Are You Burning, Little Candle?

Luka looked at the falling snow through the hole in the frost burnt by his breath. He shut himself off from the hustle-bustle in the ER. He reviewed the last of the forms for the year and placed the finished ones in a neat, little pile. He would finish early tonight (for a change) and start the new year with his last ride-along stint and then resume his regular duties. His penance was nearly over. He crossed his fingers together and looked out at the snow. He closed his eyes for a moment. He thought of home and of how Christmas was. A rig pulling up to the bay doors destroyed that revery. He tucked away his papers and made way for duty.

**

"Finally!" Kerry cried out triumphantly and marched past Ceila. "I am going to celebrate Christmas early this year."

She handed some charts to the girl.

"I want you to review these and write down any interesting things you see."

"Isn't that pointless busy work?" Ceila asked.

Kerry tapped her nose.

"Bingo!"

Kerry prepared to leave.

"If you need any help, Carter and Pratt will be here for a while."

Carter and Pratt stood behind Kerry wearing false reindeer antlers and headband with a sprig of mistletoe respectively.

Ceila looked at Kerry with a severe disbelieving look.

"They're still doctors!" Kerry snapped back and marched to the doors before the ER could suck her back in.

"Merry Christmas, everybody!"

Everyone waved and mumbled their adieus and resumed work.

Ceila, however, was completely bummed by the Christmas Eve shaft Kerry Klaus was quick to give her.

Pratt leaned haplessly against the admittance desk.

"You know, mistletoe is supposed to be good luck."

Ceila glossed over him.

"Well, not for you if you're expecting a kiss from me."

Pratt was stung and left without any cheer whatsoever.

**

Ceila met the incoming trauma. A small child, bundled under from the cold with the exception of mittens, was wheeled in on a gurney to Curtain Two.

"A mall cop found her walking out in the parking lot. She was shivering. She has frostbite on her hand."

Ceila smiled at the girl.

"Hi. I'm Ceila. What's your name?"

"Jodi," the girl answered in a small voice.

A little smile appeared on her face.

"You have a pretty name."

Ceila smiled.

"Thank you. I like your name, too."

Ceila reached for Jodi's hand.

"May I see your hand."

Jodi reluctantly showed Ceila her left hand. Ceila's gentle touch did not aggravate the child's injury. The skin on her hand was red and a little swollen.

"Does your hand hurt?"

Jodi nodded.

Ceila smiled at her.

"We're going to fix you right up."

Ceila left Jodi and went to retrieve Luka.

Luka went behind the curtain and smiled at Jodi. He brushed a blond lock from the little girl's forehead.

"What do we have?"

"This is Jodi. She was found wandering in a mall parking lot," Ceila explained. "She has first degree frostbite on the third and fourth fingers of her left hand."

"Just her left hand?" Luka queried.

"I had to hold onto the gift bag," she explained.

Blushing tears welled in her blue eyes. Luka brushed them away.

"I see. Where is your mother, Jodi?"

She sniffled.

"I don't know."

Ceila cast a quick look at Luka.

"Place a warming pad on her hand and watch for blisters. Also, call Social Services," he said.

Ceila took Luka aside.

"I don't think she was left deliberately. She might have just wandered away from her family and, in the busy hustle-bustle, she got lost. It can happen. She's well-fed, well-dressed and the gift she was holding wasn't even for her so I don't think abandonment is the case here."

"Many children get abandoned or overlooked at this time of year," Luka said.

He thought for a second.

"I want someone from Social Services here just in case her family cannot be reached."

Ceila nodded.

"Yes. I'll get right on it."

**

The snow fell in thick clumps and multiplied in the banks collected in the south side of Chicago. The older brick apartment buildings decked in the festiveness of the season and rival gang graffiti. In one such apartment, no cheer or sense of festivity could be felt.

Eddie waffled into his apartment after his stint as a Santa Claus at the mall. He pulled the fridge door open, grabbed two bottles and slammed the fridge door shut. He gulped back the last of the milk, mixed with a bit of vodka, and toasted a rumpled picture of ex-girlfriend.

"Merry fucking Christmas, Tulla!"

He stumbled about his half-empty apartment. He looked out his window. The snow had become heavier since he made his way home (still in his Santa suit).

"Ho-ho-ho!" he snarled. "I hate Christmas!"

Eddie clumsily climbed out to the fire escape and leaned over the railing.

"Hey, everybody! Christmas is a big rip-off! Hey!"

Eddie lost his footing and fell onto the deep snow below the fire escape.

He grimaced.

"Ohhhhh...." he groaned. "I hate Christmas...."

**

Doris wheeled the fallen Eddie through the bay doors.

"Santa Claus here has had too much cheer and fell off of a fire escape. He's lucky all that he broke was his leg."

Carter (still wearing his false reindeer antlers) started to appreciate the man's injuries.

"She left me!" Eddie warbled. "Why do they leave at Christmas time? Why?"

Carter was sympathetic to Eddie's girl woes.

"Christmas is just not Christmas without them!"

Carter flagged down Chuny.

"Send Santa Claus to x-ray and let's prepare a cast."

Chuny relieved Carter of Eddie who still moaning the loss of Tulla.

Carter went into Exam Room Three and started to fill out Eddie's chart. Abby bounced into Exam Room Three wearing a Santa hat and a huge red ribbon with a placard reading: UNWRAP ME! How could he ignore that?

"Am I supposed to unwrap you?" Carter gaped.

Abby nodded.

"Yep."

Carter looked at his watch.

"Could you, like, contain your Christmas spirit until my shift finishes?"

Abby stamped her foot.

"I can't contain it! I want to release it now!"

Abby stamped away, pouting as she did so.

Carter huffed. It was one thing to be joyous about the season but this bouncing about and singing was way too much, he thought.

He finished his chart and went to check on Eddie. Frank was at the admittance desk shuffling papers and replacing pens.

"Frank, what is it about Christmas that makes people act stupid?"

Frank shrugged.

"Search me. I do wish the nurses would at least keep the carols to a minimum."

Just then, Ceila and Abby skipped about the admitting area singing merrily.

"Un flambeau Jeanette Isabella!"

Frank regarded them.

"I hate when they do that!"

**

Luka carried a small stuffed Snoopy into Curtain Two. He saw that Jodi was sitting all by herself.

"Hey! I have something for you."

He waved Snoopy in front of her.

Jodi's face brightened and she cheered.

"Snoopy! Oh, thank you!"

Jodi gratefully accepted Snoopy and started to play with him.

"Now you won't be alone," Luka smiled.

Luka held her left hand and started to re-examine her frostbite once more.

"Your hand is getting better."

Jodi grinned.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Luka smiled at her once more and brushed his hand through her hair.

"Dr. Kovac?"

Luka turned around. It was Ceila.

"I found Jodi's family," she said. "A search went out for her thirty minutes after her mum reported her missing. She just got lost. I guess she tried to find her way back to her mum's car when she didn't see her anywhere. Her parents are coming by now to get her."

Luka nodded.

"Good. Good news. At least she is not alone or with strangers."

Ceila agreed. She looked at Jodi playing with the stuffed Snoopy.

"Where did she get that toy? She didn't have it when she came in."

Luka looked a little guilty.

"I got it for her. I thought, well.."

Ceila smiled broadly.

"That was sweet of you."

Ceila still smiled as she went to get her things and go home for the night.

**

Pratt was dejected. The sprig of mistle drooped from the headband. Not one kiss.

"This sucks!" he declared. "I thought chicks dug the mistletoe. You know, Christmas and everything."

Lydia could only smirk.

"Oh, you thought. I see."

Jeff McFarlane, an acerbic, chain-smoking physician's assistant (a friend from the old country, Ceila would say), patted the pack of cigarettes in the breast pocket of his white coat and pointed to the drooping sprig of mistletoe.

"Yeah, I don't think the ladies want flaccid seasonal cheer."

The spring upon which the sprig was attached continued to droop. Pratt only swatted it away.

"I'm not giving up until I get some lip action!"

Gallant, always ready to please, gave Pratt a chaste peck on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, lover-boy!" Gallant said as he batted his eyelashes in a doe-like fashion.

Everyone chuckled. Pratt had enough. He wiped away Gallant's kiss and retired the mistletoe for the rest of the night.

**

Luka could see that Ceila was about to go.

"Leaving already?"

Ceila spun around and knotted her scarf about her neck.

"Yeah. I have to be somewhere in an hour so I have to jet."

"Please wait," Luka asked and got a little gift bag from his locker.

"For you. For Christmas."

Ceila smiled and pulled a scented candle out from the gift bag. She sniffed it.

"It smells like pine trees," Luka informed her.

Ceila smiled and nodded.

"I see. Thank you."

Luka looked uncomfortable.

"Well, good night..."

"Come to midnight Mass with me," Ceila asked.

Luka hesitated.

"I don't know..."

Ceila stamped her foot and pulled on Luka's sleeve.

"Come on! You are required to go to Mass at least twice a year- Christmas and Easter- and now is Christmas, so... Come."

Luka's gaze became less serious and more narrow. Bedroom eyes.

"Why do I think you are trying to make a good man out of me?"

Ceila returned his sultry gaze with one of her own.

"Do I have to try?"

"Maybe," he answered.

"Then I'll work at it," Ceila purred.

Luka couldn't resist her charm, whether it was the girlish glee she effected or the aura of seduction she was becoming so good at exuding. He had to relent.

"Where?"

"At my church," Ceila supplied. " Saint Stanislaus Kostka."

"I'll follow," he offered.

That would not do. Her eyes were wicked.

"No. You come with me."

**

Luka looked all around him. It had been ages since he had been to midnight Mass. He remembered midnight Mass back home with Danielja. She would be holding a candle. The children would be too tired to wonder what gifts they would get in the morning. The incense would grow thicker and the bells would ring to herald a birth that occurred centuries ago. He would smile at her and she would smile back.

Now, Luka looked around him. He recognized no one but Ceila and she was too busy listening to the priest's words to notice him.

Bells, both hollow and piercing, started to ring.

"Do you hear the bells?" she whispered. "It's now Christmas."

Luka gave a slight smile and listened to the bells.

**

Midnight Mass was over.

Throngs of people exited the church into the cold, wishing each other Merry Christmas in false soprano voices or wanting desperately to get home and open gifts (or bottles of alcohol).

Luka and Ceila exited the church, as well.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked.

Luka shrugged but Ceila only laughed.

"You're bad, Dr. Kovac," she purred.

They made way for a less crowded spot on the snow-covered pavement.

Ceila cast her head over to a man standing next to a car metres away.

"My dad's here, " she said. "Going home with him. I'll spend Christmas breakfast with him and eat dinner with my mum."

Her face brightened with the thought of a suggestion.

"Would you like to come? I can make some room for you. We'd love to have you."

"I can't," Luka politely refused. "A friend..."

Ceila nodded.

"Alright."

A void that would otherwise be silent was filled by the bells.

"Sretan Bo ic," Luka said. "It's how we say "Merry Christmas" in Croatia."

Ceila smiled coyly.

"Bo e Narodzenie, Dr. Kovac. It's how I say it."

She turned on the heel of her knee-high boot and sauntered to her father's car. Luka could only watch her.

"I liked the way you said it," he said in a voice to soft to be heard above the bells.

*