ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Part IV (set about 2 years after season 6 ends)
Previously on <my> ER
Dave and Kerry are married
Kerry is expecting their first child
Mark and Elizabeth got married
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Dave and Kerry finished their dance and returned to the table. Although Kerry had enjoyed the dance, she was relieved to be able to sit down again. Moving without her crutches – even with Dave’s support – was becoming more and more tiring. Cleo and Peter had joined their table while they were gone.
Dave fussed over Kerry like a mother hen until she finally sent him to get a round of drinks.
“Is he always this attentive?” asked Cleo with a grin.
“Oh yes. I enjoy the attention, but occasionally it’s a bit smothering. The first time I felt a Braxton-Hicks contraction, he was all ready to rush me to the hospital there and then.”
“I’m surprised he’s let you continue working so long.”
“I told him that I wasn’t going to sit around all day at home twiddling my thumbs. Besides with all the doctors around I’m probably better off in the ER anyway. Although I have decided to reduce my hours to a minimum, and stick to paperwork as much as possible.”
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Dave returned with the drinks and was soon deep in conversation with Peter over the relative merits of various martial arts.
“I tell you man,” said Dave. “Judo is <the> martial art to learn.”
“No way,” replied Peter. “Judo’s all about brute force. Now Karate requires skill and timing.”
“Hey a few of the girls I trained with in College were featherweights and they could still hold their own against us guys.”
“You had mixed training sessions?”
“Why do you think I kept it up for so long?” grinned Dave. “Anyway you know what the difference between Judo and Karate is? One is a superior form of martial arts…”
“And the other is a mere hobby,” finished Peter.
“So which is which?” asked Cleo.
“Depends on who you’re talking to of course,” replied Dave.
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Meanwhile over the other side of the room:
“Doug,” said Carol. “I think we should go over and say hello to Kerry.”
“Do we have to?” said Doug.
“No we don’t <have> to. But we worked with the woman for years, she delivered our first-born, and she <was> good to me when I was trying to manage on my own. At the very least it would be rude to totally ignore her.”
“Yeah, well I’ve already had a run-in with her husband.”
“Oh god, what did you do?”
“Hey I didn’t realise he was her husband until after I’d put my foot in it.”
“Look, all you have to do is say ‘Hello Kerry’, ask how she’s doing and then excuse yourself and go talk to Peter or someone.”
“That would work except Peter seems to be talking to Malucci.”
“Mark, then. Just behave yourself. We don’t want to spoil Mark and Elizabeth’s big day.”
“Oh I don’t know,” said Elizabeth. “A good punch-up is usually traditional at weddings.”
“Oh thank you Elizabeth,” said Carol. “Just when I had him under control.”
“Nobody ever has me under control,” said Doug with a grin. “But I promise I’ll behave.”
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“Oh god,” muttered Kerry as she saw Doug and Carol approaching.
“Who is that with Carol?” asked Cleo.
“Dr Doug Ross,” replied Kerry.
“The best man? Peter was telling me he used to work at County.”
“Kerry,” said Carol. “It’s been so long.”
“Almost two years,” replied Kerry. “Three since I last saw Doug.”
“Kerry,” said Doug.
“Doug. I don’t believe you know Cleo Finch. She’s just finishing her Paedes-ER residency at County.”
“Nice to meet you Dr Ross. Long time no see Carol. How are those twins of yours doing?”
“They’ve reached ‘the terrible twos’,” replied Carol. “They have a little brother called Andy now. And Kerry, I see you’re expanding the ER family now as well?”
Kerry smiled and said, “Yes, with a little help from Malucci. Only another couple of weeks to go now.”
“And then the real fun begins.”
“So did you ever go back to nursing Carol?” asked Cleo.
“No. I was going to go back to it after we settled in Seattle, then I got pregnant with Andy. With three kids under three to take care of I decided to stay at home full time.”
“That’s a shame,” said Kerry. “You were always such a good nurse.”
“Yes, well maybe when the children are older, I might go back to it.”
“My wife doesn’t have to go out to work,” said Doug (with a slight emphasis on the word ‘my’)
“Doug weren’t you going to say hello to Peter?” asked Carol. She hastily pushed him towards the other end of the table and then sat down with Cleo and Kerry.
“Hey Doug,” said Peter. “Pull up a chair and join us.”
“Thanks Peter,” said Doug doing so.
“I don’t think you guys have met,” said Peter. “Dave, this is Doug Ross. Doug this is..”
“We’ve already been introduced,” said Doug with a wry smile. “I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier. My apologies.” He held out his hand.
Dave considered briefly and then shook it.
“Yeah man no hard feelings.”
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Mark had rejoined Elizabeth on the other side of the room.
“So where did Carol and Doug disappear to?” he said.
“Carol wanted to say hello to Kerry.”
“I hope she didn’t take Doug with her.”
“Actually she did. He’s talking to Peter and Malucci.”
“That should be interesting. Carter was telling me they met earlier. He was afraid they were going to start a brawl right in front of him.”
“Well they seem to be getting on all right now.”
“Hmm. Maybe I should go over there and mediate.”
“Maybe you should just forget about them and kiss me.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“You’d better believe it.”
They kissed and kissed and kissed.
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It was a week after the wedding. Kerry was alone in the house when she felt her first contraction. Although she had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for some time now, she knew instinctively that this was the real thing.
As the pain died away, she carefully noted the time and went to find her hospital bag. This had been packed and ready to go for over a month now.
Thirty minutes later after the second contraction died away she phoned for a taxi. She and Dave had decided that if he was already at work, then there was no point in having him come and collect her. Now though Kerry was wishing that she hadn’t been so persuasive. Still at least she would soon be with him.
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Kerry made her way slowly in to the ER Cleo was the first to notice her. She hurried to her side.
“Kerry, are you all right?” she asked with concern.
“I think it’s time,” said Kerry. “Will somebody get Dave?”
“Malik get a wheelchair,” instructed Cleo. “Kerry, Dave and Peter went in the chopper to attend an MVA. But they should be back soon. How far apart are your contractions?”
“Thirty minutes apart,” replied Kerry. She sank gratefully into the wheelchair, and then groaned as another contraction hit her. “Make that twenty-five minutes,” she said through gritted teeth.
“C’mon, let’s get you up to OB,” said Cleo pushing the wheelchair towards the elevators.
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Meanwhile, a couple of miles away at the site of the MVA, Dave was doubled over in pain. Peter finished loading up the chopper and came over to him.
“Ok, I’ve sent the dislocated hip in the ground ambulance. The partial amputation and the pelvic fracture are coming with us in the chopper. Are you ready?”
“Just give me a moment to catch my breath,” said Dave straightening up as the pain subsided.
“You better get yourself checked out when we get back to County,” said Peter as he helped Dave into the chopper.
“I don’t understand it,” said Dave as he strapped himself in. “One minute I’m fine, the next I’m in agony. Then I’m ok for half an hour until it hits me again. Oh no,”
“What’s the matter?”
“How long will it take us to get back to the hospital?”
“The same as it took to get us here. About twenty or thirty minutes. What’s up?”
“I think I’m having sympathetic labour pains. Kerry must be having the baby.”
“What?” Peter was very sceptical.
“Hey don’t laugh. I’ve already had more morning sickness than she did.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be back in plenty of time. You won’t miss the birth.”
“I just want to get back in time to persuade her to have an epidural, or get one myself.”
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Thirty minutes and another contraction later, Kerry was in the OB ward and Dave was handing over his patient to Luka.
Cleo met him on the roof.
“Dave,” she called. “Kerry’s labour has started. She’s in the OB ward.”
“I know,” replied Dave. “I’m on my way there as soon as we get this guy stabilized.”
“I can manage from here,” said Luka. “You go to your wife. She’s the one who needs you now.”
“Thanks man,” said Dave and he ran off.
“Good luck,” called Cleo after his retreating form.
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to be continued