TITLE: A Clean Slate
AUTHOR: Shirley
RATING: PG13
KEYWORDS: Susan Lewis, John Carter, Drama/Romance
SPOILERS: None
TIMELINE: Set in Season 8 on New Year's Eve.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from ER. They are
the property of Warner Brothers, Constant C Productions, etc.
ARCHIVE: You are welcome to download this story for your own reading,
but please do not archive it on any website without my permission.
SUMMARY: Susan and Carter help grant a dying woman's last wish during
New Year's Eve.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I envisioned this story as the New Year's episode
of Season 8. Of course, it focuses on Susan and Carter, with a minor
appearance by Kerry Weaver. I have no idea what the other characters
are doing during this episode ;-)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dr. Lewis!"
Distracted by the calling of her name, Susan Lewis paused in
mid-sentence to look at the source. Frowning, she deliberately
turned her back and continued to speak into the phone. "Uh, so
if you could please call me as soon as you can. Thank you."
"Dr. Lewis!"
Placing the phone down, she spun around, not bothering to disguise
the exasperation in her voice. "What?" she barked.
The man gave her a hopeful smile. "I've been waiting almost
fifteen minutes."
"Just go back to your room, Mr. Snyder. I'll be there in a minute."
"But you said that fif--"
Cutting him off, she jabbed her index finger towards the hallway.
"Go to your room!" she ordered. She didn't feel a smidgen of
remorse as the older man's face fell in dejection. As he turned
around, she was treated to the sight of his bare bottom, peeking
behind the open hospital gown. Shaking her head, she glanced up
to find John Carter smirking at her from across the admit desk.
"You don't look old enough to be his mother," he commented, looking
as if he was barely containing a laugh.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Please! Don't give him any ideas,
or he might want me to spank him," she said dryly. "He's a little
too anxious for his rectal."
John gave her a quizzical look. "As in, he actually wants one?"
"Oh, yeah. He's a strange one, all right."
"Want me to take it?" he offered.
She smiled at the hint of concern he displayed. "He's almost
seventy years old, Carter. I can handle it. Besides, I just might
forget to lubricate if he gets too rowdy."
He chuckled and leaned forward across the counter, lowering his
voice. "You have any plans for tonight? We haven't talked about
new year's eve."
She also found herself speaking in a low tone, though she didn't
know why. There was no reason to keep their relationship a secret
and yet, she hadn't told anyone in the ER about it either. "No plans.
But I'm not off until nine."
"That's okay. I'm off at six, but I can hang around."
"I'm sure you have better things to do," she murmured.
He paused for a beat, blinking at her. "I would rather wait for you."
His simple reply pleased her. With a sense of horror, she felt the
heat rising in her cheeks. Damnit, only Carter could make her blush
like a teenager. What was wrong with her? "So what are we doing?"
she asked.
"I don't know. What do you feel like doing?"
A corner of her lip tugged upwards. Now they even sounded like a
pair of teens. "I don't know either. Not a noisy bar."
Shrugging his shoulders, he straightened up. "Well, I guess we'll
think of something."
"I better examine Mr. Snyder before he comes looking for me again."
"Be gentle, Susan."
She smiled serenely. "We'll see."
***************
The day was steadily busy but not too overwhelming. Susan made
frequent checks on a young woman who was in Stage four ovarian
cancer. She had been in massive pain and respiratory distress.
They were doing all they could to ease her breathing and manage
her pain, but her chart was DNR. Frankly, Susan wasn't sure how
much longer the woman would hold out.
Entering the room, she walked as quietly as possible, not wanting
to disturb the patient's sleep. Looking over the monitors, she
picked up the chart.
"Is he coming?"
With a start, she gazed down at Maria Hull. "I thought you were
asleep."
"No, just resting. Is he coming? Did you talk to him?"
"No, I just got the answering machine so I left a message."
Her eyebrows knitted together as she noticed Maria's shallow breaths.
She was struggling just to speak.
"You didn't say it was me, did you?"
"No, I didn't mention you," Susan reassured her. "I just asked that
he call me at the hospital. I didn't give any explanation."
"Could you...could you..."
The wheezing was getting worse but Susan understood what she wanted.
"I'll call him again." She started to leave and then hesitated.
Obviously, the decision had already been made, but she had to ask
the question. "Will you reconsider the DNR? You still have a
chance to fight this."
Maria shook her head emphatically.
"All right." Once again, she turned away, but this time she was
stopped by a weak voice.
"Wait." Maria gestured towards her purse on a nearby chair.
Susan retrieved it and handed it to her. With shaky fingers,
Maria pulled out the same telephone pocket-book she had given
to Susan earlier. This time, she pointed out a different name.
"Nancy. You want me to call her?"
"Yes."
"Who is she?"
"A neighbour. My babysitter."
It took a moment for the implication to sink in and when it did,
Susan stared down at her. "Babysitter!" she exclaimed. "Do you
have a baby?"
"Yeah." Maria managed a smile.
"How old?"
"A year and four months. Her name's Rebecca, but I call her Becky."
From this startling news and the history she had taken earlier,
the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. "Is this why you
didn't have treatment for your cancer? You didn't want to have
chemotherapy during your pregnancy," Susan guessed. At the woman's
nod, she continued. "But what about afterwards? You could have had
surgery and then chemo."
"No. I had to look after Becky. Not...not..." She was gasping for
breath again.
Susan quickly switched back to doctor-mode. "At least let me give
you some oxygen. It's just a mask that will help you breathe."
Relieved that Maria at least consented to that, she adjusted the
mask over her face. "So what do you want me to do? Ask Nancy to
bring your daughter here?"
Maria nodded, her large eyes fixated on Susan above the mask. She
pressed the telephone book into her hand.
Susan left the room, her thoughts troubled. Something wasn't right.
Maria claimed that she had no family members to contact; no parents,
no siblings, no one. The only person she wanted to see was a man
named Danny Gabbana. But for some reason, she was convinced that
Danny wouldn't come to the hospital if he knew she was asking for
him. Susan didn't like working under false pretenses, but she
sensed the desperation in her patient. She would try again. And
now, there was this new twist of a baby girl. What else was Maria
holding back?
At the admit desk, she tried Danny's number again. A woman answered
and Susan asked for Danny. After a brief moment, she was speaking to
the man himself. "Mr. Gabbana, this is Dr. Susan Lewis. I left a
message on your machine...Oh, I see. Well, this is highly unusual,
but I wonder if you could come down to the ER in County General to
talk with me...I would really rather not say over the phone...Again,
it would be best if I could talk to you in person...Yes, I know it
is and I'm sorry...That's right, the Emergency Room in County
General...Dr. Lewis...All right, thank you. Goodbye."
She hung up. One down and one to go.
"Half an hour to go," stated a low voice at her side.
She looked up at John, her expression blank. "Huh?"
"You've got a half hour until you're off," he elaborated. He tilted
his head to one side. "Something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," she said quickly. "Just, uh, hang on a minute.
I've got to make a phone call."
Nancy picked up the phone on the third ring. Susan explained Maria's
situation to her and asked that she bring the baby to the hospital.
She was unprepared for Nancy's vehement outburst in which she stated
in no uncertain terms was she going near any hospital. With the
dial tone resounding loudly in her ear, Susan stared at the receiver
in her hand. "She hung up!"
"Who was that?"
"I don't believe this," she fumed. She caught John's questioning
glance. "You know about my cancer patient."
"Maria," he filled in.
"Right. She's in Stage four and has never had treatment. The cancer
has pretty much metastasized everywhere, including her lungs and I
don't think she'll last the night. That's her babysitter I just
called. Maria has a sixteen month old baby and the sitter won't
bring her in. In Nancy's words, she 'ain't going near any hospital.
That's where people go to die'."
"From what you're saying, she may be right."
"Carter!"
"Sorry, I'm not helping. Um, what if I bring the baby in?"
"No, no, there's got to be another way." She immediately dismissed
that idea, her mind racing with other possibilities. Only then
did she belatedly recognize the thoughtful kindness behind his
offer. "Thanks for offering, though. That's sweet of you."
She exhaled a sigh of frustration. "Maybe I'll talk to Maria again."
"Okay if I tag along?"
"Sure."
Back in the room, her patient seemed to be breathing easier. Susan
removed the oxygen mask and introduced John. She then relayed her
findings. "The good news is that Danny is on his way. The bad
news is your babysitter. She refuses to bring Becky to the hospital.
Is there anyone else that can bring her? Any other neighbours, maybe?"
"She's the only one I trust. Maybe if I talk to her..." Maria trailed
off. Susan brought the phone closer to the bedside and dialled the
number for her. But the mother of the child had no better luck.
No amount of pleading or cursing seemed to have an effect on Nancy
and the conversation was very brief. With tears in her eyes, Maria
handed back the phone with a trembling hand. "What am I going to do?
I'm dying. I know I am. I have to hold Becky one more time."
Her laboured breaths were hitching on sobs, though she was trying to
keep them contained.
"I'll go," John stated.
Susan shot him a look. "I don't know..."
"Why not? I'm off duty so it's on my own time. I don't mind."
"You would do that?" Maria asked, looking both incredulous and
grateful at the same time.
"Yeah, I just need some directions."
As John got the details from Maria, Susan stepped back and gnawed
at her lower lip. This was pretty unorthodox but she supposed
he'd be doing nothing wrong. Besides, she was bending the rules
herself in how she had approached Danny Gabbana. She really had
no idea what his relationship was with Maria, but if she could
grant this dying woman her one wish, she would do it.
Susan accompanied John out into the hallway. "You're sure about this?"
she asked.
"Yeah, it's no big deal."
"Yes it is." Acting on impulse, without caring if anyone was
watching, she pressed her lips against his. She made sure to pull
back fairly quickly, keeping the moment light. Although this
wasn't the first time they had kissed, she still felt a tingle
in her toes. "You're a good man, Carter," she said softly.
With a silly grin, he ducked his head. It was nice to know she
could make him blush too.
***************
As John approached the next street, he slowed down, squinting
at the street sign. The night seemed very black, even with the
glow of the tall lamps that dotted the edges of the road. The
light on this particular corner was burnt out, so he couldn't
read the sign until he was practically beneath it. This was the one.
Rounding the corner, he tried to quell the uneasy feeling in the
pit of his stomach. This wasn't exactly the upscale section of
Chicago and definitely not the safest. He'd had his share of
experiences in the inner city and didn't care to repeat them.
Hopefully Nancy lived alone and not with a jealous boyfriend.
Scanning the row of townhouses, he found the number he was looking
for. After parking the car, he made a final check on the baby
carseat to make sure it was strapped in correctly. He'd borrowed
it from the children's ward. Walking up the rough, cracked pathway
to the house, his gaze darted around the surrounding darkness.
Other than a barking dog and a couple of kids that seemed too young
to be playing outside at this time of night, all was quiet.
He knocked on the door and waited.
Just as he was about to knock again, a tentative voice called
out, "Yeah?"
"Nancy? It's Dr. John Carter. I work at County General in the
ER. Maria asked that I bring her daughter Becky to the hospital."
"Show me some ID," she demanded.
He hadn't thought to bring his hospital ID with him. Digging
into his back pocket, he produced his driver's licence and
held it up in front of the peephole. After another few seconds,
the door swung open and he stepped inside.
He faced a young woman with stringy, unkempt hair and pale blue
eyes that seemed too large for her thin face. She shut and
bolted the door behind him. "What's your name again?"
"John Carter."
"Yeah, she told me you were coming. Some woman doctor."
"Dr. Lewis?"
"That's the one." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"So Maria is really sick?"
"Afraid so." He sensed that she was genuinely concerned.
"I knew something was wrong today. She usually tells me ahead
of time when she wants me to take Becky but today she kind of
shoved her on me. Good thing I didn't have plans to go out tonight."
Although he continued to remain alert, his apprehension about
the situation was diminishing. However, he didn't want to overstay
his welcome. "So where's the baby?"
"I'll get her." As Nancy disappeared, John went to the window
and peered outside. Good, at least his car was intact. She soon
returned with the bundle wrapped in an old, but clean blanket.
Becky was fast asleep, with one thumb and an index finger firmly
clamped in her small mouth. Walking over to the couch, Nancy
crouched down and buttoned her into a winter jumpsuit. Finally,
she placed a knitted cap over the baby's head. With gentle hands,
she worked quickly and efficiently. Becky never stirred from
her slumber.
"You're good with her," John commented.
"Well, she's a good kid. Hardly any trouble at all. Not like
my two little brats. It's real quiet tonight 'cause they're
with my ex."
As he took the sleeping form into his arms, he asked, "Why don't
you come with me? I'm sure Maria would like to see you."
Nancy shook her head, her nose wrinkling at the thought. "I hate
hospitals. I'll wait 'til she comes back." She hesitated.
"She is gonna get better, right? I mean, I know people go
to the hospital to die but you fix them up too, right?"
John stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to say. Although
he hadn't examined Maria himself, from what Susan had told him,
the prognosis didn't look good. "We'll make her as comfortable
as possible," he said finally.
The answer seemed to satisfy her and he knew the underlying
implication of his words had gone over her head. As he stepped
outside, she curled her fingers in a little wave. "Bye, baby,"
she crooned.
The door slammed with a bang behind him and he hurried down
the path, shielding the small form as best he could against
the cold wind. "Let's go see your mom," he whispered.
***************
"What are you still doing here, Dr. Lewis?"
Susan didn't even look up, continuing to sign her charts. That
was the second person to ask her that question. "Just finishing
up," she said.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Lewis."
Susan's head shot up and she got to her feet. Across the admit
desk was a tall man with cheeks still reddened from the cold.
"I'm Dr. Lewis."
"I'm Danny Gabbana." He gestured to the smaller woman who stood
calmly at his side. "This is my wife, Joanne. Now, what's this
all about? Is someone hurt?"
Susan moved out into the hallway. "If you could come this way,
please." She ushered the couple towards Maria's room and stopped
a few feet away. "Mr. Gabbana, someone you know was brought into
the ER today and her condition is very critical. She has no
immediate family to contact but she was very insistent that I
try to reach you. However, she was afraid that you wouldn't come
if I told you over the phone who it was."
While the predominant expression on his face was still one of
concern, Susan could see the confusion creeping in. "Who is it?"
he asked.
"Maria Hull."
His face registered nothing for an endless moment and she began
to wonder if he didn't know Maria after all. Then, it was as
if an explosion went off.
"Maria!" he thundered. "I don't believe this!" Looking around
with a fierce glare, he marched towards her door. "Is this her
room?" He made no attempt to go in, but gazed through the window.
"That's her, all right," he sneered.
Taken aback by his outburst, Susan needed a moment to recover
from the surprise. "Sir, this is a hospital. Please keep your
voice down."
Turning away from the glass, his focus was now on her. "What lies
has she been telling you?" He advanced on Susan until he was
practically looming over her. "What even made you think I would
want to see her?"
His attitude forced her to react defensively. "Look, I'm sorry,
but I don't know anything beyond the fact that she wanted to see
you. All she gave me was your name and phone number." Realizing
that her own voice was raised a little too loudly, she lowered it.
"Maria is dying. I don't think she'll make it through the night."
Danny stared down at her. "This isn't some sort of trick? She's
really dying?"
"Yes."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Cancer."
His gaze slid away from hers and he looked uncomfortable. With a
jerky motion, he unwound the scarf from his neck, as if he was
suddenly too warm.
"Danny..."
Susan had almost forgotten about his wife, who had remained silent
until now. "Maybe you should see her," Joanne suggested quietly.
Seeming to struggle with the idea, he finally came to a decision.
"No. No way. I'm not letting her manipulate me again." He placed
an arm around his wife's shoulder. "Come on, we're going."
Susan followed them towards the admitting area. While there was
obviously a history between Danny and Maria that had caused such
resentment in him, she still felt as though she'd let her patient
down. She had to try one more time. "Mr. Gabbana, are you sure
you won't reconsider?" she called after his back.
Whirling around, he almost poked her in the eye with his index
finger. "You've done enough, Dr. Lewis. Dragging us down here
the way you did..."
"Is there something wrong?" cut in a sharp female voice.
Susan barely resisted the urge to groan out loud. Just what she
needed -- Kerry Weaver.
"Who are you?" Danny demanded.
"Kerry Weaver, Chief of Emergency Medicine. Is there something
I can help you with?"
"Does that make you her boss?"
"Yes it does."
"Well, you tell her that she shouldn't lie to people over the
phone to get her way--"
"I didn't lie to you," Susan interrupted, feeling her own temper
rising. "I asked you to come down here so I could explain the
situation to you."
"Whatever," Danny huffed.
"Would you like to file a formal complaint?" Kerry asked in a
polite tone.
Susan managed to keep her composure but if looks could kill,
Kerry would be engulfed in flames.
"Let's just go." Joanne tugged at her husband's sleeve,
looking slightly embarrassed.
"Forget it," Danny muttered, allowing his wife to lead him away.
"What was that about?" Kerry questioned.
"Nothing."
"I would hardly call that nothing, Susan."
"It's nothing to be concerned about."
"It didn't sound that way to me."
While Kerry seemed so calm, Susan felt like bellowing out her
frustration. She was distracted by the sight of John coming
towards them with the baby in his arms.
"It took you long enough," she said shortly. "I was starting
to worry."
"Sorry." He gave an involuntary shiver. "It's sure cold out
there. I hope she was warm enough."
Kerry's confused gaze swung between John and the baby, and then
back to Susan. "Whose baby is that? Okay, I want to know
what's been going on, right now."
With a sigh, Susan launched into a lengthy explanation, starting
with Maria being admitted into the ER. She ended with the scene
that had played out between herself and Danny Gabbana.
"You shouldn't have called him down here like that," Kerry
reprimanded. "It wasn't your place."
"She was just looking out for her patient," John said.
"I don't need you to defend me, Carter," Susan snapped, her
nerves past the point of mere irritation. "Give her to me."
She gently took the baby from his arms, careful not to jostle
her. Becky was still sleeping soundly. Turning her back on
both of them, she began walking away.
"Susan, we're not done yet," Kerry called after her.
She didn't bother replying and continued down the hall. All that
mattered now, was getting this girl to her mother.
CONTINUED IN PART 2
AUTHOR: Shirley
RATING: PG13
KEYWORDS: Susan Lewis, John Carter, Drama/Romance
SPOILERS: None
TIMELINE: Set in Season 8 on New Year's Eve.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters from ER. They are
the property of Warner Brothers, Constant C Productions, etc.
ARCHIVE: You are welcome to download this story for your own reading,
but please do not archive it on any website without my permission.
SUMMARY: Susan and Carter help grant a dying woman's last wish during
New Year's Eve.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I envisioned this story as the New Year's episode
of Season 8. Of course, it focuses on Susan and Carter, with a minor
appearance by Kerry Weaver. I have no idea what the other characters
are doing during this episode ;-)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dr. Lewis!"
Distracted by the calling of her name, Susan Lewis paused in
mid-sentence to look at the source. Frowning, she deliberately
turned her back and continued to speak into the phone. "Uh, so
if you could please call me as soon as you can. Thank you."
"Dr. Lewis!"
Placing the phone down, she spun around, not bothering to disguise
the exasperation in her voice. "What?" she barked.
The man gave her a hopeful smile. "I've been waiting almost
fifteen minutes."
"Just go back to your room, Mr. Snyder. I'll be there in a minute."
"But you said that fif--"
Cutting him off, she jabbed her index finger towards the hallway.
"Go to your room!" she ordered. She didn't feel a smidgen of
remorse as the older man's face fell in dejection. As he turned
around, she was treated to the sight of his bare bottom, peeking
behind the open hospital gown. Shaking her head, she glanced up
to find John Carter smirking at her from across the admit desk.
"You don't look old enough to be his mother," he commented, looking
as if he was barely containing a laugh.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Please! Don't give him any ideas,
or he might want me to spank him," she said dryly. "He's a little
too anxious for his rectal."
John gave her a quizzical look. "As in, he actually wants one?"
"Oh, yeah. He's a strange one, all right."
"Want me to take it?" he offered.
She smiled at the hint of concern he displayed. "He's almost
seventy years old, Carter. I can handle it. Besides, I just might
forget to lubricate if he gets too rowdy."
He chuckled and leaned forward across the counter, lowering his
voice. "You have any plans for tonight? We haven't talked about
new year's eve."
She also found herself speaking in a low tone, though she didn't
know why. There was no reason to keep their relationship a secret
and yet, she hadn't told anyone in the ER about it either. "No plans.
But I'm not off until nine."
"That's okay. I'm off at six, but I can hang around."
"I'm sure you have better things to do," she murmured.
He paused for a beat, blinking at her. "I would rather wait for you."
His simple reply pleased her. With a sense of horror, she felt the
heat rising in her cheeks. Damnit, only Carter could make her blush
like a teenager. What was wrong with her? "So what are we doing?"
she asked.
"I don't know. What do you feel like doing?"
A corner of her lip tugged upwards. Now they even sounded like a
pair of teens. "I don't know either. Not a noisy bar."
Shrugging his shoulders, he straightened up. "Well, I guess we'll
think of something."
"I better examine Mr. Snyder before he comes looking for me again."
"Be gentle, Susan."
She smiled serenely. "We'll see."
***************
The day was steadily busy but not too overwhelming. Susan made
frequent checks on a young woman who was in Stage four ovarian
cancer. She had been in massive pain and respiratory distress.
They were doing all they could to ease her breathing and manage
her pain, but her chart was DNR. Frankly, Susan wasn't sure how
much longer the woman would hold out.
Entering the room, she walked as quietly as possible, not wanting
to disturb the patient's sleep. Looking over the monitors, she
picked up the chart.
"Is he coming?"
With a start, she gazed down at Maria Hull. "I thought you were
asleep."
"No, just resting. Is he coming? Did you talk to him?"
"No, I just got the answering machine so I left a message."
Her eyebrows knitted together as she noticed Maria's shallow breaths.
She was struggling just to speak.
"You didn't say it was me, did you?"
"No, I didn't mention you," Susan reassured her. "I just asked that
he call me at the hospital. I didn't give any explanation."
"Could you...could you..."
The wheezing was getting worse but Susan understood what she wanted.
"I'll call him again." She started to leave and then hesitated.
Obviously, the decision had already been made, but she had to ask
the question. "Will you reconsider the DNR? You still have a
chance to fight this."
Maria shook her head emphatically.
"All right." Once again, she turned away, but this time she was
stopped by a weak voice.
"Wait." Maria gestured towards her purse on a nearby chair.
Susan retrieved it and handed it to her. With shaky fingers,
Maria pulled out the same telephone pocket-book she had given
to Susan earlier. This time, she pointed out a different name.
"Nancy. You want me to call her?"
"Yes."
"Who is she?"
"A neighbour. My babysitter."
It took a moment for the implication to sink in and when it did,
Susan stared down at her. "Babysitter!" she exclaimed. "Do you
have a baby?"
"Yeah." Maria managed a smile.
"How old?"
"A year and four months. Her name's Rebecca, but I call her Becky."
From this startling news and the history she had taken earlier,
the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together. "Is this why you
didn't have treatment for your cancer? You didn't want to have
chemotherapy during your pregnancy," Susan guessed. At the woman's
nod, she continued. "But what about afterwards? You could have had
surgery and then chemo."
"No. I had to look after Becky. Not...not..." She was gasping for
breath again.
Susan quickly switched back to doctor-mode. "At least let me give
you some oxygen. It's just a mask that will help you breathe."
Relieved that Maria at least consented to that, she adjusted the
mask over her face. "So what do you want me to do? Ask Nancy to
bring your daughter here?"
Maria nodded, her large eyes fixated on Susan above the mask. She
pressed the telephone book into her hand.
Susan left the room, her thoughts troubled. Something wasn't right.
Maria claimed that she had no family members to contact; no parents,
no siblings, no one. The only person she wanted to see was a man
named Danny Gabbana. But for some reason, she was convinced that
Danny wouldn't come to the hospital if he knew she was asking for
him. Susan didn't like working under false pretenses, but she
sensed the desperation in her patient. She would try again. And
now, there was this new twist of a baby girl. What else was Maria
holding back?
At the admit desk, she tried Danny's number again. A woman answered
and Susan asked for Danny. After a brief moment, she was speaking to
the man himself. "Mr. Gabbana, this is Dr. Susan Lewis. I left a
message on your machine...Oh, I see. Well, this is highly unusual,
but I wonder if you could come down to the ER in County General to
talk with me...I would really rather not say over the phone...Again,
it would be best if I could talk to you in person...Yes, I know it
is and I'm sorry...That's right, the Emergency Room in County
General...Dr. Lewis...All right, thank you. Goodbye."
She hung up. One down and one to go.
"Half an hour to go," stated a low voice at her side.
She looked up at John, her expression blank. "Huh?"
"You've got a half hour until you're off," he elaborated. He tilted
his head to one side. "Something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," she said quickly. "Just, uh, hang on a minute.
I've got to make a phone call."
Nancy picked up the phone on the third ring. Susan explained Maria's
situation to her and asked that she bring the baby to the hospital.
She was unprepared for Nancy's vehement outburst in which she stated
in no uncertain terms was she going near any hospital. With the
dial tone resounding loudly in her ear, Susan stared at the receiver
in her hand. "She hung up!"
"Who was that?"
"I don't believe this," she fumed. She caught John's questioning
glance. "You know about my cancer patient."
"Maria," he filled in.
"Right. She's in Stage four and has never had treatment. The cancer
has pretty much metastasized everywhere, including her lungs and I
don't think she'll last the night. That's her babysitter I just
called. Maria has a sixteen month old baby and the sitter won't
bring her in. In Nancy's words, she 'ain't going near any hospital.
That's where people go to die'."
"From what you're saying, she may be right."
"Carter!"
"Sorry, I'm not helping. Um, what if I bring the baby in?"
"No, no, there's got to be another way." She immediately dismissed
that idea, her mind racing with other possibilities. Only then
did she belatedly recognize the thoughtful kindness behind his
offer. "Thanks for offering, though. That's sweet of you."
She exhaled a sigh of frustration. "Maybe I'll talk to Maria again."
"Okay if I tag along?"
"Sure."
Back in the room, her patient seemed to be breathing easier. Susan
removed the oxygen mask and introduced John. She then relayed her
findings. "The good news is that Danny is on his way. The bad
news is your babysitter. She refuses to bring Becky to the hospital.
Is there anyone else that can bring her? Any other neighbours, maybe?"
"She's the only one I trust. Maybe if I talk to her..." Maria trailed
off. Susan brought the phone closer to the bedside and dialled the
number for her. But the mother of the child had no better luck.
No amount of pleading or cursing seemed to have an effect on Nancy
and the conversation was very brief. With tears in her eyes, Maria
handed back the phone with a trembling hand. "What am I going to do?
I'm dying. I know I am. I have to hold Becky one more time."
Her laboured breaths were hitching on sobs, though she was trying to
keep them contained.
"I'll go," John stated.
Susan shot him a look. "I don't know..."
"Why not? I'm off duty so it's on my own time. I don't mind."
"You would do that?" Maria asked, looking both incredulous and
grateful at the same time.
"Yeah, I just need some directions."
As John got the details from Maria, Susan stepped back and gnawed
at her lower lip. This was pretty unorthodox but she supposed
he'd be doing nothing wrong. Besides, she was bending the rules
herself in how she had approached Danny Gabbana. She really had
no idea what his relationship was with Maria, but if she could
grant this dying woman her one wish, she would do it.
Susan accompanied John out into the hallway. "You're sure about this?"
she asked.
"Yeah, it's no big deal."
"Yes it is." Acting on impulse, without caring if anyone was
watching, she pressed her lips against his. She made sure to pull
back fairly quickly, keeping the moment light. Although this
wasn't the first time they had kissed, she still felt a tingle
in her toes. "You're a good man, Carter," she said softly.
With a silly grin, he ducked his head. It was nice to know she
could make him blush too.
***************
As John approached the next street, he slowed down, squinting
at the street sign. The night seemed very black, even with the
glow of the tall lamps that dotted the edges of the road. The
light on this particular corner was burnt out, so he couldn't
read the sign until he was practically beneath it. This was the one.
Rounding the corner, he tried to quell the uneasy feeling in the
pit of his stomach. This wasn't exactly the upscale section of
Chicago and definitely not the safest. He'd had his share of
experiences in the inner city and didn't care to repeat them.
Hopefully Nancy lived alone and not with a jealous boyfriend.
Scanning the row of townhouses, he found the number he was looking
for. After parking the car, he made a final check on the baby
carseat to make sure it was strapped in correctly. He'd borrowed
it from the children's ward. Walking up the rough, cracked pathway
to the house, his gaze darted around the surrounding darkness.
Other than a barking dog and a couple of kids that seemed too young
to be playing outside at this time of night, all was quiet.
He knocked on the door and waited.
Just as he was about to knock again, a tentative voice called
out, "Yeah?"
"Nancy? It's Dr. John Carter. I work at County General in the
ER. Maria asked that I bring her daughter Becky to the hospital."
"Show me some ID," she demanded.
He hadn't thought to bring his hospital ID with him. Digging
into his back pocket, he produced his driver's licence and
held it up in front of the peephole. After another few seconds,
the door swung open and he stepped inside.
He faced a young woman with stringy, unkempt hair and pale blue
eyes that seemed too large for her thin face. She shut and
bolted the door behind him. "What's your name again?"
"John Carter."
"Yeah, she told me you were coming. Some woman doctor."
"Dr. Lewis?"
"That's the one." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"So Maria is really sick?"
"Afraid so." He sensed that she was genuinely concerned.
"I knew something was wrong today. She usually tells me ahead
of time when she wants me to take Becky but today she kind of
shoved her on me. Good thing I didn't have plans to go out tonight."
Although he continued to remain alert, his apprehension about
the situation was diminishing. However, he didn't want to overstay
his welcome. "So where's the baby?"
"I'll get her." As Nancy disappeared, John went to the window
and peered outside. Good, at least his car was intact. She soon
returned with the bundle wrapped in an old, but clean blanket.
Becky was fast asleep, with one thumb and an index finger firmly
clamped in her small mouth. Walking over to the couch, Nancy
crouched down and buttoned her into a winter jumpsuit. Finally,
she placed a knitted cap over the baby's head. With gentle hands,
she worked quickly and efficiently. Becky never stirred from
her slumber.
"You're good with her," John commented.
"Well, she's a good kid. Hardly any trouble at all. Not like
my two little brats. It's real quiet tonight 'cause they're
with my ex."
As he took the sleeping form into his arms, he asked, "Why don't
you come with me? I'm sure Maria would like to see you."
Nancy shook her head, her nose wrinkling at the thought. "I hate
hospitals. I'll wait 'til she comes back." She hesitated.
"She is gonna get better, right? I mean, I know people go
to the hospital to die but you fix them up too, right?"
John stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to say. Although
he hadn't examined Maria himself, from what Susan had told him,
the prognosis didn't look good. "We'll make her as comfortable
as possible," he said finally.
The answer seemed to satisfy her and he knew the underlying
implication of his words had gone over her head. As he stepped
outside, she curled her fingers in a little wave. "Bye, baby,"
she crooned.
The door slammed with a bang behind him and he hurried down
the path, shielding the small form as best he could against
the cold wind. "Let's go see your mom," he whispered.
***************
"What are you still doing here, Dr. Lewis?"
Susan didn't even look up, continuing to sign her charts. That
was the second person to ask her that question. "Just finishing
up," she said.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Lewis."
Susan's head shot up and she got to her feet. Across the admit
desk was a tall man with cheeks still reddened from the cold.
"I'm Dr. Lewis."
"I'm Danny Gabbana." He gestured to the smaller woman who stood
calmly at his side. "This is my wife, Joanne. Now, what's this
all about? Is someone hurt?"
Susan moved out into the hallway. "If you could come this way,
please." She ushered the couple towards Maria's room and stopped
a few feet away. "Mr. Gabbana, someone you know was brought into
the ER today and her condition is very critical. She has no
immediate family to contact but she was very insistent that I
try to reach you. However, she was afraid that you wouldn't come
if I told you over the phone who it was."
While the predominant expression on his face was still one of
concern, Susan could see the confusion creeping in. "Who is it?"
he asked.
"Maria Hull."
His face registered nothing for an endless moment and she began
to wonder if he didn't know Maria after all. Then, it was as
if an explosion went off.
"Maria!" he thundered. "I don't believe this!" Looking around
with a fierce glare, he marched towards her door. "Is this her
room?" He made no attempt to go in, but gazed through the window.
"That's her, all right," he sneered.
Taken aback by his outburst, Susan needed a moment to recover
from the surprise. "Sir, this is a hospital. Please keep your
voice down."
Turning away from the glass, his focus was now on her. "What lies
has she been telling you?" He advanced on Susan until he was
practically looming over her. "What even made you think I would
want to see her?"
His attitude forced her to react defensively. "Look, I'm sorry,
but I don't know anything beyond the fact that she wanted to see
you. All she gave me was your name and phone number." Realizing
that her own voice was raised a little too loudly, she lowered it.
"Maria is dying. I don't think she'll make it through the night."
Danny stared down at her. "This isn't some sort of trick? She's
really dying?"
"Yes."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Cancer."
His gaze slid away from hers and he looked uncomfortable. With a
jerky motion, he unwound the scarf from his neck, as if he was
suddenly too warm.
"Danny..."
Susan had almost forgotten about his wife, who had remained silent
until now. "Maybe you should see her," Joanne suggested quietly.
Seeming to struggle with the idea, he finally came to a decision.
"No. No way. I'm not letting her manipulate me again." He placed
an arm around his wife's shoulder. "Come on, we're going."
Susan followed them towards the admitting area. While there was
obviously a history between Danny and Maria that had caused such
resentment in him, she still felt as though she'd let her patient
down. She had to try one more time. "Mr. Gabbana, are you sure
you won't reconsider?" she called after his back.
Whirling around, he almost poked her in the eye with his index
finger. "You've done enough, Dr. Lewis. Dragging us down here
the way you did..."
"Is there something wrong?" cut in a sharp female voice.
Susan barely resisted the urge to groan out loud. Just what she
needed -- Kerry Weaver.
"Who are you?" Danny demanded.
"Kerry Weaver, Chief of Emergency Medicine. Is there something
I can help you with?"
"Does that make you her boss?"
"Yes it does."
"Well, you tell her that she shouldn't lie to people over the
phone to get her way--"
"I didn't lie to you," Susan interrupted, feeling her own temper
rising. "I asked you to come down here so I could explain the
situation to you."
"Whatever," Danny huffed.
"Would you like to file a formal complaint?" Kerry asked in a
polite tone.
Susan managed to keep her composure but if looks could kill,
Kerry would be engulfed in flames.
"Let's just go." Joanne tugged at her husband's sleeve,
looking slightly embarrassed.
"Forget it," Danny muttered, allowing his wife to lead him away.
"What was that about?" Kerry questioned.
"Nothing."
"I would hardly call that nothing, Susan."
"It's nothing to be concerned about."
"It didn't sound that way to me."
While Kerry seemed so calm, Susan felt like bellowing out her
frustration. She was distracted by the sight of John coming
towards them with the baby in his arms.
"It took you long enough," she said shortly. "I was starting
to worry."
"Sorry." He gave an involuntary shiver. "It's sure cold out
there. I hope she was warm enough."
Kerry's confused gaze swung between John and the baby, and then
back to Susan. "Whose baby is that? Okay, I want to know
what's been going on, right now."
With a sigh, Susan launched into a lengthy explanation, starting
with Maria being admitted into the ER. She ended with the scene
that had played out between herself and Danny Gabbana.
"You shouldn't have called him down here like that," Kerry
reprimanded. "It wasn't your place."
"She was just looking out for her patient," John said.
"I don't need you to defend me, Carter," Susan snapped, her
nerves past the point of mere irritation. "Give her to me."
She gently took the baby from his arms, careful not to jostle
her. Becky was still sleeping soundly. Turning her back on
both of them, she began walking away.
"Susan, we're not done yet," Kerry called after her.
She didn't bother replying and continued down the hall. All that
mattered now, was getting this girl to her mother.
CONTINUED IN PART 2
