"May I use your phone?"

"Sure, Sarah, what's up?"  Johnny asked.  Sarah had dropped by to bring him a casserole she'd baked.  Said she'd baked too much--one whole extra one, never been touched?--for dinner the night before.

"I just want to let Walt know I'm here," she replied, reaching for the handset on his cordless phone.  With a confident air, she pressed Mem#1 on the keypad, and then frowned when Bruce's voice assaulted her ears.  "Yo!  I'm at work right now, take a message at the tone!" the recording told her.  She quickly hit the off button.

Mem#2 directed her to Johnny's doctor's office.  She hung up on the receptionist's cheerful hello.

Mem#3 was the Cleaves Mill PD.  Today was Walt's day off.  She hung up on another receptionist.

Mem#4...  Sarah got Dana Bright's voice mail at the Bangor Daily News.

Her finger hovered above Mem#5, unable to press it... face wrinkling in frustration.

"What's the matter, Sarah?"  Johnny asked, concern at her expression showing on his face.  "Is there a problem with the phone?"

She nodded slowly, unable to trust herself with words.

"Well, here, use the cellular, then," he offered, pulling it out of his jacket pocket and handing it to her.  He turned his back on her to put the casserole in the refrigerator.

Sarah smiled.  She *knew* who was Mem#1 on this phone.  She'd programmed it herself the day she'd given it to Johnny.  She pressed the button she believed would call her home number.

"Dana Bright," a cheerful voice met her ears.  "Hello?" Dana continued when Sarah didn't respond.  She was staring in disbelief at the cell phone in her hand.

Hanging up quickly, she set the phone down on the counter.  "Y-you know, Johnny," she began, flustered.  "I...  I really think I should leave now."  She reached for her purse, fumbling with the car key she found at the bottom of it.  "Walt's not answering...  and... I have errands to run."  She paused long enough in her exit to give him a slightly faded smile.  "Enjoy the casserole."

"I'm sure I will.  I'll even bring the pan back when I'm done," he said, mostly to her retreating back.  He shrugged, picking up the phone to put it back in his pocket.  Instantly, he was shown a vision of Dana--holding her cell phone and looking confused.  A second later, the phone rang.

"Did you just try to call me?"  Dana bright asked unceremoniously, not even waiting for him to say hello.

"No... " he admitted.  "But I was just thinking about it.  How would you like to come to dinner tonight?"

*end*