by Toby
Sandy untangled one arm from under Kerry and felt around for her clothes on the floor to the side of the bed. She was looking for her beeper which was merciless in it�s insistence that she wake up.
�Damn!� She practically fell out of bed as she hit the button to silence the beeper. Sliding back against the headboard, she flicked on the light to read the message. A tousle of red hair emerged from underneath the covers next to her.
�What is it?� came the groggy inquiry.
�Kerry, look, I gotta go. There�s a five alarm downtown and they�re calling for extra rigs.� She was already pulling on her clothes hurriedly. As Kerry squinted at the clock, trying to make out the time she heard Sandy in the bathroom where she gargled some water and then rushed straight out the bedroom shouting: �I�ll call you. Thanks for dinner.�
Kerry debated getting up to work some more on the grant application for research money in thoracic trauma treatment deciding instead to turn off the bed lamp and curl back under the covers. The scent of Sandy, some clean smell of soap, not perfumey at all, clung to the sheets and Kerry smiled as she drifted back off to sleep.
++++
Susan Lewis was the first person Kerry saw when she entered the ER the next day.
�Good morning, Susan.�
�Dr. Weaver.�
�How does the board look?�
�Pretty much caught up. No one in chairs. Waiting on a few labs.�
�Any traumas come in overnight?�
�Just one MVA, no seatbelt, blunt head trauma. He�s a neuro admit for observation.�
�Hmm. Nothing on the MICN for a multi-alarm fire downtown?�
�Oh that. They took �em to Mercy.�
�Oh.� Weaver seemed disappointed. Susan did a quick double take and then moved to the rack to re-file her charts.
++++
It didn�t take long for Sandy to show up again in the ER, this time accompanying an ALOC found at a local shelter. After the bullet transfer in Trauma 1, she swaggered out towards the Admit desk where she had seen that gorgeous redhead doing something on a PC when she had passed through earlier.
�Hey.� She offered.
Kerry looked up and smiled. �Hey.�
�Slow morning? You on the desk or something?� Lopez teased.
Kerry�s grin threatened to sprain her jaw. �You know what..I just was catching up on the ER stats for the month.� Before this conversation progressed too far, Kerry hopped off the stool and began to walk towards the lounge, pulling Sandy along with her words.
�I was wondering�would you like to go to a movie this weekend? Maybe something at the Savoy?�
�Isn�t that one of those arty places?� Sandy wrinkled her forehead.
Kerry ignored her. �They�re showing Orlando,� she continued �want to check it out?�
Sandy hesitated a moment. �No subtitles, right?�
Kerry chuckled that deep rumbly chuckle of hers. �No subtitles.�
�Well, OK then.� Sandy capitulated.
+++++++++
This time, after the movie they headed to Sandy�s tiny apartment.
�Beer?� she offered.
�Sure.� Weaver shrugged as she settled on the couch and threw off her crutch.
�That movie sure was weird.� Sandy popped open two bottles.
�I have to say I agree.�
�Was she a guy, a girl, what?�
�I guess we are not supposed to know for sure. Beautiful camera work, though.�
�Hmmm.� Sandy sat down close to Kerry. �I�ll tell you what�s beautiful.�
Apparently redheads blushed easily. �Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess.� countered Kerry.
�Yup.� Sandy grinned.
They actually talked for several beers and hours more. Sandy describing her childhood, growing up one of eight in New York City. Her being the first in her family to graduate from college. Why she wanted to move up in the chain of command at work. Kerry beginning her story somewhere in the middle of medical school. Leaving out some of the parts about how she had satisfied her ambition to become chief of the ER. When they finally headed towards bed it was after 1:00 AM
�What time you on tomorrow, doc?�
�Not till the afternoon.� Kerry popped out her contacts. � How about you?�
�I�m off, praise the lord.�
�Hmm. Lucky.� Kerry was already grasping at the younger woman�s hair. Running her strong, powerful hands through the thickness of it slowly and gingerly. Sandy ran her tongue over the old scar on Kerry�s neck then pulled Kerry in close to her by the hips. Kerry stopped her. �Can you� could you turn out the light?� she whispered.
�Why sure, doc.� Sandy clicked off the lamp and once again pulled the older woman towards her.
They made love, both of them purring and satisfied. But Sandy persisted in her exploration. Beyond a certain point, Kerry stiffened. �Mire, Kerry,� she barely whispered �it�s me, remember?� And again she slowly and patiently slid her hand down Kerry�s legs, finally stroking the smaller left calf.
�Sandy, I��
�Shhh�I need to love all of you, OK?�
Kerry twisted her head aside as Sandy patiently repeated the slow stroking.
�Tell me it doesn�t feel good.� Sandy suggested. �You feel this right?�
Kerry nodded into the pillow.
�Shhh..� Sandy repeated �it�s OK.� Finally she felt Kerry relax as she turned her head to face Sandy again.
�Sandy,� she was barely audible. �I�m sorry..�
�Shh. I get it. I get it.� Sandy held her until she fell asleep in her arms.
+++++
It was the week�s vacation in Vermont that did it. Without that trip, who knows if they would have come to the decision that they did.
They stayed at an old inn on a dirt road. Although they spent much of their time at the inn, in front of the fireplace , reading side-by side or making love under the down comforter, Kerry enjoyed walking around the small town. They slowly explored the few shops and restaurants over these relaxed days. Kerry had not even brought her laptop along on the trip, a first for her, although she did check voice mail twice a day, offering guidance or support or information as needed to the staff back at County.
One morning, as the sun streamed in through the windows of their room, Sandy, first to awaken, lay on her back. She replayed her progress in having Kerry allow herself to be touched all over and to derive apparent pleasure from it. Sandy couldn�t really understand why no prior partner of Kerry�s had even broken the filly�s strong will. Kerry soon came to life, emerging from the covers. She corkscrewed around onto her side, laying her hand on Sandy�s warm, flat belly. Sandy felt the tiny scrapes of calluses brushing against her in a delicious way.
�I was thinking.� Kerry�s voice was still husky with sleep. She cleared her throat. �You know this Civil Union ceremony you can have here in Vermont, like a marriage by a Justice of the Peace?�
�Umm.�
�Well, why don�t we do it?�
�What?�
�Why don�t we find a J.P. and do it while we�re here. You know, symbolically� Kerry examined Sandy�s face closely for a reaction.
Sandy was still but only for a moment. �That�s a big deal, dontcha think, Kerry? I mean we would do that to show commitment and lasting love and all that, right?�
�Uh huh.� Kerry smiled.
Sandy considered this again and then quickly flipped Kerry back over, landing on top and pinning her down for a kiss. When she came up for air she said simply �Let�s do it.�
After breakfast they asked the innkeepers how to find a J.P. and apparently there was a big call for this in the state because the woman just whipped out a list of a dozen or so names, pointing out which were closest to the town. After making the appointment for the next day, each of them excitedly sat down in a corner of the inn�s sitting room to write out some vows. The rest of the day seemed to be a slow motion unfolding of hours for Kerry. They were both mostly silent, touching each others face or hands when they were alone as if they were testing their own reality. They bought cheap rings at a local store, lingering over the choice and laughing at themselves.
To make it official they needed a witness, the J.P. told them. So they asked the innkeeper to stand in. Again, the woman was unphased saying she had been to two other Civil Unions already. The J.P. asked if they had special vows or wanted the standard.
Kerry began: �Sandy, by this union I vow to be yours forever, in whatever way I can support you, and to share my life with you. I give you this ring as a token of my love.�
�Kerry, I will shine and grow in your love. I will warm you when it�s cold and listen when you hurt. Please lean on me. As two we are stronger than one and can face anything together.� And she slipped the ring on Kerry.
They kissed in a shy public way and then hurried off to open a bottle of champagne in the whirlpool. Sandy got in first. She reached out to Kerry but Kerry declined her help �I got it. I got it.� She swung herself in and then they were giggling. The combined effect of the heat and the alcohol relaxed them both so much that they had to head back into bed for a nap. Kerry�s body felt light and free. It was a dream she had sometimes as she drifted off to sleep.
+++++
Kerry thought about it on the plane ride back. The idea had started brewing at the Burlington airport before their flight. Well, really she had thought about it in fantasy form for years, as a total hypothetical. But now she considered sharing the thought with Sandy.
�Hey, Lopez.�
�Hmmm.� Sandy moved closer to hear over the drone of the plane�s noise.
�Know what I was thinking?�
�No, what, doc?�
�Ever think about kids?�
�What about them?�
�Having them, silly.�
Sandy drew her head back to look at Kerry critically.
�You feelin� OK?� her mouth twisted sarcastically. �You gotta be kidding, right? Kids?�
Kerry smiled and raised her eyebrows way up the way she did sometimes. It was her �mighty cute� look and she knew it.
She just waited.
Sandy was shaking her head incredulously. �you know what that�s like?� She lowered her voice as much as she could and still be heard. �For two dykes to raise a kid? You know the ridicule? The hard time they would have growing up?� Sandy�s eyes were darts. �And just who�s gonna have this baby? I�m not.�
�Actually,� Kerry smiled at her �I was thinking I would be the one to carry.�
�Kerry. You�re 44!� Again incredulous.
�I know, the odds are worse for �in vitro� after 40 but it can be done. I�m willing to try.� Her eyes actually took on a pleading look as she continued �Sandy, I love kids. I�d love a family. You would make a great parent. If we use your eggs, the odds are a lot better, you�re younger. And�� she faltered a little for the first time during her proposal �we know more about your genes.�
�Never mind my genes. What about late night feedings. Our schedules. We both work all hours. Long hours. What were you thinking?�
Kerry reflected on the best approach at this point and asked Sandy merely to think about it. �We�ll talk about it at home, OK?�
Sandy slammed her head back against the seatback and stared straight ahead.
