Midsummer's Day (ER) (by Towanda)
Disclaimer: The characters Kerry Weaver, Kim Legaspi and Sandy Lopez belong to Warner Bros et al. No copyright infringement is intended. Pairing: Kerry Weaver/Kim Legaspi Rating: PG-13. Spoilers: None. Beta reader: Sailor (Many thanks!) Preliminary note: In order to write this fanfic I had to create a new category of fanfiction first, the so-called “Kitschfic”. The criteria are the following: 1. The
story has to be written under the influence of deep pre-menstrual-syndrome. 2. The
story has to include at least one natural spectacle (sunset, volcanic
eruption, rainbow, shooting star or something like that). 3. The
kitsch is not allowed to be kept under the pain barrier.
Part I
“Mooooommmiiiiiieeeee!” “Yes sweetie, I’m on my way! Where are Amy’s water wings?” Sandy tried to walk through the hot sand while simulaneously reaching for the carrier bag with her left arm. “Voilà!” she said triumphantly and pulled something with orange color out off her bag. “Well, here’s the first one for Miss Amy.” “Moooooom! Come heeeeere!!” “Yes sweetie, I’ll be there in a few seconds. Mommie is only looking for your water wings!” “Ha! And here's the second one.” Sandy handed the water wing to me and settled in the sand. “Come on”, she turned to Tom. “I am an old woman, I think we’ve done enough today.” Tom reached for the sun cream in the bag. “Exactly. We are carrying heavy loads under the blazing hot sun while my wife prefers to build sand castles with our daughter and my mother-in-law lazes around the hotel garden.” "You know pretty well that Kerry can’t take the heat anymore”, I defended Mom as I put sun cream on Tom’s back. All I needed was to here him whine tonight that he is burnt.. “I wish I could spend one day at the hotel’s pool, too”, I sighed, “but you know our tireless daughter...” Tom turned around and put a white spot of sun cream on my nose. “Tell me when you want to switch and I’ll take the next sand castle shift. You know I am the architect in this family and I know a few things about structural engineering problems.” “Oh, and you think that biologists can’t build solid walls of sands? Just you wait!” “Mom! I’ve found a crab. He’s living in my castle now!” “I’m coming Amy.” I trudged towards the water ignoring the pain in my feet from the heat of the sand. “Hey Amy. The water wings first.” Obediently Amy gave me her little arms and waited patiently while I blew up the wings. “Do you see the crab, Mom? I christened him Ralph.” “Ralph?” I had to laugh - and immediatly the air escaped from the water wings with a whistle. “That’s a nice name for a crab.” “I know. He told me that he doesn’t have a home. Actually he is an old crab-king but his castle was destroyed by an octopus, and so he lost his kingdom.” Amy watched the crab lovingly. “But now he lives here, with us”, she added tenderly. “I think, King Ralph is really lucky.” I sat down in the sand next to Amy and handed her the shovel. “We have some work to do.” Amy reached for the shovel and started to remove the tracks that the ocean had left overnight. Apparently she didn’t need my help and my eyes wandered over the turquoise glimmering sea. I was so happy that everything was going so well. The last two years we weren’t able to go on vacation. Amy was too small and Tom was always in his office. But this summer everything worked out and we decided to go on vacation. Of course amy wanted Kerry and Sandy to go with us and I was glad when they agreed. Not only did I enjoy being around my two mothers, they were a great help and support with Amy which made it a restful vacation for me and Tom. “Hanna?” “Hm?” I turned round and scanned the beach with my eyes. Tom waved. “Sandy and I are going to the kiosk and buy some ice-cream for all of us.” “Okay, I’ll watch all of our stuff.” “Dad, I want strawberries, chocolate, lemon, vanilla, and....” “Hey Miss Amy, strawberries and chocolate are more than enough for your little stomach”, Sandy laughed. “Okaaaayyyy”. Amy frowned and waded into the water in order to find a queen for King Ralph. “Okay, Ms. Amy, I’ll remember your order.” Tom grinned. “The usual for you darling?” I nodded my head and watched the two strolling on the beach, lively chatting. Tom and Sandy got along with each other from the first day. They were on the same wavelength, that was more than obvious. Tom’s relationship with Sandy was much better than with his own mother and I enjoyed that they had so much fun - although sometimes I felt a tinge of jealousy. With Kerry it was different. Tom and Kerry accepted one another, they liked each other but they never got really close to each other. Maybe because it was difficult to get close to my mother in general. She was an introverted, restrained person and social gatherings were not her cup of tea. She didn’t like the beach but she didn’t want to waste the chance to be together with her whole family, and I really thought highly of her for taking a few days off for our family vacation. “Mom!” Amy’s cry interrupted my thoughts. “What’s up sweetie?!” I looked into her face twisted with pain. “Oh my god! Amy!” Amy's little foot was covered in blood. Obviously she had stepped on somthing with sharp edges. I tried to raise her leg to look at the wound but the blood spurted out everywhere. To make matters worse I felt dizzy suddenly seeing my daughter's blood. “Help!” I shouted and waved to the people at the beach. “My daughter!” Out of the corner of my eye I saw an older woman standing up. She ran towards us, a scarf in her hand. “Can I help you?” I pointed to the pool of blood in the sand, simultaneously trying to calm down my crying child. The woman knelt down to examine the wound. “Probably a piece of broken glass. Let’s use this to stop the flow of blood and then let’s get her bandaged.“ I pulled Amy in my arms and rocked her, trying to calm her down. “Please hold on, Amy. You gonna be okay. Don’t be afraid, I’m with you sweetie. We’ll go to grandma and she will help you, okay? She will help you...” The woman next to me folded the blue silky scarf, without speaking, she quickly bandaged the wound. “Okay”, she said eventually. “This is going to have to be cleaned and she might need stiches. You might want to take her to a hospital.” “Thank you very much for your help, but I think I’ll let my mother take a look at it, she’s at the hotel and will know what to do.” “I’m coming with you. You can’t carry your daughter alone. Let me toss some jeans on.” She ran back to where her stuff was and said a few words to the woman she was with. I watched her head back toward us as the woman waved good-bye. After a minute she was back and helped me with Amy. “I have no idea how to thank you”, I panted while we were climbed the steps to the hotel. “You’re welcome”, she smiled and pushed Amy’s wet hair back from her forehead. “Everything will be okay. In a few minutes it won’t hurt this much anymore.” Amy’s crying had turned into quiet whimper. I felt so helpless and I thanked every godness that the woman next to me radiated so much calm. “Please, wait a minute. My mom will want her first-aid kit. It’s over there, in the car.” I stopped wondering where to put Amy. “No problem, I’ll get the first-aid kit. Which car is it?“ “The grey Ford over there.” I handed her the car keys. “The kit is on the back seat. Thanks.” She nodded. “You’re welcome”, she repeated. “I’ll get a move on. Are you able to carry your daughter the rest of the way?” “Yes. You will find us in the backyard of the hotel.” I turned around and ran, with Amy, through the hotel lobby toward the pool. “Mom! Are you there?! Please, you have to come. Amy injured herself!” From a distance, I could see my mom lounging by the pool. When she heard my voice, she looked over and started toward us. “My first-aid kit, it’s in the car!” “A woman is getting it for us”, I shouted back. Breathlessly I put Amy on a bench. “Amy”, Kerry leant her crutch against the bench and knelt down to her. “Don’t be afraid sweetie. Everything is gonna be okay.” Amy extended her arms and embraced mom as if she never wanted to let her go again. “It’s hurting”, she whimpered. “It hurts so much.” “We will change this now”, Kerry responded and caressed her back. “Your first-aid kit and your car keys.” The woman from the beach put down the kit on the bench and bent down to Amy. “You’re very brave Amy.” At the same time the woman leaned forward toward Amy my mother turned around. Her face was white as a sheet and for a second I was afraid she would faint. The other woman shrinked back. “Kerry.” “Grandma”, Amy cried, “It hurts so much.” “I know sweetie, I know.” Mom turned to Amy again.” Would you give me something to sterilize the wound, Kim?” The woman that was called Kim opened the kit and reached for the sterilization spray two tubes and dressing material. She handed mom the spray can. “You may have to get her to the hospital, she might need stiches.” Kerry removed the scarf that the woman had used to bandage Amy and examined the wound. “You’re right”, she said. “My first-aid kit isn’t enough for this.” She gave her the soaked scarf and started to bandage Amy’s foot. “I’m afraid your scarf is history.” I sat down on the bench and stared at my mom and the woman. They looked like they were used to one another, standing there, bending over Amy, quietly speaking to each other while the woman was handing my mom several things from the kit. And then, suddenly, I remembered. I knew this woman. Not personally. I had seen her photo. Not in a photo album but on separate photos that I had found accidentally here and there. In books, in drawers, between files. Everytime I cautiously put the photos back where I had found them. I never had the courage to ask mom about it. At first I had assumed the woman was an actress since she was so immensely beautiful and the pics weren’t stuck in an album. But then I found a private photo. And then one day I found a picture with the two of them. Amy shoved her little hand in mine and I kissed her cheek. “Everything will be alright”, I comforted her. “We're going to take you to the hospital, you know a place just like the hospital grandma works at, and in a few days you will be able to play.” Amy smiled pitifully and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Hey”, I turned to mom, “are you finished?” She shook her head. “Two minutes Hanna.” I squeezed
Amy’s hand and watched the woman talking quietly to Amy. Obviously
she knew l how to handle injured kids. The woman’s hair was shorter
than in the photos, no curls, but I recognized her features, and I recognized
the deep blue eyes. On the beach I had also noticed them. I don’t
know if it was my hand or if it were her words but Amy calmed down. “Hanna!” Sandy’s voice reverberated in the walls of the hotel garden. “What’s the matter?! Suddenly you disappeared and nobody looked after our bags, my money was...” “Not to worry, I asked my friend to look after your bags.” Sandy paused and looked suprised at the taller woman in front of her. “Who are you?“ “Sandy, this is Dr. Legaspi. She helped us. Fortunately she was near Amy when she...” “Amy? Oh my god, what happened?” Sandy ran to Amy and flopped down onto the bench. “Are you alright?” Amy layed her bandaged leg into Sandys lap for assessment. Apparently she was much better than a few minutes before, the pain had reduced and she was the proud bearer of bandages. Besides she was clearly the focus of attention. Sandy nodded respectfully. “This looks pretty dangerous Ms. Amy.” “Probably it was a piece of broken glass.” I took Amy into my arms and reached for the car keys. “We should go Kerry. Where’s Tom, by the way?” “Still on the beach. He’s waiting there, just in case.” “I’ll speak with your husband”, Dr. Legaspi offered. “You should go, and I’ll go back to the beach.” We made our way to the car. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that mom hesitated for a second when she passed Dr. Legaspi. Then we jumped into the car and drove Amy to the hospital.
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