CHAPTER TWO
Scott replaced the radio-mike onto its mount on the dashboard and pulled out a street map from the glove-box.
"Pine Road, cyclist collided with an oncoming vehicle" he called to Alex over the noise of the siren "take the next left." A few short minutes later they arrived at the scene. The police had beaten them to it and set up a traffic diversion, making the area safe from any further mishaps. Scott jumped down from the cab and jogged around to pull some gear from the back of the rig. He waited for Alex to get his stuff before approaching the scene of the accident. One of the police officers joined them to fill them in on what had happened.
"G'day guys. There's only one casualty, the young woman who was riding the bike. The impact was side on and she was unconscious but seems to be coming around now" he informed the paramedics. They reached the victim and Scott kneeled down alongside her. He gasped in recognition.
"Alex, it's Doctor O'Neil" he informed his partner. "Izzy, Izzy can you hear me?" He called to the injured woman who moaned in response. "Come on Izzy, open your eyes?" He called again. This time her eyes flickered and opened slowly and she tried to sit up. "Whoa! Easy there. Try not to move Izzy, you've had a bit of an accident, I'm gonna have to put this collar on you to immobilize your head" Scott reached forward and gently secured the collar around her neck. She groaned slightly and glared at him.
"I'm fine Scotty, just a couple of bumps" she croaked unconvincingly.
"Well, from where I'm sitting it's looking more like a concussion not to mention a nasty rip on your knee" Alex scolded, glancing at the large gash running down her right leg. He slipped an oxygen mask over her head before disappearing to get more equipment.
Scott pressed slightly on Izzy's side where she had impacted with the car, causing her to gasp in and swear loudly. "And broken ribs" she mumbled glumly once the worst of the pain had passed. Alex reappeared with a backboard and they carefully rolled her onto it. She moaned again and went limp, the movement causing excruciating pain to rip through her body.
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Rebecca slipped on a pair of gloves and joined Doctor Singh where he was waiting for the arrival of the injured cyclist. Scott had called ahead to say they were only a few minutes out and moments later they burst through the two way doors. Alex recited the patient's stats to the doctor as they lifted her carefully from the trolley onto one of the beds. Rebecca saw the woman's face for the first time.
"Izzy?" she looked up at Scott who nodded in the affirmative.
"Ok let's stabilise her and get her up to x-ray, I want films of her head, chest, shoulder, spine and right leg" Doctor Singh ordered. The nurses bustled about, hooking Izzy up to monitors and prepping her for x-ray. Scott and Alex stood back to let them work, waiting to retrieve their equipment.
"I think I'll run up and talk to Charlotte" Scott decided, knowing how close the two women were.
"I'll stay here" Alex volunteered. Scott nodded his thanks and headed to the elevators.
He stepped off onto Ward 17 and made his way to the desk.
"Hey Reg, is Doctor Beaumont around?" he asked the clerk.
"Tea room" the woman answered absently, too engrossed in the folder in front of her to look up. The tall ambo gave her a quick 'thank you' and continued on his way. He poked his head around the tea room door to find Charlotte talking to Nelson.
"G'day Scotty, what you doing up here?" she asked, sipping at her coffee.
"Looking for you actually" he filled the blonde doctor in on the details of the accident and Izzy's condition. "I thought you'd want to know" he finished.
"Thanks mate" she jumped up from the table and followed him back down to the Emergency Department. They arrived downstairs to find that Izzy had been brought to get x-rays.
"She's regained consciousness" Rebecca informed them "but she was in a lot of pain so we had to give her morphine. She's pretty out of it" she finished as Charlotte's beeper went off. The blonde doctor pulled it from her waistband and checked the display, cursing under her breath when she saw the number.
"I have to get back to the ward. Page me when Izzy's back from x-ray" she called to Rebecca before darting off.
An hour later, an unhappy Izzy was wheeled on a trolley onto Ward 17. Her head had been stitched up and was swathed in bandages, leaving her unruly hair to poke out the top at wild angles. The right side of her face was raw from where she had grazed it on the tarmac and beneath the covers, her knee had been sewn shut and strapped. Her right side was bruised from her shoulder down to her waist. Terri, Charlotte and Nelson were waiting for her at the desk.
"Isabella how are you feeling" Terri asked kindly. Izzy squinted up at the NUM, her blurred vision making her see double.
"I feel fine, you should discharge me" she slurred.
"You have a fractured skull" Terri pointed out.
"It's just a wee crack" Izzy argued weakly, blinking rapidly as the room started spinning around her. Without warning she turned her head and threw up all over Charlotte.
"Ok let's get her settled into room one. Nelson, she's your patient" Terri ordered before stepping around Charlotte and returning to her office. The blonde doctor was left standing in the middle of the corridor, covered in vomit.
Once she's cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clothes, Charlotte let herself into Izzy's room and shut the door quietly behind her. The patient stirred and turned her head to face the blonde doctor.
"Hey good looking" she leered, giving the bemused doctor an exaggerated wink.
"Hey yourself" Charlotte grinned, used to hearing the uninhibited things people said under the influence of morphine. "How are you feeling?"
"I have a headache and it hurts to breathe" Izzy moaned.
"Iz, you were riding without a helmet. No offence, but you're an idiot" Charlotte scolded.
"Those things give me hat-hair" she argued weakly. Charlotte pursed her lips and shook her head, unimpressed. "I'm sorry Charlotte" Izzy closed her eyes and turned away from her friend "will you sit with me?"
"Yeah, sure" Charlotte pulled a seat over to the side of the bed and, without thinking, reached over and took her friend's hand and held it in her own. The injured woman soon drifted off into a drug induced sleep. Charlotte waited until she was sure Izzy was out for the count before creeping out of the room.
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Charlotte tried three of the keys in the bunch before she found the right one. Pushing the heavy door open she stepped into the dark hall and flicked on the lights. She had debated whether or not to do this, hoping her very private friend would appreciate the gesture and not be upset. Deciding to get on with it, the blonde doctor made her way the upstairs and down the landing to Izzy's bedroom where she hesitated a moment before entering.
The room was large and sparsely decorated. A king-size futon was situated beneath a large window at the far end of the room facing the door. Another door on the right hand side of the bed led to a walk in closet and en suite bathroom. An antique dressing table in the corner caught Charlotte's attention and she found herself drawn towards it. The entire surface was covered with framed photographs, the only photographs in the entire house. She scanned each picture carefully.
The first one was of a much younger Izzy sitting on a horse while a young boy stood alongside holding the reigns. Both were pulling faces at the camera. Another showed Izzy and the same boy sitting with their arms slung around one another's necks. They looked older in this one, perhaps twelve or thirteen and they were standing in front of what looked like the Coliseum in Rome. Charlotte looked closely at the boy's face and decided that he had to be Izzy's brother. They had identical expressions and features. The next picture showed the brother and sister standing in front of a man and woman in what was a typical family portrait pose, leading Charlotte to conclude that the couple were Izzy's parents. The man was tall and handsome with fair skin and blue eyes while the woman was petit and beautiful, with dark skin, curly brown hair and soulful brown eyes. The two smiling children had their father's height and facial attributes and their mother's colouring.
Charlotte gazed at the photos. Izzy had never talked about her family and Charlotte began to wonder if there was some connection between her friend's tendency to be reserved and the fact that there were no more recent pictures of anyone in her family on the dresser. Shaking herself out of her musings, she crossed the room to the closet where she found a gym bag on one of the shelves. She filled it with some toiletries and clothes for Izzy to have in hospital and once she had everything, she took one last look around the quiet room and left, closing the door softly behind her.
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Izzy awoke with a start, disorientated by her unfamiliar surroundings. The room was slightly dark and smelled funny. Slowly, awareness dawned on her as she recalled the moments before the accident and her trip to the Emergency Department. She carefully turned her head from side to side. There was still a dull ache radiating from the side of her head that had hit the road but the pain was bearable. Encouraged by this she experimented with sitting up. There was an excruciating jolt of pain from her bruised and broken ribs. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it and pushed her blankets back to examine her leg. Her knee was heavily bandaged and she could feel the familiar itch of stitches beneath the material. Taking a moment to get used to the various sensations coursing through her battered body, she carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and eased herself into a standing position. Her knee burned where it had split open but she was pleased at the absence of pain in the actual joint. Favouring her left, uninjured side, she took a cautious step forward, leaning heavily on her IV stand for support. Her side ached with the effort but otherwise she felt surprisingly ok. She took another few steps until she reached the end of the bed and unhooked her chart from where it was hanging on the rail. A quick glance through it confirmed her assumption that she'd been thoroughly battered but was otherwise alright. Relieved to find that all her internal organs were intact and fully operational, she turned to make her way back to bed. She had only taken a few steps when the door opened and Terri walked in.
"What do you think you're doing?!" the NUM demanded, moving to help Izzy back into bed.
"Oh hello Terri" Izzy greeted innocently "I was just....." Charlotte's arrival on the scene cut short her reply.
"Iz? What are you doing standing there with your ass hanging out? Get back into bed!" Charlotte chastised and went to help Terri get the young woman back under the covers. Izzy blushed, noticing for the first time that she was clad only in a flimsy hospital gown. They got her settled and Charlotte stood back while Terri checked Izzy's dressing to make sure she hadn't opened anything by moving around. Satisfied all the stitches were intact and no further damage had been done, the NUM finished and left the room.
"It's good to finally see you lucid" Charlotte smirked once the door closed behind Terri.
"Well allow me to kick your ribs in, Beaumont, and see how quickly you cry for morphine" Izzy huffed in response.
"Now now, no need to get crabby with me, I come bearing gifts" Charlotte declared, holding up the gym bag "I dropped by your place and grabbed some essentials for you. Toothbrush, nightclothes and that kind of thing" she put the back to one side.
"Thanks Charlotte I appreciate that, these gowns aren't a good look for me" she joked, pulling at the stiff material.
"Those gowns aren't a good look for anyone, smartass."
"Charlotte, have I ever told you what an amazing doctor I think you are?" Izzy asked sweetly, batting her eyelids for effect. Charlotte narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"What do you want?" she asked immediately.
"I want to go home" Izzy cut to the chase.
"No way, you're stuck here 'til I say otherwise" the blonde doctor declared.
"Please Charlotte? I'll be good, I'll stay in bed and if you give me one of those cone things for around my head, I won't be able to scratch my stitches out." The stubborn patient joked, giving her best puppy dog expression
"No Iz, I'm putting my foot down on this, I'm not discharging you until you're mobility improves and I'm satisfied you'll be able to look after yourself." Izzy huffed and crossed her arms, forgetting momentarily about the injury to her side. There was an unexpected twinge of pain and though she managed to suppress a groan, the look of barely disguised agony on her face gave her away.
"Fine!" Izzy huffed. "You should know that, as of this moment, I officially hate you. Now hand me the remote" she groused. Charlotte gave her friend a mock hurt expression before handing her the device and making her exit, promising to check back after her rounds.
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After three days of moaning and giving out about the quality of the food and the lack of anything decent on the TV, Charlotte finally caved and signed Izzy's discharge papers. Her wounds were clean and healing well and her breathing had improved as the pain in her side eased. A final scan of her head showed that the swelling had gone down and, though she was still experiencing the occasional headache, there was no permanent damage. Matt arrived at her bedside with the requisite wheelchair and she eased herself into it, a satisfied grin on her face.
"Come on Mattie, let's blow this Popsicle joint" she called to the bleached orderly.
"Not so fast!" Terri halted them, holding up a hand. Matt brought them to a screeching halt. The NUM held up a plastic bag containing pill bottles and a sheet of paper. "Your pain meds and post-discharge instructions" she declared, handing it all over.
"Thanks Terri. I know I was a bit of a brat, but I really appreciate everything everyone's done for me. I wouldn't have wanted to be on any other ward" Izzy smiled sincerely.
"You're welcome. Now go!" Terri stood back as Matt took off once more, nearly ploughing into a crash cart before disappearing out the door and into the elevator. They rode it to the ground floor and made their way to the exit where Charlotte was waiting in the car.
"End of the road babe" Matt called and put the brake on before stepping around to open the car door. Izzy eased herself in and he pushed it closed. She waved her thanks and turned to the driver.
"Home Jeeves, and don't spare the horses" she ordered.
"Hey! That's Doctor Jeeves to you" Charlotte put the car in gear and pulled away. They coasted through the late afternoon traffic, chatting about this and that until they arrived at their destination. Izzy shuffled carefully up the drive while Charlotte grabbed her bag from the trunk.
"Ah! Home sweet home" the brunette sighed, making her way to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and winced at the putrid smell that emanated from an unmarked container on the middle shelf. She gingerly peeled back the cover and peeked carefully inside. "Oops, forgot about that" she muttered and threw it towards the bin, giving herself a mental high five when it reached its target. Charlotte joined her and peered over her shoulder.
"Good to see you're following a balanced diet" she remarked dryly.
"You'll note I have all the major food groups" Izzy indicated the near- barren shelves "beer, chocolate, soda and some sort of mystery fungus" she grabbed two of the soda cans and handed one to her friend before shutting the door and limping into the den. They settled themselves into the battered couch and popped the tabs on their drinks.
"Welcome home" Charlotte raised her can.
"It's good to be back" Izzy did likewise before taking a long drink. Finding the remote behind a cushion she flipped through the channels before deciding on the sci-fi network. Charlotte raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You're a trekkie?" She asked.
"Live long and prosper baby" was the cheerful reply. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"Geek" she muttered under her breath. A cushion to her face was the only reply.
Izzy sat engrossed, watching as Captain Kirk wrestled sans shirt with a three headed serpent. Charlotte had long ago lost interest and was instead stretched out on the floor flicking through a magazine. She heard the distinctive theme music and looked up, happily noting the credits roll up the screen.
"Awww is it over already?" she mocked. Izzy once again chose to ignore the teasing comment and stood slowly up from the couch.
"I'm going out to the garage, feel free to stay here and keep watching, it's a 24 hour Trek marathon" she offered. Charlotte jumped up from the floor and followed Izzy out.
"I think I'll leave it this time. What are you doing out in the garage?"
"Well Alex picked what's left of my bike up from the cops. It should be out here" she limped out through the kitchen and to the door that lead to the garage. Flipping on the light she hopped her way down the short flight of steps. The bike in question was in a crumpled heap in the middle of the floor. Charlotte looked around while Izzy inspected the twisted metal. The garage, which was big enough for two cars, was packed with bits and pieces of bikes and equipment. A rack on the far side near the doors held three racing bikes and two mountain bikes. There were spare wheels and tyres strewn around the floor and the workbench that took up half of the back wall was littered with tools and bits of gear mechanisms. The walls were covered in posters of different cyclists and races from around the world. A small rail held all Izzy's colourful jerseys and unflattering looking padded Lycra shorts.
"Where did all this come from?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh, I had it shipped over from the States once I got settled in" Izzy answered distractedly. Charlotte joined her where she was examining the 'dead' bike. The frame was bent and twisted and the front wheel was buckled almost in half. "Apparently another car ran over the bike after I came off" Izzy explained. Charlotte nodded and poked at the heap with her toe. Something dropped off the chain mechanism.
"Oops."
"Don't worry about it, it's all lost. I thought I'd be able to salvage something but it looks like now all I have is ten thousand dollars worth of scrap" Izzy shook her head morosely.
"I'm sorry; did you just say ten THOUSAND dollars?" Charlotte repeated incredulously. Izzy looked up and nodded.
"It was custom designed and built for me. All the mechanics were top of the line. It was my favourite" Izzy finished and sighed dejectedly. Charlotte shook her head in wonder as she looked at the remains of the bike, idly wondering if her friend had insurance.
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Two weeks later Izzy was back on Ward 17 in her capacity as doctor rather than patient and once she'd endured the requisite amount of good-natured ribbing from her friends for all the hassle she'd given them, life returned to normal. She had spent the majority of her sick leave moping around the house, limited to what she could do by her injured ribs so she was delighted to be back at work.
"This is Rachel Belmont, seventeen years old. Admitted this morning with severe abdominal pain. Scheduled for an appendectomy at twelve" Rebecca presented, handing the girl's chart to Izzy.
"Thanks Rebecca. Hi Rachel my name's Terri" the NUM greeted. "Frances here will get you settled and Doctor O'Neil will check in on you then. Is there anything you need?" she asked. The girl shook her head. "Ok, room four Matt please."
Izzy slipped the chart under her arm and followed them. She pulled the curtain around the cubicle for privacy while Frances helped the girl into bed. Once she was comfortable the nurse took her blood pressure and other vitals.
"Ok Rachel you're still a little dehydrated from all the vomiting so I'm going to give you some more fluids in your IV. Doctor Forlano will be performing your operation and he'll be down shortly to have a chat to you about it. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?" Izzy offered.
"Is my mum here yet? They called her at school" she asked softly. Izzy looked to Frances who shrugged.
"I'll call downstairs and see what the story is. Try and relax until Doctor Forlano sees you, I'll be back shortly to see how you are" Izzy promised and ducked out from behind the curtain. She made her way to the desk. Reg can you page me when Luke gets here, I'll be in Emergency" she called to the clerk and headed to the elevators. A familiar blonde figure was standing in front of the doors.
"Going down?" Izzy smirked at her friend, wagging her eyebrows for effect. Charlotte pretended to frown at the saucy comment.
"Smooth Iz" she drawled in an unimpressed tone.
"Oh you love it" the young doctor retorted cockily at her friend. "Wanna hit Cougars later? I'm planning a celebratory 'I'm-off-my-meds-and-can- drink-again' drink if you're interested."
"I suppose I could pencil it in, you buying?" Charlotte enquired.
"If you're good" was the cheeky response. Charlotte saw the opening for a suggestive remark of her own.
"Oh I'm verrry good" she purred before stepping off onto Ward 8. Izzy watched her go grinning at the exchange that had just occurred. The doors closed again, cutting off her view.
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Izzy made her enquiries in Emergency and returned to the ward, bumping into Luke on the way.
"Luke you here to see my appendix girl?" she asked the tall surgeon.
"Indeed I am doctor. Lead the way" he replied and gestured for Izzy to walk on. They navigated their way to room 4 where the young girl was sitting up in bed.
"Hi Rachel, how are you doing?" Izzy asked, handing over the girl's chart to Luke.
"I can't get comfortable" the patient winced and squirming slightly in the bed.
"I know how you feel. It'll be much better after the surgery, I promise" Izzy assured her. "I checked with the nurse who admitted you downstairs and she says you mum is on her way in and should be here before you go for your operation. Now this is Doctor Forlano. He'll be your surgeon this afternoon. Don't let the hair fool you, he's actually quite good" Izzy joked. The teasing had its desired effect and Rachel smiled for the first time since she had arrived on the ward. Izzy turned to Luke who was scowling slightly "I'll leave you to it then doc. Rachel I will see you before your operation" she gave the girl one last reassuring smile before taking her leave.
The ward was unusually quiet so she took the opportunity to chill out a little and have a cup of tea and something to eat. Nelson was in the tea room nose buried in the obligatory newspaper. He looked up briefly when she came in and gave her a small nod before returning his attention to the article. Izzy boiled the kettle and brewed a pot of tea. She hummed softly to herself as she waited for the tea to stew a little before pouring a mug full and sitting down opposite the nurse.
Deciding to have a little fun, she sat back, crossed her arms and proceeded to stare intently at the top of Nelson's head. Sensing the scrutiny, he looked up and gave her a questioning look. Ignoring it, she simply smiled back.
"What?" he asked slightly irritated.
"What?" she asked back innocently.
"What are you looking at?" He asked again.
"Your hair, it's looking lovely today" Izzy smirked as Nelson raised a self conscious hand to feel the top of his head.
"Are you sure they found no damage when they scanned your head?" he asked the grinning doctor.
"No....well nothing new anyway" she tapped the back of a teaspoon against her forehead. Nelson stared at her, not sure what to make of it all. Izzy continued to smile serenely at him.
"Ok, well....uh...my break's over so I better....." he nodded to the door and stood up, giving her one last strange look before fleeing. Izzy leaned over and grabbed his paper, chuckling to herself. She had gotten to know him a little when he had been nursing her and discovered that she really liked the guy but found that sometimes he could be far too serious. She justified messing about with him as her duty as a doctor to get him to lighten up a little. She unfolded the paper, flicked open to the sports pages and took a long, slow sip of tea.
Half an hour later, Frances popped her head round the tea room door to find Izzy working her way through the paper's crossword puzzle.
"Doctor O' Neil, Rachel Belmont is heading for surgery now" she informed Izzy. The dark haired woman nodded and scribbled in the last answer before dropping the pen and following Frances back onto the ward. Matt and another orderly were adjusting the guard rails on Rachel's bed, preparing it for the move upstairs. The young woman looked petrified and Izzy noticed that there was still no sign of her mother.
"Alright Rachel, are you ready to roll?" she asked, keeping her tone light in an effort to reassure the young girl.
"I'm scared doctor" Rachel whimpered, clutching at the bedcovers.
"Try not to think about it sweetie" Izzy soothed "you'll be asleep the whole time and when you wake up you'll be back here and it will all be over." The patient still didn't look convinced.
"Would you like me to come up with you?" Frances offered gently. The young girl sniffed and nodded glumly. Izzy nodded at Matt who pushed the bed out towards the elevators.
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Charlotte heard the taxi beeping downstairs and grabbed her keys and wallet. She was meeting Izzy in Cougars at nine and had decided to get a cab over so she could let her hair down and have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving. Locking her door she jogged out to the waiting car and hopped in.
"Cougars bar please mate" she called to the driver who nodded and turned the car before heading in the direction of town. Charlotte looked out the window, barely noticing the route they were taking she was so deep in thought. Since Izzy had suggested going for a drink earlier in the day, the blonde doctor had been wondering if the whole 'off my meds' celebration was just pretence.
Her thoughts turned back to the day of the accident. Although she had managed to maintain her cool, professional exterior, when she had heard the details of the accident she had nearly lost her lunch. It had been a wake up call of sorts. Up until that point she had more or less decided not to pursue anything more than friendship with Izzy but the events of that day had been causing her to re-evaluate that decision. She began going over the pros and cons in her head and found there were a whole lot more pros in the equation- Izzy was smart, funny and beautiful and Charlotte was definitely attracted to her, the young doctor had more or less made it clear that she felt the same way so she wasn't too worried about being knocked back which was a definite 'pro'. She thought through the cons, realising that everything was down to her. The only thing holding Charlotte back was Charlotte. Once she realised this, it became simple. The ball was in her court. All she had to decide was whether to banish any notions of romance and continue on her current path through life, or 'seize the day' and take the plunge. Charlotte thought about it the whole journey and by the time they arrived she had come to her decision. Paying the driver, she stepped out of the club and stood in front of the bar. Her mind made up, she took a deep breath and went in.
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Izzy sipped from her bottle of beer and checked her watch. She had got to Cougars a little earlier and so decided to go ahead and order a drink while she waited. She took a seat at the bar where she could watch the door and look out for her friend. She was looking forward to the impromptu night out. Her suggestion to go for a drink had been total spur of the moment but she was glad she had made it all the same, even if the whole 'off my meds' thing had sounded incredibly lame.
She fiddled with the edge of the label that had come away from the cold bottle before peeling it off completely, ripping it into little pieces and crumbling them into a nearby ash tray. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered someone once saying that people who peel labels off bottles were sexually frustrated and chuckled softly to herself. The last shred of soggy paper ended up in the ash tray and she checked her watch again. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prickle she shivered and looked up, seeing Charlotte step through the door. Izzy took a deep breath and turned to face her friend, tingling with anticipation about what the night would bring.
Continued in Chapter 3
Scott replaced the radio-mike onto its mount on the dashboard and pulled out a street map from the glove-box.
"Pine Road, cyclist collided with an oncoming vehicle" he called to Alex over the noise of the siren "take the next left." A few short minutes later they arrived at the scene. The police had beaten them to it and set up a traffic diversion, making the area safe from any further mishaps. Scott jumped down from the cab and jogged around to pull some gear from the back of the rig. He waited for Alex to get his stuff before approaching the scene of the accident. One of the police officers joined them to fill them in on what had happened.
"G'day guys. There's only one casualty, the young woman who was riding the bike. The impact was side on and she was unconscious but seems to be coming around now" he informed the paramedics. They reached the victim and Scott kneeled down alongside her. He gasped in recognition.
"Alex, it's Doctor O'Neil" he informed his partner. "Izzy, Izzy can you hear me?" He called to the injured woman who moaned in response. "Come on Izzy, open your eyes?" He called again. This time her eyes flickered and opened slowly and she tried to sit up. "Whoa! Easy there. Try not to move Izzy, you've had a bit of an accident, I'm gonna have to put this collar on you to immobilize your head" Scott reached forward and gently secured the collar around her neck. She groaned slightly and glared at him.
"I'm fine Scotty, just a couple of bumps" she croaked unconvincingly.
"Well, from where I'm sitting it's looking more like a concussion not to mention a nasty rip on your knee" Alex scolded, glancing at the large gash running down her right leg. He slipped an oxygen mask over her head before disappearing to get more equipment.
Scott pressed slightly on Izzy's side where she had impacted with the car, causing her to gasp in and swear loudly. "And broken ribs" she mumbled glumly once the worst of the pain had passed. Alex reappeared with a backboard and they carefully rolled her onto it. She moaned again and went limp, the movement causing excruciating pain to rip through her body.
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Rebecca slipped on a pair of gloves and joined Doctor Singh where he was waiting for the arrival of the injured cyclist. Scott had called ahead to say they were only a few minutes out and moments later they burst through the two way doors. Alex recited the patient's stats to the doctor as they lifted her carefully from the trolley onto one of the beds. Rebecca saw the woman's face for the first time.
"Izzy?" she looked up at Scott who nodded in the affirmative.
"Ok let's stabilise her and get her up to x-ray, I want films of her head, chest, shoulder, spine and right leg" Doctor Singh ordered. The nurses bustled about, hooking Izzy up to monitors and prepping her for x-ray. Scott and Alex stood back to let them work, waiting to retrieve their equipment.
"I think I'll run up and talk to Charlotte" Scott decided, knowing how close the two women were.
"I'll stay here" Alex volunteered. Scott nodded his thanks and headed to the elevators.
He stepped off onto Ward 17 and made his way to the desk.
"Hey Reg, is Doctor Beaumont around?" he asked the clerk.
"Tea room" the woman answered absently, too engrossed in the folder in front of her to look up. The tall ambo gave her a quick 'thank you' and continued on his way. He poked his head around the tea room door to find Charlotte talking to Nelson.
"G'day Scotty, what you doing up here?" she asked, sipping at her coffee.
"Looking for you actually" he filled the blonde doctor in on the details of the accident and Izzy's condition. "I thought you'd want to know" he finished.
"Thanks mate" she jumped up from the table and followed him back down to the Emergency Department. They arrived downstairs to find that Izzy had been brought to get x-rays.
"She's regained consciousness" Rebecca informed them "but she was in a lot of pain so we had to give her morphine. She's pretty out of it" she finished as Charlotte's beeper went off. The blonde doctor pulled it from her waistband and checked the display, cursing under her breath when she saw the number.
"I have to get back to the ward. Page me when Izzy's back from x-ray" she called to Rebecca before darting off.
An hour later, an unhappy Izzy was wheeled on a trolley onto Ward 17. Her head had been stitched up and was swathed in bandages, leaving her unruly hair to poke out the top at wild angles. The right side of her face was raw from where she had grazed it on the tarmac and beneath the covers, her knee had been sewn shut and strapped. Her right side was bruised from her shoulder down to her waist. Terri, Charlotte and Nelson were waiting for her at the desk.
"Isabella how are you feeling" Terri asked kindly. Izzy squinted up at the NUM, her blurred vision making her see double.
"I feel fine, you should discharge me" she slurred.
"You have a fractured skull" Terri pointed out.
"It's just a wee crack" Izzy argued weakly, blinking rapidly as the room started spinning around her. Without warning she turned her head and threw up all over Charlotte.
"Ok let's get her settled into room one. Nelson, she's your patient" Terri ordered before stepping around Charlotte and returning to her office. The blonde doctor was left standing in the middle of the corridor, covered in vomit.
Once she's cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clothes, Charlotte let herself into Izzy's room and shut the door quietly behind her. The patient stirred and turned her head to face the blonde doctor.
"Hey good looking" she leered, giving the bemused doctor an exaggerated wink.
"Hey yourself" Charlotte grinned, used to hearing the uninhibited things people said under the influence of morphine. "How are you feeling?"
"I have a headache and it hurts to breathe" Izzy moaned.
"Iz, you were riding without a helmet. No offence, but you're an idiot" Charlotte scolded.
"Those things give me hat-hair" she argued weakly. Charlotte pursed her lips and shook her head, unimpressed. "I'm sorry Charlotte" Izzy closed her eyes and turned away from her friend "will you sit with me?"
"Yeah, sure" Charlotte pulled a seat over to the side of the bed and, without thinking, reached over and took her friend's hand and held it in her own. The injured woman soon drifted off into a drug induced sleep. Charlotte waited until she was sure Izzy was out for the count before creeping out of the room.
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Charlotte tried three of the keys in the bunch before she found the right one. Pushing the heavy door open she stepped into the dark hall and flicked on the lights. She had debated whether or not to do this, hoping her very private friend would appreciate the gesture and not be upset. Deciding to get on with it, the blonde doctor made her way the upstairs and down the landing to Izzy's bedroom where she hesitated a moment before entering.
The room was large and sparsely decorated. A king-size futon was situated beneath a large window at the far end of the room facing the door. Another door on the right hand side of the bed led to a walk in closet and en suite bathroom. An antique dressing table in the corner caught Charlotte's attention and she found herself drawn towards it. The entire surface was covered with framed photographs, the only photographs in the entire house. She scanned each picture carefully.
The first one was of a much younger Izzy sitting on a horse while a young boy stood alongside holding the reigns. Both were pulling faces at the camera. Another showed Izzy and the same boy sitting with their arms slung around one another's necks. They looked older in this one, perhaps twelve or thirteen and they were standing in front of what looked like the Coliseum in Rome. Charlotte looked closely at the boy's face and decided that he had to be Izzy's brother. They had identical expressions and features. The next picture showed the brother and sister standing in front of a man and woman in what was a typical family portrait pose, leading Charlotte to conclude that the couple were Izzy's parents. The man was tall and handsome with fair skin and blue eyes while the woman was petit and beautiful, with dark skin, curly brown hair and soulful brown eyes. The two smiling children had their father's height and facial attributes and their mother's colouring.
Charlotte gazed at the photos. Izzy had never talked about her family and Charlotte began to wonder if there was some connection between her friend's tendency to be reserved and the fact that there were no more recent pictures of anyone in her family on the dresser. Shaking herself out of her musings, she crossed the room to the closet where she found a gym bag on one of the shelves. She filled it with some toiletries and clothes for Izzy to have in hospital and once she had everything, she took one last look around the quiet room and left, closing the door softly behind her.
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Izzy awoke with a start, disorientated by her unfamiliar surroundings. The room was slightly dark and smelled funny. Slowly, awareness dawned on her as she recalled the moments before the accident and her trip to the Emergency Department. She carefully turned her head from side to side. There was still a dull ache radiating from the side of her head that had hit the road but the pain was bearable. Encouraged by this she experimented with sitting up. There was an excruciating jolt of pain from her bruised and broken ribs. Gritting her teeth, she ignored it and pushed her blankets back to examine her leg. Her knee was heavily bandaged and she could feel the familiar itch of stitches beneath the material. Taking a moment to get used to the various sensations coursing through her battered body, she carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and eased herself into a standing position. Her knee burned where it had split open but she was pleased at the absence of pain in the actual joint. Favouring her left, uninjured side, she took a cautious step forward, leaning heavily on her IV stand for support. Her side ached with the effort but otherwise she felt surprisingly ok. She took another few steps until she reached the end of the bed and unhooked her chart from where it was hanging on the rail. A quick glance through it confirmed her assumption that she'd been thoroughly battered but was otherwise alright. Relieved to find that all her internal organs were intact and fully operational, she turned to make her way back to bed. She had only taken a few steps when the door opened and Terri walked in.
"What do you think you're doing?!" the NUM demanded, moving to help Izzy back into bed.
"Oh hello Terri" Izzy greeted innocently "I was just....." Charlotte's arrival on the scene cut short her reply.
"Iz? What are you doing standing there with your ass hanging out? Get back into bed!" Charlotte chastised and went to help Terri get the young woman back under the covers. Izzy blushed, noticing for the first time that she was clad only in a flimsy hospital gown. They got her settled and Charlotte stood back while Terri checked Izzy's dressing to make sure she hadn't opened anything by moving around. Satisfied all the stitches were intact and no further damage had been done, the NUM finished and left the room.
"It's good to finally see you lucid" Charlotte smirked once the door closed behind Terri.
"Well allow me to kick your ribs in, Beaumont, and see how quickly you cry for morphine" Izzy huffed in response.
"Now now, no need to get crabby with me, I come bearing gifts" Charlotte declared, holding up the gym bag "I dropped by your place and grabbed some essentials for you. Toothbrush, nightclothes and that kind of thing" she put the back to one side.
"Thanks Charlotte I appreciate that, these gowns aren't a good look for me" she joked, pulling at the stiff material.
"Those gowns aren't a good look for anyone, smartass."
"Charlotte, have I ever told you what an amazing doctor I think you are?" Izzy asked sweetly, batting her eyelids for effect. Charlotte narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"What do you want?" she asked immediately.
"I want to go home" Izzy cut to the chase.
"No way, you're stuck here 'til I say otherwise" the blonde doctor declared.
"Please Charlotte? I'll be good, I'll stay in bed and if you give me one of those cone things for around my head, I won't be able to scratch my stitches out." The stubborn patient joked, giving her best puppy dog expression
"No Iz, I'm putting my foot down on this, I'm not discharging you until you're mobility improves and I'm satisfied you'll be able to look after yourself." Izzy huffed and crossed her arms, forgetting momentarily about the injury to her side. There was an unexpected twinge of pain and though she managed to suppress a groan, the look of barely disguised agony on her face gave her away.
"Fine!" Izzy huffed. "You should know that, as of this moment, I officially hate you. Now hand me the remote" she groused. Charlotte gave her friend a mock hurt expression before handing her the device and making her exit, promising to check back after her rounds.
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After three days of moaning and giving out about the quality of the food and the lack of anything decent on the TV, Charlotte finally caved and signed Izzy's discharge papers. Her wounds were clean and healing well and her breathing had improved as the pain in her side eased. A final scan of her head showed that the swelling had gone down and, though she was still experiencing the occasional headache, there was no permanent damage. Matt arrived at her bedside with the requisite wheelchair and she eased herself into it, a satisfied grin on her face.
"Come on Mattie, let's blow this Popsicle joint" she called to the bleached orderly.
"Not so fast!" Terri halted them, holding up a hand. Matt brought them to a screeching halt. The NUM held up a plastic bag containing pill bottles and a sheet of paper. "Your pain meds and post-discharge instructions" she declared, handing it all over.
"Thanks Terri. I know I was a bit of a brat, but I really appreciate everything everyone's done for me. I wouldn't have wanted to be on any other ward" Izzy smiled sincerely.
"You're welcome. Now go!" Terri stood back as Matt took off once more, nearly ploughing into a crash cart before disappearing out the door and into the elevator. They rode it to the ground floor and made their way to the exit where Charlotte was waiting in the car.
"End of the road babe" Matt called and put the brake on before stepping around to open the car door. Izzy eased herself in and he pushed it closed. She waved her thanks and turned to the driver.
"Home Jeeves, and don't spare the horses" she ordered.
"Hey! That's Doctor Jeeves to you" Charlotte put the car in gear and pulled away. They coasted through the late afternoon traffic, chatting about this and that until they arrived at their destination. Izzy shuffled carefully up the drive while Charlotte grabbed her bag from the trunk.
"Ah! Home sweet home" the brunette sighed, making her way to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator door and winced at the putrid smell that emanated from an unmarked container on the middle shelf. She gingerly peeled back the cover and peeked carefully inside. "Oops, forgot about that" she muttered and threw it towards the bin, giving herself a mental high five when it reached its target. Charlotte joined her and peered over her shoulder.
"Good to see you're following a balanced diet" she remarked dryly.
"You'll note I have all the major food groups" Izzy indicated the near- barren shelves "beer, chocolate, soda and some sort of mystery fungus" she grabbed two of the soda cans and handed one to her friend before shutting the door and limping into the den. They settled themselves into the battered couch and popped the tabs on their drinks.
"Welcome home" Charlotte raised her can.
"It's good to be back" Izzy did likewise before taking a long drink. Finding the remote behind a cushion she flipped through the channels before deciding on the sci-fi network. Charlotte raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You're a trekkie?" She asked.
"Live long and prosper baby" was the cheerful reply. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"Geek" she muttered under her breath. A cushion to her face was the only reply.
Izzy sat engrossed, watching as Captain Kirk wrestled sans shirt with a three headed serpent. Charlotte had long ago lost interest and was instead stretched out on the floor flicking through a magazine. She heard the distinctive theme music and looked up, happily noting the credits roll up the screen.
"Awww is it over already?" she mocked. Izzy once again chose to ignore the teasing comment and stood slowly up from the couch.
"I'm going out to the garage, feel free to stay here and keep watching, it's a 24 hour Trek marathon" she offered. Charlotte jumped up from the floor and followed Izzy out.
"I think I'll leave it this time. What are you doing out in the garage?"
"Well Alex picked what's left of my bike up from the cops. It should be out here" she limped out through the kitchen and to the door that lead to the garage. Flipping on the light she hopped her way down the short flight of steps. The bike in question was in a crumpled heap in the middle of the floor. Charlotte looked around while Izzy inspected the twisted metal. The garage, which was big enough for two cars, was packed with bits and pieces of bikes and equipment. A rack on the far side near the doors held three racing bikes and two mountain bikes. There were spare wheels and tyres strewn around the floor and the workbench that took up half of the back wall was littered with tools and bits of gear mechanisms. The walls were covered in posters of different cyclists and races from around the world. A small rail held all Izzy's colourful jerseys and unflattering looking padded Lycra shorts.
"Where did all this come from?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh, I had it shipped over from the States once I got settled in" Izzy answered distractedly. Charlotte joined her where she was examining the 'dead' bike. The frame was bent and twisted and the front wheel was buckled almost in half. "Apparently another car ran over the bike after I came off" Izzy explained. Charlotte nodded and poked at the heap with her toe. Something dropped off the chain mechanism.
"Oops."
"Don't worry about it, it's all lost. I thought I'd be able to salvage something but it looks like now all I have is ten thousand dollars worth of scrap" Izzy shook her head morosely.
"I'm sorry; did you just say ten THOUSAND dollars?" Charlotte repeated incredulously. Izzy looked up and nodded.
"It was custom designed and built for me. All the mechanics were top of the line. It was my favourite" Izzy finished and sighed dejectedly. Charlotte shook her head in wonder as she looked at the remains of the bike, idly wondering if her friend had insurance.
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Two weeks later Izzy was back on Ward 17 in her capacity as doctor rather than patient and once she'd endured the requisite amount of good-natured ribbing from her friends for all the hassle she'd given them, life returned to normal. She had spent the majority of her sick leave moping around the house, limited to what she could do by her injured ribs so she was delighted to be back at work.
"This is Rachel Belmont, seventeen years old. Admitted this morning with severe abdominal pain. Scheduled for an appendectomy at twelve" Rebecca presented, handing the girl's chart to Izzy.
"Thanks Rebecca. Hi Rachel my name's Terri" the NUM greeted. "Frances here will get you settled and Doctor O'Neil will check in on you then. Is there anything you need?" she asked. The girl shook her head. "Ok, room four Matt please."
Izzy slipped the chart under her arm and followed them. She pulled the curtain around the cubicle for privacy while Frances helped the girl into bed. Once she was comfortable the nurse took her blood pressure and other vitals.
"Ok Rachel you're still a little dehydrated from all the vomiting so I'm going to give you some more fluids in your IV. Doctor Forlano will be performing your operation and he'll be down shortly to have a chat to you about it. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?" Izzy offered.
"Is my mum here yet? They called her at school" she asked softly. Izzy looked to Frances who shrugged.
"I'll call downstairs and see what the story is. Try and relax until Doctor Forlano sees you, I'll be back shortly to see how you are" Izzy promised and ducked out from behind the curtain. She made her way to the desk. Reg can you page me when Luke gets here, I'll be in Emergency" she called to the clerk and headed to the elevators. A familiar blonde figure was standing in front of the doors.
"Going down?" Izzy smirked at her friend, wagging her eyebrows for effect. Charlotte pretended to frown at the saucy comment.
"Smooth Iz" she drawled in an unimpressed tone.
"Oh you love it" the young doctor retorted cockily at her friend. "Wanna hit Cougars later? I'm planning a celebratory 'I'm-off-my-meds-and-can- drink-again' drink if you're interested."
"I suppose I could pencil it in, you buying?" Charlotte enquired.
"If you're good" was the cheeky response. Charlotte saw the opening for a suggestive remark of her own.
"Oh I'm verrry good" she purred before stepping off onto Ward 8. Izzy watched her go grinning at the exchange that had just occurred. The doors closed again, cutting off her view.
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Izzy made her enquiries in Emergency and returned to the ward, bumping into Luke on the way.
"Luke you here to see my appendix girl?" she asked the tall surgeon.
"Indeed I am doctor. Lead the way" he replied and gestured for Izzy to walk on. They navigated their way to room 4 where the young girl was sitting up in bed.
"Hi Rachel, how are you doing?" Izzy asked, handing over the girl's chart to Luke.
"I can't get comfortable" the patient winced and squirming slightly in the bed.
"I know how you feel. It'll be much better after the surgery, I promise" Izzy assured her. "I checked with the nurse who admitted you downstairs and she says you mum is on her way in and should be here before you go for your operation. Now this is Doctor Forlano. He'll be your surgeon this afternoon. Don't let the hair fool you, he's actually quite good" Izzy joked. The teasing had its desired effect and Rachel smiled for the first time since she had arrived on the ward. Izzy turned to Luke who was scowling slightly "I'll leave you to it then doc. Rachel I will see you before your operation" she gave the girl one last reassuring smile before taking her leave.
The ward was unusually quiet so she took the opportunity to chill out a little and have a cup of tea and something to eat. Nelson was in the tea room nose buried in the obligatory newspaper. He looked up briefly when she came in and gave her a small nod before returning his attention to the article. Izzy boiled the kettle and brewed a pot of tea. She hummed softly to herself as she waited for the tea to stew a little before pouring a mug full and sitting down opposite the nurse.
Deciding to have a little fun, she sat back, crossed her arms and proceeded to stare intently at the top of Nelson's head. Sensing the scrutiny, he looked up and gave her a questioning look. Ignoring it, she simply smiled back.
"What?" he asked slightly irritated.
"What?" she asked back innocently.
"What are you looking at?" He asked again.
"Your hair, it's looking lovely today" Izzy smirked as Nelson raised a self conscious hand to feel the top of his head.
"Are you sure they found no damage when they scanned your head?" he asked the grinning doctor.
"No....well nothing new anyway" she tapped the back of a teaspoon against her forehead. Nelson stared at her, not sure what to make of it all. Izzy continued to smile serenely at him.
"Ok, well....uh...my break's over so I better....." he nodded to the door and stood up, giving her one last strange look before fleeing. Izzy leaned over and grabbed his paper, chuckling to herself. She had gotten to know him a little when he had been nursing her and discovered that she really liked the guy but found that sometimes he could be far too serious. She justified messing about with him as her duty as a doctor to get him to lighten up a little. She unfolded the paper, flicked open to the sports pages and took a long, slow sip of tea.
Half an hour later, Frances popped her head round the tea room door to find Izzy working her way through the paper's crossword puzzle.
"Doctor O' Neil, Rachel Belmont is heading for surgery now" she informed Izzy. The dark haired woman nodded and scribbled in the last answer before dropping the pen and following Frances back onto the ward. Matt and another orderly were adjusting the guard rails on Rachel's bed, preparing it for the move upstairs. The young woman looked petrified and Izzy noticed that there was still no sign of her mother.
"Alright Rachel, are you ready to roll?" she asked, keeping her tone light in an effort to reassure the young girl.
"I'm scared doctor" Rachel whimpered, clutching at the bedcovers.
"Try not to think about it sweetie" Izzy soothed "you'll be asleep the whole time and when you wake up you'll be back here and it will all be over." The patient still didn't look convinced.
"Would you like me to come up with you?" Frances offered gently. The young girl sniffed and nodded glumly. Izzy nodded at Matt who pushed the bed out towards the elevators.
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Charlotte heard the taxi beeping downstairs and grabbed her keys and wallet. She was meeting Izzy in Cougars at nine and had decided to get a cab over so she could let her hair down and have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving. Locking her door she jogged out to the waiting car and hopped in.
"Cougars bar please mate" she called to the driver who nodded and turned the car before heading in the direction of town. Charlotte looked out the window, barely noticing the route they were taking she was so deep in thought. Since Izzy had suggested going for a drink earlier in the day, the blonde doctor had been wondering if the whole 'off my meds' celebration was just pretence.
Her thoughts turned back to the day of the accident. Although she had managed to maintain her cool, professional exterior, when she had heard the details of the accident she had nearly lost her lunch. It had been a wake up call of sorts. Up until that point she had more or less decided not to pursue anything more than friendship with Izzy but the events of that day had been causing her to re-evaluate that decision. She began going over the pros and cons in her head and found there were a whole lot more pros in the equation- Izzy was smart, funny and beautiful and Charlotte was definitely attracted to her, the young doctor had more or less made it clear that she felt the same way so she wasn't too worried about being knocked back which was a definite 'pro'. She thought through the cons, realising that everything was down to her. The only thing holding Charlotte back was Charlotte. Once she realised this, it became simple. The ball was in her court. All she had to decide was whether to banish any notions of romance and continue on her current path through life, or 'seize the day' and take the plunge. Charlotte thought about it the whole journey and by the time they arrived she had come to her decision. Paying the driver, she stepped out of the club and stood in front of the bar. Her mind made up, she took a deep breath and went in.
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Izzy sipped from her bottle of beer and checked her watch. She had got to Cougars a little earlier and so decided to go ahead and order a drink while she waited. She took a seat at the bar where she could watch the door and look out for her friend. She was looking forward to the impromptu night out. Her suggestion to go for a drink had been total spur of the moment but she was glad she had made it all the same, even if the whole 'off my meds' thing had sounded incredibly lame.
She fiddled with the edge of the label that had come away from the cold bottle before peeling it off completely, ripping it into little pieces and crumbling them into a nearby ash tray. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered someone once saying that people who peel labels off bottles were sexually frustrated and chuckled softly to herself. The last shred of soggy paper ended up in the ash tray and she checked her watch again. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prickle she shivered and looked up, seeing Charlotte step through the door. Izzy took a deep breath and turned to face her friend, tingling with anticipation about what the night would bring.
Continued in Chapter 3