The Return of the Doctor
"Are you sure I can't persuade to sign on again Lieutenant?" Captain Mendoza asked with a smile, although he already knew the answer for the young man standing next to him had made no secret of his desire to return home.
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Captain Carlos Mendoza, a man in his late fifties, had taken Alex Martin under his wing almost from the moment he had arrived, four years ago, fresh from basic training. There had been something about the young man that had drawn Carlos to him and over the years he and his wife had all but adopted him into their large and boisterous family. Back then Alex had been a curious mixture of confidence and vulnerability. He was supremely confident in his abilities as a doctor but there was something about him that made people want to mother him. It was only after a completing a particularly difficult night shift and they were sitting together in the doctors lounge drinking a, much needed, mug of coffee that the riddle was solved.
"Rough night," Carlos commiserated.
"Mmmmm," Alex replied distractedly.
"Alex?" Carlos questioned.
Coming back to the present with a shake of his head Alex looked across at his superior, a man who he had come to think of as his friend, and said, "I'm sorry Carlos. I was thinking about things. My father died part way through my training and if it hadn't been for a few, very special, people I would have given up and gone home."
"Special people?" Carlos was interested for, up to that point, Alex hadn't been terribly forthcoming.
"Mark Sloan, his son Steve, Jesse Travis and Amanda Bentley." Alex began, "Mark was the Head of Internal Medicine at Community General, Amanda is a Medical Examiner and Jesse is a trauma specialist."
"And Steve...?" Carlos asked, intrigued.
"Steve was in the LAPD and a very good police officer." Alex replied.
"You have used the past tense twice in talking about Mark and Steve," Carlos commented, "has something happened to them?"
"Not in the sense that you mean Carlos, they are both still alive......at least I think they both are." Alex saw that Carlos was looking extremely confused and hurried to speak again, "About a year before I qualified Mark was badly attacked and when he regained consciousness he had amnesia."
"Are you saying that he still hasn't regained his memory? "Carlos' professional interest had been piqued.
"We don't know," Alex answered, "One day Mark, for what reason we may never know, walked out of the hospital and simply disappeared. We looked for him but never found a trace. I doubt that his memory has come back because the first person Mark would contact would be Steve and there is no way Steve would forget to let me know."
"So Steve is still alive then?"
"Yes he is. Although for a while he was really rough. Steve was very close to his father and when Mark disappeared he worked himself so hard looking for him that he suffered a complete physical and mental breakdown. It took him six months and a lot of hard work by many good people to make him whole again."Alex smiled, "Actually, Marks disappearance aside, Steve is happier than he has ever been I think. When he recovered, he left the force and got married. Cheryl is the best thing that could have happened to him."
"I guess you must miss them." Carlos said.
"More than I thought possible," Alex replied.
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Alex looked across at Carlos and grinned at his question.
"No use whatsoever Carlos. I have enjoyed the last four years but I was never really interested in becoming a career officer. I have learnt so much from working with you, especially in the area of trauma medicine, but I want to get back to civilian life now."
Laying a hand on Alex's shoulder Carlos said, "I understand son. I wish you were staying but I appreciate your need to return to your own life. I will miss you, we work well together."
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Forty eight hours later Alex, feeling a little odd in the civilian garb he now wore, walked out of the arrivals building of LA-X. Hitching his rucksack higher onto his left shoulder he picked up his pace and strode towards the rank of taxis that were gathered there. Climbing into the first available one he gave the driver his destination.
"Community General Hospital please."
As the taxi pulled away from the terminal Alex leant back against the leather seats, cooled by the ever-present air conditioning that was blasting out from the dashboard. Gazing through the fingerprint smeared glass in the rear door he allowed the sights of Los Angeles to flow over him. He hadn't realised just how much he had missed being there he thought to himself. He had only been back a couple of times in the last four years, circumstances had prevented any more visits than that. Forty minutes later the taxi rounded a final corner and, rising up stretching for a whole block, Alex saw the building that housed the doctors, nurses and patients of Community General Hospital.
Handing the driver two twenty dollar bills Alex waved away the change and turned to survey the scene in front of him. The parking lot was busy with cars moving in and out of the marked spaces in an almost constant stream. As each space emptied another car quickly took its place, the occupants making their way in through the main entrance. Some were obviously members of staff going on duty and some were visitors carrying an assortment of flowers, fruit and miscellaneous gifts to cheer their friends up with. Others were obviously prospective patients arriving for pre-planned operations, carrying small bags full of those items essential for a stay in hospital. Ambulances were also in evidence. Some slid quietly into their allotted space outside the Emergency Room doors whilst one pulled to a halt, its sirens wailing, to have their precious cargo gently, but efficiently unloaded and taken into the building by white coated medical staff.
Alex smiled, it felt good to be back. The last time he had stood looking up at the building in front of him he was a young, newly qualified doctor off to do his military duty. Now, some four years later, he was far more experienced and ready to tackle whatever the future had in store for him. Taking a deep breath Alex picked up his bag and walked towards the large, glass doors.
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Dr. Jesse Travis was at the end of another long, hectic night shift and he was looking forward to going home. However, unless Daniel was in one of his better moods, he was unlikely to get much sleep. Daniel, at eight months old, was teething and he was exceptionally fractious. Mae tried everything that she could to keep the house quiet, including frequent visits to the local park. However, the beauties of the park began to pall with each succeeding visit and she was very reluctant to keep going.
Pulling off the pair of gloves with a flourish and dropping them into the 'dirty' bin in the corner of the room Jesse made for the door. He had just stepped out into the main reception area of the Emergency Room when, from behind him, he heard a soft swooshing sound which indicated the external doors opening. Jesse sighed to himself anticipating another emergency arrival which would mean putting his need for sleep on hold. He turned, expecting to see a paramedic at either end of a patient filled gurney and was surprised to see a lone man with a rucksack slung carelessly over his shoulder walk through the door. For few seconds Jesse stared at him uncomprehendingly and then the young man smiled.
"Hi Jess," he said, "it's good to see you."
At these words Jesse snapped out of his reverie and exclaimed, "Alex! What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you for another fortnight."
Closing the gap between them Alex dropped his bag on the floor and shook Jesses' outstretched hand and said, "I had some leave owing and was able to get away a couple of weeks early."
"Well it's great to see you," Jesse replied with a huge smile on his face, he was thrilled to see Alex again, "Listen, I am off duty now and about to go home to try and together tomorrow at Bobs?"
"I'll look forward to that Jess." Alex smiled, "Are Amanda and Jack about today?"
"Yeah they are," Jesse replied, "and I am sure they will be thrilled to see you."
"Okay," Alex said, "you go and have some sleep and I will see you tomorrow night at Bobs."
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Steve shut the till and, with great satisfaction, heard the 'ting' that it made. Since he had left the force to concentrate on running Bobs, the restaurant had gone from strength to strength. So much so that he and Jesse had decided to take the plunge and open up another restaurant on the other side of the city. It was due to open at the weekend and he was really looking forward to the occasion.
Looking up he saw Alex getting out of a taxi and a smile broke out on his face. Although he and Alex had spoken on the phone the day before, this was the first time he had seen Alex since his return. Steve moved quickly out from behind the counter and enveloped his young friend in a bear-hug the moment he entered the restaurant.
"It's good to see you Alex," Steve said, dropping his arms to his side and allowing Alex to breathe again.
"I'm pleased to see you too Steve," Alex replied, a huge answering smile on his face, "How is Cheryl?"
Steve's grin, if it were possible, grew even wider at the mention of his adored wife.
"They are fine," he replied.
Alex had been scanning the restaurant but at Steve's words his eyes snapped back onto his friends face.
"They?" he questioned.
"All three of them," Steve chuckled.
"Three of them?" for a couple of seconds Alex was silent as his brain assimilated the surprising information, "Cheryl is pregnant with twins?"
"Yep," Steve replied, "We had the scan a couple of days ago. I think that Cheryl is still in shock."
"How about you?" Alex asked, "It must have been a shock for you as well."
"Do you know something Alex," Steve became a little thoughtful, "I would have expected it to as well but, for some reason, I am fine. In fact, I couldn't be more thrilled. I had convinced myself over the years that I would never marry, let alone become a father. To find out that I am going to have two children at once is a blessing that I never thought I would have and I am overjoyed."
The door to Bobs opened again and, within a very few minutes, the whole gang were back together again. Jesse was there with Mae, Jack and Shona arrived arguing amicably over the arrangements for the christening of their new son, Luke. Amanda arrived a few minutes later with her mobile phone to her ear. She had only recently allowed Dion and CJ to stay home alone, occasionally, for a few hours and she was making sure that they were alright.
Much later, after the last customer had left, everyone sat back in their chairs and just revelled in the fact that Alex was back with them. The conversation flowed back and forth as stories of the last four years were shared and enjoyed. Finally the conversation petered out and for a while a companionable silence reigned. Eventually Alex, looking around at his friends, stood up and spoke.
"I just wanted to say how pleased I am to come back to live in LA and to work at Community General," he looked round at Jesse, Jack and Amanda, "something, for which, I know that I have the three of you to thank. I didn't realise, when I signed those forms all those years ago, how much I would miss everyone. However, I have learnt a lot during the last four years and I hope that I can bring that knowledge to Community General. It's good to be back."
Alex sat down and into the silence which followed his short, but heartfelt, speech Steve stood and picked up his half empty glass of beer.
"I just want to say a few words. I know that I speak for all of us here when I say that you haven't missed us any more than we have missed you. Your absence has left a gap in our lives that has only been filled by your return. We are thrilled that you are back and I know that everyone at Community General, staff and patients alike, will benefit from your presence and your knowledge."
Lifting his glass Steve continued, "Welcome back Alex. Long may you be part of our lives."
"To Alex," everyone else had risen to their feet and toasted the young man they all loved and respected.
THE END
"Are you sure I can't persuade to sign on again Lieutenant?" Captain Mendoza asked with a smile, although he already knew the answer for the young man standing next to him had made no secret of his desire to return home.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Captain Carlos Mendoza, a man in his late fifties, had taken Alex Martin under his wing almost from the moment he had arrived, four years ago, fresh from basic training. There had been something about the young man that had drawn Carlos to him and over the years he and his wife had all but adopted him into their large and boisterous family. Back then Alex had been a curious mixture of confidence and vulnerability. He was supremely confident in his abilities as a doctor but there was something about him that made people want to mother him. It was only after a completing a particularly difficult night shift and they were sitting together in the doctors lounge drinking a, much needed, mug of coffee that the riddle was solved.
"Rough night," Carlos commiserated.
"Mmmmm," Alex replied distractedly.
"Alex?" Carlos questioned.
Coming back to the present with a shake of his head Alex looked across at his superior, a man who he had come to think of as his friend, and said, "I'm sorry Carlos. I was thinking about things. My father died part way through my training and if it hadn't been for a few, very special, people I would have given up and gone home."
"Special people?" Carlos was interested for, up to that point, Alex hadn't been terribly forthcoming.
"Mark Sloan, his son Steve, Jesse Travis and Amanda Bentley." Alex began, "Mark was the Head of Internal Medicine at Community General, Amanda is a Medical Examiner and Jesse is a trauma specialist."
"And Steve...?" Carlos asked, intrigued.
"Steve was in the LAPD and a very good police officer." Alex replied.
"You have used the past tense twice in talking about Mark and Steve," Carlos commented, "has something happened to them?"
"Not in the sense that you mean Carlos, they are both still alive......at least I think they both are." Alex saw that Carlos was looking extremely confused and hurried to speak again, "About a year before I qualified Mark was badly attacked and when he regained consciousness he had amnesia."
"Are you saying that he still hasn't regained his memory? "Carlos' professional interest had been piqued.
"We don't know," Alex answered, "One day Mark, for what reason we may never know, walked out of the hospital and simply disappeared. We looked for him but never found a trace. I doubt that his memory has come back because the first person Mark would contact would be Steve and there is no way Steve would forget to let me know."
"So Steve is still alive then?"
"Yes he is. Although for a while he was really rough. Steve was very close to his father and when Mark disappeared he worked himself so hard looking for him that he suffered a complete physical and mental breakdown. It took him six months and a lot of hard work by many good people to make him whole again."Alex smiled, "Actually, Marks disappearance aside, Steve is happier than he has ever been I think. When he recovered, he left the force and got married. Cheryl is the best thing that could have happened to him."
"I guess you must miss them." Carlos said.
"More than I thought possible," Alex replied.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Alex looked across at Carlos and grinned at his question.
"No use whatsoever Carlos. I have enjoyed the last four years but I was never really interested in becoming a career officer. I have learnt so much from working with you, especially in the area of trauma medicine, but I want to get back to civilian life now."
Laying a hand on Alex's shoulder Carlos said, "I understand son. I wish you were staying but I appreciate your need to return to your own life. I will miss you, we work well together."
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Forty eight hours later Alex, feeling a little odd in the civilian garb he now wore, walked out of the arrivals building of LA-X. Hitching his rucksack higher onto his left shoulder he picked up his pace and strode towards the rank of taxis that were gathered there. Climbing into the first available one he gave the driver his destination.
"Community General Hospital please."
As the taxi pulled away from the terminal Alex leant back against the leather seats, cooled by the ever-present air conditioning that was blasting out from the dashboard. Gazing through the fingerprint smeared glass in the rear door he allowed the sights of Los Angeles to flow over him. He hadn't realised just how much he had missed being there he thought to himself. He had only been back a couple of times in the last four years, circumstances had prevented any more visits than that. Forty minutes later the taxi rounded a final corner and, rising up stretching for a whole block, Alex saw the building that housed the doctors, nurses and patients of Community General Hospital.
Handing the driver two twenty dollar bills Alex waved away the change and turned to survey the scene in front of him. The parking lot was busy with cars moving in and out of the marked spaces in an almost constant stream. As each space emptied another car quickly took its place, the occupants making their way in through the main entrance. Some were obviously members of staff going on duty and some were visitors carrying an assortment of flowers, fruit and miscellaneous gifts to cheer their friends up with. Others were obviously prospective patients arriving for pre-planned operations, carrying small bags full of those items essential for a stay in hospital. Ambulances were also in evidence. Some slid quietly into their allotted space outside the Emergency Room doors whilst one pulled to a halt, its sirens wailing, to have their precious cargo gently, but efficiently unloaded and taken into the building by white coated medical staff.
Alex smiled, it felt good to be back. The last time he had stood looking up at the building in front of him he was a young, newly qualified doctor off to do his military duty. Now, some four years later, he was far more experienced and ready to tackle whatever the future had in store for him. Taking a deep breath Alex picked up his bag and walked towards the large, glass doors.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Dr. Jesse Travis was at the end of another long, hectic night shift and he was looking forward to going home. However, unless Daniel was in one of his better moods, he was unlikely to get much sleep. Daniel, at eight months old, was teething and he was exceptionally fractious. Mae tried everything that she could to keep the house quiet, including frequent visits to the local park. However, the beauties of the park began to pall with each succeeding visit and she was very reluctant to keep going.
Pulling off the pair of gloves with a flourish and dropping them into the 'dirty' bin in the corner of the room Jesse made for the door. He had just stepped out into the main reception area of the Emergency Room when, from behind him, he heard a soft swooshing sound which indicated the external doors opening. Jesse sighed to himself anticipating another emergency arrival which would mean putting his need for sleep on hold. He turned, expecting to see a paramedic at either end of a patient filled gurney and was surprised to see a lone man with a rucksack slung carelessly over his shoulder walk through the door. For few seconds Jesse stared at him uncomprehendingly and then the young man smiled.
"Hi Jess," he said, "it's good to see you."
At these words Jesse snapped out of his reverie and exclaimed, "Alex! What are you doing here? We weren't expecting you for another fortnight."
Closing the gap between them Alex dropped his bag on the floor and shook Jesses' outstretched hand and said, "I had some leave owing and was able to get away a couple of weeks early."
"Well it's great to see you," Jesse replied with a huge smile on his face, he was thrilled to see Alex again, "Listen, I am off duty now and about to go home to try and together tomorrow at Bobs?"
"I'll look forward to that Jess." Alex smiled, "Are Amanda and Jack about today?"
"Yeah they are," Jesse replied, "and I am sure they will be thrilled to see you."
"Okay," Alex said, "you go and have some sleep and I will see you tomorrow night at Bobs."
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Steve shut the till and, with great satisfaction, heard the 'ting' that it made. Since he had left the force to concentrate on running Bobs, the restaurant had gone from strength to strength. So much so that he and Jesse had decided to take the plunge and open up another restaurant on the other side of the city. It was due to open at the weekend and he was really looking forward to the occasion.
Looking up he saw Alex getting out of a taxi and a smile broke out on his face. Although he and Alex had spoken on the phone the day before, this was the first time he had seen Alex since his return. Steve moved quickly out from behind the counter and enveloped his young friend in a bear-hug the moment he entered the restaurant.
"It's good to see you Alex," Steve said, dropping his arms to his side and allowing Alex to breathe again.
"I'm pleased to see you too Steve," Alex replied, a huge answering smile on his face, "How is Cheryl?"
Steve's grin, if it were possible, grew even wider at the mention of his adored wife.
"They are fine," he replied.
Alex had been scanning the restaurant but at Steve's words his eyes snapped back onto his friends face.
"They?" he questioned.
"All three of them," Steve chuckled.
"Three of them?" for a couple of seconds Alex was silent as his brain assimilated the surprising information, "Cheryl is pregnant with twins?"
"Yep," Steve replied, "We had the scan a couple of days ago. I think that Cheryl is still in shock."
"How about you?" Alex asked, "It must have been a shock for you as well."
"Do you know something Alex," Steve became a little thoughtful, "I would have expected it to as well but, for some reason, I am fine. In fact, I couldn't be more thrilled. I had convinced myself over the years that I would never marry, let alone become a father. To find out that I am going to have two children at once is a blessing that I never thought I would have and I am overjoyed."
The door to Bobs opened again and, within a very few minutes, the whole gang were back together again. Jesse was there with Mae, Jack and Shona arrived arguing amicably over the arrangements for the christening of their new son, Luke. Amanda arrived a few minutes later with her mobile phone to her ear. She had only recently allowed Dion and CJ to stay home alone, occasionally, for a few hours and she was making sure that they were alright.
Much later, after the last customer had left, everyone sat back in their chairs and just revelled in the fact that Alex was back with them. The conversation flowed back and forth as stories of the last four years were shared and enjoyed. Finally the conversation petered out and for a while a companionable silence reigned. Eventually Alex, looking around at his friends, stood up and spoke.
"I just wanted to say how pleased I am to come back to live in LA and to work at Community General," he looked round at Jesse, Jack and Amanda, "something, for which, I know that I have the three of you to thank. I didn't realise, when I signed those forms all those years ago, how much I would miss everyone. However, I have learnt a lot during the last four years and I hope that I can bring that knowledge to Community General. It's good to be back."
Alex sat down and into the silence which followed his short, but heartfelt, speech Steve stood and picked up his half empty glass of beer.
"I just want to say a few words. I know that I speak for all of us here when I say that you haven't missed us any more than we have missed you. Your absence has left a gap in our lives that has only been filled by your return. We are thrilled that you are back and I know that everyone at Community General, staff and patients alike, will benefit from your presence and your knowledge."
Lifting his glass Steve continued, "Welcome back Alex. Long may you be part of our lives."
"To Alex," everyone else had risen to their feet and toasted the young man they all loved and respected.
THE END