AN: So I had a verry nice talk to the author SECPL today, because her Fic „A Legacy" was a huge inspiration for me...You should totally check it out if you have liked my story so far... Anyways I hope you enjoy the second Chapter as much as you have enjoyed the first one. -Keisha
Chapter 2 "Operations and Explanations"
As soon as Casey was outfitted in her gown and her surgical cap she took a deep breath while she was beeing put on the gloves. This would possibly be the hardest surgery of her life and not because she didn't know how to do it. Of course she knew what she was doing. She hadn't spent the nine years studying for nothing. She was the best Trauma Surgeon at the Victoria Hospital they had ever seen. Still it was tough for her to do this...
A few hours later Casey walks out of the Operating room, washes her hands and goes toward Dereks room to wait. A sudden knock at the door alerts her and she looks up from her dozing. „Case... what are you still doing here?" Steven Mershings a collegue is standing in the doorway. „I mean I was suprised when you demanded to do this operation, because we've never had any Operation-squabbles but what are you doing here?" Steven asks. He looks at Casey.
Caseys POV
„This is family Steven... I had to do this myself." I look up at him tiredly. I have been up for aproximatedly 30 Hours now. This Operation was at the end of a double-shift. Currently I'm off duty even if I'm still in my white coat and am wearing a pair of glasses on my nose. I might not need them but I still like to wear them. They make me look older than my 26+ years. „Family? So is this the infamous Step-brother of yours?" Steven asks. „Yea, now go away before he wakes up and thinks you're super funny or something..." I sigh. „Dinner later?" Steven asks. „No I'll stay here." I say. Steven leaves with a bit of a dissapointed look but I can't bother myself with this now.
I call my mom. „Hi honey how have you been?" Mom is chatty and seems to be happy. „I have been great. Do you might happen to know where Derek currently is mom?" I ask. „You haven't asked about his whereabouts in months Casey...Is anything wrong?" Nora replies. „Oh no, nothing's wrong I was just curious is all. How are Lizzie and Edwin? Are they still fighting?" I ask quickly to cover my tracks. „All is same with these two... You could say „Shut up and get together already!" but they just wouldn't listen. Lizzie is angry that he hasn't popped the question yet even tough she's found the ring a month ago." Mom seems exasperated.
„Give them time, mom. They'll get over it and everything will be fine. You'll probably be all mad about a wedding-plan by next month or so.." I trail off. 'Damn why had I adressed the subject...' „Can I hope to hear any bells from you soon, too?" Mom is as always curious.
Ever since she found out about Edwin and Lizzies relationship when she went to visit them in Queens unannounced with Simon and Marti in tow she's been crazed by the idea Derek and me might get involved with each other too. „You know the chemistry between the both off you had been rolling off in bigger waves then theirs..." She trails off. „Mom...I asked about his whereabouts not about which Top-model he's dating or got engaged to now..." I sigh. „He should be in L.A, they had a game some time back and I haven't gotten any news of him flying back from there yet... Why? Was there anything specific you needed to know? He's currently not dating anyone... He broke it off with that awfully thin model-chick." Mom is on a go... „Okay...fine mom thanks... I'll call you later I'm beeing paged.." I am quick to end the call.
'Interesting...so Derek should still be in L.A like I assumed... What the hell's he doing here? With that kind of wound no less?' I sit back down in my comfy leather reclinear chair. Seeing as I got one of the luxury rooms for Derek. I bet he can afford it. I might be able to do it too, but still. I lean back and watch his still form.
He has changed over the years. He's become more sculpted. He might have been a scrawny Teenager when I first met him but today he has the body that's expected of an athlete like him. He's all muscle. I roam around the stuff the ER Staff got out of his pockets. And put together his clothes, folding them neatly. A gun... What the hell is Derek doing with a gun? And why hasn't hospital staff confiscated it?' I put the gun and the holster to go with it, down gingerly and proceed to go through his pockets.
„Hrhmmm!" I hear a loud throath clearing that makes me halt in my tracks.I turn towards Derek who's watching me with hawks eyes. „How are you feeling?" I ask switching back to Doctor mode and getting a glass of water for him. „There you go. You're throath must be feeling sore after the anesthetic we had to give you." I hand him the glass which he gingerly picks up and downs in one go handing it back to me and grabbing his chest before letting out a pained moan.
„Everything alright? Do I need to upper the dose of you're painkillers?" I ask examining his chest and seeing the other healed gunshot wound I'd already come across when I'd cut him open to retrieve this one. „Everything's fine Case. Stop beeing so over-protective." His voice has gotten a tad bit deeper and it's sounding husky. I gulp as shivers run down my spine and I really look into his face getting trapped by his open and wide awake dark brown orbs.
His sandy brown hair has gotten darker than I remember from our college days together. He's either gotten rid of the blonde streaks he had or they simply got darker as the years progressed. The three-day-old stubble on his chin is making him look a lot more manly, too. „Cut the crap Derek and tell me what the hell you're doing here...and on my operating table with a fucking gunshot wound no less! And don't forget to add what a Ice-Hockey-Player needs a fucking gun for?" I am staring at him with my arms crossed. With a quick movement of my hand I push my glasses up my nose and wait.
Dereks POV
„You're glasses look cute." is the first thing I say. I hadn't expected to be confronted with her so suddenly. 'Damn it...My carefully planned life is seriously about to break apart...' Casey is just staring at me. She has her arms crossed and is looking good and by good I mean dead-gorgeous. She has blonde highlights in her brown hair and is wearing it in a messy bun. Even if she seems tired... the circles beneath her eyes speak for themselves... She still looks like an angel... Maybe that's why I avoided her for so long. Because I knew what seeing her would do to me... And of course because I know I can't lie straight to her face... She will know. I don't know what to tell her, but I'll have to tell her something... She's not gonna let me off the hook and knowing her I can't even vanish out of this hospital without her alerting the local authorities thus making me have to do a hell of a lot of explaining and paperwork...
Hell I'll have loads to explain to my superiors as it is. I mean I just vanished off the rader without a trace. They probably assume I am dead... Oh no! If they call my family... No..I can rest it's her they would call first anyway..." As if anyone heard what I said her pocket starts to vibrate and tough seemingly irritated she leaves the room to take her call telling me to „Stay put or she'll cut off a important part of my anatomy...". 'Damn it... I have so much to explain... I pull my own phone from the depths of my pocket and press 1. „Yeah... I'm safe. I'm in hospital. No...no...you can't just dissapear me from here...Because Casey is the damn Doctor who stitched me back up! Yeah...yes... I'll call him myself as soon as I get this sorted out..." I quickly end the call. 'Hell is going to break loose for me I am sure of it...'
Caseys POV
I pick up the phone and bark „Hello?" angrily. „Hello Miss McDonald... This is the Ontario Provincial Police Department Sergant Susan Barker speaking, we are sorry to be having to inform you of the death of a family member..." I am shell shocked. 'What the hell are these people talking about?' „Oh..oh.. please wait a moment." The female voice on the other end of the line says. „I...I am verry sorry to have bothered you..." And then all I can hear is a click. 'Okay...someone seriously has to tell me what the flying fuck is going on here or heads will roll... presumably the head of the man I just sewed together! I turn back towards his door disconnecting the call button because I have the inkling he's going to try to weasel his way out of explaining me what happened. I take a deep breath and open the door again.
He's lounging on his bed and has one arm tucked beneath his head while keeping the other perfectly still and straight because it probably pains him to move it.
A bullet wound sure is no piece of cake. „Before you start explaining to me why I just had to sew you together after I removed a bullet from your chest at two A.M and why I just had a verry confusing call from the Ontario Police... I have to do a quick check-up." I say I am seething and if he doesn't have a good explanation for me I will personally deliver him to hell and watch as he gets roasted there!'
Dereks POV
She walks over to my bed and checks my eyes with a lamp. „I'm not sure if you noticed Case...but The wound you as you so delicately put it had to sew togetehr at two A.M is here and not in my eyes." I point at my chest. 'God, I missed this.' I smirk as I watch her getting flustered. Of course I kept my eye out for her even if I wasn't allowed to tell anyone what it is that I really do (Beside my career with the Leafs) Just like I kept a watchful eye on every one of my family members. „I have to check for brain damage" She replies sourly. „Because no one in their right mind would hand a gun to you... Where did you get it from anyway? Aren't you supposed to be a Ice-Hockey-God?" She asks. I can see the confusion and the many questions in her eyes. No I can't simply dissapear from here... „Sit down Casey.." I point at the comfy leather chair. I must be in one of the more luxurious rooms of the hospital... Casey's let her status play into this. „I am a Ice-Hockey-God as you so eloquently put it, but I have got another job, too. Can You hand me my wallet?" I ask and point at my stuff.
She is looking at me expectantly and is waiting for me to explain my near-death expierence with her saving my life. „As I said... I am an Ice-Hockey player, but along to that I have second job, too." I show her my badge and ID. Her mouth opens and closes again. She rubbs her tired eyes in disbelief and stares at the badge in my hands. She pulls it from my grasp and scans the ID which tells her what it is I do additionally to my hockey duties. I am a Staff Seargent of the Ontario Provincial Police soon to be Staff Sergant Major before I evntually move on to the RCMP... which would be a dream come true... Anyways I must stay focused here..
Caseys POV
„A...A cop... You...You are a cop?" I am staring at the ID and Badge in disbelief. Re-reading it twice just to be sure... Staff Seargent Derek Venturi... Age 28...The Date and Place of Birth sure are correct. „B..b..but why and how?" I ask I am more than just confused. But I don't think I'll be able to understand if he explains to me now. I can feel how much energy doing this Operation drained from me and I shakily sit back down in the chair.
Derek opens his mouth to explain but I cut him off. „I need something to eat and a good nights sleep before I can start understanding anything you will explain to me." I don't even question his explanation because he will be having to explain. But right now I might have to get back to Steven and his invitiation to dinner. I take the new pager and call his number „Steven? Casey, here Dinner is a done deal." I say before cutting off anything he has to say and simply hanging up on him. Our Hospital has a new Pager system, we can call each other from our pagers if we need to.
„Who is this Steven Guy? You're Boyfriend?" Derek is as always curious. „No, he's a fellow Doctor and a friend you're Operation was sheduled as his originally" I reply tiredly. I can feel how much more energy gets drained by the minute. Maybe I should have a short nap in one of staff rooms before I go out with Steven. I wonder silently
„You look tired Case...Maybe you should get some sleep?" Dereks voice is soft. „I'm fine Derek it was just a verry long Day. I'm off work tomorrow but I'll be coming in to check on you... Right now I just need a good dinner.." I trail off as I watch his face perk up at the mention of the word „Dinner". „Let me guess...You are hungry as hell too?" I ask. Derek nodds his approval. „How about we order inn and you tell me a bit more about: How Derek Venturi the Hockey god became Derek Venturi the Cop?" I ask and watch his face light up. Still the same... at the mention of food he always perks up...
AN: What do you guys think? I hope you like this Chapter and I was able to put some more light into how everything ended up the way it did... Leave me a review and I'll happily continue on writing. -Keisha