UntitledAuthor: Marsha Hyatt
Archive: Anywhere is fine with me just let me know about it.
Rating Part 1 PG-13
Part 2 R
Part 3 PG-13
Part 4 R
Disclaimer: If I owned the character, besides Sara, I would be a lot richer and Kerry would be having a lot more fun.
Author's Notes: Thanks to all the feedback from my first effort. Thanks to Danie for all the great comments and editing. If you love it, hate it, whatever let me know at marshahyatt@hotmail.com. Happy reading!
TOO MANY COOKS
Part 4
Kerry's Bathroom
Sunday Afternoon
"WHO? YOU WANT TO INVITE WHO TO THANKSGIVING?"
The voice in Sara's head was screaming.
" Kim Legaspi and Sandy Lopez in your home on the day where we are going to throw our first party and you want me to understand?!?
It all sounded right in her head, but Sara knew if she said this out loud Kerry would retreat behind the walls that were so hard to get her to let down. Fighting to keep her tone light and even, Sara kept drying her body off and said,
"Kerry, invite whoever you want, it is going to be a fun day with everyone we know here at one time or another. Two more guests won't make that big a difference.
"Well I just wanted to check it out with you before I did anything."
Moving past Kerry, Sara said over her shoulder "You checked, it's fine."
As the two women got dressed for work Kerry could sense a change in Sara but she didn't know how to ask her what was wrong. As Kerry drove to The Oaks they discussed the planning for Wednesday
"So Tim will be at the house when?"
"I told him to come about noon. Is Abby coming?"
"Yeah, I told her she didn't have a choice she knew how to peel, dice and chop so she was recruited. She caught on to our plan though, Tim has a tough fight ahead." Kerry said laughing
Sara tried to smile at the joke but she couldn't force out the thoughts swirling in her head:
Kim Legaspi, the woman who turned your personal life upside down! Sandy Lopez, the woman who changed your professional life forever! All of us in your home and what am I in this mix? The cook?!?
Sara tried to keep these thoughts at bay; she tried to look interested in what Kerry was saying. But every time Kerry opened her mouth all Sara heard was "waa waa waa wa wa waa", Kerry sounded like the schoolteacher in Charlie Brown.
"Sara? Hey honey, are you all right?" Kerry was looking at Sara,
"Baby we're here."
"What?" Sara snapped back to the car "Oh, okay" Sara opened the door to the car and started to get out as a hand gripped hers she stopped.
"Sara you are okay with me inviting Kim and Sandy, right?
"NO, NO, NO, NO" her mind screamed, "Yes Kerry, I'm fine." And with that lie and a quick kiss Sara went into the restaurant. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
THE OAKS
From the moment she walked into the kitchen the staff knew something was wrong with Chef. The radio went from the usual station to a CD; Sara slid Andrea Bocelli's Aria in and turned it up loud. Tim gave the warning look to Karen, his lead line cook and James the prep cook that said "stay out of Chefs way unless you want to lose a piece of your anatomy". As Sara checked on reservations and the progress of the prep for dinner service she was quieter than usual. She always joked with her staff; they actually had fun in the kitchen. Sara was an unusual chef because she cared for the people who worked for her, yes she wanted perfection but she understood human error also. The kitchen staff in turn looked out for her, protected her, and liked her. Not to say she didn't have her moments, there had been some nights early on when she lost her temper and harsh words flew. Those problems were resolved and her staff was now a tight group. Tim saw the questions in Sara's eyes and found a quiet moment to ask her what was wrong.
"She want's to invite her old girlfriends to Thanksgiving." Sara said with a flat voice.
"Sara, Kerry loves you. You know that. Why are you so freaked?"
Tears welled up in Sara's eyes, tears she would never let Kerry see.
"I am freaked because I love her, Tim! I have never loved anyone like this. When she talks about Kim there is something in her eyes. It's not there when she talks about me. I don't want to lose her just because Kim came back to County."
"I have seen her eyes when she talks about you, they light up, they twinkle, they shine. Not only that she is happy with you."
"She was happy with Kim and Sandy but they are history now. I don't want to be her past, I want to be her future"
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The rest of Sara's afternoon consisted of prepping and getting messier than she had since culinary school. If you had boiled her jacket and apron it would have made great soup. In her distraction Sara had managed to get a little bit of everything she worked with that afternoon on her, she looked like a culinary abstract painting. As dinner got underway Sara focused in on the service as she was getting ready to chop some parsley for garnish Carmen came into the kitchen
"Chef?" she asked, "Remember that firefighter who helped with the kitchen fire?
"Yeah" Sara said as she started to chop the parsley.
"She wanted me to come back and thank you for dinner, I just seated her and her guest"
The recognition hit Sara's brain as her knife sliced through her thumb. Sandy Lopez is here. Sara turned to Carmen
"Where is she? What table?" Sara asked as she dropped the knife and headed to the kitchen door to look out the window.
"Chef" Carmen said her voice raising in pitch "Your hand!"
Then the pain sliced it's way into Sara's addled brain. When she looked down at her hand she almost fainted, blood poured from the wound in her thumb. Sitting down on a milk crate and trying to sound nonchalant about the cut
"Oh, this is nothing. I've cut myself worse than this. I'll just wrap it in a towel the blood will stop in a minute.
Carmen went back into the dining room as Tim came from around the line to see Sara's hand. Shocked he looked at Sara
"You need stitches, we need to get you to the hospital"
"Tim I do not need stitches" Sara weakly protested.
"You are as white as your coat used to be, you need a doctor" Tim argued
"Let me see" a voice from above said. Sara looked up to see Sandy Lopez standing over her "Let me see Ms. Walker."
"It will be okay, see the bleedings almost stopped" Sara unwrapped the thumb as a fresh line of blood trickled down her arm.
"That's it, Sara your going to the hospital." Lopez said "This time you have a choice you can go in the ambulance or my car, pick."
Gritting her teeth trying to control the anger she felt for this pushy woman "I am not going to the hospital, I will be FINE!"
"I've heard enough, Legaspi grab her stuff" Lopez turned to a statuesque blond who came into Sara's view. Legaspi, Kim Legaspi! Even with the pain shooting up her arm Sara could see the blond going with Tim to her office and returning with her coat and briefcase.
"You're Kim Legaspi?" Sara squeaked out and without waiting for an answer, fainted.
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She had no idea how she got into the SUV; she woke up with streetlights flashing past her eyes.
"What the hell happened?"
"You fainted and we took advantage of your condition and got you into the car, we're on our way to County."
The voice was not Lopez's it was quieter and more measured, soothing almost.
"Are you okay?"
"I guess, I feel a little lightheaded and nauseous."
"That's normal you lost a bit of blood."
A laugh rose from the driver's side of the SUV "a bit of blood? That's why you play with peoples minds and not their bodies, shrink."
"This is why I'm in psych, no blood" the blond laughed back.
From the back Sara moaned realizing that she was about to be taken in as a patient to her girlfriend's ER, brought there by girlfriends,
Former girlfriends, This was not real life anymore it was fucking French farce.
"Did anyone call the hospital and tell them we were coming?
"No, we just scooped you and ran"
"Kerry's gonna kill me" Sara said as she started to cry.
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County ER
Kerry had finally finished the last chart review, all the schedules were done, budgets were projected for the next quarter if Robert had a problem with anything he could kiss her freckled butt. Feeling good about the paperwork getting done and looking forward to the special week this was going to be Kerry gathered her briefcase and laptop together and prepared to leave. As she got to the admit desk she saw Luka, Carter and Abby standing there looking at the board.
"What's going on?"
Carter looked over at her smiling "we were just marveling at the fact everyone has been seen, all the test's are back and transport is on it's way for the last transfer."
"Great Carter" Abby said punching him in the shoulder " you just jinxed us, now we'll be swamped"
The doors to the ambulance bay opened at that instant and a voice shouted out "we need some help here!"
Sandy and Kim half drug, half walked a slumped figure one arm covered in blood. For a moment it didn't register in Kerry's mind, white coat, checked pants, ash blond hair, then the realization.
"SARA" the briefcase, laptop and purse fell to the ground.
As Luka and Carter ran to the women Abby stopped Kerry.
"What happened?" Luka asked as he lifted Sara onto a gurney.
"She sliced into her thumb and nicked the dorsal vein, she lost a lot of blood and fainted twice. On the way here Kim kept a check on her pulse, it's strong. When we were getting her out of the car she fainted again."
Kerry broke away from Abby and rushed to the gurney
"Sara? Honey can you hear me?"
"Kerry, let's get her into Exam 1 and check her out." Carter said.
Kerry hearing nothing leaned over Sara and kept brushing the hair off her face "Sara wake up baby, Sara?"
Abby pulled Kerry back so Luka and Carter could move. Kerry followed and when the gurney stopped she shucked off her coat and started to help.
"Get out Kerry" Luka said. Kerry was deaf as she started to unwrap the hand from the towel soaked in blood. She started to shake as she saw the wound.
"Abby get her out of here."
Abby pulled Kerry away from the table and led her out into the hall where Kim and Sandy waited. Not noticing either of the women Kerry stood by the door and watched as Luka, Carter and Abby worked on Sara's hand. She gasped in relief when she saw Sara's eyes open a moment later. She sensed a presence behind her and turned
"What...how did you two get involved?"
"We were at The Oaks having dinner when it happened." Kim said stepping closer and laying a cool hand on Kerry's back. "She's going to be okay Kerry."
Kerry turned back to the window as she laid her forehead against the glass. After what seemed like a lifetime she saw Sara's eyes meet hers and smiled. Abby followed Sara's gaze to the window and waved Kerry in.
"Sara?" Kerry said as she walked into the room and up to the bedside. "What happened. Are you okay?"
"The knife slipped" Sara said smiling weakly. "Carmen came in and told me Lopez was there for dinner and I was chopping parsley and lost my concentration." Sara started to cry, "I am so sorry for coming in here..."
"Shh...you needed to come in, you really cut the hell out of yourself," Kerry said leaning over her speaking to only Sara. "You scared me, you know that, don't you." Looking up Kerry asked, "Luka how is it?"
"She'll be fine Kerry, no nerve damage, no real vein damage. Plastics is coming down to check the wound."
"Call Joan Williams, she owes me a favor and she's the best in the hospital" Kerry said to Abby. "Sara you're going to be ok."
"Where are Kim and Sandy?"
"They're outside, why?"
"I want to talk to them."
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When Kerry went into the room both women let out the breaths they had been holding.
"She looks scared." Kim said.
"The only time she looked that scared when she was with me was when we out together, I guess she really is in love." Sandy said.
Turning away from the window Kim stood facing Sandy "You know half of me wanted to try again with Kerry, damn the pain from before. But now I see how she cares for this woman and all I can feel is happy for her. Sad but happy"
Sandy smiled and looked at the doctor "You fell really hard for her didn't you?"
A faint smile creased her face "That's my downfall, I love the straight girls who can't or won't love me back."
"See that's the problem, falling in love with straight girls. Kerry had her problems and I am sure that those other girls you were in love with had them too. What you need is a woman." Sandy smirked
"Thank you, Dr Lopez. Do I need to pay you for this little session." Kim said smiling.
Kerry opened the door and softly said "Kim, Sandy, Sara wants to see you."
As they walked in both were relieved to see the color back in Sara's face.
"Hey, how're you doing?" Kim asked.
"Better," was the weak response. "Listen, Kerry and I want to invite you both to Thanksgiving at her house, we're gonna have everybody in all day long and we want you to be there."
The stunned look on Kerry's face was mirrored on both Kim's and Sandy's.
" I hope this silence means you accept, I mean this is the only way I think I am going to be able to pay Lopez back. Every time she comes in the restaurant I get injured." Sara laughed.
Both Kim and Sandy looked at Kerry and seeing the acceptance in her face they said yes. Carter shooed everyone out of the room but Kerry and as they left Kim turned to see Kerry sitting on the bed holding Sara's good hand and softly talking to her. Tearing up at what she knew she had to let go of she walked out with Sandy.
TBC