Neela's mind raced with memories of Michael. She'd had a crush on him practically since her first day at County as a med student. As time went on it became clear that the feeling was mutual, but neither acted on it. It was only after she killed a patient, and he lied to cover up her mistake, that they admitted their attraction to each other. "Seems kind of silly now, but out in the bay this morning I was thinking about asking you out," he'd said.
"I was thinking of saying 'Yes'," she had replied before leaving the room in tears. Soon after, Michael made it known that he was being sent to Iraq. At first Neela was furious at him, both for lying and for volunteering to go off to war, but they'd reconciled their differences shortly before he departed. "You'd better come back. You know that, don't you?" she'd asked.
"Yeah, I will. You'd just better be a damn good doctor when I get here." They had sealed their promises with a kiss, and before Neela knew it, Michael was gone.
Neela vowed to keep her promise to Michael, but her plans were nearly derailed just a few short months after he left. A week after graduation from med school, she was in her small apartment wallowing in lonliness. Michael was gone, and her family, who had come for her graduation, had returned to England. One day she began to feel ill. "Probably just a cold or something," she thought, but over the next week she felt worse and worse every day. When she didn't start feeling any better, she went to the ER where she was diagnosed with right-sided heart failure, a long-overdue side-effect of an operation she'd had as an infant to palliate a congenital heart defect. Over the following months she underwent two more operations - one to help strengthen the left side of her heart, followed by one to correct the problem. The ordeal took it's toll on her, in more ways that one. She missed so much work that she was nearly forced to repeat her internship, but fortunately was able to pick up enough overtime at the end that it was not necessary. Adding insult to injury was the fact that she faced the ordeal virtually alone, as almost everyone that mattered to her was an ocean away. Sure, her friends from the ER did their best to lift her spirits during this trying time, and she greatly appreciated their efforts, but they couldn't take the place of her family, who couldn't afford another trip to the States, and Michael.
As Neela struggled with her recovery and tried to catch up at work, depression mounted until she was on the verge of giving up. Then things took a turn for the better when she got a letter from Gallant. At first he'd written to her every week, but gradually the letters had slowed and then stopped coming completely, so the letter was a welcome surprise even before she opened it. She tore the envelope open and scanned what he had written. The letter was short, but she didn't care --- he was coming home!!!
When the date of Michael's return arrived, Neela waited nervously at the train station. She searched frantically for him. Finally, something caught her eye and she couldn't help but stare. There he was. But...it really wasn't him. Rather, it was a shadow of the man he had been. He was so thin, his eyes dull, face expressionless, walking with a limp. He barely managed a smile as she gingerly wrapped her arms around him. "Michael, what's wrong?" she asked. His letters never alluded to what had left him in this deplorable state.
"I don't want to talk about it. Not now." He threw his bag over his shoulder, took her hand, and started to walk away. "So, how've you been?"
"I can't lie...the past year has been hell. But none of that matters. You're here." She hugged him again, but he didn't hug back. "Are...are you OK?"
"I'm fine," he snapped. Neela drew back. He'd never spoken to her like that. As frightening as it was, it only hinted at what was to come.
Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy with work. Was it worth the wait?
If you're lucky, chapter 4 might be up a bit later tonight. :)
I've been toying with the notion of writing somewhat of a prequel to this story, going into more detail about Gallant leaving, Neela's illness, and Gallant's return. Anyone interested?
"I was thinking of saying 'Yes'," she had replied before leaving the room in tears. Soon after, Michael made it known that he was being sent to Iraq. At first Neela was furious at him, both for lying and for volunteering to go off to war, but they'd reconciled their differences shortly before he departed. "You'd better come back. You know that, don't you?" she'd asked.
"Yeah, I will. You'd just better be a damn good doctor when I get here." They had sealed their promises with a kiss, and before Neela knew it, Michael was gone.
Neela vowed to keep her promise to Michael, but her plans were nearly derailed just a few short months after he left. A week after graduation from med school, she was in her small apartment wallowing in lonliness. Michael was gone, and her family, who had come for her graduation, had returned to England. One day she began to feel ill. "Probably just a cold or something," she thought, but over the next week she felt worse and worse every day. When she didn't start feeling any better, she went to the ER where she was diagnosed with right-sided heart failure, a long-overdue side-effect of an operation she'd had as an infant to palliate a congenital heart defect. Over the following months she underwent two more operations - one to help strengthen the left side of her heart, followed by one to correct the problem. The ordeal took it's toll on her, in more ways that one. She missed so much work that she was nearly forced to repeat her internship, but fortunately was able to pick up enough overtime at the end that it was not necessary. Adding insult to injury was the fact that she faced the ordeal virtually alone, as almost everyone that mattered to her was an ocean away. Sure, her friends from the ER did their best to lift her spirits during this trying time, and she greatly appreciated their efforts, but they couldn't take the place of her family, who couldn't afford another trip to the States, and Michael.
As Neela struggled with her recovery and tried to catch up at work, depression mounted until she was on the verge of giving up. Then things took a turn for the better when she got a letter from Gallant. At first he'd written to her every week, but gradually the letters had slowed and then stopped coming completely, so the letter was a welcome surprise even before she opened it. She tore the envelope open and scanned what he had written. The letter was short, but she didn't care --- he was coming home!!!
When the date of Michael's return arrived, Neela waited nervously at the train station. She searched frantically for him. Finally, something caught her eye and she couldn't help but stare. There he was. But...it really wasn't him. Rather, it was a shadow of the man he had been. He was so thin, his eyes dull, face expressionless, walking with a limp. He barely managed a smile as she gingerly wrapped her arms around him. "Michael, what's wrong?" she asked. His letters never alluded to what had left him in this deplorable state.
"I don't want to talk about it. Not now." He threw his bag over his shoulder, took her hand, and started to walk away. "So, how've you been?"
"I can't lie...the past year has been hell. But none of that matters. You're here." She hugged him again, but he didn't hug back. "Are...are you OK?"
"I'm fine," he snapped. Neela drew back. He'd never spoken to her like that. As frightening as it was, it only hinted at what was to come.
Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy with work. Was it worth the wait?
If you're lucky, chapter 4 might be up a bit later tonight. :)
I've been toying with the notion of writing somewhat of a prequel to this story, going into more detail about Gallant leaving, Neela's illness, and Gallant's return. Anyone interested?