SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
by Michelle Creek
(missy@ipax.com.au)

DISCLAIMER: The characters of ER are the property of Michael
Crichton, Warner Bros. Constant Productions and Amblin Television
and the actors who so marvellously portray them.

Any comments and/or constructive criticism will be gratefully
received at the above e-mail address.
          
PART 9/9

                    - 0 0 0 -

His leather soled shoes made little noise against the floor of Trauma
One as David moved the stool beside Kerry.

Chuny continued to quietly monitor Kerry's condition, checking
blood pressure and IV lines.  With the amount of morphine she had
been administered, one of the possible side effects was a drop in
blood pressure.   Taking into account the blood loss she was still
sustaining until the artery was repaired, a close eye on all vitals.

Running his finger lightly over the back of Kerry's hand, absorbing
their smallness and fineness that tended to be ignored when she was
conscious.  David struggled to comprehend the emotions flooding his
being.

It was a long time since he had felt the anger, fear and care for another
woman of the type and intensity he was experiencing.  The sight of
Kerry, so still, silent and pale, her auburn hair a bright beacon
accentuating the heavy blue smudges beneath her eyes and pallor of
her skin.

Watching the gentleness with which Dr. Morganstern was touching
Dr. Weaver, Chuny realised she was witness to an intensely private
moment.   Noting the current unit of blood finishing, she set about
changing it without disturbing Dr. Morganstern, sensitive to the effect
Dr. Weaver's condition was having on him.

Thinking back, David wasn't sure when his feelings for Kerry had
changed but he now that at some time they had.   He was well aware
that the staff at the hospital were ignorant of the warm and sensitive
person Kerry was with a notoriously black humour only seeing the
brusque and officious attending she allowed them to see.   She had
learned from the best how to cover your emotions, protecting herself
and not allowing them to interfere with her professional life, to the
detriment of her relationship with her colleagues.      Occasionally,
she had let her armour drop and the staff were shocked at the
difference but it never lasted for long.

At the sign of her stirring, David rubbed away the tears welling up in
his eyes.  Squeezing her hand lightly, he let her know that he was
there for her.   'As a friend' he thought.  That was what they had
decided a couple of years earlier when they had first gone out together
on a date.  It had been a mutual decision.  Now he wasn't sure if it had
been right. 

Kerry opened her eyes to halfway, the drugs making her drowsy.   She
ran her tongue over her dry lips.  "David?"  She asked quietly,
acknowledging his presence with surprise.

"Hi Kerry.  Next time you need a break, there are easier ways than
getting shot."  David gave her a half smile, the truth hitting very close
to the mark.  It would take something like this for her to give into the
pain, mainly because she had no choice.

She didn't even smile at the comment, her mind clouded and she
sought to coherently collect her thoughts through the fog.

"What.....are .....you.....doing....here?" The words wee slowly put
together.

"I heard about the shooting and I came to offer my help."

"You're not doing much of that sitting beside me."  It was
disconcerting her at the way he kept looking at her so intently.  It was
too much for her addled brain to handle.

"True.  But it does free up some of the nursing staff." he replied
practically.

"I'll be alright.  Why don't you go and help?"  

"Because I've been assigned to you.  No more arguments, Kerry.  
Just rest.  They'll be taking you up for surgery within the hour."  This
may be wishful thinking on his part because they were beginning to
backlog with the GSWs to operating theatre ratios.

"Well, if you're going to stay, you may as well make yourself useful." 
Kerry acknowledged grudgingly.

                    - 0 0 0 -

Jeanie immediately thought the worst.  With all the things that had
gone wrong that evening, she jumped to the conclusion that the child
has gotten caught up in the fiasco after the shooting, possibly having
been shot herself.  In the trauma and upheaval her small mind had
been through, there just were so many possibilities of what *had*
happened.

Being a father, Mark had been placed in this predicament before,
although under entirely different circumstances.  However, the basic
application was the same.   He remembered the firm instructions from
his search for Rachel. Do a thorough and logical search for the child,
keeping your head at all times.

'Nice theory' Mark thought whimsically.  He was sure that the person
who came up with the idea was not a parent of a missing child. 
Especially, not a child who had possibly been witness to a dramatic
and violent shooting scene.

"Right.  We have one missing five year old.  We will have to do a
thorough search of the ER.  But it looks like it will just be us."

"Us?  The entire ER?"  Jeanie knew how long this would probably
take and, if they didn't find her, they would have to extend the search
to the entire hospital.

"Let's start at this end and work our way down.  Check any cupboard
or area big enough for a child to hide in."

If Jess had been scared, Mark didn't know how she'd react.  Kerry
probably would but the last thing she needed was to know they had
misplaced her niece.

                    - 0 0 0 -

"Dr. Greene.  What is going on?" Randi asked as she watched him
systematically going in and out of rooms, each time he left the lines
of worry on his brow deepening.   There had finally been a lull in the
calls from worried relatives, media and crank calls.   It had been
bedlam during the first half hour of the newsflash of the shooting.

"Randi."  Mark acknowledged as he passed deep in thought, before
turning on his heel to face here.  "Have you seen Dr. Weaver's niece?
" 

Randi looked at him blankly for a moment as a phone began ringing. 
 

"The little girl who was left earlier this morning."  Mark continued.

"Umm.. Yeah...She's in Trauma One."  Randi said absently as
another phone began ringing and she had to start juggling calls once
again

"Let Jeanie know I've found her."

Mark shook his head in admonishment, not believing that he hadn't
thought to ask Randi if she had seen the girl earlier.  It would've
saved both Jeanie and himself a lot of time and, more importantly,
worry.

                    - 0 0 0 -

Pushing open the door to Trauma One, he was surprised to find David
Morganstern sitting beside Kerry with Jess sitting comfortably on his
lap, her eyes drooping with tiredness which she was fighting vainly.

"Dr. Morganstern?"

"Mark.  Glad to see you are okay."

"Yes.  I'm fine.   We've suffered four GSWs to our own staff and five
to patients.  How's Kerry?"

"Sleeping."  

"The rest'll do her good."

"It's a pity she couldn't have gotten it another way." 

Mark noted the caring concern in David's voice and looked more
closely at him.  When Kerry had first started, he thought there was a
relationship developing between them, however it had appeared that
they were just friends.  Now he wasn't too sure.  Kerry kept her
personal life separate from her professional life.

Benton and Carter came through the door.  "They're ready for her in
the OR."

                   - 0 0 0 -  

Carol sat beside Doug's bed in the four bed ward, his hand held
firmly between her clasped hands, her elbows resting on the side of
the bed.  An occasional tear spilled, gently rolling down her face,
following the course others had already travelled.  The fear and shock
of seeing Doug on the floor after being shot kept returning as her
mind constantly replayed the retort from the gun as it cut him down
in mid-step.

A gentle squeeze on her hand brought her back to the present.   She
looked across at Doug and he gave a gentle smile "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Other than like I've just run the Boston Marathon, I'm okay."

Carol smiled.   It was just the response she needed to hear.  "Do you
want anymore paid medication?"

"Anymore and I'll be floating."

They were both silent, rejoicing in the fact that they were both alive. 
Doug gently brushed away Carol's tears.

"I want to go ahead with our plans for Christmas Eve." Doug
informed her quietly.

"Doug, you've been shot."

"I'm well aware of that."  He grimaced as he moved his body.  "Carol,
I love you very much and I've put off making a commitment to you,
not wanting to repeat my father's mistakes."

Carol went to interrupt him, to let him know that he was not the only
one who had put off their marriage.  A finger on her lips silenced her
words.

"No.  Hear me out.  Today reminded me that there is one thing I really
want.  I love you.  I want to marry you.  As soon as possible.  We can
have the ceremony here."

Here?"

"Why not?  Granted, it's not exactly our ideal of the perfect setting
for taking our vows but you've got to admit, it's appropriate."

Carol laughed.  

"It's good to hear you laugh.  I wasn't sure that I was going to hear it
again."  Doug whispered as he gently brushed her hair behind her ear.

Carol leaned forward and kissed him.  "Okay, if you're sure you are
up to it."

"This is going to be the most important day of my life and I'm going
to be doing it from my bed.  I'm sure all the guys will be envious." he
said with a devilish grin.  "Get Mark and your Mom to redirect the
priest and all the guests to here tomorrow night."

"All of them?"

"Why not?  The more the merrier."   Doug sobered as he remembered
that there were other victims shot in the ER, some of whom were
possibly invited to their wedding.  "Who else got shot?"

"Jerry.  He's in ICU.  The bullet hit his heart.  Weaver had to crack
him."

"How is he doing?"

"He's holding his own."

"Who else?"  Doug knew with the amount of gun shots, there were
sure to be more victims.

"Lydia was hit in the shoulder.  It's damaged the pectoralis major
muscle.  She's had surgery to repair the damage but she will require
a lot of physio after it heals to regain full use.    Weaver was also hit
in the lateral femur artery.  She's still in theatre."

"But you said she operated on Jerry."

"Yeah.  She did.  She collapsed afterward from the blood loss.   There
were five other GSW's, two MI's, one which we lost, and superficial
lacs from flying glass to staff and patients."

"What a day." Doug murmured.

"Hey.  He's awake."  Mark commented as he entered Doug's room.

 "Hi Mark."

"How you feeling?"

"Great.  Everyone should get shot once in a while." he commented
with a grin.

"You were meant to duck."

"Hmm." Doug conceded.  "How's the new Chief coping with losing
two attendings in one day?"

"Plus a clerk and an ER nurse.    If he survives this without an MI, it
will be a miracle." Mark said with a smile.  "Actually, if I survive it
will be a miracle as well."

"Mark, the party for tomorrow....." Doug started

"I'll take care of the cancellations for you." Mark quickly injected.

"No, Mark.   Umm, I don't know how to say this but the party was
actually going to be our wedding.  We decided that we didn't want all
the fuss but we wanted all our friends there, so we came up with the
Christmas party.  We still want it to be."

"Mark, what Doug is trying to say is we still want to get married but
it will have to be here."

Mark was taken back by their disclosure but looking at the two of
them, he knew that the most important thing for them was each other
and the location of their marriage was not important but rather the
making of the vows to bind themselves to each other in the presence
of their friends.

"Have you got a guest list?"

With that, they all sat down to sort out the arrangements.

                        
END PART 9/9


That's all folks...........

Hope you enjoyed the ride and were happy with the end result. :)

Missy
(missy@ipax.com.au)