Spoiler Referral: 11.9 - 'Twas the Night

Chapter 8 – "Music From the Youth"

The trauma doors crashed open when they pushed the gurney through. They parked it next to the trauma bed.

"On my count" Abby said, grabbing hold of her patient "One, Two, Three"

They lifted Chuck on to the bed. They pulled the lamps down and wired him up.

"He's in fib," Chuny announced looking at the cardiac monitor.

"Paddles!" Abby shouted. "Can someone call Cardiology?"

Jade gave Abby the paddles. She squeezed gel onto them. Abby rubbed them together and placed them on his chest

"Turn the volume to 200" She instructed, "Ok, clear!"

The body jolted.

"Nothing" Abby said holding up the paddles and placed them back on the chest again. "250. Clear!"

Chuck's body jolted up again.

"No pulse"

Abby turned to Chuny, stood next to the crash cart "Charge up to 300"

"Clear!"

Chuck's chest bounced of the paddles.

"Normal sinus" Chuny grinned swinging her head to look at Abby.

"Good work guys" Abby praised her colleagues "Lets get him up to Cardiology"

"Admire you to run a free clinic for the poor" said a tall distinguished gentleman.

"Thank you" Susan smiled holding a polystyrene cup of coffee.

"I'm surely you get hassled by drug addicts coming to your place. Demanding drugs as it is a free clinic" Another doctor asked.

"It's no different to any other hospitals" Susan replied with a forced smile.

Susan looked down at her cup and blew out a sigh. The conference turned out to be a meaningless boring event. She removed the cell phone from her bag. She checked it for messages and shoved it back.

"Dr Lewis?" said voice from behind and chuckled "You are Dr Lewis aren't you?"

Susan turned round to look and her jaw dropped to the floor. "Oh my god Greg Pratt!"

They embraced in to a hug and glanced at each other smiling.

"Wow" Susan shook her head "What you doing these days Greg?"

"I'm a physician for the Chicago Bulls" He replied. He is smartly dressed in an Armani designer suit and the light reflected from his shaven head.

Susan gasped then laughed, "You funny that, my youngest son Cameron watches basketball all the time and I always thought their doctor on the courtside looked familiar!"

"Yep that's me! I've been working for them for 10 years now" Pratt grinned, "You look great Susie! You have more children?"

"Yes three, two boys and a girl"

"Hey I remember Cosmo, he must be all grown up now"

Susan nodded "He's just started his 3rd year as med student"

"Takes after his mother" Greg said. He paused to think. Something about Cosmo's age had dawned on him "but he's only 23… Is he a genius?"

Susan grinned smugly. "Yeah only did two years of college instead of four"

Greg shook his head in amaze. He said, "I have boy and a girl"

"Wow"

Susan and Greg both sat down and spent a moment giving each other brief stories about what they had been up to the past 20 years.

"Yeah what ever happened to Deb Chen?" Susan asked "I never saw her again after quitting on me, on Christmas Eve. Couldn't get anyone to cover for her because she wanted to look after her father"

"Erm I don't know what happened to Jing-Mei" Greg bowed his head as he remembered that night when her father died. He would rather forget what he witnessed. "I think she went to China to deal with her father's business"

"Oh?" Susan nodded and arched her brows.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"This conference isn't what I expected" Susan commented. "Maybe I'm just not in the mood. Too many things are on my plate at the moment"

Greg replied. "I guess you heard about Carter then?"

"Yes. Abby told me yesterday. I can't get over it."

"She tried looking for you"

"Yes I know. I was hiding in New York…"

Robyn lay, stretched out on the couch watching television while Jack is playing with his toys. She is getting annoyed with him, as he wants her to play. Robyn much rather have her eyes fixated on the plasma screen, watching a classic rock video and swigging her can of cola.

Presenter from the TV announced "Hey welcome to VH-1's "Music from the Youth" A show with your favorite celebrity choosing 5 of their favorite tracks from their Youth"

Jack handed a toy to Robyn, blocking her view. She pushed him away "For god sake Jack, go away!"

Abby strode into the lounge with a mug of Coffee in her hand. She placed it down on the table. Crashed out on the single seated settee. She rubbed her forehead letting out a long sigh.

"Oh? Hi I didn't hear you come in," Robyn said turning to look at her mother."Huh not another bad day… Don't you ever have good day? God you are so miserable"

Abby cocked her head to one side "Why don't you try lifting your ass off the couch and run the ER alone? You wouldn't last one minute in there. You're not capable of dealing with crisis. And in fact you're not even capable being a mom"

"Uh! Go to hell!" Robyn scoffed and quickly jumped on her feet.

"Sit down!" Abby yelled. Anger flashed in her eyes. Robyn winced as she slowly sat back down. "How dare you talk to me like that? What is the hell wrong with you?"

Jack started to cry, startled from his grandmother's outburst.

"Oh I'm sorry sweetie" Abby rose up on to her feet, picking up Jack and gave him a cuddle. "Hush it's ok"

The voice on TV attracted Abby's attention "Welcome a former X-ray star, now record producer Ray Barnett"

"Hey it's that guy you used to work with," Robyn pointed at the screen.

"Yep" Abby answered, stepping back to be seated on to the settee again. Jack is resting on her lap. She arched her brows at Robyn "You and I need to have a talk…"

Robyn sneered "What now?"

"Yes. Now" She said, firmly.The former colleague on screen distracts Abby again.

So Ray tell us what are your thoughts when you were a judge on American Idol?"

Ray pouted looking at the camera. "Well you know Tommy, you don't realise how many raw talents we have out there…"

"I bet he was hot when he was younger" Robyn blew a bubble with her gum, twiddling her finger round a loose strand of hair.

"I didn't look at him like that"

"Well yeah I can't see you looking at younger guys"

"What do you know about me and younger guys?" Abby half smiled.

"Oh yeah I forgot… Jake"

"Exactly"

"He is kinda hot now for a forty something" Robyn commented, taking a swig of her cola.

"Erm… Ok… Before you tell us your selection, we hear you are taking a break from everything?"

"Yes I am, I have spent years studying medicine, being a doctor, becoming a rock star, touring with the band, then a producer, that's a hell of a lot of work done over 20 years"

The Presenter asked "So what are you planning on doingduring your break?"

Ray replied, "I am going to chill out but I'm doing one thing first. I am in a process of doing a reunion, at the hospital where I used to be a doctor"

Abby shook her head and carried in listening. Jack got down from her knees and ran to his play area.

"Wow Ray that's a lot of hard work researching and tracing people down"

"Well with the money I have earned…"Millions" anything possible!" Ray laughed.

"Why the reunion? Is it an anniversary?"

"Yes it will be 150 years since the hospital been opened. I am going over the top by trying to reunite all the doctors, nurses who have worked in the ER."

"Surely Ray, that will be hundreds of people…"

"Depends if they are dead or alive…?" He interrupted

Abby raised her brows and took a hard swallow as one dead colleague came to her mind, her hubby… Carter.

"Have you received an invitation?" Robyn asked

"No" Abby replied "Why would I need one if I work there?"

"Ok Ray, is there anything else you like to add?"

"Yes" Ray pointed at the camera "Abby…" He looked at the presenter "She's the ER Chief"

Abby jumped out of her seat in shock.

Robyn gasped "Oh my god Mom, he said your name!"

"Shush Robyn" Abby raised her hand up and leaned forward to listen carefully.

"If you are watching this? You may have had a gesture from an anonymous person about refurbishing the ER with the state of the art equipment? Yes it was me. Surprise!"

"Oh my god record this Robyn!" Abby gasped. Waving her hand, she demanded "Quickly get the disc in the recorder"

"No mom it's too late now"

"Damn" She gritted her teeth.

"I am doing this for the hospital because I would not got where I am today if it hasn't been for them"

"That's great Ray… Now your first track to play is Papa Roach – Last Resort"

"Yeah that track sure does rock!" Ray pouted showing the devil symbol with his hand.

"It's ok Mom, this repeats at 11 o'clock tonight"

"Oh good, that's a job for you, record it" Abby said, excitedly. She rose up and rushed to the telephone. "I need to phone the hospital and tell them the identity of the person who gave the donation"

Luka strode along the corridor and spotted Cosmo wandering.

"Hey why are you still here?" Luka asked placing his hands on his hips "You should have gone few hours ago"

"I had some assignments to do" Cosmo replied.

"Well you better get off. I don't want any burnt out students in this hospital. Ok?"

"Yes sir" He nodded "See tomorrow"

Luka nodded and walked away. Cosmo watched him heading to the admit desk. He noticed a woman in her forties looking lost at the counter. Cosmo walked up to her to assist.

"Can I help you ma'am? You look a little lost"

"Yes I had a phone call about my husband. I believe that he has been admitted"

"Well I can find out for you" Cosmo smiled at his offering "His name please?"

"Oh yes silly me I should have told before" She laughed, "His name is Chuck Martin, I mean Charles Martin. Chuck is his nickname"

Cosmo froze in shock after hearing his father's name.

She frowned "Is everything ok you look a bit…"

Cosmo shook his head "I'm ok. I'll erm… find out… for you" He stuttered in shock, pointing at the admit desk.

To be continued…