DOUBLE JEOPARDY:PART ONE

Doctor Lisa Chandler's long day was getting longer by the minute. First of all she had just gone through a night on call from hell. Ten patients, ten admits, endless paperwork and scut. She hadn't been off her feet for eight hours now and her feet were killing her. Then the hospital administrators decided to make her life even more miserable by making her the object of a school trip from the town of Glen Oak. She never even heard of the town of Glen Oak! And now she was supposed to put on a show for them! Mind you nothing would change, she simply had to continue on her day as a emergency room intern in a major city hospital and all they had to do was simply watch. She wondered how many students she would have to treat for fainting if a trauma case was wheeled in....

Dismissing the funny thought from her mind she simply sat beside her locker and waited until she was called to meet her students. She was a mess,dark brown curly hair all ragged and dirty, clothes rumpled, a blood stain on her wrinkled and worn white doctor's coat.... not exactly ready for a presentation clothing wise but she was too tired to change. Not that it mattered. In a funny sort of way she was looking forward to it. She was very lonely and it was nice to see kids her own age that were not patients. Being a 13 year old intern training to be an emergency physician was a very lonely experience for her and she often yearned for a normal childhood. But she also wanted to be a doctor as well, like her dead stepfather....

"Lisa. Their here.", Nurse Kerri Huntington, in a way her surrogate mom in this hospital since her subinternship, said poking her head through the door.

Lisa get up and took a deep breath. She wondered what the other teens would think of her. In a way despite her special talents she was never great at social skills although she did generally communicated with patients well. Her dad taught her how to do that effectively. Other than that, any relationship with other children that were not her patients was very difficult and uncomfortable for her.

"Relax. You'll do fine.", Kerri said patting her on the back as she left the intern's room, "Besides you'll meet kids your own age."

"Yeah that's what I'm dreading. You think they will like me?"

"I like you don't I?"

"Yeah but your an adult. I mean being a nurse is normal for someone your age. I'm only 13 and I'm a doctor."

Kerri stopped Lisa and sttod in fromt of the teenager and put both her hands on the girl's shoulders, "Look. I know this is hard for you but you need to know other children your own age other than them having to be one of your patients."

"Yeah but I don't need to..."

Kerri cut her off by gently putting her finger on Lisa's lips, "Just trust me on this one okay? Do it for me."

Lisa sighed for a moment seeing the hint of urgency and seriousness on Kerri's face. She could never say no to her.

++++++++++

"I heard she got into medical school because of her dad.", Linda said, "Typical. Probably one of those nerdy types."

"Actually I want to meet her.", Rachel said, "I hear she is also one of the best."

Linda glared at Rachel.

"What?! I actually want to meet her! So what if she is the youngest doctor in history!"

"Well I think it's weird."

"Well I don't.", Rachel said turning her back on Linda and waiting for the famous Dr. Chandler. She still held a grudge against Linda for the way she had been treating Ruthie lately.

Ms Riddle was also waiting at the door. She looked outside and suddenly saw someone familiar to her that she thought wouldn't be able to come till next week when her assigned group for career week was sent here.

"Ruthie! What are you doing here?"

Lisa gave Ms. Riddle a strange look, "You talking to me?"

"Yes you. Weren't you assigned to a different group? And how did you get here?", she said and began looking through her papers.

Lisa smiled politely and said, "I think you got me confused with someone else. I'm not Ruthie."

Then Ms. Riddle gave Lisa an odd look. Looking Lisa over and seeing the name tag which indicated, along with the picture, that the girl may be telling the truth seemed to make Ms. Riddle believe the girl. Add to the fact that the girl had curly hair instead of straight and also the fact that she was in surgical scrubs and wearing a doctor's coat.

"I can't believe it but you look exactly like someone I know."

Lisa just shrugged at the teacher, "Must be a coincidence.", Lisa offered her hand, "I'm Dr. Lisa Chandler."

Still shocked by the remakable resemblance, Mrs. Mackoul shook Lisa's hand, "I'm Ms. Riddle. And this is the group who will be watching you today."

Lisa nodded and began heading to the front of the room. Mrs. Riddle followed her and was still in awe at the remarkable resemblance of this girl to Ruthie Camden. She made a mental note to call Eric later.

"Class. Quiet please. Well...this is our speaker today and her name is Dr. Lisa Chandler. She will be guiding you through the hospital and showing you around this hospital for career day.", Ms. Riddle said. Lisa waved to the class and already she saw looks of recognition and surprise from the children. She noticed a particular girl look at her with disdain and contempt. Oh well. At least their not throwing food at me or calling me names. Lisa thought. She decided to start immediately wanting to get this over with.

"Okay why don't we get things started..unless Ms Riddle has an objection."

Mrs. Riddle shook her head.

"Okay well do you guys have any questions for me before we begin the tour?"

"Why do you look like Ruthie Camden?", Rachel spoke up and several other children agreed loudly.

"Who is Ruthie Camden?", Lisa asked.

"She's another girl who lives in Glen Oak. Like I said you kinda look like her.", Ms Riddle said.

"Well I don't know any Ruthie Camden. Does she really look like me?", Lisa said shrugging.

"You two could be twins.", Rachel replied.

Lisa just shrugged at that, "Well I never met this Ruthie Camden so I don't know for sure. Well anyways, any questions before we begin?"

"Yeah why did you decide to become a doctor?"

Lisa thought about it for a moment and said, "Well my dad was a doctor and I guess I wanted to be one too. Only I went to medical school a little earlier than most people."

Linda just rolled her eyes and whispered, "Oh please.."

Lisa looked at Julia for a moment and then chose to ignore her, "Well why don't we just start with the tour right now. You ready?", Lisa said cheerfully although the students were just as fake about it as Lisa.

++++++++++

Lisa's day was thankfully rather uneventful so far. Once her rounds were over she had about 4 or 5 minor emergencies, usually suturing jobs and a group of people suffering from minor food poisoning from eating food at a nearby restaurant. Great. So much for eating lunch today! Lisa thought. At least the students were well behaved. They mostly watched and talked amongst themselves. Lisa wondered if Julia was always on Haldol all the time or whether she was intentionally holding her chin up in contempt.

Lisa was eating lunch now with Rachel and Sarah, another one of Ruthie's former friends. They were telling her about her supposed twin.

"Sounds like Ruthie is a sociopath?"

"What's a sociopath?", Sarah said giving Lisa an odd look.

"It's a person who is maliciously antisocial. Like, well Ruthie."

Rachel just shrugged at that.

"Well from what you have told me, Ruthie seems to be someone who thinks she is always better than anyone else. I mean did she ever try to see either of you again after you two had that sleepover and fought over her?"

"No.", Rachel replied.

"And why is that?"

Again Rachel just shrugged and Sarah seemed to get what Lisa was saying.

"Well she does talk to me on occasion.", Sarah replied.

"But not to me.But then she moved back to her old school."

"Yeah but why would she still not see you?"

Rachel thought about that for a moment.

Then Lisa's beeper beeped.

"Excuse me I gotta go. Sorry.", Lisa said as she got up and politely excused herself.

Rachel and Sarah watched as the girl left. Sarah then added, "You know she is right. Ruthie can be a sociopath at times."

++++++++++

Lisa ran to the ER as fast as she could, a nagging fear eating away at her soul. She had been waiting for this moment and dreaded it all along. Rushing inside the trauma room she saw her Joe Holloway, a priest at a nearby church and family friend.

"I'm okay. Really.", Joe said.

"What happened?", Lisa asked.

"He had another MI.", Kerri said.

Lisa took her stethoscope and listened to Joe's chest. Joe put his hand on Lisa's arm saying, "I'm okay."

"I thought I told you to get some rest.", Lisa said angrily, "I told you this might happen again. You need to rest!"

"I can't. I got a congregation to hold on to. The neighbourhood needs me."

"Even if it costs you your life! What about me!"

"I know! But you must understand! My conngregation is my life. I can't give that up now!"

Lisa angrily ordered some tests and told then stormed out yelling, "Fine! Go ahead and run your congregation again. And why don't you leave me an orphan again while your at it!"

"Lisa wait!", Joe said but Lisa was gone.

Kerri sadly watched her friend go and turned to Joe with a sympathetic look on her face. Dr. Jim Carston who happened to be the doctor in charge when Lisa entered just shrugged.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine.", Kerri said.

"She doesn't know I'm terminally ill you know."

"You should tell her.", Dr. Carson responded, "She has a right to know."

"I know but I'm not sure I'm ready for her to go through such another heartbreak. It was bad enough when Jim died a year ago."

"She's going to find out sooner or later. And she is a doctor you know. It's not like you can't hide it from her for very much longer.", Kerri responded.

"Yes I know. And the worse part of this is is that who is going to take care of her when I'm gone. She's so young.."

++++++++++

Lisa went into the women's washroom and directed her anger at the mirror, punching it so hard she cracked it. She was crying and very angry. Yet she settled down eventually. Why does everyone I love have to die! Why can't they live and why can't I save them! she thought as she stood there looking herself over in the mirror.

TO BE CONTINUED