AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thanks for the reviews. They are all so encouraging and positive. I hope you all don't hate me after this chapter, but this is where you learn why I gave this story the title that I did...
Carter entered the lounge at County General about two hours later for his shift that Abby had reminded him was at noon. Opening his locker, he noticed that several pictures and drawings decorated the inside. The drawings were all from Jake, he guessed, considering it would be silly to hang up drawings done by his wife, and Megan would probably just eat a crayon if it was given to her. Studying them closely, he realized that Jake really was quite an artist. There were drawings of the beach, a baseball game, and a family portrait. Carter had come out looking pretty well, as far as children's drawings go. The drawing also included Abby, Megan, Jake, and...another boy? Who was the other boy in the picture? Did he and Abby have a third child?
Still looking in his locker, he saw lots of pictures. He saw Jake, Megan, and Abby at the beach, which was probably taken by Carter himself. There was a picture of Megan covered in chocolate, probably a birthday party of some sort. There was a picture of Jake at bat in his baseball uniform. And...a small picture in the top corner...one he might have missed if hadn't been studying them all so closely...was of Jake and another small boy that he didn't recognize. He pulled it down to take a closer look. Could it be? Did he have a third child—a second son? If so, where was he? Maybe he was just a friend of Jake's...yet, they looked like brothers...He was so engrossed in his thoughts and the picture that he didn't hear Susan come in.
"Hey, Carter." Susan's voice startled him and caused him to jump. "Sorry," she added as she peered over Carter's shoulder to see what he was staring at. "Oh...How are you guys doing?" she asked with a sympathetic look in her eye.
"Okay..." Carter answered hesitantly, not really sure what she was asking.
"I know this time of year is rough on you guys...I'll leave you alone. I just wanted you to know that things are starting to stack up out there..." she added as she turned to leave.
"Thanks, Susan. I'll be right out," he answered. He returned the picture, closed his locker slowly, and exited the lounge with more questions than when he had entered.
"What do we got?" Carter asked as the EMTs brought the patient out of the rig in the ambulance bay an hour or so later.
"Approximately four month old female found unresponsive by mom in her crib. We've been bagging her the whole way here, but..."
"It's okay, Carter, we've got this," Weaver said, motioning to Luka and herself. They had appeared out of nowhere. What were they doing taking a patient from him like this?
"I'm fine, really," Carter said. "I've got this."
"That's okay," Luka said, wheeling the little girl inside. "Why don't you take that sprained ankle in one?"
"Sprained ankle?" Carter said half to himself after his friends had gone in. "Doesn't anyone trust me anymore? Did I do something wrong?"
"They're just trying to help," Carter's grandfather appeared to him once again.
"Help what?" Carter asked.
John Carter Sr. exhaled slowly. "Come sit here with me, Johnny," he motioned to the curb. Carter sat beside him, and John began to explain things slowly. "Do you remember that picture that you were looking at in your locker earlier?" Carter nodded slowly. The pieces were slowly starting to fit. "Well," John continued. "Jake, uh... He had a twin. His name was Danny, uh Daniel. Daniel Robert and Jacob Matthew. They were fraternal twins. Danny never, uh, made it to their first birthday..."
Carter looked up at his grandfather. "What happened?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. Danny was the weaker of the two. He was born second, and he wasn't breathing at first. But, they got him to start breathing pretty quickly. Then everyone thought he was okay, but one night...he just...he stopped breathing. I think they called it... SIDS?" Tears began to well up in Carter's eyes. John continued, "It happened the day after your birthday actually. That's why you all celebrate a month later now. But...you and Abby are doing pretty well, actually. Considering everything that's happened...It took you a while to try for children again, though. Meg is almost five years younger than Jake."
"So, the dreams that Abby was talking about..."
"You had trouble sleeping in the beginning. You would wake up in a cold sweat to check on Jake. For a while, you slept in his room to make sure he was okay. The fact that you still had Jake was such a blessing, because both you and Abby knew that you couldn't give up. You still had Jake to think of." Carter was silent, but John continued. "You sleep much better know than you did five years ago, but the dreams still come back every once in a while...especially around your birthday...I know what you're thinking, Johnny, but no life is perfect. Like I said before, you and Abby are doing pretty well...Johnny?"
"I have to get back to work," Carter said as he abruptly rose and walked back inside the hospital.
Thanks for the reviews. They are all so encouraging and positive. I hope you all don't hate me after this chapter, but this is where you learn why I gave this story the title that I did...
Carter entered the lounge at County General about two hours later for his shift that Abby had reminded him was at noon. Opening his locker, he noticed that several pictures and drawings decorated the inside. The drawings were all from Jake, he guessed, considering it would be silly to hang up drawings done by his wife, and Megan would probably just eat a crayon if it was given to her. Studying them closely, he realized that Jake really was quite an artist. There were drawings of the beach, a baseball game, and a family portrait. Carter had come out looking pretty well, as far as children's drawings go. The drawing also included Abby, Megan, Jake, and...another boy? Who was the other boy in the picture? Did he and Abby have a third child?
Still looking in his locker, he saw lots of pictures. He saw Jake, Megan, and Abby at the beach, which was probably taken by Carter himself. There was a picture of Megan covered in chocolate, probably a birthday party of some sort. There was a picture of Jake at bat in his baseball uniform. And...a small picture in the top corner...one he might have missed if hadn't been studying them all so closely...was of Jake and another small boy that he didn't recognize. He pulled it down to take a closer look. Could it be? Did he have a third child—a second son? If so, where was he? Maybe he was just a friend of Jake's...yet, they looked like brothers...He was so engrossed in his thoughts and the picture that he didn't hear Susan come in.
"Hey, Carter." Susan's voice startled him and caused him to jump. "Sorry," she added as she peered over Carter's shoulder to see what he was staring at. "Oh...How are you guys doing?" she asked with a sympathetic look in her eye.
"Okay..." Carter answered hesitantly, not really sure what she was asking.
"I know this time of year is rough on you guys...I'll leave you alone. I just wanted you to know that things are starting to stack up out there..." she added as she turned to leave.
"Thanks, Susan. I'll be right out," he answered. He returned the picture, closed his locker slowly, and exited the lounge with more questions than when he had entered.
"What do we got?" Carter asked as the EMTs brought the patient out of the rig in the ambulance bay an hour or so later.
"Approximately four month old female found unresponsive by mom in her crib. We've been bagging her the whole way here, but..."
"It's okay, Carter, we've got this," Weaver said, motioning to Luka and herself. They had appeared out of nowhere. What were they doing taking a patient from him like this?
"I'm fine, really," Carter said. "I've got this."
"That's okay," Luka said, wheeling the little girl inside. "Why don't you take that sprained ankle in one?"
"Sprained ankle?" Carter said half to himself after his friends had gone in. "Doesn't anyone trust me anymore? Did I do something wrong?"
"They're just trying to help," Carter's grandfather appeared to him once again.
"Help what?" Carter asked.
John Carter Sr. exhaled slowly. "Come sit here with me, Johnny," he motioned to the curb. Carter sat beside him, and John began to explain things slowly. "Do you remember that picture that you were looking at in your locker earlier?" Carter nodded slowly. The pieces were slowly starting to fit. "Well," John continued. "Jake, uh... He had a twin. His name was Danny, uh Daniel. Daniel Robert and Jacob Matthew. They were fraternal twins. Danny never, uh, made it to their first birthday..."
Carter looked up at his grandfather. "What happened?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. Danny was the weaker of the two. He was born second, and he wasn't breathing at first. But, they got him to start breathing pretty quickly. Then everyone thought he was okay, but one night...he just...he stopped breathing. I think they called it... SIDS?" Tears began to well up in Carter's eyes. John continued, "It happened the day after your birthday actually. That's why you all celebrate a month later now. But...you and Abby are doing pretty well, actually. Considering everything that's happened...It took you a while to try for children again, though. Meg is almost five years younger than Jake."
"So, the dreams that Abby was talking about..."
"You had trouble sleeping in the beginning. You would wake up in a cold sweat to check on Jake. For a while, you slept in his room to make sure he was okay. The fact that you still had Jake was such a blessing, because both you and Abby knew that you couldn't give up. You still had Jake to think of." Carter was silent, but John continued. "You sleep much better know than you did five years ago, but the dreams still come back every once in a while...especially around your birthday...I know what you're thinking, Johnny, but no life is perfect. Like I said before, you and Abby are doing pretty well...Johnny?"
"I have to get back to work," Carter said as he abruptly rose and walked back inside the hospital.