Three days have passed since Christian set out to find out Alicia Garner's phone number. And he was gonna hit gold. At least, that was what he thought, since the voice on the answer machine sounded exactly like what he had remembered Alicia's to be.
After finding the telephone number, it was very easy to obtain the address that went with it. Now he had nothing standing in front of his visit. Apart from one minuscule detail. To carry out his plan, he needed a day off. He wasn't sure that Sean would grant him that. Christian wanted to wait till things stood in his favour. This moment seemed likely as the two surgeons stood in the wash room of the OR getting ready.
"I wanted to ask you something..." Christian started hesitantly as he distributed the foam of the soap up until his elbows.
"Ah, really?" Sean looked at him grinning, "what a coincidence! I wanted to ask you something as well at the same time."
"What is it about?" Christian asked.
"Would it be possible for you to manage here tomorrow for a few hours alone?" Sean asked.
Christian sighed innerly. It had to be tomorrow! "Why, what is going on?" He asked curiously.
"Julia has an appointment at the obstetrician and I would like to go along," Sean specified.
"Baby television?" Christian asked smiling.
"Yeah, that too," Sean nodded, "but we want to make sure and have another test done."
"Another test?" Christian asked surprised, "I thought they mixed the test results in the lab up and you know that for sure now," he looked at Sean uneasily, "the baby is fine, or?"
"Yes, but we don't want to take any risks. We already suffered a pretty big shock when we got the results of the wrong amniocentesis," Sean sighed, "I don't know if we would have the energy and the guts to bring up a special child."
"It's good that everything sorted itself out though," Christian said.
"It's a disgrace!" Sean continued indignantly, "if we would allow ourselves to make such mistakes we would loose our licence as physicians!"
Christian looked at his friend sympathetically, "I'm sorry you have to go through that," he said sincerely.
"So what then, am I allowed to leave?" Sean solicited once more.
"Without doubt," Christian nodded, "I've already seen the operations schedule. There are only four small procedures. I can do all that on my own."
Sean looked at him gratefully, "what did you want to ask me?" He changed the subject.
"I wanted to ask for a day off as well," Christian said grinning.
"You want time off?" Sean asked surprised, "you just had some."
Christian kept the big news for himself the whole time, but he couldn't keep it secret anymore, "I know where Kimber is!" It bubbled out of him.
"Did she contact you?" Sean asked stunned.
"Not directly," Christian admitted. He told Sean of Alicia's visit and how he found the telephone number and the address.
Sean couldn't share Christian joyful outburst, "she will not be pleased exactly when you show up there unannounced," he have him something to think about.
Christian looked at Sean offended, "but you were the one who gave me the advice to take things into my own hands. I will quote you," he cleared his throat, "everything is allowed in life threatening situations or do you want to wait till Quentin presents you with her head on a silver plate?" He recited Sean's words.
"I thought I already apologised for my slip up," Sean sighed, "I'm really sorry about what I said at that time."
Christian shook his head, "it's not about that at all. I assumed you thought I should look for her and talk things over."
"That was before I knew that Kimber didn't want to ever see you again," Sean answered dryly.
Christian looked at him blankly, "you let me down?"
"No, I only try to make it clear for you that it would be time for you to take her wishes into consideration for once."
"And what about my wishes?" Christian asked huffily.
Sean rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, "you will never understand women," he said sighing, "the more you disturb her, the less likely it is for her to come back to you."
Christian stared at the foaming soap on his hands and arms sighing, it had already started to dry.
"I know what she means to you," Sean tried to explain, "but what you wanna do is not right," he rinsed his hands one more time and went to the door, "come on! We have a patient waiting inside."
Christian nodded. He turned the tap and washed the foam off. He will not give it up quite so peacefully as Sean expected him to.
"Christian come on already!" Sean became slowly irritated, "the patient is under the anaesthetic by now."
Christian turned the tap off sighing and followed Sean in the operating room.