DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from ER. They belong to their respective writers.
Enjoy!
A/N: This idea came to me while talking to a good friend about Jeanie! I always thought she could have been a help in the biggest fight to live traumas that took place within County General's walls on that fateful Val day.
"A Call in the Night"
Jeanie Boulet-Moore awoke to the sound of a baby wailing. Sitting up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.
"Wha-what's going…where are you…" a groggy male voice asked.
Jeanie turned and almost laughed at her husband's disheveled appearance. Bending down, she kissed his lips.
"Go back to sleep. I'm just checking on Carlos," with that, she left. On the short walk, Jeanie couldn't help but smile. She was truly blessed. Entering the nursery, she went to the ten-month-old's side.
"Hey, hey, do you have any idea what time it is?" she teasingly scolded. Lifting Carlos into her arms, she smiled. Even though it was around two in the morning, she wouldn't trade this time with her son for anything. Carrying him over to the changing table, Jeanie lay him down. Putting on gloves, she changed him. Once that was done, she carried him down to the kitchen. "You know I Love you, right?" she softly asked him. She kissed his forehead while holding him close. Setting him down in his bassinet, she went about the task of getting his bottle ready. She hummed as she worked, a habit she had always had. She knew it calmed Carlos when he was especially fussy. One of her favorite things to do was sit in the rocking chair with the baby and sing to him while he fell asleep. Testing the bottle on her arm, Jeanie closed the microwave door just as Carlos started crying. "I know, I know," she cooed, picking him up. She walked over to the glider in the living room and got settled. "There you go. Is that better? You're my hungry boy, aren't you?" as she fed her son, she started to sing a hymn. It was one she had learned at Reverend Lin's church. Five minutes later, Carlos pushed the bottle away. "Are you done?" she softly asked. "Okay, let's get you burped and then we'll-" her sentence was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Frowning, she picked it up before it woke Reggie. Sometimes his co-workers called if he was needed at work. It was probably one of them. "Hello?" she asked. But the voice who answered was NOT one of Reggie's co-workers.
"Jeanie, I'm so sorry to call you so late."
Jeanie's heart rate sped up at the possibility for Kerry's call.
"Kerry? It's okay. I just got done feeding Carlos. What's goin' on?"
"We need you to come in. It's an emergency. We're swamped and…it's kind of a special case."
Jeanie had a feeling Kerry wasn't telling her everything. She had worked at the ER long enough to know she would get information as needed.
"Okay. I'll be right there," with that, Jeanie hung up the phone. Burping Carlos, she cleaned him up and took him back upstairs. The minute she laid him down, he cried out as though he sensed his Mama's unease. "Shh, shh, sweetie, it's okay. Mama will be back. I just need to go help a friend out. Daddy will be here with you. I Love you," with that, she bent down, kissed his cheek, stood and left the room. Entering her and Reggie's room, she changed as quietly as possible. Thanking God she had kept a lab coat for sentimental reasons, she slipped it on. Making sure her hair was up and out of the way, she went over to the bed. "Reggie? Honey, you need to wake up."
Reggie's brown eyes opened slowly. He blinked twice when he saw Jeanie dressed in her old work attire.
"Jeanie? Why are you wearing…"
"Kerry called. They need me to help out for today. She sounded weird on the phone. It sounded like it was more personal than she wanted to admit. I'll be back as soon as I can. I fed Carlos and he's tucked in. He's not happy right now, but he'll settle down. If he doesn't's top crying in the next five minutes, try rocking him."
"Okay," he replied. "Love you."
"I love you too," Jeanie bent down, kissed her husband on the lips, stood and left the house. She felt guilty for leaving Reggie with a cranky Carlos since she had been the one to create the situation by cutting their time short. She comforted herself with the reassurance that she would be back home in a few hours.
*******
Arriving at CCH, Jeanie just stared up at the familiar building for a minute or so. How many times had she walked through these doors over the last four years? Now she was being asked to do it again. As she reached a hand out, a voice made her turn around.
"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't go in there. It's a crime scene."
"Crime scene? What are you talking about?"
"I can't reveal any of that information, ma'am. You'll have to step away from the entrance," the unfamiliar officer instructed.
"A co-worker of mine called me to come in and help," Jeanie explained while stepping a few feet to her left.
"May I see I.D?" he asked.
Jeanie fished in her purse and pulled it out. She was glad she had kept it.
"You may pass," he consented.
"Thank you," Jeanie went forward again. Walking inside, she was overcome by memories. But as she entered the ER, the memories were replaced by a barrage of noise and chaos. As the chaos surrounded her, Jeanie took a deep breath. She could do this. She had done this countless times before. Even as she gave herself the internal pep talk, something about this time felt different. Going to the admit desk, she found Jerry flipping through some charts.
"Hey," she greeted.
Jerry glanced up. He managed a tiny smile for his friend.
"Hi, Jeanie. Did Dr. Weaver call you?"
"Yeah. Do you know where she is?" she asked. She grabbed a stethoscope off the desk and slipped it on, along with a pair of gloves.
"Trauma 2," he replied.
"Thanks," with that, Jeanie turned around and took off in the direction of the right room.
"Jeanie, wait!" Jerry called after her, but it was too late. Shaking his head, he just prayed she was ready for what she was about to walk into...
****
Entering the right trauma room, Jeanie found Kerry, Lily, and a doctor she didn't know surrounding a bed. She heard Kerry give orders for a central line as she got closer.
"What can I do to help?" Jeanie asked, making her presence known.
Kerry turned to face her friend.
"Help Maluccie with the central line," she instructed.
"Who?" Jeanie asked in response.
"That would be me," the unfamiliar doctor to Jeanie's left stated. "Dr. Dave. I don't believe we've-"
"Maluccie, concentrate!" Kerry barked.
"You got it, Chief," Maluccie replied.
It wasn't until Jeanie looked down in order to perform the procedure that she recognized who was on the table. Gasping softly, she tried to keep her shock at bay. Forcing herself to focus, she and Maluccie completed the procedure in record time.
Just then, Benton ran in. He did a double take when he saw Jeanie working alongside the others, but got right down to business. He explained they needed Kerry's help.
"Jeanie, stay with Lucy," Kerry ordered.
All Jeanie could do was nod. When it was just her and Lily in the room with Lucy, she reached out and rested a gloved hand on Lucy's shoulder.
"Who did this to you?" she softly wondered.
Just then, the doctor named Maluccie returned.
"Elizabeth is ready for her," he informed Jeanie. "Chief wants you to go up with her."
"Okay," Jeanie raised her eyebrows at the term, but realized the guy probably meant Kerry.
Jeanie left her hand on Lucy's shoulder during transport. As they got on the elevator, Lucy started to come around. Hearing her groan, then whimper, Jeanie did what she was best at.
"Shh, shh, Lucy, it's okay. You're safe. You're not alone," she gently assured her.
Lucy glanced up at the person speaking to her. She vaguely recognized her, but she couldn't place her at the moment.
"You might not remember me. We've only worked together once. I'm Jeanie," she introduced.
Lucy nodded.
"Ka…" she tried, but her voice gave out. She finally managed one word, "Kids."
Jeanie nodded.
"That's right. I usually work with kids. But today, I'm all yours."
Lucy nodded. She reached out with her free hand.
Jeanie got the message and gave her what she needed.
Just then, the elevator stopped.
"Don't worry," Elizabeth assured them, "it should start working again in a minute. Sometimes when it snows, the electricity acts strange."
Jeanie nodded.
Thankfully, a few minutes later, the elevator started up again.
Getting off on the surgical floor, Jeanie stayed by Lucy's side.
"Da…don't lea…" Lucy's voice trailed off as she started to cough.
"Shh, shh, it's okay. I won't leave you until I have to," Jeanie promised. She started humming in an attempt to keep Lucy calm. It did the trick a minute later.
Just then, Elizabeth returned.
"Jeanie, right?" she had hardly worked with the pediatric PA before, but had heard good things about her from the others.
"Yeah?" Jeanie glanced up at her.
"Would you be willing to stay with Lucy for a few more minutes?"
"Of course," Jeanie consented.
"We need to intubate before we take her in," she explained.
Jeanie frowned. Glancing down at Lucy, she became aware that her grip had tightened on her hand.
"It's okay," Jeanie soothed, "I'm right here."
It wasn't long before Elizabeth returned. Standing on Lucy's other side, she gently explained the procedure to her.
"When I put this in your mouth, you need to swallow."
Lucy nodded. She could feel tears of fear welling. Letting them fall, she glanced towards Jeanie.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, sweetie, it's okay, it's okay…" Jeanie started running a hand through Lucy's hair. Letting her squeeze her hand once again, she kept up her soothing words as Elizabeth started the process.
"That's it, there you go, it's okay, Lucy, it's okay. Just swallow, that's all you need to do," Jeanie gently instructed. With her other hand, she gently started massaging Lucy's neck in an effort to help the process along. Blinking back tears, she locked eyes with the med-student, assuring her she was there. Glancing up, she met Elizabeth's eyes. "May I walk down with her?"
"Of course," Elizabeth consented. "I'll come and get you when she's out."
"Thanks," Jeanie nodded at her. With that, she walked down to the O.R doors with them. "I'll be there when you wake up," she promised. With that, Jeanie extracted her hand from Lucy's left one and left her in Elizabeth's capable hands. Going to the waiting room, Jeanie spotted a lounge at the end of the hallway. Entering, she picked up the phone. Steadying her breaths, she dialed her home number.
"Hello?" Reggie's voice came over the line.
"Hey, honey. Things got really crazy here. I'll be home as soon as I can. How's Carlos?"
"He's fine. He fell back to sleep," Reggie informed her.
"Give him a kiss for me. I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay. Hey, are you okay?" he asked.
"No, but we'll talk when I get home," Jeanie replied. With that, she hung up. Sitting down in a chair, she let a few stray tears fall. She had never thought in a million years that she would be called upon to help one of her own in a life or death situation. She wasn't naïve. She knew full well just because she and her friends worked in the medical field didn't mean they were invincible. But at the same time, she never thought an incident of this magnitude would occur. Lifting her eyes to a window in the far corner, Jeanie spoke softly. "Father, I don't know why this happened. I know no matter what, you're in control. Please, help Lucy through this. Please place your hand on her and guide her through safely. In your name, Amen." With that, she sat there, eyes closed and head bowed. For the first time since she had set foot in her old work place, she felt at peace.
"Jeanie?"
Jeanie lifted her head to find Haleh standing there.
"Hey," she stood up. "I was just…I needed some time to regroup."
Haleh nodded.
"Don't ever apologize for seeking God's help. If more people did that, the world would be a less violent place."
Jeanie nodded in agreement.
"Are you hungry?" her friend asked.
"Not really," Jeanie replied. "I think I'm gonna take a walk. Clear my head. I'll be back. I have my pager with me. Page me when Lucy gets out of surgery."
"You got it," Haleh reached out and embraced her friend. "I'm here if you ever need to talk, no matter if you work here or not."
"Thanks," Jeanie hugged back. Exiting the lounge, she took the stairs down to the ground floor. Once out in the fresh air, Jeanie took a deep breath. Pulling her winter coat tighter around herself, she walked over to Doc Magoo's. She was about to enter when she got a better idea. Taking a right, she walked around the block a few times. By the time she returned to the hospital, she felt a little bit better. Entering the building, she heard her pager go off. Heading back upstairs, she was met by Elizabeth.
"Lucy's in recovery," she reported. "It's hard to say right now, but if her condition stays stable, she should be okay."
"Thank God," Jeanie praised.
"You can go sit with her," Elizabeth told her.
"Thanks," Jeanie left in the direction of the recovery room. Entering, she sat down next to Lucy's bed. Taking her free hand, Jeanie started humming. It wasn't long before she felt a slight pressure on the hand that was in Lucy's. Glancing down, she smiled when she saw Lucy's azure eyes opening.
"Hey. I told you I'd be here when you woke up," she greeted.
Lucy nodded. She tried to speak, but only succeeded in coughing instead. She sipped slowly from a cup of water Jeanie pressed to her lips.
"Jea…Jeanie," she managed to softly utter.
"Shh, you need to rest," Jeanie reminded her, "I'm not leaving for a little while."
"Thank you," Lucy whispered.
"You're welcome," Jeanie replied.
Just then, they were joined by Elizabeth.
"How is she doing?"
"She's awake and she drank a few sips of water," Jeanie reported.
"That's good," Elizabeth explained what would happen next. She also assured Lucy that she would stay with her when Jeanie had to leave.
"Not yet," Lucy hoarsely said, glancing at Jeanie.
Jeanie shook her head.
"Not quite yet. Probably in the next hour."
"Okay," Lucy sleepily said.
"It looks like you made a friend for life," Elizabeth commented.
Jeanie nodded. She only wished it hadn't taken a tragedy to bring them together. She should have gotten to know Lucy before this. She vowed to change that now.
*******
Two hours later, Jeanie stood and stretched.
"Will you be back?" Lucy asked. She had been awake for the last half an hour. She and Jeanie had talked a little. Jeanie actually did most of the talking so that Lucy could rest.
"Do you want me to come and visit you?" Jeanie asked.
"Please?"
"You got it. I might not be able to come every day, but I'll come tomorrow and on Friday," Jeanie assured her. Bending down, she gently hugged her. "I'll see you later," with that, she turned around and left the recovery ward. Gaining the ground floor, Jeanie noticed that it had started to rain. Realizing she had left her coat in the ER lounge, she backtracked. Entering, she was surprised to find Kerry sitting in a chair, just staring out of the window.
"Kerry?" Jeanie approached her friend.
Kerry glanced up and tried to smile, but she couldn't do it.
"Are you leaving?" she asked.
"After you tell me what's wrong," Jeanie sat down in a vacant chair.
Kerry sighed.
"It's just been a long day," she hedged.
Jeanie raised her eyebrows. She knew there was more to it than that.
"I know it had to have gotten to you, what happened to Lucy and Carter. It got to me too," she admitted.
Kerry nodded, but didn't say anything.
"If you ever need to talk, I'm here," Jeanie told her.
"Thanks," Kerry mumbled. "You better get back to Carlos and I need to get back to work. That board isn't going to clear itself."
Jeanie nodded. She stood and went to get her coat. Slipping it on, she made her way out of the ER. Glancing back one last time, she smiled wistfully. It was time to go back to her new life.
Much later that night, Jeanie was awoken by a familiar sound. Sitting up, she grinned despite the hour. Standing, she went to her son's room.
"Hey, you. I missed you today. Mama missed you. Aw, come here…" with that, Jeanie picked the infant up. Cradling him close, she sat down in the rocking chair. """Did you have a good day with Daddy?"
Carlos snuggled into his mother's hold, content as ever.
Sighing in contentment, Jeanie started softly singing to him. As her sweet voice filled the room, she lifted her eyes to the window above Carlos' crib. Standing, Jeanie carried him downstairs to feed him a bottle. As she got his midnight snack ready, she thanked God for the many blessings He had given her. Despite the late night feedings and sleepless nights due to Carlos' teething, Jeanie wouldn't have it any other way.
THE END