Just Like That, Family Series, Part 2 Chapter 7, an er fanfic

MADISON'S POV

To say being back with Carter was wonderful would be an understatement. It was like we'd never been apart. He easily moved back into the town house and even tolerated Dave's presence since he lived in the basement apartment. Carter did insist that Dave return his key to the front door. Carter didn't want him to have THAT much freedom.

We worked together most days and those we didn't, we made a point of making sure we saw each other. I brought food to him when I wasn't working and he was stuck in the pit. He would do the same for me when I was working.

We were determined not to make the same mistake we had the last time. We were determined to make sure we made time for each other, even if we were just sharing the same bed for a few hours or watching a movie after a long shift.

Everyone at work commented on the happy appearance of Carter and myself, but that still didn't stop us from butting heads when we clashed regarding a diagnosis or treatment.

Dave, being Dave, supported my decision, but still made sure to annoy Carter every chance he got.

The only thing I couldn't fix, was Carter's relationship with Lucy. I actually thought he resented her. She was a smart student and would make an excellent doctor. She reminded me of a female version of Carter. Of course, I would NEVER say that to his face.

Everything moved along at a good pace.

Then the wall fell in, literally.

A few weeks after we got back together, I entered the ER and started my day. Carter was suturing.

"Do you smell that," Kerry asked Mark and I at admit.

"Smells like gas," I said, heading off toward the trauma room.

"I'll get maintenance down here," Kerry said, as Mark and I headed down the hall.

"I think it's stronger in here," I called out.

I was on my way out the door when the wall of the room came crashing in on me.

I was thrown forward and knocked out. I didn't remember landing awkwardly on my wrist.

Carter, Malucci and Mark came rushing into the room, before the dust had settled.

"MADISON," Carter yelled.

"Oh my, God," Dave called.
The three rushed into the room and proceeded to pull the pieces of the wall off of my body.
"Madison," Carter called again.

I opened my eyes and immediately regretted the action. I rolled my head to the side and tried to push myself up. My ears were ringing and I couldn't hear what was going on around me.
"Wait, Madison. We need to get you a collar and backboard," Mark said.

Despite not hearing him, I knew what he was saying, "No," I said.

"Come on, Madison," Mark insisted.

The three glared at me. I still couldn't hear them, but because they were the three men in my life, I knew what they were thinking. I turned my head from side to side. "See, no pain. I've just got a headache," I said.

"You have a nasty cut on your head," Dave said.

He reached up to touch it and I flinched.
"Are you OK," Carter asked, running his hands down my arms. When he reached my wrist, I pulled it back.
He looked at me.

"Ouch," I said, cradling my wrist.

"Put her in a room and clean up the lac. We'll xray the wrist," Mark said.
I shook my head. "Give me some Ibuprofen and ice," I said. However, the longer I stood there the more my wrist and head hurt.

"Maddie, you're getting checked out," Carter said.
"I'll call xray," Dave said.

Carter escorted me to the suture room.

"Why are you doing this," I asked, rolling my eyes, my hearing come back slightly.

"The lab exploded, sending the wall into the trauma room, where it hit you, sending you to the floor and hitting your head and breaking your wrist. You have a cut on your forehead. I'm also willing to bet that you have a concussion. You wouldn't let us backboard you, so you're going to have to let me do this," Carter said.

I rolled my eyes, but I got up on the bed. Carter started wiping the blood from my cut.

Dave came into the room with an icepack and put it on my wrist.

"You want to do the sutures," Dave asked Carter.

"Yeah. Did you call xray," he asked, getting a suture kit from the cabinet.

"Yeah. They'll take her in a few," Dave said.

I laid down on the bed and Carter performed his exam. I decided to humor him and let him play doctor.

Fifteen minutes later, Carter had finished suturing my forehead and xray was waiting to take me.
"You going to let me walk," I asked.
Shaking his head, "No way," he said.

Dave brought a wheelchair into the room and helped me into it.

I got the xray and was back in the room. The tech handed Carter the xrays and, just as he put them on the light board, Mark came into the room.

"How are you doing, Mads," he asked, looking at the films.
"Fine," I said.

"Oh boy," Mark said.

"What," I asked, sitting up in the bed.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to go to the OR for this one," Carter said.

"Seriously? I just fell," I said.
"You got thrown to the floor from the concussion of the explosion, Madison. It's amazing you weren't hurt worse," Mark said.

I put my head back against the pillow. I couldn't believe my luck.

"When did you last eat," Mark asked.
"Breakfast," I said, realizing I hadn't stopped to eat lunch.

"Let's get an IV going and I'll order some pain meds. You going to hang out with her, Carter," Mark asked, writing orders on the chart.

"Yeah," he said.

"While you're giving orders, can you call Hollinger? He did the surgery on my ankle. I'd like him to do the arm, if it has to be done," I said.
"Sure. I'll give him a call myself," Mark said.

"Don't...," I started to say.

"I know. I won't call Doug," Mark said.
I nodded my thanks.

Dave went out of the room to find Haleh and she came in to start the IV.

"You can go and see patients, Carter. I'm not going anywhere," I said.

"I want to wait with you," he said.
I rolled my eyes. "GO! I'm sure there are a lot of patients waiting to be seen and with me off the floor, they're going to get slammed," I said.

"You sure," he asked.
"Yes. Now go. I'll make sure they find you before I go anywhere," I said.

He kissed me and left the room, leaving Haleh to do my IV and give me some morphine.
"Sorry about this, Maddie," she said.
"It's OK, Haleh. They find out what happened," I asked.
"Lucy said something about a burner being left on in the lab," she said.

She quickly started the IV and gave me the injection. I quickly felt the morphine and sat back and closed my eyes.
I heard the door open, but didn't want to open my eyes.
"What is going on," Luka asked as he entered the room.

"Broken wrist," Dave said.

"She's going to surgery in a few minutes. OR just called," Carter said.

"I brought the house down, John," I said.

"That's right. You really raised the roof," Carter said, knowing the drugs were affecting me.

Kerry met the gurney in the hallway.

"Let me know how the surgery goes. No coming back until ortho clears you," she said.

"She won't," Carter said.

I felt the bed move and realized the OR team was taking me upstairs.

"Gotta stop meeting like this, Madison. Thrown to the floor in a lab explosion. What am I going to do with you," Dr. Hollinger asked.
I said nothing. The morphine fog was wearing off and I was anxious to get the surgery over with and go home.
"You going to give her Versed," Carter asked.
"Probably. She looks a little freaked out," he said.

I don't remember anything until I woke up in the PACU with Carter sitting next to my bed.
It was a nice sight.

"Diane, Madison is awake," Carter called over his shoulder.
"Good! We can start making sure she can wake up and then you can take her home," Diane said.

They spent the next three hours waking me up and making sure my pain was under control before wheeling me out of the hospital for Carter to take me home.

CARTER'S POV

I approached Admit and saw Mark and Madison walk off, apparently searching for something.
"Where are they going," Dave asked as he sat the chart in front of me.

I shrugged and turned back to my charting.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ER.

"What was that," I shouted over the fire alarm and the spraying of the sprinkler.

The three of us rushed toward where we thought the explosion had occurred. As we neared the trauma room, I realized I'd seen Madison come in this direction.

We pushed open the door and found Madison lying on the floor.

"MADISON," I yelled, rushing toward her prone form.

"Oh my, God," Dave called.

We quickly cleared the debris away and I checked on Madison.

Of course, I knew she probably couldn't hear anything we were saying, but she knew we wanted her on the backboard. She refused.

"Are you OK," I asked, running my hands down her arms. When I reached her wrist, she pulled it back.
"Did you land on it," I asked, knowing already that it was broken.
"Ouch," she said.

"Give me some Ibuprofen and ice," she said.

"Put her in a room and clean up the lac. We'll xray the wrist," Mark said.
"Mark, I'm fine," she said, but because I knew her, I knew she was in pain.

"Maddie, you're getting checked out," I said. I wasn't about to take any chances. Not where Madison was concerned.
"I'll call xray," Dave said.

I walked her to the suture room.

"Why are you doing this," she asked, rolling her eyes.

She got into bed and I cleaned the lac on her forehead. Dave applied the ice pack to her wrist.

"You want to do the sutures," Dave asked me.

"Yeah. Did you call xray," I asked, getting a suture kit from the cabinet.

"Yeah. They'll take her in a few," Dave said.

I was very careful when suturing Madison's forehead lac. I didn't want her to have a scar because I did a poor job of suturing.
"You going to let me walk," she asked.
I shook my head. "No way," I said.

Dave brought a wheelchair into the room and helped Madison into it.

I saw a patient while waiting for Madison to come back from xray.

She returned just as Mark came into the room to see her.

"How are you doing, Mads," he asked, looking at the films.
"Fine," she said.

"Oh boy," Mark said.

"What," she asked, sitting up in the bed.
I inwardly winced. She was going to need to go to surgery for that and I dreaded having to tell her. "I'm afraid you're going to have to go to the OR for this one," I said.

"Seriously? I just fell," she said.
"You got thrown to the floor from the concussion of the explosion, Madison. It's amazing you weren't hurt worse," Mark said.

"When did you last eat," Mark asked.
"Breakfast," she said.

I looked at her, alarmed. She had skipped lunch yesterday, too, because the day was so busy, but I didn't want her to make it a habit.

"Let's get an IV going and I'll order some pain meds. You going to hang out with her, Carter," Mark asked, writing orders on the chart.

"Yeah," I said.

"While you're giving orders, can you call Hollinger? He did the surgery on my ankle. I'd like him to do the arm, if it has to be done," she said.
"Sure. I'll give him a call myself," Mark said.

"Don't...," she started to say.

"I know. I won't call Doug," Mark said.
I knew what she was thinking. The last thing she wanted was Doug going all over protective and flying out from Seattle. I wouldn't call him unless Madison asked. I knew she'd tell him, but not until after her surgery and she was at home.

Dave went out of the room to find Haleh and she came in to start the IV.

"You can go and see patients, Carter. I'm not going anywhere," she said.

"I want to wait with you," I said.
She rolled her eyes. Something she did very well. "GO! I'm sure there are a lot of patients waiting to be seen and with me off the floor, they're going to get slammed," she said.

"You sure," I asked.
"Yes. Now go. I'll make sure they find you before I go anywhere," she said.

I quickly kissed her and headed toward the door. I took one last look at her, I opened the door and went back to finish my patients. I knew I didn't have to, judging by how everyone seemed to be pulling their extra weight.

I was finishing the last chart when I saw Kerry go into the room. I followed.

Kerry was talking to Madison when I opened the door.

"She's going to surgery in a few minutes. OR just called," I said.

"I brought the house down, John," she said. I laughed. Madison and morphine were a potent and funny combination.

"That's right. You really raised the roof," I said.

"Let me know how the surgery goes. No coming back until ortho clears you," she said.

"She won't," I said.

The OR team came down and soon Madison was heading for the elevator.

"Gotta stop meeting like this, Madison. Thrown to the floor in a lab explosion. What am I going to do with you," Dr. Hollinger asked.
"You going to give her Versed," Carter asked.
"Probably. She looks a little freaked out," he said.

I watched them wheel her into the OR and, from the observation room, saw the setting of Madison's wrist. As I sat in the chairs, watching the scene below, I couldn't help but remember the last time I was here. Madison had been brutally beaten and raped in the parking lot. I couldn't believe what had happened just a few short hours ago.

I was waiting at the doorway when they put Madison in PACU. Dave stopped by and I updated him on Madison's progress.

I sat by the bed, waiting for her to wake.

When she opened her eyes, I smiled.

"Diane, Madison is awake," I called.
"Good! We can start making sure she can wake up and then you can take her home," Diane said.

We spent the next three hours waking her up and making sure her pain was under control before wheeling her out of the hospital for me to take home.

I eased her out of the car and was surprised to find Dave waiting at the front door.
"Thought I'd make sure you didn't need any help," Dave said.
"Thanks," I said.

Dave shut the door behind him and armed the alarm.

"I got some of that soup she likes and put it in the fridge. There's warm water in the kettle on the stove," he added.
"Great," I said. I put Madison in bed and covered her up. She'd changed into sweats at the hospital. She kept an extra pair in her locker and Dave had retrieved them.

I covered her up and went downstairs. I locked the basement door, even though I knew Dave wouldn't come up uninvited. Despite how I felt about him, he was Madison's best friend and I had to accept that.

I called the ER and told them Madison was home and came through surgery fine.

I took some soup and tea up to our room and sat the pill bottle on the bedside table.

She moved on the bed. "Hey," I said.

She offered a smile.
"You ready for a pill or to try some soup," I asked her.

"Soup," she asked.

I helped her with sit up and she sipped some soup. "Dave," she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. He made sure there was soup and tea for you since I stayed with you," I said.
She had some soup, one mug of tea and took her pain pill.

I helped put her arm on the pillow and she went to sleep quickly. I took the dishes downstairs and was headed to bed when her cell phone rang.

I checked the ID and saw it was Doug.
"Hey, Doug," I said.
"Carter? Why are you answering Madison's phone," he asked.
"She's sleeping. I brought the phone downstairs so she could sleep," I said.

"What happened," he asked.
I nearly groaned. One thing about Doug Ross, he had an almost sixth sense about his sister.

"Madison got hurt at work. She's upstairs sleeping off the pain medication," I said.
"What happened," he asked, more forcefully.

"There was a small explosion in the lab and Madison got hurt when she fell to the floor. She fractured her wrist and had surgery to repair it. She's fine," I said.
Doug was quiet and that scared me.

"Doug," I questioned.

"Are you sure," he asked.
"Yes. Mark was there," I added.

"I'll call in the morning," he said.
"OK," I said.
I went back upstairs and grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and pulled the fainting couch closer to the bed. I was afraid of hurting Madison and decided sleeping on the couch was a better idea.

MADISON'S POV

Those four weeks I was in a cast and unable to do complicated procedures drove me nuts. Kerry had allowed me to return to work, but I felt like I was running a clinic. I saw easy, general medicine stuff. Luckily, I was still able to write prescriptions and orders. My dominate hand hadn't been injured.

When I headed up to the ortho clinic, I was eager to get the cast off my wrist and begin practicing emergency medicine again. I was also anxious to get close to Carter again, without some cast in the way.

I came in a few hours before my shift and dropped my stuff in the lounge.

Carter caught me as I was heading upstairs.
"Hey," I said, accepting his kiss.
"I got Dave to cover for me so I could hear what the doctor said," he said.
I nodded and we headed to the ortho clinic.

An hour and a half later, I was out of the cast and in a Velcro splint. I promised I would take it easy for another week, but I was so thrilled to be rid of that cast.

Carter and I went back to the ER together and I started seeing patients.

"Trying to get more sympathy, Maddie," Mark asked as I came to Admit.

"Yep. That's exactly what I'm going for. No one knows anything about my personal life," I said.

Everyone laughed and I headed off to see a patient.