DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own these characters of ER. Even though I do share a lot of Lucy’s qualities and have her knack when it comes to children, these characters belong to Warner Bros and NBC.

“Paging Dr. Knight"

Dr. Lucy Knight rubbed her eyes as she tried to wake up from the soundless sleep she was having.

"Lucy, there’s a patient waiting for you in chairs," Dr. Malucci replied as he threw the covers off of his friend and switched the light on and snickered. "She’s been waiting for a long time too."

"Oh, rats!" Lucy replied as she bolted upright and glanced at the clock that was across the wall.

"You better get a move on before Dr. Weaver gets on your case."

"Okay! I’m up!" Lucy replied as she glared at him and once again tried to shield her eyes from the blinding light from the over-head lamp, and the light that streamed in from the hallway.

(Setting-Carol Hathaway’s house. Luka is helping her get Tess and Kate ready to go to day-care.)

“You’re being a very, very good girl." Dr. Luka Kovac replied as hetickled Kate’s tummy. "Yes you are."

Kate started to giggle and squirm on the couch as Luka continued totickle her.

"Is Kate ready to go yet?" Carol Hathaway asked as she entered theliving room and set Tess down on the couch.

Luka nodded and smiled as he picked Kate up and walked toward the door. "I think so. She was very good when I was getting her jacket and mittens on.”

“Yeah, she likes anything warm on her hands. Aw, I am so exhausted! I can't believe it took us two and a half hours just to get ready to leave the house.”

"Get used to it, Carol. It’s doesn’t end here."

Carol smiled as she picked Tess up again and followed Luka out of the door and down the walkway to the car.

(Setting-County General, 6:44 AM. Lucy is treating a patient, while trying to keep herself awake.)

“When did the pain start, Karen?" Lucy replied as she put a chart down and tried to stay awake and with it, despite the headache that was starting to brew with every move that she made, and every single thing she did.

"About a couple days ago," Karen replied as she flinched under Lucy's scrutiny.

"And you waited until now to come in?" Lucy asked as she listened to the young girl’s heart once more before making any assumptions as to what was going to be done next.

"Well, I thought it was just a plain stomachache at first, but then it started getting worse."

"So what changed your mind?"

"My boyfriend, Rick, told met that it could be fatal."

"Have you been vomiting?"

"Yeah, a few times."

"Okay, let’s get a CBC, Chem 7, abdominal series, lights, and a IV started to rehydrate her."

"You got it, boss." Jeanie replied with a grin towards Lucy as she prepared to start the IV. "How many boluses of saline do you want?"

"Uh, I would go with 500 just in case."

"Gotcha."

"Uh, have you seen John yet today?" Lucy asked as she sat down next to the bed and tried to ignore the pain in her head.

"You mean, ‘Carter’, right?”

Lucy glared at her and nodded.

“Yeah, I saw him. He was at the front desk trying to control a gang-banger who got shot in the leg by his friend over a pair of baseball cards."

"Oh, great. Just great."

"Are you okay?" Jeanie asked as she noticed Lucy's complexion and the way she was sitting. "You look kind of beat."

"You could say that. Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a really bad headache,and I’m trying to deal with this Ritalin withdrawal and not drive myselfcrazy in the process."

"Do you want to take a break? I’d be more than happy to cover for you."

"I’d love that, but I just started, and I’m on until 7:30 tonight."

"Well, when did you start your shift?"

"’I’ve been going since yesterday afternoon at 3:30."

"Aw, you poor thing."

"Tell me about it. I feel like I haven’t slept in days,” Lucy replied asshe tried to stay focused on her patients until her next break started.

“In coming blood-head trauma!” Cleo Finch announced. “It looks reallybad.”

“Do you need my help?” Lucy asked warily. Hoping that she wouldn’t have to do anything that required seeing eighty gallons of blood in one shot.

As she raced into the trauma room, she saw Dr. Luka Kovac, and Dr. John Carter attempting to keep the patient as hydrated as possible.

“All right!” Lucy said in a commanding voice, “What have we got?”

“8 year-old girl got shot in a drive-by on her block. BP’s 174/43, pulse 96. Says she tried to dodge the shot but wasn’t successful.”

Lucy nodded as she ran over to the side of the gurney and began to put saline and atropine into the young girl’s IV.

“Did you get her name?” Luka asked as he came up beside Lucy and started to check the girl’s BP again.

“No. She fell in and out of consciousness on the way.”

“Can you tell me your name, sweetie?” Lucy asked gently as she took the girl’s hand in hers and patted it. “You don’t have to be afraid. We’regonna take very good care of you here.”

“Harmony J-Jewelsten.” the tiny girl whimpered.

“That’s such a pretty name.” Lucy replied as she began to applylydicane to Harmony’s right cheek so that it could be sutured.

“I want my Mommy!” Harmony wailed as Dr. Kovac began to inject some more saline into her IV.

“She’s on her way,” Lucy assured her as she began to check the girl’s pulse for what seemed to be the fourth time since she had come in. “My name is Dr. Knight, or you can call me Lucy.”

“I like Lucy,” Harmony replied as she squeezed Lucy’s hand tighter.

“That’s fine.” Lucy said as she looked up at Dr. Kovac, who had a worried expression on his face.

“What’s going on?”

“She’s bleeding internally, and she’s growing very, very weak.”

“Does that mean she’s going to need surgery.”

“Most definitely.”

As Dr. Kovac started pushing the stretcher toward the elevator, Harmony glanced up at Lucy with frightened eyes. “Wh-what’s going on, Lucy? What’s going on?”

“It’s okay, honey. You’re gonna have an operation, and it’s going to help you feel better.”

“Will you come with me?” Harmony asked as she batted her big blue eyes at Lucy hopefully.

“I’ll definitely come upstairs with you.”

After the trauma was finished and Harmony was brought up to her hospital room, Lucy went to take a break. Just as she reached the lounge, Dr. Malucci raced up to her and replied urgently, “Lucy, we need you in the ambulance bay, NOW!” Lucy heaved a heavy sigh as she followed her friend out of to the ambulance dock where a ambulance was in the middle of unloading four badly injured people.

“We could use a hand over here!” Dr. Chen yelled as she ran over to the supply closet, got two IV kits, and handed one to Lucy.

“Dr. Knight, I need you to get an IV started in that 17 year-old girl with the fractured wrist and abdominal pain.”

“All right,” Lucy replied, a little out of breath. “Got it.”

“Did you get her BP and level of consciousness?” Dr. Greene asked as he tried to calm down a crying and screaming 12 year-old girl with facial lacerations and a bruise to her shoulder.

“No!” Dr. Kovac replied. “There was no time.”

“I’ll do it!” Dr. Carter offered as he began to wheel a 34 year-old woman toward the entrance of the ER.

“Thanks Carter.” Dr. Kovac replied. “I really appreciate it.”

“Sure thing, Luka. It’s no problem.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dock, Lucy was trying to get the name of the girl that she was treating. “What’s your name, honey?”

“Claudia Mason,” the young girl replied. “My wrist hurts!”

“I know, sweetie, I know. You’re gonna be all right. We’re gonna help you.”

“Can you call my Mom?” Claudia asked as she tried to grab onto Lucy’s hand for protection form all the commotion that was going on.

“Dr. Malucci will do that.”

“I will?” Malucci asked as he saw Lucy’s blue eyes staring at him anxiously.

“Yes, you will. Come on, Maluc! I’m doing my best to keep her calm and stop her pain. The least you can do is notify her parents of what happened.”

“All right, all right.”

Lucy glared at him as she pushed the stretcher into the hospital and headed for the last available trauma room.

* * * * * * * * * *

“You did a great job in there, Luce.” Dr. Carter replied after the trauma was over with and things started to settle down.

“Thanks,” Lucy mumbled as she tried to give him a grateful smile. "That really means a lot.”

“Aw, what’s the matter?” Carter asked cooeingly. “is the poor baby tired after her second day as a doctor?”

“Shut up!” Lucy said playfully as she threw a pillow at her boyfriend, and ducked as it came back toward her. “Today was really rough. You can’t tell me you’re not tired from everything that happened.”

“Actually, I am a little bushed.”

“I felt like I just ran a 500 meter relay.”

“Well at least you got through your first day as a doctor in one piece.”

“Yeah, you’re right. At least I survived.”

“What do you say to a movie and a pizza to celebrate.”

“Normally, I would say ‘yes’, but I think I’m gonna pass this time. I just wanna go home and get some rest before my beeper goes off again.”

“I understand.”

As Carter turned to leave, he turned around and winked at Lucy, who was almost half asleep. “See ya tomorrow, Dr. Knight.”

As Lucy watched him leave, she smiled to herself. She had made it through the first day of being a doctor all right. And from that moment on, she made a promise to herself that no matter what happened in her personal life, or with Carter, she would do anything, and everything to fulfill her duties in order to make sure her patients got the best treatment possible when they are under her care. And another promise that she would make sure to full-fill is to be the best DARN doctor that County General had ever seen.

The End