Disclaimer: Own nothing except Alison, Mary, Tim, and Jason.
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Chapter 3: Cold Fear.
"Doc!" Tim exclaimed when the blond woman came into the room. She closed the door and took off her scarf. She smiled at the man.
"Hello, Tim. Are they treating you well here? Who's your doctor?"
"Why, it's your old friend, Mr. Carter!"
"Dr. John Truman Carter..." the Doc sighed, "What I wouldn't give to see him again."
"Why can't you?"
"It's complicated, Tim."
"He wanted to know what you looked like. Could I take a picture?" Tim asked, hopefully. The Doc smiled.
"... Sure, why not?" and so Tim asked for his most prized possession, a Polaroid camera he asked the Doc to bring if she ever stopped by the hospital. The Doc reached into her jacket pocket and took out the camera. She took her hair out of her ponytail, took a deep breath, and said,
"OK, shoot!" there was a bright flash of light and, smiling, Tim looked up. The Doc smiled back at him. It was an instant camera; one for which the Doc always bought film for, knowing Tim and his family needed their money for food and other essentials. She didn't need food, or money, for that matter. As the picture came out, Tim took it and laid it on the table, waiting for it to develop.
"All right, how are we doing?" Corday asked, opening the door and passing the Doc without seeing her. The Doc's eyes widened with fear and she began to move quietly to the door, her scarf lay forgotten on the floor. Still facing Corday and Tim, she placed her hand on the door knob, about to turn it when,
"Doc, don't go! You said you'd give anything to see Carter again, well maybe this Doctor can help you," Tim said. The Doc's heart raced as, seeming to her in slow motion, Corday turned her head to see whom he was speaking to. The Doc turned around, fast, her back now to both of them. She changed her voice slightly. She did not want any doctors at the hospital to recognize her.
"Um, I have to go Tim," she said.
"Wait... Many patients have spoken of you. I want to see the doctor they admire so much," Corday said, smiling. For some reason, the woman's back looked familiar. The Doc's eyes were shut tight, and her fists were clenched. She swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted to do was to get caught. All though her heart told her to turn around and greet a long lost friend, her mind told her to stay away. If she was caught now, it would all be over.
"Uh... I can't..."
"This man says you are looking for Dr. Carter. Can I help you find him?"
"No thanks, Lizzy, I can-"
"How do you know my name?" the Doc cursed to herself under her breath. Corday had a look of suspicion on her face. *At least it can't get any worse, * the Doc thought. But she was wrong.
"Oh, so you know this one, too, Doc? I knew you knew a lot of doctors at this hospital, but I don't know how many." Tim was smiling, so innocently, unaware his favorite doctor was silently panicking.
"Yes, *Doc, * how many doctors *do* you know?" Corday was getting very suspicious.
"Lizzy, I can't talk now. Please, let me go!" the Doc tried to keep the panic from her voice. If she turned around, all would be lost. Corday would recognize her.
"I am afraid I can't let you do that... Who are you? I mean, your real name?" the Doc swallowed hard again. Caught between a rock and a hard place. She couldn't lie to Lizzy. But there was no reason she couldn't just make a run for it...
"I really have to go!" She said, and ran out the door.
"Wait!" Corday called. She sprinted out the door after the Doc, who was pushing her way through the doctors and patients, trying to hide her face. Corday stopped chasing her when she ran out the door, a look of disappointment on her face. Benton came up to her, looking perplexed.
"She passed me," he said, thinking hard at the same time, "And if I didn't know better, I'd say that was Lucy Knight."
"What?" Lizzy stared at Peter Benton, shocked and quizzical.
"How about that drink now?" Benton responded, slowly, still looking at the place the supposed Lucy disappeared. They had seen her get into a red pickup truck. Corday followed his gaze and nodded, slowly.
"OK, so, Abby, where did you say this trailer park is exactly? You didn't get us lost, did you?"
"Uh..."
"Great!" Carter said, pulling over and stopping the car. Abby turned the map sideways. A red, fairly old, pickup truck pulled over behind them.
"Do you need help, ma'am?" a woman asked when she came to the passenger's window of their car.
"Yeah, we could-" Abby stopped, staring at the blond haired woman before her. Words failed her, "Lu... Lu..." the woman cursed to herself and stamped her foot.
"Great! Perfect!" she said, sarcastically. Carter didn't see why Abby was so flustered. But he couldn't see the girl's face.
"Look, I don't know what got into her, but we need help to find a..." But words failed Carter too. But the woman didn't swear at him seeing her. In fact she smiled.
"John..." she sighed. Carter found his voice.
"Lucy?" he asked. Lucy smiled. Apparently, Abby found her voice too.
"But you're DEAD!" she burst out.
"I won't deny it," she said. Carter and Abby got out of the car. They were on a highway in the middle of farmland and not many cars passed. But Abby thought she saw something stir in the bushes. She watched them, closely.
"You're not dead, you're alive! Why didn't you tell anyone?" Carter demanded. He was happy to see Lucy, but he was angry at her for not contacting him. Lucy frowned, annoyed at his reaction.
"I *am* dead, Carter! I spoke to Them and I begged Them to let me come see you. They said I could talk to you if no one who knew me saw me. I've been biding my time, helping these people here. I need no money because I don't eat or sleep. Then, Alison had a child. I knew that she was very sick and her child would be too. That's when I knew now was my chance! I could see you! So I wrote you a quick letter and insisted Tim go and see a doctor. I would call Alison later. Somehow, I wanted to let you know I was coming, so I called. You weren't around, so I asked for Abby reluctantly. Things were going fine even with Abby in the picture. But there was a complication. I went to visit Tim after I brought Alison in, and Corday came in. She didn't see my face, but I had to run. I couldn't go back. I was driving back to the trailer park, when-"
"Wait, I thought you came in the ambulance!"
"I did. But... I go up to the hospital now and then... I left my truck there last night. Anyway, I was driving to the park when who should I meet but you!"
"Why did you want to see me?"
"I wanted to see how much you cared for me! After I see you and speak with you a little, I have to go."
"WHAT?!" Carter was outraged, "What you're saying is, you called me up, gave me hope and even some fear, make me drive all the way out here to find you, just so you can play and see how far I'd go? Is that what you're saying? And then you're going to disappear? Look, I don't know what you are, but you definately don't know the difference between right and wrong and it's wrong to play with people's emotions and conceptions and believes!"
"First of all, Carter, I am mortal. I can be scared both physically and emotionally even if I have no need to eat! Second of all, I know the difference between right and wrong, and third of all, I am NOT playing with you!"
"Carter?" Abby said, slightly nervous, eyes still on the bush.
"Not now, Abby!" Carter said, waving a hand at her.
"Lucy?" Abby tried.
"In a minute, Abby! When I am done yelling at Carter!"
"Oh when *you're* done yelling at me? What about when I'm done yelling at you?" Carter asked, and went behind Lucy who circled around to see his face. He shouldn't have for the second he put his foot down on the pavement of the highway, a cold, metal bullet embedded itself into his back.
"OK, Carol, how's Mary doing?" Mark said, coming into the room.
"She's sleeping. How's your patient?"
"He'll survive," Mark said, "He's asleep, too."
"Good..."
"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Mark asked. Carol sounded weary and worried. Carol gave him a weak smile.
"I've just been working a lot this week, that's all," she said.
"No, that's not all. You're not telling me the whole story."
"Sure I am!" Carol looked at Mark and laughed, finding it difficult to believe that Mark Green knew that she wasn't just tired, of all people. *Is it that obvious?* She asked herself.
"No you're not."
Carol sighed, "It's just... Have you seen Abby? Or Carter? Abby was supposed to be in here with Mary, but she's disappeared and so has Carter."
"I'm sure they're both fine! There's nothing to worry about."
"The last time I saw Carter was this morning around eleven. And Abby I saw around twoish... Maybe I'm overreacting, but I have a bad feeling..."
"You're right, Carol, you are overreacting! Trust me, I'm sure they are both doing great! They can take care of themselves!"
"Really? When was the last time you saw them?" Carol looked up at Mark.
"Uh... You know what, I don't know..."
"Watch out!" Mary sat straight up in bed, blurting out those words.
"Mary, are you OK?"
"I just had the worst nightmare!" Mary breathed.
"Calm down, Mary, do you want to talk about it?"
"Sure... It was the Doc. She was arguing with a brown haired man and that woman who was in here before. I can't remember exactly where they are... that woman... Abby, I think her name was told the man something, but he wouldn't listen and neither would the Doc. Then, the man fell down dead. It was horrible! Blood was coming out of him from all over! The Doc was hysterical! I've never seen her this way before, miss, it was as if she'd lost a brother."
"Well it was just a dream, honey, nothing to worry about," Carol said, dismissing the thought that any of this could actually happen. No one could tell the future. Why should she worry? After all, she probably didn't even know who the man in the dream was...
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Chapter 3: Cold Fear.
"Doc!" Tim exclaimed when the blond woman came into the room. She closed the door and took off her scarf. She smiled at the man.
"Hello, Tim. Are they treating you well here? Who's your doctor?"
"Why, it's your old friend, Mr. Carter!"
"Dr. John Truman Carter..." the Doc sighed, "What I wouldn't give to see him again."
"Why can't you?"
"It's complicated, Tim."
"He wanted to know what you looked like. Could I take a picture?" Tim asked, hopefully. The Doc smiled.
"... Sure, why not?" and so Tim asked for his most prized possession, a Polaroid camera he asked the Doc to bring if she ever stopped by the hospital. The Doc reached into her jacket pocket and took out the camera. She took her hair out of her ponytail, took a deep breath, and said,
"OK, shoot!" there was a bright flash of light and, smiling, Tim looked up. The Doc smiled back at him. It was an instant camera; one for which the Doc always bought film for, knowing Tim and his family needed their money for food and other essentials. She didn't need food, or money, for that matter. As the picture came out, Tim took it and laid it on the table, waiting for it to develop.
"All right, how are we doing?" Corday asked, opening the door and passing the Doc without seeing her. The Doc's eyes widened with fear and she began to move quietly to the door, her scarf lay forgotten on the floor. Still facing Corday and Tim, she placed her hand on the door knob, about to turn it when,
"Doc, don't go! You said you'd give anything to see Carter again, well maybe this Doctor can help you," Tim said. The Doc's heart raced as, seeming to her in slow motion, Corday turned her head to see whom he was speaking to. The Doc turned around, fast, her back now to both of them. She changed her voice slightly. She did not want any doctors at the hospital to recognize her.
"Um, I have to go Tim," she said.
"Wait... Many patients have spoken of you. I want to see the doctor they admire so much," Corday said, smiling. For some reason, the woman's back looked familiar. The Doc's eyes were shut tight, and her fists were clenched. She swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted to do was to get caught. All though her heart told her to turn around and greet a long lost friend, her mind told her to stay away. If she was caught now, it would all be over.
"Uh... I can't..."
"This man says you are looking for Dr. Carter. Can I help you find him?"
"No thanks, Lizzy, I can-"
"How do you know my name?" the Doc cursed to herself under her breath. Corday had a look of suspicion on her face. *At least it can't get any worse, * the Doc thought. But she was wrong.
"Oh, so you know this one, too, Doc? I knew you knew a lot of doctors at this hospital, but I don't know how many." Tim was smiling, so innocently, unaware his favorite doctor was silently panicking.
"Yes, *Doc, * how many doctors *do* you know?" Corday was getting very suspicious.
"Lizzy, I can't talk now. Please, let me go!" the Doc tried to keep the panic from her voice. If she turned around, all would be lost. Corday would recognize her.
"I am afraid I can't let you do that... Who are you? I mean, your real name?" the Doc swallowed hard again. Caught between a rock and a hard place. She couldn't lie to Lizzy. But there was no reason she couldn't just make a run for it...
"I really have to go!" She said, and ran out the door.
"Wait!" Corday called. She sprinted out the door after the Doc, who was pushing her way through the doctors and patients, trying to hide her face. Corday stopped chasing her when she ran out the door, a look of disappointment on her face. Benton came up to her, looking perplexed.
"She passed me," he said, thinking hard at the same time, "And if I didn't know better, I'd say that was Lucy Knight."
"What?" Lizzy stared at Peter Benton, shocked and quizzical.
"How about that drink now?" Benton responded, slowly, still looking at the place the supposed Lucy disappeared. They had seen her get into a red pickup truck. Corday followed his gaze and nodded, slowly.
"OK, so, Abby, where did you say this trailer park is exactly? You didn't get us lost, did you?"
"Uh..."
"Great!" Carter said, pulling over and stopping the car. Abby turned the map sideways. A red, fairly old, pickup truck pulled over behind them.
"Do you need help, ma'am?" a woman asked when she came to the passenger's window of their car.
"Yeah, we could-" Abby stopped, staring at the blond haired woman before her. Words failed her, "Lu... Lu..." the woman cursed to herself and stamped her foot.
"Great! Perfect!" she said, sarcastically. Carter didn't see why Abby was so flustered. But he couldn't see the girl's face.
"Look, I don't know what got into her, but we need help to find a..." But words failed Carter too. But the woman didn't swear at him seeing her. In fact she smiled.
"John..." she sighed. Carter found his voice.
"Lucy?" he asked. Lucy smiled. Apparently, Abby found her voice too.
"But you're DEAD!" she burst out.
"I won't deny it," she said. Carter and Abby got out of the car. They were on a highway in the middle of farmland and not many cars passed. But Abby thought she saw something stir in the bushes. She watched them, closely.
"You're not dead, you're alive! Why didn't you tell anyone?" Carter demanded. He was happy to see Lucy, but he was angry at her for not contacting him. Lucy frowned, annoyed at his reaction.
"I *am* dead, Carter! I spoke to Them and I begged Them to let me come see you. They said I could talk to you if no one who knew me saw me. I've been biding my time, helping these people here. I need no money because I don't eat or sleep. Then, Alison had a child. I knew that she was very sick and her child would be too. That's when I knew now was my chance! I could see you! So I wrote you a quick letter and insisted Tim go and see a doctor. I would call Alison later. Somehow, I wanted to let you know I was coming, so I called. You weren't around, so I asked for Abby reluctantly. Things were going fine even with Abby in the picture. But there was a complication. I went to visit Tim after I brought Alison in, and Corday came in. She didn't see my face, but I had to run. I couldn't go back. I was driving back to the trailer park, when-"
"Wait, I thought you came in the ambulance!"
"I did. But... I go up to the hospital now and then... I left my truck there last night. Anyway, I was driving to the park when who should I meet but you!"
"Why did you want to see me?"
"I wanted to see how much you cared for me! After I see you and speak with you a little, I have to go."
"WHAT?!" Carter was outraged, "What you're saying is, you called me up, gave me hope and even some fear, make me drive all the way out here to find you, just so you can play and see how far I'd go? Is that what you're saying? And then you're going to disappear? Look, I don't know what you are, but you definately don't know the difference between right and wrong and it's wrong to play with people's emotions and conceptions and believes!"
"First of all, Carter, I am mortal. I can be scared both physically and emotionally even if I have no need to eat! Second of all, I know the difference between right and wrong, and third of all, I am NOT playing with you!"
"Carter?" Abby said, slightly nervous, eyes still on the bush.
"Not now, Abby!" Carter said, waving a hand at her.
"Lucy?" Abby tried.
"In a minute, Abby! When I am done yelling at Carter!"
"Oh when *you're* done yelling at me? What about when I'm done yelling at you?" Carter asked, and went behind Lucy who circled around to see his face. He shouldn't have for the second he put his foot down on the pavement of the highway, a cold, metal bullet embedded itself into his back.
"OK, Carol, how's Mary doing?" Mark said, coming into the room.
"She's sleeping. How's your patient?"
"He'll survive," Mark said, "He's asleep, too."
"Good..."
"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Mark asked. Carol sounded weary and worried. Carol gave him a weak smile.
"I've just been working a lot this week, that's all," she said.
"No, that's not all. You're not telling me the whole story."
"Sure I am!" Carol looked at Mark and laughed, finding it difficult to believe that Mark Green knew that she wasn't just tired, of all people. *Is it that obvious?* She asked herself.
"No you're not."
Carol sighed, "It's just... Have you seen Abby? Or Carter? Abby was supposed to be in here with Mary, but she's disappeared and so has Carter."
"I'm sure they're both fine! There's nothing to worry about."
"The last time I saw Carter was this morning around eleven. And Abby I saw around twoish... Maybe I'm overreacting, but I have a bad feeling..."
"You're right, Carol, you are overreacting! Trust me, I'm sure they are both doing great! They can take care of themselves!"
"Really? When was the last time you saw them?" Carol looked up at Mark.
"Uh... You know what, I don't know..."
"Watch out!" Mary sat straight up in bed, blurting out those words.
"Mary, are you OK?"
"I just had the worst nightmare!" Mary breathed.
"Calm down, Mary, do you want to talk about it?"
"Sure... It was the Doc. She was arguing with a brown haired man and that woman who was in here before. I can't remember exactly where they are... that woman... Abby, I think her name was told the man something, but he wouldn't listen and neither would the Doc. Then, the man fell down dead. It was horrible! Blood was coming out of him from all over! The Doc was hysterical! I've never seen her this way before, miss, it was as if she'd lost a brother."
"Well it was just a dream, honey, nothing to worry about," Carol said, dismissing the thought that any of this could actually happen. No one could tell the future. Why should she worry? After all, she probably didn't even know who the man in the dream was...