Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or anything that has got to do with
ER, but this story and new character. Please don't sue me; I'm just doing
this in memory of Lucy Knight.
This fanfic is an "AU" or Alternate Universe.
A KNIGHT'S LEGACY
Chapter IV:
Above Everything Else
by
Tiffany
Of Flashing Lights and Silent Dreams
It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening. The sun has set but for some of the members of County, it just means work, work and some more work. Though a selected few were lucky enough to go home and relax, but for Gabriel, maybe home is not the best place to be. At least not yet.
He looked at the scenery below him--around him. *God,* he thought to himself. *The world's really different when you see them from above... right, Lucy?* Gabriel was indeed above. He was smoking a cigarette when suddenly another person barged in his loneliness at County's rooftop.
"I'm sorry," said a familiar voice. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm going to go now."
Gabriel turned to the direction from where the voice came from. He paused for a while, he wasn't really surprised at who he saw, though he didn't expect him either.
"Care for a light?" Gabriel offered Carter some cigarette.
"Sure," Carter went to get a stick. "Thanks."
Gabriel handed him a lighter. It was silver, looking a little expensive and at its sides an engraving, "To my brother, may you never use this again."
Carter continued: "Nice lighter. A gift... from Lucy, I suppose."
"Yeah. Christmas 1996. Damn, she kept on telling me that smoking will kill me... but guess what?" he took a puff. "I am still here." Gabriel finished his sentence blowing off a smoke.
"I'm sorry. She was a good student." Carter looked down. It was getting obvious that Gabriel's pain from what happened two years ago hasn't subsided. Carter prayed that somehow a miracle would happen--for it was common for him to see enough miracles granted his profession--a miracle that would enable him to say the right things and somehow ease the young man's pain.
"Sorry... right! Sorry... sorry... sorry..." Gabriel repeated the words slowly, as if he was evaluating them. "Why does it feel that 'sorry' means nothing right now?"
Carter didn't know what to say. Gabriel continued:
"I just graduated from college. I took Chemical Engineering, you know?" he glanced at Carter who was trying to flick some ashes forming at the tip of the cigarette away.
"Chem. Toughie. I'm impressed." Carter, unsure how his answer would affect things, struggled to utter.
"Yeah, it was. The time I graduated, I told myself: 'Here. I'm finished. Bye books, bye jackass university professors. Welcome life of endless bachelorship!' but I was wrong. Just as I was wrong about many things."
"What made you decide to go to med school?"
"Lucy was third year then. By that time, I just graduated and was living in London. Our parents divorced when I was 14. I lived with my Dad in London since then, up until he died when I was in my senior year of college. My mom Barbara-—whom I believe you've met-—wanted me to go home, but I refused. I told her I'm gonna try my luck in European streets for a while."
Gabriel put out his cigarette and lit another one. Then he proceeded:
"Alright, so there was I, fresh graduate, out of a job and lying lazily in our house. Lucy called me. It was her first day as a clerk in County. She was so excited, I could tell that by her voice that she was exhausted, nevertheless she kept on talking. Somewhere between that two hours of long- distance phone call, something odd...struck me. Lucy told me something about trying to make each day count, she told me no matter how insignificant you might think you are, one single act of kindness makes the difference."
"And what better way to do that?" Carter looked at Gabriel who was staring blankly into space, like a little boy, wishing for stars to fall.
"Well, the next thing I knew, I was flying to Chicago and getting ready to take my MCATs"
A long silence blanketed the men.
"It was unfair Dr. Carter."
Carter, for unknown reasons, was shaken by this remark.
"Unfair?"
"Yes. Lucy was just trying to help Paul. She wanted to make a difference. She was just doing her freaking job as we are doing ours right now. Wailing through puke and shit all day trying to keep hearts beating and kids from crying and parents from worrying. It's bullshit! We take care of other people and we barely take care of ourselves!"
"That's what our jobs demand, Gabriel."
"It's not that. Lucy was just trying to help," he looks Carter in the eyes. "She was trying to ease Paul's pain. She cared for him, why else would she be there? She was so concerned... but you... I don't know... you're here. My sister's not. My best friend is not. I'd be happy when I am able to help people, but then I would remember her, and everything gets mixed up."
Carter was already looking down. All the pain that he thought has long been gone were actually still there. Digging up a hole clumsily plastered in his heart by the drugs he once took.
"Gabriel, I.." a tear fell down Carter's cheek.
Gabriel cuts him short, "No, don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming you. Neither am I blaming that crazed lunatic. I am blaming Lucy's passion. It's what that killed her. I am blaming her heart, for being able to give so much love." Gabriel also let down a tear, which he immediately wiped with his free hand.
Carter finally managed to speak, "But still, you're here. And everyone can see the passion Lucy had in your eyes."
"Passion? I don't know. Maybe I'm only doing what my job demands." Gabriel's enthusiastic blue eyes turned into something different. They became dark, full of anger, of pain. His hands were trembling uncontrollably and his face flushed like something inside him was about to explode.
"I still believe it's passion. Gabriel, I wasn't much of a friend to Lucy, but something tells me that there's a reason why you are here, and I'm willing to make up for it." Carter insisted.
Gabriel gathered himself, he tried hard to find some light from all the darkness that blanketed him. "Dr. Carter, you just don't get it do you? There is no easy way out. Not because bad things happened to you and your med student two years ago gives you license to make 'better' whatever is left for your convenience. I'm not a doormat. I'm not like your drugs that you used as an scapegoat from what is killing you deep inside. And you know what? As much appealing to me your offer may be, I would have to decline."
Carter was dumbstruck, yet he wasn't angry, not a little. He was ashamed- —of himself. All of it, all of what Gabriel told him was true. The only reason why he wanted them to be friends was for him to lessen his guilt. He did take drugs not because of his backaches but because he wanted to get away. The truth has finally caught up with him.
Gabriel walked away, he was about to leave and head home.
His voice was firm. "Good-night, Dr. Carter."
------------------------ End of Chapter IV ---------------------
So, what do you think? Please review. I'm trying to do my fanfic as "ER- ish" as possible.
And... I would also like to tell you that this isn't the last part of the story of Lucy's little brother, Gabriel. I will come up with more fanfics—especially if you want me to. Thanks for the time you took reading. Ciao!
[pic]
This fanfic is an "AU" or Alternate Universe.
A KNIGHT'S LEGACY
Chapter IV:
Above Everything Else
by
Tiffany
Of Flashing Lights and Silent Dreams
It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening. The sun has set but for some of the members of County, it just means work, work and some more work. Though a selected few were lucky enough to go home and relax, but for Gabriel, maybe home is not the best place to be. At least not yet.
He looked at the scenery below him--around him. *God,* he thought to himself. *The world's really different when you see them from above... right, Lucy?* Gabriel was indeed above. He was smoking a cigarette when suddenly another person barged in his loneliness at County's rooftop.
"I'm sorry," said a familiar voice. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm going to go now."
Gabriel turned to the direction from where the voice came from. He paused for a while, he wasn't really surprised at who he saw, though he didn't expect him either.
"Care for a light?" Gabriel offered Carter some cigarette.
"Sure," Carter went to get a stick. "Thanks."
Gabriel handed him a lighter. It was silver, looking a little expensive and at its sides an engraving, "To my brother, may you never use this again."
Carter continued: "Nice lighter. A gift... from Lucy, I suppose."
"Yeah. Christmas 1996. Damn, she kept on telling me that smoking will kill me... but guess what?" he took a puff. "I am still here." Gabriel finished his sentence blowing off a smoke.
"I'm sorry. She was a good student." Carter looked down. It was getting obvious that Gabriel's pain from what happened two years ago hasn't subsided. Carter prayed that somehow a miracle would happen--for it was common for him to see enough miracles granted his profession--a miracle that would enable him to say the right things and somehow ease the young man's pain.
"Sorry... right! Sorry... sorry... sorry..." Gabriel repeated the words slowly, as if he was evaluating them. "Why does it feel that 'sorry' means nothing right now?"
Carter didn't know what to say. Gabriel continued:
"I just graduated from college. I took Chemical Engineering, you know?" he glanced at Carter who was trying to flick some ashes forming at the tip of the cigarette away.
"Chem. Toughie. I'm impressed." Carter, unsure how his answer would affect things, struggled to utter.
"Yeah, it was. The time I graduated, I told myself: 'Here. I'm finished. Bye books, bye jackass university professors. Welcome life of endless bachelorship!' but I was wrong. Just as I was wrong about many things."
"What made you decide to go to med school?"
"Lucy was third year then. By that time, I just graduated and was living in London. Our parents divorced when I was 14. I lived with my Dad in London since then, up until he died when I was in my senior year of college. My mom Barbara-—whom I believe you've met-—wanted me to go home, but I refused. I told her I'm gonna try my luck in European streets for a while."
Gabriel put out his cigarette and lit another one. Then he proceeded:
"Alright, so there was I, fresh graduate, out of a job and lying lazily in our house. Lucy called me. It was her first day as a clerk in County. She was so excited, I could tell that by her voice that she was exhausted, nevertheless she kept on talking. Somewhere between that two hours of long- distance phone call, something odd...struck me. Lucy told me something about trying to make each day count, she told me no matter how insignificant you might think you are, one single act of kindness makes the difference."
"And what better way to do that?" Carter looked at Gabriel who was staring blankly into space, like a little boy, wishing for stars to fall.
"Well, the next thing I knew, I was flying to Chicago and getting ready to take my MCATs"
A long silence blanketed the men.
"It was unfair Dr. Carter."
Carter, for unknown reasons, was shaken by this remark.
"Unfair?"
"Yes. Lucy was just trying to help Paul. She wanted to make a difference. She was just doing her freaking job as we are doing ours right now. Wailing through puke and shit all day trying to keep hearts beating and kids from crying and parents from worrying. It's bullshit! We take care of other people and we barely take care of ourselves!"
"That's what our jobs demand, Gabriel."
"It's not that. Lucy was just trying to help," he looks Carter in the eyes. "She was trying to ease Paul's pain. She cared for him, why else would she be there? She was so concerned... but you... I don't know... you're here. My sister's not. My best friend is not. I'd be happy when I am able to help people, but then I would remember her, and everything gets mixed up."
Carter was already looking down. All the pain that he thought has long been gone were actually still there. Digging up a hole clumsily plastered in his heart by the drugs he once took.
"Gabriel, I.." a tear fell down Carter's cheek.
Gabriel cuts him short, "No, don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming you. Neither am I blaming that crazed lunatic. I am blaming Lucy's passion. It's what that killed her. I am blaming her heart, for being able to give so much love." Gabriel also let down a tear, which he immediately wiped with his free hand.
Carter finally managed to speak, "But still, you're here. And everyone can see the passion Lucy had in your eyes."
"Passion? I don't know. Maybe I'm only doing what my job demands." Gabriel's enthusiastic blue eyes turned into something different. They became dark, full of anger, of pain. His hands were trembling uncontrollably and his face flushed like something inside him was about to explode.
"I still believe it's passion. Gabriel, I wasn't much of a friend to Lucy, but something tells me that there's a reason why you are here, and I'm willing to make up for it." Carter insisted.
Gabriel gathered himself, he tried hard to find some light from all the darkness that blanketed him. "Dr. Carter, you just don't get it do you? There is no easy way out. Not because bad things happened to you and your med student two years ago gives you license to make 'better' whatever is left for your convenience. I'm not a doormat. I'm not like your drugs that you used as an scapegoat from what is killing you deep inside. And you know what? As much appealing to me your offer may be, I would have to decline."
Carter was dumbstruck, yet he wasn't angry, not a little. He was ashamed- —of himself. All of it, all of what Gabriel told him was true. The only reason why he wanted them to be friends was for him to lessen his guilt. He did take drugs not because of his backaches but because he wanted to get away. The truth has finally caught up with him.
Gabriel walked away, he was about to leave and head home.
His voice was firm. "Good-night, Dr. Carter."
------------------------ End of Chapter IV ---------------------
So, what do you think? Please review. I'm trying to do my fanfic as "ER- ish" as possible.
And... I would also like to tell you that this isn't the last part of the story of Lucy's little brother, Gabriel. I will come up with more fanfics—especially if you want me to. Thanks for the time you took reading. Ciao!
[pic]