~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Days go by, I'm hypnotized
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly
Out of my mind, into the fire
Light the sky and hold on tight
The world is burning down
She's out there on her own
And she's allright
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prue's recovery wasn't easy, but after several weeks of Natalie's strict care, she was doing much better. Three weeks after she'd woken up, she called Piper, Phoebe, and Andy, and asked them to come to her room.
When they got there, Leo and Natalie were standing toward the back of the room. In between them, leaning on a walker, stood Prue.
As her family looked on, Prue took slow, difficult steps toward them. When she reached them, she was smiling, exhausted but ecstatic.
Piper, Phoebe, and Andy just looked at her, stunned.
"You're walking." Piper said, shocked.
"I told you I would." Prue answered. Suddenly she was enveloped in a huge group hug. Even Leo, who'd become good friends with Prue in addition to his involvement with Piper, joined in. Laughing, the five of them pressed together until Natalie ordered them to disentangle.
"Prudence, back to bed." she commanded.
Prue wrinkled her nose. "I'm fine, and besides, I just got up."
"Don't push yourself." Natalie said firmly. "If you rush it, you'll end up in even worse shape."
"Well, how am I supposed to get better by sitting on my ass all day?"
"By following the instructions of your doctor and your phsycal therapist, that's how." Natalie snapped. "Bed. Now."
Sighing, Prue obeyed. With her patient under control for now, Natalie turned her attention to Piper and Leo, who were standing a bit too close for her liking.
"Dr. Wyatt, can I see you outside for a minute?"
Leo excused himself and followed Natalie into the hallway.
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
"Leo, you and I have been friends for a long time, right?" Natalie began.
"Yeah," Leo answered cautiously. "Since Med School. Why?"
"It's just that... I've noticed a connection between you and Prudence's sister, Piper, that seems... inappropriate, for a doctor-patient relationship. Please, tell me I'm wrong."
Leo shook his head. "I can't. I can't tell you that. There is something between me and Piper, something I consider to be very special."
Natalie stared at him, shocked. "Leo, I'm worried about you. You know it's against the rules for doctors to date patients, and that goes for patient's families, as well."
"There's nothing to worry about." Leo insisted. "Piper and I are both consenting adults. Besides, it's not like our relationship is interfering with my job, so what right do the Powers that Be in this hospital have to tell me who I can or cannot date?"
"Not interfering?" Natalie repeated. "What about all those times you've snuck off to be with her instead of checking on your patients?"
"Those were all during my lunch hours." Leo said defensively. "I have never neglected a patient because of her, and I never will. You know that."
Natalie shook her head. "I'm not sure I do, Leo."
"Come on, Natalie, you know me better than that."
"I guess so," she conceded. "I just don't want your infatuation with Piper to cloud your head."
"It's not going to cloud my head," Leo said, "and it's not just an infatuationt." Then, he said something he'd never told Piper, something he hadn't even been completely sure that he felt until just then. "I love her."
Natalie was, for a moment, speechless. "Allright." she said quietly. "I just hope you know what you're doing, the risk you're taking."
Leo was about to protest when his beeper went off. "I have to go." Leo said. "I do have patients to take care of."
With that, he was gone, leaving Natalie staring down the hall after him.
****************
~from the song "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin~
Days go by, I'm hypnotized
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly
Out of my mind, into the fire
Light the sky and hold on tight
The world is burning down
She's out there on her own
And she's allright
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prue's recovery wasn't easy, but after several weeks of Natalie's strict care, she was doing much better. Three weeks after she'd woken up, she called Piper, Phoebe, and Andy, and asked them to come to her room.
When they got there, Leo and Natalie were standing toward the back of the room. In between them, leaning on a walker, stood Prue.
As her family looked on, Prue took slow, difficult steps toward them. When she reached them, she was smiling, exhausted but ecstatic.
Piper, Phoebe, and Andy just looked at her, stunned.
"You're walking." Piper said, shocked.
"I told you I would." Prue answered. Suddenly she was enveloped in a huge group hug. Even Leo, who'd become good friends with Prue in addition to his involvement with Piper, joined in. Laughing, the five of them pressed together until Natalie ordered them to disentangle.
"Prudence, back to bed." she commanded.
Prue wrinkled her nose. "I'm fine, and besides, I just got up."
"Don't push yourself." Natalie said firmly. "If you rush it, you'll end up in even worse shape."
"Well, how am I supposed to get better by sitting on my ass all day?"
"By following the instructions of your doctor and your phsycal therapist, that's how." Natalie snapped. "Bed. Now."
Sighing, Prue obeyed. With her patient under control for now, Natalie turned her attention to Piper and Leo, who were standing a bit too close for her liking.
"Dr. Wyatt, can I see you outside for a minute?"
Leo excused himself and followed Natalie into the hallway.
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
"Leo, you and I have been friends for a long time, right?" Natalie began.
"Yeah," Leo answered cautiously. "Since Med School. Why?"
"It's just that... I've noticed a connection between you and Prudence's sister, Piper, that seems... inappropriate, for a doctor-patient relationship. Please, tell me I'm wrong."
Leo shook his head. "I can't. I can't tell you that. There is something between me and Piper, something I consider to be very special."
Natalie stared at him, shocked. "Leo, I'm worried about you. You know it's against the rules for doctors to date patients, and that goes for patient's families, as well."
"There's nothing to worry about." Leo insisted. "Piper and I are both consenting adults. Besides, it's not like our relationship is interfering with my job, so what right do the Powers that Be in this hospital have to tell me who I can or cannot date?"
"Not interfering?" Natalie repeated. "What about all those times you've snuck off to be with her instead of checking on your patients?"
"Those were all during my lunch hours." Leo said defensively. "I have never neglected a patient because of her, and I never will. You know that."
Natalie shook her head. "I'm not sure I do, Leo."
"Come on, Natalie, you know me better than that."
"I guess so," she conceded. "I just don't want your infatuation with Piper to cloud your head."
"It's not going to cloud my head," Leo said, "and it's not just an infatuationt." Then, he said something he'd never told Piper, something he hadn't even been completely sure that he felt until just then. "I love her."
Natalie was, for a moment, speechless. "Allright." she said quietly. "I just hope you know what you're doing, the risk you're taking."
Leo was about to protest when his beeper went off. "I have to go." Leo said. "I do have patients to take care of."
With that, he was gone, leaving Natalie staring down the hall after him.
****************
~from the song "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin~