All Around the Town
Part Five
By Kitchen_Sink5
kitchen_sink5@gurlmail.com

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the ER characters. The characters belong to NBC - or whoever owns them. They aren't mine. Lord knows that I wish they were. If they were mine, the first thing I'd do is take Carter and Dave - and then get Luka for my friend and editor R.L. But sadly, that remains my dream. Really officer - I'm just "borrowing" the characters. Anyway, they don't belong to me!

Forgive me for my medical terminology. Let's face it - I have no idea what I'm talking about!

Special Thanks to: R.L, my best friend and editor. She's had to sit next to me on practically every bus trip we've ever been on. She puts up with a lot!

I'd also like to thank everyone who was on my bus during the 'ping pong ball affair'. You all provided much laughter, and saved me from going insane on that bus ride.

"Elizabeth, you should really get that cut checked out," Abby said as she stitched a girl's arm.

"I'm fine," She insisted, and went to the front desk.

Elizabeth and the children had made their way back to the hospital. All of the children were now being examined to make sure that they didn't have any serious injury. Elizabeth knew that she should have someone look at the gash on her forehead, but she didn't want to bother at the moment. She wanted to go back to the bus, but that was impossible. All of a sudden, the radio began beeping - Abby answered it, and Elizabeth listened in.

"MVA - that school bus with the convicts flipped over..." She heard the dispatcher say, and she gasped, "Four victims - one GSW. All critical. How many can you handle?"

"We can take three. What's your ETA?" Abby asked

"Two minutes - over."

Abby put down the speaker, as Elizabeth gasped and sat down shocked. Dave was on that bus. Dave was injured. Dave was a critical patient, probably the gunshot wound. It could have been her - but it was Dave. And now she was even more worried about him than she had ever been. Abby walked over to her, and stood there.

"Dave?" She asked with one word. It was all she needed to say.

"Dave." Elizabeth nodded solemnly just as the ambulance bay's doors opened.

Elizabeth bolted up to meet the patients. The first patient came in - she recognized him as Murray, the bus driver. Things were not looking good for Murray, and he was taken into a trauma room, with Kerry and Deb. The next patient came in - it was Tom, the skinny man. She was surprised to see that Tom was the one with the gunshot wound, and he was taken by Carter and Cleo. The third patient was rolled in. It was Dave, and he wasn't looking too good either. He was lying there, unconscious, covered in blood. Elizabeth went into his trauma room, along with Peter, Luka and Abby. She started his IV, and tried to assist Peter, but he stopped her

"Elizabeth, you need to get that cut sutured." Peter insisted

"No - I want to help."

"Abby, go stitch her up." He said and turned to Elizabeth. "I don't want you working on Dave when you're bleeding from the head. Go with Abby."

Elizabeth was dragged off into the adjoining exam room, where she was ordered to sit down. Abby went away for a moment, and Elizabeth looked through the glass, where she could see Dave. And despite her best efforts, she began to cry.

Elizabeth considered herself a strong person, and she rarely cried. It had been such a trying day, making her so emotional - She needed to cried. She cried for herself, she cried for those children. And she cried for Dave. She cried because she felt guilty, because she was worried and scared. She wiped her eyes just as Abby walked into the room and began suturing.

"How are they doing?" She asked

"They're still working on the convicts." Abby said as she finished suturing. "The GSW looks pretty bad, but the other one should be okay."

"And Dave?"

"He just went up to surgery. There was some internal bleeding, and Dr. Benton is going to operate on him." She said quietly. "Here you go."

"Thanks Abby." She said as she walked out of the exam room.

As she walked, she pause for a minute outside of each of the convict's trauma rooms. She felt so much hatred toward them. Looks like they got what they deserved, she thought. But Dave, he didn't deserve this. With that, she took the elevator up to the surgical floor and got off. She walked into the room where Peter was scrubbing in. He looked up at her in surprise.

"I want to scrub in." She explained

"No Elizabeth - You're too involved in this case, and I cannot let you operate with a head injury." He said

"Please?" She asked again.

"Look, I'd let you if I could. I'm just doing what's best for Dr. Malucci. Why don't you go into the waiting room, and lie down. We'll keep you updated."

She nodded and left the room. If he was calling Dave, 'Dr. Malucci', she knew that things couldn't be good. She went into the waiting room, and sat down in shock. Over in the operating room, the first incision of Dave's surgery had just been made. But here in the waiting room, Elizabeth sat filled with worry and guilt. *Would he be alright?*, she wondered as she sat there, her head in her hands.

END OF PART 5