have a read of my new fic 'desolate' reviews are very much appreciated.
an: i just wrote this from scratch on 4 hours sleep & got no auto correct and no muse... ta daa
Thursday, 2.30 pm
Throwing the now empty styrofoam cup that Lanie had brought her into the trash can next to the nurses station, Kate raised her hand up in a quick half-wave as a few of her colleagues rushed by, half-walking/running.
"Do you need me?" Kate called after them, swiveling on the spot, her white coat swaying around her lithe form as she looked down at her watch.
"No, we got this Beckett. You clock out." Dr. Amelie Green replied, giving her a thumbs up and a wide smile, before running to catch up with the other 2 surgeons, sweeping her blonde locks up into a ponytail as she closed the distance between them.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, almost forming her lips into an accidental smirk, Kate bit the edge of her lip to stop herself. Emma should be finishing up her last class of the day. This works out perfectly.
After changing out of her work clothes, Kate had a quick shower and tugged on a spare pair of dark denim jeans and a loose fitting white shirt she had in the back of her locker. Double checking her bag to make sure all her essentials were in there; keys, money, a random energy bar. Her gaze landed on a folded up piece of paper that was still shoved into one of the 'invisible' pockets, it had creases from being opened and closed multiple times. She stared at it for a few moments as though contemplating something.
Kate's fingers brushed the edge of her phone as it began to vibrate; her long digits encasing the phone in a tight grasp, her thumb sliding across the the screen before pulling it out of the fabric prison. Brow wrinkling Kate picked up the device and pressed the answer button, the call connecting after a few delayed seconds. I need to delete some apps off this stupid thing.
"Kate Beckett." She answered.
"Johanna Beckett." Her phone echoed, and then a laugh.
Kate shook her head, her damp locks staining her shoulders like see through cobwebs. Swinging her bag back onto her shoulder with her other hand, a light smile spilling across her lips.
"Oh hardy har har," Kate snarked, her eyes sparkling with humour.
She made her way down the hallway as she continued talking into the speaker, almost flattening herself against the wall as two more of her colleagues ran through, one of them almost completely covered in 3 different kinds of bodily fluids and God-knows what else, and the other was running into countless people; her own scrubs and white coat dipped with dark red.
Kate's head flicked to the side, her mothers voice on the other end of the line now a hum of background noise. Brow wrinkled as she studied the scene around her, most of her colleagues were going about their daily tasks but there were a fair few more EMT'S surrounding the corridors than usual. It was louder. More frantic.
"Mum, Look I- I gotta go -on my way to pick up Emma. I'll call you later." Without waiting for a response, Kate hung up and pivoted on her foot towards the nurses station.
Half-way across the hall, Kate spotted Lanie leaning against the double doors of the elevator; an iced coffee of some kind clasped in one hand and a chart in the other. Her hair tied up in a long ponytail although now the dark brow toned to a light blonde at the ends, cascading down her shoulders .
Stopping in front of her, Kate raised an eyebrow at her friend whilst she waited for her to notice her presence. After 2 long minutes Lanie huffed and looked up; her fringe falling in her eyes from the lack of product she put in her hair today, crossing an arm in front of her and leaning the coffee against the clipboard. "How long are you going to stand there and not say anything?" She sighed exasperatedly, "It's creepy." She added, only then looking up at Kate.
"When did you make the change?" Kate asked, motioning to her head.
Lanie shrugged nonchalantly, fingertips toying with the ends of her hair. "Jenny is doing a hair dressing course. I voluntered my services." She laughed, looking back down and writing something down. "You know, as long as she didn't cut much or make me look like a parakeet."
Kate laughed out loud, looking down at her watch. Shit. I'm cutting it really close.
"Is there something going on?" She asked, motioning behind her at the huddle of EMT'S.
"Yeah, a bridge collapsed on..."Lanie stopped half-way through her sentence, already knowing what Kate was thinking.
She looked down at her watch on her opposite hand, her face scrunching up in confusion. "Aren't you picking up Emma today?" She pressed, already knowing what she was thinking.
"Yeah..." Kate said reluctantly, mirroring Lanie by looking down at her own watch.
Kate knew she should be spending every spare moment she had with Emma, especially when her roster was rough enough on them both on a regular day. But this had he capabilities of becoming a disaster...she may actually be needed at some point - and soon.
What kind of surgeon would I be if I walked away knowing what could happen?
A loud squeal of laughter escaped the young girls mouth as she gripped onto the metal tightly, her pale face brightening as a rosy blush developed across her cheeks for what felt like the first time throughout her recovery. Rick moved with the swing; holding the plastic backing of the swing close to his body so that she didn't fall backwards. His eyes worried but a wide - almost identical smile to Alexis' lighting up his own face.
"Richard dear...not too high." A woman's voice called, worried. "Don't want to have a matching cast as your daughter." She muttered under her breath, humour lacing through her words.
Alexis giggled even louder, having heard her grandmother's words even over her own voice. "Daddy, you like pink?" She grinned, "You want to match?".
Rick shook his head, couldn't help the smile spreading across his lips. His little girl knew how to make him smile more than anything. She was so smart, sometimes he didn't know if she actually understood what was going on around her completely or if he was giving the 5 year old too much credit.
Slowing the swing to a stop and moving around to face his daughter, the edge of the rough plastic hit his knees a few times as it slowed. Rick squatted down in front of her, the wet sand sticking to the knees of his dark denim jeans. Then, squeezing her good foot with his left hand, tilting his head to the side as he smiled at her. Alexis poked her tongue out at his as she copied him in an almost endearingly identical matter.
"Well... I thought instead of having matching war wounds, we could take turns baking at your tea party. I'll even let you wear the flower crown!" He gasped, wiggling his eyebrows.
Alexis' eyes widened, her mouth opened in shock at his offer. "You are letting me cook?!" She gasped excitedly.
Rick laughed, his eyes sparkling a midnight blue. "Bake." He corrected her.
"Ba-ake." She nodded 5 times, her smile so wide he was afraid she may split in two.
Helping her down by picking her up underneath her arms, Rick half-carried, half-dragged his daughter over towards the slides on the other side of the park. Her hair sparkling like diamonds in the afternoon sun, squeezing tightly onto his wrists as he helped her towards her favourite slide: Miss Swirl.
Once she reached the top - all on her own - gaining help from the secured railings and flooring surrounding it. Alexis got to the top and grinned, smiling proudly at her dad and grandmother. Rick watched worriedly as he paced back and forth around side of the slide, trying not to bite his nails as he stressed about every gap and rickety step surrounding the playground.
"Do you want to go first?" The young girl in front of Alexis asked, looking at her in sympathy, having watched her struggle somewhat to the top.
"No, it's okay. You were here first." She motioned to the mouth of the slide.
"We could go together?" She suggested, holding her hand out.
The girl with dark golden locks studied her for a moment, chewing on the inside of her lip as though this was a big decision that was about to surely affect her outcome in school or in life.
"Okay...I'm Alexis."
"My name is Emma."
It was definitely going to affect one more than the other.