Chapter 10
A Job Well Done
"And you promise to never ever ever ever ever ever EVER tell them we can take more traumas then we can handle unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure?"
"Yes Dr. Weaver. I promise and I am really sorry," Dave apologizes. Lucy, Carol, Mark, Benton, Doug, Abby, Luka, and Randi watch Dr. Weaver scold Dave from a bench nearby.
"That kid is too much," Doug replied running his fingers through Carol's messy hair.
"Well we better get home. The nanny wanted to be off by 10," Carol smiles making a joke out of John watching all the kids.
"Just so another nanny can take over?" Liz smiles as she enters the room pulling her jacket on. Doug had dropped the twins and Damian off with John before heading to the hospital.
"Fine just rub it in. You guys will be at home sipping hot coffee while Lucy, Benton, Luka, Abby, Mark, and I will be stuck with Ramono's sarcasm, Kerry's corrections, and Dave's...Daveness for the rest of the night!" Randi replied exasperated.
"Daveness?" Abby giggled.
"Well Dave's Dave and that's enough to be annoying," Randi sighed as Dr. Weaver noticed them all.
"Come on you guys! There's work to be done. Lucy, there's a patient in exam 2 who is having chest pain, Abby there's a little girl with the flu in Exam 1, and Luka and the rest of you better be ready for any incoming trauma victims. Let's go!"
As soon as Kerry left, the group laughed and got up.
"You take good care of John Lizzie!" Lucy yelled after her as she followed Doug and Carol to the front door.
"Don't worry Lucy. I'll be fine!" Liz cried back.
"Ooo. Someone's got the hots for Dr. Carter," Dave taunts starting at Lucy nerves early on. Lucy doesn't protest but instead ruffles Dave's hair.
"You're too much Malucci."
With that she smiles at him and goes to tend to her patient.
"It's all part of a job well done," he smiles in a cocky way to himself and goes back to work.
"No Gabe I promise it doesn't fit," Carter whispered trying to reason with his son, the only child in the house awake. Amanda, Ruthie, and Jamie had all gone outside to participate in a snowball war with Damian and Adrian. The girls and Damian were asleep in Ruthie's room. Paige had played with Julia for a little while after returning home before going to bed early. Julia and Adrian were asleep in the nursery. Now John sat in the dark living room with Gabe who was trying to fit a circular ball into a square shaped hole on one of their baby gyms.
"No Daddy. It will fit," he said, determination in his eyes. There came a light knock on the door.
"I think Nana's here," Carter whispered. Gabe hurried over to the door. It took John a while to get to his feet but soon enough he opened the door to a shivering Liz, Carol, and Doug.
"Hi guys. Come on in," John whispered.
"Nana!" Gabe cried.
"Shhh! Hi baby," Liz smiled as she lifted him up.
"Is everyone sleeping?" Carol whispered.
John nodded. "How was the ER tonight?"
Doug sighed as John led them up the stairs. "Totally packed. Another slip up of Dave's."
"I wonder when that kid will learn," John whispered as he opened up the door to Ruthie's room. Amanda, Jamie, Damian, and Ruthie all lay sprawled out on the floor surrounded by dolls and other random toys.
"Come on guys' time to go home," Carol and Doug shook their kids and Ruthie awake.
"Mommy," Amanda said in a groggy voice to Carol as she climbed into her arms.
"Daddy," Jamie said at the same time climbing up into his arms. Damian got to his feet and grabbed Carol's hand, his eyes half closed.
"Thanks so much for watching the kids John," Carol smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading back out into the roaring wind mixed with the flurry of snow. She hurried the kids to the car while Doug stayed behind.
"Thanks a lot John," Doug smiled and patted him on the shoulder before following his wife out to the car. Liz closed the door against the cold.
"Daddy will you carry me upstairs?" Ruthie asked gently nudging her head under his hand. He patted her hair and smiled sadly.
"I would Ruthie but Daddy's shoulder still needs to get better," he whispered.
"Will you carry me upstairs Nana?" Ruthie asked.
"Sure sweetie," Liz whispered setting an already struggling Gabriel to the ground. She lifted Ruthie up and John and Gabriel followed them upstairs.
"You're getting so big little girl," Liz commented laying Ruthie under the covers of her bed.
"Goodnight Ruthie. I'll see you tomorrow," Carter whispered as he kissed his daughters forehead. He turned to Liz. "I'm going to take Gabe back downstairs."
She nodded. When John closed the door she sat down on Ruthie's bed.
"Nana how come Bella had to die?" Ruthie whimpered sadly, hugging the covers close to her.
"God needed another angel up in heaven to help him," Liz whispered stroking the little girls' curly head.
"Like Mommy?"
"Yes. Just like Mommy," Liz smiled and kissed her on the head.
"I love you Nana," Ruthie whispered her eyes beginning to droop.
"I love you too sweetheart," Liz kissed her one more time and then went out into the hallway. She quietly closed Ruthie's door and stopped. Bella's door was closed. She wondered if John had opened it at all after the accident. She went over and turned the gold handle. Before she pushed the door open she stopped herself and let it go. She sighed and realized John would go in when he was ready.
The time when he was ready to face the death of his daughter.