Disclaimer: See Part One
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Kristin sank tiredly against the wall after having seen that Mr. And Mrs. Johnson and their new baby girl and Michael were well in the hands of the paramedics. She watched as they carried Michael off the plane and down the ramp. Debra then began ushering more worried passengers off the plane. The doctor ran her hand through her hair and then began to wonder where Lucas had disappeared. She hadn't seen him since he let Rocco take over for him. Seeing Debra fairly close she went over to her, maybe she had seen Lucas. "Debra have you seen Lucas?"
She nodded and pointed over some passenger's heads where the young man lay with his head back and sleeping soundly. Kristin nodded and moved toward the young man. He really did look peaceful and Kristin hated to wake him but she doubted that he wanted to stay on this plane any longer than necessary. The doctor crouched down on her hind legs and gently shook the sleeping form. Slowly Lucas opened his eyes and glanced over at the doctor. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them. "How's Mrs. Johnson, Doc?"
Kristin rose and spoke to the boy. "She's fine Lucas. She and Rocco have a beautiful baby girl."
He nodded and stood up and Kristin moved back to allow him to enter the aisle with her. "So Lucas do you want to get out of here or go back to sleep for a while?"
Lucas shot her one of his 'Duh, you got to be kidding' looks and began taking the bags down from the compartment. He then moved forward to grab his laptop and the other bag from the front compartment. After gathering their things they headed out of the plane and slowly to the gate. No sooner did they step into the terminal than flash bulbs began going off and questions being thrown at them. Kristin tried to pull Lucas closer to her as they made their way outside but the reporters were being very insistent. Suddenly she found herself staring at her old friend, Doctor Joann Henderson. Joann turned around and addressed the reporters, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Wolenczak and Dr. Westphalen will make a statement later but right now they have had a very trying day and need to get some rest. Thank you."Â
Without another word she came up between Kristin and Lucas and pulled them each close to her and directed them out of the terminal and into her car. "Kristin you both relax. I'm going to get a porter to get your bags then we'll head for the house."
The older woman was too tired to argue and only nodded slightly and watched her young friend head back towards the terminal. She sighed and turned slightly and saw that Lucas had reclined out on the back seat and was again resting. Turning back around she began to realize how tired she was. The events of the day were finally catching up to her and she gently laid her head back and closed her eyes.
Kristin almost immediately opened her eyes again when she heard the trunk of the car slam shut. She watched as Joann paid the young man for handling the bags and then came over and slid in behind the wheel. Looking at her young colleague she realized how much she had changed. Her hair was lighter, her figure was slimmer and more profound, and she looked tanned and upbeat. Suddenly she became aware of her friend speaking to her. "Kristin are you all right?"
"Yes Joann I'm fine. Just finally allowing the events of the day to catch up with me. I want to thank you for handling those reporters, the pack of mad wolves. Don't care anything but that they have a story."
Joann laughed lightly and said, "It's no problem Kristin. I'm glad I was there to help. I'm assuming that is Lucas in the back seat."
Kristin nodded and said, "He's a little tired from today but before that he has been working a little too hard. I was hoping this trip would allow him to relax but so far it hasn't been very relaxing, for either of us."
"Well don't worry about that now, you can tell me about it later. For right now I'm going to take you and Lucas out to the house and let you rest. I have to go back to the hospital for about another 7 hours so I'm afraid we won't get a chance to catch up until in the morning. I've cleared my whole day tomorrow however so we can do some sight-seeing or whatever you all want to do."
"Joann we don't want to be a bother. We can stay at a hotel."
Her young friend cast one disapproving look over at Kristin and said, "You'll do no such thing. After all the times you put up with me when I visited from medical school how could you even think such a thing? You're staying at my place and that's all there is to it."
The older doctor nodded and silently was grateful for the chance to have some quiet time with Lucas and her friend of many years. Turning slightly she looked at the scenery as they made their way to Joann's house.
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Kristin sank tiredly against the wall after having seen that Mr. And Mrs. Johnson and their new baby girl and Michael were well in the hands of the paramedics. She watched as they carried Michael off the plane and down the ramp. Debra then began ushering more worried passengers off the plane. The doctor ran her hand through her hair and then began to wonder where Lucas had disappeared. She hadn't seen him since he let Rocco take over for him. Seeing Debra fairly close she went over to her, maybe she had seen Lucas. "Debra have you seen Lucas?"
She nodded and pointed over some passenger's heads where the young man lay with his head back and sleeping soundly. Kristin nodded and moved toward the young man. He really did look peaceful and Kristin hated to wake him but she doubted that he wanted to stay on this plane any longer than necessary. The doctor crouched down on her hind legs and gently shook the sleeping form. Slowly Lucas opened his eyes and glanced over at the doctor. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them. "How's Mrs. Johnson, Doc?"
Kristin rose and spoke to the boy. "She's fine Lucas. She and Rocco have a beautiful baby girl."
He nodded and stood up and Kristin moved back to allow him to enter the aisle with her. "So Lucas do you want to get out of here or go back to sleep for a while?"
Lucas shot her one of his 'Duh, you got to be kidding' looks and began taking the bags down from the compartment. He then moved forward to grab his laptop and the other bag from the front compartment. After gathering their things they headed out of the plane and slowly to the gate. No sooner did they step into the terminal than flash bulbs began going off and questions being thrown at them. Kristin tried to pull Lucas closer to her as they made their way outside but the reporters were being very insistent. Suddenly she found herself staring at her old friend, Doctor Joann Henderson. Joann turned around and addressed the reporters, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Wolenczak and Dr. Westphalen will make a statement later but right now they have had a very trying day and need to get some rest. Thank you."Â
Without another word she came up between Kristin and Lucas and pulled them each close to her and directed them out of the terminal and into her car. "Kristin you both relax. I'm going to get a porter to get your bags then we'll head for the house."
The older woman was too tired to argue and only nodded slightly and watched her young friend head back towards the terminal. She sighed and turned slightly and saw that Lucas had reclined out on the back seat and was again resting. Turning back around she began to realize how tired she was. The events of the day were finally catching up to her and she gently laid her head back and closed her eyes.
Kristin almost immediately opened her eyes again when she heard the trunk of the car slam shut. She watched as Joann paid the young man for handling the bags and then came over and slid in behind the wheel. Looking at her young colleague she realized how much she had changed. Her hair was lighter, her figure was slimmer and more profound, and she looked tanned and upbeat. Suddenly she became aware of her friend speaking to her. "Kristin are you all right?"
"Yes Joann I'm fine. Just finally allowing the events of the day to catch up with me. I want to thank you for handling those reporters, the pack of mad wolves. Don't care anything but that they have a story."
Joann laughed lightly and said, "It's no problem Kristin. I'm glad I was there to help. I'm assuming that is Lucas in the back seat."
Kristin nodded and said, "He's a little tired from today but before that he has been working a little too hard. I was hoping this trip would allow him to relax but so far it hasn't been very relaxing, for either of us."
"Well don't worry about that now, you can tell me about it later. For right now I'm going to take you and Lucas out to the house and let you rest. I have to go back to the hospital for about another 7 hours so I'm afraid we won't get a chance to catch up until in the morning. I've cleared my whole day tomorrow however so we can do some sight-seeing or whatever you all want to do."
"Joann we don't want to be a bother. We can stay at a hotel."
Her young friend cast one disapproving look over at Kristin and said, "You'll do no such thing. After all the times you put up with me when I visited from medical school how could you even think such a thing? You're staying at my place and that's all there is to it."
The older doctor nodded and silently was grateful for the chance to have some quiet time with Lucas and her friend of many years. Turning slightly she looked at the scenery as they made their way to Joann's house.