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. Thanx for all the reivews! I thought I lost everyone!
Cartergal131: The Letter was sad. Glad you noticed that I try to include all of the characters. I wanted this to almost play out likethe actual show. Nice to see it worked!
Lili: I laughed my ass off when you said, "Go Romano!" He's one of my all-time fave characters.Yes, Carter and Lucy are finally dating. Don't cry! Please! If you cry, I'll cry...again!I cried too when Mark died. I agree that if you didn't cry at that, you don't have a soul. How could you not?
Chapter 19: PRAT
"Still waiting for my peace of mind now
No strings attached to the
Promises given to the
Faces and places of those that I hate
Its the impossile way that I think"
A short time later, Susan found Abby in the Drug Lockup. At first they talked about Susan's earrings, but then Abby told Susan she didn't expect Mark to die so soon-she kept expecting to see him walk around the corner, Susan solemnly agreed.
"When are you off duty?" She asked quietly, Mark still haunting her thoughts.
"I'm already off but I don't feel like going home." Abby replied sadly. Anybody who wants to be alone after someone dies has gotta be crazy.
"Then I suggest we go out and get plastered." Abby laughed in response, causing Susan to smile for the first time all day; Abby, too.
"I would say that's an appropriate response." She said as Kerry came in to tellher that she had to leave.
"I'm sorry about Mark." Kerry said sadly and started to walk off, but Susan called after her and asked if she'd like to join them for drinks at the Lava Lounge. Kerry thanked Susan for the invitation, but told her she had other plans. Haleh came to get Susan because Romano was inserting a Chest Tube in Melissa. As Susan gently explained what was happening to the frightened girl, Romano inserted the tube and then hurried Melissa upstairs for surgery.
Pratt tried to deal with an Italian-speaking grandmother who brought in her grandson because the boy has a strange rash on his chin. Carter came around and was a bit confused by the scene and tried to ask Pratt what the problem was. The grandmother continued to speak to them in Italian while they argued. Carter finally leaned down at the kid, touched the rash and licked his finger.
"Strawberry." Carter announced that the boy simply has some jelly on his face. Pratt was surprised, but he shrugged it off.
"Carter, can you call Northwestern and tell them they made a mistake. That they should take me." He asked as they walked down the hall.
"Do you feel you're too good to be wasted at County?" Pratt tried to deny that, but it was clear that was exactly how he felt. "County needs good doctors, too, and for better or worse, we drew you." He pointed out as he walked away to the bulletin board, where Lucy was standing. She'd been there when he read the letter but she was reading all over again. "You all right?"
"I can't seem to stop reading it, Carter." She said still looking at the letter. "I don't want to. I'm scared."
"Scared?" He asked turning her to face him concerned. "Scared of what?"
"That if I stop, then he's really gone." Her eyes grew misty as she thought back to how mean she'd been to Mark. She couldn't believe she'd shouted at him in the Bay after he told everyone his prognosis. After everything that's happened, after all the times we talked, after you convinced me to come back...you're leaving...forever. Carter pulled Lucy into a hug and she wrapped her arms around his back, holding him tightly, still afraid. She cried into his shoulder and he just stood there, brushing her hair back and kissing her head softly, whispering all the comforting words he could think of.
"Cancer attacks little girls...fathers with little girls. Brain cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, it's all the same merciless predator." Romano expounded on cancer while operating on Melissa, becoming distressed upon finding the extent of the spread of her Cancer. Shirley could only listen and assist with the Surgery, Romano starting to worry her. After the Surgery, he found Susan waiting outside.
"They were lucky to get plowed by that cement truck." He added after telling her that he was able to get all of the Cancer.
"Dr. Romano, are you sure you got it?" Susan asked again. There had been enough death today, she didn't want a child to be added to it.
"I got it." He assured her, but not all that convincingly.
"Hello? Hey, Jones." Lucy said to a man on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, it's me. What? No, no, everything's fine." She lied wiping her eyes. "Yes. Yes, I'm sure. Is Dave there? Can you get him? No, it can't wait. I'm positive, it can't. Thanks." Lucy turned around, away from the Bay doors and Mark's death sentence, and looked around at all the sick people. "Hey, Dave!" She said as cheerfully as possible. "How's it going? Really? Good, good. Um, how's Matt? Great! Yeah, tell him I said "Hi." Um, Dave, something's happened. Huh? No! No! N-Not to me. I'm fine. It's...it's Mark. He, uh...he died, Dave. Mark's dead." There was a long pause on the other end of the phone folowed by Dave starting to choke up. All this acomplished was Lucy's tears rolling up to the surface again. "Yeah. I know, I-I know. I'm not sure. Dave, I...I gotta go, okay? I'll talk to you later though. Okay, all right. I'm sure. Dave, I'm sure. I-I'm fine. I will. Thanks...bye." She turned around and hung up the phone quickly. Frank was nearby and he saw Lucy wiping her eyes and sniffing, so, in light of that, he pulled out a tissue box from underneath him and set it down in front of her. She looked up at him but he wasn't acknowledging her then.
Chapter 20: Farewell to a Friend
Preview: The County crew reminise at the Lava Lounge.
