Work Text:
“We’re short staffed D, you might have to take this hand lac.”
Perlah said extending a chart to Dana.
“Got it.”
Glasses still pearched on her nose looking down at her clipboard she grabbed the chart and looked it over.
Katherine McKay, 39
Laceration to the right index finger
She didn’t think anything of it at first, but the second she saw Katherine walking through chairs towards the door her jaw dropped, auburn hair- but no bangs, blue eyes- but no speck of brown, the distinct nose.
“I’ll be damned.”
She let out a chuckle and shook her head.
“I used a dish towel to stop the bleeding, well I tried to… It’s hard to apply pressure when you’re driving.”
Katherine laughed and it was like hearing Cassie’s laugh come out of a strangers mouth.
“Alright hon, let’s get ya checked out.”
Dana ghosted her hand over the woman’s back to lead her towards a bed.
Behind Katherine was a young boy,
Maybe 4, he was carrying Katherine’s purse and quietly following closely behind as they crossed the threshold of the trauma room.
“Mama, does it still hurt?”
He asked as he pulled himself up into the chair next to her bed.
“Not so much right now buddy, but mommy’s okay.”
She said reassuring him as she adjusted the cloth.
“Your mama will be just fine little man,”
Dana said with a smile
“‘Kay Katherine-“
“Oh please, it’s Katie. nobody’s called me Katherine since high school.”
Dana nodded and pulled her gloves on before gesturing towards the towel wrapped around Katie’s finger.
“What happened? if ya don’t mind me askin’.”
Dana asked, Katie just let out a sigh and glanced at her son.
“Well, I was opening a can of tomato paste and it tipped over. I made a shitty decision to try and catch it and it went right into my finger.”
“Mommy yelled a bad word.”
The little boy smiled mischievously
“Jack-“
Katie was cut off by the door opening and a familiar Redhead popping in.
“Hey Dana- Katie?”
Cassie immediately made her way through the glass door and shut it behind her.
She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked at Jack before reverting her eyes back to Katie.
“So you two related?”
Dana sat back on her stool and looked between the two women.
“Yeah, that’s my sister.”
Cassie said, glancing at Dana.
“didn’t know you had one.”
Dana removed her gloves and stood up from the stool.
“It’s complicated D. What’re you doing here Katie? What’s Jack doing here?”
Cassie pulled a hand from her pocket and gestured towards the boy in the chair.
“Cut my finger. Nick is on a work trip so Jack had to come with me.”
Katie shrugged and Dana silently moved to get supplies
“Gonna need stitches hon.”
She reached for a new pair of gloves from the box on the wall. Cassie shifted her weight and crossed her arms.
“I didn’t know you were back in town, Katie.”
Cassie said, a flash of guilt crept across her face but then it was gone nearly as quickly as it came.
“You don’t call Cassie, I didn’t think you wanted to know.”
She said as she allowed Dana to work on her finger, wincing when the needle went in.
“You’re still my sister Katherine, Jack is still my nephew.”
Cassie said, the guilt was back and coursing through her voice, causing it to shake.
“Listen, after what happened it was hard to act like everything was going to be okay again Cassandra.”
She said as she watched Dana guide the needle through one side of skin and then the other.
“Almost 10 years sober now Katie, and being here for Harrison is more important to me than the drugs ever were,”
She looked at Jack again, he was playing with his shoe laces and humming to himself.
“Life’s too short to be pissed off forever.”
Cassie shrugged, Dana finished up the stitch she was working on and leaned back.
“Luckily there’s no nerve damage. But be careful bendin’ it for a while ‘til it’s healed up.”
She smiled and patted Katie’s knee.
“Imma go get your discharge papers.”
She got up and gestured for Cassie to follow her, once they were at the hub she pulled her glasses off.
“What happened Cass?”
Dana’s voice was quiet, careful not to overstep.
“Katie was the one who called CPS.”
Cassie’s hands were on her hips and she was looking towards Katie’s room.
“Shit McKay, that why you haven’t talked to her?”
Dana looked at her through her eyebrows.
“Yeah, she never yells, or anything really- but that day she got up in my face and told me that I was doing a shit job at protecting Harrison, and she was right. Chad took me to court and I got sober and I refused to speak to her,”
Cassie brushed her bangs back and shrugged a shoulder.
“So uh, guess I’m the asshole. She saved my life.”
Cassie joked, earning a smack to the arm as Dana passed her.
Dana entered the room with the papers and handed them to Katie.
“Where’s Cass?”
Katie asked, not looking up as she signed the papers.
“She’s with another patient.”
Dana’s hands were clasped in front of her, patiently waiting for Katie to finish.
“What was she like?”
Dana meant growing up, she obviously didn’t want to know about the drugs or the fighting.
Katie shrugged but continued signing the next couple pages before looking up at Dana.
-
Katie, 12 years old.
“Katherine have you seen your sister?”
Katie was sitting at the dining table eating a slice of pizza when her mother came in frantically scanning the room.
“No why, is she not in her room?”
She brushed her hands off and stood to take the plate to the sink.
“No, she didn’t come home from school.”
Katie turned slowly, still chewing.
“What do you mean she didn’t come home? She’s actually missing?”
Katie’s arms crossed over her chest.
“Dads’ out looking for her, I just hope she didn’t crash somewhere.”
Katie resembled their mother a lot.
Cassie took after their father, in looks at least. Cassie had her own personality. Stubborn but very smart. However, she didn’t use her intelligence to make good decisions.
They would often find her a neighborhood over, drinking from a keg or making out with some guy she barely knew. She knew about every party, even those thrown by kids from other schools.
But Cassie wasn’t that person anymore.
—
“She was always off somewhere, no matter what we never knew where she had gone or if she was even alive. Hell, we didn’t even know if she had made it to school that morning.”
Katie was up now, she slung her purse over her shoulder and sighed.
“Thats awful Katie, I’m sorry.”
Dana said rubbing Katie’s back.
Jack jumped up from the chair and made his way over to his mom.
“yeah. Well, what can ya do? I’m sure things are much different now and I’d be willing to let her back into my life, and Jack’s. If she’d have us. lord knows I miss my Nephew too.”
She offered Dana a smile before grabbing Jack’s hand and making her way towards the door.
“Thank you Dana, think about how long it would’ve taken me to talk to Cassie if I’d just dealt with this finger at home.”
Katie said, provoking a laugh from Dana.
“Nice to meet you, Katie.”
Dana said tossing her gloves in the bin.
And waving at Jack.
The two made their way out of the hospital and Dana thought about what Katie said.
She is willing to welcome Cassie back in with open arms.