Chapter One- A New Day
Will-
*beep*beep*beep* Will quickly wakes from the sound of his alarm...today is his first day as senior resident at Gaffney Chicago Medical center. He can't help from becoming overwhelmed with nerves at the thought of being back in his home town of Chicago...the last time he was here he got the news that his mother had terminal cancer and did not have a lot of time left.
Will was always the kind to run away from his emotions- which is why he had spent the last year in New York, he thought if he went away he could forget his moms prognosis- ignore the reality that he would soon lose her. He was also notorious for bringing home random blondes from the bars he frequented- maybe he was looking for something in all the wrong places, maybe these girls filled the void that missing his family created, or maybe he was trying to ignore his thoughts at night by not being alone, it seemed that every morning after just left him feeling more guilty and empty than the night before- so much so that he himself couldn't even understand why he kept doing it.
Wills older brother Jay was pissed that he left. They have barely spoken since Will had been gone, so that adds a whole other factor in Wills nerves about being home-especially since he would, for the foreseeable future, be living with his older brother until he can get properly settled into Chicago- the only time they have seen or spoken to each other prior to Wills homecoming had been at their mothers funeral weeks ago, and even that was very little conversation.Jay felt as if Will abandoned the family , especially their beloved mother during her time of need.
Will takes a long shower, brushes his thick red hair and teeth, slips on his brand new, perfectly laundered maroon scrubs and heads out the door to work. Little did he know he was about to meet someone who he didn't even know he needed in his life...Dr. Natalie Manning.
Nat-
Dr. Manning had it all-she was breathtakingly beautiful, sweet with a feisty side, a budding career as a pediatrician even though she was currently doing a fellowship in the ED, a handsome husband whom she had fallen head over heels for in Chicago, the best set of girl friends anyone could ever want— Until one day her world abruptly came crashing down.
Natalie had met Jeffrey Manning 3 years ago when she was finishing med school. Jeff was an Army Ranger and awaiting deployment orders when he fell in love with the soon to be doctor. Their romance was unexpected- but they fell fast for each other. Natalie had always planned to move back home to Seattle after finishing school- but that plan quickly changed when she met Jeff. They dated for a year before Jeff asked Natalie to marry him- he wanted to show her he was committed before being deployed for the 2nd time in their relationship, wanted to know that she was home waiting on him and planning their special day for when he arrived home 8 months later.
They had the perfect marriage- filled with love, laughter, trust and adventure. The only problem they had was that Nat missed Jeff and worried when he was deployed, which was far more than he was home, she worried that every time he left she may never see him again...he had been deployed for the last time 1 week ago...her deepest fears soon became reality.
One morning as she was getting herself ready for morning shift at Med she saw 2 fully uniformed Rangers walking up the front walk- her heart sank and she fell short of breath at the sight- she knew the news they were bringing her- yet it did not seem real. No...No....they must be mistaken, Jeff was smart, well fit, no way something happened to him...she tried to reason with her thoughts as she watched them inch closer to her door...but when she opened it and they told her the devastating news that Jeff had indeed been killed in action- she lost it, tears just poured from her beautiful eyes and she felt as if she too would not survive this.
2 weeks after Jeff's passing Natalie was ready to get back into her routine, learn her new "normal" and go back to work. As she got ready that morning she felt more anxious than usual, dreading the "you look goods" and the "how ya holding up?" Comments from concerned friends and co-workers. All she wanted to do was get her mind off of what happened. But she was ready- for whatever the day had in store for her.
