Dr.Weaver could tell it was going to be a long day in the ER as she hurried over to Trauma 3.
"Susan, I got your page. What's wrong?"
"I don't know Dr. Weaver. That's why I paged you. He was stable 5 minutes ago, and then he started to crash."
"Vital stats?!" Dr.Weaver exclaimed, obviously not very happy.
By this time Abby had arrived in Trauma 3 and rattled off the mans vitals, " BP 80 over 46, pulse 61 and weakening."
"What was he admitted for Susan?" Weaver asked this time at least trying to cover her anger.
"Uh… 2 broken ribs on the right side…. The bottom floating and the 3rd."
Abby decided now might be a good time to walk away; she sensed a catfight emerging.
"He's got a collapsed lung I can hear it," Dr. Weaver said listening through her stethoscope, "Now that you know the problem do you think you can be a real doctor and fix it?"
"Yeah Kerry. I'm sorry I bothered you."
Kerry turned around and walked to the admit desk, leaving Susan to tend to the Trauma 3 patient. Susan had noticed something was different with Kerry, not physically but emotionally. She wasn't sure what it was though.
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Dr. Weaver sat behind the admit desk doing chart workups, exactly what she had been doing for the last week. The ER staff knew something was troubling her but they didn't dare confront her, they were to afraid of getting one of her ice cold glares that in the precious weeks had grown to lukewarm ones, although no one knew why.
Dr. Weaver snapped of a daze at overhearing a conversation betweens Drs. Carter & Kovac. Kerry found herself hanging on the end of every word they spoke listening for one single name.
Dr. Kovac explained to Dr. Carter " I wasn't there but it was on TV and everything."
" Yeah I heard the 38 took care of it pretty well." Carter said.
"Especially that Lt. Lopez. She…" every word after that was a blur when Kerry heard that name. Lt. Sandy Lopez, Kerry longed to talk to her but didn't even know what she would say if she called. Kerry sat thinking to herself {Damn, Kerry you screw everything up don't you?} Sandy had been the best thing to happen to Kerry since Dr. Kim Legaspi. {You should call her, but what would you say?} Well, after all Sandy was right. She needed to come out to her colleagues, employees, no what she hoped they would be now was understanding friends.
On impulse Kerry got up and walked over to the phone, she picked up the receiver and dialed, she know the number by heart seeing as how she had debated whether to call Sandy for almost a week now. She heard it ring once…..twice…..then someone picked up.
"Hello?" Sandy's voice was a wonderful sound. Kerry didn't answer.
"Hello? Who is this?" Sandy said, louder this time. Kerry hung up the phone. She didn't realize she would get so choked up by hearing Sandy's voice. Oh what a voice it was Kerry thought, strong and loving all at the same time. Hearing Sandy's voice made Kerry decide there and then she couldn't screw this up like she had screwed up everything else. At that thought she picked up the phone again and dialed the number. It rang…once…twice…three times…. {Come on Sandy pick up the damn phone I know your there.} Kerry was brought out of her thoughts when she once again heard Sandy's voice. "Hi you've reached Lt. Sandy Lopez I'm not here right now so leave a message and I'll get back to you." {DAMN} Beep. "Sandy it's me Kerry, look I know I have screwed things up but I can't stand being without you. For the last week I have been so miserable, the only reason I have made it to work is hoping to see you maybe bringing someone in from a fire. I really need to talk to you…."Kerry's voice broke, what should she say now? She tried to regain her composure and started talking again; her voice was still breaking though no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
"I love you Sandy…I mean it. Please meet me in the ER when you get this message. Please." Sandy could hear the desperation in her voice. "I am not very good at this relationship stuff." Sandy could hear Kerry trying to choke back tears. "Please meet me…. I love you." Kerry hung up the phone and went to the lounge. She satin a chair and tears ran down her cheeks, tears of hope, tears of love, and tears of fright. Fright for thinking she had lost Sandy forever, hope for them getting back together, and love for Sandy and Sandy only.
"I love you Sandy." She said to herself trying once again to regain her composure.
"You must be imagining things Dr. Greene." Kerry retorted, "I didn't say anything."
"If you say so." Mark shut his locker and walked out of the lounge.
"What?" said a male voice from the door at the entrance to the lounge.
Kerry had been so preoccupied in her own thoughts she hadn't seen or heard Dr. Greene walk in. "What, what?" Kerry asked.
"I swear I just heard you say you love Sandy as in Lopez from the 38, the one who's hand treated a couple of weeks ago?
"You must be imagining things Dr. Greene." Kerry retorted, "I didn't say anything."
"If you say so." Mark replied as he shut his locker and walked out of the lounge.
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Sandy sat at her kitchen table listening to Kerry's message over and over; those words still rang in her ears " I love you Sandy…. I mean it." Sandy knew by the uneasiness in her voice that Kerry was telling the truth. Sandy now sat there in complete silence except for the many thoughts that clouded her mind. {Should I go see Kerry? If I do what do I say to her?} Sandy couldn't think about this anymore. She finished her cup of herbal tea and decided to take a shower.
The warm water felt great running over Sandy's hair, over her shoulders, and down her back, until another memory of Kerry came rushing back to her. She remembered the first night they had spent together, after having dinner Kerry had come home with her and made dessert.
Kerry had accidentally spilt the honey sauce for the dessert all over herself. She borrowed some of Sandy's clothes but was still very sticky. Sandy let her use the shower when she asked. Kerry had gone into the bathroom and left the door cracked. Sandy had walked in and sat on the floor. Kerry, realizing she had come in poked her head out of the shower and on impulse had asked, "Well, are you just going to sit there?" At that point Sandy remembered that she had been affected by Kerry's words and smile so much she had gotten in the shower with her clothes still on. They had embraced in the most loving & passionate hugs Sandy had ever known. Sandy remembered Kerry undoing the braid that she had had in her hair. Kerry was so gentle, loving, and wonderful. At that moment Sandy jumped out of the shower and hurriedly put on whatever clothes she could find. She grabbed her keys and ran out the door to her car.
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Carter was standing in the ambulance bay on his break while smoking a cigarette, when Abby walked out. She took a cigarette out of her pocket and tried to light it.
"Shit!" Abby exclaimed. "I hate this damned good for nothing lighter, it never works!"
"Problems?" Carter asked Abby, obviously knowing the answer.
"You think?" Abby answered him in an irritated tone.
"Sorry, here." Carter held out his lighter for Abby.
"Thanks, sweetie."
Those words melted Carters heart, even though he knew Abby meant nothing by them but he still couldn't help loving Abby with all his heart.
"Uh-uh-sure, no problem…anytime." Carter barely managed to stutter.
"Cat got your tongue Carter?"
"Nah."
"Carter I have a confession to make."
"What is it Abby?"
"Well, I'm in l-"
"Shit, sorry Abby that's my pager. I'm needed in Trauma 2, I'll catch you later." After that Carter walked to the doors leading into the ER.
"I need you Carter." Abby said as tears welled up in her eyes. She dried her eyes and walked back into the ER.
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"Abby! They need you in Trauma 2! Immediately!" a nurse yelled from the Admit desk.
"Yeah, Yeah, what's new?" Abby mumbled to herself as she stormed into Trauma 2. Then she saw it, the lifeless body of Richard her ex husband lying on the gurney.
"Abby we need to amps of Epi and a bag of saline STAT!!" Dr. Lewis yelled when she saw Abby walk in. When it registered with Abby just who was lying on the gurney she took an unstable step and passed out, falling to the floor.
"Carter!" Susan exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Dr. Carter answered rather confused.
"Abby passed out and hit her head, you take care of her and I'll have Dr. Corday paged!"
"Okay." Carter turned around and bent down to pick up Abby's limp body. "Oh God" Carter said to himself, " Abby please be okay, I love you." Carter hadn't realized what he was saying until he had already said it. It was true, he loved Abby and he decided he would finally tell her when the time was right. He walked out of Trauma 2 carrying Abby's body with small tears in his eyes.
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"Maaark, stop it." Dr. Corday said in her heavy English accent while laughing.
" Oh come on Elizabeth." Mark said pleadingly.
"Fine!"
"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Mark.
"Shit that's my pager."
"Damn!" said Mark.
"It's Susan I have to go to Trauma 2 they need me."
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"Wh-Where am I?" Abby asked as she came to.
"You passed out, I had to get X-Rays to make sure you hadn't cracked your skull when you hit your head on the door." Carter explained as he read the X-Rays. "They look clear but I think you might have a mild concussion."
"Oh just perfect! Hey.. uh.. Carter can I talk to you now? Or do you need to go see another patient?"
"Sure you can talk to me now but know I might get paged regarding Richard's condition."
"Okay."
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"Okay Susan I'm here what is it?" Dr. Corday asked as she walked into Trauma 2.
"Uh..32-year-old Caucasian male, …..He's flat lining!" exclaimed Dr. Lewis.
"Oh my God that's Richard!"
"You know this guy?"
"Yeah he's Abby's ex-husband."
"That would explain it."
"Explain what?"
"Why Abby passed out when she saw him."
"She did what?!?"
"She passed out and hit her head. Carter's taking care of her, he was helping me that's why I paged you."
"Okay."
"V-Tac! Get the paddles!!" Dr. Corday grabbed the paddles and handed them to Susan. "Charge to 200!"
"Okay."
"Clear!" Richard's lifeless body lurched inches off the table.
"Still V-Tac!"
"Charge to 250! Clear!"
"Nothin