The Older Woman
Part One - Discoveries
By Zoinks
ergirlz@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: The characters in this story do not belong to me, they never have belonged to me, and unfortunately, never will belong to me. They belong to Warner Bros., Michael Crichton, NBC, and the writers of ER. If I ever reach writer status, I may not need to use this disclaimer, but until then, please enjoy my story, and the borrowed characters appearing within it.

NOTE TO POLITICALLY CORRECT READERS: The places traveled to in this story are also made up. I do not live in or near Chicago, so I do not know what type of stores, resturauntes and recreational facilities they have. That being said, the names of the places used in this series are (to my knowledge) imaginery. Please do not hold it against me, I just don't get out much.

WARNING: The characters in this story are a bit (well okay, quite) out of character. This story is meant to be humorous though, and the only way I could do that was to change their personalities.

ALSO: Thanx to my editor Jen, and the person who holds my hair back as I pour out my guts over a computer screen, Splash (okay, I sound way too professional!)

Carter sat in his car, fiddling with the keys. He put the correct one in the ignition and turned it. Nothing. He tried again. The car sputtered, let out a whine and then stalled out. Carter leaned back against the seat. He closed his eyes in disgust. This was the third time in the last week that his car wouldn't start. The damn thing just wouldn't cooperate with him. Sitting there with his eyes closed, he thought back to his dream car, the blue jeep he once owned that was destroyed by fire. Just then he felt something hit him. He looked at the attack weapon, a badge. It read "Dr. Mark Greene," and had his picture on it. Carter looked out of the open window in his car.

Mark stood there with his arm around Elizabeth, laughing. "Dr. Carter, I know you love your job, but you are aloud to go home and sleep sometimes," Mark joked.

"Oh, my car wouldn't start, so I was just resting for a few moments until I had the nerve to try it again," was his response.

"Do you need a jump?" Mark asked.

"Actually, I'd rather have a new car, but if a jump's all you got, I'll take it."

"Well, it's all I got, let me get the cables," Mark left and quickly came back with the jumpers. "Now, pop your hood, and..."

"Dr. Greene, Dr. Greene, we need you in here now, that patient you had in curtain 4 is crashing," Lydia interrupted, as she stood on the ambulance bay, she shouted excitedly.

"I gotta go," Mark said hurriedly, then he added, "Here, Elizabeth, jump his car." With that, Mark ran back towards County.

John smiled at the expression on Elizabeth's face. She looked confused. Finally, she spoke, "Okay, John, let's do this." John looked at the new expression on her face. He could see she was deep in thought. She was probably trying to figure out what the hell to do with all of the wires.

"Well," Elizabeth began, "I do know that if you connect them backwards, the car might blow up, but your used to that so..." she paused as John smiled, and began to laugh.

"You could do it, I have faith in you," John said confidently.

Elizabeth laughed, "Yeah, we could do this, it can't be as tough as brain surgery, we should know."

"Yeah, we should," John responded while grinning, then he added, "what do you mean we?"

"Oh, well, I am a surgeon, and you were a surgeon, so, we both know what surgery is..."

"No, I meant, what do you mean we will be jumping my car?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, here, you can do it, it is your..."

"No," John interrupted her again, "I mean you do it."

"Me, John, I don't want to be responsible for the destruction of your car. Why don't you just wait for Mark?"

"No, I told you, I have faith in you, you can do this."

"What is this, a scheme for you to have your car destroyed so you can collect the insurance money and buy a new one?" Elizabeth laughed.

"I wish," John said, "Here, I'll pop the hood."

John popped the hood of the car and Elizabeth peered inside. She connected the cables in John's car, and then hooked them up to Mark's van, which he had left with the hood up, before he left for the trauma. "Okay, let's see if she starts," John went to his car to start it, while Elizabeth backed as far away she could. "What are you scared?" John teased.

"Hell yes, would you trust me with a bunch of wires and a car?"

John looked up, "Yeah, I guess I would, I mean, I just did." Elizabeth smiled at him as he started the car. Miraculously, it started. Just then, Mark came out.

"We almost lost him," Mark stated casually, "Hey, look at this, I can't believe you actually jumped his car."

"Well, I don't like to brag, but I am quite the mechanic," Elizabeth said with a laugh.

"She's joking, it was me that did the dirty work," John stated.

"Actually, it was you that nominated me to do the hard part, you just popped the hood."

"Okay, so I didn't do anything, but, it's nice to think I did."

"We can just call it a joint effort, Mark, can you unhook this contraption?" Elizabeth asked.

"I thought you were quite the mechanic?" Mark teased.

She looked at him innocently, "Who me?"

Mark snickered and undid the jumper cables. "Thanks guys, I owe yah one," John said.

"Well," Mark said, "I really do want to go into work tomorrow, how 'bout if you cover for me?"

"Um, I, a, have to go grocery shopping for my gamma. Bye guys," with that, John began to drive away. As he drove he watched Mark and Elizabeth laugh about something in the parking lot. Then, he watched as Mark leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. Suddenly, he felt a wave of jealousy wash over him. He never really knew Dr. Corday, but out of nowhere,
he felt as though he wanted to know everything about her. He absently drove home, concentrating on the events from the parking lot, more than the road.

John pulled into Kerry's driveway. He walked up to the door and put his key in the lock. It wouldn't turn. He tried again and again, but the key would not turn the lock open. As he began his sixth attempt he felt a tap on his shoulder. Surprised, he spun around to find Kerry Weaver staring him in the face. "John, what in the hell are you doing?"

"Going to my room."

"You don't live here anymore," Kerry shrieked, "You haven't lived here for a year."

"Oh my God, I must be losing my mind."

"Well obviously something's wrong," she sighed, "C'mon in, we'll talk about it."

"Okay," John replied, "Oh, and Kerry, my key doesn't work."

"I know."

"How?"

"I had the locks changed after you moved out."

John followed Kerry into the house, and then into the kitchen. John told Kerry about the events of his car breaking down and how Mark and Elizabeth helped him jump it. Then, he told Kerry how he felt empty after he pulled away, and how he wanted a girlfriend. She asked him what he was looking for in a girl, and he said, someone pretty, intelligent, mature, a little older, and sexy. He also stated that he didn't mind if the prospect was involved in a relationship already, he'd work around it. Kerry listened carefully to John's story, and then drew her conclusion.

"Either you are trying to woo back Elaine Nichols, or you have a thing for Elizabeth," Kerry began, "and since Elaine is in a different country, and you don't have an angel's chance in hell with Elizabeth, I'd try someone else. Doesn't Chuny have an available cousin?"

"Kerry," John whined, "Do you really think I like Elizabeth?"

"Uh, yeah," Kerry said, "Look," she continued, "Why don't you go to the grocery store and buy some ice cream and toppings and we can make ice cream sundaes, and come up with a plan for you to meet a woman. Who knows, perhaps tonight we can overcome your inability to stay in a stable relationship. This evening may be a real ground breaker.

"I'll be back," John said, feeling a little better about his situation. Just knowing he had Kerry on his side was enough to lift his spirits. He got into his car, and drove to the plaza. He entered Food City and headed for the ice cream aisle.

"Hello," Elizabeth answered her cell phone. She was standing in the frozen food section of Food City.

"Peter wants you to pick up some real snacks, too. He said if he has to go through another movie at your house with ice cream as the treat, he'd start drinking. Also, Cleo likes fritos. I don't mind the excessive ice cream, I'm used to it, get me Moose Tracks or Mint Chocolate Chip, oh and by the way, we dropped your bottle of Tequila mix, and to clean it up, we used all of your scott towels, so your out of those items as well."

"I thought Cleo had to work tonight?"

"No, she's here, is that what you got out of that whole story?"

"Yes, Mark, I do not get along with her," Elizabeth rushed on, "I was not planning on buying regular food. If it means Peter is going to take up drinking, well, that's better for all of us. We won't have to worry about someone drinking all of the orange juice that's meant for the screwdrivers, and as for the fritos, Cleo can bring her own."

"Elizabeth," Mark said.

"I know, I know, I can handle it."

"All right, come home soon, we want to start the movie around 9."

"You can start when I get there, it is my house."

"Hey, tell that to Pete."

With that, Elizabeth hung up her cell phone and
walked towards the junk food aisle. She bought cheddar cheese popcorn and fritos. Then, she made her way to the drink aisle and claimed a bottle of Tequila mix, <What were they doing with my Tequila mix anyways> she thought. She grabbed a roll of scott towels, and traveled to her desired destination. She re-entered the frozen food section and made her way to the long freezer of ice-cream. She opened it up and grabbed a pint of Moose Tracks and a pint of Mint Chocolate Chip for Mark, and then a pint of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and a pint of Banana Cream Pie for herself. She turned to leave, but bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she began.

"Don't be it was my fault," was the reply. Elizabeth looked at the owner of the familiar voice.

"John, what are you doing here?"

"Buying materials for ice-cream sundaes, what about you?"

"Just, buying some movie food."

"Ice-cream? For a movie?" John questioned.

"I eat ice-cream around the clock. Not eating it during a movie would be scandalous."

"I see, what are you watching?"

"Whatever Mark and Peter rented, probably some chick flick," she joked.

"So, it's just you and the boys?"

"Well, Cleo is coming too, but I guess that you can say that. Hey, do have big plans tonight, you should come."

"Kerry and I were going to make sundaes," John replied, <wait a minute, what am I doing, how dumb am I, this is my chance, but wait, my chance for what, do I like her> John continued in a deep thought, he was rescued from his own mind by Elizabeth.

"Why don't you just bring Kerry along?" she suggested.

"What time?"

"How about now, just go home and pick her up."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I don't want you to ditch your girlfriend. Just go pick her up and come to my place, Mark, Peter, and Cleo are already there." That being said, Elizabeth turned to head back towards the snack aisle. It seemed that they would need a bit more popcorn.

To Be Continued