Before the story starts, here's what you need to know: In my story, Romano died because of his infected wound; his arm was amputated too late. (PLEASE don't hit the "back" button, I ♥ Romano, but I couldn't find a good way to fit him into this! You'll still love the story, I promise) Also, Carter and Abby were married. The ending is different from all the other series-finale fanfics, but it is still very touching and happy. If you get bored with the story, at least scroll down until you are near the bottom to read the last of the story. I *promise* that everyone will love it.
:+:+:+:+:+:
Dr. Carter tapped his pencil on the desk. He stared across the small area to Frank. Normally, the clerk was typing something on the computer. If he wasn't doing that, he was yelling at an impatient relative of someone who had just been admitted. And in very rare instances, he had time for some light reading.
But even Frank was looking around, knowing he would miss the place.
It was currently deserted. Dr. Anspaugh had ordered that no major, or even almost any traumas be admitted. So, for the ER, it was only the occasional splinter removal or suture.
Abby leaned on the spot of the desk next to him. "I got a call from Mercy."
"Great," Carter started. "What's going on?"
"Basically the same position I have now. But the pay is A LOT better."
"What a surprise!" Carter added, sarcastically.
"What about you?"
"Hmm?"
"What's your position?"
"Head Attending. Big paycheck." He smiled.
"That's great!" She hugged him
"Hey, Abby!" Susan called from across the corridor. "Some guy sprained his toe. Gimme a hand?"
Abby let go of Carter. "I'll talk to you later."
She made her way toward the curtain. "His daughter ran over his foot with her big wheel motorcycle." Susan laughed.
"Yeah, those little toy things can kill you!" He jokingly added.
Abby peeked at the guy's foot. "Need painkillers?"
The middle-aged man looked at his toe for a second. "It's okay. Just tell me what I have to do with it."
"It's bleeding a little. Coulda get me come gauze, Abby?"
Abby opened the little metal drawer. "So…" she said, trying to make small talk. "How's Chuck?"
"Happy as a lark to be an uncle. My sister-in-law just had a baby."
"Well! Congratulations, Aunt Susan!"
"Yeah, that makes two!" She laughed, referring to her nieces.
:+:+:+:+:+:
"Well, I'll be teaching at Johns Hopkins." Weaver said, trying to sound modest.
"I think that's the best news I've heard since Romano died." Gallant laughed.
"Ssh!" Luka smiled. "I believe in ghosts."
"Come on…" Gallant said.
"Well, he's probably roaming the hallways! What if he can hear you?" Luka teased.
"How about what you'll be doing, Dr. Kovac?" Gallant asked.
"I'm going back to Croatia. Zagreb, actually. They have hospitals there.
"Good for you!" Weaver smiled.
"Good luck!" Gallant said, patting him on the back. He tossed his empty coffee cup into the garbage and walked toward Dr. Chen, who was reading some kind of paper. "And what kinds of adventures will you be going on as of tomorrow?"
"Adventures?" Deb said, looking up and smiling. "Hardly. Chief Resident, Northwestern."
"Great!"
"Now what I wanted thought. I was hoping to be an attending again. But they don't need those, they need a Chief Resident. You?"
"Doing one more year of active duty. Then I'm hoping to go to Northwestern."
"With the Navy? Aren't you a little scared?"
"Not really. Stuff isn't as bad as it was now."
"Well, good luck."
"You, too."
:+:+:+:+:+:
Susan walked down an empty hallway. It was quiet, and she seemed to be alone.
She was a little confused. She always thought she would dance naked in the middle of the road if she ever had a chance to leave County. But now, if dancing naked in the street would stop it from being shut down, she'd do it right now.
Northwestern wouldn't be so bad. Most of the other County employees were going there, and there were old ones who had taken new jobs there that she could meet up with. And it was probably just like County on a busy day.
"Not true." She silently laughed out loud.
"What is?" A voice said.
She turned around. Luka was standing six feet in front of her.
"Nothing…" She shrugged, smiling. "When are you leaving for…uh, Zaga-???
"Zagreb." He laughed. "Three days. Nine P.M."
"Have a nice flight."
"He turned toward her and smiled. "I get jet lag."
She laughed.
He looked at his watch. "I'm gonna go now. Still packing up everything."
She stared at him for a second, not sure of what to say. "Umm…goodbye."
He looked at her. "Yeah…" He moved his head around, looking in the corners of the empty hospital. "Bye."
They looked at each other for another few seconds. He shrugged, smiled, and walked out the door.
:+:+:+:+:+:
Abby wandered around the seventh-floor conference room. She had only been in there once or twice, being a nurse. She remembered a clock that hung on the right of the room. But just about everything was gone, except for the chairs, which were built in to the floor and, for all she knew, would be torn up tomorrow morning.
"I thought I'd be alone." She instantly recognized Carter's voice.
She turned around and smiled. "I was never really up here."
"There were really just the regular M&M's they made all the doctors attend. You didn't miss much." He walked to stand next to her.
"God," She started. "I'm really gonna miss this place."
"Normally I'd call you crazy. But that's how we all feel, for some wild reason or another."
She looked at him and smiled. "You doing anything tonight?"
"I was hoping we could go to dinner. Someplace nice. Just in case we can't decide whether we want to mourn or rejoice."
"I think we should celebrate." She held his hand.
He looked at her.
"I found out this morning. I'm finally pregnant!"
Carter laughed. "We're having a baby?!"
Abby nodded, with a gigantic grin on her face.
He picked her up. They both laughed. "This is so great!" Carter said, giving her a long, joyful kiss.
:+:+:+:+:+:
Dr. Weaver looked around her office. It was about sunset. The room was completely bare, even the carpet had been ripped up. All her books and statuettes had been removed from her shelves and delivered to her home the other day. The desk was gone, but she didn't know what had happened to it.
If she really thought about it, she hadn't been in Chicago for too long. She'd toured the Johns Hopkins campus. It was a great place, and the surrounding area was also welcoming.
Now that it was actually happening, it was hard to leave home. "Home?" She said to herself.
It seemed that she had grown attached to Chicago, Illinois.
[the scene changes- it is now late at night, and Weaver is standing in the ER again.]
She had probably been standing there for about ten minutes…kind of just looking around…
She heard footsteps and swerved her head around. "`Night, Dr. Weaver." Chuny said as she walked out the hospital, a duffel bag bouncing next to her.
Weaver nodded. She spotted Elizabeth sitting near the desk with a cup of coffee. She started walking toward her.
Dr. Corday noticed. "I heard about Johns Hopkins. Congratulations."
Weaver nodded. "Where are you going?"
"Mercy. They offered me a position."
"That's great." Weaver said. "Listen, I was just about to say, are you going to be here much longer? I'm getting tired and I want to leave. Would you mind locking up?"
Corday smiled. "Not at all."
Weaver handed her the keys. "Well, see you."
Corday nodded and managed to smile a little.
Weaver had left, and now Elizabeth was alone in the dark hospital. Her mother was back at the house, so Ella would be fine.
She looked around. She couldn't just sit there all night, could she? There had to be something to keep her busy. She started to look around.
"Ah…" She thought to herself, as she saw the bulletin board. Nobody had bothered to clear the litter of papers that was on it.
She stood up, grabbed a small garbage can, and walked toward the board.
Had anyone ever bothered to throw any papers that went on here out? She glanced at some of the papers as they went into the small pail. Lost dog, lots of conference and lecture announcements, MCAT preparation courses.
She tried to think of what her mother might like for her birthday. Maybe some silverware, she had been complaining that she was missing things from the set she had now. Or maybe she could just ask…
Elizabeth recognized something about the pieces computer paper tacked to the board, the final item, too. She gently took it off and began to read it.
She gasped. It was the letter from Mark. She felt several tears moisten her cheeks as she began to read the letter again. She kept reading until she recognized her handwriting near the end of it.
A wave of memories came back, and she realized she was crying silently.
She scanned the pieces of paper, not sure of what to do. She placed the garbage pail on the floor and read the letter again. When she was done, she reached into her pocket for her wallet. She opened it, and began searching…
There it was. A little cutout of Mark, Ella, and she at home. They were all smiling, and Mark was cradling the baby. She looked at it and smiled.
She placed the picture in the center of the papers. Then, she started to gently fold the letter closed, until it was only about the size of her palm.
She found the tack on the floor. She picked it up and placed the folded letter with the picture on it back on the bulletin board.
She stared at the keys, and stopped for a second to wipe tears off of her face.
She started to walk out, and when she was there, she slowly closed the only unlocked door behind her.
The key was placed in the socket. She looked through the glass door and into the hospital one last time.
Through her tears, she smiled. "Goodbye…"
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
*REVIEW!!!!
**Still looking for a beta reader! E-Mail me (carbygirly@yahoo.com)
***If you use Microsoft Word 2000, PLEASE e-mail me and tell me how I can save in .html format!!!