By Scott J. Welles and Cathy Roberts
"You're always calling her, never letting her get any rest." Luka stated, staring angrily at Carter. When he and Abby had started dating, she had been up front with him about her alcoholism and the fact that she was Carter's sponsor. At the time, he didn't have a problem with it. He, as much as those at County who had known Carter for years, wanted the man to get well. But last night...last night had been too much. He and Abby had been in bed and she had been doing the most delicious thing to him with her tongue and teeth. Then the phone rang. Abby paused, but then continued with what she was doing, apparently content to let her machine take the call. And then she heard Carter's voice, and she bolted out of bed to grab the phone before Carter could hang up, taking the blanket with her. An hour later she returned to the bed, but Luka was asleep by then and when she woke him up he was grouchy and not in the mood anymore. They had then gotten into an argument about Carter that ended when Abby kicked him out of her apartment, telling him to call her when he wasn't acting and talking like an ass.
So, no, today, he wasn't an understanding person. "Don't you realize that Abby has a life of her own. A life that she would like to live? But no, you're calling her at all hours of the day and night, telling her how much you need her help. Don't you think it's time you tried standing on your own two feet, Carter? You told her that you would look for a permanent sponsor, but have you?"
"It's not your business, Doctor Kovac," John replied.
"When your phone calls take Abby out of my bed, then it becomes my business!" Luka was practically shouting now and more than a few heads at the admit desk turned to look at him and Carter.
"You're jealous," John said. "That's all."
"That's all? I finally find a woman who...and you...damn right I'm jealous. Abby doesn't drop everything she's doing to run to me."
"Just what the Hell do the two of you think you're doing?"
Both men jumped at the anger in Abby's voice and when they turned to look at her they shrunk back from her steely gaze.
"How dare you talk about my personal business in the middle of the ER?"
"It wasn't intentional, Abby," John said.
"Right. I'm sorry," Luka said, raising his eyebrows and giving her the half smile that she liked so much. Usually it had her melting in his arms. But not today.
"Come with me." They followed Abby to the stairwell and downstairs, then down a long corridor and into a storeroom.
"The two of you are off duty, right?" she asked, her hand on the doorknob and her body blocking the door.
"That's right." Luka replied.
"We're not due on until tomorrow night."
"Good. Then you'll have plenty of time to work though your problems or kill each other between now and then." She stepped back and slammed the door. Standing out in the hallway she pocketed the key, then wiped her hands together and went back upstairs. It was about time that the two most important men in her life decided to get along.
Inside the now dark room, John began to feel a surge of panic as his mind remembered the last time he had been in a darkened room in the hospital. He was on the verge of a scream when the lone overhead bulb came on and he saw Luka standing over by the door with his hand on the light switch.
"That's better," Luka said, taking one look at Carter's pale face. Then he turned his attention to the door. "We're locked in."
"She wouldn't," John stepped up to the door to try to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "We can't even take it off the hinges," John observed. The hinges were on the outside.
"Well, I guess we had better make the most of it." Luka walked around the room, gathering items together so he could sit comfortably on the floor. "Why in the name of God would someone store a tennis racket in a hospital?"
"I dunno. Some dumb doc who didn't know he was supposed to take up golf until it was too late to return the racket to the store," John replied, sparing a swift glance at what Luka was doing, yep, that was a tennis racket he was holding. John shook his head, then returned his attention to the door. There had to be a way to get out. Maybe he could take the doorknob itself off...
************************
Abby was punching out her time card when she had the unmistakable feeling that she was being watched. She put the card in the clock, then back in the tray before she looked around to see who was watching her. The only person anywhere near her was Kerry Weaver.
With a shrug, Abby bundled up her coat, momentarily wondering if Carter and Luka would be warm enough in the storage room. She giggled as she thought of them huddled together for warmth. "Serves them right," she muttered.
"Did you say something, Abby?" Kerry asked.
Abby looked up, "Um, no. Just thinking out loud. So, are you off for the day?"
"Yes. Mark just got here and he's on all night with Malucci, Chen and Cleo. May God help him."
Abby giggled again. "Hey, care for a cup of coffee? My treat?"
"I have a better idea. Why don't we get something stronger?"
Abby shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't drink."
"Oh." Kerry looked disappointed, then she smiled again. "Then how about a steaming cup of hot cocoa? My treat."
"That sounds great. Doc Magoos?"
"My place."
"Oh." Abby hadn't expected that. Carter had told her stories from when he lived there, so Abby was curious as to what Kerry Weaver's house looked like. "That would be great."
Kerry smiled back at her. "Come on. My car's actually in a decent spot in the garage for a change."
Abby followed Kerry to her car and got in, eagerly anticipating an evening out with another woman. She cared a lot for Luka, but seeing him just about every night was driving her crazy. He was so clingy at times. And then there was Carter...a whole other story. He needed her just as much as Luka did, but not in a clingy way. If only Luka and Carter could become friends, then they would have each other to pal around with and Abby could get a bit of time to herself, she thought.
In the meantime, she was going to enjoy this evening of surprising camaraderie with Kerry Weaver.
*******************************
"Carter, for the tenth time, will you come over here and sit down? You are not going to find anything in there to use to pick the lock." Luka had grown weary of watching Carter try to open the door. It had been amusing for the first twenty minutes, but the past twenty minutes had not been fun.
"I'm not giving up. I refuse to spend the night in here."
"Am I really that bad?" Luka asked with a laugh.
"It's not you. I just have other things to do. Part of my probation is that I have to attend certain meetings at certain times and now I'm going to miss one. Maybe more than one if Abby doesn't let us out of here until late tomorrow. She knows that I have to go to these things." John couldn't believe that Abby would be so careless as to lock him in a room knowing that he could lose his job if he missed his meetings. She just couldn't.
"I'm sure that things will work out. I will vow to Kerry and Mark that you were with me the entire time and drug free. Now, sit." Luka ordered.
John shook his head and moved aside another box. He had to get out of there, and not just to attend the two meetings scheduled for the evening. The room was just way too small and the light was flickering. If it went out...John didn't want to think about what would happen if the light went out.
John jerked as strong hands clamped down on his upper arms and he was dragged over to the mattresses that Luka had spread out on the floor.
"Sit," Luka ordered, pushing John Carter down.
John sat down, then scooted over so that his back was safe against the wall.
"I found some blankets, so we won't get too cold. And there is an air vent in here. We should get some heat." Luka informed him as he sat back down.
"Provided the hospital even heats down here." John said.
"Since when did you become such a pessimist?"
"Since I got stabbed, okay? Is that a problem for you?" John testily replied.
Luka shrugged. "Not really. I just preferred things when you weren't like that."
"So did I, Doctor Kovac, so did I."
"I think that since we're going to be here for such a long time that you should call me Luka."
"Well, my name is John."
Luka laughed. "Not too fond of being called Carter after all?"
"It never really mattered before."
"And now it does?"
"Yeah, now it does." The light flickered again and John cast a worried glance up at it. "It's going to go out."
Luka looked up, too. "Nah. It's just a loose connection or something." Just as Luka finished speaking, the light went out. And stayed that way.
"Shit," John muttered. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, trying to remember everything he had been taught on how to handle the sporadic flashbacks from the attack. He could handle this. He would handle it.
"So," John began, "I guess we should think about getting some sleep."
"Hold on," Luka muttered.
John could hear a lot of movement from Luka's direction and then a thin beam of light suddenly appeared.
"I found a flashlight earlier, but I wasn't sure if the batteries were still working."
John grinned. "I think we lucked out." He followed the beam of light to the ceiling, then noticed that one of the ceiling panels was askew. A memory of something raced through his mind. This was the room that Doug Ross had told him about. The room where he and Carol used to have their little rendezvous.
"Luka, I'd bet you good money that there's a candle and a battery powered radio in the ceiling."
Luka laughed. "Right."
"No, I'm serious. Move that panel up and feel around up there."
"No." Luka sharply replied.
"Luka, what's to lose? If there's nothing there, then no harm done. And if there is something there, then we'll have more light and a radio."
"And if something IS there, then it most likely is a spider or something like that."
John laughed. "Are you telling me that you're afraid of spiders?"
"No." Luka snapped. "I just don't like them very much."
John got to his feet, then pulled a box over to just below the ceiling tile. "I'll do it. Spiders don't bother me much."
John pushed the tile aside, then reached through the opening. He smiled as his hand came in contact with the radio and he pulled it out. Luka had gotten up by then, so John handed it to him. Then he reached back in and found the candle and matches.
"We can save the batteries," John said as he climbed down from the box.
"How did you know they were there?" Luka asked as he turned on the radio, trying to pull in a station.
"A friend told me about it." John didn't want to bring Luka down by talking about Doug and Carol. Luka was happy with Abby and over Carol, so why bring up a possible bad memory for Luka? Then again, the man had been acting like a jealous ass earlier, so why not? "Doug Ross told me about it. He and Carol used to spend time down here." John looked around. "The mattresses are gone though."
"You could have just said a friend told you it was here. I really didn't need to hear the rest of it, thank you very much," Luka replied.
"Sorry. I forgot that you were hung up on Carol."
"I wasn't 'hung up' on her. We were just friends."
"Yeah, right."
"Just what is that supposed to mean?"
John shrugged. "It means that your feelings for her surpassed friendship."
"We never had a chance for my feelings to get that far."
They were both quiet while John lit the candle, then Luka cut off the flashlight, setting it aside in case they needed it later.
"So have your feelings gotten that far for Abby?" John softly asked.
"Why? Have yours?" Luka meant his retort to be a joke, but then he saw by the look on John's face that he had hit a nerve.
John looked down at the floor. "Yeah, they have. And you had better not tell her, either. She likes you well enough. And I'm not supposed to be getting into any kind of a relationship right now anyway, so I'm willing to settle for being her friend."
"Why?"
"Because she's a nice person, Luka. Certainly you've seen that."
Luka shook his head. "No, I meant, why aren't you supposed to be getting into a relationship right now?"
"It's the drug thing." John softly replied.
"The drug thing? What does your being a recovering addict have to do with love?"
"According to the experts, everything."
"Fuck the experts."
John laughed. "I wish it was that simple, Luka, I really do. I don't like being alone, I never have. But, you know, it's one thing when you're alone because you just can't find anyone and quite another thing to be alone because everyone is telling you that it isn't good for you to be with someone."
"Sounds backward to me. I would think that right now is the time when you would need someone the most."
"Yeah, but they want me to need my sponsor as a rock I can cling to when things get rough. They want me to need to attend the AA and NA meetings for support. They don't want me getting my support from one person. I guess they're afraid that if I do that, then I'll start to feel that I don't need the groups anymore."
"Would you feel that way?"
John shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I'm going to find out any time soon, so why bother thinking about it."
They both fell silent then, thinking about what John had said. Luka thought that those 'rules' weren't terribly fair to John. Everyone needed to be loved, and John needed that a lot right now. Suddenly Luka realized why Abby had said he was being an ass about John calling her all the time. John needed someone to support him. Well, he might not be a sponsor, but Luka was sure he could offer support as a friend.
Luka's nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air. "That smells like a lubenica." He saw John's puzzled expression. "Watermelon. The candle smells like a watermelon."
*********************
"You locked them in a store room?" Kerry asked, incredulous at the thought.
Abby grinned and pulled the key out of her pocket. "I'll let them out tomorrow in enough time for them to get ready for their shift. Hopefully by then they'll be over all this macho, he-man shit."
Kerry laughed. "I wouldn't count on it. By then they'll have bonded and feel superior over you because they got along all night and part of the day."
They were seated on the couch in Kerry's living room, sipping on cups of hot cocoa and talking. They had covered a lot of topics and Abby had finally told Kerry what she had done to Luka and Carter.
The sound of the heat kicking in was louder than Kerry's laughter and Abby once more wondered if the guys would be warm enough in that basement room.
"Kerry," Abby began, they had given up on formalities while the cocoa was being made, "the hospital does send heat down there, don't they?"
Kerry's laughter faded as she considered Abby's question. "I really don't know. Maintenance might consider it to be unused space and have the ducts blocked off. It's supposed to snow tonight."
"Yeah." Abby said. She then set down her cup beside the duck decoy on the end table and got to her feet. "I've got to let them out of there tonight. If they got sick or something, then I'd never forgive myself."
"Abby, Abby, Abby, let them stay there a bit longer. Let them feel the cold seeping in. Then rescue them. They'll owe you then." Kerry said with a grin.
Abby grinned back. "I like the sound of that. Man, what I could do with two men like that owing me."
"You and me both. They are hot, aren't they?"
"You think they're hot?" Abby asked in surprise.
"Sure. When Carter was living here...well, there were a few times when I caught glimpses of more than he's willing to show, and it looked downright nice." Kerry took a long sip of her drink. "And only a blind person would miss how hot Luka Kovac is. You're quite lucky to have one for a lover and the other for a friend."
"I wouldn't mind having them both," Abby said with a giggle. "But, seriously, Kerry, I thought that you were involved with that therapist." Abby had been secretly thrilled when she had heard the rumors about Kerry Weaver and that other woman. Abby had been with a woman once before, back in nursing school, before Richard had come into her life. She would have been much better off if she had stayed with the woman, Abby thought. Looking at Kerry through lowered lashes, Abby wondered yet one more time what Kerry Weaver would be like in bed. When Abby had heard that Kerry was with that woman, the fantasy had taken on a whole new urgency, but now...now that she knew better, Abby felt a big let down about it.
"I was. We're not together now." Kerry saw the confused look on Abby's face and she smiled. "I'm bisexual. I like men and women."
"Oh." That made Abby feel better, and the fantasy settled itself back into place. Still, Abby was curious about Kerry and how she really felt about the two men in question "So, you had Carter here all that time and never made a move on him?"
"I thought of it plenty of times, but he had a girlfriend and Carter's the kind of guy who would drive himself crazy with guilt if he cheated on his girlfriend, even if he was only in the relationship for the sex."
"He told you that?"
Kerry waved her hand in the air, "Oh, no. He didn't have to. It was so obvious. Roxanne liked having a good-looking doctor to show off and Carter liked having someone period. He doesn't like being alone. Come to think of it, I doubt if most people like being alone."
"Poor guy," Abby muttered. "Maybe we should fix him up with someone."
"I'll take him," Kerry said.
"Uh, no offense, but if he's going to be with a co-worker, then he's going to be with me."
"You have Luka."
"I know how to share and play nice."
The two women exchanged amused glances, then they giggled.
"They would both freak out if we tried something like that," Abby said.
"I know. Still, it would be worth it to try. If they say no, then we'll always be able to treasure the look on their faces as they wrestle with their consciences about it."
"It would be exciting, wouldn't it?" Abby asked, her eyes steadily gazing into Kerry's.
As if to answer her, Kerry leaned over and slid her hand into the pocket of Abby's jeans, feeling for the key. When she withdrew her hand, Abby felt denied. She had liked the feel of Kerry's warm hand through the fabric and had wished she had been feeling it on her skin.
Kerry waved the key in the air, ignoring Abby's all too becoming blush. "I think we should go rescue them."
Abby suddenly felt bold, and she thought 'Hell, why not?' She leaned over and grabbed Kerry's wrist, holding it out from her body. "I think they can wait a bit, don't you?" Then she brushed her lips against Kerry's.
"Yeah, it won't kill them to wait." Kerry replied as she dropped the key and put all she had into a return kiss.
*************************
Luka shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "It's getting cold in here."
"I noticed." John huddled under the other blanket.
"You know, we could be warmer if we, um, combined our body heat," Luka suggested.
"You mean share blankets?"
"Yeah."
"Why didn't you mention that earlier?" John moved closer to Luka until their shoulders were touching, then they rearranged the blankets over their bodies. "That should be better."
"Yeah, it should. If it gets much colder we might have to strip down."
"Excuse me?"
"Clothing can get in the way. Bare bodies huddled together under a blanket will be warmer than clothed bodies huddled together."
"It won't get that cold," John firmly said.
"It might. Look, it's nothing, okay? My brother and I used to strip down for bed every night and we shared the same bed. What about you?"
"Our family wears some kind of pajamas."
"Must be cold."
John's laugh was sardonic, "Yeah, we are a cold family, Luka."
They were quiet again, listening to the radio. A song was ending and a weather report was beginning. It was starting to snow and they were expecting an accumulation of at least ten inches over night.
As they sat there, John was very much aware of Luka's body next to his. He could even feel the heat emanating from Luka and he couldn't get his mind off of the image of the two of them stripped down to their underwear and sitting side by side like this. Then something happened that hadn't happened in a long time -- his penis twitched, then began to swell. Not even being around Abby had made him aroused, but thinking about sitting next to a near naked Luka was certainly doing the job. John shifted position as it was getting physically uncomfortable.
Luka was also feeling some odd things. He wanted to feel John's skin against his own, wanted to be his support if John needed him. More than anything else though, he wanted to feel himself being held by John. Since his sexual encounter with Abby last night had ended with no release, he was more than ready for sex, and his penis didn't seem to care if it was Abby or John on his mind. But Luka knew better than to say something about it. This was definitely the kind of thing that John's counselors were warning him against, Luka was pretty sure about that.
A few more minutes passed in silence and then John spoke up. "I think it is getting colder. Maybe we had better try what you said."
Luka cleared his throat. "You mean stripping down?"
"Yeah." John quickly answered.
Luka didn't think it was any colder and then it occurred to him that maybe John was just more sensitive to the cold. "Okay. Why don't you hold the blankets in place while I strip? Then we both won't get any colder."
"Okay." John held the blankets up, trying to not think about the fact that Luka was stripping right beside him. After a few minutes of hearing clothes rustling and getting jabbed by Luka's elbow more than once, Luka finally told John that it was his turn.
As John reached down to undo his pants, his hand brushed against Luka's thigh and with a shock John felt that Luka had even taken off his underwear. That made him even more excited and he told himself that he would do that, too. Thankful for the faint candlelight that wouldn't show up his scars, John managed to get his clothing off with less effort than it had taken Luka.
"Done." John said.
"Good. We need to get a little closer for it to work."
"We do?"
"Yes, we do."
"How much closer?" John asked as he turned his head to look at Luka. Luka was staring at him and John saw an unmistakable flame of desire in those eyes. "This close?" John asked, and then he leaned closer and kissed Luka on the lips.
"Closer," Luka whispered, and they wrapped their arms around each other and held on as another kiss began, their bodies touching. The skin to skin contact was electric, and Luka wanted to touch all of John and feel John's hands over his entire body.
The blankets were kicked to the side as they stretched out on the mattress, their bodies entwined while their hands explored unhindered by clothing or inhibitions. Their kisses took on a fervent tone, as if neither man could get enough of the other.
Luka gasped as John's hand wrapped around his penis and began to gently pump it.
"I guess you like that, huh?" John asked with a grin.
"God, yes." Luka reached out to enclose John in his fist and began to pump his penis, matching John stroke for stroke. Neither man lasted long, and they both came with loud cries, their semen spilling over their hands. They lay there, their hearts racing as they tried to catch their breaths. Finally, Luka reached over and grabbed a blanket to clean them both off. Then he draped the clean blanket over them and he and John snuggled into each other's arms, sleepy in the afterglow of sex.
"Warmer now?" Luka asked as he nibbled on John's ear.
"Much," John replied before he lowered his mouth to one of Luka's nipples and began to suck on it slowly.
"I think you're going to make me too hot, John."
"I hope so. If we don't create some heat of our own in here we'll freeze."
"Then by all means continue. You don't mind if I do this, do you?" Luka sucked on John's ear lobe, feeling the other man shiver with desire.
"Not at all," John replied. "Not at all. Do you mind if I do this?" John began to lick circles on Luka's chest and Luka sighed.
"No. Please keep that up." Luka grinned as he thought about how long it would take them to cover the entire human body with their mouths. It was going to be a good night after all.