The Christmas Gift

A/N: Have Yourself a MerryLittle Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald

It was a normal December day at the ER. Colin had been a resident at the NYU Emergency Room for six months now and he was pretty satisfied with his choice. He liked being in the city, medical school in Stanford was great, but he missed the four seasons, the Indian summer, the snow in the winter. And there it was, the first snowfall in Manhattan which meant more work in the ER.

"Rock paper scissors?" A blond young doctor asked a tall Asian man.

"What are you guys trying to decide?" Colin enquired.

"Who gets to treat the hot blonde in exam 3," the first resident answered.

"With her gorgeous friend," a nurse added.

"I'll make the decision for you." A brunette middle-age woman said sternly "Dr. McCrae gets them as he volunteered for the Christmas and New Year's Eve's shifts." She then handed him the chart and he walked to the exam room smirking.

"Thanks guys," he said waving the chart.

"No problem," the two residents muttered.

Colin walked into the exam room and gazed at an attractive blonde with long slender legs who was holding an ice bag on her head. He couldn't help smirking understanding why the guys wanted this case so bad.

"Ms. Pratt, I'm Dr. McCrae, I see in your file that you had a bad fall?" He eyed her five inches heels.

"I know, I already been lectured about that by my friend." Colin held up his hands.

"Wow, I'm not here to judge, just to do my job tending to you. So, tell me, how bad was your fall? What did you hit with your head?" He took the ice bag off and looked at her head.

"Will you need to cut my hair?" she asked worriedly.

"That should be okay, just 3 stitches. Did you pass out? Let me see your ankle." He palpated her ankle "The swelling isn't too bad, tell me if this hurts." She winced a little.

"Is it okay?" he asked gently. She had very nice ankles and it was a pity he hadn't seen her in those shoes.

"The coffee is pretty bad but it's better than nothing." Colin turned toward the door to identify a slightly familiar voice.

"Colin?" Rory stopped stunned to see her ex-boyfriend's friend.

"In the flesh and blood. What are you doing in my ER Reporter girl? You're with Ms. Pratt?" He asked still stupefied to see her even more beautiful than he could remember. "You should tell her that this kind of shoes is not very appropriate on icy Manhattan sidewalks, especially when it's snowing."

"Already did but you know, she's the new fashion columnist at the New York Times...."

He was still good-looking, but he lost the stuck up look which could make him so despicable in college. His sweet turquoise gaze was now according to his genuine soft smile. Back in Yale, she'd noticed that he was always looking at her, but he never asked her out, then Logan took the lead and that was it. Nevertheless, they had so much in common, when they were only the two of them, he was incredibly sweet with her, they used to talk for hours. She remembered how concerned and considerate he was after the bridesmaid incident. After his graduation, he went to Stanford and she never talked to him since then.

"Okay you two, Rory do you know the hunk doctor here?" the blonde interrupted.

"Yep, we were at Yale together, but haven't seen each other since... your graduation? Dr. Colin McCrae meet Amy Pratt."