Authors Note Hey all! Just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support so far and for your patience. I know this chapter was a long time coming! A whole heap of stuff came up and it all just snowballed and left me with little time to write. Also the whole broken nose thing knocked me for six as well!! Anyway, thanks again and now on with the show! Enjoy!
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Chapter 3
Charlotte stepped through the bar doors and scanned the crowded room, searching out her friend. She spotted the familiar silhouette of frizzy hair sitting at the bar just as its owner turned and gave a small wave. Charlotte nodded in acknowledgement and smiled, making her way towards the bar.
"Hey!" Izzy greeted cheerily.
"Hey yourself. Am I late?" Charlotte asked, nodding at Izzy's empty beer bottle.
"You're pretty much bang on time actually. I was early" Izzy grinned sheepishly "what will you have?"
"Hmmmm. Make it something colourful, fruity and loaded with alcohol and little umbrellas" Charlotte decided.
"Oookkkk" Izzy frowned slightly, not knowing what the hell to order. She turned to the waiting barman "did you get all that?" He smiled and nodded, taking various bottles down from the well stocked shelves. "Ok great. I'll stick with the Corona mate" she ordered for herself. Charlotte indicated an empty table and they moved over and sat down.
"So..." Charlotte started as they waited on their drinks "...how you liking Aussie nightlife?"
"Well this is pretty much my first outing" Izzy commented "but so far, I'm loving it!" she finished, waggling her eyebrows at Charlotte. The arrival of their drinks stalled the conversation momentarily as Charlotte stopped talking to search through the various umbrellas and trinkets coming out the top of her glass for her straw. She found it at last and took a long sip.
"Mmmm, sweet" she commented "want a taste?" She offered the glass to Izzy who wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Oh God no, you're alright there, I'll stick with beer thanks" she declined quickly.
"Suit yourself!" Charlotte took another long sip and smacked her lips. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, neither one sure how to restart the conversation. Izzy nibbled thoughtfully at the slice of lime that had come wedged in the top of her beer bottle. She looked up at Charlotte, who was messing with one of the decorations from her glass.
"I had one of those near death experiences you know" Izzy blurted suddenly. Charlotte raised a questioning eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. "When I crashed my bike" Izzy explained.
"Ah I see. What was it like, a light at the end of a tunnel? The ghost of Christmas past?" Charlotte asked, keeping her tone light.
"No you cynic, my life flashed before my eyes, so to speak, and I had an epiphany" Izzy replied.
"Was the epiphany 'wear my helmet next time'?" Charlotte joked. She knew her friend was trying to be serious but she couldn't resist the opportunity to get a dig in.
"No" Izzy scowled "now do you want to hear my story or not?" She demanded impatiently.
"Sorry" Charlotte held a placating hand up "continue, please."
"Ok so as I was saying, my life flashed before my eyes. Well, not all of it, mostly just the important bits; my first day of school for example. That was one of the best days of my life" Izzy remembered fondly.
"You are such a nerd" Charlotte scoffed and took another sip of her cocktail. Izzy gave her the two fingered salute.
"Yeah I'm a nerd, get over it Blondie. So, anyway, like I was saying, when I was in hospital, all I could think about, apart from elaborate schemes for world domination and different ways to escape the ward, was the trip down memory lane my mind took before I conked out."
"And...?" Charlotte asked, leaning slightly towards Izzy
"And it was...well it was mostly pretty depressing stuff."
"Go on" Charlotte urged. She had never known Izzy to open up like this before and she wanted to learn as much as she could in case it turned out to be a one off occurrence.
"Ok, well, um when I was fourteen I got the chicken pox. I was meant to be going to a rugby match with my parents and my brother but I had to stay at home with a babysitter. I begged to be allowed go but mum insisted I stayed at home in bed. We had a massive argument about it and I ended up storming off to my room in a huff. It was the last time I saw her or my brother or father again."
"What happened?" Charlotte asked softly.
"They were in a car accident on the way home, crashed into an articulated lorry. Mum and dad were killed instantly; the front of the car was totally crushed. Patrick, my brother- my twin actually, he made it to the hospital but not through surgery. He died on the table" Izzy finished quietly. Charlotte reached under the table and took her hand, giving it a supportive squeeze.
"I'm really sorry Iz" she consoled.
"Thanks. I, um, I didn't mean to bring a downer on the night, I'll skip over my horrifically angst ridden adolescent years and my rebellious college years and get to the point shall I?" she tried to joke.
"Whatever you want" Charlotte smiled understandingly and waited.
"Ok well basically, I had this epiphany. I realised that the last truly happy memory I had was from way back in 1985 and that it was high time for me to pull myself together and get on with making some new ones" Izzy finished and grinned mischievously.
"Look out Sydney!" Charlotte laughed and raised her glass. Izzy beamed and raised her bottle. "You know, if you need any help with this little endeavour, it would be my pleasure" Charlotte leered.
"It's interesting that you should say that 'cause I when I was lying in my hospital bed I realised something else" Izzy stated matter-of-factly.
"Oh yeah? And what was that?" Charlotte enquired, dumping her straw in favour of taking a long swig straight from the glass.
"I realised that you're damn hot and I should let you take me out for a steak dinner sometime" Izzy smirked as Charlotte choked on the mouthful of cocktail she had just swallowed and started coughing and spluttering into a napkin. Izzy patted her on the back until she finished and regained control of her breathing.
"Oh is that so?" Charlotte managed when she had regained her composure. "What makes you think that I would want splurge my hard earned money on a steak dinner with you?"
"Oh, so you're a cheapskate? Well in that case I suppose I could settle for a Happy Meal, depending on whether or not there's a decent toy included" Izzy teased.
"Well, maybe if you're a good girl" Charlotte teased back.
"It's a date then! I'm free Wednesday. Pick me up from the ED at eight" Izzy winked and raised an arm to flag down a passing waitress. "Another round here please...actually, just run me a tab and keep 'em coming, makes life easier for all of us!" she grinned wickedly. "Ok doc" she turned her attention back to Charlotte and pinned her with a mischievous look "drinking game time. The name of the game is Truth. Here are the rules; you can ask anything you want. If the other person doesn't want to answer then they have to take a drink and by that I mean a good healthy swig, none of this dainty sipping crap" Izzy dictated as the waitress returned with their fresh drinks.
"Fair enough Iz, you talk the talk but do you walk the walk?" Charlotte challenged.
"Oh just bring it on baby!" Izzy countered "You can even go first."
"Ok then hot shot" Charlotte thought for a moment before coming up with a question. "Have you ever been arrested?" She asked the young doctor.
"Twice...no wait, three times" Izzy answered straight away.
"Seriously?! What for?" Charlotte asked in disbelief.
"Hey, it's my turn" Izzy pointed out. She pretended to think for a minute before asking Charlotte the exact same question.
"Yes, once" Charlotte answered hurriedly, wanting to get to her next question. "Ok, my go. What were you arrested for?" she asked again.
"Well, the first time was for breaking and entering. I was locked out of my flat and incredibly drunk so I just kicked in a window and climbed through. A neighbour saw me, got the wrong idea and called the cops. They found me asleep half way through the window. I woke up next morning in a cell and completely freaked out" Izzy laughed. "The second time was disturbing the peace and destruction of property. Myself and some classmates went to a Young Republican election rally type thing on campus and ran amok; I may have burned some posters. It was a good laugh" she recalled fondly.
"You delinquent!" Charlotte chuckled. "What was the third thing?"
"Resisting arrest. I was at home for a cousins wedding and it got a bit rowdy. Someone called the Gardaí. This big muck-savage of a garda from, I dunno, Offaly or somewhere caught me and was trying to get my details and stuff from me. I thought I remembered some weird law that said if you spoke in Irish to a garda then the garda had to too but he just threw me in the drunk-tank instead. I'd like to point out though, that in each of my three brushes with the law, I was never charged with anything, just given a caution or warning" Izzy finished proudly. Charlotte shook her head in mock disapproval. "Ok, same question to you Beaumont; what did you get your ass slung in the clink for?"
"Well, I was on this bus in Turkey..................."
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The in-depth personal questions were fired back between the two women at a rate of knots as the evening progressed. Once they were able to rise above their giddy immaturity and get past the obligatory sordid tales of relationships past, they were able to use the game as a free and easy way of getting to know each other.
"Ok ok, I have one. Favourite movie?" Charlotte demanded, slurring her words ever so slightly.
"Oooh, good question Beaumont!" Izzy slurred back, tilting her bottle towards her friend in a clumsy half-drunken salute. She stared blankly past Charlotte with a slightly glazed expression as she thought of her answer. "The Great Escape" she eventually decided. "What's yours?"
"Gone With The Wind" was Charlotte's immediate response.
"You're kidding?!" Izzy blurted incredulously. "I had no idea you were such a closet sap!"
"Don't tell anyone, its classified information. If anyone asks, my favourite movie is Monty Python's 'The Meaning of Life', which is actually my second favourite. I have a reputation to uphold" Charlotte pantomime whispered across the table.
"I hear ya" Izzy winked and nodded. "Actually, seeing as you were honest with me I'll admit that 'Dirty Dancing is my real favourite movie" Izzy grinned sheepishly.
"Ah so you're a sap too. Don't worry your secret's is safe with me. I have another question if you're ready?" Charlotte enquired tentatively.
"Ready as I'll ever be. Shoot."
"Ok well, what you were saying earlier, about us going on a date, were you serious?" Charlotte mumbled nervously.
"Of course I was being serious. I was, however, only kidding about going to McDonalds. Instead I was thinking we could go somewhere with table linen, actual cutlery and maybe even non-laminated menus."
"Ok, I think I know a place" Charlotte smiled happily and finished off her drink. Izzy did likewise and they both agreed to call it a night. After successfully hailing down two passing taxis, the two exchanged a somewhat awkward hug before heading on their separate ways.
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Izzy glanced at her watch and groaned. It was only 3pm which meant she had another five hours left of her shift. She was down in the ED again, covering an extra shift for another doctor who was attending his daughter's wedding. She had been snowed under all morning dealing with the results of a high school chemistry experiment gone awry- fourteen year ten students with respiratory distress from inhaling noxious fumes. All but two had been treated and discharged and the ED was once again relatively quiet. She kicked herself for speaking too soon as Alex and Scott arrived through the doors, wheeling a trolley containing a gaunt looking man.
"Hello again boys, what poor unfortunate soul have you brought this time?" she called to the two ambos.
"This is Simon Roberts, 28. He collapsed while out running, a passer-by called it in. BP is 134/85, temp. 38, good breath sounds bilaterally. There has been no loss of consciousness and there's no evidence of external injury. He's quite disorientated and confused and his speech is slow and slurred. He started experiencing acute abdominal cramps on the ride over. Also, check out his hands and arms" Alex lifted one of the man's limbs from beneath the blanket covering him for Izzy to examine. It was abnormally swollen.
"Ok guys, bed three please" she directed them. They wheeled the man over and eased him onto the bed. Rebecca joined them and started working up a chart. Once the man was settled Izzy introduced herself and began her examination. She finished quickly and jotted something onto the chart.
"Mister Roberts, I need you to try and focus for me please, I have to ask you some questions ok?" she asked slowly so the confused man could understand. He nodded distractedly. "Ok now listen carefully, how long were you running for today? How many miles?" Izzy enquired.
"Twenty-four" he slurred "training for my first Ironman."
"How has your fluid intake been? What have you been drinking?" Izzy asked again.
"Water, about two litres today. I always drink heaps."
"Ok, good" she turned to Rebecca "what's his temp?"
"38.2" the nurse answered quickly. Izzy nodded thoughtfully. She ran a hand across the man's brow and then along the length of his arm, frowning slightly at the conspicuous lack of moisture.
"Hey Scott, what's the temperature like outside?" she called to the ambo who was filling in paperwork at the desk.
"It's hot and humid, about 98 I'd say" he called back. Izzy shuddered and sent up a quick prayer thanking God for the gift of air conditioning. "Mister Roberts, are you in any pain?" Izzy turned her attention back to her patient.
"My tummy cramps from time and I feel like I want to puke" he answered dazedly.
"Ok, Rebecca; start an IV and hang a small bag of saline. Hook him up for an EKG and run a blood gas, CBC and CHEM7 for now. Put a rush on it and page me when you get the results. Oh and keep him nil by mouth for now" Izzy hung the chart at the end of the bed and headed towards the desk only to be intercepted by Paula, who was taking a shift in the ED for some extra cash.
"Doctor O'Neil, I need you at bed five please, I have a suspected aspirin OD" the blonde nurse informed Izzy, handing over a chart. Izzy sighed and followed her over to the cubicle.
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A half an hour later Rebecca called Izzy over and handed her a page of print-out. "Simon Roberts' tests results" explained, handing over the paper.
"That was quick" Izzy commented, happily surprised.
"Yeah well, one of the lab rats upstairs owed me a favour so I called it in" Rebecca grinned mischievously.
"I'm afraid to ask" Izzy grinned back. "Ok what have we got here then" she thought out loud as she scanned over her runner's blood test results. "His sodium level is only 124 mmol per litre" she read aloud, frowning slightly and handed the print out to Rebecca who quickly read through the numbers.
"That's low, what do you think is causing it?" she asked handing the piece of paper back to the doctor.
"Too much water" Izzy mused, folding the paper as they headed over to the patient.
"Hello again Mr Roberts" she greeted the man "I have your tests results back and they show you are suffering from a condition called Hyponatremia. Have you ever heard of it before?" she enquired. The man thought for a while before finally shaking his head.
"Well, basically what has happened is the level of concentrated sodium in your blood has been reduced. When you were running, you sweated out too much of your body's sodium or salt content. Your body needs salt to move water from your stomach into your bloodstream. Without it, the water just sits there in your gut and bloats your belly. It's a common complaint among long distance endurance athletes such as marathon runners or triathletes" Izzy explained.
"What's going to happen to me?" the man whimpered.
"Don't worry Mr Roberts; it's easily treatable at this point. We're going to give you something called a diuretic which is a urine-producing drug that will get rid of all that water in you belly and an IV solution to replace the lost sodium. We're going to have to insert a foley catheter, which is a sort of flexible plastic tube, through your urethra and into your bladder so we can record your urine output. I'm going to admit you so we can monitor your condition overnight" she explained and turned to the nurse. "Rebecca, let's go with 5mg of lastix and a 3percent salt solution at 45ml per hour and give Ward 17 a buzz, see if they've a free bed." she ordered. The nurse nodded and set off. "Once you're settled in and feeling up to it, I'd be happy to talk to you about proper hydration for when you're training if you like?" Izzy offered. The man nodded eagerly. "Ok well I'll be back to see you soon" she smiled and left Rebecca to it.
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Charlotte listened carefully through her stethoscope as the elderly patient took a deep breath in.
"Good, ok, one more time please Mrs. Newman" she instructed. Satisfied with what she heard, she draped the 'scope around her neck and straightened up. "Well Mrs. Newman, I'm very pleased to tell you that your lungs are clear and you are well enough to go home" she informed the grey haired lady. She stood and smiled patiently while the patient thanked her effusively and nattered on about how her stock-broker son would be picking her up in his brand new and very expensive sports car and how he was a lovely, single young man. Charlotte ignored the obvious attempt at a fix-up and made her exit. She strolled over to the desk and ordered discharge papers from Regina before finding Terri to inform her of Mrs. Newman's status. The NUM was taking a patient handover from ED. Rebecca handed the chart and file over to the dark haired nurse as Matt and another orderly wheeled him onto the ward.
"Is this the marathon man?" Sterlo asked popping up behind the NUM.
"Sterling, this is Mister Roberts he's your patient. And please take the tape off your name badge" Terri handed the paperwork over to the young nurse.
"Yeah yeah" the young nurse mumbled before following the patient to his new home.
"Doctor O'Neil wants to be paged when he's settled in" Rebecca informed Terri before turning and heading back to the ED. The NUM turned to add the latest arrival on the ward to the board. Charlotte popped up behind her.
"Hey Terri, my pneumonia lady in four is ready to be discharged, Regina's getting the papers now" she chirped.
"Ok, thanks" she took the chart from Charlotte. "You're in a good mood" the nurse noted, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"Yes, I am! Thank you for noticing!" Charlotte beamed and skipped off in the direction of the sun room. Terri watched her go, a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Apparently, she has a hot date tonight" Regina supplied helpfully, handing over Mrs. Newman's discharge papers for Terri to sign.
"I see. Well... it's about bloody time" Terri grinned and disappeared into the office leaving Reg, Nelson and Von open-mouthed with surprise behind her.
Charlotte, meanwhile, arrived at the sun-room to find the patient she was looking for.
"Mr. Zanuck, I thought I saw you wander in here. What are you doing out of bed?" she asked the confused man.
"I came to find the waiter, he still hasn't arrived with my scotch!" the old man groused.
"Well how can he find you if you don't stay where you're supposed to?" Charlotte reasoned. "Come on, let's get you back to bed" she took him gently by the elbow and steered him through the door and back onto the ward. She spotted Jared on the way and called him over. "Can you help me here? I need to get him back into bed so I can check his dressings" she asked the nurse. Jared took the man's other elbow and between them they were able to manoeuvre him back to his bed in room four. Jared settled him in and they began the long and tedious process of examining and re-dressing his leg ulcers and bed sores.
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Izzy pulled back the privacy curtain and stepped into the cubicle before pulling it closed behind her.
"Mister Roberts, how are you feeling?" she asked cheerfully, picking up his updated chart and glancing quickly through it.
"Please, call me Simon. I feel much better thanks doc. The cramps have eased and, apart from having a tube stuck up my penis, I feel great!" he finished glibly, flashing two thumbs up for emphasis.
"That's good to hear Simon. So, do feel up to going over some training tips now?" she asked the man who nodded eagerly in reply. She pulled a chair across to alongside the bed and sat down. "Ok, let's talk equipment" she grinned and launched into an animated debate with the patient that covered everything from different types of bike components to the best tasting energy bars on the market. They were brought back to the real world by Sterlo who had come to check on his charge.
"Sorry to interrupt" he apologised.
"No worries mate. Actually it's better that you did or I would have sat here all day and got no work done!" Izzy grinned sheepishly, glancing at her watch. "Ok Simon, I'm going to have Sterlo here take some more blood and a urine sample so we can see how your sodium levels are doing. I have to get back downstairs before all my other patients get jealous" she stood up and pushed the chair back from the bed so Sterlo could get to work.
"Ok doc, catch you later!" Simon smiled and waved, leaning to the side slightly to watch Izzy leave. He raised his arm so Sterlo could put a blood pressure cuff on. "Do you know if she's single mate?" he asked the nurse hopefully.
"Um, well...I think she's kinda spoken for. Sorry" Sterlo replied carefully.
"Ah bugger" the patient cursed good naturedly. "Oh well, you can't blame a bloke for asking right? How about that blonde doc I've seen floatin' around up here?" he pestered. Sterlo suppressed a grin and inflated the cuff.
"Well, I think I can honestly say that you're not her type" was his diplomatic response. He ripped the cuff off and jotted the results down on the chart.
Charlotte grinned from where she had been eavesdropping in the next cubicle. She had been listening with interest to Izzy's conversation with her patient while she was in with Mr. Zanuck. The young doctor was clearly enthusiastic when it came to discussing running and training and Charlotte listened attentively, filing bits and pieces of information away for future reference.
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The rest of the day seemed to fly by and before anyone knew it, the night shift had arrived to take the handover on Ward 17. Charlotte grabbed her stuff from the staff lounge and bade a cheerful farewell to Frances and Jared before heading downstairs. Arriving at the relatively quiet emergency department, she went in search of Izzy. Poking her head around the ED locker room door and, finding who she was looking for, stepped fully in and walked over to where her intended target was rooting in a locker.
"Boo" she leaned in and whispered, causing them to jump and hit their head off the locker's shelf. Izzy spun around, rubbing her forehead where a red mark was already visible.
"Jesus Beaumont, are you trying to give me another concussion or something?" she grumbled at the chuckling doctor.
"What can I say?" Charlotte shrugged "I just can't resist the urge to get you into back into one of those sexy gowns" she finished, grinning as Izzy blushed and closed over her locker door.
"Yeah well, all you had to do was ask nicely" Izzy retorted.
"What happened to you?" Charlotte asked, noticing for the first time the large dark stains covering the front of Izzy's once crisp white shirt.
"Aspirin OD, I got puked on" Izzy scowled.
"How lovely" Charlotte stifled a grin "Are you ready to roll?"
"I sure am! But we're going to have to stop by my place first so I can grab a clean shirt" Izzy pulled at her soiled top.
"Good 'cause you stink!" Charlotte muttered and held the door open for Izzy who shouldered her backpack and shuffled through.
"I heard that!" She called back to the blonde doctor.
"Yeah, you were meant to!" The two doctors strolled side by side out to the car park where Izzy made her way over to a shiny red Jeep Wrangler with a black canvas convertible roof. Pulling the keys from her pocket she hit a button on the alarm remote and the Jeep 'bipped' twice and flashed its lights. Izzy open the rear door and threw her bag in the backseat.
"Where did this thing come from?" Charlotte asked, running her eyes over the length of the brand new machine.
"Oh! Didn't I tell you? I bought this beauty yesterday, that other thing was just a rental" Izzy gave the car a loving stroke before climbing in the driver's side. Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. 'That other thing' had been a nearly new Japanese import sports car. "Aren't you coming?" Izzy shouted out from the car, halting Charlotte's train of thought.
"You betcha!" She pulled herself up into the raised vehicle and slammed the door shut. It closed with a heavy 'thud'. Izzy crunched through the gears and, tyres spinning and kicking up dust, tore out of the car park.
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Twenty minutes later Izzy bounced the SUV up over the curb and onto her drive way, coming to an abrupt halt inches away from the garage door. She had spent the ride home giving Charlotte a detailed dissertation on how, by using a special device that the blonde doctor couldn't recall the name for, she could copy all the MP3's from her computer and play them on her car stereo. Charlotte had feigned interest, making the occasional appropriate 'ooh' and 'ah' noises. She had no idea what Izzy was talking about and made a mental not to ask Matt what an 'MP3' and a 'subwoofer' was.
She waited in the living room and flicked through a magazine while she waited for Izzy to change into something a little less stained and putrid. The young doctor reappeared a few minutes later clad in a fitted t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Charlotte had told her to keep it casual but wouldn't divulge any further information pertaining to their destination for the evening.
"Ok I'm all set!" She declared. "How about we get going to this mystery dining establishment, I'm starving."
"Let's go then" Charlotte stood and followed Izzy back out to the car.
The blonde doctor gave directions while Izzy alternately hummed and sang along to the radio. Charlotte puzzled over the range of music noting, as the loud, bass heavy hip-hop track faded into what sounded suspiciously like Fleetwood Mac, that Izzy seemed to have wide and varied tastes. After a short drive, they arrived at their destination.
"The Barrio" Izzy read the neon green sign above the door.
"I hope you like Mexican?" Charlotte enquired.
"Is the Pope a bleedin' Catholic?" Izzy asked rhetorically, practically barging through the door.
"I'll take that as a yes" Charlotte rolled her eyes before following in Izzy's path. A moustachioed waiter with slicked back hair and a heavy accent showed them to a table out in a courtyard to the rear of the restaurant and gave them their menus. They each took a few minutes to peruse the selection of dishes.
"Wanna get the Nacho Platter to share as a starter?" Charlotte suggested after a few minutes.
"Sure. What are you going to have for the main course?" Izzy asked, peering over the top of her menu.
"I think I'm gonna go with the Chicken Salsa Fajitas" Charlotte decided.
"Mmmm, sounds good. I'm getting me some of the Jambalaya" Izzy folded the menu and glanced over to where the waiter was hovering. He caught her signal and sauntered over to the table, pen and pad at the ready. Before he could open his mouth Izzy rattled off their orders in perfect Spanish. The waiter was taken aback at first but recovered swiftly and jotted the orders down. He took a few moments to chat with Izzy, happy to converse in his native tongue, before returning to the kitchen. Charlotte watched the whole exchange, mouth slightly open in surprise.
"What?" Izzy asked nonchalantly.
"You speak Spanish?" Charlotte asked, clearly interested.
"Spanish, Italian, French, Irish, English" she replied nonchalantly "oh and American" she finished jokingly before shifting uncomfortably under the pointed look of disbelief on Charlotte's face.
"Wow! Where did you learn all of that?"
"Well my mum was Italian, that's where I got the name. Isabella isn't exactly the most common of Irish names" Izzy clarified. Charlotte's mind skipped back to the family photo on Izzy's dressing table and she tried to picture the older woman whom she assumed to be Izzy's mother. Her photographic memory supplied the image of the dark haired, dark skinned woman and it all clicked into place.
"Ok that explains the Italian but what about the rest?" she pressed further.
"I did French and Irish in school and I learnt Spanish at Uni. One of my room mates was from Belize and I taught her English in return for her teaching me Spanish" Izzy explained. "But enough about me tell me more about your travels. Did you really get camel-jacked in Tunisia?" Izzy chuckled, recalling one of the more colourful stories she'd heard about the blonde doctor through the trusty hospital rumour mill.
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They continued to chat easily about this and that, only pausing occasionally to savour the delicious cuisine. Once they had finished, Charlotte suggested going for a walk to work off some of the calories they had just consumed with much gusto. After a brief argument over the bill (Izzy wanted to pay for everything, Charlotte wouldn't let her) they made their way across to a small park that was lit up by strings of fairy lights. The night was warm and there were a few people out walking and running. The two doctors strolled along the path in comfortable silence for before finding a wooden bench to sit on for a while.
"Dinner was delicious, thanks for bringing me here" Izzy commented after a while.
"It was my pleasure. I was thinking next time we could try this new Thai place that's just opened near me?" Charlotte suggested hopefully.
"Why Doctor Beaumont, are you asking me for another date?" Izzy asked in her best Scarlet O'Hara impression.
"I might be" was Charlotte's coy response. "Are you accepting?"
"I might be" Izzy mimicked cheekily. They both laughed. "Of course I'm accepting" Izzy declared once they'd both regained their composure. She smiled shyly before leaning over and giving Charlotte a sweet peck on the cheek.
"That's all I get?" Charlotte teased "one teeny-weeny kiss on the cheek?"
Izzy rolled her eyes in response. She waited for Charlotte to look away before leaning back in and nailing her with a searing full on the lips kiss. The blonde doctor was caught totally off guard and hesitated a moment before relaxing and enjoying the kiss. After a few moments Izzy pulled back.
"Better?" she asked cockily, grinning at Charlotte's slightly dazed expression.
"Yes...much" was the stuttered response. Izzy reached down and took Charlotte's hand, threading their fingers together.
"I've wanted to that for a very long time" she confessed.
"Well, feel free to do it again, anytime you like" Charlotte waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Izzy was about to take the good doctor up on her offer when the still night air was shattered by the sounds of two beepers going off simultaneously. Charlotte rooted through her purse for her pager while Izzy reached around and unhooked hers from her belt. She angled it towards the light and squinted at the display screen and groaned. It was All Saints. Charlotte eventually dug hers out and made a similar noise of irritation upon seeing the message.
"It must be a pretty serious trauma if they're paging off-duty doctors" Izzy groused. "We better get going I suppose." She stood up and stretched before turning and offering Charlotte a hand up. "Come on Beaumont, let's go put Humpty Dumpty back together again" she sighed. Charlotte allowed herself to be pulled up from the bench and smiled when Izzy didn't let go of her hand once she was standing. They made their way hurriedly through the park and out to the car.
"I'm hoping we can continue our conversation later?" Izzy asked hopefully as she clicked her seatbelt into place.
"You mean the conversation giving you unlimited permission to kiss me senseless at any time you see fitting?" Charlotte smiled. Izzy nodded vigorously. "Count on it hot stuff" the blonde doctor winked. Izzy smirked triumphantly and put the car in reverse before turning it and driving off in the direction of All Saints Western General Hospital.
THE END
So that's it for now anyway. Hope you enjoyed the story and thanks for reading!! Spooky :OP