One Life ✓

Chapter 12: The Sinkhole Shift

A/N: Heh. Heh heh. Nervous reference to S3 Between a Rock and a Hard Place. So yeah. Enjoy!!!!

Natalie—Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL

I sort through files and papers, which I'm knee deep in like it's college debt. I hate this. I'd rather be home with my boy. Don't get me wrong, I adore my job, but not the paperwork.

"Hey, Nat." Will grins at me. "You look like you're drowning in that stuff."

"I am." I slide a portfolio to the side. "And you are here why?"

"You've got an escape from your misery," he announces. "We're doing something special today. We're going to rescue a woman from a sinkhole."

"Hmm." I scrunch my nose. "You're calling a sinkhole escape. Maybe we should have Dr. Charles take a look at you."

"Oh, so you want to file for another hour?" Will laughs.

"Please, no thank you. I'll come to your sinkhole." I roll my eyes, following Will to the ambulance. "I have actually never done this before. Any words of wisdom?

"I would call TC and ask him," suggests Will. "Because I've never done this before either."

"You are so stupid," I tease him, holding his hand. "I like that."

Grace—Home on The Range B&B, San Antonio, Texas

"The waffles are incredible," I remark offhandedly.

"Oh, crap," responds TC. I would tell him to stop with the cowboy cussing, but I find his pottymouth endearing.

"What?" I lean on Tee's shoulder to peek at his phone. "Wait, now?"

"Stupid quarry." He looks straight at me. "This one woman fell into the sinkhole there. Like I fell into the sinkhole of your eyes."

"I am glad to know that my eyes are akin to quicksand." I push him playfully.

"Why do we have to go?" he groans.

"The day shift is late today. They were out last night drinking, and they got two docs right now. It says here." I point to his message.

"I hate you, day shift." Tee leans into me.

"Agreed." I mess up his hair. "Now let's go dive into a sinkhole."

Jordan—Chicago City Quarry, Chicago, IL

"Oh, boy." I clip on my harness. "Climbing down a quicksand sinkhole. Something only TC Callahan would do."

Natalie laughs, positioning her own belay clip. "It takes courage."

"We used to do this at SAM," I remember. "There was this one time where it was on such short notice that TC ran into the quicksand pit, pulled the kid out, and got rash burns all over his arms. And let's not forget the time Tee decided to go BASE jumping without telling me."

"Honestly, everything I know about TC leads me to the conclusion that he's pretty stupid, huh?" says Nat.

"Exactly," I agree, smiling. "Though sometimes he's not stupid. Just a butthole. Yet fiercely loyal around those he loves most." Bam. I just slapped myself in the face mentally. I'm not sure if I'm at the top of his list anymore.

"Ah. Which is why he's perfect for Grace, and she's perfect for him." Nat grins broadly. "It's a daredevil match made in heaven."

An invisible spear drives through my heart. No one has any idea of how all this Grace, TC, Grace, TC business makes me feel.