A/N- This story takes place before Carol left, during the time she and Luka
were sort of seeing each other. It begins where the Season 6 episode
"Viable Options" left off. I wrote it almost two years ago, when Mark did
not have cancer. So the story is not intended to be a rip-off. None of
these characters belong to me. They belong to the ER people, as I like to
call them. This was my first ER fanfic, so be kind in your reviews, please.
"Oh Luka, you must be freezing. I'll go get you a sweater." Carol Hathaway turned to go inside her small house.
"Carol, I don't think any of your sweaters will fit me."
"Don't worry about it. I'll find something."
Carol went quickly up the stairs to her room to find something to give her friend to stay warm. 'This is unbelievable' she thought. 'It's April and snow just started coming down.' She turned and started searching through her dresser drawers to find a blanket. As she pulled open the top drawer, a large gray sweater caught her eye. She pulled it out and held it up. 'This should just about fit Luka. Funny, I never noticed this before. Doug must have left it here on his last visit. But that was three months ago. It must be a lot warmer in Seattle.'
Carol sat down on her bed and thought about the last time she saw Doug. He had been visiting regularly to see their twin daughters, Kate and Tess. But the last time he came, something was different about him. He was still very comfortable with the girls, but whenever she tried to talk to him, he came up with some excuse why he couldn't talk just then. He had to run an errand or wasn't feeling well. Carol was hurt and called him down on it. He avoided the subject and they got into a big fight. Doug stormed out angrily and she hadn't seen him since. He hadn't even returned her calls. She was beginning to think that he had met someone in Seattle and didn't want her to know about it. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'she can have him, whoever she is. I'm not going to let his problems run my life anymore.' She got up from the bed and headed downstairs. Halfway down, one of her daughters started to wail, startling her. She lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs, too surprised to let out a sound.
Dr. Luka Kovac, Carol's coworker and good friend, was standing outside, grilling burgers while the snow was falling faster and faster. He stomped his feet and crossed his arms, trying to keep warm. 'Where is Carol with that sweater? She should be back by now.' Just then, he faintly heard the crying of one of Carol's twin daughters. 'That must be what's keeping her. Those girls keep her busy all the time. I don't know how she has the energy to care for them and work.' While he was wondering, the snow began falling so heavily he decided to go inside and tell Carol that maybe they should try the barbecue some other time. He walked inside and was horrified to find Carol lying in an unconscious heap at the bottom of the stairs.
"Carol! Wake up!" he yelled as he ran into the living room to call 911. The ambulance arrived in five minutes. Luka ran outside to bring the paramedics up to speed. "This is Carol Hathaway. She's a nurse at County General. She fell down the stairs. She has a strong pulse and good breath sounds but she isn't responsive. She may have some head injuries. Be careful, don't move her neck. Carol, wake up!" The paramedics got Carol on a board and got a c-collar on her. One turned to a frantic Luka. "Sir? Sir! Are you her husband?" "What? No, I'm Dr. Luka Kovac, her coworker. Take her to County. I'll be there soon, I have to get the girls." He turned to go to the nursery and then spun back around and grabbed one of the paramedics by the arm. "You take good care of her."
The paramedics rushed Carol out to their rig and sped away, sirens screaming. Luka went upstairs, dressed the babies in their coats, and buckled their carseats into his car. He went straight to the hospital, rushing through the emergency room doors. The first person he saw was Kerry Weaver. "Where's Carol? Is she still unconscious? Who's her doctor?"
"Now, calm down, Luka, she's gone upstairs to have a CT. Mark and Elizabeth are with her. She hasn't woken up but she doesn't seem to have any injuries except a broken humerus. Are these her girls?" Kerry replied, trying to reassure the very worried man. "Why don't we take these girls up to the daycare? Then you can see Carol for yourself." Just then Mark Greene came down the hall, looking very concerned. Luka ran towards him, still holding Kate and Tess. "Mark, thank goodness. How is she? What did the CT show?"
Mark ran a hand over his head and sighed. "Well, it could be worse. Her brain is pretty swollen and she hasn't woken up yet, which is a bad sign. We won't know the extent of her brain injuries until the swelling goes down. We are getting her a bed in the ICU. Her vitals are good, and her arm is being set right now. Luka, do you have her mother's phone number? We need to call her and let her know so she can come and take the girls."
Luka slowly let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Yeah, sure, Mark, hang on. Here, take Kate for a minute, will you. She's still fussy, probably hungry." He searched his wallet for a moment, "Ah-ha. Here it is. 846-9829. I'll go call her if you want."
"No, that's okay Luka. I'll call her. I need to make another call too." Mark and Kerry exchanged glances. "Okay. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the lounge. I need to sit down for a minute." Luka left, running his hand through his hair. When he reached the lounge, he realized he was still holding Tess. She had fallen sound asleep. 'Unbelievable,' he thought. 'All this going on and she's gone to sleep.'
Carter was sitting at the table eating a hot dog when Luka walked into the lounge. He looked up, surprised. "Luka what are you doing here? I thought you just got off." "I did, but Carol had an accident so I came to-" "An accident! What happened?" "She fell down the stairs and hit her head pretty hard. Mark says she has swelling of her brain and she's been unconscious since it happened. Her mother should be here soon to take the girls."
Just then Dave Malucci and Jing Mei Chen walked into the lounge, arguing over whether or not Carol had been admitted when they saw Luka sitting on the chair. They both stopped short. "Hey, Luka. Did I overhear that Carol had some kind of an accident?" Dave asked. Luka looked up. "Yeah, she fell down her stairs." Dave grinned and turned to Jing-Mei. "See, I told you I heard Mark on the phone tell someone Carol was hurt," he said triumphantly. "Malucci! How incredibly shallow can you be? Carol's hurt and you're just happy you were right and I was wrong," Jing-Mei snapped. "How is she, Luka?"
"Her brain is swollen and they won't know much about how badly she's hurt until the swelling goes down. She's been unconscious for almost an hour. Also, her left humerus is broken." Mark interrupted the explanation by coming into the room with more news. "Luka, why don't you come up to the ICU with me. We need to talk." Luka jumped up and followed Mark to the elevator. When they got inside, Luka asked, "What is it? Did she wake up yet?" "No, Luka, she's not awake but the swelling is starting to go down a little bit. She looks a little beat up because of the bruises she got during the fall. You can see her but only for a minute. Her mother should be here any time now."
Mark paused briefly. "Luka, I don't know what she's told you about Kate and Tess' father. His name is Doug Ross, and he was a pediatrician here for several years. Now he lives in Seattle and practices there. He used to visit regularly to see the girls, but Carol hasn't heard from him in three months. I called him to let him know what happened, but I got his machine. He hasn't talked to me lately either, but I felt he should know that Carol was hurt. If I know Doug, he should be here as soon as he can. I don't know if you really needed all that information, but I know how you feel about Carol, and I wanted you to know about Doug. He still loves her very much and I don't want you to be hurt."
Luka was stunned. Carol had never told him anything about the baby's father. He had never pressed, assuming whoever he was, he had abandoned her and the girls. He had never expected to meet the man who got her pregnant and then just left her alone. He closed his eyes, his mind whirling from all that had happened in such a short time. "Well, thank you for telling me, Mark. But I can't understand how you can say a man who hasn't talked to her for months can still love her. He sounds like a real jerk to me. Do you know why he hasn't called her?"
Mark looked Luka straight in the eyes, "You don't know Doug like I do. He has a good reason for not contacting her. I know that reason and I understand. He does still love her, which is why he hasn't contacted her. He doesn't want her to give up her job and life here because she feels she should be with him. Luka, Doug has had a lot of problems in his life and he doesn't want her to deal with them anymore. He's doing the right thing, so don't take your anger out on him. Be rational. He has enough on his mind right now. Now go in there and see Carol. Talk to her, maybe your voice will bring her out of the coma. I have to go back downstairs, someone else may need my help. See you later." Luka stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall toward the ICU.
"Oh Luka, you must be freezing. I'll go get you a sweater." Carol Hathaway turned to go inside her small house.
"Carol, I don't think any of your sweaters will fit me."
"Don't worry about it. I'll find something."
Carol went quickly up the stairs to her room to find something to give her friend to stay warm. 'This is unbelievable' she thought. 'It's April and snow just started coming down.' She turned and started searching through her dresser drawers to find a blanket. As she pulled open the top drawer, a large gray sweater caught her eye. She pulled it out and held it up. 'This should just about fit Luka. Funny, I never noticed this before. Doug must have left it here on his last visit. But that was three months ago. It must be a lot warmer in Seattle.'
Carol sat down on her bed and thought about the last time she saw Doug. He had been visiting regularly to see their twin daughters, Kate and Tess. But the last time he came, something was different about him. He was still very comfortable with the girls, but whenever she tried to talk to him, he came up with some excuse why he couldn't talk just then. He had to run an errand or wasn't feeling well. Carol was hurt and called him down on it. He avoided the subject and they got into a big fight. Doug stormed out angrily and she hadn't seen him since. He hadn't even returned her calls. She was beginning to think that he had met someone in Seattle and didn't want her to know about it. 'Well,' Carol thought, 'she can have him, whoever she is. I'm not going to let his problems run my life anymore.' She got up from the bed and headed downstairs. Halfway down, one of her daughters started to wail, startling her. She lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs, too surprised to let out a sound.
Dr. Luka Kovac, Carol's coworker and good friend, was standing outside, grilling burgers while the snow was falling faster and faster. He stomped his feet and crossed his arms, trying to keep warm. 'Where is Carol with that sweater? She should be back by now.' Just then, he faintly heard the crying of one of Carol's twin daughters. 'That must be what's keeping her. Those girls keep her busy all the time. I don't know how she has the energy to care for them and work.' While he was wondering, the snow began falling so heavily he decided to go inside and tell Carol that maybe they should try the barbecue some other time. He walked inside and was horrified to find Carol lying in an unconscious heap at the bottom of the stairs.
"Carol! Wake up!" he yelled as he ran into the living room to call 911. The ambulance arrived in five minutes. Luka ran outside to bring the paramedics up to speed. "This is Carol Hathaway. She's a nurse at County General. She fell down the stairs. She has a strong pulse and good breath sounds but she isn't responsive. She may have some head injuries. Be careful, don't move her neck. Carol, wake up!" The paramedics got Carol on a board and got a c-collar on her. One turned to a frantic Luka. "Sir? Sir! Are you her husband?" "What? No, I'm Dr. Luka Kovac, her coworker. Take her to County. I'll be there soon, I have to get the girls." He turned to go to the nursery and then spun back around and grabbed one of the paramedics by the arm. "You take good care of her."
The paramedics rushed Carol out to their rig and sped away, sirens screaming. Luka went upstairs, dressed the babies in their coats, and buckled their carseats into his car. He went straight to the hospital, rushing through the emergency room doors. The first person he saw was Kerry Weaver. "Where's Carol? Is she still unconscious? Who's her doctor?"
"Now, calm down, Luka, she's gone upstairs to have a CT. Mark and Elizabeth are with her. She hasn't woken up but she doesn't seem to have any injuries except a broken humerus. Are these her girls?" Kerry replied, trying to reassure the very worried man. "Why don't we take these girls up to the daycare? Then you can see Carol for yourself." Just then Mark Greene came down the hall, looking very concerned. Luka ran towards him, still holding Kate and Tess. "Mark, thank goodness. How is she? What did the CT show?"
Mark ran a hand over his head and sighed. "Well, it could be worse. Her brain is pretty swollen and she hasn't woken up yet, which is a bad sign. We won't know the extent of her brain injuries until the swelling goes down. We are getting her a bed in the ICU. Her vitals are good, and her arm is being set right now. Luka, do you have her mother's phone number? We need to call her and let her know so she can come and take the girls."
Luka slowly let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Yeah, sure, Mark, hang on. Here, take Kate for a minute, will you. She's still fussy, probably hungry." He searched his wallet for a moment, "Ah-ha. Here it is. 846-9829. I'll go call her if you want."
"No, that's okay Luka. I'll call her. I need to make another call too." Mark and Kerry exchanged glances. "Okay. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the lounge. I need to sit down for a minute." Luka left, running his hand through his hair. When he reached the lounge, he realized he was still holding Tess. She had fallen sound asleep. 'Unbelievable,' he thought. 'All this going on and she's gone to sleep.'
Carter was sitting at the table eating a hot dog when Luka walked into the lounge. He looked up, surprised. "Luka what are you doing here? I thought you just got off." "I did, but Carol had an accident so I came to-" "An accident! What happened?" "She fell down the stairs and hit her head pretty hard. Mark says she has swelling of her brain and she's been unconscious since it happened. Her mother should be here soon to take the girls."
Just then Dave Malucci and Jing Mei Chen walked into the lounge, arguing over whether or not Carol had been admitted when they saw Luka sitting on the chair. They both stopped short. "Hey, Luka. Did I overhear that Carol had some kind of an accident?" Dave asked. Luka looked up. "Yeah, she fell down her stairs." Dave grinned and turned to Jing-Mei. "See, I told you I heard Mark on the phone tell someone Carol was hurt," he said triumphantly. "Malucci! How incredibly shallow can you be? Carol's hurt and you're just happy you were right and I was wrong," Jing-Mei snapped. "How is she, Luka?"
"Her brain is swollen and they won't know much about how badly she's hurt until the swelling goes down. She's been unconscious for almost an hour. Also, her left humerus is broken." Mark interrupted the explanation by coming into the room with more news. "Luka, why don't you come up to the ICU with me. We need to talk." Luka jumped up and followed Mark to the elevator. When they got inside, Luka asked, "What is it? Did she wake up yet?" "No, Luka, she's not awake but the swelling is starting to go down a little bit. She looks a little beat up because of the bruises she got during the fall. You can see her but only for a minute. Her mother should be here any time now."
Mark paused briefly. "Luka, I don't know what she's told you about Kate and Tess' father. His name is Doug Ross, and he was a pediatrician here for several years. Now he lives in Seattle and practices there. He used to visit regularly to see the girls, but Carol hasn't heard from him in three months. I called him to let him know what happened, but I got his machine. He hasn't talked to me lately either, but I felt he should know that Carol was hurt. If I know Doug, he should be here as soon as he can. I don't know if you really needed all that information, but I know how you feel about Carol, and I wanted you to know about Doug. He still loves her very much and I don't want you to be hurt."
Luka was stunned. Carol had never told him anything about the baby's father. He had never pressed, assuming whoever he was, he had abandoned her and the girls. He had never expected to meet the man who got her pregnant and then just left her alone. He closed his eyes, his mind whirling from all that had happened in such a short time. "Well, thank you for telling me, Mark. But I can't understand how you can say a man who hasn't talked to her for months can still love her. He sounds like a real jerk to me. Do you know why he hasn't called her?"
Mark looked Luka straight in the eyes, "You don't know Doug like I do. He has a good reason for not contacting her. I know that reason and I understand. He does still love her, which is why he hasn't contacted her. He doesn't want her to give up her job and life here because she feels she should be with him. Luka, Doug has had a lot of problems in his life and he doesn't want her to deal with them anymore. He's doing the right thing, so don't take your anger out on him. Be rational. He has enough on his mind right now. Now go in there and see Carol. Talk to her, maybe your voice will bring her out of the coma. I have to go back downstairs, someone else may need my help. See you later." Luka stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall toward the ICU.