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Sorry it took so long, but this chapter is especially long for you all! Enjoy!
SAVING GRACE—CHAPTER 14
Carter hadn't known what he should do after he had read that letter. He knew that he had to make a lot of phone calls to social services, and his family, and to the attorney, and to his own lawyer.
He wasn't sure how he should be feeling, he was almost numb from a rush of emotions. He had always wanted to be a father, since he was young, so that he could have the chance to give to someone else what he had never received from his own parents. He couldn't imagine, at that moment, a better woman to share a child with. And he could not picture a more perfect daughter than Grace Elizabeth.
Of course, she didn't know anything about it at all. Not yet, anyway. He knew that he needed to tell her, but wasn't sure how to do it. Should he drop the bomb on her sooner? Later? before or after he called SCCS? He didn't know. If he was dealing in the psychological matters of a child, Lucy's child, he didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want to tell her, because she would want to know what would happen to her. That future was something that even Carter was unsure of in that point.
He felt that he still needed time to recover from the initial shock, but he truly didn't know which direction to take next. What could he do? His first instinct was to keep it a secret. He knew, though, that he couldn't do that. He couldn't let Grace go back to foster care not knowing that she had found her father after all. He didn't want to give her any false hopes. He didn't know what to do.
He was a father; he had a beautiful little girl. True, he hadn't known her for her entire life, but she was his daughter nonetheless. That was still a difficult concept to get used to, his having a daughter. The words sounded so foreign on his tongue, they felt strange to speak. After a moment, though, he found that joy was bubbling over, and he felt a rush of the emotion. He was a father, a daddy, for a tiny, callow, vulnerable child whom he suddenly felt the need to protect.
In the back of his mind, though, he knew that he couldn't make a rational judgment based only on the happiness welling up inside of him.
He needed to talk to someone. Someone who wouldn't judge him on it. Carter knew that if Mark Green had been alive, he would have gone to him for advice. But, like Lucy, he was dead, and beyond his reach. He didn't feel like he could talk to Abby, not right away. He decided to tell Susan.
First, though, he needed to talk to Grace. He needed to see her, tell her, to get the whole thing off of his chest. She had a right to know, he decided, she deserved to know, regardless of what would happen to her later.
The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor and Carter stepped out. He again walked the hallway to room 512. He had done it so many times before. This time would be different though.
He would be taking a look at Grace, his child, his daughter, for the first time since he had received the news that he had a child at all. Perhaps against his better judgment, he had neglected to call the SCCS office. He wanted to tell Grace first. He wanted to know what she would want from him.
He briefly knocked on the door to the room and pushed the door open. He felt a different atmosphere in the room. Grace's bed was empty, but there was a small girl, younger than Grace, unconscious in the second bed in the room. Both of the child's' parents were talking in low voices by her bedside, and both of their heads snapped up as Carter entered the room.
"Um-- Excuse me," he said, apologizing. The woman, with a tear-streaked face, nodded. Carter let himself out of the room.
Where had she gone? He didn't think that she had therapy at that time of the day today, and he didn't know where else she would possibly be. He needed to find a nurse to ask. Fortunately, there was one at the Main Pediatric Admissions Desk. He tapped lightly on the counter, bringing the nurse out of her daze. She looked up.
"Can I help you, Mr--?"
"Carter, Dr. Carter, I work down in the Emergency Department. I'm looking for a patient, Grace Knight, she was in room 512, and she's not there. Do you know where she could be?" The nurse pulled a file out of a drawer.
"Well," she said, flipping through the pages, "Miss Knight's physical therapy session was over an hour ago. She could perhaps be visiting a friend--" Carter shook his head. "--Or she could be in the playroom." Carter blinked.
"The playroom?" he said absentmindedly. The nurse nodded. "Thank you, where is that?"
"Go down this hallway, make a left, and the door will be on your left. There's a sign, you can't miss it."
"Thank you," Carter said, turning and starting down the hallway. He found the room without any problems, and pushed the door open.
He found himself in a room about four times the size of a patient room. The walls were painted with murals of the sky, with rainbows, clouds, hot air balloons, even mythical fairies and birds. There were numerous shelves and drawers, and child-sized tables where children could sit and draw. There were drawers with things for children of all ages, from plastic building blocks, to toy cars, to videos, jigsaw puzzles, dolls, crayons and paper, board games. In one corner was a television set, and around it sat two children watching a video. More children were scattered around the room, maybe a dozen in all, occupying themselves with various activities.
It wasn't hard to locate Grace. She sat at a table with two other children, a boy about her age and an older girl, maybe nine years old. They were cooperatively stuffing plastic organs into a model of the human body. Carter smiled, seeing that Grace's wheelchair wasn't there, that she had crutches propped up at the side of the table. He approached the kids.
"I think," he began, squatting at their level, "that the kidneys are more towards the back of the body." The three children looked at him, and Grace smiled.
"Hi Dr. Carter," she said. Carter smiled at her.
"Hey, kiddo. Who are your friends?"
"This is Ashley, and this is Bobby," she said, indicating each of the children in turn. Carter nodded.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked. She frowned; a reaction that Carter had not been expecting. "What's wrong?" At this point, the other children had gone back to their model of the body.
"I can't walk," she answered, pouting. She threw a furtive look at the small crutches propped against the table. Carter understood.
"Well, how about we go back to your room and get your wheelchair?" Grace thought for a moment.
"Okay," she said. She turned to her newfound friends. "I'm leaving. I will see you later, okay?"
"Okay," said the little boy, Bobby, in a small voice. He was acting as if he was intimidated by Carter's presence. Ashley simply smiled and nodded. Grace said good-bye, and picked up her crutches. She warily tucked them under her arms and pushed herself up.
It was slow going, and Carter had to keep a careful eye on her while they were making their way down the corridor to the room to make sure that she didn't hurt herself more. When Grace stumbled and almost fell, he asked her if she needed help. She said, rather forcefully, that she could do it by herself, and Carter stepped back. Once in the room, Carter retrieved her wheelchair and helped her into it. Stashing the crutches near her bed, Carter wheeled the chair out of the room.
"Where are we going?" Grace asked as Carter pushed her down the hallway toward the elevator.
"Someplace special," he responded mysteriously. They got onto the elevator and Carter pressed a button. When they left the lift, they went down a short hallway. Carter pushed open a door, making sure it was unlocked, and brought the little girl out into the sunshine of the afternoon.
"Where are we?" Grace asked, clearly enjoying the sunshine, even if it was chilly outside.
"We," Carter said, "Are on the roof of the hospital." Grace looked around approvingly.
"I like it. It's nice. Look how far you can see!" she said excitedly.
"I know. This is where I like to come to get away from the noise in the hospital," Carter told her truthfully. Grace nodded. She seemed mesmerized by the landscape, the sights and sounds of Chicago in the daylight. He parked her wheelchair a few feet from the edge of the roof, and sat on a raised part of the roof facing her. He let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" the child asked, innocently concerned. She looked at Carter with her blue eyes round, and at that moment, it really hit him. His heart melted for her, this child, his daughter. She was his daughter, and he knew that he loved her. He smiled.
"Nothing's wrong at all," he said. "In fact, I have good news." Grace's eyebrows rose slightly, anticipating the news.
"What?" Carter moistened his lips, and looked straight into her eyes.
"I think," he began, "that we have found your father." In an instant, Grace's eyes lit up, and her mouth broke out into a grin that seemed much too large for her face. She squirmed in her chair.
"Really?" Grace asked excitedly. "Where? When can I meet him?"
"You were right, he lives here in Chicago."
"When can I meet him?" she asked, overflowing with enthusiasm. She still wore a smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled. Carter took a deep breath.
"It's me, Grace," he said. Grace's smile slowly faded, a look of confusion replacing it.
"What?" she asked, looking at him intently. Carter paused.
"I--" he began, voice surprisingly less strong than he would have expected. "I'm your--your father." He let the remaining air out of his lungs and gave the news time to sink into Grace's small mind. She looked down at her hands, and, after a moment, ,turned her gaze on Carter. There was a moment of silence, Grace looking at him, and unreadable expression on her face.
"Daddy?" she asked in a small voice. Carter nodded.
Grace suddenly broke her face into a grin, her eyes shining. Without warning, she flung herself the short distance that separated her from Carter, wrapping her arms around his neck. Carter sat, frozen for a split second. Relaxing, he held the child as she buried her head in the crick between his neck and shoulder. With one hand, he stroked her soft, blond hair.
"I found you," Grace whispered quietly. At these words, Carter felt tears well up in his eyes. But, for the first time in years, it wasn't because he was sad.
It was because he was happy.
"Oh, man," Susan exclaimed, sounding harassed, as she slammed a completed dispo on top of a pile.
"Hey, watch it!" Frank exclaimed, dodging the flying clipboard. Susan ignored him. Carter looked across the desk from where he was completing his own dispo of a headache patient. He, unlike Susan, chose to neatly place the form on the stack of papers in the tray. Frank glared at Susan, while a smile played at Carter's lips. It was so funny to see Susan angry. She could be oh so entertaining.
"Dare I ask the problem, Dr. Lewis?" he asked nonchalantly, earning him a glare from the addressed party. She held the look for a moment, and her face softened.
"Nothing, Carter," she said, shaking her head. "Just been a pretty rough day. I need a break." Carter smiled.
"Yeah, it's been an interesting day for me, too," he told her, grinning. He earned a strange look from Susan.
"I'll say, you can't stop smiling," she paused, looking him over. "Are you shooting up drugs again?" Carter laughed.
"No, this is a natural high." Susan rolled her eyes.
"Stop being happy, Carter, you're depressing me." He attempted to hide a smile.
"Let's get out of here," he said. "We can go across to Doc's and get something to eat. Chat about it over that wonderful, rich, diner coffee?" Susan raised an eyebrow.
"You buying?" she asked, setting the pen she had from filling out the chart onto the counter. It rolled away and dropped to the floor. She glanced down and ignored it.
"Yep, it's on me," he said, smiling. Susan took a fraction of a second to make up her mind.
"Sure," she nodded. "I'll grab my jacket and we can get out of here."
Five minutes later, they were sitting at a booth at Doc Magoo's, steaming mugs of hot coffee in front of them. Susan was carping on about some patient, and Carter was smiling and nodding, listening politely.
"---So in the end, I told him that he had no right to question my sexual orientation, and he kept at it, called me a few choice names and I got pretty pissed."
"I saw," Carter answered, grinning. "I think they should call you Dr. Firecracker. You and Abby would make a great team." Susan sipped her coffee, choosing to ignore him.
"What about you?" She asked. "What's with Mr. Sunshine all of a sudden?" Carter suddenly got serious. What would she think about it? Did he really want to let the cat out of the bag so soon? He took a breath, thinking fast.
"It's a long story. You really want to hear it?" he asked, resolved. She nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Well," he began, "It all started last week..."
He told her the whole story. He included the details: the afternoon visits, the card games, Grace coming to visit him in recovery, stories about her foster family, her search for her father, the letter, all of it. Susan was a surprisingly good audience. She interjected in all of the right places, and was silent and serious when it mattered. Since she hadn't known Lucy, or the circumstances or details of their relationship, she was unbiased for the most part. When he finished she fell silent, aghast.
"So..." she said, shocked, "you have a daughter?" Carter took a swig of his coffee.
"Yep," he smiled at the thought. "Of course, they are going to want to do a paternity test to confirm it, but it should be easy enough." Susan seemed much less thrilled than he did about the news. "What?" he asked her.
"Don't you think you are going into this a little...fast?"
"What do you mean?" Susan fell silent, choosing her words carefully in her mind.
"Well, what are you planning on doing?" Carter thought for a moment.
"I want to take care of her," he said, sure of himself.
"Permanently?"
"Susan," he began, looking at her as if to ask why she would say something like that. "It's me or it's foster care until she's 18. What do you want me to do?" She shook her head.
"No, Carter," she said. "The thing is; what do you want to do?"
He fell silent, staring into his coffee. He hadn't thought about that a whole lot. He wasn't even sure that he was doing the right thing, not sure of what he should do in the situation. Maybe this wasn't the best thing, maybe he should just let Grace go back to the foster family in Ohio.
Carter knew what he wanted to do, and he knew why he wanted to do it. It was if a bell had been going off in his conscience, alerting him.
"Susan," he began. "Today, when I told Grace that I was her father, I wasn't sure how she would react, even how I would do it. But she flung herself into my arms, and she knew before I did what it meant. Right then, as she was hugging me, I felt a strange sort of protective love. It's the kind of love a parent feels for his child, that undying, unconditional love. I know it sounds crazy, but I would have lain down in front of the el in order to protect that child. I have to keep her."
"It's not about my career," he continued. "It's not about money or anything else. I have someone who is depending on me, Susan. I can't let her down." He finished. Susan nodded slowly.
"You sure that you can do this? Be a father?"
"No, I'm not sure," he said. "But I love this little girl too much already, and I owe it to her, I owe it to Lucy, and Barbara, to at least try to be a good father." He let out a breath of air, and Susan stayed quiet, taking it all in.
"Okay, John," she said. "If you want to do this, I'm not gonna stop you. I'll help you, if you need it. I remember feeling the same way with Little Susie years ago after Chloe left."
"Thanks," Carter said smiling. He really meant it. He watched Susan take a sip of her coffee, and he was thankful to have such a great friend. Susan smiled to herself.
"You know," she said, grinning softly, "if you ever need help babysitting or anything, I can help you." She told him this as she set down her coffee onto the table. "She is such a sweet girl, and so much fun. She's so mature for a five-year-old." Carter beamed, proud of his child. It still felt weird to think of the little girl like that.
"I know," he said, nodding his head slightly. "She speaks so well, and controls her emotions better than someone twice her age."
"Well, maybe once she comes with you, we can put the childhood back into her." Carter smiled sadly.
"Yeah," he said. "She has been through so much in such a short time; she's been forced to grow up so fast." The two of them sat there, considering the words and how true they really were. They shared the moments of silence, until Susan broke them.
"So who knows about this?"
"What?" Carter said abruptly, still lost in his thoughts.
"Who else knows about Grace being your daughter?"
"Nobody," he said nonchalantly, taking a swig of his now not-so-steaming- hot coffee, avoiding Susan's eyes, which widened upon hearing these words.
"Nobody? No one at all?" she asked, shocked.
"Well, Grace knows." Susan, taking this fact as a given, ignored him.
"Carter, when do you plan on letting this out of the bag?"
"I was kind of hoping that you would help me do that." Her eyes grew rounder, a look of bewilderment sparkling in them.
"Me?! How?"
"Well," Carter said, drawing out his response. "Since everybody already seems to know that Grace is Lucy's daughter, and some of them suspect that I am the father, and seeing as how nurses are the biggest gossips on the planet..."
"You were hoping," Susan continued, catching on. "That I could help a rumor along a little bit? So you wouldn't have to make a big announcement?" Carter smiled, and leaned back in the seat of his booth.
"Exactly," he said. "You know how I am with big formal announcements."
Susan consented, and sure enough, with hours, the rumors were circulating as planned. Carter was getting a wide variety of looks from a wide variety of people as he walked down the hallway, many of whom he had never even met before. Carter couldn't help smiling to himself, everything was going as planned. In a few hours, Kerry would call him into some sort of meeting to discuss the rumors, and he would let the cat out of the bag officially. All he had to do was wait for the time to come.
No more than four hours after Susan had begun to circulate the rumors, Kerry approached him in the hallway and beckoned him into the lounge to talk, kicking everybody else out temporarily. She gestured at him, signaling to sit down. He did so, facing Kerry, who took a seat at the table as well. She looked at him as if trying to pass a judgment in her mind, and folded her hands on the table.
"Carter," she began, looking up at him. Carter looked up with raised eyebrows, making her think that he didn't know what she was going to ask him about. He wanted to tell her to cut to the chase, but when she spoke next, there was no need for that. "There have been some...rumors going around." She put a certain emphasis on the word 'rumors,' which made Carter want to laugh out loud. Did she honestly think that he was that clueless?
"Yes, there are always rumors going around, the nurses are gossips, aren't they?" he asked, playing a certain mind game. He soon found out that he was alone in the game. Kerry shook her head.
"No, I mean specific rumors, something involving that little Jane Doe." She took a breath. "Something about you being her father. Now, I realize that the hospital staff has a tendency to gossip, but--"
"That rumor is true," Carter finished for her. Kerry sat there, stunned for a moment. She seemed too shocked, processing the information, to make a remark right away.
"Oh," was all that she could manage. Carter nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "Believe me, I was as shocked as you are, maybe more, when I found out." He smiled. "I was the one who started the rumor. Actually, I got Susan to do it, so that I wouldn't have to make a big announcement about the whole thing." Kerry nodded slowly.
"I see," she said. She suddenly straightened up and put on her Chief-of- Staff tone of voice again. "So what do you plan on doing about this whole ordeal?"
"I don't consider it an ordeal, Dr. Weaver," Carter said, explaining this to her. "I think that it is one of the greatest things that could happen. I have wanted to have children ever since--" he broke off, pausing. He was about to say since he and Kem had miscarried earlier that year. Kem had, indeed, left him to go back to Africa to 'regroup.'
"Anyway, I plan on filing for the adoption of the child." Kerry's mouth fell open.
"Adopting?" she said, trying to wrap her mind around it.
"Yes, and if I'm not mistaking, you are going through the same thing right now with Henry." Carter had his a weak spot. He smiled at Kerry, and she nodded slowly.
"Right," she said. She seemed to be considering something. "Well, Dr. Carter, I think it is great, and if you need help with anything, let me know. Good luck." Carter smiled.
"Thanks Kerry," he said. Kerry nodded, and stood up to leave. As she made her way out the door, crutch clicking on the ground, Carter was left with his own thoughts.
Almost mindlessly, he knew that he needed to make the call. He went to his locker and retrieved the number for the attorney's office, and the number for the SCCS office. He needed to call both numbers.
The first phone call, to Black and Black Associates, went well. They listened to him, advised him to call the Children's Services office. They also told him that the SCCS office had been in touch with them, and that they would be sending him a box of things when the representative came to pick Grace up from the hospital in a couple of days.
The second phone call was harder. He was put on the line with a woman, Miss Goetz, who was coincidentally the same woman who would be coming down to Chicago to pick up the little girl from the hospital. He told her the story.
"Well," she said, "What I can do is give you the name of a good attorney, and you need to file for adoption. There shouldn't be a problem for you, seeing as how you are the father. Of course, we'll need to do a paternity test to prove that, but your application should go quick and easy. You'll have to go through a background check and fill out a lot of forms, and it could take a few months, but you should pass through it easily."
"Thank you," Carter told her, a smile spreading across his face. "Is that all, then?"
"Yes, Dr. Carter, I'll call you when we have more information, and we'll see each other soon anyway." Carter nodded, even though he knew that Miss Goetz couldn't see him, but it was an instinct.
"Thanks again," he said. They said goodbye, and Carter hung up.
This was all happening so fast.
It had only been yesterday that he had found out about Grace being his daughter. He realized then that he hadn't called his family yet.
He also needed to talk to Grace.
The girl was only five years old, but she was so grown-up for that age that Carter sometimes forgot that he was interacting with a small child. When he had told her that he was her father, she had reacted immediately. She expected now that she would not have to go back to foster care, she wanted to go right to Carter.
He hated to have to be the one to break her heart and send her back.
He found himself in Grace's hospital room before he knew it. She was sitting there, reading a child's book, and slowly progressing through it. When she saw Carter, the book was immediately forgotten. She looked up at him, smile spread across her face, blue eyes sparkling. It was obvious that she was almost recovered from her injuries. Her smile was contagious, and he smiled back.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, sitting on the end of her bed. She scooted to make room for him, though she didn't have to move much.
"Hi," she paused as she cast a look around the empty room. "--Daddy." Carter was still getting used to the idea of someone calling him Daddy, but for the most part, he liked it.
The reason that Grace had stopped and paused was that Carter had encouraged Grace not to talk openly about his being her father just yet. Once he had announced it, she would be free to speak about the matter. She would probably be back in foster care by then. This brought Carter back to his point.
"Grace," Carter said, sighing. "I have something to tell you." The excitement in her eyes turned to worry.
"What?" she asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice. Carter moistened his lips.
"I'm afraid--" he began, "I'm afraid that you can't come to live with me right away." He looked at her for a response. The little girl looked hurt.
"Why?"
"Because the children's services office has to go through lots of paperwork in order to let me take you. I have to go through a lot of tests."
"But I can come eventually?"
"Of course," Carter said, trying to give her a convincing smile. "As soon as the legal things have been taken care of." Grace nodded, sitting in silence.
"What will I do until then?"
"You will have to go back to the Thompson's house, Grace," he said, breaking the news gently. Her lower lip quivered.
"I don't want to go back," she said bluntly. Carter put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Listen," he said. "I know that you don't want to go back. But don't you miss the Thompsons? And the other kids at the house?" Grace shook her head.
"No," she said.
"Well, I'm sure they miss you," Carter guessed. Grace contorted her face with a skeptical look.
"I don't think so."
Carter didn't know how to respond to that. There was a pause in the conversation.
"Can't I stay with you?" she asked in a small voice. She stared at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Carter sighed.
"No, Grace, you can't," he said, as gently as he could. Her face fell.
"Do you want me with you?"
"Yes, of course I do," he exclaimed. He exhaled quickly, scooting his chair closer, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Grace, it is very complicated. Before you can come with me, the people at the SCCS have to make sure that I will take care of you. They have to make me fill out a lot of papers, and talk to people about me to make sure that I am giving you a good home. They have to ask me a lot of questions and it could take a long time."
Grace sat silently, head still down. She nodded slowly. Carter looked at her for a moment, and slowly reached his hand out to touch her soft, blonde hair. He stroked her hair slowly and comfortingly. She gave a small sigh.
"How long?"
"I don't know, sweetheart."
"How long?" she asked again, quietly, waiting for an answer. She lifted her head up, looking at Carter expectantly.
"Close to a month," he began, but Grace lowered her head again, looking away. "But," he continued, "I know some good lawyers, friends of the family who owe us a favor. There is a good chance that your case could be sped up to go faster. Okay?" he finished, hoping that she would react relatively well to this news. She did.
She looked back up at him, her clear blue eyes studying his, searching them for a clue to what was going on. After a moment or two, she nodded.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll go back. But only if you promise to come back."
Carter hesitated. Making promises that he couldn't necessarily keep to a five-year-old. An intelligent one, but still a small child at that. He nodded suddenly.
"I promise," he said.
"Swear?"
"Cross my heart," Carter said, raising his hand to his heart and drawing an imaginary X with his finger. His hand dropped to his lap, and Grace smiled.
"Okay," she said. "Then I will go back to the foster care house tomorrow." Carter smiled and nodded.
"Alright then," he said. "It's settled." He clapped his hands together. "Well," he exclaimed in a strangely cheery voice, "we only have a day left. Let's go do something." Grace smiled.
"Like what?"
"Let's get out of this room, for starters." He glanced at the clock. "I'm off now, we can do anything that you want in the hospital." Grace followed his gaze at the clock. She frowned.
"I have therapy in half an hour." Carter nodded slowly.
"I see," he said, slight disappointment in his voice. Grace shrugged.
"I have to go, I need to learn these crutches before I go back."
"I understand," Carter said. "I'll be back later to see you, okay?"
"Okay," she said, giving a small smile. Carter tousled her hair.
"Bye, kiddo," he said.
"Bye," she said as he turned and left the room. He would be back later to see her.
Carter made his way back down to the ER, into the doctor's lounge. He found Jerry there, pouring a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Jerry," Carter said, aiming to get him out of the room so that he could be alone. "You are the desk clerk, right? Shouldn't you be at the desk?" Jerry rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know!" he said, exasperated, as he finished pouring his coffee. Taking a sip, he lingered for a moment by the counter. Carter crossed his arms and cleared his throat mockingly, tapping his foot. Jerry snorted, picked up his coffee and left the lounge.
This left Carter alone. He dialed the combination to his locker, opening it. There was something that he needed to do. He took a post-it note out of the locker, and sat down on the couch near the phone. He picked up the receiver, hesitating, before dialing the number written on the bit of paper. After two rings, a male voice answered.
"Carter residence, may I be of some assistance?" Carter recognized it as being Alger, the butler of the house. He cleared his throat.
"May I speak to Mrs. Millicent Carter, please?"
"Certainly, sir. Who, might I ask, is calling?"
"John Truman Carter II."
"Ah, I thought I recognized your voice, sir. I'll put her on immediately." Carter nodded to himself and leaned back against the lumpy sofa in the lounge.
"Hello, Millicent Carter speaking," a feminine voice came onto the other end.
"Gamma, it's John," he began. "I have something to tell you."
Okay! So there's Chapter 14. Chapter 15 is going to contain a couple of heartbreaking moments for our beloved Dr. Carter, as well as Grace. A few surprises in there as well, so keep reading!
REVIEWER SHOUT-OUTS!!!
MeliGurlJO, Dragon Spirit Fighter, EMS Chick, lily, dshortklutz, and No Ink in my Pen: Thanks sooo much for your awesome feedback. I hope that this chapter has met your expectations.
No Ink in my Pen: In response to your review, you might be surprised to know that I do not actually live in Ohio. I live in a tiny little town in Virginia, about half an hour from Richmond. My family has good friends in Ohio, and they live in Richfield. We visit them about three times a year, so I have grown to know the area.
That's all for now,
Signing out,
Snapdragon
Sorry it took so long, but this chapter is especially long for you all! Enjoy!
SAVING GRACE—CHAPTER 14
Carter hadn't known what he should do after he had read that letter. He knew that he had to make a lot of phone calls to social services, and his family, and to the attorney, and to his own lawyer.
He wasn't sure how he should be feeling, he was almost numb from a rush of emotions. He had always wanted to be a father, since he was young, so that he could have the chance to give to someone else what he had never received from his own parents. He couldn't imagine, at that moment, a better woman to share a child with. And he could not picture a more perfect daughter than Grace Elizabeth.
Of course, she didn't know anything about it at all. Not yet, anyway. He knew that he needed to tell her, but wasn't sure how to do it. Should he drop the bomb on her sooner? Later? before or after he called SCCS? He didn't know. If he was dealing in the psychological matters of a child, Lucy's child, he didn't want to take any chances. He didn't want to tell her, because she would want to know what would happen to her. That future was something that even Carter was unsure of in that point.
He felt that he still needed time to recover from the initial shock, but he truly didn't know which direction to take next. What could he do? His first instinct was to keep it a secret. He knew, though, that he couldn't do that. He couldn't let Grace go back to foster care not knowing that she had found her father after all. He didn't want to give her any false hopes. He didn't know what to do.
He was a father; he had a beautiful little girl. True, he hadn't known her for her entire life, but she was his daughter nonetheless. That was still a difficult concept to get used to, his having a daughter. The words sounded so foreign on his tongue, they felt strange to speak. After a moment, though, he found that joy was bubbling over, and he felt a rush of the emotion. He was a father, a daddy, for a tiny, callow, vulnerable child whom he suddenly felt the need to protect.
In the back of his mind, though, he knew that he couldn't make a rational judgment based only on the happiness welling up inside of him.
He needed to talk to someone. Someone who wouldn't judge him on it. Carter knew that if Mark Green had been alive, he would have gone to him for advice. But, like Lucy, he was dead, and beyond his reach. He didn't feel like he could talk to Abby, not right away. He decided to tell Susan.
First, though, he needed to talk to Grace. He needed to see her, tell her, to get the whole thing off of his chest. She had a right to know, he decided, she deserved to know, regardless of what would happen to her later.
The elevator doors opened on the fifth floor and Carter stepped out. He again walked the hallway to room 512. He had done it so many times before. This time would be different though.
He would be taking a look at Grace, his child, his daughter, for the first time since he had received the news that he had a child at all. Perhaps against his better judgment, he had neglected to call the SCCS office. He wanted to tell Grace first. He wanted to know what she would want from him.
He briefly knocked on the door to the room and pushed the door open. He felt a different atmosphere in the room. Grace's bed was empty, but there was a small girl, younger than Grace, unconscious in the second bed in the room. Both of the child's' parents were talking in low voices by her bedside, and both of their heads snapped up as Carter entered the room.
"Um-- Excuse me," he said, apologizing. The woman, with a tear-streaked face, nodded. Carter let himself out of the room.
Where had she gone? He didn't think that she had therapy at that time of the day today, and he didn't know where else she would possibly be. He needed to find a nurse to ask. Fortunately, there was one at the Main Pediatric Admissions Desk. He tapped lightly on the counter, bringing the nurse out of her daze. She looked up.
"Can I help you, Mr--?"
"Carter, Dr. Carter, I work down in the Emergency Department. I'm looking for a patient, Grace Knight, she was in room 512, and she's not there. Do you know where she could be?" The nurse pulled a file out of a drawer.
"Well," she said, flipping through the pages, "Miss Knight's physical therapy session was over an hour ago. She could perhaps be visiting a friend--" Carter shook his head. "--Or she could be in the playroom." Carter blinked.
"The playroom?" he said absentmindedly. The nurse nodded. "Thank you, where is that?"
"Go down this hallway, make a left, and the door will be on your left. There's a sign, you can't miss it."
"Thank you," Carter said, turning and starting down the hallway. He found the room without any problems, and pushed the door open.
He found himself in a room about four times the size of a patient room. The walls were painted with murals of the sky, with rainbows, clouds, hot air balloons, even mythical fairies and birds. There were numerous shelves and drawers, and child-sized tables where children could sit and draw. There were drawers with things for children of all ages, from plastic building blocks, to toy cars, to videos, jigsaw puzzles, dolls, crayons and paper, board games. In one corner was a television set, and around it sat two children watching a video. More children were scattered around the room, maybe a dozen in all, occupying themselves with various activities.
It wasn't hard to locate Grace. She sat at a table with two other children, a boy about her age and an older girl, maybe nine years old. They were cooperatively stuffing plastic organs into a model of the human body. Carter smiled, seeing that Grace's wheelchair wasn't there, that she had crutches propped up at the side of the table. He approached the kids.
"I think," he began, squatting at their level, "that the kidneys are more towards the back of the body." The three children looked at him, and Grace smiled.
"Hi Dr. Carter," she said. Carter smiled at her.
"Hey, kiddo. Who are your friends?"
"This is Ashley, and this is Bobby," she said, indicating each of the children in turn. Carter nodded.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked. She frowned; a reaction that Carter had not been expecting. "What's wrong?" At this point, the other children had gone back to their model of the body.
"I can't walk," she answered, pouting. She threw a furtive look at the small crutches propped against the table. Carter understood.
"Well, how about we go back to your room and get your wheelchair?" Grace thought for a moment.
"Okay," she said. She turned to her newfound friends. "I'm leaving. I will see you later, okay?"
"Okay," said the little boy, Bobby, in a small voice. He was acting as if he was intimidated by Carter's presence. Ashley simply smiled and nodded. Grace said good-bye, and picked up her crutches. She warily tucked them under her arms and pushed herself up.
It was slow going, and Carter had to keep a careful eye on her while they were making their way down the corridor to the room to make sure that she didn't hurt herself more. When Grace stumbled and almost fell, he asked her if she needed help. She said, rather forcefully, that she could do it by herself, and Carter stepped back. Once in the room, Carter retrieved her wheelchair and helped her into it. Stashing the crutches near her bed, Carter wheeled the chair out of the room.
"Where are we going?" Grace asked as Carter pushed her down the hallway toward the elevator.
"Someplace special," he responded mysteriously. They got onto the elevator and Carter pressed a button. When they left the lift, they went down a short hallway. Carter pushed open a door, making sure it was unlocked, and brought the little girl out into the sunshine of the afternoon.
"Where are we?" Grace asked, clearly enjoying the sunshine, even if it was chilly outside.
"We," Carter said, "Are on the roof of the hospital." Grace looked around approvingly.
"I like it. It's nice. Look how far you can see!" she said excitedly.
"I know. This is where I like to come to get away from the noise in the hospital," Carter told her truthfully. Grace nodded. She seemed mesmerized by the landscape, the sights and sounds of Chicago in the daylight. He parked her wheelchair a few feet from the edge of the roof, and sat on a raised part of the roof facing her. He let out a sigh.
"What's wrong?" the child asked, innocently concerned. She looked at Carter with her blue eyes round, and at that moment, it really hit him. His heart melted for her, this child, his daughter. She was his daughter, and he knew that he loved her. He smiled.
"Nothing's wrong at all," he said. "In fact, I have good news." Grace's eyebrows rose slightly, anticipating the news.
"What?" Carter moistened his lips, and looked straight into her eyes.
"I think," he began, "that we have found your father." In an instant, Grace's eyes lit up, and her mouth broke out into a grin that seemed much too large for her face. She squirmed in her chair.
"Really?" Grace asked excitedly. "Where? When can I meet him?"
"You were right, he lives here in Chicago."
"When can I meet him?" she asked, overflowing with enthusiasm. She still wore a smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled. Carter took a deep breath.
"It's me, Grace," he said. Grace's smile slowly faded, a look of confusion replacing it.
"What?" she asked, looking at him intently. Carter paused.
"I--" he began, voice surprisingly less strong than he would have expected. "I'm your--your father." He let the remaining air out of his lungs and gave the news time to sink into Grace's small mind. She looked down at her hands, and, after a moment, ,turned her gaze on Carter. There was a moment of silence, Grace looking at him, and unreadable expression on her face.
"Daddy?" she asked in a small voice. Carter nodded.
Grace suddenly broke her face into a grin, her eyes shining. Without warning, she flung herself the short distance that separated her from Carter, wrapping her arms around his neck. Carter sat, frozen for a split second. Relaxing, he held the child as she buried her head in the crick between his neck and shoulder. With one hand, he stroked her soft, blond hair.
"I found you," Grace whispered quietly. At these words, Carter felt tears well up in his eyes. But, for the first time in years, it wasn't because he was sad.
It was because he was happy.
"Oh, man," Susan exclaimed, sounding harassed, as she slammed a completed dispo on top of a pile.
"Hey, watch it!" Frank exclaimed, dodging the flying clipboard. Susan ignored him. Carter looked across the desk from where he was completing his own dispo of a headache patient. He, unlike Susan, chose to neatly place the form on the stack of papers in the tray. Frank glared at Susan, while a smile played at Carter's lips. It was so funny to see Susan angry. She could be oh so entertaining.
"Dare I ask the problem, Dr. Lewis?" he asked nonchalantly, earning him a glare from the addressed party. She held the look for a moment, and her face softened.
"Nothing, Carter," she said, shaking her head. "Just been a pretty rough day. I need a break." Carter smiled.
"Yeah, it's been an interesting day for me, too," he told her, grinning. He earned a strange look from Susan.
"I'll say, you can't stop smiling," she paused, looking him over. "Are you shooting up drugs again?" Carter laughed.
"No, this is a natural high." Susan rolled her eyes.
"Stop being happy, Carter, you're depressing me." He attempted to hide a smile.
"Let's get out of here," he said. "We can go across to Doc's and get something to eat. Chat about it over that wonderful, rich, diner coffee?" Susan raised an eyebrow.
"You buying?" she asked, setting the pen she had from filling out the chart onto the counter. It rolled away and dropped to the floor. She glanced down and ignored it.
"Yep, it's on me," he said, smiling. Susan took a fraction of a second to make up her mind.
"Sure," she nodded. "I'll grab my jacket and we can get out of here."
Five minutes later, they were sitting at a booth at Doc Magoo's, steaming mugs of hot coffee in front of them. Susan was carping on about some patient, and Carter was smiling and nodding, listening politely.
"---So in the end, I told him that he had no right to question my sexual orientation, and he kept at it, called me a few choice names and I got pretty pissed."
"I saw," Carter answered, grinning. "I think they should call you Dr. Firecracker. You and Abby would make a great team." Susan sipped her coffee, choosing to ignore him.
"What about you?" She asked. "What's with Mr. Sunshine all of a sudden?" Carter suddenly got serious. What would she think about it? Did he really want to let the cat out of the bag so soon? He took a breath, thinking fast.
"It's a long story. You really want to hear it?" he asked, resolved. She nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Well," he began, "It all started last week..."
He told her the whole story. He included the details: the afternoon visits, the card games, Grace coming to visit him in recovery, stories about her foster family, her search for her father, the letter, all of it. Susan was a surprisingly good audience. She interjected in all of the right places, and was silent and serious when it mattered. Since she hadn't known Lucy, or the circumstances or details of their relationship, she was unbiased for the most part. When he finished she fell silent, aghast.
"So..." she said, shocked, "you have a daughter?" Carter took a swig of his coffee.
"Yep," he smiled at the thought. "Of course, they are going to want to do a paternity test to confirm it, but it should be easy enough." Susan seemed much less thrilled than he did about the news. "What?" he asked her.
"Don't you think you are going into this a little...fast?"
"What do you mean?" Susan fell silent, choosing her words carefully in her mind.
"Well, what are you planning on doing?" Carter thought for a moment.
"I want to take care of her," he said, sure of himself.
"Permanently?"
"Susan," he began, looking at her as if to ask why she would say something like that. "It's me or it's foster care until she's 18. What do you want me to do?" She shook her head.
"No, Carter," she said. "The thing is; what do you want to do?"
He fell silent, staring into his coffee. He hadn't thought about that a whole lot. He wasn't even sure that he was doing the right thing, not sure of what he should do in the situation. Maybe this wasn't the best thing, maybe he should just let Grace go back to the foster family in Ohio.
Carter knew what he wanted to do, and he knew why he wanted to do it. It was if a bell had been going off in his conscience, alerting him.
"Susan," he began. "Today, when I told Grace that I was her father, I wasn't sure how she would react, even how I would do it. But she flung herself into my arms, and she knew before I did what it meant. Right then, as she was hugging me, I felt a strange sort of protective love. It's the kind of love a parent feels for his child, that undying, unconditional love. I know it sounds crazy, but I would have lain down in front of the el in order to protect that child. I have to keep her."
"It's not about my career," he continued. "It's not about money or anything else. I have someone who is depending on me, Susan. I can't let her down." He finished. Susan nodded slowly.
"You sure that you can do this? Be a father?"
"No, I'm not sure," he said. "But I love this little girl too much already, and I owe it to her, I owe it to Lucy, and Barbara, to at least try to be a good father." He let out a breath of air, and Susan stayed quiet, taking it all in.
"Okay, John," she said. "If you want to do this, I'm not gonna stop you. I'll help you, if you need it. I remember feeling the same way with Little Susie years ago after Chloe left."
"Thanks," Carter said smiling. He really meant it. He watched Susan take a sip of her coffee, and he was thankful to have such a great friend. Susan smiled to herself.
"You know," she said, grinning softly, "if you ever need help babysitting or anything, I can help you." She told him this as she set down her coffee onto the table. "She is such a sweet girl, and so much fun. She's so mature for a five-year-old." Carter beamed, proud of his child. It still felt weird to think of the little girl like that.
"I know," he said, nodding his head slightly. "She speaks so well, and controls her emotions better than someone twice her age."
"Well, maybe once she comes with you, we can put the childhood back into her." Carter smiled sadly.
"Yeah," he said. "She has been through so much in such a short time; she's been forced to grow up so fast." The two of them sat there, considering the words and how true they really were. They shared the moments of silence, until Susan broke them.
"So who knows about this?"
"What?" Carter said abruptly, still lost in his thoughts.
"Who else knows about Grace being your daughter?"
"Nobody," he said nonchalantly, taking a swig of his now not-so-steaming- hot coffee, avoiding Susan's eyes, which widened upon hearing these words.
"Nobody? No one at all?" she asked, shocked.
"Well, Grace knows." Susan, taking this fact as a given, ignored him.
"Carter, when do you plan on letting this out of the bag?"
"I was kind of hoping that you would help me do that." Her eyes grew rounder, a look of bewilderment sparkling in them.
"Me?! How?"
"Well," Carter said, drawing out his response. "Since everybody already seems to know that Grace is Lucy's daughter, and some of them suspect that I am the father, and seeing as how nurses are the biggest gossips on the planet..."
"You were hoping," Susan continued, catching on. "That I could help a rumor along a little bit? So you wouldn't have to make a big announcement?" Carter smiled, and leaned back in the seat of his booth.
"Exactly," he said. "You know how I am with big formal announcements."
Susan consented, and sure enough, with hours, the rumors were circulating as planned. Carter was getting a wide variety of looks from a wide variety of people as he walked down the hallway, many of whom he had never even met before. Carter couldn't help smiling to himself, everything was going as planned. In a few hours, Kerry would call him into some sort of meeting to discuss the rumors, and he would let the cat out of the bag officially. All he had to do was wait for the time to come.
No more than four hours after Susan had begun to circulate the rumors, Kerry approached him in the hallway and beckoned him into the lounge to talk, kicking everybody else out temporarily. She gestured at him, signaling to sit down. He did so, facing Kerry, who took a seat at the table as well. She looked at him as if trying to pass a judgment in her mind, and folded her hands on the table.
"Carter," she began, looking up at him. Carter looked up with raised eyebrows, making her think that he didn't know what she was going to ask him about. He wanted to tell her to cut to the chase, but when she spoke next, there was no need for that. "There have been some...rumors going around." She put a certain emphasis on the word 'rumors,' which made Carter want to laugh out loud. Did she honestly think that he was that clueless?
"Yes, there are always rumors going around, the nurses are gossips, aren't they?" he asked, playing a certain mind game. He soon found out that he was alone in the game. Kerry shook her head.
"No, I mean specific rumors, something involving that little Jane Doe." She took a breath. "Something about you being her father. Now, I realize that the hospital staff has a tendency to gossip, but--"
"That rumor is true," Carter finished for her. Kerry sat there, stunned for a moment. She seemed too shocked, processing the information, to make a remark right away.
"Oh," was all that she could manage. Carter nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "Believe me, I was as shocked as you are, maybe more, when I found out." He smiled. "I was the one who started the rumor. Actually, I got Susan to do it, so that I wouldn't have to make a big announcement about the whole thing." Kerry nodded slowly.
"I see," she said. She suddenly straightened up and put on her Chief-of- Staff tone of voice again. "So what do you plan on doing about this whole ordeal?"
"I don't consider it an ordeal, Dr. Weaver," Carter said, explaining this to her. "I think that it is one of the greatest things that could happen. I have wanted to have children ever since--" he broke off, pausing. He was about to say since he and Kem had miscarried earlier that year. Kem had, indeed, left him to go back to Africa to 'regroup.'
"Anyway, I plan on filing for the adoption of the child." Kerry's mouth fell open.
"Adopting?" she said, trying to wrap her mind around it.
"Yes, and if I'm not mistaking, you are going through the same thing right now with Henry." Carter had his a weak spot. He smiled at Kerry, and she nodded slowly.
"Right," she said. She seemed to be considering something. "Well, Dr. Carter, I think it is great, and if you need help with anything, let me know. Good luck." Carter smiled.
"Thanks Kerry," he said. Kerry nodded, and stood up to leave. As she made her way out the door, crutch clicking on the ground, Carter was left with his own thoughts.
Almost mindlessly, he knew that he needed to make the call. He went to his locker and retrieved the number for the attorney's office, and the number for the SCCS office. He needed to call both numbers.
The first phone call, to Black and Black Associates, went well. They listened to him, advised him to call the Children's Services office. They also told him that the SCCS office had been in touch with them, and that they would be sending him a box of things when the representative came to pick Grace up from the hospital in a couple of days.
The second phone call was harder. He was put on the line with a woman, Miss Goetz, who was coincidentally the same woman who would be coming down to Chicago to pick up the little girl from the hospital. He told her the story.
"Well," she said, "What I can do is give you the name of a good attorney, and you need to file for adoption. There shouldn't be a problem for you, seeing as how you are the father. Of course, we'll need to do a paternity test to prove that, but your application should go quick and easy. You'll have to go through a background check and fill out a lot of forms, and it could take a few months, but you should pass through it easily."
"Thank you," Carter told her, a smile spreading across his face. "Is that all, then?"
"Yes, Dr. Carter, I'll call you when we have more information, and we'll see each other soon anyway." Carter nodded, even though he knew that Miss Goetz couldn't see him, but it was an instinct.
"Thanks again," he said. They said goodbye, and Carter hung up.
This was all happening so fast.
It had only been yesterday that he had found out about Grace being his daughter. He realized then that he hadn't called his family yet.
He also needed to talk to Grace.
The girl was only five years old, but she was so grown-up for that age that Carter sometimes forgot that he was interacting with a small child. When he had told her that he was her father, she had reacted immediately. She expected now that she would not have to go back to foster care, she wanted to go right to Carter.
He hated to have to be the one to break her heart and send her back.
He found himself in Grace's hospital room before he knew it. She was sitting there, reading a child's book, and slowly progressing through it. When she saw Carter, the book was immediately forgotten. She looked up at him, smile spread across her face, blue eyes sparkling. It was obvious that she was almost recovered from her injuries. Her smile was contagious, and he smiled back.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, sitting on the end of her bed. She scooted to make room for him, though she didn't have to move much.
"Hi," she paused as she cast a look around the empty room. "--Daddy." Carter was still getting used to the idea of someone calling him Daddy, but for the most part, he liked it.
The reason that Grace had stopped and paused was that Carter had encouraged Grace not to talk openly about his being her father just yet. Once he had announced it, she would be free to speak about the matter. She would probably be back in foster care by then. This brought Carter back to his point.
"Grace," Carter said, sighing. "I have something to tell you." The excitement in her eyes turned to worry.
"What?" she asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice. Carter moistened his lips.
"I'm afraid--" he began, "I'm afraid that you can't come to live with me right away." He looked at her for a response. The little girl looked hurt.
"Why?"
"Because the children's services office has to go through lots of paperwork in order to let me take you. I have to go through a lot of tests."
"But I can come eventually?"
"Of course," Carter said, trying to give her a convincing smile. "As soon as the legal things have been taken care of." Grace nodded, sitting in silence.
"What will I do until then?"
"You will have to go back to the Thompson's house, Grace," he said, breaking the news gently. Her lower lip quivered.
"I don't want to go back," she said bluntly. Carter put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Listen," he said. "I know that you don't want to go back. But don't you miss the Thompsons? And the other kids at the house?" Grace shook her head.
"No," she said.
"Well, I'm sure they miss you," Carter guessed. Grace contorted her face with a skeptical look.
"I don't think so."
Carter didn't know how to respond to that. There was a pause in the conversation.
"Can't I stay with you?" she asked in a small voice. She stared at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Carter sighed.
"No, Grace, you can't," he said, as gently as he could. Her face fell.
"Do you want me with you?"
"Yes, of course I do," he exclaimed. He exhaled quickly, scooting his chair closer, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Grace, it is very complicated. Before you can come with me, the people at the SCCS have to make sure that I will take care of you. They have to make me fill out a lot of papers, and talk to people about me to make sure that I am giving you a good home. They have to ask me a lot of questions and it could take a long time."
Grace sat silently, head still down. She nodded slowly. Carter looked at her for a moment, and slowly reached his hand out to touch her soft, blonde hair. He stroked her hair slowly and comfortingly. She gave a small sigh.
"How long?"
"I don't know, sweetheart."
"How long?" she asked again, quietly, waiting for an answer. She lifted her head up, looking at Carter expectantly.
"Close to a month," he began, but Grace lowered her head again, looking away. "But," he continued, "I know some good lawyers, friends of the family who owe us a favor. There is a good chance that your case could be sped up to go faster. Okay?" he finished, hoping that she would react relatively well to this news. She did.
She looked back up at him, her clear blue eyes studying his, searching them for a clue to what was going on. After a moment or two, she nodded.
"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll go back. But only if you promise to come back."
Carter hesitated. Making promises that he couldn't necessarily keep to a five-year-old. An intelligent one, but still a small child at that. He nodded suddenly.
"I promise," he said.
"Swear?"
"Cross my heart," Carter said, raising his hand to his heart and drawing an imaginary X with his finger. His hand dropped to his lap, and Grace smiled.
"Okay," she said. "Then I will go back to the foster care house tomorrow." Carter smiled and nodded.
"Alright then," he said. "It's settled." He clapped his hands together. "Well," he exclaimed in a strangely cheery voice, "we only have a day left. Let's go do something." Grace smiled.
"Like what?"
"Let's get out of this room, for starters." He glanced at the clock. "I'm off now, we can do anything that you want in the hospital." Grace followed his gaze at the clock. She frowned.
"I have therapy in half an hour." Carter nodded slowly.
"I see," he said, slight disappointment in his voice. Grace shrugged.
"I have to go, I need to learn these crutches before I go back."
"I understand," Carter said. "I'll be back later to see you, okay?"
"Okay," she said, giving a small smile. Carter tousled her hair.
"Bye, kiddo," he said.
"Bye," she said as he turned and left the room. He would be back later to see her.
Carter made his way back down to the ER, into the doctor's lounge. He found Jerry there, pouring a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Jerry," Carter said, aiming to get him out of the room so that he could be alone. "You are the desk clerk, right? Shouldn't you be at the desk?" Jerry rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know!" he said, exasperated, as he finished pouring his coffee. Taking a sip, he lingered for a moment by the counter. Carter crossed his arms and cleared his throat mockingly, tapping his foot. Jerry snorted, picked up his coffee and left the lounge.
This left Carter alone. He dialed the combination to his locker, opening it. There was something that he needed to do. He took a post-it note out of the locker, and sat down on the couch near the phone. He picked up the receiver, hesitating, before dialing the number written on the bit of paper. After two rings, a male voice answered.
"Carter residence, may I be of some assistance?" Carter recognized it as being Alger, the butler of the house. He cleared his throat.
"May I speak to Mrs. Millicent Carter, please?"
"Certainly, sir. Who, might I ask, is calling?"
"John Truman Carter II."
"Ah, I thought I recognized your voice, sir. I'll put her on immediately." Carter nodded to himself and leaned back against the lumpy sofa in the lounge.
"Hello, Millicent Carter speaking," a feminine voice came onto the other end.
"Gamma, it's John," he began. "I have something to tell you."
Okay! So there's Chapter 14. Chapter 15 is going to contain a couple of heartbreaking moments for our beloved Dr. Carter, as well as Grace. A few surprises in there as well, so keep reading!
REVIEWER SHOUT-OUTS!!!
MeliGurlJO, Dragon Spirit Fighter, EMS Chick, lily, dshortklutz, and No Ink in my Pen: Thanks sooo much for your awesome feedback. I hope that this chapter has met your expectations.
No Ink in my Pen: In response to your review, you might be surprised to know that I do not actually live in Ohio. I live in a tiny little town in Virginia, about half an hour from Richmond. My family has good friends in Ohio, and they live in Richfield. We visit them about three times a year, so I have grown to know the area.
That's all for now,
Signing out,
Snapdragon