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
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.
In the Hospital. . .
****
The ambulance bay doors opened, and Randi waddled through them with John's assistance. Deb spotted the couple first.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here? I just left your place three hours ago. Wait, are you in labor?"
"My water broke forty five minutes ago, but I have yet to have a contraction. I heard that walking around could induce the contractions, so I insisted we get to OB by way of the ER. The sooner I get this thing out of me the better."
"My thoughts exactly," John muttered. "What was that?"
"Nothing dear."
Jing Mei smiled at her friend's weary faces. "Well, if you need anything, you know where I am. I guess I'll be here covering your shift, too. Thanks a lot, John." She walked toward an incoming GSW.
John and Randi walked towards Admit, and were quickly stopped by Chuny, Abby, Susan, Jerry, and Luka.
"Shouldn't you be up in OB?" Susan asked.
"On our way. She hasn't had any contractions, but her water broke, so I insisted that we come. She wanted to see if walking would really cause the contractions to come along quicker."
"Any success?" inquired Abby.
"None. Can I have a wheel chair? This is not working, and my feet hurt."
Luka went to find a chair for Randi. He returned quickly, and Randi flopped into the chair.
"You want to get up to OB, sweetie?"
"What, and sit up there for ten hours? You must be out of your mind. Aren't there phones here that need answering? I could do that."
"Honey, I don't think that you need to be doing normal work. Technically you are in labor."
Suddenly Kerry shouted at the group from behind the admit desk.
"We've got a major mass casualty coming in. An overpass collapsed. Seventeen majors. Fifty-eight minors. Let's get ready people."
"Well, I guess that is us. You both have fun in OB. We'll come and check on you later." Chuny joined the others in preparing for the approaching traumas.
"John, I really do not want to go up to OB and sit there for a long time. I will be even more miserable than I am now, and I think that they might need you for this trauma. I can go and sit in the lounge, and you could handle some minors at least. Please?"
"Randi, I don't th-"
"John, seriously. This is a huge load for them down here. Help them out, and by the time you are done, I'll be ready to go up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"All right, let's get you out of this chaos, and into the lounge."
John rolled Randi into the lounge, and helped her on to the couch. He gave her the remote to the television and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm going to tell Jerry that you are in here, and that he is to check on you every five minutes. Call if you need anything. When I get done, we are going to go have a baby."
He smiled a huge smile his wife's direction. He could tell that it would be a while before anything happened with her labor.
"Love you," he said as he walked out the door and into the pandemonium that was the ER.
He walked out the doors of the ambulance bay, and headed for an incoming rig. The victim had been pinned in the front seat of a van. The middle-aged woman's right leg was completely crushed, and she seemed to have a spinal cord injury. He and the paramedics pushed the gurney into the ER, where they were met by Elizabeth.
"Forty five year old female. Crush injury to right leg, probable puncture of the femoral vein. Spinal injury indicated. We need to get her into surgery now!"
"We need to stabilize her BP first, John," the British surgeon pointed out. "Get her into Trauma one. What are you still doing here? Susan said that you were headed up to OB."
"Randi didn't want to go up just yet. She told me to help at least with one patient, and then she would go up. She does not want to be stuck in a hospital room any longer than she has to."
"That's understandable. Ok, let's lift her. Gently; on my count. 1-2-3."
They worked on the woman for a half hour before she could be sent up to surgery. As she was walking out the door with the patient, Elizabeth turned back to John.
"Get your wife up to OB. Your life is about to change. Congratulations. I'll come see you three after the baby arrives."
John took his friends words under advisement and headed straight for the lounge. When he entered, he saw Randi clutching at her rounded belly.
"I thought you might have forgotten about me."
"Never," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "Contractions start?"
"Yeah, about ten minutes ago. I think I'm ready to go up now." She smiled up at her husband, who was absolutely glowing.
"Good, because you were going to go whether you liked it or not."
He helped her back up into the wheel chair, pushed her out the door, and headed towards the elevator. The doors opened, revealing Romano on the other side.
"Ah, skipping out on several major traumas, huh, Dr. Carter?"
"We are actually on our way up to OB."
"Oh, right, the baby. Perfect timing, I see. Well, let me be the first to congratulate you. Hope you enjoy all the diapers, and burpings, and the other bodily fluids that come with the little ankle biters. Have fun Randi."
The elevator doors shut, just before Randi could get her explicative response out.
"Got to love that Romano."
"Shut up, John."
"Yes, ma'am."
Randi then clutched at her stomach again. "Okay, I need drugs. Now!"
Her husband rubbed her shoulders gently to relax her. They watched the numbers on the wall climb, until they finally reached their destination. They entered the Obstetrics floor, and caught the eye of Dr. Coburn, who was at the main desk. She greeted them as they neared the counter.
"Well, it's about time you two got this show on the road. Has your water broken?"
Randi nodded, and Dr. Coburn and John realized that she was in the middle of another contraction. John began to speak on his wife's behalf.
""Her water broke about an two hours ago, and the contractions started about a half an hour ago. They are less than ten minutes apart."
"All right. Let's get you into a room and get you situated, then I'll examine you. We'll see where we are. Sound good?"
Again, Randi nodded.
****
"Well, it looks like you are at about five centimeters. You have already progressed two centimeters, since you were at three last week."
"Are you telling me that it took a whole week to get two freaking centimeters? What the hell is that?"
"Randi, it should progress a lot faster, now that your water has broken. We will observe you, and then if nothing happens, we will give you some Pitocin to speed up the contractions. Call me if you need anything. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
Dr. Coburn left John and Randi alone in their hospital room.
"I swear, if you ever do this to me again, I will have to hurt you. Just so that you know pain, because I am in pain right now."
"Shh. This will all be over in a little while, and then little Jonathan or little Georgia will be here. Our baby."
"You're right, John. I'm sorry. I should be acting more excited, because I really am. I am just in so much pain right now. I can't wait to hold this child in my arms for the first time. He or she is a little piece of us. Hopefully the better pieces of each of us."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, for instance, I hope the baby has my nose," Randi said with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong with my nose?"
"Nothing. I love your nose. But I just think that mine is prettier."
They both laughed at themselves, until another contraction caused a groan to pass through Randi's lips.
****
Three hours later, John was sitting on the side of Randi's hospital bed, gently wiping her forehead with a wet cloth, while an OB nurse did a quick check on Randi's progression.
"Ok, we have hardly progressed at all. I'm going to get Dr. Coburn in here to check you out." With that, the nurse departed the room.
"Why isn't anything happening, John? I've been here a while."
"I know, baby. Sometimes it takes a while. Let's just wait for Dr. Coburn, and see what she says, Okay?"
Randi leaned her head against her husbands shoulder in exasperation. He continued to wipe her face, and push her hair back.
Dr. Coburn entered not long after, and checked Randi out.
"Ok, we are still at five. Randi, we are going to give you some Pitocin to speed up your labor. If that does not work, we may have to explore other options. I don't think we will have to do a cesarean section, but it is a possibility, and I wanted to prepare you for that. A nurse will be in here in a few minutes."
Once she was gone, Randi looked up at her husband.
"No, John. I don't want a c-section. I-I-" She broke down into tears before she could get anything else out.
"Hey, that is just a last resort. They will try their hardest not to have to do that. But we do have to think about the baby too. The sooner he or she get out, the better it will be. Don't worry. It will all be okay, and I'll be right here." He kissed her, and wrapped her in his arms.
The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. It opened slowly, and Jing Mei's face appeared around the corner.
"Hey, is it okay if I come in for a minute?"
"Sure," John replied.
"I spoke to Dr. Coburn outside, and she told me about everything. It will be all right, Randi. And, you have a great coach, believe me."
"Hey, ladies, I'm going to step outside for a minute. Do you mind staying here for a few minutes, Deb? I'm going to go speak to Dr. Coburn."
Both women nodded, and he left the room.
"Were you scared? You know, when you had Michael."
"Yes, but I was scared, because I knew that I had to give him up. You don't have to do that, and you aren't alone. This child belongs to you and John, and no one can take him or her away. You get to love this child for its entire life. The labor pains are temporary, but they bring a lifetime of joy."
"Thanks, Jing Mei. I really appreciate that. You put it all into perspective. You sound like a Hallmark card in the process, but that puts it into perspective."
"That's what I'm here for. Well, my break is almost over, so I'll go find John and tell him bye. I'll come back up here after a while to see how you are doing."
Dr. Chen squeezed her friend's hand, and turned and walked out the door, almost running directly into John.
"How long until she can get the Pitocin?"
"The nurse is on her way, but Dr. Coburn does not seem very optimistic about that working. Randi really doesn't was the c-section. The doctor in me knows that it would probably be best for her and the baby, but the husband in me doesn't want her to have to go through that."
"Women have the procedure done all the time, John. She will be fine. See if the medicine works, and go from there. Are you sure that you are alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I am more nervous than I was when I was your coach, but I guess that is understandable."
"I've got to go, but I promised Randi that I would come back up here on my next break. Oh, and call down to the ER if she has it before I come back. Promise."
"No problem. And thanks, Deb, for everything."
She winked at him and disappeared behind the elevator doors.
John headed back to his wife.
****
Six hours later, Dr. Coburn found that Randi's labor had not progressed, even after the drugs. Randi had become increasingly agitated and frustrated.
"Why hasn't anything happened? I should have had this baby a week ago," she whined.
"John, Randi. I really feel like it is time to discuss our alternative options. I think now that the c-section is unavoidable. You have not progressed at all, and you have been here for well over nine hours. I concer-"
"Dr. Coburn." A nurse watching the baby's heart monitor called the doctor over. A worried look fell over John's face, and Randi began to panic.
"What's going on? Is there something wrong with the baby? Tell me-what is it?"
Dr. Coburn looked at John and simply said, "60 and falling." She turned to the nurses and to them to prep the OR, and to do it quickly.
John looked down at Randi's frightened face, and tried to calm her down.
"John, what is wrong. Tell me!"
"Sweetie, the baby's heart rate is extremely low. They have to get the baby out now. Everything will be all right. I'm right here."
"Dr. Carter, here is a gown," a nurse interrupted.
As John skillfully put on the OR gown, the OB team began to wheel Randi down the hall. John caught up with them, just before they entered the OR. He leaned down to Randi's level, and looked her in the eyes.
"Everything will be okay. I love you."
****
PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW~ I am beginning to think that no one is reading this, in which case I will end the story here, and leave it to your imagination what happens.
No~ I would not do that. I enjoy writing this story regardless, although I think it is coming towards a close.
But have no fear! I think there will be a sequel-we'll have to wait and see!
Archive: Ask-I'll let you know
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters: they belong to NBC and Warner Brothers and Michael Crichton
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.
In the Hospital. . .
****
The ambulance bay doors opened, and Randi waddled through them with John's assistance. Deb spotted the couple first.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here? I just left your place three hours ago. Wait, are you in labor?"
"My water broke forty five minutes ago, but I have yet to have a contraction. I heard that walking around could induce the contractions, so I insisted we get to OB by way of the ER. The sooner I get this thing out of me the better."
"My thoughts exactly," John muttered. "What was that?"
"Nothing dear."
Jing Mei smiled at her friend's weary faces. "Well, if you need anything, you know where I am. I guess I'll be here covering your shift, too. Thanks a lot, John." She walked toward an incoming GSW.
John and Randi walked towards Admit, and were quickly stopped by Chuny, Abby, Susan, Jerry, and Luka.
"Shouldn't you be up in OB?" Susan asked.
"On our way. She hasn't had any contractions, but her water broke, so I insisted that we come. She wanted to see if walking would really cause the contractions to come along quicker."
"Any success?" inquired Abby.
"None. Can I have a wheel chair? This is not working, and my feet hurt."
Luka went to find a chair for Randi. He returned quickly, and Randi flopped into the chair.
"You want to get up to OB, sweetie?"
"What, and sit up there for ten hours? You must be out of your mind. Aren't there phones here that need answering? I could do that."
"Honey, I don't think that you need to be doing normal work. Technically you are in labor."
Suddenly Kerry shouted at the group from behind the admit desk.
"We've got a major mass casualty coming in. An overpass collapsed. Seventeen majors. Fifty-eight minors. Let's get ready people."
"Well, I guess that is us. You both have fun in OB. We'll come and check on you later." Chuny joined the others in preparing for the approaching traumas.
"John, I really do not want to go up to OB and sit there for a long time. I will be even more miserable than I am now, and I think that they might need you for this trauma. I can go and sit in the lounge, and you could handle some minors at least. Please?"
"Randi, I don't th-"
"John, seriously. This is a huge load for them down here. Help them out, and by the time you are done, I'll be ready to go up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"All right, let's get you out of this chaos, and into the lounge."
John rolled Randi into the lounge, and helped her on to the couch. He gave her the remote to the television and kissed her on the forehead.
"I'm going to tell Jerry that you are in here, and that he is to check on you every five minutes. Call if you need anything. When I get done, we are going to go have a baby."
He smiled a huge smile his wife's direction. He could tell that it would be a while before anything happened with her labor.
"Love you," he said as he walked out the door and into the pandemonium that was the ER.
He walked out the doors of the ambulance bay, and headed for an incoming rig. The victim had been pinned in the front seat of a van. The middle-aged woman's right leg was completely crushed, and she seemed to have a spinal cord injury. He and the paramedics pushed the gurney into the ER, where they were met by Elizabeth.
"Forty five year old female. Crush injury to right leg, probable puncture of the femoral vein. Spinal injury indicated. We need to get her into surgery now!"
"We need to stabilize her BP first, John," the British surgeon pointed out. "Get her into Trauma one. What are you still doing here? Susan said that you were headed up to OB."
"Randi didn't want to go up just yet. She told me to help at least with one patient, and then she would go up. She does not want to be stuck in a hospital room any longer than she has to."
"That's understandable. Ok, let's lift her. Gently; on my count. 1-2-3."
They worked on the woman for a half hour before she could be sent up to surgery. As she was walking out the door with the patient, Elizabeth turned back to John.
"Get your wife up to OB. Your life is about to change. Congratulations. I'll come see you three after the baby arrives."
John took his friends words under advisement and headed straight for the lounge. When he entered, he saw Randi clutching at her rounded belly.
"I thought you might have forgotten about me."
"Never," he said as he leaned down to kiss her. "Contractions start?"
"Yeah, about ten minutes ago. I think I'm ready to go up now." She smiled up at her husband, who was absolutely glowing.
"Good, because you were going to go whether you liked it or not."
He helped her back up into the wheel chair, pushed her out the door, and headed towards the elevator. The doors opened, revealing Romano on the other side.
"Ah, skipping out on several major traumas, huh, Dr. Carter?"
"We are actually on our way up to OB."
"Oh, right, the baby. Perfect timing, I see. Well, let me be the first to congratulate you. Hope you enjoy all the diapers, and burpings, and the other bodily fluids that come with the little ankle biters. Have fun Randi."
The elevator doors shut, just before Randi could get her explicative response out.
"Got to love that Romano."
"Shut up, John."
"Yes, ma'am."
Randi then clutched at her stomach again. "Okay, I need drugs. Now!"
Her husband rubbed her shoulders gently to relax her. They watched the numbers on the wall climb, until they finally reached their destination. They entered the Obstetrics floor, and caught the eye of Dr. Coburn, who was at the main desk. She greeted them as they neared the counter.
"Well, it's about time you two got this show on the road. Has your water broken?"
Randi nodded, and Dr. Coburn and John realized that she was in the middle of another contraction. John began to speak on his wife's behalf.
""Her water broke about an two hours ago, and the contractions started about a half an hour ago. They are less than ten minutes apart."
"All right. Let's get you into a room and get you situated, then I'll examine you. We'll see where we are. Sound good?"
Again, Randi nodded.
****
"Well, it looks like you are at about five centimeters. You have already progressed two centimeters, since you were at three last week."
"Are you telling me that it took a whole week to get two freaking centimeters? What the hell is that?"
"Randi, it should progress a lot faster, now that your water has broken. We will observe you, and then if nothing happens, we will give you some Pitocin to speed up the contractions. Call me if you need anything. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
Dr. Coburn left John and Randi alone in their hospital room.
"I swear, if you ever do this to me again, I will have to hurt you. Just so that you know pain, because I am in pain right now."
"Shh. This will all be over in a little while, and then little Jonathan or little Georgia will be here. Our baby."
"You're right, John. I'm sorry. I should be acting more excited, because I really am. I am just in so much pain right now. I can't wait to hold this child in my arms for the first time. He or she is a little piece of us. Hopefully the better pieces of each of us."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, for instance, I hope the baby has my nose," Randi said with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong with my nose?"
"Nothing. I love your nose. But I just think that mine is prettier."
They both laughed at themselves, until another contraction caused a groan to pass through Randi's lips.
****
Three hours later, John was sitting on the side of Randi's hospital bed, gently wiping her forehead with a wet cloth, while an OB nurse did a quick check on Randi's progression.
"Ok, we have hardly progressed at all. I'm going to get Dr. Coburn in here to check you out." With that, the nurse departed the room.
"Why isn't anything happening, John? I've been here a while."
"I know, baby. Sometimes it takes a while. Let's just wait for Dr. Coburn, and see what she says, Okay?"
Randi leaned her head against her husbands shoulder in exasperation. He continued to wipe her face, and push her hair back.
Dr. Coburn entered not long after, and checked Randi out.
"Ok, we are still at five. Randi, we are going to give you some Pitocin to speed up your labor. If that does not work, we may have to explore other options. I don't think we will have to do a cesarean section, but it is a possibility, and I wanted to prepare you for that. A nurse will be in here in a few minutes."
Once she was gone, Randi looked up at her husband.
"No, John. I don't want a c-section. I-I-" She broke down into tears before she could get anything else out.
"Hey, that is just a last resort. They will try their hardest not to have to do that. But we do have to think about the baby too. The sooner he or she get out, the better it will be. Don't worry. It will all be okay, and I'll be right here." He kissed her, and wrapped her in his arms.
The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. It opened slowly, and Jing Mei's face appeared around the corner.
"Hey, is it okay if I come in for a minute?"
"Sure," John replied.
"I spoke to Dr. Coburn outside, and she told me about everything. It will be all right, Randi. And, you have a great coach, believe me."
"Hey, ladies, I'm going to step outside for a minute. Do you mind staying here for a few minutes, Deb? I'm going to go speak to Dr. Coburn."
Both women nodded, and he left the room.
"Were you scared? You know, when you had Michael."
"Yes, but I was scared, because I knew that I had to give him up. You don't have to do that, and you aren't alone. This child belongs to you and John, and no one can take him or her away. You get to love this child for its entire life. The labor pains are temporary, but they bring a lifetime of joy."
"Thanks, Jing Mei. I really appreciate that. You put it all into perspective. You sound like a Hallmark card in the process, but that puts it into perspective."
"That's what I'm here for. Well, my break is almost over, so I'll go find John and tell him bye. I'll come back up here after a while to see how you are doing."
Dr. Chen squeezed her friend's hand, and turned and walked out the door, almost running directly into John.
"How long until she can get the Pitocin?"
"The nurse is on her way, but Dr. Coburn does not seem very optimistic about that working. Randi really doesn't was the c-section. The doctor in me knows that it would probably be best for her and the baby, but the husband in me doesn't want her to have to go through that."
"Women have the procedure done all the time, John. She will be fine. See if the medicine works, and go from there. Are you sure that you are alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I am more nervous than I was when I was your coach, but I guess that is understandable."
"I've got to go, but I promised Randi that I would come back up here on my next break. Oh, and call down to the ER if she has it before I come back. Promise."
"No problem. And thanks, Deb, for everything."
She winked at him and disappeared behind the elevator doors.
John headed back to his wife.
****
Six hours later, Dr. Coburn found that Randi's labor had not progressed, even after the drugs. Randi had become increasingly agitated and frustrated.
"Why hasn't anything happened? I should have had this baby a week ago," she whined.
"John, Randi. I really feel like it is time to discuss our alternative options. I think now that the c-section is unavoidable. You have not progressed at all, and you have been here for well over nine hours. I concer-"
"Dr. Coburn." A nurse watching the baby's heart monitor called the doctor over. A worried look fell over John's face, and Randi began to panic.
"What's going on? Is there something wrong with the baby? Tell me-what is it?"
Dr. Coburn looked at John and simply said, "60 and falling." She turned to the nurses and to them to prep the OR, and to do it quickly.
John looked down at Randi's frightened face, and tried to calm her down.
"John, what is wrong. Tell me!"
"Sweetie, the baby's heart rate is extremely low. They have to get the baby out now. Everything will be all right. I'm right here."
"Dr. Carter, here is a gown," a nurse interrupted.
As John skillfully put on the OR gown, the OB team began to wheel Randi down the hall. John caught up with them, just before they entered the OR. He leaned down to Randi's level, and looked her in the eyes.
"Everything will be okay. I love you."
****
PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW~ I am beginning to think that no one is reading this, in which case I will end the story here, and leave it to your imagination what happens.
No~ I would not do that. I enjoy writing this story regardless, although I think it is coming towards a close.
But have no fear! I think there will be a sequel-we'll have to wait and see!