Author's Notes: Okay I gotta do this because I really think that people are starting to hate me... Mandi, Kate, Carbyluv, and Kattybaby2318 you guys are great. Thank you so much for the reviews. Always and forever!! Don't think that your underapreciated just because I don't mention you. But thank you!!! I love those short, sweet reviews. They make my day. And me smile. Thank you!!!
So this chapter slowly introduces the characters. I'm trying to easy into the plot because I have some ideas and want to take it slow for a bit. But I promise to update often so it should all equal out!! Thanks in advance for the reviews.
~*~
She signed off her last chart and threw it into the discharge pile. Things could have been worse. Much worse. She quickly raced off to the lounge before anyone could stick a belly pain or a headache that won't go away her way. The nurses were really nice, and much more cooperative then some of the ones they had before. They didn't complain about hours or pay. She hadn't had time to get to know alot of them, but the one she was working with seemed great. Her name was Alexandra, she was straight out of school, but knew what she was doing. The day had just flown by. She threw her stuff into her old locker, she had gotten the same one she had before. She grabbed her coat and headed to the admit desk to punch out and head home, hopefully to a partially unpacked apartment. Crap. She had just remembered. Susan. But she was no where in sight, and hopefully she would understand. It was her first day back. She was exhausted.
"Dr. Wyzenski!"
Why did people insist on calling her that. Oh yeah. She was a doctor. And she had gone back to her maiden name. She spun around.
"What? I'm off!"
One of the med students ran towards her.
"I need your signature on this discharge."
Well at least I'm not getting dragged back in. The more time I spend here the better. Yeah. Right. She quickly scribbled her signature down after glancing at the chart to make sure everything was in order.
"Dr. Wyzenski..."
She knew that voice. She spun back around.
"Erik! What are you doing here? I thought you guys were supposed to be back at home setting up?"
Why are they here? The last thing she needed is a family meeting in the middle of the ER.
" We decided to go out for dinner. My treat. Plus John and Annette were dying of hunger. Your fridge is empty..."
Food. Great idea. That's what she needed to remember to do. Eat. Althought she had gone through a long period of barely eating earlier when the twins were born. Yeah. Twins, how Doug and Carol someone had once told her. She didn't exaclty know what that had meant, but she knew it had to do with Carol Hathaway, the head nurse before her. She had just finished her last rotation when she went into labor. Not even a week later. She couldn't work yet, she was too weak. She had an intern year before her, so she pulled triple shifts while Erik watched the twins. She had probably more stress over that then anything but he was a great uncle. Especially on his meds. Money was so tight sometimes, she barely ate. But now everything somehow began to pull itself together. The kids were great. Both were so smart and understanding. She didn't know how she would have gone on without them. Every once and a while the thought fills her head of how she almost lost them. She hadn't planned on getting pregnant. She was so scared about them turning out like Maggie. About raising them alone. About being a bad mother. And she had made the appointment, she was going to terminate. But she didn't after she found out there were twins. One life on her hands was enough. One life she wished she could have saved. She pulled her coat on and headed out after Erik. Annette and John were sitting on the bench outside the ER.
"Mom!!'"
John called out to her and ran and gave her a hug.
"Hey sweetie. So I'm hoping your room is all set up?"
She watched her son nod his head intently. He looked so much like him, it haunted her every day she looked at him.
"What about you Nette?"
Her daugther came over and kissed her on the cheek, stepping on her tippy toes to reach her.
"Yeah. We are about ready to ship Uncle Erik back to Minnesota."
She laughed. Good old Nette. She got both her determination and stubborness.
"Yeah well we can't let him leave us yet. He's buying dinner remember?"
She felt Erik hit her and Nette in the head with his hat.
"So were do we wanna go?"
Anything and everything was up for grabs tonight.
"Pizza?"
She saw the three nods of approval. About 6 slices would be enough for her till tomorrow morning. Food. That's the only thing she could think of right now. Food.
"Should we head off?"
She saw her son stick out his hand to escort her to the El. He had defintely acquired some of his father's charm. She saw Erik do the same to Nette and she accepted, along with a "Silly Uncle Erik..."
As the four of them were walking, she looked ahead of her to see the one thing she had dreaded for the day.
"Hey Doc..."
She still couldn't get used to being called that. It was so weird.
"Hey Susan. Where were you?"
Probably getting food, like she should be doing right now.
"Dinner. I have to pull a double. Someone called in sick. And when I find out who, they will die."
She laughed. Double shifts are the worst. Thank god she wasn't on call for at least a week and a half. She looked ahead and noticed Erik and Annette were out of sight. She also felt her son was growing a bit uncomfortable.
"And who would your date for tonight be?"
She smiled. Susan had not managed not to mention who it was. Secretly she was hoping she wouldn't have to explain. But we are talking about Susan. The nosiest person in the known universe. At least she wasn't a gossip. Nosey but not a gossip. Was that possible? Probably not but she still trusted Susan.
She kissed her son on the head.
"This is my son, John."
She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She was worried she should go running back to the ER for a crash cart and a gurney. And especially since Susan was pregnant. She didn't need the added stress. Working in the ER was torture enough, who knows how much fun her and Chuck have as well..
"Susan? Are you okay?
She watched the woman shake her head yes.
"Is he, uhhh...?"
She gave her the deadliest gaze in the world. She really didn't talk about their father to the twins. They had asked, she had answered. Simple statements. Nothing major. Just that he was a good guy, but it didn't work out between them. That she loved them enough for the both of them, and they were doing okay. And they had done okay. And they were going to do okay. John and Nette were great kids. They understood these types of things. They didn't hold a grudge against her, nor their not to be named father. Nor did they show any signs of rebellion for not having one. Life could be much worse, and they knew that. They knew what she had gone through with Maggie, and a little bit of what she had gone through with Erik.
"Yeah. He's almost 9 and a half years old. They grow up way too fast don't they?"
She smiled at Susan, hoping to know her out of her bewilderment.
"And Susan. Don't jump to conclusions."
She felt her son pulling on her arm.
"Sorry, Susan, we should get going. Dinner awaits. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a boring shift."
She heard a laugh.
"Yeah see ya tomorrow Abs."
She turned around with her son in tow.
"Mom, who was that and why did you tell her to have a boring shift?"
Phew. She thought that was going to be a different question entirely.
"That is one of my old friends who used to work with me a long time ago. And a boring shift in the ER is always something good."
She heard her son laugh.
"You're silly, mom."
She pulled him tight and kissed him.
"And you are probably starving. Let's get to the restaurant before Nette and Erik eat everything."
So this chapter slowly introduces the characters. I'm trying to easy into the plot because I have some ideas and want to take it slow for a bit. But I promise to update often so it should all equal out!! Thanks in advance for the reviews.
~*~
She signed off her last chart and threw it into the discharge pile. Things could have been worse. Much worse. She quickly raced off to the lounge before anyone could stick a belly pain or a headache that won't go away her way. The nurses were really nice, and much more cooperative then some of the ones they had before. They didn't complain about hours or pay. She hadn't had time to get to know alot of them, but the one she was working with seemed great. Her name was Alexandra, she was straight out of school, but knew what she was doing. The day had just flown by. She threw her stuff into her old locker, she had gotten the same one she had before. She grabbed her coat and headed to the admit desk to punch out and head home, hopefully to a partially unpacked apartment. Crap. She had just remembered. Susan. But she was no where in sight, and hopefully she would understand. It was her first day back. She was exhausted.
"Dr. Wyzenski!"
Why did people insist on calling her that. Oh yeah. She was a doctor. And she had gone back to her maiden name. She spun around.
"What? I'm off!"
One of the med students ran towards her.
"I need your signature on this discharge."
Well at least I'm not getting dragged back in. The more time I spend here the better. Yeah. Right. She quickly scribbled her signature down after glancing at the chart to make sure everything was in order.
"Dr. Wyzenski..."
She knew that voice. She spun back around.
"Erik! What are you doing here? I thought you guys were supposed to be back at home setting up?"
Why are they here? The last thing she needed is a family meeting in the middle of the ER.
" We decided to go out for dinner. My treat. Plus John and Annette were dying of hunger. Your fridge is empty..."
Food. Great idea. That's what she needed to remember to do. Eat. Althought she had gone through a long period of barely eating earlier when the twins were born. Yeah. Twins, how Doug and Carol someone had once told her. She didn't exaclty know what that had meant, but she knew it had to do with Carol Hathaway, the head nurse before her. She had just finished her last rotation when she went into labor. Not even a week later. She couldn't work yet, she was too weak. She had an intern year before her, so she pulled triple shifts while Erik watched the twins. She had probably more stress over that then anything but he was a great uncle. Especially on his meds. Money was so tight sometimes, she barely ate. But now everything somehow began to pull itself together. The kids were great. Both were so smart and understanding. She didn't know how she would have gone on without them. Every once and a while the thought fills her head of how she almost lost them. She hadn't planned on getting pregnant. She was so scared about them turning out like Maggie. About raising them alone. About being a bad mother. And she had made the appointment, she was going to terminate. But she didn't after she found out there were twins. One life on her hands was enough. One life she wished she could have saved. She pulled her coat on and headed out after Erik. Annette and John were sitting on the bench outside the ER.
"Mom!!'"
John called out to her and ran and gave her a hug.
"Hey sweetie. So I'm hoping your room is all set up?"
She watched her son nod his head intently. He looked so much like him, it haunted her every day she looked at him.
"What about you Nette?"
Her daugther came over and kissed her on the cheek, stepping on her tippy toes to reach her.
"Yeah. We are about ready to ship Uncle Erik back to Minnesota."
She laughed. Good old Nette. She got both her determination and stubborness.
"Yeah well we can't let him leave us yet. He's buying dinner remember?"
She felt Erik hit her and Nette in the head with his hat.
"So were do we wanna go?"
Anything and everything was up for grabs tonight.
"Pizza?"
She saw the three nods of approval. About 6 slices would be enough for her till tomorrow morning. Food. That's the only thing she could think of right now. Food.
"Should we head off?"
She saw her son stick out his hand to escort her to the El. He had defintely acquired some of his father's charm. She saw Erik do the same to Nette and she accepted, along with a "Silly Uncle Erik..."
As the four of them were walking, she looked ahead of her to see the one thing she had dreaded for the day.
"Hey Doc..."
She still couldn't get used to being called that. It was so weird.
"Hey Susan. Where were you?"
Probably getting food, like she should be doing right now.
"Dinner. I have to pull a double. Someone called in sick. And when I find out who, they will die."
She laughed. Double shifts are the worst. Thank god she wasn't on call for at least a week and a half. She looked ahead and noticed Erik and Annette were out of sight. She also felt her son was growing a bit uncomfortable.
"And who would your date for tonight be?"
She smiled. Susan had not managed not to mention who it was. Secretly she was hoping she wouldn't have to explain. But we are talking about Susan. The nosiest person in the known universe. At least she wasn't a gossip. Nosey but not a gossip. Was that possible? Probably not but she still trusted Susan.
She kissed her son on the head.
"This is my son, John."
She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She was worried she should go running back to the ER for a crash cart and a gurney. And especially since Susan was pregnant. She didn't need the added stress. Working in the ER was torture enough, who knows how much fun her and Chuck have as well..
"Susan? Are you okay?
She watched the woman shake her head yes.
"Is he, uhhh...?"
She gave her the deadliest gaze in the world. She really didn't talk about their father to the twins. They had asked, she had answered. Simple statements. Nothing major. Just that he was a good guy, but it didn't work out between them. That she loved them enough for the both of them, and they were doing okay. And they had done okay. And they were going to do okay. John and Nette were great kids. They understood these types of things. They didn't hold a grudge against her, nor their not to be named father. Nor did they show any signs of rebellion for not having one. Life could be much worse, and they knew that. They knew what she had gone through with Maggie, and a little bit of what she had gone through with Erik.
"Yeah. He's almost 9 and a half years old. They grow up way too fast don't they?"
She smiled at Susan, hoping to know her out of her bewilderment.
"And Susan. Don't jump to conclusions."
She felt her son pulling on her arm.
"Sorry, Susan, we should get going. Dinner awaits. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a boring shift."
She heard a laugh.
"Yeah see ya tomorrow Abs."
She turned around with her son in tow.
"Mom, who was that and why did you tell her to have a boring shift?"
Phew. She thought that was going to be a different question entirely.
"That is one of my old friends who used to work with me a long time ago. And a boring shift in the ER is always something good."
She heard her son laugh.
"You're silly, mom."
She pulled him tight and kissed him.
"And you are probably starving. Let's get to the restaurant before Nette and Erik eat everything."