A/N: Okay here's the next installment of In A stranger's eyes. I want to take two seconds to thank my cheerleader, crazy little witch, for the encouragement and cookies, which have kept this story going.

Chapter 12: What a difference a day makes

I awoke in my drab small apartment, far from my home in Kentucky. I had convinced myself that I wouldn't miss my life, or rather that part of my life. I was just another chapter that had ended as everything else that I had done had. But for some reason that morning, I felt almost lonely. I tried to shrug it off as the alarm by my bedside start to blare its morning wake up call at me.

I showered and dressed, but rather this time in the green scrubs that I had become accustomed to I actually threw on a pair of dress pants and a blouse. I pulled my hair back so that it was up off my shoulders and out of my face. Locking up my apartment, I headed for County.

The weather had started to turn cold as I dashed into the lounge. I threw my things into my locker as I pulled on the white lab coat. I had to smile seeing that this is where all my hard work had landed me. Granted this was a county hospital, but out of all the places, that I could have gone this seemed the most logical. I had trained here and I was familiar with the environment.

I grabbed a chart from the rack and got ready to start in, giving the board a glance to see who was there. Today was the first day that I wouldn't be working with a resident looking over my shoulder double-checking to make sure that I didn't make any mistakes. It was scary yet exciting at the same time.

"Erica." I hear a voice call at me.

I turned around towards the voice, "yes Dr. Weaver."

"Your med student is waiting for you in the lounge."

I wasn't sure how I missed some stranger sitting in the lounge, but then I really wasn't looking for anyone when I was in there. "Yes." I say turning now to head back the direction from which I had come. Oh, man all the excitement that I had been feeling suddenly left. Oh, don't let me screw this one up.

I spent the rest of the day with a shadow following me everywhere. He had been full of questions. It seemed to be a never-ending flow of questions and by the time, the end of my shift rolled around I was about ready to strangle him. I had no idea how I was going to make it to the end of his rotation. I hoped that I wasn't that annoying when I was a med student.

I know stood in front of my locker throwing my lab coat in there, the stethoscope landing on the shelve ready for another day tomorrow.

"Long day?"

I turn to see Doug standing there in front of his locker.

"Yeah you could say that, please tell me I wasn't an extremely annoying med student who did nothing but ask questions all day long."

"Ahh, your very own scut puppy," he said laughing a little at me, "no you weren't annoying but then you had been here awhile before I had the opportunity to work with you."

"Well that's nice to know and as to my very own scut puppy I don't see that happening any time soon." I said to him. "he, well, let's just say that it's not looking promising."

Doug looked at me know, I could see him trying to stifle his laughter. "I'm sorry."

"Ah, I bet you are." I say as I reached over to poke him.

He laughed again now at me. "Oh, I am so, so sorry."

"Save that for someone who believes it." I jab back at him. "I'm out of here. My time here today is done and I have a bed that is calling my name."

"Well I'm happy that you have something to look forward to going home too."

"Ha, well it's not much but it's something. Maybe I should get a cat, maybe a dog and have something to go home to."

"David called me last night."

I stop in my tracks thinking about that one for a minute. "He did?" I asked him finding it hard to believe that maybe what I had said to David had sunk it.

"He wanted to talk I guess. Something about trying to make amends, that someone had once said to him that family was the most important thing in life."

"I see." I said looking down, "how did it go?" I was curious to know what he might have said to him.

"As well as one can hope." Doug said, "I assume that you are the one I have to thank for his change of attitude?"

"Oh no," I rock back on my heels, "I had nothing to do with that one."

"Modesty, I should have known you would."

I looked at him playing dumb now, "thought that I would have done what?"

"Talk to him. You went to Kentucky."

I am silent now, not knowing what to say. I found myself hoping that after this he wasn't mad or upset that I would have said anything to David. "He tell you that I was there?"

"Yeah he did. Said that what you said made a lot of sense to him after he had some time to think about it."

"I didn't go there to try to fix your relationship with him." I say not being able to look up. "I went there to try to talk him into my divorce. To let him know that, he leaving like that wasn't the way that I wanted it to end." I find myself trying to explain my actions to him, "honestly there for a minute, I thought that he and I would have been able to get back together. But you know I have this feeling that some people can't change no matter how badly they want to."

"Erica," I feel his hand upon my shoulder, "you can't change what he did. Just like I can't change what got David and I to this point in our lives. You didn't give up, what he did was unspeakable and unforgivable. He knows that and he understands why you did what you did."

"It doesn't make it any less painful." I say softly now.

"No I don't imagine that it does." He said, "Whether you are his wife or his ex-wife, you are always going to be a part of my family. From the first time that I met you, granted you were not the friendliest person that I know, there was something special about you. You are a hard working talented doctor that I am more than happy to call my daughter."

I gave him a small smile hearing that, "thanks there Dad." I say.

I find myself being pulled into a hug, "no how about you come over tomorrow night and have dinner with Carol, the girls and I."

"I don't know about that." I say softly. "Really you don't have to do that."

"They are your nieces and Carol is your mother-in-law." I hear him say now to me.

"Well yes and no." I say, "I'm not too sure that Carol would appreciate me calling her mom."

"Okay well you have a point there, but still you are family and I've had a long talk with Carol about this, she feels the same way that I do. In fixing things with David, and you are a part of his life, a part of my life and I want you to be a part of our family."

I am starting to get the feeling that he isn't going to take to no for an answer now. I looked up at him, part of me not wanting to give him another part of me knowing that I should after all it was just dinner what could it hurt. "Dinner okay, I will come by after my shift tomorrow night, what time?"

"Why don't we have dinner about six?" He asked

"That's fine dad," I smile at him again softly, "I'll come by about six."

I had this feeling inside that there was more to this than he was letting on, but I would go since he asked and seemed to not want to take no for an answer. I pulled my coat around me and headed for the door of the lounge now, "good night." I find myself saying to him as I leave the hospital. The cold air nipping at me as I head for home.