Dreams In The Mist, Part One
By Cathy Roberts

A slash story featuring Peter Benton, John Carter, Mark Greene, Luka Kovac,
Dave Malucci and Robert Romano, rated NC-17.

"ER" and all its characters belong to Warner Bros.  No infringement of
their copyright is intended.  This story was written for the enjoyment of
"ER" fans everywhere, and may be downloaded for your own pleasure.  However
this story may not be used, distributed or archived without the permission
of the author.

The last episode seen was "Never Say Never".  This story might contain a
mild spoiler for season eight.


*******************************

"You're lonely."

John Carter looked up briefly from where he was suturing a nasty hand lac
and he smiled at his patient.  "I wouldn't say that."

The woman smiled sadly at him.  "The loneliness has colored your aura, Dr.
Carter.  You're lonely.  And yet...and yet I sense that the one who would
make you complete is nearby.  If only you would open your eyes and heart."

John chuckled, but he avoided looking to his side at Abby.  If only Mrs.
Tabarek knew just how close to the truth her words were.  He finished with
a flourish.  "There you are, Mrs. Tabarek.  Ms. Lockhart will bandage the
area for you.  You should see your regular physician in ten days to have
the stitches removed.  Keep the area dry and replace the bandage daily and
if it should become wet.  Ms. Lockhart will give you a list of
instructions."  He pushed back on the stool and got to his feet, carefully
stretching his back.

"Thank you, Dr. Carter.  As you had promised, it hardly hurt at all," Mrs.
Tabarek said a sly grin on her face.  "I'd like to do something for you.
Something to help you end this loneliness that threatens to consume you."

John's eyebrows raised.  Sure, he felt lonely from time to time.   He had
felt even lonelier since he had told Abby that he could no longer be her
friend.  But it wasn't anything threatening to consume him.  Still...he
could humor his patient.  "If you wish.  But it isn't necessary.  I'm quite
happy with my life."

John could feel two sets of eyes upon him then, Abby's and the patients.
Mrs. Tabarek nodded.  "When the mist rolls in off the lake, shrouding the
city, then that night you will have a vision of your true love, Dr.
Carter.  Find that love and your loneliness will end."

From behind him John could hear the sound of mocking laughter and he turned
to see Dave Malucci standing just a few feet behind him.  "Don't you have
anything better to do than to eavesdrop?" John icily asked.

Dave's face flushed slightly, but he shook his head.  "Not really."

"Then maybe Dr. Weaver can find something to keep you occupied," John
suggested.

"You don't believe, Dr. Malucci, but it's true.  The mist will show you a
truth as well.  Watch for it."

Dave gazed intently at Mrs. Tabarek, wondering how she had known his name.
Then he remembered that he had his hospital ID on, so she obviously had
read it from his badge.  "I've got a patient in exam one."  Dave hurried
away, finding himself amazed at the things some people would believe.  True
loves and the truth in the mist?  Sounded like something out of some grade
"B" movie portraying gypsies or other mysterious personages.

John looked back at his patient, expecting her to be upset, but instead she
was looking at Dave's retreating back, the same sly grin on her face.
"Well, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Ms. Lockhart.  Take care,
Mrs. Tabarek."

"The same to you, Dr. Carter."  The woman replied.  As soon as he was out
of earshot of the curtained area, she looked up at Abby.  "It's not you."

"I beg your pardon?"  Abby had been preparing the bandage and wasn't quite
sure what the woman was talking about.

"His true love.  It's not you, dear.  He thinks that you're the one, and
you are starting to believe that yourself, but it's not you.  You're not
meant for him."

"You are you not meant for?" Luka asked as he stepped up beside Abby, a
chart in his hand.  He had been looking for her so they could talk about
their dinner plans.  And in case Kerry or someone else came upon them while
they were talking, he had a patient that he needed help with, hence the
chart.

Mrs. Tabarek looked Luka up and down, then smiled.  "She's not meant for
you, either, nor you for her."

"Excuse me?"  Luka looked from Abby to the woman seated on the gurney, then
back to Abby.

"Mrs. Tabarek is playing matchmaker and truth seer today.  She's already
told Carter that he'll find his one true love in a dream brought to him
when the mist rolls in off the lake, and she told Malucci that he'd learn
the truth the same night."  Abby looked at Mrs. Tabarek.  "Did I get that
right?"

The woman's smile widened.  "Close enough, my dear.  I didn't say 'dream'
though, I said vision."  She looked at Luka and he found himself unable to
pull away from her stare.  Then she nodded.  "You will also learn a truth
that night, Dr. Kovac.  And maybe find your true love as well.  You came
close to it once, but as good as that was, she wasn't your true love."

Luka swallowed uncomfortably as he realized that this woman was talking
about his marriage.  "Abby, I need to speak with you as soon as you're done
here."

"Okay," Abby slowly replied.  She watched Luka walk away, then returned her
attention to Mrs. Tabarek, applying antibiotic cream and then the bandage.
"Take this paperwork up to the desk and they'll discharge you."

The woman got to her feet and picked up her purse before taking the papers
from Abby.  "Thank you.  And don't worry, dear.  You're time will come.  It
just won't be this time."

Abby frowned as she watched the woman walk away, then she shook her head
and went in search of Luka, dismissing Mrs. Tabarek as yet another kooky
patient.


John was erasing Mrs. Tabarek's name from the board when he heard her
voice.  He turned around and saw her at the desk, trying to get someone's
attention so she could be discharged.  "Randi, I think you've got a
customer," he said, directing Randi's attention to the woman.

Randi glared at him, then walked over to take care of discharging the
woman.  John smiled at his now former patient and glanced back at the board
for a new patient.  He heard Peter Benton and Mark Greene walking his way
and he greeted both men.

"Morning, Carter," Benton replied, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"I swear, Peter, you'd think that no one had ever had a baby before.
Elizabeth just gets so caught up in everything," Mark complained.

"Well, you *do* have an edge on her, Mark, with Rachel.  Give Elizabeth
some time and she'll calm down."  Peter replied with a smile, but it
quickly faltered as his eyes saw Cleo across the room.

Mrs. Tabarek followed Peter's gaze, and then she reached over the counter
to gently touch him on his forearm, making him jump.  "She's fine.  You
don't need to worry about her."

"Listen to her, Dr. Benton, she knows what she's talking about," John said
as he stepped around the older man to reach a chart on the counter.

"Right," Peter scoffed.  Even Mark smiled in a condescendingly way, making
the woman shake her head.

"So many unbelievers here.  It's no wonder so many of you are unhappy."
She looked to her left, where Dave was approaching and her eyes then
searched out Luka who was standing about twenty feet away, deep in
conversation with Abby.  But she didn't speak again until Luka looked in
her direction.  She broke off her stare as a new person entered the admit
area, and her gaze then fell upon Robert Romano.  While looking directly at
him she said, "Mark my words, doctors.  There are things in this world that
science can't explain.  Things that you can only believe in if you're
willing to open up your hearts and minds.  When the mist comes in off the
lake, some of you will have a vision of true love, some will have a vision
of the truth, and some will see what might have been while some of you will
see what might yet be.  And some of you will be given a second chance.  But
none of it will matter if you keep your hearts and minds closed."  She took
her completed paperwork from Randi, then nodded at them all and left.

"Why do you always get the weird patients?" Mark asked John.

John shrugged.  "Just lucky, I guess.  Just lucky.  Now, if you'll excuse
me, I've got a hypochondriac waiting for me in exam two."

The words of Mrs. Tabarek were quickly forgotten as the men returned to
work.  And then a few nights later the land temperature sharply fell while
the water temperature remained warm.  As darkness descended upon Chicago, a
thick mist slowly enveloped the city.

********************

"I am out of here," John said as he slammed his locker door closed.   "I'm
going to go straight home and directly to bed."

"Rough day?" Mark asked as he, too, closed his locker door.

"Double shift," John replied.  "And I am beat.  What about you?"

Mark shrugged.  "Normal enough day. Now I get to go home to my wife and
darling baby girl."  He grinned.  "I can't think of anything better."

"Me, either.  You're lucky, Mark.  Very lucky."

Mark thought back to when he thought he was going to die from his brain
tumor and he nodded.  "You're right about that.  I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right."

They walked out of the lounge and past the admit desk where Dave was just
beginning his shift.  "Don't be late," he called out to John.   "I've got
plans for the morning."

John laughed.  "Right, Malucci.  Don't worry, I'll be in on time."

Dave watched John and Mark leave, and then he started to search through the
charts until he found a case that he wanted to work with.  Turning around
to head to Curtain Three, he stopped in his tracks as he saw Kerry Weaver
looking at him, a small smile on her face.  "Good evening, Chief."

"Good evening, Dr. Malucci.  Thanks for finding a case for me," Kerry
said.  She held out her hand for the chart.

"My pleasure."  Dave handed her the chart, then reached back and blindly
selected one out of the rack.  "Oh, boy, a boil.  Just what I like," he
blandly said.  "I had better get to work."

He walked toward Curtain Three, passing Peter and Romano as they were
making their way toward the admit desk.

"Goodnight, Kerry," Robert cheerfully said as he paused long enough to rest
his elbows on the counter.  "Anything I should know about before I go
home?  Any dead mass murderers or residents being sent to rehab?"

"No, Robert," Kerry tiredly replied.  "Just go home."

Robert grinned at having scored a hit.  "With pleasure, Kerry, with
pleasure."  He pushed himself away from the desk.  "So, Peter, what are
your plans for the evening?  Dinner with Miss Pinprick?"

Peter simply glared at Robert, then walked out of the building.

"Keep working on those people skills, Robert. I think you're starting to
improve," Kerry commented as she went to find her patient.

Robert made a face at her retreating back, and then he left for the
evening.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kerry," Luka said as he and Abby passed the Chief
in the hallway.

"Have a good evening," Kerry said.  "Oh, Abby, the patient in curtain one,
did you give her any Tylenol?"

Abby shook her head.  "Check with Lydia, I'm pretty sure the woman was her
patient."

Kerry nodded. "Got it.  Now get out of here before you two get caught
here."

Luka laughed.  "You don't have to tell me twice.  Goodbye."

He and Abby walked through the gathering mist to his car.  "Hey," Abby
said, "this is the night, isn't it?  The one Mrs. Tabarek predicted."

Luka put the keys in the ignition and looked through the windshield at the
mist that had even managed to penetrate the parking garage.  "You're
talking about that woman who was making those wild and mysterious
predictions, right?"

Abby nodded. "Yep.  What was it all that she said?  Stuff about true love
and second chances.  It should be interesting tomorrow morning to see what
all of you guys will dream about tonight."

Luka leaned over and kissed Abby, then grinned. "I can tell you right now
what I'm going to be dreaming about tonight."

Abby giggled.  "Oh, really?  And what will that be?  Your *true* love?
Mrs. Tabarek said I wasn't her, so I'm not so sure I want you dreaming
about *that* tonight."

"Maybe mine will be about second chances.  Or seeing the truth."  Luka
started the car, and then he shook his head, laughing.  "It's all just a
bunch of nonsense, Abby."

"Yes, well, let's see if you're still saying that in the morning."

************************

John drew open the drapes of his window and looked out into the
mist-shrouded night.  Mrs. Tabarek's words echoed in his ears, but he
dismissed them.  John knew he wasn't being consumed by loneliness, even if
the woman he loved was in love with another man.  Leaving the drapes open,
John walked across the room and climbed into bed.  Even though it was
summer, just looking at the mist made him feel cold.  Of course, having the
house air conditioner set at sixty-five didn't help matters any, but that
was the price of aging, he supposed.  His grandparents just didn't seem to
be able to tolerate the heat the way they used to.  Or the cold, either, he
thought, remembering back to how toasty the house had been that past
winter.  And that was the last thing John thought about as sleep quickly
overcame him.

*************************

Robert checked his alarm, then turned off the light and snuggled under his
sheets.  It had been a long day and he was tired.  His eyes closed and it
wasn't long before he reached REM sleep.  As usual, his dream began with a
blonde.  Tall, leggy, great breasts.  She smiled at him and he reached out
to take her hand.  And that's when she changed, another thing that was
usual in his dreams.  The blonde shrank, turning petite and bubbly and when
Robert looked into her eyes he found himself looking into the eyes of Lucy
Knight.  She smiled at him the same way she had smiled at him the Christmas
Eve she had convinced him to do a procedure on a heart failure patient.
Lucy had such a beautiful smile and he told her so.  Lucy nodded her
thanks.  "But it's not me that you want, Robert."  Her hand slipped out of
his.  *This * was NOT a usual part of his dreams and he turned restlessly
in his bed.  Usually he and Lucy would walk and talk until he awoke to the
jarring sound of his alarm.  Why was tonight different?  He tried to change
his dream, to make Lucy behave as normal, but she kept walking away.
Robert had no choice but to follow her, even when he suddenly found himself
walking down a corridor in the hospital.  Lucy paused at a door and looked
back at him, laughing.  Then she stepped through.  Robert had to run to
catch up to her, at least he hoped he was catching up, but when he opened
the door he didn't see Lucy.  Instead he saw a patient on a bed in a room
he recognized.  The patient rolled over and just as Robert's eyes
registered the fact that he was looking at John Carter the scene changed
and he was in his own bedroom, looking at John Carter as he lay in his
bed.  Carter stretched out an arm to him, beckoning Robert to come to bed.
And Robert found himself obeying that request as he lifted the covers aside
and slipped between the sheets, his now naked body touching the equally
naked body of Carter.

Once again, a part of his brain tried to change the direction of the dream,
but a woman's voice whispered 'open your heart and mind' and Robert ceased
that effort.  What the Hell, he thought, it's just a dream and doesn't mean
anything.

Goosebumps erupted all over his body as Carter's hand lightly skimmed over
his belly, descending to cup his balls and fondle his now rampant cock.
"The rocket," Carter whispered.

"That's right," Robert replied with a grin.  "And it's on a pre-set course,
Carter...John."  Robert felt his heart swell when he saw the look of love
and desire shining out of John's eyes.

"And is it set for any planet in particular?"  John asked as his lips found
a sensitive spot on Robert's neck.

"Ahhhh, yes."  Robert replied his own hands now seeking out parts of John's
body and making him moan.  "I do believe that it's heading for Planet
Carter."  Robert slipped a finger into a tight and hot opening and was
rewarded with another moan from John's throat.  Even though he had never
before thought about being with another man, Robert seemed to know exactly
what to do, and he was surprised at how right it felt as his cock was
slowly enveloped by John Carter's body.  They fucked...no, they made love.
Slowly and deeply, they kissed and fondled while hips thrust to meet each
other.  They came together, their orgasms forcing screams out of their
throats, strangled yells that attested to just how good it had felt.

Robert awoke with a start and he stared up at his ceiling.  His eyes were
drawn to the window and through the partially closed blinds he could see
the mist of the night swirling around his house.  "Just nonsense," he
muttered and then he realized that he had come in his sleep and all because
of a dream he had had where he screwed out the brains of John Carter.

****************************

John mumbled something in his sleep and then his body arched upward as his
orgasm rocked his entire being.  His eyes fluttered open, but he was still
suspended in that area halfway between the dream world and the world of the
awake.  He gazed at the window as a face started to form in the mist.
Before it could fully take shape his eyelids lowered and he returned to the
land of Nod.

*****************************

"Ella asleep?" Mark lazily asked as he felt Elizabeth settle onto the
mattress beside him.

"Yes, she's fed, changed and asleep.  Finally."  Elizabeth placed a quick
kiss on the back of Mark's neck, then curled up behind him.  "Goodnight."

"Night," Mark yawned.  The quiet of the house combined with the tiring day
soon lulled Mark to sleep.  When his dreams began they were of happy
times.  His little Rachel playing happily with an older Ella while a
smiling Elizabeth looked on.  They were in the backyard of the house,
playing croquet and Mark was on the deck, grilling burgers for them all as
they basked in the sunshine.  And then they all looked up as dark clouds
gathered overhead -- lightning flashed and thunder rolled and they all ran
for cover inside the house as the rain poured down.  From the door Mark
watched as the rain bloated the hamburgers into large rafts and then they
were all seated on one of them, floating down the street and into the
Chicago River.  Other families were afloat, and they waved at each other as
they passed.  Then Elizabeth screamed and Mark followed her pointing finger
to see that the river dropped off right before them.  He tried to reach for
his daughters as the hamburger raft tipped over the top of the waterfall.
The water roaring in his ears, Mark called out for his family, but there
were no answers as he was pulled under the water.

He awoke, sputtering, dimly aware that someone had been performing
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him.  Opening his eyes he looked up into
the expressive orbs of Carter.  Carter smiled down at him and Mark felt
warm and tingly all over from that simple expression.  "You're alive,"
Carter said, clearly happy over that prospect.

"Yes," Mark replied as he sat up.  He was now on a beach and the sun was
out, warming his naked body.  Carter was also naked, but that didn't seem
to bother Mark.  As he looked at Carter he found that he quite liked what
he was looking at.  "I've always found myself attracted to you."  The words
seemed oddly familiar, but Mark didn't quite know why, nor did he care.
The only thing that mattered was that Carter needed to say the same words
back to him.

Carter laughed.  "I like you, too, Mark.  Come and dance with me."   Carter
helped Mark to his feet and they wrapped their arms around each other while
a band played a slow song.

None of the band members seemed to care that two men were naked and dancing
on the sand...no, pavement outside of the ER. They were in the ambulance
bay, near the basketball hoop and Carter's hands were slowly caressing
Mark's buttocks.  Mark's cock was hard and pressing against Carter's
equally hard cock.  Mark found that if he pulled Carter tightly against him
and moved his body up and down that an exquisite friction was created.

"God, Mark, don't stop."  Carter begged and Mark could see by the look on
Carter's face that he was about to come.  Mark knew he was close to the
edge as well, and he wanted them to come at the same time.  He began to
writhe against Carter, thrilled when the resident ground his hips.  They
both cried out as they came, their come hitting their bellies and acting
like glue to hold them together.

"Don't leave me," Mark said, but then he found himself holding empty air as
Carter's body disappeared and the rain once more began to fall.  Mark
dropped to his knees on the pavement, crying over his loss.  He then felt
warm arms holding him and he heard a voice telling him to wake up, that it
was just a dream and everything was okay.  As Mark slowly drifted back to
the real world, he wondered why he would dream of John Carter when he had
someone like Elizabeth Corday in his bed and in love with him.  But even as
Elizabeth's kisses warmed him, Mark found himself missing the way it had
felt to hold Carter.

**********************************

"No," John softly cried out and this time he awoke a bit more.  His legs
were tangled in the bedclothes and his body was sweaty, as were his
pajamas.  But by the time John had untangled the sheets and comforter, he
was too tired to bother with changing.  As the mist continued to form a
distinct shape, John drifted back to sleep.


Continued in Part 2