| Chapter Two |
| "Rise and shine Orlando. It�s a beautiful Mon. morning, the sun is coming up, the birds are singing and it�s time��
Alexis groaned and turned over in bed as her arm flung over and hit the snooze button. She stretched and groaned some more before actually looking at the time, 6:30am she read. She had an hour and a half to get ready before she had to be at the hospital. She threw back the covers, placed both feet into her slippers that were placed right by the bed and walked to the bathroom. Alexis looked at herself in the mirror and saw wild wavy brown hair that never did what she wanted it to. She had fair skin, not too white but not tanned either. Living in Chicago you can�t get much of a tan. She never thought of herself as ugly, and she wasn�t, in fact she was the kind of girl who would always get second looks. She had a nice full figure, not one of those anorexic girls. The only thing Alexis would change if she could would be her nose, she swore it didn�t fit her face. Marissa and learned to just agree with her about it to make her shut up. Alexis cupped her hands under the running facet and splashed the water on her sleepy face. Once finishing there she changed out of her boxers and long T-shirt. She had already chosen her outfit the night before and there it was hanging on the outside of her closet. She slipped into the plain knee length sleeveless black cotton dress. She though it would look great with the white coat that she�ll be receiving that will read Dr. Gray psychiatrist. Alexis had never been much for make-up, always the natural look is what she preferred. As she continued to get ready memories of David filled her head. She couldn�t understand why, she was over him or at least she wanted to and tried. She remembered how he�d always want her to dress up more, more provocative, wear more make-up. But that just wasn�t her, she wouldn�t even dress that extreme when she went out to a club. She couldn�t believe how much she had let David influence her and run her. Once in a while she would rebel, until finally she�d just explode. And she needed a job offering in another state to set off this explosion. He was all she knew but she promised herself that that type of guy wouldn�t be all she�d ever know. Alexis grabbed her purse and car keys and headed out the door. With traffic she was at the hospital walking in about 20 minutes later. She stepped into the elevator with two young cute looking guys. �What floor?� One asked � Oh 5 thanks.� Alexis stood there trying not to stare, she did notice they both worked there. She had yet to have any identification to the fact that she worked there too. �Hope to see you around.� The same man said checking her out as he walked off the elevator. She gave him a smile and the doors closed. The next time they opened was on the 5th floor and Alexis stepped out and walked towards the left as she had when she came for the interview. She was headed for Dr. Kendrick�s office, the woman who was the head of the psychiatrics department. She turned a corner and a few doors down was the place she was looking for. She knocked on the door and heard a voice from inside calling her in. �Ahh, Dr. Gray, right on time too I see, please have a seat.� �Thank you.� Alexis said as she sat down. �I�m sure you�re eager to start and we�re eager to let you begin but of course we have to show you the ropes around here. I want to let you know that it is very rare we hire such a young freshly made psychiatrist into this kind of a position. But with your high recommendation and the wonderful job you did interning, we couldn�t let you go. I just hope you don�t prove me wrong.� �No ma�am I won�t, I�m looking forward to this and I won�t give anything less then my best, this is what I love to do.� �Good, that�s what I like to hear. Come, I�ll show you your office.� My office? Alexis thought to herself. That was something she wasn�t expecting. She followed her down the hall and to the right. �As you can see we already took the liberty and put your name on the door.� Dr. Kendrick informed her. Alexis looked at the door with her name posted there. As she walked in her eyes were met by two comfortable chairs sitting in front of an �L� shaped desk, equipped with a computer. Towards her left, against the wall was a couch and on the right next to the door was a bookshelf. Behind her desk was a window that overlooked the large lake that people liked to walk around. �Well from the look on your face I�m guessing you like it.� Dr. Kendrick said. �Yes I do, very much.� It wasn�t till after lunch that Alexis was sitting in her office in the big comfortable chair looking over the record of her first patient, who was due in her office any minute now. This patient was a 16-year-old male who was released from the hospital a few days ago after trying to commit suicide. He had had prior depression problems but they were never fully attended to. Her door was slightly ajar and a head peaked through �Uh� Dr. Gray?� �Yes, come in.� She stood from her chair to welcome the stranger. �Hi, I�m, uh, I�m, my name is Michael.� He stuttered and searched for words. He looked at Alexis intently as though dumbfounded by her beauty. Alexis�s eyes looked down to the chart on her desk then back up at the boy in front of her. �Yes Michael hi, please have a seat, I was expecting you.� �Yeah well you know�� He trailed off. He continued to stare at her and that made Alexis a little uncomfortable but she brushed it off. �Ok, well my name is Dr. Alexis Gray, but you can just call me Alexis, it�s shorter.� Michael seemed to be listening but she wasn�t sure, he was just watching her every move. �Michael?� She asked questionably. He shook his head violently. �Yeah Alexis, got it.� He now got more comfortable and leaned back in the chair. �So you gonna start that shrink stuff?� He gave her a sly smile and his eyes went down the length of her body that could be seen from over the desk. �I might be, but I wouldn�t call it shrink stuff.� Alexis had noticed everything he had done and thought it�s probably just a 16 year olds hormones at work, for now that was her diagnostic. She just asked for the strength to do her job and not slap that grin off his face. But she had also learned that everyone came to a psychiatrist for a reason and she would learn and treat his reason. She smiled slightly and shook her head. �So Michael, tell me about yourself, how�s life?� ************************************************************************ The emergency room called upstairs to the psychiatrics department, they needed someone down there quickly to get a patient who they thought had mental problems out of there. Dr. Kendrick thought this was a perfect thing for Alexis to do, so she sent her down there with a more experienced doctor. The reason why Alexis didn�t become a surgeon, didn�t become one of those doctors that you find in the ER was because she couldn�t stand the sight of blood, she was reminded of this fact the moment they stepped off the elevator and into the ER. The other person she was with knew exactly what do, Alexis was supposed to tag along and learn. But learning from this experience was the last thing she was doing because she was too busy looking around. Watching all the doctors and nurses run around like crazy people at a circus. �Dr.� One nurse began. �We have a trauma coming in, a fairly young boy, car accident pretty bad, they barely have a pulse on him, he should be coming in�� Her words were cut off by the paramedics whisking someone in telling that same doctor the boy�s status. The doctor and the nurse followed behind. Alexis looked down at the helpless young man lying there and her heart went out to him. �Tyler, Tyler? Where�s my boy? Is he ok? Oh my god is he ok?� This short stubby woman walked into the ER, screaming frantically and crying. �Right this way ma�am, your boy is right over here.� A nurse told her leading the way. �Oh my god, his father, his sister, they need to know, oh and his brother he�s coming back today. Oh please tell me my baby is ok!� �Come on Ms. we can get a hold of them for you, just calm down, your son is right this way.� �Dr. Gray, earth to Dr. Gray?� The other person whom she had accompanied down here was now waving a hand in front of her face. Alexis had been so engrossed in the scene that had taken place in front of her that she didn�t notice that it was time to go back up. The arrangements had been made and this mental patient was heading up to their department. �Oh, I�m sorry, it�s just that.� �Yeah I know it�s really very, well the only word coming to me now is nerving to see that, you never really get used to it. I don�t know how they do it all the time. We never had a formal meeting, I�m Kaitlyn Smith.� �Hi, Alexis Gray.� She said smiling and shaking her hand once they were in the elevator. Kaitlyn appeared to be in her mid 40�s. She was shorter then Alexis and had dark features �Wow that was quite a scene out there. I hope he makes it, and the mother, did you see her?� �Yes I did, wouldn�t be too surprised if we�ll be needing to see her, just if it�s the fact that she needs someone to talk to.� They walked in silence the rest of the way. ************************************************************************ �Marissa I have my own office! It�s great I sit there and see patients in there, well yeah sometimes I�ll probably have to go out into the hospital and see them there, but oh my god, it�s wonderful, it�s everything I always thought it would be and I, I, I just love it!� Alexis finally stopped to take a breath and her friend who had been patiently listening now had a window of opportunity to talk. �Alexis, I�m so happy for you. I�m glad you had such a wonderful first day. I�m so proud of you in getting this job, and I�m glad that it�s everything you wanted it to be.� Marissa let out a huge smile. It had been so long since she had heard her best friend so happy. She was realizing how good this move has been for Alexis. Even though it was hard to see her best friend go she knew it was for the best. Marissa was thankful Alexis got offered this job, it made her break away from the thing she needed to the most. �Thank you. Well I�ve been talking so much about me and my day, how�s it going over there?� �Everything is going good. Some top designers in the city wanted to look at my portfolio today, they said they loved it and that they�d get back to me.� �Maris, that�s awesome, oh my god when you hit it big I better still get my outfits designed and made by you for free girl!� �Of course darling, I would never charge you.� Both girls broke out laughing. �So we�ll see what happens there, I�m crossing my fingers here.� �You don�t need to do that, you know they will be calling you tomorrow, begging you to design their hottest selling outfit of the fall.� Alexis told her. �Now who am I gonna ask to look at my designs and tell me how good they are?� She giggled slightly. �I miss that already.� �Well when are you coming? You have to see my apartment.� �You know I�ll be there as soon as I can.� �How about tomorrow?� Alexis asked jokingly. �Hey you said yourself I should be expecting a call tomorrow.� �Oh, yeah that�s right, hey Marissa, I have to go the pizza just got here.� �Oh yeah, I can so tell your celebrating over there, ok then take care, love ya bye.� �Ok bye.� She hung up the phone and grabbed her wallet as she headed to the door. �Coming,� she screamed as the person had knocked on the door for the 5th time. She opened the door to find herself face to face with the same cutie she had seen in the elevator, but no one was more shocked to see the other then he was to see her. �Umm.. hi, aren�t you the girl I saw in the elevator today at the hospital?� �Hi, yes I am, how much will that be?� she said not caring too much for a conversation with the guy. �Oh it�s $12.38. You�re probably wondering, why I�m here delivering pizzas if you saw me at the hospital, and it looked like I worked there.� �Well yeah I kinda was wondering but I thought it would be rude to ask, but since you mentioned it.� Alexis causally leaned against the doorframe. He grinned and began. �Well you see I�m a third year med.-student and I need the extra money, so here I am delivering pizzas. The name�s Greg.� Greg was a tall guy, taller then Alexis and that�s one of the first things she looks for in a guy. He had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Which she thought was an interesting mix, one that she had rarely seen. He had a smile that caught your eye. All around he was a cute guy, but nothing really seemed to be there, not from her end anyway. �Oh I see, it makes sense now.� When Alexis made no attempt to continue he spoke up. �So do you mind me asking why you were there?� �First day on the job. I�m a psychiatrist.� Alexis let out a huge smile, almost a laugh when she saw Greg�s eyes bulge out slightly and his jaw sort of drop. �Wow that�s, that�s great, hope you liked it. So I guess I should be calling you Dr�.� He trailed off. �Oh yeah, Alexis.� �Ok then Dr. Alexis, hope to see you around, enjoy the pizza and see you tomorrow.� He smiled and winked at her before walking away. �Guess I will, bye.� She closed the door behind her, without giving Greg much thought and went to indulge in her extra cheese, mushroom, and pepperoni pizza. ************************************************************************ �Come on guys, hustle, hustle, into the bus, one, two, three, four, five, Ok go!� The tour manager tapped on the window to signal to the bus driver that he could take off now. Two more buses and a few vans trailed behind. The people inside were all sweaty, tired, their head hurt, and they ached all over. It would take a good hour before they all came off of this high they were on. The place was packed to the rim that night, people screaming, crying, singing, everything they swore they loved to see when they do this kind of thing. It was their last night, the last night that they would take the stage and do the same thing they had been doing for the past three months straight, but once again something they�ve said they love to do. Each guy was sprawled out in different areas of the spacious bus, relaxing, steadying their breathing, just closing their eyes and taking it all in. �It�s over guys, we�re done, that was it, now it�s time to go home, into our own beds, vacation.� The curly haired boy managed to get out. �Vacation, hmm� there�s a word I haven�t heard in a while. Oh yeah I know cuz it�s pretty much non-existent to us.� The oldest of the 5 said lazily. �I bet you as soon as we get back something will be planned, there�s always something planned.� �Well maybe we�ll get a week off, we have to get a week off!� The subtle, quite southern boy said, who had really changed over the passed four years. �Maybe, if we�re lucky.� �Dude I just spent 3 months touring with you guys a week is the least they can give me.� This came from the happy-go-lucky guy, the one who can work a crowd, especially the ladies. �It was fun, long, but fun.� The rest agreed in silence. �Tonight�s show was good, the last shows always are. Actually I�m looking forward to getting some rest and hitting the studio.� A pillow was thrown from across the room at this man. This man who has the dark hair light eyes and the voice to match. �Man, vacation, look it up, that�s what we might be getting for a while.� Once again the young one took the liberty upon himself in imposing the idea into the others, vacation. �Hey Chris, check what�s on the tube.� �Justin last time I checked, you have all your limbs, no girl has ripped them off yet, you can do that.� Chris replied "Yeah but you�re closer.� Suddenly the TV turned on and the channels were being searched through. Justin and Chris looked around in confusion. �The remote was over here.� Joey said with a sheepish grin holding up the remote control. �Ok then, I�m gonna go wash up and change, then goodnight, we still have a good, what, 5 hours before we make it home?� JC asked. �Yep just about that long.� Lance answered, he always seemed to be know everything. Minutes later a cell phone was ringing somewhere off in the distance, it seemed to be coming from someone�s bag. They all got up from their spots and began digging around, following the noise. �That has to be Danielle,� Chris said referring to his girlfriend. �No it has to be mom, I haven�t talked to her since this afternoon.� Justin said searching for his phone in his bag. �It ain�t none of your momma�s.� Joey said �It�s JC�s phone that�s ringing.� Lance finished holding up the phone. �JC, yo JC you�re phone.� Joey screamed toward the bathroom. �Coming!� JC called out and came out running to grab his phone. The rest of the guys took a seat and continued watching TV. �Mom, hey how are you�WHAT? Calm down mom, slow down and tell me what happened.� JC was now pacing what they called the living room area of their bus. The rest of the groups� attention was now directed at JC. �Is he ok, will he be ok? Huh, what do you mean you don�t know mom? I�m asking you is Tyler ok? I�m sorry mom, I�m sorry. Uhuh, right, ok. As soon as we get into town I�ll be there ok? I�ll be there mom, in like 5 hours. Ok I love you too, tell Tyler that when you see him. Bye.� JC slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and clicked the button that read end. When he lifted his gaze he was met by four pairs of eyes waiting for answers. �It�s Tyler, he�s been in a bad car accident, mom said he just got out of a 3 hour surgery.� Chapter Three |