Title: Never Let Your Guard Down.
Author: Simple Plan Rulz
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own ER etc etc
Author's notes on the chapter: So I thought I should do something Christmassy for Christmas. I came up with this idea for a nativity play for the doctors of ER and this is how it turned out. The character of father Jacobs is actually based on the minister of my church!
Chapter 16: Christmas Miracle
"Gather round," Dr Weaver motioned to all the doctors in the reception, "Everyone gather round."
They all slowly moved to stand near their boss.
"Now St Mary's church, just down the road, have given us a lot of money this year and now they thought it would be a nice idea if a few doctors and nurses could be in the nativity play this year. So those who are working on Christmas Eve are off the hook, the rest of you better turn up for rehearsals tomorrow."
Everyone moaned.
"What?" Dr Kovac protested, "Can't you just tell them we're busy saving people?"
"No, they give us money and if we do this they will give us more money, do you understand."
They all shrugged and strolled off.
"Excellent, welcome! I'm Gloria!" A short woman, with short ginger hair and an interestingly bizarre hat welcomed them in.
"Yes, yes," she nodded, looking at them all, "You," she pulled Susan out from the rest of the crowd, "you will make a perfect Angel Gabrielle,"
She dragged her off and made her stand on the stage.
She then grabbed Carter and Abby, "Oh yes, look at you two, you make a perfect couple, you were born to play Mary and Joseph."
Ray stood and watched as Abby and Carter where dragged off to go sit in front of the manger, with Susan behind them.
"And you," She grabbed Kovac and gave him a flirty smile, "You where meant to play a wise man,"
"And you," she grabbed Pratt, "And you," she grabbed one of the male nurses.
They were also then dragged to the stage and placed at the side of the manger.
"hmm," you two will do for angels, she grabbed two nurses and stood them either side of Susan.
"And finally," she grabbed one of the surgeons and one of the cleaners, "you two will make excellent shepards,"
They where placed the other side of Carter and Abby.
"Great, lets get started," she clapped her hands together.
"Erm, 'scuse me but, you forgot me,"
She turned around to look at Ray, she then gave him this disgusting look as though he was a piece of dog shit she'd just stepped on.
"Oh yes. Hmm, well..."
"No offense Carter, but I kinda had my sights set on Joseph."
"Hah!" she cackled, "You! Joseph! Please, look at those two, its like they were meant to be together, a girl like that would never end up with a riff raff like you. You can play...the innkeeper."
"Great," Ray muttered under his breath.
After the rehearsal, Carter caught up with Ray, "listen, I hope it's not gonna be awkward, you know, me being with Abby and all...well...I mean me and Abby being together in the play."
"Nah," Ray shook his head and slapped Carters shoulder, "it's cool,"
There was no way, Ray was gonna admit how pissed off he was by this to Carter.
"Cool," Cater nodded, and ran off.
A few days later and it was another rehearsal and Ray and Abby where talking.
"You know this is so crap, forcing us to do this crap play and I end up with a crap part, you know its all just so crap!"
Abby shook her head, "I dunno, I like the play and besides you part wouldn't be so crap if you didn't purposefully hate every minute of it."
"Oh and let me guess Carter just loves his part, its amazing the way he plays its, his acting is fab, the way he acts like he's so in love with you, you might think, I dunno, that he's actually in love with you!" Ray burst out in rage.
"Oh Ray," she shook her head, "Carters never done anything to you, why do you always have to be so hating?" She strolled off before he even had time to reply.
Ray sat in the pews, watching the others rehearse. He only had two lines and was only on stage very briefly so he spent most of his time waiting during rehearsals.
"You know, don't tell anyone I said this but the innkeeper is personally my favorite part."
Ray turned to see the stranger who was talking to him, it was an old man.
"Who are you?"
"Father Jacobs," the man grinned and held out his hand.
"Well that very nice of you Father," Ray shook his hand, "But you don't have to pretend to like my part just to make me feel better."
"I'm not just trying to make you feel better, I truly like the part of the innkeeper. Because, well you see, the innkeeper has no room in his inn and yet he still makes room for this holy baby. And that, in essence is what Christmas is all about, making room in our lives to spend time with the people we love and making room for the holy Christ to be part of our lives, to save us from our sins." He paused to look at Ray, "Do you understand?"
Ray nodded.
"You see Christmas wouldn't exist, Christ wouldn't exist if the innkeeper hadn't found somewhere for Mary to rest and have her baby. You can have all the angels and wise men and shepards you want until you're blue in face, but none of it would have been possible without the innkeeper."
Ray smiled "Thank you,"
"And I wouldn't worry about your girl if I was you," he motioned to Abby, "She may make the perfect couple with that other man, but she doesn't want perfect, she wants you."
"But Gloria said..."
"Gloria says a lot of things, most of which is absolute rubbish, she's a bit eccentric, she doesn't the good in you, like me and like your girlfriend. She sees you, as well, as like a piece of dog feces on her shoe, if you don't mind me saying so."
Ray laughed at the formality of the Father.
"Well, I must be off," Father Jacobs stood up.
"It was real nice to meet you," Ray held out his hand.
The Father nodded and shook his hand, "May Christ be with you."
With that, he left.
On the night the play ran smoothly, Ray said his two lines with pride, because he understood why he was so important, even if only him and the Father, who was standing in the corner of the church smiling, knew why.
At the end of the play, Gloria after praising Abby and Carter and the rest of the cast for doing so well, went to talk to Ray.
"Thank you, young man," she smiled, "You still played your part well, even though you hated it,"
"I didn't hate it. Well I did at first but then Father Jacobs made me think again..."
She cut him off, "Father who?"
"Father Jacobs."
"My dear boy, there is no father Jacobs at this chapel."
"Sure there is he's just over there..." Ray pointed to the corner of the church, but the Father wasn't there. "Well, he was there..."
Gloria patted Ray on the shoulder and strolled off.
After almost everyone had left, Ray went over to Abby.
"Listen, I'm sorry about having go at you over the whole Carter thing."
Abby shrugged, "its okay."
Ray put his arm round her. "I'm glad," he noticed how tired Abby looked "come on, let's go."
Abby nodded.
They where on there way out when a plump young man came rushing up to them, "Excuse me are you a doctor?"
"Yer, why?"
"It's my wife, I think she's having a baby!"
Ray and Abby followed the man to one of the back pews, where the man's wife was sitting, looking flushed.
"Listen sir, why don't you just take her to the hospital?"
"No," Ray shook his head at Abby "it's to late for that,"
"Please Ray, I don't have time for this, I'm tired!"
"Well I'll guess you'll have to make time," All of a sudden what the father said came back to Ray, "because that's what Christmas is all about, making space for others."
"What?" Abby looked confused.
"It what Father Jacobs was telling me."
Abby just stood there, she clearly didn't get it.
"What's your name?" Ray turned back to the women.
"Claire," she stammered.
"Okay Claire, I'm gonna look after you, there's no need to worry, I'm a doctor."
Ray turned to the man.
"Listen err..."
"Andy."
"Andy I need you to go me some towels okay?"
Andy nodded and ran off.
Abby just stood back as Ray delivered a beautiful baby boy.
Claire sat there hold him, beaming away at her baby, which she cradled in her arms.
"What are you gonna call him?" Ray asked.
"Jesus," Claire pointed to the clock; it was 1am, "because he's my Christmas miracle."
Ray smiled, "Come on, we have to get you to the hospital, get you checked out, make sure you and you baby are okay."
Claire nodded as her husband helped her get up.
They turned to Ray, "Excuse me but what's your name?"
"Dr Ray Barnett."
"Ray," the woman nodded, "Jesus Ray Jacobs, I like it."
"Jacobs?" Ray enquired, "your names Jacobs?"
Claire nodded and walk off out the church.
Ray looked under one of the small archways at the back of the church and there, once again, was Father Jacobs. He was smiling back at Ray.
"Look, Abby," he turned around to her," there's the man I was telling you about."
He turned back and Father Jacobs was gone.
"What?" Abby walked over to Ray.
"Never mind," he shook his head.
And they strolled off together, into the night.
I thought that was quite a cute way to end a cute chapter. I'm off on holiday soon for a week to Scotland so I probs won't be able to update for a while!