*******Author's note: For those of you wondering about my other incomplete story, I haven't abandoned it, I'm just working out the complicated timeline and getting an idea of which direction I want to go, but I have still been busy with work as well, so I thought I'd write a little modern day story to hopefully get back into things. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.
Michaela stood in the shower as the warm water covered her, she put her arm against the tile and leaned into it, resting her head against her arm. The water flowed over her, and she hoped that it would eventually warm her up. Everything felt cold at this point. Her thoughts wandered to the patient she lost today. Her shoulders sank as a tear formed in her eye. This wasn't the life she expected at her age. She was still trying to establish herself as a successful doctor. She had been working at her father's hospital for years now, but with him being the chief physician, she knew she would always be in his shadow. At the moment, she didn't mind though, because she loved the time she spent with him. However, it was putting a strain on her career. Her father had welcomed her, and they often discussed the cases that were of a more difficult manner than others. She heard her cell phone ring from the shower, but she needed this time to herself, besides it wasn't like anyone needed her for anything. Her life consisted of work and sleep. The water felt good, she didn't quite feel better, but she was making progress. She finally reached for the shampoo and started washing her long copper hair. Lathering her hair entirely, she held it up on top of her head with both hands as the very warm water hit her back with force, almost providing the gentle massage that would relieve the tension in her neck. But it wasn't enough and the tension that remained joined the tension from every other day that week. She used a washcloth and lathered the soap in her hands. The soft washcloth moved over her, and she felt numb to its movements. It had been an incredibly difficult day and as she continued to wash her body, she thought of the woman at the hospital, she thought of how desperately she had tried to save her. Michaela knew that emotions often needed to be restrained when being involved with critical cases, but occasionally her true self broke through the walls she would construct, and it did upset her. It upset her very much. She felt the warm tears leave her eyes. She needed David so very much at this moment, but the pain of losing him was wearing her resolve thin. David had volunteered for the war, the Army had recruited doctors to work in the field hospitals, a relatively safe place, but after his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb, David was transferred back home, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds. She had done everything she could think of to help save him, but in the end, it was just too much for his body. She had desperately sat next to him, hoping he would come back to her and on that fateful day, he had briefly retuned. Barely squeezing her hand, he smiled and wished her a life of happiness. In the next moment, he was gone. Since then, Michaela had focused on work. It wasn't that she couldn't do other things, it was just that her focus had shifted from certain aspects of her life and in order to continue on, she plunged her thoughts into something that she knew. She stood there and continued to soak up the heat from the water as she rinsed her body. She very much wanted to relax but she knew eventually word would get back to her father about the loss today and she was sure he would try to comfort her, he always called when he knew she had a bad day at work. She heard her cell phone ring again. There was no doubt it was him, and so giving up on the shower to help her tensions, she gave in and shut the water off. Stepping out, she grabbed a big soft fluffy towel and slowly moved it over her face. Drying off, she moved to her cell phone. She recognized the number, but it wasn't her father's, it was Rebecca's.
Sully pulled up to the creek and got out of his truck. He loved it here, but today had been a rough day. He had helped with a search and rescue all day and now he just wanted to enjoy the calm soothing sounds of the water flowing past him and maybe do a little fishing too. He went to the back of his truck and opened the tailgate. Then he gathered his fishing gear and sat down on his truck as he checked his gear. As he sat there wondering about the person he had rescued today, he wondered how much longer they would have made it out in the wilderness. He had hiked all over the ridge of the mountain today searching for the man who had been missing for about 48 hrs. It hadn't been an easy search, it was over rough terrain, and when Sully had found the man, he was in a ravine with a broken leg. It had taken him a long time to get him out to an area where he could be rescued by helicopter. He shook the thoughts from his head. Sighing he picked up his things and walked down to the water. But he wasn't alone as he had expected to be. At the edge of the creek, he noticed a woman, and a beautiful one at that. She was in her own thoughts not noticing his presence as he looked around, looking for her husband, or boyfriend, or hiking group. A lot of the people he encountered on a daily basis fit into one of those descriptions. He quickly noticed that she was alone, and he immediately started thinking like a park ranger, a park ranger who had performed a rigorous search and rescue today. Didn't she know how dangerous it was to be alone in the wilderness, especially near the water? He thought about the man he had found. Why did people think it wise to explore alone? He was about to alert her of his presence when she stepped out on a rock. He knew when she did it that she was going to fall, and he knew he was too far away to help. The rocks in this river seemed to be especially difficult to stay upright. As he rushed forward, she splashed down hard in the water.
Michaela was contemplating her decision to leave everything that she knew. It sure was pretty here, and she had found this beautiful park area as she traveled to her hotel. Her job interview had gone well today, and everything seemed to be going well, but she did already wonder if moving away from everyone had been wise. She already felt so very alone. Looking into the water, it was so clear, she saw so many beautiful rocks and she wondered if she could make it to the other side. There was a lovely tree there and she noticed some flowers as well. This was just the kind of place that she needed to relax and enjoy as the sun made its way to the west. She looked at the rock in front of her. It was under water, but not by much and she had taken her shoes off, so getting her feet wet wasn't going to hurt anything, in fact, she imagined that it would feel quite good letting the cool water rush over her. She stepped for the rock, but the beauty of the water had been deceiving, and as soon as she felt her foot start to slide, she forced herself forward, hoping for the best. She crashed down hard in the water, and she felt the hard rocks as they met her body, but luckily, she had avoided any serious injury as far as she could tell and sliding a little way down the creek because of the current, she quickly got to her feet. But she did feel a pain in her ankle as she stood, straitening her hair and clothes. The noise that she heard as she started to turn sounded close, as if something or someone was approaching, and as she tried to steady herself, she alarmingly felt an arm around her waist and a hand on her shoulder. Immediately she tensed, not realizing that someone else had been in the area, she certainly hadn't seen anyone. Her head spun in the direction of the person that now held her. Blue, blue eyes sank into her soul, and she instantly let her guard down just a little bit as her teeth clenched at the back of her mouth and her lips parted. She was speechless, and so was he as they stared into each other's eyes, locked in a gaze. He quickly said, "Don't you know you shouldn't be out in the water alone, it's dangerous?"
What was she thinking? This man was mesmerizing, but he was still a stranger. She came to her senses and pulled back a little to step away from him. Gasping from her sudden realization that she didn't know this man and he was very close to her, she moved to find some distance between them. She took a big step, only to realize the pain in her ankle had not faded. She stumbled again vocalizing the pain she felt, and this time Sully was close enough and ready. He quickly stepped to her and scooped her up out of the water. He figured out that he had startled her, and his annoyance of her safety precautions faded as he quickly said, "Don't be afraid, I'm a park ranger, and I'm here to help." He took a step, "You've hurt your ankle ma'am." Michaela knew she had hurt her ankle, based on the pain and the discomfort. She guessed that it was a sprain, and a mild one at that, but she was speechless. He held her tight as they moved through the water, and she was strangely pleased to be in his arms. His hands were firm against her body, and she had moved her hand around his neck, holding on tight to him. It was only a short distance to the side of the creek, and Sully took her to a large rock and sat her down. He quickly moved down to her foot and gently took it in his hand. "I don't think it's broken, probably just a sprain." He gently moved her ankle, "Does this hurt, you've got a little bit of swelling starting here?" He looked up into her eyes, she had beautiful eyes, two different shades actually. She answered softly, "Only a little." She started to explain to him that she was a doctor, but he was already moving. He had to distract himself, "I'll be right back." He stepped away, splashing through the water, he quickly went to his truck to retrieve a first aid kit. Returning, he placed the first aid kit on top of the rock beside her and grabbed a bandage and kneeled again. She felt guilty letting him get wet while he tended to her, but she had to admit that she was curious to be treated by someone other than a doctor. She remained silent and let him work. He gently wrapped her foot, advising her to rest when she got home and elevate her ankle above her heart when she was able to rest. Then he grabbed a bottle of water and opened it, handing her an ibuprofen, he gave her the bottle of water and said, "This should help with the swelling." She took it from him and as she took the medicine, she saw him activate a cold compress and kneel back down to her foot. He gently held the bag to her ankle, and it felt good as she accepted the fact that she had indeed sprained it.
The sun was starting to set, and Sully noticed that it was starting to get darker. "It's getting dark," he looked down at her foot, noticing that it was her foot she most likely used for driving. He didn't want to assume so he asked, "Can you drive?" She looked at her foot and tried to decide if she felt comfortable putting that much pressure on it. "I think I can," she explained and then she said, "Let me try to walk on it." She started scooting across the rock to stand up, but Sully quickly moved to her and said, "You don't want to get that bandage wet, let me carry you." Before she knew it, she was in his arms again. She could feel his body through his shirt, his muscles flexing as he carried her, and he did it with ease. When they reached solid ground, he lowered her gently and she slowly put her foot down against the pavement of the parking area. It hurt, but it wasn't so bad. She, looked at him and said, "I think I'm okay, maybe I'll just walk on it a little." He nodded and moved beside her. The first few steps seemed promising, but then as she continued, she stumbled and fell against him as she lost her balance. "Okay, the ranger station it is, come on." He helped her to the truck and closed the door. "Do you need anything from your car?" She nodded, "If you could grab my bag in the trunk and my purse. My cell phone is on the seat." Sully was waiting to see if she mentioned anything else. She smiled and threw him the keys from her pocket. He went to turn around and she quickly said, "Oh!" He turned back to her, "and thank you." Sully smiled, "you're welcome." He went to her car and retrieved the items she mentioned. When he returned, he put the bag in the back of the truck, handed her the purse, the keys, and then her cell phone. "I doubt you'll get any service around here. We use a land line at the station. You can call someone to come and get you from there." She looked down, "Well, I don't have any family around here." He looked over at her as he started the truck. "Oh, well if you call your place of work, maybe someone can come and get you." She pressed her lips together and then spoke, " I don't exactly have a job here either." Sully was perplexed, "Are you a tourist? Most tourist don't find this place, it's really more of a local's area." She stopped him, "Oh no, no, no, I live here." Now he really was confused, and she could see it on his face. "I just moved here, my family is from Boston, and I had a job interview today but other than the office number, I don't have a contact number yet." Sully sighed, "Well," he paused, "We'll figure it out. Right now, let's get back to the station and you can change out of those wet clothes and rest by the fire." She shivered a little, "Sounds like a good idea."
Sully drove the four miles down the road and pulled into the ranger's station. This was where he spent a lot of time completing paperwork and generally keeping watch over the park. It was a nice new building that the park service had built only a few years ago. It had an office, a boardroom, a fireplace, a lounge area with maps of the park, a small kitchen, a few beds, and a bathroom with a shower area. It had been a welcome addition to the park and served as a base of operations for search and rescue, and firefighting teams. He helped her out of the truck and slowly walked her to the lounge. "Would you like to change your clothes? There's a bathroom over here." Michaela looked up at him, "I think I'd like to sit down for a little bit first, I can feel my ankle starting to throb." Sully directed her to the fireplace. "Here, sit here." He moved a chair in front of the fireplace and moved a foot stool there as well, "You can prop your foot up on this. I'll go get your bag." He walked out the door and Michaela looked around the station, noticing that everything was in order for the most part. She didn't know why, but she felt like she could trust her new friend. She looked back to the fireplace. There were logs neatly stacked and ready to be lit, and she very much wanted the comfort of a good fire at the moment. Sully came back through the door with her bag and placed it next to her chair as he said, "My partner will be here in a few hours, then we can figure out what's best." He walked to the fireplace and struck a match, lighting the logs. He was kneeling and he turned to her, "I hate to leave you alone, but I've had a long day. We performed a search and rescue and I've been outside hiking up most of these mountains for most of the day. I'll lock the door so no one can just walk in the station on you. There's an intercom that works with this phone here, and I really shouldn't be too long, but I'd like to take a shower if that's alright with you." She couldn't help but be charmed by him and his willingness to explain himself. She had many days at the hospital where she had to stay overnight, and the one thing that often made that better was a fresh shower after a long, trying day. She quickly reassured him, "Of course, please don't let me delay you, I'm sorry, you must be exhausted." He smiled a little, "We're used to it around here, you're sure you don't mind?" She smiled, "I've got this nice warm fire to keep me company, I don't mind one bit." He stood up, and looked at her, "Alright then, do you need anything before I go?" She responded, "No, I'll be fine." Sully walked over to the door and locked it, then he went to his desk, and walked over to her one last time, "Here's a calling card you can use with the landline to call your family if you wish, I'm afraid it's the only thing that works for long distance here, along with our satellite phones." Michaela smiled, "I haven't seen one of these in years," she laughed a little, "thanks."
Sully moved to the other room and closed the door. Michaela heard the water in the shower start and she looked over at the phone. Then she grabbed her cell phone and quickly found Rebecca's number, she couldn't believe that the result of using a cell phone for so long had caused her to forget her own sister's number. Picking up the calling card, she followed the instructions, and soon heard her sister's voice. "Hello?" Rebecca was unsure of an unknown number calling her phone so late in the evening, but when she noticed that it was a Colorado Springs number, she quickly reasoned that it could be Michaela calling. "Rebecca, It's me, Michaela." Rebecca was pleased that she was correct in her reasoning. "Michaela, I'm so glad it's you, what number is this, it's not your cell phone?" Michaela laughed, "No, it's not, I'm using a landline of all things and you won't believe it, I'm using a calling card as well!" Rebecca laughed, "I mean I knew things were a little more remote out west, but Colorado Springs isn't that remote." Michaela knew she would just have to explain everything. " Well, I was on my way back from my interview at the hospital, and I saw the entrance to this National Park. I guess I just needed to think about all the changes I've made recently, and I stopped at a creek to breathe a little fresh air." Now Rebecca was getting more curious, how did this lead to a landline and a calling card? Michaela continued, "Anyway, I was trying to cross the creek when I stepped on a very slick rock and fell." Gasping Rebecca quickly replied, "Oh Michaela, are you okay?" Michaela smiled, "Yes, I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle, it's not too bad, it should be better in a week." Rebecca was relieved, "Well that's good to hear, are you at the hospital, I mean, did your phone get damaged?" Michaela replied, "No, my phone is fine, I just don't have service here, I'm still at the park. I'm at the ranger's station with one of the park rangers. He was there when it happened, he carried me out of the water." Jokingly Rebecca asked, "Oh, well is this park ranger cute, is he single?" She did not expect the answer she got. "Actually, yes, he's very attractive, and I don't know, we haven't talked that much." Michaela felt her cheeks grow warm and she knew she was blushing with that admission. Rebecca was shocked, Michaela wasn't the kind to go on about some man, that was usually Marjorie, so she had to admit that she was very curious now. Michaela continued, "Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship, I think it's too soon, maybe." Rebecca truly wished that Michaela could find a good man, she had endured a terrible loss when David passed. Maybe she just needed a little encouragement. "Well, I don't think it's too soon Michaela, David would want you to be happy, you have to remember that." Michaela felt a little pain in her heart, "Yes, I know Rebecca," she wanted to agree but it was difficult to move on, so she tried to find a reason that this might not work out, "Let's not put the cart before the horse, I'm sure he's married already anyway, or certainly not single for that matter, I don't know how he could be." Michaela heard the water in the shower stop, "Besides, we can't talk about this anymore, he's getting out of the shower now." Rebecca almost dropped her phone, "The shower!" Michaela laughed, "Calm down, we're the sensible sisters, remember? I guess he was part of a search and rescue today." Rebecca smirked, "So he's saved two people today? What's his name, Clark Kent?" Michaela sighed, "Really Rebecca? Actually, it's been so hectic, I don't know his name yet." She heard the door open, "I need to go Rebecca, I'll call you tomorrow with an update about my ankle." Rebecca quickly added, "I want details about the ranger too, Love you Michaela." Michaela smiled, "I love you too."