The Silk Bandage [Lord of the Rings Fanfiction]

Chapter One

Kyra Matheson sighed, wrapping her coat tightly around her body. The cold, November night air nipped at her face. It was bad enough that the snow had begun to fall in the middle of October, but now, she also had to deal the annoyances that came with the colder weather; the common cold.

Grumbling to herself, she pulled down on her rainbow coloured toque in order to protect her ears from the accursed cold that always seemed to find them. Cussing, Kyra wondered why on earth her parents decided to move from England; a place where they barely had any snow, to a place much colder and it snowed three-quarters of the year.

It didn't make any sense to the twenty-six year old.

She also began questioning her own sanity when she made the bright decision to have her hair up in a bun.

Sighing, she took a sip of her coffee; a double-double from Tim Horton's. As the warm liquid made its way down to her stomach, Kyra couldn't help but smile contently.

It definitely hit the spot.

Glancing down at her watch, Kyra's eyes widened, giving a squeak and taking one last gulp before throwing the cup into the nearest garbage can and bolted down the street towards the Toronto General Hospital.

Her first night shift in the Emergency Room and she was running late. What an impression she'll make on the night staff.

She yelped, her footing slipping as she made contact with the ice hiding under the thin layer of snow. Regaining her balance she carefully made it the rest of the way.

"You're late, Kyra." Kyra looked up from the locker to see Myrna, who was the oldest and also the head nurse of Emergency Room. "You have worked in this hospital for a little over a year and you decide to be late on your first night shift? You are a nurse! Not a sniveling little school girl. Act it."

Heat rushed to Kyra's cheeks as she ignored the looks of the other nurses in the room as she gave a mumbled apology, making her way to the nurses' station in the ER, grabbing the first chart there.

Giving a slight sigh and pulling out her stethoscope, Kyra flung the object over her shoulder, making her way into the first set of curtains to her left. Looking down at the chart, she spoke with uncertainty.

"Mr Gandolf Grey?"

Never. Never in her short nursing career did she ever have any problems with pronouncing the names of medication, but give her someone's name? Well, the attempt usually always ended up being a horrid attempt as she butchered whoever's name she was trying to say. As the elderly man gave a hearty laugh, his bluish-gray eyes twinkling in amusement, Kyra felt her face heat up the second time that night from utter embarrassment.

"It is Gandalf, my dear."

A nervous laugh escaped passed Kyra's lips as she walked over to the side of the bed as she spoke. "My apologies, sir. I usually butcher people's names whenever I try to pronounce them. Would it be alright if I can take your vitals before I ask you some questions?"

Gandalf nodded, permitting her to perform her duties as a healer. As she worked, neither one spoke, and with the silence, Gandalf studied the woman before him.

Her blond hair was pulled back into a tight bun with a few strands falling around her face. Her thin and neat brows were creased in concentration and her brown eyes were focused in on their task. The woman, he noted, seemed to possess an air of wisdom that was beyond her years. She was like an open book and he could see the sadness, pain, regret, and longing.

His thoughts and observations of the young woman were interrupted by the woman's voice bringing him out of his thoughts.

"I apologize miss...?" Gandalf trailed off as he waited for her to satisfy him with a name.