"What do you mean, Dave?!" Doug asked, curious, and trying to get a good
look from his chair, unable to stand and see for himself for the fear of
falling on his face.
Dave scoffed. "Damn, I mean LOOK at it.. All those skin graft scars.. For Christ-sakes, most of her foot's missing!"
"Oh.. Why are you so sure it's the work of a landmine!? What makes you an expert!" Carter growled, upset at once again being one-upped by the Dr.Dave.
"I just do." Grumbled Dave. "How's that ankle coming?" He said, changing the subject.
"We have to reduce it. Dave hold her leg at a ninety-degree angle, her calf and foot out straight.. Okay.. Take ahold of her thigh and knee, don't let go." Mark said firmly as Luka came to his aid.
The sound of grinding bone and a slight pop was the only noise in the room, besides the grunt of pain from the semi-concious Kerry and a gasp of surprise and relief from the two attendings as the bones slid back into place.
"Okay, cast it.. Careful.." Mark ordered, taking charge of the situation as Carol wrapped the splinted leg in gauze and bandage and Abby cut the plaster strips and began wetting them.
"What are we going to do? How is she going to get around? I mean.. Her crutch was blown to bits and now her good leg is fucked too.. What do we do!? Carry her around till she heals up?? Send her home?" Carter sighed.
"You'll do no such thing, John Carter! None of you." Kerry said woozily. "I.. can take care of myself." She grumbled.
"Dr.Weaver...." Carter said feebly, frightened that she was awake now.. Terrified at the thought that she had been awake enough this whole time to hear them talking about her, wondering about her, behind her back. "You've been in a very bad accident, we've done all we could with the resources available. You've experienced a pretty bad break to your medial malleolus and extensive damage to the teres major, latissimus dorsi, and thoracolumbar fascial in your back from the shrapnel."
"Mark?!" Kerry barked, some-what ignoring the stammerings of the rich senior resident, who was still yammering on in med-speak. She was somewhat aware of what had happened. The explosion still rang in her ears and reverberated in her mind as it thrummed painfully through her body and extremities. "Mark, why am I naked?! Where my clothes?" Kerry grumbled.
"Nice to see you back to your old self Kerry.." Doug said dryly, flexing his sore arm and wiggling his fingers to get the circulation back.
"Should we move her? I mean we can't just leave her here in the middle of the kitchen floor." Dave said staring at the naked, bruised Chief..
"It's late.." Elizabeth replied sadly, looking at her watch. "We should all get some sleep, but somebody has to stay with her."
They exchanged glances, all hoping the other would volunteer. Everyone was exhausted, hungover and still recovering from the fact that the road they'd been driving on, blew up.
Dave raised his hand. "I'll do it. You guys get some sleep."
The couples looked at each other, and over at Dave who had Kerry's feeble hand in his as she lay there groggy and trying to make sense of the fact that she was laying naked in the kitchen. "I wouldn't mind this so much if Brad Pitt was naked in here with me.." She mumbled.
The doctors raised their brows and patted him on the back as they left to get some shut eye and perhaps some good post karaoke/landmine nookie. "If you're sure Malucci." Mark said wrapping a protective arm around Elizabeth.
Dave nodded. "I am.. You guys go." He said in a soft tone, wiping some of the blood from Kerry's hair.
When everyone had finally departed, Peter and John remained in the doorway, staring at the young resident. "How long do you think he's going to sit there like that, Dr.Benton?"
"Come on Carter... Let's go to bed..." Peter murmured tiredly, rubbing his eyes and looking out the window to see the early signs of dawn.
"Ohh.. Benton.. I never knew you to be so fresh.." Carter mocked, sleepily. "You're not my type.."
Peter rolled his eyes and sighed, giving his former med student a light shove. "Cut it out man.. I'm not in the mood." He yawned and stumbled through the adjoining living-room and up the stairs to his guest-room.
"Seeya later Dave... You sure you don't want me to hang around??" Carter whispered, nervous as the old house started to creak and settle.
"No, it's okay Carter. I think I can handle it. But if you think you can't sleep with your nightlight and teddy-bear..." Dave grinned.
"Fuck off Malucci.." Carter grumbled walking towards the stairs.
"You and me both Carter!! With everyone else coupled up, whacking off is the only way we're EVER gonna get any in this farmhouse hell. That is unless you make friends with that pig in the barn, I think she's taken a shine to you. Since you're a farmer and all.." Dave grinned widely and laughed.
"Like I said Dave.." Carter growled tiredly as he crawled up their staircase.
Dave sighed and revelled in the silence of the room when suddenly, Kerry spoke.
"Why do you have to be so hard on him? I thought you were friends?" Kerry whispered almost inaudibly.
"I was just messing around, Chief." Dave protested.
"It's hard for him to be here.. He came for Abby's sake and Abby's with Luka. It's slowly sinking in and you don't have to rub it in."
"But.."
"But you, Benton, and I.. We don't have anyone either.." Kerry finished for him.
But you, Benton and I.. We didn't come here chasing after unattainable dreams. We haven't just had our hearts ripped out and stopped on. He has.."
"He's stupid.. How could he not see that they have each other?" Dave sighed heavily and shook his head.
"I don't think he wanted to, that's what got him into this mess in the first place."
"I don't get it. Here you are, on the floor covered in blood.. You were nearly killed and you're worried about Carter's fucking love life!" Dave almost shouted.
"Aren't you?" She winced in pain and Dave injected a vial of demerol into her IV.
"Well. I do agree that the guy HAS to get laid, but his girl troubles don't compare to what's happened to you." He said quietly, standing and getting a wet cloth from the sink, slowly and carefully wiping away some of the blood.
"How did you know about my leg?" Kerry said hoarsely as the pain started subside.
"Well.. I didn't.. I had to ask around that day and you-" Dave muttered reddening.
"No.. Not then.." She said gently. Squeezing his hand and smiling slightly. "You knew about the mine.. The scars..." Kerry said with a surprised drugged awe.
"I'm on the anti-landmine advocacy group, ROOTS. I've come to know the signs and sort of damage those pieces of crap can do.. I mean.. Clearing mine fields and putting in vineyards.. Sounds like a good deal to me.. Getting drunk off war.." He smiled sadly, his voice soft and strained. "You were very lucky."
"I know I was. Both times, very lucky." Kerry mumbled, tears had started to slide down her cheeks and Dave wiped them away with a finger.
***
"You were concious that whole time, Dr.Weaver?!" Dave said with a pained realization that his astute observation was made while she was supposedly out cold and oblivious to the planet.
Kerry nodded slowly.
"Why? Why didn't you say anything!? We could have given you something earlier!" His voice raised and cracked with hurt and dismay.
"I can handle my pain, Malucci. I don't need drugs. What I need is my CLOTHES! Where are my clothes?!"
"I can get you some clothes if you like.. We had to cut your other clothes off.. You'll be okay for a second?!" Dave said blushing.
She nodded, still shivering.
*********
"Do you think it's wise leaving them downstairs alone Abby?" Luka said, stroking her hair and kissing the soft concave of her neck.
"What? Do you want to invite them up for a foursome? Dave said he could handle it. Let him handle it." Abby said smiling. "Unless you want to share, I think we should leave them alone. What do you think? Do you want to share me?"
"NO!" Luka said quickly, thinking of Carter suddenly entering the room in a little g-string made out of scrub cloth, and shuddering. "I do not want to share you with anyone!" He exclaimed forcefully as he climbed ontop of her much like his uncle's prized stallion mounted a young filly.
*******
"I'll be right back. I'll get you your clothes." Dave grinned.
"Don't even think about it Malucci.." Kerry barked, reddening at the thought. "You're not my type.. Trust me."
He nodded with a lopsided tearful smile. "You're right Chief." Dave said huskily before he turned away from her, trembling with each step towards the staircase. Then as he reached the top, he crashed to his knees and broke down into the sort of tears shed by only those who know true pain; war widows, mothers of kidnapped little girls who are found later in the underbrush of a forest, half decayed and their little Disney panties around their little knees... and people who have just witnessed their boss getting nearly blown to bits.
Dave rocked slowly at the top of the stairs, lost in his morose thoughts till Kerry yelled for her clothing and startled him awake. "Coming Weaver!"
He said with a heavy sigh, with remnant of a whimper, the sort that caught in his throat and voided him of the ability to breathe. Dave stumbled forward into Kerry's room, Benton was snoring loudly on the bed across the room from hers. Dave quietly pulled the suitcase up onto the quilt and grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a plaid shirt.
He tip-toed past Benton and down the stairs where she was breathing shallowly, shivering on the towels and blankets. "C-clothes now, Malucci.."
Slowly he helped her sit up, making sure he was careful to avoid her heavily bandaged back. He slipped on the shirt and helped her button it up. "Thank you.." Kerry murmured.
She wrapped her arms around Dave's neck as he helped her awkwardly into the sweatpants. She felt his hot breath on her face as he bent down, pulling the pants up. Kerry trembled, limp in his arms, unable to put any weight on her legs.. "Would you mind if I could sleep on the couch maybe? As much as I like laying in a dried pool of my own blood.. I'd like to sleep on the couch.."
Dave nodded, pulling her into his arms and carrying her to the sofa
where he lay her down and covered her with the quilt off her bed. It wasn't
till the sun had started to stream through the kitchen window that the
two doctors had fallen asleep.
********