Moving On

AUTHOR: Piper Fox
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Disclaimer: See part one.

(Aug): A Few weeks later . . .

"Let me see," Lucy demanded.

"Not yet."

"Please . . .Carter."

"No . . . not yet."

Lucy had been discharged from hospital, and Carter was taking her to see their new apartment for the first time. He had his hands over her eyes, and was trying, with some difficulty, to open the door.

"Here we are," he announced.

Lucy stared, taking in her new surroundings. "This place is fantastic," she exclaimed.

"So you like it?" Carter said, as he picked up her bags and followed her in.

"Do I?" she said, a wide smile on her face.

"C'mon I'll show you your room. You'll love it. It has this great view . . ."

A few weeks later . . .

Lucy settled into the apartment easily and found living with Carter was no big deal. They had grown comfortable around each other. Before she knew it, her first day back at work had arrived. She couldn't dim the butterflies in her stomach as she and Carter walked along the few blocks to the hospital. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. Carter gazed at her with interest and suddenly grabbed her, giving her a playful hug around the waist.

"Carter!" She couldn't help smiling up at him. "What's that for?"

"Good luck, Luce," he said, realising how challenging this would be for her.

"Yuck," she said, releasing herself from his grasp. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Don't worry . . . I'll be right there behind you," he said calmly.

"Thanks," she whispered, as she glimpsed the ER she knew so well. "Here we go, Luce." In her thoughts, she reflected briefly on the events over the last 6 months and somewhere deep inside, she screamed.

"Lucy!" Mark Greene called out when he saw her. "Glad to have you back . . . take it easy, okay. No point in doing anything too strenuous."

"Sure Dr Greene," she said, taking note of his kind advice.

"Welcome back Lucy!" echoed around her by many obscure voices.

"Th . . . Thank you," she said, feeling a little overwhelmed. "It's fine Lucy, don't lose it now . . . not yet . . . it's only just begun."

"Look, I'll do it," Carter said, the irritation in his voice growing stronger.

"Carter, you won't be able to do that forever," Mark Greene commented wisely.

"I'll do it."

"What are you two fighting about?" Lucy asked, as she walked up to them.

"Just a patient."

"Nothing changes around here, does it?" she smiled weakly. "It's been a long day."

"It's your patient, Lucy," Mark explained. Carter was silent, knowing he was unable to prevent the inevitable.

"It is? . . . so what's the problem?"

Mark snatched the chart from Carter. "Take a look."

Lucy scrolled her eyes down the page. "Eight year old . . . vomiting, fever . . . he's in - " she stopped suddenly, colour draining from her face. "Curtain three."

Carter dropped his eyes. He'd faced the same thing not so long ago. "I'll take it if you want," he offered.

"No . . . this is no problem. I can't avoid it forever . . . I'll manage." She walked away quickly.

Carter's eyes drifted after her. "She's taking on too much."

"Don't worry," Mark slapped him on the back. "She's stronger than we think."

"I sure hope so." Carter thought.

Lucy closed her eyes and pushed her way swiftly through the door into curtain three.

Opening them again, she discovered nothing terrifying, only a mother and her son. "Mrs Schroeder?" she asked the woman.

"Yes." She raised her eyes to meet Lucy's.

"I'm Lucy Knight. I'll be taking care of your son."

"Thank you so much . . . My name is June and this is Hamish." She cleared her throat nervously.

"I hear you've been feeling unwell," Lucy addressed the small boy lying on the bed. He remained still as if unaware of her presence, his dark eyes cutting the air as if he was looking right through her. She shook off the uneasy feeling and proceeded with her examination.

"He's been complaining of headaches. I didn't really think anything of it until he was ill this morning."

"Is there a history of migraines in your family?" she asked June.

"No."

"Right, I'm just going to take a look in your mouth." She did this and then inspected his neck closely, a picture forming in her mind. "I'm going to get one of the nurses to take some blood, so we can get a better picture of what is going on." She smiled briefly, leaving the room as quickly as possible. She ran straight into Lydia.

"Sorry," Lucy mumbled.

"That's okay Lucy, I'm glad you're back."

"Can you take some blood from Hamish Schroeder in curtain three? I want a chem7 and WBC."

"I'm on it." Lydia raised her eyebrows at the lifeless expression on Lucy's face, but soon realised what must have been going through her mind.

"Lucy!"

Carter's voice startled her. "What!" she snapped.

"Hey," he held his hands up. "I just wanted to know how it's going . . ."

"Fine . . . sorry," she frowned. "It's just so strange."

Carter said nothing, but in his eyes she saw that he understood exactly how she felt. "What's the diagnosis Dr Knight?"

"He presents with nausea, vomiting, headache. No apparent history of migraines. I'm thinking meningitis . . . but that means an LP – I don't think I can do that Carter, my first day back and . . ."

"Okay, I'll do it . . . but you have to assist." "I guess Dr Greene is right . . . I can't protect her forever, but maybe just this time."

"Thanks Carter, you're the best"

"Only this once, Lucy. If you want to make it, you're going to have to move on and put the past behind you."

"Not to worry," she said, feigning confidence. "I already have."

"I'm so glad my first day back is over," Lucy moaned to her mother when they were having dinner that night. "I felt like it was my first day again."

"I'm happy that things are getting back to normal for you."

"I know," Lucy said, taking another sip from her glass. "It's amazing when I think about it. I could have died, but I didn't and it's just weird."

"Lucy . . . I have to ask you something."

"Okay, but . . ."

"I'm thinking of moving to Los Angeles," Barbara cut her off.

Lucy was speechless. "What?" she managed eventually.

"I've been offered a job with the firm's LA office. It's a promotion . . . I'd be silly not to accept, but the timing's off . . . I don't want you feel that I'm abandoning you. That's the last thing I want. You seem to be coming along so well . . ."

"When will you go?" Lucy narrowed her eyes and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"They want me to start next month."

"So soon? How long have you known about this?"

"A few months . . . oh it's been tearing me up Lu. I didn't want to tell you, because of the attack."

"Well . . . I guess all I can say is I'll miss you." Lucy said, aware she felt it too deeply.

"You're not upset then?"

"I'll be fine." "Damn it! Why now? I need her, but this is something big in her life – you can't take that away from her – you just can't." "I've got Carter," she said weakly.

"Oh that's great. I will miss you so much. Now we have two things to celebrate. You getting your life back and my new job," Barbara said cheerfully.

Lucy smiled falsely and joined her mother in raising her glass. "Getting my life back? I'll never get it back. Things are changing too fast . . . and I can do nothing, but watch everyone pass me by."