Source: (Picture of closeup of stethoscope and pens on a person wearing a white coat)
Josh had a love hate relationship with morning rounds. On the one hand, he learned a lot, which he appreciated as a first year resident. On the other, he felt examined and judged when it was his turn to speak. With a sigh of relief he finished presenting his last patient, allowing the spotlight to turn to his colleague, Jules.
“Who’s our next patient?” the attending on duty today, Dr. Lewis, was tough and impatient but Jules knew what he wanted and jumped right in.
“Jane Doe. She’s an unknown female found wandering naked in the woods near that car crash last night. She seems to have suffered only minor contusions and abrasions and is unable to tell us who she is or what happened to her. MRI shows no recent brain injury and none of her injuries are consistent with having been in the car when it went over the ravine. Her presence appears to have been coincidental. Due to her amnesia and confusion, I’ve asked for a neurology consult. Also, police have interviewed her. We are unsure at this point whether or not she is a crime victim.”
“Labs?”
“Unremarkable with the exception of her pregnancy test which is positive… I haven’t told her yet and she hasn’t mentioned it either. I don’t think she knows…”
“You should have led with that…” Dr. Lewis gave Jules a severe look over the top of his glasses, allowing the moment to linger until she shrank a little, “Ok. Let’s go see her…”
Josh moved within the sea of white coats into the unknown woman’s room. At first, he couldn’t see her but as the coats in front of him parted and her angelic face came into view his heart skipped, then faltered…
The room swam before his eyes and he felt himself half stepping, half falling backwards out of the room. He stumbled at the doorway, landing hard on his ass in the middle of the hallway, confused and hyperventilating.
“Dr. Mason, what’s wrong?” Janaya rushed over from the nurses station, positioning herself on the floor to examine him. “Are you ok? Should I call for help?”
“I… She…”
“Breathe, Doctor. Just take one slow deep breath and then another. You’ve got this. You’re doing great.” His breathing slowed as he met her calm, compassionate eyes bringing a sudden clarity as to why her patients thrived. “That’s good. Are you ready to talk?”
He nodded, pausing for just a moment before it all flowed out in a rush. “That woman in there. She’s the love of my life… And she died seven years ago…”
Originally published for Instagram’s Romance Writer Challenge June 2019
Prompt day 17 “Romance Tropes”
Source: (Picture of the word “Time”typewritten on a slip of paper which is on fire)
Right before he vanished he stood near the tiger cages eating an ice cream cone and staring at me confidently. I was sure I had him but I blinked and he was gone. He just vanished into thin air. “Fuck! I missed him again.” A little girl stopped to stare at me wide eyed and I realized I had sworn out load. I stuck my tongue out at her childishly before disappearing myself. I shouldn’t have made such a spectacle but whatever. I was tired of being invisible and who would believe her anyway?
“Lee! What happened?” Emily asked, “What did he do?”
“Nothing. He went to the zoo and had ice cream. Then he disappeared. What could he possibly be trying to change?”
“Maybe it’s personal.” She answered, “He didn’t interact with anyone?”
“No. No one significant and he saw me. Stared right at me while he disappeared. Did you see where he went?”
“Yeah he’s CTP. He didn’t retrieve anything?”
“He was eating an ice cream cone. He appeared at the zoo, bought an ice cream cone, leaned on the fence near the tigers, stared at me and disappeared, apparently to Current Time Period. Do you think he’s toying with us?”
“Yes and no,” she answered clicking on her ear bud, “Jenni, Can you get me some information on July 18th, 2025, 2:12 pm, Bronx Zoo? Keywords, Ice cream, Tiger, Cage. I want to know if there’s any relation to anyone at the zoo that day. Please look closely at the food vendor and search security archives. Full report to follow,” Emily turned back to me, “Write up your report and get it to Jenni ASAP. We need to figure out his angle before he creates a paradox. I hate time travel cases.”
“Emily, time travel cases are our whole job.”
“Oh. Yeah. I forgot to mention I hate my job.”
“No you don’t.”
“Ok. I don’t. Keep your comm on. I want to meet as soon as we have an analysis.”
“Sure thing.”
“Ok. Gangs all here!” Emily was clearly in her element. She obviously relished these meetings. “Jenni: Go!”
“So, it’s not the food vendor but I searched the security footage and found this,” She tapped her remote activating the holo screen and to my horror a young girls face popped up.
“Shit.”
“Lee? You know this girl?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, well. She spotted me.”
“She spotted you? Please elaborate.”
“When the perp disappeared I swore out loud and she noticed me and… I stuck out my tongue at her before I disappeared.” Jenni did a sharp intake of breath at my confession while Emily stared at me stonily.
“You mean to tell me that you made yourself known to a Past Time Subject?”
“Well. Not on purpose.”
“We’ll talk about this later. Let’s move on,” She regained her professional tone but I could feel her wrath from the other side of the table, “Jenni, who is she?”
“She’s Rowena Durgin.”
“Rowena Durgin?” Emily mused, “Why is that name familiar?”
“Because she makes what we do possible.” Jenni replied.
“What?” Emily looked dubious.
“Well, Ok so she didn’t exactly invent time travel but she posited the idea that led to the invention. Like, she literally figured out the exact math that makes it possible.”
“Ok, so we think he’s after her,” Emily glared at me, “Did he make contact with her or just Lee here?”
I felt myself blushing, “No. In fact, I doubt she even noticed him. I swore and she stopped to look at me.”
“Jenni, do we have footage to back that up?”
“Yes Ma’am.” She replayed the footage. “You see, the tiger enclosure is here and she is looking the opposite direction until… See here?” She paused the film as Rowena looked up as if startled. “That must have been when she saw Lee.”
“Keep playing.” Emily ordered. Rowena stopped walking and stared straight ahead looking astonished until her mother noticed she had fallen behind and collected her. As she walked away she kept her face resolutely turned to the spot where I disappeared.
“What else can you tell us?” Although she was addressing Jenni Emily was glaring furiously in my direction. I shrunk in my chair.
“Rowena is his great great grandmother.”
“Is there a personal reason he might want to contact her?”
Jenni stammered, “ Well, I think… I think he was successful. I think what happened…” She looked at me apologetically, “with Lee… I think it changed things. I think the timeline already changed. I mean, I can’t prove it and I don’t know how he knew it would change things but… That’t the problem with a timeline change. It’s impossible to track. What I can track is this: he’s benefited financially from her patents. Substantially, in fact.”
“Please explain.” Emily glared once more in my direction.
“Well, her official autobiography recounts a day she went to the zoo and saw a woman disappear and she credits it as sparking her interest in the possibility of time travel . Lee, I’m sorry,” she added softly, “She remembered you. It had a profound effect on her life and she had a profound effect on the future because of it.”
“Shit.” I looked at Emily’s livid face, “Emily, I didn’t know.”
“But you know the rules,” She intoned crisply, “You are not to be seen, not to interfere in any way with the workings of the past. I’m sorry, Lee. You are a good agent but you know the rules and the punishment. “
“I do,” I said trying to bite back the fear that welled up in me, “I’m ready.”
“Let’s do it quickly. Jenni, you can be excused.”
“Bye, Lee. It’s been an honor,” Jenni turned away quickly but I saw the tears welling up and was grateful for them. It was nice to know she cared.
I turned to Emily as the door closed behind her, “Ok. I’m ready. No delays. Live and die a warrior, right?”
“Right,” she agreed pointing her gun at me, “Godspeed, Lee.”
Source: (Picture of North and South america from space)
Everything changed in a flash… our secrets and lies were exposed… and once it started it was like a domino effect.
The shadow was illuminated… the veil was shredded… and we saw each other fully for the first time.
It became hard to look one another in the eye… hard to gather together without our invisible elephant… hard to pretend we were still friends.
Families became enemies… children were placed in jail… we saw the coldness in our loved ones hearts.
And try as we might we could not warm them… regretfully, heartbreakingly and probably deservedly… we were all lost to a collective fate we could not prevent.
“Ok,” Olive said pacing the living room, “I finished the calculations and it has to be tonight. The thing is, I don’t have the equipment ready and I’m supposed to work at the store. I may have to go through the motions today to keep access to the necessary location… unless you want to chance a break in which is still going to have a bigger time cost than we can afford… I don’t know how I’m going to build the vortex before the window closes.”
“I’m scheduled off tonight, perhaps they’ll let me cover your shift and then I can let you in the back before they shut the store down. It will actually be a good position for me to be in to secure the store. How much can you finish off site?” Rana asked.
“I think a lot of it… It won’t leave a lot of time for the final touches that need to be done on site. The power fluctuation is getting weaker. I calculate it will be impossible to tap into by 10:05 pm… we’ll be cutting it close. It’s up to you, Ma’am.” They both turned to Francine for direction.
“I don’t like cutting things close. Do we have any other options?”
“Short of taking hostages and closing the store down? No.” Rana answered.
“No. I don’t want to draw that kind of attention. It’s too risky. Ok. Olive? Any other risks?” Francine didn’t like surprises.
“Well, if I don’t get it just right it will explode, taking out half the shopping center, so there’s that,” Olive said matter of factly, “But that’s always a risk… The time crunch just amplifies it because I’ll have to work quickly.”
“Ok. Then let’s not fuck it up. That’s the plan then. We’ll cut it close. Rana will work. Olive, I’ll stay with you to assist as needed. Good?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” They answered in unison.
Francine was feeling the stress of failure. They weren’t supposed to have set foot on Earth at all. Their mission to intercept the shipment had gone horribly wrong and they had exchanged fire and lost, falling violently through the atmosphere and crash landing on the tiny planet. As the only three survivors they had been hiding here ever since counting on Olive’s expertise for a solution. No help would come. Francine knew they would be considered Killed in Action.
Crap! The store is about to close, Jake thought rushing through the door. If he didn’t pick up that replacement toaster tonight his roommate was going to kill him. He had been promising for days after having killed the last one (and nearly electrocuted himself in the process). He veered wildly into the men’s room in spite of the time crunch. He had stopped off for a beer on the way and wasn’t going to make it home.
Rana knew the drill by now. She and Olive had been hiding in the store after it closed for months while Olive studied the disturbance for viability. She was careful to go through the motions of going to her locker and punching out before excusing herself to the bathroom and ducking behind the stacked pallets. She waited until the store went dark before deactivating the back door and letting Francine and Olive through.
“Ok.” Francine said wasting no time slipping into command mode. “Rana, secure the store. I have a full shopping list. Olive needs 3 heavy duty electric cords and 3 power strips along with 5 toasters. Can you secure those?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Rana left the office briskly.
“Olive, do you have everything else you need?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I just need to assemble the final bits. We only need enough heat to jumpstart our equipment. I just need to strip the toasters and retrofit to our power crystal.”
“We should have procured the toasters in advance.”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. It actually fulfills a last minute problem I didn’t anticipate. I brought our toaster too. I’ve already stripped what I need from it.”
They took position near the security cameras, Francine keeping watch nervously while Olive got to work.
Jake finished peeing and washed his hands thoroughly at the sink looking intently at his reflection in the mirror. He was pale and thin, his addiction, he knew, had been slowly killing him for years and he thought it might not be long now. He stared into his sunken eyes feeling a strange moment of compassion for his own loss. It didn’t last. His stomach clenched with the onset of withdrawal. He couldn’t let it get out of hand. Latley, there wasn’t much time between feeling rough and nearly dead. He had already been hospitalized twice and had only recovered when a friend brought him more drugs. The medical community was stumped by this new drug that seemed to have no antidote. He wasn’t taking any chances. He went back to the stall and shot up.
Rana finished sweeping the store with the men’s room near the entrance. “All clear. I have the power supplies and just need to grab the toasters.” She said into the radio heading for appliances.
“Good. Grab them quickly and head back. I want to get out of here. I have a bad feeling.” Francine replied.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Rana knew the feeling. Something felt off. She had half expected to find something on her security sweep. But maybe they were just jumpy. Frankly, after months of working this crappy job and fighting off the sleazy manager she was beyond ready to leave this planet.
Jake stumbled out of the Men’s room not noticing that the store had become dark and quiet in the rush of his fresh injection. He continued on his mission towards the Appliance Department unaware that he was nearly alone in the store…
Francine’s radio crackled. “Ma’am, We’re short one toaster.”
“How can that be? Didn’t you text me we were good earlier?”
“I know and I counted again on my sweep. The store was already empty.”
Francine looked over her shoulder at Olive “Any way you can make it work?”
“No, it’s not optional.” Olive answered without looking up from her work. “Without it, we’ll fail and have to start over looking for a new disturbance to manipulate.”
“Shit!” She punched the button on her radio in frustration, “Rana, did you miss someone in the store?”
“It’s possible? I mean this is a big area to sweep alone.”
“OK. Bring us what you have. Then we’ll sweep together.” She looked back at Olive worriedly, “You’ll be ok. Just keep working.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Jake had picked out the cheapest toaster he could find and made his way back to the front of the store. He was now staring worriedly at the empty cash registers while his brain calculated slowly. Empty registers… dark store… no one around… The solution came to him all at once. He placed the toaster down on the nearest one and walked to the door trying to push it open but it was locked. Ok, he thought, cell phone. He felt around his pockets for his phone before realizing he had left it in the car. Shit!
Francine and Rana had left the supplies with Olive and made their way to the front doors. “Rana, look. Isn’t that a toaster on register 9?”
“Yes. I think it is. Francine, I swear that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. I wouldn’t have missed it. Someone has to be in here.”
“It doesn’t matter. Lets just get it and hope to get out of here before they find us.” Rana grabbed the toaster as they passed the checkout and they made their way back into the warehouse moving stealthily so as not to disturb the unwanted visitor.”
Jake wandered through the store looking for a person, a phone, any way to let someone know he was trapped. He had to get out. He only had a single hit left and was sure he would be dead by morning.
“How much longer, Olive? We’re not alone in here. We need to go.” Francine and Rana stood guard with their backs to Olive as she worked, Francine impatiently checking her watch while Rana stood alert weapon at the ready.
“A little bit longer if you don’t want to blow up the building.” Came the tense reply. “And please stop asking. I need to think right now.”
Jake had found his way in the dark to the warehouse door and heard voices within. Oh Thank God, he thought, There’s still people here that can let me out. He pushed through the door and followed the voices to the back of the warehouse.
“Rana, did you hear the door?” Francine asked.
“Yeah. I heard it. I’m ready.” She answered with quiet steadiness.
“Hello? Anyone here? I got locked in,” Came the voice out of the darkness.
Rana flinched as she heard him push the back door release. She had reconnected the alarm after letting the other two in. “Shit. He just tripped the alarm. We’ve got about three minutes before the police show up.
“Hey!” Jake called out, “I heard you talking before. I really need help. I can’t survive the night in here.”
“I was hoping to avoid this.” Francine growled. They could see his shadow advancing toward them. “I’m going to have to engage.” Francine stepped out of the shadows, holstering her weapon and smiling like a store clerk. “Hi!” She said brightly, “Can I help you?”
“Oh, Thank God. I was in the bathroom and got locked… What… what are you doing?” Olive had just encountered a problem that resulted in a flash of sparks.
Francine swore inwardly. The sirens were already approaching. they were running out of time and she had to deal with a stray.
Rana moved out of the shadows, weapon drawn and pointed at Jake while hers eyes flicked nervously to the security feed. “I have a shot Ma’am,” She said crisply.
Francine moved closer to Jake sniffing the air.
“No. We can’t harm him. We came here to save him and we need to take him with us.” She looked back at Rana, “Don’t you smell it. He’s an addict. He got some of the shipment we were supposed to intercept. When did you inject last?”
“What?” Jake asked.
“The Orphium. When did you last inject.” Jake stared at her dumbfounded.
Olive sparked again behind them and called out, “Almost there, Ma’am!”
“Good thing.” Rana called out. “The police just entered in the front.”
Francine sniffed again, “You’re dying soon. I can smell death on you. It’s not too late. We can help you. When did you last inject?”
Jake broke down crying noisily, “Just a few minutes ago. I won’t live through the night in here.”
“Got it in 5… 4… 3…” Olive called out.
“Good thing because they are here.” Rana watched the officers push through warehouse door on the screen.
“Come with us. We can help.” Francine touched Jake’s shoulder, gently. “We can cure you.”
“2… 1!” The vortex flashed open behind Olive. “Woohooo!! It worked! We’re going home.”
“Olive, Rana, Go through!” Francine called out unholstering her weapon. She could hear the officers approaching.
“Not without you Ma’am.” Rana said.
“Go, it’s an order!!”
“Ma’am, you can’t wait long. It won’t last.” Olive called out.
“I can’t wait anyway they’re here. Go!!”
“Ma’am!”
“I’ve got it, Rana. Go!” Rana backed up slowly to the vortex hesitated, then followed.
“You heard her. We don’t have much time. Come with me. We can help.”
“I can’t jump into that. I can’t.” Jake sobbed.
“You’re dying anyway. Take my hand. It’s ok.” She reached her hand out. “It’s ok but we have to go now.”
Jake realized she was right. He was dying. What did it matter how? He reached out his hand. They jumped together landing safely in the vortex just as the officers began shooting.
Source: (Picture of hospital beds in an empty ward)
“Because, my friend, we are all going to die eventually.” his warm steady eyes pierced as deeply as his truth. We were all going to die. It’s how it works. A soulful man like him would understand it well.
I understood too. I had said those exact words to many patients in the course of my career, always wondering if I could feel so easy about it from the other side of the bed. Now I could know what I had always suspected: I didn’t. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to let go and was angry it had come so soon.
My eyes burned and teared and he handed me a tissue without breaking his gaze. “I’m sorry, friend, I wish there was a softer way to say it but you know the truth of it better than most.”
“I just hadn’t expected it so soon. I had meant to retire, travel more, see my grandkids. I had less than a year to collect my retirement and now… I struggled… I worked… All that time… For nothing.”
“Not nothing. How many times have you sat with a dying patient and held their hand? How many families have you comforted? Why would you call that nothing? You’ve made a difference.” I continue crying. He gently takes my hand, “Death isn’t the end. It’s just a new phase and I have to believe wherever you go will be amazing. You can’t give so much every day and not deserve an amazing death.”
An amazing death… I would need to contemplate what would make it amazing. “Once, a friend told me she was hoping for Taco Tuesdays in heaven. Do you think that qualifies as amazing? Because, I have to be honest, it’s a small comfort but it’s not nothing.”
He laughed, “Was that Kendra? She’s always pushing Taco Tuesdays.”
“Yeah.”
“Ok. We’ll say a prayer for Taco Tuesday. It’s a start.”
“It’s a start.” My heart felt lighter, if only for a moment…
I should have known something was up when she stuck the dreaded collar around my neck last week but nothing happened so I didn’t worry. She’s sneaky, though, and you would think I’d know it by now. Last night it all became clear. She returned home from… wherever she disappears to… and stuffed us both into our carriers where we spent the next several hours in terror. She didn’t let me out no matter how much I serenaded either. Honestly, she should try spending three hours cowering in a box.
And now I’m stuck at “Grandma’s”. Yeah. I’m using quotes. I know she’s not my real grandma. They aren’t fooling me. And also, I don’t like it here. There are other cats and I’m not allowed to beat them up. Other things I’m not allowed to do include pooping on the floor, scratching absolutely anyone and sneaking out of my room. It’s horrible here and I hate it.
As soon as “mom” picks me up, I’m going to pee on her shoes.
My mother’s sapphire necklace appeared around her neck whenever there was an occasion special enough for something so fancy. It wasn’t “church special” or “night out with daddy special” it was “graduation special”, “wedding day special” “look but don’t touch special”… And sometimes if I was lucky, it was “Sunday afternoon play dress up special”.
She knew how I loved it. I loved its sparkle. I loved how it offset her deep blue eyes and I loved the story of how it had come to be handed down to her from her mother who had sewn it into the liner of her jacket before leaving Poland just in time.
Today, though, there were no stories or celebrations. My mother had requested the necklace to be placed around her neck as she lay dying in her bed. “Beth,” she had whispered, raspily, “bring me the sapphire. Today is a special occasion.”
“What occasion, Mother?”
“Today, I move on and the necklace becomes yours. I would like to wear it one last time in celebration.”
“Ok, Mother,” I placed the necklace on her and took her hand. “You look beautiful. You always did when you wore it.”
“My daughter… It is all I had left of my Mother. She died so young. When I wore it to all those events, it was like she was there with me… Watching me get married, seeing you graduate… Beth, it kept her with me and now I want it to keep me with you. Promise you will wear it for all of your special occasions.” She breathed laboriously. It must have taken her so much effort to make her speech. My heart broke open and tears flowed freely down my cheeks.
“I promise, Mother, I will wear it in your honor. You will always be with me.”
“Oh, Beth. I love you.” she squeezed my hand sleepily.
I leaned in and kissed her forehead, “I love you too, Mother. You can rest now.”
Originally published for Instagram’s Romance Writer Challenge June 2019
Prompt day 9 “Family Jewels”
Source: (Picture of a woman’s nude shoulders and above, making a sexy face)
He held me in gentle comfort and I sighed contentedly. It was one of those rare moments when he let go of his bravado and let me in. I relished it. What he couldn’t possibly understand (or this would happen more often) is how incredibly sexy those moments we’re for me.
We kissed and allowed our gazes to linger on each other’s eyes. I touched his cheek. He smiled and leaned back in. Our kisses grew deeper and more intense by the minute. Soon we were undressing both ourselves and each other. I pulled him down on top of me, ready to let him in but he stopped me.
“Wait.” He said, softly, pulling away from my grasp, “I want to use my mouth. I’m going to rock your world tonight.”
Originally published for Instagram’s Romance Writer Challenge June 2019
Prompt day 8 “Share a Sexy Line”
Source: (Picture of a woman with tears streaming down her face)
It takes a moment for everything to change. A knock at the door, a man in uniform… He speaks the words you simultaneously dreaded and thought impossible.
One moment you’re happily planning a sexy evening and the next… You stand on a precipice, an endless void in the place of your soul. It feels as if God is lost forever… or maybe… you’ve been forgotten by God. There’s no sense of time or place just an endless blur of tasks and people and then you’re alone and there’s still stuff to do but you can’t remember what and you’re definitely not going to do any of it.
Survival becomes a matter of habit and joy is a distant memory, now too painful to contemplate. What is the point in getting out of bed? When will you feel human again?
Natolie Webb 