on the monitors."

Michael gulped. "They...saw...that?"

"Hell yes, they saw it!" Rudy thundered. "I was wondering at the tie why Steve looked ready to pass out; now I know."

"I'm sorry," Michael sighed. "It just...happened."

"You are damn lucky I didn't see it at the time! I'd have kicked your butt out of here so far that you'd have been chipping ice in Alaska! What were you thinking?"

"She's a beautiful woman..."

"Yes, she is. And you've lost all objectivity - Doctor." Rudy taped his pen on the desktop, bracing himself. "Effective immediately, you are off of Jaime's case."

"But -"

"You will not treat her; you will not even consult -"

"You can't do that!" Michael argued.

"Not only that," Rudy countered, "but you will end this relationship immediately. You are not to see her anymore. Ever. Period."

"Forget it. That's going too far!"

Rudy shook his head. "That's your choice, but be prepared to face the state Board on an ethics charge. You will lose your license - because I'll be testifying against you." Rudy softened, just slightly. "You're an incredibly talented, intelligent physician and I'd hate to lose you. I'm hoping you'll make the right choice - and..you need to make it now."

- - -

Jaime sat with her feet up, restlessly gazing out of her new picture window. The sun was just setting and it was so beautiful outside! Rudy and Oscar had cautioned her (strongly) that she was to remain inside until she'd been cleared medically to venture outdoors. Jaime smiled and shook her head. They worried too much; she felt absolutely fine and besides, the fresh air would do her good. With a cheerful skip in her step, she headed out the door and in the direction of downtown Ojai.

At first, she merely smiled as people froze in their tracks to turn and look at her. She wished she could remember who all of these friendly people were, but she knew a lot of it would come back to her in time. Then a kindly woman with gray hair nearly yanked her elderly husband off his feet, turning to stare at Jaime.

"Jaime Sommers....is that you?"

"In the flesh!" Jaime chirped.

"But..." the woman (who was actually Jaime's 6th grade teacher) stammered, "you - you're...dead. We went to your funeral!"

Funeral? Jaime had no idea how to answer that. Was the missing article my obituary? she wondered silently. She didn't wonder for long, though.

Her former teacher, with joyful tears in her eyes, placed a gentle hand on Jaime's arm. "Does this mean you and Colonel Austin will marry, after all?"

- - - - - -