Life's Choices

Chapter Two

It wasn't any suprize that half way to the restraunt the skies opened up and unleashed their misery. Kimberly  mentally curses herself for not having the foresight to carry an umbrella or wear a waterproof coat. She knew better than to trust a sunny sky in Seattle. Seattle was never sunny for long. Hence why it was named the Emerald City. A constant watering kept it lush and green. Placing a hand on her swollen abdomen, she jogs across the semi-busy street. Her feet had barely hit the curb when the red light that had allowed her to cross turned green. Past experience had taught her to get as far from the curb as possible, unless she wanted to wear muddy water, which she did not. Sure enough, a large truck sent a spray of muck flying onto the sidewalk. A man who had crossed behind her yells obscenities as he brushes sludge from his khaki pants.

"Common sense, my man, common sense," she muses to herself. It didn't take a genius to know something large and fast would send water flying in all directions. It was one of them die in the wool sort of things. Everyone knew. Except the man behind her. She ducks into the resturaunt, shivering a bit. Funny, how she hadn't been cold out in the rain, but the moment she hit a warm interior, she was frozen. Scanning the room for a familiar face, she smiles when she finds it. Her grin only grows as she makes her way to the booth where Brian was seated, reading a newspaper. Pressing the paper down, she forces her face into a serious expression. "Reading the New York Times while in Seattle is just wrong."

Brian looks up, frowning. It takes him a moment, then he grins. "Kimberly!" Standing, he engulfs her in a hug, mindless of his spotless attire and her damp one. "Look at you, putting the pounds, I see."

Kimberly laughs, placing both hands on her stomach. "Yes. Got another two months to pack 'em on, too. I think this one is going to be a boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I'm carrying him up high. Which Crissa and Both both swear that means it's a girl, but I don't. I promised Anthony a son this time, and by golly I'm going to give him a son.!" Sliding into the opposite side of the booth from where Brianhad been sitting, she grimaces. "You would think they would take pregnant women in consideration when making these damn things."

Brian smiles faintly. He looked like he wanted to ask something, but then changed his mind. "How've you been? Other than toting another human being around?'

"Just peachy. I'm a stay at home mom now. No more crazy nurse hours for me!" It had been strange at first. Staying home with nothing to do. She had slowly found way to entertain herself, most of which she was too embaressed to admit to.

"Oh yeah? How's that going?" Brian leans back in the booth, smiling that charming dimpled grin he'd always smiled. He hadn't changed much. The only diffrence was the air of maturity around him.

"Well..you know. It's kind of hard keeping up with my secret intern affairs , but I manage. Dr. Crenshaw's chief now, you know?" She had sent him an email saying as much. As with most the emails she sent him, he never responded.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't respond. Keep busy. Work. Keely." His voice softened a bit when saying his daughter's name.

Kimberly nods. The one constant in his emails was Keely. There had been pictures attached a couple times. Pretty girl with long dark auburn hair and large hazel eyes. It was hard to say who she looked like. Kimberly didn't see Brian or Amanda. Anthony had one time made the remark that she looked bit like Michael Delgado's mother. Which was ridiculous, because Keely was Brian's daughter, not Michael's. "So, how's she taking it? You moving out here?" It hadn't been an easy choice, she knew that from his email. He just couldn't take being in the same town, the same state, as Amanda. Their divorce had not gone smoothly. Brian had admitted to having at least one affair. A co-worker. He wasn't proud of that, he had just wanted to feel like he mattered to someone. Someone who didn't act as though he was their personal puppet.

"Not to happy about it. I just...couldn't stay, you know?" Brian sighs, taking a sip of his coffee. "She's sick, Kim."

"Who? Keely?" She frowns. She had known there was a reason for this lunch. "By sick, you mean sore throat, achy head, right?"

"I wish. She's got ALL," Brian stares at something behind her. No. Not something, nothing. He was lost in thought. About Keely, no doubt.

"I'm sorry. How long have you known?" Kimberly lays a hand on her stomach. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. Whenever her two year old daughter, Eva so much as coughed she worried. To find out she had leukemia, even if it was acute lymphocytic, she couldn't grasp how terrorifying that had to be. Yes, the cure rate was high. Upwards of 90% with medication. Still, it was scary.

"For a while. We've been through everything. Chemo. Even went the bone marrow route. Some fancy thing where they reuse her own marrow. Shit, I'm a doctor," he laughs. "I should know what it's called. I do know what it's called. Just isn't coming to me right now."

Kimberly reaches across the table. She takes a hold of his hand. "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't mean much. It wouldn't mean much to me if..if I was in your shoes. Are...are they saying you're out of options?" It sucked. It sucked beyond all reason that Keely had to be in that 10% who didn't respond to treatment the way she should.

"Aside from suggesting Amanda and I have another child for the sole purpose of donating their marrow to Keely, not really. I couldn't stay, Kim. I know that makes me a coward, but I just...I couldn't stay there and watch my little girl die." His voice was thick, his eyes blurry with unshed tears.

Biting her lip, Kimberly looks at their intwined hands. "Do...do they think a sibling would help?" Her heart was pounding. This wasn't her place. This wasn't her decision. Yet, she couldn't sit here, knowing what she knew, and not say something.

"Yeah, but...I can't do it Kim. I can't bring another child into this world just...just because...you know? And I sure as hell don't want another reason for Amanda to bitch at me." There was a resigned tone to his voice. As though he had given hope.

Kimberly took a deep breath. "Oh God, forgive me," she whisphers. "Brian I think you need to talk to Jen."

Brian let's out a rueful laugh. "Unless Jen's a miracle worker, I don't think we would have much to say to each other. We didn't exactly part on amicable terms."

This wasn't her place. She hated being in the position she was in. The position where she had to pick a side. taking a deep breath, she looks at Brian, her eyes full of anguish. "When..when you left Seattle, Jen...Jen was pregnant. She was four months pregnant. And...I think...no...I know...I know that her daughter belongs to you."