"She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly, " - "Brick", Ben Folds Five

"The past is gone, but something might be found to take its place, " - "Hey Jealousy, " Gin Blossoms

One

"MALPRACTICE"?!?!?!?

"I'm afraid so, Caroline."

Doctor Caroline Williams was dumbfounded. She'd been a practicing OB-GYN for seven years now, and, though not the most experienced doctor around, she'd had her share of trying moments. And she'd never even gotten a hint of ever being accused of malpractice.

"Who is it, Marjorie?"

Doctor Marjorie Russo, the head of the practice that Caroline had joined, sighed and looked down at her paperwork. "It's the Zanowski couple."

"Shit," Caroline hissed. She remembered the Zanowskis. Young couple, expecting their first baby. Everything had gone fine, Mrs. Zanowski seemed to be having a normal delivery, and the baby just-died. With no explanation. Evidently, the lack of explanation had been haunting the Zanowskis, and they were looking for somewhere to lay blame.

"I saw your report on that birth, Caroline," Marjorie was telling her, "and I couldn't find a single thing you did wrong. It seemed like a by-the-book delivery."

"Yeah, except she delivered a dead baby," Caroline sighed. "And I couldn't tell her why. Look, that one's been festering in me for the three months since it happened-why would I expect them to get over it?"

"But you know you did everything you could," Marjorie countered.

"Yes. Yes I do. But I can't blame them. They're looking for answers."

"Suing you isn't the way to do it," Marjorie snorted.

"Uh-oh, is my beloved boss about to go on one of her 'why do people think medical science is infallible magic' rants again?"

"I could, but I won't," Marjorie smirked, then stood up. "C'mon, we have an appointment."

"With who?" Caroline asked, confused.

"With Ed Purcell, chief partner of Purcell, Amaker, and Dobson, attorneys-at-law. We always use them. They know their stuff. You need a lawyer, and you need one now. "

"No arguments here. Let me get my coat."

Two

"Marjorie!" Ed Purcell was a big bear of a man, mid-fifties, with distinguished graying hair and bright blue eyes. He and Marjorie had been friends and associates for a long time. "Nice to see you! Please tell me this isn't business."

"Nice to see you too, Ed, but unfortunately it is. Ed, this is Caroline Williams. Got whacked with a suit this morning."

"Ah, crap. Nice to meet you, Doctor Williams," Ed shook her hand. "First time?"

"Yes, it is, Mr. Purcell."

"Hell, call me Ed," Ed said jovially. "Let me see what you got." Marjorie handed over the paperwork, and Ed perused it. "Grab some coffee, the maker's over there, let me take a look at this."

He read for a few minutes, then looked up. "This looks like a tough nut to crack-but unexplained fatalities always are, and we've defended them before, successfully."

"You mean you'll take the case?" Caroline asked hopefully.

Ed laughed. "Well, the firm will take the case. Not me personally. You want a bulldog, someone who'll drag out every bit of information he can. That's not me. I'm too old, and have too many responsibilities running the place. But I've got just the guy you need. Good lawyer, wins most of what he does, and he's young, so he has energy."

"Ed, you're not sticking Caroline with some whippersnapper just out of law school, are you?"

"Course not," Ed laughed. "He's been with us for about seven years now. I'm guessing he's about the same age as you, Doctor Williams, 33 or so. To me, that's young," he chuckled. He picked up the phone. "Dave? Ed. Your docket's clear, right? Yeah, but that's minor. Meet me in my office, would you? Got a malpractice for one of Margie Russo's doctors. Yeah, in my office. Right." He hung up the phone. "He's on his way. Dave's his name, Dave Dobrescu. Gonna make partner pretty soon, he knows his stuff."

Caroline couldn't believe her ears. "Dave... Dobrescu?"

"Yeah," Ed chuckled, "though Dave's not his real name. It's something long and European. We call him Dave."

Caroline's brain whizzed a mile a minute. It couldn't be. Could it? After all this time, through all this distance?

Then the door opened, and there he was. Fifteen years had gone by, and he still looked the same-oh, a little bit more filled out around the edges, but basically the same. He was six feet tall, black wavy hair, dark brown eyes with a hint of mischief in them. Broad shoulders, tight chest. Damn. He was still gorgeous.

"Hi Boss," he said, walking in the office. "What's up?"

"Come in, Dave. This is Doctor Russo." Dave shook hands. "And over there, behind you, is..."

Dave turned around.

"Caro?!?!?!?"

"Hi, Tavi," Caroline said with a little smile.

"Oh my God!" Dave shrieked, and rushed to where Caroline was sitting. He pulled her up out of her chair and wrapped her in a bear hug. Caroline was shocked. And then, relieved-and, in a corner of her mind long locked up, as happy to see him as he was to see her.

"I take it you two know each other," Ed was saying.

"Good observation, Boss," Dave smirked. "Went to high school together." He turned back to Caroline. "So. You did become an obstetrician. Good."

"And you did become a lawyer. Good," Caroline returned. "Of course, I remember 'prosecutor' being bandied around, not malpractice lawyer."

"So I chose a different specialty. Your influence, you know," he said casually.

"Huh?"

"You got me interested in the World of Doctors. Not enough to actually become one, mind you, but enough to want to defend them in court." He looked at Ed. "Got the stuff?" Ed handed over the paperwork. Dave looked it over. "Oh, Caro, you got yourself a messy one."

"That's what your boss said."

"'Caro'?" Marjorie interjected.

Caroline laughed. "His old pet nickname for me. Only person that ever called me that."

"And she called me Tavi," Dave interjected, "short for Octavian, which is my real name. My parents were from Romania. Anyhow, Caro, let's go to my office and discuss this. I need to hear your side of the story."

"Fair enough. Thanks, Ed. See you back at the office, Marjorie."

Ed and Marjorie watched them go. "Pet nicknames?" Ed laughed.

"Caroline's sort of close-mouthed about her past," Marjorie told him, "but I do know there was a major high-school romance. I think I just met him."

"I think you're right."

"Is this good, though? Should he be defending her, if they have a past together?"

"My experience is that it's best if we let them decide that. If they think that he can defend her, than he should. I'll put a bug in his ear in a few days, find out if everything's going OK, but I'll let them handle it in the beginning."

"Sounds good to me."

Three

They walked into Dave's office. Dave took her coat, and hung it up. Motioning her to a seat in front of his desk, he sat behind it.

"It's so good to see you, Caro, I can't tell you."

"Yeah. It is good to see you. What the hell are you doing in Seattle?"

Dave laughed. "Just ended up here. I had offers from firms all around the country, and this seemed like a good one. Good track record, room for advancement, great bosses. I picked right."

"Where did you do law school?"

"NYU. Did you stay at Ohio State for med school?"

"No, I actually came out here, University of Washington. Got a residency here, and just stayed."

"Why Washington?"

"It was far away from my parents," Caroline said with a grimace, and Dave smirked at her. He knew what her parents were like all too well. "Why didn't you stay at Syracuse for law school?"

"Just wanted a change, and you can't beat NYU."

"True enough. Speaking of parents, are yours good? And your brother and sister?"

"Yeah, my parents are great," Dave enthused. "Still living in Cleveland. Still wish I was closer, but they're adjusting. Alex is good, he's a computer something-or-other, lives down in the Bay Area. Laura, believe it or not, is in med school."

"That's great! Where?"

"Ohio State, actually," Dave smiled. "Wants to be a pediatrician. And your parents?"

"Still around. Still at home. Still trying to run my life, which is why I moved 2000 miles away."

Dave looked down at his desk. "Did they ever find out... ?"

"No. But they have enough to hammer me with." She looked at him. "Did yours?"

"Yeah," Dave admitted. "Mom, anyhow-I don't know if she ever told Dad. She knew something was wrong, so I broke down and told her. She was especially concerned when I changed from Ohio State to Syracuse at the last minute."

"Let's not talk about that," Caroline said icily.

"Biggest mistake I ever made in my life," Dave said, very softly.

"Excuse me?" Caroline asked.

"I said, switching schools was a mistake. It was cowardly, and impetuous, and stupid. Don't get me wrong, I liked Syracuse, and I grew to love it. But my freshman year was a nightmare."

"Why did you do it? We had had that planned since Sophomore year in high school, that we were going to State together!"

"Because I was scared," Dave admitted, "and ashamed. I just didn't handle the whole situation well, not at all." He looked up at her. "Look, Caro, you're in a tight spot right now. You need the best representation you can get. If you'd rather it not be me, I can arrange that."

Caroline smiled at him. "Tavi, are you a good lawyer?"

"Damn right," Dave laughed.

"Then I want you to do this. Unless, of course, you're uncomfortable with it."

"No, Caro, I'm not. It might be rough, but, you know-I owe you."

"No, you don't, but OK. If you want to do this, then I want you to defend me."

"Good."

Four-

It was Friday night, a few days after Dave had taken the case. Caroline was coming over his house to discuss the case with him. The doorbell rang, and Dave opened the door.

She was still breathtaking, he thought. She was tall, about 5'9", with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was leggy and willowy, but not ultra-thin. It was amazing how little she'd changed since high school.

"Hi, Tavi," she said. "I brought Chinese take-out."

"You're a saint," Dave laughed. "Obviously you remembered a few things."

"I sure did," she laughed. "There's Egg Foo Yong in there."

"You rock. Let me take that coat and put the food in the kitchen."

Caroline gave him her coat, and looked around his large living room as he first went to the closet to hang her coat up, and then to the kitchen. "This is a nice place. You're doing well," she commented.

"Can't complain on that note. Come on in here, we'll dish out the food." She followed him into the kitchen.

"You live alone?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just me. It's a big place for one guy, I know, but I like space."

"Comes from growing up in that little house of yours with four other people," she teased.

"Don't I know it," Dave agreed with a laugh. "And considering that mansion you grew up in, you probably live in a closet."

Caroline broke out laughing. "Not exactly. I live in a condo near the hospital. It's not too small, but it's not huge, either. It's cozy."

"Well, this isn't your parents' place, either. I do try to make it cozy, despite the size. And one good thing about having a place this big is that I can entertain."

"Entertain?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not that way," he chuckled. "No, when we have a get-together with the firm, it's usually here. The guys come over to watch football. Even the family get-togethers with all the employees and their families, I usually volunteer the place. I'm one of the few there that isn't married with kids, so they all come over here because I'm Cool Uncle Dave with the big house, the outdoor pool, and the bitchin' barbecue grill."

Caroline cracked up laughing. "Cool Uncle Dave. Yeah, I can see that. You never got married or anything?"

"Nope. You?"

"Just to my career."

"Ah, that's a common affliction for doctors, from what I've seen. Especially woman doctors."

"That sounds sexist," Caroline commented.

"Not at all," Dave argued. "Woman doctors have it harder finding someone to settle down with, because their time is not completely their own, and men are selfish." Caroline cracked up at that. "You know I'm right."

"OK, I agree," she giggled. "No, you're right, it is hard. Not that I date much to begin with. However, since you're not a doctor, and you're a man, what's your excuse?" she teased.

"Well, lawyers can have problems with not having time, too."

"True. But it's not the same. And you said all your colleagues didn't have any trouble."

"No, they didn't." Dave looked down a bit. "Just never... I don't know." He sighed. "I just haven't, that's all."

"Yeah," Caroline agreed. "You're right, though, it is hard to find a guy who'd accept that some times my career takes precedence over personal preferences."

"Guys like that are rare, Caro."

"You did it," she pointed out quietly. "Well, it was a future career back then, but you did it."

Dave looked up with a start, and then shook his head. "Not easily. Not happily. And not without destroying everything we had. And we were seventeen, I knew your future was at stake."

Caroline looked at him. "You had a lot of trouble with it, didn't you? More than I realized at the time."

"Hell, yeah. You didn't know?"

"How could I?" she snapped. "You stopped talking to me, went away to Syracuse instead of going to Ohio State as we'd planned. You never even broke up with me, or told me what you were feeling, you just... drifted away. Oh, I figured it out, after all that happened. I so badly wanted to grab you, talk to you... but I couldn't. So I waited for you. And you never came back." She let out a long breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drop that load on you. This is all ancient history."

"Is it?" he asked.

"Well... maybe not quite. Seeing you again brings it all back. I'm alternating between being deliriously happy to see you again-and furiously pissed off that it took fifteen years."

Dave swallowed. "That first summer, after our freshman years in college. I knew you were home, and I was home, too. I can't count the times I had the phone in my hand, ready to dial your number. I couldn't. I was still a coward about it."

"I guess my problem was I was mad at you. I did the same thing, you know-but I wanted you to call first, because I blamed you. And you were blaming me."

"No, not really. I knew it was necessary. I just found it hard to live with."

"I never expected it to break us up," Caroline told him. "I guess it just hit you harder than I realized."

"I felt like a failure," Dave admitted. "I had the world at my feet. I was a good student. I was popular. I was headed for college. I had the world's greatest girlfriend." He sighed. "And then I got her pregnant, and she had to have an abortion."

"There were two people in that bed, Tavi. And it wasn't carelessness. The birth control failed."

"I knew all that, intellectually. That's different than accepting it emotionally."

"I thought you were in favor of me getting an abortion," Caroline pointed out.

"I looked on it as the better of two very bad choices. I knew you couldn't have the baby. We couldn't have supported it-and your future would have been completely derailed, because your parents would have disowned you. I knew that. It still felt like failure-the whole situation."

"Yeah," she agreed. "The problem was, for me, the big failure I felt was, well, losing you."

"Oh, damn, Caro."

"And now I feel like even more of a failure," she said, waving her hands. "Malpractice. Damn it all to hell." She looked pitiful. "Dead babies. My life keeps getting derailed by dead babies."

"Oh, Caro," Dave said. "Look, I can't fix what happened fifteen years ago. I can fix this. I promise."

"I thought you said it would be a tough case."

"It will be. That just means I have to work my ass off. For you, that's no problem," he grinned.

"Thanks, Tavi," she mustered a smile.

"Let's get to work."

Five-

It was two months later. Dave and Caroline had been meeting just about every Friday night at Dave's house, to work on their approach. But this Friday, Caroline walked in and found Dave in the kitchen. The kitchen was covered with food.

"Caro! I tried to call but I missed you."

"What is all this stuff?" she laughed.

"We're having a cookout here tomorrow-the firm. So I've got to marinate meats and prepare salads and..."

"I get the picture," she laughed. "Need some help?"

"That'd be great," Dave enthused. "You want to come? To the cookout tomorrow?"

"Love to!"

They worked on the food until 10:00 that night, then Caroline left. She returned at 10:00 the next morning. The party wasn't due to start until noon, but Caroline came early to help finish the preparations.

The folks from Dave's work started piling in right at noon, and Dave greeted them all and introduced them all to Caroline. She stuck by Dave all day, helping him with the food; sitting with him, eating and talking and laughing, after the food was cooked. They took a dip in the pool together and played with some of the kids that Dave's coworkers had brought.

It was funny, because Caroline was feeling a very strange sense of déjà vu. When they had been together in high school, they weren't solitary people. Of course, they had plenty of time alone, but they liked going out with their regular group of friends. And it was always better with both of them-on the couple of occasions that one or the other had a commitment, and only one of them went out with the gang, it wasn't as fun. So, here, surrounded by Dave's coworkers, Caroline felt very comfortable.

Dave felt the same way, because he brought it up. "Wow. Why do I feel like I've been transported back in time fifteen years?"

Caroline laughed. "I know exactly what you mean, because I was just thinking the same thing."

"Now all we need is Crazy Freddie Driscoll to show up, get stinking drunk, and puke into my azaleas, and it'll be just like high school."

Caroline cracked up laughing. "Oh my God, Freddie Driscoll! I haven't thought about him in ages!"

"You lost touch with most of the old gang, didn't you."

"Yeah," she admitted sadly. "How about you?"

"In touch with most," Dave told her. "Freddie married Amy Perreault."

"WHAT?" Caroline gasped. "He asked her out constantly in high school and she always turned him down!"

"I know," Dave laughed. "They both went to Michigan State, though, and Freddie grew up. Amy got drunk at a frat party and was in danger of being attacked, and Freddie's the one that got her out of there. He was stone sober, believe it or not. After that, she started looking at him in a new light. This was early freshman year. They spent time with each other, as friends, after that, and Amy got to know him a lot better and realized he was a good person. In high school, she'd only seen Freddie The Wild Man. So, she waited for him to ask her out again, this time she was going to say yes. He never did, must have been sick of the rejection. So, back home that summer, she asked him out. After he got over the shock, they've been together ever since."

"That's so cool."

"They live in Chicago, have three kids, and are still happy."

"I wish I had stayed in touch."

"You didn't because you knew I did, I'll bet."

"Yeah," she sighed. "It was so stupid. I miss a lot of them. Kelly Avarre, for instance. She was my best friend. I even lost touch with her."

"Kelly's out here, you know. Lives in Tacoma. I'll give you her email address, I know she'd love to hear from you. She's Kelly Wazenchuk now, though, found a guy in college."

"I'd love her email address!"

They spent the rest of the day happily enjoying the party together. Caroline even stayed and helped Dave clean up.

Six

Something had changed that weekend, but neither of them had known exactly what.

Caroline came for more prep work the next Friday. The case would be coming to trial in a couple of weeks. They were sitting on his couch, taking a break from their preparations, sipping sodas.

"So, tell me," Caroline teased him, "outside of work barbecue bashes, do you have any social life at all?"

Dave laughed. "What brought that up?"

"Well, you're spending every Friday night with me," she laughed.

"Well, you know. Just like high school, right?" They both laughed at that. "I'm not seeing anyone right now, no, if that's what you're asking. If I didn't have this case, I'd occasionally be going out with the guys for a couple of brews and some darts at a pub near the firm. But that's OK. I promised you I'd fix this. That's more important." He grinned at her. "Besides which, I notice you're here on Friday nights, too. And I know doctors have little free time."

"Actually, as an obstetrician, I work fairly regular hours except when somebody is delivering." She sighed. "And I've lost some patients over this, so I'm delivering less babies at the moment."

"Ah, damn. Well, when we clear you, that'll take care of itself."

"And I'm not seeing anyone at the moment, either," she smiled, "so my Friday nights are all yours. Just like high school."

Dave looked at her pensively. "You ever wish you could go back?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "You?"

"Every day of my life," he said. "There are days I wish I could just start over."

"Dave, why on earth? You've done well. Things have worked out. You're successful, respected..."

"And completely alone," he cut her off. "Look, do you think I'm good looking?"

"Well, yeah," she laughed. "You haven't changed that much since high school. Where did that come from?"

"Just a point. I'm good looking, I'm successful, I like to think I'm fun to be with. Let's just say that my lack of a social life isn't due to lack of opportunity. If I wanted to be out with a woman every Friday night, I could."

"Then why aren't you?" she asked.

He looked off into space. And then he decided to say it. "Because there's only one woman I was meant to be with, and I blew it. I've spent fifteen years trying to find someone to take her place. It's never worked. I don't think it ever will. And I'd give all of this up to undo the mistakes I made fifteen years ago." His eyes found hers, then, and she was looking at him in shock. "I'm sorry, Caro. I've said too much."

"I thought it was just me," she whispered.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I thought it was just me," she said a little louder. "It's easy to hide behind being a doctor as an excuse for not being in a relationship. Too easy. I realized what a lie that was in the last two months," she admitted.

"Oh, my," Dave said in wonder.

"You're the only person I've ever loved," Caroline admitted. "And the past two months have showed me something-I never stopped. Dave-being with you here last weekend, around all your friends-well, it just felt right. And, even though we're spending them working on saving my career-being with you every Friday night feels right, too." She grinned. "Just like high school."

Dave grinned back, then sobered. "So, what do we do now?" Dave asked.

Caroline gave him a smile. "We didn't have any problems figuring out what to do on a Friday night with a house all to ourselves back in high school." Then she slid closer to him on the couch. She put her hand on his chest, then leaned up and kissed him.

He eagerly returned the kiss, then said, "Caro, are you sure?"

She reached over and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Sure? Waiting for fifteen years sure, that's how sure I am." His shirt was undone and she was slipping it off his shoulders. He reached for her blouse.

In a matter of seconds, they were both naked-their clothes strewn all over his living room-and were lying on his couch, furiously kissing. His hands groped her breasts, and she reached down between their bodies to wrap her fingers around his cock. They were sprawled on the couch, him over her, and she pulled one leg up over the back of the couch and dropped the other to the floor.

"Oh, God, Tavi, now! Please!" she howled, pulling his cock towards her pussy. He got himself into a semi-comfortable position, and plunged deep into her.

"Oh God! Oh God! I remember!" Caroline screamed, as Dave moved himself in and out of her. "OH GOD!" The couch wasn't the easiest place to do this, but they managed. "Tavi! Oh, Tavi, yes!" Caroline chanted. "Oh, Tavi, I'm cummmmiinng!"

She came down from her orgasm and Dave was still going. " Oh, Jesus. You're still the best, Tavi," she gasped.

"Only with you," he groaned back. She reached another climax before Dave poured himself into her.

It was afterwards, as reason returned to them, that Dave realized. "SHIT!"

"What, honey?"

"Caro-are you still on the pill?"

"No, I haven't had a reason to be for some time, so I went off it." That's when it hit her. "Uh-oh."

"Oh, damn, Caro. What was I thinking?"

"We, Tavi, we. I didn't stop you or bring it up either."

"When did your last period end?"

"Oh, about two weeks ago."

"Shit!"

She reached up and put her arms around his shoulders. "Tavi? We're not scared 17-year-old kids with no money anymore. It's OK."

"It is?"

"Remember when I had to get the abortion. Do you remember the thing that bothered me most? I told you I did want to have babies, badly, sometime-though I knew that wasn't the time. In fact, I remember telling you that I wanted to have your babies someday."

"True," Dave grinned. "But, I mean, this would be a very bad time."

"Why?"

"We just ended up in bed for the first time in fifteen years. And that was all of a sudden. We haven't talked, we don't know where we're going from here-and how can you trust me?"

"Why wouldn't I trust you?" Dave started to say something, but Caroline interrupted him. "Dave, you were seventeen! It was the worst thing either of us ever had to go through. And it was partially my fault, too-I could've confronted you. We both failed the other. But we were young, and in pain."

"I know. I still feel guilty about leaving you like that."

"Good, than it's time to make it up to me," Caroline grinned at him. "We can't get that time back. But we can try to get something else. You're still the same person and I still love you with all my heart."

"Yeah," Dave agreed, smiling. "I still love you, too."

"So, if I'm pregnant, we'll be fine. This time." She reached down with a grin and rubbed his flaccid cock. "In fact, I think I should rouse this guy from his slumber so we can do it again and make sure."

Dave laughed. "Fine. But in the bedroom this time!"

"Bedroom? That'd be a first," Caroline laughed. "Have we ever done it in a bed?"

"Junior prom, the hotel room. Oh, and that weekend that summer that my family went away."

"OK. But the rest of the time it was back seats of cars, in the woods-jeez, a couch should be easy!"

"It was easy," Dave laughed, prompting Caroline to laugh herself. "But, if we're going to be making babies, my Princess deserves a bed."

"I'll buy that," she laughed. He took her hand and led her upstairs.

Seven

They ended up in his bed. When they first got there, still partially satiated from their first coupling, they were fondling and talking.

"You remember our first time?" Caroline asked with a little grin.

"Like I'll ever be able to forget that! To this day I'm amazed there was a second time."

"I only told one person-Kelly." Dave nodded. "Did you?"

"Freddie Driscoll, who else? He was discrete-at least about my life if not his own."

Caroline giggled. "Well, I told Kelly, but I didn't tell her until after the third time. I told her the second and third times were mind-blowing. She, of course, asked, what about the first? So, I told her, you know all those horror stories of things that can go wrong for a first time? We got 'em all. It hurt like hell, you never got it all the way in, I bled like a stuck pig, and you went off in ten seconds."