Chapter 2 - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted

"So" Dr. Gates dumped a chart in the admin desk and looked at Carter. "What's your deal with new girl?"

"That's what you're calling her?" Carter looked up from the computer screen. "New Girl? Gee, where's the imagination?"

"So… there is something going on" Tony said with a devilish smile. "Good choice, man. She's hot"

"What the—There's nothing going on" Carter said. "We've been best friends since we were kids, went to med school together, it'd be like hooking up with my sister"

"Whatever you say, boss" Tony smirked and picked up a new chart. "I'm taking another one"

Just as Tony walked away, Cameron walked over to Carter. Tony pointed over at her behind her back and chuckled. Carter just shook his head.

"What?" Cameron asked.

"Nothing." Carter answered quickly. "So, how is your first day going into the ER vortex?"

Cameron sighed deeply. "Well, I've been called bitch twice, a guy tried to grab my ass, a kid puked in my brand new shoes, the drunk in two just bit me for the third time and I've already lost a patient in the trauma room"

Carter smiled sympathetically. "Look, I know you're Allison Cameron, the people fixer and all, but it might be best to take it easy for a while. I mean, you were the head of the ER back in Jersey, but this is a County hospital, it's different and - Are you alright?"

Cameron's face was almost turning green as she held one hand up to her mouth and the other signaling Carter to wait. Then she ran over to one of the beds parked in the hall and grabbed an emesis basin from the bedside table and buried her face into it before throwing up.

Meanwhile Carter ran up to her and held her hair as Cameron's lunch was puked out of her. "See what I mean by taking it easy?"

She took the tissue Carter held in his hands and wiped her mouth with it. "Yeah" She nodded. Her stomach was still feeling a little funny.

Sam, who had also been going through the computer, looked over at Cameron before asking. "Are you okay?"

Cameron nodded. "I think I might be coming down with the flu or something"

"Why don't we go drink some coffee in the lounge and you can take a little break" Carter said, as he dragged Allison past the admin desk.

"But I-" Cameron begun to say but Carter look at her reprehensively. "Fine" She gave in.

"Hey, Cater?" Sam called out to him. "Guess what? Abby just emailed me; she and Luka are coming for a visit"

"Great" Carter sighed and forced a smile before entering the doctors' lounge with Cameron and closing the door.

The female doctor sat down on the couch as Carter went over to the coffee maker. "So, what's the deal?"

"What's the deal with what?" Carter asked as he picked two mugs and waited for the coffee to be ready.

"With these Abby and Luka fellows" She stated as she put her hair up in a messy bun.

"These Abby and Luka fellows?" Carter asked with a soft laugh. "How long where you married to that Australian guy again?"

"Don't change the subject!" She exclaimed. "Who are them?"

"Oh, they used to work here, but moved to Boston a couple years ago" Carter pulled out a chair for him to sit on.

"Yeah, but why does it make you so uncomfortable that they're coming?" Cameron's head was bothering her, but not enough to stop her curiosity.

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable" Carter shrugged his shoulders. "They're my friends"

"Don't do that" Cameron stood up, and felt a little dizzy. "I know there's something there. After all this time, you still can't hide things from me, Johnny"

"If you call me that again, I'll go back to calling you Ally" He got up and went over to the coffee maker.

"Fine."Cameron rolled her eyes. "See, you're changing the subject again! You only do that when you're hiding something!"

"Well" Cater sighed. "We have history"

"That much I'd already figured" Cameron stated. "Just tell me what happened… It can't be worse than my relationship adventures at PPTH"

So he told her. From the part about Abby's crazy mother to when he'd asked her to marry him on the roof.

"And I kinda broke her heart when I went to Africa for the first time" Carter finished the story as he poured coffee for the both of them.

"The first time?" Allison asked. Her head still hurt.

"Yeah. After two weeks I came back and she was pretty upset with me then. I tried to make it up to her, but I got a call saying that Luka was dead so I-"

"You went back for him" Cameron completed the phrase for him. "Cause you thought you had abandoned him, so you needed to get back"

Cater just nodded. She was seeing through him, like she always did.

"Then that was it? You both just knew it was over then?" She asked with interest.

"Actually, I sent her a letter to end it" He paused for a while before finally picking up the two mugs he'd filled with coffee. "And everyone in the ER ended up reading that letter"

"Oh. Wow." Cameron said. "So you haven't seen each other since then?"

"No, I came back. When Kem was pregnant" Carter walked over to Cameron and handed her a mug before sitting down next to her.

Cameron looked at him sadly. She knew what had happened to Joshua. Carter had written her a long letter telling her all about it. She was starting to feel even dizzier with the smell of that coffee. She was really coming down with something or the coffee, as she had already been warned, was really that awful.

"After I went to Africa for the last time, they got married" Cater said, taking a sip of coffee. "Still thinking your relationships at PPTH went down worse them mine?"

Yes. Cameron wanted to say. Actually, the real reason me and Robert broke up was because he murdered an infamous African dictator. And I thought it was my former boss' fault for brain washing him and clouding his judgment. So I just packed up my things and came here. Isn't it awesome?

But she didn't say it. Because when she brought the coffee closer to her mouth, an incredibly uncomfortable feeling took over her body and the room became a blur. She recalled briefly hearing Carter's concerned voice, before everything went black.

When she opened her eyes and her vision started to clear up again, she saw she had been laying down on a bed in Exam Room Two. There was a male doctor writing over at a chart of the little boy sleeping on the bed next to hers.

She tried to sit up, but dizziness took over her and her muscles gave in, making her fall back in bad with a thud.

The man turned around to look at her and stepped over to her bed side. He was extremely attractive but his eyes would make you sad somehow. "Hey." He said in a soft tone. "Easy there now."

Great. Another Australian.

Cameron just looked over at him, without really knowing what to say.

"Oh sorry." His accent filling over the room as he spoke softly in order not to wake the little boy lying down on the next bed. "I don't think we've met. I'm Dr. Simon Brenner" He smiled charmingly.

And that smile sent her a warm feeling through her body, as it reminded her of Chase. Robert Chase. His smile was definitely what drove her into falling in love with him. That, and his hair, which was better than hers and Cuddy's, combined. And the fact the he was naïve and he believed in a perfect world. And his Australian accent. And that thing he did with his tongue. And that he was allergic to strawberries. And that he said "good morning, beautiful" every morning she'd wake up next to him.

And that he loved her too.

But that guy in front of her, that wasn't Chase.

"Allison Cameron" She smiled weakly. "Uh… What exactly happened?"

"I literally just got in, but from what I heard, you passed out in the lounge" Brenner said, as he put down the boy's chart.

"Right" Cameron nodded. Her head hurt. Maybe it was from the fall.

"Are you feeling alright?" Brenner asked.

"Yeah" she lied. "Don't worry, I'm fine"

"Are you-" Brennan begun to point out when Carter walked in.

"Allison!" He exclaimed. "You're up!"

Brenner pointed to the boy that slept next to Cameron "Shhh"

"Oh, sorry" Carter lowered his voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Great" Cameron forced a smile. Carter looked at her with doubt. "Really" she insisted.

"Allison" Carter said. "You just fainted right in front of me. There's no way you're feeling great"

"I'm fine." She repeated. "Ain't I?" She looked pleadingly to Brenner.

"Uh…"Brenner looked from Cameron to Carter.

"Whatever." Carter said. "I'm ordering some tests so we can check you out"

"What? No" Cameron protested. "I already said I'm fine. Besides, I have to go back to work"

"Are you kidding me?"Carter looked at her incredulous. "You can't go back to work like that! You're staying in this bed and waiting for the tests results!"

"I'm not a baby anymore! You don't have to do this! I can take care of myself!" Cameron argued.

"Brenner! Don't you think she should get checked out?"

"Uhh, guys" Brenner called. "Can you keep it down?" He pointed once again to the little boy.

"Sorry" They both said in unison.

"Right" Brenner replied. "I'll just… Yeah… I'll just go, then"

And he left the room.

"C'mon Carter! I wasn't even down for that long!" Cameron went back to arguing, but in a lower tone this time.

"Almost five minutes!" Carter said. "You're not moving away from this bed until we check you out, and you're not going back to work"

"Fine." Cameron sighed. "I'll go home for the day if you just let me go"

"Allison, you were unconscious for quite some time" Carter sat down on the end of her bed. "I can't just pretend there's nothing wrong and let you go, you know that"

"I'm fine, I swear." She looked over at him. "I'm just a little tired, probably dehydrated"

Carter shook her head and looked to the ceiling. He sighed deeply before looking right into her eyes.

"Will you go home and rest?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes" She smiled in victory.

"You promise?" Carter raised his eyebrows.

"I promise" She nodded.

"Fine" He sighed. "But if anything happens… Anything at all, you're gonna call me first thing!"

"I will" Cameron promised. "Besides, nothing is gonna happen, I'm sure"

"All right, then" He helped her get on her feet. "Off you go"

"Great" Cameron said as she headed off to the door. "I barely got here and am already passing out on the doctors' lounge. Way to make a good first impression"

"If it makes you feel better, you had made a pretty lousy impression before you passed out" Carter laughed, and Cameron hit his arm playfully. "Ow! I was just kidding! Geez!"

"Let's just go" She rolled her eyes and smiled.