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Carter straightened his tie and took a deep breath before walking into the crowd. There were a lot of friends and family already there to greet the graduating Medical Students.
Elizabeth waved as he came towards her, her daughter Ella standing close beside her. She had grown so much in the past few years, and she must be about 9 years old now. John gave his head a little shake, time really had flown by, but it did not make him miss his old mentor Mark Greene any less.
"John. Rachel is going to be so excited that you made it." Elizabeth gave him a warm hug.
"I didn't want to miss it, wild horses could not have kept me away. How are you Ella?"
"I'm fine Dr. Carter." Ella said shyly, giving him a hesitant smile as the crowd started to settle down, the processional music starting up.
"Where's Susan?" Elizabeth whispered.
"She's on her way, a little hold up, but she promised she would make it."
Sure enough, moments later Susan appeared at his side, giving his hand a quick squeeze, then hugging Elizabeth and Rachel. Susan and Elizabeth had their moments in the past, but after Mark died, they put their differences behind them. By that time Susan had married Chuck and had Cosmo, though they were no longer together.
They all turned their attention to the front as the students, soon to be doctors, paraded to their seats. It was not long before the names were being called.
"Dr. Rachel Greene."
Carter could see Rachel's proud smile as she mounted the steps and took the final strides, accepting her certificate from the officiant. He heard Susan whistle loudly and the cheers from the friends and family gathered to see Rachel graduate.
Finally the last new doctor had crossed the stage and it was time for everyone to disperse. Elizabeth was holding a small graduation party for Rachel, Carter of course had planned to attend.
He gathered up the gift bags from his vehicle, along with the bouquet of flowers. He wanted to make the day special for Rachel, knowing she must miss her dad acutely on this of all days. He entered the building, finding the room with the family and friends gathered, all competing for Rachel's attention. She grinned broadly when Carter presented her with the flowers and a warm kiss on the cheek. He kept the gifts aside though, he wanted to sit with her while she opened them.
"Come see me when you have a few minutes, Rach."
Carter had become very fond of the girl, he had mentored her during her time at County, even with the few shifts he worked there now, volunteering his time, he always took the time for Rachel. He was worried sometimes that the other students would get upset at the special attention he devoted to the girl, but he found the students came and went so fast that no one seemed to notice. Well, other than the Attending Physicians. Morris understood, but Brenner and Gates were always on his case about spending too much time and showing favoritism.
"Her dad was my mentor and good friend, he would like me watching out for her." Is the only explanation he ever gave anyone and he knew it to be true. Mark would like that Rachel had a mentor and someone to pass on some of the same advice that Mark had been so willing to share with the Residents and students.
He chatted with some of the other guests while he waited patiently, finally the party was winding down.
"Dr. Carter." He felt the touch on his arm, and he turned with a smile as Rachel stood before him.
"Dr. Greene. Wow, it seems so strange to say that again. Dr. Greene." He held out his arm and led Rachel to a quiet spot and motioned for her to sit then gave her the first gift.
She smiled and opened it, pulling out the brand new lab coat, with her name on it. Dr. R. Greene.
"Thank you. This is great, I cannot wait to wear it, my first day as a doctor is tomorrow, and I got the match for County in the ER."
"Your dad would be so proud of you Rachel. You have come a very long way, I still remember him bringing you to work when you were about this high?" He held out his hand only a ways from the floor.
"Hard to believe, it has been so long, and I still miss him."
"So do I. He was a great doctor and a good friend. He taught me a lot, I am not sure I would be as good as I am today without him. Peter Benton was an excellent teacher for medical procedure, but your dad was just…good at everything, he taught me the skills I needed to treat patients as people. Not just a number, and I will never forget it."
With that he held out the second gift, a box with a bow on top. Rachel pulled the bow slowly, and opened the box. She frowned slightly as she reached in and pulled out a stethoscope, but not a shiny new one. This one was in good shape, but not new, it was well used in fact.
She tilted her head and gave Carter a curious look.
"A used stethoscope?"
"Yes. But this is just not any stethoscope. This one has traveled the world, it's been to Paris, the Congo, and Darfur. But the most important thing about this stethoscope is where it started. At County General."
"This is yours?"
"It is now, but it wasn't always. This was your dads."
Rachel's eyes widened, then she shook her head.
"No, I have my dad's, Elizabeth gave it to me from a box of stuff that had been in his locker."
Carter shook his head. "No, the one from that box was mine. I have a confession, I never told anyone before, but…I cleaned out your dad's locker that day."
Rachel gave him a look that implored him to continue.
"The last day your dad worked at County, we had a talk, played a game of basketball in the ambulance bay. When he left, he told me to 'Set the Tone'. He knew he wasn't coming back to work, he wanted to spend the rest of his time with you, and Ella. But especially you Rachel, you were the most important and special person in his life. So, he knew that I was the doctor on staff who had been around the longest, I was the Chief Resident, and he wanted me to try and step into his shoes, fill the void he was leaving. And it was a big task, a very big void to try and fill."
Carter let them sit in silence for a moment as Rachel digested this.
"Your dad was the glue that held the ER together, and suddenly everyone was looking at me, and I was not at all sure I was up to the task. I was cleaning out his locker and when I picked up the stethoscope, for some reason, I switched them, I put mine in the box and I took his. Just having that one little piece helped me find the courage to step up and try to fill the massive space left when your dad left. I say try because in reality no one could ever replace Mark, he was greatly missed."
He could see the tears in her eyes as she rubbed the stethoscope.
"This really was my dad's?"
"It really was. I know how proud he would be of you, and I know he would have wanted you to have it. I want you to have it, it was always meant to be yours Rachel. The one you have at home was mine from when I started out in medicine, and you can keep it too if you like, but this one…has history."
"Thank you." Rachel whispered, brushing the tears from her cheek. She leaned over and gave Carter a big hug.
The next day, Carter came in to work, he saw Rachel in her new lab coat, and the familiar stethoscope around her neck. As the first trauma of their shift rolled through the door, he called to her.
"Care to join me, Dr. Greene?"