Small Packages

by J. A. Armstrong

  “Gina?” Tess inquired. “Yeah, it’s Tess. No. Not about that. She did?” Tess asked and then sighed. “Well, that’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. Not exactly. Yes. Yeah, I’m sure. Do you have a few minutes to stop by? Yeah, I will be here. No, she won’t be here until late. She’s on call. Great. Thanks, Gina. I owe you.”

  ***

  “No, I think everything looks all right,” Brooke told the resident standing beside her.

  “You think I overreacted?” he asked curiously.

  No. Overreacting would entail putting her through something unnecessary. Asking for a consult is being cautious. It was a good call, Jared. When you are on the fence, get another opinion. I do it all of the time,” Brooke assured the young man.

  “Really?”

  “Yep. Ask Dr. Cantrell. You won’t always have the time or ability to do that,” she said. “Sometimes you have to act. That’s just the way it is. When you can, take the time to cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ that presents itself,” Brooke said.

  “You should teach,” he complimented her.

  Brooke chuckled. “I’ll be sure to relate that to my mother.”

  “Huh?” the resident asked.

  “Not important, Jared,” Brooke said.

  “MVA, ten minutes out,” a woman moved toward Brooke and the young resident she was mentoring.

  “What do we know?” he asked.

  “Multiple traumas. Looks like a woman and two children hit by a drunk driver. All four coming in,” she said. “That’s what I know right now. Doesn’t sound pretty. She’s intubated.”

  Brooke immediately felt nauseous. “Where?” she barely choked out the words.

  “What?” the woman asked. “I heard 114. Dr. Campbell?” she asked.

  “Brooke,” the resident grabbed Brooke’s arm.

  Brooke took in a shaky breath. “I’ll stand by just in case,” she said. “Excuse me, for a second,” she told the pair. She made her way around the corner and stepped inside an empty examination room. Brooke pulled her cell phone out and place it to her ear. “Come on, answer. Answer.”

  “Hi. You’ve reached Tess and the D.’s. Sorry, I can’t take your call. Leave me a message and I’ll call back as soon as I am done doing whatever I am doing. Thanks.”

  “Shit. Shit,” Brooke mumbled. She had barely spoken to Tess in two days. A quick goodnight the evening before was the longest conversation they had managed since Brooke had gone on call. Fuck. Brooke, you idiot. Her voice cracked slightly as she began to leave a message. “Hey. It’s me. Just checking in. Guess I should have done that a while ago, huh? Just, uh….call me if you get this, okay? I…ummm…Tess…Well, I’m sorry. I wanted you to know. Just call, okay?” Brooke practically pleaded. “I love you.”

  Brooke disconnected the call, closed her eyes and then looked at her phone. Missed call: Tess: 6:33 pm. Brooke placed the phone back to her ear.

  “Hey, honey. Look, I know you are still upset with me. I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know…How sorry I am. I know you are stuck there. Your mom is insisting on taking us to dinner. We’re going to head over to Piazza's and then she’ll head to your condo. I’ll be back long before you are off…Just wanted you to know in case you called. I don’t have reception that way sometimes…Just in case you called, I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t answering…I’ll see you later, right?....I love you, Brooke. I hope you know that. See you later.”

  Brooke looked at the phone and felt her heart plummet. She looked at the time on the clock on the wall that read 8:30. No. No. “Tess,” she whispered hoarsely. “Please, no.”

  ***

  “Dr. Campbell!” a stout, aging man in scrubs called to Brooke as she exited the examination room.

  Brooke picked up her pace and met the familiar doctor who was scurrying toward the front of the emergency room that held the ambulance bay. “Need me?” Brooke’s training kicked in.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Tonight is not typical,” he confessed.

  Brooke felt her heart rise into her throat as the EMTs pushed the first victim through the doors. She looked down. A blonde head with two piercing blue eyes, frightened and unsure looked back at her. If she had taken a moment to analyze the relief that washed over her, Brooke might have felt guilty. They’re okay. My family is okay. Brooke processed the thought in an instant and returned her focus to the young girl pleading with her silently.

  “No evidence of any significant injuries,” the EMT told the doctor walking beside Brooke. “She hasn’t spoken though—not at all.”

  Brooke looked down at the little girl. Her heart ached. That could be Dani. “Hey there,” Brooke cooed as they made their way into an examination room. Behind her, a flurry of activity began as the rest of the victims were brought in. It was loud and the young girls’ eyes widened further.

  The young resident she had been working with earlier entered the room. “It’s chaos out there,” he said. Brooke never pulled her focus from the small girl in front of her. Sometimes, she wondered if she should have chosen trauma. Working in a smaller hospital, she had found herself in unusual circumstances a handful of times. “Dr. Beckwith here is going to take a look at you, okay?” she asked the young girl. There was no response verbally, but Brooke could see the thousands of questions hiding behind the terrified young eyes. She leaned in and whispered in the little girl’s ear. “It’s okay. I promise,” she said. “You’re safe now.”

  “My mom,” the young voice croaked.

  Brooke offered the youngster a compassionate smile. “Some really good people are going to help her. Can you tell me your name?” Brooke asked.

  “Jenny,” the girl whispered.

  “Nice to meet you, Jenny,” Brooke said. “I’m Dr. Campbell. Are you hurting anywhere?” Brooke asked. Jenny shook her head. “Not at all?” Brooke asked again. Jenny shook her head again. Brooke looked at her carefully and then glanced up to Dr. Beckwith. She suspected that Jenny was too frightened and still in shock. That likely made her unable to articulate any physical pain that might be present. She went to move toward Dr. Beckwith and a small hand captured her arm. Jenny looked up at her with desperate eyes. Brooke smiled and winked at her. “I’m not leaving,” she said. God, I hope her mom is all right.

  ***

  “Mom!” Davey yelled downstairs. “Where is my backpack?”

  Tess looked up, pursed her lips, and laughed. That kid would lose his head if it wasn’t attached. Good thing we have so many doctors in this family. “Where did you leave it?” Tess called back her standard response.

  “In my room!” Davey yelled. “It’s not here!”

  Tess rubbed her face in amused frustration. Why is it up to me to know these things? She made her way into the kitchen and looked next to the back door.

  “Dani! Give it back!” Tess heard Davey’s voice demanding from above.

  “I. Don’t. Have. It!” Dani screamed at her brother.

  Tess looked at the backpack thrown in a heap by the door and shook her head. She grabbed hold of it and made her way up the stairs toward her children’s rooms.

  “Give it back,” Davey warned his sister.

  “You lose everything,” Dani fired back. “Why would I want that ugly thing anyway? It smells.”

  “It doesn’t smell! Someone took it,” he returned.

  Tess stepped up behind her son who was standing in the door of Dani’s room. She sniffed the bulky, black fabric in her hands and wrinkled her nose. What the hell does he have in there? Tess dropped the backpack over Davey’s shoulder.

  Davey looked down at the heap now resting at his feet. “I knew it!”

  Tess shook her head and moved Davey into the room. She stepped in front of him and put her hands on her hips. “You knew what exactly? That your backpack smells like a stale bologna sandwich or that you left it by the back door?” she asked her son with a flutter of her eyelashes.

  Davey blushed slightly. “You found it!” he said to her, thro
wing his arms around her waist, “Thanks, Mom!”

  “Mm-hm. Nice try. Apologize to your sister,” Tess directed him.

  Davey huffed. “Sorry.”

  “And, clean out that thing,” Tess said.

  Davey looked at Tess and shrugged. Tess let out a heavy sigh. “You two need to get ready for bed. It’s late.”

  “Aww, come on, Mom. We want to wait for Brooke to get home,” Dani said.

  Tess smiled. “Brooke won’t be home until at least midnight.” God, I hope she is coming home tonight.

  “Mom,” Dani whined.

  “Nope. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. You know you will be up late. No arguments,” Tess said flatly. Both Davey and Dani groaned. “Yes, I know. I am horribly mean,” Tess agreed.

  “Nah, just a stickler,” Dani said.

  Tess laughed. “Goodnight,” she told her children. “Next time I come up here, I expect to see you both in bed,” she said. Davey and Dani nodded their understanding. Tess lifted an eyebrow to convey her seriousness to them both.

  “Got it, Mom,” Davey promised.

  “Good,” Tess replied. She started to make her way back down the stairs and stopped midway at the sound of the twins’ muffled laughter. Mortal enemies one minute, best friends the next. Tess laughed. Let’s hope Brooke is as forgiving.

  ***

  Brooke shut the locker in front of her and leaned her head against it. Jesus. What a night. It took half an hour to update Rachel on the two patients who were still in the early stages of labor. Brooke picked up her phone that was lying on the bench behind her and looked at the time. It was already past one in the morning. Brooke desperately wanted to get to Tess’s. The night had taken its toll on her. Jenny turned out to be the most fortunate casualty of the evening. Brooke had ended up sitting with the young girl until her father arrived. Jenny’s sister and her mother had not fared as well. Brooke suspected that the girl’s mother might not make it through the night. If she did, she would need extensive reconstructive surgery.

  Brooke could not shake the uneasy feeling that had been coursing through her all night. What if that had been Tess? Now, in the eerie quiet, that sick feeling in her stomach took root again. Brooke reached down and grabbed her duffel bag. She fished around inside it for a moment and then stopped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Go home, Brooke. Go home.

  Chapter Six

  Brooke walked into the bedroom as quietly as she could. She could just make out Tess’s silhouette in the darkened room. Murphy was stretched out beside Tess on Brooke’s side of the bed. Brooke closed the door, walked silently over, dropped her duffel bag next to the bed and shook her head at Murphy. “Traitor,” she said. Murphy picked up his head, wagged his tail slightly and put his head promptly back down. Brooke shook snickered. It hadn’t escaped her notice that any time she and Tess had the slightest squabble, Murphy took up residence next to Tess. Smart dog. Brooke gently nudged the lab off of the bed.

  Tess stretched in the bed and yawned. “Brooke?” she asked sleepily. Brooke didn’t answer immediately. She had the thought that Tess’s voice was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. Tess rolled over and strained to see Brooke’s face. “Brooke?”

  “Yeah, it’s me,” Brooke answered. She reached out and brushed the hair out of Tess’s eyes. Her hand lingered on Tess’s cheek and Tess leaned into her touch.

  Tess opened her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. “Brooke?” she asked, sensing an emotional tide in her girlfriend. Brooke crawled onto the bed beside Tess. She tucked Tess’s hair behind her ears and looked into Tess’s eyes lovingly. Tess searched Brooke’s eyes for any clue as to what Brooke was thinking. Wordlessly, Brooke leaned in and kissed Tess tenderly.

  There was nothing that Brooke could say. Her hands traced the outline of Tess’s body. She’s here. She’s here. Brooke’s hands mapped out every inch of Tess as if she were trying to convince herself that Tess was real.

  “Brooke?” Tess asked again.

  Brooke smiled down at Tess and kissed her again. “I love you,” she said.

  Tess stroked Brooke’s cheek. “I know. I love you too.”

  Brooke managed to offer Tess a small smile before claiming Tess’s lips in a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. Brooke’s lips traveled leisurely over Tess’s throat to Tess’s shoulder. Brooke lifted Tess’s T-shirt over her head and continued to trail soft kisses down Tess’s body until she reached Tess’s breast. Brooke’s hands caressed Tess’s hips and then tracked inward slowly, rediscovering the softness that was Tess along their way until her fingertips lightly brushed across Tess’s nipple.

  Tess reached out and tenderly took hold of Brooke’s face. Tess’s fingers found the back of Brooke’s neck and played over Brooke’s skin sensually, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Brooke,” Tess sighed.

  Brooke lowered her lips to Tess’s breast, placing a blanket of faint kisses on the soft flesh that greeted her. She delighted in the sensation of Tess’s fingers pulling her closer and answered Tess’s unspoken request by circling a taut nipple playfully with her tongue. Brooke continued to explore Tess languidly and thoroughly. She sucked and teased, tasted and touched every inch of Tess’s body, lingering whenever she felt a small shiver pass through her lover’s body. Deliberately, she lowered Tess’s pants and caressed her legs until she reached Tess’s center, brushing across her with barely enough attention for Tess to feel her.

  Tess had become lost to Brooke’s touch. She had lost the ability to think, to reason, to question anything. Brooke coursed through her as if she were the very blood in Tess’s veins. Tess felt Brooke within her. She held onto Brooke to ground her as she began to soar higher. Brooke’s touch had always been loving, but Tess could feel the depth passing between them. Tess could sense Brooke’s need, and she somehow understood that the need passing between them was not one born of passion. It was a yearning that resided in both their souls. It was evidence of a unique bond that forms between two people. There was a connection that transcended time, distance, and in the end, defied all doubt that the human mind could think to conjure. Tess understood. What she had found with Brooke surpassed lust. It existed beyond love. Brooke filled the empty spaces of Tess’s heart and life. She held Tess with more than her arms. She made love to Tess without needing to touch her physically. Brooke surrounded Tess and passed through her at the same time. Tess opened her eyes and saw Brooke looking at her. She could not speak. Tears cascaded silently over Brooke’s cheeks and Tess wiped them away, conveying her understanding with the simplicity of a tender touch and a compassionate gaze.

  Brooke captured Tess’s lips in an intense, searching, unrestrained kiss. It was an apology, a declaration, and a promise wrapped together in a sensual statement that surpassed what any words could have hoped to convey. Tongues danced and entwined, seeking to express the myriad of emotions that churned within them both. Brooke was reluctant to break away. She could lose herself forever in the warmth of Tess’s kiss. Brooke desperately wanted to feel Tess, to somehow illustrate the depth of her devotion to Tess with her touch. She pulled back, soliciting a soft whimper of protest from Tess, and began raining kisses back down Tess’s body.

  Tess was struggling to steady her breathing. She watched as Brooke worshiped her body in an agonizingly slow descent that found its way over her breasts and gradually to her stomach. She gripped Brooke’s shoulders when Brooke’s tongue traced a circle around her belly button. She wanted to call out in a desperate plea for Brooke to relieve the ache that had taken hold of her body. Tess craved release and yet a part of her prayed that Brooke would continue to make love to her forever. Tess was rendered not only speechless but almost entirely soundless. As Brooke’s touch drifted deliberately lower, Tess closed her eyes and gave over to the sensations she knew would follow.

  Brooke’s heart raced as her mind slowed. No more thoughts would pass through her, only emotion. Brooke lowered herself and tasted Tess’s sweetness. She felt Tess’s involuntary shudder and rep
eated her action again. Faintly, she began teasing Tess, flicking her tongue lightly over Tess’s softness, delighting in the way Tess moved, tasted, and the soft sounds emanating from the woman she loved. Brooke felt Tess’s hands wind themselves in her hair, which was still damp from the shower she had taken before coming home. She entered Tess tenderly, but deeply. Her tongue traced every inch of Tess’s need, stopping and circling the place Tess needed her the most.

  Tess lifted her hips to meet the gentle thrusting of Brooke’s fingers. Her back arched just as Brooke’s licking turned to a persistent sucking. Tess’s world went dark and then in an instant began to spiral in a rush of color and light that made her dizzy. Her mind had been silenced by something far deeper, something that felt primal. “Brooke!” Tess called out frantically.

  Brooke lifted her left hand and placed it firmly on Tess’s abdomen. She would remain Tess’s anchor as Tess lost control of her body willingly. Brooke continued to make love to Tess deliberately until Tess’s body erupted into a second series of shudders that made Brooke’s entire body quiver.

  “Brooke,” Tess pleaded with her lover to release her. She was beginning to think that she might drown in the tide that had pulled her under.

  Brooke slowly brought Tess back to earth. She kissed Tess’s hips, her stomach, her breasts, her neck, inch by inch until finally she hovered just above Tess’s lips. Tess opened her eyes and cupped Brooke’s face in her hands. Tess’s gaze was Brooke’s undoing.

  “I will never leave you,” Brooke promised just as the dam that had been restraining her emotions broke. Brooke’s silent tears turned to sobs and Tess pulled her closer.

  “Shhh,” Tess soothed Brooke. “I know,” Tess told her. Tess felt hot tears pour over her cheeks. “What happened?” she asked Brooke.

  Brooke continued to cry. “I don’t want to lose you,” Brooke said. “It could have been you.”

  “What could have been me, love?” Tess asked. She held Brooke to her chest and stroked her hair until Brooke calmed.