There To Catch Him If He Falls
By Carrie Verkman
carebear1025@juno.com
Chapter Two


February 14th Valentine's Day

John and Anna stopped by the ER again before they brought their kids to daycare. They saw Amira decorating the admit desk with hearts and Yosh handing out Valentine cards.
"Happy Valentine's!" Yosh said happily, giving heart-shaped cards to Anna and John.
"Oh thank you Yosh, how sweet." Anna said.
"I've also got candy for J.J. and Julia." He handed them heart-shaped lollipops. Their eyes lit up.
"What do we say to Yosh?" Anna said.
"Thank you!" said the twins, answering in unison.

John led Anna and the kids to the lounge. As he opened the door for them, Lucy Knight came up. "Dr. Carter, I need your help."
"Geez, can you at least let me take off my coat?" John said exasperated. He liked Lucy, a lot actually. He saw her as the little sister he never had. And just like a little sister, she was constantly on his back asking questions. She had a lot to learn yet, but she was fourth year, and could do a lot of things on her own without supervision.
"It will only take a minute."
"Tell me what's going on as I try to get ready for work." John said taking off his coat.
"I have a 24 year old law student with three day of right orbital headache, fever and nausea. I was thinking, a CBC and lytes and 5 of morphine?" Lucy said.
John put his stethoscope around his neck. "Go for it."
"You don't even want to see him first?" asked Lucy.
"No, I trust you. Come on Anna, let's get these sticky kids up to daycare." John picked up his son, with the lollipop in his mouth, while Anna picked up Julia. Lucy watched them leave. She was still unsure of what to do.


"June Connelly?" asked John.
"Yeah." said Abby. "She said you saw her husband when their nursing home caught on fire."
John immediately recognized Mrs. Connelly when he saw her in the suture room. How could he have forgotten the sweet old woman that had to say goodbye to her Barry less than a year ago? After a brief visit with her, John was paged to Exam 3. He walked in to see Lucy and Malik trying to clean up after a vomiting patient.
"Is this the law student?" asked John, putting gloves on.
"Yes, Paul Sobriki." Lucy said. "I was-"
"How are you doing Paul?" John asked.
Paul muttered incoherently.
"You didn't tell me this when you presented him to me." John said.
"You were going to see a patient. I was about to get you."
John looked at the vomit. It made him nauseous. "Dammit Lucy, you should have told me. It could be meningitis!"
"Well I was coming to get you." Lucy persisted.
"I'm going to get an LP kit!" John said leaving the exam room frustrated.


John met Anna in the drug lockup. He noticed that she was wearing a green scrub top instead of her blouse.
"What happened to you?" asked John.
"I'm helping Luka with some six year olds. They ate way too much candy and are puking all over us." Anna said.
"I've got a puking law student. Care to join me?"
"No thanks!" Anna said. "Hey where's my Valentine's Day present?"
"Oh it will come. Don't worry." John said. He gave Anna a kiss and started to leave. "I don't know why I'm the one giving gifts all the time."
"I heard that!" Anna said.


"Atavan put him right out." Malik said.
"Good." John said. He wrapped his around Paul to hold him still. John gave instructions to Lucy and she followed them perfectly. Lucy began to advance the needle into Paul's back. When she did, Paul suddenly exploded with a jolt and a scream.
"Whoa!" John was surprised at Paul's reaction. He tightened his grip.
"Paul, calm down! It's okay!" Lucy said.
"Please stop! You're hurting me!" Paul screamed.
John watched Lucy. "Keep going."
"I can't. There will be blood in the spinal fluid, and it will a traumatic tap." Lucy said.
"Yes you can." John encouraged her to keep going.
Paul's screams turned into heavy sobs. "Stop hurting me. Please."
Lucy pulled out the needle and spinal fluid began to fill a small vial. She sighed.
"Hey Paul, it's okay now." John said reassuringly.
Lucy held up the vial of fluid.
"Crystal clear. Good job Lucy." John said.
Lucy sighed again. That was too much for her.


Throughout the day John checked on Mrs. Connelly. Sadly, she was suffering from multiple organ failure. John was worried about her. He was also worried about Paul Sobriki. He had done hundreds of spinal taps and no one ever reacted like he just did. The symptoms Paul had were puzzling. The spinal tap came back negative and he told Lucy to get a psych consult.

As John left the suture room, he saw Paul angrily arguing with someone. He broke up the fight between the two of them and was told by Mark to watch Lucy and her patient more closely. Malik brought Paul back to his room. John saw Lucy looking for him. "Oh there he is. Thank you Malik."
"Why aren't you watching him?" asked John.
"I am. I stepped out for one second." Lucy said.
"I just had to break up a fight between him and his friend." John said.
"I'm sorry."
"Did you call psych?"
"Yes, but they're backed up."
"What about that leg lac?"
Lucy held up a chart. "I'm going to suture it now."
"Okay then. Suture his leg and call psych again." John said. "You've got medical patients waiting."
Lucy slammed the exam room door as she went in. Did John think she was incapable of suturing a simple leg laceration? But when she went in, Paul wasn't there. She traced him to the lounge where Chuni and Lydia were preparing for the party.
"Come on Paul." Lucy said, leading him back to Exam Three.


Anna was in the lounge, putting her coat on. She was about to pick up the kids from daycare. "So what time will you be home?"
"It's hard to say. Whenever Weaver comes on and breaks up our party." John said smiling. "I won't be out very late."
"Okay." Anna said. "How will you get home?"
"I can take the EL or get a ride. I'll be fine."
"I know." Anna said, kissing him.
"I'll try not to wake you when I come in." John said kissing back.
"No, wake me." Anna said, with her lips buried in John's. They shared a long passionate kiss.
"I love you Anna." John said. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"I love you too John." Anna said.

They kissed one last time.


John met Abby on the roof. She was guiltily smoking a cigarette. Abby told him that Mrs. Connelly had just died.
"Today was the first time I saw an old person die and I guess I'm just not used to it." Abby said.
"Well I've got good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first?" John asked.
"Give me the bad." Abby said.
"The bad news is, you don't get used to it. But the good news is, you don't get used to it. At least I haven't." John said.


"Mommy! Mommy!" cried Julia and J.J.
Anna scooped her kids up into her arms. She loved their excited looks on their faces after having been separated all day.
"Hello! I missed you so much!" Anna gave them kisses all over. Anna was about to leave with her kids when Grace, the daycare supervisor, called Anna back.
"Dr. Carter? There's something you're forgetting." Grace revealed a dozen roses for Anna.
Anna was shocked. She read a card that said:

I told you I didn't forget. I've been thinking of you all day.
Love,
John

Anna smiled. John was always good at surprises.
"Pretty flowers!" said Julia.
"Yes, sweetie. Pretty flowers from Daddy."


"Isn't there some Valentine's Day party going on tonight?" Abby asked. "You think they started without us?"
"I hope not." John said laughing. "Heads will roll!"


Anna was putting the kids to bed when Julia asked, "Where's Daddy?"
"Daddy's at a party. He'll be here when you wake up." Anna said.
J.J. jumped up in his crib. "Party!"
"No silly, not a party here. At the hospital. Now go to sleep you two." Anna shut off the bedroom light and closed the door.


Back in the ER the party was in full swing. Abby was surprised. "We never had parties like this up in OB."
"Yeah, we like to party down here in the ER." John looked up at the board. "Oh, Lucy hasn't sutured that leg lac yet?"
"She's still in Exam Three." Lily said, yelling over the music.
Well I might just have to do it myself, John thought. He walked towards Exam Three rolling up his sleeves.


Anna crawled into bed. She looked over to where John slept. There was a small dent in the mattress. Anna wished he was home this Valentine's Day, but he was only going to be gone for a little bit. Anna grabbed his pillow, which smelled like his cologne, and hugged it. She breathed in the smell deeply and fell asleep thinking of the man she loved.


The mood of the ER was a good one and John liked seeing everyone so laid back. He watched as a nurse wrapped an arm around her boyfriend and walk down the hall together. It reminded him of when Anna and him were a young couple, crazily in love. And yet to this day, they still were.


John walked into Exam Three. The lights were turned off and John thought nothing of it. It was quiet except for the echo of the loud music being played at the admit desk. He looked around for a bit, unsure for a minute of what he was looking for. John did find a heart-shaped card like his own addressed to Lucy. That Yosh is one nice guy, he thought.

Before he could even read the message written to Lucy, a sudden, sharp, piercing pain came of nowhere. John dropped the card he was holding. He felt the pain again and a presence of someone behind him. John uttered a moan of pain. It was his back. John suddenly couldn't breathe. He shakily reached a hand to his wounded area and it returned covered in bright red blood. His blood. His face turned pale. Pain swept over his body. It was a burning piercing pain that was made up of everything bad in the world. He suddenly couldn't keep himself standing anymore. Struggling to walk, he was only able to catch himself on an exam tray.
"Somebody!" John cried. He was injured, hurting and scared. However his cries for help went unanswered. The music. That damn music was too loud and no one could hear him.

The exam tray shook and finally gave way due to John's weight. He fell to the cold, hard floor, bleeding profusely. He used all the strength he had left to try to lift himself. He brought a bloody hand close to his body and tried to get up. John collapsed in defeat. Was this how he was going to die? John was scared, but not alone.

Across from where John lay, Lucy was there, bleeding from her own wounds. Her breathing was shallow. Lucy was paralyzed with fear. John could see it in her eyes. John was just as scared as she was. Lucy was deathly pale and the sight of her lying in her own blood sickened John.
"L-Lu-Lucy!" John cried. There was no answer. Lucy was unconscious.

John began to breathe heavily. He tried to stay awake, but the pain, the blood, and the fear was just too much for him. John passed out.


End of Chapter Two