Hide and Seek Part 4

Claire Leyland

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 6,

Disclaimer: ER and all it's characters belong to Warner Bros., NBC etc and no infringement of their copyright is intended.

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Benton stared at the back of the van in complete disbelief. He could not believe what he was witnessing; one minute he was frantically rushing towards his car for his notes, the next he was watching his friend being bound up and forced into the back of a van.

He hesitantly took a step towards the rear doors and tried to peer through the mud encrusted windows for some piece of evidence to convince him that he had made a mistake, that his colleague wasn't in the van but instead upstairs in the ER perfectly fine and in no danger whatsoever. However, he felt his hopes fade and his heartbeat quicken when after a moment he was slowly able to make out Carter, struggling to free himself from his restraints. Locking eyes with him Benton could see the horror and panic radiating from his friend's eyes.

Watching his former student in this position made his body flood with a variety of emotions. The first one to hit him was fear, overwhelming fear for his friend and what could happen to him if he didn't get him out of this van. The look in Carter's eyes had said it all. His friend needed him and Benton was damn sure he was going to be there for him.

This was not some random person whom he could just pass on to someone else to deal with the consequences, like he did in surgery. This was his friend.

His friend.

Benton paused when that thought ran through his head, as he wasn't used to thinking it. He did not have a lot of people in his life close to him, nobody whom he could really class as "his" friend. Sure there were his sister Jackie, Reece and Cleo, but other than that there was no one. You could say that he did not like letting people in, he liked keeping them at a distance.

However with Carter………well what could you call it? Sure Carter bugged the hell out of him at times and other times he could gladly strangle him. Yet for as long as Benton could remember Carter had been there for him. Even though time and circumstance had separated them, with both doctors now employed in different areas of medicine, Benton still felt that Carter was continuously by his side. Then again isn't that the action of friends – to be there for one another?

"Yes it is." Benton muttered. He found his fear diminishing and his anger taking it over. He could feel it oozing through him and he latched onto it, making a lunge for the door handles.

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Carter had never been so relieved to see Dr Benton in all his life. Maybe this nightmare would finally be over and he would be able to go home……alive. He hastily scrambled up into a sitting position and tried desperately to free himself from the vice like grip of the rope. However to his dismay after slightly loosening the rope, it consequently held fast. *Smith's a dab hand with knots*, he mused, he just hoped he didn't get the chance to see firsthand what other skills he had. He wriggled his wrists again in an attempt to reduce the tension in the rope, but again it was unsuccessful. Carter felt like it was teasing him, giving him a little slack and therefore a little hope, and then binding tight.

The doctor slowly edged his way to the doors and vainly tried to get his hands around the handle but it was a futile effort. He frantically searched for any other way out of his personal prison, but sadly realised there was none, except going past Smith and somehow he didn't think that would work. Slamming his body against the metal, Carter cursed widely at his misfortune. He dejectedly looked up and out at Dr Benton: so near yet so far. All it was a couple of centimetres to safety, if that, yet there was nothing he was able do to reach it. Gradually lowering himself down against the van side, all Carter could do was look out of the windows in despair.

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Benton tried hopelessly to open the doors even though he knew they had been sealed shut. He was foolishly hoping that his strength alone would be enough to overpower the lock, but luck just wasn't on his side this time.

He banged angrily on the door in an endeavour to get Carter's attention. When he had it he yelled at his colleague in reassurance.

"Carter don't worry ok man, I'm gonna get you out of here!" Benton felt his chest tighten when he saw the look of optimism and relief in Carter's eyes, and only hoped he wasn't making false promises.

A glance over Carter's head confirmed his suspicions when he saw Smith evilly smile at him from the driver's seat and wave his index finger, as if to say 'I wouldn't count on it!"

Everything afterwards seemed to happen in slow motion. Benton saw Smith's hand quickly move to the gear stick and shift it into reverse. The surgeon shot his head up in fearful understanding as Smith suddenly started reversing the van back towards him with only one intention in mind.

Without a moment to spare Benton leapt out of the way of the oncoming vehicle straight over the neighbouring car's hood and landing hard on the ground.

He could only watch with a deep sense of terror as the van speedily made it's way out of the car park with his only friend being held captive in the back.

On that thought Benton made a mad dash for his car. Struggling to find his keys, he tried to remember where he had put them last. With precious moments slipping away Benton frantically shoved his hands into every pocket and gasped with relief when he finally felt one of them touch metal.

With shaking hands he quickly tried to fit the car key into the lock but found he just couldn't steady himself. The sweat was pouring off of him and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

"C'mon man calm yourself down, this isn't going to do Carter any good."

An image of Carter lying helpless in the van flashed before his eyes. It reminded him of that night when Carter had laid on a gurney in front of him, desperately needing his help. Benton had promised Carter that he would get him through that night and he had succeeded. Now Carter needed him to be there for him again, and without a doubt there he would be.

He jammed the key into the lock with a fierce determination, opened the car door and jumped in. Gunning the engine, Benton shoved his foot down on the accelerator, hoping he would be able to catch the van up in time. His friend's life depended on it.