came out hoarse, but steady.
"Nothing." Linda's eyes were round, the pupils dilated. "Rodney...wasn't making a lot of sense. I'm sorry."
Honor's chest was tight, every breath an effort, and when she started toward trauma one, she found that her feet would barely move.
Surely it's nothing serious. Contractors are always getting banged up. Twisted knees, jammed shoulders, bumps on the head. God, I hope she wasn't fooling around with the carpenters again. She knows how much I hate her doing anything with those damn power tools. She's supposed to be the job foreman—keeping the crews organized—-not spending her time actually rebuilding the damn houses!
"Can you get the ambulance on the radio?" Honor finally managed to start moving. "Get an update on her condition? "
"Sure." Linda nodded vigorously. "Right away."
Before Linda had a chance to make that call, the ambulance bay doors burst open and three EMTs pushing a stretcher came crashing through. One look at the still form strapped to a backboard with sandbags on either side of the pale face turned Honor's legs to jelly, and her stomach heaved.
Not just a minor accident. Oh my God.
When she tried to speak, no words came out. When she tried to raise her hand, her arm felt leaden. As if in a dream, she watched, nearly paralyzed, as Linda directed the EMTs into the procedure room. Two ER attendings, another resident,' and as many nurses rushed after them. Finally, Honor followed.
At the threshold, Honor halted, staring at the flurry of activity surrounding her lover. She recognized the routine, but it seemed so out of place with Terry lying there so still. After only a moment, the activity abruptly halted, and Linda materialized from the crowd, a strange look in her eyes. She walked to Honor and took her arm.
"Come over here, honey."
Honor protested when Linda started to draw her away from the room. "No. I have to help. I have to take care of her."
"Honor...Honor, sweetheart, her neck is broken. It must have been instantaneous." Linda's face was white. "There's nothing they can do. She's dead, sweetheart."
"Of course she isn't. That's ridiculous." Honor turned and started back toward trauma one. This time, it was as if she were
swimming against a tidal wave. As hard as she tried, she couldn 't seem to make any progress. It was difficult to see, there was so much water in her eyes. She kept wiping them, but the moisture covered her cheeks, blurring her vision. Beneath the roar of the rushing water, she could hear Linda s voice, soothing and gentle.
"Honor. She s gone."
By the time Honor forced her way through the crowd, she could see through her tears. That's when she knew they were wrong. Terry was just asleep. There wasn 't a mark on her face or her body. Her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful, and she was warm when Honor rested her fingers against her cheek. Her lover looked just exactly as she had that morning, still bundled under the covers of their bed, when Honor had kissed her goodbye. Of course she wasn't gone.
"Terry, honey? " Honor leaned down, her lips close to her lover's ear. She could smell the distinct scent of her shampoo. "It's Honor, love. Can you please just wake up for a few minutes? I only want to hear your voice, and then you can go right back to sleep. I promise."
Linda, tears streaming down her cheeks, wrapped her arm around Honor's waist. "Sweetheart, she can't hear you. She's gone, baby."
Honor straightened, furious. "Will you stop saying that! Can't you see she 's just asleep? "
Over Linda's shoulder, Honor could see the expressions on the faces of her friends and colleagues. Pity, sadness, compassion. She reached out and picked up Terry's left hand, running her thumb over the gold band on her ring finger that matched her own. With her other hand, she brushed the hair from her lover's forehead, then leaned down again and softly kissed her lips. "I love you. You know that, right? Forever and always."
* * * * *
With a start,
"Nothing." Linda's eyes were round, the pupils dilated. "Rodney...wasn't making a lot of sense. I'm sorry."
Honor's chest was tight, every breath an effort, and when she started toward trauma one, she found that her feet would barely move.
Surely it's nothing serious. Contractors are always getting banged up. Twisted knees, jammed shoulders, bumps on the head. God, I hope she wasn't fooling around with the carpenters again. She knows how much I hate her doing anything with those damn power tools. She's supposed to be the job foreman—keeping the crews organized—-not spending her time actually rebuilding the damn houses!
"Can you get the ambulance on the radio?" Honor finally managed to start moving. "Get an update on her condition? "
"Sure." Linda nodded vigorously. "Right away."
Before Linda had a chance to make that call, the ambulance bay doors burst open and three EMTs pushing a stretcher came crashing through. One look at the still form strapped to a backboard with sandbags on either side of the pale face turned Honor's legs to jelly, and her stomach heaved.
Not just a minor accident. Oh my God.
When she tried to speak, no words came out. When she tried to raise her hand, her arm felt leaden. As if in a dream, she watched, nearly paralyzed, as Linda directed the EMTs into the procedure room. Two ER attendings, another resident,' and as many nurses rushed after them. Finally, Honor followed.
At the threshold, Honor halted, staring at the flurry of activity surrounding her lover. She recognized the routine, but it seemed so out of place with Terry lying there so still. After only a moment, the activity abruptly halted, and Linda materialized from the crowd, a strange look in her eyes. She walked to Honor and took her arm.
"Come over here, honey."
Honor protested when Linda started to draw her away from the room. "No. I have to help. I have to take care of her."
"Honor...Honor, sweetheart, her neck is broken. It must have been instantaneous." Linda's face was white. "There's nothing they can do. She's dead, sweetheart."
"Of course she isn't. That's ridiculous." Honor turned and started back toward trauma one. This time, it was as if she were
swimming against a tidal wave. As hard as she tried, she couldn 't seem to make any progress. It was difficult to see, there was so much water in her eyes. She kept wiping them, but the moisture covered her cheeks, blurring her vision. Beneath the roar of the rushing water, she could hear Linda s voice, soothing and gentle.
"Honor. She s gone."
By the time Honor forced her way through the crowd, she could see through her tears. That's when she knew they were wrong. Terry was just asleep. There wasn 't a mark on her face or her body. Her eyes were closed, her expression peaceful, and she was warm when Honor rested her fingers against her cheek. Her lover looked just exactly as she had that morning, still bundled under the covers of their bed, when Honor had kissed her goodbye. Of course she wasn't gone.
"Terry, honey? " Honor leaned down, her lips close to her lover's ear. She could smell the distinct scent of her shampoo. "It's Honor, love. Can you please just wake up for a few minutes? I only want to hear your voice, and then you can go right back to sleep. I promise."
Linda, tears streaming down her cheeks, wrapped her arm around Honor's waist. "Sweetheart, she can't hear you. She's gone, baby."
Honor straightened, furious. "Will you stop saying that! Can't you see she 's just asleep? "
Over Linda's shoulder, Honor could see the expressions on the faces of her friends and colleagues. Pity, sadness, compassion. She reached out and picked up Terry's left hand, running her thumb over the gold band on her ring finger that matched her own. With her other hand, she brushed the hair from her lover's forehead, then leaned down again and softly kissed her lips. "I love you. You know that, right? Forever and always."
* * * * *
With a start,
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