TITLE: Two Curlies and a Blonde
AUTHOR: SnarkySusan
GROUP: Elizabeth/Susan/Carol friendship, Mark/Elizabeth, Doug/Carol, Chuck/Susan
DISCLAIMER: I do not own ER. If I did, I would have more Susan/Lizzie/Carol interaction. Review if you appreciate it. Constructive criticism is also welcome, as I want to improve.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a rewrite of Two Curlies and a Blondie. Removed lots of filler descriptions, and added some new lines.
Blaring neon lights blinked rapidly as the music pumped its fast steady beats at one of Chicago's most sought after rave clubs. It was 2am, and while Chicago's normal, non-party-going citizens are well into their slumber, for the people in this contrasting area of black lights and neon, the fun was only beginning.
"I'm so glad you came back to Chicago!", Susan beamed at Carol, who was sitting beside her on the tiny round table. "You know how I miss seeing your face at work."
"When you left County, I never thought you would come back after four years.", Elizabeth said, sipping a drink from her glowing cup. "One more year, and I really have to say this Susan, I apologize, you just pulled a Lewis."
The three women laughed at Elizabeth's comment on how Carol came back. It has been three years since she last saw Elizabeth, and six since she last saw Susan, so this meeting, despite being in the last place she finds herself in, was really special for her.
"Yeah, it's great for us to be back here. Seattle was great, but I missed Chicago.", Carol said, smiling.
"Wait, Susan, how did you find this place?", Elizabeth asked. "I know it's not really my type of place, but after being stuck with Beethoven and Bach for eight straight hours, rave sounds like heaven to my ears."
"I went to this club with Abby and Chen a few months ago.", Susan answered. "You know, after the whole walkout thing."
"Chen? As in Deb Chen? Never expected her as the clubbing type." asked Carol.
"You should've seen her that time." squealed Susan. "There she was drowning all of her sorrows in cheap club soda and stage diving antics. Better than jumping off the County rooftop though."
"Not if it involves showing up at work with a terrible hangover, like you did during your next shift." said the third voice, sensuous with a heavy British accent. "Remember how you described it, Susan?"
"Yeah, it was an intense game of Mexican Tag, all right." said the husky voice, now known as Susan. "Didn't help that Carter chewed me out for not knowing that Abby's a recovering alcoholic. How should I know? She never even told me!"
The lights then shifted its blinding glare on the group. The sudden shift in brightness had them react like vampires upon encountering a glinmer of sunlight. Unlike the clubbers dressed in loud prints and shiny metals, they were in snappy collared shirts and dark slacks. In fact, Carol was wearing her scrub pants from work.
"So any luck on the males, Susan?" asked Carol. "A beautiful woman like you doesn't deverve to be single for this long."
"Well, I dated a venture capitalist, a vegan who I turned down because In really don't want to give up steam, and some flight nurse who I met on a flight to Las Vegas." said Susan. "Chuck, the nurse, I'm on and off. He's doing his rotation in Chicago right now, so he sometimes ends up in County when he brings down someone for the zombie docs downstairs to treat."
Carol's eyes widened at the mention of a flight and looked shocked as she faced Susan once more.
"Wh- wh- ", Carol stammered. "I mean, H- h- how?"
"I know, it was a really stupid thing to do.", Susan said, bowing her head down.
"No. I mean how did you get on a plane?", Carol asked, knowing full well that Susan has a long-standing fear of flying.
"And, a little bird told me that you were once married to that flight nurse. Is it true?", Elizabeth whispered, eager to know .
"How I got in the plane and ended up with Chuck is a long story. One that should be talked about in another time, or the bouncers here will probably carry us one by one." said Susan, blushing from a mix of embarrassment and giddyness. "All I can say right now is that it involved Xanax, a drive-thru and lots of cheap alcohol."
Attempting to change the topic, Susan then sidelined, "So how are you and Doug?"
Carol suddenly beamed at the mention of Doug's name grinned from ear to ear. It was so contagious that the two other women with her did the same thing.
"Doug was doing well as a pediatrician in a private hospital until it closed due to budget cuts. Tess and Kate are starting preschool this fall, and Doug and I are really excited to come back to County after all these years." said Carol, still smiling. "Despite the circumstances, absolutely great. Life couldn't be any better."
"What about you and Mark, Elizabeth?" she asked facing the other curly haired woman. "I heard you two had quite a scare these past few months."
"It was a rather...complicated twist of events, to put it mildly." whispered Elizabeth. "Ella accidentally overdosed on ecstasy, Rachel was her usual hormonal self, Mark's still in remission thank god. If it wasn't for you, plus many other people, I would've ran myself over the El tracks."
Just as Susan was about to open her mouth, the music got louder and faster, almost erratic even. The thumping of the rhythm was so strong that it made the three jump out of their seats - literally.
"Looks like the music gods are telling us to get our bottoms up and go front and center." said Elizabeth, the beats sending her in a trance-like state. She and Carol were about to head to the color-shifting squares when...
"WAIT! We forgot something", shouted Susan with a tone that in the usual day will echo from a 5000 mile radius. In this case, it's more like the club classification of the indoor voice. She then took three plastic glow in the dark cups, each three quarters filled with a yellowish, sparkling, bubbly liquid, and said, already a bit tipsy. "I'm going to propose a toast - to one hell of a night."
"To a hell of a night!" the women cheered, all of them taking the liquid in one huge gulp; The liquid drawing a line in their throats. It has been a while since they all drank such, so they almost immediately felt the effects.
But it wasn't enough. Susan kept ordering the so-called "Magic Drink" until they lost count on how many they drank at that very moment. At that point, the music was at its loudest, the dancing at its rowdiest, and the drinking the hardest.
Carol, Susan and Elizabeth were probably among the most intoxicated ones in the club. Carol was starting to babble in the little Russian she learned from her mother, mostly aimed at Susan. Susan meanwhile was singing random nursery rhymes in the usual drunken slur while Elizabeth kept dancing in a spaced out expression.
"I'm a little teapot short and stout, here is my handle and here is my spout..." slurred Susan while looking at the empty, vacillating eyes of Elizabeth. "When the water's boiling here me shout. Lift me out and pour me out. Come on, Lizbeth, dance with me."
While Carol was dancing a rather disjointed, incoherent combination of disco, hiphop, and a tiny bit of polka, Susan then grabbed Elizabeth's arm and positioned them as if they were about to do the tango. Elizabeth, seemingly possessed and out of whack from the sheer amount she drank, let herself go and simply let herself be led to dance by Susan.
"Ooooh, shiny..." was all Elizabeth managed to say during three hours on the dance floor. The rest of the night went into such a blur until they all ended up in their respective houses.