"Remission" This is a Carter and Lucy Story.

Following from "Decision Day"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ER characters.

Written By Louise Mills.

Summary: Carter talks to his family and Lucy about what course he should next take.

Please visit my web site at http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/erfiction

Authors notes: This is set three months after the last story.

John and Lucy were once again sitting in Dr Morningside's office waiting for him to come in with John's latest bone marrow test results. John had just finished a trial treatment at the hospital, and the doctor's on the oncology department were hopeful that this treatment would work for John, unlike the treatment he was on before.

John was hoping that this time around sitting in the small office, waiting for the expert to arrive, that it was going to be good news. John turned to look at Lucy and he watched a single tear run down her cheek.

With the energy he had left in his body, he slowly lifted his hand up to her face and gently wiped the tear away. He wanted to assure her that every thing was going to be all right, this was the day they had been waiting for, but he couldn't even if he could speak, because he had his own doubts.

John hadn't been able to speak a single word for the last couple of days, because it wasted the much need energy to fight the cancer. And he knew that Lucy, his grandmother and grandfather, took that as a bad sign. But he knew differently somehow, it wasn't a bad sign, but a good one, even with his doubts.

As he couldn't voice his views, he placed his hand in Lucy's and gripped tightly as he could. He was sure he must be hurting Lucy's hand because how tightly he held it, but in reality to Lucy it was nothing more then a light squeeze.

Lucy felt the weakest in his hand and wanted to cry more. She promised when is started over six months ago now, that she would be strong for John, and would never show how she was really feeling. But somewhere in the last couple of weeks that promised had been crushed, then everybody started to notice how much more weaker he was getting.

But mostly the breaking point for Lucy was then the people from the ER except for Mark, Carol and Doug, who regularly came to visit John, stopped coming. Most of them made excuses why they couldn't come. But she knew the truth they hated how he looked.

John was white, as the sheets he laid on most of the time, had no hair, blood vessels were continuously bursting leaving nasty looking bruises against he white skin. And he didn't help that he couldn't talk or then opened his eyes most of the time, even thou he wasn't asleep. It was just that the lights seemed to hurt his eyes more now.

To Lucy he seem more dead then alive right now, and she cursed herself for ever thinking that, because she sure didn't want him to be dead, as she loved him with the whole of her heart and soul. But sometimes even against her own will and wishes she caught herself wishing he could die peacefully in his sleep, so the pain would finally leave his body that had resided in him.

To Lucy the only part of his body that even seemed not to be dead was his eyes. You could still tell by looking into his eyes he was still fighting. They had that sparkle in them now, and she dreaded to look in his eyes after what Dr Morningside was going to tell them.

If it was bad news she knew that sparkle in his eyes would be gone. On the other hand if it were good news, the sparkle would be electrifying. She was hoping for the later, but she couldn't make herself believe in her hopes anymore.

John and Lucy continued waiting for another 15 minutes with their hopes and fears of the pending meeting, then suddenly the door opened to the office and Dr Morningside walked though.

Dr Morningside was reading a file he had in his hands and hadn't acknowledged John or Lucy presence in the office. He walked over to his desk and sat down, he at last looked up from the file and smiled at them.

        "Well good afternoon! Could you please bear with me for a minute I need to sort something out with this patient, then I be right with you."

John and Lucy sighed in relief when they realised the folder Dr Morningside was holding wasn't John's.

Dr Morningside picked up a pen, he quickly wrote something in the folder then leaned over to the buzzer on his table to talk to his receptionist.

        "Joan, could you please tell Dr Morris he can go ahead and give what he suggested to Kerry. Tell him I agree it's the best course for her now. Thank you!"

        "Yes sir."

A muffled sound of Joan's voice came back informing him that she understood his orders.

Dr Morningside closed the file and threw it into the trays on his desk.

        "Right! Now I think you would just want me to tell you straight about your results John?"

John nodded, but his mind all the sudden was preparing him for the worst outcome.

        "Okay, your results show that you have finally reached remission."

John and Lucy just stared at him in shock for a while before a smile formed on their faces.

        "Oh my god!"

Lucy said as she started to cry from joy.

        "I can't believe it, it's been so long since you were well that I thought is day would never come!"

John just stared at Lucy he wanted to hug her, so she would stop crying even thou they weren't tears of sadness. John looked towards Dr Morningside and John pleaded with his expressions for Dr Morningside to comfort Lucy for him, as he couldn't

Dr Morningside got the hint and went over to Lucy and gently placed his arm over her shoulders.

******

Three days later,

Lucy was sitting on the side of the bed that she shared the night before with John. She beginning to get ready to go and start work. She just finished tying up her shoes when she felt John's hand run over her arm.

Lucy turned to John, who was now a little bit stronger as he no longer was receiving the chemotherapy that was causing his weakest before, but he still had the bruises that were slowly disappearing.

        "Do you really have to go into work today?"

John asked Lucy his voice was still a bit dry from not using it in a while.

        "You know I have to, I have called in sick everyday since we got your results. And they know that we got the results that day, and we didn't tell them what they were, their probably getting really worried about you. We need to reassure them."

John quickly turned away from her, and it was obvious to her that what she had just said angry them.

        "They don't deserve to be reassured. They turned they backs on me when I needed them the most!"

        "John not everyone turned their backs on you, Mark, Carol and Doug didn't! Don't they at least deserve to be reassured?"

John turned back to looked at her; a slight bit of his angry was gone. As he knew she was right.

        "Yes they do, tell them first and then, only then can you tell the rest of the ER. I hope they don't expert then I get back that I will talk to them other then work, because I decided I'm not going to!"

Lucy sighed as she heard him say is, she was hoping he could see fit to forgive them. Not that she wanted him make out that nothing happen and everything was all right, because she didn't they didn't deserve his friendship, but only to forgive them so there wouldn't be high tension in the workplace.

        "I don't blame you! And I won't tell them what you said because they need to figure it out for themselves."

John slowly sat up in bed and smiled as he leaned towards Lucy, he lightly kissed her on the lips, and then whispered into her ear.

        "I glad you agree, now get on with you, I need to get some sleep."

Lucy lightly giggled and kissed him on the cheek as she left towards the ER.

******

In the ER 30 minutes later,

Mark noticed Lucy had just walked though the ambulance bay doors with a smile and rested which was the first time in a long time he had seen her like this. As John's illness had taken her toll on Lucy as well as John, every time John had a set back so did Lucy emotionally.

Lucy walked though the doors into the lounge and proceed to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup, once she had her steamy cup of coffee she sat down in on the couch with a magazine waiting for Mark, Carol and Doug. Who she knew would be here any minute now, as she noticed Marks stares as she came in, and knew he would tell Carol and Doug.

******

Admin desk,

        "Mark you sure it was Lucy a with a smile and not someone who looked like her?"

Carol question Mark. Mark just nodded his head and proceeded to make his way to the lounge, who Carol and Doug slowly followed him.

Then Lucy heard the door of the lounge creep opened she couldn't help but smile knowing that they were being cautious because of her odd behaviour earlier.

Mark, Carol and Doug peered though the door and saw Lucy sitting on the couch with her back towards them, co they couldn't see her facial expression. Wondering weather Lucy mood was a cover up or not? They finally decided to go fully in the room and talk to Lucy.

        "Morning Lucy!"

Carol greeted her.

        "Morning!"

Lucy said cheerily back to Carol, which in turn caused Lucy three colleagues raise they eye brows.

        "Why the smile Lucy?"

Doug asked the question the other two were afraid to ask.

        "Because of one beautiful word. Called remission!"

Lucy stated, and noticed the shocked stared of her friends. Lucy couldn't help it any longer, she burst out laughing at their expressions.

        "Your kidding?"

Mark asked quietly.

        "I would never kid about that Mark, John is in remission. And that's why I haven't been in the last three days, he wouldn't let me get out of bed!"

Carol and Marks eye brows again raised at her remarks, and Doug had a dirty smirked on his face. Lucy realised what they were thinking, when she saw that smirked and made about setting they minds straight.

        "God Doug, not like that! I mean let go of me, like in hugging. Anyway he not strong enough for what you were thinking. And Mark I'm telling you now once he is I'm having a whole week off work."

They all started laughing, which caused outside the rest of the ER look towards the lounge, wondering what was going on.

To Be Continued…

Please review my chapter as I would like to know what you thought of it, and how I could improve my story or if you have any ideas I could put into the next chapter.