Getting Out Of Hand
By: Amanda
amanda_miller33@hotmail.com

This is a Carter/Lucy fic. I guess. Well I'm back and there's a reason. I was so angry with the way that they portrayed
Carter's character in Getting To Know You, so I want to continue the story. It did make my brain work. Hmmmmmm. Oh yeah. There is spoilers for the eppy above. If you don't want to know, turn back now!
Here we go. This probably will not have a sequel. <g>

Carter rubbed his eyes thinking warily of his day.
First Lucy was late, causing Romano to yell at him
for wasting his time. Then she had the audacity to
try and explain herself. She used Ritalin as her
excuse. Carter couldn't deal with that. All he could
remember was helping detox Chase. Oh if only Anna were
there to help him deal with everything. Then that kid
Antoine had to come in after being mugged. Then he chases
after the guy and gets further injured. Unbelievable!
Then Lucy makes me spill my coffee all over myself.
THEN she picks a fight with me causing me to raise my
voice. I needed to sit and think. Then I went to see
Antoine and he forgave me. I waited and his surgery was
a success. I was happy to hear it. He's going to miss
out on a lot of stuff. What a shame. I liked him.
Carter shook off his thoughts, then got up off of his
bed and went to take a shower. He wished to wash away
all the misery from the day. As Carter finished up and
went to bed, he hoped that the next day would be better.
He could always wish.

The next morning he got up ten minutes later than he wanted.
That would eliminate breakfast. He ran into the shower and
hopped right out. He was dressed in record time and ran all
the way to the EL, only to miss his train. He headed down
the steps and hailed a cab to the hospital. This was not the
type of day he planned. As soon as he got there, 10 minutes late,
Kerry yelled at him and chewed him out. Typical day. He thought.
This is not what I wanted to happen. He went to the lounge to get
ready for work.

Lucy was on time, since she started an hour after he did. She asked
to speak to him. Carter told her that over lunch, they could talk.
They saw several patients, but no traumas that morning. Around lunch
hour, the ER was dead. He and Lucy went up to the cafeteria, got
something to eat and sat down.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

" I went back on Ritalin."

" Oh." Carter didn't know what to say.

"I needed your help and you didn't give it to me. I
can't do it on my own. I need moral support."

"You shouldn't have come to me." Was all he said as he left the
table, leaving his half eaten sandwich behind.

Lucy sighed. It was going to be a long day. If Carter wasn't going
to help her, then who else could she turn to? Maybe Carol. She was
a good listener, except that she didn't want to upset her during the
pregnancy. But it was worth a shot.

Later that day, Carter got a call from his grandmother for a meeting
at the mansion. Oh how he hated the mansion. Too many people taking
care of others. He hated the money too. All he ever wanted was a
chance to earn a living. Well now he got it. But it was heading south.
He could have picked a better time for being disinherited. Well, he
had to help Chase. He hoped this meeting was not about Chase. He
wouldn't be able to handle that. It was hard enough that Lucy
wanted Carter to help her get off of Ritalin. He couldn't handle
seeing someone else go through withdrawal. He knew he had not
explained himself very well. He wasn't sure he was up to explaining
it to her. Chase was now to the family a burden. Someone only
mentioned when he was a problem. His brother was forgotten.
That was another shadow in the Carter family. He was a
centimeter from the same thing. If he were disowned, he would
never be spoken of again. He knew it. That was the way.
And it sucked. Oh, what did he used to do? Call Anna. Maybe
he could get up the courage. Maybe not. He didn't even know her
number and didn't have the slightest clue as to how to get it.
Maybe Personnel.

He had no clue as to handle Lucy. He didn't really want to.
He just needed a break. A long one. He made his way to the lounge to sit
down. He shut his eyes.

Lucy found Carol in an exam room taking her break. " Why aren't you
in the lounge?"

"Carter is in there sleeping."

"Oh. Carol could I talk to you? I tried to talk to Carter, but
he kind of disregarded me."

"Sure Lucy. What's up?"

"I'm addicted, I guess, to Ritalin. I have been taking it since
I was eight and I tried to get off of it recently. I tried to ask
Carter for support, and got nothing," she explained.

"Oh my..." Carol trailed off. "Lucy, do you want to get off
of Ritalin?"

"Yes. But, I am having a hard time. So hard that I went back to it."

"I see. If you need moral support, which I am sure you do, you know
where I am. Just don't bother Carter. I won't tell you why, but
you and he need to talk."

"I don't see why he just can't be supportive."

"He might tell you. Maybe not. I'm not planning on doing it.
The last thing I need is for Carter to be mad at me."

"Tell me about it. He's a little weird and mixed-up, isn't he?"

"Yeah, although I can't tell you why, Hell, I don't know half of
it! Only little bits and pieces. He has gotten more depressed
hasn't he?"

"He's depressed?"

"That would be the clinical term. I need to make a phone call.
This is getting out of hand. I am very afraid for him now. Thanks
for helping me see it. Excuse me."

Lucy sat on the bed. She sighed and wondered how it was she
hadn't noticed his depression.

He woke up and noticed his shift was over. Good he thought.
He just wanted to go home and sleep for as long as possible. He
headed out of the lounge only to run into Carol. She looked at
him and sighed.

"Carter, we need to talk." Carol had decided to talk to him
before she made that phone call.

"What is it Carol?" He asked a little impatiently.

"What's up with you? You are always upset and moody.
And depressed. You're always moping around here."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you happy Carter? With your life?"

"Sure. I guess. As much as anyone."

"Keep hold on that. Also you need to talk to Lucy. She can't
understand why you won't support her."

"I can't do it again Carol. You must know that. Why did
she talk to you?"

"She needs SOME support Carter. She asked me for mine. I didn't
tell her why, just that she shouldn't bother you."

"Fine. I'll consider it." He turned and left.

Carol sat on the couch and sighed. It was so hard to get through
to him. She decided that she would call Anna. Anna had called her
the day after she left, giving her number and asking how Carter was
taking her leaving. She had told her that he was upset. Very upset.
But, that he was trying to hide it. She told her to call if his
life was going extremely wrong or if he got depressed. Carol had
promised. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. She
decided it was the right thing to do and headed home.

Carter got home and headed directly to his room. He sat there thinking
once more about his day. What he couldn't figure out was why he was so
mad at Lucy. She didn't know anything. So, why was he mad with her?
The best he could figure was that he hated people thinking that they knew
him and she had assumed that he would help her. Why didn't he? What was
he becoming? He realized that things were bad. They had been ever since Dennis
died. Well, bad things had happened, like his brother dying when he was young.
But, it had all been bad since Dennis, his best friend and roommate died.
Anna was a good friend, but then she left. That was almost as bad as loosing
his brother. She used to ease his depression. He wondered briefly if Carol
had known he was lying. He did lie to her. He wasn't happy with his life.
He hated it. Nothing was good anymore. There was a bang that interrupted
his thoughts. Kerry was home. Great, he thought, Kerry will want to talk.
Why did people always have to ask if he was okay? He sighed and checked the
time. Oh s***! He had to be at the mansion in twenty minutes. He got up
and practically ran out the door.

Carol sat there looking at the phone trying to decide weather or not to
actually call. She thought of Carter's pained expression when he lied to
her and that gave her the courage to dial the number. Anna picked up and
Carol informed her of whom it was.

"Carol? John's in trouble isn't he?"

"I am really worried about him. He's moody and depressed. His med student
has been taking Ritalin since she was young and needs his help getting off
of it. He's refusing to help her."

"Does she know about........"

"No. That's the problem."

"Do you think I should come there?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know if it gets worse. Sorry to bother you."

"You didn't Carol. It was very important that you call me. I'm glad
that you told me. I've got to go. I'll talk to you again, Carol. Hopefully
on a happier note."

"Bye Anna."

Carter pulled up to the mansion five minutes late. He went up to the
door and was let in. His grandmother greeted him in the foyer.

"You are late."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Let's go into the study." They headed there.

Lucy sat on her sofa and looked at the bottle of pills in her hand.
On the label was written Ritalin. She sighed, got up off the couch and
threw out the medicine. She then called the ER and asked for the next
three days off. She got them with minimal questions. Now all she had
to do was sit and wait for the effects of withdrawal to begin.

"What?" Carter was astonished. They wanted to move Chase into an nursing
home where no one would work with him. Forget astonished. He was outraged.
" How can you do that to him?"

"John, you know very well he is not making progress."

"He has BRAIN DAMMAGE, Gamma. He will take a lot longer than this to recover."

"Forget it. If you want to work with him, do so. But, I am not paying
for it anymore. He is moving there tomorrow."

"You can't........"

"I can and I am. Goodnight John."

"Goodnight, Gamma." As he left for home, he could feel the tears stinging
his eyes.

Carol was eating a bag of chips when the phone rang. She picked it up,
surprised to find Lucy on the other end. Lucy asked her if she could some
and help her out during the withdrawal.

"Do you have food?"

Lucy laughed and assured her that she did. " I'm there!"
Carol hung up and ran out to her car.

Carter got home and slipped downstairs. He felt horrible.
The first thought that popped into his mind was maybe I could
commit suicide. Yeah, then I wouldn't have to deal with Chase or
Lucy or anything or anyone else. Making that decision made him feel
a little better. He headed into his bathroom and opened his
medicine cabinet. There was nothing of use in it. He headed
upstairs and opened Kerry's medicine cabinet. A bottle of
Tylenol sat there. He look inside noting that there were about
15 tablets. He took them all and, downstairs, lay down
waiting for death to come. He didn't even notice that it was
four am when he lost consciousness.

At four thirty am, Weaver's alarm went off. She got up and
remembered she had told Carter she would get him up. She
shouted downstairs three times, but, with no reply.

Worried, she checked the door to find it was unlocked.

That's odd, she thought as she headed down the stairs.
She saw Carter laying on his side after vomiting. She tried
to get a response but got none. She checked his pulse. It
was very faint. She called 911.

"Come on Carter, what did you take?" She lost his pulse
and started doing chest compressions, hoping the paramedics
would be there quickly.

Over at Lucy's, things weren't looking much better. Lucy had a
high grade fever and was vomiting continually. Carol was trying
to help her while battling her own morning sickness. Carol had to
go to work soon. She sighed and said goodbye to Lucy as she
headed out the door.

The paramedics came into County General and announced their patient.

"28 year old male, suspected suicide found by his landlady.
BP is 90/80 and pulse is 110. Lost him once on route."

"Ok, we'll take it from here." Said Mark. "Oh God! It's Carter!"

"What?" Asked Carol. She looked, and indeed it was Carter.
" Oh, my GOD! He said he was fine, he said, he said....."

"Malik, could you get Carol out of here?"

"Sure." He led her out into the hall where she stood and
watched. Horrified.

"Ok, we need bloodwork. Get everything! Tox screen, BAL,
CO2, PCO2, Blood gas, type and cross. Chem 20. Let's go
people!" He looked at Carter he looked so frail, pale and ill.
He could hardly believe that this was Carter. Malik came
back, and told Dr. Greene the lab results. His tox screen
was high! They had to pump him.

"Give him Lidocane IV push." Mark said.

"You can't, Dr. Greene."

"Why not Malik?"

"He's allergic to it. It says so in his old chart.
He's also to ASA and Tylenol."

"Whoa! He's bradying down! He can't breathe. We have to
intubate! Damn! Can't see the chords! His throat is swollen
shut. We have to crike him! Scalpel! Thanks Malik." Mark made
the cut and inserted the tube, successfully stabilizing Carter.
"Move him to ICU!"

At home Lucy was shaking and shivering with fear. Carol had
called her and told her that Carter had attempted suicide. The
thought made her sick to her stomach. Speaking of which........

Carol called Anna and briefed her on the situation. Anna
volunteered to fly out right away. Carol couldn't blame her.

THE END