Then There Was You

by Mona Shroff

  Did he, though? If it came at someone else’s expense? Before he could respond, an alarm sounded, and both he and Crista sprang into action, quickly gathering their bags.

  “Nilay!” Daniel called. “We gotta go.”

  The teenager was at his side in an instant. Daniel handed him an extra helmet. “Put this on. Let’s go.” He hesitated a moment. “You sure you’re okay with seeing trauma?”

  “I’m sure.”

  If Nilay was in any way nervous, he hid it well. Daniel nodded and headed for the chopper, donning his own helmet and securing it while he communicated with the pilot. The chopper’s blades were already spinning when he arrived. He and Crista made sure Nilay was securely fastened in the chopper before securing themselves and going down the checklist with Andrea.

  Andrea’s voice was clear in his ear. “Walk around.”

  “Complete.”

  Andrea again. “Steps and skids.”

  “Are clear.”

  “Seat belts and doors.”

  “All secure.”

  “Drugs, blood, medical equipment.”

  “All on board.”

  “Cell phones, pagers, radios.”

  “All on board.”

  “Stretcher.”

  “Secured.”

  “Oxygen bottles.”

  “Secured.”

  * * *

  Daniel secured himself and made his “off call” to dispatch. “Medevac Ten responding, four souls, two hours’ fuel.” He listened to the dispatcher on the headset give him the details as they took off.

  He sighed and made eye contact with Crista. “Bar brawl.”

  At Nilay’s wide-eyed expression, he answered, “Nope, not too early—these are the ones that were out all night getting drunk, and now they fight.” He shrugged and shook his head.

  The vibrations and noise of the chopper were familiar to Daniel, but he was impressed by how Nilay took it all in stride. The chopper landed in a field and the ambulance was already waiting for them.

  “We’ll do it hot,” came the order from Andrea.

  Daniel nodded as he got off the chopper behind Nilay, pushing the boy’s head down so he was bent at the waist as they exited behind Crista. “She wants us to move fast, so she’s not turning off the blades.”

  They approached the ambulance to find the patient strapped to the stretcher with a large piece of glass protruding from his arm. Crista spoke to the EMTs while Daniel explained to Nilay, “He has a penetrating injury to his arm. With the amount of blood we see in the gauze, there may be a major blood vessel involved, which is why they called us.” He dropped his bag and crouched down to open it, pulling out multiple packets of gauze. “This is QuikClot. It’s a special gauze that has clotting agents in it to promote quick blood clotting, so our patient doesn’t bleed out.” He glanced at Nilay. There was a lot of blood, but damn, the kid was listening and observing the patient with no sign of even going pale. “Here, put on these gloves and let’s open a few of these packets and apply them.”

  Nilay did exactly as he was told. He moved naturally, as if he’d done this his whole life. Daniel smiled as he applied the QuikClot Nilay handed him. “You’re a natural.”

  “Thanks.”

  “We’re attaching a monitor to the patient so we can continuously monitor blood pressure. We’ll also monitor his oxygen levels and heart rate for any rhythm changes.”

  “All right, boys. Let’s move.” Crista was ready.

  As Crista and Daniel loaded their patient into the waiting chopper, Nilay was already seated, buckled, helmeted and ready for liftoff.

  Daniel smiled at him.

  Nilay grinned and mouthed, “This is awesome!”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ANNIKA

  NAYA PATTED DOWN her sari for the billionth time, and Annika couldn’t help her grin.

  “Oh my God, Naya, it’s going to be fine. You look amazing. That burgundy looks like you were born to wear it, so stop fussing. I’m never wrong.”

  They were in the parking lot outside of the hotel where the wedding would take place, waiting to be part of the jaan, the groom’s procession, which should start in the next fifteen minutes. She raised her face to absorb the warmth from the midmorning sun in the November chill as the dol player tested out his beat. The dol player held the single drum with a strap around his neck, so the drum lay horizontal at his waist. He played one side with a stick and the other side with his hand.

  The loud drumbeat was as synonymous with weddings as a bride and groom and the scent of burning incense. The crowd responded to the taka-taka-tum with cries of enthusiasm as they began to move their bodies to the beat of the dol. The jaan would dance the groom to the entrance of the hall, where the bride’s family would greet him.

  Naya spared her a glance. “I’m not fussing. I’m just not used to wearing a sari. Not everyone has your grace.” She scowled.

  Annika laughed. “You’re all worked up because Ravi is going to be here with his family. It’s cute—I’ve never seen you so nervous over a guy before.” She grabbed Naya’s hand. “I said, stop fussing. You are an amazing and accomplished woman. There’s nothing to be nervous about.” She squeezed her hand. “And didn’t both sets of parents agree to the initial meeting anyway? It’s like you have preapproval.”

  Naya held up her hands. “Of course. I’m being ridiculous. I just want them to like me, not the résumé.” Her gaze dropped to Annika. “You’re looking pretty damn amazing in that sari yourself. Sometimes I’m right. That purple is working for you. Wait until Sajan sees.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Thanks.” She glanced down, seeming to notice the color for the first time. Truth was, she was no more comfortable in a sari than Naya was. They only wore them on special occasions, so while she could manage it, they both relied heavily on safety pins. She tried to be excited to see Sajan, but it was all she could do to smile back at Naya at the mention of his name.

  “You do know what color sari you put on today, don’t you?” Nothing got past this girl.

  Annika gave her cousin her best “duh” look, but the truth was that she was distracted—she couldn’t stop thinking about Daniel. He had kept his distance since their little fallout, presumably respecting her wishes. But thoughts of him kept finding their way into her mind. At least once a day, one of her students mentioned that fire truck. Even the bar seemed a bit empty without him to flirt with. And then there was her brother, FaceTiming her with his “Daniel is so awesome” commentary. She had rolled her eyes at him, but her heart had clung to every word Nilay said about Daniel.

  Then there was that kiss, of course. She only continued to replay that moment fifty times a day.

  “Oh, shit, Annika.” Naya squeezed Annika’s arm, even as a small smile crept onto her face. “You didn’t tell me he was coming.”

  “Who?” Was it some guy Naya had been set up with? How was Annika supposed to keep track of a list that long? There were five hundred people coming to this wedding, so it was more than possible to be surprised by someone’s attendance. She narrowed her gaze at her cousin.

  Naya let out a long breath. “Damn, but that man is fine.”

  Annika started to spin around, but Naya tugged at her arm. “Turn slowly. Don’t make a scene.”

  Annika turned slowly. Time seemed to slow down and her breath caught as she watched Daniel catch stares from every woman he walked past, regardless of their age. And who could blame them?

  Daniel was wearing a simple emerald-green sherwani with fitted cream-colored bottoms and matching scarf, which he simply hung around his neck. The tunic fit him perfectly, moving and stretching with his muscles as he walked toward her. He was clearly oblivious of the attention he was getting, his gaze set only on her. What was he doing here? And where did he get that outfit?

  As he got closer, she noted that the g
reen of his eyes matched the green of the tunic, and when he smiled deeply enough to show both dimples, she had to inhale deeply to get oxygen to her brain, lest her knees go out from under her. Just as he was close enough for her speak to him, Nilay appeared by his side.

  “Hey, Daniel! What are you doing here?”

  Daniel spared Nilay a glance but answered while looking at Annika. “I’m on the bride’s side. Friends of my grandmother.”

  Try as she might, Annika could not break the hold his gaze had on her. She was supposed to be pissed off at him, but right in this minute, she could not remember why. Everything around her fell away, her complete focus on those green eyes and the man they belonged to.

  “Annika, beta, there you are.” Her father’s voice snapped her to attention, and she quickly turned toward him, as if gazing at Daniel had been wrong. “And look who I found.”

  “Papa.” She hugged her father, then was met with the hazel-brown eyes that belonged to one Dr. Sajan Shah. He was very handsome in a silver and navy sherwani that flattered his brown skin. The tunic was well fitting, though she thought he had a little more room to move around than Daniel seemed to. Her heart sank a bit, and she pointedly fixed her gaze on Sajan. She shouldn’t care that Sajan’s presence might hurt Daniel. “Hey, Sajan! What a surprise.”

  He laughed. “Is it, though? We keep finding ourselves at all these functions. Seems almost inevitable at this point.” He leaned in for a friendly hug, and Annika stiffened. “How’s the hand?”

  She held out her hand, which was now free of its bandage, aware that Daniel followed her movement. “Pretty good. No more stitches.”

  Sajan took her hand in his and brought it closer to examine. Maybe it was because he was looking at it as a doctor, but his touch didn’t affect her the way Daniel’s did. “Someone did a nice job with those stitches. Who did it?”

  “What?” Maybe if she pretended not to hear, she wouldn’t have to answer.

  “The stitches. Who did them?” Sajan appeared amused.

  “Oh, uh...well.” She lifted her hand as though the answer was somewhere on it.

  “I did them,” Daniel answered for her. “Dr. Shah.” Daniel was beaming as he held out his hand to Sajan.

  “Daniel?” Sajan also broke out into a huge grin as he reached for Daniel’s hand. “Sorry—it took me a minute—didn’t quite get there without the scrubs.”

  Clearly, both men not only knew each other but were quite happy to see each other.

  “Same here,” Daniel chuckled as they shook hands, smiling.

  “So that’s your work?” Sajan raised an impressed eyebrow.

  “Well.” Daniel flushed. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

  Annika just gaped from one man to the other.

  “This is so cool.” Of course Nilay would love this. He turned to his father. “Papa, this is Daniel Bliant, my mentor.” Nilay took over, and Annika was once more grateful for her brother’s gregarious nature. “And apparently, he knows Sajan—sounds like from work.”

  “Exactly.” Sajan grinned in Annika’s father’s direction. “Daniel is one of the best.”

  Her father shook Daniel’s hand. “Well, first, my son can’t say enough about you, and now Sajan—you must indeed be one of the best. I am impressed that you have time to work on the helicopter with a doctor’s schedule. Quite impressive.”

  “Nice to meet you, sir. But I’m actually an NP in the ER.”

  Annika’s father’s smile faltered just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to be considered rude. Annika tensed. Her father was far from a chauvinist, but he was big on fulfilling your potential. And anything less than med school or law school was not fulfilling that potential. He’d had that conversation with Annika many times.

  “You didn’t want to just become a doctor...or maybe you couldn’t get in?”

  And there it was.

  “Well, no, sir. I did get in—but it wasn’t for me.”

  “Ah, just like my daughter—medical school ‘just wasn’t for her’—now she teaches little children.” If there was such a thing as having negative pride in your children, Anil Mehta had it for his daughter. And it showed in his voice and in his demeanor. “Well, at least you are still in the medical field—and Nilay speaks very highly of you.” He smiled with some semblance of warmth.

  She snuck a glance at Daniel. If he was offended or hurt by her father’s comments, it didn’t show. He nodded politely at the older man, his gaze flicking toward Annika for only the smallest fraction of a second as he clenched his jaw. That was all it took for him to portray his sympathy to her for lack of parental support. She answered with the most minute eye roll.

  “Daniel and I work together quite often, Uncle, and he has saved quite a few lives,” Sajan said into the silence.

  Her father nodded, slapping Sajan fondly on the back. “But not quite as many as you, eh, Doctor?”

  “Papa!” Annika chided her father before she could help herself. “Don’t judge so quickly.” Wait, what? What did she care if he was rude to Daniel? She was angry with him. He had lied to her—and could be a stalker for all she knew. But she hadn’t kept Nilay from him, and she never got any stalker-like vibes from him. Daniel wasn’t really anyone to her anyway. Was he? Her father opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Nilay was tugging at her elbow.

  “Annika? Annika? Are you coming? Hello?”

  “What?” Her residual irritation with her father landed on Nilay, who was thankfully oblivious.

  “Garba, Didi! The jaan is starting!” Nilay was already bouncing to the beat in his eagerness to join the dancing.

  She had somehow blocked out the call of the dol. But now she heard it beckoning to them, loud and clear. She grabbed her brother’s hand. “Well, let’s go!”

  “Come on, Daniel,” Nilay called over his shoulder.

  “Well, I’m on the bride’s side...”

  Nilay grabbed Daniel by a biceps to make him move. “So what? Just come. Sajan and I will show you how.”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  Annika heard the confidence in Daniel’s voice, but when she turned to him, he simply raised his eyebrows at her and motioned for her to move.

  Annika loved being part of the jaan. Dancing in the street (or parking lot) was one of the many highlights of the wedding. This groom had opted out of the traditional horse in favor of a fancy sports car with the top down. He sat on top of the back seat, dressed in his fancy turban and white-and-red wedding outfit, holding a coconut with leaves.

  Annika and Nilay joined the dancers in front of the car. Sajan stood to the side and joined in the clapping. These were the groom’s friends and family, and they would dance the procession to the hotel entrance to celebrate the joy of the day. The dol was in full swing, its beat revving up the dancers. Annika joined a group of her friends in a small circle and danced garba, which was a line dance done in a circle. Skirts twirled, hands clapped, and hips swayed, faster and faster in time with the beat of the dol. A few men joined in the garba, and Annika actually stopped, causing the girl behind her to trip, when she recognized Daniel in his emerald-green sherwani, easily moving to the complicated steps and beat of the drum.

  Her flub did not go unnoticed by Daniel, who winked at her but kept pace and didn’t miss a beat. Annika was forced to step out of the circle so as not to cause a backup. She inhaled deeply to gather herself. Daniel was dancing garba like he’d done it all his life. There was a natural, masculine grace about the way his body moved, the way his feet kept the beat, the way his arms moved in sync with everyone else’s.

  As his part of the circle came her way, Annika picked up the step and joined the circle in front of Daniel. Just for fun, she motioned to Naya and a couple of friends to change up the step to a yet more complicated one. Having done this together all their lives, the gi
rls quickly and gracefully switched up the step. After missing only one or two beats, Daniel easily made the switch, as well. Annika couldn’t help the impressed grin on her face. Daniel was holding out on more than being in her room that night, and suddenly she was curious about all of it.

  They finished the garba in a synchronized fury of clapped beats, quick feet and excited calls, many people dropping out, while Annika and Daniel remained the last two with the stamina to continue. At the final call, she caught his eye, slightly out of breath, and they took a small bow to the cheers of the other members of the jaan.

  The dol slowed its beat, starting a bhangra. This was a dance from northern India, done with the shoulders to start, but then also progressing to hip swaying, twirling and complicated footwork. Though both men and women danced bhangra, the men’s and women’s steps differed slightly. As the dol beat sped up, the men jumped and squatted, using their scarves to accent the beat. Annika usually had no problem keeping up, but she had never really done it in a sari. Not to mention her left hand was still a bit sensitive.

  Her sari and hand ignored, Annika and Naya—and she noticed Ravi as well, and, from the sidelines, Sajan—joined the guys as the beat got faster, and they quickly approached the hotel entrance. Some sari goddess must have been looking out for her, because as Annika kept up, her sari gracefully flowed, not once getting in her way. Daniel danced next to her, and she was aware of his every movement, as well as his gaze upon her. From the corner of her eye, she saw gray and blue, which meant Sajan was dancing on her other side. She dared a glance at Daniel and was captured by the amusement in his eyes. That was all it took, and she missed a beat, caught her sari underfoot and was falling, her newly stitched hand ready to brace her fall, when she was caught midfall. Strong hands encircled her waist and held her as she fought for balance, her injured hand flailing in the air.

  “Whoa, there.” Daniel dodged the errant hand, avoiding a smack in the face. “Careful with my handiwork.”