Author's Note: This is the first fanfic I ever wrote, and it features John Carter and Lucy Knight. The setting is back in Season 5 when Lucy was a third-year medical student. I didn't faithfully watch the show back then, so you may find some things in this fanfic that are inconsistent with what happened in the show.
You are welcome to download this story for your own reading, but please do not archive it on any website without my permission.
TITLE: Just Another Night Part One
~~~~~~~~~~
Lucy Knight jerked awake, and for a moment she was disoriented. She first thought she was in her dorm room, but as her eyes adjusted to the dim light she could make out the shape of the I.V. stand by her shoulder. She wasn't in her dorm, of course. She had fallen asleep on one of the beds in Exam Room 2. She contemplated going back to sleep but decided against it. She was awake now so she might as well get up. Besides, she really had to use the washroom.
Yawning, Lucy stepped out into the hallway. She immediately got a sense that something wasn't right. What was it? After taking a few steps, she realized what was wrong. It was too quiet. She had grown accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the ER and now it just seemed...dead.
Jerry looked up from the computer. "Lucy, you're up already. I thought you wanted to be woken up at seven," he said, glancing at the clock.
Lucy looked at her watch. It was 6:33 so she'd only been asleep for about half an hour. "I know. I just woke up on my own," she said, walking to the admitting desk. A couple of nurses were doing paperwork at the desk, but other than that the place looked deserted. "Where is everyone?" she asked.
"In the lounge," Jerry said, leaning back in his chair. He placed his hands behind his head and yawned. Lucy went up to the board and found only one space filled in. Dr. Doug Ross was in Exam 1.
"That's it?" Her voice was incredulous. "One patient?"
"Yup," Jerry replied, grinning. "Hard to believe, isn't it."
"I'll say. I've never seen the ER this quiet before. It feels really weird." She turned to look outside and groaned at the sight of falling snow. "It's *still* snowing? When is it going to stop?"
"Yeah, it's been like this all day. Only a few inches were supposed to fall, but at this rate it'll be more like a few feet," Jerry said, closing his eyes and massaging the back of his neck.
Lucy sighed and started walking away. Her glance fell on the computer screen and she stopped short. Was she seeing things or were those women missing their clothes?
"Jerry, what is that?" she asked, stifling a laugh.
His eyes flew open and he quickly turned off the monitor. "I just, uh...came across that accidentally. You know, when I was surfing the net," he said lamely. He smiled rather sheepishly when Lucy rolled her eyes at him. "Ok, I was bored. So sue me. I haven't had anything to do for the past hour."
Lucy laughed and shook her head. She finally headed towards the washroom.
***************
"What's this? I didn't know about that rule!" Elizabeth Corday exclaimed, her brow furrowed with annoyance.
John Carter smiled smugly at her, holding a black checker in his hand. They were in the doctors' lounge playing a round of checkers. He had no idea who had brought the game in. It probably had been used to keep some kids in the waiting room busy and somehow had ended up in here. He hadn't played the game since about sixth grade, and Elizabeth had never played at all. Since they had some free time, he was teaching her the game.
"You could have jumped me here," he explained again, pointing to a square on the board. "But you didn't, so I get to take your man."
"Is that true, Mark?" Elizabeth asked.
"What, you don't believe me?" Carter said, raising his eyebrows and pretending to look hurt.
Elizabeth ignored him. Mark Greene looked up from where he was writing some notes. "Sorry, what's going on?" he asked. As Elizabeth explained the situation, Mark took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. He placed them back on and blinked. "Well, some people play that way," he said after a moment. "But you should establish those rules first, before you start playing. That's the only fair way to do it."
Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Carter and grabbed the black checker out of his hand. "I'll take that back, thank you very much." She placed it back on the board as Carter laughed. Her competitiveness was showing, even in this simple game.
The lounge door swung open and Lucy walked in. "So this is where everyone's hiding." Grabbing a can of gingerale from the refrigerator, she said "I can't believe how quiet it is out there. How long has it been like that?"
"The past hour or so," Mark replied. He stretched out his long legs and looked out the window at the swirling snow. "Probably the combination of this unexpected storm and the fact that it's New Year's Eve."
"Hmmm." Lucy watched in amusement as Carter and Dr. Corday continued their game. She studied Carter's profile as she sipped her drink and wished he weren't so handsome. It would make her life much easier if she didn't have such a crush on him. While he sometimes annoyed her to no end, she couldn't deny that she found him attractive. *Maybe he'll grow a big wart on his nose and shatter that perfect profile* The thought made her smile.
Carter chose that moment to glance over at Lucy and caught her smirking at him. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"Nothing." Her blue eyes were wide and innocent.
He opened his mouth to say something but was distracted by the sound of a checker smacking the board three times. He whipped his head around to find Elizabeth happily plucking three of his red checkers from the board. "Hey!" he exclaimed, staring at the pieces and trying to figure out where he had made the wrong move.
"I'm starting to like this game," Elizabeth said with a chuckle, brushing a stray lock of curly hair out of her eyes. "You're a great teacher, Carter...even though you tried to cheat."
"I did *not* try to cheat."
"Yes you did, Carter," Mark said, without even taking his eyes off his notes.
Carter gave an embarrassed laugh and raised both hands in the air. "Ok, I give up. You win, Dr. Corday. You have more men left than me."
The lounge door swung open again and this time Carol Hathaway entered. She headed straight for the coffeemaker, glancing at the checker board as she walked by.
"Who's winning?" she asked, searching for a clean mug.
"It appears I just won," Elizabeth said, as she started to clear away the game.
"Even though Dr. Carter tried to cheat," Lucy couldn't resist adding.
Carter shot her a dirty look as the others laughed.
"Any problems with that baby, Carol?" Mark asked, referring to their one and only patient.
"No, it was just a minor ear infection. Parents were a little over-anxious because it's their first child." Carol sat down next to Lucy with a small sigh.
"Rough day?" Lucy asked sympathetically.
"No, not really. I'm just tired. I think I'm coming down with something." Carol took slow sips of her coffee. "I need this if I'm going to stay awake until midnight tonight."
"Are you and Dr. Ross going anywhere?"
Carol gave a short laugh. "Yeah, straight home. I think we'll just get under the covers and watch the ball drop on TV. Hopefully I'll manage to stay awake." She looked over at Lucy. "How about you? Any plans for tonight?"
"I'll probably get together with some friends from my dorm. There's some club that they want to go to. I don't usually like clubs, but I guess it could be fun on New Year's Eve."
"I'm going to a club too, with a friend of mine," Elizabeth said. "It's just a block away from here. I found it a couple of days ago and bought tickets for tonight."
"I didn't know you're into clubs," Carol said, sniffling. She sneezed, almost spilling the coffee down the front of her uniform.
There was a chorus of "Bless you" and Elizabeth continued. "Well, it's more of a restaurant that has a small dance floor and a jazz band. I'm sure it won't be nearly as rowdy as the one Lucy is going to."
Lucy smiled at her and looked over at Carter. He had started going through some patient charts. She wondered what he was doing tonight and was pretty sure it would involve Roxanne, his girlfriend. "How about you, Dr. Carter?" she asked.
"Huh?" He looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh, I'm going to some fancy dinner with Roxanne." His tone of voice and expression indicated he was less than thrilled. Lucy's curiosity was piqued but she wisely held her tongue.
"Hey, it's seven o'clock," Doug Ross announced as he entered the lounge with a wide grin. "Time to go home."
"Only for you and Carol," Mark said, finally finishing off his notes. He tossed his pen down. "The rest of us have a while to go yet."
Doug came around the back of the couch and Carol sighed in appreciation as he started massaging her neck and shoulders. "What made you volunteer for the graveyard shift?" he asked Mark. "You didn't have to do that."
Mark shrugged. "I had no plans. New Year's Eve never meant much to me anyway. It's just another night."
Jerry stuck his head in. "Trauma's coming in. Gunshot wound to the chest."
"I knew this was too good to last," Mark said as he got to his feet. "How long, Jerry?"
"Two minutes."
Everyone sprang into action then, and Doug asked "You want me to stick around?"
Mark shook his head. "No, we'll be ok. I've got Elizabeth and Carter. Benton should be here any minute. Go on home."
"Want me to call the OR for you?" Carol offered.
"Yeah, thanks Carol. Happy New Year, guys." Mark hurried out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of Lucy's shift was fairly uneventful. The gunshot victim had been stabilized and whisked away to the OR. Three people involved in a minor car accident had been treated and released. It was finally time to leave and she bundled up, regretting that she had left her hat at home. She had wanted to wish Carter a Happy New Year before she left, but he seemed to have disappeared.
Lucy walked towards the admitting area. "Jerry, have you seen Dr. Carter?" she asked.
Jerry shook his head. "Nope, haven't seen him. I hope you don't take the northbound El."
"Actually, I do. Why?" As she spoke, she followed Jerry's gaze up to the television screen.
"The train went off the track. It could've been a lost worse, but only a few people were injured."
Lucy watched the special news bulletin, now showing a reporter at the scene of the derailment. He was explaining that officials weren't sure when the train would be in service again.
Jerry finally took his eyes off the screen and looked down at her. "So what are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I could ask my roommate to pick me up, but I don't want her to drive in this weather. I don't feel like walking in it either..." On a normal day she could walk back to her dorm in about half an hour, but not on a night like this. Lucy was at a loss. As much as she loved it in the ER, she had been looking forward to ringing in the new year with friends. She could only hope that the train would be running again soon, but it seemed doubtful. There were only three more hours to go until midnight.
"There he is," Jerry said and Lucy swung around to find Carter striding towards them. He had just gotten off the elevator.
Carter looked from Jerry to Lucy, noticing she looked upset. "Did I miss something?"
"Yeah, the northbound train was derailed so Lucy's stuck here," Jerry explained.
"You're kidding! Anyone hurt?"
"A few people were taken to Mercy, but nothing serious. They think some ice formed on the tracks."
Lucy began unbuttoning her coat. "I think I'll just wait around for a while. Maybe it'll be fixed soon." She was trying to remain optimistic, but Carter crushed her hopes with his next words.
"I doubt it. They'll have to fully investigate what happened before they even try to get the train back on track. Probably won't happen until tomorrow morning."
"Oh..." Lucy bit her lip, mentally running through a list of people she could possibly call to come and pick her up. Unfortunately the list was pretty short since most of her friends didn't have a car. Carter's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Hey, I could give you a ride. I'm just about to leave."
"No, that's ok," Lucy said, though she was secretly pleased by his offer. "You live in the other direction."
"It's not a problem. I'm picking up Roxanne and she lives out that way." Carter started backing away. "Just give me a minute to get my coat." As he turned towards the lounge he heard Lucy calling out thank you, and he raised his hand.
The lounge was empty and Carter stood stupidly in front of his locker for several moments, just staring at it. Why had he done that? Why had he offered Lucy a ride? He knew the answer, or thought he did, and didn't want to admit it. *Don't just stand here, get moving* he thought, annoyed with himself. He shrugged out of his lab coat and opened his locker. Although Roxanne lived in the north end of the city, it was still fairly out of his way to drive Lucy back to her dorm. In fact, he could have left a half hour ago but instead had checked on a psych patient he'd seen earlier in the day. It was obvious that he was stalling and not looking forward to going out with Roxanne tonight. He gazed at his reflection in the locker mirror, his brown eyes looking back at him accusingly. "What is wrong with you?" he questioned himself out loud.
"Talking to yourself, Carter?"
Carter almost dropped his coat and turned to see Peter Benton watching him with an amused expression on his face. "Dr. Benton! I didn't hear you come in." Considering how slowly he'd been moving before, he now got ready to go with amazing speed.
"Obviously," Peter said dryly, moving to the desk with several textbooks under his arm. "So you were saying...?"
"Uh, nothing." As Carter got his bag together, he racked his brain trying to think of something to say. "Did you hear about the El?"
Peter went to the coffeemaker, only to find the pot empty. "Damn. Yeah, I heard. What a mess. Amazing more people weren't hurt."
Carter nodded. He was standing there with scarf, hat and coat on, bag in hand and ready to leave. Yet he found himself watching Dr. Benton make coffee and hoping to continue the conversation. "So you don't mind working New Year's Eve?" he asked.
"Carter, don't you have somewhere to go tonight?"
"Yeah, dinner with Roxanne. So you don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind. It's just another night."
"Funny, Dr. Greene said the exact same thing." Carter paused and Dr. Benton remained silent, so apparently their chat was over. "Well, guess I should get going. Happy New Year, Dr. Benton."
"Yeah, same to you Carter." As Carter left, Peter shook his head, wondering what that had been all about.
Lucy was laughing at something Jerry had said, and she finally saw Carter emerge from the lounge. "Well, that was a long minute," she commented. She noticed that he looked rather distracted and for some reason wasn't meeting her eyes.
"Sorry, I was talking to Dr. Benton. Shall we go?"
"Sure." They said goodnight to everyone and headed towards the parking garage. Lucy chattered about her day and for once, Carter was glad she was so talkative. He was happy for the distraction and at the same time felt somewhat guilty for driving her home. If he had left when he'd had the chance, he would have been at Roxanne's by now.
They reached his Jeep and he threw his bag on to the backseat. As Lucy buckled her seat belt, Carter turned the ignition key. Nothing. He frowned and tried again. Still nothing. "Come on," he muttered, slapping the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer, turning the key for a third time. "Damnit!"
Lucy looked at him with inquiring eyes. "The battery's dead?" she guessed.
"Looks like it. I was thinking of getting it replaced soon, but it was fine this..." Carter's voice trailed off and he groaned.
"What?"
He gestured towards the headlight switch. "I left the lights on all day. The battery was already weak, so this must have totally drained it. Stupid." He contemplated calling road service to try to jump start the battery but he knew they must be busy with this storm. It would take ages for them to arrive.
"Maybe you can get a boost from someone in the ER," Lucy suggested, trying to think of people who drove to work. "Dr. Greene?"
"He didn't drive today. I overheard him saying he was glad he took the El in with this weather." Carter sighed and gave Lucy an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry."
"It's ok. It could happen to anyone."
"Roxanne!" Carter exclaimed suddenly, twisting around to reach for his bag. "She can come and pick us up." He found the cellular phone and started dialing her number.
"Um, I don't think she's going to be too happy about taking me home," Lucy said hesitantly. In fact, she was sure of it. But Carter made a face signifying "don't worry about it".
*This should be interesting* Lucy thought, sitting back and wondering if Roxanne's reaction would be as she anticipated.
"Hi Rox, it's me," Carter began. He started explaining the situation about the El and his car. Although she couldn't make out the words, Lucy could faintly hear Roxanne's voice. Carter continued, "So I've got Lucy in the car with me and was hoping..." He winced and held the phone slightly away from his ear. Lucy raised an eyebrow and tried to pretend she wasn't really paying attention. She could definitely hear the volume of Roxanne's voice going up. Now Carter began explaining why Lucy was with him and the reason for his call. With his free hand he started rubbing his temple as if a major headache was coming on. "No, Roxanne. You can't do that and just leave her here..."
Lucy leaned towards him and quietly said, "Look, I don't want to be any trouble."
Carter briefly glanced at her, shaking his head. He spoke into the phone through clenched teeth. "That's not the point. I offered her a ride so she's coming with us." Carter silently listened to Roxanne's tirade and then said, "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. We'll talk about this later. Ok? Roxanne?" He shut the phone off. "She hung up."
Lucy felt awful and she spoke quickly. "Just call her back and tell her she doesn't have to drive me home. Really, I don't mind. I'll just go back down to the ER." She stopped when she realized he wasn't listening. He was staring into space and suddenly burst out laughing. Lucy gazed at him in bewilderment, her eyes widening. "Uh...are you all right?" she asked with some concern.
Carter took a moment to compose himself before replying. "Yeah," he finally said, grinning. "I'm fine. In fact, this is the best I've felt all day."
"Oh?"
Carter looked over at Lucy and almost started laughing again at the expression on her face. Her mouth was open and her eyes were round with confusion. "It's kind of complicated," he said, not wanting to go into details.
"So what's going on? Is she coming to pick you up?" Lucy asked.
"Nope. She called off dinner. So it looks like we both might be stuck here for a while."
Carter stated this fact rather cheerfully but Lucy still felt guilty.
"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have insisted that she pick me up too."
"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault." Carter could see that Lucy wasn't convinced and he reached out to touch her shoulder reassuringly. "Really, Luce." He used his affectionate nickname for her. "To be honest, I'm kind of relieved. I wasn't looking forward to this dinner." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. He really shouldn't be discussing this with Lucy.
Lucy remembered his rather lackluster response back in the lounge when she had asked him about tonight's plans. Again, she was curious about the reason but didn't ask. Although Carter was friendly, he was pretty quiet about his personal life. She figured he preferred it that way, and she had to curb her naturally inquisitive nature. As his medical student, however, she didn't use the same restraint. She knew she sometimes annoyed him with her constant questions, but she couldn't help it. She found the medical world fascinating and wanted to learn everything about it.
Carter still had his hand on Lucy's shoulder, and she found herself wishing she could feel it through her heavy winter coat. *Ugh, snap out of it, Lucy!* she reprimanded herself. For once, she found herself at a loss for words and she struggled to find something to say.
Carter broke the moment by removing the keys from the ignition and saying, "Well, we might as well go back. Just sitting here isn't doing us any good."
As they waited for the elevator, Lucy's stomach made an unladylike grumble and they both laughed.
"I'm hungry too," Carter said. "Want to grab some dinner at Doc Magoo's?"
"Sure," Lucy replied.
They made their way back to the ER and passed Lydia in the hallway. She was restocking some supplies and looked at them in surprise. "Didn't I just say goodbye to you two?"
"You know how dedicated we are," Carter said, removing his hat and stuffing it in his coat pocket. "We just couldn't tear ourselves away."
"Yeah, right." Lydia chuckled. "What's the real story?"
"His car won't start," Lucy said. "We were hoping someone could help jump start the battery. Know anyone who drove today?"
After thinking for a moment, Lydia said "Peter did. He was saying that the roads were getting pretty bad driving in. But he just went up to surgery." She continued stacking boxes and suggested, "You should talk to Jerry. He knows everyone."
They went to the admitting desk next but Jerry had gone on a break. Obviously things were still slow. Elizabeth was on the phone with someone and Lucy said, "That reminds me. I better call my roommate and tell her to leave without me. I don't think I'll be joining them tonight."
"Where were you going?" Carter asked.
Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. Some club my friends like." She gave Carter a playful look. "Do you dance, Dr. Carter?"
"Uh uh," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm a terrible dancer."
"Oh, come on," Lucy teased. "I'll bet you're great."
Elizabeth got off the phone and stood up, seeing Lucy and Carter for the first time. "Well, I would have thought you two were long gone," she said, reaching for her coat draped over a nearby chair. She paused and gave them a questioning glance. "Unless you're stuck because of the El."
"Lucy is," Carter said. "I was going to give her a ride but my car won't start."
"Oh, that's a shame," Elizabeth said in a sympathetic tone. "I wish I could help but I'm just on my way out. Luckily I take the southbound El. What are you going to do?"
Carter took a breath and said, "I guess we'll have some dinner, for now. Then...we'll see what happens."
"Well, best of luck," Elizabeth said as she slung her purse over her shoulder. She turned to leave but then stopped. "Where are you having dinner?" she asked.
Carter and Lucy exchanged glances, thinking it was a strange question.
"Doc Magoo's," Lucy replied.
"No you're not." Elizabeth started to rummage around in her purse. "That was my friend Sara on the phone. I was going to go with her to Charlie's Place...that club I told you about, Lucy. But she's taken ill so we're not going. Aha!" she said triumphantly, withdrawing two orange tickets and holding them out. "I'm going to Sara's flat now to keep her company. I would rather you use the tickets than see them go to waste." She looked from Carter to Lucy, seeing their hesitation. "Please take them. It's not far from here and it will be a nice dinner."
"I suppose it's better than a greasy cheeseburger and fries," Lucy said, looking up at Carter hopefully.
"All right," he said at last, taking the tickets. "Thank you, Dr. Corday."
"Yes, thank you so much," Lucy said. She liked Doc Magoo's, especially the friendly atmosphere but their menu was somewhat limited. It was strictly diner food. She found herself looking forward to having a nice meal with Carter. She recalled Dr. Corday mentioning a dance floor and she pictured the two of them dancing closely...She stopped herself before her imagination ran wild. *It's just dinner* she thought. *We'll eat and then come back here to get help with his car*.
Elizabeth gave them directions on how to get to Charlie's Place. They thanked her once more and Lucy was so eager to get going, she forgot to call her roommate until Carter reminded her. Feeling rather foolish, she told herself to calm down and made the phone call from the front desk. By the time she had finished, Jerry still hadn't returned. They debated on whether they should wait a little longer or go straight to the restaurant. Their mutual hunger won out and they braced themselves for the stormy night.
Lucy put her mittens on and Carter started to pull on his hat, glancing down at her dark blond head. "Where's your hat? Your ears are gonna freeze."
"I know. It's at home. It wasn't like this when I left this morning," she said, gesturing at the swirling snow outside.
Carter paused and then tugged his grey knit cap down over her head. It fit quite snugly and Lucy brushed wisps of hair out of her eyes. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice tinged with amusement.
"I can't have my favourite med student walking around with frostbitten ears," Carter replied with a smile. Lucy laughed, knowing that he was only teasing but still feeling a sudden flash of warmth. "Ready?" he said, turning up the collar of his coat. Lucy nodded and they ventured out into the storm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Would you care for some more wine?" the waitress asked. Lucy tore her eyes away from a couple at a nearby table that she'd been watching.
"Um..." she hesitated, tempted but not sure if she should have another glass. She had already consumed two and anything more usually made her pretty tipsy. "No, I'd better not."
"Perhaps your boyfriend would like some," the waitress suggested, looking at Carter's empty glass. He had just left to use the men's room.
Lucy found herself blushing and she knew it wasn't the effects of the wine. "He's not my boyfriend," she murmured. "He's...I don't know if he wants more."
The waitress moved to another table and Lucy sighed, almost in relief. Of course the woman would assume Carter was her boyfriend since they were here on New Year's Eve. Here in this intimate little jazz club bathed in soft candlelight. Dinner had been buffet style with roast beef, rich gravy, and all the trimmings to go with it. She and Carter had devoured the delicious food and some complimentary wine.
She now looked around the room with interest. Earlier, she had been so intent on eating that she hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings. The room was small so although there weren't a lot of people, the place looked more crowded than it really was. Most of the tables were occupied but Lucy spotted a few that were empty. Probably a result of the storm tonight. She judged most of the people to be in their thirties, though there were a few older couples too. It appeared that she was the youngest one here. There was a live band in one corner as well as a singer. She was a tall, exotic looking black woman with a lovely, slightly smokey voice. Lucy wasn't a big fan of jazz so she didn't recognize any of the songs, but she was enjoying the mellow music. She thought the singer was beautiful and wished her own looks were more exotic. She was more of a plain jane, girl-next-door type. Oh well, looks weren't important anyway and there was no use dwelling on something she couldn't change.
She turned once more to the young couple that had caught her attention earlier. They were talking softly to each other and holding hands across the table. Lucy imagined that they were completely in love. They certainly seemed oblivious to everything going on around them and only had eyes for each other.
"Hey..." Carter said, taking his seat and noticing Lucy's dreamy smile. "What are you smiling at?"
"Oh, was I?" Lucy tilted her head towards the couple, who were now laughing quietly. "I was just watching them. They look like they're so much in love."
Carter looked over at them. "That they do," he agreed.
"So are you in love with Roxanne?"
*Oops. Did I say that out loud?* Lucy thought with some alarm. She looked at Carter and found him staring at her with a fierce frown on his face. *I can't believe I said that! The wine must be affecting me more than I thought*
"That's none of your business, Lucy," Carter said evenly, his voice tight.
"I know, I'm sorry," Lucy apologized quickly, silently berating herself. Here the evening had been going so well and she had to ruin it with her loose tongue. "Don't be angry."
Lucy looked at him with sorrowful eyes and Carter finally shook his head. "I'm not angry. Forget it, Luce." He fiddled with his wine glass and started looking around the room. "I need another drink," he muttered, signalling the waitress over. She poured him another glass and he took a big gulp. What was this now, his fourth one? He had been feeling very relaxed and pretty good overall, until Lucy had dropped that bombshell of a question on him. He probably shouldn't have snapped at her since it was a legitimate question and one he'd been asking himself recently.
In the past week or so, Roxanne had started using those three little words that scared the hell out of him: "I love you". She had first uttered them in...how to put it delicately...a passionate moment, and he had responded with "I love you too". But did he really? He was having his doubts lately. Just the other night he had come up with some lame excuse in order to avoid seeing her. And tonight he'd been practically ecstatic when Roxanne had angrily cancelled dinner plans. He had initially told himself it was because he didn't enjoy fancy, black-tie events. It had been Roxanne's idea of course, and personally he found those things boring and pretentious. But if he was honest with himself, it was the fact that he wouldn't have to see Roxanne tonight that had made him feel so happy.
*Damn!* Carter thought, as the reality hit him full force. Considering his past failed relationships, he had so wanted this one to work. But he now realized that he didn't love Roxanne and their relationship was over. And who did he have to thank for allowing him to come to this stunning conclusion? Lucy, with her one innocent question.
Carter felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his chest. He had been feeling out of sorts for the past few days and now knew why. He still had the unpleasant task of telling Roxanne it was over between them, but he would think about that later.
"Maybe we should start heading back," Lucy said meekly.
Carter finished off his drink and looked at his watch. "Why? We've only got an hour to go until midnight. We might as well celebrate here."
Lucy couldn't hide her surprise. "You want to stay? After what I said?"
Carter smiled, starting to experience a very pleasant buzz. It was a combination of the wine and the unexpected feeling of freedom. "Actually, I have to thank you."
Lucy narrowed her eyes and looked at him skeptically. "I think you've had too much to drink," she stated.
Carter chuckled and said emphatically, "No really. Thanks to you, I realize that things aren't right between Roxanne and me. Well, more than not right. It's over."
"Over," Lucy echoed in a shocked tone. "Because of what I said?"
"Well, in part. Your question just started me thinking and...I guess I finally admitted to myself what I've known for a while now." He ran both hands through his hair and briefly wondered why he was spilling his guts to Lucy. It wasn't like him to be so open with someone but he found her easy to talk to. And a surprisingly good listener. She was silent now, merely looking at him and waiting for him to continue. He suddenly felt self-conscious and cleared his throat. "So I wonder what we get for dessert."
Lucy gave a small smile and looked over Carter's shoulder. "Looks like they're bringing it out now," she said, realizing he was uncomfortable.
As they walked over to peruse the dessert selection, Lucy found herself lost in thought. She was still having a little trouble absorbing what had just occured. First she had thought she'd totally blown the evening by upsetting Carter. Then she had found out she'd inadvertently caused the end of his relationship with Roxanne. All because of a question she had never meant to say out loud.
It was a strange set of circumstances that had brought them here tonight. If she allowed herself, her crush on Carter could develop into something more. At the hospital he tended to show his arrogant side to her, though he was always wonderful with the patients. But sometimes he displayed his vulnerability, as he had in the last few minutes. It was in those moments that her heart always melted. She had to continually remind herself that she was Carter's medical student and a relationship between them was impossible. Strictly against the rules. Besides which, this crush of hers was completely one-sided. He had never given an inkling that he was interested in her. At worst, he considered her an annoyance. At best, he regarded her as a little sister.
Lucy was jolted out of her thoughts by a gentle nudge on the arm.
"Come on, Luce. You're holding up the line," Carter said, a slice of strawberry shortcake in his hand. "Decide already."
"Oh, sorry." Lucy quickly scanned her choices and selected a chocolate mousse.
Back at the table they ate their desserts and talked easily with each other, laughing and bantering back and forth. They didn't even realize how close it was to midnight until noisemakers and streamers were being handed out. They also received glasses of champagne.
Lucy picked up a green horn and blew on it noisily.
Carter gave her an amused smile. "You're a little early."
Lucy made a face at him. "Just testing." She checked her watch. "Three minutes to go." She looked around the room, feeling the air charged with excitement. The band had been taking a break, but they now returned to their places and the attractive singer approached the microphone.
"Thank you for coming to Charlie's Place. We hope you're having a great time." She smiled at the crowd. "We invite you to stay well after midnight for more music and dancing. We'll be starting the countdown in just a couple of minutes."
"I'm so glad we came here," Lucy said, glancing back at Carter.
"Yeah, me too," he agreed, enjoying the look of happiness on her face. Her enthusiasm was contagious and he was begining to feel a growing anticipation for the New Year.
The countdown began. "...5...4...3...2...1...Happy New Year!"
Carter and Lucy blew their noisemakers and threw streamers at each other, laughing. They clinked their champagne glasses together and each took a sip.
"Mmm. I love champagne." Lucy giggled. "The bubbles tickle."
Carter impulsively stood and leaned forward on his elbows, murmuring "Happy New Year, Luce." He kissed her on the lips, tasting champagne and something intriguing. The taste of Lucy. *Oh my God* He drew back, opening his eyes to find her staring at him with her mouth slightly parted. He could read the confusion in her eyes and he tried to gather his own wits about him. What was he doing? *It's just one New Year's kiss* he thought. Except one kiss wasn't enough. Not nearly. He leaned in for another one, this one longer and more urgent.
Lucy's heart was racing wildly and she couldn't think. All she could feel was Carter's warm lips on hers and she wished it would go on forever. Carter finally pulled away from her. Breathless, she gazed into his dark eyes and could see the conflicting emotions in them...changing from desire to regret.
Carter sat back down in his chair with a dull thud, not even hearing everyone around him sing Auld Lang Syne. "I...I'm sorry," he stammered. "I shouldn't have done that."
"I'm glad you did," Lucy said shyly.
"I don't know what came over me," he said, as if she hadn't spoken. He was looking everywhere but at her. "Really, I'm so sorry."
"John..."
That caught his attention. It was the first time she had ever used his given name. He slowly dragged his gaze back to hers and was suddenly seeing Lucy in a new light. Had her bright blue eyes always been that beautiful? How could he have missed that? Or the sensual curve of her lip. He clasped his hands together nervously on the tablecloth.
"I'm glad you kissed me," Lucy repeated softly. The crowd had quieted down now and the band was starting a new song. She recognized the opening strains of Unforgettable, one of her favourites. She remembered Carter stating that he didn't like to dance, but she stood up now and reached for his hand. "Dance with me?" she asked, half expecting an objection. But he took her hand and followed her to the dance floor as if in a trance.
Other couples danced around them, and Carter held Lucy close. He marvelled at how she was a perfect fit in his arms. He dipped his head down and inhaled the clean scent of her hair. Roxanne had usually worn a cloying perfume and he found Lucy to be a refreshing change.
"Oh boy," he muttered. He hadn't even broken up with Roxanne yet. And Lucy was his med student. They should not be doing this.
Lucy tilted her head back to look up at him. "Did you say something?"
"We shouldn't be doing this," he said. But he couldn't bring himself to stop either.
"We're only dancing," Lucy said reasonably. She was trying to control the little butterflies in her stomach. They had been fluttering around ever since that first kiss.
Carter nodded, trying to convince himself that this didn't mean anything. It was just a dance and just a kiss. *Two kisses* he reminded himself. It was just New Year's Eve and he had gotten caught up in the moment. That's all. That's what his head told him, but in his heart he knew it wasn't true. Things seemed so...right between them. It had never been this way with Roxanne. *Stop it! Stop comparing Roxanne with Lucy* He decided to stop thinking and just enjoy the dance.
Lucy had her head nestled comfortably on Carter's shoulder as they swayed in time to the music. She was feeling a little giddy and knew it wasn't due to the wine. She was afraid that Carter's practical nature would take over soon and they would head back to the hospital. She didn't want this night to end. She was determined not to think about the future and would just enjoy the moment.
The song ended all too soon and they parted reluctantly.
Carter said slowly, "I think we better go back."
It was just as Lucy had feared. "Ok," she said sadly.
They gathered their things together, not saying a word. Lucy hated this awkwardness between them but she wasn't sure what to say. Carter was at a loss too and he put on his coat in silence. He reached into his pocket, feeling the soft knit of his cap. He pulled it out and placed it gently over Lucy's head. "Gotta keep you warm," he said with a small smile.
Lucy looked up at him and she could feel tears gathering behind her eyes. She blinked them back furiously, not even sure why she suddenly wanted to cry.
"Luce, I..." he started and paused. "I want you to know I really had a great time tonight. I don't have any regrets about...what happened."
"You don't?"
"No. But I'm not sure it should happen again. It's just...it's not the right time." He could see that she was upset but hoped she understood.
Lucy nodded, biting her inner lip. "I know," she said, adding "but I'm glad it happened."
"Me too," Carter said honestly. He put his arm around Lucy and kissed her on the cheek. "Let's go."
They braced themselves for the cold wintery air and together, headed back to the ER.