Chapter 5
They had been desperately working on the trauma for over an hour but they all knew that they had failed. Carter asked to no one in particular, "How long has he been down?"
Abby looked at the clock and replied, "About half an hour."
Carter looked at Susan then at Abby and said, "Alright" He paused and let out a sigh, "Time of death 10:29."
He immediately walked straight out of the room. Abby wanted to go and follow him but she knew that he needed to be left alone.
The trauma room seemed suddenly a lot smaller. He needed to get some fresh air. He needed to get out of there. The cool night air of Chicago was just what he needed. It always got to him. Always. Whatever anyone says you never get used to it. He had known that the guy had little hope when he was brought it but that didn't seem to make any difference. There is nothing worse than having someone die on you. However the difference between an average doctor and a good doctor was how you reacted to it. And Carter was a good doctor. After a few minutes collecting his thoughts and went back inside. He went over to the admin desk and picked up a chart. The first rule of medicine is you can't save everybody.
Inside the trauma room Susan was still filling in the chart when she faced Abby and said, "Do you think he will be alright?"
"He'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"It's Carter."
"I know. But he seemed to take it very hard."
"Yep."
"Maybe I should go talk to him."
"Give him some time. He knows you can't save everybody."
"Yeah. Okay."
Susan remained concerned about Carter but realised that Abby was probably right. She turned her attention back to the chart.
It was over half an hour until Abby finally got a chance to talk to Carter. He was in the corridor suturing someone's arm. "Hey. You got a minute?"
"Sure." He finished off what he was doing and gave a few instructions to the patient. "What is it?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm fine." There was a hint of frustration in his voice.
Abby decided that he probably wanted her to change the subject, "You heard the hot new piece of gossip?"
Carter wasn't too interested in what the gossip machine churned out but he knew that Abby was so he tried to fake enthusiasm, "What?"
"There's a new office couple."
"Really? Who?"
"You and Susan." She watched him intently as if she could read from his face what he was thinking.
"What?"
"You and Susan."
He was suddenly lost for words.
"One of the nurses saw you too making eyes at each other."
"And from that they got we're a couple?"
"Ah. So it is true."
"No, we're not a couple."
"I was talking about the eyes thing.'
"Oh." Carter realised that Abby had set a trap for him and he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
"Do you.you know.want to?"
"To what?" Carter wasn't quite sure what exactly Abby was asking him.
"Date her?"
Relief flooded across Carter's face, "Oh date her. I don't know. I might."
It was his turn to watch her face for the reaction. "I think you should."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You too would make a lovely couple." Abby really had to force out the last few words.
"Well then. Maybe I should ask her."
"I think you should."
"Okay."
"Okay."
There was an awkward silence between the two as neither of them could think of anything else to say. Finally Abby spoke, "I probably should be" She pointed down the corridor. ", going."
"Okay."
Abby took one final look at Carter's face and proceeded to walk off. She couldn't quite believe what had just happened. She had told him to ask Susan out on a date. Why? That was the last thing she wanted him to do. Why did she do it? She racked her brain but couldn't come up with an answer.
Carter watched Abby as she walked away. Did she just do what he thought she did. Yeah, she had told him to ask out Susan. That was the last thing he had expected her to do. It had totally thrown him into confusion. Was she telling him that she didn't want him? Was this her way of rejecting him before he even asked? Or maybe she didn't know about his true feelings and was just being a good friend. Whatever her reason for doing what she did the real question was should he take her advice. He realised that this was one of those moments when you arrive at a fork in the road of life. And he remembered the advice that Gamma had given him when you encounter one of those. Take the fork.
They had been desperately working on the trauma for over an hour but they all knew that they had failed. Carter asked to no one in particular, "How long has he been down?"
Abby looked at the clock and replied, "About half an hour."
Carter looked at Susan then at Abby and said, "Alright" He paused and let out a sigh, "Time of death 10:29."
He immediately walked straight out of the room. Abby wanted to go and follow him but she knew that he needed to be left alone.
The trauma room seemed suddenly a lot smaller. He needed to get some fresh air. He needed to get out of there. The cool night air of Chicago was just what he needed. It always got to him. Always. Whatever anyone says you never get used to it. He had known that the guy had little hope when he was brought it but that didn't seem to make any difference. There is nothing worse than having someone die on you. However the difference between an average doctor and a good doctor was how you reacted to it. And Carter was a good doctor. After a few minutes collecting his thoughts and went back inside. He went over to the admin desk and picked up a chart. The first rule of medicine is you can't save everybody.
Inside the trauma room Susan was still filling in the chart when she faced Abby and said, "Do you think he will be alright?"
"He'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"It's Carter."
"I know. But he seemed to take it very hard."
"Yep."
"Maybe I should go talk to him."
"Give him some time. He knows you can't save everybody."
"Yeah. Okay."
Susan remained concerned about Carter but realised that Abby was probably right. She turned her attention back to the chart.
It was over half an hour until Abby finally got a chance to talk to Carter. He was in the corridor suturing someone's arm. "Hey. You got a minute?"
"Sure." He finished off what he was doing and gave a few instructions to the patient. "What is it?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm fine." There was a hint of frustration in his voice.
Abby decided that he probably wanted her to change the subject, "You heard the hot new piece of gossip?"
Carter wasn't too interested in what the gossip machine churned out but he knew that Abby was so he tried to fake enthusiasm, "What?"
"There's a new office couple."
"Really? Who?"
"You and Susan." She watched him intently as if she could read from his face what he was thinking.
"What?"
"You and Susan."
He was suddenly lost for words.
"One of the nurses saw you too making eyes at each other."
"And from that they got we're a couple?"
"Ah. So it is true."
"No, we're not a couple."
"I was talking about the eyes thing.'
"Oh." Carter realised that Abby had set a trap for him and he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.
"Do you.you know.want to?"
"To what?" Carter wasn't quite sure what exactly Abby was asking him.
"Date her?"
Relief flooded across Carter's face, "Oh date her. I don't know. I might."
It was his turn to watch her face for the reaction. "I think you should."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You too would make a lovely couple." Abby really had to force out the last few words.
"Well then. Maybe I should ask her."
"I think you should."
"Okay."
"Okay."
There was an awkward silence between the two as neither of them could think of anything else to say. Finally Abby spoke, "I probably should be" She pointed down the corridor. ", going."
"Okay."
Abby took one final look at Carter's face and proceeded to walk off. She couldn't quite believe what had just happened. She had told him to ask Susan out on a date. Why? That was the last thing she wanted him to do. Why did she do it? She racked her brain but couldn't come up with an answer.
Carter watched Abby as she walked away. Did she just do what he thought she did. Yeah, she had told him to ask out Susan. That was the last thing he had expected her to do. It had totally thrown him into confusion. Was she telling him that she didn't want him? Was this her way of rejecting him before he even asked? Or maybe she didn't know about his true feelings and was just being a good friend. Whatever her reason for doing what she did the real question was should he take her advice. He realised that this was one of those moments when you arrive at a fork in the road of life. And he remembered the advice that Gamma had given him when you encounter one of those. Take the fork.