Disclaimer: The characters from ER aren't mine they belong to Warner Brothers. Please don't get after me for using them cause I am only doing it for fun. I get nothing out of it other then enjoyment.
Author's Note: This story doesn't follow the same time line as my others. It is it's own timeline. It takes place after 'Blood Sugar Sex Magic' when Malucci gets fired.
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Dave adjusted the four year old in his arms as the train slowed to a stop. Maneuvering through the crowed of people he made his way into the car. He soon found himself packed into the aisle with a number of other people. The boy in his arms started to wiggle, trying to get down on his own two feet. Dave held on to him.
"Sorry buddy, but your not getting down here." The boy looked up at him.
"Why?" He asked. Dave sighed and readjusted the boy.
"Because I don't want you to get lost." The boy looked around the crowded car.
"Ok," The boy continued to examine the car from his post.
Five stops later Dave and Chris where the only people on the train. Looking out the window Dave realized that the next stop was the one right outside County. The train stopped and the doors opened. Kerry Weaver limped into the car looking exhausted. She glanced around the car; her eyes locked with Dave's. They stared at each other for a moment, until the train started up again. Kerry took the seat across from the two Malucci's.
"Dave," She greeted with a slight nod. Dave gave her a forced version of his usual smile.
"Dr. Weaver," Kerry was a bit surprised, not used to hearing him call her anything but 'chief'. She reminded herself that she was no longer chief to him. Chris, oblivious to the tension in the car, held up his stuffed bear in one hand and an old tensor bandage in the other. The first aid kit Dave kept in his backpack was open on Chris's lap.
"Daddy, Teddy hurt his arm!" He announced. Dave looked down at the boy.
"Chris what have you done?" He asked, his voice slightly agitated. Chris looked up at his dad with a puppy dog look.
"Teddy hurt his arm, can you make it better?" Dave sighed. He had never really been able to say no to that face.
"Lets see what we can do. What arm is it?" Chris pointed to the bears left paw. As Dave started working on the bear Chris looked over at Kerry.
"My daddy's a doctor!" He announced. Kerry couldn't help but smile. The boy looked so much like his father; he even smiled like Dave.
"I know, I used to work with him." She said.
"Are you a doctor too?" He asked her. Kerry nodded.
"I am," Chris examined her for a second. He stood up.
"Why do you walk with a stick?" He asked. Dave looked up from his task.
"Chris, be careful. You'll fall if the train stops." Chris climbed up into the seat beside Kerry.
"I use a crutch because I was in an accident a while back and one of my legs is partially paralyzed." Chris nodded.
"All done," Dave announced. Chris got up and took the bear from his dad.
"Teddy is happy now." Chris said, he smiled up at his dad. Dave nodded.
"Good then you can help me clean this up." Dave motioned to the mess Chris had made looking for the tensor bandage. Chris stood there for a second before turning to Kerry.
"You can hold Teddy." He said holding up the bear. Kerry took it.
"I promise I'll take care of him." Chris smiled and helped his dad clean up. When they where done Chris took his bear back and climbed into Dave's lap. He curled up, stuck his thumb in his mouth and went to sleep. Dave and Kerry where silent for a few minutes. Finally Dave broke the silence.
"He likes you." Kerry looked over, Dave was looking out the window.
"Excuse me?" She asked. Dave looked her straight in the eye.
"Chris doesn't let just anybody hold Teddy." He said. She smiled slightly.
"Well he's a sweet boy." She said. The two of them fell silent again.
"You know a lot of people thought you where just trying for sympathy when you said you had a kid to support." Kerry turned and looked out the window. She hadn't said it but Dave could tell that she had been one of those people. He could also tell she was feeling bad about it.
"Yeah well most people don't know me as well as they think they do." He said. They where silent again.
"How old is he?" Kerry asked, she was beginning to get more curious about Dave.
"Four," Dave answered. Then just for the sake of it he added, "His mother dropped him of at my house three years ago and split for Miami." He looked down at Chris, it was still a mystery to him how someone could just leave their child. Kerry was silent. Dave decided it was his turn to ask a question.
"What kind of accident was it?" He asked softly. He had always wondered about the leg but had figured that she had just been born with the disability. She was silent for a bit. Dave wondered if maybe he had offended her. Getting the question from an adult was different from getting it from a child.
"My ex-husband used to have a nasty temper. One night I came home later than usual from work. We got into a fight and he pushed me down the stairs. I divorced him after that." Kerry watched Dave out of the corner of her eye; she wasn't even sure why she had told him. She had never felt comfortable talking about that and had never told the truth before about the accident. Not like now.
::Maybe that's why he is good with the abused children at the hospital?:: she thought to herself. Even she had to admit that Dave had a way with children and knew how the get them to talk.
Dave had taken on a bit of an angered posture, for a second Kerry thought that he was mad at her.
"Bastard." He spat quietly. Kerry looked right at him. Dave sighed, "The guy was a bastard."
"My ex? You know that was the only time he actually hurt me." She said quietly, surprised the even after all these years she would still try and explain things away. Dave shook his head.
"Sorry, I wasn't actually thinking of him..." Dave's voice trailed off, he looked out the window. Kerry was silent. Dave took a deep breath.
"My old man was a bastard," He said. Kerry watched, not knowing what to say. Dave pushed back his son's bangs and kissed the top of the sleeping boy's head.
"I mean, you ex was a bit of an asshole to do that, too. No doubt about that." He looked over at her. Kerry smiled. Ever since Carter had told her about Dave's nickname, Festus, for her she had figured Dave couldn't care less who did what to her.
"Well it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks so." She said. She took a deep breath.
"Why is your father a bastard?" She asked. Dave shrugged.
"Because he spent ninety nine percent of his time drunk, and for a while I connected with his fist more that I connected with him." He gave her half a smile. Suddenly so many things about the young resident became clear.
"Just for a while?" She asked. Dave nodded.
"When I was sixteen I decided to hit back, he hasn't touched me since." She nodded.
The train pulled into a station and both Kerry and Dave gathered their stuff to disembark. The two exited the train. Dave waited for a second before calling after Kerry. She stopped. Dave walked up and stopped a few steps in front of her.
"I should apologize." He said, she gave him and odd look. "I shouldn't have said all the things I did when you fired me." She nodded.
"Apology accepted." She said. "You should stop by County sometime. Everyone misses you." Dave nodded. "Sure, besides if I ever need a doctor I'd trust the guys at county over where I work any day." Kerry smiled.
"And where do you work?" She asked.
"Rush, their all good doctors and all it's just they have a tendency to act out their name at times." Kerry nodded.
"Well I'll see you later then Dr. Weaver." Dave was about to walk away.
"Sure, and Dave you can call me Kerry." Dave smiled.
"What ever you say Kerry." The two doctors parted, both with the feeling that they had made a new friend.
END
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Um hope you liked it. Please Review ^_^
Author's Note: This story doesn't follow the same time line as my others. It is it's own timeline. It takes place after 'Blood Sugar Sex Magic' when Malucci gets fired.
***********************************************************************
Dave adjusted the four year old in his arms as the train slowed to a stop. Maneuvering through the crowed of people he made his way into the car. He soon found himself packed into the aisle with a number of other people. The boy in his arms started to wiggle, trying to get down on his own two feet. Dave held on to him.
"Sorry buddy, but your not getting down here." The boy looked up at him.
"Why?" He asked. Dave sighed and readjusted the boy.
"Because I don't want you to get lost." The boy looked around the crowded car.
"Ok," The boy continued to examine the car from his post.
Five stops later Dave and Chris where the only people on the train. Looking out the window Dave realized that the next stop was the one right outside County. The train stopped and the doors opened. Kerry Weaver limped into the car looking exhausted. She glanced around the car; her eyes locked with Dave's. They stared at each other for a moment, until the train started up again. Kerry took the seat across from the two Malucci's.
"Dave," She greeted with a slight nod. Dave gave her a forced version of his usual smile.
"Dr. Weaver," Kerry was a bit surprised, not used to hearing him call her anything but 'chief'. She reminded herself that she was no longer chief to him. Chris, oblivious to the tension in the car, held up his stuffed bear in one hand and an old tensor bandage in the other. The first aid kit Dave kept in his backpack was open on Chris's lap.
"Daddy, Teddy hurt his arm!" He announced. Dave looked down at the boy.
"Chris what have you done?" He asked, his voice slightly agitated. Chris looked up at his dad with a puppy dog look.
"Teddy hurt his arm, can you make it better?" Dave sighed. He had never really been able to say no to that face.
"Lets see what we can do. What arm is it?" Chris pointed to the bears left paw. As Dave started working on the bear Chris looked over at Kerry.
"My daddy's a doctor!" He announced. Kerry couldn't help but smile. The boy looked so much like his father; he even smiled like Dave.
"I know, I used to work with him." She said.
"Are you a doctor too?" He asked her. Kerry nodded.
"I am," Chris examined her for a second. He stood up.
"Why do you walk with a stick?" He asked. Dave looked up from his task.
"Chris, be careful. You'll fall if the train stops." Chris climbed up into the seat beside Kerry.
"I use a crutch because I was in an accident a while back and one of my legs is partially paralyzed." Chris nodded.
"All done," Dave announced. Chris got up and took the bear from his dad.
"Teddy is happy now." Chris said, he smiled up at his dad. Dave nodded.
"Good then you can help me clean this up." Dave motioned to the mess Chris had made looking for the tensor bandage. Chris stood there for a second before turning to Kerry.
"You can hold Teddy." He said holding up the bear. Kerry took it.
"I promise I'll take care of him." Chris smiled and helped his dad clean up. When they where done Chris took his bear back and climbed into Dave's lap. He curled up, stuck his thumb in his mouth and went to sleep. Dave and Kerry where silent for a few minutes. Finally Dave broke the silence.
"He likes you." Kerry looked over, Dave was looking out the window.
"Excuse me?" She asked. Dave looked her straight in the eye.
"Chris doesn't let just anybody hold Teddy." He said. She smiled slightly.
"Well he's a sweet boy." She said. The two of them fell silent again.
"You know a lot of people thought you where just trying for sympathy when you said you had a kid to support." Kerry turned and looked out the window. She hadn't said it but Dave could tell that she had been one of those people. He could also tell she was feeling bad about it.
"Yeah well most people don't know me as well as they think they do." He said. They where silent again.
"How old is he?" Kerry asked, she was beginning to get more curious about Dave.
"Four," Dave answered. Then just for the sake of it he added, "His mother dropped him of at my house three years ago and split for Miami." He looked down at Chris, it was still a mystery to him how someone could just leave their child. Kerry was silent. Dave decided it was his turn to ask a question.
"What kind of accident was it?" He asked softly. He had always wondered about the leg but had figured that she had just been born with the disability. She was silent for a bit. Dave wondered if maybe he had offended her. Getting the question from an adult was different from getting it from a child.
"My ex-husband used to have a nasty temper. One night I came home later than usual from work. We got into a fight and he pushed me down the stairs. I divorced him after that." Kerry watched Dave out of the corner of her eye; she wasn't even sure why she had told him. She had never felt comfortable talking about that and had never told the truth before about the accident. Not like now.
::Maybe that's why he is good with the abused children at the hospital?:: she thought to herself. Even she had to admit that Dave had a way with children and knew how the get them to talk.
Dave had taken on a bit of an angered posture, for a second Kerry thought that he was mad at her.
"Bastard." He spat quietly. Kerry looked right at him. Dave sighed, "The guy was a bastard."
"My ex? You know that was the only time he actually hurt me." She said quietly, surprised the even after all these years she would still try and explain things away. Dave shook his head.
"Sorry, I wasn't actually thinking of him..." Dave's voice trailed off, he looked out the window. Kerry was silent. Dave took a deep breath.
"My old man was a bastard," He said. Kerry watched, not knowing what to say. Dave pushed back his son's bangs and kissed the top of the sleeping boy's head.
"I mean, you ex was a bit of an asshole to do that, too. No doubt about that." He looked over at her. Kerry smiled. Ever since Carter had told her about Dave's nickname, Festus, for her she had figured Dave couldn't care less who did what to her.
"Well it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks so." She said. She took a deep breath.
"Why is your father a bastard?" She asked. Dave shrugged.
"Because he spent ninety nine percent of his time drunk, and for a while I connected with his fist more that I connected with him." He gave her half a smile. Suddenly so many things about the young resident became clear.
"Just for a while?" She asked. Dave nodded.
"When I was sixteen I decided to hit back, he hasn't touched me since." She nodded.
The train pulled into a station and both Kerry and Dave gathered their stuff to disembark. The two exited the train. Dave waited for a second before calling after Kerry. She stopped. Dave walked up and stopped a few steps in front of her.
"I should apologize." He said, she gave him and odd look. "I shouldn't have said all the things I did when you fired me." She nodded.
"Apology accepted." She said. "You should stop by County sometime. Everyone misses you." Dave nodded. "Sure, besides if I ever need a doctor I'd trust the guys at county over where I work any day." Kerry smiled.
"And where do you work?" She asked.
"Rush, their all good doctors and all it's just they have a tendency to act out their name at times." Kerry nodded.
"Well I'll see you later then Dr. Weaver." Dave was about to walk away.
"Sure, and Dave you can call me Kerry." Dave smiled.
"What ever you say Kerry." The two doctors parted, both with the feeling that they had made a new friend.
END
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Um hope you liked it. Please Review ^_^