YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER (PART 2/?) by Michelle Creek (missy@ipax.com.au) Written: 25/8/98 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. Shock rippled through the ER staff within hearing range, heads turned and all notions of work stopping as they strained to hear more. Silence reigned, leaving Kerry at the centre of attention. No one had every imagined Kerry Weaver as a mother. It was not something they associated with her nor did it fit the image that she always managed to portray. Kerry's smile broadened as she uttered the words. Over the past two years, she had practised saying those words many times, running them over again in her own mind but not daring to say them aloud. Hearing them now pass her lips, they felt strange but yet so right. Chuny, Lydia and Lily came over from the nurses station and looked at the dark skinned girl, her dark eyes capturing all who looked at her, drawing and drowning them in their deep brown pools. "She's beautiful, Kerry. What's her name?" Chuny asked. "How old is she?" "Where is she from?" "Is she a sponsored child?" Carol asked, doubting that Kerry would actually be becoming a mother. She knew that some of her friends called the children they sponsored overseas 'their child'. It gave them a sense of worth and connection with the child they were financially raising in another country. The questions rolled over one another and Kerry was overwhelmed. Because she had limited the knowledge of her adoption to those who had been here referees, she had not really encountered the se questions and interest before. Although it had been her own choice to exile herself from probing, now she felt the relief at finally being able to talk about it all openly. "No, she's not a sponsored child. I'm adopting Alemsehay from Ethiopia. They think she's five years old but it's usually a hazarded guess on their part. I've been going through the paperwork and waiting over the last two years. This afternoon I received the allocation papers and this photograph." Kerry's face radiated with joy, enjoying the chance of showing the staff her daughter. "You're adopting. As in a permanent child?" Randi's voice carried her disbelief, the only one to actually express her doubts that Kerry was willing to take a child on full-time. Kerry raised her eyebrows in response. She knew that she gave the impression of being hardline and following protocol but she never realised that it had carried through so strongly that they never thought she would like to have a child. "You've been allocated!" Jeanie rushed up to Kerry and gave her a hug. She had heard the gossip that was already filtering through the ER department. "Kerry, that's great news. Why didn't you tell me?" Jeanie had been one of Kerry's referee's needed during the assessment phase of the adoption. She had known Kerry's fears of being rejected because of her disability and the reason for keeping it out of the ER grapevine. Now she was glad the secret was out in the open and she would not accidently say something to divulge Kerry's secret. "I only found out this morning when the call came through from the Department." "So what now? Other than you needing a change of clothes." Jeanie asked. The group around Kerry was increasing as word spread of the news. "Medicals, court hearings and the like in Ethiopia for her. It will take about three to four months before everything will be through immigration, passports issued and clearance for her arrival." Kerry new this time was going to be exceptionally hard. The child she had only imagined was now real. She had a photograph and a name to put to the child. This was where the waiting got so hard. All she wanted to do was hop on a plane and go and pick her up from Addis Ababa. But she knew enough about procedure and policy to know that things were never as easy as just hopping on a plane. Sirens and flashing lights heralded the arrival of a patient breaking up the huddled group. All the staff were disappointed at the interruption. This was going to set the grapevine humming for the rest of the evening. They all wanted to ask Kerry about the adoption. Why she was adopting? Do they allow single mothers? What made her decide to adopt? The questions were endless that were forming in their minds. However, they weren't sure whether Kerry would be willing to answer them. Realising that they were blocking the door, Kerry adopted her usual brusque manner, handing out instructions to staff and getting ready to handle whatever emergency was about to come through the door. "Here Dr. Weaver, I'll take those files." "Thanks Jerry." Kerry had been trying to awkwardly balance the files and pick up her briefcase again. It was nice to have had the offers of help, something she didn't get very often. "Where do you want them?" Jerry held the door to the doctor's lounge open for Kerry to come through after him. "Just on the table for now. I'm going to have fun later sorting them out." Kerry opened the combination lock on the door to her locker. It was then the first time she noticed that her door was void of any pictures, notes or anything that marked it as being hers. Jerry smiled, placing the files and papers down in a haphazard order. There was no way he was going to be *that* generous and offer to assist her. Putting her briefcase and purse inside, she realised her shirt and pants were still rather damp. Thinking about changing, she was interrupted by a bang groan of pain. Turning around, she found Jerry holding the side of his face where the door had caught him squarely as he was about to leave. Mark was still holding the door, a guilty look on his face. "Jerry, are you okay?" Both Mark and Kerry asked him, concerned when he seemed stunned for a moment. "I'm fine, Dr. Greene. I'll just have to come up with a better reason for having a black eye than walking into a door." Jerry gave him a wry smile. Mark apologised to him profusely. "Don't worry about it, Dr. Greene. Although it was a pity it wasn't one of the nurses, I could have played the injured victim." "Put some ice on it, Jerry." Kerry called out after him as he left. "Kerry, we need you out here. We've got four victims of a gang fight with GSWs and stab wounds." Mark said, waiting for her at the open door. Slipping her lab coat over her damp clothes, stethoscope around her neck and flicked her glasses chain over her head, she slammed the door shut and followed Mark out. "So what's this I hear about you adopting a girl?" Mark had been curious when the ER grapevine had this piece of news, sure that someone had blown a small fact way out of proportion. "News does get around fast." Kerry's tone had an edge but she softened it with a slight smile and raised eyebrows. "Why didn't you say anything?" He was surprised that the gossip had been true. "There wasn't anything to say until I was allocated." She replied shortly. "You could have said what you were planning?" His voice carried the hurt at not having been informed, even though he worked closely with her. "You weren't alone, Mark. What was I going to say? I'm adopting a child form Ethiopia, she could be anything from four to eight years old and it could take anywhere between one to four years to come through. I'm sorry but I preferred to wait until I had something more definite." Kerry's limp was more accentuated when she was upset. "I'm sorry. I had no right to question your personal life." Mark was apologetic, knowing how he felt when others delved into his own personal life. "No you didn't but you're welcome to join the que." Kerry acknowledged the questions that were sure to come up now she had told the staff of the adoption. "Ah.... I think you will need to give them a few more details." "I'll let them get a good gossip session going on what they've already got before I give them anymore." Kerry grinned. Mark shook his head with a laugh and they parted company as each entered the two Trauma Rooms to assist the residents. END PART 2/?