ER/Stand Crossover




So we're stuck here, Kerry thought as she sipped her coffee. There were worse things than being snowed in. They could be trying to walk there. She would have tried but she had a very good idea of what her limitations were. Walking seventy five miles through deep snow would have at least encouraged a severe painkiller habit. That was at best. She was glad that good sense had prevailed, even if it did mean a long winter in the middle of no where.

Its time to find that hobby, she decided. Spending the winter twiddling her thumbs was just going to get on everyone's nerves. She needed a distraction. She also wanted to do something other than cook meals for everyone else. So she had gotten up extra early to avoid the " please make me breakfast crowd " and now, refreshed with a cup of coffee, she intended to drive into town and find something to do. She didn't know what, but something.

She limped out of the kitchen, determined not to wake anyone else up. It was early, just six o'clock, and she didn't want company. Not for the type of shopping she had planned. Oh, it was silly to place such importance on something as trivial as finding something to do, she was more than willing to admit that. Part of it, most of it really, was that she just wanted to go someplace alone. Another reason was that she had an urge to explore the little town. They were going to spend the winter there. She wanted to know where everything was. As far as a hobby went, she wasn't concerned. She had a lot of reading she could catch up on, and she had spotted several bookstores.

Her plan to be stealthy was foiled as soon as she left the kitchen. Taris was sitting on a sofa that was conveniently angled towards the large screen tv. She was fiddling with the remote control in one hand and holding a box of Frosted Flakes. She smiled at Kerry. " Hi! You're up early."

" Um, so are you. Why are you up?" It was a fair question, Kerry thought. Taris wasn't generally an early riser. It was early for any of them especially since they had gotten back rather late.

" Its Saturday." Taris said it as if it explained everything.

This is what I get for expecting straight answers from an eight year old, Kerry thought with some amusement. " What's so special about Saturday?"

Taris looked at her as if perhaps she had sprouted horns. " The cartoons are supposed to be on. I thought since the electricity was on, that the cartoons would be on too. " She frowned. " I guess they're not going to come on though."

Probably not for a few years, Kerry thought sadly. It was rather unlikely that there were even cartoons in the video collection. The house was not meant for young children, and it told her quite a bit about what Carter's childhood must have been like. It also told her that they needed to get some things for Taris. She was a bright child and that meant that as soon as the newness of being there wore off, she would be into everything. Plus, they couldn't just let the girl run wild all winter. They would need to provide some sort of schooling, but Kerry doubted anyone had considered that. We have plenty of time for that, she decided. Jeanie and Luka were behaving in a very parental fashion, which was fine and understandable, but she didn't want to step on their toes. They probably had their own ideas on what to do. Still, they had to find the poor child something to do. Idleness led to mischief, which was probably what had the child up at the crack of dawn. It was something to think about anyway. More importantly, she couldn't leave an eight year old alone in the house." I'm going into town. Do you want to come along?"

Taris jumped up. " Can I ride in the front seat? Can we get some videos? " Before Kerry could answer, the little girl had gotten up and gone to the door, almost hopping with excitement. " Can we get presents for everyone?"

" Sure, I suppose." Presents for everyone most likely meant the puppies and kittens that Taris adored. At least she didn't want to bring them, and since they were all sleeping in the kitchen, she didn't think it would come up. She looked at the girl, just to make sure she was dressed warmly. It was early morning, and there was frost on the grass. " You need mittens."

Taris grudgingly pulled the mittens Jeanie had picked up for her out of her jacket pockets and followed Kerry out to the driveway. " Why don't you have to wear mittens?" she asked as she got into the truck, her indignation plain.

" Because I'm a grown up," Kerry muttered as she stowed her crutch next to the little girl. She started the truck and turned it towards the driveway.

Taris seemed to consider that response for a long moment. She eyed the crutch curiously. " I bet that's hard to use with mittens on. Why don't you have a cast? My aunt broke her leg but she had a cast. I bet Doug would make you a cast."

" Oh Doug would like that," Kerry said, her tone more than a little cynical. Doug would probably find it highly amusing to sneak into her room and plaster her legs together. Taking in the girl's worried look, she tried not to look so irritated. Doug was good with kids and Taris liked and trusted him. There was no reason but pettiness on her part to ruin it. " A cast won't help. I hurt it a long time ago, and its not going to get any better. Sometimes that happens."

" Oh." Taris looked her over. " Were you in an airplane crash? A drive-by?"

" No, it was a car accident." Kerry wasn't sure if it was such a great thing to talk about with Taris, but she didn't believe in lying to children. " Where did you hear about drive- bys?"

" They had one at my school. " Ask a stupid question, Kerry thought. Taris was quiet for a moment and then said, " When you wrecked up, were you drunk? On tv whenever someone crashes their car, it's because they were drunk."

Television was a wonderful educational tool, Kerry thought dryly. " I wasn't drunk. The person that hit me just wasn't paying attention." And he'd been high on crack cocaine but Taris didn't need to know that.

" Lucy said Doug drinks too much. I think it makes her sad. We should get her something pretty. Like barrettes." That seemed to finish Taris's moment of introspection. Kerry doubted barrettes would erase Lucy's depression, but it just might help. Couldn't do any harm, that was for certain, and sometimes something thoughtful like a small gift could be very... cheering. She touched the watch that Doug had brought her. She doubted, doubted very much in fact, that Doug had any idea how much his "shiny object" had pleased her. She had been depressed, and his gift had been a pleasant surprise on an otherwise rotten day. A pretty horrific day really and yet a moment of thoughtfulness had stopped her from doing something pretty stupid, at least for a couple of days.

" I'm sure we can find Lucy something nice," she said as she parked the car in a small lot. It was conveniently located by a variety of small shops that were filled with various high priced curiosities. Right on the corner was a kite store, which Taris ran right for.

" What are we shopping for?" Taris asked excitedly. She looked into the window, hopping from foot to foot.

" Nothing in particular, really. I just wanted to see what was here. " In fact Kerry didn't know what she was looking for. It was possible that she wouldn't pick up anything, though the brightly colored kites in the window made her think of bright summer days. " Do you want to look at the kites?"

" Sure!" Taris tried the door. " Its locked."

" That's ok." Kerry had been expecting that. Nothing fixes a locked door better than tiny screwdrivers and pieces of wire, she thought. In seconds, the door was open.

" Wow..." Taris's voice trailed off in amazement. " How did you do that?"

At least she didn't ask where I learned that, Kerry thought with amusement. " Its not a trick. I'll show you at the next shop."

" Really? " That seemed to interest Taris far more than the kites. It was clear that given a choice at moment, Taris would like nothing better than to run off to the next store and try her hand at lock picking.

" Let's take a look inside, first." Kerry held the door open as Taris zoomed in. It wasn't quite what Kerry had expected inside. There *were* kites everywhere, but also remote control airplanes and windsocks. Towards the back end, the items became more science orientated, including such weather devices as barometers and hygrometers. What it really was, Kerry realized as she thumbed through a display of flight maps, was a store for the hardcore hobbyist pilot. She wasn't an expert by any means, but she recognized enough of the equipment to see that a person could set up their own personal weather station, perhaps for their own personal airfield.

Taris, clutching a bright red kite, was staring at the weather equipment in fascination. " I saw those before. At school, in the six grade science room. You can tell how fast the wind is blowing and when it'll rain and everything." The girl paused. " That's what Mr. Bledders said. Do you know how it works?"

" Not completely, " Kerry admitted. It had been a long time since undergraduate science class and she hadn't much more than a passing interest in physical science. Still, it was clear that Taris was interested. " I bet we could find some books, if you wanted. "

" And we could keep a journal and do experiments and stuff!" Taris seemed quite taken with the idea. " You know, we should put the stuff we're going to take at the front and then when we're done shopping, we can just drive around and pick stuff up. That way we don't have to carry stuff."

Definitely a bright kid, Kerry decided as she picked up some of the childrens books on weather. She hadn't doubted that, not after hearing how the child had spent the entire summer alone, but it was nice to see further evidence of it.

They checked out several other stores, finding all sorts of interesting things. Taris picked out a bright assortment of hair scrunchies for Lucy, and numerous toys for her pets. Kerry was chagrinned to admit that she hadn't found anything for herself.

" What are you looking for?" Taris asked again as they entered another store, the lock on the door deftly picked open by Taris.

" Just looking..." Kerry's voice trailed off in disappointment as she took in the store's contents. It was filled with models. Models of cars, models of airplanes, even models of the human body. She sighed. Putting together an exact miniature of some large object was interesting from a hand eye coordination standpoint, but hardly fun. Who wanted a F-117 made of plastic, she thought as she looked at the bright colored boxes. Towards the back, she found the boat models and unbidden, a conversation she'd had with Dave came back to her. She eyed a box that held all the parts to make a 17th century brigantine. She wiped the dust off, noting that the price was almost eight hundred dollars.

" Dave would like that," Taris said knowingly. She smiled at Kerry. " Dave likes boats. He likes you too."

And that's exactly why I shouldn't bring this home, Kerry thought tiredly. Still, she picked up the box. There was nothing wrong with doing something nice. Dave had really helped her through a rough period. He deserved a present. And if he read something into it, that was his problem.

She tried to make herself believe all of her motives. After a moment though, she simply ignored the little warning voice in her head. She was not encouraging Dave's flirtation, she was just being nice. So the ship model would go with her, and the dice could fall where they may.



Part 49
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