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Title: Monster Mash
Author: Casca Casccara@yahoo.com
Spoilers: season six and seven
Archive: Not without permission from moi! J
Feedback: Yes, please! J
Disclaimer: None of them are mine, yadda yadda yadda . . .
Note: This is part of a series called “The Way It Should Have Been.” You don’t nessicarily need to read the first parts in order to understand this one. Here’s a quick overview: It’s been two monthes since Carter’s been back from rehab, aproximately eight monthes since the stabbing, about four monthes since Lucy got out of the hospital, Lucy’s Carter’s AA sponsor, and the two have developed a friendship over the past few monthes. Lucy decided to take a semester off of school before returning to the hospital since the stabbing and took a part time job until then.
October 31st, 3:00 pm
Lucy smeared silver sparkles over her right eyelid, blinked once, and then smeared the left. She leened back and viewed her face from a distance in the round mirror.
“Oooh, that looks awesome,” a voice said next to her.
Lucy glanced over and watched her boss, Vanessa smear a purple sheen over her own eyelids. The two women were seated behind the counter at the elusive MAC store on Oak Street. It was Lucy’s first week at the parttime job she’d applied for to hold her over until she started at the hospital next semester. Lucy had to admit that this job held much less stress and fatique than the medical profession did. And it was a hell of a lot more fun. She came in at around noon every other day and got to play with all the make-up and experiment on herself. Then she would watch the experienced girls give makeovers and listen to them talk about color theory and shading. She felt like she was in art class.
Today was no exception. It was Halloween, and Vanessa had suggested that they both make up their faces to look like exotic witches. And they were certainly having fun doing it.
“Ooh, here check out these new faux eyelashes we got in last week,” Vanessa said, running to the back of the store and emerging with a small cardboard box.
“I want these,” Lucy breathed holding up a pair of thick black eyelashes sprinkled with black glitter. “Or maybe I’ll do my face like a clown.”
“If you put those on, clown-like you will be!”
They laughed as the store door opened and in walked two teenage girls who wanted their faces made up for Halloween. Lucy and Vanessa spent an hour creating Pippi Longstocking and a Flapper girl.
“So what are your plans for tonight?” Vanessa asked Lucy as they cleaned up the mess from the makeovers.
“Oh, I’ll probably just curl up with a Stephen King novel or something,” Lucy said. “You?”
Vanessa snapped her gum and fluffled her thick mane of black curls in the mirror. “Huge party at the Hilton. I go every year, they get this awesome heavy metal band, it’s wild. You’re more than welcome to come.”
“No, thanks. Wild parties, I am not interested in right now.”
“Really, why not?”
“Oh, no reason,” Lucy said vaguly not mentioning her new aversion to loud music. “No, reason at all.”
~*~*~*~*~
Carter, Malik, and Chuni crouched behind the wooden bench in the abulance bay, watching and waiting.
“Are you sure he’s coming?” Chuni hissed.
“Yeah, he’s just around the corner,” Malik whisperred.
“Because if someone else picks it up, I’m taking off,” Chuni informed them.
“No one is going to pick it up, Jerry is the only person who can spot a candy bar in a pile of leaves. Trust me, I know this,” Carter said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, but do you think he’d be so dense and eat something he found on the ground?” Chuni asked. “We should have put it in a desk drawer like I said-“
“That’d be a dead giveaway,” Malik told her. “Here he comes, sssh!”
Jerry Markovitch walked up the ambulance bay, his pockets full of Halloween prank material. He wasn’t taking any chances this year. As soon as he got to the desk, the prep work for the first traditional Halloween prank would begin. He wasn’t king of the practical joke for nothing. There was no way that he would let those guys get him like they did last year. He would be the first to set off the traditional ER Halloween pranks and he would undoubtedly be the last one to finish them off. Spotting a candy bar on the ground, he grinned to himself. The day was starting off fabulous, free food before he even walked into work. He bent to pick it up, examined it briefly, and stuck it in his pocket, As he headed in to the ER, Jerry didn’t hear the uncontrolable laughter coming from the bench near the bushes.
October 31st, 7:00 pm
“Dr. Weaver, I don’t feel so good.”
“Can it, Jerry. You’re not leaving early.”
“He doesn’t want to leave early, he’s just playing a practical joke. Although he’s unusualy transparent this year,” Heleh commented.
“I mean it, I really don’t . . . uh-oh.” He broke off and raced from the desk, storming into the men’s room.
Malik, Chuni and Carter broke into hysterical laughter.
“Did you see him eat it?” Chuni asked them.
“No, I thought we’d failed,” Carter said.
“Failed at what?” came Kerry’s strict voice.
“Nothing, Dr. Weaver,” Carter, Malik and Chuni said in unison.
Kerry stared at them.
“Well, I’m outa here,” Carter said, glad that he had an excuse to leave: he was officialy off the schedule.
“You coming to Ed’s tonight, Carter? We’re all going.” Chuni asked.
“Naw . . . “
“Oh, come on. We can do the Monster Mash together.”
“I don’t even want to know how to do the Monster Mash. Happy Halloween, everybody!” Carter slapped five with Malik and left the building.
Carter was greeated by a cool night and strong breeze when he stepped outside. His shoes crunched the wet, red and golden leaves as he walked to his car. Halloween weather was always the same in Chicago: wet from a recent downpour, windy and cold. But that didn’t stop the thousands of teens from running around like lunatics, attacking each other with eggs and shaving cream or even more children from trick-or-treating with their ugly costumes underneath winter jackets until their bags were overflowing with candy. As if on cue, an egg came hurling at his head. Carter ducked just in time.
“Hey, sorry, man,” one of the crazy teenagers shouted at him, covered from head to toe in black clothing and shaving cream. “I was aiming at her.”
At that, shrill screaming ensued and a girl who was dressed the same as the boy sprang from her hiding spot behind Carter’s jeep and ran down the street. The boy took off after her, shaving cream aimed and ready.
Carter rolled his eyes as he got into his car. He would go home and relax tonight, maybe read a medical journal or watch a movie. Just the thought of that sounded very . . . he frowned into the rear-view mirror. The thought of that sounded very boring, to tell the truth. Changing his mind in an uncharacteristically impulsive sort, he switched lanes and headed in the opposite direction of home.
*~*~*~*~*
“Trick or Treat!”
“Wow,” Lucy exclaimed from behind the counter. “Look at you guys!” She reached over and grabbed the candy bowl she and Vanessa kept filling all day and walked over the small group of young boys. “Power Rangers, that’s my favorite show,” she told them. She dropped a mini candy bar into each plastic pumpkin.
“Bye, thanks,” they said in unison and walked out of the shop.
“How cute were they?” she asked Vanessa and took her seat behind the counter and carefully applied a shade of lipstick to a small color chart she was creating to get herself better aquainted with the stock.
The door opened and Lucy automatically reached for the bowl of candy.
“From medicine to make-up,” came an amused voice.
Lucy glanced up and grinned. “What are you doing here?”
Carter shrugged. “I was bored. You get off at eight, right?”
“Yeah. In ten minutes. You’re off already?”
“Yup. Need a lift?”
“Now that you ask,” she said, grinning.
“Ahem.”
They both glanced over at Vanessa who had cleared her throat loudly. Lucy rolled her eyes and made introductions.
“Remind me to ask you about him when you come in on Friday,” Vanessa whisperred as Lucy shrugged into her jacket.
“We’re just friends,” Lucy told her in a low voice.
“Why?” Vanessa demanded.
Lucy rolled her eyes for the second time. “It’s kind of involved. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
“See that you do.”
“Good bye,” Lucy said loudly and walked out into the cold night air with Carter.
“So what are your plans for tonight?” he asked her.
“I have date with Stephen King.”
“No you don’t. We’re going to Ed’s.”
“Ed’s?”
“Yeah, Eddibevick’s. Eat at Ed’s.”
“Huh?” she asked.
“Tell me you’ve never been to Ed’s.”
“I’ve never been to Ed’s.”
“Lucy. . .this is a shame above all shames!”
“Is it really loud and crowded, because-“
“Of course it is.”
“Then, no, thanks. Not into that kind of thing anymore.”
“It’s not what you think. Look, everyone’s going. I wasn’t going to go either for the same reason you don’t want to go. No crowds, no loud music, no stress, no commotion You know what that amounts to?”
“No fun?” she asked with a half smile.
“Bingo.”
Lucy bit her lip. “I haven’t seen anyone since I got out of the hospital. Who’s coming?”
“Jerry, Malik, Chuni, Deb.”
“Okay,” she said finaly. “But promiss me that if I want to leave, you’ll take me home, no questions asked?”
“Promiss.”
October 31st, 9:00 pm
Carter and Lucy were seated at a booth in Ed’s waiting for others to show up. Lucy had to admit that she loved the place. It was a 1950’s style diner that blasted 50’s music and every so often, when a certain song came on, the entire wait-staff jumped onto the long counter and danced. In honor of Halloween, there were orange black decorations abound and some tables had been pushed against a wall to make a small dance floor. People were packed on the floor tightly, dancing to the golden oldies. It was loud and crowded and confusing, but in a fun sort of way.
Carter and Lucy both glanced up as someone spoke to them. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her sitting here,” Malik was shouting
“Malik!” Lucy grinned and jumped up. She found herself being engulfed by the huge man.
“Hey, girl, you can’t pick up a phone and call me?” Chuni demanded and embraced Lucy.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said, and laughed as Malik pushed Chuni asside to give Lucy another hug.
“She’s forgotten all about us, I told you that,” Jerry said.
“No, I haven’t,” Lucy laughed and hugged Jerry too.
Carter couldn’t help grinning. It had been a while since he’d seen Lucy so . . . relaxed and outgoing. He was glad he’d changed his mind about coming here and glad he’d made Lucy join him.
“Feeling better, big guy?” Carter asked Jerry who slid into the booth next to him. Jerry sent him a very cold look.
“Why, what’s the matter?” Lucy asked.
Chuni explained that they had “tainted” a candy bar and left it for Jerry to find. Dave and Deb showed up shortly and the group sat around the table, laughing and talking about previous practical jokes that Jerry had played on them at Halloween time.
Perhaps it was because she hardly ever went out anymore or hadn’t gotten together with her friends from school since the attack. But Lucy couldn’t believe how much fun she was having. She watched Carter across the booth try and defend himself against some joke Deb was accusing him of playing on her when they’d been in med school. If it hadn’t been for him, she’d be alone in her apartment, shutting out all the noise, shutting out everything that was good and fun. Carter caught her eye and grinned.
She mouthed “thank you” and he nodded, sending her a wink.
Just then an upbeat version of “Monster Mash” blared from the juke box and the wait-staff in their fifties uniforms and halloween costumes jumped onto the counter top and started to dance.
Chuni shrieked. “This is my song! Come on, Malik!”
“Hey, wait a sec, you promissed me!” Carter yelled.
“Okay, okay, come on.”
“Lucy, you’re with me,” Malik said, pulling her out of the booth.
“What are we doing?” she yelled as they all squeezed onto the dance floor and started to mimick the waiters and waitresses, laughing hysterically. It was Carter and Chuni, Malik and Lucy, Dave and Deb, Jerry and himself.
“Why does it always end up like this?” Jerry asked and twirled around by himself, drinking his beer the whole time.
Soon they were all dancing in a group, partners forgotten.
“You wanna go home?” Carter shouted in Lucy’s ear above all the noise, teasing her. He wasn’t really dancing just standing their in the middle of all the dancing people.
She laughed and shook her head. “Maybe tomorrow,” she yelled in his ear. She grabbed his hand and spinned around under his arm. Chuni took his other hand and did the same.
“Why does Carter get all the action?” Malik yelled.
“He’s got the big checkbook!” Chuni shouted.
“Yeah, but I’ve got the big-“
Malik was droned out from everyone screaming at him to shut up.
And what did they do? They did the Mash!
And if this were a real episode of ER, the camera would pan out to an aerial view and show everyone laughing and dancing and having fun, and Monster Mash would get louder and faster as the scene faded into the credits.
Happy Halloween!
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