Title: Not Your Average Christmas
Fandom: ER/NCIS
For: haltlos on livejournal
Prompt: ER - a slow Christmas morning in the ER (a little Ray/Neela would be awesome or the appearance of John Carter)/NCIS - Where and how does Tony DiNozzo or Kate Todd spend Christmas? (pick one character or both)
Word Count: 1071
Spoilers: Up to S15 apply (Including series finale) & 1x01 (Yankee Whites) of NCIS
Summary: This was two prompts given to me as a part of my '12 days of promptsmas' challenge. I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it! Please review!
Christmas was always uneventful in the Emergency Room at County General in Chicago. Unless you count the crazies who tended to appear from time to time, but given that they showed up almost everyday anyway, Christmas was a reprieve of sorts. That's why Neela was disappointed to see that the ER in New Orleans was vastly different.
Busy doesn't even begin to describe how it's been for the past few hours. From broken bones thanks to falls, to third degree burns on drunk adults who think it's funny to touch the lights on their Christmas tree, this day has been nothing but a pain in Neela's ass since it started. Thankfully, Ray is (for once) working on the same shift she is. Her reasoning is that she's 8 months pregnant, and he's afraid that she's going to go into early labour.
The perks of being married to a doctor when you're one yourself? None. You're petrified most of the time anyway; Having the M.D behind your name doesn't lessen that fear.
Right before Neela knew her day was going to hell, she got an extremely unsuspected surprise. The chief had pulled her out of the exam room she'd been working in, and told her to take an hour off for lunch. Before he had fully walked away from her, he also said that there was someone waiting for her at the restaurant across the way.
Nothing says Christmas like a potential crazy who knows your name, asking you to meet them at a restaurant.
It takes her twice the normal amount of time to shuffle over to the eatery, because she walks like a penguin on the ice (Whoever said that New Orleans doesn't get snow or ice should have been shot). But it's more than worth the wait when she discovers the person waiting for her is an old friend. An old mentor.
Dr. John Carter sits in a booth next to the window, facing her, wearing a wide grin as she entered.
"John!" Neela exclaims before moving towards him as quickly as she can. "What are you doing here?" The comment spills out around her laugh as he stands up and embraces her tightly. After a moment they separate and John looks at her.
"God Neela, you're huge!" Laughing, he reclaims his seat as she slides in across from him. "I'm in town for a conference." Carter comments as the waitress comes over and he orders a coffee; Neela a water. "Granted it's not till next week… So I figured I'd come see how you're doing. Congratulations by the way." Neela blushes; Clearly she should have known that her announcement would have spread like wildfire at County.
They chat and catch up for an hour, a portion of which is dedicated to Neela telling Carter that there will be no argument, he is doing to check out of his hotel and stay with her and Ray (This is after she discovered that Ray knew that Carter was in town… Bloody git). As they finished their food, Neela's pager went off and she groaned.
"I've got to get back. Here's the address, and I'll see you tonight okay?" Before Carter can try to refuse her hospitality, she tosses a twenty dollar bill on the table and takes her leave. As she reappears in the ER, Ray is waiting for her chart in hand.
"Have a good lunch?" He grins at her and Neela punches him in the arm.
"Wanker." She states, although the smile pulling at her cheeks reminds him that she appreciates the surprise. "What's incoming?" Handing over the chart, Ray explains that it's a special case. There was a car accident nearby; A federal agent was t-boned while en route to his hotel. It's not too long after she hands the chart back that the EMT's rolled through the doors, pushing a gurney that carried a man in his late 30's in a torn-up and bloodied suit. Neel and Ray moved to the sides of the gurney as the medics went over his vitals and explained what happened. Finally, when they were able to move the man off the gurney and onto the bed in Trauma 1, the man glanced at Neela.
"You're pregnant." He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Neela raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Did you check for a concussion?" Her question was directed at the paramedics, who replied that they had, and it seemed like he might have a slight one. Rolling her eyes, Neela grabbed her tiny flashlight and began to check his eyes.
"You're really hot too." The man continued. Across the room, Ray snorted and Neela shot him a dirty look in response. With a sigh, she pocked the flashlight again.
"Do you know you where you are?" She asked, and she was pleasantly surprised when he answered.
"New Orleans." Slowly, he pushed himself up, ignoring the shooting pain in his left arm. "It's Christmas Day, and this is not how I wanted to spend it… No offence." He flashed her a grin and a wink, forcing her to blush. Ray, who had remained quiet, cleared his throat pointedly and shot a glare at the patient.
"Well, lets get you upstairs for some x-rays of that arm, and maybe you'll be able to salvage some of your holiday." Neela smiled. "What agency do you work for?" She questioned as she charted the information. "When you were brought in, that you're a federal agent." The man grinned.
"I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo with NCIS." Came his response. Ray turned and looked at the man.
"Is that anything like CSI?" She wouldn't have thought it possible that the special agent should be able to turn that fast, without getting whiplash; DiNozzo glared at Ray.
"Only if you're dyslexic." He replied. Giggling, Neela shook her head.
"It's the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Ray." She stated, answering his question. Just as she finished, her pager beeped. "A nurse will be in shortly to take you upto x-ray Agent DiNozzo." She motioned for Ray to follow her, but she stopped short of exiting the room.
"Merry Christmas." With a smile, she departed, leaving DiNozzo by himself. It took him a minute to realize that he might be guaranteed a full day's stay in the hospital to hit on the nurses and doctors alike. Maybe this Christmas wasn't such a bust afterall.