EPILOGUE
"And you guys do that a lot?" Maria asked in awe as she flagged out on the bed in the on-call room of Hope Hospital. The room where the plan was born. They were each sitting around the room as they had been before, while C.J. and Dion habited their place on the floor.
As soon as she had heard that the coast was clear, Susan had very quickly said her goodbyes and beat a hasty retreat, much to Jesse's relief.
"A fair bit, I should say." Steve grinned. "I never get to do my job by myself. On the up side, I still get paid though they do all the work."
"Sounds like a dream job." Maria smiled. "When are you guys heading off home?"
"As soon as possible, I think. I don't fancy staying around here any longer." Mark said.
"That's a shame. It could have been fun."
"Hey, if you're ever in our area, look us up." Jesse said.
"Yes." Mark agreed, "And if you ever fancy moving and starting a career in L.A. I may be able to sort something out for you. I'm not without weight at a hospital there!" Maria smiled.
"Thank you. That's a very generous offer."
"And a very genuine one. You helped us out a lot. It's us who should be thanking you. As far as you were aware we could have been a bunch of pranksters and you could have thrown us out on our ear, but you didn't."
"And then you helped catch the bad guys." Jesse added. "You should come work with us for real."
"I don't know if I could cope with all that excitement."
"Nor did I." said Amanda, "but you soon get used to it. You even miss it in quiet periods."
"Can I see you back to the railway station, then?" The look of horror on Jesse's face was indescribable. He nearly spat his coffee out.
"No way. Mark, we are not going back by train. I will walk back to L.A., on foot, before I will go back on the train."
"Walking does usually involve using your feet Jess." Said Steve. "And I hate to have to tell you this, but we've already booked your train ticket!"
"NO. No way. No, no, no, no, NO!!!"
"Jesse, keep your pants on. It's only a train."
"If I ever get on another train again, ever, it will be too soon. I am not getting on a train. No way, no how. NO TRAINS."
"Woah, Jess, hold that temper there." Said Steve, a sly grin on his face.
"What's up with you? You look like someone wedged a coat-hanger in your mouth."
"Don't sweat it, Jesse. We're going back by airplane. Dad called and made the reservations while we drove back here."
"So you were just having a little fun at my expense?" Steve nodded. "Well, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Very amusing, I can hardly contain myself."
"You seem a little bitter there, my friend." Mark said.
"Don't you start. This is a conspiracy. I risk my life with some mad lunatics on my tail in a car that is PINK and I'm under pain of death to drive safely in a very tense situation and all you guys can do is have fun with me. Well, you can all bite me!"
"Isn't he sweet when he sulks?" said Amanda, pulling on Jesse's cheek. He rolled his eyes.
"Can I come see you off from the airport, then?" asked Maria.
"Sure. It would be an honor." Jesse gushed before anyone else had the chance to answer. The three older doctors exchanged looks with one another. Jesse really was the King of smitten!
* * *
"Well, they're calling our flight." Said Mark. "We should be going."
"It was good to meet you all." Said Maria.
"And you, too." Said Amanda.
"You know," Mark added. "I meant what I said earlier. Any time you're looking for a job, look me up. Call the hospital and ask to speak to me of call me on my cell, I gave you the card, right?" Maria nodded her confirmation, "Either that or you could contact me through Jesse." Maria and Jesse exchanged looks and both of them grinned.
"You take care now." Steve said. Come down to see us in L.A. soon."
"I will." Maria nodded.
"We'll go do a thing. Jesse, meet us in a minute."
"Thanks, guys." Jesse smiled. He now looked a little nervous. "I don't know if you noticed, Maria, but I kind of like you and I would like for us to keep in touch."
"I kind of assumed we would, Jesse." The stood and looked at each other for a minute.
"Um. I'm sorry. I have to go. They just gave out the final call for my flight."
"O.K." She nodded and smiled. Jesse turned to go. "Jesse, come back a minute." Jesse turned back slowly and stepped toward Maria. She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You take care. O.K.?"
"Yeah. And you." Jesse blushed. They locked into one another and embraced. "Just don't leave it too long." He said softly into her ear.
"I won't. I wouldn't dare." She whispered back.
They drew apart and Jesse went off to catch up with the others. He turned round and looked back every so often until Maria was hidden by all the other people milling about. He was smiling and sensed that she was too.
This adventure had closed one chapter.
And it had started a new one!
THE END (AT LONG LAST)
"And you guys do that a lot?" Maria asked in awe as she flagged out on the bed in the on-call room of Hope Hospital. The room where the plan was born. They were each sitting around the room as they had been before, while C.J. and Dion habited their place on the floor.
As soon as she had heard that the coast was clear, Susan had very quickly said her goodbyes and beat a hasty retreat, much to Jesse's relief.
"A fair bit, I should say." Steve grinned. "I never get to do my job by myself. On the up side, I still get paid though they do all the work."
"Sounds like a dream job." Maria smiled. "When are you guys heading off home?"
"As soon as possible, I think. I don't fancy staying around here any longer." Mark said.
"That's a shame. It could have been fun."
"Hey, if you're ever in our area, look us up." Jesse said.
"Yes." Mark agreed, "And if you ever fancy moving and starting a career in L.A. I may be able to sort something out for you. I'm not without weight at a hospital there!" Maria smiled.
"Thank you. That's a very generous offer."
"And a very genuine one. You helped us out a lot. It's us who should be thanking you. As far as you were aware we could have been a bunch of pranksters and you could have thrown us out on our ear, but you didn't."
"And then you helped catch the bad guys." Jesse added. "You should come work with us for real."
"I don't know if I could cope with all that excitement."
"Nor did I." said Amanda, "but you soon get used to it. You even miss it in quiet periods."
"Can I see you back to the railway station, then?" The look of horror on Jesse's face was indescribable. He nearly spat his coffee out.
"No way. Mark, we are not going back by train. I will walk back to L.A., on foot, before I will go back on the train."
"Walking does usually involve using your feet Jess." Said Steve. "And I hate to have to tell you this, but we've already booked your train ticket!"
"NO. No way. No, no, no, no, NO!!!"
"Jesse, keep your pants on. It's only a train."
"If I ever get on another train again, ever, it will be too soon. I am not getting on a train. No way, no how. NO TRAINS."
"Woah, Jess, hold that temper there." Said Steve, a sly grin on his face.
"What's up with you? You look like someone wedged a coat-hanger in your mouth."
"Don't sweat it, Jesse. We're going back by airplane. Dad called and made the reservations while we drove back here."
"So you were just having a little fun at my expense?" Steve nodded. "Well, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Very amusing, I can hardly contain myself."
"You seem a little bitter there, my friend." Mark said.
"Don't you start. This is a conspiracy. I risk my life with some mad lunatics on my tail in a car that is PINK and I'm under pain of death to drive safely in a very tense situation and all you guys can do is have fun with me. Well, you can all bite me!"
"Isn't he sweet when he sulks?" said Amanda, pulling on Jesse's cheek. He rolled his eyes.
"Can I come see you off from the airport, then?" asked Maria.
"Sure. It would be an honor." Jesse gushed before anyone else had the chance to answer. The three older doctors exchanged looks with one another. Jesse really was the King of smitten!
* * *
"Well, they're calling our flight." Said Mark. "We should be going."
"It was good to meet you all." Said Maria.
"And you, too." Said Amanda.
"You know," Mark added. "I meant what I said earlier. Any time you're looking for a job, look me up. Call the hospital and ask to speak to me of call me on my cell, I gave you the card, right?" Maria nodded her confirmation, "Either that or you could contact me through Jesse." Maria and Jesse exchanged looks and both of them grinned.
"You take care now." Steve said. Come down to see us in L.A. soon."
"I will." Maria nodded.
"We'll go do a thing. Jesse, meet us in a minute."
"Thanks, guys." Jesse smiled. He now looked a little nervous. "I don't know if you noticed, Maria, but I kind of like you and I would like for us to keep in touch."
"I kind of assumed we would, Jesse." The stood and looked at each other for a minute.
"Um. I'm sorry. I have to go. They just gave out the final call for my flight."
"O.K." She nodded and smiled. Jesse turned to go. "Jesse, come back a minute." Jesse turned back slowly and stepped toward Maria. She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You take care. O.K.?"
"Yeah. And you." Jesse blushed. They locked into one another and embraced. "Just don't leave it too long." He said softly into her ear.
"I won't. I wouldn't dare." She whispered back.
They drew apart and Jesse went off to catch up with the others. He turned round and looked back every so often until Maria was hidden by all the other people milling about. He was smiling and sensed that she was too.
This adventure had closed one chapter.
And it had started a new one!
THE END (AT LONG LAST)