(One day later)
On a misty, cool morning, Sienna wheeled Daphne out of the hospital. Close at her side was Niles. And despite being weary from weeks lying in the hospital, in a coma, Daphne summoned a bright, affectionate smile for him. Niles held a steady hand on her arm as he looked lovingly on, as if afraid that should he let go, Daphne should vanish. Martin was close by, relief evident on his face.
A sleek Mercedes pulled up, and Frasier got out to open the door for Daphne.
"Ready to come home?" he asked emotionally.
"I'd crawl home if I had to," Daphne surprisingly managed to jest. "I couldn't spend one more minute at this hospital."
She glanced apologetically at Sienna.
"No offense to the present company, of course."
Sienna smiled as she aided Daphne into the passenger seat.
"That's what we're here for, getting you out as quickly as possible."
Niles turned to her at this juncture.
"I just wanted to thank you, and Dr. Northwood, and all the other staff who took care of my Daphne," he said with feeling. "She's my everything, and you all worked so hard to save her."
As Sienna walked back into the hospital, she couldn't help the broad smile that bloomed across her face. Not because of Niles' flattering compliment but because this...this was why she'd become a nurse. To save lives and bring happiness. They weren't miracle workers. They couldn't save everyone. But it was worth the fight. It was worth moments like this.
Sienna was so distracted that she nearly collided with Dr. Northwood.
"Do look where you're going," the doctor said irritably. "What are you smiling about, anyway?"
"Ms. Moon, went home. It was just so wonderful to see how happy everyone is now. It really makes this job worth it, you know?"
"Our job is to save patients, nothing more, nothing less," Dr. Northwood said crisply. "You can't let yourself get sentimental in this line of work."
Sienna drew up short, stung by the attitude of her superior. Dr.
Northwood was an excellent doctor, no doubt; she had been named as one of the best in the country, and was the reason Daphne, and so many other patients, were alive. But the cold, clinical attitude bothered Sienna. Surely Dr. Northwood had once been just as empathetic, as emotional as she. Was that what would happen to her over time, Sienna wondered.
"I think you're wrong, Dr. Northwood," she found herself saying, to her own shock. "We need to feel connected with our patients, and the people who love them. To understand why this work is so important, and not just pass them off as some case that needs to be handled as quickly as possible."
Dr. Northwood's eyes widened at what seemed to her like impertinence, but Sienna wouldn't back down, still gazing at her levelly.
"Well...if that's what you think," she told the nurse dubiously. "It won't get you far, but..."
Her voice trailed off and she walked away. Sienna shrugged and headed back to the emergency ward to check on her next patient. No, she promised herself, she would never get as cold and distant as Dr. Northwood. Not if it meant missing the happiness patients and the people they cared about shared. She reflected yet again on how Daphne Moon's story had ended happily. Now she would live on with the people she cared about.
"She's my everything," Sienna remembered Niles saying.
Yes, this was why she came to the hospital every day and threw her best into her work.
(To be continued)
A/N: I would like to dedicate this chapter to the nurses I volunteer with at my local hospital. They are amazing, loving people and it's wonderful to see how they change and improve patients' lives.