Summary: Bernie and Serena are on their way to dinner when they happen upon a minor inconvenience. Is Bernie, the Big Macho Army Medic, the one to save the day? Or does Serena, Deputy CEO of Holby, rescue them?
Notes: Don't know why I couldn't get this out of my head. Heads up for boring mechanic instructions, haha.
It was meant to be a relaxing evening. Dinner for two at that new French restaurant just outside of the city. Some wine, perhaps a bit of whiskey. A nice dessert, chocolate of course. It'd been weeks since they'd gotten any time together, just the two of them. It seemed as if the only conversations they had were before falling asleep or in the car on the way to work. Both Serena and Bernie were rather looking forward to their little date night.
Sat in the passenger's seat of Bernie's car, Serena found herself distracted by the woman behind the wheel. Every so often, she'd watch through her window and stare up at the stars that had already come out to greet them, twinkling bright in the night's sky.
"Eyes on the road," Serena said through a cheeky grin when she noticed that Bernie had been stealing glances at her. Chic, blonde shag brushed against Bernie's shoulders as she offered Serena brief smirk.
Bernie did as she was instructed, though not without reaching for Serena's hand beneath the shadow. When their skin made contact, a warmth radiated through Bernie's body. It always happened. And she never grew tired of it. "Have you reminded Jason that we'll be out late?" she asked.
"Yes," Serena nodded. "I dare say, he was rather excited at the prospect of having the telly to himself tonight."
"Was he? Is there a Dr. Who marathon we don't know about?"
A light chuckle slipped through Serena's lips. "I should hope not. I haven't the faintest idea what's happening when I see it with my own eyes, and Jason only gets frustrated when he tries to explain it all."
Bernie kissed the back of Serena's hand tenderly, amused at her lover's apathy for science fiction. Though she herself wasn't certain of the plot, Bernie was able to follow enough to talk to Jason about it.
She was just about to offer Serena exclusive tutoring sessions when a sharp pop caused her to swerve and pull to the side of the road. "Are you alright?" she gasped as the car passed them and blared their horn.
Serena did a mental checklist of herself and then scanned Bernie as well before nodding. "What on earth…?"
Before Serena could finish her sentence, Bernie had leapt out of the car, her door still open. "Bloody hell!"
It wasn't long before Serena joined Bernie at the bumper. The cool air nipped at her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. Her jaw nearly hit the ground when she saw what Bernie was glaring at. The back right tire had blown. It was completely shot. Kneeling down as best she could, Bernie took a moment to examine the damage.
"Something tells me we're not going to make our reservation," Serena sighed. "Have you got a service you can call?" Shaking her head, Bernie stood up and ran a hand through her hair. "Then you must have a spare?"
"In the boot," Bernie muttered.
"And you know how to, erm, do that?" Bernie nodded absentmindedly, still somewhat shaken by the sudden noise the tire had made. "Right, then, we should be on our way in a tick, hm?" Slowly, Bernie's pulse returned to its normal rate as she leaned against her car. "Bernie?" she heard Serena murmur.
Pulling herself out of her shock, Bernie let out a calming breath. "Here," she started, "I'll walk you through it."
"Me?" Serena scoffed. "You're having a laugh."
Her hands stuffed into her coat pockets, Bernie shrugged helplessly. "I'd do it if I could. Only, I, erm… I haven't been to physio and…"
"Of course. You're back," Serena realized. With a heavy sigh, she rolled up her sleeves, tucked her scarf into her collar, and mentally prepared herself. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm calling to book you an appointment," she grumbled as she reached for the extra tire. With Bernie's help, she managed to drag it out of the boot and rest it on the ground.
"Here you are," Bernie said as she passed along a four-armed tool. "Mind you, it's a bit awkward."
"I know how to hold a bloody wrench," Serena huffed as she snatched the metal object, quietly surprised how heavy it was. She'd never admit it to Bernie, of course. At least, not yet.
Bent over slightly at the waist, careful not to strain her back, Bernie hovered over Serena as the brunette began loosening the lug nuts. When Serena struggled to unscrew the last one, Bernie couldn't help but remember the unfortunate patient with pipe predicament and had to stifle a laugh.
"All right, now just slide this right… there," Bernie instructed as she helped Serena place the jack under the depleted tire. "Now, you'll want that about half a foot high." Serena began cranking the jack, and as the car began to raise in height, she felt a small twinge of pride in her handiwork thus far. "And after these come off," Bernie began, pointing to the lug nuts, "the tire should just—"
"Ha!" Serena cheered when she pulled the hunk of rubber off of the hub. One corner of Bernie's mouth twitched as she shared in Serena's excitement.
Gesturing to the replacement, Bernie said, "Shall we?" Serena tilted her dimpled chin, a coy smile slowly spreading across her lips. Once again, Serena relied on Bernie's strength to complete the task. When the tire was firmly set on the hub, Bernie picked up the wrench and said, "You do the honors."
Much like surgery, closing up was far easier than opening. Now that everything had been mended, Serena felt a bit more confident than she had going in. She went about tightening the lug nuts and lowering the jack as if it were already old-hat. With the adrenaline still pumping through her system, she even tossed the flat tire into the boot on her own— granted, it was a bit lighter.
When everything had been put away and Bernie made certain that the new tire was on right, she turned to Serena with a smile of admiration. "Brilliant. You did perfect."
"Who would have thought it: Serena Campbell, surgeon and mechanic," Serena said with a wink.
Peeking at her watch, Bernie offered, "You know, we are only 10 minutes from home. If you wanted to wash up before—"
"Nonsense!" Serena dismissed. "I'm sure they've got a washroom at the restaurant. Anyways, I've just changed a tire for the first time. I do believe that calls for a celebration! A bottle of Shiraz, maybe?" Careful not to get any grime on Bernie, Serena leaned in, placed a kiss on Bernie's lips, and echoed Bernie's question. "Shall we?"