Chapter 2

Kennedy Sheppard walked quietly down the halls of the clinic, a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a sack of files that she had been working on in the other.

"Good morning!" A cheerful voice called out to her, causing her to stop and look back over her shoulder.

Kennedy smiled as her friend and employee joined her to continue down the hall, "Morning." She sighed sipping her hot drink.

Jennifer chuckled, "Seems someone isn't bright eyed and chipper this morning... long night?"

She held out the folders she was carrying , "New patients... I was here almost all night last night," she answered, "Until the new wing is finished it's going to be hard to accommodate everyone."

Jennifer nodded her head in agreement. At the age of twenty-eight, her friend, was quickly becoming the most popular physical therapist in the sports industry. Just about all of the different teams were sending their injured players to her to get them back on their feet. "How soon will the new section be ready?"

Kennedy took another sip of her coffee, "No later than a month, but as our clientele grows it isn't soon enough."

Kennedy felt the pressure stronger than ever for the new wing to be done. She had always prided herself on having the latest and best technology in her clinic, so between the growing patients and as fast as equipment was being improved; they were rapidly running out of room. She had to keep reminding herself that it would all work out. That after all the challenges life had thrown at her, and meeting each one with as much tenacity as she had, this should be a piece of cake.

After loosing her parents when she was fifteen to a tragic car accident, and the rest of her family not wanting her, the state had taken over her care, placing her into one foster family after another until she had graduated from high school. Once she had her diploma in hand, Kennedy busted her ass working two jobs until she could move into her own apartment and pay for a few classes at a local junior college. At that point, she had meet and became fast friends with Jennifer. They got together and found themselves a nice apartment while each of them struggled to get into medical school. Jennifer had decided to become a nurse, while Kennedy had chosen to major in physical therapy. Sure, it had taken Kennedy two more years to complete her training, but after graduating among the top of her class she had found a wonderful job at a well known sports medicine hospital, almost immediately.

It didn't take long before the jocks began asking for her to directly handle their cases, most of them saying that they liked the gentle caring ways that she connected and worked with them. About a year later a few of the doctors had approached her about opening her own practice and facility. At the time, money had been her only set back, but the physicians had put together a contract that gave her a sum of money from each of them to give her enough funds for a building and they also guaranteed patients for at least a year.

"Earth to Kennedy." Jennifer laughed waiving her slender hand in front of Kennedy's face.

Kennedy blinked and shook her thoughts from her mind, "Sorry... what did you say?"

"Are you going to be alright?" Jen asked looking at her friend with concern, "You've got so much going on, I don't want you over doing it."

She waived her friend off, "Yes, nurse, I'll be fine. Once the construction is done and everything gets settled into a routine again, I'll be back to my old self, promise."

The other woman nodded, "You better... Hey! Why don't you come over to the house tonight? Chuck has the kids out camping for a few days, why don't we have dinner."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah, especially since the twins... C'mon, like old times, what do ya say?"

"You got it... I'll bring the wine."

Suddenly a loud roar of curses and a water bottle were spilling out of a room just a few doors down from them. "You stupid bitch! I told YOU I didn't want that NASTY SHIT! Now leave me ALONE!" the male voice boomed, then Patty the head nurse ran from the room.

"My money is on a football player." Jennifer said quickly eyeing Kennedy.

She smirked, "Nope... baseball." She said knowingly.

"You're on... whoever wins buys the fixin's for tonight's dinner."

"And the wine..." Kennedy added.

"Deal... you going in or me?"

"With the stakes as high as they are?" Kennedy snorted finally breaking her gaze away from the door to look at her friend, "Both of us." She answered grabbing Jennifer's elbow and heading for the irate man's room.


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