Goodbye Kiss

19. The Longer You Stay

The Longer You Stay
Season 8 x 02
(approx) August 2001:

i was on the phone with carter when i was buttoning up my black and white striped shirt.
"okay"
"it wasn't that bad when i left"
"no, i get it one more patient"
"no, yeah i'll meet you there"
"alright, i'll let you go now"
i hung up.
i was on the way to have dinner with carter and his parents. in other words, i guess we were okay now.
county was a little bit of a disaster when i left. carter saw about 130 patients today. and yet, he was still there.
i had the first few buttons of my shirt undone and my necklace showed through.
my hair was half up in a clip.
i slid on my platform shoes and swung my bag over my shoulder.
—
i waited a couple minutes outside the restaurant but felt bad for making mr and mrs carter wait.
i approached the table.
"hi, mr and mrs carter?" i smiled
they turned their heads to look at me
"i'm gianna"
"oh, please have a seat"
i sat down
"sorry john hasn't come yet"
"no need to apologize" his mom smiled
"it's nice to finally meet you"
"you as well"
"we've heard a lot about you these past few days"
"oh really?"
"nothing bad of course"
"well, i'm glad"
"you two do interesting things, huh?" mr carter said
"with work, of course"
"i guess you could say that" i smiled
"the emergency department definitely is something else"

after a couple cocktails i lost track of time. i looked down at my watch to see that i had been there for three hours. and let me tell you, i'd heard every possible story about carter when he was younger.
"i'm going to run to the lady's room really quickly"
they smiled
"john where the hell are you?" i said
"i thought you left that place"
"a metallica concert gone wrong?"
"your parents are getting ansy"
"a dozen of them?"
"it's okay"
"no, just get here" i smiled
i went back to the table
"did you get a hold of john?"
i nodded my head
"he's at the hospital"
"couldn't get anyone to cover for him, i guess"
"that's the punishment of working in the er"
"well, we'd hate to have you with us here any longer"
"it's been a pleasure to meet you"
"you as well"
i riffled through my purse to help with the bill.
"oh please gianna, it's on us"
"are you sure?"
"i already feel bad that you had to spend your night with us"
"it's really been a great time" i smiled

soon after, i headed home, unlocking my apartment door.
i threw my keys in a dish, slipping my heels off.
i unclipped my hair, and started unbuttoning my shirt. i had to sleep off my buzz because i had a a shift early in the morning.
————
beep beep beep
i groaned shutting off my alarm.
then, i went to my kitchen and bit into an aople.
i didn't have much of an appetite at six in the morning. i pulled over a pink ribbed sweater along with my scrubs. i tossled my hair back up in a clip, slipping my shoes back on.

when i got to the hospital malik filled me in on the night. i guess carter was backed up since the concert gone wrong. then, chen and malucci killed a patient. malucci thought the guy was a cocaine addict, but really he had a heart condition. anyway chen gave him fetal drugs and killed him.
that probably a wasnt going to end well with her new chief resident title.
i dug around in the drug lockup and shook an ice pack.
also, i guess while carter was trying to find weaver he slipped and fell on the pavement.
weaver wasn't off the hook throughout all of this either. chuny said she never had her pager. i wasn't supposed to know that, though..
i let out a giggle at the do not disturb sign taped on the on call room.
i opened the door anyway, and when i sat on the bed, he turned his head to look at me. he was sleeping on his stomach
i put the ice pack on his back.
he let out a yawn, smiling.
"how was dinner with my parents?"
"it wasn't too bad"
"you're a horseback rider, huh?" i smirked
he chuckled
"how's your back feeling?"
"it hurts" he sighed
"if id known sooner i would've came back to help you out last night"
"sounds like you were all alone"
"don't worry about it" he smiled
"next shift is starting soon anyways"
"and you're gonna start it four hours early?"
"why not" he sighed