Merry Christmas, Doctor Carter

Six Days, Seven Hours

"I'm not stealing drugs if that's what you're thinking."

"I wasn't."

"Good."

She folded her arms and leaned against the doorway. "I am now."

"Well, I'm not. You'll just have to take my word on that. Now, if you'll excuse me," John put the pills back, then squeezed past her. "My shift is over."

Carol turned and watched him walk away, silent for all but a millisecond. "Carter."

He stopped, never turning around to face her.

"You know you can talk to us, right?"

At last, he spun on his heel. "Yeah. I know. Thanks."

With that, he left her once more. Once he got clear of other's eyes, John just about ran to the nearest, empty exam room, all the while clutching his cramping stomach. It felt as though something was stuck inside him somewhere.

After pushing the door open, he slammed it shut and locked it. John ripped open the box and pulled out a few things; an information sheet and a couple of test strips. He laid both on a sterile tray. John went over to a small refrigeration unit, reached deep into a compartment and brought out a plastic cup half full of urine.

While putting his hands up in front of everything, as though it would keep the already stationary items from moving, John mumbled to himself, "Okay..."

***************

Approaching the admit desk with an introspective look, Carol asked Jerry, Lydia and Luka, collectively, "Have you guys seen Carter lately?"

"Not since this morning," Lydia replied. "Why?"

"Did he seem off to you?"

"Maybe a little distracted."

"A little distracted?" Jerry echoed. "I was watching him read charts earlier and he was so into it, he stopped breathing."

"Somehow I doubt it was the charts keeping his interest," Luka bobbed his head in the direction of Carol. "Is there something we should be worried about?"

"I don't know. He just seems... preoccupied and stressed. He has been all week."

"I've noticed that too," Lydia jerked her thumb behind her. "Yesterday, I found him in the lounge, staring in the fridge."

"Should we be talking about him like this? I don't think he would–"

Carol cut Luka off. "The point is, he can't be this distracted while working on patients."

"I'm sure it won't be an issue," Luka's eyes locked on to Kerry for a second, and he then walked off to work up a few patients. "Just let him be."

Meanwhile, in the exam room, an alarm on John's wristwatch went off. Ten minutes passed. The test was finished.

John stood up and grudgingly leaned in to see what the results were. Tightly, he shut his sights, and chanted, "Don't be blue."

With a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked at the tests strips. Soon after, he covered his mouth and nose, holding in a half-gasp, half-laugh. It wasn't long before reality had set in, and his enthusiastic expression fell, conveying utter fear.

In a panicked drawl, he moaned, "Ohhhhhhhh, shhh–"

************

"Shots?"

Mark gazed at the patient he was checking over with narrowed eyes. "Pardon?"

"Am I gonna need shots?"