"Yes. The Auction is two weeks from now, everything's on the block. I made an itemized list and gave it to the auction house. Things are in order." Luka smiled sadly. "We can go home soon," he said as he looked around the old farm house, a far sight different than it had been all those months ago. The holes patched, the stains painted over. The house looked brand new almost... Or at least a lot better than it had done when they had first arrived there. Granted, they would have been out of here months ago if there hadn't been the setbacks, the hospital bills to deal with, the demons of his old life to face.
But they'd all had demons. Luka thought to himself. Some of his colleagues he'd misjudged. Dave having another life before County. Something he'd never considered, something none of them had considered. He still hadn't decided whether Malucci's behavior after the fact was a mask to his pain of past events, or a foolish attempt at starting over. Certainly he had been awakened by Dave's screams in the night. But Kerry was good for him, he'd surmised. And in turn, Dave was good for Kerry.
It was debatable on what exactly the screamscoming from the bedroom could be, most likely it was nightmares of Malucci's former life. The time of his lost love, the way his life had crashed cruelly around him. It was either that, or Kerry attempting to get Dave to forget all that by pulling out the sex toys... Luka had mistakenly seen the large cardboard box under the bed that the both doctors shared, there was enough leather, chains, whips, collars and hand-cuffs to film a pornography. But... Luka reasoned, that wasn't any of his business.
As he stood to clear the breakfast dishes, Dave burst into the house, with Mark in tow. "We're going out tonight. I've settled it." He announced to the men. Doug glared at him, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. and you can't afford it. I have your wages until you're old and grey." He snarled angrily, slamming his spoon down and spraying milk over the table and across Luka's stoic face.
Calmly he wiped it away, licking his lips as he looked at Doug. "You're doing no such thing. After that scene the other night. I could have you charged. You leave him alone, Ross." Luka said coldly, as he stood, grabbing a cloth from the sink and wiping down the table. "Enough of your theatrics. I've had enough." Turning to Dave, he pulled out a chair. "So, Dave. Where are you taking us tonight!?"
Silently, Dave pulled up a chair and slid the flyer across to Luka. "I was thinking of taking the men to this... I think we all deserve a break. Don't you?" The large flashy type on the flyer was in Croatian, but it was obvious to any red-blooded male of any language what it was for.
"A strip club?" Doug snatched the flyer, holding it at an arm's length and squinting as if this would suddenly translate the Croatian into English. In his hazed vision, the semi nude woman jiggled and wavered, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well..."
"Doug? Whatcha got there?" Carol asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen, her husband clutching the ad and stuffing it under the table into Dave's hands.
"Nothing honey.. Dave was just planning a boys night out for us... That's all. Sort of a celebration of everyone surviving this vacation of ours." Doug said with a heightened nervous squeak to his voice, and Luka snickered. Doug Ross the infamous ladies man.. The man who slept around so much the Best Western gave him frequent client points, was unnerved about his wife finding out about a strip club.
Carol smiled. "Oh good.. Then you're including Carter and Benton in this as well then, right? We wouldn't want them to feel left out. That wouldn't be nice." Besides, thought Carol. With them out of the way we can have a little fun of our own..
Dave sighed, unable to look Carol in the eye, recalling the other day's events. "Benton? I don't know... He..." The young doctor trailed off and sighed. "I didn't invite him... Carter, yes.. But not Benton."
Carol walked from the room, her steps even and judged carefully as she jaunted up the stairs, her hand over her midsection, looking for Kerry. As she walked into the bedroom at the end of the newly wallpapered hallway, she found the woman napping in the double bed that Dave and her shared. "Kerry..." She sat on the edge of the mattress, carefully shaking the former chief of the ER. "Kerry wake up, we need to talk about Malucci."
***
"What? So he didn't invite me to come along on your little peckerwood fest." Benton growled under his breath at his former med student. "Why in the hell should I care? Carter? Why are you telling me this? Malucci isn't exactly a buddy of mine. Why would I want to come?!"
"I don't know... We were just all talking... Mark, Dave and I were just talking about who else could go. Who else would go, and your name came up and Dave got really weird. Did you do something to him, Peter?" Carter said, sitting on the front steps of the old farmhouse, a warm cup of coffee cradled in his hand like a ceramic baby Jesus. "I've never really seen him like this. I think he really does hate you."
Peter growled threateningly like a dog about to bite. "Drop it Carter..." The man stood, cracking his knuckles, his knees protesting as he righted himself and stormed off.
***
"What about Malucci?" Kerry said suspiciously, eyeing the woman's hand which was placed protectively over her belly. "Did he knock you up?" There was a biting sarcasm to the last comment, her lip slightly curled. She knew how Hathaway felt about Malucci, the man wasn't worth knowing as far as the nurse figured, but Kerry knew different. Kerry had found out different. However she watched the fingers tap rhythmically over Carol's belly, she couldn't help but wonder. Maybe Dave wasn't all the wounded saint he claimed to be.
"No... He didn't, I think I'm just having indigestion... I think we let Luka cook too much. The food doesn't agree with me." Carol murmured, slumping exhausted into a chair beside the bed. "Why would you think Dave and I were sleeping together? I don't think I've hardly said two words to the man since we came to Croatia.. Why would I be jumping his bones? I'm not stupid, I know you guys are serious. Besides, I'm married!" She said defensively, her courage and conviction wavering.
That doesn't stop Doug! Kerry wanted to yell at her, but she could see in the woman's eyes that Carol always had known. Why she stayed with him, whether it was for the kids, or for herself, wanting a time when the both of them had been happy and faithful to each other. She was holding onto old memories, Kerry watched Carol stroke the bulge under her shirt. It wasn't the only thing she was holding onto. "Does Doug know?" The woman murmured softly, watching the darkhaired nurse duck her head and shake it, the curls bouncing and falling in her face.
"No... He doesn't. Don't tell him. I came to talk about Dave, not me... He's still hung up on what happened almost a month ago Kerry. The boys have planned a night out, and they're excluding Benton. Dave's managed to forgive you, he's forgiven me, but..." Carol trailed off, wiping her eyes. "I think you should talk to him Kerry," she said with a sniffle, the doctor handing her a Kleenex.
"Honey... Calm down, take a nap, take a breather. I'll talk to Dave, but I can't promise anything. Peter Benton isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with if you haven't forgotten," Kerry said kindly, rolling up and off the bed. "Now you go get some rest, I'll take care of Dave."
*****
Okay, his motivations had been different than Weaver's or Hathaway's... That was certain. Peter thought to himself. He wasn't hungry, he was perfectly capable of getting groceries if he'd felt like it. But there was something, something vulnerable and pleasing about Dave Malucci, helpless and pinned to the floor with his ass in the air. He'd wanted to cause some lasting pain, to make Malucci feel as horrible as he had over the past few months, the past few years. No matter what the guy had done, no matter what the man pulled, he always came out of it unscathed, and unpunished.
Malucci was cocky as hell, a boy who hadn't learned anything in life, hadn't had it rough. He'd probably messed around in high school, getting drunk and stoned and never going to class. He didn't deserve to be a doctor, he hadn't tried, he hadn't fought for it. He was just there and it wasn't fair. Malucci didn't deserve to be a doctor, he didn't deserve to exist. Peter scowled, cursing under his breath as he balled his hand into a fist and punched the barn wall. The barn boards wavering and rippling, wobbling with the striking of the knuckles against rough planks.
"Bastard." Peter cursed to himself. Malucci was lucky, never to have things collapse in on him. To never have a life where everything was a struggle and a hardship where food wasn't a mere memory or a need. Where life was simple, but was pleased with the simple things. The only simple thing Malucci had, Peter surmised, was a simple mind.
"Peter?" Kerry stood behind the man, who's fists had dropped to his side, the knuckles raw. "You might want to get that looked at. Looks like it hurts," she said with a breathed awe. One of the fingers was swollen, if not broken, then it was at least sprained.
"It doesn't hurt." He grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and gasping in pain, his eyes watering, as he grit his teeth. "What do you want Weaver?!" Peter grunted through clenched teeth as he strode off down the field paths where Drislav used to run the cows into the pens for auction.
"It doesn't hurt, eh?" Weaver muttered in disbelief, keeping up with him. "That's why I'm looking at the palest black man in history. You're bullshitting me Peter. Let me see your hand, dammit."
Wordlessly, Peter carefully pulled his hand from his pocket, dropping it at his side and continuing to walk as she kept pace and sidled up beside. "Hold it out, let me see," she ordered, grabbing the hand and splaying it out in her palm. "You've at least sprained something." Kerry mumbled, running her fingers over the swollen, bruised knuckles.
"No shit, Kerry..." Peter grunted angrily, wrenching his hand away, and stomping out into the field. "Leave me alone."
"Have you apologized to him yet??!!" Kerry yelled after him, as he stopped short, swivelling around to glare at her.
"No... Have you?! It seems like YOU were the one handing me the rubber glove, Kerry... Not the other way around. So have YOU? Have you apologized?!" He retorted angrily. What was this? She was the one who had Malucci pinned to the ground to get a baggie of smelly candy. Why was he being made the bad guy!? Kerry reddened, staring at her hands.
"That's none of your business," She grumbled, embarrassed. "I don't see how that's any of your business at all, actually,"
"Well it is.. Because that means you're a hell of a lot more at fault with this than I am. When you love somebody, when you're in tune with somebody, spend that sort of time with somebody. You're supposed to be... Appreciative and knowledgeable of their needs.. You know?" Peter said gruffly. Sure it was the speech that Cleo had angrily given him when they'd broken up, that final time, but it worked.
"Who says I love him, Peter? You? What makes you Dr. Love? What makes you so in tuned to relationships? Your string of failures. Carla? Cleo? Elizabeth??" She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Jeanie... Yeah, I know about her, Benton. Her husband might have been stupid, but the ER isn't, you made it about as obvious as a fox in a henhouse. About as stealthy and quiet as a bull in a china shop."
"Jeanie's dead and gone.. Can't you just drop it finally, Kerry?!" Peter bellowed, face reddened, and his eyes blazing with hate and pain. "She was my friend too. Stop blaming me for her death. I didn't kill her."
"How did this turn from Dave into Jeanie!?" Kerry said in disbelief. "You're nuts you know that? I don't know how you can feel sorry for yourself when Reggie is the one raising his son alone!" She sighed angrily, running her hands through her hair. "Sometimes you remind me of Mlungsisi so much it drives me nuts, Peter," Kerry muttered under her breath, illiciting a cocked brow from the surgeon.
"Muh-what?" Peter sighed. "Look, in case you forgot?! I raise Reese by myself too... I don't get any help from anybody," he grunted. "and I don't need any." Stooping over, he picked a daisy from the fenceline and stuck it in a buttonhole in his shirt as he stomped back to the house. "Jeanie died because of mistakes made with her ex-husband. It had nothing to do with me. Leave me alone, Kerry. You can't make me apologize to Malucci."
Malucci sat on the steps, rolling a length of grass in his fingers, placing it between his thumbs and blowing, the reedy-shrill burst of quacking echoing over the farm. "Who says I'd accept your lame apology anyway, Benton?" Dave muttered angrily. "I never invited you in the first place."
"I never said I wanted to go to your stupid little boys night, anyway!" Peter yelled back, his broken hands on his hips as he felt Kerry walk up behind him.
"Cut it out you two, stop acting like children. Dave, go to your room," she barked, her finger pointed inside. "Go... Now."
"But-.." Dave sighed. She said to stop acting like children and Kerry insisted that he go to his room? What in the hell?!
Peter snickered and Kerry glared at him. "Shut up, Peter. Malucci, go inside." The younger man nodded and loped into the house, he was certain this wasn't a snub on him anymore. Dave was sure, Kerry was going to kick some serious ass and didn't want the blood to splatter all over him, and that was just fine.
*****
"Doug?" Carol stood behind him slipping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his back, her cheek laying softly against his shirt, the rhythmic thump of his heartbeat filling her ears like a quiet song. "Doug?!"
"Yes, honey?" He murmured, hunched over the sink. The amount of dishes that had piled up lately was disgusting and as Doug scraped away petrified ketchup off a saucer with a thumbnail, he shuddered, dunking it into the soapy water. As he closed his eyes, listening to the water splash into the sink, felt her wrapped around him. The closeness, the peacefulness, the innocence of the simple gesture. Doug sighed, shaking his wet hands off and turning around to face her. "How many months along are you, Carol?"
Carol stared at him, her face pale, taut with shock and a mix of rage and disbelief. "How? How did you..." She sighed, pulling away from him and backing up. Seating herself in the nearest chair and staring at the floor. "I'm sorry Doug. I know this isn't the best time to be having a kid," she murmured sadly.
"You-you always get clingy when you're pregnant.." He muttered. "It's never a 'good time' Carol." Doug said tiredly. "We never planned any of these kids really. They were accidents," he paused, shaking his head. "No the twins weren't, we'd planned those... I just hadn't figured Ricky Abbott into those plans... If I hadn't-"
"Doug, we can't change the past, and don't you dare call my babies accidents. I love them. They weren't accidents, they were surprises!" She said with more conviction and reassurance than she felt. "If you hadn't helped Ricky Abbott, would you have gone off to Seattle and started cheating on me?!"
"Carol..."
"Would you have?" Carol snapped at him, pulling her legs up onto the chair and wrapping her arms around her knees.
"No, I don't.. I-I-" He stammered in disbelief. "Carol... Listen-"
"No! You listen to me, Doug! I'm not doing this anymore. When we get back to Chicago, I'm leaving you. I'm taking the kids and we're moving out," Carol said, her voice thick with tears as she stumbled out of the kitchen.
"I won't do it anymore, Carol... Carol, wait! I promise! I love you." Doug called after her plaintively, throwing the dish towel on the floor and slumping into the chair.
Luka glared at him from the doorway, watching Carol stumble past him and up the staircase. "You love her now, do you? Now that she found out? Now that you have to make everything all right again? I don't think your charm and charisma will work this time, Douglas. You're... How do you say it in english?" He paused for affect, well aware of the word he was looking for. "Oh.. That's right.. You're fucked." Grimacing, he turned and stomped up the stairs after Carol. "Good luck with that."
"Yeah? Yeah.. Well, fuck you too, Kovac!" Doug yelled after him, wishing for a tall scotch right now. Yes, a scotch would be good, followed by another one, and another. Slowly he stood, making his way to Drizslav's liquor cabinet.
*****
"So, Dave are we going then?" Carter lay on the floor, doing push ups, his arms bulging with the strain. "Cos, I think we've all been cooped up in here way too long, it's not right." Finishing his last set, Carter hopped slightly on the heels of his hands, and rolled onto his back, beginning some sit ups. "Cos, you know, I think it'd be good for us."
"Well I don't care what you think, Carter." Dave grumbled, glaring at the man. Showing off like that. In fact... "How many push ups did you do?"
"150." Carter grunted.
Yeah right! Thought Dave, and I'm the queen of Spain. "Yeah, well I bet you 100 bucks I can do 250," Malucci boasted.
"Yeah?" Carter cocked a brow, pausing in the middle of a sit-up. "Let me see you then. Get down here."
"Fine! Does that mean you don't want to see the naked ladies anymore, Carter?" Dave said with a slight grin, hopping off the bed and pulling off a few push-ups before stopping and sitting crosslegged.
"No.. I want to see them, I just want to see your arms fall off first before we go." Carter said with a smile. "Now get your ass in gear, that Charlene looked hot."
"What *is* it with you and blondes!?" Dave snorted, starting the push ups. "You gonna start counting or what?"
"I don't have a thing for blondes!" Carter said defensively. "Oh... Yeah.. Five, six, seven, eight-"
"Ohh yeah.. I forgot... The intern in the diaper.. My mistake, Carter." Dave chuckled, "and that was ten by the way, not eight. You missed two because you were blathering on about strippers."
"What are you guys doing?" Luka watched from the bedroom entranceway, Dave who had decided to show off and finish it with one hand.
"Watching Dave have a heart attack." Carter snickered with a little less confidence than a few minutes ago, this guy was good..
"Well, I'm going to go get ready while you finish up here. Abby's sleeping, don't wake her up with your muscle man competition," Luka muttered, walking from the room. Crazy Americans.
****
"So tell me again, why Doug and and Peter aren't here and you are?" Carter said, sipping his beer. "Not that I have a problem with it, I mean this is a public bar, you have as much right to be here as any of us."
Kerry smiled with a slight uneasiness. "Well, I *am* supposed to be gay. Or I am... Or I was," she sighed, looking at Dave and squeezing his hand comfortingly. "But are you saying it's okay for me to see a little bit of tits and ass?"
Carter nodded distractedly, leaning forward towards the stage. "Uh huh... Sure, Weaver.." Charlene crawled towards him on all fours, her blonde hair slipping over her shoulders, her breasts bouncing and swaying in the jeweled gold bikini with crotchless bottoms. She winked at Carter, stopping inches from him as she thrust her hips forward, allowing the man to stuff the dollars into her billfold.
"I don't know whether to be reassured by the fact that my girlfriend is satisfied with me as a sexual partner, so much in fact that I don't remind her of pussy and she needs to see some? Or the the fact that I'm such a lousy sexual partner that she needs to see pussy," Dave said morosely, earning a soft clip in the ear from Kerry.
"Cut it out, Dave... I love you, I haven't had time to spend with you,
and I figured this was as good as any. I was just teasing," Kerry
murmured sweetly, kissing his neck. "Don't worry, I'll let you play
with mine, later," she said as she carefully grabbed his hand and
placed it in the V of her crotch, pressing his fingers into the rough
fabric of her jeans till it hit paydirt. Kerry smiled. "Mmm.. Okay..
Later.. I want to watch the show. Go buy me a beer hon'. All this sex
is making me thirsty."