Work Text:
It’s not that they mean to keep it a secret - of course not - but County is the biggest den of gossipy … well. There’s a lot of ways to finish that sentence, isn’t there?
Anyway, the point is they weren’t trying to keep it a secret. Peter knows this, and Carter - who once had his own clandestine sneak-around and hide his relationship with several decades older than him Dr. Abby Keaton - knows this. They are simply enjoying keeping what is theirs … well, theirs, without it being community fodder for their nosy co-workers.
Well, for Carter’s nosy co-workers. These people in the ER aren’t really Peter’s co-workers - more like the congregation you have to put up with because you technically believe in the same God. Theoretically. Even if these people clearly aren’t’ worshipping the same way. Or the same god. Or the same religion. Or in the same state.
(And by these people, Peter means everyone in the ER other than Carter.)
Perhaps it is a flawed metaphor, Peter admits.
But it’s Reese who gives them away. Reese who, while Peter holds him as he finishes up some paper work on a last minute discharge in the ER (and stands a little closer to Carter than he needs to), leans over and signs to “Pumpkin pancakes tomorrow!” Because Reese knows tomorrow is Halloween, and therefore, it is the day for pumpkins.
It makes sense to a three-year old, anyway, and Carter does spoil him.
Well, why shouldn’t he?
“Yes,” Carter says, because he’s wrapped around the child’s finger. “Of course, Reese.”
Carter make for me, Reese signs.
“Absolutely.”
And that could have been it, because Carter is called off to check on something non-surgical that Peter doesn’t care about - except that isn’t it, because Kerry leans over and says, “You know, when John lived with me, he couldn’t cook worth a damn.”
Peter shrugs. “That was a long time ago, Kerry.”
“Not that long.”
“He took some cooking lessons.”
“I suggested that to him a couple of times,” Kerry says. “He never took me up on it.”
“Well,” Peter says, wondering why everyone in this godforsaken ER is so determined to be up in everyone’s business all the time. “I guess he just needed to find something more important than your spaghetti sauce, Kerry.”
Her smile is soft and knowing in a way that he doesn’t get. And that annoying new attending that irritates Carter most of the time and likes to fight with Peter for kicks on every other day - Kovač - looks at him funny, too.
So nosy, this ER. It almost makes him miss Doug Ross. It almost makes Doug Ross seem tolerable.
“I guess so,” Kerry says, and she pats his shoulder as he walks away, because apparently sometimes people down here actually do work other than Carter.
“Pretty!” Reese signs. “Pretty lady. Pretty hair!”
“I’d like to try some of those pancakes,” Kovač says.
“No,” Benton answers.
Go get Carter now? Go home? Get pancakes? Reese asks.
“We cannot have pancakes at this time of night, and Carter still has to work,” Peter tells him, and the nursing station is too full of people to finish the thought, but what the hell. Better to tell the truth than to let half truths make their way around this nosy place. “Carter will join us at home when he gets off shift, Reese. Like he always does.”
The little gasps behind him are drowned out by Reese’s little claps.