Daylight

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A special thanks to Kacey, who puts up with my endless rewrites, then makes what I do finally consider half finished more of a work of art then it could have been. ALSO: If there are editing problems in this one, please consider them solely attributed to me, as I have a nasty habit of changing and redoing veritable sections after the final review! :)

PREVIOUSLY: John and Kerry evidently like miniature golfing and drinking decaffeinated coffee.



"The efficiency of this department is slipping." Robert Romano was intoning in a deep and serious tone of voice. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that expenses are getting out of hand. If we don't start taking preventative measures now, then I'm sure you won't like the preventative measures I will take in the future." He used his eagle-like stare to pin first Dr. Jing Mei Chen then, Dr. Dave Malucci, and finally Kerry with his gaze.

Jing Mei looked over at Kerry; she had no clue why she was being singled out. Dave made sense but herself? Mabey Romano thought she was an easy target? Kerry shrugged her shoulders slightly at her, indicating that she should be looking at Dr. Romano and not herself. Jing Mei glanced back to see what else the "bullet" had to say, neither one looked at Dave.

Kerry sighed, 'I really didn't need this today,' she thought to herself. To start the day off with Romano in a rage was not a good sign as to how this day was going to end. He had been going on, and on, and on, over budget constraints, and general inefficiency for over 30 minutes at this point, and it looked like he had no intentions whatsoever of ever shutting up.

She didn't mind spur of the moment meetings, even an occasional chewing out if it was needed, but this was ridiculous. To be cornered at the moment she walked in was just a bit much. 'It would have been much better for overall moral if he had just grabbed whomever had incurred his wrath and dragged them into a conference room for a one on one meeting,' she thought, 'but no, the entire department was receiving it today.'

Kerry's chair was a bit to close to Romano for her piece of mind. First thing that morning, Dr. Romano had dragged everyone into the smallest conference room he could find. By 30 minutes after the hour, it was standing room only. People shifted from one leg to another, the lucky, few who had chairs were constantly being fixed with a "look" from their *esteemed* speaker. She shifted slightly in her own chair, once again regretting Luka's chivalry by giving her that particular seat. She had been sitting for so long that her legs were starting to bother her from all the inactivity. Being tired and grouchy from not enough sleep from the previous night certainly wasn't helping, she thought to herself.

Logistically speaking she knew she should have gone to bed earlier the night before, but as she thought to herself 'It's hard to go to bed when you're having a good time.' She could feel her shoulders tightening up from suppressed anger and inactivity. She tried to rub them circumspectly, and was startled when she felt a hand suddenly kneading her shoulder. She could feel a warm presence behind her and relaxed slightly, recognizing the rich spicy cologne. Kerry placed one small warm hand upon his, to still his motions, then left her hand placed upon his, all the while watching as Robert continued to rant and rave.

"So, have I made myself abundantly clear?" Robert said, approximately 10 minutes later, finally finishing his speech. Kerry just nodded her head slightly; she'd be damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction of replying now. She watched as Romano glared at her, waiting for her response. Kerry stared back, neither alarmed nor perturbed by his gaze, openly daring him in her own way.

Jing Mei looked on for a moment, watching the silent battle, wondering who was going to win, when she suddenly realized she was now the target of Romano's gaze. She was starting to worry if she had done something inadvertently to incur his wrath when he finally broke off his glare and stomped out of the room, his back stiff with his own self-importance.

Jing looked up to see Kerry there, her hand still lightly placed upon the other on her shoulder. She looked up at the handsome man standing next to Kerry and asked them. "What's with Dr. Romano?"

Kerry answered calmly. "I'm not sure, maybe the board is onto him for expenses?" She paused then continued. "Have you spoken to Mark yet Dr Chen? He expressed a concern as to your whereabouts earlier."

Kerry patted the hand on her shoulder for a second. He took his hand away slowly, not wanting to relinquish contact, then watched as she firmly grabbed her crutch, and tiredly stood up. She looked very weary today, he thought to himself. Kerry covered a yawn with the back of her hand, 'she knew she should have gone to bed earlier.' She turned and faced the gentleman standing directly behind her.

"So glad you could make it in today, Dr. Carter."

John quietly watched her for a few moments letting his eyes say the things that he wasn't allowed to say at work. "Well now if I had known that Dr. Romano was going to go on a rampage, I would have called in sick, instead of just late." He smiled at Kerry as she mock glared at him. She stood there silently for a moment or two just drinking in the site of him. He may have left her house very late last night, and technically it may have been just a few hours since they had seen each other last but damn, she had missed him.

They both looked up as Dr. Chen, walked off muttering, (still shaking her head at them). "I'm going to find Dr. Greene if anyone cares." She really hated it when people were so in love they forgot that there were other people in the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that day
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So Kerry," Robert said quietly as he walked up to where she was sitting. " I hear our new Dr. Stafford is blending in quite well."

Kerry kept her eyes on her paperwork. 'Trust him to bring up Erik,' she said to herself. She wondered why he was fishing for information on her ex.

"Yes he seems to be," She said out loud.

"You know Kerry if you had objections to him being on staff you should have said something earlier." Robert eyed her carefully to see what her reaction would be.

"I have no professional objections Robert. He has an excellent reputation," (at least medically, she thought to herself), "as long as he doesn't deliberately kill anyone I think he'll make a smooth transition to County." Kerry decided she wouldn't give Robert the satisfaction, she had known all day he was going to try something like this and just like clockwork here he was. They both knew she had not been notified or even allowed in the deciding decision. She wondered why Robert was goading her; hopefully his reasoning would come clear soon.

Robert looked at Kerry for a few more moments, still trying to get a rise out of her. "So you have no objections to doing his chart reviews?"

"Are you baiting me for a reason Robert?" Kerry asked him nicely. She pinned her gaze on him, and watched as the expression on his face changed slightly. She wondered if he knew that the light behind him shined perfectly on his bald spot. "Actually, Mark and I made a deal, he said he would do Dr. Stafford's reviews, and then I would be able to attend to more patients."

What Kerry wasn't going to tell him was that Mark had insisted that he do the reviews, and she knew that the only way she would be able to stomach that was to help out even more, which of course meant more paperwork at home. "Is there a point to this conversation Robert? Or were you just passing time?"

Romano watched her silently for a few more moments. "Actually, there is one other issue I feel compelled to bring up. In light of your new relationship status change with Dr. Carter, I feel it's imperative that someone else be given his reviews also."

Kerry struggled to keep her facial expressions severe. "We're already one jump ahead of you on this one Robert." She tried to keep the mischief out of her voice. "Mark has already agreed to do any reviews deemed necessary for Carter." Did he think they were going to ask him? 'HA!' She thought to herself.

Robert was vexed for a moment but he knew it would only be a temporary thing. "Kerry, you know how important the efficiency of this hospital is, as long as all the rules are followed…" At this he glared at her, daring her to remember how she had flouted his rules and gotten suspended earlier in the year for it. She wondered briefly if he was trying to threaten her.

"Thank you for your time, Robert," Kerry said, neatly dismissing him. "Now if you'll excuse me I do have some paperwork to get done." She would not give him the time of day. While she was grateful for the job position she had, he wasn't worth a knock down drag out fight in the middle of the E.R. She watched as he walked down the hallway towards his own office.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When John Truman Carter walked up the receptionist area, he noticed Kerry standing there, clipboard at hand, reviewing the contents. John grabbed the first chart he saw, then watched as Kerry cheerfully took it from him, and gave him another. "This one is mine, you can have…." She rifled through the charts for a moment or two. "You can have this one."

He smiled at her, thinking how pretty she looked, then looked down at his chart. "Is this some sort of punishment, what did Malucci get?" he teasingly asked her. Treating a bunion was hardly his way of starting the day.

Kerry grinned at him, then looked over at the chart he was holding. "Do you have any objections to treating bunion patients, Dr. Carter?" she smiled at him slightly. "Dr. Malucci is currently treating a migraine sufferer, you can assist him if you want." She laughed straight out on the look on his face. "You are an evil person, Kerry." John told her teasingly. He yawned briefly, then looked back down at his chart.

"You look tired, almost as if some evil woman keep you up to late last night?" Kerry mischievously asked him, thinking he was still gorgeous despite his lack of sleep.

John smiled briefly at her. "I probably should have gotten you home earlier last night," he said quietly, not really wanting the entire place to overhear him. Kerry casually glanced up to see if anyone was around.

"Yes, I suppose I shouldn't have invited you in for coffee." She smiled back at him, feeling slightly guilty at the lines of sleep deprivation engraved upon his face. John smiled at that remark. He really had no intentions of going anywhere near a pot of coffee at the moment.

"You going to tell me why you were late this morning. Surely your alarm clock worked, after all I managed to make it in!" Kerry asked him, laughing slightly at his discomfiture.

John replied. "Wasn't the alarm, had to get a tire serviced."

Kerry smiled. "Tire troubles again? I've heard that story before."

John smiled at her, remembering their aborted furniture expedition. He wished they weren't in such a public place, he'd like to continue where they left off last night. "I have the receipt, want to see it?" he said teasingly told her.

"You can show it to me later." Kerry told him quietly. Then glanced down at the clipboard she held. She tried to clear the thoughts out of her head, but visions of last night lingered instead, just like the cologne he wore which lingered in the air above her...

She felt a little silly thinking they had stayed up so late necking like two teenagers, but not to silly to stop it, should it occur again. She chuckled inwardly to herself.

John watched her for a few seconds. "Seems quiet in here today." Last night had been so special, he wished they were anywhere but work. He knew he should be seeing patients, but he delayed leaving anyway.

"Yes, very quiet, something to be thankful for." Kerry said, glancing again at her clipboard, trying to decided if she needed to do any further tests on that particular patient, or if she should just do more research instead. She looked up when John touched her shoulder lightly, "Are we still on for Friday?"

"I thought it was tonight," she said, looking up at him teasingly. She knew it wasn't, but she couldn't resist baiting him, just a little.

John smiled, "No, I have a meeting I need to go to tonight, unless you want to meet after?" he let the unspoken question linger in the air. "It usually lasts till 9:30 or so, or is that too late." He didn't care at the moment if he did sound pathetically eager to spend time with her.

"We could." Kerry tried not to sound too anxious to see him again, but she knew she was. "We need to talk about Friday though." She smiled at him, thinking how nice he looked today. His light grey sweater did things to him that shouldn't be allowed.

"Why are you standing me up?" John knew in his heart she wasn't, but he had to admit to just a bit of worry.

"No, I was just wondering if YOU had decided what we are doing yet?" Kerry told him.

"Oh, I get to choose this time? You mean, you don't want to play more miniature golf?" He teased her gently. Kerry wrinkled her nose at him. "Be nice!" she told him, positive he wouldn't be. John just smiled at her, he was about to reply when Dave walked up and said. "If its Friday night you're talking about, then take her to the races, I hear they have a really good one coming up at the speedway." Dave told Carter as he dropped off a chart, grabbed another, and then proceeded to erase a name off the board.

"That's not really in the plans Dave, what's the matter bored thinking up your own dates, now you're trying to arrange mine?" John jokingly told him.

"I do fine on my own," Dave told him defensibly.

"The rumor is Dave,' John told him. "That there is a certain nurse in this building who's resisting the old Malucci charm." Dave watched as John hopped on the counter next to Kerry, and pretended to review the chart.

"I don't think she's so much resisting my charms, as playing hard to get!" Dave muttered. He looked up to see the pretty new nurse Simonne looking at him, then flushing and looking away. 'Haw,' Dave thought, 'I knew she was more interested in me than she keeps telling me.' Simone flushed, turned her head back to her work. 'What a brat, a good-looking brat, but a brat nonetheless' she thought

"But she still won't agree to date you?" John pointedly asked him.

"Naw, that's not it, I think she's just" Dave replied… He was about to say more when Kerry pointedly looked at the chart he had in his hand. Dave smiled ingratiatingly and said, "gotcha chief." He knew when he wasn't wanted, he wandered off, to attempt yet again, to speak to Simone.

"Where were we?" John asked Kerry. They both looked up when Mark dropped off a chart, and jokingly told them, "I thought for sure I'd find you two in the suture room. Instead you're out here? Your guys must be rusty." He teased them.

Kerry grimaced at him. "Go find someone else to play with, Mark!" she snapped at him.

Mark grinned at her discomfiture, looked at the board, then spoke. "Heart palpitation, it is then." He grabbed a chart and walked off down the hallway.

Kerry frowned as he spoke. The first time she bent to impulses in years and Mark had to be the one to notice. John leaned over and spoke quietly in Kerry's ear. He whispered quietly, his lips tantalizingly close to her hair. "Are you sure you don't want to find another empty suture room." He grinned as she choked slightly at the thought.

"Too late." His grin broadened slightly. "I have a bunion to see in curtain 2." A s he walked off, Kerry smiled. He was doing a great job of making her forget her paperwork today.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kerry dropped a chart off at the admin. desk, and told Jerry, "I'll be in upstairs in radiology if anyone needs me." She stalked off towards the elevator, tired of the constant interruptions of the day, and irritated at life in general at the moment. She entered it and leaned back against the elevator walls. She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for the doors to shut, when she heard a familiar voice yelling, "Hold the elevator." She looked up to see her ex husband, she briefly thought of ignoring him, but instead politely hit the stop button.

Erik entered the small room with an apologetic look towards Kerry. "Sorry, I really need to get to get upstairs as quickly as possible." His mere presence seemed to fill the small room more than she was comfortable with.

Erik watched as Kerry hit the button that she was looking for then glanced at him to see if he needed a different floor. "Somewhere else?" she asked him sullenly. Erik shook his head and sighed to himself. Someday he hoped she would drop the hostility and be civil. He knew better than to expect more, but civil would be nice… 'Someday.' he thought to himself.

"Quiet today," he told her suddenly, still hoping to strike up a quiet conversation. Kerry muttered a quiet, "yup." She continued to stare straight ahead, not acknowledging his presence. They were both startled when they heard a distinctive clanking noise coming from beneath the elevator. Kerry tried to shrug it off as she felt the elevator creep slowly upwards.

"You know," Erik began quietly, still determined to start a conversation. Unexpectedly the elevator shifted; Erik made a grab for Kerry as they were both slammed into the wall. He held her upright for a brief moment as darkness descended upon them, with only the emergency light showing. Kerry shrugged off his arms; just as the elevator made a sudden decent and yet again threw them against the wall, then abruptly jolted to a stop.



Part 9
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