Being a teenager is hard. I mean..hard. Imagine adding on top of your average stresses...being the product of an asian woman and a black man.Okay..besides the joy of being bi-cultural,get this,I'm adopted.
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There she goes
There she goes again
Racing through my brain
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains
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Deb glanced up at the clock before jumping when he touched her shoulder.
"It's three" Carter whispered in her ear
She nodded,"I know,I'm busy.I can't..."
"Deb" Carter spun her around,"This is your son"
"I can't!" Deb shrugged him off,"I have to get back to work"
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Michael strecthed his long legs out in front of him and yawned,music blaring in his ears.
Baseball cap pulled over his eyes,he searched the faces for the one that he recognized.The one on the picture.
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There she blows
There she blows again
Pulsing through my vein
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains
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Carter ran down the walk,into the airport.Amongst the chairs in front of the gate.."Michael!" he called
The boy stood up,his cd player and hat falling to the floor
"I'm John Carter.I.." he stopped,thinking about the next few words,"I work with your..."
Michael narrowed his eyes
"I work with Jing Mei" Carter ran his fingers through his hair nervously,"Got your stuff?"
He nodded,disappointment in his eyes,"She.."
"she's glad you came" Carter felt a tinge of guilt for lying,"Just got busy with a patient"
Michael nodded,"That's cool"
Carter gave a small smile,"she's cool,alright"
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"Cool," he replied and plopped down on one of the couches. Luka glanced over at Carter who gave a shrug.
"Michael's here to…uhhh, to visit Deb." Luka nodded slowly and took a sip of his coffee, other hand in his pocket. He mentally noted the strong resemblance to Deb. He had her eyes and her mouth.
Carter spoke again "So, been busy out there?"
"A little – Romano has been hanging around down here more than usual, putting everyone on edge. I came in here to escape for a few minutes, but I think my time is up so I better get back. Nice to meet you, Michael." Luka gave a nod to both of them and left the lounge.
"Let's go find Deb." Carter said, patting Michael on the shoulder and ushering him down the halls.
************
Deb wiped her brow with the back of her hand and blew out abreath. She had just been grilled byKerry over the protocol on calling for surgical consults. The man would have bled out, she didn't have time for a damn consult. Not to mention, Romano was lurking around - peeking over everyone's shoulder, making her nervous.
While briskly walking towards the bathroom to splash some water on her face, she was abruptly halted. Carter stood a few feet away with his hand on the boy's shoulder. Deb brought a hand to her mouth and took a few slow steps forward.
Glancing down at Michael, Carter said, "Deb, I'd like you to meet Michael. Michael, Deb." Michael looked up at her from under the brim of his baseball cap.
"So…you're my real mom, huh?" Deb slowly nodded, tears coming to her eyes. He's so tall, was her first thought. Within a split second, Michael had crossed the few feet between them and had his arms around her waist. Just as quickly as he came, he left and moved over to the wall, headphones going over his ears. Carter gave her a sympathetic smile and moved closer, giving her arm a squeeze.
"Well, well, well – what is this, a little family reunion? Funny Dr. Carter, he looks nothing like you," came Romano's obnoxious voice from behind them.
"Dr. Romano we were just…"
"Look at this little rugrat," Romano ruffled Michael's hair,"Just make sure he stays out of the way down here." He started walking away,"Better yet, maybe you should take him up to daycare."
"Hey! I'm 13 – I don't need daycare!!!" Michael yelled angrily and pointed an accusatory finger at Romano, who merely chuckled as he walked away scribbling in a chart.
"It's okay, sweetheart. He's just a jerk." Deb said quietly,patting his shoulder. Michael stood watching the little man walk away, as Deb and Carter conversed above his head.
"Hey, what's wrong with him now?" Michael said, motioning down the hall. Deb and Carter both turned their heads to the direction he was pointing. Romano had fallen to the floor on his knees and was soon flat on his back, clutching his chest.
"Oh God, he's having an MI!" Deb yelled and ran towards his body on the floor. Carter held Michael in check as Luka rushed from another room to help her. Getting Romano on a gurney, they wheeled him into Trauma 1.
"No pulse, starting compressions." Deb yelled and ordered Epi as Luka intubated him.
Michael watched from the next room over as his mom tried to help the bald man.
"Michael, you don't need to see this…" Carter began shutting the blinds, but Michael put his hand on top of it to stop him.
"No, I don't mind." He said quietly, still watching intently. Deb continued CPR.
"We've got a rhythm! Holding compressions." She called,staring at the monitor. "Let's get him upstairs." They began wheeling the gurney out. "I'll take it Deb." Luka told her and she nodded, stopping at the trauma room doors.
Suddenly, Carter was pulling her into the suture room and Michael was staring at her in awe.
"That…that was so cool." He gulped and stared at her with huge, dark brown eyes. He had neverseen anyone do that except on TV. He just didn't know what to say next.
"Michael, why don't you listen to your music for a minute?"Carter suggested and the boy put his headphones back on, bobbing his head to the tune.
Carter pulled Deb close and laughed softly. "What's so funny?" She glanced at Michael who rolled his eyes and scrunched up his nose at the two of them. Deb grinned and pulled him into the hug she and Carter were sharing.
"Only the woman I love could have her son and her lover insulted by her superior, only to go and save him from a fatal heart attack."
"Yeah well, it's all in a day's work…"
*********************************************************************
There she goes
There she goes again
Racing through my brain
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains
*********************************************************************
Deb glanced up at the clock before jumping when he touched her shoulder.
"It's three" Carter whispered in her ear
She nodded,"I know,I'm busy.I can't..."
"Deb" Carter spun her around,"This is your son"
"I can't!" Deb shrugged him off,"I have to get back to work"
***********************************************************************
Michael strecthed his long legs out in front of him and yawned,music blaring in his ears.
Baseball cap pulled over his eyes,he searched the faces for the one that he recognized.The one on the picture.
***********************************************************************
There she blows
There she blows again
Pulsing through my vein
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains
**********************************************************************
Carter ran down the walk,into the airport.Amongst the chairs in front of the gate.."Michael!" he called
The boy stood up,his cd player and hat falling to the floor
"I'm John Carter.I.." he stopped,thinking about the next few words,"I work with your..."
Michael narrowed his eyes
"I work with Jing Mei" Carter ran his fingers through his hair nervously,"Got your stuff?"
He nodded,disappointment in his eyes,"She.."
"she's glad you came" Carter felt a tinge of guilt for lying,"Just got busy with a patient"
Michael nodded,"That's cool"
Carter gave a small smile,"she's cool,alright"
***********************************************************************
"Cool," he replied and plopped down on one of the couches. Luka glanced over at Carter who gave a shrug.
"Michael's here to…uhhh, to visit Deb." Luka nodded slowly and took a sip of his coffee, other hand in his pocket. He mentally noted the strong resemblance to Deb. He had her eyes and her mouth.
Carter spoke again "So, been busy out there?"
"A little – Romano has been hanging around down here more than usual, putting everyone on edge. I came in here to escape for a few minutes, but I think my time is up so I better get back. Nice to meet you, Michael." Luka gave a nod to both of them and left the lounge.
"Let's go find Deb." Carter said, patting Michael on the shoulder and ushering him down the halls.
************
Deb wiped her brow with the back of her hand and blew out abreath. She had just been grilled byKerry over the protocol on calling for surgical consults. The man would have bled out, she didn't have time for a damn consult. Not to mention, Romano was lurking around - peeking over everyone's shoulder, making her nervous.
While briskly walking towards the bathroom to splash some water on her face, she was abruptly halted. Carter stood a few feet away with his hand on the boy's shoulder. Deb brought a hand to her mouth and took a few slow steps forward.
Glancing down at Michael, Carter said, "Deb, I'd like you to meet Michael. Michael, Deb." Michael looked up at her from under the brim of his baseball cap.
"So…you're my real mom, huh?" Deb slowly nodded, tears coming to her eyes. He's so tall, was her first thought. Within a split second, Michael had crossed the few feet between them and had his arms around her waist. Just as quickly as he came, he left and moved over to the wall, headphones going over his ears. Carter gave her a sympathetic smile and moved closer, giving her arm a squeeze.
"Well, well, well – what is this, a little family reunion? Funny Dr. Carter, he looks nothing like you," came Romano's obnoxious voice from behind them.
"Dr. Romano we were just…"
"Look at this little rugrat," Romano ruffled Michael's hair,"Just make sure he stays out of the way down here." He started walking away,"Better yet, maybe you should take him up to daycare."
"Hey! I'm 13 – I don't need daycare!!!" Michael yelled angrily and pointed an accusatory finger at Romano, who merely chuckled as he walked away scribbling in a chart.
"It's okay, sweetheart. He's just a jerk." Deb said quietly,patting his shoulder. Michael stood watching the little man walk away, as Deb and Carter conversed above his head.
"Hey, what's wrong with him now?" Michael said, motioning down the hall. Deb and Carter both turned their heads to the direction he was pointing. Romano had fallen to the floor on his knees and was soon flat on his back, clutching his chest.
"Oh God, he's having an MI!" Deb yelled and ran towards his body on the floor. Carter held Michael in check as Luka rushed from another room to help her. Getting Romano on a gurney, they wheeled him into Trauma 1.
"No pulse, starting compressions." Deb yelled and ordered Epi as Luka intubated him.
Michael watched from the next room over as his mom tried to help the bald man.
"Michael, you don't need to see this…" Carter began shutting the blinds, but Michael put his hand on top of it to stop him.
"No, I don't mind." He said quietly, still watching intently. Deb continued CPR.
"We've got a rhythm! Holding compressions." She called,staring at the monitor. "Let's get him upstairs." They began wheeling the gurney out. "I'll take it Deb." Luka told her and she nodded, stopping at the trauma room doors.
Suddenly, Carter was pulling her into the suture room and Michael was staring at her in awe.
"That…that was so cool." He gulped and stared at her with huge, dark brown eyes. He had neverseen anyone do that except on TV. He just didn't know what to say next.
"Michael, why don't you listen to your music for a minute?"Carter suggested and the boy put his headphones back on, bobbing his head to the tune.
Carter pulled Deb close and laughed softly. "What's so funny?" She glanced at Michael who rolled his eyes and scrunched up his nose at the two of them. Deb grinned and pulled him into the hug she and Carter were sharing.
"Only the woman I love could have her son and her lover insulted by her superior, only to go and save him from a fatal heart attack."
"Yeah well, it's all in a day's work…"