Lucy's Return
Summary: Lucy pays Carter another visit. She succeeded in taking over before, will she succeed again? Permanently? Or will Abby stop her before she goes too far? Sequel to Dr. Carter and Miss Hyde. (If you haven't read that, I suggest you do to understand this fic).
Briefing of what happened in between fics: Abby broke up with Luka. She couldn't bear hurting him more by cheating on him. Luka understood. Carter and Abby are currently dating and it had been three months since Carter's last encounter with his Lucy. Carter is beginning to think that his Lucy will never return, despite her last words to him: 'I'll be waiting', which Carter never really understood.
The biting weather of February was upon the two lovers as they walked through the white snow. For the first time in a long time, Carter was truly happy. He had Abby. He no longer dreaded Valentine's Day as he used to. Though maybe he should have. Because maybe then, he would have been more careful.
"So, are you on tonight?" Abby asked Carter, her hands deep in her coat pocket to warm them.
"I'm off at six," Carter answered.
"I'm off at five. You want to do something tonight?"
"Sure, why not?" Carter smiled. Snowflakes fell gently to the ground like feathers. The two stepped into Doc Magoo's to find Mark Greene and Elizabeth Corday there already. Elizabeth smiled, weakly at them, Mark's arm was around her shoulders.
"She got too attached to a patient," Mark explained. Carter nodded and he and Abby slid into the same booth.
"It's all right, really," Elizabeth said, "I knew he was dying. I accept it."
"Still hard, though, right?" Abby said.
"So, what are you two up to?" Mark asked, changing the subject.
"Awe, not much, really," Carter looked at Abby, "We're-" but he stopped. Because he heard something.
**Valentine's Day is two days away...**
"John, is something wrong?" Abby asked, concerned. Carter shook his head as if trying to clear it.
"Everything's fine," he told her, believing the voice to be his imagination. But wasn't that how everything started? Through Carter's overactive imagination?
"All right, if you're sure..."
"Positive," Carter assured her. Mark glanced at his watch.
"I'm on in five. I should go. See you guys later!" he stood up and left.
"I should really be on my way, too," Elizabeth said, standing up.
"Good bye!" Abby called as Elizabeth stepped out the door.
**Good bye, Dr. Carter...**
He heard it again.
"That's not right..." he whispered.
"What's not right?" Abby asked.
"I haven't thought about her for days..."
"John?"
**When Valentine's arrives. I am waiting, John.**
"John Carter, are you alright?" Abby demanded. Carter was pulled out of his trance and looked at Abby.
"Huh?" he asked. Abby sighed with relief.
"For a minute, I thought Lucy had you again," Carter looked at Abby and her relief quickly left.
"Abby..."
"No, Carter, that's impossible!" Abby shook her head, afraid of what Carter was saying.
"I think Lucy's back," Carter said.
"How... How do you know?"
"I can hear her... I can feel her," Carter sounded a little scared.
"This isn't good. We should talk to Dr. Albright," Abby told him.
"No..." Carter looked thoughtful, "She said she was waiting... For Valentine's Day."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know," Carter answered, truthfully.
"I still think we should talk to Dr. Albright," Abby said, stubbornly.
"No, he won't be able to help me. All I have to do is fight, like I did before."
"I think you should take the next few days off," Abby suggested, "You know, so in case she tries to take over again, it won't happen while you're treating a patient."
"Everything will be fine, Abby. I'm sure it was just my imagination. I should go now, I'm on in a few minutes."
"All right," Abby agreed, "I have to go soon, too. I'll come with you. What are your hours on the fourteenth?"
"Noon to midnight," Carter answered. Abby looked at him.
"I don't think-"
"Abby," Carter's voice was pleading, "Trust me."
"How am I supposed to know it's you I'm trusting and not her?" Abby asked. Carter was silent. Because he didn't know how to answer it.
The day past swiftly and six o'clock came swiftly. Abby ran up to Carter as he was putting on his coat.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Dinner?"
"A movie?"
"Coffee after?"
"Perfect!" Abby grinned and she and Carter left hand in hand to look for a good restaurant.
Dinner was pleasant and the movie was interesting. They never did get to have coffee, though, because after the movie, Carter realized how late it was.
"My shift starts at six tomorrow," he explained, "And it's 12 already."
"And you do need some sleep," Abby understood, "OK," So Carter and Abby parted for the evening. That night, though, Carter couldn't sleep. So he turned on the television.
"Football at midnight?" Carter asked, before noticing it wasn't live and shrugged it off.
"And the Knights are dying on the field tonight, Jim-" click. Channel change.
"I love Lucy!" click. Carter hated Nick at Nite anyway.
"Last week on Chicago Hope: 'Will Lucinda be all right, doctor Carson?' 'I'm sorry, Ms. King. I tried my hardest but Lucinda's stab wounds are too much-" click. Why were they showing soap operas this late?
"Today, a young girl and her supervisor were both stabbed to death in their own office-" click. The news always got Carter down.
"It slices, it dices, it-" click. Carter turned off the television.
"Is it just me, or does everything I see remind me of Lucy?" he asked himself. All week he hadn't thought about her, why now? Of course Carter knew the answer to that. So he fell back on his bed and fell into a restless sleep.
No voices, just exam six. He would know it any day. He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around.
"Lucy?" he asked, backing away.
"Yeah," Lucy smiled, "But I'm the real Lucy."
"Huh?" Carter stopped and looked Lucy up and down. Her hair was pulled back in a half ponytail and she was wearing her white lab coat over black pants. She was Lucy.
"Your manifestation of me, though I would barely say it is anything like me, is still there, Dr. Carter. You didn't kill it. It was right, the war isn't over until either you find a way to destroy her, or she finds a way to destroy you."
"I thought she was gone!" Carter protested.
"She's not, gone, John. Just regressed. You pushed her back to the depths of your mind. And now, she's fighting back. Beware of Valentine's Day, Carter, because I think that's when she'll make her move."
"Thank you, Lucy," Carter smiled.
"You're welcome, and good luck with Abby," Lucy turned to leave.
"Lucy?" Carter called after her.
"Hm?" Lucy spun around.
"After all I did to you... thanks for watching over me," Lucy nearly melted at Carter's comment as Carter stared at his feet. She walked briskly over to him and pulled him into a big hug.
"Listen, John. You didn't do anything to me. Blame will get you no where. Sobriki was the one with the knife and even if he did stab me, I forgive him."
"Because you have a kind heart, Lucy," Carter sighed. Lucy smiled up at him.
"Now I really have to go. There's a patient of Elizabeth's I have to see, Julie Manson. Good bye, John."
"Bye, Lucy."
Summary: Lucy pays Carter another visit. She succeeded in taking over before, will she succeed again? Permanently? Or will Abby stop her before she goes too far? Sequel to Dr. Carter and Miss Hyde. (If you haven't read that, I suggest you do to understand this fic).
Briefing of what happened in between fics: Abby broke up with Luka. She couldn't bear hurting him more by cheating on him. Luka understood. Carter and Abby are currently dating and it had been three months since Carter's last encounter with his Lucy. Carter is beginning to think that his Lucy will never return, despite her last words to him: 'I'll be waiting', which Carter never really understood.
The biting weather of February was upon the two lovers as they walked through the white snow. For the first time in a long time, Carter was truly happy. He had Abby. He no longer dreaded Valentine's Day as he used to. Though maybe he should have. Because maybe then, he would have been more careful.
"So, are you on tonight?" Abby asked Carter, her hands deep in her coat pocket to warm them.
"I'm off at six," Carter answered.
"I'm off at five. You want to do something tonight?"
"Sure, why not?" Carter smiled. Snowflakes fell gently to the ground like feathers. The two stepped into Doc Magoo's to find Mark Greene and Elizabeth Corday there already. Elizabeth smiled, weakly at them, Mark's arm was around her shoulders.
"She got too attached to a patient," Mark explained. Carter nodded and he and Abby slid into the same booth.
"It's all right, really," Elizabeth said, "I knew he was dying. I accept it."
"Still hard, though, right?" Abby said.
"So, what are you two up to?" Mark asked, changing the subject.
"Awe, not much, really," Carter looked at Abby, "We're-" but he stopped. Because he heard something.
**Valentine's Day is two days away...**
"John, is something wrong?" Abby asked, concerned. Carter shook his head as if trying to clear it.
"Everything's fine," he told her, believing the voice to be his imagination. But wasn't that how everything started? Through Carter's overactive imagination?
"All right, if you're sure..."
"Positive," Carter assured her. Mark glanced at his watch.
"I'm on in five. I should go. See you guys later!" he stood up and left.
"I should really be on my way, too," Elizabeth said, standing up.
"Good bye!" Abby called as Elizabeth stepped out the door.
**Good bye, Dr. Carter...**
He heard it again.
"That's not right..." he whispered.
"What's not right?" Abby asked.
"I haven't thought about her for days..."
"John?"
**When Valentine's arrives. I am waiting, John.**
"John Carter, are you alright?" Abby demanded. Carter was pulled out of his trance and looked at Abby.
"Huh?" he asked. Abby sighed with relief.
"For a minute, I thought Lucy had you again," Carter looked at Abby and her relief quickly left.
"Abby..."
"No, Carter, that's impossible!" Abby shook her head, afraid of what Carter was saying.
"I think Lucy's back," Carter said.
"How... How do you know?"
"I can hear her... I can feel her," Carter sounded a little scared.
"This isn't good. We should talk to Dr. Albright," Abby told him.
"No..." Carter looked thoughtful, "She said she was waiting... For Valentine's Day."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know," Carter answered, truthfully.
"I still think we should talk to Dr. Albright," Abby said, stubbornly.
"No, he won't be able to help me. All I have to do is fight, like I did before."
"I think you should take the next few days off," Abby suggested, "You know, so in case she tries to take over again, it won't happen while you're treating a patient."
"Everything will be fine, Abby. I'm sure it was just my imagination. I should go now, I'm on in a few minutes."
"All right," Abby agreed, "I have to go soon, too. I'll come with you. What are your hours on the fourteenth?"
"Noon to midnight," Carter answered. Abby looked at him.
"I don't think-"
"Abby," Carter's voice was pleading, "Trust me."
"How am I supposed to know it's you I'm trusting and not her?" Abby asked. Carter was silent. Because he didn't know how to answer it.
The day past swiftly and six o'clock came swiftly. Abby ran up to Carter as he was putting on his coat.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Dinner?"
"A movie?"
"Coffee after?"
"Perfect!" Abby grinned and she and Carter left hand in hand to look for a good restaurant.
Dinner was pleasant and the movie was interesting. They never did get to have coffee, though, because after the movie, Carter realized how late it was.
"My shift starts at six tomorrow," he explained, "And it's 12 already."
"And you do need some sleep," Abby understood, "OK," So Carter and Abby parted for the evening. That night, though, Carter couldn't sleep. So he turned on the television.
"Football at midnight?" Carter asked, before noticing it wasn't live and shrugged it off.
"And the Knights are dying on the field tonight, Jim-" click. Channel change.
"I love Lucy!" click. Carter hated Nick at Nite anyway.
"Last week on Chicago Hope: 'Will Lucinda be all right, doctor Carson?' 'I'm sorry, Ms. King. I tried my hardest but Lucinda's stab wounds are too much-" click. Why were they showing soap operas this late?
"Today, a young girl and her supervisor were both stabbed to death in their own office-" click. The news always got Carter down.
"It slices, it dices, it-" click. Carter turned off the television.
"Is it just me, or does everything I see remind me of Lucy?" he asked himself. All week he hadn't thought about her, why now? Of course Carter knew the answer to that. So he fell back on his bed and fell into a restless sleep.
No voices, just exam six. He would know it any day. He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around.
"Lucy?" he asked, backing away.
"Yeah," Lucy smiled, "But I'm the real Lucy."
"Huh?" Carter stopped and looked Lucy up and down. Her hair was pulled back in a half ponytail and she was wearing her white lab coat over black pants. She was Lucy.
"Your manifestation of me, though I would barely say it is anything like me, is still there, Dr. Carter. You didn't kill it. It was right, the war isn't over until either you find a way to destroy her, or she finds a way to destroy you."
"I thought she was gone!" Carter protested.
"She's not, gone, John. Just regressed. You pushed her back to the depths of your mind. And now, she's fighting back. Beware of Valentine's Day, Carter, because I think that's when she'll make her move."
"Thank you, Lucy," Carter smiled.
"You're welcome, and good luck with Abby," Lucy turned to leave.
"Lucy?" Carter called after her.
"Hm?" Lucy spun around.
"After all I did to you... thanks for watching over me," Lucy nearly melted at Carter's comment as Carter stared at his feet. She walked briskly over to him and pulled him into a big hug.
"Listen, John. You didn't do anything to me. Blame will get you no where. Sobriki was the one with the knife and even if he did stab me, I forgive him."
"Because you have a kind heart, Lucy," Carter sighed. Lucy smiled up at him.
"Now I really have to go. There's a patient of Elizabeth's I have to see, Julie Manson. Good bye, John."
"Bye, Lucy."