Second Chance: Turn Out the Lights Before You Leave




John Carter walked into the day care center, with a diaper bag slung over his shoulder and Emma in his arms. He set the bag down on the ground, placing Emma on the counter as he took off her jacket.

"Good Morning, Dr. Carter." Angela, the woman who ran the center greeted, "Are you dropping Emma off for Grace again?"

"Yes - Grace had an early meeting, so I here I am." He handed Emma's stuff over, as well as Emma herself.

"Grace will be picking her up at six?"

"Yes." He confirmed and bent over to waved to the baby. "Bye Emma - I'll see you later." He stood back up, "Bye Angela."

"Have a nice day, Dr. Carter."

Carter headed back to his car, crunching the leaves that had just fallen to the ground. The air smelled of autumn, the smell of September. It was hard to believe that it had been over a year since Grace had re-entered his life. And it had been a little over six months since Emma had come into his life. Emma, he had decided, was the sunniest babies, as well as one of the prettiest - green eyes, feathery dark curls on her head. She had a fixation with twinkly lights, and birds. Carter loved seeing her smile, and loved seeing Grace with her.

He rushed into the hospital, practically running into Mark. "Sorry I'm late - I had to drop Emma off at day care."

"It's okay, Carter - we're slow anyway." Mark said as he walked away.

"Babysitting again?" Dave smirked, popping out of nowhere. "Man, she has got you whipped."

"Dave - please...." Carter pleaded

"Sorry, I'm sorry." Dave apologized

Dave was one of the two people who knew Carter's true feelings for Grace, the other person being Emma. Dave had questioned him about it a couple months ago. Since Dave was his friend, he told him the truth. It felt good to tell someone his secret - someone who could actually comprehend what he was saying.

After his shift was over, he headed over to Grace's office since they were going to have dinner. He had brought a few charts to work on while Grace went to get Emma. He entered her office, charts in hand.

"What's with all the charts?" She questioned.

"I brought them to work on." He explained. "Dammit - I forgot one....Man, I'm going to have to go back to the hospital."

"It's just across the street, and I have to go pick up Emma anyway, I'll go get it. You stay here and get some work done."

"Thanks Grace - It's the McDonnell chart."

"McDonnell." She confirmed as she headed for the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

Grace quickly went across the street to the hospital. Going through the doors, she spotted Dave, Chuny and Haleh at the front desk.

"Hey Dave - I'm suppose to get the McDonnell chart for John?" She explained

"McDonnelll..." He leafed through the charts, pulling one out. "Here's you go."

"Bye Dave." Grace disappeared from their sight, but stopped to get a tissue out of her purse. She was about to leave, when she heard their conversation start.

"So that's the famous Grace?" Chuny said.

"Who is she exactly?" Haleh asked

"Carter's friend." Dave explained.

"Just a friend?" Chuny gossiped, "I heard he does all kinds of things for her..."

"Well when you're in love with someone, you'll do anything..." Dave cut himself off when he realized what he had said. "Chuny - Haleh - You can't tell anyone you know that. Carter will kill me."

Just then, Grace reappeared in Dave's line of vision, walking shakily up to him. "What?"

"Grace, I, um, didn't see you there." Dave silently cursed himself - Now Carter really was going to kill him.

"Did you say that John's in love with me?" Her voice slightly rose

"I was kidding Grace, only kidding...." He tried to cover his mistake up.

"Dave. He's in love with me? For how long?" She said in a tone that made Dave know that she meant business.

"Yes - Since you came back. But he told me that I wasn't suppose to...."

"Thank you Dave." She cut him off, storming out of the hospital.

Frantically, Dave picked up the phone, dialing Carter's home number. After four rings he got the machine. "Carter, if you're there pick up.....I made a mistake, and Grace is pretty mad at you...." He started, hoping that Carter would hear the message before Grace got to him.

Carter had been doing charts at Grace's desk when the door flew open, and in burst Grace. "Did you get my chart?" He asked and looked up, "Where's Emma - What's wrong?"

"Emma's still at day care. Here's your damn chart." She threw the chart at him. "What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong - You lied to me."

"What?" Carter knew what she was talking about, but tried to hide it.

"When I asked you if you were in love with me.....When you said no - When you swore to me that you didn't. And today I find out that for the past year you've been lying to me!"

"Grace - I......"

"Do you realize that the only reason I stayed in Chicago was because I thought you were my friend. My only friend here, and you lied! So is this why you've been so nice to me? Have you done this all just to try and win me over?"

"Grace it wasn't like that...." He began to say, but she cut him off.

"Don't even talk, John. I don't want to talk to you, speak to you.....I can't believe you. I'm leaving now." She walked to the door, then turned back and said hostilely "Turn out the lights before you leave." She walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Carter sat there, frozen with his charts. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do - He had lied to her. He had betrayed her trust. Shaking, he gathered up his things, walked to the door, and flicked off the lights before he left the room.



Part 6
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