A/N: Happy 23rd birthday, ER! Can you nerds believe this show came into our lives 23 years ago today? And all these years later, we are still here talking about it. Here's another glimpse into this world, and this family.
Enjoy!
She's still in her office, pouring over paperwork when her cell phone buzzes on her desk. Carol ignores it for a moment longer as she finishes a sentence and sends another e-mail off. When she finally looks at the text message, Carol smiles and stands from her chair.
Her liver transplant girl was out of surgery and awake in recovery.
Carol grabs her phone and her blazer off the back of her chair and slips the latter on as she walks out of her office and down the hall to the elevator. She rides down to the surgical floor, turning right when the door opens. She stops at the desk to grab the girl's chart, smiling at the nurses.
"How's she doing?" Carol asks, pulling up the records on the black tablet assigned to her room.
"Good. She's asking for a popsicle," a scrub-clad nurse responds, holding up the still wrapped treat.
"Good. I'm about to go check on her, so I'll take it down," Carol says. She turns and heads further down the hall, knocking on the closed door to the room the girl was assigned and waits until she's grated entrance before pushing it open.
The recovery room is dark, only the lights necessary for the nurses and doctors to do their work are on, though light does filter in through the closed window blinds. Cartoons play quietly on the TV hung on the wall, holding the attention of the young patient still coming out of anesthesia as well as her younger brother. (Technically kids aren't allowed on the surgical floor, but the rules were bent a bit for this special circumstance.)
"You came back!" The girl, lying in the giant hospital bed under her favorite princess Rapunzel blanket, rasps.
"I told you I would," Carol smiles, coming closer. "I brought this for you." She hands over the Popsicle and the girl happily starts sucking on it. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. They gave me medicine so it doesn't hurt so bad."
"That's good," Carol nods. "I think they're gonna move you back upstairs soon, and you're gonna stay there for a couple of days so we can make sure you're recovering okay, and then you'll get to go home," Carol tells the girl.
"Okay," the sleepy girl says.
"Okay," Carol nods, smiling down at her patient. "And I emailed you that information about my girl's school. They don't start until sixth grade, but it doesn't hurt to get your name on the list," Carol says, turning to the girl's parents.
"Thank you, so much, Carol. For everything," the girl's father, Eli, tells her, standing and holding out a hand.
"You're welcome. It really was great getting to know you guys," Carol smiles, shaking his hand.
"You as well. Give your girls our best."
"I will. Bye, Nathan," Carol smiles down at the toddler watching cartoons in his mom's lap. When he doesn't respond, all the adults laugh and shake their heads. "Bye, Tina. Be good, okay?"
"I will. Bye, Carol," Tina smiles, finishing off the last of her treat.
"I'll see you later," Carol says.
"Later," Tina replies.
"Bye," Carol says once more before leaving the room, letting the door close behind her.
She drops off the chart and rides the elevator back upstairs. As soon as she is alone in her sunny office, it finally hits her how tired she really is. She didn't get home until nearly midnight the night before and had to be back at work at five that morning, and with the other Transplant Coordinator she works with out on maternity leave, Carol was the only one handling their nine current cases, and eleven pending ones. So, after another forty minutes doing computer and paperwork, Carol shuts down her computer, gathers her things and heads for home.
"I have my phone if anyone needs me, and I'll try and get back later to check on Tina and Mr. Guzman," She tells the secretary of her floor.
"Go," the woman insists. "We can survive a few hours without you. Lord knows you of all people deserve a hot shower and a few hours' sleep, what with all these cases running you raged, keeping you up until all hours of the night," Just then, her phone rings and she answers it. "Go, before you're sucked back in," she says as the person on the other end speaks in her ear.
"Okay, okay, I'm going," Carol laughs.
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Back at home, after a long, hot shower, Carol gets into bed and quickly falls to sleep, only to be awoken a short time (though it was really four hours) later by the garage door being slammed shut and the loud voices of her three daughters home from school.
"Oh, that is nasty!"
"Seriously, Ad, it's gross. Put it away."
"Well, I think it's cool,"
"No! Don't put it on the counter! We cook food there!"
"Don't touch it! It's mine! Tess, Stop!"
"What are you guys yelling about?" Carol asks, coming into the kitchen where her daughters had congregated.
"Sorry, mom, we didn't mean to wake you up," Kate says, sympathetically.
"You were yelling loud enough to wake the dead," Carol says. "What's wrong?"
"Mom! They're being mean to me!"
"We were not! She was going to put that – that – thing on the counter and I was just trying to stop her," Tess explains, pointing to the plastic bag in her sister's hand.
"Oh, my god! What is that?" Carol asks, squinting her eyes at the bag.
"It's a cricket! We dissected it at school and Mrs. Larsen said we could take it home if we wanted. Shawn and Evan didn't want it, so I took it," Addison nods happily.
"That is so weird, Addy. Why would you want to keep it?" Kate asks, disgusted.
"Because it's cool!" Addison insists. "Fine, if you won't let me keep it here, I'll put it in my room." And a second later her footfalls could be heard on the stairs.
"I do not get her sometimes," Tess says, sitting on one of the barstools, pulling a binder out of her backpack. "I mean one minute she's mad at me for almost getting Cheetos dust on her skirt, and the next she's doing that."
Carol laughs at her dramatic daughter, watching as she digs into her math homework, tapping away on her calculator. "You love her," she smiles. "Oh!" she suddenly remembers. "Addy!
"What?" the girl asks, dashing back down the stairs.
"That girl, the one who needed the liver? She got one today. That was why I left so early. I was making sure she was okay."
"And? Is she? Okay, I mean."
"Yeah, she's doing great. She should be home by the end of next week," Carol smiles.
"Good. Maybe she can come to our winter showcase. Will you ask her parents for me?" Addison asks.
"I will, yeah," Carol nods. "Go get started on homework, we're leaving in forty-five minutes."
The three sisters work in relative silence while their mom looks for something to make them for dinner. "Pizza okay," Carol finally asks after checking the freezer for the tenth time.
"Yeah," all the girls nod.
"Good," their mom says. "I'll make it in a few."
"Hey, momma," Tess starts, fidgeting with her pencil.
"Yes, Bear?" Carol responds, leaning against the counter in front of her daughter.
"Did dad talk to you today?"
"He came to see me earlier, why?"
"Well this morning we were talking and he said he would talk to you about getting me my own car so Kate and I don't have to share anymore. Did he do that?"
"No, he did not," Carol says, shaking her head. "We were at work, so he probably thought to bring it up later."
"So, you're still gonna talk about it?"
"Your dad and I will talk about it."
"Yes!" Tess cheers, throwing her hands up.
"But only if you keep that Chemistry grade up," Carol retorts. Her eldest daughter groans at the conditions her mom set, letting her head fall back. "Those are the rules," Carol shrugs, going to start the pizza.
