Vows and Promises
Part Twelve
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.
NOTE: I assume, as always, that moving away doesn’t mean you stop talking to your friends, unlike ER. I thank everyone for their kind comments, and yes, I do write non-Carter parts here. I guess by now you figured this is really a combination of fic that pours out of my head. Feedback is great, keep it coming!

SEATTLE

Carol was just finishing up putting the twins down to sleep and was heading to do some laundry when the phone started to ring. She dashed for it, hoping that it was Benton, telling her that Carter was okay. Then she realized that she didn’t give Benton their number.

“Hello” Carol said breathlessly into the receiver

“Carol?” Came a timid voice on the other end

“Carter!” She exclaimed. She had hoped Carter would call her back but she hadn’t expected it to happen that night.

“Yeah, it’s me” Carter confirmed “Uh, Carol..” he paused then and Carol could hear him trying to summon his confidence “Carol” he started again “I’m sorry, I was such a jerk to you guys”

Carol let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Oh, Carter. It’s okay” Carol said with relief.

“I just… I just…”Carter stammered “I just don’t know what’s wrong with me these days”

“Oh, Carter” Carol said her mind flooding with all of the emotions that had caused her own suicide attempt years earlier.

Carter began to sniffle. He tried to hide it and he knew that Nurse Loretta was looking at him oddly, but he didn’t care.

“Carter, please don’t cry” Carol begged, her voice wavering “Or I’ll start too”

“Well” Carter said clearing his throat and trying to stop his tears “I just want to say I’m sorry and that if the offer still stands I’d be honored to be in your wedding.”

“Yes, of course it still stands Carter” Carol said drying her own tears “And I’m sorry too, and so is Doug” Doug walked into the room then and looked at Carol. She mouthed Carter and Doug made a motion for her to give him the phone.

“Carter, hold on” Carol said, while giving Doug a be-careful look “Doug wants to talk to you.”

Carter waited nervously while Carol handed Doug the phone. Doug surely wasn’t going to yell at him again, was he?

“Hey, Carter” Doug greeted him warmly

“Hi Doug” Carter said relieved. At least he didn’t sound upset

“Carter, sorry about before” Doug apologized while Carol snickered in the background.

“Doug, why is Carol laughing?” Carter asked

“Oh, she just gets a kick out of whenever I make an apology.” Doug said swatting Carol simultaneously.

Carter laughed. It felt good to laugh, it made him feel normal. Doug heard Carter’s laughter and grinned at Carol while giving her a thumbs up sign.

“So, Carter” Doug began “Meet any hot babes?”

“In rehab?” Carter asked amazed. He knew Doug was joking but it was such a long time since someone joked with him.

“Sure” Doug responded “You never know.”

“Aren’t you getting married?” Carter teased

“Married, but not dead” Doug joked. At this Carter laughed again.

Carter felt a tap on his shoulder then. He checked his watch, damn, he had to go.

“Doug I have to go” Carter said regretfully. “I have group now”

“At this time of day?” Doug asked in wonder

“Yeah, we all meet when someone new shows up.” Carter explained “I’ll talk to you another time.”

“Sure” Doug said understandingly “Good luck, Carter. Hang in there”

“Thanks, Doug” Carter said and hung up.

Doug turned off the phone and Carol came up to him and put his arms around him.

“I take it, things went well?” Carol asked nuzzling her head against Doug’s neck.

“Yeah, he’ll be okay, Carol” Doug assured her “It’ll take some time be he’ll be okay”

“I think so, too” Carol agreed.

Doug smiled. Of course, he thought, Carter would be fine, eventually. If he could get his life together, then there’s hope for Carter and pretty much anyone. He was relieved the thought. Now, he could focus on his and Carol’s future. A thought struck him suddenly.

“Shit” Doug muttered

“Huh?” Carol woke out of her cuddling and was shocked at Doug’s sudden action.

“No, not you” Doug assured her “Just something else I have to do. Something really important that I totally forgot about.”

“And what is that?” Carol asked wanting to curl back up in Doug’s arms

“I think you know, Carol” Doug said simply