JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY
Title: JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY
Rating: G right now
Pairing: Mirada/Andy
Summary: AU When Andy tossed her phone into the fountain in Paris, she knew it would have repercussions, she knew her life would change, she knew creating a new life and reviving her life before RUNWAY would take work, she knew leaving behind new feelings would hard, what she never expected was how all those things would affect her life in a way she never could have imagined.
Disclaimer: This is especially important: I DO NOT own or have rights to The Devil Wears Prada or any of its characters.
A/N: Prompt from flitterbug18 (not gonna tell you what it was til the end) for the Barren Desert Fic Exhange from worst_liar_ever. HUGE HUGE THANKS to zindegi for the WONDERFUL artwork!!!
Here’s what I started…
Prologue
The Editor of RUNWAY, Miranda Priestly and the Editor of MEN’S RUNWAY, Nigel Kipling had air kissed enough cheeks and asses for the evening. The Gala was to celebrate the incredible success of MEN’S RUNWAY in it’s first three years of publication. Miranda had informed Nigel after shattering his dream of working with James Holt International in Paris over four years prior that the magazine was in the works and he was to be in charge. Her plan to put James and Jacqueline together had as much to do with taking the French diva out of the equation for later plans as saving her position at her beloved magazine. Regrettably, Miranda couldn’t tell her dear friend what was happening until after her final chess move with Irv.
“I still don’t know how you’ve done it all these years Miranda.” Nigel slipped her shawl over her shoulders. “My face has never been as sore as it is tonight from all of the fake smiling. I might have to have surgery just to have it removed.”
Miranda smirked. “And here I thought you were sincere with your thanks when Irv’s wife complemented you on the layout for last months issue.”
“Oh please, you and I both know that pretentious dyke wouldn’t know a decent layout if it was Angelina Jolie naked by a pool.”
Miranda snorted. “In any case, you were the Belle of the Ball. What you have accomplished in the last three years is not something to be taken lightly.” She turned to look at him. “I’m very proud of you Nigel.”
The words thank you suddenly got lost on his tongue and he grabbed hold of Miranda’s arm as his legs gave out underneath him.
“Nigel?” In her voice he heard her fear as darkness overtook him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Male, 51 years old, BP 90 over 40, pulse 44, clear lung sounds. He’s in and out of consciousness.” Nigel could hear the words floating around him and as he fought to open his eyes he could see people moving around above him.
“Put him in two. Get me an EKG readout, get his blood to the lab and start him on oxygen.” That voice.
When Nigel opened his eyes again he was sure he was dead because above him was the face of an angel and that voice registered when it said his name.
“Nigel?”
Andy’s usual calm demeanor evaporated at the moment she recognized her former work associate and friend lying on the bed before her.
“I want a push of Retaplase.” Andy bent over her patient and stroked his forehead gently. “I’ll take care of you Nigel.”
Out in the waiting room Miranda was standing, regally, waiting for answers about Nigel’s condition. “Where is the doctor? I want to know what is going on with my friend.”
“What is the name?”
“Nigel Kipling. He was just brought in.”
“What is your relationship with the patient?”
“What difference is it to you? I just want to know what is going on.”
The nurse was about to give her standard speech about not giving information to anyone but family and emergency contacts when she saw over the woman’s shoulder Andy waving her off.
“Miranda.”
The older woman froze when she heard the voice. Andrea. She turned and her eyes fell upon her former assistant. “Andrea. What are you doing here? I don’t have time for your uselessness right now.” The fashionista turned around to face the offending woman behind the desk, ready to rain down hell from the devil’s tongue but when she heard the words behind her they died and she gasped instead.
“Dr. Sachs, here are the results from Mr. Kipling’s EKG.”
“Thank you Alice.”
Miranda spun around to see Andrea flipping through papers on a clip board. The younger woman looked up to meet Miranda’s eyes, pulling the clip board to her chest. “You were saying?” A smirk lifted the corners of her lips.
Nothing in Miranda’s life could have prepared her for that moment. There was no way she could hide the surprise on her face.