"I don't know Carol..." He replied woozily. He couldn't care less.. Wasn't HIS bill.. Doug chuckled softly and counted the butterflies circling his head. "Forty-two.. Seven.. Eighty-one..Twelve.."
"We have your card number on file.." The clerk announced. "Dr.Douglas Ross? Chicago Illinois.. 77 Seabrook Avenue?"
The doctors looked at each other. "Yes..... That's his address.." Carol said slowly. "What's the number?"
"4564 4363 3522.." The clerk droned. "You want me to charge it to your account or not?"
"How did you get the card?" Elizabeth asked confused.
"Dr.Ross brought a.." The clerk clicked through the files on the computer. "A Dr.Kerry Weaver in for tests and x-rays and had a cast put on her leg. He used this as payment."
Doug grinned counting the purple goats that did cartwheels over his head. "Forty-five.. Sixty-Seven.. Thirty-four.. Ninety-Eight.."
"Did he?!" Carol pursed her lips in a frown. Malucci.. She'd deal with him later. Right now they had to pay the bill. It was a good thing that the doctors had pumped Mark and Doug full of sedatives... If Doug caught a glance at the amount that was run up on his card..
****
"How come you never make love to me like you used to make love to Peter?" Mark mumbled under his breath as the car headed back to the farm, Peter behind the wheel.
"WHAT?!" The two surgeons said in unison, the car screeching onto the shoulder.
"Mark.. You're not thinking clearly. I love you.. I married you didn't I? Had a child with you. Came with you to Croatia.. You are my soulmate." Elizabeth said kindly, patting the jittery hand of her frazzled husband.
Abby made gagging noises in the bag seat and doodled on the ROADMAP OF SKOKIE! as Mark fell into the arms of his wife and began to sob. Abby waved her hand in front of the two lovebirds and groaned. "I love Guiding Light as much as the next girl, but I'm tired, I'm hot and I want to get back to my own 'soul mate'. Can we please go home now?"
Peter rolled his eyes and turned the car back onto the road. Loneliness was worse than any wound, he surmised as he heard the cuddling of Mark and Elizabeth in the seat next to him and the soft giggles of Carol and Doug going at it in the back seat. It was slightly comforting to know that Abby wasn't going at it with anyone, but only slightly.. She was a modern woman after all. There was no telling what she could be up to, and there was always Luka when they got back to the farm. If he had showed up that is.
He knew he'd made the biggest mistake, breaking up with Elizabeth. Now she was stuck with a wet rag like Mark.. "Dull as dishwater!" his mother always said, and he was inclined to agree.
Mark's strange outburst had calmed his nerves somewhat. The two lovebirds were having trouble in paradise, quite disgusting if anyone put any real thought into it though. Peter reasoned. He'd had the misfortune of changing in the locker room with the man, and quite frankly he was at a loss of what Elizabeth found so attractive.
***
"Just like orange juice... Except it burns on the way down!" Luka announced to himself as he sipped at the Screwdriver. He hadn't been very worried about measuring at that point.. Shakily pouring the gin in with the juice. All alone.. Kerry had disappeared upstairs with Dave hours ago and there was still no sign of the rest of the gang.
His unsteady hand chopped and sliced the vegetables for the omlette when the blade came down across his fingers.
The cursing could be heard throughout the house, scaring the sparrows that perched on the window in the morning sun. Carter stumbled down the stairs, awaken from his slumber, past the two sleeping doctors in the darkened hall who had fallen asleep in each other's arms, and down into the kitchen.
"Luka!? You okay!??" He murmured sleepily, his eyes widening with shock.
"Fine." Luka replied surprisingly calm for the amount of blood that was running down his arm. "Just chopping vegetables for breakfast."
"Chopping vegetables were you? That knife looks awful sharp." Carter said as he walked to the counter and picked up the butcher knife.
"It has to be." The Croatian replied placidly. "It has to be sharp to cut and slice and chop.. Have you ever tried to kill someone with a spoon? It's nearly impossible." He walked to the kitchen table wrapping a dish cloth around his hand, and picking up his drink with the other. Finishing off the Screwdriver, Luka resumed his chopping and Carter backed out of the kitchen, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging.
Carter walked from the house, grabbing his coat. He wasn't having anything to do with this house anymore. He was going OUT for breakfast.. He wasn't taking a chance, eating Cheerios, a parfait spoon protruding from his jugular. No sir.
****
"Luka.. Drinking at this hour?" Kerry yawned as she entered the kitchen.
"Do you think that's wise?"
"I don't smoke.. Bad for your lungs." Luka muttered, keeping an eye on the fry pan as he poured himself another drink.
"Luka.." She sighed, pulling up a chair and pulling his hands into hers. "Luka.. Killing yourself with booze isn't going to bring her back. Drinking yourself to death, isn't going to make you feel any better. You need help." Kerry said quietly.
"I'm fine, Dr.Weaver." He replied coldly, pouring the last of the bottle into his glass and swallowing it down like a bitter medicine. His pink tongue protruded from his lips and caught the last of the vodka before he stood and walked to the stove.
"You cut your hand." Kerry eyed the bloody dish cloth and walked to it, pulling it away. "Good God... Luka.. That needs stitches."
"It needs nothing." He mumbled sullenly, snatching away the rag and wrapping his hand again.
"You're a doctor.. You work with your hands.. If you're scarred like that.. You need the dexterity.. You NEED to get that looked at." Kerry urged, earning a glare from Luka.
"FINE! You look. You fix!" He shouted, slamming the glass down, tears stung his eyes and he shook with rage and pain. "You think you know everything! You know nothing!"
"Your family... Taken.. It was.. Anniversary.." She replied, sitting back and dropping her head into her hands. "I'm sorry Luka.."
"NO! NO! NO! YOU DO NOT KNOW! YOU KNOW BULLSHIT!" He screamed at her and flinging the pan off the burner as it started to smoke.
"Your family was taken... You told m-" She said shakily.
"I lied.. I lie to you.. I lie to friends.. Only two men know what happened.. Me.. and God.." Luka said quietly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Luka... God..." Kerry said in disbelief, limping to the paramedic's kit that had been shoved into the corner. Popping it open, she pulled out a suture kit.
"Yes... me and God.." Luka shook his head sadly. The woman was slow. "I watched my family die.. I watched my wife and children die because I had left to go for groceries.. I slept on their graves the other night.. I... Burying Tonto.. It.." Luka broke off, standing unsteadily on his feet as he went to the cupboards, looking for the bottle of wine Abby had bought earlier. "It wasn't exactly hall-way conversation, Dr.Weaver.. How is the weather? Yes.. oh by the way. I watched my family die.. What is the special in the cafeteria?? Not good conversation at all.." He murmured sadly, his hand wrapping around the bottle.
"Put that down Luka." She said threateningly, laying the kit out onto the table. "Come.. Sit.. You don't need anything else to drink. Let me fix your hand."