Author: Casca 

Title:  “Friends, Lovers, and Aliens”

Classification: Crossover X-Files/ER/3rd Rock/Friends

Feedback: Yes, please!! Casccara@yahoo.com

Archive:  Not without permission from moi! J

 

Chapter One

 

“Give me the bullet,” John Carter snapped as he swung into trauma two, slapping latex gloves on and bracing for work.

“Multiple GSW’s to the abdomen, chest and neck,” Chuni began and continued to give the status of the patient to Carter who had already begun to work. 

After forty-five minutes trying to stabilize the patient, Carter shook his head, glanced at the clock on the wall.  “Time of death, 11:43.  Good try, everybody.”  He stripped his gloves off and walked from the trauma. 

He made his way to the front desk where he could see Jerry the desk clerk and Malik the nurse, playing a slow game of poker.  A very pregnant Carol Hathaway was propped up on the stool, watching the game intently.  As Carter strolled over to the obviously dead ER, he saw a streak of blonde hair running past him towards the lounge.  “Miss Knight!  Wonderful of you to attend work this fine day, only forty-five minutes late.”

Lucy stopped and breathlessly began to speak. “Sorry, the Blue Line was backed up and I had to walk twelve blocks because they shut it down for some reason-“

“Yes, yes, go change,” Carter interrupted and became interested in the poker game, missing the narrowed gaze Lucy sent him before running off into the lounge.

“Is it as dead as it looks?” Doug Ross asked as he signed a chart and put it in the finished bin.  “One GSW all morning, and whatever you had,” Carter muttered, lifting the cards Jerry had dealt him and trying not to wince at the

crappy hand.

            “A runny nose.  People must be taking that snow storm forecast seriously and staying at home.  Jerry, deal me in next hand.”

            That command brought about a chorus of groans from the men who were already playing cards.  It was well-known that Doug was the biggest card sharp around.  During the third hand, the ER was actually rewarded with a patient.

            “I don’t know what you’re complaining about, the whole thing is your fault,” a woman with brown hair in her mid-twenties was saying to the man who was walking into the ER with her. 

            “Well, technically, it wasn’t his fault, it was Ben’s,” said the tall blonde woman who was walking alongside the couple.  “But,” the blond girl said when the brown-haired girl fixed her with a withering stare, “that doesn’t matter, I guess.  Hi,” she smiled at the everyone at the front desk.  “My friend sprained her hand or wrist.”

            “Name?” Randi asked, snapping her gum.

            “Oh, sure just blame my son,” the man snapped.  “Blame the three year-old, anyone so that it’s not Rachel’s fault.”

            “Oh, shut up, Ross.  Rachel Green,” she said kindly to Randi.  “Just like the color.”

            “Oh.”  Everyone at the desk glanced at Dr. Greene, who shrugged.

            “Anyway, I’m not the one who mentioned Ben, Phoebe did!”

“Oh, sure, blame me!”

“Address?” Randi asked.

“I didn’t blame you,” Rachel snapped at Phoebe and then proceeded to give Randi her address. 

“Insurance?”

“Oh, here you go,” Rachel said plopping her purse on top of the counter and digging in it with one good hand.  The entire staff at the desk wondered where her injured hand was, but it wasn’t visible.

“What were those things doing lying around anyway?  I thought Monica threw them away,” Ross said.

“I thought she did, too. Obviously she didn’t, or else we wouldn’t be here.”

“And which hand is it?” Randi asked.

“Her left,” Ross said, holding up his right arm and with it went Rachel’s left arm, both bound together by a pair of handcuffs. 

“Ow! Ross, I’m injured, would you please be careful?”

“What’s with the handcuffs?” Randi asked curiously.  Everyone at the desk glanced up and instead of reprimanding Randi on being too nosy, they all looked at Rachel for an explanation.  The men had smirks on their faces.

Rachel gave a little laugh, trying to save herself from the embarrassment of the situation.  “See, it’s funny really, how it happened.  My roommate, Monica had these handcuffs- she got them as a gag gift for turning thirty.  Anyway, the thing is, he and I, we fell asleep on the sofa and his son, Ben, found the handcuffs and thought it would be, well, funny to handcuff us together.” Rachel paused to fake a laugh.  “Funny.”

“Yeah . . .” Randi trailed off. These people sounded crazy if you asked her.  “I take it there’s no key?”

This caused Rachel, Ross, and Phoebe to begin arguing over where Ben could have possibly hidden the key. 

“-can’t even control your own son-“

“-maybe he swallowed it-“

“maybe he hid it-“

“well, of course he hid it-“

“I do too have control over my son-“

“Follow me,” Chuni said loudly.     

“I’ll take this,” Mark said and followed the group into curtain three.

“You really think the kid did it?” Randi asked, popping bubble with her gum.

“I don’t know.  They fought like they were a couple,” Carol said, sticking her tongue out at Doug.  “I should know.”

“Yes, you should,” Doug said, studying his cards carefully.  “The blonde seemed to fit in nicely.”

“What do you- Ew, that’s gross,” Carol said, catching on. Then she looked at Randi.  “You think?”

“It’s possible.  They obviously were very close.  All three of them.”

“All three of who?” Lucy asked breathlessly, arriving at the desk. 

Carter’s eyes flickered over his cards to glance at Lucy.  The slightest of looks, but not unnoticed by his fellow card players. 

Randi told Lucy the story of the weird trio.

“You’ll have to elaborate a little, Randi. Lucy’s slow on this type of thing,” Carter said, thinking back to a certain incident with a carrot.

“Speak from personal experience, Carter?” Jerry muttered under his breath.

“I got it,” Lucy snapped at Carter, not having heard Jerry.

“I just think that for your own knowledge and research, you should be a little more . . .  experienced, Lucy. That’s all,” Carter said, enjoying himself immensely.

Lucy smiled a huge fake smile.  “Go to hell, Dr. Carter,” she said sweetly and trotted into the lounge.

“What was that we were talking about?” Carol laughed as Carter threw down his cards and went after Lucy.  “Two people fighting as if they were a couple?”

 

“Dammit, Lucy, I don’t appreciate you telling me to go to hell in front of my colleagues.”

“And I don’t appreciate being humiliated in front of my teachers.”

“I’m your teacher, too.”

“Yes, of course.  I wonder what kind of teachers tease their students about SEX in front of other teachers.” She waited patiently for his answer and when he didn’t give one, she turned to walk out of the lounge.

Carter grabbed her by the arm to stop her.  “Maybe . . .” he said slowing, deep in thought, “a teacher who spent a wild, passionate night with his student the night before.” 

Lucy blew out a breath as Carter pulled her closer to him..  “Careful now, what if someone walks in here and sees us?  It will be the end of your career,” she said, quoting him from the fight they’d had at Lucy’s dorm that morning. 

“I’m feeling lucky today,” Carter said, pulling her even closer and sliding his hands up and down her back. 

Lucy softened.  “After a night like last night, you should.”

“Mm-hmm,” Carter nuzzled her neck.  “Did I thank you properly for last night, yet?”

“Nope,” she said matter-of-factly. 

He mocked a gasped.  “Where are my manners?”  And he began to “thank” her with his lips.

They had just begun to deepen the kiss when loud footsteps just outside the lounge caused them to break apart like the other had the plague.  Lucy dropped down to tie her shoelace and Carter grabbed a mug from off the counter and filled it with coffee.

Doug walked in.  “Gee, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Yes, you are,” Lucy said.  “And you’re a life savor, Dr. Ross.  It seems Dr. Carter thinks that the Blue Line of the EL runs at my command and therefore, my being late is cause for disciplinary action.”

“Geez, Carter, lighten up,” Doug said, grabbing a juice out of the fridge. 

“My sentiments exactly.”

“Dr. Benton never “lightened up” when I was his student-”

“Did you ever tell Lucy about the time you set fire to Dr. Benton’s slide show for that presentation thing?”

Lucy’s eyes lit up.  “No, he never mentioned that.”

“And he never will,” Carter muttered. 

“Well, if you too are done with your quarrel, we actually have some patients to see,” Doug said and swung onto the couch, propping up his feet.

“Why aren’t you seeing them?” Carter asked.

“Because I am with child, Carter.”

“Your wife is with child,” Lucy said laughing.

“Same thing,” Doug said, shaking his head.

“Miss Knight, care to join me in practicing medicine?” Carter asked.

“Sure, Dr. Carter, lead the way.  Do you think, I can actually work on the patient myself?”

“We’ll have to see about that one. . .”

And they walked out.

Doug snorted, wondering when those two idiots would ever realize that were destined for each other. 

 

 

To Be Continued . . .

Other fanfic by Casca at:

Between the Lines - A Fanfic Archive

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