The Fellowship

Chapter 7

Startled eyes opened wide, trying to acquaint themselves to the darkened room, hands fumbled with the bedding to find a path to her body. The woman’s mind raced with jumbled thoughts causing her breath to quicken. The adrenaline rush surged through her body with every beat of her racing heart. "Where, what, who?" Desperately her mind tried to make some order out of her surroundings. The hand finally made its way to her body, finding her midsection. The woman now focused on the hand as it slowly brushed up and down her torso, fingertips deliberately being raked over the curves of the sculptured body. She let the hand sweep a larger area searching for the distinguishing textures that would tell her what she needed to know. The soft feel of skin followed around the generous curve where puckering flesh stood firmly into a nub. Gliding down across taunt, flat muscles the coarse texture of hair was now at her fingertips. She let out a sigh as her mind told her where she was. Her body now settled into a calming rhythm, as her mind became oriented to both self and place. Her eyelids lowered as a feeling of warmth reached over her being, touching her very soul. She allowed herself the comfort of relaxing down into the plump pillows underneath her head. She was safely floating back into the comfortable sleep that her body needed.

It seemed that sleep had been the only comfort that her mind could accept. It had been used as her refuge from the world of emotions and the few people that tried to lay claim to her body. She was safe and secure in her knowledge that she was alone. After all, it was infrequent that she awoke in the company of someone. Her college days of experiments at finding her sexual stability never brought more than a raised eyebrow to her face. She could never see what all the excitement was about. Then again, you only get out what you invest into it and her fear of hurt never allowed her to invest anymore than her body. The story always ended the same way in any of her attempted relationships. The emotionless giving of her body to another in a sexual way was never enough for them. As soon as the fascination wore out, they were gone. There was nothing in her personal life that remained constant but the feeling of desolation. Her soul was left wondering in that barren world that she had built for it. Preserving it for some unknown reason while never really understanding why. She had long ago given up on love of the personal kind. It just wasn’t in the hand of cards that the fates had dealt to her. Work was the only thing that gave her any fulfillment in that lonely world. Sleep was something that was best enjoyed alone and therefore, was looked forward to at the end of a day’s work, especially one that did not demand her to be on-call.

It was a technique that she had developed early on during her internship days. Not only did it allow her luxury of a good night’s sleep but kept her mind in balance. The time spent acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to be a surgeon was endless. Nights were often spent absorbing every written word from the standard textbooks and additional reading material that it soon became oblivious as to whether or not one was on-call. She had rationalized if her time were indeed her own that she would be unconfined by structure, as she had known it. Thus became the ritual of sleeping in the buff. It definitely was something that one would only find appealing in the privacy of one’s own bed. The simple method had worked for her except for her time in the Navy. Being the only surgeon onboard ship meant that you were always on-call, no matter what. That was, unless you were lucky enough to get shore leave in an exotic port.

Through barely opened eyes, she could see that the golden rays of the morning’s first light were creeping into the room. The golden hue stirred memories that her mind associated with the warm glow that she felt. In her state of limbo between deep sleep and the real world, images of the last few months floated around her mind. Never before had she dreamt of a person that was not related to her with such regularity. Her dreams or nightmares as she often referred to them had always been filled with daily goals and turmoil in her struggle to achieve her career. Her lust for perfection would never allow her time to have friends or even to be friendly with any of her colleagues. She saw them only as people she had to be around to attain her self-driven goals. Her work involved human beings, but that didn’t mean she had to socialize with them in order to do it and be the best. Her coldness toward them had always kept them at bay.

The dreams now were like a breath of fresh air. Air that softly swirled causing the short blonde hair to quiver and carry the fresh scent of a beautiful summer day on it. They had been playing softball when someone in the gathered crowd had been assaulted. Images of the scene blurred as in a fast forward motion coming to an abrupt stop as the paramedics placed the man who was now trached on the ambulance stretcher. Her eyes cast about at the odd collection of people that had worked right along with her, never being asked or directed to do so. Each face that she looked at shown a confident approach to the situation at hand, not letting anyone in the crowd know the severity of the man’s injury. They were professionals whether they were dressed for the part or not. It was like some surreal event before her eyes, the spirit of camaraderie wisping freely between them as it soared amongst the crowd of caregivers until it approached her and outstretched it’s arms to engulf her with its embrace. She looked it coldly in the eye and for the first time noticed that it had taken on the face of a human framed by shimmering flaxen hair.

Then in a rush of fast-forward the events whirled by until they stopped and continued at a normal pace again.

Like the return of the prodigal daughters that they were, Karen met the two lost but not forgotten picnickers with a mother’s welcome. "What took you so long? Did you have to rush him into surgery? We were worried about you." Her voice was a mixture of concern and scolding both. "Hey, now give. Why the scrubs?" Her look was stern and skeptical.

Danni dropped her eyes and started to blush. Garrett was quick to come to her rescue. "We got a little dirty and thought that it would be best to clean-up before we came back, Mom. The patient was doing well when we left him." Then changing the subject she attempted to take the heat further off of her blonde companion. "I hope we got back in time to eat, did we?"

"Well, you’re close but I guess we can find you two some burgers and corn. You know, Danni, we were just wondering where you hid that load of watermelons that you were supposed to bring."

The small blonde breathed a sigh of relief at the direction of the conversation. She winked at Karen and nudged the tall woman next to her. "Come on, Garrett, give me a hand getting them out of the car." She walked over to where her keys had been placed before the start of the softball game.

The surgeon shrugged her shoulders and followed the blonde toward the car. "Yeah, sure."

Once out of earshot of the group of assembled picnickers, the soft and gentle voice of the nurse drew Garrett’s attention. "Thanks, Doc. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to answer that. I…"

"What are you thanking me for? I didn’t cover anything up, I just choose to be discreet with the information that I shared. I didn’t see the need for going into details. Did you?"

"Hmmm…I guess you’re right. Thanks, any way." She smiled and opened up the trunk of the metro. "One for you and one for me." She offered the watermelon to the surgeon, closed the trunk and side by side they headed back to the gathering.

The muscular body became accentuated as limbs stretched and retracted causing the woman to roll up on to her side. She positioned herself away from the light that was straining to enter the room through the drawn blinds covering the windows. Settling into a comfortable position, sleep again beckoned the surgeon to retreat into her dreams once more.

"Now let me handle the salesman," the young blonde was drilling the idea into Garrett’s head. "Say nothing and be very indifferent to the color and model options. Are you sure this is the vehicle that you want, because once I get the deal ironed out, there will be no going back."

The surgeon looked over at her petite friend as they pulled into the dealership lot. She marveled at the all business approach that Danni was taking in her behalf. She would have just gone in and asked how much for that one and paid the price. The young woman at her side would hear none of it when Garrett brought up the subject of purchasing a vehicle. She obviously prided herself in the fine art of haggling for a better price. What could it hurt to let her help? "Yes, I am sure."

The nurse put the gear selector into park and pulled on the hand brake, "Whatever you do, Garrett, don’t let them know that you are a Physician. They’ll never bargain if they know you have the money to spend." She exited the door and walked over to the passenger side of the small Geo Metro to assist the tall surgeon in climbing out of her seat. Coming up to the now opened door Danni offered her hand, "Remember to listen to me, if I say we go, then be ready to walk right out of there with me. We are going to have to present a unified front. If you so much as hesitate, they will know that you want the car and never come down in price."

The raven-haired women stretched to workout the kinks of being confined in such a small space, listening intently to her friend. "Alright, I trust you completely with this. Let’s see what we can do."

They began walking over to the showroom door when Danni stopped suddenly grabbing the surgeon’s arm, "You did say that you wanted to pay cash right?"

"Yes, I got the checkbook right here," she patted the back pocket of her jeans. "I’ll follow your lead, my friend."

They entered the showroom and began walking around the display of vehicles. Within moments, a well-dressed young salesman approached the women, his eye taken obviously by the petite blonde. "Is there anything that I could help you with, Ladies?" He turned to the young woman, studying her intently, "Hmm, I can see you driving that bright red Corvette convertible over there. Would you like me to get the keys and we’ll take it for a test drive?"

She gave a coy smile and let go with a nervous laugh. "No, I really don’t think that is my style," she said with her nose wrinkling up slightly. "I figure myself more of a sunset on the beach at Malibu." She turned to look at Garrett, "While my friend there is more of the dark, sleek trailblazing kind."

The salesman’s eyes grew in size as his mind grasped the metaphor.

The surgeon leaned up against a car and watched as the young nurse played with the salesman’s ego. She was ruthless in her negotiating tactics, using anything she could to make this poor man offer her the world just to be able to be close to her. The exchange of information between the two was something to be seen. Each one playing the seducer in this dance of dissent. The advantage swaying between the two with each round of banter. The tall woman was completely amazed by her younger friend’s ability to steadily gain the advantage in this unorthodox sales negotiation.

Danni stepped over to her silent friend as the young man retreated into an office cubicle. "So Garrett, I guess you’re going to have to get some insurance before we pick up our new cars tomorrow," she said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I guess I’ll have…" the tall woman’s mouth was suddenly agape, as her brain had finally registered what her young friend had implied. The surgeon’s eyes widened as she gulped, "you mean, it’s a done deal? I’ve got the Black Chevy Blazer with 4-wheel drive. Hey, you said our new cars…plural. I thought…"

The young woman rubbed her fingernails in a mock polishing effort against her blouse saying, "I was able to work out a better deal if I traded in the Geo and we bought two vehicles at once."

"What did…when did…" Garrett was confused. She thought she had been following the conversation, obviously she had not picked up on something. Shaking her head, she queried "I didn’t know that you were looking to buy a new car. Did I miss something here?"

"Shh! He is coming back, just play along. Okay?"

The surgeon slowly nodded her head, totally amazed at her petite friend. She was definitely going to find out what she had missed in the negotiations.

Again, she did what she was told and remained silent as the salesman joined them.

"It’s all set. If we could get some financial information from the two of you, your vehicles will be ready to be picked up tomorrow at 5 P.M." He looked first at the tall dark haired woman then to the perky little blonde. "If that’s alright with you?" He hesitated shifting his gaze from woman to woman, a look of apprehension on his face.

Danni smiled at the salesman, "Yes, that will be just fine."

The salesman nodded, "Now, if you follow me over to my office." He was grinning from ear to ear, proud of the deal that he had struck up with the beautiful blonde. "We’ll get all the paper work out of the way."

A half-hour later, the women were walking out of the dealership headed for Danni’s Geo Metro. They were brimming with enthusiasm over the deal that had just been made for the new vehicles but knew that they had to wait to discuss what had just happened until they were in the car.

Garrett was getting good at folding herself into the small car of her friend. She waited for the younger woman to settle herself into the driver's seat before asking, "So, Danni, what car did you purchase? If you don’t mind me asking." She gave her friend a sidelong glance.

"A gold Chevy Malibu," she stated. "Sorry, but it will be bigger than you’re used to in this one." She let out a laugh, her eyes quickly taking in the accordion like form of her tall companion.

The surgeon started to chuckle and nodded her head carefully as it abutted the interior of the roof. "I think I could get used to that."

"What do you say we celebrate our good fortune. Milkshakes?" she asked.

The older woman suddenly turned very serious. "Danni, can I ask you something?" She looked at her friend and asked, "You didn’t agree to go out with him or anything, did you?" There was a look of real concern on her face as she awaited her friend’s answer.

The small blonde shot a glance over to her passenger; her eyes registered her friends concern. "No, maybe Rosie would do something like that, but not me. I just let him flirt with me. While his mind was preoccupied with his thoughts I just out haggled him. Honest."

"Mom told me that you were good at bargaining, but I never thought…" the surgeon trailed off. She looked over at her friend, "Thanks for doing that for me, Danni." A lop sided grin showing on her face.

"You’re welcome, Garrett. I’m just glad that I could help." The nurse pulled into the parking lot of the ice cream shop, "Now, are we going to celebrate or what?"

The sound of birds chirping floated lightly on the gentle breeze that was coming in through the open window. The nights were not as hot or humid anymore and the thought of sleeping in the fresh air was so stimulating to the surgeon. She had forgotten about the noise of the birds in the early morning, after all, you didn’t get that close to land on a ship or in air-conditioned hotels. Garrett made a mental note about the morning noise and open windows for the next time she had the luxury of sleeping in. But for now, she gathered her pillow and pulled it over her head to drown out the energetic noise, determined to enjoy more time in the land of Morpheus.

Blue haze from the cigarette smoke was creeping out of the doorway to the bar and gliding along the ceiling. The room appeared to be clean and orderly but somewhat aged for the faded posters that covered the walls. The light was focused low from the hanging fixtures that advertised locally brewed alcoholic beverages. Each one strategically placed above a small round table. It was definitely not an upper class establishment but the nurses had assured her that it served some of the best ethnic food in the "Burgh". She followed the group of nurses as they ventured into the backroom of what they had called a typical corner bar. Soon they were seated around one of the tables, their eyes intent on finding a waitress.

"I got one!" Danni exclaimed as she motioned with her hand for the waitress in the far corner to come over to their table. Pleased with herself she settled into her chair and waited. "So, Garrett, what do you think of the place?"

The surgeon looked startled as she was called upon to make a judgement of the atmosphere already. "Ah, I think I’ll defer any comments until after the meal," her eyes wandered around the room and to each of her companions.

"Ah, come on Doc, we know that it’s not the number one pick of the Yuppies across the country, but the food is really the best around." Rosie looked to her co-workers for support.

"I hate to say it, but she’s right." Karen shook her head in approval. "Do you think we’ll see anybody that we know tonight?" she joked.

Rosie smiled, "Gee, Mom, why do you always have to bring up work when we go out?"

"Now, ladies, let’s just have a nice time with good food and pleasant companionship." Danni tried to mediate the conversation, "Let’s just forget about work and have some fun, shall we?"

Mom looked over at the small blonde nurse and let out a laugh, "And how do you propose that I forget work when I look at the motley crew that I’m with? Jeez, Danni, we just spent the last twelve hours together at work."

"Can I take your order?" The waitress impatiently tapped her foot as she looked from patron to patron at the table. Looking for someone in authority, she picked on Garrett, "So, what can I bring you?"

The tall woman was startled. "Ah, ah," and she looked over to Danni pleading with her eyes for help.

"Why don’t we get a sampler platter of pierogies for the table to start off with? The blonde nurse quickly did a visual poll of her friends, "Yes, a sampler platter of pierogies then for the table. I’ll have an IC Lite, too."

"Yeah, IC Lite for me, too," Rosie shook head in agreement.

Karen thought for a moment then slowly shaking her head, "Same for me."

Not wanting to be an odd ball in the group of her new friends, Garrett nonchalantly looked up at the waitress saying, "Make that IC Lite all the way around."

Rosie reached out to grab at the waitress’ arm. "Hey, you have that on draft, right? Then how about a pitcher of IC Lite for the table."

"Okay, let’s make that four glasses with one pitcher of IC Lite and one pierogies sampler." The impatient waitress hastily looked around the table. Hearing no more orders she moved away in the direction of the bar.

"Garrett, we’re glad that you could join us tonight. Maybe you would like to come along when we have our next ladies night out?" The older nurse was trying to help the surgeon adjust to her new city.

"Yeah, Doc, we could go down to the strip district that night and you could get to see the Primanti Brothers up close and personal." Rosie offered enthusiastically as she winked at Danni.

The doctors’ eyebrow steadily rose up into her hairline as she stared at Rosie then at her young friend. She wondered what kind of signals she had been giving for Rosie to suggest that she would enjoy strip clubs and local Chippendales-type shows.

Seeing the look on her new friend’s face, Danni quickly offered, "They have the best sandwiches there at Primante’s. They have everything except the kitchen sink on them. You remember me getting the watermelons for the picnic in the strip district, don’t you, Garrett?"

The surgeon thought a moment then slowly smiled as she began to understand the true meaning of Rosie’s statement. "Yeah, I think that would be fun." She stole a quick look at the blonde and thanked any god that would listen to her for such a compassionate and caring friend. The surgeon thought for a moment and realized that the word was creeping more often into her thoughts and vocabulary since she had arrived in town. It felt good to be able to call someone friend. She marveled at her circumstance and for the first time believed that it was fate that brought her to this place in time and with these people, no co-workers. No, they were more than that to her for she was slowly being accepted into their extended families. That was a funny sensation for her, she hadn’t had a feeling of family for many years. It was something that she never thought she would feel again. She was beginning to see that they had accepted her for herself without needing to pry into her past life. That feeling of acceptance was not lost on the raven-haired woman.

"So, have you ever eaten pierogies before?" Danni offered the first choice to Garrett. "These are potato and onion, sauerkraut, and potato and cheese," she pointed to each group in the assortment on the platter. "Help yourself."

The lopsided smile spread quickly across her face as she came out of her thoughts into the presence of her companions, "Thanks, they look and smell good." She chose one of each and began tasting as the others helped themselves to the pierogies. "Hey, these are really good." Her eyes were looking from one member to the other of the group and back to the stuffed dough pockets on her plate.

The friendly chuckling of the group at her comment was only emphasized by the young blonde’s toast. "Here’s to Garrett," she raised her glass filled with the white-headed foamed beverage. "May she find Pittsburgh and all that it holds, to be to her liking."

The group followed suit each raising their glass in acknowledgement to the tall surgeon in their midst and saying, "To Garrett!"

Her golden complexion was now showing signs of blush as she accepted the toast. She nodded and raised her glass touching each of theirs lightly and then the group sipped their drinks. Garrett raised her glass again, "To Pittsburgh, May I come to know all that it holds with the help of my friends." The glasses were raised and clinked. The drinking of the golden liquid ended the toast and brought about the conversation that was so much a part of human nature among the small group of friends.

She could feel her facial muscles being stretched into a smile as the haze of sleep slowly eroded from her mind. The calming memory of joyous camaraderie was the last thing that she could remember about her dream.

Blue eyes slowly opened and began to focus on her surroundings. She allowed herself to fill her mind with the atmosphere that was present in the room. The soft rays of sunlight filtered in through the edges of the blinds, straining to give the room a golden glow. It brought a rich appearance to the sparse furnishings. A bed, dresser, and nightstand with a lamp on it was the contents of the room in its entirety. It wasn’t much, but she could call it home. It had been several years since she had thought of any place as home. She pondered about the last three years that she had lived from one assigned bunk to another and her clothing that was stored in metal lockers on board ship or the duffel bag that carried them between duty stations. The woman’s time spent in the Navy was just a way to pay off her debts from medical school. She had realized that it was a temporary life, a means to the end of getting herself through the necessary schooling to become the doctor that she was today.

She rolled over, staring at the ceiling. Her senses were awakening and she could vaguely make out the aroma of bacon and coffee in the air. For the first time in many years she could actually smell food being made as she climbed the stairs out of Morpheus’ realm. It was a pleasant sensation that stirred her memory with thoughts of home, family and belonging. Her mind went off on a tangent as she thought about the events that had led her to this place.

"So, I guess that you haven’t be able to find anything yet."

She turned in recognition of the soft voice that seemed to come from behind her. "No," shaking her head in disappointment. "I’m going to have to do something soon, I’ve only got a week to find someplace."

The small blonde stood next to her balancing a tray of breakfast foods in her hands. "Mind if I join you?" She motioned to the empty seat across form the surgeon.

"Ah…no," she was clearing the table for her friend. "I’d enjoy the company." Garrett looked up at the woman who was slowly creeping into her life. "You just getting done for the night?"

"Yeah, I thought that I’d grab a quick bite to eat before I head home. It always seems more relaxing to me to have other people around than to be by myself." Danni looked around at the other people then settled her eyes on to her friend. "You know, Garrett, any place good has already been taken before September at the latest by the college students."

Nodding in agreement, "I’m beginning to realize that now. McMurray is going to flip when I tell him that I’m going to have to live out of the call room or my car until I find a place."

There was silence between the two as each sat quietly with their own thoughts. The young nurse was slowing down her rhythmic chewing as she began to contemplate her friend’s plight.

The surgeon raised her cup for more of the soothing mixture.

Swallowing, she drew in a breath and offered, "I have a spare bedroom in my house." She looked up into the clear blue eyes across from her. "You could move in with me." There she had said it.

The surgeon shifted in her seat, her eyes wondering off into the crowded cafeteria. "No, Danni, I don’t want to impose on you."

"Aw, come on, Garrett, it would be an answer to both of our problems." She searched for some emotion on the surgeon’s face. "You need a place to stay for the rest of your Fellowship and it would be less lonely for me around the house when I’m not working. Besides, it would be safer for the both of us." She was smug with herself for thinking of this point to help win over her friend. "It would be like a buddy system for safety’s sake. My sister has been on my case to get a roommate for some time now. What do you say?" The eager look of acceptance displayed on her face. "If it doesn’t work out, it will have at least given you more time to find a decent place."

The surgeon raised her eyebrow. "Okay, I’ll stop by after clinic today and take a look at the place. But if I take it, I will be paying you rent." She held up her hand to prevent any further discussion from the petite woman. "I expect that you will be able to come up with a fair price and any house rules that I will have to follow."

Digging into her food with a renewed zeal, Danni smiled. "Great! I’ll be expecting you about 5 or so."

Garrett gave her friend a lopsided grin and nodded her head. "This just might work out. After all, who knows where I’ll be working after June when this fellowship is through? I’ll see you then." She stole a look at her watch and gathered her things together. "Hey, I’ve got to go. I’ll just make it if I leave now."

"See you later." The blonde nurse called out to her. "Have a good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"Huh…" One eyelid opened, the crystal blue iris trying to get a fix on the sound that seemed to be echoing in her head. There it was again, that knocking sound. The raven-haired surgeon turned her head in the direction of the sound. She could barely raise both eyelids open when the cheerful sound came again.

"Good morning, Garrett!" The door opened slightly and a partial head slid into the opening. "Hey, you awake for your special breakfast yet? You don’t want to let it get cold, do you?"

The surgeon drank in the aroma of the breakfast as her mind stumbled its way into the present. "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that." She raised her hand to wave a lone finger at the door signaling that she would be there in a minute.

"Just let me get some clothes on," her voice was husky from sleep. "I’ll be right out." Covers were being thrown off in disarray.

The petite blonde caught a glimpse of muscled arms and the broad expanse of shoulders connecting into a well defined back as the covers began to reveal the emerging body of the slumbering surgeon. She hastily closed the door to assure her new roommate her privacy. She smiled to herself and raised an eyebrow at the idea that her friend felt comfortable enough to sleep in the nude.

It was the first morning since Garrett had moved into Danni’s extra room that they were both off. Several months had gone by since the softball game but a bet was a bet and the surgeon was ready to collect her prize.

"Yeah, breakfast in bed," she muttered. "That’s the only way to enjoy it." She sat on the edge of the bed sluggishly pulling on a T-shirt and gym shorts. ‘Boy, Danni, I’m so glad that you made the addition of the winner picks the place to have the breakfast to that bet. Come to think of it, I believe you really thought that you were going to win.’ Her senses were being teased with the inviting smells of a homemade breakfast that wafted in even stronger when the door had been opened. ‘I wonder,’ she thought to herself, ‘where you would have picked to have the breakfast had your team won?’ After a brief trip to the bathroom she opened her door and called out, "I’m ready for my victory breakfast now."

"Okay, I’m coming with it," the younger woman answered, picking up the tray that she had just finished arranging. Her lips curled up at the corners of her mouth as she made her way to Garrett’s bedroom. "I never thought that I would be serving my ‘amazon’ breakfast in bed," she muttered to herself. ‘Heck, I never thought that we would lose that softball game to the Physicians. Well, not until I saw her play ball,’ she mused. ‘Who would have guessed that she had so many skills?’

The physician plumped her pillows aligning them against the headboard of the bed. She gracefully slipped under the covers and smoothed them around her long legs, waiting for her reward.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused the raven-haired woman to look over at the door as it opened into the mutely lit room. Soft rays of sunlight fell gently on the form carrying the tray giving it a warm golden glow. A friendly smile accompanied the hopeful look in the radiant green eyes as she entered the room. "I hope you like scrambled eggs and sausage."

"I do if they are real," the surgeon joked. Her blues eyes looked into the green veil of the small woman’s soul and immediately knew that she was blessed with a glimpse of the true spirit of this heaven-sent being. She gazed for as long as she dared before letting the lopsided grin come to her face in acknowledgement of the shared moment.

Danni sat the tray down across the surgeon’s lap. Beautifully arranged were the scrambled eggs with sausage links garnished with a sprig of parsley and a thinly sliced orange round that was cut and twisted. A glass of orange juice and toast positioned on the tray with the utensils. Off to one corner was a small bud vase with the most delicate pink rose and bud in it. Garrett looked over the array of food and nodded to Danni her approval. Picking up the napkin to place on her lap the surgeon stopped and looked over at the woman watching her intently.

"What?" Garrett was puzzled by the look of her friend.

"I brought home the quarterly news bulletin for the hospital last night. Want to read it?" She smiled coyly as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

"Something tells me that you want me to see it. Right?" The surgeon was picking up her utensils, reading to eat. She sighed knowing that she couldn’t enjoy her food with those green eyes watching every bite. "Say, did you eat yet?

The eyebrows raised on the blonde with that remark. "Why, no. I’ve been making your breakfast." She looked so cute as she turned her head slightly as if she were shy about what she was about to reveal. "But I did make enough for me. I left mine out in the kitchen."

"Well, go bring it in here and eat with me. There’s no sense in us eating by ourselves when we are both here together." Her face turned into a scowl. "I’m sure not joining you in the kitchen. No way! The bet was breakfast were ever I wanted it. And here in bed is where I intend to eat it."

It was a decree straight from Garrett’s mouth and there was no way that the blonde nurse was going to refuse a chance like this. ‘After all, wasn’t that what I was going to request if I had won the game?’ Danni quickly assembled her food on another tray and briskly walked down to Garrett’s room. Save for the flowers, the trays were laid out almost identical. She rounded the corner of the bed and sat down on the far side. Nestling into the soft pillows she made herself comfortable before she handed the small hospital news bulletin over to the woman beside her. "You may want to start out reading the story on page three. I think you might know some of the people."

Garrett took the paper and opened it to page three. There on the bottom of the page was an article about the annual E.R. Physician/Staff softball challenge. Off to the right of it was a photograph of Danni and Garrett sprawled on top of each other in the dirt with a caption that read, "Nurse and Physician get down and get dirty to save lives."

Garrett’s face turned red. "I don’t remember any pictures being taken, do you?"

The petite nurse shook her head. "No, I don’t but obviously there was. We have the proof of that right there."

"You know, it’s not really a bad picture of either one of us. Maybe we could get a bigger one that we could frame and put on the wall. What do you think?" Garrett kept cocking her head for side to side to look at it better.

Danni nodded in agreement. "I’ll see what I can do. Now let’s eat."

With that said, both women started eating the food before them. Each one contemplating the situation in there own minds.

‘I may have lost that game, but I still came out a winner.’ Danni thought that it could get no better as to be eating breakfast in bed with her raven-haired friend. Stealing glances at the person next to her kept a smile stretched across her face as she devoured the food on her tray.

Garrett had won a lot of softball games in her athletic years but this one was the sweetest of them all. No trophy had been awarded or records broken, but the feeling of accomplishment and teamwork overwhelmed her. Maybe that was because she felt a growing bond with the motley crew from the hospital emergency room who had opened their arms and taken her into their world, especially one small, blonde nurse in particular. Her eyes glance over casually at the photograph in the bulletin. ‘Besides, we kind of look like we belong together.’

Continued