Title: Different, but the Same
Archive: Ask-I'll let you know
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters: they belong to NBC and Warner Brothers and Michael Crichton
Spoiler Warning: The Letter, On the Beach, Lockdown and Chaos Theory are all spoiled in this chapter!
This is an alternate ending to "Thy Will Be Done." What if John asked someone else first? This is a story of what could have happened had one thing changed and the effects that it could have had on the lives of those on the ER.
This chapter is really just a filler chapter, connecting the events of the show in with the events in the story. I figured after the last chapter it was time for some more angst. This is very mild, emotional stuff, though.
****
"I need to speak with Dr. John Carter. This is his father."
"Mr. Carter, this is Randi-is everything okay?"
"Oh, Randi, dear, I'm so sorry, I did not realize that it was you."
"It's fine. You sound upset. What's wrong? "
"I really need to talk to John. It's his grandfather. He, um, he had a heart attack in his sleep last night. A butler found him this morning." The man's voice lightly cracked when he told his daughter in law the news.
"Oh no. I'll find him. It may take a few minutes."
"That's fine."
Randi put down the phone, and went to search for her husband, concerned about what his reaction would be. She walked down the hall, looking in each exam room and curtain area, debating on exactly what she would tell him after she found him.
"Yosh, have you seen John?"
"Yeah, I think he was headed toward central supply. Is everything all right?"
"No," Randi said as she turned and headed toward central supply.
She found John searching through some boxes on the bottom shelf. He heard the unmistakable footsteps of his wife walk up behind him. He laughed to himself because he had told her how impractical those shoes were.
"Hey, Babe, you want to go out for dinner?" He stood up and looked into the somber face of his wife. "Sweetie, What's wrong?"
She took in a deep breath.
"John, your dad's on the phone, line 2. You need to talk to him."
"Tell me. What happened?"
"Talk to him, John."
"Randi-tell me, now."
"John, it's Gramps. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. I'm so sorry."
He could not believe it. First Gamma, now Gramps, only nine months later. He turned around in shock, and leaned on the nearby wall for support. Randi put her hand on his shoulder, and John grabbed her arm, pulling her into a somber embrace. He began to weep into her shoulder, and she sympathetically wrapped her arms around him.
After a few minutes like this, Randi remembered John's father.
"John, your dad. He is still waiting to talk to you. Speak to him, and I'll tell Kerry that we have to leave. You're going to be all right. I'm here. I love you." She kissed him, and watched him walk towards the lounge, and disappear into the doorway.
****
*Not again. Gamma went in September, Gramps a year later, and now this* John thought. He found it hard to concentrate on the eulogy. He could not keep is mind from wondering from one funeral to another. He thought about losing Gamma-how he had held her hand as she breathed her last breath in that hospital room. Then Gramps died, and he had to sit at his funeral, next to his mother no less. The only good thing that had happened to him in the past two years was Randi. She had been his strength through all the trials of recent days.
"Amen."
The word from the minister's mouth brought him back to the present. He gently covered Randi's hand with his, and kissed away her solitary tear with his lips. The couple vacated their seats, and joined the rest of the crowd to give their condolences to Elizabeth, Ella, and Rachel.
They eventually stood in the front of the line, and were at a loss for words. John took the widow in his arms, while Randi held onto little Ella, gently caressing her blonde hair.
"Elizabeth, you know that if you need anything-"
Her nod cut off John's offer. Randi quickly hugged Elizabeth, and handed her daughter back to her. They moved on to Rachel. They both gave the teenager a quick hug, and then John looked down at her.
"You know that you welcome to come by the hospital anytime you're in Chicago."
"Thanks, Dr. Carter."
"Bye, Rachel."
She waved a silent goodbye, and John and Randi walked towards the exit of the cemetery. He put one arm around her waist. She put her head on his shoulder, and quietly began to whisper.
"Please don't ever leave me, John. I don't think that I would make it. Elizabeth is so strong. I don't know if I could be that strong. Promise me."
"Hush," he whispered back. "Don't talk that way. I-"
"John, just promise me."
"I promise."
They were at the car by then, so he just stopped and held her as she cried. He kissed her forehead, as several tears revealed themselves on his cheeks.
****
The card was buried in the middle of all the white roses. Once she found it, she was not the least bit surprised at what it said. Same as always, except for one extra phrase.
"Randi-I love you. Happy Anniversary-John"
One whole year. Neither one of them could believe how quickly it had passed.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes, and thank you for the flowers." Randi reached up and kissed John on the cheek. She picked up the vase, and the couple headed towards the door. They were interrupted by young Dr. Michael Gallant.
"Dr. Carter, I've got two kids, a brother and a sister. Both have a pretty bad rash. I think you might want to check it out."
John stopped for a second, and looked at Randi. Then he turned towards the ambulance bay doors, and kept walking, with Randi not far behind.
"Give it to Kovac, Gallant. I am officially on vacation," John called over his shoulders.
****
Two days later, John and Randi sat on their private beach, basking in the hot Georgia sun. John was sitting under an umbrella, reading the Wall Street Journal, while Randi lay on a lounge chair on her stomach, tanning her back. Her mind drifted aimlessly back over the past two days.
When they had arrived on the island, she saw that John had arranged for the mansion to be filled with several hundred dozen long stem white roses. A bubble bath was waiting for them in the Jacuzzi tub, and the whole house was lit by candles. They had not left the house since they had arrived, until that afternoon.
John's reading was interrupted by Mr. Otis, the gardener.
"Excuse me, Dr. Carter. You have a phone call. Willi answered it, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. Did she find out who it was?"
"Um, a doctor. I think the name was Lewis."
John looked toward Randi who was now back in the present, and curious about the phone call. He put the phone to his ear.
"Susan? What's up?"
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that you have an extra two week's vacation."
"What? What happened?"
"It's kind of a long story. Do you remember those kids Gallant tried to pass off to you right before you left?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Luka looked at the rash, and we realized that we had a potential smallpox case. The little girl died, and her brother had to be criked. First we locked down the ER, and then public health insisted that we evacuate the whole hospital. Turns out that the virus is a variant of monkey pox. But the little boy and his parents, Luka, Abby, Pratt, and Chen are quarantined in the abandoned hospital."
"Deb's in there? Was she exposed?"
Randi looked into her husband's worried eyes, wanting to know what was so wrong, and if her best friend was all right.
"She treated them last week. She had a fever. But they should be fine. They got the vaccine, and they are being monitored from a distance for the next two weeks."
"Wow. Wait there is something else. I can tell it in your voice."
"Um, yeah. When we were evacuating the hospital, Dr. Romano, Gallant and I were on the roof, to move the criticals via helicopter. Robert was not paying attention, and put his arm into the back blade of the helicopter. Amputated cleanly above the elbow. They were able to reattach the arm yesterday, but it is still uncertain whether or not he will regain full use of his arm."
"Oh, my God."
"So anyway, have fun with your extra time. I'm planning on heading to Barbados at the end of the week, so I'll see you when I get back. I know that I don't have to tell you, but be sure to make good use of your time. Bye!"
"Bye, Susan."
He hung up the cell phone, and saw his wife staring over at him with a look of confused curiosity in her eyes.
"What the hell happened?"
"Well, we get an extra two weeks in our island paradise my dear." He then reported to her what Susan had told him.
****************PLEASE REVIEW******************* I love to hear feedback about what's good or bad about the story. If there is something wrong, let me know, and I will do my best to fix it in upcoming chapters.
HUGS!
Archive: Ask-I'll let you know
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters: they belong to NBC and Warner Brothers and Michael Crichton
Spoiler Warning: The Letter, On the Beach, Lockdown and Chaos Theory are all spoiled in this chapter!
This is an alternate ending to "Thy Will Be Done." What if John asked someone else first? This is a story of what could have happened had one thing changed and the effects that it could have had on the lives of those on the ER.
This chapter is really just a filler chapter, connecting the events of the show in with the events in the story. I figured after the last chapter it was time for some more angst. This is very mild, emotional stuff, though.
****
"I need to speak with Dr. John Carter. This is his father."
"Mr. Carter, this is Randi-is everything okay?"
"Oh, Randi, dear, I'm so sorry, I did not realize that it was you."
"It's fine. You sound upset. What's wrong? "
"I really need to talk to John. It's his grandfather. He, um, he had a heart attack in his sleep last night. A butler found him this morning." The man's voice lightly cracked when he told his daughter in law the news.
"Oh no. I'll find him. It may take a few minutes."
"That's fine."
Randi put down the phone, and went to search for her husband, concerned about what his reaction would be. She walked down the hall, looking in each exam room and curtain area, debating on exactly what she would tell him after she found him.
"Yosh, have you seen John?"
"Yeah, I think he was headed toward central supply. Is everything all right?"
"No," Randi said as she turned and headed toward central supply.
She found John searching through some boxes on the bottom shelf. He heard the unmistakable footsteps of his wife walk up behind him. He laughed to himself because he had told her how impractical those shoes were.
"Hey, Babe, you want to go out for dinner?" He stood up and looked into the somber face of his wife. "Sweetie, What's wrong?"
She took in a deep breath.
"John, your dad's on the phone, line 2. You need to talk to him."
"Tell me. What happened?"
"Talk to him, John."
"Randi-tell me, now."
"John, it's Gramps. He had a massive heart attack in his sleep. I'm so sorry."
He could not believe it. First Gamma, now Gramps, only nine months later. He turned around in shock, and leaned on the nearby wall for support. Randi put her hand on his shoulder, and John grabbed her arm, pulling her into a somber embrace. He began to weep into her shoulder, and she sympathetically wrapped her arms around him.
After a few minutes like this, Randi remembered John's father.
"John, your dad. He is still waiting to talk to you. Speak to him, and I'll tell Kerry that we have to leave. You're going to be all right. I'm here. I love you." She kissed him, and watched him walk towards the lounge, and disappear into the doorway.
****
*Not again. Gamma went in September, Gramps a year later, and now this* John thought. He found it hard to concentrate on the eulogy. He could not keep is mind from wondering from one funeral to another. He thought about losing Gamma-how he had held her hand as she breathed her last breath in that hospital room. Then Gramps died, and he had to sit at his funeral, next to his mother no less. The only good thing that had happened to him in the past two years was Randi. She had been his strength through all the trials of recent days.
"Amen."
The word from the minister's mouth brought him back to the present. He gently covered Randi's hand with his, and kissed away her solitary tear with his lips. The couple vacated their seats, and joined the rest of the crowd to give their condolences to Elizabeth, Ella, and Rachel.
They eventually stood in the front of the line, and were at a loss for words. John took the widow in his arms, while Randi held onto little Ella, gently caressing her blonde hair.
"Elizabeth, you know that if you need anything-"
Her nod cut off John's offer. Randi quickly hugged Elizabeth, and handed her daughter back to her. They moved on to Rachel. They both gave the teenager a quick hug, and then John looked down at her.
"You know that you welcome to come by the hospital anytime you're in Chicago."
"Thanks, Dr. Carter."
"Bye, Rachel."
She waved a silent goodbye, and John and Randi walked towards the exit of the cemetery. He put one arm around her waist. She put her head on his shoulder, and quietly began to whisper.
"Please don't ever leave me, John. I don't think that I would make it. Elizabeth is so strong. I don't know if I could be that strong. Promise me."
"Hush," he whispered back. "Don't talk that way. I-"
"John, just promise me."
"I promise."
They were at the car by then, so he just stopped and held her as she cried. He kissed her forehead, as several tears revealed themselves on his cheeks.
****
The card was buried in the middle of all the white roses. Once she found it, she was not the least bit surprised at what it said. Same as always, except for one extra phrase.
"Randi-I love you. Happy Anniversary-John"
One whole year. Neither one of them could believe how quickly it had passed.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes, and thank you for the flowers." Randi reached up and kissed John on the cheek. She picked up the vase, and the couple headed towards the door. They were interrupted by young Dr. Michael Gallant.
"Dr. Carter, I've got two kids, a brother and a sister. Both have a pretty bad rash. I think you might want to check it out."
John stopped for a second, and looked at Randi. Then he turned towards the ambulance bay doors, and kept walking, with Randi not far behind.
"Give it to Kovac, Gallant. I am officially on vacation," John called over his shoulders.
****
Two days later, John and Randi sat on their private beach, basking in the hot Georgia sun. John was sitting under an umbrella, reading the Wall Street Journal, while Randi lay on a lounge chair on her stomach, tanning her back. Her mind drifted aimlessly back over the past two days.
When they had arrived on the island, she saw that John had arranged for the mansion to be filled with several hundred dozen long stem white roses. A bubble bath was waiting for them in the Jacuzzi tub, and the whole house was lit by candles. They had not left the house since they had arrived, until that afternoon.
John's reading was interrupted by Mr. Otis, the gardener.
"Excuse me, Dr. Carter. You have a phone call. Willi answered it, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. Did she find out who it was?"
"Um, a doctor. I think the name was Lewis."
John looked toward Randi who was now back in the present, and curious about the phone call. He put the phone to his ear.
"Susan? What's up?"
"Well, I just wanted to let you know that you have an extra two week's vacation."
"What? What happened?"
"It's kind of a long story. Do you remember those kids Gallant tried to pass off to you right before you left?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Luka looked at the rash, and we realized that we had a potential smallpox case. The little girl died, and her brother had to be criked. First we locked down the ER, and then public health insisted that we evacuate the whole hospital. Turns out that the virus is a variant of monkey pox. But the little boy and his parents, Luka, Abby, Pratt, and Chen are quarantined in the abandoned hospital."
"Deb's in there? Was she exposed?"
Randi looked into her husband's worried eyes, wanting to know what was so wrong, and if her best friend was all right.
"She treated them last week. She had a fever. But they should be fine. They got the vaccine, and they are being monitored from a distance for the next two weeks."
"Wow. Wait there is something else. I can tell it in your voice."
"Um, yeah. When we were evacuating the hospital, Dr. Romano, Gallant and I were on the roof, to move the criticals via helicopter. Robert was not paying attention, and put his arm into the back blade of the helicopter. Amputated cleanly above the elbow. They were able to reattach the arm yesterday, but it is still uncertain whether or not he will regain full use of his arm."
"Oh, my God."
"So anyway, have fun with your extra time. I'm planning on heading to Barbados at the end of the week, so I'll see you when I get back. I know that I don't have to tell you, but be sure to make good use of your time. Bye!"
"Bye, Susan."
He hung up the cell phone, and saw his wife staring over at him with a look of confused curiosity in her eyes.
"What the hell happened?"
"Well, we get an extra two weeks in our island paradise my dear." He then reported to her what Susan had told him.
****************PLEASE REVIEW******************* I love to hear feedback about what's good or bad about the story. If there is something wrong, let me know, and I will do my best to fix it in upcoming chapters.
HUGS!