They hadn't worked together in a month. They hadn't spoken more than a dozen words to each other either. Both parties were satisfied never talking about their conversation every again. Neither had the desire to same each other's name.

Carter wasn't looking forward to working on Halloween. He knew it was always one of their busiest holidays, since kids had propensity to eat too much candy and vomit and college aged kids probably had been drunk for since noon. There was nothing that interested him about the holidays anymore. Paul had taken away any sense of joy associated with holidays long ago.

He watched Melina from afar. She seemed to settle into her misery. Dave waited for her in the ambulance bay once. He stood in a dark corner dressed in a coat and hooded sweatshirt. Carter would have never known, but Dave looked up at him with an icy glare. Carter was well aware that time does not heal all wounds.

"Carter, you should send Melina home. She looks like crap," Jerry said as he motioned across the lobby to where Melina was clutching the railing on the wall.

"You don't look well," Carter said as he walked over to her.

"I'm fine," Melina replied as she tried to straighten herself up and keep moving.

Melina tripped hard and needed to firmly hold the railing on the wall to keep from falling over. Carter steadied her. Looking at her face, he could tell just how pale and sweaty she was. Her body trembled against his.

"Please, let me take you to the lounge. I'll start an IV and give you some fluids," Carter said.

"Thank you," Melina replied as she began to shake harder.

Carter picked her up and carried her to the lounge. She was hot against his skin. Looking in her eyes, he could tell just how sunken they were. Melina felt tiny in his arms. During their previous encounters, he had not appreciated just how small she was.

"How long have you been sick?" Carter asked as he lowered her down to the couch.

"Few days. I'm freezing," she replied as she rolled on her side and tried to scrunch into a ball.

"I know. It's the fever. What symptoms have you been having?"

"Vomiting, fevers, chills. I feel like crap," Melina replied as Carter put his hand to her head.

"You're hot. I'm going to go get everything for an IV and some labs," Carter said as he smoothed the hair off her face.

He walked back out into the ER and began to gather his IV kit, fluids, and blood draw equipment. She was still curled in a ball shivering when he returned to the lounge. He wordlessly placed the IV and started the fluids. Abby came in shortly after with a few warmed blankets.

"Lay still for awhile," Carter said as he tucked the blankets tightly around Melina, "You could have called in sick."

"I have patients to finish up. I wasn't feeling that sick when I got here," Melina replied weakly.

"Tell me about your patients and I'll finish up. Just lie down and relax," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Why are you being so nice?"

"You look like you need someone to be nice to you. Let me finish your patients up and by then, my shift will be done and I can take you home."

"Thank you. I have the wheezer in curtain one that needs to be admitted, the febrile baby in exam 1 that is waiting on a bed, the laceration in six just needs his discharge paperwork, and the old lady in ten is fine . . . just a hypochondriac."

"Try to get some sleep. We'll get out of here soon," Carter replied.

"Thank you."

He walked out to the nurses' station and gathered up all her charts. Carter finished the paperwork and did the last of the busy work. His own patients had been settled down and tucked in.

"The Ice Princess looks like hell," Gallant said as he pulled on his white coat.

"You coming on to take her place?"

"Yeah, anything that I can finish up for her?"

"No, it's all done. I have nothing to check out to you either," Carter replied.

"Is someone going to drive her home? She wasn't even able to put together a coherent sentence when I was in there. I don't think the bolus you gave her was enough. She's still diaphoretic and tachycardic."

"I'll drive her home. I was going to keep her IV in a little longer and give her another bolus."

"She looks like she could use it. Night, Carter."

Melina was still sleeping in the lounge. Her hair was pasted to her skin from all the sweating. Abby was kneeling next to her, holding a compress to her forehead.

"Taking her home?" Abby asked as she blotted Melina's forehead.

"That was the plan. She looks a little better," Carter replied as he put all his things into his locker.

"Take care of her. She said something about her brother giving her a hard time yesterday. Mel said that she's been feeling very tired."

"I will," he said as he scooped Melina and all the IV equipment up. She still was burning against his skin. She barely roused with the movement. Gallant walked with them to Carter's jeep. He helped Carter settle Melina in the passenger sear. He wished Carter luck before heading back into the ER.


"What the hell," Melina groaned as she sat up in a bed that was very obviously not hers. She was a little more disturbed that the clothes she was wearing weren't hers either.

"You finally woke up," Carter said as he walked into the bedroom and put a hand on her head to see if she was still febrile.

"How long was I out?"

"Nearly twelve hours. You're still hot. Are you feeling any better?"

"I feel like a truck hit me. Thank you for taking care of me. You really didn't have to," she said softly.

"I know. Abby is worried about you."

"She's nice. I'm really okay."

"Are you? Look at me. Are you really okay?"

Melina slowly turned to face him. He knew from looking in her eyes that nothing was okay. Her lip trembled.

"No." she whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"The fevers started only two days ago. The vomiting has been going on for well over 3 weeks. Carter, I'm pregnant. I found out a week ago."

He visibly paled. She started to cry. Carter wasn't exactly sure how to comfort her. He held her until she had quieted.

"I don't want you to lose your job. That emergency room means more to you than it ever will to me. I'm planning to ask for a year of family leave. It will give me time to figure out what to do next."

"Hey, I can't let you do that. Melina, I'll do whatever you need me to. I'm sorry," Carter replied as he pulled her a little tighter.

"It's okay. I'm afraid. I don't want to ruin a baby the way that my parents ruined me," Melina said softly.

"You wouldn't. You're not your parents."


He continued to watch her from a distance. She always looked tired and pale. Melina stayed distant. She only answered his questions when he cornered her in the lounge. Melina showed him pictures from her first trimester ultrasound. He marveled at the tiny toes and little heart. Carter even managed to convince her to let him ultrasound her on a particularly slow night so he could hear the heartbeat for himself.

It didn't take long for her to begin to show. At first, her stomach only looked slightly distended, but the damage was obvious at the five month mark. Melina stayed tight lipped about her pregnancy. She waved people off when they asked about the father. Melina got sick of people bringing her food and telling her to eat.

He stopped over at her apartment late one night after his shift. Melina confessed that she had just finished having her night-sickness. He helped her back to her couch. She placed his hand over the where the baby was kicking and then asked if he had ever been a soccer player.

"What are we doing?"

"I'm not going to use a baby to trap you, Carter. It's not fair to you or the baby."

"Melina, I miss fighting with you."

"I know. I miss it too. No more games?"

"No, I'd like to try to make this work. I have an appointment with Weaver tomorrow. I'm going to tell her about us and the baby."

"Not going to tell her about the sex den?" Melina asked through laughter.

"No, I think that part should stay out secret. Melina, let me take you to dinner. Let's talk."

"Restaurants are a no-go. The smells make me vomit. I live off carbs and chocolate. Your baby hasn't let me be in the same room with chicken, beef, or lamb in three months."

"Fine, I'll help you make supper. Have you eaten lately?"

"No. John, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm sure you didn't come here to watch me vomit all evening," Melina said as a slight blush crept into her face.

"I came here with that exact intention. Now, what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know what won't make me nauseous today. Yesterday, I ate crackers and ginger ale."

"Hmm. Come here," Carter said as he pulled her closer to him, "You can choose to be happy about this."

"I'm too tired to be happy. I'm tired, sore, and perpetually nauseous."

"Let me help you relax, then we can talk about dinner."

Carter swept her long brown hair over her shoulder. He gently began to knead her shoulders. She sighed contentedly and allowed herself to relax.

"Come on. Let's get you in bed and I'll rub your back."

Melina followed him. For a moment, she was unsure whether or not any of this was a good idea. Carter seemed safe enough. He seemed to understand her more than most people ever attempted to.

"Mel, you're okay. This is all going to be okay. I promise . . . I promise you that we'll make this work. You might even find that I can make you happy."

He helped her lay on her side. He laid behind her and gently rubbed her back until he could see that she was sleeping. He moved closer to her and rested his hand on her stomach. Carter smiled when the baby kicked gently at his hand.