Return a Stranger
Summery: Mykalla Quince returns! Old friends, and new County folk return as Mykalla starts the next phase of her life. Both in and out of Chicago.
Notes: A sequel of sorts to "Enter a Stranger." I didn't like the direction that it was taking so I stopped writing it. But this is a flash forward, set in the future, but there will be flashbacks to help you set the stage. You don't have to have read EaS to understand what's going on, but it would sure help.
Disclaimer: Mykalla Quince is my own creation, and I own her. All names and characters of ER aren't mine and belong to Warner Brothers and Michael Crichton. And I make no money off of it. Although sometimes I wish I did.
Song lyrics are from "The Stranger" by Billy Joel.
"Well we all have a face that we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves
when everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steal
some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of a stranger
but we love to try them on."
August 28th 2003
Dear Diary,
A lot has happened over the past two years since I've written in you last. Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and has since died. Elizabeth had a breakdown afterwards and moved to England for awhile. It was hard because I was in the middle of my junior year of high school, and all of a sudden I had nowhere to stay in Chicago. I had really started to call this place my home, you know? All of a sudden my brother is dead, my sister's in another country and I'm basically alone. Dave was awesome and took me in for awhile until Elizabeth returned from England.
I left Chicago that July and returned to Jersey. Lizbet had quit County and was talking about moving to England permanently to be closer to Charles and Isabelle. It was harder than I thought it would have been to move back home. Me and Rob seemed to drift apart and broke up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would have been hard anyways, he was looking at going to college in Arizona on a baseball scholarship and things would have drifted eventually. But once I returned to school there was a lot changed. I wasn't nearly as accepted as I was before I moved. Most of my friends decided that I wasn't worth the time since I couldn't make up my mind where I wanted to be.
I'm packing my bags now to head off to college. I move into the dorms tomorrow morning. It took my forever to finally decide where I wanted to be. I was accepted to both UConn and Northwestern into their Pre Med programs. I swear I must have waited to the day everything was due to finally make a decision. But now here I am on the verge of being a Huskie. Maybe I'll go to Northwestern for Med School. How great would it be to place into County and work my way through med school there. It would be just like old times again, well sort of. Many faces have changed already and I'm sure they will change more.
I must go finish packing, and it's time to put you into a box with the rest of my notebooks.
Until later,
Mykalla Quince
"Don't be afraid to try again.
Everyone goes south every now and then
You done it, why can't someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself."
October 14, 2005
Dear Diary,
Pre Med is harder than I ever thought that it could be. Look at the last date, the day before I started college. And now I write again, finally, more than two years into college. Once again things have changed immensely, and at times I'm not sure how to deal with it. I think that's why I finally sought you out again and pour my thoughts down on paper.
Remember when I said that Lizbet broke down after Mark died, well she hasn't gotten much better. She moved to England, I only talk to her once every few weeks, and have only seen her once since. She's "sick." I don't know how else to describe it. I'm worried about her so much but she has shut the world out. She's broken down a lot farther than I have ever seen a person break down. I'm afraid that I might have to move again to be with her, or at least to take care of Ella for awhile. I hate this juggling back and forth of living arrangements. It was great in the beginning when I choose to move to Chicago but being forced to move around isn't.
I've been back to Chicago twice since, I went over spring break both freshman and sophomore year. It was awesome to see people like Dave, Carter, Luka, and Abby again. I missed them so much. It's sad to see people gone though too. I mean Dave's at Mercy now, but he's not at County where he should be, and Gallant isn't always there and Lizbet and Romano are gone. It's a whole different family. And where those have left there are those who have stepped up. Sam's awesome I love hanging out with her, its great to talk to someone closer to my age. Neela and Jake are… interesting, I guess is the right way to describe them. I haven't gotten to know them well enough. Ray is… Well, he's Ray. He's cute, annoying, and sarcastic. And if he weren't like eight years old than me I would definitely be interested. He is like Sam though, where I love hanging out with him, and it's so easy to talk to him.
Other than that classes are going. They aren't easy, but they are interesting to say the least. I've gotten my heart more set on going to Med School at Northwestern. I miss Chicago and my County family.
Until later,
Mykalla
"You may never understand
how the stranger is inspired
But he isn't always evil,
and he isn't always wrong
Though you drown in good intentions
you will never quench the fire
You'll give in to your desires
When the stranger comes along."
May 16, 2007
Dear Diary,
Two years again? This is starting to become a pattern in the way I write. But I did it! I finally graduated college. With honors mind you. I was accepted at Northwestern into their Med School. So it's back to Chicago with me. There's not much keeping me here anymore. And I get to go back to my County family.
I also want to move before Ella starts kindergarten. That's right; I'm Ella's guardian now. Lizbet died in November, of what I'm not sure. She had been mentally frustrated for so long, but Charles said it was an interaction with what she was taking. Personally, I don't think she could handle the pressure anymore; she had just broken down so far. She left me as Ella's guardian, which let me tell you is hard. Being in my last year of college and all of a sudden having a four year old to take care of was a struggle and a half. Luckily my roommate was good about helping baby-sit and the day care on campus took her sometimes while I was in class. Luckily Ella will be in kindergarten all day when I'm in class most of the time, and I know that people like Dave and Sam and hell, even Ray will help me out.
Speaking of Dave and Sam, they came out for my graduation, well Luka and Alex too obviously. It was great to have them there, my family was there, and then part of my County family as well. I can't believe I'm actually going to Med School in three months. It's exciting and frightening at the same time. I have some of the best doctors there to help me get through though, so that makes me feel a little more relieved.
I can't believe how much things have changed over the last five years. And somehow I have a feeling that it's only the beginning of what's going to change as med school goes on.
Until later,
Mykalla
End of Chapter 1. Hope you enjoy! Please read and review and tell me if I should keep this going ot chalk it up to a brief moment of creativity.
