Chapter 2
A day passed, then another. The following night, a Friday, Kerry was on the late shift. As things were relatively quiet downstairs, she went up to check on Christy, as she'd been doing a least once a shift since the woman came in. The ICU nurses had rarely seen Weaver so worried about a patient.
On entering the small, darkened room, Kerry felt her breath catch in her throat. Even in the dim half-light, she could never mistake the figure sitting by the bed, back to the door. Her curly mane of her gave her away. Likewise, Kim stiffened, hearing the well-remembered halting step of her former friend.
Steeling herself, Kerry stepped forward, moving to the charts at the end of the bed.
"Dr Legaspi."
"Dr Weaver."
Kim did not turn around, answering with matching formality. Weaver hid her face, busying herself with the charts.
"How is she?" asked Kim, her voice betraying nothing but concern for her friend.
"Recovering well." Kerry still didn't look up. "Robert did a good job. But she's suffered a huge shock. Right now she just needs to rest."
"She will wake up?"
Kim revealed a sudden, surprising vulnerability, fear plainly evident in her voice.
"Oh yes, any time now."
The blonde sighed in relief.
"Thank you, Kerry."
"There's no need."
She blushed slightly.
"You took her in, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Then I have every reason to thank you."
For the first time, their eyes met. In the brief few seconds before Kim got up abruptly and began pacing the room, Kerry was shocked at the strain in her face. Legaspi looked, quite frankly, terrible. Her sudden recall to Chicago had clearly taken its toll.
Kerry was genuinely concerned, but thought it best to remain safely on the far side of the bed.
"When did you last eat - or sleep?"
"God knows."
"Honestly Kim," the other woman looked up briefly at the sound of her name, "Do you want to end up in here with her?"
Kim made no answer, just returned to her chair, looking wearily down at Christy.
"I'll get one of the nurses to bring you something. You really should get a room somewhere, though. I've been checking on her whenever I can, I'll call you if there's any change."
"I don't want to bother you, Kerry," she responded, coolly.
"It's no trouble."
She looked up, but Kim was apparently fascinated by the worn hospital bed-sheets.
"If it's OK, I'll stay here tonight."
"Of course...You know where I am if you change your mind."
Gingerly, Kerry stepped around her and out of the door. Her heart pounding, she limped off down the corridor, feeling Kim's eyes on her back.
The psychiatrist was watching, and noticed that Weaver seemed different, somehow. Not physically, although she had returned to the messy, pixie haircut that Kim had loved when they first met. But there was definitely something. The way Kerry had spoken to her, with no trace of her former defensiveness. The way she looked now as she walked away - where was the brisk impatience Kim remembered, her air of always wanting to be somewhere else. And how she stopped to acknowledge the passing staff - kindly, almost indulgently. Was this the uncompromising hard-ass Kim had known?
As she rode back in the elevator, Kerry's thoughts were on a similar theme. Kim had looked slightly older, but if possible, more beautiful than before. She was lean and sun-tanned, her hair longer and lighter. The California climate had clearly agreed with her. But she had been so cold, so unyielding - such a far cry from the teasing camaraderie of their short-lived romance. Not that Kerry blamed her. Over the past year, she had come to understand how deeply Kim had been hurt, how she had driven her away. Kerry hoped that knowledge had changed her, that the old Dr Weaver was no more. And she was pretty sure that change had been for the better.
- -- - -- - -- - -- -
The following afternoon, Christy, or rather Kim, had another visitor. Don Anspaugh walked in and warmly greeted his old favourite. He sat down opposite her, clearly with something on his mind. After a few minutes small talk, he got to the point;
"Have you seen Doctor Weaver?"
"Yes." An awkward pause. "She looked well."
"She is, now."
Unlike many of the older staff, Anspaugh had been firmly on Weaver's side throughout her struggles with Romano. He had grown to respect Kerry for her fire, her determination to do what was right. And he wanted Kim to hear what had really happened before the scandal reached her.
He continued;
"After you left, we all thought she might not make it."
"We?"
Kim couldn't think who he was talking about.
"Everyone knew, Kim. It was very hard for her. After what she said to Robert, he almost fired her."
"What? Why?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"She told him."
He paused dramatically, and at Kim's questioning look, nodded.
"Rumour was she threatened quitting, legal action, everything. And when he wouldn't back down, she went AWOL for nearly a month. The ER was a shambles. They say he begged her to come back."
"My god, I had no idea."
Kim was astounded. When Kerry had said she'd fight for her, she never thought...
"Well now you know."
Don left her to her thoughts. After a while, Kim could stand it no longer, and decided she needed some air. Purely from habit (as she told herself), she headed out through the ER. But as she turned the corner from the elevators, Kim was stopped dead. She saw Kerry on her way out, her arm around another woman. The Chief looked back to say her goodbyes, with a parting shot directed at the nurses round the desk, and never had Kim seen her so at ease...so happy.
Kim turned right back around, wishing herself anywhere but here, now - with her.
A day passed, then another. The following night, a Friday, Kerry was on the late shift. As things were relatively quiet downstairs, she went up to check on Christy, as she'd been doing a least once a shift since the woman came in. The ICU nurses had rarely seen Weaver so worried about a patient.
On entering the small, darkened room, Kerry felt her breath catch in her throat. Even in the dim half-light, she could never mistake the figure sitting by the bed, back to the door. Her curly mane of her gave her away. Likewise, Kim stiffened, hearing the well-remembered halting step of her former friend.
Steeling herself, Kerry stepped forward, moving to the charts at the end of the bed.
"Dr Legaspi."
"Dr Weaver."
Kim did not turn around, answering with matching formality. Weaver hid her face, busying herself with the charts.
"How is she?" asked Kim, her voice betraying nothing but concern for her friend.
"Recovering well." Kerry still didn't look up. "Robert did a good job. But she's suffered a huge shock. Right now she just needs to rest."
"She will wake up?"
Kim revealed a sudden, surprising vulnerability, fear plainly evident in her voice.
"Oh yes, any time now."
The blonde sighed in relief.
"Thank you, Kerry."
"There's no need."
She blushed slightly.
"You took her in, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Then I have every reason to thank you."
For the first time, their eyes met. In the brief few seconds before Kim got up abruptly and began pacing the room, Kerry was shocked at the strain in her face. Legaspi looked, quite frankly, terrible. Her sudden recall to Chicago had clearly taken its toll.
Kerry was genuinely concerned, but thought it best to remain safely on the far side of the bed.
"When did you last eat - or sleep?"
"God knows."
"Honestly Kim," the other woman looked up briefly at the sound of her name, "Do you want to end up in here with her?"
Kim made no answer, just returned to her chair, looking wearily down at Christy.
"I'll get one of the nurses to bring you something. You really should get a room somewhere, though. I've been checking on her whenever I can, I'll call you if there's any change."
"I don't want to bother you, Kerry," she responded, coolly.
"It's no trouble."
She looked up, but Kim was apparently fascinated by the worn hospital bed-sheets.
"If it's OK, I'll stay here tonight."
"Of course...You know where I am if you change your mind."
Gingerly, Kerry stepped around her and out of the door. Her heart pounding, she limped off down the corridor, feeling Kim's eyes on her back.
The psychiatrist was watching, and noticed that Weaver seemed different, somehow. Not physically, although she had returned to the messy, pixie haircut that Kim had loved when they first met. But there was definitely something. The way Kerry had spoken to her, with no trace of her former defensiveness. The way she looked now as she walked away - where was the brisk impatience Kim remembered, her air of always wanting to be somewhere else. And how she stopped to acknowledge the passing staff - kindly, almost indulgently. Was this the uncompromising hard-ass Kim had known?
As she rode back in the elevator, Kerry's thoughts were on a similar theme. Kim had looked slightly older, but if possible, more beautiful than before. She was lean and sun-tanned, her hair longer and lighter. The California climate had clearly agreed with her. But she had been so cold, so unyielding - such a far cry from the teasing camaraderie of their short-lived romance. Not that Kerry blamed her. Over the past year, she had come to understand how deeply Kim had been hurt, how she had driven her away. Kerry hoped that knowledge had changed her, that the old Dr Weaver was no more. And she was pretty sure that change had been for the better.
- -- - -- - -- - -- -
The following afternoon, Christy, or rather Kim, had another visitor. Don Anspaugh walked in and warmly greeted his old favourite. He sat down opposite her, clearly with something on his mind. After a few minutes small talk, he got to the point;
"Have you seen Doctor Weaver?"
"Yes." An awkward pause. "She looked well."
"She is, now."
Unlike many of the older staff, Anspaugh had been firmly on Weaver's side throughout her struggles with Romano. He had grown to respect Kerry for her fire, her determination to do what was right. And he wanted Kim to hear what had really happened before the scandal reached her.
He continued;
"After you left, we all thought she might not make it."
"We?"
Kim couldn't think who he was talking about.
"Everyone knew, Kim. It was very hard for her. After what she said to Robert, he almost fired her."
"What? Why?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"She told him."
He paused dramatically, and at Kim's questioning look, nodded.
"Rumour was she threatened quitting, legal action, everything. And when he wouldn't back down, she went AWOL for nearly a month. The ER was a shambles. They say he begged her to come back."
"My god, I had no idea."
Kim was astounded. When Kerry had said she'd fight for her, she never thought...
"Well now you know."
Don left her to her thoughts. After a while, Kim could stand it no longer, and decided she needed some air. Purely from habit (as she told herself), she headed out through the ER. But as she turned the corner from the elevators, Kim was stopped dead. She saw Kerry on her way out, her arm around another woman. The Chief looked back to say her goodbyes, with a parting shot directed at the nurses round the desk, and never had Kim seen her so at ease...so happy.
Kim turned right back around, wishing herself anywhere but here, now - with her.