Autor's Note
So, I understand that the pandemic was brutal, but I feel the season be a little forced at the end, and it was actually quite rushed, so I imagine a chapter in between the 15 and16, but I DON'T own anything, only Shonda does...
Italian is also not my mother tongue, so you find the translations at the top, and then you'll see it on the story...
As always, English is not my mother tongue, so I appreciate your support for any corrections.
A little context before my missing chapter…
– Hey, can I ask you a question?
– Yeah
– Are we just not going to talk about the fact that you're engaged?
All yell in happiness
– Thanks, thanks, nothing like getting engaged and then sending your fiancé into the COVID hot spot two days later.
– Wait, she still has to go?
– Yeah, but only for a month now, just until the marriage visa comes through…
– Congrats captain, sorry we miss it.
– Hey, firehouse wedding right, please, please come on, please say we are doing a lesbian firehouse wedding
– I can barely get Carina to agree to a marriage, I doubt the will be a wedding, but there will definitely be a registry
– Of course, it will be…
* - * - * Italian translations * - * - *
Grazie per essere venuto con me, Gabri – Thanks for coming with me, Gabriela (Gabri is meant as endearment)
Sai che sono sempre qui per te – You know I always be here for you
Bambina – Baby girl
Tesoro – Treasure (In this case is used as the endearment 'Honey')
Si – Yes
Io? sei pazzo? – Me? Are you crazy?
* - * - * My chapter * - * - *
Maya is walking with Carina through the gates of the airport, almost ready to be without her girl for a month…
– You don't know how much I'll miss you.
– I'll miss you too. – They share a kiss and then hear the calling for the flight on the speakers.
– I love you… – They whisper to each other while Carina walks through the gates and onto the plane…
- * - ONE WEEK LATER - * -
Two figures got down from a convertible car a few meters from the dock in the beautiful lake in San Lorenzo, one of them is carrying white roses and the other is carrying an urn, they wait for a boat to get closer and after a few minutes of leaving the dock, they stop in the middle of the lake, where they spread the ashes and leave the roses to float around, Gabriela holding tight on Carina, keeping her from breaking, after a few minutes they come back to the shore and walk a little bit, enjoying a very needed day off, after a week of losing patients…
– Grazie per essere venuto con me, Gabri...
– Sai che sono sempre qui per te, but there is also someone else here...
Carina looks at Gabriela and notices that she is holding his cellphone with Maya on a video call, Gabriela gives the cellphone to Carina and goes back to the car…
– Hi honey, I could not let you do this by yourself, I know Gabriela is going to be there, but I wanted to be with you for a little bit…even in the distance…
– Bambina, is almost midnight there, are you at work?
– Yes, I'm pulling a double.
– Maya, you need to rest…
– I…Ok, this may sound cheesy but, I can't sleep at home without you anymore, I tried the first few nights, but I couldn't, so I'll put in some extra time…
– Is only three more weeks, bambina and then we'll have forever…
Maya smile at the camera, they look at each other for a little bit before the sirens sounded on Maya side, they said goodbye and Carina went back to Gabriela who drove them to the villa where Carina was staying and spend the rest of the day sleeping since they had another week of work ahead of them.
- * - TWO WEEKS LATER - * -
ITALY
They were taking sips of tea on the porch of the villa watching some other doctors come in to rest, Carina had been incredibly helpful sharing some of the things she had seen with Bailey and Webber on the COVID floor, from the sterilization and reused of the masks to the sharing of the ventilators and the need of family bonds. She even had used the previous weekend off to visit her father, but he was on one of his manic episodes and the visit didn't go well, she was sad since she probably won't be back in Italy in at least three years, per the requirement of the marriage visa she needs to stay at least two years on US soil…
Gabriela took her back from the memory of the visit…
– Ready for your last week in this pandemic hell?
– I don't think I had done enough, Gabri, I like to stay a bit more, but at the same time, I can wait to hold her again and kiss her…
– Si, si, no bragging in front of the single ones, some of the doctors and nurses are very jealous of you right now and the ones that had a glimpse of her during any of your late or early calls are double jealous of you…
– But not you?
– Io? Sei pazzo? I love my freedom…besides, I don't think I will find someone that loves me as much as that little blonde loves you…or love someone the way you love her…
– You know, Andrea used to think that we were going to end up together, but I always told him that we didn't have the magic of a couple, just the passing spark of lover's attraction, but nothing permanent…
– Si, we had our good times, but we were more like an outlet on a very stressful time in our lives, besides we only become friends when we stop sleeping together, and then become even best friends and will be friends for the rest of our lives, but nothing more, – Gabriela smiled– Did you tell that to the little blonde? – Carina looks at her – she was a little terrified when I meet her…
– Yes, she was feeling treated, but we worked it out…
They keep talking about lighter subjects and enjoying the fresh air after the confinement of the hospital…
SEATTLE
Maya was doing paperwork in the office when Andy entered…
– Captain, the shift is over and the guys are going to Hughes restaurant to help, it's still going to take a couple of weeks to get everything inside in order to have customers, but they were able to reopen the delivery service once the kitchen got clean… – Maya didn't even look at her.
– I have a few things to do and then I have class, so maybe I swing by for food later, but I can't go now…
– Class? What are you learning?
– Italian. – Andy looks at her in surprise, but Maya didn't look up – I can feel your skepticism but I want to learn a bit before Carina comes back, I want to say a few words to her in Italian and I don't want to sound like a fool…
– Did you already convince Carina to had a wedding?
– No, I'm not sure about having a wedding, remember the disaster of the proposal? I'm preparing the apartment for her to come back, but we haven't spoken about it…
– Right…well you have only one week more before she comes back, so…
– I know Andy, go, go to the restaurant, I'll see you guys there later, oh and Andy – Maya looked at her – don't tell anyone about me studying Italian, I want it to be a surprise…
Andy left the office and went with the guys to help on the restaurant, while Maya got to change and went to his apartment, where she had hooked the TV and was taking the class remotely with an Italian immigrant that she had found on one of the classifieds online…
- * - ONE WEEK LATER - * -
ITALY
Gabriela had taken Carina to the airport, but they got annoyed with the bureaucracy of the American government, Carina had several negative results, the last one the day before, as medical personal, she had a lot of them taken during the past month, even so, they force her to spend two weeks on quarantine, before allowing her to fly back to the States…
– What I'm going to do for two weeks?! – Carina was yelling to Maya from the little hotel room she was assigned near to the airport where she was being quarantined… – It's insane…
– I agree with you, but there must be something you haven't had the time to do? maybe read a book, or catch up with medical journals, enjoy the time off…
– You are not helping…
– What about the registry? – Carina looked at her surprised – You may want something we don't have at the apartment, and maybe one of our acquaintances will buy it for us…
– You don't want to add things?
– You know me, I'm practical and functional, you bring life to the apartment so…what about a house? – Carina almost trip – Too soon?
– Let's go through the marriage signature first and then we'll see…
– About that, what about a little gathering? – Carina got sited – I know that my the proposal was awful, and it was messy and we both were horrible, yours was beautiful but the messiness was still lingering, so, maybe we can do a little gathering, our closest friends, all in the bubble, rapid tests, just exchange vows and let the past be past, we already did all the paperwork, the only thing left is going to the public office and sign, so maybe one of our friends can become a minister and we can get married in something more personal that the clerk offices, do a little gathering, something more cheerful after the year we had, after all, that happens, – Maya was being very soft and sounded a little contained for Carina surprise, she sounded scared at the mere mention of something that may put her on the edge, Maya was not being pushy, just trying to be better – think about it ok? And get us a great registry… – Carina was about to speak when the sirens save Maya – I got to go, but call me at any time ok, I'll call you as soon as we get back…
Carina stayed seated on the couch thinking about Maya's words, and her own fears…
SEATTLE
The team was wrapping up the scene, it had been a small two-store building fire, and it weren't any civilians casualties…
– I'll mention to Carina the idea of the wedding… – Maya was looking at Andy – I think I mess up a little the delivery…
– You would… – Maya looked at her, – only if you don't want to, only if you don't want to have that for yourself, I know we all need a party and to celebrate, but if you don't want to, don't do it, and not force Carina to do it, you girls will be married anyway so, take your time, we'll find a reason to get a party…
Maya was thinking about it, for a couple of hours more, then on impulse, she calls Carina and they enjoy a light conversation while Carina is making herself dinner, and Maya walks to the kitchen for something to eat, after that, they eat in silence, just watching at each other…
– I thought about what you said, about the party…
– Carina, it was out of line, I understand you don't believe in the institution and a party is maybe too much.
– Yes, it may be too much, but I also thought that maybe we can use it as a fresh start, we move on from our demons, so to speak.
– So, do you want to?
– Yes, I would like to…but, you take care of the place, not the apartment, is small, but maybe something else, I'll send you the link for the registry and you tell me if you want something else to add.
They spent the rest of the meal with lighter topics or so since Maya asks about Carina's father and Carina asks Maya if her parents and brother will be at the wedding…
– We should invite your mother to stay with us, she shouldn't be trapped with her abuser...
– Carina…
– Bambina, we have space, Andy got back with her husband and the apartment is big, we work long shifts, think about it.
Maya look at Carina with intensity for a little bit, eventually, they finished the call and Carina went to sleep, while Maya went out into a new emergency…
- * - TWO WEEKS LATER - * -
SEATTLE
– Hughes, is everything on schedule? – Maya was talking to Vic over the coms in the truck – Carina arrives in two days and I like to tell her that everything is set…
– Yes captain, everything is ready, the tables were delivered today, my parents are taking all the measurements for distancing today, they were tested, so we can have them on the bubble and the flowers will be there the morning of the event, so they will be fresh…
– Excellent… – Maya calls Ben on the aid car – Warren, you finish the course? Are you ready?
– Don't worry captain, everything is good
– Thanks Warren, I just want everything to be perfect…
All of them were happy, despite the fact that they were going to a fire in the middle of the suburbs…
ITALY
– Dr. DeLuca, – a faceless airport staffer – your latest test was negative and we were able to put you on an earlier flight, you can leave in a couple of hours…
– Ah, thank you…
– Oh, by the way, a package came for you yesterday afternoon, we sanitize it and this morning we packed it back, it will be on the plane with you, – he extended a card for her – This is from my cousin store in Seattle, he has a luxury dry cleaner and I took the liberty, along with some of the other staffers to send it there as arrive, he will take care of it, and it will be our gift.
– I don't…
– Doctor, we know you were shipped back for the visa, but I had family as well as other members of the staff on Palo Calvino, they told us about the tireless effort of the doctors, thanks to you and others there, they are recovered, they heard about you leaving and why, and we talk with Doctor Aurora, she vouches that this was for love, so we pitch in and in addition to the service of my cousin we add a gift of your list, hopefully, you and your wife enjoy it.
Carina was containing the tears – Thank you.
– We know you need to stay there for two years, until the residency is granted but, come after that, bring your wife, we will give you an authentic Italian welcome.
– I will.
– I'll come to pick you up 10 minutes before the flight, all the paperwork is already done. – he turns around to leave, but came back again – By the way, he has a space to change so you can go there and get dress, that way your soon-to-be-bride will not see you before the vows. - he winked to her.
– Thank you. – Carina closed the door and finish packing her bags, she had packed them all during the day, she was anxious to go home…
SEATTLE
The truck had stopped in front of a residential home, the neighborhood was one of the inclusive ones, so they learn that the family was Spanish speaking.
– Herrera, Sullivan, take the front, Gibson, Miller, the back, Hughes, prepare the hoses, the chief is on his way, by the book guys…
They had dropped the boy at the hospital, she along with Andy and Sullivan were call to the office of the chief, Maya didn't understand why the chief requested Sullivan, but they were waiting, he calls first Herrera and Sullivan, Andy had left and Maya was puzzled, finally she had entered the office…
– This is going to be quick Captain, – Chief McAllister went directly to the point – You disobey a direct order, there will be an internal review, and you will be informed of the results, I see you request four days off, starting tomorrow, I already granted them, I send the authorization to your email, your recommendation was that Lt. Herrera takes over but, she also defied the order, so I denied it, Lt. Gibson will be in charge for the four days. Dismissed.
– Thank you, sir. – Maya was puzzled; she was expecting something different or worse…
All of it vanished, when she saw a message from Carina, "got an early flight, be there by tomorrow at 2, instead of 6" and she had enclosed the flight information and Maya's heart skip a bit, she got back to the station and tell everyone the news, she finds them on the lounge…
– Guys listen up, Chief McAllister approve my leave, and appointed Gibson to be on charge these four days, please be respectful and don't trash the station…
– Captain, you look extremely happy, is a little disturbing, you have never being this happy about not being working… – Jack said before anyone else said it.
– Well, I just receive a message, my fiancé got an early flight, she'll be here four hours earlier, so I'm beyond happy. Let's finish the shift without incidents, and the next time I see you guys will be at my wedding, – and she left the lounge and several very disturbed firefighters…
– Are we sure that was the Captain? Are we dreaming? – Travis just can't believe it.
– Yep, she was captain, but is disturbing how happy she is… – Added Jack.
– Let it be, she is going to give us a party and we'll all need it – Added Dean.
- * - THE NEXT DAY - * -
There she was, at the gate of international flights waiting for her soon-to-be-wife to come back…
When the doors got open, they lock eyes and they run into each other, kissing like there was no tomorrow…
– I miss you…
– Me too, but tomorrow, you'll be my wife…
– Tomorrow, our future stars.
Maya circle her waist and together they leave the airport…