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Title: Eva and Eve.
category: AU.
Author: Keenir.
Pairings/Characters: Eva, Eve,
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Eva Zambrano, Doctor of medical science, talks some with Eve Zambrano, Doctor of anthropological science - two physically identical people, two different life experiences.
(I'm not summarizing it well, sorry)
Spoilers: episode 1.09: Like a Hurricane.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.
Notes:
Warnings: none, actually.
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Blip is a perfectly fine way of describing what happens during one -- one moment, everything is normal. The next, there are people and sometimes suitcases or ropes or car parts from another world. Only not an alien world, but Earth, one where history had gone ever-so-slightly differently from what we know.
There were some things you could always know about the things. One was that they were always in public - no switch-and-change in the middle of nowhere or somebody's basement. Another was that you couldn't predict when one would show up.
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Eva was looking through the glass at her double lying in recovery. This was the first time she'd come down here to see just how much similarity there was between them, though the patient had been here the better part of a day by now.
"I can tell her the results, if you like," Tuck said to Eva.
"No, I really should be the one to do it," Eva said. "Thank you, though, Tuck."
"Not sure how I'd handle something like this," he admitted to her. "I like to think I'd be in there talking to my other - to the other me. But..."
"There's a fear we won't like what we see reflected," Eva said. "I know. Believe me, I know." She took a breath and asked, "Wish me luck," and opened the door and stepped inside.
The patient, Eve Zambrano, was awake, tapping out a song that Eva hadn't heard before.
"Dr. Zambrano," Eva said.
"Dr. Zambrano?" Eve asked.
"That's me."
"So Nurse Deleo wasn't pulling my leg after all?"
"He wasn't, and he's a doctor too."
Eve groaned.
"You okay?" Eva asked.
"He has to be a nurse. Trust me, doctors don't go around hitting on me like that."
Now Eva groaned. "I'll talk to him."
"Gracias. So, what is my prognosis?"
"You're going to be okay," Eva said.
"I see," Eve said neutrally. "So, you're curious, amIright?"
"Uhh, I am, now that you mention it- How did you know?"
"I am you, Doctor," Eve said. "With some differences, granted, which are to be expected."
"Like being an anthropologist?" Eva asked.
Eve looked at Eva as though the medical professional was the one who had been in recovery room for longer.
"What?" Eva asked.
"Throw a six-year-old into an alien culture speaking an unfamiliar language, and you didn't develop any curiosity about how people do things?"
"I did," Eva said, slightly defensively. Not exactly what I'd just said to Tuck, but close enough. "I just went into medicine, that's all."
Eve shrugged, or would have, if she didn't have a pre-existing shoulder problem Proctor had mentioned to Eva earlier. "Like dad."
"Like dad," Eva agreed.
"I read your file," Eva said.
"I expect you did," Eve replied, lying in the hospital bed.
"Placed an order for your book."
"You want an autograph?" Eve asked, staring at the ceiling. "You've got hands."
"Yes I do. And so do you. And you've still got mom."
Eve didn't remark on that lapse in bedside manner. She looked from the ceiling to the herself of this world, the eyes of Eve Zambrano meeting the eyes of Eva Zambrano. "Yours didn't get better?" trying to convey sympathy and condolence in the question.
Eva shook her head. "Dad raised me."
"You work for him?" Eve asked, curious.
"He can't practice in the States."
Eve winced. "I can't imagine how that must have hurt. Well, you're here, but..."
Eva nodded. "I do have one question, though."
"If I say shoot, will you stitch me back together?"
Eva smiled. "I will if anything happens. Promise."
"Peaches promise?" Eve asked.
Eva hesitated. Must have been an interesting childhood. One I would've traded her for? Then, summoning a breath, said, "I read some blurbs and quotes from your book, and I like what I see. How our actions when helping people, is shaped by our hero myths. But from the table of contents, half the book is about Communism." Which would probably explain why it's required reading for Cuban universities.
"The Communist and socialist world," Eve gently corrected her other self. "And since when do we Cubans or anyone else lack for stories of valiant and heroic men and women?"
"Point taken," Eva said, though she suspected that, if Eve was anything like herself, Eve wouldn't let the matter rest there.
"De nada," Eve said. "And if I don't pull through, you get my passport."
"You'll be fine," Eva said, mock-swatting Eve.
"You say that now."
"Would I lie to myself?" Eva asked.
"About death, no, I wouldn't," Eve said.
Nice and specific, Eva noted to herself. "Then believe me when I tell you that you'll be back home in no time at all."
"Good to know," Eve said. "Mom's birthday's soon, and I don't want to miss it."
"Next Tuesday," Eva said, and didn't appreciate Eve's look of surprise that Eva had remembered it. "I'll be back in a bit to help you get signed out, okay?"
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the end of this story.
if any Miami Medical fans would like to use the blips, feel free to.