They were sitting at the table eating dinner when the phone rang. Kerry looked at John with scared eyes.
"I'll get it," he said and got up. "Hello?"
"I know she's there." It was the same voice from this morning.
"Who is this? John asked. He looked at Kerry and saw that she was holding her breath as she watched him. Then the called laughed and Kerry froze. The terror in her eyes told John that this was Steven. Steven Campbell - her father.
"What do you want?" John growled.
"Where's the cripple?" The man's voice was cold.
"There's no cripple here."
The man laughed again. It was an evil, ice cold laughter that made John shiver. He looked back at Kerry. She was silently crying and her face was covered with fear.
"Sure there is. Don't lie to me, shithead."
"Listen. I don't know what makes you think she would want to talk to you anyway. Don't call here again."
"Oh, she will talk to me. I'm her father."
John didn't answer. He was looking at Kerry.
I'll make her talk," the man snarled. There was a soft click and the connection broke. John hung up, then walked over to Kerry. She was still crying and didn't see him. She was in chock.
"Kerry?" he whispered.
"Huh?" Her eyes stayed out of focus.
"Kerry," he knelt down in front of her. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."
She turned her head down towards him. Her eyes were blank. "No?"
"Trust me." He got up and put his arms around her.
For several minuets she remained slack. Then she suddenly hugged him very hard. "I'm so scared."
"I know. I know. I'm here," he whispered.
He couldn't believe how a father could treat a child like that. He hoped Kerry would get rid of him one way or the other. He was willing to do what ever it took.
Kerry had spoken to Mark about taking a few days off. He'd been pretty surprised. All though she told him she was all right, Mark knew better. Her life was work and now she wanted a vacation. Something was very wrong. She was given a week off.
John had to work though, even though he hated to leave Kerry home alone. Mark approached him at the ending of his shift.
"I've been meaning to talk to you. Got a moment?"
John nodded. He'd been waiting for this most of the day. They went into exam room one.
"How is she?" Mark asked.
"Not good, Mark"
"What's going on , Carter?"
John fidgeted a little. He wasn't sure what to tell Mark. He knew Mark was one of the few friends Kerry had, but since she hadn't told Mark herself, she probably didn't want him to know.
Mark nodded, "Okay...but you do know, right?"
"Yes, I know."
"You're there for her?"
John smiled a silly smile, "I'm there for her."
"Carter?" Mark gave him a curious look. "Are you and Kerry...?"
John gave him another smile and opened the door. Before it closed behind him he heard Mark laugh.
Kerry were soaked when she entered the ER.
"Randi?" Where's John...Carter?" she puffed.
"Um..." Randi pointed towards exam room two.
Kerry pushed the door open. John and Carol looked at her in surprise. "Kerry?!" John stood up.
"John, I need to talk to you." She waved him to follow as she turned and left the room.
"Ah. Carol. I'll be right back." He followed Kerry. He could feel Carol eyes in his back. She knew Kerry wasn't on.
"John?" she mumbled behind him.
They went outside but the trauma entrance. "Kerry, what is it?" John could tell she was upset.
"He was at the house today."
"You spoke to him?!"
She shook her head, "No...no, I was hiding inside. He was banging on the door, yelling all kind of insanities." She snuggled against his chest and John put his arms around her. "I was so scared, John. I don't know what he's capable of doing."
"CARTER!!!" Malik's voice cut through the air. "There you are...uh...um...trauma coming in, eta. 5 min." The surprise on Malik's face made them both laugh.
"I'm right here. I think I would notice," John joked.
"Yeah, okay..." Malik turned around, feeling a bit stupid, and went back inside.
"Guess the word is out then." John smiled.
Kerry smiled back, "Guess so. Listen, you're off in half an hour, right? I'll just hang around until you're ready to go home then."
They stayed outside until the ambulance arrived.
It took more than half an hour before John was able to leave. The car victim had been in a bad shape. Kerry was doing paperwork when he entered the lounge.
"You really don't know how to skip work, do you?" he laughed.
Kerry smiled at him, "I know." She packed the files away. "Let's go home."
On their way to the car John poked her in the side, "When you said 'I know', did you mean you know you can't stop or you do know how to stop?
Kerry scrowled at him, "yeah yeah yeah...bla bla bla. I know how to stop!!"
John laughed. They took his Jeep and went home.
When they entered the house, John went downstairs to take a shower. The warm water him drowsy. He closed his eyes and sighed, thinking about the other night with Kerry. He couldn't remember feeling so one with any other woman. The way their bodies moved so synchronic. The way she knew exactly what he wanted. The way he had been able to make her beg and scream with pleasure.
"Hope you're thinking about me." Kerry's voice suddenly asked. He opened and eyes and looked at her. She was standing outside the shower enclosure, completely naked and smiling at his erection.
"Oh yeah," John laughed and pulled her in under the water. She kissed him and rubbed her body against his.
"John? Do you have any idea how many times I've fantasized about you the last four years?"
"Really??" John was surprised. She'd never showed that kind of interest towards him. "But why did you never...?"
"What would you have done if I had?" she smiled.
"Hmmm...I don't really know."
"Precisely." She kissed him again. "I remember the first time I saw you. I was terrible at meeting new people back then. I was always so hostile - because I was so shy. I was just...good at hiding it." She made a failing laugh. "You were really exhausted. The night had been terrible. You were sitting in a chair half asleep. You were so adorable. I just wanted to take you home and place you in my bed."
John blushed.
"Then Harper came..." she pouted. "You both went to exam room four and got some sleep. I knew then I had no chance. The way you looked at her..."
John gently kissed her forehead.
"Do you remember the first time we spoke?" Kerry looked at him.
John blushed. He remembered. Kerry had introduced her self and asked him to join her in the supply-room. "Yeah. I remember."
"You were so cute. I only wanted to be alone with you. You got all nervous, rambling about the supplies. You were so sweet. Then Doug bashed in - mad at me as usual."
"I remember. I never really noticed the way you were looking at me," he smiled. "But now I recall."
"You knew."
"Yeah. I knew. I also knew what everyone was saying about you. So I simply went for Harper. Look what I got from that!"
Kerry smiled.
John remembered the first day Kerry was on. She had been really nice. He couldn't understand what everyone had against her- She was a great doctor, a great teacher, and she had a great sense of humor. She made him smile.
"I was actually pretty impressed by you," he confessed. "But...then Harper made her move."
"And I didn't..."
John kissed her. "I think it was for the best anyway. I don't think it would have worked out between us back then."
"Nahh. Guess you're right." Kerry smiled, "You were still cute though." They laughed. She threw her arms around his neck. "You still are."
Their lips met. It was a long expecting kiss. John grew hard again. "You make me feel so good, Kerry," he whispered.
"Better that Harper?"
"Oh yeah!!" He looked her deep in the eyes. "Better that anyone else. But you've always been good at that, Kerry."
She laughed, "No, I haven't"
"You've always been good to me."
"Yeah, well. Now you know why. But you're also a very good doctor."
"You think so?"
"Yes, John. I do"
"But I will never be like you."
Kerry laughed. "No, thank God. Then you wouldn't have this.." She gently stroked his erection and John closed his eyes as she slowly got on her knees.