Chris was still sitting at the break table contemplating what Eve had told
him when the crackle of the loudspeaker jolted him back to reality.
"Dr. Ramsey , Code Blue. Dr. Ramsey, Code Blue to Emergency."
Chris stood up and walked out of the break room, his thoughts already
formulating his plan.
* Sascha and Ana shut the door behind them as they returned home. Sascha looked around the living room, which was empty. "Mom? Dad?" she called, looking around. "Mom?" "Maybe there was an emergency," Ana said carelessly as she trotted off to her bedroom. Sascha cursed under her breath as she walked into the kitchen. She read the note secured to the fridge. Girls - There was an emergency call, Mom & I had to go in. Be home as soon as we can. Til then, Sascha's in charge. Order pizza and don't fight. Love you, Dad Sascha's eyes read the note quickly before her attention went to the photograph being magnetized on the fridge next to the note. It was of Karen, Frank, Sascha, and Ana at Victor and Mary's last Labor Day. Karen was laughing, and had her arm hooked around Frank's neck. Frank was grinning wildly, and holding Ana around the middle with one arm, and Sascha was leaning against his chest, holding his hand over her shoulder. She'd never paid much attention to the picture before, but something in it caught her eye this time. The dimple in her chin. She carefully studied Karen's face, none there. Ana didn't have dimples, either. The thing that bewildered her most though, was the fact that Frank was dimpleless.
* Christina lay on her daybed, staring out the window into the churning sea. Although it had been a gorgeous morning and afternoon, as day gave way into evening, it looked as if a storm were conjuring up. She sighed, and rested her hands on her stomach, which was churning just like the water outside the lighthouse. Unable to get comfortable, Christina rolled over onto her side, and was greeted by the green numbers of her digital clock, informing her that it was nearly 8:00. She then realized she hadn't eaten anything since that morning at the Recovery Room. Maybe that was why she felt so nasty. Or at least she hoped so. She sat upright on her bed, then stood up slowly. She straightened the bodice of her denim jumpsuit, and then clacked down the hall on her wooden wedge platform heels, her brunette curls cascading supermodel-ically over her shoulders. Kevin was sitting in the living room reading when his daughter came down the spiral staircase. He turned to look at her from his seat on the sofa, and his breath caught in his throat. He'd been looking at Christina since she was three years old, and yet her beauty never ceased to amaze him. His heart swelled with pride everytime he saw her. Kevin only wished he could take some of the credit. "Hey, darling," he said, folding his newspaper. "Hi, Daddy," Christina sighed. "Something wrong, Christina?" Kevin asked, turning to look her in the face. She looked troubled. Kevin always knew when something was bothering her because she got this almost pouty countenance. Her blue eyes multiplied in size, and she bit her bottom lip. That was just how she looked right now. "Oh, no, Daddy, I'm just sort of hungry, so I was going to-" she said, jabbing her thumb toward the kitchen doors and beginning to make a break for the door, not wanting to talk to her father right now. Not about this. "Oh, good. You know, sweetie, you really ought to start eating a little more," Kevin said, walking over to her. "You're way too skinny!" he chuckled, patting her on the abdomen. Christina pushed his hand away and forced a smile. "Yeah, sure, Dad," she said. She tucked a lock of her hair behind an ear, brought one of her French manicured fingernails to her mouth and began to chew before strutting into the kitchen. Kevin stood at the foot of the stairs, newspaper under his arm, slightly miffed. As he watched the kitchen door swing back and forth, he wondered what was bothering Christina. When Christina entered the kitchen, she made a beeline for the fridge. She tore one arm away from her stomach to yank the door open, quickly returning it to it's place above her other arm as soon as she felt the chill on her face. She peered into the fridge, perusing the selection. Nothing sounded appetizing, but she knew she had to eat something, so she hauled out a head of Romaine lettuce and a bottle of Roka bleu cheese dressing. No sooner had she set the stuff on the counter than her mother Lucy bounced through the door with grocery sacks. "Oh, hi, honey!" she chirped cheerfully, setting the bags down and kissing Christina on both of her cheeks. She pulled back, mildly concerned. "Ooh, you're cheeks are a little warm, sweetie, are you feeling okay?" she asked, pressing her hand against Christina's forehead. Christina shrugged, shoving a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. She chewed thoughfully for a moment, then swallowed. "Well, let me know if you want me to get you anything from the pharmacy later, okay?" she said, resuming her cheerful demeanor. Christina only nodded. She put down her fork, and walked briskly out onto the porch, leaving a plate of salad with only one missing bite on the counter, and two confused parents, who were both now in the kitchen. "Hey, Luce, did Christina seem a little.....strange to you?" Kevin said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at his daughter, who stood on the balcony overlooking the ocean, appearing as though she had the weight of the world on her frail shoulders. "Oh, I don't know, you know teen girls, Doc. I mean, Livvie must've gone thorugh this very same thing, right? I wouldn't worry about it," Lucy clucked, fussing with his shirt collar, then pulling him close to her with his tie, and kissing him before bopping out of the room. Kevin wasn't so sure. Something was bothering Christina, and he had to find out what.
* Sascha and Ana shut the door behind them as they returned home. Sascha looked around the living room, which was empty. "Mom? Dad?" she called, looking around. "Mom?" "Maybe there was an emergency," Ana said carelessly as she trotted off to her bedroom. Sascha cursed under her breath as she walked into the kitchen. She read the note secured to the fridge. Girls - There was an emergency call, Mom & I had to go in. Be home as soon as we can. Til then, Sascha's in charge. Order pizza and don't fight. Love you, Dad Sascha's eyes read the note quickly before her attention went to the photograph being magnetized on the fridge next to the note. It was of Karen, Frank, Sascha, and Ana at Victor and Mary's last Labor Day. Karen was laughing, and had her arm hooked around Frank's neck. Frank was grinning wildly, and holding Ana around the middle with one arm, and Sascha was leaning against his chest, holding his hand over her shoulder. She'd never paid much attention to the picture before, but something in it caught her eye this time. The dimple in her chin. She carefully studied Karen's face, none there. Ana didn't have dimples, either. The thing that bewildered her most though, was the fact that Frank was dimpleless.
* Christina lay on her daybed, staring out the window into the churning sea. Although it had been a gorgeous morning and afternoon, as day gave way into evening, it looked as if a storm were conjuring up. She sighed, and rested her hands on her stomach, which was churning just like the water outside the lighthouse. Unable to get comfortable, Christina rolled over onto her side, and was greeted by the green numbers of her digital clock, informing her that it was nearly 8:00. She then realized she hadn't eaten anything since that morning at the Recovery Room. Maybe that was why she felt so nasty. Or at least she hoped so. She sat upright on her bed, then stood up slowly. She straightened the bodice of her denim jumpsuit, and then clacked down the hall on her wooden wedge platform heels, her brunette curls cascading supermodel-ically over her shoulders. Kevin was sitting in the living room reading when his daughter came down the spiral staircase. He turned to look at her from his seat on the sofa, and his breath caught in his throat. He'd been looking at Christina since she was three years old, and yet her beauty never ceased to amaze him. His heart swelled with pride everytime he saw her. Kevin only wished he could take some of the credit. "Hey, darling," he said, folding his newspaper. "Hi, Daddy," Christina sighed. "Something wrong, Christina?" Kevin asked, turning to look her in the face. She looked troubled. Kevin always knew when something was bothering her because she got this almost pouty countenance. Her blue eyes multiplied in size, and she bit her bottom lip. That was just how she looked right now. "Oh, no, Daddy, I'm just sort of hungry, so I was going to-" she said, jabbing her thumb toward the kitchen doors and beginning to make a break for the door, not wanting to talk to her father right now. Not about this. "Oh, good. You know, sweetie, you really ought to start eating a little more," Kevin said, walking over to her. "You're way too skinny!" he chuckled, patting her on the abdomen. Christina pushed his hand away and forced a smile. "Yeah, sure, Dad," she said. She tucked a lock of her hair behind an ear, brought one of her French manicured fingernails to her mouth and began to chew before strutting into the kitchen. Kevin stood at the foot of the stairs, newspaper under his arm, slightly miffed. As he watched the kitchen door swing back and forth, he wondered what was bothering Christina. When Christina entered the kitchen, she made a beeline for the fridge. She tore one arm away from her stomach to yank the door open, quickly returning it to it's place above her other arm as soon as she felt the chill on her face. She peered into the fridge, perusing the selection. Nothing sounded appetizing, but she knew she had to eat something, so she hauled out a head of Romaine lettuce and a bottle of Roka bleu cheese dressing. No sooner had she set the stuff on the counter than her mother Lucy bounced through the door with grocery sacks. "Oh, hi, honey!" she chirped cheerfully, setting the bags down and kissing Christina on both of her cheeks. She pulled back, mildly concerned. "Ooh, you're cheeks are a little warm, sweetie, are you feeling okay?" she asked, pressing her hand against Christina's forehead. Christina shrugged, shoving a forkful of lettuce into her mouth. She chewed thoughfully for a moment, then swallowed. "Well, let me know if you want me to get you anything from the pharmacy later, okay?" she said, resuming her cheerful demeanor. Christina only nodded. She put down her fork, and walked briskly out onto the porch, leaving a plate of salad with only one missing bite on the counter, and two confused parents, who were both now in the kitchen. "Hey, Luce, did Christina seem a little.....strange to you?" Kevin said, putting his hands on his hips and staring at his daughter, who stood on the balcony overlooking the ocean, appearing as though she had the weight of the world on her frail shoulders. "Oh, I don't know, you know teen girls, Doc. I mean, Livvie must've gone thorugh this very same thing, right? I wouldn't worry about it," Lucy clucked, fussing with his shirt collar, then pulling him close to her with his tie, and kissing him before bopping out of the room. Kevin wasn't so sure. Something was bothering Christina, and he had to find out what.