Disclaimer: I do not own the original ER characters, however I have made up
a few of my own
Survival: Part Four
~*~*~*~*~*~
He didn't pay much attention to the voices in the hall. With all the staff, he knew it was just two of them whispering. That's how it had been since he came home earlier that day. They had all seen his moods after a bad day, when he barked his orders, stomped up the stairs, occasionally threw a glass at the wall. He shocked them all slightly by coming in without a word except to the child, and voluntarily sat down to work on the Foundation. He talked softly to them, asking politely as if he was a child himself. This time was different, and still they tiptoed around his every move.
"Dr. Carter," the maid said cautiously walking into the den. "There's a woman here to see you." He looked up from his desk, over the pile of paperwork and proposals. Stella had been curled up half-asleep in one of the big chairs, watching a movie. Now she was fast asleep, a blanket gently tucked around her body. She had insisted on staying with him.
"Who?" he asked.
"Your best friend," Susan said walking into the room carrying a bag.
"Go home," he said.
"Listen to me. You're hurt. You left on your own. I'm here as your friend to make sure you're okay. I fought with Abby and I'm going to fight you."
"What? You want to pump me full of drugs again?" He asked sitting back in his chair.
"There are a lot of questions floating around. Weaver's threatening to fire anyone who holds back information, including Abby. Except no one knows anything, except you."
"Stay out of it."
"John, you're keeping secrets and management is looking for answers."
"Don't ask me."
"Can I get you anything for the night?" the maid asked.
"No. We're fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
"Would you like me to take her up?" the maid asked glancing across the room .
"Excuse me?" Susan asked.
"No, I'll take care of it," Carter said with a slight smile.
"John, is that some sort of threat?" Susan asked as the maid walked out.
He pointed across the room to the chair. "She's talking about Stella."
Susan looked at the little girl. A smile formed again on Carter's lips as he looked at the sleeping child. "Carter. Something isn't right with this picture."
"Stella's mother moved to Europe and didn't want to take her kids out of school."
"Kids?"
"Stella's the youngest. Her twin brother and sister are at boarding school."
"You work fast."
Carter laughed. "I love how you jump to your own conclusions. Stella's my niece. Not my daughter." He laughed again as Susan's cheeks flushed pink. "But thanks for the compliment, I think."
Susan's face finally turned to normal as her smile faded. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm spending the night until you're healed."
"Best offer I've had since I got back."
~*~*~*~*~*~
This was probably the best time of the night, when the sky was lit only by the stars and the moon. It somehow seemed relaxing to know you're one of the only ones awake in the city and one of the few who would get his view. Occasionally he'd see a star fly by his sight and he'd make a wish, knowing it would probably never come true. The only other flicker of light in the night was the end of the burning cigarette clenched between his lips. Slowly he reached up and out of the corner of his eye watched the burning embers crumble in the coffee can. Ten cigarettes later and he was still craving the instant gratification that came with being a drug addict. He had to go through the whole process again. And now with Stella he had no room to be weak. He hated having to depend on other people because they all seemed to think that because he had money he was always happy.
"What are you doing? You should be resting," Susan said breaking his thoughts as she stepped onto the balcony, pulling her hair into a pony tail.
"Can't sleep."
"Bad dream?" she asked leaning her back against the railing.
"Bad habits," he said calmly as he stared across the grounds.
"Please take something so your body can heal. So you can sleep."
"How much did you give me?" he asked, avoiding her previous suggestion.
"I don't know. I think Pratt started morphine the second they brought you in."
"Did Kerry authorize it? I mean, who can I blame for making me go through this again"
"Kerry advised it, yes. Even with the risks she knew were involved. Especially after seeing other injuries you failed to mention."
"Susan, when you get a sliver do you tell everyone in the hospital to watch out for your injured finger?" he asked.
"That's totally different. Without medical treatment you could die. We need to monitor your vitals. You didn't even get a CT."
"To me this is a sliver. I'm fine. Do you think I would actually walk out if I knew I was that sick?"
"You need sleep to function. You need sleep to work."
"I quit, remember?"
"Don't even do that. You know that this is not a strike against you."
"Susan, you weren't here before. I couldn't take aspirin without being reprimanded."
"I'm here to help. I'm not the enemy."
"You want to help? Good luck. I'm so screwed up, Susan. You couldn't help me if you tried. I wouldn't be able to go to work and function now if I tried. All I can think about is getting another fix."
Susan didn't say anything.
"Go home. You're not needed here," Carter said lighting another cigarette.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Please continue to R&R and give me suggestions about how you would like me to continue my story.
Survival: Part Four
~*~*~*~*~*~
He didn't pay much attention to the voices in the hall. With all the staff, he knew it was just two of them whispering. That's how it had been since he came home earlier that day. They had all seen his moods after a bad day, when he barked his orders, stomped up the stairs, occasionally threw a glass at the wall. He shocked them all slightly by coming in without a word except to the child, and voluntarily sat down to work on the Foundation. He talked softly to them, asking politely as if he was a child himself. This time was different, and still they tiptoed around his every move.
"Dr. Carter," the maid said cautiously walking into the den. "There's a woman here to see you." He looked up from his desk, over the pile of paperwork and proposals. Stella had been curled up half-asleep in one of the big chairs, watching a movie. Now she was fast asleep, a blanket gently tucked around her body. She had insisted on staying with him.
"Who?" he asked.
"Your best friend," Susan said walking into the room carrying a bag.
"Go home," he said.
"Listen to me. You're hurt. You left on your own. I'm here as your friend to make sure you're okay. I fought with Abby and I'm going to fight you."
"What? You want to pump me full of drugs again?" He asked sitting back in his chair.
"There are a lot of questions floating around. Weaver's threatening to fire anyone who holds back information, including Abby. Except no one knows anything, except you."
"Stay out of it."
"John, you're keeping secrets and management is looking for answers."
"Don't ask me."
"Can I get you anything for the night?" the maid asked.
"No. We're fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
"Would you like me to take her up?" the maid asked glancing across the room .
"Excuse me?" Susan asked.
"No, I'll take care of it," Carter said with a slight smile.
"John, is that some sort of threat?" Susan asked as the maid walked out.
He pointed across the room to the chair. "She's talking about Stella."
Susan looked at the little girl. A smile formed again on Carter's lips as he looked at the sleeping child. "Carter. Something isn't right with this picture."
"Stella's mother moved to Europe and didn't want to take her kids out of school."
"Kids?"
"Stella's the youngest. Her twin brother and sister are at boarding school."
"You work fast."
Carter laughed. "I love how you jump to your own conclusions. Stella's my niece. Not my daughter." He laughed again as Susan's cheeks flushed pink. "But thanks for the compliment, I think."
Susan's face finally turned to normal as her smile faded. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm spending the night until you're healed."
"Best offer I've had since I got back."
~*~*~*~*~*~
This was probably the best time of the night, when the sky was lit only by the stars and the moon. It somehow seemed relaxing to know you're one of the only ones awake in the city and one of the few who would get his view. Occasionally he'd see a star fly by his sight and he'd make a wish, knowing it would probably never come true. The only other flicker of light in the night was the end of the burning cigarette clenched between his lips. Slowly he reached up and out of the corner of his eye watched the burning embers crumble in the coffee can. Ten cigarettes later and he was still craving the instant gratification that came with being a drug addict. He had to go through the whole process again. And now with Stella he had no room to be weak. He hated having to depend on other people because they all seemed to think that because he had money he was always happy.
"What are you doing? You should be resting," Susan said breaking his thoughts as she stepped onto the balcony, pulling her hair into a pony tail.
"Can't sleep."
"Bad dream?" she asked leaning her back against the railing.
"Bad habits," he said calmly as he stared across the grounds.
"Please take something so your body can heal. So you can sleep."
"How much did you give me?" he asked, avoiding her previous suggestion.
"I don't know. I think Pratt started morphine the second they brought you in."
"Did Kerry authorize it? I mean, who can I blame for making me go through this again"
"Kerry advised it, yes. Even with the risks she knew were involved. Especially after seeing other injuries you failed to mention."
"Susan, when you get a sliver do you tell everyone in the hospital to watch out for your injured finger?" he asked.
"That's totally different. Without medical treatment you could die. We need to monitor your vitals. You didn't even get a CT."
"To me this is a sliver. I'm fine. Do you think I would actually walk out if I knew I was that sick?"
"You need sleep to function. You need sleep to work."
"I quit, remember?"
"Don't even do that. You know that this is not a strike against you."
"Susan, you weren't here before. I couldn't take aspirin without being reprimanded."
"I'm here to help. I'm not the enemy."
"You want to help? Good luck. I'm so screwed up, Susan. You couldn't help me if you tried. I wouldn't be able to go to work and function now if I tried. All I can think about is getting another fix."
Susan didn't say anything.
"Go home. You're not needed here," Carter said lighting another cigarette.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Please continue to R&R and give me suggestions about how you would like me to continue my story.
