By Brittany Gulker
The title of this story is taken from one of my very favorite songs
called, "I Knew I Loved You," by Savage Garden, and I thought it would fit this storyline pretty well. If you've never heard it, you can email me for
the words or for a .mp3 file of the song.
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine except for Lauren Thomas and Sam Grant, the ones that I made up.
The young girl's laughter faded and her smile slowly vanished. She looked a little disappointed. "You really don't remember me?" Now she looked like
she was becoming uncomfortable. After a short pause, she said, "My name is
Lauren Thomas." Dave's face still looked blank. The girl sighed impatiently. "Med school?"
All of a sudden, the name rang a bell. Lauren Thomas was the last girl that Dave had dated in med school. She was from the United States, Michigan,
actually. Lauren was a good student and had planned to follow Dave back to
the US, but her plans had abruptly changed when her best friend was shot in the head at one of the many parties that she attended. Dave had been
there and had witnessed it, but he tried hard not to think about it. Lauren refused to return to the US with Dave, so he had to go back alone.
Because he hadn't seen her since, just seeing her face again had brought back
memories and Dave forced them out of his head.
He broke into a lopsided grin anyway. "Lauren! God, what are you doing here?"
"Uh, I was looking for you, actually," she replied, dodging a nurse who had almost ran into her. She bit her lower lip, expecting a more enhanced
welcome, a hug at the least.
"Me?" Dave asked, confused. "What do you want with me? Let's talk in the lounge, okay?" he added quickly before she could respond.
Coming around the desk, Dave took her arm and led her to the ER's lounge. When they arrived, he shut the door and turned to face her, leaning
against the wall and folding his arms.
"Look, I know we haven't talked in awhile, and I probably shouldn't be here, but I really needed to see you," Lauren began.
"Needed to see me?" Dave prompted, wondering if this was her way of saying that she wanted her relationship with him to continue.
"Yeah," she said slowly. "I need to talk to you about something serious. I, uh, I know that after med school we both went our separate ways, but if
you say no to this, I'll just die!" At this point, Lauren was becoming tense as
she fidgeted with the ring on her thumb and cracked her knuckles anxiously.
Dave grinned at the uneasy expression on her face and at the way she was acting. He had done rectal exams on patients who were calmer than Lauren
was and he had no clue why this was so important to her. Did she still love
him?
"Look," he chuckled, "whatever it is, just tell me. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."
Lauren inhaled deeply. "Promise you won't say no?" She grinded her teeth together, waiting for his response.
Dave shrugged. "I guess."
"Dave, please come back to Grenada with me. I need you." Dave stood there in a daze. Back to Grenada? "Please," she pleaded. "Please."
Fade to black as the Opening Credits roll.
Dave walked down the plane's ramp, the intense sun gleaming down on the lush vegetation that surrounded him. He couldn't believe it. Just the
previous day, Lauren Thomas had convinced him to come back to Grenada with her.
She had carefully explained to him that the hospital that she worked at was in desperate need of "educated medical professionals." Doctors. Thus, Dave
being a doctor, he had readily agreed into coming. Anything to get away from
Miss-Drill-Sergeant-Doctor-Kerry-Weaver.
At least Lauren was happy, Dave thought as he lugged his thirty-pound duffle bag off the ramp.
Getting to Grenada wasn't half bad. The food on the plane sucked, the ride was bumpy as hell, and the pilot was a total bitch, but other than that,
it was pretty nice. At any rate, the ride was cheap.
Lauren smiled thankfully at Dave as a crisp breeze blew her brown hair in her face. She gently pushed it away and waved to an approaching group of
about five people. One of the men flashed them a lively smile.
"Lauren!" he exclaimed in a mild accent. He glanced at Dave and his smile widened. "Ah, yes, you've found him! Splendid!" He walked over to Dave
and shook his hand. Dave put down his bag. "Welcome, Doctor Malucci! We're
very happy to have you here with us."
"Uh, it's Doctor Dave, actually, and I'm, um. I'm glad to be here." He muttered to himself, "I guess."
Lauren nudged Dave in the ribs with her elbow as she heard him. "Dave, this
is Doctor Samuel Grant. I've told Doctor Grant all about you."
"Right, hi," Dave said, hesitant of why Lauren would tell Grant something like that.
It's not like I'm anything special, he thought. Or not.
"Yes," Grant went on, "I'm sure Doctor Thomas would be happy to show you around our happy little home, eh,
Lauren?"
Lauren tossed back her brown hair and nodded. "That's what I was planning on, Sir."
Grant nodded, satisfied. "Well, let the tour begin!" And with a wave of his hand signaling his group to move on, him and the rest of the people
walked off.
Dave made a face and Lauren laughed. "What was that for?" Dave inquired, once again picking up his bag. "Our 'happy little home?' He your boss or
something?"
"Yep," Lauren said, beginning to walk again. "He's the Corporate Medical Director and Head Trauma Physician of the hospital. I'm basically his
own personal slave."
"So why don't I like the guy?" Dave asked.
Lauren turned around to face him but continued to walk only this time, backwards. "I don't know. Instinct?" she guessed.
"Huh? Instinct?"
"Yeah." Lauren turned back around. "You'll find out."
* * *
Guiding Dave through one of the hospital's many set of buildings, Lauren was reluctant about continuing the rest of the tour. They had already seen
some of the patient's rooms, the inadequately supplied pharmacy, the four Trauma
Rooms, and the two and only Operating Rooms. Surprised at the condition of the hospital itself, Dave absentmindedly trailed behind Lauren. He
couldn't seem to concentrate on what she was showing him because he was so hot and
thirsty. The weather had to be at least eighty-five degrees.
Lauren seemed to notice his discomfort. "Hey, let me show you where you'll sleep."
Sleep! Now that was a word that he understood!
Lauren escorted him to a single room with a bed and a small chest of drawers in the back. But the first thing that Dave noticed was a CD-player in
the corner. Flashing a grateful grin at Lauren, Dave went over to the CD-player
and inspected it more closely.
"Yes!" he cried. "Laur, you're the best!"
"I remember that you need to be entertained twenty-four hours a day, and I couldn't find a TV anywhere, so I figured the next best thing has to be
a CD-player. And I know you carry those damn CD's everywhere you go, so aquí
usted va!" Lauren smiled.
Dave recognized the last part as Spanish for 'here you go.'
"Well." he started as he threw his bag on the floor, his eyes on Lauren the whole time.
Lauren smiled from her place in the doorway. "I should be back in two hours or so. Get some sleep, Grant loves to see new-comers work their asses
off their first few days, and you need brownie-points with him. Trust me, I know. So take a nap, alright? Later!" She closed the door to behind her,
leaving Dave to alone in the sweltering hot room.
Dave opened his black duffle bag and pulled out one of his CD's. After putting it in the CD player and pushing 'Play,' he plopped down on his
bed and listened as the music as it drifted through the air. It was Savage Garden's I Knew I Loved You.
Yep, Dave thought silently. That's pretty much how it is.
* * *
Dave twirled his stethoscope around in his hand. He was slightly bored and a little tired. Instead of sleeping when he was told to, he spent the time
listening to CD's and talking on his cell phone to his parents and even to Abby
Lockheart. Now, he half-listened to Lauren's patient, an elderly woman complain of backaches. Then, Sam Grant appeared in the doorway.
"Well well well," Grant said, gazing at Dave and then at Lauren. "I see you' re working hard!" he said sarcastically. Dave gave him the finger and
Grant saw it. "Ah, yes, this hospital is number one to me too."
Lauren tried to hide a giggle for Grant had no clue what someone's middle finger in the air meant. She shot Dave a dirty look anyway.
"Um, excuse us, Doctor Grant, but Doctor Malucci and I have another patient," she said politely.
"Yes," Grant said. "Do carry on."
Lauren shot Dave a look that told him to follow her out of the room before Dave blew up in Grant's face.
"Working hard my ass," Dave muttered when they were out of the room. "Who the hell does that guy think he is?"
"Told you," Lauren said, smiling.
Dave cocked his head, looking at Lauren with a spark of interest in his eyes. "Seems to me, you don't like him."
"No, I like him," Lauren replied. "It's just he can be a...a..."
"A prick?"
Lauren laughed. "You said it, not me."
"So we have another patient?" Dave asked, his professionalism taking over his playful side.
"Uh, yeah. Come on."
Lauren led him to a small exam room and the two walked in. When she saw the man lying on the bed, his knees pulled up to him stomach, she shook her
head.
"Sr. Koddo, qué se parece ser el problema?" Lauren asked the man in rapid Spanish.
"You know him?" Dave inquired. Lauren nodded.
"Estómago daños! Estómago!" the man cried, pointing to his stomach and groaning.
"Still know Spanish?" Lauren asked Dave.
Dave didn't bother to answer her question. People sometimes said that he should give up on speaking English and resort to speaking Spanish
instead.
"Vomitando o vertigo?" Dave asked the man. The man replied in a crisp Spanish accent that he was dizzy and nauseous. "Okay."
"Aaaaah!" the patient cringed as Dave pressed on his abdomen.
Dave looked quickly at Lauren, who stood on the other side of the patient's bed. "Guarding and rebound tenderness?" he suggested.
Lauren nodded. "So what do you think?"
"Acute appendicitis?" Dave guessed.
"Yep. Let's get him to the OR. But tell him first."
"Sir, estamos sospechando una condición llamada apéndice agudo. Vamos a
tener que funcionar, OK?"
"Sí," the patient nodded, satisfied that he was going to be feeling better soon, even if it did involve an operation.
"We'll see you later then," Dave said in English as he walked out of the door in front of Lauren, not caring if the guy understood what he had
said or not. He was too tired to care.