The Anniversary
Part Two
By Aeris Jade Orion
aerisjade@worldnet.att.net

Rating: R
Pairing: KW/KL, EC/KW, MG/EC
Beta Reader: Scotty Welles
Spoilers: Season Seven


NOW


The lounge door banged open violently as Malucci flew backwards through it, landing on his back with a resonating thud that made her wince. His legs, however, were still in motion, causing him to roll backwards and slam into the cabinets.

He grunted softly, then shook his head in the same manner a dog would. When he stopped his eyes went cross briefly as he grinned up at her sheepishly. "Hey, chief." He cocked his head and scratched behind his ear with a loud sneeze that caused him to crack his head.

Kerry found herself leaning against the lockers just to keep standing. She was just too tired emotionally. It seemed like she was surrounded by morons of late. Malucci was constantly messing with the nurses, not to mention every human with two breasts. Mark had finally gotten back from New York, but under the circumstances she was only letting him handle minor patients. Benton was not only withdrawn but trying to take a swing at Malucci every chance he could. Luka was acting like some sort of smitten high schooler in love, insisting on continuing Abby's med school education, even though she wasn't insured. Not to mention his almost complete lack of respect for hospital policy, making him another Doug Ross.

That wasn't even including Kim. It had been two days since the kiss and she'd been doing an excellent job of avoiding Legaspi during that time. Leaving all the psych consults to everyone else, and using Malucci as her personal page, then 'conveniently' disappearing.

Most importantly, it was that time of year again.

The red head sighed heavily, for once without any anger at the young man; after all, what was the point? "Malucci..." She paused as a momentary flicker of admiration passed over his face. "...please just...go, do...something useful."

The brash young man's face turned to concern at the drained tone in her voice. The game of hospital football was forgotten he got to his feet. "Chief, are you okay?"

Kerry straightened immediately. "Fine, just a little tired."

"I'll cover your shift if you want to go home..."

For the first time in over a month Kerry gave him a real smile. Dave reminded her of one of those students who gives his favorite teacher a hard time to get her attention, but when she was sick or hurt he was the first one to want to help. "Malucci..." She stopped, trying to keep the aggravation out of her voice. "Dave. I...appreciate the offer, but it's an attending shift. Besides I have a ton of paperwork I have to get done..."

Dave eyed the pile of charts and papers sitting on the nearby table with disgust. Then, with a quick nod that seemed to signal some sort of internal decision, he grabbed the pile and raced toward the door. "I'll do it..."

"Malucci, NO!!! MALUCCI, GET BACK HERE NOW...!!!!" Kerry surged forward, prepared to go after him and inflict some serious pain on the young man. Maybe she could tie him down to a trauma table and let that new med student James 'All-Thumbs' Wilson practice on him.

She managed to make it out into the hall, barely ducking as a chair went sailing out of the nearby trauma room, Carter following it, a bin of trash breaking his fall. He stood up, swaying slightly, then took a shaky step back towards the trauma room.

"Carter, What the hell's going on in there?"

Carter stopped, grateful for some excuse not to go back in there. He kept quiet until Kerry was right next to him, to buy himself some time. "26-year-old male with a head trauma. He woke up about five minutes ago saying that he's Wolverine of the X-Men."

"Great." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I was about to call security..." Carter was saying.

"No. I've got it covered," Kerry replied. She turned to the nearest nurses' cart and picked up an unused bedpan in her left hand and holding it, hidden, behind her back. Then, spinning on her heel, she marched angrily into the trauma room, ignoring Carter's stammered warnings.

Inside, she found Elizabeth, Malik and Lily nervously edging away from a large, unshaven misanthrope wearing an 'X-Men' movie tee shirt. The knife he'd somehow snuck in was cutting through the air at anyone that came near him.

She knew she should talk to him, she should try to calm him down. But she narrowed her eyes, unable to stop the overflow of extreme rage. All month people had been screwing with her, with her carefully sculpted plans. Well, she'd had it; the aggravation she felt toward Malucci was now directed at the young man growling and slashing at her colleagues. No more Dr. Nice Gal.

"Hey, Wolvie!" she snapped, instantly becoming the focus of his attention. "Batgirl's on the phone, and she says she could kick your ass."

He took a step back, staring at her in surprise, then quickly regaining his composure and diving at her in an animalistic manner. She ground her teeth, keeping a cold hand on her emotions and feeding off the adrenalin.

With a neat sidestep, she brought her crutch up deliberately, expertly tripping him and sending him crashing into a row of instrument tables with the flair of a bullfighter wielding a red cape. Then, pivoting smartly, she brought the bedpan down squarely on his head with a KLONG! that could be heard throughout the ER.

"Just be glad it was empty," she told him with a soft growl, watching with grim satisfaction as he slumped to the floor, unconscious. Ignoring the stunned statements of the others, she limped out of the room, leaving them to clean up the mess.

That was dumb, she told herself. She could've been seriously hurt, and she'd probably aggravated his head trauma. She crossed the line in there, but it felt good to vent. It always felt good to vent this time of year, but then the guilt would set in. 'I shouldn't have come in today.' She entered the empty lounge and sank into a chair, trying to get some semblance of control.

She was dimly aware of a pain in her left arm and glanced down at it, unseeing. There was a slit in her now-red sleeve and a small puddle of blood was starting to gather on the table. Oh shit.

"Great." She reached into her pocket, searching for something she could use to stop the bleeding. She'd been so angry she hadn't even realized he got her with that first swipe. The pain was starting to flare now, but she could still move her fingers, so it couldn't be too bad.

"Here, let me..." Elizabeth pulled up a chair next to her, sitting a tray of supplies on the table. With hands that seemed all too familiar for comfort, she helped Kerry remove her arm from the tattered sleeve. "So? Are you going to tell me what that was all about in there?"

"I disarmed him."

Elizabeth glanced up at her levelly as she finished cleaning the wound.  "Bull. You were playing with him." She began to bandage the wound, her voice becoming gentle. "Do you really think I haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what? My bad temper?"

The surgeon ignored her, keeping a firm hold on her injured arm. "Every year around this time you become increasingly depressed, and you spend hours in that bar. Don't bother to deny it because every year I go in there, and you're always sitting in the back booth with a bottle of spirit."

Kerry stiffened and tried to pull her arm away. How dare this woman sit here and question her? How dare she try to force her way into something that wasn't her business?

The surgeon locked a penetrating gaze on her, not relenting her hold. Her left hand took Kerry's in a soft caress.

"Fine. You want to know what's wrong? I had a...disagreement with one of my close friends." There. It wasn't the truth but it wasn't a lie. Kim was her friend, she could even be called a close friend, and they did have a disagreement.

"Really?" Elizabeth's eyebrow arched, but she seemed otherwise unsurprised. "It must have been some disagreement."

Kerry just nodded.

"Would that be a polite way of saying 'lover's quarrel' by any chance?"

The question was delivered with polite casualness, but it just made Kerry scowl deeper. Damn Elizabeth and her way of seeing through Kerry's smokescreens.

"This friend...anyone I know?"

Kerry pursed her lips, trying to decide what to do. If she lied now, she had no doubt that Elizabeth would see right through it, and then she would start to interrogate her. "Kim."

"Legaspi?"

Kerry realized her mistake at the sharp tone that violently broke the silence. She honestly didn't know that the surgeon would react so strongly to the name. "Yes."

"I...didn't realize you two were friends," the surgeon replied with a forced casualness. But her calm smile had vanished, and she seemed to have developed trouble meeting Kerry's gaze.

Kerry laid her right hand over the hand clasping her left hand possessively, rubbing her thumb over the smooth skin before prying it away. "We...met a few months back at that medical convention that Robert insisted I attend."

"So are you two...? Are you dating?"

Kerry glared at the other woman. She did not want to have to listen to this. First from Kim, then from her dreams, and now from...from...from her. She clutched her knee. This was the last thing she needed. "That's none of your business."

"I'm sorry. I only ask because I understand she's gay."

"She is," Kerry replied. "I'm not."

"Oh, and I suppose you've never been with another woman, either..." Elizabeth paused, studying her reaction. Her insinuation was clear.

"How dare you...!" Kerry hissed at the surgeon. With a surge of energy she grabbed her crutch, shaking off the hand that reached for her arm.

"Kerry..."

She left the lounge quickly and threw herself into the bustle around her.



She shut her locker, thankful that the day was finally over. It had taken great effort but she managed to avoid Elizabeth. The problem was that, in avoiding both Elizabeth and Kim, she was being pulled impossibly in both directions.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" came another familiar voice. Great, now she'd failed to avoid the other one.

'Here we go...' "That depends. Do you mean my decking that bastard with the knife or my kissing a friend I know is straight? Oh, wait, I'm sorry, that second one was you, not me."

Kim held her gaze with no sign of backing down. "That was uncalled-for. I made a mistake and I'm sorry. But you blatantly assaulted a patient, a patient that wanted to call the police on you."

"Good. I hope he does. I'll hit him with assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder." At least if she was in jail she wouldn't have to deal with the two women that seemed so bent on turning her world upside down.

"I said he wanted to. I managed to talk him out of it... Why didn't you call for security?"

Kerry snickered. "In this place? Are you kidding?"

"Damn it, Kerry..." Kim broke off, looking honestly hurt.

Something in her reaction touched Kerry deeply. She looked at Kim for the first time since they met, really looked at her. No blinders, no fake emotions, no denial. She was beautiful. Body and soul. Kim was a bright, talented, skilled doctor that made her feel alive. "You're really worried, aren't you?" she asked in surprise.

"He had a knife, Kerry. You could have been hurt. You WERE hurt."

"Just a couple of stitches. I'll be fine..."

"And you don't even care. Why do you value yourself so little?" There were tears in Kim's eyes.

Somehow she found herself standing right in front of Kim, her hand tracing the outline of the younger woman's jaw. The confusion was plain on Kim's face as she gripped the back of her neck. She wanted to let go, of her masks, her heart, and her control.

"You're so beautiful..." she muttered to herself.

In a moment of complete surrender she kissed her, holding the blonde doctor in her arms until she could feel Kim's body shaking against hers.

She reluctantly broke the kiss and whispered against her lips, "Have dinner with me."

Kim looked like she wanted to agree, but hesitated.

"Call us whatever you want. Friends, lovers... Please, Kim, I just want to be with you tonight." Especially tonight.

A smile traced Kim's lips. "Yes," she whispered.



Aeris Jade Orion
AIM: Aeris Jade
ICQ: 51496263
AT&T/Pow-Wow: Jade
Pow-Wow Community: Orion

Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/aeris3996


 " This act hasn't been seen in 20 years, and if i'm any judge of talent it will never be seen again."
- Theres no business, like show business