Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ER characters.

Trials of Life

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John woke up early to the sight of Lucy lying next to him. The night before was the best night of his life mostly Lucy was there to spend it with him. But today he would have to go into the hospital and start treatment for his Leukaemia and he was dreading every moment. He remember when he was younger always going to the hospital were his brother was admitted for having Leukaemia. And the doctors and nurses even his parents kept telling him his brother was getting better with every visit. But deep down he knew they were lying to him and they were hiding something from him because he was so young. And they thought he wouldn’t understand what was happening. But he had from the local library got a lot of books on Leukaemia so he could understand, which he kept under his bed and read at nights. Because it always upset his parents when anything mention on TV or within the family about Leukaemia. Reading the books and seeing how much pain his brother was in was one of the main reasons he wanted to become a doctor. He didn’t want anyone to suffer like his brother and his family had, so he decided to become a doctor. What scared John the most was that they kept saying his brother was getting better but in the end he died from the leukaemia, and he was scared the same thing would happen to him. And the thought of him putting his family though this again and especially Lucy sicken him. He just wanted it to go away and believe it was happening to someone else and not him. He knew it wasn’t right to wish it was happening to anyone else but that was the way he felt. And he knew from the reading when he was younger and being a doctor that this was common thinking with any patient been diagnosed with any kind of cancer its called denial. He got out of bed and walk to the bathroom he needed a shower it always seem to calm him down water falling all over his body. He climbed in and turned the water on and just stood there while the water washed over him.

Lucy woke up and noticed John wasn’t lying next to her but she could hear the shower going. She looked over at her clock on her side table and it showed her it was 5.45am and said, “Oh god.” She slowly got out of her bed, and got on her dressing gown. She walked to the door of the shower and gently knocked on the door, “John you okay in there?” “Yeah, be out in a minute.” John’s voice came from behind the door. Lucy went to the kitchen and flicked the switch on the kettle, then walked over to the table and sat down. She placed her arms on the table and lowered her head to rest on her arms. She heard the water stop running and a minute later John walked out of her bedroom, “Hey, if you were tried you should of went back to sleep!” Lucy raised her head quickly and looked at John though sleepy eyes. “No its okay I wouldn’t of been able to get back to sleep anyway. You want coffee?” “That’s sound nice.” Lucy started to get up, but John stopped her, “Lucy you just sit down I’ll get the coffee.” And he walked over to the kitchen. John came back with two mugs of coffee and two plates of toast and eggs, and set them down on the table. “I thought you couldn’t cook?” John laughed, “I can’t eggs and toast is the only thing I can manage in the kitchen.” “I see.” They finished breakfast and got ready to go to the hospital; it was 6.30am when they left the apartment. John had explained to Lucy he just wanted to get there, before he got cold feet about the treatment. Lucy could tell he was scared and surprising she wasn’t, she had been the day before. She thought it was best to think his going to be okay and get though this and it seemed to be working.

They arrived promptly at the hospital at 6.50am; they decided they would go to the ER first to get a cup of coffee. Dr Greene was at the reception desk when they arrived, “Good morning John, Lucy.” “Good morning Dr Greene” answered Lucy, John didn’t say anything as he didn’t think it was a good morning. Lucy walked up to Dr Greene while John went to the lounge, he wasn’t in the mood to greet anyone, and was wondering why he had decided to come to the ER first. “This there anything wrong with him?” Dr Greene asked Lucy. “No, I just think the realisation of the situation is becoming more clear to him. And his in denial.” “How you come to that conclusion he seems calm.” “Yeah a little too calm, but he was up really early and he told me that it seemed like a dream and that it was happening to someone else.” “You do know that is common with people been diagnosed with cancer.” “I know, I just what it to go away!” Dr Greene looked closely at Lucy, usually it was easy to tell how Lucy was feeling by looking at her, but today it was difficult to tell. “You seem better today?” “Yeah, I’m over the initial shock of it, but I think I’m in a little denial as well.” Dr Greene nodded and said, “Yeah I think we all are in a bit of denial Lucy.” Lucy smiled sincerely at Dr Greene, “I’ll better check on John!” Then she left towards the lounge.

Lucy walked into the lounge and sat down opposite John on a chair by the table. “Sorry for leaving you so long.” “It’s okay I needed some time alone to think anyway.” “I know I could tell.” John smiled at Lucy, she understood him more then anyone had ever before, it was like she could read his mind. “You ready to go and get this done.” John placed his hands on the edge of the table, like it would give him the strength to get him though this, “Yes, the earlier we get there the quicker I can get better.” “Now that’s a better attitude to have, well better then what you were thinking this morning.” John smiled weakly in Lucy’s direction like he needed her to force him out of his chair. “Come on John, you can’t stay here all day!” “Okay I’m coming.” And he slowly rose out of his chair and left the lounge and walked towards the oncology department.

“Hello you must be John Carter I’m Rachel I’ll be one of the nurses helping you with your treatment I take you to your room in a minute I just have to finished something.” “That’s okay Rachel this is Lucy Knight and she well be there quite a lot.” “Nice to meet you, Lucy.” “You too!” “Rachel do you know what treatment I’ll be receiving.” “One minute and I check for you.” Rachel moved some papers until she got to Johns chart; she opened the file and scanned it for a while. “Here you go, the doctor has you down for 10 days of IV chemotherapy. Which will be Daunomycin and we will need to fix you with a catheter, which is a tube we insert into the large vein near the heart, which will then be hooked up to a IV.” “Sorry if I sound rube but I know what a Catheter is, does it say what surgeons will be putting in the catheter.” “Bo but I’m sure I can check.” John picked up the phone. “Please can I check?” Rachel looked at John a little confused, John and Lucy chuckled, and “Obviously you don’t know Johns a doctor, who works at the hospital and he knows a lot of the surgeons who work there. He probably only wants to check his got the best.” Then Lucy whispers to Rachel, “And if he doesn’t you can ensure he gets the best, and no intern or medical student assisting.” Rachel laughed. “No I didn’t know, sorry doctor Carter.” “Please John, I’m not a doctor right now I’m a patient, so can I phone?” “Of course!” John picked up the phone and dialled the number for the OR.

“OR,” “Hi Shirley its Carter,” “Oh hi Dr Carter, wait a minute let me guess why you calling. Let me see, you ant to know who’s doing your surgery.” John laughed, “Yeah how you know?” “Because it’s you and you always only want the best. Well anyway first of all we were only notified yesterday that we had a catheter operation, but no name. So we assigned Dale for the operation.” John looked mortified, “What?” “Hey let me finish, when Dr Benton and Dr Corday realised it was you and know you would not want Dale doing the operation and would want the best surgeons they reassigned you.” “So who?” “Can’t you guess?” “Shirley!!” “Okay Benton and Corday, they wouldn’t let anyone else touch one of their close friends.” John finally smiled with relief. “Thanks Shirley.” “Your welcome oh and Carter get well soon we will all miss you.” “But I hardly go up into the OR now days.” “So we will still miss you! You treated as nurses up here better then any of the residents here do, so we always glad to see you when you do come up.” “Thanks Shirley it means a lot to me!” “That’s okay so see you soon.” “Yeah bye.”

Lucy was giggling when he came off the phone. “Okay what’s so funny Miss Knight?” She giggled more, “sorry John watching you talk to Shirley and the way you reacted at first I could tell who they assigned you to, and your face was priceless!” She had now stopped giggling, but had a big smile on her face. “Okay, Doctor smarty pants who was I first assigned to?” “Mr Dale Edison, I know you hate him and it showed when you were on the phone.” “Why do you call him Mr, Miss Knight his a doctor?” “Hey stop throwing your angry authority voice around, I’m no longer your med student.” Rachel shrieked they were med student and teacher, but she could tell by the way they had been acting for the last few minutes it went more then a professional relationship. John and Lucy turned to Rachel who looked shocked, by the information she had just heard. They couldn’t help but laugh. “Rachel don’t worry his no longer my teacher as I have been reassigned a new teacher because we had feelings for each other.” Rachel was still a little shocked, “Right okay.” And Rachel went back to her work, John turned back to Lucy. “You were saying Luce.” “Now that’s better the way you supposed to address your girlfriend, you wanted to know why I call him Mr Edison. Well because his a jerk.” She raised her voice, “I hate him, and to my standards he doesn’t make a good doctor and doesn’t deserve the title.” “Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that!” They stared at each other for a while; the conversion had taken their minds totally off why they were standing in the oncology department. And it started to creep back into their minds. Lucy had an unbearable urge to hug John and never let go, and she acted on the urge. Why they were hugging each other they had the same thoughts going though their minds. ‘Why this is happening? Why that is time of all times? Just when we realised we loved each other?? Why??’ Lucy started to weep it was the first time today she just couldn’t keep it in any longer. John gently lifted her head and said, “Lucy!” That’s all he needed to say, as when they looked into each other’s eyes they realised what the other was feeling and thinking.

Rachel reluctantly interrupter as it wasn’t every day you saw this much affection between two people in the oncology department. “John let me show you to your room as one of the surgeons will be coming to take you up to the OR soon. And I thought maybe you would like to unpack first.” John torn his glance from Lucy towards Rachel and nodded to her. Lucy held tighter to John and bury her head into his chest. Rachel started to walk down the corridor and John put his hands round the back of his body, and took Lucy’s hands and slowly took her grip off his body. Still holding one of her hands they walked in the direction Rachel was going.

Dr Corday was looking around the OR for Dr Benton he was supposed to be picking up John for his surgery, but he was nowhere in sight. She went to the desk within the OR, the nurses always knew where the doctors were, and it seemed to be the same all over the hospital. “Shirley you know where Benton is?” “Yeah he was called into an emergency operation.” “Your joking his suppose to be getting John now!” “Oh yeah he said could you, the surgery he was called in for won’t take long he should be out in the next ten minutes, but unfortunately won’t be able to get Carter.” “Thanks!” and she left to go and get John.

John had been given a private room, which was rare to be given as most cancer patients are given shared rooms. As this usually helps the patient get though their treatment knowing that it’s not only then going though what they were. Dr Weatherspoon thought it would be better as some patients who were admitted to the oncology department didn’t like the fact doctors also got cancer. Of course patients knew doctors got sick but they always wanted to believe doctors were superhuman and would never get cancer. But John was glad he got a private room, that way he could be left alone, once his family and friends visit were over. He had just finished unpacking when Dr Corday walked into the room. “Hello John.” “Elizabeth, I thought Benton would of come down!” “He was suppose to but he was called into emergency surgery. Don’t worry thou he probably be finishing right now and getting ready to operate on you.” John smiled, “Good I would hate it if he couldn’t get out, and I ended up with Dale after all.” “Believe me he be the last person I ask to assist and I mean the last. I would further ask Romano then him, and that’s saying something as you know how much I hate Romano.” John nodded sincerely, not many people did like him. Elizabeth looked around the room, which was quite a bright room and had an airy feel to it. She noticed Lucy was on a chair by a window, which she was starring out of, Lucy looked absolutely tremble, she had been crying or still was Elizabeth couldn’t really tell from where she stood. “You have a nice room.” John nodded, “Yeah shame not all the rooms in the hospital aren’t like this it would make a lot of people we admit feel better.” “Yes, I would have to agree.” She looked back at Lucy who was now sitting forwards and looking both at her and John. “Morning Elizabeth.” “Morning Lucy, and how are you feeling?” Lucy considered Elizabeth’s question before answering, “I suppose a little worst for wear!” “Aren’t we all.” Elizabeth said in a very crisp British accent “Lucy would you like to scrub into the operation?” Lucy’s face immediately lit up. “I would love to.” “Good you can comfort John as he be only under a local anaesthetic come on you two we better go!” John looked at Elizabeth, and Lucy walked up to him took his hand and squeezed it tightly. Elizabeth admired John and Lucy and noted the way they looked together. And from her point of view it seemed right, better then teacher and student who were continually fighting, and then they realised they loved each other, always meant to be together.

The surgery had gone well and Elizabeth was right about Dr Benton he was ready when they got up to the OR, and had no objection about Lucy being able to scrub in. John now lay in his bed sleeping off the effect of the local anaesthetic. In about an hour he would be given his first IV of chemotherapy, which would last for 10 days. Then he would have his blood taken and another bone marrow biopsy. It was very rare for people to be cured after one lot of chemotherapy but it wasn’t unheard of, most people had to have between 3-5 sessions of chemotherapy. And he hoped most in the world he would only need one session, but deep down he knew he would have quite a few sessions.

Lucy sat on the chair next to him when he awoke, “Hey” He said in a dry voice, “Hey how are you feeling?” “Fine, could you get me some water please?” “Sure!” She walked over to the table, which had the water on and poured him a cup of water. “Here you go.” She handed him the cup. “Thanks Luce.” A nurse walked in with an IV bag. “Hello John I’m Kelly I be admonishing your IV and I’m one of the nurses on the night shift tonight so if you need anything just shout.” “Okay.” Kelly looked over at Lucy and said, “Could you please leave Miss why I hook up his IV.” Lucy gave Kelly a confused stare. “No, she can stay!” John said in his authority voice and Kelly noted the tone and retorted back his statement. “But Sir I insist most friends and family get upset then they see the catheter, which then upsets the patient I really do insist.” He raised his voice a little higher; as it was obvious she had no intension of letting Lucy stay. “I say again she can stay! Believe me when I say this, she is a med student in the ER and has seen worst things then a IV being inserted into a catheter, as she does it herself every day!” Kelly had been told that John was a doctor in the ER but she never of thought a medical student would accompany him to the hospital. ‘A family member or his girlfriend, but never one of the medical students that worked with him in the ER.’ Then it hit her medical student sitting in the room was one of the people she thought before she was his girlfriend. Kelly reluctantly give in to John, but she made it clear to him she wasn’t happy about the situation. “Of course but I warned you.” Once Kelly inserted the IV she turned on the flow, then left the room in a mood. Kelly had noticed when she was inserting the IV in Lucy wasn’t getting queasy or upset, Lucy was watching her every move making sure she was putting the IV into the catheter right. And Kelly never likes it when she was being watched in a critical eye.

“So do you think she could make it more obvious that she was uncomfortable with me being here?” “Probably, but I don’t think it was because they usually don’t have people stay in the room while they put in the IV. But that you were standing right next to her and looking over her shoulder to make sure she did it right.” “I was not!” “Lucy!” “Okay maybe a little.” “A little! God that’s an understatement if you were any closer you be doing the IV yourself. I’m sure I saw in you face ‘No, No, that’s not how you do it, for God Sake come on get out of the way I’ll do it.” “I nearly did jump in and take over, she just couldn’t get the clamp on.” “IV’s are tricky things and you should know that!” “Yes IV into a vein is, but not when your putting one into a catheter. What’s so difficult about putting an IV tube into the end of a catheter tube and then clamping the two tubes together!” “Have to agree, but maybe she was feeling nervous with you looking!” “Maybe next time you get an IV I’ll stand outside and if she still doesn’t get it within 2 minutes I’ll be changing your nurse.” John laughed, “Have any ideas?” “Yes I do as a matter of fact, Carol Haleh or even…” “You!” “Yes!” “Oh Lucy I love you.” “I love you too.” “I know!” “Maybe I should let you get some rest and plus I need to eat!” “That’s a good idea, and tell them in the ER I’m seem fine, well right now anyway!” “Sure I will.” She kissed him goodbye before leaving.

Lucy went down to the ER after she had eaten, they wanted to know how John was nearly all the time. But Lucy had told them she would come down when she could on her days off. Lucy walked up towards the reception desk and sat down on one of the stools and placed her arms on the desk and signed heavily. “Rough day Lucy?” She looked up to the person who asked her the question, “No just long Dr Greene.” “So how’s John doing?” “He seems okay right now, but I’m sure that won’t last long.” Dr Greene nodded with sympathy, “I don’t like the nurse they have assigned to John!” “Oh and why is that?” “It took her 10 minutes to clamp an IV into a catheter.” Dr Greene laughed. “And this is coming from the person who let everyone believe she could put an IV in when she couldn’t for 4 weeks!” “That’s what John said, but that’s different what’s so hard of putting two pieces of tube together.” Dr Greene could tell by the way Lucy was talking the stress of the situation was getting to her. “So what treatment do they have him on?” “Daunomycin.” “I know this is the wrong time to ask, but we do really need to talk about your shifts!” Lucy looked up at Dr Greene; “It’s okay I’m fine with talking about my shifts.” “Well I’m on a late shift tomorrow, is that okay with you?” “Yes!” “Do you want to do a full shift?” “Yes anything to get my mind off of this situation.” Mark shuffled though some papers and handed Lucy a copy of his shifts which would become her new schedule.” “Thanks Dr Greene.” “No problem, why don’t you go back upstairs John’s probably getting worried, knowing him!” Lucy smiled to Dr Greene and got off the stool and walked off. Haleh approached Dr Greene, “What did Lucy say?” “She said John’s on Daunomycin, and complained about his nurse, but that’s only probably because she feels like she should be doing everything for John.”

When Lucy returned to John’s room he was sitting up in bed reading what like a like file. “Hey how are you feeling?” John looked up from his book and smiled, “A little ill, but the anti-emetics for the nausea are working like a treat!” “That’s god to hear, so reading anything interesting?” “If interesting you mean my notes on some of my patient last week, then yes.” “Your working!” “This that a problem.” “No, its just I wouldn’t want to depress myself even more by working.” John smiled and then the smiled faded away from his face, “Urgh!” he said as he held his hand over his stomach. “John come on come here and I help you to the bathroom!” John gratefully took Lucy arm and leaned on her for support when they walked over to the bathroom. John sunk down onto his knees then placed his hands on the rim of the toilet and was sick. Lucy sat down on the floor next to him and gently started to rub his back and saying soothing words. John was ill for 15 minutes and was feeling awful then they walked back into the room. Lucy helped him back into bed, and went to the over side of the room to get the water. “Here John drink this, it make you feel better. I think you’re a little dehydrated.” John took the glass from her hands and slowly sipped. Lucy placed the jug of water down on the table next to him, so he could get to it then he needed more water. “Thank you honey.” He said with a husky voice, which was sore from the vomiting. “John try and finished the whole of the jug?” John nodded to Lucy agreeing with her. Once John had finished drinking two glasses of water he lay back in bed and closed his eyes. Lucy stayed with John for a few hours as he slept; she kept herself assumed by reading the magazines and the work John was reading earlier. Once she finished reading the his patient notes she looked at her watch and it showed her it was 9pm. Lucy had to go home, but before leaving she wrote him a note which had the time she left and that she loved him.

To be continued.....

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