Two for the price of one

Disclaimer: Hey, I don't own them, but if I did, I'd have Carter as my sex slave, Mark as my personal physician, Elizabeth as my midwife, Luka as my other sex slave and Abby, well, she'd just stand around and watch while she drank her tequila. So, no, I don't own them, some dude at NBC owns them!!

Rating: PG - 13, mainly because I like to see the word shit every now and then.

AN: Chapter 2 as promised. Hopefully this one will be a little longer, and most likely quite angsty. How would you feel if you came back from an extended vacation only to find out that your sister was stabbed and it should've been you, and that your favorite doctor was in rehab because he liked too many pain pills and lost the girl he loved because he was TOO STUPID TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON?! Ahem. Lost control there. Back to the story...

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Chapter 2: Sister Dear

Lucy made her way over to the pay phone, suitcase and carry on bumping her legs as she walked. She put the money in the phone, and then couldn't remember the number. Being in Tahiti for 7 months hadn't done her memory well, that was for sure. It finally came to her and she quickly dialed.

"Knight resident," a soft voice answered groggily.

"Mom? Is that you? Laila?" Lucy cried into the phone. Several of the stragglers glanced her way. She waved them off with her hand.

"Wha-? Who is this? If this is another prank call..." the voice answered, growing stronger and angrier by the minute.

Lucy bobbed her head in frustration. What the hell? "Mom, it's me, Lucy. Where. Is. Laila." She bit out the words. She was tired, she was jetlagged and she was certain that although she hadn't been anywhere near Mexico, Montezuma's revenge was creeping up on her.

The voice on the other end of the phone became sharp and indignant. "I don't know who you are, or why you're playing this dirty little game, but STOP CALLING HERE. My daughter is DEAD. LEAVE US ALONE!"

Click.

Lucy stared at the phone in horror. Their daughter was dead, but which daughter? She sank to the floor as her muscles turned to rubber. It had to be Laila who was dead, but since she and her sister hadn't told a soul about the little switch they did, no one would've known it was her, and not Lucy. Eight months ago it had seemed a cool idea when Laila approached her about switching for a bit. Lucy was getting tired of the hospital and Laila had no intention on going to Tahiti with her doctor friends to practice backwoods medicine. Lucy thought it was a grand plan, and since they were both technically doctors, they could substitute for awhile. Laila had always wanted to work in the ER - she had been studying everything with Lucy before she took over, which was a month before Lucy actually left. She got to know the different personalities and habits of everyone there. She was a shoo-in to play Lucy's part. And Lucy had always dreamed of practicing medicine in another country. In Tahiti she had been someone, not someone's little med student to pick on.

A dampness on her hands snapped Lucy out of her reverie. She had to get home and she had to go fast. The telegram that had arrived a month into her stay now made sense, although it hadn't at the time, and she had thought it was just another prank from her teasing sister.

Cabs were not hard to find at three in the morning, so she was on her way home in about ten minutes, frantically trying to figure out what to say to her parents when she got there. She could just continue to be Laila and no one would be the wiser, except her. And she actually wanted to get back to her duties at county. She had started to miss Carter while she was away.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was 5:30 in the morning by the time Lucy fumbled with her key to get into the house. It was dark, save for the nightlight in the kitchen. She had gotten to the stairs with her bags when someone called out to her softly.

"Laila, honey, I hope that's you,"

Lucy swallowed hard before answering, "It's me, mom. Lucy, not Laila."

There was a thunk on the floor as Lucy's mom passed out.

AN: Okay, not too angsty yet. Just wait for the next chapter. You'll never guess who is at the Knight house besides Lucy's parents. Well, maybe you will - kudos and green apple blow pops to those who guess correctly. I do have a bit of a dilemma though. How do I write the ER/County reunion? I have a general plot idea, but I think I might need some audience participation. You should have enough grasp of the story right now, and the sort of funny/serious mood. Email me at rebeccab@mrgmi.com with ideas. If I use yours, you'll get an honorary mention in a future author's note!!