Maggie had received the news this morning. She had no idea what to do, she didn't want to tell Abby over the phone so she did the first thing that popped into her head, take a bus to Chicago. After the longest 8 hours of her life, she had arrived in Chicago. Maggie knew that most likely her daughter would be at work, and that is where she set out.
Arriving at County General entrance she made her way in. When she reached the sign in sheet, she saw a nurse there.
"Excuse me." Maggie said trying to get the attention of the busy nurse.
"Sign in sheets are on your right." She said without even looking up.
"Actually I don't need medical help, I'm looking for my daughter." Maggie said and the woman looked up.
"What's her name?" She asked her.
"Abby Lockhart, she's a doctor here."
"You're Dr. Lockhart's mother?" The nurse asked and she received a nod coming from Maggie. The nurse got up and walked over to the doors, and opened them letting her come in.
"I'm Eve, I'll take you to her." Eve said and they both walked over to the admit area. "Anyone seen Dr. Lockhart?" Eve asked the few people standing there.
"She's in exam one getting yelled at by Dr. Kovac." Morris answered without looking up from his chart. Eve rolled her eyes and turned to Maggie.
"Follow me." Maggie obliged, surprised at the odd response said by the doctor.
When they walked over to the exam room the shouts could be heard from outside the door, from both Abby and Luka's voice.
"He was my patient, you should have let me handle it." Abby said, neither one of them realizing the door was now opened and Eve and Maggie were standing there witnessing their fight.
"I did..." Luka started but was unable to continue.
"Right that's why Adelle was down here, without me calling her."
"I'm the attending Abby..."
"You don't even know the case..." Abby began but was interrupted by Eve clearing her throat which made Abby turn around and see Maggie standing there.
"Mom." Abby said in surprise walking over to her and hugging Maggie close. Both surprised and happy to see her.
"Oh, honey." Maggie said as Abby let her go, and took a step back, with a smile on her face.
"What are you doing here?" Abby asked her. And when she saw Maggie's face fall slightly Abby's smile vanished looking at her mother for answers. "Mom."
"It's Eric." Maggie said softly.
"Abby," Chuny said peering her head in, "your MI in two is crashing." Abby didn't even acknowledge Chuny there.
"I'll take it." Luka said rescuing Abby walking out of the room with Eve following him.
Abby led Maggie to the lounge, and they sat at the table as Maggie told her everything. Maggie told her that Eric disappeared about a week ago, taking off without a word. No one knew anything, Maggie had called all of his friends but it was useless. The call came this morning from the police saying that Eric Whyzhinsky had robbed a little shop outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Eric was on the run. After Maggie was finished they both sat in silence for a few minutes just looking down, neither knowing what to say.
"Why didn't you tell me he disappeared sooner?" Abby asked.
"I didn't want to worry you." Maggie said but Abby just lowered her head in her hands, brushing the hair out of her face looking back up at Maggie.
"I appreciate that, mom, I really do, but you should have told me, before... before this." Abby said looking away.
"I don't know what to do here Abby." Maggie said looking at her daughter, who now was having tears in her eyes, not knowing what to say.
"We have to give him time." Abby said shaking her head. "How did this happen, I thought he was ok." Abby said looking at Maggie to fill in some blanks.
"So did I, I mean he was in program, on his meds."
"Well obviously not." Abby shot back, then realized how much this could have hurt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"No, you're right." Maggie said, "It was my responsibility to look out for hi, and I failed."
"No you didn't mom, Eric did." Abby said taking Maggie's hand and giving her a light squeeze. "You must be tired from the trip." Abby said.
"I'm ok." Maggie said, but Abby smiled walking up to her locker, opening it and taking out her keys. "Here, go, get some sleep."
"Why don't you some home, I'm sure they'll let you leave." Maggie said taking the keys from Abby's hand.
"No, I um, I need to keep working." Abby said shaking her head.
"Ok." Maggie said knowing this was not the time to argue with her daughter. "Bye sweetie." Maggie said kissing Abby on her cheek and walking out, and making her way to the apartment.
Abby didn't know what to do. Without being able to control it anymore she burst into tears, walking over to the couch and putting her head in her hands, letting the tears freely fall down her cheek.
"Abby, I need you..." Pratt walked in about to ask Abby about the patient but when he saw Abby jump up and turn around form him, he stopped unsure of what to do. "Hey, you ok?" He asked her taking a step to her, as she wiped the tears from her face.
"Yeah." Abby said turning back around. "What did you need?"
"It's ok, I'll ask Neola. Are you sure you're all right?" He asked again.
Abby nodded but he didn't look so sure. Abby looked up at the ceiling then back at Pratt, biting down on her lip. Pratt stepped closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, massaging it gently.
"Why don't you take a few minutes." Pratt said turning around heading toward the door.
"Hey," Abby started, and he turned around his hand on the knob "thanks Greg." Pratt winked at her and walked out of the lounge.
After a few minutes Abby walked out about to go back to treating her patients when a trauma came in.
"Hey you want this?" The paramedic asked her, and Abby nodded, thinking this is a god way to get her mind off Eric, not knowing how wrong she was. "30 year old male, with one gunshot wound to the lower abdomen."
"What happened?" Eve asked the paramedic joining Abby with the patient.
"He was about to run out after robbing a store but the cop got him when he turned around."
They rolled him into the trauma room as everyone helped to lift him onto the hospital bed. "OK, on my count, 1,2,3." Abby said.
"You got this?" The paramedic asked.
"Yeah, thanks. Ok CBC, chem. 7, head CT, type and cross for all 8." Abby said beginning to asses the patient. "Neck is clear."
"What is it?" Luke asked walking in with Ray. As Eve explained the case Abby was busy trying tot concentrate on the patient.
"Pressure's dropping." Someone announced getting Abby out of her head and into the trauma room.
"Intubations tray, his airway is blown." Abby said as she began incubating. "Tube." Abby tried looking straight but the chords were swelling in front of her eyes. "Ok, this one's too big, give me a seven." With the intubations complete his SATs started rising but that was only for a few minutes, until his pressure began dropping.
"Starting compressions." Abby said jumping on the gurney to try to get him back. After a while, and too many shocks Luka saw Abby was not about to give up so easily.
"How long has it been?" Luka asked.
"32 minutes." Ray answered looking from Luka to Abby and back to the patient.
"Charge again to 360." Abby said continuing to pump at the man's chest.
"Abby..." Luka bang.
"He's only 30 years old." Abby said ignoring what she knew Luka was going to say.
"We've been going too long, even if you get him back now, he'll have no possible brain activity compatible with life." Luka said walking over to Abby and putting his hand on hers making her stop. "He's already gone." Luka added softly.
Both Eve and Ray stood there incommutably looking at both of them, predicting what would happen. Abby straightened up and took her hands off the patient, breathing heavily from the activity.
"Time of death 7:28." Luka said as Abby walked to the door. Striping of her gloves and coat and walking out. Everyone stood there for a minute. "Is there any family?" Luka asked.
"Yeah, they're waiting in chairs." Eve answered walking to the patient and began cleaning him up.
"I'll talk to them." Luka said making his way to chairs.
Abby walked into the lounge, slamming the door behind her. She was off, about 20 minutes ago, and she needed to get out of here. She slammed her locker shut, and walked out of the lounge. As she passed by the chairs area she saw Luka talking to, as she assumed the guy's family, and that's when it hit her, it could have been them.
Walking by she saw Luka there, he looked at her, as if wanting to talk but she ignored that and walked out. She didn't know where she was heading. She was thinking of going to the roof, but that would include walking back into the hospital, and the roof would just remind her of Carter and his proposal and how much she missed him. Not in a relationship since, but as a friend.
Abby thought of going to the river but it juts didn't seem like the right time to go there. It would also remind her of Carter, everything did in some way. Without even thinking she decided there's only one place left. She walked into Ike's. Sitting down at the bar she saw Bill.
"Hey, Dr. Lockhart, the usual?" He asked.
"Um, no, actually, I'll have a beer." Abby said, surprising herself. The last time she did this was, way too long ago.
"Ok, I'm out of here." Luka said signing off his last patient to Kerry.
"Hey Luka, I heard Abby's mother came here today, is everything all right?" She asked.
"I don't know Kerry, I'm actually going to find her now." Luka said.
"If she needs any time off, just tell her to let me know." Kerry said. Luka nodded walking into the lounge, and changing out of his lab coat and putting on his jacket, loosening his tie a little, closing one button on it, and walking out of the lounge.
Luka didn't know how but somehow he knew where she would go. He walked into Ike's and immediately saw Abby there sitting at the bar. But the one thing that surprised him was that there was a beer in front of her and she was staring at it.
"Hey." Luka said, sitting down next to her. Looking at the beer as intently as Abby was he asked her. "What are we doing?"
"I don't know what you're doing but I'm...I'm thinking whether it's worth it." Abby said looking over at Luka, her hair falling into her eyes as she blew them away.
"What did Maggie tell you."
"Eric is wanted for a robbery, he's on the run, and off his meds." Abby said in one breath.
"So that's why you were working so hard on that person." Luka asked.
"He even looked like him, and I just couldn't see him die, I mean that could have been him, that family could have been me sitting there, finding out my brother died."
"But it wasn't."
"It's only a matter of time."
"You don't know that."
"Don't I?" Abby asked him.
"Abby..."
She turned to him and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Come on, let's get you out of here." Luka said standing up and offering Abby his hand. Once they were outside standing in front of his car he turned to her. "Where do you want to go?" He asked her.
"Anywhere but home." Abby answered walking to the passenger side and opening the door, getting in. Luka followed. Sitting in the seat and putting the key in ignition he turned to Abby. "I have a new couch." He offered.
Abby smiled nodding at him. As Luka began driving Abby took out her phone and began dialing. Getting the machine she left Maggie a message. "Mom, it's me, I'm gonna stay at a friend's house, if you need anything call my cell, I'll be home tomorrow. I love you." She ended off. Abby put her cell back in her pocket and looked out the window. Leaning her head against the cool glass she exhaled staying that way for the entire ride.
When they reached Luka's place, they made their way upstairs.
"Do you want some coffee?" Luka asked her.
"No, thanks, if you don't mind I'm just gonna go to sleep." Abby said pointing to the couch.
"Yeah, sure, you know if you want to talk..."
"Thanks but I don't think so." Abby said. Luka made his way to the closet taking out some sheets and a blanket for her. Helping her lay it down on the couch. "You know you can take the bed."
"Thanks but I think you need the sleep more than I do, I'm off tomorrow, and you have a 7 AM shift." Abby said with a smile.
"Yeah, by the way Kerry said if you need some time off..."
"No, I'm ok, it's best to keep busy, at least that way I can help people instead of just drowning in my misery." Abby said as they finished making the couch sitting down on it. Abby put her head in her hands and without holding it anymore she began crying.
Luka watched her for a few minutes and then moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his chest and began sobbing even louder, keeping one hand on his chest. Luka stated thinking of the last time he's seen her cry and he realized, it was when Maggie was in the ICU after taking an overdose, but he knew it wasn't as bad as this. Eric was much closer to home for Abby than Maggie.
After a while Abby's sobs subsided and she looked up at him, and he took his hand and wiped away a tear off her cheek. Luka saw that her eyes were really moist and he slowly let her out of his arms.
"I'm gonna go, use your bathroom." Abby said getting up and walking into the bathroom. She washed her face and walked back out.
"If you want you could borrow a T-shirt or something to sleep in." Luka offered as she walked down the stairs.
"Thanks but I have a tank, the bottom is the problem." Abby said smiling at him.
"Let me check, maybe I have something of Sam's upstairs." he said.
"Thanks." When Luka was up the stairs, Abby realized something. There was no sexual tension between them. They were finally passed it, the uncomftbness were gone and now they were really just friends, with a history.
"Here, I found something." Luka said handing Abby a pair of pajama pants.
"Sam's?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'll be right back, I want to change."
When Luka came back down he saw Abby was already laying down with the lights off, staring up at the ceiling. He walked to the living room and grabbed one of the blankets he brought down for her and sat with it in the barchelounger, looking at Abby. When she caught his gaze she smiled sweetly at him.
"Can I ask you something?" Luka asked her in a quiet voice.
"Sure."
"Why did you buy that beer?"
Abby sat up slightly and looked at Luka with a serious face before answering, "I just wanted to test myself."
"What do you mean?"
"To test it out, whether I would be able to not drink it, withhold temptation." Abby answered with a sigh, when she saw Luka's smile peer at his face she was a little confused. "What are you smiling at?"
"I just realized how alike you and Carter really are."
"What?"
"He answered the same thing when he came in drunk that day."
Abby didn't know how to respond to this so she just kept looking at Luka, once he realized how he made her feel, he started making himself comftable in the chair.
"You're sleeping down here?"
"Well I can't let you sleep here alone." Luka replied, "You can still have the bed." He offered, Abby shook her head like he thought. He leaned his head a comftable way and fell asleep. And after a little while, so did Abby.