Chapter 5
At last, a day which brought some good news. Kim was stopped in her reluctant process through the ICU by one of the now familiar nurses.
"Dr Legaspi!" the young girl exclaimed breathlessly, "She's awake!"
"Oh, thank God." Kim cracked her first smile in what felt like forever.
She hurried through to her friend's room.
"Hey! How you feeling?"
Christy looked drained and weak, but otherwise almost her old self.
"Not so bad. You?"
"I'm good. Glad I could be here."
- -- - -- - -- - -- -
Downstairs, as always, her staff had the news before Kerry did. Abby approached, feeling a little of the old nervousness. She thought back to last summer, when the Chief had resembled a bomb waiting to go off.
"Uh, Kerry?" She was suddenly the focus of attention. "Have you heard -"
" - What now? Does nobody tell me anything round here?"
Abby thought she'd best get on with it.
"Dr Legaspi's friend - she's awake."
"Oh."
Kerry stood still, staring at some point just over Abby's shoulder.
"I have to go up there. Could you - ?"
"Go, I'll cover for you."
Weaver stood in front of the elevators, getting in when one eventually arrived. As it went up, she mused on the number of bad memories one little room could evoke - like watching the doors shut on Kim and their relationship. Clutching her crutch grimly, she forced her thoughts back to the present. It was Christy she was going to see. The woman had been her patient, after all.
But it wasn't her patient's voice she heard as she walked up to the door. Kim stopped abruptly when her former lover stepped in. Christy looked round, surprised, and smiled to see her new visitor.
"Kerry! I was wondering if we'd be seeing you."
Weaver turned gladly to face her, barely acknowledging Kim where she stood at the foot of the bed.
"Just wanted to make sure you're OK."
"I'm feeling pretty good, considering."
Christy felt she'd better continue, since no-one else seemed very communicative.
"Kim tells me I have you to thank for that."
Kerry glanced briefly in the other's direction before disclaiming hastily,
"Oh no, Robert did all the real work."
Another awkward silence. Neither Doctor seemed willing to break it. Christy looked from one to the other. She caught Kim watching the redhead surreptitiously, but Kerry would hardly look at her. There was something very odd going on here. From what her friend had told her of the break up, she'd expected...well definitely not this. It was like they'd never even been friends.
Kerry stirred herself, finally thinking of something relevant to say.
"I guess they'll be letting you out soon. Will you manage all right at home?"
"Yeah, I think so. Kim's gonna stay a few weeks."
"She is?" That did make Kerry turn around.
"You can leave your job for that long?"
Kim cringed inwardly, thinking 'She really wants me out of here.'
"It'll be fine," she answered, coolly.
On that note, Weaver mumbled an excuse and made her escape.
She sighed tiredly as she made her way downstairs. Kerry'd been assuming that Kim would leave as soon as her friend recovered. And now who knows how long she'd be around.
'You won't see her,' she told herself, 'Forget about it.'
But she knew that would never happen.
At last, a day which brought some good news. Kim was stopped in her reluctant process through the ICU by one of the now familiar nurses.
"Dr Legaspi!" the young girl exclaimed breathlessly, "She's awake!"
"Oh, thank God." Kim cracked her first smile in what felt like forever.
She hurried through to her friend's room.
"Hey! How you feeling?"
Christy looked drained and weak, but otherwise almost her old self.
"Not so bad. You?"
"I'm good. Glad I could be here."
- -- - -- - -- - -- -
Downstairs, as always, her staff had the news before Kerry did. Abby approached, feeling a little of the old nervousness. She thought back to last summer, when the Chief had resembled a bomb waiting to go off.
"Uh, Kerry?" She was suddenly the focus of attention. "Have you heard -"
" - What now? Does nobody tell me anything round here?"
Abby thought she'd best get on with it.
"Dr Legaspi's friend - she's awake."
"Oh."
Kerry stood still, staring at some point just over Abby's shoulder.
"I have to go up there. Could you - ?"
"Go, I'll cover for you."
Weaver stood in front of the elevators, getting in when one eventually arrived. As it went up, she mused on the number of bad memories one little room could evoke - like watching the doors shut on Kim and their relationship. Clutching her crutch grimly, she forced her thoughts back to the present. It was Christy she was going to see. The woman had been her patient, after all.
But it wasn't her patient's voice she heard as she walked up to the door. Kim stopped abruptly when her former lover stepped in. Christy looked round, surprised, and smiled to see her new visitor.
"Kerry! I was wondering if we'd be seeing you."
Weaver turned gladly to face her, barely acknowledging Kim where she stood at the foot of the bed.
"Just wanted to make sure you're OK."
"I'm feeling pretty good, considering."
Christy felt she'd better continue, since no-one else seemed very communicative.
"Kim tells me I have you to thank for that."
Kerry glanced briefly in the other's direction before disclaiming hastily,
"Oh no, Robert did all the real work."
Another awkward silence. Neither Doctor seemed willing to break it. Christy looked from one to the other. She caught Kim watching the redhead surreptitiously, but Kerry would hardly look at her. There was something very odd going on here. From what her friend had told her of the break up, she'd expected...well definitely not this. It was like they'd never even been friends.
Kerry stirred herself, finally thinking of something relevant to say.
"I guess they'll be letting you out soon. Will you manage all right at home?"
"Yeah, I think so. Kim's gonna stay a few weeks."
"She is?" That did make Kerry turn around.
"You can leave your job for that long?"
Kim cringed inwardly, thinking 'She really wants me out of here.'
"It'll be fine," she answered, coolly.
On that note, Weaver mumbled an excuse and made her escape.
She sighed tiredly as she made her way downstairs. Kerry'd been assuming that Kim would leave as soon as her friend recovered. And now who knows how long she'd be around.
'You won't see her,' she told herself, 'Forget about it.'
But she knew that would never happen.