Carter sat tiredly outside Maggie's room, watching through the half drawn shades as she laid there. She hadn't woken up yet, and he was worrying more with each second that passed. Abby had gone for some breakfast, at his insistance, and promised to bring him some coffee when she returned. He'd tried sitting in the room, but it was too hard..not only was Maggie there, but her room mate was always babbling about something, her hair or her house, or even her cat. It was too much for him, with all he had seen, *this* was his breaking point. He combed his fingers through his short hair and looked at her again, turning at the sound of footsteps.
"Where is she?" With his fatigue and the speaker's heavy accent, the words were almost incomprehensible to Carter. He blinked and shook his head, as if trying to shake some sense into himself.
"Getting breakfast. She needed a break."
"She shouldn't have done this." Now it was Luka shaking his head and looking at Maggie.
"Yes she should have."
"Excuse me? Are you telling me what's best for my girlfriend?"
"No, I'm telling you what's best for my friend, as well as her mother." Seeing Luka's angry expression, he continued to try to explain. "Maggie needed Abby to come."
"Abby didn't need to be there, to see that...she didn't need this." He motioned to the window, where the monitors beeping steadily could be seen connected to Maggie's pale form.
"It wouldn't have helped Maggie to be taken forcibly by police and held in a strange place, away from her family."
"Taking the sleeping pills didn't help her either."
"Why don't you get this?"
"Because I'm a stupid Croatian, why don't you explain it." Luka replied sarcastically, turning to walk away.
"Wait." Carter sighed. "Abby doesn't need us fighting now...she has enough to deal with. But Luka, Abby needs to help her mom. As much as it hurts her...she needs to take care of her. I don't understand it, honestly. I mean, most of her pain lately is coming from the situation with Maggie. But she keeps on helping her, and...there's no point arguing with Abby. When she gets set on doing something, she'll get it done. I just didn't want her to be alone."
"So why did you go? Why not send me?"
"Because you and Abby disagreed about the best treatment for her mother. And she didn't need to be debating it with you. She needed someone to help her accomplish what she set out to do. And...she needed a relationship she didn't have to worry about protecting. She knows I'll always be there for her. Friendship is like that. But a relationship relationship...those you have to protect. She can test the limits of our friendship, and I could care less, I'll be there the same as always. You've got something fragile."
"Are you judging our relationship?"
"No...I'm just saying. Love is different from friendship."
"But you love her."
"As a friend." Carter lied, hoping Luka was fooled. He didn't say anything, so Carter continued. "Take care of her."
"I will. She's all I have. She means a lot to me."
"Make sure she knows that." He took one last look at Maggie through the window and sighed, standing up to leave. "Tell her I had to go."
"Sure...bye Carter."
"Tell me if she wakes up."
"I will."
Carter left quickly, not wanting to run into Abby on the stairs, and Luka looked through the window once before glancing at his watch. He couldn't sit alone anymore, so he went off and tried to think of something to say to Abby when she returned. Which, of course, he would miss. They just couldn't seem to get the timing right.
TBC? You tell me! Review!
