Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear on the show. There are a few coming up that I claim as mine.

Apprehension: Good-Bye

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The County ER had suffered a lot of heartache and disaster through the years. Many of the doctors who became part of the family had moved on in one way or another. Very few remained for a long period of time. It was almost like a stopping ground, a place to learn and then move on when you were ready. So it shocked the entire staff when the next fax came in.

"Kerry, here's a fax for you," Jerry said.

"You know where my box is."

"It's from Dr. Carter. It says URGENT." Kerry took the fax from him and flipped the page, reading silently.

A week ago he had moved out of her house and back into his grandmother's house. His father was pressuring him for more support and he didn't have the resources he needed. He was set to return to work the following Monday as long as his chest film came back healthy. Kerry didn't want him at risk for injury when he was still vulnerable. Even though he never made her house nosy, being that he was so quiet already, she could already feel a difference now that he was gone. It was the same thing she felt when he left the first time.

Kerry stared at the paper in her hand, ignoring the curious glances.

"Jerry. Page everyone in the ER who's working today. Tell them we're having a quick meeting at admit in five minutes, unless a trauma comes in." Kerry disappeared into the lounge and picked up the phone, quickly dialing Carter's cell phone. She got no answer. Her next call was made to the office in his house.

"John Carter," he said, picking up the phone, all the while typing on his computer.

"John, it's Kerry."

"Hi," he said, as his fingers stilled and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"What's going on?" She asked. She wanted to be able to tell the staff something tangible.

People started getting antsy as they stood around waiting for Weaver. The longer they stood around, the more they got backed up.

"How long do we have to wait for her to show up for the meeting she called?" Susan asked Abby as they both looked over charts as they stood around.

"It better be good. My day was going smooth. Now I'm going to be completely backed up," Abby complained.

"She got a fax from Carter, I heard," Chuny said.

"When?" Abby asked.

"Ten minutes ago. I heard her on the phone in the lounge when I got my coffee," Malik said.

The lounge door opened and Kerry walked out and over to them.

"What's going on?" Deb asked.

"I've been notified of some information that is coming at an inconvenient time. Many of you realize that since the loss of Luka we've been shorthanded and I appreciate your efforts to work with us in finding a replacement. I'm going to ask again that you be patient through this process. I know I can't give you many of your days off. We are avidly searching for some replacements. A foundation has donated a sizable amount to help the ER out, including a little bit of help to find the perfect doctors to join our family."

"Doctors? Plural? We can afford to hire more than one new doctor but we can't afford the vacation pay we're owed?" Pratt asked.

"Everything will be evened out in time. And if you argue with me then you won't get the difference."

"Why doctors? We just hired Trent and the only doctor gone is Luka," Susan said.
"I just received news today that John Carter has resigned from his position," Kerry announced. A whisper went through the crowd.

"Why?" Abby asked.

"He wasn't very clear but apparently he has some family issues to deal with that aren't about to be resolved any time soon. He had a hard time making the decision but he requested that I pass the message along. He really admired you as doctors and nurses. Now, get back to work. We're piled up enough," Kerry said, relieved it was finally over.

"Kerry, is John still staying with you?" Susan asked.

"No. He moved out. I'd appreciate your help in keeping this place under control."

"Sure, Kerry. No problem," Susan said walking off.

Abby couldn't believe it. He had pushed her away and now he was pushing everyone else away. The last thing she wanted to do was irritate him more, but she had a growing problem of her own that wasn't about to disappear.

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Author's Note: Please continue to read and review. I'm not sure how many chapters I'm going to do but I'm fond of adding conflict and flirting with disaster. So I will continue until I am satisfied.