Page 31 of Hearts on Fire

Naomi turned and started to walk away.

Scotti watched Naomi’s abrupt departure, and she didn't know how to feel about it. Naomi didn’t even give her a chance to say anything. Didn’t even ask any questions.

She felt desperate.

“Naomi!” she called, to no avail.

With some help, Scotti got out of the ambulance. She didn't head for the emergency unit as she should have; she headed in the direction she saw Naomi go.

She would have kept walking until she found her if Jeanette the paramedic, did not come after her and command her to turn around to the emergency unit.

Scotti bit the side of her lip to stop them from quivering from intense emotion. It hurt her that Naomi didn't even ask what happened or say anything other than what her body language had said.

With Jeanette's help, Scotti got a doctor to attend to her wounds. There was not much to be done other than clean them up. Thankfully, the doctor said they were surprisingly onot too deep. They would heal ok if kept clean and bandaged.

Scotti barely sat through the process. She stared blindly at the wall, her mind wandering to figure out what she did wrong with Naomi.

Well, she knew what it was. She just didn’t want to accept it.

As soon as the doctor declared her free to go with her sore bandaged palms, she went to find Naomi.

Naomi, however, didn't need to be looked for. She was standing right outside the door as Scotti exited the treatment room into the ER.

“Let me see your hands,” Naomi said to Scotti.

Scotti showed Naomi her bandages.

“Just minor. No big deal.” Scotti said as calmly as she could.

“Screw that, Scotti, I'm the doctor here.”

Naomi's voice went up a pitch, and Scotti feared that soon she'd be screaming at her right there in the corridor.

“Let's step outside for a moment. Where's your car?” Scotti asked.

Naomi didn't answer, she only led the way. They both forced their brimming emotions to stay silent as they walked out to the parking lot to where Naomi's car was parked.

They both wanted their private life to stay private and a showdown in the ER was not conducive to that.

When they made it to the car park, Naomi unleashed her anger. “What were you thinking? You could have died in there!”

Scotti fought to remain calm. “That's my job.”

“Nobody says you have to die for it! You take too many risks, Scotti! You go off script. You risk everything!”

“You're overreacting, Naomi. I don't scream at you when you spend hours standing next to a patient, trying to get them to live.”

“There's nothing harmful about that. It's not like I'd mistakenly stab myself with a scalpel.”

“You can't dictate to me what I do or don't do on my job, Naomi. For goodness’ sake, my captain was proud of me! I might get a bravery award! I saved a life today!”

“That's what this is about? Accolades? And what happens to me then, Scotti? To hell with what I think? Awards mean nothing if you are dead!”

Scotti was beginning to lose it herself. She shut her eyes and tried to count to ten. She was sure Naomi was screaming loud enough to be heard from anywhere in the parking lot. Scotti wasn't sure she wanted their business out in the public like that.

“Look, Naomi, I'm fine. Isn't that what matters?”

“You got lucky. What about next time? What if I opened that ambulance and it was your roasted body I had to take out? You want to know what that would do to me? I love you Scotti! I’m in love with you!”

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