I'm back! Yes, It has certainly been awhile hasn't it? Anyway, this is a challenge to myself. Ever since I opened Norah Jones' beautiful follow-up tp her Grammy® winning album Come Away With Me, I just had to embrace it. So, here I am. This will be an extended series where each of the chapters will be based upon her tracks. The title? It's the name of the album. I definitely recommend you get the album, rather both of them if you don't have them already. It's not your cup of tea? You'll like it anyway. I promise.
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Sunrise, Sunrise
Looks like the morning in your eyes
But the clocks held 9:15 for hours
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Feels Like Home: Chapter 1
She placed the crisp, white jacket over her shoulders. It was a surreal moment. Her listless mind wandered to her distant childhood. It was like she was eight again, and her younger brother had poured a five-gallon bucket of snow over her head while building their infamous icy fort. Funny, sometimes it felt like even now someone was right there to pour yet another bucket of snow over her head. Maybe the ghost of Maggie past, she mused wrapping the stethoscope round her thin neck. She couldn't help but let a grin slip in. No, not even her sorry excuse for a family could rain or, more appropriately, snow on her parade. She wasn't just Abby Lockhart, daring ER nurse anymore. She was Abigail Lockhart M.D., or at least that's what it said on her new lab coat.
She glided outside of the lounge dressed in her usual motif. Black. What had Christina Ricci said in Prozac Nation about women who wore black all the time? She shrugged it off and blamed in on her nerves. God, help the patients.
She then made an impromptu swing by admit to find everything in perfect order. Frank was eating a doughnut while playing what looked like his 54th game of Pinball, Neela was here early as usual catching up on charts, Randi was popping her infamous bubble while taking the latest Cosmo dating quiz, and Susan was leaning over the trash can unleashing her acute morning sickness.
" Do you want me to call Chuck or just find some Pepto Bismal?"
The doctor lifted her face from the garbage and leered at her. She chuckled. Susan didn't have a hysterical fan base lately, especially with the males.
" Did I tell you what happened the other night?" Abby shook her head. "Well, Chuck and I went to my father's usual hangout. The bar. He was there having what seemed to be a keg party with his buddies while watching a Red Wings game and eating Wisconsin's entire stock of beer nuts," She laughed again at Susan constant vivid negativity. " Anyway, I introduce him to Chuck, tell him he's gonna be a grandfather, and all he does is scream at the freaking goalie! I mean, the man didn't even look at me! I could have told him I was moving back to Phoenix to marry Dix and he still wouldn't have heard a damn thing I said! Men are incorrigible!"
" The cowboy?" She asked, adding a smirk.
" You really do hate me. Carter and I can start our own club now. We can call it the Abby Haters Club of America!" Susan knew that would hit a nerve.
" The AHCA? Has a nice ring to it!" She replied in her usual sarcastic tone.
" Ouch. We're still not happy about little Carter running around are we?"
" I hope it dies."
" Now, there's the Abby Lockhart we all know and tolerate!"
" I'm just not up for playful Carter banter this early in the morning and I haven't even had coffee yet. By the way, its Dr. Lockhart." She let out a smug grin.
" Has a nice ring to it!"
" Speaking of Carter and rings, have you seen it?"
The two buttoned up as they saw the familiar face casually walk up to the desk.
" Morning." He greeted nonchalantly, heading over to the slew of untouched charts.
" Hey Carter." Susan had always believed in that Proverb. What was it? A cheerful heart doth good medicine or something like that?
" How's our newest resident or shall I say my newest slave?" He joked.
" Great. I'll see you later." She couldn't bare to look at him again. Not the way she used to or maybe still did.
As she excused herself, he watched her leave.
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Sunrise, Sunrise
Couldn't tempt us if it tried
Cuz' the afternoon's already come and gone
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As the day went on, Abby had more of those surreal moments. Those of childhood, college, past relationships. She soon dropped out of her current reverie due to a patient's incessant on-goings about her aches, pains, and choking cough. The Flu season had hit Chicago like a bolt of lightning. However, this seemed only to be the calm before the storm
" Honey, you seem out of it. You must have had a horrible day . . .that's cold!" The old woman consoled, as Abby placed the stethoscope to her chest.
" You must have had a horrible week. Your lungs don't sound very good. I think it's the flu, but we'll get a chest film just to be sure," she looked out into the din of scrubs looking for her next victim, "Malik, could you take Mrs. Rexton to X-ray?"
" Abby, you know that new radiologist they've got hates me!" He whined.
"I didn't sleep with her and not call her for a week." She grinned.
" You owe me, Lockhart!" He gnashed his teeth.
" What was that?"
" Yes, Dr. Lockhart." The male nurse flashed a toothy, faux grin.
As soon as Malik wheeled the geriatric away in the wheelchair, Sam darted toward Abby's direction.
" Multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. The kid is coming behind them with the police. We need an extra pair of hands. " Sam rattled.
" What?" She could barely contain the words.
" What's that rhyme? Lizzie Borden took an axe . . ."
" Say no more."
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Sunrise, Sunrise
Couldn't find it in your eyes
But I'm sure it's written all over my face
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The pain in her back was like pins and needles. It had been a horrible day where things had gotten worse by the hour . . .minute . . .or even second. She exhaled. It was extremely difficult to decipher between the smoke and her visible breathe. The Marlboro man had been her constant companion through her second bat with medical school. When she had casually mentioned this to Susan at lunch, her friend gave her a devilish smile and replied that Carter was so much better than Cancer on a stick. She smiled at her thought. Crazy bitch.
Fumbling with her freshly opened package, she gracefully brought up her third one to her lips to be lit.
" That's a horrible habit. You should quit."
She knew who it was, and decided not to face him.
"Old habits die hard?" She opined, exhaling once more.
He smiled. They were actually being pleasant. " I told you that you would be a great doctor. You do impeccable work."
" I try. How's Kem?" She spit out that name in disgust, and he knew it. He looked down at his shoes and the slushy ground.
" She's doing good. It kicked yesterday."
The snow began drizzling once again. The small flakes landed gently on her black coat and dark hair.
" That's great. Are you off?" When all else fails, change the subject.
" Yeah." He shortened his response to one word. Better safe than sorry.
" Coffee and pie on me?" She asked. At that moment, she wasn't sure if it was a moment of weakness or just pure blind devotion.
" You know what? Sure." He smiled as they walked off arm in arm.
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Sunrise, Sunrise
Never Something I could hide
When I see we made it through another day
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" No way! They didn't kill Luka because they thought he was a priest?"
" Yeah. It was the strangest thing. The Congolese gave it to him for saving her child. He started praying in Croatian and they saved him. Talk about Godspeed."
She smiled and took another sip of coffee. " I'm really glad we got a chance to do this. I've missed you,"
He grinned. His brown eyes glistened. She was almost sure they were friends again.
" Look, the sun's coming up." She added.
"Old habits die hard?" She looked down at her plate that was scraped of the last of meringue, "I've gotta go. It's almost a quarter after. Kerry will have my ass if I'm not there."
" You have a shift?"
"I've done it before. Go home. Get some rest. I'll see you tonight. You're working right?"
"Yeah, I'll see you tonight." He got up from the table and left a twenty, never bothering to ask the real amount of their bill. He had way too much money, she thought., "Hey Carter?"
He turned around. " Yeah?"
" What are we now? Friends?"
He thought a minute before responding. Before agreeing he replied, "Time will tell."
He smiled and left.
Yes, time would tell. Their relationship was so delicate. Nothing was ever set in stone. The only thing she was sure of was that it was another day.
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And now the night will throw its cover down on me again
And if I'm right
It's the only way to bring me back
to you.
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So? Do you like it? I hope so. This idea of doing an extended series based around music has been in my mind for quite sometime. I truthfully haven't had time lately to set my thoughts afloat. Now that I have, I'm glad I waited for the perfect time and for the perfect album. Nora Jones is so perfectly poignant, especially for the Carby in me. I, a lot like Susan lately, have wanted to blow chunks. However, Thurday nights episode has given me faith. I'm unsure of how to say it, but I actually have hope. Please review. I'll cry if you don't. J/K. Peace and Love-moi.