Title:My Best Friends Basketball

Rating:PG-13(maybe R in later chapters)

Characters:JD, Carla,and some OC's mostly, but with a healthy dosing of the others we love so much also.

Genre:JDA(shout out to Pink-Charmed-One for giving us "Scrubbers" a new category of our very own!) Drama

Summary: An innocent trip to purchase a gift puts 2 of the "Sacred Hearters" in peril, which one of them may not survive.

Authors Note: I suppose this is AU because I picture it taking place maybe halfway through season 2...

Disclaimer:I own nothing "Scrubs" wise. (as of yet) I merely like writing about them.

My Best Friends Basketball

Ch1

(Carla POV)

Sitting on the waxed surface of the sales floor in "Grants Sporting and Great Outdoors", looking numbly around at the scared faces, some of which were tear-streaked much like my own, of the 8 other people being held captive, I have only one wish.

I close my eyes.

It's just one itty bitty wish to possess the ability to turn back time. That isn't so much to ask is it?

I've always been a devout god fearing woman, who has done my best to do what's right in life and to help others any way I can, be it by sharing my very knowledgeable, yet admittedly sometimes unwanted, advise, or by using the nursing skills I've collected over my years at the hospital to aid my co-workers. Is it so much to ask for this small repayment?

So I sit here, my eyes clenched tightly shut, silently praying for this , like I've witnessed Turk do on many occasions, even though I know it's not a realistic thing to hope for.

Anything is worth a try, especially in such a helpless situation.

"Umm..are..are you okay?" a female voice whispers to me hesitantly from my left.

I ignore her and just continue praying.

Anybody that knows me wouldn't believe that cool, calm, collected Nurse Espinoza would be reduced to sitting helplessly in the floor, rocking back and forth, crying and wishing for a miracle, but yet here I am doing just that.

It's most likely that the other occupants of the store think I'm in shock, but I'm not.

I'm not hurt and there's every chance that I may get out of this without a scratch, but that doesn't mean things will be right.

No, nothing will ever be right again.

There's no helping what will surely happen, despite what the outcome may be.

My baby Turk, Elliot, and even Dr. Cox( though he may not ever admit it) will hate me regardless.

Sure they may not say it, but I know.

And all over a stupid basketball.

Not that fear of their new opinions, even that of Turks, is what really hurts the most.

There's a much greater price for me to pay, a void in my heart, a loss, that I know will never be filled again.

"Hey Bo, can't we at least move the kids body? He's bleeding all over every damn thing in here."

These words accomplish what the teenage girl beside me hadn't.

They pull me away from my inner turmoil and self pity and back to the harsh reality.

Eyes snapping open quickly, I glare at the man who'd just spoken and hiss angrily.

"Don't you dare touch him."

"Uh oh Trevor." Dylan, the other of the 3 men, says with a low whistle, pauses momentarily, looks at me with a sardonic smile, then continues."Always heard Spanish women have one hell of a temper, so you better watch out."

"Well Dylan, I always liked me some feisty women, so I say Mrs Lopez can bring it on them." he replied.

I have the unavoidable urge to spat upon the man, so I decide to do just that.

"Fucking bitch!"Dylan exclaims angrily after my spit hits him right in the face."Nobody spits on me!"

Bo, the third of them, and apparently the one in charge, spoke up next, snapping at the other two,

"Will you two shut the hell up?"

"But she spit on me, and its a proven fact you can catch more from a humans spit than an animal even." Dylan whined in reply.

"You better count your chickens that being spit on is the worst you get, because I'm seriously considering killing you myself for what you did."Bo said in a low, menacing, anger filled tone.

"It was an accident Bo, I didn't have no choice."

"Really? Then please enlighten us as to exactly what the kid do to warrant it? Cause from where I was standing all he did was..."

"He was going for a bat man. I had to stop him."

"That's a lie! He wasn't doing nothing but trying to catch the display he knocked over!" I argued.

"Look lady, I'm sorry about it, really, but what's done is done, so I think it would serve your best interests not to press the issue further."Bo stated calmly, then looking searchingly at the faces of all the hostages, added, eyes stopping on a little girl who was sitting in her daddy's lap staring wide eyed, lip quivering, at the still body across the room."But I do think we should move him somewhere less viewable."

I start to argue this, but realizing that he would have rather done anything than to make a little child cry, bit my tongue, and just looked at his body laying on its side, back turned to the rest of us, across the room.

Unless you haven't figured it out yet, the kid they're speaking of, the body laying in a red, still growing puddle, was Bambie, whom trigger happy Dylan had shot in cold blood no more than 15 minutes ago.

Bambi's dead.

"Fat guy, get up and help me."Dylan ordered another of the others, Bill, I think his name is, who was the closest to where JD had landed after the shotgun blast.

"Nah man, blood and dead bodies makes me squeamish."he replied with a shake of his head, turning green at the very thought of touching Bambie.

"I'll do it, I'll help."I offer, wanting to look at my friends face once more.

"I don't think so."he replies automatically, then adds to Bill," And that was not a request dough boy, so get your fat ass up before I decide to make you casualty #2."

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you when I end up blowing chunks all over everything."

"Just get over here."Dylan snapped, tearing open the bag he'd just grabbed from the shelf, removing the tarp from inside, and flipping it out to its full size."Grab that end and we'll cover him up, then move him behind the counter."

Bill did as requested and soon they'd rolled him onto his back, giving me a clear view of his pallid profile, then put the tarp over him.

Oh Bambie, I'm so sorry, I think, feeling tears forming once again as I stare at his covered form.

"Now grab his legs."Dylan ordered, picking up his end.

"On the count of three. 1, 2, 3...Hey what the hell!"he exclaimed suddenly, letting go of the arms he'd had gripped tightly, and allowed his burden to fall back down with a thunk, taking an involuntary step backwards in the process.

"What the hell Dylan!"Bo exclaimed angrily."Why'd you drop him?"

"It..he..he mov..."the man started stuttering in explanation, but was cut off by the sound of a low moan coming from beneath the tarp.

"He's not dead."I whisper, jumping up and running over to kneel down beside his covered form.

"Hey! Get back over there now!"Trevor barked, turning his gun in my direction.

"I'm a nurse. Please let me help him."I say, looking up at the leader pleadingly before I uncover Bambie.

"Go ahead."he agrees with a nod, giving Trevor a sharp look.

I waste no further time, and yank the tarp off, gasping at the pale, bloodless coloring of his face.

I think for a moment that the man was mistaken, that JD truly was dead, but seconds later know so isn't the case when he slowly opens his eyes, then blinking slowly looks up at me,obviously trying to focus.

"C-carla?" he asks slowly after a pause.

"Yeah Bambi, it's me."I reply, feeling a renewed hope.

"I-I think he s-shot me."he slurs out next, looking and sounding so innocent that I feel like bawling anew once more, but do not, knowing that wouldn't help things in the least.

"You think right."I say with a gentle smile.

"It h-hurts."

"I know sweetie, but you're going to be fine. I promise."

He's alive, and now all I have to do is make sure he stays that way until we're rescued.

"Daddy, is that man gonna be kay?" I vaguely hear the small child ask in the background, along with another of the hostages, an old man who looked to be 100, muttering to no one in particular,

"Ask me he'd been better off if he was dead. Wouldn't have to suffer."

Looking down at Bambie's pale, pain etched face, seeing a tear leaking from his once again closed right eye, I can't help but ask myself if maybe the old man was right...

TBC

Crappy first chapter, and I know Carla is a little out of character, but I'm gonna try and tweak her a lot more.

Also I just wanted to get out in the open what was going on, and next chapter, if ya'll think this is worth continuing, will be part flashback to tell what led to this and part JD pov, so R&R please!