Class Dismissed
Part One
By Kitchen_Sink5
kitchen_sink5@yahoo.com

CATEGORY: Entire Cast
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: assorted Season Seven ones
ARCHIVE: Please ask me first!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, for christ's sake!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story has no particular time setting, except to say that it's after season seven. I changed a few things that happened in Season Seven - Mark never had a brain tumor, and Elizabeth isn't pregnant before they get married (you'll understand when you read!). This fanfic involves every single cast member from season seven. The songs used are "Yesterday" by the Beatles, and "So Long, Farewell" from 'The Sound of Music'. Which reminds me, I'd like to thank my friend Lynn for suggesting those lyrics, as well as writing them down for me (since I haven't seen the movie since I was about five!).

YET ANOTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the revised edition of "Class Dismissed", one that conveys how I truly wanted to end the show. I hope you enjoy!

"You have to be kidding." Robert Romano's voice said
over the telephone.

"I am not kidding, this is not a joke. County General
will be closed." The administrator said sternly,
hanging up the phone.

Robert felt as if he had just been slapped across the
face. Just weeks ago, County General had been
threatened of being shut down. The county supervisor
said that they had overspent their budget, and they
were running too high on repairs and maintenance.
Robert hadn't taken the threats seriously - County had
been threatened of being shut down several times
before. But somehow, they always decided to keep it
open. Not this time.....


Picking up his office phone, he dialed the number of
the emergency department. After three rings, the desk
clerk picked up and transferred him to Kerry Weaver.
He then began the first of a dozen conversations that
he was sad to make.

"Kerry? It's Romano. I've got some bad news........"



A staff meeting had been called. The ER staff sat
around in the lounge, waiting for Dr. Weaver to show
up. All of the doctors and nurses assumed that the
meeting wouldn't be about anything drastic. No one had
heard anything about the hospital possibly being shut
down, so nobody suspected the bombshell that was about
to be dropped on them.

"I'm sure Chief just wants to yell at me in front of
everybody again," Dave speculated, leaning back in his
seat.

"Maybe if you actually worked every once and
awhile....." Cleo chimed in from across the room.

"Hey, I work a lot." Dave defended himself, "I see
patients...."

"Yeah - only the blonde ones with long legs and...."
Abby interrupted with a smirk.

"That was uncalled for Abby, I'm....." Dave started

A hush fell over the room when Kerry came into the
lounge. Everyone saw the look on her face. Everyone
knew that something was terribly wrong. And everyone
knew to be quiet.

"They're closing County General. For good."

It was all she needed to say. The smiles faded away
from each and every person's face.



"Regretfully they tell us, But firmly they compel us,
To say goodbye....To you! So long, farewell, Auf
Wiedersehen, Good night I hate to go, and leave this
pretty sight!" A drunken man belted out from the
waiting room.

Dave, who had just returned to the front desk looked
at the man, commenting "Man, I was hoping that for our
last day there wouldn't be any drunks."

"Well I hoped that no one would die today....." Carter
chimed in.

"I hope that every day, but right now there's a drunk
in curtain area two and out here - Both who are
singing." Dave explained

"Well put them both in curtain area two, and let them
sing their hearts out until the haldol kicks in."

"Carter?" Mark said, coming in accompanied by
paramedics, and a patient lying on a gurney.

"Yeah?" Carter questioned, walking along with them.

"Can you take this? I have to supervise some transfers
over to Mercy." Mark asked.

"Sure," He said, taking over the gurney. "What's the
bullet? I thought that we were closed to trauma....."

"Amy Mitchell, 24 year old with a sudden onset of
labor. 37 weeks along. We didn't think she'd make it
over to Mercy - She went into labor just down the
street from here." The paramedic explained as they
stopped the gurney in trauma one.

"Okay Amy - I'm Dr. Carter. Is their anyone you'd like
us to call?" Carter questioned gently

"MmmmmHmmm." She said breathing heavily. "My husband -
the number's in my purse."

"Chuny - could you?" Chuny nodded and left, and Carter
asked "Are their any other doctors available?"

"They're all helping with transports or occupied with
patients." Haleh answered.

"Open a delivery kit, a baby warmer, and let's turn
the bed around for privacy." Carter directed

"Don't you want an OB resident down here?" Haleh asked

"OB's all closed up - Besides, they'd never make it in
time. I'm going to deliver it myself." Carter gowned
up, and spoke to the patient, "Okay Amy, I need you to
push....." He directed, taking charge of the delivery.
"Crowning....The head's out......"

A minute later, a new life entered the room, as well
as the world.



"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it
looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in
yesterday." the drunken man who Dave had placed in
curtain two sang.

"Ain't he the loveliest singer?" The drunken woman
asked Dave, slurring her words.

"Yeah, wonderful," Dave said, then called over to Jing
Mei, "Um, Jing Mei?"

"Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. There's
a shadow hanging over me. Oh, yesterday came
suddenly...." Now both of the drunks were singing
along with the song.

"What is it, Dave?" Jing Mei asked, walking over to
him.

"Can you help me get this singing duo to fall asleep?"
Dave pleaded.

"Sure." She started the IV on the woman, who continued
to sing, oblivious to the needle. "They're
certainly.....vocal, aren't they?"

"Yeah I was kinda hoping I wouldn't have to do this on
my last day." Dave admitted, starting the man's IV.

"Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say. I
said something wrong, now I'm gone for
yesterday......" The drunken woman messed up the words
as she continued.

"I thought the words were 'now I long for yesterday'?"
Jing Mei surmised.

"They are - Give her a break, she's doing pretty good
for someone who's extremely drunk."



"County General was the hospital of hospitals when it
opened. Nothing else like it had been seen
before....." Mrs Dian, an elderly patient rambled on.

"Yes Mrs. Dian, you told us that." Luka said, trying
to figure out what the medical problem was with this
woman.

"Of course, it wasn't too smart with money......."

"Mrs. Dian, do you have a complaint?" Luka interrupted

"I don't complain. But my feet hurt, as well as my
legs and my arms......"

"So you don't complain?" Luka retorted with a slight
laugh.

"Sonny, you call that complaining?" She said laughing,
"I've heard far worse from those other old
loonies......"

He laughed then continued, "I can give you some
morphine for the pain, if you like."

"That'll be just fine. Thank you sonny."

"Is there anything else?" He asked, taking her chart.

"Yes - where will I go when the hospital closes?" She
appeared to be worried.

"We're going to make sure you're stable, and then
we'll transfer you to another hospital."

"Oh, well, will you be there?" She asked.

"No, no I will not be there." Luka answered.

"Making the primary incision.....Mark the time."
Elizabeth Corday said.

"I need suction - Peter, here." Romano commanded.

Peter moved over. "Can I ask why there are three of us
performing surgery on one patient?"

"Three doctors have done a surgery together many times
before, Peter." Romano replied

"Yeah, but not on anything as simple as an
appendectomy."

"Peter, be quiet and enjoy your last surgery here at
County." Romano instructed, "Besides - when are you
going to have the chance to work with such fine
surgeons as Lizzie and myself again?"

"Never?" Peter said

"Exactly. Now can I get some more suction?"



"Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I
need a place to hide away. Oh, I believe in
yesterday......" The drunks continued, becoming more
and more sleepy.

"Come on haldol, kick in!" Dave said, hoping they'd
shut up.

"Why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say. I
said something wrong, now I long for....." Both of
them suddenly fell asleep.

"Thank God." Dave said, hanging the charts over the
beds.

"Sweet dreams you two." Jing Mei said, "When you wake
up you'll have been transferred to Mercy...."

"And have two very nasty hangovers." Dave finished.



"How are you holding up?" Carter asked Amy, the woman
who had delivered her baby not too long ago.

"I'm just fine. This is my husband, Michael." Amy
introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Carter acknowledged. "As soon as
transport gets here, we're going to take you and your
daughter over to Mercy."
"Okay....Geez, I could have saved everyone a whole
load of trouble if I had just gone into labor down the
street from Mercy." She joked

Carter smiled, "Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah, a name for this baby - any suggestions?"

He thought for a moment, "Well, this is the last baby
born at County General, and the first baby born here
was named Ruth...."

"Ruth? I like that." Amy said, and her husband nodded
in approval.

"Transport's here." Malik called in, "They'll take it
from here."

Carter watched as they wheeled the mother and daughter
away. "Goodbye Ruth. Have a good life."



Mark Greene was sitting in the back of an ambulance,
accompanying a patient to Mercy Hospital.

"So what are you going to do now that County's
closing?" The paramedic asked from the front seat.

"I took a position down near St. Louis - It's closer
to my daughter, plus my wife got a position down there
too." Mark answered

"Your wife? When did you and Corday tie the knot?"

"About eight months ago. We're expecting a baby now
too." Mark smiled, thinking of it.

"Wow - Congratulations."

"Thanks." Mark started to say, when the whine of the
patient's heart monitor interrupted him.
"Uh-Oh....He's in V-fib."

"We're almost there - I'll have the doctors meet us at
the door."

"Charging paddles to
300.....Clear.......Charging....." Mark repeated the
process.

The patient's heart had just resumed sinus rhythm when
the ambulance stopped, the doors were open and he
started to lift the patient out.

"He went into V-fib, but I shocked his heart back into
normal....." Mark started to say, following them into
the hospital.

"Thank you - We'll take it from here." One of the
doctor's said, leaving Mark to stand there alone.



"I hate you. You're mean. You smell - I hate you." The
five year old girl sitting on the exam room bed said
to Cleo Finch.

"That's nice - Take a deep breath, and exhale....."
Cleo directed.

"My mom said that I should always tell the
truth.......I hate you!"

"I guess that's 'the truth'" Cleo snorted, "What else
does your mother say?"

"She said that this hospital is bad......I hate this
hospital." The girl declared.

"Well this hospital is going to be closed, so you
don't have to worry about it." Cleo said

"Good." The little girl annoyingly announced. "I think
it's good that they're closing this hospital, don't
you?"

"No. No I don't...." Cleo Finch answered truthfully.



Elizabeth, Peter, and Robert stood just outside the OR
room's doors, watching as their patient was wheeled
off to recovery.

"Well, there goes the last surgery patient." Elizabeth
said.

"It went well. It's weird to think that he was the
last patient." Peter commented.

"Sorry to interrupt this little sentimentality-fest,
but I need to leave." Romano interjected.

"Where are you off to?" Elizabeth asked with
curiosity.

"I have some business to finish at the administrator's
office, and then I have a plan to catch."

"To where?" Peter asked.

"Aren't we the little questioners? I'm going to Boston
- I got a position as chief of staff there, and they
need me there now." Romano explained.

"Congratulations on the position, Robert." Elizabeth
said

"Let's keep this between the three of us, but I must
say that I'll never get to work with two finer
surgeons," Romano admitted, "It's been a pleasure.
Peter - Elizabeth." He shook each of their hands.
"Goodbye."

They watched as Robert Romano walked out of the doors,
and out of County General.



So I hear you delivered a baby?" Abby asked Carter as
she leaned against the counter in the lounge.

"Yeah - A seven pound girl named Ruth. Both mom and
daughter were healthy and transferred." Carter said as
he drank some coffee.

"No complications? Good work."

"You know, I hadn't delivered a baby for over two
years....Till today that is."

"Well, you did good anyway. Having second thoughts
about have not gone into OB?" She joked.

"Definitely not. I think that I was more scared than
the mother when I was delivering that baby....I think
I'll stick to the ER."

"Me too. It's got a little bit of everything." Abby
commented.



Hours later, Mark Greene rode silently in the
ambulance that was giving him a ride back to County.
As the ambulance slowly pulled up to the building,
Mark felt dread pass all over him. He got out, and
walked toward the entrance just as Kerry Weaver walked
out.

"Where are you off to, Kerry?" He asked.

"I have to catch a flight - To Denver." She replied.

"You got a position out there?" He asked

"Chief of the ER at Anderson Central - It's a hospital
just outside of Denver."

"Wow - well, good luck Kerry." He shook her hand.
"Keep in touch."

"I will Mark - It'll be strange waking up and not
coming here." She commented

"Tell me about it. Goodbye Kerry."

"Bye Mark."

As Mark entered the ER, he saw something that he had
never seen before - A completely empty ER. Looking
around, feeling a bit astonished, he realized that all
the patients were gone. He must have looked shocked
when Carter saw him.

"It's surreal, isn't it?" Carter said, walking down
the hall with a box in his hands.

"Where is everybody?" Mark asked, looking around the
barren emergency room.

"All the patients have been discharged and
transferred. You took the very last patient." Carter
explained as he set the box on the front desk.

"What's with the box?" Mark asked.

"It's all my stuff from my locker - I'm the last one
here, excepted for you, of course. Everybody else
left." Carter said, leaning back.

"Gone for good, you mean?" Mark asked and Carter
nodded. "I didn't even get a chance to ask where they
were going."

"Well, Cleo is moving back to Indiana - She got a job
at a pediatric center there. Peter's going to
Northwestern to work as an attending. Abby, Deb,
Luka, Dave and I are all going to Mercy. We don't
even get rid of Dave after this move...." Carter
laughed.

"I already heard about Romano and Kerry - They both
sure got great positions." Mark commented.

"Doesn't that figure?" Carter remarked.

"You really grew up in this place Carter." Mark said
as he looked around. "I remember when you first came
here as a med student....I can't believe how much
you've changed."

"Do you mean that in a good way, or a bad way?" Carter
said as he stood in front of him.

"A good way. Sure, you had some bad times, some bad
changes, but in the end you turned out pretty well."

"I could say the same for you." Carter smiled. "Thank
you. Thank you for everything....Well, I should
probably get going." Carter said as he picked up his
box with one arm. "I'm afraid that if I stay here any
longer I won't be able to leave. You can stay here as
long as you like. Just be sure you turn off the
lights of the ER before you go."

"All my stuff is already packed up. I'll walk out
with you."

"Remember my first day, when I got sick in the trauma
room and you came out to talk to me?" Carter asked as
they walked through the ER.

"Yeah, I'll told you 'you're going to be fine'," Mark
recalled. "And you will be."

"Will be what?" Carter asked confused.

"You'll be fine without this hospital. It'll be
strange, but we'll both be fine." Mark said as they
came to the door. "You do the honors." Mark said,
indicating the light switch.

"Goodbye," Carter whispered to the empty hospital as
he hit the light switch, leaving the hospital
completely dark.

The two men walked out of County General and moved on
to different lives.

THE END