The team transferred the patient and briskly set about their duties. When all of a sudden there rang such a clatter that everyone stopped to see what was the matter. There on the table the bearded man in the red suit waved his arms and one good leg that still had on his boot.
"Get away from me. Don’t cut the suit, it’s not mine. Hey, I’m gonna make you be the one to pay for it if anything happens to it." He pointed directly at the tall Trauma Fellow.
"Sir, have you been drinking tonight?" Garrett rested her hands on his shoulders as she kept him down on the table.
"Well, of course I have. How else do you think I’d get enough courage to get up on the damn roofs?" He sighed heavily and then let his body relax. "How was I supposed to know that they’d have ice up there." He looked directly at John. "Doesn’t heat rise? You’d think that roofs would be cleared of all that stuff with the heat and all."
The male nurse just shook his head. "Buddy, not everyone keeps it as hot and steamy in the bedroom as I do."
The surgeon just rolled her eyes with that comment. ‘Danni, where are you when I need you? Nothing like having a little compassion, John.’ "Okay, everybody just stop right where you are." She looked around the room. "Santa, do you hurt anywhere?"
"Just that darn ankle." He pointed to his bootless limb. "I think that I twisted it when I came down on the garbage can."
"All right, let me give you a quick exam here and some X-rays to make sure that you’re not hurt. I promise that I won’t cut the suit unless I absolutely have to. Okay?" Garrett looked down on the man with sincerity showing in her eyes.
The bearded man looked at her for a long moment before he conceded. "Okay, but I’m still not paying for it if you do."
The surgeon nodded. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that."
‘I can see that it’s going to be a long night without you, Danni.’ Garrett’s eyes glanced up to the clock on the wall opposite her. She brought her attention back to the Santa suited man, examining him as Rosie and John both undertook the effort to disrobe him. It was going to be a long night for all of them.
The gentle knock on the door was met with no answer. Brie stood patiently in the hall as the rest of the adults slowly emerged from their sleeping chambers, drawn by the sound of a gleeful child on Christmas morning. She rapped a little harder this time as she tried to arouse her sleeping sister. Again, she was met with no answer. Knowing that Danni was alone, Brie dared to be bold, opening her door and looking in.
The dim light from the hallway illuminated the room barely enough for her to see the tousled hair blonde snuggled deep in her childhood bed. Venturing into the room, Brie made her way over to the bed. "Danni, are you going to wake up?" Her question was met by the rustling of covers and the emergence of a leather clad arm out from under them. ‘How cute! I bet she missed a certain surgeon. I wonder how she’s going to explain wearing that coat all night?’
Brie’s thoughts turned to how her older sister had needed to have Gunther with her nearly the entire time. She had even taken a nap with him after dinner. ‘And speaking of dinner, what’s with her refusing her favorite wine? Then Danni’s words echoed in her sister’s head. "I’m not sure that wine would be a good thing for me right now." That prayer of hers, such a soft touch, even remembering to mention the littlest of the family in it. The woman found herself rubbing he belly reflexively at the thought of her unborn child. Suddenly Brie’s eyes grew bigger when she thought of her exact wording of the prayer. "…And throughout the year to come with the new life that you have graced our family with." Brie’s eyes fell on her sleeping sister. "Danni, are you trying to tell us…" but she couldn’t complete the thought. Brie turned to leave when the husky sound of her sister’s voice stopped her.
"Gar?"
"No, Danni, it’s me, Brie. You’re at home, remember?"
"Huh?" One very tired eyeball rolled lazily as it began to awaken. Danni began to recognize her old room. She pushed her upper torso off of the pillow. "How’d I get…" She looked over at her sister standing in the doorway as the sound of an excited toddler echoed throughout the house. "I remember now. Merry Christmas, Brie."
"Merry Christmas! You going to come down for the present opening or are you going to lay around missing that surgeon of yours?"
"Missing Garrett…why would you think that I was missing…" She looked down to the jacket that was wrapped around her small form. She could feel the blush start as it rose up her neck and began to take hold of her face. Danni rubbed her arms across her chest, acting like she was cold. "I…I was…" The small blonde searched for a reason. "Cold! I was just cold that’s all." It was all that she could do to keep the blush from overtaking her face.
"Whatever you say, Sis. I’ll let mother know that you’re up, that way you won’t have to get embarrassed twice about sleeping in that gift." Her sister chuckled and started to close the door. "I’ll see you downstairs, Danni. Your nephew will be waiting for you."
Danni let the door close before she glanced over at the clock. It was 0600. ‘Only six more hours to go. With any luck, I’ll be out of here in about four or so.’ She rose from the bed and headed for the door. Then with her hand on the doorknob, she looked into the mirror of the nearby dresser. ‘Guess I better wear my robe instead, huh?’ Reluctantly she exchanged the jacket for her robe, continuing out the door and down the stairs.
The morning had been one that the family had relived many times before. The only difference now was that the children were grown up, taking the places of their aunts and uncles. Rightfully so, their parents were now taking on the roll of grandparents with the offspring that Brie and Mark were adding to the family. The roles of everyone may have changed with time but the ritual was still the same, presents from Santa followed by presents from relatives and last of all, presents that Mother had picked out for everyone.
The hours had flown by when Mother had announced that the buffet breakfast was ready. This had always signified that gift exchanging was done. Dutifully the family would put their gifts down and move with a zombie-like walk to fulfill the matriarch’s command. This year was going to be different. Danni had stayed playing on the floor with her nephew when her Mother had approached her.
"Didn’t you hear me, Danni? I said breakfast was ready." She stood over her, waiting for an answer. "You don’t want to set a bad example for Gunther, do you?"
For a brief second, the young woman felt like a child again, being chastised for not setting a good example. Then it dawned on her. ‘I’m not a child anymore. I’m an adult and I can do what I please.’ "Mother, I’m not really hungry right now. I think that I had a little too much eggnog last night. I don’t really feel like eating."
"In all my years as your mother, Danielle, I’ve never known you to pass up breakfast."
Brie came back into the room with a plate for her son. "Something wrong, Danni? I don’t ever remember you not being first in line for breakfast."
"Nothing, Brie. I’m just a little queasy this morning and with having to ride for an hour to get to work, I’d rather not eat, that’s all."