AN: This is my contribution to the Christmas Fan fic exchange. I was paired with Sherri Thrasher and her requests for inclusion into the story were:
Pairing: Nathan and Elizabeth
Song: Jingle Bells
Activities: snowball fight, sleigh ride and a Secret Santa
Time: Modern
I am sorry I probably won't get the whole story completed and uploaded prior to Christmas, but I will load the chapters I have ready. I promise to include all Sherri's activities too, even if they don't appear straight away.
As always, thank you to those who organised this, I appreciate you.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays
Jillian
Chapter One
"What's that?" Elizabeth Thatcher asked, frowning as she pointed at the single Christmas stocking hanging on the nurse's station. The stocking had nothing written on it, but a plastic bag of small, lined cardboard squares was attached to it with a bulldog clip. For some reason It looked out of place to her despite the other decorations hanging there.
"Ah, a Christmas stocking," Michael Hickam replied unhelpfully, as though it should have been obvious.
"I can see that," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes and glancing at Clara, her partner and fellow emergency responder. Elizabeth sometimes wondered if Mike was being sarcastic or if he was a little dense. "What is it doing there, and why the little cards?"
"It was Rosemary Coulter's idea. She suggested it to Ms Stanton, who said it was fine." Ms Stanton was the hospital administrator, and nothing was done without her approval, and nothing happened that she didn't know about.
"Okay, but what was the idea?"
"Oh. It's for people to sign up to be part of a Secret Santa gift exchange," Michael said, his face lighting up with understanding as he explained. "If you want to participate, write your name and phone number on the card and drop it into the stocking. Rosemary will draw names and pair people up. She will text everyone the name of the person they have to buy a gift for."
Elizabeth wasn't surprised to hear that the gift exchange was Rosemary's idea. Rosemary was Elizabeth's best friend and one of the kindest and most caring people she had ever met.
Spreading joy, especially at Christmas, was one of her favourite things besides performing on stage and sometimes off. Rosemary was a Music and Drama teacher at Crystal Haven Middle / High School and was heavily involved with the Crystal Haven Playhouse."
"Everyone has to put their name in by the end of the week. I promised Rosie, I would take them home to her after my shift on Friday."
Elizabeth smiled at Lee Coulter as he spoke from behind her, before he leaned against the counter. Lee - Rosemary's adoring husband was one of Concord Hospital's Cardiothoracic surgeons. Elizabeth knew that no matter how busy Lee was at the Hospital, he would always go out of his way for something Rosemary wanted. Lee and Rosemary were the perfect couple, supporting each other in every way possible.
"Is Rosemary still here?" Elizabeth asked, hopefully.
"You just missed her; she will be back tomorrow if you are here again, although I hope you won't be." Lee smiled at her, softening his words. "No offence."
Elizabeth grinned at Lee, not offended in the slightest. She was an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) with the Laconia Fire Department. Her visits to Concord Hospital usually meant someone was injured and needed medical treatment in the emergency department.
"No offence taken, Lee. I am always happy when I see you somewhere other than here."
"Did you bring a patient in, Elizabeth?" Lee asked cautiously, looking around the emergency department foyer, not seeing their usual stretcher.
"Not this time," Elizabeth explained, glancing at Clara. "We wanted to follow up on a patient we brought in. A little girl Dr Carter treated." Elizabeth and her partner Clara had responded to a motor vehicle accident alongside the Laconia Fire Department the day before. A woman and a four-year-old girl had been inside one of the vehicles.
It had taken some time to free the little girl, Allie. Elizabeth had waited with her, trying to distract her from the scary situation. Elizabeth was pleased to find out Allie liked to read, so she talked to her about the books that had been her favourites when she was the same age. Once they extricated her from the vehicle, Elizabeth and Clara assessed the little girl at the scene before transferring her to the Hospital for follow-up treatment and monitoring.
As an EMT, Elizabeth wasn't supposed to get personally involved with her patients, but occasionally, something about a person or situation stayed with her. That was what happened with the woman and child yesterday. She told herself it was because Allie had been so brave or their connection to books, but she knew it wasn't either. The real reason was that when Elizabeth asked Colleen if she wanted to call someone, she didn't answer; only shook her head no as she gently brushed her daughter's hair back from her forehead. Elizabeth had seen the tears well up in her eyes, and her heart broke for this lonely stranger. Elizabeth couldn't imagine going through what they had and not calling someone to be with her. Didn't they have anyone to call?
They had left the Hospital after learning Allie was being admitted overnight. She was in great hands with Dr Carter and the staff. In the ambulance, heading back to the firehouse, Elizabeth and Clara discussed Colleen Parkes and Allie's situation, curious about them. Elizabeth asked Clara if she thought it strange that the woman hadn't called anyone.
"We don't know anyone else's situation, Elizabeth. What they have been through, what family or support they have or don't have...it is sad to think they might only have each other, but at least they have that."
Elizabeth frowned. There had been a pause before Colleen had said no to calling anyone, as though...perhaps there was someone to call, but she didn't want to do it. Was it her husband? The father of her daughter? Her parents? A sibling? Elizabeth and Clara had been close enough when the woman was answering questions to overhear her say there was no other next of kin, but that could mean no one she wanted to name.
Soft-hearted Clara suggested buying a toy for Allie and using it as an excuse to see them again and learn more about their situation. Elizabeth suggested buying her a book instead. Clara had laughed before agreeing; Elizabeth's love of reading was a running joke; whenever she had downtime, she had her head in a book or the reading app on her phone. Elizabeth had also heard the woman say that she was a teacher at the Inter / Middle school, the same one Rosemary worked. Elizabeth couldn't ask Rosemary about her, and she had never mentioned a colleague by that name to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had stopped at a bookstore after her shift the previous night and purchased two books for Allie. She and Clara got permission from their Captain, Bill Avery, to drop by the Hospital and deliver them on the condition that any emergency calls were received as the top priority.
"I saw Faith a few minutes ago," Mike explained. "She was starting her rounds. Who are you looking for? I can see if she has already discharged them."
Clara stepped forward to speak to Mike as he signed in to the hospital computer system.
"You better write your name down on one of those cards," Lee said, nudging her with his elbow. "Rosie will only fill one in for you anyway."
"I bet she would," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes but doing what he said. Secret Santa exchanges and trying to find the right gift for someone always made her nervous. Grabbing a second card, she completed Clara's details and flashed it at her, waiting for her to nod before dropping it into the stocking.
"Thank you, Elizabeth, and I hope your patient is okay." Lee squeezed her shoulder and said, "I'd better go. I have a Zoom meeting with Abigail and the new doctor hired to fill the ER vacancy."
Elizabeth and Clara hurried toward the room Mike had told her that Allie Parkes was in, warning them she could be discharged at any moment.
"I hope they find a good candidate for the ER," Clara murmured as they navigated through the crowded corridor, dodging stretchers, patients and their visitors. "Faith has spent too long trying to cover everything herself."
"I know, I don't know how she does it," Elizabeth agreed. Faith Carter was an excellent ER doctor; she was knowledgeable, caring, and had a wonderful bedside manner. Elizabeth was always pleased when Faith worked in the ER, but the doctor was nearly burnt out from too many long hours. How she managed to work and have a successful marriage with her general practitioner husband Carson always amazed Elizabeth.
Lee clicked the mouse as it hovered over the word 'Leave', and the screen on the laptop went dark as he ended the Zoom meeting.
Swivelling to face, Abigail Stanton Lee said, "I think he's fantastic. He has excellent experience and great references and will fit well with the ER team."
"I am glad you agree, Lee. I spoke to the head of the Emergency Department in Boston, and they are devastated he is leaving."
"I wish we knew what the 'family reason' was," Lee commented.
"We can't ask that, Lee," Abigail admonished. "Whatever it is, he has chosen to keep it private, and we will respect that."
Lee put his hands up in surrender, "I get it. At least he can start right away. I never expected he would be here as early as Monday."
"Maybe now, Faith can take a break; she's been a real trooper stepping up the way she has."
"Agreed. Let's hope Dr Grant hits the ground running."
Dr Nathan Grant closed his laptop and leaned back in his office chair. He was glad that was the last hurdle he had to jump through before he could start his new role in the emergency department at Concord Hospital. He was looking forward to the change. He needed to escape Boston; his job no longer satisfied him, and he barely had a personal life at all. He didn't become a doctor to spend his whole-time doing paperwork instead of treating patients.
One incentive to move to Crystal Haven was that the hospital was a lot smaller, and he could be a hands-on doctor instead of sitting behind a desk. An added benefit to working in Crystal Haven was that he would live in the same place as his sister, Colleen, and Niece, Allie. Dylan Parkes, Colleen's husband, would be there too, but they didn't get along, and Nathan avoided him wherever possible.
Dylan installed alarms around the Crystal Haven area, including surrounding neighbourhoods. Despite having a job that provided a steady income, he was always looking for ways to make an easy living. He sensed Colleen and Allie spent a lot of time apart from Dylan. When he spoke to Allie on the phone, she barely mentioned her father and Colleen always changed the subject if he asked about it. He was worried about his sister, she hadn't answered any of his calls lately, texting back to him instead. He knew she was avoiding him but didn't know why. His sister's marriage was not a happy one, he just wished she would admit it and let him help her get out of it.
Walking into the loungeroom, Nathan looked around his apartment, frowning at the number of boxes waiting for the removalists to collect the next day. He had thought he lived simply, but somehow, in the last two years, he had accumulated a lot of things he couldn't part with. Crystal Haven wasn't too far, only a couple of hours by car, but it was easier to drive down first thing Sunday and have the removalists bring his stuff to his new Townhouse. He had bought a Town house rather than a home because he didn't want to spend all his spare time maintaining yards and gardens. He liked to spend his spare time hiking or sailing when the weather permitted, or skiing during the winter.
There were other boxes separated from the things he was taking. Those boxes were full of things he was not taking. They were stuffed with things he needed to return to the Hospital. The paperwork and other things he had brought home to work on were a reminder of how he had allowed his job to take over his personal life. He promised himself he wouldn't do the same thing in Crystal Haven.
Nathan checked the clock on the wall; he needed to get moving, or he would be late for his best friend's wedding. He could drop the boxes off to the hospital afterward. It was going to be a simple courthouse wedding followed by lunch. Gabriel and his fiancé Lillian didn't want a fancy wedding, Nathan and Lillian's sister Grace were the only witnesses and guests. As he walked toward his ensuite bathroom, he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from the waistband of his jeans, thinking about the coming day. Watching his two closest friends become husband and wife would be the perfect way to finish his time in Boston.