Vows and Promises
Part Nine
By Susan
lilichild@aol.com

ARCHIVE: Sure, just tell me where
TIMELINE: Well, this part takes place in the summer before season 7 and goes from there, the other parts will take place later, it’ll make more sense once you read the fic.
SPOILERS: I don’t read ‘em. You shouldn’t either J That said, anything that I didn’t beyond the latest aired episode is pure speculation.
DISCLAIMER: The story is mine, the characters aren’t. They belong to Warner Brothers, don’t waste your time suing, I have no money
NOTE: This is part one of a series and is my first fic, be kind J Comments welcome
PREVIOUSLY: Doug and Carol got engaged (yes, again), and decided upon a post Thanksgiving wedding at the house in Seattle. Doug called Mark to share the good news and asked him to be his best man. Mark accepted, Chuni, Haleh, and Conni overheard and put two and two together so to speak and asked if they were right in their assumption. Mark told them yes, and the three nearly knocked him over hugging.
PREVIOUSLY: Doug and Carol became engaged “again”. They planned a post Thanksgiving wedding and the list of attendants became rather large. Susan Lewis was to be maid of honor and Mark best man.
PREVIOUSLY: Do I really have to recap this again? Doug and Carol are engaged. Mark is going to be best man, Susan will be maid of honor. Both are fine with the arrangement as is Elizabeth. Everyone knows that Carter’s in rehab, and Carol and Doug want to ask him to be an usher. Got it?

To say that Carter was shocked was an understatement.

“Carter, are you there?” Carol asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Carter regained the ability to speak “Hi, Carol, wow, it’s great to hear from you”

“I wasn’t sure if I should call you” Carol began

“No, no, I’m glad you did” Carter said with genuine gladness. “How’s Seattle?”

“Cool, I can’t believe it’s summer” Carol said glad for a topic even as trivial as weather.

“It’s hot as hell here” Carter replied. He too was glad for the distraction. “And Doug and the girls?”

“They’re great, we’re great” Carol said hastily. “and how are you?”

Carter half-heartedly laughed “I guess you heard, huh?”

“Yes, I did” Carol said sadly “Carter what the hell happened?”

“I got caught injecting Fentanyl in my wrist in the trauma room” Carter replied taking the easy way out, knowing that wasn’t what she meant at all.

“Carter, you know that’s not what I meant” Carol responded

“Yeah, I do, Carol” Carter admitted “But how the hell do I explain this? I did something really stupid”

“I did something really stupid a long time ago, too” Carol said softly.

“Oh, Carol. I’m so sorry.” He had forgotten about her suicide attempt on his first day at County as a med student. Of course, it was easy to forget about it, he told himself, she’s been fine for years.

“No, don’t be, Carter” Carol reassured him. Carol’s voice was gentle and kind and it should have soothed him. Unfortunately, it didn’t at all.

“So is this a junkie courtesy call?” Carter asked trying to keep bitterness out of his voice.

“No this isn’t a junkie courtesy call” Carol said trying to remain calm and ignore his sarcasm. The last thing she wanted to do is upset Carter.

“Then?” Carter asked. He really had no idea why Carol would be calling him at rehab. She didn’t even live in Chicago anymore.

“I was calling to tell you” Carol took a breath “That Doug and I are getting married”

“Hey, that’s great” Carter said sincerely “When?”

“After Thanksgiving and we were wondering if you would be an usher at the wedding?” Carol asked hopefully

“An usher hmmm?” Carter said “Does it include a mandatory drug screen and search?” He knew he shouldn’t be so curt with Carol. He realized that what she did took a lot of guts. He was happy for them, yet, he wished he had some kind of a life these days.

“No, Carter, it doesn’t involve drug screens or searches” Carol said irritation beginning to show in her voice. Damn it, she knew he was unhappy but couldn’t he at least act civil?

Carter ignored the irritation in her voice and decided to push her more. “So is this a sympathy bone tossed to Dr. Junkie? Did Greene and Weaver put you up to this?” He was pushing it and he didn’t care.

“No Carter, we don’t regard you as Dr. Junkie and no one put us up to it.” Carol said getting really angry by now “We’re getting married and we consider you a friend and would like you to be in our wedding”

“So everyone can say, ‘Aw that poor sap’ and I can be a laughing stock? No I don’t think so” Carter said testily

“Damn it, Carter” Carol said losing her temper “No one is trying to make a laughing stock of you or anything else”

“The hell you aren’t” Carter yelled into the phone

“Carter, what the hell is wrong with you?” Carol yelled back

“Why don’t you tell me, Ms. Perfect?” Carter said sarcastically.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Carol retorted. She looked at Doug who was sitting next to her. Doug seemed to be casually taking everything in.

“It means, that you’re just so god-damn wonderful” Carter replied icily. Carter knew Carol’s intentions were good, but he wasn’t in the mood for this. Wasn’t in the mood to talk about anyone’s happiness.

“Give me the phone” Doug told Carol quietly.

“He’s pretty upset” Carol warned, handing over the phone

“Carter” Doug began

“Oh there’s the other great role model.” Carter said mockingly.

“Carter shut the hell up and listen” Doug said calmly

“Why, because the great Doug Ross commands me to?” Carter asked “Please, you were thrown out of County on your ass”

“Carter, what I did is irrelevant” Doug responded

“And what I do is everyone’s business right?” Carter asked

“I’m not saying that, Carter.” Doug countered

“Really? So what the hell are you saying? Hmm?” Carter responded

“Carter, all Carol did is call to ask you to be an usher at our wedding” Doug answered trying to maintain his temper. The scary thing, Doug realized, is that Carter was reminding him of himself at his low points. How did anyone stand me? Doug thought.

“No, you’re making a pity call. I don’t need your pity, I don’t want your pity” Carter yelled again. Somehow, Doug’s attempts to calm him down were getting him angrier.

“Carter get you’re fucking head out of your ass and listen to me” Doug yelled into the phone. He’d reached the end of his patience. “All we are doing is being friends to you. We are asking you to be an usher in our wedding because for some damn reason we consider you a friend. Now you have a choice. You can be a total ass and act paranoid or you can be a reasonable human being and talk like one”

Carter was shocked for a moment. He certainly didn’t expect Doug to start yelling at him. He was silent.

“Carter?” Doug said calming down “Are you there?”

“Yeah, yeah” He said shakily “I’m here. Can I get back to you?”

“Sure, Carter” Doug responded “Here’s our number”

Doug rattled off a number that Carter barely mangaged to write down.

“Carter, are you okay?” Doug asked feeling bad he exploded at him

“Yeah, fine.” Carter said distractedly “I’ll get back to you”

“Okay, Carter” Doug responded, now really worrying that he’d been too harsh

“Bye” Carter said and hung up.

It wasn’t until that he was in his room that he burst into tears.