Rachel, Julia and Chaz were splayed across various surfaces in the

Chaz frowned, "Wait, Doctor Weaver, the Chief, the one with the red hair, she's gay?"

Both Julia and Rachel stared at Chaz as if he had three heads, "Chaz, do you have no gaydar at all?"

"Zip, none, nada..."

Rachel and Julia's gazes met, then they both cracked up. Julia gave Chaz a pat on the back, "It's okay Chaz, but, yeah, she's gay. She's been out here, like, what, ten years?"

Rachel nodded and chimed in, "Yeah, my dad went back and forth between thinking it was just the Chief trying to get attention, to being okay with it, to not caring, to ranting, to... well, let's just say he was conflicted about it." She paused, before she asked Chaz or Julia, "Are the two worst going to be okay?" The ER had seen more than four patients because of the plane crash. But it hadn't been as bad as it could have been. Most of the injuries had been minor, and Chaz, Morris and Dave had been jumping while Julia, Abby, and even Kerry worked on the two major traumas.

Julia shook head, "I just... I don't know."

oOOOOo

"Carlos, thank you for dropping them off at your mother's." Kerry stared down at the blonde in the hospital bed, not moving. "Yes. They won't be there overnight, I have to... she's not, we... yes. It won't be overnight, you can tell her that. Love you too Carlos."

"Went back to men already. Figures."

Kerry turned and opened her mouth to speak, but the two women who were with Christy spoke, in unison, first, "Shut up Christy-"

Kerry recognized the blonde with Christy, Kate something or other. She was the one who next spoke, "I know that we're not family, but they're on their way, and Julian sa-"

Kerry held her hand up, "It's okay. Julian?"

The other woman, a dark haired woman who looked somewhat Puerto Rican and somewhat Sicilian was the one who answered. Kerry could also see that she had a badge clipped to the waist of her pants. "Her youngest brother. The brother that's in between Kim and Julian is Calvin, he's married to Tasmin, they have two kids, Jon and Matt, and, all five of them will probably be descending on this room sooner rather than later." She paused, "I'm Teresa by the way. Ortiz."

"Detective?" Teresa nodded, "I'm..."

"Doctor Kerry Weaver. I know."

Kerry raised an eyebrow, "You know?"

Teresa shook her head, "You don't remember do you?"

Kerry studied Teresa for another moment, then shook her head, "No. I don't, I'm sorry."

"Sandy's funeral."

"Oh..."

Christy harumphed, "Can we see her or not... Doctor?"

Kerry nodded, "I'll be in the hallway if you need me."

Christy spoke under her breath, "Trust me, we never did..."

Kerry closed her eyes and leaned against the wall next to the door after she had exited the room. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized that Teresa was next to her. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you Doctor Weaver."

"Kerry. You... knew Sandy?"

Teresa shook her head, "Not in the way you're thinking. No. We met at my first Chicago Pride. 2003 or so. I was still in uniform, just moved from LA. We became friends, nothing more. Dating a firefighter is cr..." Teresa winced, "I didn't... I'm..."

Kerry put a hand on Teresa's arm, "No. You're right. Dating, falling in love with, partnering with a firefighter... it is crazy. But, we don't choose who we love, do we?"

"Nope, we don't. Hey, are you okay?"

"Fine."

Teresa looked askance at Kerry, "Hey, red..." Morris turned and pointed at himself, "Yeah, you smart guy, get over here..."

Morris did, "I'll have you know that I am perfectly happy with Claudia..."

Teresa rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know you and Diaz are an item, I didn't call you over here because of that hot stuff. Your boss here broke something."

Morris frowned, all his attention shifted to Kerry, "What hurts?"

"Nothing Archie, leave it alone, I..."

"Yeah, right. C'mon, there's an open exam room right next door. Chief..."

Kerry took a long deep breath in, and then put an arm around Morris' shoulder. "Fine, but, I really don't think that anything's broken, you see I'm walking."

Morris gave Kerry a look that usually Kerry was giving to patients, "Mmhmmm..."

Teresa smiled at the interaction between the two red heads. She hadn't told Kerry that it wasn't just from the funeral that she knew Kerry. But that soon after Sandy had outed Kerry in the middle of the ER and they had, according to Sandy 'sorta broken up', Sandy had come onto Teresa strong. But, Teresa was having none of it, in addition to having a girlfriend at the time, and so Sandy and Teresa had talked all night. Although, it was more like Sandy ranted on and on and on about Kerry and the County General ER.

Teresa was glad that a lot of the rants that her friend had made about how Kerry and the rest of the ER staff interacted had seemed to have gone away. Morris seemed to like Kerry instead of being scared of her, and Teresa hadn't heard anything through the grapevine recently about Kerry weavering anyone.

She looked up as two men, two boys and a woman came rushing down the hall. Teresa raised a hand and they came towards her. "She's inside guys, and looks like unconscious, or perhaps in a coma, we haven't had a chance to talk to the Doctor about her condition yet. But, she's alive. Kate and Christy are in there with her right now. Let's go see her."

oOOOOo

"You've been walking around on this for two hours Kerry? What were you thinking?"

Dave knocked on the door and came into the exam room, "Whoa... what's up Chief?"

Morris answered before Kerry could, "She has a broken kneecap and has been walking around on it for two hours."

Dave frowned, "A vertical break?"

Kerry held out her hand and Dave helped her down from the bed. "Hairline according to... Doctor... Morris here. Find me a cru- actually, I take that back. Archie- go into my office. In the closet I think there's still a spare crutch. Could you get it?"

"Your office is just- open?" Kerry shot him a look and he held his hands up, "I'm going..."

Kerry looked to Dave, "And why are you here?"

"There's a woman in chairs- Helen and her daughter..."

Kerry finished his sentence, "Bridget. They didn't happen to say what they wanted?" Dave shook his head, "Okay. Bring them back here and David..."

"Yes?"

"Make sure that Archie knows that he should interrupt us."

"Should?"

Kerry nodded, "Definitely should."

Dave gave a faux salute, "Got it Chief."

Kerry stood there, not moving. Even with a brace holding everything where it should be, it hurt, but once upon a time she had known worse pain. She put the pain to the back of her mind and readied herself for the arrival of her birth mother and half sister.

She'd already called and told everyone and anyone who cared that she was okay. Henry and Lee were set at the elder Lopezes for a bit longer, and Kim wasn't alone in the hospital anymore.

The door opened and Kerry steeled herself. "Oh, it's just you."

Janet closed the door. "Are you okay Kerry?"

"Fine, fine, but, Kim..." Kerry sighed, "Janet, a fucking plane crashed... it landed in her garage." Kerry blew out a breath, "How am I going to tell her that Roberta's a parapeligic?"

"Roberta's her... mother?"

Kerry shook her head, "No... I'm not sure exactly who she is to Kim, but, I spoke to her for a moment before... everything, and then from how Kim spoke about her too... they love each other just as much as a mother and daughter would."

Janet put a hand on Kerry's shoulder, "They'll both get through it. You'll all get through this."

Kerry nodded. "A business jet Janet, a plane..."

"It's happened before."

"I know, In South Bend, Indiana. But, still..." She sighed, "You should go. Next on my list is dealing with my birth mother and half sister, then, I need some ibuprofen."

Janet squeezed Kerry's shoulder, "Anything-" She glanced towards the next room, "-anything that you need."

Kerry nodded and patted Janet's hand, "I know where you are. I've been through worse."

Janet left and a moment later Dave opened the door, let Helen and Bridget it and closed it again. Kerry stood perfectly still and waited. She wasn't surprised when it was Bridget who spoke first. "We need your help Kerry."

Kerry started to answer, but her ringtone interrupted her. Bridget frowned, "Is that the song from 101 Dalmations?"

Kerry ignored the question and answered, "Hello? Florina?" After a moment she frowned, "Okay, okay, I'm on my way, I.." She closed her eyes, then opened them and looked down at her brace. "I'll be there. Yes, let me talk to my son." She waited for the phone to be passed, "Hey Henry. I'm coming okay? But, it's going to take longer than... just sit on the floor with her and rub circles on her back." She sighed in relief as her son answered her, "Yes, like you've seen me do it. You're a good big brother."

Morris poked his head into the room, "Chief?"

Kerry held her index finger up, "I love you too Henry." She hung up the phone, put it in a pocket and threaded her arm through the crutch's cuff, "Thank you Archie." She started to go towards the door, but Helen got in her way. "Helen, I-"

"This can't wait. Please..."

Kerry shook her head, "My daughter is sick, so... whatever it is, it -can- wait." She brushed by Helen and thought that she'd lost her.

Jerry did a double take when she saw her powering down the hall towards the admit desk using her old crutch. "Doctor Weaver?"

Kerry pointed at Dave, "Is Abby here?"

He shook his head, "Nope, she went home to get some shut eye. And, before you throw me looks and make sure that I know what's what... you're not even supposed to be here. We'll be fine Ch... Kerry. I'll make sure that Kim makes it upstairs myself."

"Thank you David."

She nearly jumped when Bridget put herself between Kerry and the door to the doctor's lounge. "We're going with you."

"I'm not driving, I can't- I'm taking the El."

Helen nodded, "Bridget will drive you then. To..."

"My mother in law's house, then..." She blew out a breath and shook her head, "Home I guess. Give me a moment to get my things."

She went into the doctor's lounge. Dave stared at the two women until Bridget looked up, "What?"

Dave shook his head, "A piece of advice. Whatever it is that's so, so pressing. Wait until she makes sure that Lee and Henry are okay." After another moment's pause he shook his head and went towards the room Kim was in.

Finally Kerry came out of the lounge, "Let's go."

oOOOOo

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

Teresa squinted at the dirty blonde haired woman who had just crashed into her. "Have to be more careful where you're going, my taser could have zapped you or something?"

"You often walk around with it on while it's on your person? That seems like it would be dangerous?"

Teresa moved back a step so that they were both under the small bit of overhang that there was to the side of the ambulance bay doors. "You here for someone?"

"No. Just to introduce myself to the new Chief of the ER."

"Ah, okay..."

The woman smiled and stuck her hand out, "Allison Cameron, Head of the Emergency Department at Mercy."

Teresa nodded, "That must be where I've seen you. Detective Teresa Ortiz, and, you're not going to find Weaver here today."

"Oh? Why is that Detective?"

Teresa shook her head, then, a small smile came to her face. "Well, Doctor, you ever eaten at New Magoos?"

"Ah, no... it sounds..."

Teresa laughed, "Contagious. Yeah, but, their food is damn good. I'll tell you what I know of the whole sordid tale over coffee..."

"Add food to that, and you've got a deal."