Dirty little secret
"Technically speaking I am John's aunt." Alice said as she shook Abby's hand.
"Technically?" Abby looked at John questioningly. John smiled and shrugged. It was too long a story for the lounge.
"John, I'm going to be at the house for the duration of my visit. I'll see you there. Nice to have met you Abby" She said and left the lounge, calling a cab on her cell phone.
"A technical aunt, well that's a new one" Abby said
"Lets grab a bite to eat and I'll tell you all about it" He said seeing an opportunity to talk to Abby to reconnect in a small way. Abby agreed and they walked over to Doc Magoo's.
Alice's cab was stuck in traffic, but she didn't care, she was not in any hurry to get to the Carter Mansion. She had a feeling why the clan was gathering and it always made her uncomfortable to be around the entire family. She could handle them individually but not as a group. The funeral had been the last time she had been to Chicago and her discussions with Millicent had brought about this current "reunion". Lost in here thoughts she didn't realize what was happening at first, but she was shook from her thoughts as a car slammed into the cab? Alice was tossed around the back seat like a doll. The driver hit his head on the windshield and blood seemed to go everywhere. Horns were blaring, glass was breaking it was chaos. When everything seemed to stop, Alice felt okay, no her arm was hurting. A face peered into the window.
"Are you okay, I'm a doctor do you need help?" He yelled above the noise.
"No just my arm, but I think the driver is hurt severely. " She said, " I have a phone do I need to call 911?"
"No, I've done that, this was a bad accident, four or five vehicles involved" the man said as he checked the driver. A paramedic came to the cab. The doctor told him the driver was DOA and that there was an injury in the back seat. Alice got out of the cab and lifted her hand to the paramedic. "Probably a sprain, can you handle this? We have some really serious injuries up the block?" the paramedic asked the doctor.
"Yeah, my night is shot anyway." He said and flipped open a phone. He turned away from Alice but she heard his tell someone he had to go back to work, but to keep the bed warm until he got back.
"Look, I'm okay, I just want to go home, I can see a doctor later. I'd hate for you to miss your 'appointment'. " She said lacing her voice with humor, The tone of her voice made the man turn around and look at her. She was a tall, with dark hair, well-dressed woman. She had a twinkle in her eye that made him know she had heard his remarks on the phone.
"By all means a warm bed beats a cold hospital in my book" She smirked
"Let me take a look at that arm" He lifted it up "No, I think I need to get you to the ER. This looks serious" He flirted with her. "You can never be too careful"
"I promise you being too careful had never been my strong suit" Alice remarked
"My car is a few blocks away let me take you to get this arm x-rayed," He said leading her away from the cab.
"How do I know I'm safe with you?" She laughed knowing the paramedic had recognized the doctor "Do you have some kind of identification?"
"Dr. Robert Romano – Chief of Surgery at County General- at your service" He said as he bowed elaborately.
"Technically speaking I am John's aunt." Alice said as she shook Abby's hand.
"Technically?" Abby looked at John questioningly. John smiled and shrugged. It was too long a story for the lounge.
"John, I'm going to be at the house for the duration of my visit. I'll see you there. Nice to have met you Abby" She said and left the lounge, calling a cab on her cell phone.
"A technical aunt, well that's a new one" Abby said
"Lets grab a bite to eat and I'll tell you all about it" He said seeing an opportunity to talk to Abby to reconnect in a small way. Abby agreed and they walked over to Doc Magoo's.
Alice's cab was stuck in traffic, but she didn't care, she was not in any hurry to get to the Carter Mansion. She had a feeling why the clan was gathering and it always made her uncomfortable to be around the entire family. She could handle them individually but not as a group. The funeral had been the last time she had been to Chicago and her discussions with Millicent had brought about this current "reunion". Lost in here thoughts she didn't realize what was happening at first, but she was shook from her thoughts as a car slammed into the cab? Alice was tossed around the back seat like a doll. The driver hit his head on the windshield and blood seemed to go everywhere. Horns were blaring, glass was breaking it was chaos. When everything seemed to stop, Alice felt okay, no her arm was hurting. A face peered into the window.
"Are you okay, I'm a doctor do you need help?" He yelled above the noise.
"No just my arm, but I think the driver is hurt severely. " She said, " I have a phone do I need to call 911?"
"No, I've done that, this was a bad accident, four or five vehicles involved" the man said as he checked the driver. A paramedic came to the cab. The doctor told him the driver was DOA and that there was an injury in the back seat. Alice got out of the cab and lifted her hand to the paramedic. "Probably a sprain, can you handle this? We have some really serious injuries up the block?" the paramedic asked the doctor.
"Yeah, my night is shot anyway." He said and flipped open a phone. He turned away from Alice but she heard his tell someone he had to go back to work, but to keep the bed warm until he got back.
"Look, I'm okay, I just want to go home, I can see a doctor later. I'd hate for you to miss your 'appointment'. " She said lacing her voice with humor, The tone of her voice made the man turn around and look at her. She was a tall, with dark hair, well-dressed woman. She had a twinkle in her eye that made him know she had heard his remarks on the phone.
"By all means a warm bed beats a cold hospital in my book" She smirked
"Let me take a look at that arm" He lifted it up "No, I think I need to get you to the ER. This looks serious" He flirted with her. "You can never be too careful"
"I promise you being too careful had never been my strong suit" Alice remarked
"My car is a few blocks away let me take you to get this arm x-rayed," He said leading her away from the cab.
"How do I know I'm safe with you?" She laughed knowing the paramedic had recognized the doctor "Do you have some kind of identification?"
"Dr. Robert Romano – Chief of Surgery at County General- at your service" He said as he bowed elaborately.