A different day in May - part 2
(An alternative universe fic featuring Dave and Carter)

Previously on ER
As Carter hurried away from the Intervention in Curtain 3, Dave caught up with him and invited him for drinks. Carter accepted in order to avoid Benton trying to persuade him to seek help. Later in the bar, Carter told Dave that he had quit working at County. While Carter left to go to the bathroom, his cell phone rang and Dave answered it, pretending to be Carter.


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Dave wrestled with his conscience for a few minutes before reaching into Carter's jacket and retrieving the phone. He frowned as he read the name on the display, but only hesitated briefly before pressing 'answer'.

"Hello," he said in as muffled a voice as he could manage.

He heard the voice on the other end speak, "John, it's Kerry...please don't hang up on me...I'm sorry about what happened earlier. We...we should never have confronted you like that."

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Dave stared at the phone in shock at what he had just heard. He couldn't believe it...Carter of all people...an alcoholic. Man, this couldn't be happening. Okay, so the Chief hadn't said straight out about it, but Dave could read between the lines. All this talk about the strain he'd been under...how she understood how he needed some help to get through the day...it was all perfectly clear. Dave had listened while Kerry did her best to persuade 'John' to return to County...or at the very least to check himself into Rehab. Finally, unable to take it any more, he had broken the connection and wondered just what the hell to do.

The sudden ringing of the phone in his hand nearly made him drop it. Looking at the screen, he saw that it was Kerry again. On impulse he rejected the call and then switched it off. Quickly he returned the phone to Carter's jacket and sat back down. Grabbing his glass, he gulped down his drink. "Man," he thought as he wiped his mouth, "how the hell could this have happened?" The answer was obvious to Dave. Sobriki...that bastard. Bad enough that he had killed Lucy and nearly killed Carter, now Carter was obviously crawling down the neck of a bottle in order to escape from him.

Dave looked at his empty glass in disgust. "Great work Malucci," he told himself. "Your best friends an alcoholic and you invite him out to a bar. Crap crap crap. Well okay...you've screwed up big time. That's obviously what Benton was on about earlier...trying to get him into Rehab or something. Well maybe he was right...I didn't know what I was doing then...but I do now...and I'm not letting Carter go down without a fight."

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Carter splashed some water on his face and smirked as he looked in the mirror. "Looking good, Carter," he told himself. "I don't know why I was so worried," he said to himself as he rolled down his sleeves and buttoned his cuffs. "After all, I don't need County...or any of them. I can get a job like that." He snapped his fingers. "Damn right. Any hospital would be glad to have me...and if they're not...hell, I can always take a leaf out of *Deb's* book and get 'Daddy' to buy my way in." The thought of his parents wiped away some of Carter's good humor. After what the family had been through over Chase, he didn't think they'd be too impressed to have another Carter grandson accused of drug abuse. "It's not the same," he told his reflection. "Chase was doing drugs for kicks. He got addicted and took some bad stuff...that's why he's in a nursing home. I'm not like him. I take a little bit of morphine...maybe some fentanyl when I can get it...but it's just to ease the pain. I mean, I couldn't work with all the pain I was in...and I had to work...I had to go into work like nothing had happened. I had to walk into curtain 3 every day and try not to throw up. But I don't have a problem. Not me...not John Truman Carter. Who did they think they were, telling me I had a drug problem? I'm a better doctor than any of them."

Carter realized that he was gripping tightly on the sides of the basin. Unclenching his fists, he took a few deep breaths and headed back to the bar, wondering as he did, just what sort of story he could tell Malucci to explain why he had left County. Maybe he should buy him another drink. A drunk Malucci was less likely to be asking questions...unless they were of the 'do you think that chick's hot?' variety.

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Carter approached the table carrying two more glasses in his hands. Dave looked up and stifled a groan as he saw him. "Oh man," he thought. "This is bad...he hasn't even finished his first drink and he's got another one. That's a classic sign."

Forcing a smile on his face, he took his drink from Carter. "Geez, thanks man," he said. "You didn't need to. I mean you already got the first round."

Carter shrugged. "It's okay, you can buy the next two."

Dave nearly choked on his drink. "Yeah right man," he said automatically.

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Back at the hospital, Kerry was trying unsuccessfully to get back in touch with Carter. "He must have switched it off," she said unhappily. "Dammit, why wouldn't he even talk to me?"

"There's got to be something we can do," said Jing-Mei, looking round the lounge at her fellow interventionists.

Mark shrugged, "There's not a lot we can do. Carter's a grown man...we can't force him into Rehab if he's not ready to go."

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing...we should at least try and find him...try again to persuade him."

"We don't even know where he is," said Mark, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly. "And if his phone's switched off...he obviously doesn't want to be found."

"What about Malucci's phone?" asked Jing-Mei.

Kerry stared open-mouthed, "Why didn't I think of that," she said. "I'll get his number from personnel." She hurried away to reception.

"Like he'll be any help," snorted Peter in disgust. "If he'd have just stepped aside and let talk to Carter...I'd have been able to get him into the van. He'd be halfway to Atlanta by now."

Anspaugh spoke for the first time, "I hardly think that dragging him kicking and screaming into the Rehab facility is the best way to ensure his successful treatment. As Mark said, if Carter isn't ready to go to Rehab then we can't force him. And if he can't admit his problem to himself then it isn't going to do him any good anyway. All we can do is wait. Wait, and hope that he comes to his senses."

There was silence in the room, broken only when Kerry returned with a slip of paper.
"I just hope Dave has his phone switched on," she said, as she started to punch in the digits.

"Hold up a minute Kerry," said Peter.

Kerry looked curiously at him, but broke the connection. With the receiver still in her hand, she said, "Well?"

"I don't think we should tell Malucci what's going on. Just ask him where he is and tell him to stay there until we arrive."

"He's going to want to know why," said Kerry, frowning.

"Yeah, well it's none of his business. The last thing Carter needs is the whole of County finding out that he has a problem."

"I think you're misjudging Dave," said Jing-Mei thoughtfully. "I mean, I know he's a bit of a jerk at times."

There was a muffled snort from Mark, before Jing-Mei continued, "But I don't think he'd spread around something like this. I think we should tell him the truth. I mean Carter's his friend..."

"No," said Peter stubbornly.

"Mark, Kerry," said Anspaugh, "What do the two of you think? I mean I don't know this Dr. Malucci and you both do. Would it do more harm than good to inform him of the reason you need to find Dr. Carter?"

Mark frowned, "Malucci's careless and irresponsible. He's also a wild card. If we told him about Carter...I don't know what he'd do with the information. Probably announce it from the admit desk."

"Kerry?" said Anspaugh.

"He is a bit of a gossip," said Kerry reluctantly. "But he's never been malicious with it. I honestly don't think he'd deliberately spread this around."

"No, but he can't keep his mouth shut, he'd let out sooner or later," said Peter. "I mean, I know it's going to come out eventually...secrets don't stay secrets for long at County. But I'd rather it wasn't him that spread it."

"Okay," said Kerry finally, "I won't tell him...unless I feel it's the only way to get him to help." Before anyone could argue further, she punched in the number and waited for a response.

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Dave was sipping at his drink, trying to make it last while he figured out the best way to get Carter out of the bar. Maybe he could bring him back to his place. "Yeah, that might work," he thought. "Get him to my apartment and then keep him there until he dries out. Once he's got it all out of his system then maybe I can get him in touch with AA or something. I can't just let him drink up and leave..."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a cell phone. Pulling it out of his pocket, he frowned as he recognized the number.

"Looks like it's the hospital," he said to Carter.

Carter's face drained of color. "Do...do you have to answer it?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I don't know Carter," said Dave, evenly. "It could be important."

The phone continued to ring.

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To be continued.

Part 1

Part 3

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