"You're lonely."
John Carter looked up briefly from where he was suturing a nasty hand lac and he smiled at his patient. "I wouldn't say that."
The woman smiled sadly at him. "The loneliness has colored your aura, Dr. Carter. You're lonely. And yet...and yet I sense that the one who would make you complete is nearby. If only you would open your eyes and heart."
John chuckled, but he avoided looking to his side at Abby. If only Mrs. Tabarek knew just how close to the truth her words were. He finished with a flourish. "There you are, Mrs. Tabarek. Ms. Lockhart will bandage the area for you. You should see your regular physician in ten days to have the stitches removed. Keep the area dry and replace the bandage daily and if it should become wet. Ms. Lockhart will give you a list of instructions." He pushed back on the stool and got to his feet, carefully stretching his back.
"Thank you, Dr. Carter. As you had promised, it hardly hurt at all," Mrs. Tabarek said a sly grin on her face. "I'd like to do something for you. Something to help you end this loneliness that threatens to consume you."
John's eyebrows raised. Sure, he felt lonely from time to time. He had felt even lonelier since he had told Abby that he could no longer be her friend. But it wasn't anything threatening to consume him. Still...he could humor his patient. "If you wish. But it isn't necessary. I'm quite happy with my life."
John could feel two sets of eyes upon him then, Abby's and the patients. Mrs. Tabarek nodded. "When the mist rolls in off the lake, shrouding the city, then that night you will have a vision of your true love, Dr. Carter. Find that love and your loneliness will end."
From behind him John could hear the sound of mocking laughter and he turned to see Dave Malucci standing just a few feet behind him. "Don't you have anything better to do than to eavesdrop?" John icily asked.
Dave's face flushed slightly, but he shook his head. "Not really."
"Then maybe Dr. Weaver can find something to keep you occupied," John suggested.
"You don't believe, Dr. Malucci, but it's true. The mist will show you a truth as well. Watch for it."
Dave gazed intently at Mrs. Tabarek, wondering how she had known his name. Then he remembered that he had his hospital ID on, so she obviously had read it from his badge. "I've got a patient in exam one." Dave hurried away, finding himself amazed at the things some people would believe. True loves and the truth in the mist? Sounded like something out of some grade "B" movie portraying gypsies or other mysterious personages.
John looked back at his patient, expecting her to be upset, but instead she was looking at Dave's retreating back, the same sly grin on her face. "Well, I'll leave you in the capable hands of Ms. Lockhart. Take care, Mrs. Tabarek."
"The same to you, Dr. Carter." The woman replied. As soon as he was out of earshot of the curtained area, she looked up at Abby. "It's not you."
"I beg your pardon?" Abby had been preparing the bandage and wasn't quite sure what the woman was talking about.
"His true love. It's not you, dear. He thinks that you're the one, and you are starting to believe that yourself, but it's not you. You're not meant for him."
"You are you not meant for?" Luka asked as he stepped up beside Abby, a chart in his hand. He had been looking for her so they could talk about their dinner plans. And in case Kerry or someone else came upon them while they were talking, he had a patient that he needed help with, hence the chart.
Mrs. Tabarek looked Luka up and down, then smiled. "She's not meant for you, either, nor you for her."
"Excuse me?" Luka looked from Abby to the woman seated on the gurney, then back to Abby.
"Mrs. Tabarek is playing matchmaker and truth seer today. She's already told Carter that he'll find his one true love in a dream brought to him when the mist rolls in off the lake, and she told Malucci that he'd learn the truth the same night." Abby looked at Mrs. Tabarek. "Did I get that right?"
The woman's smile widened. "Close enough, my dear. I didn't say 'dream' though, I said vision." She looked at Luka and he found himself unable to pull away from her stare. Then she nodded. "You will also learn a truth that night, Dr. Kovac. And maybe find your true love as well. You came close to it once, but as good as that was, she wasn't your true love."
Luka swallowed uncomfortably as he realized that this woman was talking about his marriage. "Abby, I need to speak with you as soon as you're done here."
"Okay," Abby slowly replied. She watched Luka walk away, then returned her attention to Mrs. Tabarek, applying antibiotic cream and then the bandage. "Take this paperwork up to the desk and they'll discharge you."
The woman got to her feet and picked up her purse before taking the papers from Abby. "Thank you. And don't worry, dear. You're time will come. It just won't be this time."
Abby frowned as she watched the woman walk away, then she shook her head and went in search of Luka, dismissing Mrs. Tabarek as yet another kooky patient.
John was erasing Mrs. Tabarek's name from the board when he heard her voice. He turned around and saw her at the desk, trying to get someone's attention so she could be discharged. "Randi, I think you've got a customer," he said, directing Randi's attention to the woman.
Randi glared at him, then walked over to take care of discharging the woman. John smiled at his now former patient and glanced back at the board for a new patient. He heard Peter Benton and Mark Greene walking his way and he greeted both men.
"Morning, Carter," Benton replied, his mind clearly elsewhere.
"I swear, Peter, you'd think that no one had ever had a baby before. Elizabeth just gets so caught up in everything," Mark complained.
"Well, you *do* have an edge on her, Mark, with Rachel. Give Elizabeth some time and she'll calm down." Peter replied with a smile, but it quickly faltered as his eyes saw Cleo across the room.
Mrs. Tabarek followed Peter's gaze, and then she reached over the counter to gently touch him on his forearm, making him jump. "She's fine. You don't need to worry about her."
"Listen to her, Dr. Benton, she knows what she's talking about," John said as he stepped around the older man to reach a chart on the counter.
"Right," Peter scoffed. Even Mark smiled in a condescendingly way, making the woman shake her head.
"So many unbelievers here. It's no wonder so many of you are unhappy." She looked to her left, where Dave was approaching and her eyes then searched out Luka who was standing about twenty feet away, deep in conversation with Abby. But she didn't speak again until Luka looked in her direction. She broke off her stare as a new person entered the admit area, and her gaze then fell upon Robert Romano. While looking directly at him she said, "Mark my words, doctors. There are things in this world that science can't explain. Things that you can only believe in if you're willing to open up your hearts and minds. When the mist comes in off the lake, some of you will have a vision of true love, some will have a vision of the truth, and some will see what might have been while some of you will see what might yet be. And some of you will be given a second chance. But none of it will matter if you keep your hearts and minds closed." She took her completed paperwork from Randi, then nodded at them all and left.
"Why do you always get the weird patients?" Mark asked John.
John shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess. Just lucky. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a hypochondriac waiting for me in exam two."
The words of Mrs. Tabarek were quickly forgotten as the men returned to work. And then a few nights later the land temperature sharply fell while the water temperature remained warm. As darkness descended upon Chicago, a thick mist slowly enveloped the city.
********************
"I am out of here," John said as he slammed his locker door closed. "I'm going to go straight home and directly to bed."
"Rough day?" Mark asked as he, too, closed his locker door.
"Double shift," John replied. "And I am beat. What about you?"
Mark shrugged. "Normal enough day. Now I get to go home to my wife and darling baby girl." He grinned. "I can't think of anything better."
"Me, either. You're lucky, Mark. Very lucky."
Mark thought back to when he thought he was going to die from his brain tumor and he nodded. "You're right about that. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right."
They walked out of the lounge and past the admit desk where Dave was just beginning his shift. "Don't be late," he called out to John. "I've got plans for the morning."
John laughed. "Right, Malucci. Don't worry, I'll be in on time."
Dave watched John and Mark leave, and then he started to search through the charts until he found a case that he wanted to work with. Turning around to head to Curtain Three, he stopped in his tracks as he saw Kerry Weaver looking at him, a small smile on her face. "Good evening, Chief."
"Good evening, Dr. Malucci. Thanks for finding a case for me," Kerry said. She held out her hand for the chart.
"My pleasure." Dave handed her the chart, then reached back and blindly selected one out of the rack. "Oh, boy, a boil. Just what I like," he blandly said. "I had better get to work."
He walked toward Curtain Three, passing Peter and Romano as they were making their way toward the admit desk.
"Goodnight, Kerry," Robert cheerfully said as he paused long enough to rest his elbows on the counter. "Anything I should know about before I go home? Any dead mass murderers or residents being sent to rehab?"
"No, Robert," Kerry tiredly replied. "Just go home."
Robert grinned at having scored a hit. "With pleasure, Kerry, with pleasure." He pushed himself away from the desk. "So, Peter, what are your plans for the evening? Dinner with Miss Pinprick?"
Peter simply glared at Robert, then walked out of the building.
"Keep working on those people skills, Robert. I think you're starting to improve," Kerry commented as she went to find her patient.
Robert made a face at her retreating back, and then he left for the evening.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Kerry," Luka said as he and Abby passed the Chief in the hallway.
"Have a good evening," Kerry said. "Oh, Abby, the patient in curtain one, did you give her any Tylenol?"
Abby shook her head. "Check with Lydia, I'm pretty sure the woman was her patient."
Kerry nodded. "Got it. Now get out of here before you two get caught here."
Luka laughed. "You don't have to tell me twice. Goodbye."
He and Abby walked through the gathering mist to his car. "Hey," Abby said, "this is the night, isn't it? The one Mrs. Tabarek predicted."
Luka put the keys in the ignition and looked through the windshield at the mist that had even managed to penetrate the parking garage. "You're talking about that woman who was making those wild and mysterious predictions, right?"
Abby nodded. "Yep. What was it all that she said? Stuff about true love and second chances. It should be interesting tomorrow morning to see what all of you guys will dream about tonight."
Luka leaned over and kissed Abby, then grinned. "I can tell you right now what I'm going to be dreaming about tonight."
Abby giggled. "Oh, really? And what will that be? Your *true* love? Mrs. Tabarek said I wasn't her, so I'm not so sure I want you dreaming about *that* tonight."
"Maybe mine will be about second chances. Or seeing the truth." Luka started the car, and then he shook his head, laughing. "It's all just a bunch of nonsense, Abby."
"Yes, well, let's see if you're still saying that in the morning."
************************
John drew open the drapes of his window and looked out into the mist-shrouded night. Mrs. Tabarek's words echoed in his ears, but he dismissed them. John knew he wasn't being consumed by loneliness, even if the woman he loved was in love with another man. Leaving the drapes open, John walked across the room and climbed into bed. Even though it was summer, just looking at the mist made him feel cold. Of course, having the house air conditioner set at sixty-five didn't help matters any, but that was the price of aging, he supposed. His grandparents just didn't seem to be able to tolerate the heat the way they used to. Or the cold, either, he thought, remembering back to how toasty the house had been that past winter. And that was the last thing John thought about as sleep quickly overcame him.
*************************
Robert checked his alarm, then turned off the light and snuggled under his sheets. It had been a long day and he was tired. His eyes closed and it wasn't long before he reached REM sleep. As usual, his dream began with a blonde. Tall, leggy, great breasts. She smiled at him and he reached out to take her hand. And that's when she changed, another thing that was usual in his dreams. The blonde shrank, turning petite and bubbly and when Robert looked into her eyes he found himself looking into the eyes of Lucy Knight. She smiled at him the same way she had smiled at him the Christmas Eve she had convinced him to do a procedure on a heart failure patient. Lucy had such a beautiful smile and he told her so. Lucy nodded her thanks. "But it's not me that you want, Robert." Her hand slipped out of his. *This * was NOT a usual part of his dreams and he turned restlessly in his bed. Usually he and Lucy would walk and talk until he awoke to the jarring sound of his alarm. Why was tonight different? He tried to change his dream, to make Lucy behave as normal, but she kept walking away. Robert had no choice but to follow her, even when he suddenly found himself walking down a corridor in the hospital. Lucy paused at a door and looked back at him, laughing. Then she stepped through. Robert had to run to catch up to her, at least he hoped he was catching up, but when he opened the door he didn't see Lucy. Instead he saw a patient on a bed in a room he recognized. The patient rolled over and just as Robert's eyes registered the fact that he was looking at John Carter the scene changed and he was in his own bedroom, looking at John Carter as he lay in his bed. Carter stretched out an arm to him, beckoning Robert to come to bed. And Robert found himself obeying that request as he lifted the covers aside and slipped between the sheets, his now naked body touching the equally naked body of Carter.
Once again, a part of his brain tried to change the direction of the dream, but a woman's voice whispered 'open your heart and mind' and Robert ceased that effort. What the Hell, he thought, it's just a dream and doesn't mean anything.
Goosebumps erupted all over his body as Carter's hand lightly skimmed over his belly, descending to cup his balls and fondle his now rampant cock. "The rocket," Carter whispered.
"That's right," Robert replied with a grin. "And it's on a pre-set course, Carter...John." Robert felt his heart swell when he saw the look of love and desire shining out of John's eyes.
"And is it set for any planet in particular?" John asked as his lips found a sensitive spot on Robert's neck.
"Ahhhh, yes." Robert replied his own hands now seeking out parts of John's body and making him moan. "I do believe that it's heading for Planet Carter." Robert slipped a finger into a tight and hot opening and was rewarded with another moan from John's throat. Even though he had never before thought about being with another man, Robert seemed to know exactly what to do, and he was surprised at how right it felt as his cock was slowly enveloped by John Carter's body. They fucked...no, they made love. Slowly and deeply, they kissed and fondled while hips thrust to meet each other. They came together, their orgasms forcing screams out of their throats, strangled yells that attested to just how good it had felt.
Robert awoke with a start and he stared up at his ceiling. His eyes were drawn to the window and through the partially closed blinds he could see the mist of the night swirling around his house. "Just nonsense," he muttered and then he realized that he had come in his sleep and all because of a dream he had had where he screwed out the brains of John Carter.
****************************
John mumbled something in his sleep and then his body arched upward as his orgasm rocked his entire being. His eyes fluttered open, but he was still suspended in that area halfway between the dream world and the world of the awake. He gazed at the window as a face started to form in the mist. Before it could fully take shape his eyelids lowered and he returned to the land of Nod.
*****************************
"Ella asleep?" Mark lazily asked as he felt Elizabeth settle onto the mattress beside him.
"Yes, she's fed, changed and asleep. Finally." Elizabeth placed a quick kiss on the back of Mark's neck, then curled up behind him. "Goodnight."
"Night," Mark yawned. The quiet of the house combined with the tiring day soon lulled Mark to sleep. When his dreams began they were of happy times. His little Rachel playing happily with an older Ella while a smiling Elizabeth looked on. They were in the backyard of the house, playing croquet and Mark was on the deck, grilling burgers for them all as they basked in the sunshine. And then they all looked up as dark clouds gathered overhead -- lightning flashed and thunder rolled and they all ran for cover inside the house as the rain poured down. From the door Mark watched as the rain bloated the hamburgers into large rafts and then they were all seated on one of them, floating down the street and into the Chicago River. Other families were afloat, and they waved at each other as they passed. Then Elizabeth screamed and Mark followed her pointing finger to see that the river dropped off right before them. He tried to reach for his daughters as the hamburger raft tipped over the top of the waterfall. The water roaring in his ears, Mark called out for his family, but there were no answers as he was pulled under the water.
He awoke, sputtering, dimly aware that someone had been performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him. Opening his eyes he looked up into the expressive orbs of Carter. Carter smiled down at him and Mark felt warm and tingly all over from that simple expression. "You're alive," Carter said, clearly happy over that prospect.
"Yes," Mark replied as he sat up. He was now on a beach and the sun was out, warming his naked body. Carter was also naked, but that didn't seem to bother Mark. As he looked at Carter he found that he quite liked what he was looking at. "I've always found myself attracted to you." The words seemed oddly familiar, but Mark didn't quite know why, nor did he care. The only thing that mattered was that Carter needed to say the same words back to him.
Carter laughed. "I like you, too, Mark. Come and dance with me." Carter helped Mark to his feet and they wrapped their arms around each other while a band played a slow song.
None of the band members seemed to care that two men were naked and dancing on the sand...no, pavement outside of the ER. They were in the ambulance bay, near the basketball hoop and Carter's hands were slowly caressing Mark's buttocks. Mark's cock was hard and pressing against Carter's equally hard cock. Mark found that if he pulled Carter tightly against him and moved his body up and down that an exquisite friction was created.
"God, Mark, don't stop." Carter begged and Mark could see by the look on Carter's face that he was about to come. Mark knew he was close to the edge as well, and he wanted them to come at the same time. He began to writhe against Carter, thrilled when the resident ground his hips. They both cried out as they came, their come hitting their bellies and acting like glue to hold them together.
"Don't leave me," Mark said, but then he found himself holding empty air as Carter's body disappeared and the rain once more began to fall. Mark dropped to his knees on the pavement, crying over his loss. He then felt warm arms holding him and he heard a voice telling him to wake up, that it was just a dream and everything was okay. As Mark slowly drifted back to the real world, he wondered why he would dream of John Carter when he had someone like Elizabeth Corday in his bed and in love with him. But even as Elizabeth's kisses warmed him, Mark found himself missing the way it had felt to hold Carter.
**********************************
"No," John softly cried out and this time he awoke a bit more. His legs were tangled in the bedclothes and his body was sweaty, as were his pajamas. But by the time John had untangled the sheets and comforter, he was too tired to bother with changing. As the mist continued to form a distinct shape, John drifted back to sleep.
Copyright Footer', 'This site is not affiliated in any way with "ER", its writers or production company, or NBC, and makes no profit from the show. The ERROS skin is by Brihana. The script is eFiction version 3.4.2© Tammy Keefer, http://efiction.org\r\n