Ghosts of the Past -- Part 4
Okay...I got this from a weird dream I had the other night. Knowing me and my muses, this may not turn out like I hope, but here goes! I'm not going to keep you guess for too long on the connection between Ray and mystery woman. My muses, on the other hand, just might. We'll see. :) Hope you like it!
Title: Ghosts of the Past
Author: navy_brat_1972
Rating: T for now...but we'll see what the muses have in store...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, otherwise…well, we know.
Spoilers: Not that I’m aware of
Content Warning: None…right now…but will update you as there may be.
Summary: Someone from Ray’s past comes to County General. How will her return affect him and Neela?
"Ray." Neela repeated. "When did you live in New York?"
"I'm from Brooklyn, Neela." Ray casually responded.
Morris scoffed. "Look, you don't exactly have the accent to claim you're from Brooklyn. A buddy of mine from Med School was from Brooklyn and he tawked lyke dis." Morris did his best Brooklyn accent.
Ray looked at him. "You have buddies?"
"Yeah. I have buddies. Everyone in Med School wanted to be around Archie Morris." Morris said.
"Okay." Ray deeply sighed and turned back to Neela. "I sorta grew up there."
"But, Morris is right. You don't have..."
"My mom is from New Orleans and she refused to have her son tawking lyke a New Yawker." Ray impersonated Morris. "She's a gentile woman and, despite everything, refused to let New York dictate anything in my life that she could control. I'd go back to New Orleans for summer break to ensure my 'Southernly gentleman' ways, as Mom would say." He sighed. "But, she couldn't protect me from all of the shit New York offered." He made his way back to Dana's room.
Neela looked at Sam and Abby, who seemed to be as dumbfounded as she was. "Ray's from New York?" Sam shook her head. "Who would have thought?"
Abby smiled. "Well, he always has had this toughness about him." She looked at Neela, who was glaring at her. "What? Don't tell me you haven't seen it?"
"And how is it we're just finding out about all this?" Sam tapped her pen on the counter. "I mean, he's been here what? Four years or so and we're just finding out he's from New York?" Neela gasped and Sam looked at her. "What is it, Neela?"
"Oh my God!" Neela cried in shock. "He's...I can't...No, he couldn't be."
Abby, Sam, and Morris were frustrated with Neela's incomplete sentence. "Neela." Abby's soft voice was stern. "What is it?"
"In the bay, he mentioned that those guys wanted to kill him and Dana, but if they did, they'd never see a prison sentence." Seeing the look on their faces, Neela continued. "I thought the same thing, but very calmly, Ray says it would be hard to serve a prison sentence from the bottom of the East River."
"You think Ray's a mobster?" Abby tried unsuccessfully to hide a laugh.
"Well, think about it, Abby." Neela looked at her friend. "These guys come here with names of Nicky, Paulie, and Joey, all gangster names. They pick a fight with Ray and..."
"I'm not a mobster, Neela." Neela jumped at Ray's voice from behind her.
"But you said..."
"I know what I said, but I never said I was a mobster." Even Ray smiled at that one. "I'm not exactly an Italian." Ray winked.
"So how come we never knew you were from New York?" Sam asked.
"You never asked." Ray responded. "They're moving Daysha up and I wanted to thank you guys for taking care of her." He looked at Abby. "Especially you, Lockhart."
"You're welcome, Ray." Abby smiled. "Keep us informed."
"Will do." Ray left, following Dana up to her room.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Neela and Abby found out the room Dana had been staying in and, after a trip to the hosptial florist, made thier way up to check on her. In the dim light, they saw Ray sitting beside her, holding her hand. They softly knocked and Ray looked over and waved them in.
Abby placed the flowers on the bedside table. "Take a break, Ray. We'll watch her for a few minutes. Go home. Get some clothes and sleep."
Ray yawned as he stood up and stretched. "Give me a half hour. I'll be back."
"No rush!" Abby softly called out to him as he left. She took the seat Ray had been sitting in and Neela sat against the ledge of the window. "What connection do they have that makes this bond seem so strong? I mean, he hasn't left her side since she got her for more than a couple minutes."
"He said they grew up together." Neela crossed her arms. "But, didn't say more than that, save they're really close."
"Hey." Abby said as Dana woke up. "How you feeling?"
"Where's Ray?" Dana's voice was soft.
"He went to get a change of clothes, sweetie." Abby smiled. "He hasn't left your side until now."
"Did he find Paulie?"
Neela and Abby's head snapped up when she said that. "Who's Paulie, hon?" Abby leaned in.
"Paulie Brecolli. He and his brothers, Nicky and Joey, and..."
"Nicky and Joey?" Neela looked at Abby, fear present. "Weren't those the guys from downstairs?"
Dana shifted. "They're here? They're here?" She began to attempt to rip IVs out and her heart monitor showed her heart racing.
Abby put her hands over Dana's, hoping to calm her down, but Dana kept trying to get out of bed. "Ray took care of them for you, Dana."
Dana calmed down. "Tell the police you know nothing. You didn't see anything or else..."
"He didn't kill them, hon." Abby was now wondering if Ray had said he wasn't a mobster just to calm them all down. "He said that he better not see them around here again and they left. With a fight, but they left."
"They'll be back. They'll be back." Dana laid her head back down on the pillow. "If I had only listened to Ray in the first place..."
I know this is short and doesn't answer the question you all want...but I got a feeling that the connection is coming soon. But, work does call and I must go. Hope you enjoy!
Navy
Title: Ghosts of the Past
Author: navy_brat_1972
Rating: T for now...but we'll see what the muses have in store...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, otherwise…well, we know.
Spoilers: Not that I’m aware of
Content Warning: None…right now…but will update you as there may be.
Summary: Someone from Ray’s past comes to County General. How will her return affect him and Neela?
"Ray." Neela repeated. "When did you live in New York?"
"I'm from Brooklyn, Neela." Ray casually responded.
Morris scoffed. "Look, you don't exactly have the accent to claim you're from Brooklyn. A buddy of mine from Med School was from Brooklyn and he tawked lyke dis." Morris did his best Brooklyn accent.
Ray looked at him. "You have buddies?"
"Yeah. I have buddies. Everyone in Med School wanted to be around Archie Morris." Morris said.
"Okay." Ray deeply sighed and turned back to Neela. "I sorta grew up there."
"But, Morris is right. You don't have..."
"My mom is from New Orleans and she refused to have her son tawking lyke a New Yawker." Ray impersonated Morris. "She's a gentile woman and, despite everything, refused to let New York dictate anything in my life that she could control. I'd go back to New Orleans for summer break to ensure my 'Southernly gentleman' ways, as Mom would say." He sighed. "But, she couldn't protect me from all of the shit New York offered." He made his way back to Dana's room.
Neela looked at Sam and Abby, who seemed to be as dumbfounded as she was. "Ray's from New York?" Sam shook her head. "Who would have thought?"
Abby smiled. "Well, he always has had this toughness about him." She looked at Neela, who was glaring at her. "What? Don't tell me you haven't seen it?"
"And how is it we're just finding out about all this?" Sam tapped her pen on the counter. "I mean, he's been here what? Four years or so and we're just finding out he's from New York?" Neela gasped and Sam looked at her. "What is it, Neela?"
"Oh my God!" Neela cried in shock. "He's...I can't...No, he couldn't be."
Abby, Sam, and Morris were frustrated with Neela's incomplete sentence. "Neela." Abby's soft voice was stern. "What is it?"
"In the bay, he mentioned that those guys wanted to kill him and Dana, but if they did, they'd never see a prison sentence." Seeing the look on their faces, Neela continued. "I thought the same thing, but very calmly, Ray says it would be hard to serve a prison sentence from the bottom of the East River."
"You think Ray's a mobster?" Abby tried unsuccessfully to hide a laugh.
"Well, think about it, Abby." Neela looked at her friend. "These guys come here with names of Nicky, Paulie, and Joey, all gangster names. They pick a fight with Ray and..."
"I'm not a mobster, Neela." Neela jumped at Ray's voice from behind her.
"But you said..."
"I know what I said, but I never said I was a mobster." Even Ray smiled at that one. "I'm not exactly an Italian." Ray winked.
"So how come we never knew you were from New York?" Sam asked.
"You never asked." Ray responded. "They're moving Daysha up and I wanted to thank you guys for taking care of her." He looked at Abby. "Especially you, Lockhart."
"You're welcome, Ray." Abby smiled. "Keep us informed."
"Will do." Ray left, following Dana up to her room.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Neela and Abby found out the room Dana had been staying in and, after a trip to the hosptial florist, made thier way up to check on her. In the dim light, they saw Ray sitting beside her, holding her hand. They softly knocked and Ray looked over and waved them in.
Abby placed the flowers on the bedside table. "Take a break, Ray. We'll watch her for a few minutes. Go home. Get some clothes and sleep."
Ray yawned as he stood up and stretched. "Give me a half hour. I'll be back."
"No rush!" Abby softly called out to him as he left. She took the seat Ray had been sitting in and Neela sat against the ledge of the window. "What connection do they have that makes this bond seem so strong? I mean, he hasn't left her side since she got her for more than a couple minutes."
"He said they grew up together." Neela crossed her arms. "But, didn't say more than that, save they're really close."
"Hey." Abby said as Dana woke up. "How you feeling?"
"Where's Ray?" Dana's voice was soft.
"He went to get a change of clothes, sweetie." Abby smiled. "He hasn't left your side until now."
"Did he find Paulie?"
Neela and Abby's head snapped up when she said that. "Who's Paulie, hon?" Abby leaned in.
"Paulie Brecolli. He and his brothers, Nicky and Joey, and..."
"Nicky and Joey?" Neela looked at Abby, fear present. "Weren't those the guys from downstairs?"
Dana shifted. "They're here? They're here?" She began to attempt to rip IVs out and her heart monitor showed her heart racing.
Abby put her hands over Dana's, hoping to calm her down, but Dana kept trying to get out of bed. "Ray took care of them for you, Dana."
Dana calmed down. "Tell the police you know nothing. You didn't see anything or else..."
"He didn't kill them, hon." Abby was now wondering if Ray had said he wasn't a mobster just to calm them all down. "He said that he better not see them around here again and they left. With a fight, but they left."
"They'll be back. They'll be back." Dana laid her head back down on the pillow. "If I had only listened to Ray in the first place..."
I know this is short and doesn't answer the question you all want...but I got a feeling that the connection is coming soon. But, work does call and I must go. Hope you enjoy!
Navy