Carter winced slightly as he got out of bed. Lucy was still asleep,
her blonde hair smeared across her face. He laughed lightly and got up and
stepped into the bathroom and showered. He walked over to Annabelle's room
and checking that she was still asleep, he walked over to Ralina's room and
seeing that she was still asleep, he went downstairs. He felt a soft hand
on his shoulder and turned around.
"Why are you up, John? It's only six. Your shift doesn't start for like another day or something," yawned Lucy, behind him.
"Coffee?" he offered.
"I sure can use it. Why not? Promise me something, though."
"What?"
"Catch me when I collapse down the stairs asleep," she stated.
"Sure," he laughed. "Sure."
"Carry me downstairs," she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Carter obliged and carried her downstairs to the kitchen and dropped her, making her fall on her back, laughing hysterically.
"You're going to wake up Annabelle and Ralina, come on!" he whispered, pulling her into the kitchen and closing and locking the door. He got out a small pot and placed it under the sink, turning on the water. He placed it on the sink, turning on the stove.
"I did my share. You do the rest," he replied, sitting down.
"What?!" she cried, smacking him on the arm. "Hey. You want to be like that? Fine. You said you'd make coffee!"
"Yes, I changed my mind after you broke my back coming down the stairs."
"Shut up, John."
"I think Annabelle's awake. Can you be the perfect stereotypical '50s wife for me and cook breakfast and make coffee?" he said.
"John, do I look like the perfect '50s stereotypical wife to you? I think I'm more of a "you-expect-me-to-do-that-I'll-kick-your-ass" kind of chick," she replied.
He laughed and unlocked and opened the door of the kitchen. He walked out of the kitchen and walked upstairs. He pushed on the oak door to find Annabelle stretching. He smiled to himself as he opened the door.
"Hi daddy."
"Good morning, sweetie. How are you this morning? You ready for breakfast?" he greeted, happily.
"Yeah."
"Go brush your teeth and brush your hair and then Mommy's waiting downstairs with breakfast for you."
She gave him a kiss on the cheek before racing off toward the bathroom. As she sped off, Carter reflected on how much she looked like Lucy. The same blonde hair, blue eyes, everything was perfect. As he was standing there thinking, he fell down and thought about why he had fallen.
"You're thinking too much. This is our only time to act normal or act like kids or something and you're thinking," stated Lucy.
He laughed, got up, and helped her up. She walked downstairs to make breakfast and he walked over to check on Ralina. She was still sleeping, the darling angel. Ralina was a beautiful baby. With sparkling blue eyes and ravishing brown hair and natural pink cheeks, she was beautiful. As he looked at her, her eyes opened with the greatest tenderness.
"Dada!" she cried, happily.
"Hey there, Angel. You want breakfast? Mommy's downstairs. Come on," he grinned, as he picked her up from her crib. His two-year-old was sucking on her pacifier contentedly. He walked down the stairs, her bouncing happily in his arms.
"There's my beautiful baby girl," cooed Lucy. "Annabelle, honey, you want to eat your chocolate chip pancakes out here while watching Sesame Street?"
"Please, mommy?" she begged.
"Sure sweetie. Want some maple syrup?" she offered.
Carter kissed Lucy and Ralina before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a soda. He walked out and opened it, sipping. Lucy set down Ralina in her playpen and grabbed his soda and drank it and tossed it in the recycle bin.
"Hey!"
"You need to eat more nutritional food, sweetie. Now, do be a doll and go grab the baby food for me and reheat it please."
Carter walked off into the kitchen grumbling audibly and reheated the baby food in the microwave before handing it back to Lucy.
"Why are you acting so mean, Lucy?" he asked.
"Mean? No. I'm just looking out for you. You know, like the normal stereotypical '50s mother should," she grinned. "Aww, I'm so sorry sweetie. Come here."
She kissed him before heading out to the kitchen to get Ralina situated to eat. Ralina, although she was two, was a very clean child. She never dribbled when she ate. Maybe an aftereffect of being a child to ER doctors. Carter was watching Sesame Street with Annabelle when the phone rang. He ran to get the cordless phone.
"Hello?" he automatically stated.
"Carter. Nice to hear from you. Where are you?" asked Kerry, obviously outraged. "And why do I hear SESAME STREET in the background?"
Carter did all that he could to stifle his laughs but he couldn't hold them in any longer and he laughed.
"This is not funny, Carter! I want you here in ten minutes. You got that?"
"Sure. Bye."
Carter clicked the phone off and Lucy came in. Her apron stained. She had never been that good of a cook.
"Let me guess. Work?"
"Yes. Kerry sounded pissed at me. I have to go before she hurts me. See you tonight."
"Hey wait! I'll go with you. I'll call a babysitter to watch Ralina and Annabelle," Lucy shouted, suddenly.
"Mom," groaned Annabelle.
"Don't worry. It's Auntie Abby."
"Abby doesn't have a shift today?"
"No. She can watch them."
"Fine. Lucy, lets go. Annabelle, Ralina, love ya. We'll be home soon."
Abby arrived within three minutes of them leaving. Carter wove in and out of the Chicago streets before arriving at the hospital. He got out and slammed the door and stood, waiting for Lucy. She came out soon enough and the car alarm chirped. They walked in together.
"SURPRISE!" the whole hospital crew cheered as they entered. Confetti nestled into Lucy's blonde hair as she shook the red pieces of paper out. There were people everywhere. There was loud music blaring from a boom box in the corner.
"What's the surprise?" laughed Carter.
"Dr. Carter, you are nominated for Doctor of the Year in Chicago!" informed Peter, grinning that Carter was his med student.
"Wow. Really?"
"Congratulations, Dr. Carter," whispered Lucy, before kissing him.
"Break it up, Lucy. Let Carter breathe," chuckled Romano.
"The ceremony's tonight. Formal dress. It's an awards ceremony, what would you expect? All the doctors and nurses of some of the hospitals in Chicago are going to be there and we're one of them!" yelled Cleo, excitedly.
Cheers erupted around them and Lucy and Carter decided to kiss to their success. What better way to welcome a new achievement?
"Why are you up, John? It's only six. Your shift doesn't start for like another day or something," yawned Lucy, behind him.
"Coffee?" he offered.
"I sure can use it. Why not? Promise me something, though."
"What?"
"Catch me when I collapse down the stairs asleep," she stated.
"Sure," he laughed. "Sure."
"Carry me downstairs," she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Carter obliged and carried her downstairs to the kitchen and dropped her, making her fall on her back, laughing hysterically.
"You're going to wake up Annabelle and Ralina, come on!" he whispered, pulling her into the kitchen and closing and locking the door. He got out a small pot and placed it under the sink, turning on the water. He placed it on the sink, turning on the stove.
"I did my share. You do the rest," he replied, sitting down.
"What?!" she cried, smacking him on the arm. "Hey. You want to be like that? Fine. You said you'd make coffee!"
"Yes, I changed my mind after you broke my back coming down the stairs."
"Shut up, John."
"I think Annabelle's awake. Can you be the perfect stereotypical '50s wife for me and cook breakfast and make coffee?" he said.
"John, do I look like the perfect '50s stereotypical wife to you? I think I'm more of a "you-expect-me-to-do-that-I'll-kick-your-ass" kind of chick," she replied.
He laughed and unlocked and opened the door of the kitchen. He walked out of the kitchen and walked upstairs. He pushed on the oak door to find Annabelle stretching. He smiled to himself as he opened the door.
"Hi daddy."
"Good morning, sweetie. How are you this morning? You ready for breakfast?" he greeted, happily.
"Yeah."
"Go brush your teeth and brush your hair and then Mommy's waiting downstairs with breakfast for you."
She gave him a kiss on the cheek before racing off toward the bathroom. As she sped off, Carter reflected on how much she looked like Lucy. The same blonde hair, blue eyes, everything was perfect. As he was standing there thinking, he fell down and thought about why he had fallen.
"You're thinking too much. This is our only time to act normal or act like kids or something and you're thinking," stated Lucy.
He laughed, got up, and helped her up. She walked downstairs to make breakfast and he walked over to check on Ralina. She was still sleeping, the darling angel. Ralina was a beautiful baby. With sparkling blue eyes and ravishing brown hair and natural pink cheeks, she was beautiful. As he looked at her, her eyes opened with the greatest tenderness.
"Dada!" she cried, happily.
"Hey there, Angel. You want breakfast? Mommy's downstairs. Come on," he grinned, as he picked her up from her crib. His two-year-old was sucking on her pacifier contentedly. He walked down the stairs, her bouncing happily in his arms.
"There's my beautiful baby girl," cooed Lucy. "Annabelle, honey, you want to eat your chocolate chip pancakes out here while watching Sesame Street?"
"Please, mommy?" she begged.
"Sure sweetie. Want some maple syrup?" she offered.
Carter kissed Lucy and Ralina before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a soda. He walked out and opened it, sipping. Lucy set down Ralina in her playpen and grabbed his soda and drank it and tossed it in the recycle bin.
"Hey!"
"You need to eat more nutritional food, sweetie. Now, do be a doll and go grab the baby food for me and reheat it please."
Carter walked off into the kitchen grumbling audibly and reheated the baby food in the microwave before handing it back to Lucy.
"Why are you acting so mean, Lucy?" he asked.
"Mean? No. I'm just looking out for you. You know, like the normal stereotypical '50s mother should," she grinned. "Aww, I'm so sorry sweetie. Come here."
She kissed him before heading out to the kitchen to get Ralina situated to eat. Ralina, although she was two, was a very clean child. She never dribbled when she ate. Maybe an aftereffect of being a child to ER doctors. Carter was watching Sesame Street with Annabelle when the phone rang. He ran to get the cordless phone.
"Hello?" he automatically stated.
"Carter. Nice to hear from you. Where are you?" asked Kerry, obviously outraged. "And why do I hear SESAME STREET in the background?"
Carter did all that he could to stifle his laughs but he couldn't hold them in any longer and he laughed.
"This is not funny, Carter! I want you here in ten minutes. You got that?"
"Sure. Bye."
Carter clicked the phone off and Lucy came in. Her apron stained. She had never been that good of a cook.
"Let me guess. Work?"
"Yes. Kerry sounded pissed at me. I have to go before she hurts me. See you tonight."
"Hey wait! I'll go with you. I'll call a babysitter to watch Ralina and Annabelle," Lucy shouted, suddenly.
"Mom," groaned Annabelle.
"Don't worry. It's Auntie Abby."
"Abby doesn't have a shift today?"
"No. She can watch them."
"Fine. Lucy, lets go. Annabelle, Ralina, love ya. We'll be home soon."
Abby arrived within three minutes of them leaving. Carter wove in and out of the Chicago streets before arriving at the hospital. He got out and slammed the door and stood, waiting for Lucy. She came out soon enough and the car alarm chirped. They walked in together.
"SURPRISE!" the whole hospital crew cheered as they entered. Confetti nestled into Lucy's blonde hair as she shook the red pieces of paper out. There were people everywhere. There was loud music blaring from a boom box in the corner.
"What's the surprise?" laughed Carter.
"Dr. Carter, you are nominated for Doctor of the Year in Chicago!" informed Peter, grinning that Carter was his med student.
"Wow. Really?"
"Congratulations, Dr. Carter," whispered Lucy, before kissing him.
"Break it up, Lucy. Let Carter breathe," chuckled Romano.
"The ceremony's tonight. Formal dress. It's an awards ceremony, what would you expect? All the doctors and nurses of some of the hospitals in Chicago are going to be there and we're one of them!" yelled Cleo, excitedly.
Cheers erupted around them and Lucy and Carter decided to kiss to their success. What better way to welcome a new achievement?
