Out of the Closet




Abby Lochart walked through the halls of the ER, looking for Dave Malucci. She really needed to talk to him about what she'd overheard - ok, eavesdropped on - him talking about on the phone. She had been wandering about, looking for him about half an hour. Eventually, see saw a pair of dark blue scrubs head into the men's toilets. She ran at the door, stopping it before it shut.

"Dave," she called. "I really need to talk to you. It's important."

"Eh, I'm a little busy just now," Dave called back. "Can it wait?"

"I overheard your phone conversation."

Dave's face appeared at the door. "Come on in," he said, opening the door.

Abby sat on a washbasin, and Dave perched on a pipe.

"What, exactly, did you hear?"

"Well," Abby started. "I heard you tell Paul that you weren't ready for anyone about your relationship."

"Uh-huh" Dave said, not showing any emotions except annoyance on his face. "Go on".

"I just wanted to know," Abby said slowly, "Even though it's none of my business, but.... are you gay?"

"Would it change your opinion towards me, or the way you viewed me as a doctor, if I was?" Dave asked evenly. "Would you run off and tell Chuni, and Haleh, so they can gossip about me the way they gossiped about you and Carter?" he continued, his voice rising. "Or are you trying to satisfy your own curiosity? You stumbled onto something you weren't supposed to know about, and now you can't wait for the next chapter in the exciting new drama, the 'Is Dave Gay?' TV series? Or do you want to use it against me, make me cover for you, every time you and Carter disappear on to the roof together, or you will tell everyone?" Dave shouted.

"I'm sorry," Abby said quietly, standing up. "I'm sorry I even asked. All I wanted to do was help you. You just had a big fight with your roommate, or boyfriend, or whoever he is, and you couldn't turn to anyone for support, because no -one knew. Well, I'm sorry for caring!" Abby shouted back, throwing open the door, and slamming it behind her as she left. Dave kicked the wall in frustration, regretting it a minute later when his toes swelled to twice their normal size.



Carter was walking past the men's toilet on his way to the admit desk to see if they had any patients yet, when he saw Abby storm out, slamming the door behind her.

"Damn!" Malucci's voice swore from the depths of the toilets.

"Why were you in the men's toilets with Dave Malucci?" Carter asked, a suspicious look on his face.

"I was arguing with him." Abby snapped.

"About what?"

"I can't tell you. It's not my place to tell." Abby may be pissed off at Malucci, but it was no reason to go gossiping about him. He was obviously deeply concerned about the ER staff's reaction, if they ever found out that he was gay. Abby respected his wishes about keeping it quiet.

"What do you mean, you can't tell me? We are engaged. We have a baby daughter. You can't tell me something Dave Malucci said to you that upset you? If he's upset you so much, that you can't tell me about it, I will personally beat the crap out of him!" Carter said loudly.

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Weaver's looking at us" Dr. Weaver had returned from the Psyche dept, and was now glowering at them from the admit desk. "Actually, it's something I said to him, that upset him, that's upsetting me," Abby said. "But, I can't tell you about it, so don't ask." With that, she turned around, and headed for the lounge to get her coat. The first drabs of staff for the next shift were starting to arrive, and it was so dead, that nobody would notice if she left 15 minutes early. She was so glad that Carter was working a double shift, and she wouldn't have to talk to him for a while.

"Fine!" Carter shouted after her. "When you feel like you can disclose the top secret contents of your conversations with Dr. Dave, then let me know. You know where you can contact me. I'm the person who sleeps on the other half of your bed!" Carter turned on his hell, and was heading in the opposite direction from Abby, when Dave came hobbling out of the toilets. Carter run at him, and hit him square in the jaw with a left hook.

"What the hell?" Dave shouted, as he picked himself up off the floor.

"What did you and Abby talk about in the toilets, that is so top secret, she won't even tell her fiancé? She can't or she won't?"

"It's not what you think, Carter. Abby loves you."

"Oh yeah? Well what is it about you, that she finds she can't share with me?"

"Carter, I'm not trying to steal your girl. I swear."

"Then what is so important between you two?" By now, both men were shouting, and circling each other.

"SHE FOUND OUT I'M GAY!" Dave yelled, just in time for the changeover of shifts. Weaver, Haleh, Chuni, Mark, Cleo, Elizabeth, Peter, and Romano, Malik, and many other nurses all turned to stare.

"Oops" said Carter.



Part 3
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