"Thank you." Liza told the waiter as he set down two plates of steaming salmon and various vegetables, arranged in a fashion, nearly too attractive to eat.
After taking a bite, Caleb said, "This is nearly as good as the salmon I caught back home."
"Why am I not surprised?"
He smiled, "I remember one time, when I was back on the mountain, and I went fishing with my friend, Frank. After about three hours without a single bite, we were ready to pack it in, then something yanked my pole hard enough in nearly pulled me in. That thing gave me quite a fight, but after about two hours, I got him. A 48-pounder.
But that wasn't even the best part of the day. After catching that monster, Frank and I were sitting on the dock, getting ready to leave, when two guys came up in a hurry to get fishing. Obviously getting a late start, as one guy was parking their truck, the other motored the boat out in front of the dock waiting for him to return. He was in a fifteen-foot aluminum boat with about a fifty HP motor that was having trouble warming up. Just as he passed right in front of me the motor stalled, so he began to pull the cord to start the motor. He pulled the choke, and then pulled the cord several times without any success.
He started to swear and mumble under his breath. Looking over at Billy and I must have just made him mad, knowing that we were watching.
Liza listened intently with her fork, covered in a bite of salmon, paused in her hand.
Caleb continues "With all the anger and strength he could muster, he yanked the cord one last time, pulling so hard that the cord pulled completely free of the motor. Well, that action caused the motor to come alive, however, since it wasn't secured correctly to the boat, it lifted off the back of the boat and sank to the bottom of the river running at full throttle all the while."
Caleb let a good laugh escape his wide smile and returns to his story.
"Well, after that there was complete silence. That old hillybilly, stood at the back of the boat still holding the pull cord, with a look of astonishment, I will never forget. He looked over at us as if to say, "Did you just see that?"
Caleb's laughing continues and Liza joins him.
"So, just then his buddy returned, from parking the truck. Still not a word had been said, by anyone. The guy surveyed the situation, seeing the pull cord hanging limp in his buddy's hand, him looking all shocked says, "Hey, where's the motor?"
Both Liza and Caleb laughing hard now.
"After that, it was all over. Frank and I busted into belly laughs."
Liza's smile widened, as she wiped a laugh tear from her eye. "Oh, Caleb, that is hilarious."
"Yeah, well I was smart enough to know at that point, my life was in danger and decided to leave the dock as fast as I could. As we left, I remember looking back and seeing the two of them tossing the anchor, trying to catch part of their motor, in the bottom of that black river."
They both laugh hard, over the story, and return to their meal.
Liza finishes a bite of her dinner and says, "You sure do look nice tonight. It is good to see you in something other then red flannel."
"Thank you, Liza. I do clean up nice, once in awhile."
She continues, "You cleaned up especially nice, for the party. You looked great in your tux. You had me fooled for awhile. I thought you were a regular, Bear Grylls. That is until I saw you in a tux and now dressed all snazzy now too."
Caleb interrupts her, "Bear Grylls? Who, or what, is that?"
Liza looks at him a bit shocked and replies, "You know, Man vs. Wild? Are you kidding? You really don't know who Bear Grylls is? The gorgeous Irish, Special Forces guy? Who does that show called: 'Man vs. Wild'. He's almost as hot as Hugh Jackman."
"What? You watch television?" Caleb asks.
"You'd be surprised at the things that interest me." Liza responded. "I really don't watch much television though. You know, the news once in awhile. But, mostly, I never watch TV except the occasional soap – I have one that I've watched for nearly 30 years now… it left the air so, I don't now -"
Caleb breaks in, "Your life is a soap Liza." They both laugh in agreement.
"I'll bet I could write one too." Liza responds. "But really, this show I really liked was, 'Man vs. Wild.'
"Never heard of it." Caleb says, "And, it is not polite to talk about other gorgeous men when you're on a date with one."
Liza laughs large. "I just can't believe you've never watched the show? It is really right up your alley, Caleb. You being a mountain man and all, you'd completely identify with this show."
"Okay, you've spiked my interest. What's this, Bear guy, and this, Wildman show about?" Caleb asks her with a smile.
Liza smiles at him, her eyes sparkle in the candlelight. "Well, if you're sure you want to hear about it?"
"I do, please, go on. Tell me."
"Okay, it's about this guy who was once a Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve, I don't know if he was like in the war or something but, anyways he has, or had, his own show on National Geographic? Oh, boy, you have been out of touch with the real world for too long. So, in the show, he goes out into the wildest parts of the world and survives with nothing more then a pin knife and his boot strings. He has a camera crew follow him, but they don't help him in any way whatsoever. It is really interesting!"
"Hmmm…" Caleb responds. "Interesting, I guess."
"No, really, Caleb. I just thought you'd find the show most familiar to your way of life up there in the mountains and all."
"Actually, I sort of do. I guess I'll have to turn the TV on once in awhile – or maybe I can come over and watch, The Bear, with you?" He smiles at her with a glimmer in his eyes and one brow lifted slightly.
"I don't think the show is on the air anymore. At least, I've not seen it in awhile… I don't get much TV time these days." She tells him.
Caleb then begins to tells her of his own survival stories, in the mountains. Stories of hunting, ice fishing, deep snow storms and how Erica ended all the fun by crashing into his cabin. The night moves on and the two of them laugh, drink champagne and truly enjoy each other's company.
As David and Cara end their kiss, they hear a throat clear and the noise startles them to realize that they are not alone in the room.
"Cara?" Griffin interrupts them. "Your patient in room 210 needs to see you. I tried to talk with her, but she insists on seeing you. She said that you told her you would come in tonight and she is insisting on seeing only you."
"Oh, okay. Thanks, Griff. I'll go now." Cara says, looking surprised and adjusting her lipstick with one finger.
"Griffin? Nice of you to interrupt." David says a bit sarcastically.
"David." Cara cautions him.
"Okay, Cara. I'm sorry." David says as he exits the room.
Griffin and Cara walk the opposite direction and their conversations are heard by only them.
As David leaves them, he sees that Marissa is moved into the recovery room. Talking briefly with the surgeon he is confident that Marissa is stable and will make a full recovery. The surgeon tells him that her collar bone is fractured, but should heal well without their further intervention.
Feeling the flood of relief roll over him, exhaustion quickly begins to claim him. He looks at his watch, goes back to the now empty observatory room to grab his coat and heads for the elevator. Deciding to skip any food, as he has not had dinner, he looks for a place to rest for awhile, before morning arrives. The staff locker rooms become his decided destination and he hopes there is a quiet room with a bunk open for him.
Stepping into the elevator he nods towards Brot, acknowledging him already standing inside the elevator. Brot merely stares ahead, as David pushes the button for the sixth floor, and watches as the doors close on them.
After a moment of silence, David opens his month to speak, but is silenced as Brot states, "Natalia is dead." His voice is harsh and ragged, although the statement is void of emotion.
David looks to him to see he is hardened and serious. David couldn't say he knew Brot well, but in the time they had spent together, he had known Brot to be a good man. A good cop. A strong man. A soldier. But as he looked at him now, hard, cold and devastated, holding together the fragmented pieces of himself, and then erecting a wall to hide the pain, or maybe to hold himself together. It only made David feel worse. This news, intensified how truly dire the nights events have been. Brot tried to look strong, but the wound was fresh and his face barely allowed him to disguise his pain.
Marissa was injured, badly, but she didn't die. She'd wake up. And although she may hate the sight of him, he could still watch her gain strength, and go on to live a happy life.
Brot had lost that. Entirely. Not another second to tell his girlfriend - or now, fiancé - he loved her. He just announced that they were engaged. They were at the very beginning of a joy filled life. And that very night, she was gone. How cruel are the Fates?
After a moment of silence, David replies in a low voice, "I know. I am sorry. I offer my deepest condolences, Brot. I'm so sorry for your loss." and as he waits for a reply or even a shift in Brot's vision, he finds none. "If it makes you feel any better," David continues, "the pain gets easier. Over time. Things will get better."
"I won't have to miss her for long." Brot's voice clears slightly and begins to seem more human, "I'll be with her again soon."
"What?" David asks, extremely puzzled and shocked at what Brot's plans might be.