by Ali Vali
How Do You Mend A Broken Heart
Ali Vali
Disclaimers: The characters in the following story are of my own creation. Any similarities to anyone living or dead are purely coincidental. No part of this story may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from me, the author.
If the thought of two women being romantically involved is not for you, then this story is one you won't want to read. But seriously if you are underage and live someplace where that is not allowed, please find more appropriate material.
Sit back and enjoy the story, any comments can be sent to me at [email protected].
I want to thank my betas for correcting this for me. Beth and Len, you are godsends. I bow to your grammatical knowledge and for your very prompt turnaround.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the wonderful people who have taken the time to read this particular story. It was one of the first I posted and still receives a tremendous amount of feedback, which is truly humbling. I wanted to go back and smooth out some places so it's a more enjoyable read, and to revisit the characters. After doing this, I think they made it clear they still have plenty to say. On their behalf, I say thanks for reading and for the many wonderful notes you've sent over the years. I appreciate them all.
This is dedicated, as always, to the one woman who holds my heart. As in all things you've taught me to enjoy life and to live it so no day is ever wasted. To me every second with you is a treasure.
December 2005
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How Do You Mend A Broken Heart
Ali Vali
The old metal doors leading into the emergency room at Charity Hospital in New Orleans slammed open letting in the rushing EMTs. On the gurney lay a small blond woman with a grotesquely mangled leg. The bone fracture was so severe it had pierced the skin just below the knee causing the white sheet on the gurney to soak through with blood coming from the wound. As the pain intensified it was the patient who turned a sickly shade of white indicating shock wasn't too far behind.
"Sally, get a doc in here stat, we didn't want to medicate her figuring she was going be worked up for surgery, but she's fading on us fast." David, the short redheaded EMT ran along side the gurney with an IV bag held as high as he could get it, following the nurse he'd addressed into the first available examination room. He'd worked for the ambulance service for over five years and witnessed some horrific things, but this would be a case that would stick with him for a while.
It had taken them twice the time to get to the hospital, having to wait outside the small shotgun house at the cusp of an undesirable neighborhood until the police could subdue the young woman's husband before they were permitted to go in to retrieve her. David would never forget the bloody baseball bat lying next to the moaning woman, knowing it was what the son of a bitch had used on his wife's leg.
"We're in luck, Davie, God just finished up in the OR and should be able to descend from on high. I just paged her when y'all called in from down the street," said Sally, trying her best to sooth the patient until Dr. Harry Basantes was available to come down and see her. The young woman reminded her of her own daughter, and she thought if something had happened to Mindy, Dr. Basantes would be the only person she would want to fix the problem.
Not yet thirty-five, Harry was regarded as a prodigy in orthopedic surgery. Many local athletes from high school to the professional ranks had her to thank for their continued careers. The head of orthopedic surgery at "Big Charity" as it was referred to in New Orleans, Dr. Basantes also taught at the LSU Medical School located next to the hospital. Between her responsibilities at this hospital, the medical school, and her own private practice, she had little time for a social life, but had skills very few could rival.
Walking up behind Sally, with a group of students trailing behind her, Harry bent dow and whispered in the nurse's ear, "Taking my name in vain again I see, Nurse Hardass?" The low sexy voice sent a thrill down Sally's back, and she was sure that if there were fewer years between their ages she would have made a play for the young doctor by now.
"Doc, I was comparing you to God, how can you take that the wrong way?" She turned around and gave Harry her best smile. Sally was one of the only people in the big building who could give her such a hard time and not get pulverized by the equally famous Basantes temper.
"Uh huh, let's see what we have here." She stepped around the portly nurse, but not before she slapped Sally on the butt.
Not looking at the patient's face first, Basantes' attention went immediately to the injury. She let the noise and chaos of the emergency room fall away, her concentration fully on what it would take to fix the problem. Barking out orders for x-rays to be taken and other blood work to be done, the doctor finally moved up to address her new patient. When she looked into the tear stained face and watery green eyes, memories of high school flooded her brain and Harry had to clutch the side of the gurney in shock not to fall over.
"Desi? Sweetheart, is it you?"
"Harry? What are you doing here?" She wiped her face as surprise replaced the pain if only for a second. This would have to be the most humiliating day of her life, injury aside.
"I'm here to fix your boo boo as you used to refer to them. You have a severe fracture just below the knee from what I can tell, and it'll require surgery. A couple of pins and you should be good to go. Sally is going to give you a shot for the pain and once I get a look at your pictures we'll head into the operating room." Harry smiled at her before turning her attention to the chart Sally had handed her. With handwriting only a few understood, Harry started writing down all the orders she had just issued verbally.
"You're a surgeon?"
"No, I'm actually the janitor, but we're a little short handed at the moment so the state expects everyone to pull their weight." When she was done teasing she looked at her with a sincere and open expression. "Look, if you want someone else to do the procedure, it won't hurt my feelings, so just think about it. I'll be back as soon as your x-rays are back, okay?"
Not giving Desi a chance to respond, Harry moved away from the gurney running her hand through her hair. It was a nervous habit she'd had ever since she was a child and one that hadn't made an appearance in years. She moved to the nurse's station to finish filling out the orders in the chart and to put some distance between them. The emotions from seeing Desi again made Harry think that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to let someone else do the surgery. They had a history she had tried to bury in the deepest recesses of her heart.
"But damn if I don't find at least a minute of everyday to think about you, Desi. I wonder if you've given me a second thought since those caps went flying into the air at graduation?" The sentiment was whispered under Harry's breath causing one of the admit nurses to stare at her with an arched brow.
Back in the examination room, Sally and the EMTs very carefully lifted Desi from the gurney and onto the exam table. Sally draped a clean sheet over her chest to keep her warm and lifted the IV pole to the right height. While most patients watched Sally intently when she was in the exam rooms to see what was happening with their care, Desi kept her focus in the direction Harry had walked off in.
"You know, the decision is up to you," said Sally as she stuck a syringe in the IV unit. "And granted, there's a lot of good doctors in the building, but none of them are Dr. Basantes. If she's offering, don't turn her down."
The adamant defense caused Desi to cry harder. Before she could move and cause more damage, Sally finished with what she had to do and reached over to run her hand over Desi's fair hair. She continued the comfort even after the medication had taken affect
and her breathing had evened out. The only trace she was still upset were the fat tears that still fell in silence down the beautiful face.
Lost in her thoughts, Harry didn't notice Kenneth Reynolds walk up and stand beside her. One of the few people she did keep in touch with from her childhood was her best friend and also the head of pediatrics at the hospital. The nurses referred to them as the dynamic duo, at first wondering if there was a romance to go with the friendship that they obviously shared.
"It's not often that we see the Goddess of Bones down in the ER. What gives, Harrietta?" He leaned against the counter next to her and drummed his fingers on the old Formica counter top.
"Don't call me that, Kenneth, or I'll share with Sally what Tony calls you when you're at home. Got me, sugar pants?" Harry never peered up from the chart she was writing in as she gave as good as she got.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry it's just been a long day and I felt like teasing you a little." He put his hands up in surrender and laughed. "Does someone have their leg coming out of their ass or something? It'd take something that drastic to lure you down here with the little people." He stood against the counter waiting to see what was wrong with his old friend. The first thing he had noticed when he stepped off the old elevator was Harry running her hand through her hair. It wasn't often the confident surgeon messed up those dark curly locks. Something had set her off and he was there to see if he could help with whatever it was.
"Did you learn that diagnosis technique in medical school?" Harry finally turner her blue eyes his was as she handed the chart off to the waiting nurse. "Ken, you wouldn't believe who's lying behind curtain number three." She made another swipe through the dark hair.
"Do I win a new washing machine if I guess right? Tony informed me old Betsy is about to call it quits. I've had that washer since we were in college," his tone was wistful, momentarily forgetting what they were talking about.
"If I bought you a new washer would you shut up?"
"Sorry. Who, Dr. Harry, is behind curtain number three? I've got no clue, and I'm horrible with guessing games so you're going to have to give in and tell me." He turned his full attention back on her and gave her an indulgent smile, maybe whoever was behind the curtain was the reason for Harry's demeanor.
"Desi Thompson. Can you believe of all the hospitals in the world, she had to walk into mine? Well technically she was wheeled in but it still doesn't change the fact that she's here and needs a surgeon." That she was now rambling was a clue as to just upset she was.
"She's in luck then, don't you think? You're a surgeon after all. Unless you forgot to pay the club dues and they've taken away your key and special decoder ring. By the way, did you sing the song 'A Kiss is Just a Kiss' when you first saw her, or are you waiting for the post op to do that?" For a brief second Kenneth thought about driving home and picking up his partner Tony. He was much better equipped to deal with old emotional baggage like this, while runny noses and nasty scrapes suffered on the playground were more his forte.
"You do realize, smart ass, that I'm bigger than you, thus I can deliver the leg out your ass thing?" She was now tapping the counter with her pen, letting Kenneth know seeing Desi again was driving Harry to distraction. He didn't think Harry even realized she was displaying every one of her nervous ticks.
"Sorry, pal, just go in there and do your job. After you're done, I'll take you home and treat you to a home cooked meal. You know Tony's red fish stew is to die for and he's been chopping stuff since early this morning. The man can't find a job but is a wizard in the kitchen. Just pretend she's one of the hundreds of nameless faces who walks in here everyday and put those memories of yours back in the box." Just as he finished, another patient with an ear hanging on by just a small piece of cartilage was wheeled into the bay next to Desi's. "See, just another typical day in the ER in the great city of New Orleans," finished Kenneth with a slap to her back. "Just do your job, Harry, and the rest will stay buried if you let it."
"That, buddy, is easier said than done."
"True, but most people don't have Tony and me to help them through it. And we'll be there for you no matter what you decide."
"Doc, your pictures are back," Sally called from the curtained partition. She waved the large yellow envelope in the air and motioned for Harry to come back. Slapping Ken back a little harder than she meant, Harry promised to meet him for dinner. With a sigh, she walked back to the girl who had walked out on her so many years before.
*****
"Harry, hurry up or we'll be late for class. I'm not sure why you need to go to class, you know more about algebra than Mr. Boswell. You have to promise me you'll come over this afternoon and help me with this stuff. If I flunk this class I won't be able to go off to college with you. And if that happens, who's going to take care of you?" asked Desi. She was walking down the hall backwards so she could keep up her conversation with Harry. It was getting harder to talk to Harry without getting lost in those incredible blue eyes and dark hair, so Desi tried to face her in any dialog they exchanged.
Strolling behind Desi and laughing at all her fussing was Harry. They had met in grade school when Harry had transferred from one of the private schools in town. Harry's parents had moved into a different school district just before summer, giving them no choice but to change where Harry and her brother went to school. The tall personable girl had spent the summer making friends with some of the neighborhood kids, all of who attended the local public school. Begging her parents, Harry talked them into letting her attend theschool her new friends did.
As she was getting into her mother's car on the first day of fourth grade, Harry noticed some of the older kids picking on two small blondes standing in line for the bus. After briefly listening to cruel comments about their worn clothes, plain shoes and patched school bags, Harry excused herself from her mother and came to their rescue. Standing between the bullies and the girls, she offered them a ride.
"My mom won't mind so come on. You two don't want to be late on the first day do you?" She held out her hand and Desi had looked at it for a second before accepting it.
That had been the beginning of a friendship that would take them through high school. Unlike those kids at the bus stop that first day, Harry never noticed Desi's second hand clothes or the shoes with holes in the soles. Her parents never said anything when Desi would come to their house to spend the weekend and eat them out of a week's supply of groceries. The fact that she made Harry so happy was good enough for them.
*****
"Time enough to think about that later. Now let's just do what Ken said and get the hell out of here," Harry mumbled to herself as she walked to the exam space Desi was in.
Firing up the light boxes attached to the wall Harry explained what needed to be done to fix Desi's leg to her as well as the students who were observing. The pain medication now flowed freely through her veins so Desi was able to follow what Harry was saying and study her without her noticing.
During the explanation Desi couldn't help but notice that time had been good to Harry. She was good looking in school but now her features were more refined and the tall lanky body had filled out leaving a strong confident woman standing before her. For all the things that had changed though, some things about Harry were still the same. Like the fact she talked with her hands and when she was finished explaining something, you understood the problem at hand as well as her well thought out solution.
"Do you have any questions, Desi?" Seeing her friend shake her head Harry continued, "Would you like for me to call one of my associates to do this for you? Don't worry about hurting my feelings, I just want you to be comfortable with your care." The only response Harry got was the tears rolling down Desi's face again.
Sally directed everyone to the other side of the curtain so Harry could have a moment with Desi before heading upstairs. She had known Harry since she was a resident tearing up these same halls, and Sally knew she was a sucker for a crying woman.
The se
cond Sally closed the curtain behind her, leaving them as much privacy as possible, Harry leaned down and took Desi's hand into hers. All of Kenneth's warnings flew out of her head the second the glassy green eyes connected with hers. "Sweetheart, don't cry. It's going to be all right, I promise. After some rehab you won't even remember you got hurt, and I'll take extra care in my stitching so you'll still look good in a bathing suit." That made Desi smile up at her. It was like a fantasy to feel Desi's hand in hers again; the dreams she had didn't compare.
"I don't want anyone else, Harry. Please don't leave me alone now." Desi pulled her closer with the little strength she could muster. "I don't have any right to ask you, but please don't leave me alone."
"I promised you a long time ago that I'd take care of you and I never break a promise, so don't worry. You won't be alone in this, I'll take care of everything." With a slow and gentle hand, Harry wiped away the tears that had fallen down her before moving to put her arm around Desi."
"I've missed you, Harry. I'm sorry I never wrote or called you. I never stopped thinking about you. I've always wondered what you had gotten into so it's good to know you've done so well." Desi greedily soaked up the comfort Harry was offering. It felt wonderful to be back in the arms that had given her so much comfort in the first part of her life. After Harry left, Desi never felt safe or cherished, and it had made for a very lonely existence.
"Don't worry about that now. I need you to relax and let the medicine take affect. You rest and I'm going to take care of you." In an old reflex, Harry kissed the top of the blond head. "And I'll be there holding your hand when you wake up. You're not alone in this and I promise I'll take care of you."
*****
"Do you want something to drink, Harry? We have water or water," called Desi from the kitchen. Looking out at the front porch where Harry was stretched out, she fantasized about what else they could be doing instead of studying for finals. There was something about the way Harry looked at her that made her stomach do funny things.