An hour later, they were dancing in the middle of the Bell family
garden. The house had been decorated for Valentine's Day, with little
cupids and hearts hanging everywhere, but that wasn't what had Kathleen
mesmerized. She was in Michael's arms, the stars were shining down and
the whole thing was perfect. If the world ended tomorrow, it would be
all right. At least she'd have this moment.
He pulled back to look at her. The light from the garden torches was
playing perfectly across her face. Michael wanted to kiss her so badly,
but he didn't want to be embarrassed if she decked him in front of all
these people. He decided he'd have to wait until a better opportunity
presented itself. Until then, he'd just enjoy being able to hold her.
"Having fun?" he asked softly.
She smiled. "Yes, actually."
"Wrong answer. You're supposed to say you're bored out of your mind,
can we leave early?"
"That'd be rude," she laughed.
"Well, yeah." He smiled sheepishly as the song ended. "Do you want to
see the rest of the grounds?"
"I'd like that very much."
"Come on," he said offering her his arm. She slipped her hand through
and held onto the crook of his elbow as he led her out of the garden and
onto a little wooden path.
"These grounds are magnificent," Ryan said as they walked along the
wooden footpath.
"I used to love playing back here. Will and I used to pretend we were
knights."
She smiled. "I can see that."
They stopped on a bridge extending over the creek that ran through the
property. Michael leaned on the rail, looking out over the meadow-like
clearing. "My parents really like you."
"I'm glad. I was worried I might embarrass you."
"Embarrass me? No. Why would you think that?"
"Well, everyone else in there is from a high-class family. I mean, I'm
just Kathleen Ryan, your resident nobody, daughter of a paramedic and a
new-age fanatic."
Michael turned to face her. "You are *not* a nobody. Do you know what
I see when I look at you?"
"Uh, no. Enlighten me please, oh wise one."
"I see a beautiful, passionate woman with more class than most of the
women in there, but you're so much more than that. You're a friend who
has always been there for me, never let me down. You're the best medic
in the station, you're way more than I could ever deserve."
Kathleen looked up, startled, as Michael clamped his mouth shut.
"What?"
He sighed. "Okay, there was more than one reason for asking you to
this party. I really was without a date since Megan and I broke up but
the truth is," he took a deep breath. "I like you, a lot, and I know I
don't have a chance with you. I just wanted to pretend for one night.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." Bell's voice trailed off and a hurt
expression crossed his face as Ryan started laughing. "What's so
funny?"
She gasped for air. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you. It's
just...I mean, all this time, I thought you didn't..." *Oh hell,* she
thought, then pulled Michael to her and kissed him soundly. He was
surprised, but had no trouble responding.
Michael blinked when she released him. "What was that?"
She smiled as she slipped her arms around his neck. "A chance."
~~~*~~~
"So this guy worked at a driving range, and one day he picked a few
dozen old balls and put them in his pants pockets to take them home.
Anyway, he was sittin' on the bus and this little old lady got on and
sat next to him, right? So he had to scrunch them up to make room and
the ended up in his lap. Well, he kept seein' her lookin' over at his
lap and he got embarrassed, so he said, 'Don't worry, ma'am, they're
just golf balls.' And she says, 'Tell me, is that somethin' like tennis
elbow?'"
Joanne laughed. "That was funny."
She and Wick were taking a walk, arm in arm. Dinner had gone really
well. Eventually, he'd gotten over his case of the jitters and they
began having a good time, trading stories about patients and rescues.
She was surprised to discover how truly charming he could be when he
wasn't busy being the resident wise-ass of station 77.
"You wanna hear another one?"
"Sure."
"Okay, there's this business-type guy and he had to spend a couple days
in the hospital. Well, he's a real jerk to all the nurses. Bosses 'em
around just like he does his employees. Finally one of the nurses
decides she's gonna teach him a lesson. She goes into his room and says
she needs to take his temperature. First he complained, but then he
finally opened his mouth. She said she couldn't take it with an oral.
He complained some more, but finally rolled onto his stomach and mooned
the nurse. He felt her put in the thermometer and then she said she had
to go get somethin' and told him to stay just like that. She left the
door to his room open on her way out. The guy was gettin' real steamed
'cause all these people were walkin' by his room and laughin' at him. A
few minutes later, his doctor comes in and asks what's goin' on. The
guy's real mad and he asks the doctor hasn't he ever seen someone get
their temperature taken before. The doctor says no he guesses he
hasn't, at least not with a carnation."
"Oh my god, that was a good trick." Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"I can think of a few patients I wouldn't mind doing that to."
"Can I ask you a question? You don't hafta answer if you don't wanna."
"Ask away."
"Why'd you decide to be a doctor?"
She smiled. "Gee, I thought it was going to be a tough question. My
grandfather was a doctor. He used to watch me when my parents were
working and my older sisters were at school. I went with him to all of
his calls. When I was ten, I spent the weekends with him, helping him
visit his patients. One day, we were called to this woman's apartment.
Something happened with her baby and it wasn't breathing. Grandpa and I
did CPR on it and we saved its life. I knew then that I wanted to be a
doctor. My turn to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"What made you decide to be a medic?"
Wick grew quiet and she wondered for a minute if she'd said something
wrong. Her fear was alleviated when he began speaking in a soft voice.
"One night when I was seven years old, I woke up and there was smoke
comin' into my room. I crawled out into the family room and everythin'
was on fire. I was rescued by a fireman and they took me outside. I
saw them workin' on my parents. That was when I realized I wanted to be
a medic. I knew I wanted to be able to help people, so that no other
kid'd have to see that.
Joanne turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, Wick. What happened then?"
"I passed out from the smoke. When I came to, I was in the hospital.
The doctors told me my house burned down. I asked about my parents, but
no one'd tell me anythin'. Finally a social worker showed up. She said
my parents didn't make it. They took me to a home and I was adopted by
the Lobos. They treated me good. Like I was really theirs, y'know?
The rest is history."
"I think you made the right choice."
They walked in silence for a while. Joanne thought about what he'd
told her. It all made sense now. No wonder he played hero all the
time. He wasn't trying to save the victims, he was seven years old,
trying to save his parents. She smiled to herself. Who would have
guessed that Wick Lobo had so many layers? She'd always thought that he
was a stud out for a good time. Really he was just protecting himself.
He didn't want to get involved too seriously with anyone because he was
probably afraid of losing them like he'd lost his parents. It all made
sense now.
"Joanne?" Wick's voice interrupted her reverie.
"Hm? I'm sorry, I was just thinking." She noticed that they were at
her car.
He smiled. "S'okay. I had a really great time, but I gotta get home.
Hafta work t'morrow."
"So do I. I had a really nice time, Wick. I think is the best
Valentine's Day I've ever had."
"Me too. Maybe we could do this again sometime."
"I'd like that."
She smiled, wondering when he was going to kiss her. Wait a minute,
she didn't want him to kiss her, did she? She looked at him. He was
gorgeous, sure, but that didn't mean she wanted him to kiss her. *Get
over it, Joanne. Your heart's only pounding a mile a minute. If you
don't watch it you're gonna need CPR!* She smiled at the thought. At
least there'd be some lip contact...
Wick watched Joanne, wondering what she was thinking. Actually, he was
wondering what she'd do if he kissed her. It was customary to do that
at the end of a date, right? But what if she didn't want him to kiss
her? He hated these games. He decided a peck on the cheek would have
to do.
"Well, g'night," he said, leaning in to her.
*Here it comes,* she thought, closing her eyes. She felt a light
pressure on her cheek and then heard him begin to walk away. Her eyes
snapped open and she called him back. "Wick?"
He turned to face her. "Yeah?"
She smiled her most inviting smile and walked toward him, stopping a
few inches away. Her voice was husky when she spoke. "You can do
better than that, can't you?"
He looked at her, trying to figure out if she was serious or just
playing with him. His questions were answered when she grabbed him by
the shoulders and pulled him to her for a long kiss. He froze for a
moment, suprised by her actions, but then instinct took over and he
responded in earnest.
"Call me," she whispered as she released him and got into her car. He
stood there dumbfounded, waving as she pulled away.
~~~*~~~
Wick arrived back at the apartment he and Bell shared to find Michael
sitting on the couch watching TV. "Hey," he greeted him. "How was your
party?"
Bell turned his attention from the TV to his roommate. "It was okay.
Boring family party, you know the kind," he answered, hoping to keep the
excitement out of his voice. "How was your date?"
"It was pretty boring too, man, y'know? Just went to dinner and took a
walk," Wick hoped he was successful at keeping his satisfaction hidden.
"Yeah, I know those kind."
"I'm kind of tired, man, so I think I'm gonna turn in."
"Me too," Bell agreed as they headed off to their respective rooms.
They each lay awake in their bed going over the events of the evening,
neither one able to believe the turn their life had taken in just one
night. Sleep finally claimed them, each with their arms around their
pillow, dreaming of things to come.
The End
