That first night after Jackie left her and Hyde's house was a complete
blur. She could barely remember how she got from one place to the next.
The next few days after that were pretty much the same. She walked around
her parent's house like a zombie. Her parents' house was still empty of
course but it was the only place she had left to go to. She felt so empty
inside. She was finally numb from crying for several days straight. Donna
had tried to comfort her but she had been inconsolable. Hyde had tried to
find her but Donna covered for her and said she didn't know where she was
after she dropped her off at a friend's house. Jackie just wanted to put
the memory of that terrible night behind her.
She'd already made a major decision about the direction of her life. She was going to transfer colleges. Her Uncle was a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. He had pulled a few strings for her and got her transferred. Luckily the Fall semester had just started a few weeks ago so she would get in just under the wire. She was going to enroll in the nursing program. Steven's apparent feelings about her character left a lasting mark on her. He considered her to be stupid, shallow, and selfish among other unpleasant things. She was going to prove them all wrong. She had tried so hard to be a better person, the person Steven wanted her to be, but apparently it hadn't been enough. She knew the classes would be hard and eventually it would be gross but she would just have to get over her squeamishness. She wanted to prove that she was better than everybody thought she was. She also wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't the pampered princess she was known for being. Things were going to change.
A few days after her and Steven's breakup Donna helped her load all her belongings into a rented U-Haul truck. Donna had tried to no avail to talk her out of making this drastic change but once Jackie had made up her mind nothing could change it. They tearfully hugged each other goodbye. Jackie assured Donna that she would be alright and they would keep in touch. She made Donna swear not to tell Steven where she had gone and Donna had reluctantly agreed to keep that and a few other pieces of information secret.
Northwestern University was a very hard school. Jackie had to study practically every waking moment to keep up with her classes. She kept pretty much to herself and didn't have but a few acquaintances. She was living with her Aunt and Uncle in Evanston. They lived only a few blocks from the campus which was very convenient.
To her great surprise Jackie was doing very well in her classes and her clinicals. Since she spent practically all her time studying to keep up with her classes time seemed to fly by in blink of an eye. Before she knew it a year had passed, than another year, and then another year.
Because of summer school she was able to graduate from her nursing program on time. She was now a R.N.(registered nurse). She immediately got a job at a Chicago Hospital, Mercy Memorial, working in the emergency room. It was very stressful yet rewarding. She worked so many hours she didn't have time for a social life. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would have become a nurse let alone one of the best ones in the E.R. Her bossiness led her to a supervisory job almost right away. The hospital had such a huge turnover she had a lot of seniority after only a year. Also she was one of a handful of nurses with a 4 year degree. Most of the nurses seemed to dislike her. The doctors were always trying to get her to date them or have affairs with them. She had been living like a nun for a very long time. Donna had come down a few times to visit her and was very shocked at how much Jackie had changed. Jackie had become very quiet and withdrawn as compared to her old self. Donna tried to talk to her about Steven but Jackie refused to hear one word about him. That chapter of her life was over and she didn't want to re-open it and dredge up old wounds, wounds that just barely begun to heal.
During Jackie's second year of working at Mercy Memorial a new Dr. came on staff. His name was Dr. Aaron Chandler and he was handsome and very charming. He pursued Jackie relentlessly. She made a zillion excuses why she couldn't go out with him but he never gave up. Finally after about six months of this she gave in and agreed to go on a date with him. To her great surprise they got along very well and had a lot in common. He seemed to be very kind, sweet, and funny. He was from a good family, had his own house, no children, and had never been married. After 8 months of dating he asked Jackie to marry him. Jackie didn't know what to say. She told him she would have to think it over. She loved him but she wasn't in love with him. After all that she'd been through in the past she knew the difference.
Jackie was also preoccupied with other matters. Donna and Eric's wedding was the very next weekend and she knew that she would have to walk down the aisle with Steven since he was the best man and she was the maid of honor. She tried to convince Donna that she should have one of her sisters be the maid of honor but she wouldn't hear of it. Finally Jackie realized that despite her strong feeling against seeing or even being in the same room with Steven would have to take a back seat to Donna's preferences for her wedding. This wedding would be the test whether or not she was over him. She was fairly confident that after all this time and since they had both moved on with their lives they could be adults about this and put the past behind them if only for a weekend.
She arrived at Donna's house the morning of the wedding and helped her get ready. She was probably more nervous than Donna was though she told Donna it didn't bother in the least. Donna, however, could see through the act rather easily. Donna knew for a fact Hyde was just as nervous about seeing Jackie.
Hyde had never really moved on. He hadn't allowed himself to. After Jackie had left he'd thrown himself into building his business. For the first few months though he'd been on a 24-7 drinking binge. Finally Donna, Eric, and Fez had made him stop it. They sobered him up and gave him a talking to that he didn't soon forget.
He never dated anyone seriously, just had the occasional one night stand. The walls that Jackie had broken down during their time together had gone back even stronger and higher than ever before. He wouldn't allow anyone to get close to him again. His and Donna's friendship and been under a great deal of strain ever since Jackie had left. He felt her looks of condemnation when ever she thought he wasn't looking. Donna had a lot of animosity towards him for some reason that he didn't quite understand or could put his finger on. He'd tried to ask her about it a few times but had gotten nowhere.
The moment he saw Jackie at the wedding he suddenly couldn't breathe. All the old feelings came flooding back. She had changed so much. She was even more beautiful, if that was even possible. She had a confident, take- charge air about her. He knew that she was a nurse now and could hardly believe it but now seeing her he believed it. She would barely look him in the eye and gave him a cold "Hello Steven, how are you?"
He returned the same greeting just as coldly. He walked her down the aisle and they took their places for the ceremony. The ceremony was very beautiful and Donna and Eric were the happiest he had ever seen them. Last night Eric and told him that Donna had told him Jackie's Dr. boyfriend had proposed marriage to her. He told Eric it was no big deal and he wished her luck but on the inside it was like someone took a sledge hammer to his heart. During the ceremony he'd glanced over at her left hand and it was still bare, apparently she hadn't said yes yet. For some odd reason he felt a feeling of relief but quickly pushed that thought aside.
Right before the reception began he saw Jackie talking to Donna and Eric. He made out bits and pieces of the conversation. She wasn't going to stay for the reception. She was making some lame excuse that she had to pull an early shift in the morning and had to head home. Jackie gave both Donna and Eric a hug and apologized for her leaving early but the minute she started to head for the door to leave he saw the look of relief on her face. When he had walked her down the aisle he could have sworn she was shaking. He knew with absolute certainty she was leaving early because of him. Part of him was pleased that he still had this effect on her. He stood at the church window and watched her walk out to her car. The minute she got in she put her head down on the steering wheel and cried huge racking sobs. After a few minutes she took off like a race car driver at the Indy 500. Someone wasn't nearly as over the past as she pretended.
The whole drive home from the wedding Jackie scolded herself for being weak. It had been almost 5 years for God sake. How could he still have this power over her. The minute she saw him it was like time had stood still and nothing had changed. All the old feelings came back like they had never left. The ceremony seemed to last an eternity to her. She felt like a convict planning her escape. As soon as the ceremony ended she made her excuses to Eric and Donna and got the hell out of dodge before she fell apart. And fall apart she did the minute she got in her car, at least no one had seen that. During the drive home she had decided that she would accept Aaron's proposal of marriage. She would have to force herself to move on. She couldn't pine for Steven if she was married to another man, could she? No, she couldn't. She refused to be that weak.
She told Aaron that night that she would marry him and he was thrilled. They were going to be married in six months. He gave her a beautiful 1-1/2 carat diamond. She was supposed to be thrilled but all she felt was numb. She enjoyed their sex life but Jackie just didn't feel connected to him. It just didn't feel right, something was missing but she didn't know what. Their engagement was announced at work and everybody seemed to be happy for them. Jackie had a deep foreboding feeling but didn't know why. A month after their engagement was announcement the reason made itself know.
It had been a normal hectic 12 hour day at work. She went to Aaron's house and let herself in with the key he had given her. She walked upstairs and heard music and laughter. She opened the bedroom door and found him in bed with another nurse that also worked in the E.R. He was very smug about it and acted like it was no big deal. Jackie completely lost it and hit him repeatedly and gave him a black eye. The bimbo called the cops and Jackie was arrested for battery. Aaron didn't press charges because he didn't want word to get out he got beat up by a woman.
He, however, got even another way. He went to the hospital board and told them of her violent tendencies and they told her that if she went peacefully they would arrange a transfer for her to another hospital. She agreed, feeling like she didn't have any other choice. Jackie's mother had cancer and was living in Point Place. The hospital arranged for Jackie to be transferred to the largest hospital in Kenosha. She was finally going home after nearly six years and she was a bit relieved. It was time to stop running away.
She moved back into her parents' home and arranged for hospice to take care of her mother when she had to be at work. Her mother was terminal and wasn't expected to last much longer. Jackie's new position was head nurse of the E.R. Immediately the other nurses took a disliking to her. They resented her position and education.
Somehow word of what happened with her and Aaron leaked to someone at work and rumors spread like wildfire. The nurses already hated her so they just added a new nickname to the others she was already being called. They called her Rocky, Ice Bitch, and "Stick up her ass". Of course being the unoriginal cows that they were the Rocky nickname of course was because of her hitting her former fiancé. Jackie ignored the name calling and did her job.
It was just another night in the E.R. Jackie was stitching up a man who fell off his motorcycle while her co-worker was trying to resuscitate a man who had had a heart attack. When she finished stitching the man up she escorted him back to the lobby and gave him his care instructions and his prescriptions that needed to be filled. To her great surprise the man's friend that was waiting for him was Steven. And he was staring at her, just as shocked as she was.
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She'd already made a major decision about the direction of her life. She was going to transfer colleges. Her Uncle was a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. He had pulled a few strings for her and got her transferred. Luckily the Fall semester had just started a few weeks ago so she would get in just under the wire. She was going to enroll in the nursing program. Steven's apparent feelings about her character left a lasting mark on her. He considered her to be stupid, shallow, and selfish among other unpleasant things. She was going to prove them all wrong. She had tried so hard to be a better person, the person Steven wanted her to be, but apparently it hadn't been enough. She knew the classes would be hard and eventually it would be gross but she would just have to get over her squeamishness. She wanted to prove that she was better than everybody thought she was. She also wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't the pampered princess she was known for being. Things were going to change.
A few days after her and Steven's breakup Donna helped her load all her belongings into a rented U-Haul truck. Donna had tried to no avail to talk her out of making this drastic change but once Jackie had made up her mind nothing could change it. They tearfully hugged each other goodbye. Jackie assured Donna that she would be alright and they would keep in touch. She made Donna swear not to tell Steven where she had gone and Donna had reluctantly agreed to keep that and a few other pieces of information secret.
Northwestern University was a very hard school. Jackie had to study practically every waking moment to keep up with her classes. She kept pretty much to herself and didn't have but a few acquaintances. She was living with her Aunt and Uncle in Evanston. They lived only a few blocks from the campus which was very convenient.
To her great surprise Jackie was doing very well in her classes and her clinicals. Since she spent practically all her time studying to keep up with her classes time seemed to fly by in blink of an eye. Before she knew it a year had passed, than another year, and then another year.
Because of summer school she was able to graduate from her nursing program on time. She was now a R.N.(registered nurse). She immediately got a job at a Chicago Hospital, Mercy Memorial, working in the emergency room. It was very stressful yet rewarding. She worked so many hours she didn't have time for a social life. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would have become a nurse let alone one of the best ones in the E.R. Her bossiness led her to a supervisory job almost right away. The hospital had such a huge turnover she had a lot of seniority after only a year. Also she was one of a handful of nurses with a 4 year degree. Most of the nurses seemed to dislike her. The doctors were always trying to get her to date them or have affairs with them. She had been living like a nun for a very long time. Donna had come down a few times to visit her and was very shocked at how much Jackie had changed. Jackie had become very quiet and withdrawn as compared to her old self. Donna tried to talk to her about Steven but Jackie refused to hear one word about him. That chapter of her life was over and she didn't want to re-open it and dredge up old wounds, wounds that just barely begun to heal.
During Jackie's second year of working at Mercy Memorial a new Dr. came on staff. His name was Dr. Aaron Chandler and he was handsome and very charming. He pursued Jackie relentlessly. She made a zillion excuses why she couldn't go out with him but he never gave up. Finally after about six months of this she gave in and agreed to go on a date with him. To her great surprise they got along very well and had a lot in common. He seemed to be very kind, sweet, and funny. He was from a good family, had his own house, no children, and had never been married. After 8 months of dating he asked Jackie to marry him. Jackie didn't know what to say. She told him she would have to think it over. She loved him but she wasn't in love with him. After all that she'd been through in the past she knew the difference.
Jackie was also preoccupied with other matters. Donna and Eric's wedding was the very next weekend and she knew that she would have to walk down the aisle with Steven since he was the best man and she was the maid of honor. She tried to convince Donna that she should have one of her sisters be the maid of honor but she wouldn't hear of it. Finally Jackie realized that despite her strong feeling against seeing or even being in the same room with Steven would have to take a back seat to Donna's preferences for her wedding. This wedding would be the test whether or not she was over him. She was fairly confident that after all this time and since they had both moved on with their lives they could be adults about this and put the past behind them if only for a weekend.
She arrived at Donna's house the morning of the wedding and helped her get ready. She was probably more nervous than Donna was though she told Donna it didn't bother in the least. Donna, however, could see through the act rather easily. Donna knew for a fact Hyde was just as nervous about seeing Jackie.
Hyde had never really moved on. He hadn't allowed himself to. After Jackie had left he'd thrown himself into building his business. For the first few months though he'd been on a 24-7 drinking binge. Finally Donna, Eric, and Fez had made him stop it. They sobered him up and gave him a talking to that he didn't soon forget.
He never dated anyone seriously, just had the occasional one night stand. The walls that Jackie had broken down during their time together had gone back even stronger and higher than ever before. He wouldn't allow anyone to get close to him again. His and Donna's friendship and been under a great deal of strain ever since Jackie had left. He felt her looks of condemnation when ever she thought he wasn't looking. Donna had a lot of animosity towards him for some reason that he didn't quite understand or could put his finger on. He'd tried to ask her about it a few times but had gotten nowhere.
The moment he saw Jackie at the wedding he suddenly couldn't breathe. All the old feelings came flooding back. She had changed so much. She was even more beautiful, if that was even possible. She had a confident, take- charge air about her. He knew that she was a nurse now and could hardly believe it but now seeing her he believed it. She would barely look him in the eye and gave him a cold "Hello Steven, how are you?"
He returned the same greeting just as coldly. He walked her down the aisle and they took their places for the ceremony. The ceremony was very beautiful and Donna and Eric were the happiest he had ever seen them. Last night Eric and told him that Donna had told him Jackie's Dr. boyfriend had proposed marriage to her. He told Eric it was no big deal and he wished her luck but on the inside it was like someone took a sledge hammer to his heart. During the ceremony he'd glanced over at her left hand and it was still bare, apparently she hadn't said yes yet. For some odd reason he felt a feeling of relief but quickly pushed that thought aside.
Right before the reception began he saw Jackie talking to Donna and Eric. He made out bits and pieces of the conversation. She wasn't going to stay for the reception. She was making some lame excuse that she had to pull an early shift in the morning and had to head home. Jackie gave both Donna and Eric a hug and apologized for her leaving early but the minute she started to head for the door to leave he saw the look of relief on her face. When he had walked her down the aisle he could have sworn she was shaking. He knew with absolute certainty she was leaving early because of him. Part of him was pleased that he still had this effect on her. He stood at the church window and watched her walk out to her car. The minute she got in she put her head down on the steering wheel and cried huge racking sobs. After a few minutes she took off like a race car driver at the Indy 500. Someone wasn't nearly as over the past as she pretended.
The whole drive home from the wedding Jackie scolded herself for being weak. It had been almost 5 years for God sake. How could he still have this power over her. The minute she saw him it was like time had stood still and nothing had changed. All the old feelings came back like they had never left. The ceremony seemed to last an eternity to her. She felt like a convict planning her escape. As soon as the ceremony ended she made her excuses to Eric and Donna and got the hell out of dodge before she fell apart. And fall apart she did the minute she got in her car, at least no one had seen that. During the drive home she had decided that she would accept Aaron's proposal of marriage. She would have to force herself to move on. She couldn't pine for Steven if she was married to another man, could she? No, she couldn't. She refused to be that weak.
She told Aaron that night that she would marry him and he was thrilled. They were going to be married in six months. He gave her a beautiful 1-1/2 carat diamond. She was supposed to be thrilled but all she felt was numb. She enjoyed their sex life but Jackie just didn't feel connected to him. It just didn't feel right, something was missing but she didn't know what. Their engagement was announced at work and everybody seemed to be happy for them. Jackie had a deep foreboding feeling but didn't know why. A month after their engagement was announcement the reason made itself know.
It had been a normal hectic 12 hour day at work. She went to Aaron's house and let herself in with the key he had given her. She walked upstairs and heard music and laughter. She opened the bedroom door and found him in bed with another nurse that also worked in the E.R. He was very smug about it and acted like it was no big deal. Jackie completely lost it and hit him repeatedly and gave him a black eye. The bimbo called the cops and Jackie was arrested for battery. Aaron didn't press charges because he didn't want word to get out he got beat up by a woman.
He, however, got even another way. He went to the hospital board and told them of her violent tendencies and they told her that if she went peacefully they would arrange a transfer for her to another hospital. She agreed, feeling like she didn't have any other choice. Jackie's mother had cancer and was living in Point Place. The hospital arranged for Jackie to be transferred to the largest hospital in Kenosha. She was finally going home after nearly six years and she was a bit relieved. It was time to stop running away.
She moved back into her parents' home and arranged for hospice to take care of her mother when she had to be at work. Her mother was terminal and wasn't expected to last much longer. Jackie's new position was head nurse of the E.R. Immediately the other nurses took a disliking to her. They resented her position and education.
Somehow word of what happened with her and Aaron leaked to someone at work and rumors spread like wildfire. The nurses already hated her so they just added a new nickname to the others she was already being called. They called her Rocky, Ice Bitch, and "Stick up her ass". Of course being the unoriginal cows that they were the Rocky nickname of course was because of her hitting her former fiancé. Jackie ignored the name calling and did her job.
It was just another night in the E.R. Jackie was stitching up a man who fell off his motorcycle while her co-worker was trying to resuscitate a man who had had a heart attack. When she finished stitching the man up she escorted him back to the lobby and gave him his care instructions and his prescriptions that needed to be filled. To her great surprise the man's friend that was waiting for him was Steven. And he was staring at her, just as shocked as she was.
***Please Review, Thanks!***