A/N: Hey, there! So glad to be back! here it is, the sequel to State of Mind. This picks up right where that left off so you should definately read that first. I started to write this as just a 2 part series and it's develpoed into a 3 part! So, look out for that too. When it's more develpoed, I'll let you know. Ass you know, I don't own anyone. I wish I did, but I don't. Also, all of the opening quotes are Peace of Mind by Nonpoint.
Chapter 13: Probable Cause
"You shouldve been satisfied
You should have been full inside
You could have been happy
Simply with your peace of mind"
8: 23 pm...
"I can't believe this!" Dave shouted as he walked away from Lucy with a chart. "How could you do this!"
"Dave!" She called after him, following him up the halls of Mercy. "Dave! Dammit, listen to me! I didn't think it would work, okay? Honest."
"I've got patients." He said quickly as he opened a door to an Exam room. "See 'ya around or not." He shut the door and Lucy sighed defeatedly as she went to the elevators. She rode the elevator up a few floors and, upon exiting, went to Dr. Strobler's office. She opened his door to find his office empty, working on a Trauma most likely. Lucy walked over to his In-Box and took out a piece of paper she had folded in her hand, placing it on top of the pile. Lucy went to the door, closed it and went to Mercy's Lounge to go to her locker. She stared at it for the longest time as she rethought the day's events.
10: 47 am...
"Don't worry, Lucy, he's a great lawyer." Chen assured her. "If anyone can help you, he can."
"I don't see how." She said as they entered County, Lucy waiting at Admit desk while Chen signed in. "I quit, I wasn't fired like you and Dave. Kerry doesn't have to give me my job back."
"Yes, she does." Chen said turning to face her, stunned at how adamant Lucy was about the whole thing, and they soon walked toward the elevators. "I have a witness that said she wasn't wearing her pager that day. You quit out of support for Dave and myself. Lucy, it was a great thing you did, I'm glad that someone else agreed with us and actually voiced their opinion. But you can't stay at Mercy when you can easily get your job back here."
"But life at Mercy is good. I'm a 1st-year Resident, about to become 2nd-year, I see less patients which may sound...cheap, but I do more there than I ever could here." She defended her new job, referencing to what Abby had said.
"Lucy, you got to understand that even though you like Mercy, you don't have to be there by choice or law." Chen said as they stepped out of the elevator about to meet her lawyer. "Besides, everyone wants you back here."
"Really?" Lucy asked taken aback, stopping Chen for a moment.
"As far as I know. Carter and Mark have been trying to get you back. Luka's even been helping, that new doctor, Susan Lewis, I think, has even pitched in." She informed Lucy as they began to walk again.
"That's different. I just met Susan and she's helping me?" She asked as Chen shook her Lawyer's hand.
"I was confused by that, too unitl she said you two had met on a previous occasion. I didn't really have time to get into it. Speaking of time..." She said looking at her watch. "...I have patients, a Traumas coming in and you have meeting. Good luck."
"Thanks." She said quietly as Chen walked away to get back to work, while she and her new lawyer went inside Kerry's office to talk to her and Robert, same as Chen had to.
1: 04 pm...
"How'd it go?" Chen asked as Lucy exited the elevator and they made their way to the front door.
"Better than I thought. I got my job back and complete with humilation in front of not only Kerry, but Mark and Robert, too." Lucy replied with mock enthusiasm.
"Aw, you poor thing!" Chen replied as they stopped in front of Admit desk. "But "better" is good. Better than worse."
"You're chipper." Lucy pointed out as Chen looked over a charter Connie passed of to her. "You're never chipper. Why are you chipper?"
"Been a surprisingly good day." Chen replied with a smile, rather unusual for her. "Besides that, you got you're job back." Lucy smiled modestly and lowered her head. "See 'ya in two weeks." Chen called after her as Lucy left, thankful that she hadn't run into anybody, Lucy waving good-bye.
"Two weeks." She said to herself, trailing off, as she walked toward the El. She'd been meaning to get a car, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Maybe now is a good time. "What am I going to tell Dave?"
8: 20 pm...
"Hey, Luce!" Dave greeted her as he entered teh Lounge. She'd been sitting there for an hour when she got off, thinking about how to tell Dave. "Some day, huh? An Abdominal Hysterectomy, a Catheterization for a man with Coronary Heart Disease, a Needle Biopsy, a Hyperthermic Perfusion and a Myolysis. And that was just the first two hours." Dave sighed as he poured himself some coffee. He was still on and would be for another three hours.
"Dave, I got to talk you." She said standing up and walking over to him. Dave immediately became concerned and worried, fearing the worst.
"What's wrong?" He asked before continuing in a whisper. "Are you pregnant?" He said with a small smile.
"What?" She asked shocked. What the hell is he talking about? "No! No, god, no! I, uh...I talked to Mark."
"Oh!" He said sighing with relief. "How is good old Mark?"
"He's fine. Bit of marriage problems, but fine." She pased for a moment to figure out how to word the news right. "He told me to talk to Deb about, uh...getting my job back at County." Dave gazed at for a moment before throwing away his coffee and clearing his throat.
"And...what happened? What Deb say?" He asked crossing his arms.
"She got her lawyer and they set up a meeting with Mark, Robert and Kerry." Lucy could see that Dave was getting angry but supressing his anger. "I got my job back and I'm going start in two weeks on night shifts with Deb." Dave nodded slowly. allowing Lucy to think this would go well, just before he blew.
"You're leaving?" He asked knowing the anwser and she nodded sadly. "You're leaving!" He shouted, startling her. "I can't believe you! After everything that bitch put us through, you're going back!" He shouted again refering to Kerry.
"Dave, please understand!" She pleaded as he began to pace around the Lounge, nurses and other doctors clearly avoiding them. "I didn't expect Kerry to give me back my job!" Dave scoffed and pushed out of the Lounge and to Admit desk.
"I can't believe this!" Dave shouted as he walked away from Lucy with a chart. "How could you do this!"
"Dave!" She called after him, following him up the halls of Mercy. "Dave! Dammit, listen to me! I didn't think it would work, okay? Honest."
"I've got patients." He said quickly as he opened a door to an Exam room. "See 'ya around or not." He shut the door and Lucy sighed defeatedly as she went to the elevators. She rode the elevator up a few floors and, upon exiting, went to Dr. Strobler's office. She opened his door to find his office empty, working on a Trauma most likely. Lucy walked over to his In-Box and took out a piece of paper she had folded in her hand, placing it on top of the pile. Lucy went to the door, closed it and went to Mercy's Lounge to go to her locker.
The onlookers from her and Dave's fight, doctor's and nurses, asked what it was all about but Lucy wouldn't say. They'd find out in two weeks anyway. As she walked into the Lounge and went to her locker, she listened to Drs. Kuzui and Halner talk about their plans for the night with one ear. Lucy reached under them, recieving odd looks, as she pulled out a small carboard box. As she returned and opened her locker, rather depressed, she began to put her stethoscope and jacket in it. The doctors knew what she was doing and decided to leave her alone to do it while they checked on their patients.
She moved to the top shelf of her locker and found her bottle of Opioids. Her eyes were already growing misty as she thought about her fight with Dave, basically her best friend. She made sure the coast was clear then snacthed up the bottle, opened it and swallowed two. Lucy threw the pills into the box, followed by a pack of cigarettes with only three left, then moved to her locker door. She had pictures of everyone she ever knew and loved taped up. She pulled them off one by one and laughed at a few of them, mainly the ones with the nurses, wiping her eyes quickly. The pictures varied from before she left County 2 years ago, to when she returned, and even up to when she quit. There were pictures of her with Carter, Mark, Dave, Abby, all the nurses, Jerry and Frank. Then there were others of Elizabeth with Mark, Robert arguing with Kerry, Luka giving a devilish smile with Deb laughing beside him and Doug and Carol. There was even a picture of Peter with Cleo and Jeanie alone. The two of them didn't know each other all that well, but they had talked once or twice.
Lucy placed the pictures in the box and saw that only a few pitures were left. God. What did I do, live out of this locker? She thought laughing at herself as she placed the pictures of her mother and grandparents in the box. Lucy hadn't told anyone, but her dear sweet grandfather had died. It happened around the same time she and Dave quit, that with his death had only made her stress grow-along with her insomnia. One more picture was in her locker, it was of her and Carter. She fingered it for a moment, trying to remember the moment. She wasn't sure but it looked like it was the day she came back, at the party. Yeah, that's it. Don't know why I didn't see it then. The cake was kind of a dead give away. Lucy turned back to her box and pulled out another picture of her and Carter together. It was the oldest one, she still had long blonde hair. She couldn't pinpoint when that had been taken but it was old, three years at least. She felt so old now as she compared the pictures, even though she would be twenty-eight soon.
"Lucy?" She spun around to see Dave with a chart in one hand and an apologetic look on his face. Lucy was about to apologize again but Dave stopped her. "I just wanted to say..."
"Sorry?" She offered as she turned to close her locker, pulling her name tag off and throwing into the box as well.
"No. You know me, not good with the apologies." He said half laughing as Lucy turned around, leaning on her locker. "I just wanted to say good luck." He smield at her and pat his chart as she smiled back. Lucy walked over to him and hugged him tightly. She was so scared Dave would hate her when she left, but he was doing fine. "See 'ya at home."
"Whether you like it or not." She laughed and he did too, turning to the door to leave.
"Actually, Luce, I was thinking about moving out." The news caught her by surprise. "Not because of you, just for a change of pace. We're both working again and the deal was to stay together until we both got back on our feet. Please understand." He added with a smile mocking her earlier words. She slapped his shoulder as he headed out the door smiling. They had finally come to an understanding.
Chapter 14: Home?
Preview: Another small recap.
