Dawson’s Creek Meets E.R

By Duckgirl and Rachel

 

 

“I can’t believe we’re here!” Andie said excitedly as the group of Capeside seniors waited for their baggage in the baggage claim at Chicago Regional Airport.
“Chicago ROCKS!” Pacey and Jack said simultaneously, then giving eachother high fives.
“Chicago sucks,” Joey said, scowling as she looked through the window at the light snow falling outside. It looked cold and windy and Joey shivered in her mittens.
“Come on, Jo!” Jen said, throwing her arm around her shoulder. "It'll be great! You, me, Andie...a group of hot single small town girls on the prowl for some hot big-city Chicagoan guys! It'll be so much fun!"
"Um, hmn!" Dawson suddenly cleared his throat.
"Jeez, Dawson!" Don't get jealous or anything! I was only kidding..." Dawson's expression softened in embarrassment. “...We all know Joey's got 'Property of Dawson' imprinted on her soul!"
Joey glared at Jen with raw spite. Pacey sputtered a laugh and Dawson shot him a dirty look.

Pacey and Joey broke up come the start of their senior year. So far, Pacey had stood alone on his own two feet, staying single except for some almost innocent flirtatiousness towards Jen, who was also single since Henry had moved away to California. Joey, on the other hand, had resonated silently back into the arms of Dawson Leery…though their coupledom had never been officially proclaimed. Dawson and Pacey had buried their differences, and although neither of them held any grudges against the other, they still kept their distance, never seeing each other unless it was during an outing with the group. They’d never be as comfortable with eachother as they had in the past…everyone knew it, and everyone accepted it. And Andie and Jack… Well, they had just stayed Andie and Jack; not a solid three week relationship between them, and more often than not, misunderstandings with could-be dates always led to another reason to stay home moping or the occasional indulging of a calorie fest. Above all, everyone was friends. And they hoped to stay that way.

“Hey,” Jack smiled, lugging his heaviest bag from the platform. “I’ll go out on the ‘prowl’ with you… Hot guys in the big city sound pretty good to me!”
“That’s the spirit!” Jen quipped. “Hey! There’s the rest of our stuff!”

As everyone went for their bags, Dawson and Joey hung back.
“She was only kidding,” Joey muttered, crossing her arms.
“I know,” Dawson smiled easily. He slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him, kissing the side of her head. “Lets get our bags.”
“Ok.”
Joey followed him, sulking as she went.
She’d voted for Hawaii. Why on Earth would anyone want to come to Chicago for their senior trip! It was ludicrous! What the hell was so interesting about Chicago??? Besides the fact that it was snowing in spring…

The airport’s entry way was crowded with the kids of Capeside High. Everyone was blocking everyone else’s way as they waited in the biting cold for their shuttle buses to the hotel. The buses were late.
“Oh my god, I’m freezing!” Jen shivered. Pacey took her in his arms and huddled against her.
“I’m freezing my ass off,” He remarked.
“Where the hell are those buses!” Andie griped.
“I’m sure they’re on their way,” Jack said wearily. He looked up at the cold, gray sky as a loud plane flew low overhead towards the icy runway. “I hate airports,” He said mostly to himself. “Something could go wrong…anything…and it’s ‘SPLAT!’”
“That’s a great outlook, Jack,” Joey said sarcastically. “What a great thing to say while we’re still standing here.”
“Is it me, or is it getting colder out here?” Jen mumbled through chattering teeth.
“Well, my ass feels colder, so its definitely not you.” Pacey sighed.
“Here they come.” Dawson said, picking up his bags.

Finally the six buses came into view. There were thirty-three students and three teachers and six to each van.
Dawson and Joey led the group to the last van, and they boarded. Pacey rushed to the back, dragging Jen with him, and sat down on the wide, comfortable, and cozy bench seat, draping his arm around her. Andie and Jack took the next seat forward, and Dawson and Jo took the next, right behind the driver of the bus.
“Hi,” Dawson said as he was the last in and closed the side door. The driver, a heavyset Iranian, mumbled ‘hi’ back, and they waited in silence as the buses started forward.

After they were on their way, staring out at the coldness outside where the snow had grown heavier as the sun started to set, a giggle escaped Jen, breaking the silence like glass.
“STOP IT!” She shrieked as Pacey stuck his pinky in her ear. She slapped his hand away but he kept on, Jen ducking and giggling and causing a ruckus. The driver stared at them in the rearview mirror, scowling skeptically as the van went on.

Soon all six teens were laughing hysterically as a rough game of slapheads went on.
“OW!” Joey cried when Jack smacked her in the forehead. She swung back and whacked Andie upside the cheek.
“Hey!” Andie yelped.
“You kids behave!” The driver shouted.
“BWAH-HA-HA!” Pacey laughed when Andie spun around and tried to slap him but missed.
“You kids stop it!”
“Hey! I lost an earring!” Jen sounded out, causing the game to pause.
“Where’d it go?” Pacey asked looking down at the floor.
“I think it rolled under Andie’s seat,”
“I’ll get it,” Jack said, unbuckling his seat belt and reaching under the seat. “I see it! But it’s closer to you,”
“I’ll get it!” Pacey said, also unbuckling his seat belt and leaning down to search the floor.
“Find it?” Jen laughed, taking the advantage and slapping Pacey’s butt which was up in the air.
“HEY!” He grinned and started tickling her.
“STOP IT! STOP IT!”
“YOU KIDS BEHAVE!” The driver spun around and barked at them. They froze and looked up at him.
“WATCH OUT!” Joey screamed.

The driver’s head snapped back but it was too late as he rear ended the van ahead of him.

The van spun out of control on the slippery ice and slid off the embankment. Everything was a blur, and as the van came to a crashing halt, wrapping itself around a tree, everything went black…

 

“Have the labs come back on Mr. Polous yet?” Kerry demanded.
Randi rubbed her temples. “Yeah. Slow day huh.”
“Yeah,” Kerry snarled, and grabbed the folder out of her hands.
“Whoa, Kerry, wait,” Chuny called to Kerry’s retreating back. “We’ve got a six victim MVA coming in, ETA two minutes.”
“Two?” Kerry cried. “Ok, fine. Malucci and Greene, you take one critical, Luka with me on the other one. The rest of you can divide the others between you. And somebody page Benton,” she added as she rushed off.

“Eighteen year old female with multiple face lacerations, complains of sore neck. BP is normal.”
Andie climbed out of the ambulance. “OhmigodwhatshappenedtoJackandJensomebodypleasetellmewhatshappened
tothemireallyneeedtoknowohmigodohmigodohmigodpleasetellmeohmigod,” she squealed.
“Look, we’ll tell you what's happened to your friends when we know more about them, ok?” Carter said, obviously flustered already.

“Eighteen year old male with a probable fracture to the left patella and multiple face lacerations. BP normal, he knows his blood type, A positive.”
“How are Jack and Jen? Are Jack and Jen ok? They looked really messed up back there,” Dawson asked the paramedics, wiping blood off his chin.
“They’ll be fine,” Abby said kindly, helping Dawson out of the back of the ambulance.

“Eighteen year old male with second degree burns to the left side of the face, fracture to the right lower arm, broken lower two right ribs and multiple lacerations. BP normal.”
“How’s Jen?” Pacey demanded.
“She’s going to be fine,” Cleo said.
“No, ‘she’s going to be fine’ isn't good enough,” Pacey yelled. “Tell me what's wrong with her!”

“Eighteen year old female with multiple face lacerations and a probable orbital fracture to the right eye. BP normal, complains of sore neck.”
“My eye hurts,” Joey scowled.
“Try not to talk so much,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh god, she’s a mess,” Malucci said.
“Can we get an ABG in here?” Greene yelled. “Keep your mind on the work, Malucci.”
“Look at this, her belly is full of blood.”
“Can we get a chest film!”
“We’re gonna need alot more blood than this!”
“Type her!”
“She’s ischemic!”
“She’s going into V-fib!”
“Charge the panels to 200!”
“Clear!”
“Nothing!”
“Charge again!”
“Clear!”
“Nothing!”
“Charge to 300!”
“Clear!”
Jen’s heartbeat returned to normal.
“I think there’s something wrong with the anterior bicep!”
“Where the hell is all this blood coming from?”
“Good god, she hasn't ruptured her kidney has she?”
“Roll her!”

“He’s crashing!”
“Christ. Ok, laparotomy tray, stat!”
“Oh man, there’s an aortic dissection. Where the hell is Benton?”
“There’s blood everywhere, I can't see what I’m doing! Suction!”
Benton rushed in.
“What’s the problem?”
“He’s got an aortic dissection.”
“Pressure’s still dropping!”
“He’s stopped breathing. Let’s bag him!”
“Can we get some lidocaine in here?”

“WheresJackwhencanIseeJackletmeseeJackwheresJackandwhatswrongwithJenIneedto
seethemcomeondont... OW!” Andie squealed, as Carter tried to clean her wounds. “AndhowlongdoIhavetowearthis
stupidneckbraceforwhatswrongwithmybrotherwhencanIseeJackheyareyouignoring... OW!” Andie squealed again as Carter tried to stitch up a wound over her collarbone.
“Um, Malik, can you get some Haldol in here?” Carter asked.
“Yeah, sure thing Carter,” he said, fighting back a laugh.

“Ow! Stop touching me!” Joey snarled at Elizabeth.
“I can't properly assess the wound unless you let me have a proper look at it,” she said.
“Well be more gentle,” Joey snarled again.
“Look, you want to snarl at me about your friends, that's fine. I don't care. But I do care when you start criticizing my ability as a doctor. You want to walk out of here with a cracked eye socket, then go ahead,” Elizabeth snapped.
Joey went to roll her eyes, but she doubled over in pain.

“Ok, I think this head wound will require ten to twelve stitches, Mr. Leery,” Abby told Dawson as she cleaned the most serious wound across his forehead.
His forehead is huge! I’ve never seen a forehead so big in all my life, Abby thought.
“Call me Dawson,” he replied.
“Ok, Dawson,” she said.
“Do you have any news on Jack and Jen?”
“No,” came Abby’s tired reply.
“Been a long day huh,” Dawson said.
“Longer for you I’d imagine.”
“OW! Stop doing that,” Joey shouted from the next curtain.
“Jo?” Dawson asked, pulling back his curtain.
Joey pulled hers back too, a scowl on her face.
“What Dawson,” she growled.
“That’s it? Not even a ‘How are you?’ or ‘How’s your leg?’ I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
“Yeah well you haven't asked how I am,” she growled back.

“Ok, take her up to the OR,” Greene said, peeling his gloves off.
Malucci shook his head as the gurney was wheeled out of the room.
“She’s only 18,” he muttered, as he put his gloves into the waste bin.
“She’s still alive Malucci,” Greene called after his back as he shoved out of the trauma.
“Hey, hey, doc! Did you work on Jen?” Pacey called, holding his still half-wet cast above his head and chasing after Malucci.
“Jen? The Capeside kid?”
“Yeah, her, how is she?” Pacey asked, still following.
“She’s lost a kidney, but she’ll be fine.”
“Thank god. And Jack?”
“Jack?”
“Yeah, yeah, the other one. The other critical, I think they called him.”
“I don't know, why don't you ask Dr. Benton,” Malucci replied, stopping infront of the door to the staff lounge.
“Who’s he?”
“Ask someone else,” Malucci said, shutting the door in Pacey’s face.
“Ok,” Pacey muttered, and turned on his heels.
“Hey! Hey! You! You’re a doctor, right?” Pacey called, spotting a bloodied Luka down the hall.
“Yes, I am a doctor,” Luka replied.
“Jack, did you work on Jack?”
“Yes I did.”
“And?”
“Oh Paceeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!” Andie squealed, interrupting whatever Luka was going to say.
“Andie, calm down, what is it?” Pacey asked, putting his good arm on her shoulder.
“I am going to get changed, ask Randi any questions you have,” Luka said, and walked away.
“PaceyI’msogladtoseeyoutheywontletmeseeJackIdontknowwhattodoohPaceeeeeey!” she squealed.
“Andie, Carter still needs to finish examining you,” Malik said, spinning Andie back in the direction of exam two.
“CanPaceycomewithmeheydonttakeJackawayandthennotletmeseePacey!” Andie squealed as Malik shut the door.

“Mmmph, where am I?” Jen asked quietly, in the voice that people use when they’re just waking up.
“Recovery,” the nurse replied.
“Recovery?”
“Yes, you were in an accident, can you remember?”
Jen sank further back into the pillows.
“Yeah, I remember. What's happened to my friends?”
“They’re all ok, as far as I know,” she said, and clipped Jen’s chart back on the end of the bed.
“And what's happened with me?”
“I can't tell you that,” the nurse said.
Just then Elizabeth walked in.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said, and sat on the bed next to her.
“Can you tell me what’s happened to me?” Jen asked bitterly as the nurse left the room to continue her rounds.
“Your right kidney was badly damaged in the accident. Despite all our efforts, we couldn't save it.”
“You mean I only have one kidney left?” Jen mumbled.
“It is possible to carry out a normal life with only one kidney without any complications,” Elizabeth told her.
Jen nodded. “Ok. What about Jack McPhee? And Pacey? And everyone else?”
“Well, Jack is fine now. He had an aortic dissection that required surgery, and the recovery will be long, but he is fine now.”
“Aortic dissection?”
“That is a tear in the aorta.”
Jen nodded. “What about Pacey? Pacey Witter?”
“I don't know, but I can look into that for you.”
“Do you know about any of my other friends?”
“Well, except for the driver of the bus, they are all alive.”
Jen closed her eyes and smiled. “Thank goodness for that.”

To be continued…