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One of the response stories for the "Going Fourth" FanFic Challenge, this is
also one of two Prequels to a story entitled "A Most Willing Student".
While it is not necessary to read this story and the other prequel "Going Fourth
(Cathy.3)" in order to understand "A Most Willing Student", it certainly
won't hurt, as the two stories do form the basis for the third story.
Rated 15+ for sexual overtones and one-sided m/m slash (no actual sex).
"E.R." and all its characters belong to Warner Brothers. No copyright
infringement is intended. Honest. Please ask before archiving. This was done without the
assistance of an editor, so please be gentle. They are archived at "The Five
Archives" under the Going Fourth Challenge. The site address is http://www.hiley.demon.co.uk/archives/index.htm
"Prequel A - A Most Willing Student"
"Going Fourth (Cathy.1)"
By: Cathy Roberts
Glroberts@bigfoot.com
The doors to the elevator were beginning to close when Benton heard someone call out for
him to hold the elevator. He stopped the doors with his arm and they opened back up just
as Carter reached them.
"Thanks." Carter was slightly out of breath as he entered the elevator.
"No problem. What floor?"
"Four."
Benton pushed that button, then re-pushed the button for the surgical floor.
"So, how have you been?" Benton hoped he sounded disinterested in finding out
the answer. He didn't want Carter to get the idea that he actually cared about how he was
doing.
"Pretty good. How's Lucy working out?"
After she had completed her E.R. rotation, Lucy Knight had begun a surgical rotation with
Benton. Benton smiled, "Not too badly. I am getting a little tired of hearing 'Dr.
Carter this' and 'Dr. Carter that'. She can do the basic procedures, so that's a big
help."
"I'm glad she's doing okay. She couldn't do a thing when she started her E.R.
rotation."
"Students seem to have that problem. If I remember correctly, you couldn't do an I.V.
when you started your surgical rotation."
Before Carter could reply the elevator shuddered, then came to a lurching halt, throwing
both men off balance and into the walls. Carter cursed softly as he rubbed his left
shoulder.
"Did you injure your shoulder again?" Benton stepped up to him and gently
touched the shoulder in question.
"No. It's okay."
"You're sure?" Benton asked, probing Carter's shoulder. "Once a joint has
been dislocated, it has a tendency to dislocate easily."
"I'm fine. I wonder what happened with the elevator? It can't be a power failure
because the lights are still on."
"I'm sure they'll have us moving again in no time." Benton took a step back,
almost reluctant to break physical contact with Carter. But he knew that if he didn't step
back that he would be testing the limits of his self-control.
"I hope you weren't urgently needed in surgery," Carter said.
Benton shook his head, "What about you? Were you in a hurry to get to the maternity
ward?"
"No. I had a patient this morning that went into premature labor. We couldn't stop it
in the E.R. so we sent her up to Labor and Delivery. I just wanted to see if she was okay
and find out if she did have the baby."
Without warning the elevator jerked upward, then dropped a few feet. Benton was
thrown forward against Carter, his body pinning the younger man to the wall.
"Are you okay?" Benton asked, afraid that he might have hurt Carter.
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you okay?" Carter was concerned because Benton
wasn't trying to move away from him.
"No. I mean, yeah, I'm fine." Benton could feel the warmth of Carter's body
against his own and he had to fight the urge to bend his head ever so slightly and kiss
Carter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Are you sure?"
Benton opened his eyes again only to find that Carter was staring at him, his eyes looked
worried. Carter reached up and grabbed Benton by his upper arms. "Let me help
you."
Benton pulled out of Carter's grasp. "I said I was fine." He walked to the other
side of the elevator, determined not to look back at Carter. Knowing that he would
see a hurt look on that face. He couldn't bear that.
"Sorry," Carter softly said.
"Forget it," Benton snapped, shoving his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.
He hoped the coat was covering him well enough to hide the fact that he was hard. Over the
past years he had put a lot of effort into hiding the fact that he cared about Carter.
That he wanted John Carter. John Carter was the reason his relationships never worked out.
It didn't matter who the woman was: Jeannie, Carla, Elizabeth. After a while of being with
either of them, he soon found himself fantasizing that it was Carter who he was kissing.
That it was Carter in bed with him. He clenched his fists tightly, relishing the pain as
his fingernails dug into his flesh, looking for some distraction to keep him from going in
that direction. A distraction that would keep him from doing something stupid. Like
walking back over to Carter and kissing him. 'You better get that image out of your mind
right now,' he told himself. 'Carter will never love you. Carter will never be in your
bed. Just forget about it right now.'
"Are you sure that you're okay?"
Benton jumped as he realized that Carter was at his side. The elevator was suddenly way
too small for his comfort.
"I said I was fine. Now drop it, Carter," he snapped.
Carter shook his head, frowning, "I don't understand you at all, Dr. Benton. You
refuse to allow anyone to be your friend. Aren't you afraid that one day you'll wake up
and realize that you're all alone?"
"My personal life is none of your concern, Carter. It never has been and it never
will be."
The elevator cam to life again and this time it kept moving.
The two men silently looked at one another until the doors opened.
"I believe this is your floor, Carter," Benton said.
"Yeah." Carter exited the elevator, then turned around and put his hand on the
door to prevent it's closing. "If you ever decide that you want a friend, you know
where to find me." With that, Carter dropped his hand and the door slid closed.
Benton slumped against the wall. "Oh, Carter. If you only knew how much I wanted you
to be not only my friend, but also my lover, you would run screaming in the other
direction. I would prefer to die a lonely man than to have you hate me that way. I love
you to much to be able to live with that."
The elevator continued its upward trip in silence.
The End.
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