Chapter 2
The day passed relatively quickly, and soon, Kate was waiting for Ray to finish his shift. She was just checking her face in a compact when she felt somebody come up behind her.
"You don't need that. You look great." Ray grinned at her and held out his arm. She linked her hand around his elbow and they headed across the street to the coffee shop.
"So this med student was rushing around and she totally slid on the floor right into a man sitting in chairs. Somehow, she managed not to spill the urine sample in her hands all over him."
Ray leaned back and let out a loud laugh. The two had been telling stories for the past two hours. Ray couldn't shake the fact that she was keeping something. She talked all about her med school years, but she didn't mention any family.
"Well, if you are here with me, I'm assuming there's no husband in the picture," he said with a grin.
Kate squirmed in her seat. "No, no husband." Not anymore, she thought to herself.
"So, you are available," Ray continued, "I don't want to be too forward, and I know we just met, but I'm really drawn to you for some reason. I don't know why, but I feel like I know you already."
Kate gave him a small smile and nodded her head. "I know the feeling. Your eyes remind me so much of somebody I once knew."
"The husband?" Ray asked with a smile.
Before she could answer, he leaned over the table and kissed her. She was surprised to find herself kissing him back. The two paid the bill and walked out of the coffee shop.
"I'm not normally like this, but can I see where you live?" Kate asked shyly.
They caught a cab and went to Ray's apartment. Neela, his roommate was watching TV. She gave them a shocked look. Ray took Kate's hand and led her to his bedroom.
"I don't know what you had planned, but I don't want to do anything with you tonight. I would love for you to stay, but I think something could really happen here, and I don't want to do anything we would regret."
Whoa, did those words really just come out of my mouth, Ray thought. What's going on with me, normally I'd be all over her. She's gonna think I'm a wimp or something.
Kate smiled at him and nodded. "I'd like it if you would just hold me. I mean if you are comfortable with that," she quickly added.
Ray pulled her onto the bed and wrapped her up in his arms.
This feels so right, he thought, I feel like we are meant to be like this. Like she was made to be in my arms.
Kate's heart beat like crazy. Wow, it's like being in Matt's arms again. Why does Ray remind me so much of my husband?
She snuggled closer to him and the two drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
In the next room, Neela listened for the usual sounds of the girls Ray brought home. He tended to get a little crazy, and some nights, Neela thought his bed would crash right through her bedroom wall. But all was quiet. Neela turned over and with a sigh, went to sleep.
A few weeks later…
"We have a family involved in a MVA. Vitals are stable on the father, looks like abrasions and possibly a concussion. Mother is tacky, possible ankle fracture, lots of cuts and lots of glass in both of them." The paramedic rattled off the list of vitals and information about the patients that had just been unloaded from the two rigs.
"Ok people, put the father in Curtain 3 and the mom and baby in the trauma rooms." The orders came from a woman with dark brown hair. "You, the new girl, can you take the baby with Ray?"
Kate nodded and followed Ray into the room that held the child on the gurney in the middle of the room.
"Well, let's get you started. Why don't you check some of the facial lacerations and possibly suture, and order a set of labs. I need a portable x-ray in here and see if we can get some information from the father."
Ray began to work on the infant. Kate quickly went to the head of the gurney. The little boy was screaming as she reached for the cart that held antiseptic and suture kits. She tried calming him down as she began cleaning the cuts on his face. Only one was deep enough to warrant stitches. She finished them up quickly.
"Very good," said Ray as he surveyed her work, "Go help Abby with the mother and I'll finish up here."
Kate rushed down the hall to Trauma 2 and prepared to listen to Dr. Lockhart's orders.
"Where's my baby? What's wrong with him? John, where's the baby? I'm coming to help you baby, hold on!" The mother on the gurney was screaming with pain with the fear of not seeing her child.
"Shhhh, ma'am. It's ok, your baby is fine, he survived the accident and so did your husband." Sam, the nurse was trying to calm the woman and insert an IV at the same time.
Kate could hear her heart thudding in her ears. You're ok, that happened almost a year ago. Get over it and get in there and help. She felt herself frozen at the door, then she felt the tears start to flow. She rushed away from the trauma room and ran into the lounge.
Once inside the door, Kate let out an anguished sob and collapsed on the couch as her memories came flooding back to her. She could feel the car slide and heard the crunch of metal. She felt the warm liquid dripping down her face and wiped at it frantically until she realized it wasn't blood, it was tears. She heard the door open and looked up into the kindly face of Luca.
"Kate, are you alright?" Luca crossed the room and sat down beside her, a look of concern on his face.
"Fine, just not ready for the trauma I guess."
Luca gave her a look and sat down beside her. "You know, we got some of your history when you applied to be a resident. Care to talk about it, it helps sometimes."
Kate looked at him, "I don't think so, talking about it won't bring them back. Besides, you wouldn't understand."
A look of pain flashed in Luca's eyes. "I think I understand better than you think. My wife and children were killed in Croatia during the war. Our apartment was bombed when I was at the market. I tried to save them, but I was too late and didn't have enough supplies."
Kate looked down. Was she ready to relive that night? With a sigh, she began her story.
(Author's Note: The following chapter in italics is Kate telling Luca her story)