Just like starting over

By: Laura and Caroline
Vw Vixen64@aol.com

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

This is my first attempt at writing an ER fanfiction, but it's more like an
episode than a story.  Send all comments to Vw Vixen64@aol.com whether
positive or negative.  I am also considering writing a sequel.

This fanfiction is my ideas on what the 4th season premiere might contain.

All characters are property of Warner Bros.

"Just Like Starting Over"

Act 1

Scene 1

Cut to show Carol lying asleep on a rumpled bed, dressed in a silk chemise.
It is early morning, the sun is just beginning to shine through the window.
She yawns, stretches, and reaches over to the empty space on the other side
of the bed.

Carol (groggily)
Doug?

Camera focuses on the rumpled pillow beside her that was obviously recently
occupied.

Carol (confused)
Doug?

Show Carol slip on a robe and move slowly to the kitchen.  She opens the
fridge and takes out a carton of milk.

Carol (murmuring to herself)
Where is he?

Show Carol walk to the window and look outside.  Something catches her eye.
It is Doug, sitting in his car on her driveway.  His hands are on the wheel,
but it doesn't appear like he is about to leave.  He puts his head in his
hands and sighs.  Then he puts the key in the ignition, starts the engine,
and disappears.

Show Carol head back to the bedroom and lie down again, but she doesn't close
her eyes to fall asleep.

END OF SCENE 1

Scene 2

Cut to show Benton enter the infant ICU.  He is slightly disheveled.  He
heads over to the incubator and watches his baby for a few minutes.  His
thoughts are interrupted by Dr. Tabash, who approaches him.  

Dr. Tabash
Dr. Benton.

Benton
Oh, good morning.

Dr. Tabash
You're up early this morning.

Benton
Yeah, I just wanted to see how he was doing.

Dr. Tabash 
I'm afraid I have some....bad news-

Benton (suddenly alert)
What is it?

Dr. Tabash
It is apparent that your baby has slight brain damage. 

Benton
Brain damage.

Dr. Tabash
Yes-it's minor, but the baby will most likely suffer down syndrome, cerebral
palsy, retardation...or anything similar to it.

Benton
And you're certain?

Dr. Tabash  
I can never be totally certain about what will occur...but there is brain
damage.  That's all  we can be certain about now.

Benton sighs, obviously troubled.

Dr. Tabash
I suggest you alert the child's mother of the current circumstances-but only
what she must know.

Benton
Are there any other-complications?

Dr. Tabash
None that I am aware of right now, but anything could happen.  This is a
very...uncertain time.  All you can do is hope for the best.

Close on Benton's reaction.

END SCENE 2

END ACT 1




Roll opening credits

Act 2

Scene 1

Cut to show Jerry, Randi, Carol, and Anna at front desk.  Enter Doug.

Doug (taking off coat)
Good morning!

Randi (grumbling)
Morning...

Anna (looks up and smiles)
Hey, Doug.

Doug 
Anything in on Charlie?  She show up again?

Carol
No...not yet.

Doug jerks his head up at the sound of Carol's voice.  She turns her head
away from him.

Doug (frowning, head tilted down, biting lip)
I'll have to look for her again tonight.

Anna 
Is she always like this?

Doug (grinning)
Always.

Jerry (interrupting)
There's a kid with a rash in Exam 5...

Anna (hurriedly grabs patient file)
Got it.

Doug (looking over her shoulder at patient file)
I'll supervise-

Anna 
I don't need you there.

Doug (joking)
I know.  But I'm coming anyway.  After all, I am your superior...

Anna (makes face at him)
Don't remind me.

Camera follows Doug and Anna walking down hall together, laughing.  Carol
watches them, confused and hurt.  She sighs.  Close on Carol's expression.

END SCENE 1

Scene 2

Morning in the lounge.  Carter is sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal
and a comic book.  He is a mess.  He looks up when Doyle enters and watches
her put on her lab coat.

Doyle (yawning)
Good morning.

Carter
Yup.

Doyle 
What are you reading?

Carter 
Spiderman.

Doyle (smiling) (teasing him)
Cute.  Shouldn't you be studying med for your first day? 

Carter 
C'mon doc.  Cut me a little slack. (he grins)

Green enters the lounge.

Mark
Is she picking on you again, Carter?

Carter nods emphatically.  Mark continues.

Mark
Hey, listen you two, you're going to have to get along for awhile.  Doyle is
going to be your supervisor during your intern year, Carter.

Carter (disappointed)
I have to intern all over again?

Mark
Afraid so.  I tried to reason with the board, but they wouldn't hear it.

Doyle (more than happy to be named Carter's superior)
I'll go easy on you, John.

Carter (ignoring)
She's two years younger than me!

Greene 
So?

Doyle looks at Carter angrily.

Mark
Dr. Doyle is first year resident and the best I have to train you for ER.  I
really hope we don't have to discuss this again.

Greene leaves.

Doyle
I would've expected different from you.

She exits, unnerved.  Carter puts his head in his hands and sighs.

END SCENE 2

Scene 3

Cut to show Carol lying on the couch in the lounge.  She is quiet, alone,
sipping a can of Coke.  Enter Doug.

Doug (embarrassed)
Oh, hi Carol....

Carol (sitting up quickly)
Hey.

Carol sits silently, moodily.

Doug
So...

Carol
How's everything going with that Big Brother thing?

Doug
Oh...yeah.  Fine.  Just fine.  I'm spending Sunday with some eleven year old
named Michael Ryan.  You know, typical case.  His dad left before he was
born-

Carol (quickly)
Yeah, I know.

Doug (uncomfortable)
About last night....

Carol becomes quiet again.

Doug
I don't know what it meant to you.

Carol (upset) 
Neither do I.

Doug
I know that I want to see you again.

Carol 
You see me every day...

Doug (scoffing)
Not like that...like it used to be.

Carol
I don't want that again.  

Doug
You know what I mean.

Carol nods.

Carol
Why don't we just take it a little slower this time?

Doug 
I wouldn't call last night "taking it slow".

Carol (smiling) 
Well, from now on.

Doug (a little hurt)
Is that the way you want it?

Carol
Doug, you've got to understand.  I've been through so much with you...good
and bad.  And worse.  I just can't trust you totally, not until I know you're
not going to hurt me again.

Doug nods.

Doug (biting lip)
I guess this is for the best. 

Carol (grinning)
And we can see other people...

She gets up from her seat on the couch.

Carol
I gotta go...I'll see you.

She drops a kiss on his forehead and exit.

Doug looks lost in thought.  Close on Doug's expression.

END SCENE 3

END ACT 2

Act 3

Scene 1

Cut to show Benton talking to Carla the OR locker room.  He sounds upset, a
little frightened.

Benton
Carla, there's a little problem...with the baby.

Carla (worried)
What is it?

Benton
Dr. Tabash found some minor bleeding-in the baby's brain.

Carla
Oh my god!

Benton (apparently upset too, but he takes her hand)
Shhh.  It's ok.  He's going to be all right.

Carla (biting her lip)
Just what is going to happen to him?

Benton
We're not certain now-most likely retardation.

Carla (tears in eyes)
Peter, what are we going to do?

Benton
Carla, nothing is positive at this time.  We just have to hope for the
best...

He squeezes her hand and continues.

Benton
I think it's time we decided on a name for him.

Carla (trying to smile)
Are you in the mood for an argument?

Benton grins ruefully.  They walk down the hall together, hand in hand,
trying to comfort each other.  

END SCENE 1

Scene 2

Cut to show Doug still in the lounge, toying with a coffee cup.  He is
sitting tensely at the table, looking a bit rumpled.

Mark
You've been here awhile.

Doug (looking up)
Oh, yeah.

Mark 
So it's been pretty quiet all day, huh?

Doug
Yeah...I only had a couple of cases.

Mark (becoming quiet) 
That's good.

Doug 
Feeling better?

Mark (biting lip)
A little.

Doug
So you've finally gone into therapy...

Mark (sheepishly)
Yeah.

Doug 
With who?  Pomerantz?

Mark (adamant)
God no....I'm going to Dr. Crawford.  He's got a private practice downtown.

Mark stops abruptly and continues.

Mark
It would be too, well, I just couldn't deal with Nina.

Doug (smiling)
I think I understand.

Mark
So how're things with you and Carol?

Doug (scratches head)
I don't know.

Mark (looks up again)
What do you mean, you don't know?

Doug (slightly embarrassed)
Well, we're at an awkward point.  I slept with her last night...

Mark
Don't tell me.

Doug (shaking his head)
No!  No, it's not like that.

Mark
Well, what is it like?

Doug
I left this morning...I didn't even say goodbye.

Mark
Oh, god.

Doug (sits down, pulls up chair)
And then today I talked to her a little...about where we're going.

Mark (sharply)
And?

Doug
She's scared...not of commitment, of me.

He sighs and puts the coffee cup on the table.

Doug
She's afraid I'll hurt her again.  Like before.

Mark (troubled)
Doug, you've got to understand that it's going to take a while for Carol to
trust you again.  She trusts you as a friend right now.  But she has to trust
you on other levels, on all levels, before she can totally commit to you.
 You're going to have to gain that trust back.

Doug
I know.  I know.

Doug grins slowly.

Doug
Isn't it funny, now I want commitment, and she doesn't?

Mark
Yup.

Doug
So what should I do?  For now?

Mark
Tell her how you feel.

Doug (scoffing)
Oh yeah, sure.

Mark (serious)
Think about it, Doug.

Mark
Ok?

Doug (sighs)
I'll try.

Doug gets up from table and heads toward the door.

Doug 
And Mark?

Mark (absentmindedly)
Huh?

Doug
Thanks.

Doug leaves.  Close on Mark, sitting alone in the lounge.

END SCENE 2


Scene 3

Cut to show Doyle passing the front desk.  Jerry sticks out a clipboard and
calls out to her.

Jerry
Dr. Doyle...there's a guy with leg pain in Trauma 2.

Doyle
Ok...where's Carter?

Randi
Want me to page him for you?

Doyle (looking over chart)
Yeah, tell him to meet me in Trauma 2 right away.

Show Doyle heading towards Trauma 2.

Doyle
Hello, Mr.  Alexander.  So you've been having some pain in your lower leg?

Patient
Yes...I was climbing a ladder outside of my house and I fell.

Enter Carter.

Carter
You paged me?

Doyle
Yeah.  Mr. Alexander fell down a ladder, looks like a torn ligament to me.

Carter
Send him down to X-Ray.

Doyle
I was already planning to...I know what to do.

Carter 
Did I say you didn't?

Doyle
No, but-

Carter
Then what's the problem?

Doyle (ignoring him)
Mr. Alexander, we're going to have to put you through some X-Rays...if you'd
just wait here a moment one of the nurses will be with you.

Doyle looks at Carter, annoyed, and leaves the room.

END SCENE 3

END ACT 3

Act 4

Scene 1

Cut to show Doug walking down a street, alone.  He is bent over to protect
himself from the wind. It is dark out, maybe 10:00.  He has on a barn coat
and wrinkled khakis, his hands are shoved deep in his pockets.  His head is
down in thought.

Show Doug nearing Carol's block.

Doug (muttering)
Mark was right...I should tell her...

Show Doug quicken his pace and approach Carol's house.  He starts up the
porch but stops suddenly whe he notices a car in the driveway.  It is Toby's.
 There is a light on in Carol's bedroom, but as Doug looks up, it switches
off.

Doug looks down again, then at the window one last time.  He shrugs sadly,
slowly backs away from the house, and heads down the street.

END SCENE 1

Scene 2

Cut to show Carter and Doyle conferring over X-Ray.

Carter (decidedly)
It's a torn knee ligament, fractures to the patella and tibia-

Doyle (head down, looking at the chart)
Nothing serious.

Carter 
Mmm-hmm.  I'll talk to Anspaugh and then we'll send him up to the OR to
repair the ligament. 

Doyle
That's fine...

Carter
Maggie?

Doyle (absentmindedly)
Huh?

Carter
Sorry if I'm being a pain.  It's hard, you know, to start all over-

Doyle (nodding)
I know.  It's ok.  Just try not to take it out on me.

Carter
So I'm forgiven?

Doyle (smirking)
Yeah, this time.

Carter grins.  Doyle turns and head out the door.  Close on Carter's eyes
that trail after her.

END SCENE 2

Scene 3

Cut to show Anna lounging in a chair at her motel, channel surfing.  She is
dressed in flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt.  We hear a knock on the door.

Anna (sighs and drops remote on the floor)
Geez...

Knock again.

Anna
Coming!

Camera follows Anna to door.  She turns the knob.  Show Doug, a bit rumpled,
standing in the doorway.

Doug (grinning)
Am I interrupting anything?

Anna (looks surprised, runs hand through hair)
No, not at all.  Come in. 

Show Doug step inside.

Through the door we hear Doug's voice say "So do you want to get something to
eat?"

END SCENE 3

END ACT 4

Well, that's it guys.  Write all comments to Vw Vixen64@aol.com.  I need your
input!
Please tell me if I should continue this with a sequel!






This page has been visited times.