Disclaimer: See the first chapter.
Author's notes: I am really lost on everyone's ages at this point. All that I can say, is Arianne is now an attending, and she graduated high school 25 years after the end of season eight. I think that it puts Carter in his mid to late fifties, but I'm not sure…so if anyone knows, please tell me by way of review…!
When the door shut, the two men started talking.
"So Doug, wow, it's been along time. What brings you back?"
"Carol's mom died, and she and the kids are making arrangements."
"Oh, will they be stopping by later?"
"Yeah, too bad none of the old gang is here anymore though."
"Let's see, Jerry still comes in every once and awhile. Chuny is still here and so is Yosh. Kerry of course, she wouldn't dare leave here. Romano just retired last month. Elizabeth went back to England, and Ella is a lawyer for the hospital. Randi moved about five years ago."
"So Arianne is a peds attending. I got a good laugh out of that. I thought that they wouldn't let anyone have that position after what I did."
"Yep, she's really good at it too. She seems to have her mom's people skills."
"Susan was good at that. She looks a lot like her too."
"Yep she does. Sometimes, I swear that she is more Susan's than she is mine."
"Well I see that she goes by Carter."
"I know, I finally am called Dr. Carter or John. I think the only one who calls her Arianne down there is Chuny."
"Well, your still going to be Carter to me, so don't think that you are too high and mighty for it"
John just laughed, but the laugh didn't seem to be as carefree as it once was. His eyes were worn from years of mounting guilt and personal struggles. The struggle of raising a girl as a single father, the guilt over Susan's death, Lucy's death, the drugs it all had made his eyes look so old.
Doug looked at the pictures hung around the small office. They were pictures of him and Susan on their wedding day, Arianne at various ages and graduations. Over the desk there was a picture taken of all those who were on the staff when John Carter officially became a doctor. Doug thought about how young they all were back then, and who they had now become. Then out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small clipping of a news article about him becoming the youngest chief of medicine in the hospital's history next to his diploma.
*** Down in the ER***
Arianne had just finished with a trauma, an eleven year old with a closed head injury from his skateboard flipping when it hit a bump in the street. They worked on him for a good forty-five minutes before he was stable enough to go up to surgery.
She was lost in thought when she bumped into a handsome young man; causing him to drop the papers he was carrying. He got down and while doing so she bumped heads with the man.
"Oh I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" she asked
"I'm fine. How about you, you ok?"
"Just a headache."
"Me too."
"I can get you some aspirin if you want." Arianne asked as she got up with a pile of papers in her arms, handing them to their owner.
"Sure. Thanks Dr…" the man said
"It's Arianne Carter. And you'd go by?"
"Shane, Shane Ross."
"Oh, are you related to a Doug Ross?"
"He's my father." Shane said as he followed Arianne to the meds lockup.
"Is your mom here? Or your sisters?"
"No, there're still planning nana's funeral. It got too depressing for me, so I decided to find my dad here. Wait, how do you know I have sisters? And how did you know about my dad?"
"Oh, know about everyone who used to work here, including your parents. Besides, I met your dad about an hour ago.
"Wait right here." Arianne said as she went to get the medicine
She was gone for a minute or so, and then came back with two round pills.
"The water fountain is just around the corner if you want to take them with something."
"I'm fine. So here's a question for you."
"Shoot"
"Are you John Carter's daughter?"
"The one and the only."
"Well then Dr. Carter…"
"Arianne." she interrupted
"Arianne, my dad said he'd be wanting to see your dad. So if you know where your dad is, I can find mine."
"There still up in Poppa's office, I bet. Want to go and check?"
"Sure."
Arianne let Shane to the steps and up the three flights, her black ponytail bouncing with each step she took. Shane thought that Arianne was the nicest woman that he had ever met, also the prettiest. When they finished the accent, Arianne let her companion down the hall to her father's office.
"Hey Dad!" Shane said out of the blue
Arianne looked up and saw Doug Ross heading toward them. They kept walking to him, until they met in the middle.
"I see that you have met my son, Arianne."
"Yes, and by a rather odd accident too." she said with a sly and sweet smile on her lips
"Shane, we have to get going. Mom and the girls will be wondering what happened to us."
"You start, I'll be there in a moment."
"Ok, I'll be at the ER steps."
Doug Ross started down the hall. Even though Shane and Arianne couldn't see his face, he was snickering. He knew what his son's next move was. The one characteristic Shane had to get from himself was his knack for the ladies.
"Umm... if your not too busy tonight, would you like to get dinner or something?"
"I get off at seven tonight."
"Ok, so where do you want to meet at?"
"How about this little café called "Starry Dream? It's like two miles down the road from here and I can be changed and there by eight."
"Sounds good. I'll see you tonight then."
With that Shane Ross walked down the hall to the stairs, and Arianne to her Poppa's office.