Dr. McBusty

Bright light peaked through the corners of her eyelids, despite her best efforts to keep it out. Blinking, she struggled to go back to sleep. Then her ears began to pick up the sounds around her.

"--didn't necessarily like bringing an experienced man to sit on his ass all day. Even more so when he's hitting on women down in the lobby. But without Roger, he'd be the next in line to be in charge. And if that happened, I'd probably come back to find him fragged by the rest of the rangers."

"Chief Colburn?" Whitney asked, turning to the sound of the voice as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Hello, little lady, you've had us all worried," the gruff voice responded warmly.

"Pumpkin, you're awake!" Harvey said from the other side of her bed.

"Daddy?" Whitney asked as her father leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"How are you feeling, pumpkin?"

"Tired and achy all over," she paused for a moment, hesitating over her next thought. "I died, didn't I?"

"Whitney, you...I..." Harvey choked up, unsure about how to respond to her question.

"Yes, Whitney, you drowned. But it's okay, honey. Sean pulled you out of the lake and resuscitated you," Bridget explained gently from the side of her father. "The doctors believe you'll fully recover without any problems."

"I drowned? I thought so."

"Yep, we had our first kiss. Kinda, I guess, but you just laid there," came a voice from further to her side.

"Don't mind him," Bridget said.

"Wait! I made it to second base in a way too," Sean continued, causing Whitney to use what little strength she had to lift her head.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know."

"Hush, Sean. You need your rest, too," Bridget ordered her son. Again. Turning back to face Whitney, she continued, "He broke his foot in the ordeal, so he's on painkillers and antibiotics. It's made him a little silly."

"I'd say so," Chief Colburn commented.

"I...I'm sorry, pumpkin. It's just that I feared I lost you," Harvey admitted, once he composed himself.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Whitney apologized for worrying him.

"No, don't be, Whitney. No matter what happened, I'm thrilled that you'll be okay," Harvey replied quickly. "If you feel up to it, we would like to you know what happened," he asked with a glance to the ranger.

Whitney caught the look. "Have you been waiting to talk to me, Chief?"

"Partly, Whitney. I also used the time to check on Ranger Kaswakoski," he explained.

"Ranger Roger? Di-Did he get hurt helping me?" Whitney questioned, worried that her second favorite ranger had been injured over her stupidity.

"No, no, Roger was injured last night during the storm," Zebulon reassured her. "Now, if you do feel up to it, I would greatly appreciate hearing how you ended up out on Wasp Lake."

Shivering at both her current feeling of coldness and the memory of Wasp Lake, Whitney nodded.

"I've been having problems with Owen for a few days now. I guess he thought I was a different person, the type of person he wants to settle down with. You were right, Dad. He did read into my having fun with others and got jealous, like way jealous."

Harvey and Chief Colburn both grimaced as they feared what might come next. Standing behind Harvey's chair, Bridget felt at a loss over the conversation. She recalled some minor interactions between the couple but had no idea that Owen had those type of concerns.

"I think we were probably finished last night when he had more interest in playing poker than staying back with me. He claimed it was to know my dad better, but I think that was just an excuse," she admitted, leaving out her fling with Vance. "But this morning, we talked it over, and I decided to give it another try until the end of the trip. Then ice skating happened, and my joking around with Sean," she explained, gesturing to the other bed, where Sean snored softly.

"I could tell Owen wanted to talk, so we split off to the path that led up to the bluff. He wasn't upset; he was furious. Accused me of making a fool of him on purpose. He said some other nasty things, and we broke up for good. He went back the way we came, but I stormed off down the trail. I was mad too. I kicked a few rocks, but when I went to kick a branch, I slipped and fell," Whitney paused for a second, eyes glistening at the memory.

"So fucking stupid. When I fell, I started to slide down the hill. I managed to stop myself, but when I went to stand up on the slope, I slipped again and started rolling over and over. I remember falling through the air, and then nothing. Next thing I know, I'm on the ice," Whitney revealed further, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I knew better than to start walking. So, I screamed for help. I started to get scared, and then Sean appeared out of Whistle Cove. Reacting like an idiot, I started to rush toward him. That's when the ice started to crack."

Whitney's story halted as she started to cry. Harvey gripped her hand tighter, rubbing it soothingly. Chief Colburn nodded, partially relieved that Whitney's boyfriend didn't push her over the side as he feared. Bridget, crying herself, looked over at her sleeping son.

"I...I didn't fall through right away. Sean took charge, reminding me to spread my weight as he crawled toward me. He had a branch, and as the ice cracked more, I could almost reach it. But then I felt water coming up between the ice pieces, and I panicked. I tried to stupidly lunge for it, and my legs went under the water. I tried to crawl onto the ice, but it kept breaking. I...I've never been more terrified in my life. I--Sean tried to jump to reach me, but I went under."

Whitney's crying now turned into sobbing.

"It was so cold...so dark...and then I...don't know. I don't know what happened!"

Noticing how emotional the two parents appeared at the moment, Chief Colburn stepped in to continue the story for Whitney.

"From what we understand, Sean continued your cries for help. Some of your friends heard, but he didn't know. He then jumped into the water, searching for you. Eventually, he found you and pulled you out of the water. Dragging you to thicker ice, he performed CPR. As you were resuscitated, your boyfriend, Owen, showed up, mistook his help for you two kissing, and punched him."

"He thought we were kissing and punched Sean?!" Whitney asked incredulously, her crying cutting off. "Is that when Sean broke his foot?"

"No, that would've happened when he fell while scaling down Deadman Drop."

"He what?!" Whitney exclaimed, shooting up to look over at the sleeping Sean. The effort proved too much, and she collapses back into the bed with a groan.

"Pumpkin, take it easy. You're in no shape to jump around," Harvey pleaded with his daughter. "Lay there and rest."

"Ramsey found our group walking, and then Austin too. He and Lacey came upon you guys right after Owen hit Sean," Bridget said, taking over the story. "Luckily, Ranger Slover heard the cries too. He had an emergency pack, which allowed us to put you two into thermal blankets."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause--whoa," Whitney said in awe, thinking for a moment that this whole conversation had to be a dream.

Harvey lifted his head while Chief Colburn turned to follow the direction of Whitney's eyes. Into the room walked a breathtaking strawberry blonde, her hair tied back into a ponytail, a pair of ample breasts straining against the tight buttons of her blouse, underneath her white lab coat. Busy reading a chart with her gray eyes, she didn't pay attention to where she walked, practically bumping into Chief Colburn.

"Second metatarsal frac--oh! I'm sorry," she apologized, looking up from her reading the facts off the chart out loud, revealing a flawless face of beauty. Everyone in the room except for Bridget and the sleeping Sean shared one thought. No way is she a real-life doctor; she looks like an actress playing a doctor on a television show. "I must have walked into the wrong--oh, hello, Bridget."

"Hello, Summer," Bridget replied, a little joy back in her voice. "Did you come to see Sean?"

"Yes, I did," she replied, studying the others in the room.

"Summer, that's Zebulon Colburn, chief ranger at Wasp Lake Park, and this is Harvey Diamond, an old family friend," Bridget introduced the two men before gesturing toward the bed. "And that's Harvey's daughter, Whitney. She's the one that Sean rescued from the lake. Everyone, this is Summer Mayfield; she's our brightest and youngest doctor in all of Honey Hollow. And she's my husband's protégé."

Blushing, Summer mumbled while still focusing her eyes on the clipboard, "How do you do? Diamond, Whitney? Yes, you're the patient I was asked to consult over earlier this afternoon. I was not informed of your connection to Sean."

"You were my doctor?" Whitney asked, still in awe.

"Dr. Fort, your emergency care physician, needed a consultation over any potential damage caused by your expiring. The lack of oxygen can lead to a high degree probability of damage to your brain. However, in your case, the hypoxemia was limited by the shortened time frame and the low temperature of the water. I surmised--"

"I might have brain damage?!" Whitney shrieked.

"I just explained why the probability--"

"Summer, remember what we've been discussing about bedside manners?" Bridget asked.

"That I should talk down to the patients?"

"No, that you should pass on the information in layman terms. That way, you don't needlessly scare them with medical terminology they don't understand," Bridget explained once again to the young doctor. She looked past the strawberry blonde to the frightened teenager. "Whitney, you don't have brain damage. What Summer was trying to explain was that there could have been damage, but factors helped lessen the risk. All your tests have come back positive, honey."

Whitney nodded at Mrs. Tarver but still looked nervous.

"And what else have we discussed about dealing with a patient's loved ones?" Bridget whispered. When Summer didn't catch on, the more experience doctor tapped the side of her head near her eyes.

"Yes, make eye contact and shake hands. It makes the concerned party feel that you are empathic to their situation," the young doctor recalled the advice. "That, in turn, makes me a better caregiver."

"How about we going through a practice run, right here?" Bridget suggested. While her husband, Leonard, only cared about Summer's surgical skills, Bridget cared about Summer, the person, and wanted to help her deal with people in and out of the hospital.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Summer Mayfield, and I was your daughter's doctor earlier this afternoon," the strawberry blonde said, holding out her hand to Harvey.

"Dr. Mayfield, I'm Harvey Diamond, and it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a brilliant and beautiful doctor. I think that combination will take you far in your career," Harvey remarked with his trademark grin.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand why my physical appearance matters in my medical work," Summer responded, confused by his comment and the way he smiled at her.

"Perhaps I can explain further over coffee someday when you have a free moment."

"No, thank you," Summer replied, glancing at Bridget. "While I appreciate your interest in my career, I have very little free time." Unsure how to end the awkward conversation, she pushed past Harvey while rereading Sean's chart.

Watching Harvey stand there in surprise with his mouth draped open, Bridget couldn't hold back a giggling fit. Over on the bed, Whitney joined her, adding a comment.

"Superman meets his kryptonite."

"Well, I think this is a good time for me to leave," Chief Colburn announced. "I'm happy to see that you're going to be alright, Whitney."

Harvey and Bridget both issued their goodbyes.

"Summer?" a groggy voice asked.

"Oh, Sean, you poor boy," the strawberry blonde spoke, reaching out to pull him into her body for a hug.

"I'm in heaven," Sean remarked, his cheek squished into the side of Summer's ample breast.

"No, don't talk that way, Sean. You are not dying. Your injuries are non-life-threatening."

"But it feels sooo nice," cooed Sean.

"Sean, did I not--"

"He knows that he's not dying, Summer," Bridget interrupted, her face covered by her hand in embarrassment. "Sean's just very happy to see you."

"Oh, and I'm very pleased to see that your injuries are not major," the young doctor informed him with emotion. "Although I'm disappointed that you will be unable to walk. I planned to surprise you and Peyton on New Year's Eve with the news. I've been taking dance lessons for ninety minutes each week. I had hoped to show off my new skills at the charity ball.

"Put a bullet in me, right now!" Sean angrily slammed his arm down onto the bed.

BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP

"Oh, that's mine. I'm sorry, I need to leave for now," Summer informed the Tarvers. "I'll stop back when I can."

"Of course. Your patients come first," Bridget reassured her, stepping forward to block her path. The older doctor surprised the younger one by giving her a firm hug. "Thank you for stopping to see Sean."

"Why wouldn't I? I like Sean. He and Peyton remind me of my own siblings."

Waiting until the beautiful physician left the room, Harvey finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

"My gawd, she's looks straight out of a soap opera's idea of a doctor!"

"Have you been watching daytime soaps while playing hooky from work, Dad?" Whitney inquired, smirking.

"Well, they have nighttime ones too." Harvey turned to look back at Bridget. "What's the deal with her?"

"Summer's brilliant, but a very young twenty-six. She's a child prodigy that graduated high school, college, and medical school in rapid succession. And that takes into account her parents trying to hold her back so that she could develop social skills," Bridget explained. "As you can see, she still needs a lot of work when it comes to dealing with people."

"Ah, the genius part is what threw you, Dad. I'll keep that in mind when I want an ace in the hole," Whitney snickered.

"So, she's like Doogie Howser, right?" Harvey questioned Bridget.

"Who?!" Whitney exclaimed from her bed. "Someone named their kid that?"

"It was a TV show that was on when we were growing up. He was a child genius that became a doctor in his teens," her father calmly explained.

"I can't believe you of all people watched it, Harvey," Bridget said, her face glowing at the thought.

"Suit up!" came from the other bed.

"Hey, Doogie had that hot teenage girlfriend and the sexy older nurse, who I kept on hoping he would screw some night in the hospital. Don't give me that look, Bee. I'm not the only one who thought that back then."

"Legendary!"

"Harv, I hope you thank Dalton and Graham every day for running your family business. You'd never succeed on your own with all your time spent thinking about sex," Bridget remarked in exasperation.

"Hey, I wasn't expected to help run a business back when I was growing up!" he defended.

"Challenge accepted!"

"What the hell is your problem?!" Whitney snapped at Sean.

"He's just shouting catchphrases the actor that played Doogie later had on a different show," Bridget explained to the younger blonde.

"Wait, the guy's still acting? Damn, I didn't know that. Guess I don't watch many shows these days," Harvey admitted.

Sighing over everything in the room, Bridget needed a break. "I'm going to go use the bathroom."

"Hey, there's one back here," Harvey called after her, pointing to the open door in their room.

"I'm going to use one of the staff rooms."

"Wow, that Summer really does look like an actress," Whitney remarked out loud. Harvey nodded.

"Her boobs are soft AND firm."

"You're the guy that rescued me? I don...just go to sleep, Sean."

"Seanie Out!"