ALL PEOPLE
Author : Steph
Dedications : To Libby and Luci - long live All Saints
Western General's best ever CEO!
Date : August 2001
Disclaimer : I do not own any of the characters in
this story and no infringement is intended.
Claudia Mackenzie sighed as she dug through the piles
of paperwork on her obviously too small desk. It was
not her day, her computer had broken down, she'd just
been informed of another patient suing All Saints
Western General for negligence, and then she'd had a
run in with Luke Forlano. Though the run in wasn't
exactly the most uncommon part of any of her days -
ever since they'd broken up, Luke seemed to be setting
out to give her the hardest time possible. She didn't
have time for him and his stupid problems anyway - her
career was more important. She was CEO, and all he was
was one of the hospital's surgeons - with a serious
attitude problem!
Claudia sighed. The days seemed to roll into each
other. She was getting tired of being called down to
the garbage ward; it was all of Ward 17's problems
that tired her out the most...what with the bimbo ward
clerk, the incompetent nurses who stood around talking
about their very sad social lives, and that wretched
pair Terri Sullivan and Mitch Stevens - she didn't
even want to think about it any more, if only she
didn't have to deal with them.
Claudia's thoughts were cut off by an impatient knock
on her door.
"Yes come in," Claudia was annoyed. For once she just
wanted to get this paperwork done and go home.
One of the wards' secretaries entered, Claudia didn't
know which ward, all the ward seemed to be combining
into one.
"Ms Mackenzie, there's a patient in emergency that you
may want to see," she said.
"Haven't you ever heard of a phone?" Claudia said
impatiently.
"Well I did try ringing about five minutes ago."
Great...that was all Claudia needed, her phone was
probably broken too.
"He keeps calling out your name!"
"Ha. He's probably heard that I'm CEO and wants to sue
the hospital or something. Now can you please leave, I
have a lot of paperwork to do," Claudia was getting
frustrated.
"If you insist. The patient's name is Peter Roberts."
Peter Roberts. Peter Roberts. Peter Roberts. The name
echoed through her head.
"Pete." The realisation had hit her. She hadn't seen
him in years - what was he doing in emergency?
"Ms Mackenzie, are you feeling alright?"
"Let's just get down to emergency, you can explain on
the way..."
* * * * * * * * *
An MVA. It seemed so unreal to Claudia. Pete had
always been there for her right through uni, now he
needed her. Nothing else mattered any more. She
regretted that day they had lost contact, a mistake.
She'd tried to get on with her life but never stopped
thinking about him.
Peter was lying there, helpless, covered in blood.
"Claudia," he called. "Are you there Claudy?"
Claudia cringed, thinking that the emergency staff had
heard that. She was Ms Claudia Mackenzie, CEO, not
'Claudy'. But that was her name from uni, and it
brought back so many memories.
"It's okay, Pete, I'm here!"
She grabbed Luke as he walked by.
"Luke, what's going on with Peter, why is it that
no-one's taking any action?" Claudia was worried.
"He's in a stable condition at the moment Claudia, and
why do you actually CARE about a patient, are you
scared they're going to sue the hospital and that
might break your tight little budget..."
She tuned out and looked into Peter's eyes as Luke
walked off.
"You're going to be okay, Petey."
He lifted up his hand, indicating for her to take it.
Claudia grimaced, but took his hand and tried to
forget that it had been covered in blood. Pete had
been the most important person in her life, they had
grown apart, and it had taken an even like this to
bring them back together.
"Claud, I want you to promise me one thing..." Peter
spoke to Claudia defeatedly.
"Pete, you're not going to die, you're going to be
okay."
"I just want you to make sure of this. Claud, I may
have no second chances, but you do. You never realise
how important and precious your life is. I've spent my
whole life living a lie, always putting my career
first, no time for anyone, and where has this gotten
me? I have money and a few material items, but my
employees all hate me, and really I have no friends. I
tried to find you, Claudy, but I couldn't. The best
advice I can give you is to make sure you don't treat
people like we did in uni, we're all people, people
who do make mistakes. I know it's how you are, how we
are, but if we want it to be alright in the end, we
all need friends, and, Claudy, I have no-one. Except
you, and I haven't seen you for years; I don't know if
you've advanced much the last so many years, but I'm
lying here hoping it's going to be okay, and thanking
my lucky stars that my one and only friend is by my
side. So I want you to promise me you'll think about
what I've just said."
Claudia was speechless. The words had hit her so hard.
She didn't know whether it was seeing her friend like
this, or what he had said, but the words wouldn't go
away. He had no real friends. She had no real friends.
Was this really how she wanted to live her life?
"And if I die today, there's one thing I've always
wanted to tell you, but I've never been able to find
you, never had the chance. If I hadn't seen the name
plate on my way in then I'd never be able to tell you
this.
"Claud, I..." Peter started shaking.
"Pete! Help us over here!" Claudia yelled, frightened.
She couldn't lose him, not now, not ever. Now she had
fund him again she realised how much she needed him.
The emergency team rushed over.
"He's gone into shock, BP's falling..."
Claudia stood back, she was panicking. Tears were
rolling down her face. She couldn't even remember the
last time she'd cried.
Beep beep beep beep.
The monotonous beeps of the monitor droned on, it was
as if time had slowed down. She couldn't think
clearly. It was Pete, lying there, his life in
jeopardy.
"Time of death, 5.23pm," a doctor reported.
Time of death. Time of death. Time of death.
No, this couldn't be happening. It was a mistake. It
had to be. She lunged at Luke.
"You said he was in a stable condition, you said he
was going to be okay..."
"Things happen, Claudia. Things that are out of our
control." Luke hated losing patients so much. "Oh has
the ice queen finally broken? Are you scared the
entire hospital budget is going to be used to pay the
legal fees?" Luke said sarcastically.
Then when he looked at Claudia, he realised that she
was in a great amount of pain. She could barely stand,
and the tears still rolled slowly down her face. Even
though she had treated him so badly when he needed
her, Luke knew he couldn't turn his back on her. She
was in shock. She had no-one. He led her outside to
the hospital grounds and hugged her.
"It's Pete, my friend from uni," Claudia sobbed. "My
only friend from uni. My only friend." She seemed to
be making no sense.
"Luke, it's just hit me. I can't go on like this. I
treat everyone so badly, it's what Pete and I used to
be like. We didn't need anyone, it was fun and now
it's all turned against me. He's dead, and his final
words have just hit me so hard. I have to change, I
need to have people like me, not hate me...oh but will
they ever forgive me. I'm sorry Luke, I'm sorry...for
everything."
As she cried onto his should, Luke knew that Claudia
sincerely meant every word that came out of her mouth.
Change was in the air, and Claudia would never be the
same again.
THE END