Title: Fish and Chips Night
Series: #9 in Holidays Series
Disclaimer: Don't own most of the characters. And the ones I come up with aren't my fault, they take over my brain and make me write them... Ken being the perfect example of this.
A/N: For the record, I did the explanation from memory so I could be wrong, but I doubt it, after all, I've been to Lexington and Concord on field trips only slightly more times than I've been to Salem (which is funny, because the Salem Witch Trials actually took place in Danvers not the current Salem.) Still, if I'm wrong feel free to tell me.
"Mama?"
"Son."
Henry laughed as he rolled his eyes, "Pay attention okay?"
Kerry put down JAMA and met Henry's eyes, "Paying attention as ordered... What's up?"
He frowned, "Whas Patriot's Day?"
Kerry glanced up at a calendar that hung on a wall, "It is Patriots' Day today isn't it. It's to commemorate the battle of Lexington and Concord, the start of the American Revolution." Henry frowned, "Wayyy back when, in 1775..."
Henry interrupted her, "This is 2008?"
"Yep, but back then we weren't the United States of America. We were colonies of the British Empire." Henry made an 'ooh' look with his face and he frowned at his book for a moment before he flipped pages one way and then the other way. He finally stopped and pointed at the Union Jack. Kerry nodded, "That's the British flag. Remember I told you about Gabriella who lives in London across the water?"
"Funny lady in the clown nose." Kerry smiled, she'd met Gabriella at a Medical conference and they'd kept in touch. A few months ago the Londoner had sent a picture of her and her family, she had been wearing a gigantic red clown nose.
"Yes. They had a King and he was our King too, but we didn't want to have a King that far away. So we declared our independence. We told King George that we were free. He didn't like that and so, on April 19th on Lexington Common the first shot of the American Revolution was shot."
Henry frowned, "Guns are bad."
Kerry nodded, "For you kiddo, definitely..." She gave him a tickle and he laughed.
"Who did the shot Mama?"
Kerry stood, bringing a smiling Henry with her. "The history books never say kiddo, they don't know." She put him down, "Time to get ready for school bucko..." He sighed, but went towards his room.
Kim came up from behind Kerry and put her arms around Kerry. "My Dad wants to do something sporty with him..." Kim rolled her eyes, "Thinks that he's too... bookish."
"I'm guessing that Mel hasn't let him... sport-erize Charlie?"
Kim laughed, "Nope. And Craig's kids are like little balls of sports energy. It's okay to say no..."
Kerry shook her head, "No, that's okay... One condition though, I want Henry to do it only if he wants."
"10-4... but, I mean, he's not really, it's okay if..."
Kerry turned in Kim's arms and stared into her eyes until Kim blinked. "Sometimes people aren't blessed with blood family like yours Kim, we have to go out and make one. I don't know what you consider yourself, but I consider you just as much Henry's mother as I am."
"Henry has three mommies?"
Kim's lightning of the mood worked, Kerry chuckled and whacked Kim on the shoulder. "Something like that. Henry. You're going to be late Mama..."
Henry appeared in the living room, "Just waitin'..."
"For?"
With a perfectly serious face Henry spoke, "Less mushiness..."
A snort of laughter came from Kim's nose which she tried to cover with a cough. But she was dealing with Kerry Weaver. For her troubles she had the keys hucked at her. "Just for that... Doctor Legaspi... you get to drive."
"I won't give you that info."
"I am a Cardiac Surgeon right here at County. You would do well to understand who you're dealing with. I may be new, but I'm not a bit player young lady."
Randi laughed and shook her head, "Yeah, but see I know bigger guns than you do, trust me Doctor..."
"Court... Kenneth Court." He let a hurf fly. "You will remember that name, right clerk?"
Randi glanced up again. She tapped her temple, "Steel trap Doctor... Court. Doc Weaver will get your message."
She watched the man of middling height and gray hair go. "Crazy man..."
"Why do you care?"
Randi looked over at Pratt, who was putting away a chart. "What?"
"Whether Doctor Court finds Kerry's address and phone number or not. What is it with you two? I get Weaver and Abby, the Chief helped her become a doctor, but you..."
Randi raised an eyebrow and went back to her paperwork. "I'm just a clerk, what could the high and mighty Chief of the ER have to talk about with me, have in common with me? That's what you're thinking."Randi shook her head, "Don't you have patients Doctor Pratt?"
Pratt held his hands up, "Could you see if X-Ray will get Mr. Toll's X-Rays before I get old and gray?"
Randi nodded as Pratt left the desk. A voice spoke from behind her, "Things never change do they? Though I'm surprised to see you here Randi, thought you moved past our sad state of things here."
Randi looked up and over, "Doctor Lewis?"
Susan smiled. "So, what's the answer to Pratt's question? I always wondered what your connection with Kerry was."
Randi regarded Susan for a moment. She hadn't changed since she left County 3 years ago, though she looked a whole lot more relaxed. Still, there was some sadness in her eyes that Randi couldn't pinpoint. She went back to her work as she spoke to Susan, "You were there actually. Someone or other came in with a gigantic press thing clamped on his hand." Randi gave her gum a chew, "I found a couple of screwdrivers I think, maintence was taking their sweet time getting downstairs, as usual. Brought 'em in to her. She was there, balancing on her good leg and going at the contraption with just a screwdriver just like she would a patient. The determination I mean. There was... something in her eyes at that moment that I could relate to I guess..."
Randi looked up, "She stood up her date, some insurance mucky muck, because of the hand guy." Randi shook her head with a faint smile, "Y'all looked at me and saw... I don't know, a hooker, a bad act. She treated me like no one in my life ever had, treated me like I had a brain, and she even expected me to use it. We had dinner that night. In retrospect..." Randi's smile morphed into a smirk as she chomped on her gum for a second, "...maybe she had a crush on me..."
"A crush huh?" Susan shook her head.
Randi threw her arms to her sides, "C'mon, I'm a delectable treat."
Susan laughed, "You two were always the Odd Couple, that's for sure. Do you know where she is?"
Randi jerked her head to a point behind Susan, "Just arrivin'."
Susan turned and Kerry frowned, "Susan. Cosmo's okay?"
Susan's eyes went to Kim, who she didn't know and was still next to Kerry. "Could we talk?"
Kerry nodded and met Kim's eyes, "I'll see you Kim."
Kim quirked a grin, "Not too many consults Ker, I have a busy schedule today."
"Ha, ha."
Kim left the women with a laugh as she made her way towards the elevators. Kerry started to steer Susan towards the Doctor's lounge, but Randi's voice made her stop. "Oh, Doctor Weaver... there was a surgeon guy looking for you. Cardiac I think. Doctor Kenneth Court. Got real pissed when I wouldn't give him your personal info."
Susan frowned, Kerry looked like she was going to pass out. The red head spoke slowly, "Are you sure Randi?"
Randi nodded, "Average guy, nothing to write home about, gray hair that hung down in his eyes..."
"Blue eyes that seared your soul?"
Randi blew a breath out, "I was gonna say blue eyes that were really beady, but searing soul, that could work too I guess. He said he worked her. Upstairs... sucks not being Chief of Staff anymore huh?"
Kerry's face creased into a small smile, "Only on rare occasions these days Randi. Rare occasions..." She left Randi at the Admit desk and she and Susan went into the Doctor's lounge.
Kerry dove into the fridge, taking her life into her own hands. "You don't have your crutch anymore."
Kerry nodded as she threw a moldy looking zip lock bag in the trash. "Broke my hip. Had the hip replaced." She looked up, "Oh, you probably didn't know the problem, I was born with Congenital Hip Dysplasia. Anyway, it all happened for a reason, it was getting hard to chase Henry around."
"How is he?"
"Fine. Susan, it's a job right?" Kerry closed the fridge and faced Susan. "I can see you wanting to bolt, asking me of all people for a job, progress or no progress that we made. What happened Susan?"
Susan was silent for a long time, "MI... Chuck had a massive one." Susan shook her head, "I guess you know how that is. Loosing the one you love just like that." She snapped her fingers.
"Are you looking elsewhere. I'll see what I have." Kerry ran a hand through her hair falling silent for a moment, "I know right now I only have shifts, at most a job, you were tenured at Iowa City right?" Susan nodded. "I would try Mercy. They may have more."
Susan raised her eyebrows, "Are you trying to get me away from your ER?"
Kerry went to the lockers and got out her lab coat. "No, but I did the single Mom thing for three years. Something permanent is always better. Let me look into it for you."
"Don't go out of your way Kerry."
Kerry held up a hand, "Who was your Chief Resident again?"
Susan gave a short chuckle as she stood, "You were."
"That's right. I have to yell at Anspaugh for something else anyway."
Susan searched for a pen and paper and wrote down her phone number and email. "I'm not expecting anything. County wasn't even my first stop."
Kerry took the paper, "Good. This place sucks you in and sucks your soul from you if you're not careful. It took Mark's and I think that if he hadn't gotten out it would have taken Carter's."
"You're really... selling the place Kerry..."
Kerry pushed out the lounge door, followed closely by Susan. "You and I both know what County is. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Susan held out her hand and Kerry shook it without hesitation. "Thank You Kerry." Susan left and Kerry paused next to Randi. "Would you find me Doctor... Court's info?"
"Of course..." Randi paused, "You do see the irony?"
"As if it were dripping down the desk." Kerry paused, "Oh, and Randi, no double shifts for a couple of days, okay?" Randi made a face, "Not an order, just a recommendation, you look like crap on crap."
Randi managed to keep a serious face while she responded, "Well, since I don't think I've ever heard you use that particular word, and twice in the same sentence, just for you Doc..."
"Do you think she will go for it Kerry? She hasn't had the best time here at County."
Kerry winced, "I know, but she's a good doctor, I can't believe that Luka just..." She shook her head, "Without notice or... Oh hell, Abby..."
Donald Anspaugh shot Kerry a warning look, "Don't kill him Kerry, I'm running out of Chiefs of the ER."
Kerry smiled, "Don, there is something else. Kenneth Court?"
Donald sat back in his chair. "Would you like to be Chief of Staff again? Make these decisions."
Kerry stood, paced one way, then the other. "Please Don..."
"This is County Kerry. He had good references, has been published in all the right places and is a good surgeon. Why does Ken interest you?"
Kerry shook her head, "I need to get back to the ER. Thank you Don. I'll give Susan a call as soon as I get a moment, see if she says yes."
The rest of Kerry's shift went well, which made her dread the final minutes she had to go.
"Kerry Weaver... you changed your name back."
Randi looked over Kerry's shoulder and then back to a very tense Kerry, "Want me to call Security?"
"No... but, what I wouldn't give for my crutch right now."
Randi chuckled as Ken stopped behind Kerry. She turned, "Hello Kenneth. What do you want?"
Ken smiled, "Just to say hello, when I saw your name as the Chief of the ER I was impressed, and no crutch. You're doin' well for yourself aren't you honey."
Kerry took a chart and started towards Exam three, mostly so that she wouldn't put a fist to his little snub nose. "Actually Kenneth I was the Chief of Staff not too long ago." She stopped in front of the door. "She's not a Cardiac patient Kenneth, so you'll have to stay here." Kerry entered, leaving Ken outside and hoping that he'd just go away.
Kerry had to suppress a groan when she stepped out a bit later and he was still there. "Kenneth... you're stalking me now?"
He followed her back to the admit desk. "I'm trying to be friendly."
"Do you have an emergency Kenneth? Because I know you're not here on a consult."
Ken gave a not so nice laugh, "You don't know that, you can't..."
"Oh, but she does. She pretends to be the Chief of the ER, a mere mortal, but she's really the goddess of the ER, right Randi?"
This coaxed a laugh from Randi who then backed away when she was pinned with one of Kerry's death glares.
Kim regarded the slightly shorter man. She had Henry in her arms and he was surprisingly quiet, feeling the tension of the moment. "Hey hon. We are here to drag you home."
Kerry glanced up at the clock on the wall, "I'm late. I know." She looked over at Ken. "Kim, this is my ex-husband Doctor Kenneth Court. Kenneth, this is my partner Doctor Kim Legaspi and our son Henry Weaver."
Ken's gaze went from Kim to Kerry, to Henry and back to Kim. Kerry suppressed her grin at Ken's surprise, but Kim felt no need to. "I'd shake your hand Doctor Court, but then I'd probably drop Henry." She turned to Kerry with a more serious look on her face, "If you need a moment?"
"Nope..." She brushed by Ken and took Henry from Kim's arms. "Quick stop in the lounge and we are on our way home."
"Oh, fish and chips night. Yay..."
Kim groaned, "Emphasis on the chips for me please..."
This caused laughter from both Kerry and Henry and Kerry to say something in response to Kim that was lost as they entered the Doctor's lounge.
Ken turned to Randi, "She's gay?"
Randi shrugged, "They're not bridge partners," and went back to her finishing her work so she could get home and get some studying in.
Fin ~ February 23rd, 2008