Chapter 2

Carter rushes into Trauma 1 where Dubenko Abby and Pratt are working. The patient chest is now open and the medical team is trying everything possible.

Chuny warns the doctors that the heart has stopped beating

"I need internal shock panels STAT!"

Carter tries to resituate the patient, but it seems hopeless. In vain he pronounces the time of death.

"Time of death eleven forty-five"

"We can't save them all; did he have any family we could call?"

Frank walks into the trauma room "Carter, the police is here for the car accident victims"

Carter signs to Abby to follow him, they walk to the police officer who is standing near the admission in his uniform. He informs himself on both victims, he does not seem overly taken by the death of the man.

"George Kinestley, we've been after him a while, he his accused of several hit and runs, and the cars were always stolen. He always slipped out of our hands. He always stole SUV's, never got injured and ran away from scenes, I guess taking a regular car was his mistake this time."

Carter allows the officer into the trauma room where he can gather evidence to properly identify this criminal.

Abby and Carter are in the lounge, Carter is making coffee while Abby is lying on the couch to catch a few moments of rest on her endless twelve hour shift. Carter leans on the counter and becomes entranced into her, he stares at her contemplating how peaceful she looks. She opens her eyes, she sees him starring, she smiles;

"Now your staring, what are you thinking about?"

He snaps out of his bubble quite fast and begins blushing.

"Errr… yeh, making coffee. You know me without my coffee fix – I'm useless" He sees Abby is amused at him skipping around, he tries to put the spotlight back to her.

"So what did you want to say to me this morning?"

It's Abby's turn to blush Damn! I didn't think he'd remember!

"err, I meant to say you…"

Sam walks in, Abby quickly gets up, Carter rubs the back of his head and pour himself coffee, Sam nods confusingly.

"Carter, the X-ray for the car crash victim are back" He nods and follows her out.

The women sits in her bed when she sees Carter come in, her face slightly crimples in pain. She is not very tall, probably about five feet four inches, medium brown hair, she seems like a very average weight, her eyes are her best feature their a very dark green with subtle shots of brown.

"Dr Carter, We have not been formerly introduced."

Carter smiles and puts the X-rays on the light pad

"Dr. John Carter Chief Resident of the ER here at the county general"

"Dr Audrey Parker, Resident of the Centre urbain hospitalier de Montreal"

"Whoa – That's more French than I can understand" He laughs.

"So, I hope you have good news for me Dr Carter"

"I do, you only have one cracked rib, the rest is just bruises, ill prescribe something for the pain. So you're a resident too? I guess you have your share of stories eh?"

Audrey nods, and Carter and her start sharing stories about the ER, the med students, their beginnings all sort of stuff. Carter needed this escape of the routine, he and her had many of the same experiences, like in her beginnings she was shot by an psychotic patient, and had to relearn how to walk. Their conversation was going well until it was violently interrupted by a very vicious stroke of lightning. Neither of them had hard one quite that vicious, it shooked the ground and was followed by a gigantic 'boom' sound. A few milliseconds after the last 'boom' the lights at County simultaneously turned off.

Audrey says quietly to Carter

"Oh this can NOT be good."

He nodded.