Mercedes woke up to a slight shaking. As she opened her eyes, Maurice was trying to wake her up. The doctor was standing over her. Startled, she sat up suddenly, knowing he was there about Carlos. She had just had a dream about their first encounter and wanted to know how he was.
"Mrs. Nieto. Carlos is recovering surgery. He received a bullet to his side and his spleen was ruptured. He made it through the surgery, and is resting."
"When can I see him?"
"I can take you in right now. He is already in a room."
Mercedes got up and hugged her brother, who held her for a moment, then let her go. She followed the doctor to Carlos' room. Looking at Carlos, she started to cry. The doctor left her and went about his business. She moved a chair to his bedside and took his hand. She pressed his hand to her cheek and sobbed softly.
"Carlos. I know you can hear me. You need to pull through this. Mikey misses you and you have me worried sick. I have some news for you. But I want you to be awake to tell you. Please. Open your eyes and look at me." She looked at his face, and got no response. She laid her head on his bed, and held his hand. Crying herself to sleep she had a dream about their first day of work together.
*****FLASHBACK*****
Carlos walked up to the 55 fire station and smiled. His first day on the job. He didn't plan on keeping this job, but if it helped him get into medical school, he was there. He remembered that girl from the training class, and shook his head. God she was mean. Must be a lesbian or something. He couldn't remember what station she worked at and didn't really care. He was there to work. Ok, not so much work, and then get into medical school. He walked up the stairs after passing the truck and came to a halt at the top. He saw a group of firefighters, and paramedics. Some sitting at the table, some mingling or sitting in front of the TV. He looked towards the stove and saw her.
Mercedes was wearing a FDNY T-shirt. Her hair in a messy bun, she was helping Jimmy make Grilled Cheese. She was laughing and throwing bits of bread at DK and Walsh. He stood there; mesmerized by the way she looked. Though she wore no make-up, she was radiant. He shook his head, as Doc approached him. Looking towards Doc, he smiled.
"You must be Carlos."
"Yes, I am"
"Mercedes as told us so much about you." Doc smiled as Carlos looked over at the woman. Mercedes didn't even acknowledge he was there.
"What has she told you?"
"Things. You lockers over here. Get ready and I'll meet you in the bus." Doc went downstairs after Kim and Bobby. Carlos moved to his new locker and watched Mercedes. What did she say about me? Why is she even here? God. Not only did I have to deal with her at the training, now I have to work close to her. Great. He thought to himself as he moved to go change.
"Hey Nieto." Carlos looked towards the voice. Mercedes was standing, surrounded by the guys, giggling. He just looked at her. When she smiled, her eyes had a sheen to them that took him by surprise. He never saw her smile in class.
"Hey BMW." Carlos shot back, knowing she probably said something embarrassing about him. Mercedes looked up at Jimmy and laughed, turning back to the grilled cheese. Carlos cursed at himself and went upstairs to change. After a time he came down to hear her talking about him.
"And then he hit on me, while my brother sat across the street waiting for me! It was so weird." She laughed as the group laughed with her. He walked by them, and Mercedes stopped talking, no longer laughing. She didn't know he was there and felt bad. She ran after him.
"Nieto! Wait!" She grabbed his arm.
"What?" He turned, looking at her with a glare.
"I." Before she could apologize, the alarm went off for a fire. Looking up at him, she ran towards her gear as the rest of the group ran down. She got her things on and ran for the truck, looking back at him. 'Sorry' She mouthed to him as the truck pulled out and Jimmy slammed the door. Carlos walked to the Bus and shook his head. Women. He rolled his eyes as he looked to Doc, who pulled out after the truck.
"Mrs. Nieto. Carlos is recovering surgery. He received a bullet to his side and his spleen was ruptured. He made it through the surgery, and is resting."
"When can I see him?"
"I can take you in right now. He is already in a room."
Mercedes got up and hugged her brother, who held her for a moment, then let her go. She followed the doctor to Carlos' room. Looking at Carlos, she started to cry. The doctor left her and went about his business. She moved a chair to his bedside and took his hand. She pressed his hand to her cheek and sobbed softly.
"Carlos. I know you can hear me. You need to pull through this. Mikey misses you and you have me worried sick. I have some news for you. But I want you to be awake to tell you. Please. Open your eyes and look at me." She looked at his face, and got no response. She laid her head on his bed, and held his hand. Crying herself to sleep she had a dream about their first day of work together.
*****FLASHBACK*****
Carlos walked up to the 55 fire station and smiled. His first day on the job. He didn't plan on keeping this job, but if it helped him get into medical school, he was there. He remembered that girl from the training class, and shook his head. God she was mean. Must be a lesbian or something. He couldn't remember what station she worked at and didn't really care. He was there to work. Ok, not so much work, and then get into medical school. He walked up the stairs after passing the truck and came to a halt at the top. He saw a group of firefighters, and paramedics. Some sitting at the table, some mingling or sitting in front of the TV. He looked towards the stove and saw her.
Mercedes was wearing a FDNY T-shirt. Her hair in a messy bun, she was helping Jimmy make Grilled Cheese. She was laughing and throwing bits of bread at DK and Walsh. He stood there; mesmerized by the way she looked. Though she wore no make-up, she was radiant. He shook his head, as Doc approached him. Looking towards Doc, he smiled.
"You must be Carlos."
"Yes, I am"
"Mercedes as told us so much about you." Doc smiled as Carlos looked over at the woman. Mercedes didn't even acknowledge he was there.
"What has she told you?"
"Things. You lockers over here. Get ready and I'll meet you in the bus." Doc went downstairs after Kim and Bobby. Carlos moved to his new locker and watched Mercedes. What did she say about me? Why is she even here? God. Not only did I have to deal with her at the training, now I have to work close to her. Great. He thought to himself as he moved to go change.
"Hey Nieto." Carlos looked towards the voice. Mercedes was standing, surrounded by the guys, giggling. He just looked at her. When she smiled, her eyes had a sheen to them that took him by surprise. He never saw her smile in class.
"Hey BMW." Carlos shot back, knowing she probably said something embarrassing about him. Mercedes looked up at Jimmy and laughed, turning back to the grilled cheese. Carlos cursed at himself and went upstairs to change. After a time he came down to hear her talking about him.
"And then he hit on me, while my brother sat across the street waiting for me! It was so weird." She laughed as the group laughed with her. He walked by them, and Mercedes stopped talking, no longer laughing. She didn't know he was there and felt bad. She ran after him.
"Nieto! Wait!" She grabbed his arm.
"What?" He turned, looking at her with a glare.
"I." Before she could apologize, the alarm went off for a fire. Looking up at him, she ran towards her gear as the rest of the group ran down. She got her things on and ran for the truck, looking back at him. 'Sorry' She mouthed to him as the truck pulled out and Jimmy slammed the door. Carlos walked to the Bus and shook his head. Women. He rolled his eyes as he looked to Doc, who pulled out after the truck.