LAST TIME ON ER---
~*~ Dr. Cleo Finch has been stuck by a needle. She may have been exposed to HIV.~*~
"Kerry, I..."
"Cleo! Your labs are back." Peter said, quietly handing her the yellow envelope.
"One second, please, Dr. Weaver. Peter, what did they say?"
"I didn't look."
Cleo practically ripped open the envelope's top and grabbed the piece of paper. "Oh my god."
"Cleo, what is it?"
"Peter, I...positive." She looked at him helplessly, tears forming. He let her fall into his arms and he stood there, trying to comfort her in front of a very confused Kerry Weaver.
~*~
"Goodbye Cleo! We'll miss you!" The staff shouted out generic goodbyes at the going away party, then revealed a huge cake they had bought. After about an hour of talking, eating and laughing, the party began to wind down and patients began to come in. The staff dispersed as the board filled up.
"Thanks you guys...I'll be in to visit."
"Ready to go?" Peter asked, holding Reese, who had been in daycare for the last day. Cleo was going to watch him, even though Carla would kill Peter if she knew. She hated Cleo enough already.
"Yeah...I guess."
"Well, come on then. Hey...don't worry. Want to hold Reese?" He offered, knowing it wouldn't help her much. She was extremely upset at the thought of leaving County, but she didn't want to risk infecting anyone. That's what she told everyone anyway. Kerry had offered her some special conditions which would allow her to stay, but she felt more comfortable out of the ER. It wasn't the risk of infecting patients, she knew how to take universal precautions. It was just that she was so upset that this could have happened to her. She knew there was a risk, but...she never realized that it might really happen to her.
~*~
"Hi, I need a number for Anna Del Amico. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No listing? is it unlisted? NO, I know you can't give me the damn number, just tell me if there's a listing. No? OK, thank you." Carter sighed and hung up, defeated. *You should see my brother Hank's place!* Hank! Of course, how could he have been so stupid. Anna had family living in Philly, and most of them were sure to be listed. He redialed and waited for the operator to pick up. "Yes, I need a listing for Hank Del Amico, in Philadelphia. Thank you. Yes, please connect me. Yes I know there's a fee. OK. Thank you."
~*~
"Hello?" John grinned at the sound of her voice.
"Anna, hi. This is John Carter."
"John! Hey, how are you? Wow, I haven't heard from you...how'd you get my number?"
"Your brother Hank. I'm great, you?"
"Good. It's nice to hear from you."
"I know I didn't call, but..."
"I know. Hey, I didn't call either. Too busy, too hard...I missed you."
"I missed you too. Hey...our pedes attending is leaving...today was her last day...and they've called in a moonlighter for a while until they can find a replacement, but..."
"So there's a pediatric attending spot open in the ER and I suddenly get a call from you?"
"They've opened a search, and...I told you, I miss you, Anna. But I'm sure you have other things, another job, family...Max."
"No. I mean, yeah, I have a job, my brother Seth lives around here, but...No Max."
"Really? What happened? When last I left you, you were moving for him."
"Well, he got back on the painkillers after some stupid basketball injury. So I broke it off, moved away."
"To New York."
"Yeah. New York City is great, but...I miss the rest of my family, my friends. I can't go back there though."
"I didn't call you to ask if you'd go back to Philly."
"John, I don't know right now. If I send in an application, it's not even certain I'll get the job. And I have a great job here. But, I am anxious to see you all again, so maybe I'll come out, make them give me an interview. And we can have coffee or dinner, catch up."
"That would be great! We should have kept in touch. I thought by now you'd be married with little kids running around."
"I thought you'd have kids, be married too. But she'd have to be blonde."
"Very funny, Anna. So you'll send in an application?"
"Yes John, I'll send it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? why not today?"
"Because it's one am! You called me..and Hank...in the middle of the night. Different time zone, remember?"
"Sorry about that...could you tell Hank I'm sorry..in the morning?"
"Yeah, I'll call him. And John...thanks for calling."
"No problem. Thanks for thinking about it."
"I left for Max. I don't have that anymore, so I'm more than happy to come back, if they'll have me."
"They'll want you. They wanted you before, and you've only gotten more experienced and better."
"OK John. If you say so. How about I call you tomorrow? It's late, and I'm on at 9."
"Sure! That'd be great." He gave her his number and she wrote it down. he could hear the pen scratching on some paper through the phone. "Bye Anna."
"See you soon, John."
He smiled as he hung up. He'd waited for so long to hear her voice, and now she was coming back...and maybe he could have another chance with her.
~*~ TO BE CONTINUED??? ONLY IF YOU REVIEW!~*~