Healing Hands
'He - he what?' Carter didn't want to believe it, but he sensed all too easily that what he had just heard was true. Max Rosher. He didn't understand how anyone could hurt the woman in front of him who, despite the years and years of separation, he still persisted in thinking of as 'his' Anna. She sniffed, and he realized that she was crying.
'It's true. At work - about six months after I got there, around Christmas time - he pushed me into the supply closet and just did it. I went to the cops. He got ten years. He also… John, you were right. Remember the percocet? Well, I got him back into rehab, but the hospital told him it was his last chance. When they arrested him they did a tox screen, and he was back on drugs. He lost his license. That was five years ago next December. He'll never get his license back, but he'll be up for bail after New Year.'
'Maybe he won't get it,' Carter said hopefully.
'We can dream, I guess.' She blew her nose. 'I wanted to leave Philly straight away, but for some reason I didn't. Part of it was, there was this really great paediatric psychiatrist attached to the paeds department at CHOP. He was a good friend; I went out for dinner a few times with him and his wife. Her name was Anna, too. Then, eight months after Max went down, one of his old patients turned up at his house and shot him. They had been celebrating - he had won an award from the Mayor of Philadelphia. I… I was on duty in the ER when they brought him in, but he had bled out. The bullet pierced his liver, his kidney, and his colon. He was a DOA.' She looked up at Carter and managed a sad smile through her tears. 'His name was Dr Malcolm Crowe. He was one of the most special men I ever met.'
'Then… what?'
'I couldn't stay in Philly. Really, Malcolm was my only friend. He was dead. There was nothing left for me there. I - I considered coming back to Chicago, but I couldn't. You know, you were here, Carol and Elizabeth, all my real friends. But I didn't see how I could come back, after having behaved so badly.'
'Oh, Anna, you didn't behave badly. You did what you thought was right. We would've welcomed you back with open arms.' Especially considering the replacement we got for you and Doug, he added silently to himself. He and Cleo Finch had never exactly been on the best of terms.
'Maybe, but I couldn't take that risk.'
'So you went to San Francisco?' he asked sadly.
'So I went to San Francisco. It's really not so bad down there - warm weather, nice people, nice views. But then I… my heart was never really there. My friends weren't there, and neither were you.' She hesitated. 'Carter, I may not have behaved badly, but I did act like a complete and utter ass, because I didn't do what I had to do.'
'What was that?'
'I didn't tell you the truth about us. I was in love with you… I still am. I would understand if I completely pissed you off, but…'
Carter cut her off, laying his hands on the side of her face and kissing her full on the mouth. A shiver ran up his spine. He had waited for this for almost six years. When they finally pulled away, he asked softly,
'Does that answer your question?'
Tonight I cried the tears of a child
Who knows what fear runs deep and wild inside
But the river's in flood tonight
I lay down and the light streamed across my face
I felt the beauty of some deeper grace
And I tried
To find my way to the other side
I feel your skin as smooth as silk
Drunk like a baby on his momma's milk
Take me down under the wishing tree
Lay your healing hands on me
Been a long time riding this deserted train
There's no messiahs out here, baby
But I found the holy grail all right
'Cause I'm lying in your arms tonight
I feel your skin as smooth as silk
Drunk like a baby on his momma's milk
Take me down under the wishing tree
And lay your healing hands on me
Lay your healing hands on me
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi, me again. That song was 'Healing Hands' by Mark Cohn, from the ER soundtrack. I don't know how many of you got the not-so oblique Sixth Sense reference, but yeah, I don't own Malcolm and Anna Crowe. I know that this chapter was a littleshort, but it was fluff. I needed it to finish the end of Chapter 3 off, but it's also important. Events in this chapter will be referred to later on. Should have Chap. 5 up by the middle of next week, say Wednesday or Thursday.
'He - he what?' Carter didn't want to believe it, but he sensed all too easily that what he had just heard was true. Max Rosher. He didn't understand how anyone could hurt the woman in front of him who, despite the years and years of separation, he still persisted in thinking of as 'his' Anna. She sniffed, and he realized that she was crying.
'It's true. At work - about six months after I got there, around Christmas time - he pushed me into the supply closet and just did it. I went to the cops. He got ten years. He also… John, you were right. Remember the percocet? Well, I got him back into rehab, but the hospital told him it was his last chance. When they arrested him they did a tox screen, and he was back on drugs. He lost his license. That was five years ago next December. He'll never get his license back, but he'll be up for bail after New Year.'
'Maybe he won't get it,' Carter said hopefully.
'We can dream, I guess.' She blew her nose. 'I wanted to leave Philly straight away, but for some reason I didn't. Part of it was, there was this really great paediatric psychiatrist attached to the paeds department at CHOP. He was a good friend; I went out for dinner a few times with him and his wife. Her name was Anna, too. Then, eight months after Max went down, one of his old patients turned up at his house and shot him. They had been celebrating - he had won an award from the Mayor of Philadelphia. I… I was on duty in the ER when they brought him in, but he had bled out. The bullet pierced his liver, his kidney, and his colon. He was a DOA.' She looked up at Carter and managed a sad smile through her tears. 'His name was Dr Malcolm Crowe. He was one of the most special men I ever met.'
'Then… what?'
'I couldn't stay in Philly. Really, Malcolm was my only friend. He was dead. There was nothing left for me there. I - I considered coming back to Chicago, but I couldn't. You know, you were here, Carol and Elizabeth, all my real friends. But I didn't see how I could come back, after having behaved so badly.'
'Oh, Anna, you didn't behave badly. You did what you thought was right. We would've welcomed you back with open arms.' Especially considering the replacement we got for you and Doug, he added silently to himself. He and Cleo Finch had never exactly been on the best of terms.
'Maybe, but I couldn't take that risk.'
'So you went to San Francisco?' he asked sadly.
'So I went to San Francisco. It's really not so bad down there - warm weather, nice people, nice views. But then I… my heart was never really there. My friends weren't there, and neither were you.' She hesitated. 'Carter, I may not have behaved badly, but I did act like a complete and utter ass, because I didn't do what I had to do.'
'What was that?'
'I didn't tell you the truth about us. I was in love with you… I still am. I would understand if I completely pissed you off, but…'
Carter cut her off, laying his hands on the side of her face and kissing her full on the mouth. A shiver ran up his spine. He had waited for this for almost six years. When they finally pulled away, he asked softly,
'Does that answer your question?'
Tonight I cried the tears of a child
Who knows what fear runs deep and wild inside
But the river's in flood tonight
I lay down and the light streamed across my face
I felt the beauty of some deeper grace
And I tried
To find my way to the other side
I feel your skin as smooth as silk
Drunk like a baby on his momma's milk
Take me down under the wishing tree
Lay your healing hands on me
Been a long time riding this deserted train
There's no messiahs out here, baby
But I found the holy grail all right
'Cause I'm lying in your arms tonight
I feel your skin as smooth as silk
Drunk like a baby on his momma's milk
Take me down under the wishing tree
And lay your healing hands on me
Lay your healing hands on me
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi, me again. That song was 'Healing Hands' by Mark Cohn, from the ER soundtrack. I don't know how many of you got the not-so oblique Sixth Sense reference, but yeah, I don't own Malcolm and Anna Crowe. I know that this chapter was a littleshort, but it was fluff. I needed it to finish the end of Chapter 3 off, but it's also important. Events in this chapter will be referred to later on. Should have Chap. 5 up by the middle of next week, say Wednesday or Thursday.