Here is the last story in this series. I have borrowed some ideas from "The Good Fight," even though that episode hasn't happened yet at this point in the story. There are also blatant references to Season 4 and "Masquerade" (Halloween 1998 episode).
Reconciliation
Fourth in a Four-part Series. Previous installments: Status Unknown, Midnight Prayers, Silence is Trouble
Setting: December 1998 (This series has its roots in the beginning third of Season Five. Last true episode referenced in the story is Hazed and Confused. That means The Good Fight, The Storm, etc have not happened yet.)
Previously, in "Silence is Trouble," Carter was brought in by ambulance to Cook County General with an apparent broken ankle. Distracted, he had fallen down the basement steps to his apartment.
Carter couldn't believe Kerry would drive all the way back to the hospital, after working the night shift, just to see if he was all right.
The doctors had finally O.K.'d the pain medicine. Surgery on his ankle wasn't scheduled to occur for several hours.
Kerry was intent on making plans for Carter's return. "We're gonna have to pull the couch bed out for you. You're NOT going up and down those stairs with crutches on. If you did, you'd definitely land on your head."
Carter was trying to think of a way out of sleeping upstairs. "Technically, I could throw the crutches down and use the railing . . ." But seeing Kerry shake her head no, he added. "I'm sorry to put you through this."
"Who me?" Kerry replied. "It's you I'd be worried about. I mean, you broke your ankle in THREE places. On MY STAIRWELL . . ." She trailed off. Carter could tell she was tired.
The pain medication must have made him sleepy. When he woke up, he was being prepped for surgery. Carter suddenly noticed Roxanne was in the room.
"John!" She said, coming over to him. "My poor baby! Does it hurt?"
"Not right now," he reassured her. "It's no big deal."
"No big deal!" She squealed. "I beg to differ. You're in the hospital. They're taking you to surgery, soon."
She went on about how Kerry had called her at home and left a message on the machine. That she had come to the hospital as soon as she got home from work and retrieved the message.
Blah Blah Blah! Just like Roxanne, Carter thought.
The next morning, Carter was discharged from the hospital with a pair of crutches. However, he needed to be off his feet the majority of the day. Roxanne drove him to his appointment with his counselor, Ms. Adamson.
Ms. Adamson said she was sorry that he got hurt, but she was also frank. "Are you ready to talk with me? Because if you aren't, you might as well not come at all."
Carter protested, "But I told you some of it. Do you think I want to sit here and cry about it?"
Ms. Adamson replied, "You're saying the issues disturb you to the point of crying?"
Carter said, "Some of them, yes."
Ms. Adamson said, "I realize you don't want to cry. But there are things we must talk about in order for you to be helped by this process." She was getting tired of explaining it to him over and over. Boy was he stubborn, she thought.
Carter spoke. "With Chase, there really wasn't anything I could have done any different. My grandparents don't understand because they weren't there." Anna and Carter had tried to help Carter's cousin, Chase, get off the drugs a few months before his tragic overdose.
"Did Anna say anything to them?" Ms. Adamson asked.
"No," he replied. "But they wouldn't have listened to her anyway."
"Do you have any regrets about how you handled the situation?"
"No," he paused, then added. "I just feel like for some reason I'm supposed to have regrets."
"That bothers you," she observed.
"Yes."
"There's something else?" She asked.
"Yes," Carter answered with a frown on his face. "Lucy tries really hard, and just about all I can do is pick apart . . ."
"Lucy's the med student?"
"Yah," he laughed. "Assigned to Mr. Grump! But living at the dorm usually left me with no patience. Now I'm afraid of changing the way I act toward her, because . . . I don't know why."
"Now you're out of the dorm," Ms. Adamson said. "You did tell me that part." Carter thought he had left Lucy in charge of a dorm Halloween party. Unfortunately, the party got out of hand -- and two students almost died from mixing drugs with alcohol. A short time later, Carter was fired from his resident advisor job.
"I'm not mad at her anymore about that."
Ms. Adamson informed him that their session was wrapping up. She asked him if there was anything else he wanted to bring up.
"I'm not sure I'm going to like the crutches thing."
She shrugged. "Well, that's something nobody particularly likes. "
"I mean, it was so stupid," he said as he got up from the chair.
"You'll be all right. Well, think about what you want to do about Lucy. Are you coming in again this week?"
"If I can get here!" He would have to get a ride from the bus, Roxanne or Kerry, he thought.
When he and Roxanne arrived back at his place, there was a basket of flowers and a card waiting.
"To Carter -- Get well soon ! Enjoy the flowers! Love Rachel and Mark." The card said.
"That kid is too sweet," he commented.
"Well, John, I gotta get to work," Roxanne said, also touched by the Greenes' kindness. "Do you need anything?"
"I'm just going to rest," he said. "Thanks."
That evening, Carter had some time alone. He decided to write to Lucy, to ... Well he wasn't sure what the point was, but he was going to do it anyway.
Dear Lucy,
You've been on my mind. Thank you for cheering me up the other day. You are a good student. You show much promise! You really do. I think I've learned quite a bit about teaching through my experiences with you. I'm going to try not to be such an arrogant grump. I don't mean to be harsh with you. It just happens sometimes and I'm sorry for that.
John Carter
Later on the next day, Kerry brought the note to Lucy. Lucy was feeling tired, but was curious as to what sort of message Dr. Carter would write to her.
"How is he doing?" Lucy asked Kerry.
"Fine, Lucy. He's itchin' to come back to work and make some sort of contribution." Kerry said. "Well, I don't know what the note says, but I'll leave you alone to read it."
After a long hard day, Carter's words were "a breath of fresh air" for Lucy Knight.
Dear Dr. Carter,
You are a good teacher. I am sorry that in the beginning I never told you when I needed more help on something. I am sorry for my smart-alec remarks to you these past couple months. Your note was a real encouragement to me. Thank you!
Lucy Knight
P.S. We have plenty of paperwork waiting for you for whenever you decide to come back!
The End