How The Strong Survive

AUTHOR: Piper Fox
EMAIL:

Disclaimer: (see part one) The characters Alex Casey and Dr Margo James are mine.

This is part three. It's got a bit of medical stuff in it, and I'm not an expert so forgive me if it's not 100 accurate, I tried my best. This part is a bit of a filler, not much to do with my lucy/carter storyline. I think it just helps fill in the time of her recovery. I've introduced my first new character, Alex Casey. She is Carol Hathaway's replacement, who would have by now left.

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(May): A few months later . . .
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"Carter!" Chuny called after him, as he disappeared down the corridor.

"Yeah," he replied, turning back to face her.

"Where are you off to?"

"Exam four." He started walking towards her. "Why?"

"We're going to need you. There's a multiple trauma coming in."

"ETA?"

"Three minutes . . . some guy took a gun into a bookstore," she told him.

"Okay, prep trauma one and two, STAT!" he said, moving swiftly towards trauma rooms.

"What's going on?" Alex Casey's slender figure appeared from the direction of the nurse's station.

"We got a couple of GSW's coming in," Carter explained.

"Oh . . . what can I do?"

"Um, Chuny probably needs some help in trauma one."

"Okay." She wandered away, her silky blond hair bobbing behind her.

Suddenly a gurney burst though the doors into the emergency department. "Damn it, they're early," he muttered.

"Let's go people." They heard Mark Greene's voice travel through the air. He was already beside the gurney. "What have we got?"

"Thirty five year old man, gunshot wound to the right lower abdomen at close range, no LOC, BP 90 over 70, pulse 110." The young paramedic reeled off all the necessary information and handed the patient over to reliable hands of the ER doctors.

"Let's get this patient into trauma one. Carter you take the next one."

"I'm on it." He dashed out to meet the next casualty, followed by several others.

Two dark haired paramedics were unloading a gurney from an ambulance.

"Thirty one year old male, gunshots to the right chest . . ." one paramedic began giving Carter the details.

"What else have we got?" Luka asked the second paramedic.

"This is Mrs Lowe," she said. "Mild abrasions to the head and neck, BP 100 over 85, pulse 90."

"Okay," he said, in his rich Croatian accent. "If you'll come with me, Mrs Lowe, I'll get you cleaned up."

Meanwhile in trauma one . . .

"I want two grams of Cefotetan." Mark worked with ease to help his patient. "IV push."

"Arrrr . . . Steve . . . where's Steve? . . . arrrrr my leg . . ." The man had blood streaming down his face.

"Sir, can you tell me your name?" Kerry Weaver asked the distressed man. "I'm going to look in your eyes."

"Wayne . . . my name's Wayne. Can you please tell me where Steve is?"

"Pupils equal and reactive," Kerry called.

"He's in the next trauma room. Don't worry, we're taking good care of him," Mark said.

"Are you going to tube him, Dr Greene?" Abby asked.

"Yes . . ."

"Can I do it?" she interrupted enthusiastically.

"Okay . . ." he began.

In Trauma two . . .

"Charge to two hundred . . . clear." Carter shocked the patient, in a vain attempt to get his heart going. "Charge again . . . clear . . ."

"That's it, we've done all we can," Jing-mei said quietly.

Carter nodded slowly. "Time of death 2:23." He stepped back, a look of disgust on his face. "This doesn't get any easier," he thought.

"Good work, John," Alex said, putting on a brave smile.

"Doesn't make up for it," he muttered, leaving the room.

"Hey Carter." Mark Greene suddenly appeared. "How is the gunshot patient?

"He didn't make it." Carter was exhausted.

"Oh . . . the other one is up in the OR. How are you doing anyway? Is your back giving you any trouble?

"It's not too bad." Carter said, his hand moving to his back.

"How's Lucy?"

"She's getting so much better." They sat down in the now empty corridor.

"That's good to hear."

"She won't see anyone . . . about the attack," Carter blurted out. "Her mother made her go and see Dr James. She did it once, but now she won't go back again. She claims she's fine . . . but I don't know.

"I know I can't possibly begin to imagine what it's been like for her . . . and you, but everyone survives things in their own way. Lucy has always been strong." Mark frowned.

"I guess so . . . I don't think she wants to face up to what has happened. She won't even talk to me about it."

"Um," Randi interrupted them. "There's a woman here. She's looking for a Steve Lancaster . . ."

"Do you want me to do it?" Mark offered.

"No, I'll do it." Carter stood up.

"The strong always survive to fight another day," Mark commented. "How about a drink later?"

"Sure." Carter drifted back along the corridor to give the tragic news.