Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but her throat felt like the
Sahara Desert. She tried to move but she felt constrained. She tried to
open her eyes but they felt sealed shut. She heard a voice.
"Asystole. He's Asystole," muttered a nurse.
"No, he's not! Charge to 300! CLEAR!" yelled Elizabeth, in anguish and frustration.
"He's got a steady heartbeat," sighed Kerry, with relief.
"Thank God," murmured Carol.
"Carter?" rasped Lucy.
"Lucy?!" cried Carol in surprise. "You need some water?"
Finding that it was too difficult to speak, she gave a deft nod. Carol ran off and returned with a glass of water. Lucy gulped it down eagerly and found her throat cooperating.
"Thank you," she spoke, before she felt a lump in her throat. "Carter."
"C'mon honey. It'll be okay. He'll be okay," she consoled, giving her a hug.
"He saved me," she whispered, the tears dripping onto her cheeks. "He risked his life to save me."
"You remember?" asked Carol, softly.
"Yes, I do. Can you get this IV out of me? I want to get up. Walk around. Go home. Eat something besides hospital food," she said.
Carol removed the IV and let Lucy change back into her normal clothing. Lucy placed her stethoscope on and walked around. She walked out of the hospital, her head hung low.
"Carol! Where's Lucy?!" yelled Kerry, angrily.
"I discharged her," Carol muttered.
"You what?!" Kerry fumed.
"Hey! She wanted to be discharged, I discharged her!" she shot back.
Kerry walked off, slamming the door as she went. Carol sighed unhappily and sat down on a chair. She sat there, her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. Elizabeth walked over to Carol and knelt down to her level.
"Carter's stabilized. Could you tell Lucy?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure."
Elizabeth forced a weak smile before walking out of the trauma room. Carol knew exactly where she was heading. She was heading there, too. She walked slowly to the Doctor's Lounge. She needed a cup of coffee, bad. She walked into the Lounge.
"Hey, Carol," whispered Lucy, whimpering.
"Lucy?! What are you still doing here?" Carol asked, surprised.
"I walked out of the hospital and I just felt so helpless", she paused, holding back the tears. "I came back here."
"Carter's stabilized, you know," remarked Elizabeth, walking in.
"Hey, Lucy?" started Carol.
"Hmm?" Lucy murmured, grasping a tissue in her quivering hands.
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Carol asked.
"I'm fine!" she snapped.
"CAROL! Elizabeth! Come here, NOW!" Kerry ordered.
Carol and Elizabeth both muttered quick apologies for having to leave so soon before racing out the door. Lucy sighed in frustration and laid down on the firm sofa. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow and before she could stop it, she was asleep.
~*Flashback to Chapter 1*~
"Lucy!" Dave cried, running after her.
"Hmm?" she smiled, grinning at him. They had been dating for quite some time and she was quite happy.
"Don't forget this," he replied, handing her the stethoscope she dropped. She blushed a deep shade of red.
"Thanks. Dr. Carter would've killed me," she gratifyingly remarked.
He kissed her cheek and he raced off while she stood there, grinning. She walked off to her patient in Trauma 3.
"Now, Mr. Taylor, you've been complaining of chest pains?" she asked, not looking up from her clipboard.
"Yes," he answered.
"Well, let's get a chest film and see what's going on," she replied. "Chuny."
"On it, Lucy," Chuny muttered quickly before leaving.
Lucy walked out of the room and walked to the hallway where she saw Dave talking with a new blonde nurse. As she walked up to him, she saw him kiss her in what appeared to be a passionate kiss. She felt the tears welling up.
"You asshole!" she screamed, slapping him. She ran off and didn't even bother to pick up her stethoscope when it dropped to the ground.
The blonde nurse stared straight ahead, obviously in confusion. Carter walked past and picked up the stethoscope that she had dropped. He had noticed everything and knew where she was going automatically. He held the stethoscope pressed against his palm and walked up the stairs to the roof. He saw Lucy, crouching in a corner, sobbing. He approached her.
"Oh, God. Dr. Carter. I'm so embarrassed," she muttered, in between sobs.
"You dropped this, Lucy," he answered, handing her the medical instrument. She took it and placed it by her side. He walked over and sat down next to her. He gave her a long hug and she cried into his shoulder.
"I can't believe it! I thought he loved me," she sobbed, piteously.
"It's okay, Lucy. Dave's an asshole. Forget about him. You'll be okay," he cooed, stroking back her hair.
She sniffed and looked up. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Carter. I have to get back to work. Thanks for everything," she remarked.
He nodded briskly and he got up as well. She wrung her stethoscope round her neck and she headed inside. He followed. She went back to Chuny for the results on Mr. Taylor's chest film and it revealed something strange.
"Mr. Taylor?" Lucy began. He nodded tiredly. "I'm afraid you have acid reflux disease."
"You mean, I have prolonged heartburn?! That's it?!" he cried, shocked.
"Yeah," she replied, trying to stifle her laughs.
He got up, ran out of the room, and slammed the door. She scribbled something on the clipboard and ran off to the bathroom. She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes again. She bit her lip trying to prolong the agony of crying in public, but it didn't work. She gave a quick sob and Haleh noticed her. They followed her to the bathroom.
"Lucy!" cried Carol.
Lucy's eyes opened. "Huh?" she muttered, unintelligibly.
"It's me, Carol. You dozed off. Elizabeth says that you can go visit Carter now, if you want to. He's awake," she explained.
She forced herself up using her elbows and sat up. She stood up and yawned. She stretched and headed out into the hallway. Dave was standing there with the same blonde nurse.
"Lucy. Hi. Have you met", he started, before she interrupted him.
"Fuck off."
His voice caught in his throat and she continued walking toward Carter's room. She cracked the door open a bit. "Lucy," he rasped out.
"Hi, Dr. Carter. How're you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside him.
"Okay. I'm glad to see you're okay," he whispered.
"You risked your life for me," she replied, feeling the familiar lump in her throat. She gave him a hug. "Thanks."
"Lucy, you got to let Carter rest now. You can talk to him again tomorrow. Visiting hours are over," Kerry muttered.
"Yeah. See you, Dr. Carter."
"Bye."
Lucy walked out the door and headed toward her car. She got in her car and started the engine and started to drive off. Back at the hospital, Carter was going into v-fib once more.
"Asystole. He's Asystole," muttered a nurse.
"No, he's not! Charge to 300! CLEAR!" yelled Elizabeth, in anguish and frustration.
"He's got a steady heartbeat," sighed Kerry, with relief.
"Thank God," murmured Carol.
"Carter?" rasped Lucy.
"Lucy?!" cried Carol in surprise. "You need some water?"
Finding that it was too difficult to speak, she gave a deft nod. Carol ran off and returned with a glass of water. Lucy gulped it down eagerly and found her throat cooperating.
"Thank you," she spoke, before she felt a lump in her throat. "Carter."
"C'mon honey. It'll be okay. He'll be okay," she consoled, giving her a hug.
"He saved me," she whispered, the tears dripping onto her cheeks. "He risked his life to save me."
"You remember?" asked Carol, softly.
"Yes, I do. Can you get this IV out of me? I want to get up. Walk around. Go home. Eat something besides hospital food," she said.
Carol removed the IV and let Lucy change back into her normal clothing. Lucy placed her stethoscope on and walked around. She walked out of the hospital, her head hung low.
"Carol! Where's Lucy?!" yelled Kerry, angrily.
"I discharged her," Carol muttered.
"You what?!" Kerry fumed.
"Hey! She wanted to be discharged, I discharged her!" she shot back.
Kerry walked off, slamming the door as she went. Carol sighed unhappily and sat down on a chair. She sat there, her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. Elizabeth walked over to Carol and knelt down to her level.
"Carter's stabilized. Could you tell Lucy?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure."
Elizabeth forced a weak smile before walking out of the trauma room. Carol knew exactly where she was heading. She was heading there, too. She walked slowly to the Doctor's Lounge. She needed a cup of coffee, bad. She walked into the Lounge.
"Hey, Carol," whispered Lucy, whimpering.
"Lucy?! What are you still doing here?" Carol asked, surprised.
"I walked out of the hospital and I just felt so helpless", she paused, holding back the tears. "I came back here."
"Carter's stabilized, you know," remarked Elizabeth, walking in.
"Hey, Lucy?" started Carol.
"Hmm?" Lucy murmured, grasping a tissue in her quivering hands.
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Carol asked.
"I'm fine!" she snapped.
"CAROL! Elizabeth! Come here, NOW!" Kerry ordered.
Carol and Elizabeth both muttered quick apologies for having to leave so soon before racing out the door. Lucy sighed in frustration and laid down on the firm sofa. She closed her eyes and let the tears flow and before she could stop it, she was asleep.
~*Flashback to Chapter 1*~
"Lucy!" Dave cried, running after her.
"Hmm?" she smiled, grinning at him. They had been dating for quite some time and she was quite happy.
"Don't forget this," he replied, handing her the stethoscope she dropped. She blushed a deep shade of red.
"Thanks. Dr. Carter would've killed me," she gratifyingly remarked.
He kissed her cheek and he raced off while she stood there, grinning. She walked off to her patient in Trauma 3.
"Now, Mr. Taylor, you've been complaining of chest pains?" she asked, not looking up from her clipboard.
"Yes," he answered.
"Well, let's get a chest film and see what's going on," she replied. "Chuny."
"On it, Lucy," Chuny muttered quickly before leaving.
Lucy walked out of the room and walked to the hallway where she saw Dave talking with a new blonde nurse. As she walked up to him, she saw him kiss her in what appeared to be a passionate kiss. She felt the tears welling up.
"You asshole!" she screamed, slapping him. She ran off and didn't even bother to pick up her stethoscope when it dropped to the ground.
The blonde nurse stared straight ahead, obviously in confusion. Carter walked past and picked up the stethoscope that she had dropped. He had noticed everything and knew where she was going automatically. He held the stethoscope pressed against his palm and walked up the stairs to the roof. He saw Lucy, crouching in a corner, sobbing. He approached her.
"Oh, God. Dr. Carter. I'm so embarrassed," she muttered, in between sobs.
"You dropped this, Lucy," he answered, handing her the medical instrument. She took it and placed it by her side. He walked over and sat down next to her. He gave her a long hug and she cried into his shoulder.
"I can't believe it! I thought he loved me," she sobbed, piteously.
"It's okay, Lucy. Dave's an asshole. Forget about him. You'll be okay," he cooed, stroking back her hair.
She sniffed and looked up. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Carter. I have to get back to work. Thanks for everything," she remarked.
He nodded briskly and he got up as well. She wrung her stethoscope round her neck and she headed inside. He followed. She went back to Chuny for the results on Mr. Taylor's chest film and it revealed something strange.
"Mr. Taylor?" Lucy began. He nodded tiredly. "I'm afraid you have acid reflux disease."
"You mean, I have prolonged heartburn?! That's it?!" he cried, shocked.
"Yeah," she replied, trying to stifle her laughs.
He got up, ran out of the room, and slammed the door. She scribbled something on the clipboard and ran off to the bathroom. She could feel the tears forming behind her eyes again. She bit her lip trying to prolong the agony of crying in public, but it didn't work. She gave a quick sob and Haleh noticed her. They followed her to the bathroom.
"Lucy!" cried Carol.
Lucy's eyes opened. "Huh?" she muttered, unintelligibly.
"It's me, Carol. You dozed off. Elizabeth says that you can go visit Carter now, if you want to. He's awake," she explained.
She forced herself up using her elbows and sat up. She stood up and yawned. She stretched and headed out into the hallway. Dave was standing there with the same blonde nurse.
"Lucy. Hi. Have you met", he started, before she interrupted him.
"Fuck off."
His voice caught in his throat and she continued walking toward Carter's room. She cracked the door open a bit. "Lucy," he rasped out.
"Hi, Dr. Carter. How're you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside him.
"Okay. I'm glad to see you're okay," he whispered.
"You risked your life for me," she replied, feeling the familiar lump in her throat. She gave him a hug. "Thanks."
"Lucy, you got to let Carter rest now. You can talk to him again tomorrow. Visiting hours are over," Kerry muttered.
"Yeah. See you, Dr. Carter."
"Bye."
Lucy walked out the door and headed toward her car. She got in her car and started the engine and started to drive off. Back at the hospital, Carter was going into v-fib once more.