First responder, second love

Chapter 7

    "Kinsley we need you in the emergency room today, one of the interns will check on your patients," Holden says when he walks up to me in the change room.
    "What is going on, is there some big emergency?" I ask surprised.
    "Yes, there is a pile up on the freeway not far from here, so almost all the injured are coming here. Are you up for it? I know that you need to take it slow, but we could use all the hands we can get."
    "I'm fine, ready to help out where I can." I close my locker and follow the Chief of surgery to the emergency room. A group of doctors and surgeons are waiting for the patients to roll through the doors. And not long after I arrive, the first gurney rolls inside, with a wounded woman lying on it. After her, other people are coming through the doors, and before we know it, the emergency room is filled with wounded people.
    "We need to make a CT to see if there is any damage. A colleague of mine will go with you. And after we get the results, I can decide what to do next. Brookes, take Miss Taylor to the CT scan, please." The young intern walks up to me, helps Miss Taylor in a wheelchair, and rolls away. I immediately go onto the next patient.
    "Okay, let's see what we're dealing with," I say when I get up to the next patient. A young man somewhere in his twenties is lying on the bed. His head is bleeding, but it looks like a small bleed. His leg on the other hand is looking terrible. It's bent in a strange way.
    "It's my leg, Miss, it hurts like hell."
    "It's Doctor, actually, and I can see that. And you're not going to like it, put we have to put it back, or you risk losing your foot."
    "Are you serious, Miss?"
    "Very."
    "Don't you need to ask someone else, a doctor, someone who...," he says, but he doesn't finish his sentence.
    "Nobody is going to give you another answer. Do you want to keep that leg?"
    "Yes, of course."
    "Well, there's only one way." Alex walks up to me and looks at the man's leg.
    "Finally, maybe you can help me. This lady is not able to help me," the young man tells Alex.
    "What makes you think that, Sir, has she done something wrong?"
    "She is not capable, look at her."
    "Excuse me, the way I look has nothing to do with whether I can help you or not," I say defensively.
    "Are you refusing care?" Alex asks the man.
    "No, of course not, I just want...," but before he can finish his sentence, Alex cuts in.
    "Doctor Kinsley is as capable as me or any other doctor here. So, don't disagree just because she's a woman."
    "I didn't say that," the man on the bed reacts.
    "But you did. So, how about your leg, still want to keep it?" I ask him. He nods and Alex and I grab his leg.
    "On three, one, two," and before saying three we pull his leg back in its place. The man screams for a couple of seconds, but gets quiet eventually.
    "I will get an intern to take care of your leg. You won't lose it today. And he will take you to CT, to make sure there is nothing wrong upstairs." I walk away from the man and ask one of the interns to do the rest. I walk up to the board and write the information for the two patients down.
    "What an asshole," Alex says. He's standing next to me and writes some information down on the board as well.
    "Thanks for having my back, by the way, all thought I could have handled it myself."
    "Don't you think I know that? You're a very capable woman, even though not everyone sees it yet."
    "Thanks." I feel my pager going off in the pocket of my scrubs. I take it out and read the message.
    "I need to run, results are in from the CT," I say and walk away.

After everything calmed down and the people were taken care of, I am able to go home. I change into my own clothes and walk out of the hospital. Holly's shift isn't over yet, so I have to go home alone. The bus will arrive in a few minutes. I take a seat on the bench at the bus stop and take my phone out of my pocket. I got a text from Buck a few minutes ago.
    "Up for breakfast?" I read.
    "Shift over?" I ask back.
    "Yes, and I'm craving pancakes. Are you in?"
    "I could eat. Want to pick me up?"
    "Of course, are you still at the hospital?"
    "You could pick me up at the bus stop. I will send you, my location." After about ten minutes, I see a pickup truck driving up to the bus stop. It stops next to the sidewalk and the window rolls down.
    "Hi, you're ready for some pancakes?" Buck asks from inside the car.
    "Always," I answer, and I step into his car.
    "How was your shift?" Buck asks after a couple of minutes driving in silence.
    "It was hectic, there was a pile up on the freeway, but you probably know about that."
    "Yeah, that was insane. The police were talking about two guys racing against each other, that's what cost the whole pile up."
    "People were racing against each other, really? What kind of idiots were they? Why would anyone be that irresponsible? There were people who are hurt terribly. Some of them won't recover at all." Why do people like that exist? People who don't think about what they could do to others, who won't for a second think about the consciences. Ben was killed by a man just like that, someone who got into his car while he wasn't even able to walk straight anymore. That man broke me, stole my life and stumped on my heart without even thinking twice. He never apologized for what he did, he took his punishment and went to prison. People said that it was a good thing, that I should be glad that he got a high penalty like that. But I got nothing back, I didn't get my life back, my love back. My life changed, and not for the good. That man took away a loving son, a kind person and an incredible man. And no punishment is enough for that.
    "Are you good?" I hear Buck ask. I look up at him and nod my head. "Where were you?"
    "Here, in this car with you," I answer with a subtle smile.
    "You can say if you're too tired to get breakfast."
    "That's not it, I really do want pancakes." Buck parks the car in front of the restaurant and we get inside. We get a table, take a seat, and we both order pancakes and some tea.

    "Can I ask you something?" Buck starts.
    "Sure."
    "About Saturday night, when you said you just wanted to be friends. Have I done something wrong?"
    "What makes you think that, because I'm not interested in dating you?" The waiter walks up to us and puts down our tea. We both thank him and he walks away. "Not used to get turned down by women?" I ask with a little smile.
    "No, that's not it. That sounds awful. I just want to know if I did something, if I offended you in any way."
    "Do you think I would be sitting here if you did? I actually like you, but as a friend. I'm not looking for anything."
    "But you could be...,"
    "Be attracted to you?" I finish. Buck shows a subtle smile and actually looks a little embarrassed. "I could, but I'm not. But I like hanging out with you." The waiter brings our pancakes, and we attack them, admittedly.
    "So now it's my turn," I say. Buck looks up from his plate.
    "What do you want to know?"
    "Do you do this a lot, meeting up with people you saved?"
    "No, it's not a habit of mine."
    "But do they reach out to you?"
    "One of them did recently," Buck answers. I take a sip from my second cup of tea and look at Buck. "She asked me for coffee," Buck continues.
    "Sounds good. What happened to her?"
    "Me and Eddie saved her during the earthquake. She almost fell out of a window; from a penthouse she was in."
    "I heard about that. It was a hotel, right?"
    "Yeah, it was. Guess she wants to thank me for saving her life."
    "But?"
    "I don't know if I should."
    "What made you want to meet me? What makes her different?"
    "I know it's sounds weird, but I had a feeling I needed to get to know you. And I'm glad I did."
    "That doesn't sound weird, and I'm glad too. But do get that coffee with that woman, might bring you something good."