DISCLAIMER: I DO Not own any of the chracters from "ER". Even though I share a LOT of Lucy's qualities. The only characters I own are Lucy's daughters, Ambrosia, Annabelle and Gretel, and Abby's daughter, Brooke. The rest of the characters belong to NBC.
A Knight of Appreciation
It was around 4:00 in the morning. Lucy was finishing up some charts while Carter got ready for work.
"I can't belive Weaver suckered you in to work the day and night shift," Lucy said, shaking her head.
Carter gave her a look before planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Now, now, don't make fun of me. Your time will come."
Lucy nodded and laughed slightly.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."
Just then, Annabelle, who was one of Lucy and Carter's twin girls came into the room in tears.
"Annabelle, sweetheart, what are you doing up so early?" Lucy asked, picking her daughter up and setting the young child in her lap. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Annabelle shook her head as more tears continued to fall.
"Then what's the matter?" Lucy asked, beginning to stork the child's light brown hair gently.
"My ear hurts!" Annabelle whimpered into Lucy's blouse. "Really bad."
"Which one?" Lucy asked, pushing a couple strands of her daughter's long hair back to see what was going on.
Annabelle pointed to her right one. As Lucy touched it, the young child gritted her teeth.
"Aw, I'm sorry, sweetums. I'm sorry. Ooh, that does look red."
"What looks red?" Carter asked, coming over to see what he had missed.
"Annabelle's right ear. Come here and look at it. See for yourself."
As Carter gazed closely at his daughter's ear, he nodded.
"You're right, Luce, it's red all right."
"Do you think we should take her in to have ti checked?"
Lucy nodded.
Annabelle shook her head and continued to cry as Lucy got up and patted her on the back.
"Shh, ti's okay, sweetheart. It's gonna be okay I promise. We won't be there for long."
"I think she's more scared than anything else," Carter replied, as he observed the way his daughter was clinging to her mother for dearlife.
"I think you're right," Lucy replied in agreement as she picked up the phone and dialed County's number.
"Hey, Belle, it's okay, sweetie. Hey, I have an idea, you wanna go see Aunt Abby?" Carter asked, hoping the mention of Abby's name would ease Annabelle's fear.
Annabelle nodded as she began to cough and let out a frustarted sob.
"Aw, that's my girl," Lucy said. "You're gonna be fine. Here, go to Daddy for a minute while I get ready."
Annabele nodded and allowed Lucy to put her in Carter's arms.
A few minutes later, Lucy heard Getel start crying.
"I'll be right back," Lucy said as she got up and headed for Gretel's room.
As Lucy entered the room, she found her youngest daughter, laying on her side with tears in her eyes.
"Hey there, sweetheart. What's a matter, huh?" As Lucy picked her up, Gretel's sobs became less and the tears started to subside a little bit. "Are you hungry?" Lucy asked as she carried Gretel out into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Lucy returned to the living room with Gretel in her arms.
"What was wrong with her?" Carter asked as he continued to stroke Annabelle's hair.
"She was just hungry," Lucy replied as she rocked her youngest daughter in her arms and continued to feed her.
Carter nodded as he headed for the door.
"Well, we'd better get going," Carter said as he grabbed his beeper and coat. "Weaver wants me there early for some reason."
Lucy nodded.
"Well, have a good day."
:Thanks. You're coming to pick this little one up, aren't you?"
"Yup. I'll be there by two thirty/three o' clock."
"Gotcha," Carter replied as he bent down and gave Lucy a kiss.
Lucy returned it and then gave Annabelle a kiss and hug.
"Now you be good for Daddy now," she said.
Annabelle nodded.
"I will."
"Alll right, good girl."
As Lucy watched her husband and daughter leave, she smiled. She had come a long way since the Valentine's Day incident and so had her daughters and husband.
************
"Almost done, sweetums," Abby said soothingly as she took one last peek in Annabelle's right ear while the young child squeezed Carter's hand. "Almost."
"It hurts!" Annabelle wailed as tears came spilling out.
"Shh, it's okay, honey," Carter said as he began to stroke Annabelle's hair. "It'll be over soon, I promise."
"There!" Abby said as she took the instrument out of Annabelle's right ear. "Done. I am so proud of you," Abby replied as she gave her niece a hug. "You were so brave."
Carter nodded.
"Wait until Mommy hears what a big girl you were. She's going to be very proud of you too."
Annabelle grinned slightly as she stasrted calming down.
After settting Annabelle on his lap, Carter turned to Abby.
"So what's the verdict?"
"She definitely has otitis," Abby said firmly. "There's no doubt about it."
"So what approach do you wanna take?" Carter asked his friend and former student.
"Well, I'd say start her on Amoxicilin for ten days and we'll go from there."
"I'd say you're right," Carter replied in a British accent which made Abby and Annabelle giggle.
********
By the time Lucy picked Annabelle up from the hospital, she was VERY tired and didn't want anyone but her mother.
Gabriella was also a little grumpy, but that was from not having anything to eat for dinner yet and taking such a short nap.
"So you'll be home around nine-thirty?" Lucy asked John as she watched him file a chart and leave it on the admit desk for Kerry.
John nodded.
"Yup. Nine-thirty on the dot."
"Good," Lucy said with a smile. "I'm counting on it."
"I won't disappoint you," Carter promised.
"That's good to hear," Lucy replied as she gave him a kiss before leaving to get Annabelle and Gabriella something to eat.
"I'm sorry sweetheart," Abby said to Gretel as she put her back in Lucy's arms, "but I have to give you back to your Mommy now."
As soon as she did so, Gretel started crying and fussing.
"Shh, I know, I know sweetheart," Abby said as she took her niece once agai and began rocking her back and forth. "You just want Aunt Abby right now. That's what you want."
"Well, while you are taking care of Gretel and Ambrosia is up in peds helping Jeanie with the kids, I'm going to go get Annabelle something to eat."
"Where are we going?" Annabelle asked, resting her head on her mother's right shoulder.
"How does Wendy's sound?" Lucy asked, smiling lovingly at her duaghter and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"It sounds good to me!" Annabelle replied with a grin as her tears of tiredness and pain started to subside a little bit.
Lucy smiled to herself as she and Annabelle left the hospital. It was good to know that she was doing the best for her daughters and she felt even better knowing they appreciated everything she did for them.
THE END