Wonderful Life

It has been two months since the passing of Jimmy. Brian has gotten a lot better with handling it and he and Michelle have patched up and are better than anything. He even proposed to her. Gemma on the other hand was having a hard time with her pregnancy. She wasn't exactly having a hard time with the actual pregnancy, but she was still having a hard time excepting the fact on how she got to be pregnant. I couldn't blame her, but I was there for her no matter what. Matt had gone up to Sacramento to hang with some friends up there for awhile and when he came back he showed up on Brian's doorstep first.

It was kind of funny because he didn't want Val to see him battered a little. As I cleaned him up I asked him what had happened and he told me that he had gotten into a bar brawl with some random guy he didn't know. I had chuckled to myself as he told the story. Brian had gone into the kitchen to get him a beer. I wasn't even supposed to be at Brian's house since I didn't like leaving Gemma alone by herself anymore. Christian knew where her house was, but he didn't know where Brian lived. I had to talk to Gemma and see if it would be alright if she stayed at Brian's for the duration of her pregnancy. I hoped she would be okay with the idea.

"Have you talked to Gemma yet," Brian asked as Matt sat on the couch nursing a bruised eye still.

"No, not yet, but I will tonight though," I answered him.

"Talk to her about what," Matt asked.

"Living at Brian's house for the duration of her pregnancy because I don't want Christian to hurt her," I told him.

"That's actually a good idea. He's never been to any of our houses so he doesn't know where we live. It would be the safest place for her to be if she's still scared," Matt replied.

"Are you going to be okay here for a couple of hours," I asked him.

"I should be. That is unless Brian decides to beat me up or Val comes over and freaks out on me," he chuckled.

"Well, just keep that cold compress on your eye. If it starts to get warm, Brian get him a new one," I said.

"Yes Nurse Colbie," Brian said wriggling his eyebrows at me playfully.

I smacked him in the arm and then left to go check on Gemma and to see if she would be willing to move in with Brian or one of the other guys until she had the baby. I had actually started to look closer at the notes and music that Jimmy had left me. I hadn't noticed it before, but he had actually written the notes for me and me alone to play. He really wanted me to show my brother my hidden talent. I don't really know why, but I would figure that out soon enough.

I pulled into the driveway of Gemma's house and got out. I let myself in and found Gemma passed out on the couch. She looked so peaceful with a protective hand over her small barely noticeable bump. She would make a good mother when this kid was born. I couldn't wait to be an aunt. I went down to the basement first so that I could continue to look at the notes Jimmy left me. I hadn't started to try and play them yet only because I was one to study the notes for long periods of time before I actually started to play them. It was one way that I learned that made me really good at playing. It was like I didn't need to have notes in front of me in order to play. It almost made me feel like the kid from the movie Drumline with Nick Cannon as the main character where he played so well, yet didn't know how to read a single note. I found that movie very entertaining and even tried to learn some of the stuff they played.

Brian and Papa Gates gave me guitar lessons and Matt even gave me piano lessons on the side, but it wasn't something I truly loved to do. The drums were something that really caught my eye only because I loved how the beats could be either passionate or dark or even both at the same time. I watched Jimmy play on stage and I could see how much he loved what he did. It was something that made my heart warm up with so much love towards that man.

The sound of glass breaking jolted me out of my thoughts and I rushed up the basement steps. I tried for the door but something was blocking it. Damn It I cursed in my head. I whipped out my phone and dialed Brian's number. He answered on the first ring. I told him the problem and he said that he was on his way. I hung up and started banging on the door as loudly as I possibly could. I wasn’t sure if anyone could actually hear me or not, but I was scared for Gemma's safety and well being since she was pregnant.

I ended up sliding down the door mid bang after about ten minutes of it. I was getting tired and worn out. I heard shouting and that perked me up big time. Footsteps came closer to the door and I started banging on it again. Something was moved and the door was whipped open. I fell into the arms of my brother.

"Gemma," I asked looking at him.

"She's fine. Zacky's with her and Matt's outside with Christian," he said, anger flashing in his eyes.

I closed my eyes in shame. I had been so caught up in reminiscing about Jimmy and reading over my private drum notes that I hadn't even heard the commotion until the glass broke. Brian led me to the living room and Gemma immediately ran to me. I embraced her in a hug and we both sat down on the couch.

"What happened Gemma," I asked her.

"I was asleep. I heard the door open and I smelled your perfume that you wear sometimes so I didn't bother waking up. I heard your footsteps through the kitchen and then the basement door open. I didn't hear it close, so I figured you weren't going to be down there that long. When I didn't hear you come back up I got suspicious. I got up myself and went into the kitchen to get something to drink, but I made a beeline for the bathroom first. That's when I heard the door to the basement was closed rather quietly. I heard a chair scrape against the floor and then was really confused. I finished up in the bathroom and when I entered the living room Christian was standing by the fireplace. I panicked, but before I could reach the front door he had me pinned against the wall. My arms had flung against the wall and it knocked down one of the pictures. The glass broke," she said through shaky breaths.

"That was the glass that I heard breaking then," I said.

Gemma looked at me fear clearly coating her eyes.

"Gemma, I was wondering if you would be willing to live with Brian or one of the other guys for the duration of your pregnancy," I asked her.

"Yes, anything, please I can't stand being anywhere near Christian after what he did to me," she said turning her head into my shoulder.

I rubbed her back and looked at Zacky. He nodded his head and headed up the stairs. Gemma was clearly frightened at the moment and all I needed to do was hold onto my best friend and never leave her side again. Zacky came down ten minutes later with two fully loaded suitcases in hand. He took them out to Brian's truck and then came back in followed by Matt.

"Is he gone," I asked him.

"Yeah, but it took a couple of punches before he stormed off," he admitted.

"Did he hit you," I asked.

"No, couldn't land a swing," he smiled widely.

I nodded my head. I looked to Brian standing by the fireplace with his protective, yet brooding look on his face and nodded at him. He kicked off from his leaning position and walked towards the door. I helped Gemma stand up from the couch and we both walked out the door. I led her to Brian's truck, but then realized that Christian might anticipate that. I walked away from his truck and that earned a confused look from Brian as well as Gemma. Instead I walked towards my car, but didn't feel safe around that one either. I would have to look for a new one. Christian wasn't stupid as much as I would like to think he was, he wasn't.

I finally led her to Matt's SUV and we both got in. He started his car and drove off. He would drop us off in front of a random house that was positioned on the other side of Brian's. It was the only way to hopefully throw him off for awhile. We were friends with all of the guy's neighbors so it was quite nice to be welcomed into the neighbor's home. They said that they would help us for as long as we needed their help. We stayed there until about midnight. Brian met us on the other side of his fence with Matt. Matt helped Gemma over the fence after I helped her up to the posts. I grabbed a plastic chair from the patio furniture and then hoisted myself over the fence. Brian caught me before I fell.

Zacky had dropped off the suitcases before we got there so Gemma's clothes were waiting for her in one of the spare bedrooms. She went up the stairs and changed and when I went up to change my clothes I found her sitting on the bed. She looked scared shitless and I wish that I could do something more for her.

"Gem, do you think it's time we involve the police," I asked her.

"I don't know. Christian isn't stupid, but he doesn't know about the pregnancy yet. Once I start showing it's going to be a lot harder to hide it from him," she said.

"We'll get through this, I promise you," I told her.

"You're a great friend Colbie, I don't know where I would be without you or your brother," she said leaning into my side.

"Gemma, things will be okay. They will turn out better than okay," I said rubbing her arm that I had wrapped mine around in a side hug.

*****

Three weeks after Christian's initial attack on Gemma things had turned up. Christian was lying low for the time being and Gemma was getting better. Christian had done some things that friends shouldn't have and I wanted to kill him for it. I had gone back to her house to make sure any glass was cleaned up and then also so that I could continue my studying of the notes. I never went alone though. Zacky would go with me or Johnny. Sometimes it would be Matt and sometimes Brian. Other times Matt or Jason Berry went with me.

Brian wasn't going to let me go near that house alone anymore. I couldn't blame him though. Christian was a dangerous man and he obviously had a nasty temper to deal with. I did not want to get on the bad side of his temper, because if I did then I could only imagine the worst results possible. Gemma wasn't going to work today. I made sure that Brian and Zacky would keep her home because she still needed to calm down the stress levels surrounding her. It wasn't good for her to stress about work, her med school starting soon, and Christian all at once. She had to stay calm and she hasn't been lately. I was worried about her.

Brian had said that he would get me a new car, but I told him that he didn't have to do that. At the moment he was dropping me off at the corner coffee shop and I was walking to the hospital. He didn't like that idea very much, but I assured him that I could handle myself. Right now I was waiting impatiently for my coffee before I headed in for my shift. It was taking forever and I hated it. My time was running out. Finally, they called my name and then I rushed out a little too fast without looking at where I was going. I bumped into someone and spilled my coffee all over the place as I landed on my ass.

"Damn It," I muttered, getting to my feet and brushing my hands off.

"Are you alright," I male voice asked.

"Yeah, fine. Excuse me I'm late for work and I have to go," I said not even looking at the guy.

I made it to the hospital just in time to start my rounds. I clocked in and then began my rounds. I normally worked on the pediatric ward and sometimes in the ICU ward as well. Today was going to turn out incredibly different. As I was finishing up my last patient round on the ICU ward before lunch I was approached by the sick freak Dr. Donovan himself.

"What do you want," I asked nonchalantly.

"I need you to head down to the ER. They are short staffed today and they asked me if I could spare some nurses," he answered sounding bored.

"Sure," I said and then headed down to the ER level of the hospital.

I had never worked there so it was all new to me. Just as I was walking up to the desk to see where they needed me a doctor grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me towards the back entrance where all the medical vehicles park.

"Sorry, but we needed your help at the moment. All the other nurses are stuck with other patients," the doctor said sounding out of breath.

"Not a problem, I mean I was just wondering where I needed to go to help," I said as we stopped and waited as six ambulances started pulling up to the hospital.

"What happened," another nurse asked standing by me.

"There was a car pileup just down the street. Two of them died at the scene, the one who caused the accident was drunk. One person was just walking across the street and was clipped, but it still caused some damage. He's the one you'll be helping out Nurse Haner," the doctor who had grabbed my arm explained.

"Alright sure," I said and waited patiently.

EMTs rushed out the back of one with a guy on a stretcher. I went into immediate action. I was directed to keep the oxygen mask on his face so I did. He had lacerations on his legs and arms and I was almost positive that they were from being hit and tossed onto the ground. He had a broken left wrist that was swelling up pretty bad. The ER was a hectic place to work, but I could actually understand why some people would want to work there. It was a sense of excitement that I was feeling as I was going through the halls holding the oxygen mask to this guy's face.

"Haner, how's the oxygen coming along," a doctor asked.

"Fine," I answered as I continued to run down the hall alongside the stretcher.

Finally we came to an open area where I was able to catch my breath a little. I never left the guy's side as the doctors continued to work. Someone came and took over the oxygen mask job and I was led back to where more ambulances were entering the hospital. There was one guy who was bleeding out from the neck and the EMTs were waiting to rush him through the hospital. I immediately ran towards that stretcher and placed my hands down on the place he was bleeding out. His eyes were a dark blue at the time and he looked scared for his life.

"Sir, it's going to be alright," I said trying to sooth his fears.

The EMTs told me what had happened to this guy and I looked down at his hands. He had something fisted in his hand, but I didn't have time to figure out what it was. I had to focus on making sure that this man wouldn’t die on the stretcher.

"HANER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING," someone yelled at me.

"Making sure that this man doesn't die," I said, pressing hard on the gash in his neck.

Doctors rushed to my side and I ran all the way to an OR with my hand pressing on this guy's neck. I was told to keep my hand to his neck until they could sedate him in order to operate on the gash. Once the guy was knocked out, the blood flow slowed down, but not enough for me to remove my hand from the neck though. I was replaced by a doctor and then told to go clean up.

I left the OR and went to a room where there were spare scrubs for me to change into. I took a shower in the bathroom in the change rooms. When I was all clean I changed into a pair of clean scrubs and just sat down to think. I had never participated in the ER section of the hospital because the trauma that came through was so sudden and so bad that I wasn't sure if I would actually be able to handle it, but now that I have I've seen a new light. The ER is a place that I could maybe see myself working in sometimes. Maybe not full time, but at least when they needed extra hands.

I always wore a locket around my neck and I went to go take it in my hand, but I didn't feel it at my neck. I started to become frantic because that necklace was the last birthday present that Jimmy ever gave me and it was so special to me.
I was wondering if I had lost it at the coffee shop and didn't realize it or not. I hoped that I could find it soon though. I went to lunch after I had finished with changing and Dr. Donovan found me in the cafeteria and sat down.

"I'm not interested so get the fuck away from me," I said.

"I'm only here to thank you for not fighting me on where I put you this morning. You were praised by all the doctors down there and they've actually asked me to ask you if you wanted to become a permanent nurse down there," he answered.

"I don't know yet, but I do have to find my locket," I said rubbing my neck where my locket normally lay.

"I'll put a word out among the rest of the staff to see if it turns up," he said.

"Thanks," I said.

I didn't even really hear him leave. My thoughts were jumbled. My shift was going to end as soon as I went through the rest of my afternoon rounds. I just hoped that Brian or any of the others didn't notice my missing necklace because I wouldn't know what to say about it. That necklace held so much value to me and I wanted it back. After I did my afternoon rounds I called Brian and he came to pick me up. I didn't say anything the whole way home because I just couldn't get my thoughts away from my necklace and how it was missing.