Streets of Philadelphia

DISCLAIMER: These characters are not mine nor do I intend to profit from their use. Išm just borrowing them for a while :). This story is rated PG and is the first in a series. This story is set in November of S5, but Išve changed some stuff: Carter is still living where he did in S4, Doug and Carol are married, and therešs no Roxanne. There may be other inconsistancies, but if so just ignore them. I really need feedback, if you have any send it to erfanbev@yahoo.com. One more thing, this story probably wouldnšt be here without the support of the amazing Elizabeth Bradshaw. Thanks Liz!

John Carter mumbled as he woke up, rolled over and slammed his hand down on the snooze button. It was 3:30 AM and he was on in an hour, but he could not bring himself to get up. Finally, he pulled himself out of bed and walked in a haze to his kitchen. As he started to make coffee, he noticed the light flashing on his answering machine. He pressed the PLAY button.

"Who would have called in the middle of the night?" he wondered.

The tape began to play.

"Carter? Hi, it's me. Anna. Look I really think we should talk about this. I know you're mad that I left but you're my best friend and I really need someone to talk to right now. I'm sure you're busy, but please call me. It's 405-555-6478. I hope I'll hear from you. Bye."

He slumped down on the counter with his head in his hands. "What do I do now?" he thought.

"Doug, come look at this," said Carol Hathaway.

"What?" She pointed at Carter.

"He's been looking over that chart for about 5 minutes now. It's like he's in his own world. He must really miss Anna."

"Well sure, he was crazy about her and she left just as something was about to happen," said Doug.

"Ugh. I can't bear to watch this. He's so lovesick and pathetic. He's almost as bad as Mark was when Susan left."

"Speaking of which, give Mark some space. He just remembered that it's coming up on two years now since she left."

"Oh my god I don't think I can take this. Someone needs to do something about them." Carol glanced at the chart on the wall and walked off to see a patient.

Kerry Weaver walked to the admit desk moments later to find Carter still in his haze.

"Carter! What is the matter with you today!"

"Sorry Dr. Weaver."

"I know it's slow but snap out of it. We have a GSW to the chest ETA about five minutes."

"I'll be right there,"

After the trauma was over and the patient was sent to surgery, Weaver pulled Carter aside.

"Carter. There's a conference in Philadelphia next weekend and Mark and I can't go. We want to send you."

"Me? Why me?"

"You want to be chief resident don't you? This will be a good experience for you."

"OK great! Yeah, I'll definitely be there"

"Good"

Carter walked to the lounge and sat down and resumed his head in hands position.

"What am I getting myself into?"

Carter was still thinking the same thing as his plane touched down in Philadelphia. "What if I see her? Or even worse, what if I see her and Max? What will I say to them? I should never have done this. He checked into the hotel around 6:30 and wandered around for awhile, meeting some of the other doctors. He agreed to meet another doctor, Dr. Broder, to visit the ER at Philadelphia Memorial to check things out. Carter walked around, schmoozed with a few more people and returned to his room.

Upon entering the room, he went to the window and looked out over the streets of Philadelphia. "Anna, wherever you are, I hope you're happy. One of us should be."

He felt his jaw tremble. Oh my god, what is she doing to me?" He continued to talk.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. That I was rich and that I.."

"That I.."

"That I...I love you. I love you Anna."

He threw himself on the bed in grief and frustration. Why didn't he have the guts to say that three months ago?

I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell
What I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
I saw my reflection in a window I didn't know
My own face
Oh brother are you gonna leave me
Wastin' away
On the streets of Philadelphia

I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone
I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone
At night I could hear the blood in my veins
Black and whispering as the rain
On the streets of Philadelphia

Ain't no angel gonna greet me
It's just you and I my friend
My clothes don't fit me no more
I walked a thousand miles
Just to slip this skin

The night has fallen, I'm lyin' awake
I can feel myself fading away
So receive me with your faithless kiss
Or will we leave each other alone like this
On the streets of Philadelphia

The next morning, Carter got up and met Dr. Broder in the lobby. They walked to the hospital and entered the ER. It is not as sophisticated as the County ER, but it had a lot of state of the art equipment and was just as hectic, if not more so. Doctors and patients were milling around, and they had trouble finding their way around

"This place could be run a lot better; they just need to be more organized. Išm trying to think of what they should do...Rob? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, "I'm great." Rob elbowed Carter. "Check her out," he whispered.

Carter followed Broder's gaze across the room. He saw that Broder was checking out a young, blonde doctor. Her back was turned to them, but Carter recognized her right away.

"Anna!" He ran over towards her.

"Oh my god...Carter!" She ran over and gave him a huge hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for a conference."

"I've missed you so much." Carter looked at her. She seemed very happy.

"Wow," Anna thought, "He still looks great, but there's something wrong with him."

"So how is everybody?"

"They're doing great. Doug and Carol just got married."

"Wow! That's wonderful. Congratulate them for me."

"So how have you been doing? How's Max?"

"Umm...we should talk. Are you free tonight? Maybe we could get dinner or something?"

"Sure. What time do you get off?"

"8:00."

"I'll stop by then."

Carter walked back over to Rob and they exited the building.

"So what was all that about?" Rob asked.

"She's an old friend of mine."

"Just a friend?"

"I don't know. It's complicated."
It had been just like old times. For two hours they caught up on all that was going on in the ER as well as the doctors in Philadelphia. It felt like only yesterday that she had left. As they were leaving the restaurant and walking down the street, he suddenly remembered why she left, and the person who took her away.

"Is Max gonna get mad at you for this? I mean, he doesn't exactly like me very much."

She stared straight ahead as they walked. She said nothing.

"Anna?"

She turned to him and took a deep breath. "It's over with Max."

"Oh Anna I'm so sorry."

"Donšt be. He got messed up with drugs again. I thought that it would be like last time. He'd go through detox and everything would be okay. But it didn't happen that way this time. He wouldn't recognize that he had a problem, not even when I dragged him into detox again. He was clean for a while, and that's when I realized that I didn't love him the way I used to. I didn't need him anymore."

Carter was speechless.

She continued. "Before I came to Chicago, I had been around the same people pretty much my whole life. I think the reason I stayed with Max for so long was because I was afraid to move on. But then I went to Chicago and I felt independent for the first time. I guess I learned to rely on myself there. I wasn't surrounded by all my friends anymore."

"I didn't realize you were lonely."

"I wasn't." She looked deep into his eyes. "I had a great friend. I may not have been surrounded by familiar faces, but I was complete." Tears began to form in her eyes. "And now I am again."

She put her arms around his neck. And then he pulled her close. And then their lips met...

It was incredibly ironic that after one of the happiest evenings of both their lives they spent the whole night crying. They spent the whole night at her apartment talking, about Max, about Chase, and about how much they missed each other. They finally fell asleep around 3, holding each other. At 6, Annašs alarm went off. Carter turned it off and rolled over.

"Anna, wake up. You on today?"

She mumbled something incoherent and yawned. "Nope. What about your conference?"

"Doesn't start till 11."

"Good." She sat up and turned to face him.

"Some night huh?" he said.

"Yeah." She laughed. "Somehow I pictured that the first night we spent together would be a lot more fun."

"You thought about that?"

"Please, letšs not kid ourselves. We've both been thinking about this for a while."

"Since day one," he said.

"Listen, about that kiss last night. I don't want you to think I was just upset and that it didnšt mean anything. Because it did."

"I didn't think that. It meant a lot to me too."

With that, she pulled him back down onto the bed and kissed him passionately. "We still have time, you know."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"Me too."

When she woke up again, she was surprised to feel him there. She smiled when she remembered what had happened. It just felt so right. She pulled herself closer to him. It was then when she saw the clock.

"Oh crap! Carter wake up it's 10:30."

He turned to kiss her. "Hey you."

"Hey. Now come on, you're gonna be late."

"God you sound just like Weaver."

"Does Weaver do this?" She kissed him again.

"I hope not."

The tone in his voice grew more serious. "What's gonna happen here?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? I leave in 24 hours. What's gonna happen to us?"

"Don't go."

"I have to."

"You don't have to think bout this right now. You have to get to your conference."

"You're right. I'll come back afterwards?"

"I'll be waiting."

He could hardly pay attention during the conference. All he could think about was getting back to Anna. When it was finally over, he sprinted out of the building and towards Anna's apartment. He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

He heard the sound of footsteps sunning up to the door. She opened it and threw her arms around him. "I have the best news!"

"What's that?"

"I just got off the phone with Don Anspaugh. I got a job in the Pedes ER! I'm coming back to Chicago!"

"Really?"

"Really. I start next week so I gotta start packing."

"Oh I think that can wait for a little while."

She gave him that look that drove him crazy. "Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?"

"You'll see." He closed the door behind him.

1 week later

"I didn't remember snow in the forecast," said Carter as he and Anna walked through the ambulance bay.

"Yeah. I forgot how cold it got here. Warm me up." She put her arms around him and kissed him. Suddenly he felt something cold and wet in his hair. He reached behind his head to feel the remnants of a snowball.

"You're asking for it, Del Amico!" He reached down and grabbed a heap of snow, preparing to throw it.

"John Carter, you wouldn't dare!"

"Watch me!" the snowball hit her shoulder.

She laughed. "Well now I need you to warm me up more than ever!"

She kissed him passionately. Suddenly he stumbled and they fell down into a snowdrift, but the kissing didn't stop.

Mark Greene saw the whole scene as he looked out the window. It was about time they got together, he thought. Looking at them made him realize how much he missed Susan and how much he wanted someone who loved him like Anna and Carter loved each other. Carter took a risk by going to Philadelphia, he thought. Maybe I should learn from that. He looked at the piece of paper he was holding, the paper with Susanšs phone number on it. He then looked out the window again and saw Carter and Anna. Smiling, he picked up the phone and began to dial.