Malcolm

I really hated hospitals. It started with my grandfather. He was sick and spent most of his final days in a hospital. I remember walking the halls with my mother and brother and the scents that would abuse my nostrils. However on one occasion, a happier memory, I met a girl. Well of course I didn't think she was a girl at first.

It was a day when Mom was watching Granddad sleep. She always did it, just sat and stared at him, occasionally smiling when he mumbled some unintelligible old folk thing. I was with her alone, because Sam had camp. I got up and wondered out of the room. I later learned that the floor Granddad was on only held terminal patients. Moving from room to room I heard a little voice. I had only heard grown-ups before so to hear a child was very exciting.

I moved towards the voice and eventually found a little boy sitting on a bed. Well I thought it was a little boy. His head was shaven clean and he sat hunched over talking to someone. I thought his voice sounded funny but, then again this was a hospital. I walked in the room and tripped on a toy left on the floor. He turned around and I remember thinking that he was a very pretty boy.

I walked towards the bed and rested my arms near him.

"I'm Malcolm," I said. He beamed, and turned to face me more.

"I'm Emily," he said. I looked at him like he lost his head.

"Emily is a girl's name," I commented. The 'boy' giggled. He reached over and pinched my nose.

"I am a girl, silly," I stood there shocked.

"Where's your hair?" I asked curious as to how a girl didn't have hair.

"They had to cut it last week, for the surgery," she said sadly. It was only then did I notice the bandage on the side of her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. She looked at me puzzled then leaned more to me.

"Sorry for what?" She asked. She tilted her head to the side and I finally saw the female within.

"Well my mommy loves her hair, a lot. She brushes it like a million times a day. So I thought all girls love their hair," I paused and Emily stayed quiet to allow me to continue.

"And well I'm sorry you lost something you love," Emily smiled at me and I felt amazing. Her smiles always reminded me of the sky.

"It's ok; I just miss it 'cause now people will think I'm a boy, like you!" She giggled a little. I reached up and inched her nose like she did mine.

"Well, you're the prettiest boy I've ever seen," another smile and our friendship was sealed.

~o~

I sat on the hospital bed thinking about the days Emily and I spent together. Granddad died and although I was still sad, Emily told me stories of the great things he would be able to do when he goes to heaven. I visited her everyday and we would play for hours before Mom came for me. I sat on the hospital bed some twenty years later and Emily was still able to calm my fears.

"Good morning Mr. Storm," I looked up at the doctor. I expected Dr. Williams again, but was pleasantly surprised by a short brunette with a cute smile and big brown eyes. She waited for me to acknowledge her.

"Where is Dr. Williams?" I knew it was rude, but with Angel in my life, I suddenly became very wary of attractive female doctors. She smiled, completely ignoring my lack of manners.

"He is on vacation, with his wife. I am Dr. Fisher and I will be seeing over all of his cases," she smiled again. She looked down at my leg and frowned.

"Hmmm, I see we've had an accident," remembering the pain Silas put me through I struggled to grasp the meaning of 'we'. She walked to the foot of the bed and glanced at the bandage. She reached out but hesitated and looked at me.

"I'm just going to take a little look," I nodded and she went on with her examination. I barely felt any pain but my tense toes alerted her.

"Is something wrong? Does this hurt?" She twisted my ankle and a small whimper escaped me. She smiled sadly and returned my foot to the bed. At this time Theresa and the babies walked into the room. Shannon was licking at an ice cream cone and Silas was munching on a candy bar.

Theresa's face lit up a bit at seeing me, and then a magical dark cloud formed as she caught sight of my doctor.

"Hey baby," I said, trying to save the good doctor. She turned to me again, the cloud not totally gone.

"Hey," she said. I saw how hard she was trying to maintain eye contact with me. She moved to the bed as the babies walked around the doctor to the window.

"So, how's your leg" Angel asked, her voice leveling out to mask whatever animosity she held. The doctor glanced at her and her face bloomed far more than it did for me.

"He'll be fine, the bandage can come off but I would prefer we give it a few days, so he could heal properly."

"That's great, so are you ready?" I snorted at her anxious tone. For a second we switched roles. The good doctor walked over to her and presented her with a hand.

"I'm Dr. Fisher. I'm in charge of Dr. Williams' patients while he is on vacation,"

"With his wife" I added with a smile. Angel raised an eyebrow.

"Yes with his wife, what's your name?" I nearly choked as I detected the change in her voice as she asked the question. Her posture said nothing, but her eyes were doing the nastiest things to my Angel that I found my pants suddenly shrinking before my eyes.

"I'm Theresa, Malcolm's girlfriend," she said as she moved closer to my side. Obviously she noticed the doctor's eagerness to operate on her. I wrapped my arm around her partly to reassure her and partly to 'cop a feel' as little Malcolm was about to join us.

The doctor's eyes shifted to me then returned to Angel. She seemed not put off in the least by my presence. She reached into her coat and handed Angel a card.

"Well if you have any questions or need anything, please don't hesitate to call," my eyes bulged at the stress placed on the word 'need'. Angel accepted the card and smiled, or at least one can interpret it as a smile. With that the doctor looked to me.

"I'll see you in a couple of days and we'll remove the bandage, but be sure to let it rest," she looked one last time at my leg, a sultry glance to Angel and she was off.

Angel spent a long time looking at the door then she slowly turned to me.

"Ok, now that was hot!" She gasped the last part. The children turned to look at her. I was stunned to silence. She beamed brightly and planted a kiss at the tip of my nose.

"Ok, let's leave Uncle Malcolm to get ready then we'll head over to the park and have lunch." She ushered them out of the room, leaving me with a new fantasy.

~o~

The park was beautiful, well the view I had was beautiful. She was sitting on the ground teaching the babies to play Go Fish. She laughed every time Silas beat Shannon and it was incredible. Her smiles were infectious. Shannon eventually had enough of the game as she was yet to master it. She came up to me and sat on my lap.

"Uncle Malcolm, do you love Ms. Burke?" She asked her voice held that curiosity long lost since adolescence. I looked down at her to consider the question then looked over to my woman as she giggled with Silas.

"Yes Princess, I believe I do." Shannon beamed at me.

"So you're going to get married?" Her smile was so broad, my face hurt.

"Hmm, it doesn't work that way after one month Princess," her face slowly started to fall.

"But it's not a bad idea, is it?" She giggled as I tickled her. Angel and Silas made their way over to us and we sat at the table for lunch. I looked over as Angel munched on her salad. Shannon's question moved over my mind. I wondered how she felt about me.

She shifted slightly in her seat then finally she looked at me.

"Why are you staring at me?" She asked. I grinned.

"I told you already, I like looking at you, so get use to it," she grinned slightly then moved closer to me. We ate in Silence for a while and I looked to the sky and marveled at the beautiful day.

"What do you want to do when they get back?" I looked at her curiously.

"You know I was kinda thinking you'll come over to my house and spend the rest of your vacation with me," she was looking intensely at her salad. I always wondered why she ate like a bunny. She moved some of it around nervously on the plate, avoiding my eyes. I tilted her chin slightly to face me.

"I kinda already decided I would, but thank you for asking," I planted a kiss on those unsure lips. She looked so lost and I reveled in being the one to find her. She tasted like the salad, and surprisingly it was not unpleasant. She dropped her fork and caressed my cheek, murmuring slightly against my lips. I pulled away and waited for her to return to her senses.

"What was that?" I smiled as she took a deep breath. She looked at me and sent a smile straight to my groin.

"Your presumptions will get the better of you one day," with that she picked up her fork and continued to eat. Shannon smirked, reminding me of my brother, while Silas seemed to be entranced by a bird that landed near us. I turned back to my woman to see her struggling to contain a smile.

"It's ok Angel, let it out," I whispered in her ear before I kissed and nuzzled at her neck. She then looked at me, confused at first but with a slight nod from me, she unleashed a smile that went beautifully with the day's sun.

OMG! This took so long! I had it for a while now, but the site wouldn't let me upload... Sorry for the delay.