Chapter 14
Mark didn't know what happened. One minute Carter was sleeping peacefully, vitals completely normal. The next, Mark had dozed off for a moment in the chair by his bedside and was woken up by the machines going haywire.
Carter's vitals were rising and then the resident groaned as he woke up. Mark immediately knew something was wrong because Carter was trembling violently, his skin was pale and clammy and his eyes were glassy and unfocused. When he tried to talk to Carter, the man showed no response he heard him.
Then he threw up before collapsing unconscious. This was very bad.
Scrambling to find out what was wrong, Mark called in Peter and the nurses running every test they could as they checked him over.
Carter didn't wake up again through any of it, which was a very bad sign.
It was when Mark was examining Carter's stitches he found the issue. His incision site was infected. The stitches were red and swollen and full of pus.
"Damn!" Mark swore waiting whilst Peter had a look; "They were fine this morning. But then he ripped them and I had to restitch them."
Peter glared at the wound and then at Carter, softening; "Get me a chem 7. CBC. Lites. And a round of antibiotics." Peter growled at the nurses; "NOW!"
Peter sounded furious but Mark knew it was just Peter being worried.
Mark was too. Terrified. Infections were bad. Especially post operative infections. Carter still had pneumonia and a concussion. He was only just recovering and an infection could be serious. Even fatal.
"Oh Carter." Mark murmured softly as he reached over to place his hand on Carter's head. Gently running a hand through his hair; "Why can't you catch a break?"
0o0o0oo0o0ERo0o0oooo
Doug's mind was elsewhere, and Carol knew where. It was back in a certain resident's hospital room.
She understood. She saw how much Carter's condition affected him. She was worried too.
It was sweet of Doug to try though. Back at her house he was trying to make conversation, at this point practically rambling anything that came to mind. Anything to take their minds off Carter.
But it wasn't working.
Now as Carol sat on the sofa staring at the fire she knew it wasn't right. How could they be home having Christmas fun whilst Carter was all alone sick in hospital. Doug had told her what happened with Carter's parents, and it was just...horrifying. Poor Carter. He didn't deserve that..
"Here you go." Doug suddenly appeared handing her a steaming cup of cocoa in one hand as the other held his.
"Thanks." Carol murmured taking it as he sat beside her. She watched him staring into space for a moment.
Finally she sighed setting her cup on the coffee table.
"We should go back."
Doug turned to her sharply; "I'm sorry?"
"The hospital. Carter. We should go back. Be with him." She smiled warmly at him; "Doug it's ok. We're both clearly worried about him. And he shouldn't be alone."
"Mark is with him. He'll be ok." Doug reasoned, but it came across weak and Carol didn't believe him for a second; "He said he would call if anything changed."
"Doesn't mean we can't be there too." Carol offered reaching across to take Doug's hand; "Doug. I know you would rather be there."
"No that's not true." Doug said quickly shifting to face her, setting his own cup down; "There's no where I'd rather be than with you." He leant across to give her a quick kiss, before leaning back and sighing in admittance; "I'm sorry. It's just..."
"You're worried." Carol finished with an understanding smile.
"I found out today from Anspaugh and Kerry that Carter volunteered to work Christmas day, and that he donated a couple of hundred dollars to the children's toy drive." Doug murmured and Carol's eyes widened.
"Oh my...seriously? But I thought...Carter has no money...how did he? Why?"
"It's just who he is." Doug shrugged but there was a certain bite to his tone. It was clear Doug was still pissed about the kids leaving Carter to die in the street; "He would rather donate money to some children in need, than put the money down on an apartment. Because he feels they deserve it more than he does."
Carol was left speechless for a moment; "I mean I get it. He's always been pretty caring and selfless but...I guess I never thought about his personal life before." She felt guilty. It was true she wasn't very close to Carter, only having a professional relationship with him. Maybe if she had broached more of a friendship, offered him some support, this never would have happened.
"Yeah I don't think any of us really did." Doug admitted feeling the same way as Carol. All of them took Carter for granted, and because they weren't better friends to him, Carter had been going through all of this alone. Look where that got him; "We should have."
"Carter's going to be ok." Carol tried to reassure herself and Doug.
"Yeah." Doug replied half heartedly before shaking his head to focus. He turned back to Carol totally focused on her; "I'm sorry. You're right. Carter will be fine, and we should enjoy our time together. Seeing as we get so few nights together." Doug then paused raising a hand as he stood up; "And actually I have something for you." He moved across to his jacket on the back of one of the chairs and reached inside; "I was going to give it to you Christmas Eve but I think now might be better. And with everything that has been going on..." Doug shrugged as he walked back over; "I think we both need it."
Sitting back down he handed Carol an envelope.
Studying Doug curiously, Carol couldn't help an excited smile as she opened it. Unable to deny she was eager to see what was inside.
Then she pulled out two plane tickets and froze.
"Paris?" Carol whispered before looking at Doug dazed; "I don't...Doug what is this?"
Doug was grinning, somewhat a little nervously as he reached for her hands; "This is me showing you that I'm in this. I don't care whether we get married, or stay engaged, or just live together. I don't care. All I want is to be with you Carol. I just want you. And with all the craziness lately at the ER, and everything, I just thought it would be nice for us to get away from it for a while over Christmas. Two weeks, just the two of us, in the romantic city in the world. What do you think?"
Carol was in awe; "This has to be the most romantic and sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."
Doug smiled pleased.
Looking down at the tickets, Carol was very very tempted. Just picturing how nice it would be to enjoy time with Doug in Paris. Alone. Just the two of them. Seeing what this could be. When Doug proposed she had been overwhelmed, scared of moving too fast. Her feelings for Doug scared her, she loved him so much and she didn't want to mess this up again. And if they moved too fast, and things went wrong and they broke up again...she didn't want that.
It was then she noticed the plane tickets were open ended.
"Open ended?" Carol frowned at Doug confused.
"Yeah. Because I don't want to pressure you or presume when you would want to go. I know how close you are to your mom, and that you may not want to leave her. And you may not be able to get out of your shifts over Christmas, so..." Doug shrugged; "This way it's up to you. We can leave whenever you want. Before, during or after Christmas. Whenever is fine with me."
Carol merely leant forward, cupped his face and kissed him.
When they broke apart, Doug raised an eyebrow; "Does that mean you'll go?"
"It means I love you." Carol beamed, caressing his cheek; "And I am so lucky to have found such a wonderful man. I would love to go with you."
Doug beamed before hesitating; "I sense a but?"
"But." Carol agreed dropping her hands from his face to his hands; "Maybe now is not the best time to be going on a trip."
"Carter?" Doug knew instantly, and he couldn't deny a part of him was feeling the same way.
"It just...doesn't feel right to rush off on this lavish trip over Christmas and leave Carter all alone." Carol sighed; "No one should be alone at Christmas."
"I know. You're right. That's why I didn't like leaving him alone at the hospital." Doug rubbed his jaw; "I know he's going to be released soon, and he's going to be staying at Marks, but...still with his family abandoning him like that. I don't like the idea of leaving him alone over Christmas. Then there's Mark, he's all alone too with Rachel staying at Jen's."
"We should stay." Carol concluded; "Atleast until Carter's better." Carol thought it was really sweet of Doug to be willing to go though for her. To go to all this trouble, doing something utterly romantic for her. She really was lucky.
"Are you sure?" Doug furrowed his brow at her, worried.
"I'm sure." Carol smiled reassuringly at him, not a doubt in her mind; "This is where we need to be. Carter needs us."
"You know I was thinking maybe we could invite Mark and Carter her. For Christmas." Doug shrugged nonchalantly, like it wasn't a big deal, worried in case Carol said no.
"I think that is a great idea."
Doug smiled; "Ok good. I'll tell them tomorrow. For now, I want to show you how much I love you." He leant forward to kiss her. Carol chuckled in between kisses, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leant back on the sofa as he went with her, kissing across her jaw.
It was then the phone started ringing.
Carol scoffed and chuckled, typical timing.
She considered ignoring it, but being both a doctor and a nurse, they both knew it could be important. Like Carter.
Gently pushing him off her, she reached for the phone behind her head. Laughing and sitting up as she answered; "Hello?"
Doug started kissing the back of her neck making her shiver. But then as the other side of the phone spoke, she stiffened.
"Mark?" Carol said startled, waving her hand to stop Doug.
It was her tone that made him stop, and sit up alarmed.
"Wait slow down. Say that again." Carol looked terrified at Doug as she heard again, before nodding furiously; "Ok ok yeah he's right here." As she pulled the phone from her ear and handed it to Doug, he saw it in her eyes. The terror and worry; "It's Carter." She whispered.
Doug snatched the phone as he stood up pacing; "Mark? What is it? Is Carter ok?"
Carol merely jumped up rushing to grab hers and Doug's coats, her hands shaking as she did. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. Not to Carter.
"How long ago? What was his temp? Hmmm...His crit?...Dammit. Yeah ok..." Doug glanced at his watch; "I'll be there in ten minutes."
Hanging up the phone, Doug tossed it on the sofa and turned to grab his jacket and apologise to Carol, when he saw her standing in the hallway holding up his jacket, whilst wearing her own.
Giving her a nod of thanks, Doug grabbed his jacket and they both raced out.
Hoping they weren't too late when they finally got to Carter.
