The County Crew

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I wish I did.

Authors Note: I loved the finale, but I felt that there could've been more interaction between the old characters and I really wanted them all to go to the hospital. I'm open to ideas for continuing it. Please Read and Review!

At the Joshua Carter Center Carter is giving his speech. Kerry, Susan, Peter, Elizabeth and Rachel are in the front.

Carter: This facility will provide services that have been sorely lacking at county for many years.

Kem enters during Carter's speech, he sees her and is surprised.

Carter: I hope you will bear with me for a moment while I explain why we named this the Joshua Carter Center. My wife and I had a son and we named him Joshua and he died, (he pauses, obviously choked up)

Abby enters the back of the room, Carter sees her and grins.

Carter: And it seems so senseless that we struggled to find some sort of meaning in it. And in the aftermath of our small tragedy we realized that we could make a difference in other peoples lives, other people experiencing their own small tragedies and that made somehow the loss of Josh bearable…Thank you so much for coming.

People begin to mingle and make their way towards Carter to shake his hand and congratulate him. Abby makes her way through the crowd to the County Crew and walks up behind them. She taps Susan on the shoulder. Susan turns around and is shocked.

Susan (while hugging Abby tightly): Oh my God what are you doing here?!

Abby: Last minute decision.

Kerry: It's so good to see you.

Abby: You too, you guys look great.

Susan: So do you!

Abby: This is really something, what he did, huh?

Kerry: Yeah, it really is.

Susan: Where's Luka?

Abby: Home with Joe. He couldn't get off of work.

Kerry: Hey we're all going to McCalls are you coming?

Abby: Sure right behind you.

They go to leave and Abby notices Kem walking away from Carter and Carter standing by himself. She looks to Susan.

Abby: We'll catch up.

Abby walks towards Carter.

Abby: Hey there.

Carter: Hello. This is a surprise.

Abby: This was really important. I remember when you first thought of doing this years ago. Congratulations.

Carter: I really appreciate you coming. You look great.

Abby: Thank you.

Carter: Are you coming to McCalls?

Abby: Yep. Wanna be sober buddies?
Carter: Of course. Let's go.

He leads her out the door and they walk towards the bar.

Carter: And congratulations on the baby by the way, I was surprised!

Abby (laughs): So were we.

Carter: How old?

Abby: 2.

Carter: Wow.

Abby: I know. It's crazy. (She pulls out a picture and hands it to Carter.)

Carter (laughs): He looks just like Luka.

Abby: Yeah, he's teaching him Croatian.

Carter: I'm really happy for you Abby.

They reach the outside of McCalls.

Abby: Thanks. I'm really proud of you Carter.

They hug outside the bar and enter. The County Crew clap and yell.

Peter: About time.

Elizabeth: Abby! I didn't see you! Come over here!

Abby walks over to join Elizabeth, Susan, Kerry, and Rachel. Peter grins at Carter and gives him a look.

Carter: She's married.

Peter: Bummer.

They laugh and join the group. Everyone begins happily drinking (with the exception of Abby and Carter) and soon get a little tipsy.

Susan: Wait wait wait, do you remember the time Carter put that dildo in your locker Kerry?!

Kerry: That was YOU John?!

Susan: Oops! You never told her!?

John (embarrassed): No Susan, but thank you. At least she's not my chief anymore.

Kerry: Well well well John Carter you were the last one I expected to have done it.

Susan: Who did you think did it?
Kerry: Abby.

Abby: Me?! Why me?!

Kerry: I don't know, just a hunch.

Peter: Glad I missed that fiasco.

Elizabeth (in her adorable accent): Peter, do you remember that Halloween you dressed up as Shaft for me?!

Peter: That never happened.

Elizabeth: Oh yes it did! It was adorable.

Kerry: I can imagine. (tips her glass to Peter.)

Susan: Anyone need a refill?

Kerry and Peter: Yes please.

Abby: I'll go with you.

Abby and Susan walk over to the bar and order the drinks.

Susan: Why don't you have one? Remember all of our girls nights!?

Abby: Yes I do, but I can't do that anymore.

Susan: Oh.

Abby: Yeah, we'll talk later.

Susan: OK.

They bring the drinks back to the table. Carter and Abby have fun eyeballing each other about their tipsy friends.

Kerry: Do you remember when Jerry blew up the ambulance bay and I put him on nights for a few months?

Susan: Yeah I thought he'd never be off the graveyard shift.

Abby: How did he blow up the ambulance bay?

Peter: With a bazooka.

Elizabeth: What?!

Peter: Long story. It was a patient's.

Elizabeth: How did they get a bloody bazooka into the ER?

Kerry: They were selling them and assured us that it wasn't loaded.

Abby: And Jerry being Jerry decided the test it out?

Carter: Of course.

Abby: Oh Jerry.

Susan: Hey remember when I stole Romano's hand for pinching the nurses asses?
Kerry: Good job he deserved that. Where'd you hide it?
Abby: In the tampon machine in the ladies room.

Elizabeth: Brilliant.

Susan: Thank you, thank you.

After awhile they simmer down and order some coffee. It is 1AM but no one wants to leave, they are truly enjoying their time together.

Abby and Susan are sitting at a table by themselves.

Abby: I've really missed you.

Susan: I miss you too…Are you OK? Did something happen?

Abby: Everything's great…now. Really great.

Susan: But?

Abby: Hit a bit of a rough patch last year.

Susan: What happened?

Abby: Well, I don't want to bore you with the details, but you know, Joe was sick, Luka had to go to Croatia to take care of his Dad and I was all alone, that was hard. And I just couldn't handle it…so I started drinking again.

Susan: Well it's not like you never drank before. I thought you had it under control.

Abby: Yeah, well that was 'happy hanging out with my friends drinking'…this was 'I can't handle what's going on in my life so I have to have a drink' drinking.

Susan: Oh…how bad did it get?

Abby:…ended up in rehab.

Susan: Oh Abby, you should've called me. I should've known this.

Abby: I wouldn't have told you at the time. I was in a very self destructive place and I had to hit bottom before I could climb back out…but I'm fine now. I'm happy.

Susan: Good for you. Cosmo and I are gonna have to take a trip to Boston. I can't believe Joe and Cosmo have never met.

Abby: Yeah you should. Really. It's been great seeing you.

Peter and Elizabeth are at another table talking.

Elizabeth: So how is Cleo?

Peter: She's great. Still in Schaumburg and I'm at Northwestern.

Elizabeth: That's great Peter.

Peter: And how's Ella?

Elizabeth: Great, she's nine now I can't believe it. And now I have Rachel at Duke with me. It's surreal.

Peter: Mark would be so proud of her.

Elizabeth: I know, it's wonderful.

Kerry, Carter, and Rachel are at another table reminiscing about Mark.

Carter: On my very first day in the ER we got a really gnarly trauma and I felt like I was going to be sick. Your Dad told me to step outside and he came and found me when the trauma was over. I was sitting on the ground with my head between my knees, thoroughly embarrassed, and he said to me: "there's two kinds of doctors... there's the kind that gets rid of their feelings, and the kind that keeps them. If you're gonna keep your feelings, you're gonna get sick from time to time - that's just how it works. People come in here and they're sick and dying and bleeding, and they need our help. Helping them is more important than how we feel…But it's still a pain the ass sometimes."

Kerry: (laughs but gets emotional at the sentiment) You remember that from all those years ago?

Carter: He made quite an impression.

Rachel: Yeah he always did. I remember he would always have to bring me to the hospital after school or before school because he was always working. I hated it at the time, but I guess it was good for me because I really want to follow in his footsteps now.

Kerry: That's wonderful.

Carter: You know what, we should take a field trip, right now. Let's go to County and show her around!

Kerry: I don't know John it's kind of late.

Carter: Oh come on, there is going to be a new Dr. Greene roaming the halls of County, who better to show her around than us?

Kerry: You've got a point there.

Carter stands up and goes to the middle of the room.

Carter: Hey guys, we're gonna go to County. We have to initiate the new Dr. Greene. They all look at each other and then to Carter, the look in their eyes is a collective 'why not?'.