One Fine Day
Sequel to Beauty In The ER
Rosalind's alarm clock rang at 9 am. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at it like she would butcher it. But all she did was reach a hand over and turn it off. Silence filled the room; only the sounds of passing cars were heard. Rosalind snuggled back into her warm blankets; she didn't want to get up yet. Even if it was a holiday. Then she remembered. She turned over to her left with a smile spread across her face. Yes, he was still there, hadn't answered any pages yet. John looked so cute just lying there in some blue pajamas. He had an arm draped over the bed's edge and was snoring peacefully.
Rosalind got up with that same smile on her face and opened her bedroom curtains. Outside the weather looked beautiful; a very nice spring day was ahead of her. She rubbed her chilly arms and put a robe on over her nightgown. But instead of staying up and about, she climbed back under the covers into the abyss with John.
John Carter and Rosalind Murphy had just spent the night together. Not in the way you are thinking, mind you. The night before they went to a gathering of Rosalind's family and hadn't gotten home till the wee hours, so Rosalind decided to do something she never thought she would- she invited John to sleep over for the night. He accepted, and slept in a pair of her much older brother's pajamas (which had been left there before) and fell asleep.
The two of them had been dating for more then 5 months now. Between John's ever changing work hours at the County ER and Rosalind's life, they had yet had little time alone. So, Rosalind thought, today on a national holiday was just the day for some quality lover's time.
Rosalind moved her body closer to John's till she was right next to him. She felt his inviting warmth and leaned on his arm, putting her arm on his chest. Unconsciously, John moved and soon they were in an embrace. Normally Rosalind would have thoroughly enjoyed this, but with his sleeping dead weight she almost couldn't breathe. She had to move him.
"John," she whispered. A grumble came from him. She pushed his shoulders to try to get free but with no use, "John!"
His eyes suddenly opened and looked around searching for where the voice had come from. He saw Rosalind and smiled, wrapping his arms around her. Now this she liked. He kissed her first, making her very warm. She didn't want to let go, so he did.
"Good morning," he said and didn't move, "Did I wake you?"
"Not at all. I've been up for a few minutes; it's a beautiful day," Rosalind replied. John let go and rolled on his back, stretching at the same time, yawning. He stared at the ceiling.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"9," she replied. She saw his face bunch up and his brow furrow. She wondered what that was about.
"I have to go to work," he said beginning to get out of bed. He stretched again. Rosalind crawled to sit next to him and put her arms around his waist. She would try the persuasive approach first.
"But John, it's a holiday. Don't you have off?"
"A doctor never has a day off, Ros."
Anger grew in her, "But, I thought we could spend the day together. We haven't gotten to in so long. Can't you take the day?"
He shook his head as he slipped into his day clothes, "I'm sorry sweetheart, I can't." He went to grab his bag.
Rosalind followed, "Don't you want some breakfast? A shower? John, please."
He turned to face her and his look softened, "You know I have to work."
She wanted to cry and almost was, "John…"
"I'll see what I can do, I'll talk to Greene, give you a call. If worst comes to worst, we can have dinner together. And your apartment is always free right?" He smiled. Rosalind looked at the floor nodding. He lifted her head up and kissed her, "I love you. I'll see you later."
One final embrace and John was gone. Rosalind sat down at her desk. The day was definitely not turning out how she had hoped.
John felt like there was a lump in his throat as he got into his Jeep on his way into Chicago. It was a lump of guilt. He knew he shouldn't have left Rosalind so quickly like he did, but he was already late for work almost by 2 hours and he had no idea how he was going to explain it to Dr. Greene.
He tried to tell Rosalind times before about his work; he was on call almost at any given time and worked all the time. Even holidays. It wasn't like she didn't know that people didn't have accidents or died on days off. But it wasn't her fault.
She just wanted to be with him for one day. John tried to swallow the lump but it only felt worse. He turned on the radio as a distraction but nothing helped.
Soon he was on the highway, a traffic jam occurred. He sighed and sat back, putting his car in park. He was already late anyway.
He looked around the Jeep; it had become pretty clean since he was dating Rosalind. She treated it like it was her car too. Their car or our car. Over on the passenger's seat was the shawl she had used the week before at a dinner with his grandmother. He picked it up and put it to his nose; it still smelled like her. Fruit extract and perfume. The smell was almost overwhelming.
Suddenly, the traffic began to move, almost steadily. John threw the shawl on the seat and picked up his cell phone. He dialed the hospital. After 5 rings there was no answer. He hung up and continued driving. He was almost there anyway. No reason to get up the butchering block just yet.
John pulled into the hospital parking garage and parked his car. Then he began a walk to the county general.
As the doors opened there was action everywhere. People being rolled around, running, smells. Yes, this was John Carter's life.
"Up so early Dr. Carter?" a voice called from the reception desk. It was Jerry. Thank god it wasn't Greene, John thought.
"Hey Jerry, have you seen Dr. Greene?" she asked walking up. It was now or never.
"I think he's in Trauma 2."
"Thanks." John walked toward the Trauma.
Inside were the sounds of voices. He entered to find Dr. Greene and a couple others saving a patient. He decided to wait, it wouldn't be much longer. As Greene checked the man's heart rate again, he looked up and saw John.
"Carter? I thought you weren't coming in today," he said and then yelled some medical instructions at the nurse. He walked over to Carter, "You're 2 hours late."
"I know. Rosalind and I got home late last night and I crashed at her place. I'm really sorry," he explained.
"Ah, the little woman. I understand, just don't let it happen again. Why don't you go to the lounge and grab some coffee. You look like hell."
"Alright thanks." John left the Trauma and headed for the lounge.
When he got there the silence was almost deafening. He found a little bit of coffee left and sat down at the table with it. His stomach growled; he should have eaten with Rosalind. He got up and checked the fridge, settling for some bread.
After he finished he opened his locker and took off his coat. Reaching in his pocket he remembered. John pulled out a little black box. Opening it, he saw a gift he's been meaning to give Rosalind for days- his grandmother's diamond engagement ring. He wanted to propose but there was just no time. He should have done it in from of her family, he thought.
But as he put his lab coat on and tucked the box safety away in his locker, John had an idea.
Rosalind put the telephone back in its holder and sat down on her couch, sighing. She had been trying to call John for about an hour now, once every 15 minutes. Either no one had answered, why she didn't know, or Jerry said John was in the middle of a trauma. He said he was sorry but she wasn't sure if he was. I can't believe I let him leave, she thought, I should have locked the doors. Bolted them. Hm, some lunatic girlfriend I am.
The silence was too much. It's interesting after a while night of dancing and talking with noise surrounding you how deafening being alone can be. So Rosalind went over to her bookshelf and grabbed a CD. The Carpenters. Yeah, she was in a really sad mood. The words of "We've Only Just Began" poured out of the radio like rain out of a gutter. She wanted to cry, her tears were brimming her eyelids like an overflowing glass. Then they spilled out, onto her cheeks and down her nose. She wasn't sobbing, just letting the salty droplets wet her face.
Rosalind wanted this song to be her wedding song. The song that she and John could dance to together for the first time as husband and wife. Their song, our song. But at the rate they were at they were never going to married.
She picked up the phone again and started dialing the ER. Maybe if Jerry heard her upset voice he's drag John out of a life saving procedure and save their relationship. It sounded selfish but it was true.
"County ER." This wasn't Jerry, it was a woman's voice. In fact it wasn't a receptionist at all; it was Carol Hathaway.
"It's Rosalind, is John there?"
"Hi Ros! Listen, we're really swamped right now. Do you think I could give him a message for you?"
Rosalind was now sobbing, she was never going to get a hold of him!
"Just tell him I miss him and-"
"Ros, are you ok?"
She sighed, "No, John promised me he would stay with me today and he went to work."
"Promises were made to be broken. Well, why don't you come in here? It's no good to be all alone at a time like this. I'm off in about an hour and we can talk or something? Get some lunch? Ok?"
Carol's voice was soothing. It probably wasn't good to be home alone sobbing. So she'd do it.
"Ok, I'll be in soon Carol. Do you think I can talk to John too?"
"We'll storm the trauma rooms!" Rosalind laughed a little and hung up.
John tore his gloves off and turned on his heel out of the trauma room with a smile on his face. It was turning out to be a pretty good day for Dr. Carter. He had just helped deliver a baby and watched a family of two become a family of three. It was a magical moment for him. One day, just some day he and Rosalind would have children. And that would be an even more beautiful time.
"Hey Carol, running the desk today?" he asked her, she was standing behind the reception area shuffling papers and answering phone called.
"I don't know what on earth happened to Jerry. So here I am!" she replied with a smile, "Hey Carter I-" Dr. Greene walked by and John remembered he wanted to talk to him.
"Dr. Greene, can I talk to you privately for a minute?" he asked the stressed doctor.
"Sure Carter, let's go to the lounge." They got there to find a sleeping med student, but no one else. They sat down at the table, "What is it Carter?"
"Ok, I told you I left Rosalind today, and I feel really bad about it because of what she expected. So, do you think maybe I could get off early and spend some time with her?"
Greene eyed John to make sure he wasn't lying. He knew he wasn't, "Go ahead Carter, I know what it's like with women." He looked at John again and saw he was seating, "Something special tonight Carter?"
"I was just thinking… of proposing to Rosalind tonight." Greene smiled, remembering his own big night.
"Well, good luck Carter. I've got to get back to work," Greene stood up and went for the door but not before another face appeared at the glass and then walked away, "Was that Rosalind?"
"What? Where?" John asked standing up.
"I swear I just saw her look in the room." John moved for the door and opened it before Greene did. But when he looked up and down the hall, he couldn't see her anywhere. He had to find her.
And he left you just like that?" Susan Lewis asked sitting next to Rosalind in the cafeteria. Carol also was sitting across from Rosalind. It was girl talk time.
"Yeah, no hesitation, no nothing," Rosalind replied stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth before the tears would show.
"What a… bastard," Susan muttered. Rosalind giggled.
"John is a wonderful man, he just has to work."
"So then you're not mad at him?" Carol asked.
"I am, but until he finds me I'm not going to get totally pissed off."
"Finds you?" Susan asked.
"I saw him in the lounge."
"So he should know you're here then," Carol said. Rosalind nodded.
"Drama drama drama, I can't miss this, screw work," Susan declared. They continued their lunch break.
Rosalind heard the main doors shuffling and she looked up. There he was- John was in his lab coat looking sweaty with his hair disheveled. He looks so adorable and he's been looking for me, Rosalind thought, this is going to be good. She turned back to Susan and waited.
"Ros! Ros, why didn't you tell me you were here?" John asked coming up to the table and promptly throwing his weight on it.
"I came to talk to Carol, nothing more," Rosalind replied. She was determined to play hard to get no matter how he looked at her.
"Ros, don't do this."
"Don't do what?" Rosalind looked at Susan and Carol seeing them trying to hide smiles, she decided to egg John on, "I'm not doing anything wrong."
Suddenly John grabbed her by the wrist, forcing her to stand up.
"We need to talk Rosalind," he whispered coldly. Oh god, I've made him mad, Rosalind thought. He took her to another table across the cafeteria.
"I don't want to talk to you," Rosalind said quietly stealing her fist back.
"Ros, you know if I could have I would have stayed home with you today," John explained his hands gesturing in frustration.
"That's the thing John, you could have. There is no reason you couldn't have stayed home."
"I would lose my job!"
"John, it's a holiday! Just call in and tell them you're taking off for that. Or tell them you're sick."
"Doctors don't just have a day off Rosalind, people need us all the time."
"But the person who needed you most wasn't worth it huh?" John fell silent, Rosalind knew she had gone too far this time. She could feel tears welling up in guilt and she ran from the cafeteria. John sat back down alone with his head in his hands.
"You know Carter, Rosalind really does need you to spend time with her," Carol said approaching the table John was sitting at with his head practically resting on the hard cold top. He had not yet gone back to work, he didn't even know if he could.
"We do spend time together Carol. Hell, I just took her to see my grandmother. My grandmother; the only other person I care deeply about in the whole world. I just don't understand where these feelings of hers come from," John replied.
"But you seem to have the feelings too," Carol said.
John let out a small laugh, "I do; I feel guilty. What am I supposed to do? I've worked too hard to give up my job now."
"Rosalind doesn't want you to give it up. I could never begin to explain how proud she is of you. She talks about the day you helped save her life all the time. What she wants Carter, all she wants, is you to take the time to be with her, not give her so called 'quality time.'"
John sighed, "I have to go talk to her." He got up and started to walk away. He turned around, "Thanks Carol."
"Anytime," she said with a smile thinking of how lucky Rosalind was to have someone like Carter.
Rosalind sat outside in the warm air with a cool wind going by. After saying what she did to John, she ran outside without talking to anyone. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to be alone.
She could hear the automatic doors to the hospital swoosh open and didn't avert her eyes to see who it was. She knew who it was.
John walked up slowly and sat next to Rosalind on the bench. He carefully placed an arm around her shoulders but didn't go any farther. Suddenly Rosalind leaned into him for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and she sobbed into his shirt.
"John I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I didn't!"
"Shh, it's ok. You were right."
"I was?" She looked up into his eyes and they made her weak. She was glad he held her.
"You always were," John replied with a slight smile, "I should have stayed home with you today."
"Forgive me?" He kissed her in response, "That's good enough for me!" They were silent for a few minutes in each other's embrace.
"I delivered a baby today," John informed.
"You did? John that's wonderful!"
He took her left hand in his right and brought it to his lips kissing it, "And one day…"
"One sweet day," Rosalind finished. And that was all they needed to say.
"Carter, I wish you would stop that whistling, " Greene said in the middle of a trauma, "This man needs a bag, do it." John reluctantly moved from his spot and put the breathing apparatus on the man.
Soon the man was stable and John exited the trauma still just as light on his feet as before. He passed Susan Lewis on the way out.
"What's the matter with you Carter?"
"I'm happy Susan."
"You sound like a fruitcake, stop whistling," she replied.
"I can't!" he said and kept walking.
"Carter, I have a headache, please stop," Carol said sitting at reception massaging her temples.
"Why do you have a headache?" John asked.
"Jerry is making my life a living hell," she replied, "Why are you whistling?"
"Guess."
"You know we both don't have time for this, are you on crack?"
John laughed, "Guess."
"Does it have something to do with a certain girlfriend of yours?"
"It does!"
"Ah the lovely Rosalind!"
"Shut up," John said making a screwed up face.
Carol giggled, "Seriously, why are you so happy?"
"Take a look," John said. He handed Carol a little black box.
Carol just about gasp when she opened it up. Should have expected it but not… "Carter it's beautiful! And so large!"
"I know. It was my grandmother's. Rosalind deserves every single carat in that ring. And tonight, I'm going to ask her to be my wife."
Carol wiped some welled up tears away, "Carter, that was beautiful. Now you just tell her something just as sappy tonight and you'll be all set!" Carter walked away laughing.
"I don't know what's come over me Liz, I feel light as a feather," Rosalind told her sister Elizabeth on the phone the next day. Yes, their mother was obsessed with English Literature. If you hadn't noticed with Rosalind's namesake of Shakespeare's As You Like It, you would certainly know it by her other 3 sisters being named after girls in Jane Austen novels. Elizabeth was the oldest and lived up to her name, braving the courageous waters of Rosalind's loves just like Miss Bennet.
"Well you must be in love," Elizabeth replied with a knowing smile on her face her sister couldn't see, "I remember that feeling."
"You do?"
Elizabeth laughed, "Of course I do. I know I was married AGES ago but somehow I remember." Rosalind giggled.
"I really can't believe it. It seems such an unlikely story you know? Girl passes out in park, girl is taken to hospital, doctor helps girl, girl falls in love with doctor, he does the same. Doesn't seem very romantic at all does it?"
"You know we were destined to this love. I found my Mr. Darcy, and you found your Orlando. It all worked out just as Mom planned."
"Aww, you're going to make me cry!" Rosalind laughed and then said her goodbyes. She had to meet John at the ER in 20 minutes.
"I'm nervous Carol, should I be nervous?" John asked the nurse as he packed back and forth outside the reception desk. Carol just watched him in amusement.
"You're going to propose to her tonight of course you're nervous," she replied, "Carter sit down, you make me nervous!"
John grabbed a plastic chair and sat in it. He wiped some sweat from his brow with a paper towel. Dr. Greene came by viewing the fidgeting doctor.
"All dressed up, sweating like a pig, tonight's the night huh Carter? He said looking at Carol who nodded.
"Tonight's the night for what?" Susan Lewis asked coming by. It was a slow night obviously.
"Carter's going to ask Rosalind to marry him, "Greene replied walking away.
"I'll be ok Carter, she's a good girl," Susan said sitting down next to him, "But you on the other hand, you could use some work." John laughed and ran a hand through his hair sitting back.
The sounds of heart monitors and rushing people were almost deafening for John in this moment. He was beyond nervous, going over in his head a million times how he was going to ask the fated question. He had already bought out the entire Magoo's, commemorating where they first connected. What more could he do but sit and wait?
"Hey handsome," a voice said from over John's shoulder. He turned and there she was, Rosalind. She looked absolutely beautiful; she was wearing a red dress with frilled sleeves and hem. She had little flower berets in her hair and looked like an Amazon princess.
"You look just perfect," John sputtered out standing up and taking her hand in his.
"Better get out of here before someone pucks on that dress," Carol said from behind the reception desk, "We've got some sick kids coming in."
Rosalind went over to the desk and gave Carol a hug, "I'll see you later. And thank you for earlier, everything is wonderful."
"Everything will be," Carol replied. Rosalind looked at her curiously and Carol just smiled, "Get going!"
They said final goodbyes and then Rosalind and John were on their way across the street. Little did she know what awaited her there.
"You know what today is?" John asked Rosalind as they both sat down at either end of the booth in the empty restaurant.
Rosalind had no idea, "I don't know, what is today?"
"The 6 month anniversary of the day we met," John replied placing a hand on hers.
"Really? Time goes so fast!" Rosalind exclaimed. She was almost ashamed that John had remembered and she, the woman, hadn't.
"It's been a great time," John said taking her hand in his, "And I want more. I want forever."
"John, what are you getting at?" Rosalind asked nervously. She had an idea what was coming next and she definitely wasn't ready for it.
"Ros, I love you. Will you marry me?" John took the little black box he'd been hiding so long from his pocket and opened it to Rosalind.
She almost lost her breath. My it's gorgeous, she thought. What do I say? I want to marry him, and yet, is it too soon? Thoughts were traveling in Rosalind's head at the speed of light. She needed to make a decision, and fast.
"Ros?"
"Hm, oh um, I'm sorry John. Of course I'll marry you!" Rosalind replied quickly, "I'm afraid I just wasn't nearly as prepared as you were for this moment." John just smiled and took the ring out, placing it on Rosalind's finger.
That's when the tears welled up, and this time for both of them. John got up and sat next to her, and they held each other, both knowing they would hold each other forever. THE END.