Kerry hadn't thought that she could have done it. Moved in the time that they managed to move from Miami to Chicago, but they had. Henry had been a big help, and even Leonora had pitched in quite admirably packing her things very carefully and better than even Kerry could have done it.
Henry was on cloud nine, Carlos had picked he and Leonora up for a day of doing something, although Kerry was fuzzy on the details. But, if there was one other person on this Earth that Kerry trusted with her children that was Carlos Lopez.
And, so there Kerry was, back in the ER of County General Chicago. It was like she'd never left. The Doctors, Nurses, Physician Assistants, Clerks were all doing the same things they always had. Even the patients were the same, even if they had different names. Kerry wasn't sure if the fact that the ER still felt like home to her was a good thing or a bad thing.
A throat cleared behind her and she turned, "Doctor Weaver, you wanted to see me?"
"Follow me."
Dave Malucci frowned, but did. They went down to the basement and Kerry opened the door of a closet, "Ah, I think that everybody saw us leave together, so you can't kill me. Well, okay, maybe you could, but I'd rather you not."
Kerry gave Dave a look, "The wall David."
"Oh... the names, right... ah..."
Kerry turned her back to the wall. "It doesn't matter what you call me, it never has. It matters if you respect me, and if you respect the job."
Dave nodded, "I do, I do Doctor Weaver."
She stared at him for a moment, then turned back to the wall. She took off the Malucci, Lockhart and Weaver names and handed them to Dave. "This is a wall for those who aren't here, for whatever reason."
"I... how did I get on there. I mean, there are the ones that died, like Knight and Pratt, Greene and Romano, and some of them went away, but I..."
Kerry thought about her answer for a moment, whether or not to tell the truth. "I put it up there."
Dave frowned as he ran his finger along the bumps of his name. "Why on Earth did you do that?"
"Make no mistake, you were wrong in many ways that day, and the days before. You were careening out of control David."
Dave sighed, "I know."
Kerry put a hand on his shoulder and waited until he looked up at her, "But, I should have been there for you. I was careening out of control then too."
Dave smirked, "Yeah, much quieter though. I truly am sorry for calling you a Nazi... uh, and the other thing."
Kerry glanced back up at the wall for a moment, "Hey, you had the cojones to say it to my face. That's more than I can say for some of these names up here."
"Chief... Doctor Weaver... a favor?" Kerry raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, never say cojones in my presence again please?"
Kerry was silent for a moment, making Dave wonder if he'd gone to far, then, to his utter surprise, she chuckled.
Dave regarded the names too, "What about Greene?"
Kerry studied the name that was right below Chen's and above Romano's. "Rachel deserves a new start. Maybe one day when she moves onto a bigger and better hospital, or when she retires from this one she'll put her name up here, next to her father's. For now..." She looked pointedly at Dave, "Everyone gets a new start with me."
"Everyone?"
Kerry left the closet and closed the door, "Yes. I'm even giving my mother-in-law and brother-in-laws new starts. Don't you screw up yours Doctor Malucci."
oOOOOo
"Do you need professional help?" Kim got no answer, "I know you're there Abby. What do you want?"
"You're back."
"I'm back. Abby... really, I'm busy, what do you want?"
Abby threw her hands to her sides, "A steady man in my life who isn't an ass, maybe a million dollars... would you like me to go on?"
Kim sighed and wiped her hands off, "Please don't." She led Abby to the back of the garage. "Who're you reporting back to?"
Abby didn't miss a beat, "Janet Coburn."
"I'm not coming back."
"Noted. Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"You just disappeared Kim."
Kim crossed her arms over her chest. "So. Last I checked I'm an adult. I finished my brother's present, the Knucklehead. I had no emergencies here. So, I left, and for the record, the three people in my life who matter knew exactly where I was."
They stood there, silent until the door to the office opened. "Kim... oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."
A young woman with dark wavy hair that was back in a ponytail stepped into the garage she she saw Kim's face. She wore a button down shirt with a familiar bulge hidden under her blazer, and she had a Chicago Police Department badge clipped to her waist.
Kim shook her head, "Abby was just leaving. Please, Abby, just leave me alone. I'm not a child."
Abby looked as though she wanted to say something else, but instead she nodded and left via the door to the street. The police detective glanced after her, then back to Kim, "Ex?"
Kim sighed as she shook her head, "No. She's... complicated to explain. What can I do for you Teresa?"
Teresa Ortiz smiled and took ahold of Kim's arm, "My mission if I chose to accept it is to get you to have some fun."
"Kate sent you." Kim shook her head, "You two just need to get together."
Teresa threaded her arm through Kim's and pulled her towards the door. "She won't even try because she thinks we're perfect together Kim."
"Teresa- will you just ask her out? Go live happily ever after, so that someone I know is happy."
Teresa smiled, "First, we do lunch..."
oOOOOo
Kerry stood in Trauma 2, just to one side of the door that connected it to Trauma 1 and listened. She'd seen Abby come in a few minutes earlier, but then lost track of her. It appeared that Kerry had found her again.
"I have to tell her Abs. Hell, you should tell her, you're her friend, but, if you don't, I will. I'm on thin ice with her anyway, I can feel it." Dave fell silent for a moment, then groaned. "Maybe I should just..."
Abby cut him off, "No. You're not quitting. You've worked so hard for this Dave, gotten yourself back her, but I just don't think that... I mean-"
Kerry heard a rustle of clothing and a sigh from Dave. "You think she, your good friend, won't approve of me, of us. Yeah, I get it... I-"
The rest of Dave's words were cut off again and Kerry winced as she was pretty sure that Abby had kissed Dave silent and that she didn't want to witness. If she hadn't needed something in Trauma 1 she would have backed out of Trauma 2 already. She was about to leave anyway when Haleh stuck her head in. Kerry put a finger to her lips and left the room through the door Haleh held open. "Incoming traumas. Bus versus Semi."
Kerry sighed, "School?"
Haleh gave a short nod back, "School." Kerry started down the hall, but turned at Haleh's voice, "Are you ready Kerry?"
"As I'll ever be. What does that weird man with an abundance of hair say on that surgery show? Today is a good day to save some lives."
Haleh chuckled, "You watch Grey's Kerry?"
Kerry made a face, "Once, and it was a mistake. I was looking for one of the news magazine shows. It was something about one of the Doctors cutting of her wife's leg? No thank you. Not for me." As they exited the room and went by Trauma 1 Kerry whacked open the door a bit and barked, "Incoming traumas."
Both Dave and Abby jumped and Kerry had to keep walking towards the Ambulance bay so they wouldn't see the smirk that appeared on her lips. She might have some fun with those two.
Kerry was just through the doors that separated chairs from the rest of the ER when Abby caught up with her. At the same time, seeing a doctor, one of the older men in chairs stood and got in Kerry's way, "Doctor, my earwax itches..."
Abby put an arm around Kerry's shoulders as she just barely held in her laughter, "Welcome back Kerry."