-The reason I survive - JC/AD
TIMELINE: Post season 6.
FEEDBACK: I'd love to get feedback. Criticism, advice, praiseg … This is my first real ER fic, so, I'd love to know what you think. So…please review! J
DISCLAIMER: As much as I'd like to, I don't own any of the mentioned characters. They are the property of Michael Crichton, John Wells, Jack Orman, Warner Brothers, Amblin Entertainment, NBC… and pretty much everyone besides me. =(
PART 5 (CONCLUSION)
With tears in his eyes, John was watching her sleep, looking exhausted on that hospital bed. He was sitting at her side, stroking her hair gently with one hand and holding hers with the other. And each time he took his eyes off of her sweet, tired face to glance across the room, it was one more tear forming and threatening to set free the thousand others that were now gathered, on the edge of falling. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt so much emotion as this morning when he rushed her over to County, as her condition was getting more and more urgent. He knew this was going to happen, and was prepared for it, but it still came as a shock as the reality of it all dawned on him, and he still couldn't quite believe it was all actually happening.
He'd been literally stunned when she showed up in Atlanta three years earlier, but this was so much bigger of an event. And so much had happened in those three years! They'd finally been able to sort things out in the end, and had helped each other put their lives together a great deal, which they were both so grateful for Anna moved back to Chicago. Not that she'd even considered going back to Philadelphia, but the invitation had been welcome. By, if we may say so, "chance", the paeds attending at County, Cleo Finch, had been run over by a red double-decked bus while on a trip to England and Anna was offered the job. And even though she took an apartment of her own in the beginning, she knew full well it wasn't for long. Those three weeks had awakened old feelings that, if somewhat faded, had not completely died away. And soon they were renewed, as John and her spent virtually *every* second of the day together and couldn't bear being apart at all anymore. She moved in with him, and soon they got engaged. The wedding ceremony that took place six months later was gorgeous, and everyone was there. Susan Lewis had made the trip from Phoenix, and the Ross family had flown all the way from Seattle. (And then they moved back in IL, but that's a different story.) The dance, instead of a "plain" wedding ball, had been a great reunion of the County staff past and present, and it had been for a long, long time, the main topic of conversation all over the ER, courtesy of, who else, the nursing staff.
The Carters' glasses had never been so full and everyday they were thankful for the blessing they were to one another. They enjoyed everything about living together. And if they'd been the best friends in the past, they were now the best lovers. It made no doubt whatsoever in anyone's mind these two would grow old together. And then, just as routine was starting to settle in, they learnt the news that would dramatically change both of their lives forever. They'd definitely not seen it coming and didn't really know how to handle the situation at first, but little by little they got used to the idea. Although Anna would be the one to bear the consequences, John's involvement in the matter was indisputable and he was, at least, as nervous as she. He'd been fearing this day, and waiting for it all the while.
So, as he came rushing to the hospital, pushing Anna on a wheelchair, Benton had seen just how nervous he was and ordered him to wait in the lounge, his friends and colleagues would take over. Since he trusted them just enough to leave his wife in their hands, he obliged. That was the last he saw of her awake, and the last 'I love you' he'd murmured to her ear. Then a couple hours later Carol came to tell him he could see her. And there he was, just sitting by the bed waiting for her to wake up, with the fear that she never would. As a doctor he thought he knew she would, but he couldn't help but worry. He'd been there four whole hours and she still hadn't awoken. She had feebly stirred once but that didn't wake her. And he didn't want to trouble her sleep, she deserved it, after all she'd been through these past months.
Peter, and Doug, and Mark, and Dave, Luka, Carol, Haleh… they'd all come to check on him some time or another. 'Want something to eat Carter?' 'You should get some sleep, kid' 'Everything okay, man?' he'd had them all. But the only question he hadn't been able to answer any of the billion times he'd been asked it was 'How is she?'. 'Don't know' he'd always say, never looking into his interlocutor's eyes so they wouldn't see the worry in his. Usually the question that followed was 'How about you?', then he would just shrug and say he was fine. And he was, but six hours was a long time and he missed her. He took a quick glance accross the room again. Them.
All of a sudden the door slid open, and John heard someone come in.
'Still asleep?' This was Doug's voice.
'Yeah…' Carter sighed, not looking up from Anna. Changing topics, he enquired 'It's past the visits time, how'd d'you get in?'
Doug just shrugged. 'Eh, well… I just nicked a scrub top from the supply room when Kerry wasn't looking and then she was so worn out she didn't realize I quit four years ago when she passed me in a hall. You can tell just how much I'm missed 'round here.' He grinned slightly but John's eyes were still glued to the bed at the center of the room.
'Thanks for going to so much trouble…' said Carter absent-mindedly.
'Anyway,' uttered Doug suddenly after a short silence 'I think this little thing here belongs to you'
John was forced to look up at the older man and noticed he was lulling a newborn in his arms. He leapt up and Doug couldn't help the comment 'I was starting to think you'd never notice!' John walked up to Doug and was instantly mesmerized by the sight of the little being in Doug's arms. The doors swung open again and Mark and Dave came in.
'Dave!'
'No way-ay! That kid, is a Mark!'
'Now, now, you're talking crazy buddy. Don't you see? He got "Little Dougie" written all over his face…'
'Oh, yeah?'
All John could hear was an irrelevant bickering. All he could see was a tiny little baby, face all pink, staring right back at him with his big round brown eyes.
'Is… Is this…' John stuttered softly.
The bickering stopped. 'Sorry, you were saying?'
'Is this… is this mine? Can- Can I?' He opened his arms to receive the youngest of them all.
'All yours, man' Doug gently placed the child against his father's chest.
It became too much and two tears rolled down John's cheeks.
'Congratulations, Carter!'
'Hm-mm' came John's only response with a nod of the head.
'Woah! Can't believe you're a dad!'
'Hm-mm'
'So, now tell me, you're gonna name it Doug, aren't you?'
'Hm-mm'
'Hey!!' riposted Dave and Mark in unison.
And still Carter was blatantly ignoring his surroundings, focusing his only attention to his son.
'Hello everyone'
The familiar voice made John snap out of his wonderment and rush over to Anna's side, still carefully holding the little treasure.
'Hey…' he said with a smile from ear to ear.
'Maybe we should go?' suggested Mark to Doug and Dave. And so they were out, leaving the family alone.
'Here, there he is…' John handed their child to Anna, who collapsed into tears of joy. She looked up at her husband and kissed him then looked him in the eyes 'I love you'. She then looked back down at the baby 'And I love you too…'
John looked again at the chart hanging from the incubator by the bed that read "Baby Carter" at the top. 'You know, we've got to find a name for that little fella…'
'Bobby.'
'As in…' John was genuinely surprised. He didn't even know she remembered he'd had a brother, and was hence deeply touched by the suggestion.
'Yes.'
He smiled at her again and whispered softly in turn 'I love you so much!' before they fell into a long kiss only broken by the loud wail of a hungry Robert Carter, III.
--
THE END
Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed - please review! I can even take the bad stuff as long as it's not abusive, so… please go ahead! J