Saving the Doctor - Epilogue

Author's note: No warnings on this one, other than it gets pretty damn sappy, so brace yourself. Seriously though, once again, thank you all for the feedback and favourites, and ratings. This is the first and only novel-length story I've written, and it's been a bit of a journey for me. I think I've learned a thing or two, and I really appreciate the chance to put this out there. I'm flattered that people have put in the time to read this much of my work, and I sincerely hope it was worth the read.

Cheers.

***

Saving the Doctor

Epilogue

Three and a half months later,

...

"Hi, it's Dr. Davidson here."

"Hey Hun," said Carly.

"Oh! Hey, how's your day going?" Jon said, brightening up.

"Oh pretty good, nothing too special, how's the clinic today?"

"Nothing super crazy. I got to lance a pretty gnarly boil earlier. That was fun."

"Ugh, please no."

"You sure you don't want the gory details?"

"No!"

Jon chuckled, "Cause like, there's pus, but then there's PUS, and this stuff I tell you..."

"Stop it!" Carly protested cutely. "I will hang up on you. I still get nausea sometimes, and you're coming over here and cleaning it up if I barf on this counter."

"Well I HAVE kinda missed you since this morning..."

Carly giggled, "Aww, you'd come clean my barf up just to see me?"

"Totally," Jon smiled.

"God you're so fucking romantic."

They shared a laugh.

"So, one weird thing that happened today was that I just got this really odd prescription," Carly said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah it was from you actually. You gave Mr. Hillman a Metformin script for... 55 refills?"

Jon sighed, "Sorry."

"No I get it. Like, it was such a perfect prescription why WOULDN'T you keep it going for 55. Like, Metformin. For Diabetes. It's BRILLIANT!"

Jon couldn't help laughing at her sarcasm, "I don't suppose you might be able to safely infer that my finger slipped on the 5 button and I didn't catch it?..."

"Ohhh, okay so we'll make it 555 then. Really double down on it. I like a man with dedication."

Jon sighed again and smiled, "I hate you."

"Naw, you luuuuuuv me," Carly teased.

"Yeah, you caught me, I do."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Like a bunch."

"D'aww. You love me enough to make me a pizza tonight?" Carly asked.

Jon chuckled, "Got some cravings going on?"

"God, you have NO idea."

"I could just order one."

"No, I like the ones you make better."

"Really?"

"Yuh huh. I wasn't lying. You make that multigrain crust that's still super soft but really filling, it's like magic," Carly said wistfully.

"Aww, thanks. I'll whip it up then."

"Though I... might misplace my wallet and not know how to pay my pizza boy for it... do you think we could... work something out?" she said in teasing breathlessness.

Jon laughed, "Yeah I think... something could be arranged."

"Awesome, I'll text you a list of what I want on it."

"Cool."

"K bye. Love you."

"Love you too."

**********

1 week later,

Carly closed her eyes and moaned, mumbling with her mouth full, "Hrly FRCK thrt's grrd!"

Beth giggled, "I know right?"

Jon smiled down at her and chuckled, "Careful not to choke you've got a lot in there."

Carly elbowed him and gave him a smirk as she chewed the cake.

The others were all giving similar reactions as the pieces were handed out, mingling under the banner in the clinic break room.

"Hey lay off her she's eatin' for two," Grace chimed in. "Though you're sure it's not three?" I mean you're beautiful, but like, shit girl I'm thinking if I stuck a pin in you it'd be like... kaboom!"

Carly sighed and chuckled, "Tell me about it. They say it's just one in there and that I'm not measuring too big, I'm just... 7 months."

"Have you really forgotten what you were like, that easily?" Jeff asked Grace, jokingly.

She rolled her eyes, "I've blocked it out I guess."

Jeff turned to Jon as the girls started up their own conversation.

"Hey man, thanks again for catching that melanoma on my patient there," Jeff said, clinking his glass with Jon's "I still feel like a jackass, when that wasn't even the mole I sent her to you for. She was worried about the other one cause it was bigger and more irritating."

Jon gave an appreciative grin, "No worries man. Yeah the one you guys were looking at was more raised, but the other one's borders were really sketchy, so I figured I'd cut it out too. Spidey senses made me put the pathology as urgent and I'm glad I did."

Jeff scoffed, "YOU'RE glad. Fuck man, you saved my bacon."

"I got your back. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll return the favour at some point," Jon chuckled.

"Well until then there's a case of my last brew in it for you, I'll drop it off later," Jeff said.

"Well I won't say no to that," Jon laughed and clinked his glass again.

Doug spoke up and the small crowd quieted down. "Okay! So, thanks for stayin' late today guys! As you all know we're here to give a big warm send-off to one of the best employees we've had at this clinic. Beth, it feels like two and a half years has gone by like nothing, but you've been a valuable part of our team since day one. We're all sad to see you go, but we're happy that you're moving on to bigger and better things. We all know you'll do great at nursing school, and who knows, maybe in a few years if we're looking to hire a nurse on board, we could even see you back here again," he said with a wide grin.

"Let's all give a round of applause and a big cheers to Beth everyone!"

The group all raised their glasses and called out a variety of well wishes.

Beth gave Doug a peck on the cheek and a big warm hug. Then she turned around and raised her glass too.

"Thank you SO much you guys! This really means a lot, and I'm gonna miss you all!" she said with a touching smile.

They turned back to their conversations and Beth wiped a small tear from her eye.

"D'aww. Are you really gonna miss us that much?" Grace asked.

"I AM. I really am, you have no idea," she said, sniffling and giving a quick glance at Jon with a sad smile. "Plus it's kinda scary and nerve-wracking besides."

"Well I think you're gonna knock'em dead out there," Jon reassured her. "I mean, not literally, but... you know," he smirked.

They all laughed and Beth gave him a swat and a more genuine, beautiful smile as she wiped another tear away.

"So when do you move?" Carly asked.

"Next weekend. Got a big truck lined up and everything," Beth replied.

"You need help?" Jeff asked.

"Naw I got a few guys willing to do the heavy lifting for me," Beth said.

"Yeah I BET you do," Grace said with a wink.

Beth stuck out her tongue at her, but smiled as she took a drink.

"You guys can still come by and give me a final send off though if you want," Beth said hopefully.

"Actually we're away next weekend," Jon said apologetically.

"Oh? Where to?"

"We got a wedding to go to," Jon said, immediately kicking himself internally for blurting it out.

"Really? You guys never mentioned that, who's wedding?" Grace asked.

Jon and Carly looked at each other, trying to decide how, and if, they should tell them.

**********

Jon and Carly sat next to each other near the back of the rows of chairs, the afternoon sun beating down as warm as any typical mid-August Saturday.

Carly fanned herself with the wedding pamphlet and sighed.

"I'm so fucking hot," she whispered to Jon.

Jon smiled, "You really are, it's amazing, especially in this dress," he whispered back.

She elbowed him lightly and gave him a smile.

"Do you think it'll be a long ceremony?" she asked.

"Probably not," Jon said. "I don't think it'll be very religious anyway. But who knows, maybe her vows will be a numbered list of demands that goes on for like..."

"Shhhh!" she whispered back, giggling and pinching him.

He couldn't help feasting his eyes on her bouncing heavy cleavage as she silently laughed, pilled with sweat and glistening in the sun. She was so far beyond beautiful these days, despite her objections that she felt like a blimp.

"You're here to make amends right?" Carly whispered more seriously.

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't help it," Jon agreed.

She pecked him a delicate kiss and they squeezed their hands together lovingly.

The music changed and suddenly everyone started to stand up.

Jon looked over the heads of the other wedding guests and saw Elaina, done up in an immaculate white dress, as she began to walk down the aisle.

He still couldn't believe this was really happening, and that he was actually here for it. He thought back to that day in the clinic a month ago.

...

Jon had been finishing up his notes, a little later than usual, but it had otherwise been a pretty normal day. He had noticed the door quietly creak open and a shadow in the doorway out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and his typing turned to gibberish as he saw Elaina standing there.

"Hi Jon," she said, delicately.

She had sunglasses in her hand and was undoing a babushka she had tied over her head, evidently as a disguise to sneak in.

Jon simply sat and stared, taking a minute for it to sink in that it was really her. She had been banned from entering the clinic since the last time she was there in December, and he had kept the house and address completely under Carly's name to keep her away from him, but still, it had finally happened, and she had found her way to him again.

He opened his mouth to talk, but she quickly interrupted.

"Please don't shout! Please, Jon!" she whispered frantically. "Don't call security I'm not trying to start anything or get at you, I just wanted to see you and give you this... and I..." her words caught in her throat and he saw the most remorseful face he had ever seen on her, as her eyes flooded with tears.

Jon had stood up when he saw her, but he took a breath, seeing the emotion on her face, and against his better judgment, sat down and beckoned her into the room.

"Come in and close the door then," he said.

He watched her walk in, uncharacteristically timid and careful, sitting down and putting an envelope on his desk.

"There's so much I want to say to you, but I know I don't deserve the chance. I just at least want to give you this, and for you to hear me say that it's genuine," she croaked and sniffled, gesturing for him to open it.

He silently looked back and forth from her reddening face to the letter, and with another long sigh picked it up and opened it. He slid a box of kleenex towards her while he pulled out the card.

It was a wedding invitation, for Elaina and Matt.

Jon simply stared at it, the surprise of it leaving him speechless.

"I know I could've just left it for you, but I didn't want you to think I was gloating or rubbing it in. We really are inviting you. I completely understand if you can't or won't come, but... we both would be touched if you did."

Jon's brain finally seemed to settle into reality. "That was quick," he said, raising an eyebrow and finally looking up at her with a questioning smirk.

"I know. I know it seems crazy, but it's been amazing with him. I'm honestly still in as much shock as you." She let out a scoff and smirked. "I admit I only started dating him to make you jealous, or at least I thought I did. But... once I let myself see it I realized he's just... perfect," she furrowed her brow, looking distantly, "And when he asked me it just felt right, and everything with him just feels-"

"This is next month?!" Jon blurted out as he read the details.

"Yes, I know it's sudden but-"

"Wait, that's the same venue... that's our date! You just kept the booking?!" Jon exclaimed in disbelief.

"I KNOW, I know it's crazy, please Jon believe me, it was HIS idea as much as mine when I admitted I hadn't canceled it yet. I had already decided it was the best place around, and we didn't want to wait over a year for the next available date and... oh come on, quit laughing I'm trying to have a serious heart to heart here." Elaina said, crossing her arms.

Jon sat chuckling silently with his hand on his forehead, leaning against the desk, feeling just as surprised as Elaina at his own reaction.

"No it's fine. Elaina, it's fine, fuck it, keep the date and switch fiance's, it's perfect actually. It's very... you."

Elaina frowned in annoyance.

"No, I don't even mean that in a bad way I swear," Jon quickly continued. "To me it proves he's perfect for you if he went along with it eagerly."

"For the record I tried to give him an out, and told him it would make it awkward, and we could look elsewhere, but he insisted," Elaina defended.

"Exactly," Jon said, bewildered at how comfortable and relieving this dreaded encounter had become. "It already sounds like he's better for you than I ever would have been."

"Well... I would have to agree," Elaina said, crossing her arms again, but then softening her look as Jon leaned back and gave her a soft smile.

"I didn't at first, I'll admit," she continued, looking away somberly. "For a few weeks after you left I kept hunting for you. I still don't know where you went or how you kept it so hidden. Everything kept leading me back to the old address. I almost took my chances with security at the clinic, and I tried to to follow you home once after you left work, but I lost you in traffic. Where did you end up-..." she stopped herself. "Sorry, you don't have to tell me. Honestly, it's probably better if you don't."

Jon simply nodded, with a more serious look as well.

"I'm... sorry Jon. I did hurtful, selfish things. I was crazy. I don't know why it was so hard for me to see it for what it was, but I do now. And... you were right," she said, letting out a shaky breath. "I thought about so much of what you had said, after the fact, and I should've listened. We were hopeless. I didn't want to give up on us, and fail, but I should've let our relationship... die in peace."

Jon watched tears start to fall down each of her cheeks and felt his own eyes welling up.

He finally spoke, "I appreciate you saying that."

"Can you ever bring yourself to forgive me?" she asked.

He stared at her piercing eyes, glimmering even more than usual from her tears, and could only see honesty within them.

"After today, I... think I can maybe start to," he replied carefully.

She nodded appreciatively and he felt her delicate fingers squeeze his hand on the desk.

"I'm sorry too," he said.

She shook her head no, but he continued.

"I cheated on you Elaina. Even though we weren't doing well, it was still wrong and no one really deserves it. I've wondered how much you knew, even subconsciously, at the time, and maybe that was what was driving you crazy?" he suggested.

She shook her head, "No Jon, that wasn't it," she reassured him. "I mean... I accept your apology, but I've been working through a lot of things with my therapist, and even though you were a part of it at the time, in the end I'm responsible for how I acted and what I did."

Jon nodded, feeling more genuinely that she really seemed to have changed, though keeping some healthy doubts in the back of his mind.

They sat and stared at each other, wiping away tears. Jon finally looked down at the card again, at first simply to distract himself, but then he read it further.

"So it's myself and a guest?" Jon asked.

Elaina nodded, "Of course."

Jon tapped the card on the desk and looked up at her, worried about ruining the moment, but asked anyway, "Is it okay if it's Carly?"

She paused and seemed to stop herself from making a sour face. "You're still with her?" she asked, straightening her back.

"Yeah," Jon said, meeting her stare confidently.

"...And you're happy?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yeah. More than I ever have been. I'm in love with her, Elaina."

She kept her lips tight and let out a breath, seeming to search his eyes, eventually seeming to concede the point to herself.

"Well I'm... glad you're happy I suppose. Yes you can bring her, as long as she'll be civil."

"Yeah, of course. IF she even wants to come, and I kinda doubt it."

"It's a FORMAL dress code," she clarified.

Jon ignored the implication and gave a somewhat tighter smile, "Yep, we'll keep that in mind, honestly we probably won't come, but we'll talk about it and see."

"We need numbers by the end of the week," Elaina said.

"Sure. We'll let you know before then," Jon reassured her.

There was a far more rigid politeness between them now as the silence wore on.

"I'm glad you're happy too Elaina," Jon finally said.

She gave him a small appreciative smile, and squeezed his hand on the desk one last time.

"Well I shouldn't keep you too long," she said, standing up. "Thank you for letting me have this talk Jon. It was... therapeutic, for ME anyway. And I really mean it when I say we both would love to see you there. I like to think maybe that could be therapeutic too. I know it might feel awkward, but I think it might help me to know that we've really moved on."

Jon nodded, "I'll consider it. Thanks Elaina."

"Goodbye Jon,"

"Bye."

...

Now, a month later, here they were. Carly had given a long belly-laugh and an endearing "fuck no" when he first asked her, but then she kept mentioning it and by the end of the next day she had decided she did actually want to go. She admitted that Elaina still felt like a looming threat under the surface of their otherwise comfortable life together, and thought it might be a good way for all of them to bury the hatchet.

Grace had flipped her lid when they eventually admitted where they were going. She had begged Carly to do something to ruin the wedding, but Carly laughed it off. She and Jon had both agreed they wanted Elaina and Matt to succeed. Jeff had agreed, other than to feel worried for Matt.

Right now though, Matt looked like he was in seventh heaven. His wide, classically handsome smile greeted Elaina with an excited admiration as she stepped up to take his hand on the stage. Jon wasn't sure at first, but it was eventually clear that tears were filling Matt's eyes, and by the halfway point they were running down and dripping off his chiseled jaw.

Elaina simply looked serene, as she and Matt held hands in front of the elaborate archway, surrounded by the lush trees of the orchard estate. She stood tall, proud and beautiful, the definition of a perfect bride, in appearance anyway. Her brilliant mesmerizing eyes held no hint of tears, but seemed to stare in a blissful satisfaction at her fiance across from her. A cool smile spread elegantly across her well-defined face. Her dress clung to her slender sinuous figure, the same as he rememb-... No. Something was different about her.

She had never taken her jacket off when she saw him in the clinic, but now, wearing this close-hugging dress... she had a belly. Small enough to not be blatantly obvious at first but the more he looked at her the more he was sure, she had either put on a bit of weight in an oddly specific way, or she was...

As if to read his mind, Carly leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Hey does it look to you like she's... you know..." she patted her own belly to make her point.

Jon was almost afraid to reply, but nodded, "Yeah it kinda looks like it."

Carly raised her eyebrows in a cute look of surprise, "Good for them," she said, and snuggled back into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Jon sat through the rest of the ceremony not really being able to pay attention to much else, but eventually half-succeeded in putting it out of his mind. The whole thing didn't seem to take too long and was tastefully done. After the exchange of rings and the kiss he looked down to see Carly sniffling and wiping a tear away.

He gave her a surprised smirk.

"What?" she whispered with an embarrassed shrug, "It's romantic."