Wonderful Life

Gemma and I were in a bet against all the guys about the gender of her unborn child. Gemma and I were positive that it was a girl, while the guys thought that it was a boy. We had set the stakes at two hundred dollars. Gemma would get a hundred and I would get a hundred if we won. Brian was the one that started it though. It was rather funny as hell that he kept insisting that it was a boy. It wasn't as if they were outnumbered. Okay, so maybe they were, but only by one person and that happened to be me. Gemma and Sam's relationship was getting stronger by the day and I was happy for her.

My relationship life was non-existent because I was too damn busy to give a shit about that part. Helping doctors save lives and trying to find people for a band was busy work. I didn't give myself the time to just look for a guy that I could potentially live the rest of my life with. It wasn't on my top priority list, so I wasn't really bothering with it. I did, however; make a new friend in Nikki Reed, the chick that stopped by to see Kellan at the hospital. Their conversation was still nagging at my mind, but I didn't think too much about it. In fact, Gemma and I were on our way to go and meet her for some lunch.

"Colbie, where the hell are you taking me," Gemma asked warily.

"To lunch Gemma, now stop whining," I chuckled.

"But where, I've never been down this way before," she said as I continued to drive towards the place we going to.

"I actually don't know for sure. My friend Nikki told me about this place that was really good. We're meeting her there actually," I said.

"What's it called?" Gemma wondered.

"I believe it's called Maggiano's," I answered.

"What the hell kind of place is that?" Gemma asked.

"She said it was an Italian restaurant," I replied with a smile.

"Oh, I love Italian food," Gemma grinned at me.

"I know, so do I, but I figured that you would like to come along too, so that's why I invited you," I grinned right back.

For the rest of the car ride to the restaurant we were silent, which wasn't really good. It left me with my thoughts and I didn't like that. I had too much to think about and this wasn't the right time to think about some of those things. I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and then parked my car. I sent a text to Nikki, to see if she was already at the restaurant because if she wasn't then we could get a table and wait for her inside. I waited for a response patiently and when it came Gemma and I entered. The hostess asked if it was a party of two and I said no saying that we were meeting someone there.

After she asked us for the name she led us to Nikki's table, which was located in a corner of the restaurant. Nikki stood up and hugged me and I introduced her to my best friend Gemma. They shook hands and then Nikki asked the most common thing of all since she clearly noticed that she was pregnant. Thankfully, she didn't press the subject further. I was a little afraid about that, but she kept her questions to just that one. I could sense that Gemma was grateful for that as well.

Lunch was pretty interesting. We got to discussing a few things, but the topic always came back to Kellan. At first Gemma was wondering who Kellan was until I briefly explained how I met him and came to know him. Once Gemma knew the little back story she became quite interested in him. I was curious as to why she was so interested in him, but I let it go. When I had returned from using the restroom I found the two of them whispering, but when Nikki had seen me approaching the table they pulled their heads away from each other. Even when I asked them what they were talking about they wouldn't tell me.

After lunch was over I had to get back home to start packing. Brian was whisking us all away to Mexico and I was lucky enough to get the time off for it. He still wouldn't tell me why we were going to Mexico, but he seemed rather pleased with himself about it. Gemma and I said goodbye to Nikki and I told her that we would catch up again after I returned from Mexico. We were leaving in a week, but I wanted to be ready for it. Kellan was due out of the hospital by the end of the week. He had gotten his stitches taken out, but the doctors had all insisted that he stay for observation until the end of the week. He was rather perturbed about that, but he agreed in the end.

The day after Gemma and I had lunch with Nikki I had gotten the best idea ever. I went to the local CVS Pharmacy store and bought tons of different hair color spray. When I got home I hid them so that no one could see them. Since Kellan was leaving the hospital in a few days time I didn't have much time to carry out the plan that I wanted. Tonight would be the first phase of the plan and I hoped that it would work out.

That night I took my cans of spray color and placed them in a small backpack that I carried with me. When I arrived at the hospital I met up with Dr. Richards and explained what I was going to do. He allowed me to do it only because he enjoyed how hard I worked and how little I complained. I ducked into the bathroom and then started on my hair. When I was done with my hair and made sure that it was perfect I started on the make-up that I borrowed from Michelle. I lined my eyes with thick black eyeliner and then put on some black mascara as well. I made sure my eyelids were covered with heavy blue eye shadow. I dotted my cheeks with a light blush and after some cover-up and then looked at myself in the mirror. My look was perfect.

I left the bathroom and then grabbed Kellan's chart and headed to his room. All I could think about was how funny this was going to be. Before I entered his room I took one last deep breath of confidence. I had to make sure that I wouldn't break down laughing and ruin the whole joke in the process. When I felt that I was ready I opened the door and walked in.

"Hey Colbie, how are you," Kellan greeted with a smile.

I froze hoping that I didn't already blow my cover before realizing that by freezing in my spot I might as well have blown my cover. I recovered and then smiled back at him.

"Colbie who," I asked.

"Excuse me," he wondered.

"Who is Colbie?" I asked him again.

"You're Colbie," he answered with a furrowed brow.

"Nope, you must have me mistaken with someone else," I grinned at him trying to my mask my voice with a fake southern accent.

"Oh, sorry, um, do you know where Colbie is tonight," Kellan wondered.

"She had to call in sick, so instead of letting her not get paid for tonight I decided to take her place," I answered.

"What's your name?" He asked me.

"Victoria Haner, but I normally go by Tori," I answered him.

"I see, and are you a cousin of Colbie's?" he asked.

"No, I'm her twin sister," I smiled at him.

"Odd," he mumbled a little too audibly.

"What's odd?" I asked.

"Oh, well, uh, it's just that Colbie never really mentioned having a twin sister. She mentioned her brother Brian, but never a twin sister," he replied still sporting a furrowed brow.

"She tends to forget about me sometimes. We are so opposite in so many ways that she doesn't like to remember she has a twin to begin with," I told him.

He didn't quite answer me after that. He stared at me the entire time that I was taking his vitals and then checked his neck for any kind of bleeding in case the wound might have reopened during the day somehow. He checked out and I gave him one last smile before departing the room. Once outside in the hallway I cracked the biggest smile I could as I walked down the hallway towards the elevators. I had to check on some children up in pediatrics before I could clock out. I still hadn't managed to get a complete transfer to the ER yet, but I was hoping that after this rather spontaneous Mexico trip that I could focus on that. I also needed to focus on my drumming as well because that was an important aspect of my life that I couldn't forget at all.

I was planning to pretend to be Tori Haner up until it was Kellan's last day. The staff actually started calling me Tori when I showed up with my black hair and purple tips. It was quite fun. Kellan seemed to like 'Tori' a lot and we had quite a lot of conversations. The day that he was to be released would mark the day that I would go on vacation after I gave him his release papers. It would be quite fun to see his reaction when I walked in as Colbie and not 'Tori'. I was really looking forward to it. I talked to Brian about what I was doing, and he seemed to enjoy it as much as I was. He even said that I had the good Haner prank gene in me even though I hadn't been born into the family. I really learned a lot from him and his friends to be honest.

I still hadn't gotten any calls for the band flyers that I had put up, but I wasn't about to give up hope. I knew that Jimmy was looking out for me, which is why I stuck with it. If anything it would be because of him that my career path changed for the better. I loved being a nurse, but I loved music a lot more and it pretty much dictated my life.

Today was the day that Kellan was being released and I was really happy for him. It just meant that he was fully healed and capable of taking care of himself. It would kind of suck that he wouldn't have his meals cooked and brought to them by me anymore, but I'm sure that he would be able to get by. I got ready for work early in the morning and then drove to the hospital. Once there I did my pediatric rounds, which by the way the kids were a bit sad when I had told them that 'Tori' would no longer visit them. They liked her a lot too. I really outdid myself with this prank. After I visited the kids I went down to the nurse's station in the ER and grabbed Kellan's chart which was signed off by the doctor that he could be released.

I grabbed his release papers and then headed to his room. When I walked in he was just buttoning the last of his buttons on his shirt. I almost had to make sure I was actually breathing before I could talk. He was completely gorgeous when he wasn't in his hospital gown. He had abs and I liked, I liked them very much. I cleared my throat to get his attention and when he raised his head to look at me he smiled and his dimples showed. I felt my cheeks grow warm as a light blush crawled up my neck and to my face.

"Oh, hey Colbie, I thought Tori was going to come by today," he said with a grin.

"Tori who," I asked playing dumb.

"Your twin sister," he said.

"I don't have a twin sister. I have a brother named Brian, well adopted brother, but he's been there for me so I don't count the fact that I'm adopted, oh and I have three other brothers who love me just as much as Brian does," I told him making sure I didn't slip up. It was still quite hard to think of Jimmy and how much of a brother he's been to me since I joined Brian's family.

"I must be hallucinating then because there was a nurse who came in these last few days and she looked exactly like you, but she had black hair with purple tips all the time," he said.

"I don't know anyone by the name of Tori, but if I ever meet her I'll let her know that you say hi," I said.

"Great," he smiled at me.

"So, I have your release papers that you need to sign in order to get out of this joint," I laughed.

"Thank God. I thought I was going to die in here from complete boredom," he chuckled.

"Do you have a ride?" I asked him.

"Yeah, Nikki's going to be picking me up from the front of the hospital. Apparently it's freaking procedure to be wheeled out of here by a nurse," he said.

"Yeah, it is. It's a way to make sure no long term damage has come to harm the patient as well as make sure that they can make it out of here without having to come back," I explained to him.

"So, who will be giving me this special wheelchair ride?" he asked.

"I can or I can get another nurse to do it. It's up to you," I answered.

"I'd like you to do it if you don't mind," he said with a smile.

"Nope, like I've said countless numbers of times, it's my job to serve the patients," I grinned.

He handed me his release papers that were all signed and ready to go. I told him to sit tight and I would be back with his special ride. I took the papers to the desk nurse where she would process them and then I went and grabbed a wheelchair. When I got back to his room he was on his cell phone and having what seemed to be a heated conversation. I didn't want to intrude so I stayed outside and off to the side of the door and waited. When I heard him sigh and hang up the phone I came back in with a cheery smile.

He sat down in the chair and then I proceeded to wheel him out of the hospital. Nikki was outside waiting and after he was safely inside the car I turned back to the hospital and went inside. I deposited the wheelchair with the others and then made my way to the locker rooms before clocking out. As I walked towards the station where I could clock out Dr. Richards stopped me.

"Nurse Haner," he said.

"Please call me Colbie," I said with a kind smile.

"Colbie, I finally got your request for transfer as an ER nurse and I'm happy to welcome you aboard to the new station once you get back from your mini vacation," he said.

"Thank you so much Dr. Richards. As much as I love the pediatric section, I feel like I help a lot more down here then up there," I told him.

"That's understandable. Make sure to have lots of fun on your trip and I'll see you when you get back," he smiled.

I clocked out and then left the hospital. I was already packed and ready to go. All I needed to do was change out of my scrubs and hopefully get some shut eye before we headed to Mexico the next morning. It would be quite an interesting trip, but then again any trip with my brother and his friends turned out to be quite interesting. Gemma was coming as well since we weren't going to have her stay home without any kind of protection. I was really looking forward to this trip in Mexico, but I was really curious about why Brian suddenly wanted to go.

I would think about it more later since I couldn't get Kellan out of my mind. I was going to miss seeing him every day, but I knew that he would be a lot happier out in the real world. I knew that when I came back from Mexico I would have to adjust to new hours at the hospital. I really hoped that I would get some feedback from my flyers soon.