ALL TOO FAST

Chapter 4

Been double reading the previous chapter. I apologize for the grammar errors and the typos. I fixed them and I'll try to be more careful in the future chapter. 

This one is short, enjoy. 

***

After the events during Vic's boyfriend party, I haven't had any interactions with the tall doctor, Carina. Andy almost died when I told her what happened.

-She did what? –

-Yes, I guess we are a bit complicated. Does she hate me or does she like me? I mean, those kisses will convince me of the later, but I don't know if this was because of the alcohol or just the heat of the moment or something. –

-Do you like her? – That was the real question

-She is hot, but I don't know her and our encounters before today haven't been the friendliest. –

-Well, you better figure it out –

After that, the only reasonable thing I thought to do was...avoid her. We don't cross paths often, but I am an EMT after all, so I would eventually have to go the hospital to deliver a patient, but for now, after 3 long weeks, I managed to stay away from her by avoiding Joe's bar and assigning someone else to the aid car. It's working pretty damn well for me.

The shift goes by pretty fast; we had a couple of calls but nothing major. The A shift was able to finish the annual inspection of the trucks so B shift will have to finish the chores and tidy the station. I left a note for the LT. of B shift with instructions for the next shift.

Before leaving the station, decided to check the paperwork for tomorrow's evaluation. Station 19 has always exceeded in these things, but we can never be too sure.

-You always work so much? – my heart dropped at the sound of her voice. – Ciao – she is Italian. I was not sure which language she spoke, but her tick accent gave away that English was not her fist language.

-What are you doing here? – I asked, in a harsh tone, which was not my intention. Probably the surprise visit and the fact that she was standing in my office made me react like that.

-Well, I wanted to talk to you. I went to Joe's a couple of times, and I saw your friends but not you. Warren told me you'd be here today, so I decided to pass by. – She sounded so sweet while explaining this. She had this soothing tone when she spoke calmly.

-Um...I don't understand. – I said putting the paperwork in the desk drawer. – I'm confused, you treat me like shit first and now you are all sweet. I'm not trying to be a bitch or anything, I'm just genuinely curious. –

-Can I come in? – She was still standing by the door.

-Yes, I'm sorry. Please come in – I replied, pointing at the chair in front of my desk.

-Thank you. - She came in but did not sit. – So, where to start? – She paused, gathering her thoughts. – I was very rude to you before; I was having a bad time. My brother, the one you helped that day at the mall, died a few days before our bar incident. - her voice was shaking – I wanted to burry my pain so bad that I drowned my sorrows in alcohol. The day that I hitted you, that was my rock bottom. I wanted to apologize to you, but... well that did not go well either. But in my defense, you were a bit pedantic. – A beautiful side smile drew in her face at the last word.

-I kind of was...a little. – I said looking down. – Look, I can be a little too stiff and I have a hard temper sometimes. But I like to think I'm not a bad person. I really was trying to help you in the bar, you did not look good. About the whole fight here, I really like my job, it's a sacred place for me, and you came in and made a scene. I'm very protective of the things that I love, and my job is one of those things...but also my ego was a bit hurt too. – Admitting that was not easy to me. I'm a person who doesn't share her everyday life or personal stuff with everyone. – A girl in a bar broke my nose and called me...firefighter barbie, which I hate. –

-I'm really sorry about everything. – She said, the warmth of her eyes made me believe she was genuinely apologizing.

-thank you, and I'm sorry too – I was not as sweet as her, it's not me, but I was also genuine about it.

-Thank you, Captain Bishop. - She took a step closer now. – I...mmm...- She stopped, rethinking whatever she was about to say. – I, umm, wanted to talk about the night of the party...the whole bathroom thing. – The topic that I was trying to avoid this whole time. I'm an adult, I don't need to hide my sexuality and I don't need to deny any sexual encounters, but this whole situation was so...different, so unexpected that I just wanted to leave it behind me and move on.

-What about it? – I said, trying to sound uninterested.

-I wanted to also apologize and that it won't happen again. I had a few drinks and the whole dancing and... – She stopped to look at me – Look I don't know what got into me, but, like I said, it won't happen again. – Was I that bad? What am I supposed to say to that?

-Um... thank you for your sincerity. – I feel like those were not the right choice of word but, what was I suppose so say?

A long awkward silence filled the room for what it felt like an eternity.

-I have to go, thank you for your time and for accepting my apology. – She said extending her hand.

-thank you – was the last thing I said.

We shook hands and she left. Part of me was happy that I got the conversation out of the way, but for some reason I'm feeling disappointed. I feel like there was more to say. I guess this is it, I don't have to worry about the doctor anymore.