A/N: I don't own ER or any of it's characters. This story takes place during season 6 during "All in the Family." Yes, this is a Cary fic because, yes, I believe it that episode should've ended up differently. I'm a Carcy lover and if you aren't, that's fine too. Anyhoo, this is my interpretation on what should've happened. (if Kellie Martin didn't leave to complete college.) Also, all of the opening quotes are from the song State of Mind by Merril Bainbridge. Also, thanx for the reviews!

Sky Spade: i'm not sure but i don't really know about how the old episodes are being rerun. i thought it was on today on TNT but, like i saud, i'm not sure. here's the update as promised.

psych21: that's right! there aren't enough Carcy fics! i'm happy you liked the dream sequence and here you go on the recoveries part.

Lili: thanx and ask and you shall recieve.

Chapter 3: Sorry

"While I'm asleep
I feel it driving me to something I'll regret
What if I make the change?
What if I loose my courage
This time?"

It had been a month since "The Valentine's Day" massacre, as Jerry sometimes called it, and Carter had been walking around and seeing patients for a week now. He'd spent his entire month of physical therapy with a cane.Kerry asked him to take a few days off but he refused. Carter didn't want to sit at home, or rather Kerry's basement, and do nothing. If anything, "nothing" would become thinking about Paul Sobriki, which would lead to Lucy.

He hadn't seen her at all, he couldn't bring himself to step in the elevator and go to her room. Just the thought of seeing Lucy in a bed plugged into monitors and a tube in her throat helping her to breathe made him sick. Those damn monitors seemed to be counting down how long she had left. Carter scolded himself every time his thoughts went back to her. But after a few hours into his shift, some of the nurses started talking at the front desk.

"Did you hear?" Chuny said after Carter walked by while handing a chart to Dave.

"Hear what?" He asked while giving her back the chart after glimpsing at it. "No, give this to somebody else."

"It's a perfectly good case! And you're a doctor for crying out loud! Now take it and let me finish!" She said pushing the chart back to him harshly.

"Now, as I was saying, did you hear about Carter?"

"No, what about him?" Dave said quickly switching the chart with another when she turned her back. Mark came around the corner and wiped the board of his name after picking up another chart. He wrote his name again for a man that had a broken leg.

"He's going up to see Lucy." She said leaving the front desk to go with Mark.

"He is?" Dave asked Jerry who just told a little girl and mother to sitting in the waiting room.

"Yeah. He just got in the elevator." Dave looked at the doors down the hall quickly but only to see them closing. But he did see a figure inside but only for a second.

"Wonder what he's gonna say." Dave whispered to himself returning to the charts to find a "good case."

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"Hey stranger." Carter said to Lucy's sleeping body at the doorway just above a whisper. He suddenly remembered the dream he had and how she had said that to him. He lowered his head and bit his lip thinking back one month to how he found her. He was about to leave when he saw Carol step out of the elevator. He turned back to her room and leaned on the doorframe unsure what to do now, so he just looked at the floor. Carol smiled at him and tapped his shoulder sneaking up on him. He jumped and turned to see her still smiling. "Carol, what are you doing?" The idea that she was Lucy's nurse never entered his mind.

"Watching you make a fool of yourself." She turned from him and went into Lucy's room. She pulled out her chart and then went to her IV drip. It was almost running on empty. "She needs a new one."

"I'll go get it." He said turning to leave, glad to have the excuse, but she ran to him and pulled him inside.

"Oh no, you don't." She pulled a chair to Lucy's bed and pushed him down into it. "You're gonna sit here and visit your Med Student while I go get a new IV."

"But my break's over." He said standing up only to have her push him down.

"Don't worry, Carter. I'll tell Kerry. I have a hunch she won't mind." She smiled at him again, turned on her heel and left. He watched Carol walk out of sight through the window before turning back to Lucy. He slowly put his hands into hers but took them off just as quickly. He didn't know what to do, he'd never done anything like this before.

"Um…hey, Lucy. I know I haven't been up to see you since…well, I've been busy with my own recovery. Benton says you're gonna have to get some physical therapy when you wake up. You need to hurry and wake up, Lucy. I'm sure you know that the more time you sleep, the less chance there is for you to wake up." He sighed shaking his head. What am I doing? I shouldn't being talking like a doctor. "Lucy, I…I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I never should've left you alone. Lucy…" He said putting his hands back onto hers. "…You have to wake up. You have to." Carol had come back with the IV Lucy needed but she didn't want to interrupt Carter. She backed out of the doorway but didn't leave. Carter put his head down on his hands cover Lucy's and couldn't help but start crying.

"Hmm…" Lucy moaned softly, so soft that Carter wasn't sure if he heard right. He looked up and saw her eyes were closing tightly, and then her hands started to move. He stood up and ran to the doorway where he nearly knocked Carol to the floor.

"Carter! What the hell--"

"She's waking up! Lucy's waking up!" He interrupted her frantically.

"Oh, my god!" They ran into the room and Lucy's eyes were fluttering open, trying to adjust to the light. "Lucy? Lucy, can you hear me?" Lucy tried to speak but felt to tube in her throat and remembered how she couldn't talk when she tried with Elizabeth, so she just nodded. Carol started to pull the tube out while Carter came around the other side to check her eyes. "Carter, I can handle this. Go downstairs and get Mark." Carter wasn't listening to her until she pushed him away and out the door. "Go!" He sighed heavily before running down the hall to the elevator. After pressing the button, he decided to fly down the stair since it was taking too long.

"Carter?" Luka said as he was nearly run over. "Carter, what's the rush?"

"Where's Mark? It's an emergency." He asked out of breath.

"It's always an emergency here." Yosh said as he walked by them into Exam 6 to check on a patient.

"A real emergency. It's Lucy." Carter said scolding Yosh.

"What's happened? Has her condition worsened?" Luka said walking closer to Carter in concern.

"No." He suddenly gave an "ear-to-ear" smile showing his teeth. "She's awake."

"She's awake?" Carter shook his head and asked again where Mark was. "I think he and Lily are in Exam 3." Carter thanked Luka and ran toward the room Luka suggested. When he found only Lily, he cursed under his breath. Why is it whenever there's something big going on, all the nurses are around gossiping but the doctors are nowhere in sight?

"Everything alright, Carter?" Lily said cleaning up the patient deprived room.

"Yes, where's Mark?"

"He said he was going to get some coffee in the Lounge." She said pointing to it even though he knew where it was. He thanked her too and made a mad dash to the Lounge. Mark was just coming out when he heard Carter calling him.

"Carter? What is it? Something wrong?"

"No...nothing wrong. Carol…she…" He was trying to catch his breath. "…She needs you in Lucy's room."

"Dammit!" He said throwing away his coffee and walking to the elevator, Carter matching his stride. "I hope she didn't throw another clot." He said thinking it was bad news.

"No, nothing like that. She's awake." Carter said as he and Mark waited for the elevator. Mark looked at Carter and, like he did, decided the elevator was taking too long. He and Carter ran up the stairs and almost knocked Elizabeth down them. They both yelled sorry but were preoccupied to sound sincere.

"What was that about?" She asked herself getting up and going to the front desk. "Jerry, where were Mark and Carter going?"

"I don't know. They were talking here a minute ago. Carter said something about Carol needing him up in Lucy's room." He informed her walking away to go deal with a patient that was starting to scream about how long he'd been waiting.

"Oh, dear." She whispered to herself sorrowfully. "I hope she's all right."

Chapter 4: Leaving?

Preview: Lucy makes a difficult decision.