Carter walked into the lounge, opening his locker he started emptying it
out. First came his stethoscope, he remembered the day he took it from Dr.
Greene's locker. He folded it up ad put it into his bag. Most of the things
from there were already at home but just some papers he knows he's had there
forever.

He picked up the first thing there, it was a picture, he recognized from the
Christmas party his first year in the ER. Everyone was there. Dr. Benton, Dr.
Greene, Susan, Carol, Doug, and a few others who joined in there. Carter
studied himself in there. He looked so young, and so naive, as he remembered
himself his first year at County. He put that into his bag moving onto some
more things.

The next thing he picked up was a blank envelope in which was a letter. He
opened it and started reading it. He recognized it as the letter that he
wrote when he was an intern under Dr. Greene. As he read it he chuckled
remembering those days. When he finished he folded it up again and put it
back into the envelope, and placed it into his jacket pocket.

The next thing he found was an envelope from a photo developing place. Carter
opened the envelope and took out the pictures. He started going through them,
looking at each one. He smiled at the memories of them. These were some
pictures from when him and Abby were still dating. A few ER gatherings, and a
few of their own moments in there too.

Carter had no idea what to do with the pictures. He didn't just want to throw
them out, but tacking them to Africa with him, he wasn't so sure Kem would
like that very much. Then suddenly he got an idea. Carter took one picture
from the Christmas party of the year him and Abby were dating, and slid it
into his inside pocket, at least now he had one memory with him. He then
looked over at the locker next to him, with the name Lockhart on it. He still
remembered the combination, opening it, he slid the pictures, on the top
shelf, where he knew she left her stethoscope at the end of the day.

He then packed away a few of his last things. Carter shut his locker, looking
at it, realizing this might very well be the last time he is in this ER, and
in this lounge. He traced his name over with his finger and walked out of the
lounge, heading for where he knew the interns were working on their charts,
with the letter in his hand.

He handed Abby the letter with a smile to her, and she smiled back, both of
them realizing this was their goodbye. He waved a final time walking out of
the room, and out of County for good.

Abby held the envelope in her hand, biting on her bottom lip when Neela's
voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Are you going to read it?" She asked her.

"Hmmm." Looking at Neela, then back at Ray looking at the letter, she
realized something. She couldn't just leave it at that. She couldn't let
this be their goodbye, after everything they went through. "Um, actually I'll
be right back." She said getting up from her seat, setting the letter on the
bed, and walking out of the trauma room, leaving a puzzled Neela and Ray
behind her.

Carter walked out of the ER. Looked back once more, tacking a mental picture
of it all. he then heard something coming from the other side of the bay, and
saw Morris sitting there.

"Morris?" Carter asked to make sure that this was him.

Morris lifted his head looking at Carter "I think I'm gonna barf." he said
lowering his head back down.

"You set the tone Morris." carter said remembering when Mark had said this to
him.

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Carter said chuckling and walking away when he heard a voice
behind him."

"Is that it?" Carter turned around looking to whom the voice belonged to,
seeing Abby standing there brought a smile to his face.

"Got a plane to catch." Carter replied, making his way closer to her as she

took a few steps toward him.

"And that's how you're gonna leave, that's all I get after six years." Abby
asked trying to keep her voice leveled when her heart was breaking. She
couldn't believe that this was going to be the goodbye she would say to her
once best friend, lover and mentor.

Carter smiled gently at her and now they were standing a few steps away from
one another. "I thought any other way would be too complicated."

"Yeah, I guess." After a pause she spoke again. "I'm really gonna miss you."
She said to him. He looked at her with the biggest and saddest smile, and
dropped his bag beside him, tacking a step toward Abby he opened his arms and
she stepped into them. Her arms went around his shoulder, and his around her
waist, holding her close. She sniffed in his scent as a tear rolled down her
cheek, which he felt on his neck, trickling down.

"I'm gonna miss you too. You mean so much to me Abby, that I didn't even know
where to begin, which is why I just figured it would be best to leave it this
way." He hugged her closer and she nodded into his shoulder.

They slowly let go looking deep into each other's eyes, her hands still on his
shoulders and his lightly around her waist she looked into his eyes, and
without even thinking she gently leaned her mouth to his, in a friendly
goodbye kiss. In a few seconds they let go both smiling at each other with a
shy smile.

"You should get going." Abby said smiling at him.

"Yeah, look I just want you to know, that in a way I will always love you.
You have been such an amazing friend and everything to me, and I am what I am
because of you. Thank you." He finished.

"You're welcome. And thank you, for everything, with the tuition and I mean
Eric and Maggie, I just..." She tailed off.

"I know. Goodbye, Abby." He said tacking a few steps away from her and
putting his bag back on his shoulder.

"Goodbye, John." She replied with a sad smile and he returned it.

He started walking away from her, and was almost out of the bay when he
suddenly turned back and looked at the ER, and then at Abby. Seeing her start
to walk away he called after her. "You set the tone, Abby." She turned around
and looked at him with a confused look, not completely sure of what she heard
"You're a great doctor." He finished and with that he made his way out of the
ER, leaving with Abby looking after him for a few minutes until she walked
back inside.

She couldn't believe Carter had said this to her. She knew that this is what
Mark had said to him when he left. And she remembers when Carter had told her
this, and the expression on his face, the proud look he had that Mark had
actually put so much faith in him, which is how she felt right about now.

Abby walked back into the lounge and saw Neela and Ray in there ready to
leave. She didn't know that they had both seen everything that happened
through the window in the lounge.

"You ok?" Neela asked gently.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She walked to her locker opening it she
noticed that a photo envelope fell from the top shelf. Abby bend down to pick
it up as Neela and Ray kept looking at her. She opened the envelope and
looking inside she saw a bunch of pictures. She let out a sigh as she saw
where they're from.

Neela and Ray were now both standing behind her looking at the same picture
she was. It was a picture of her and John when they were dating. It was a
picture a photographer took the day the left quarantine and were on the
beach. In the picture they were both lying in the sand gazing into each other
and smiling.

"When was this?" Ray asked.

"Um, this was when we left quarantine after two weeks of being in the ER,
that's when we got together." Abby answered with her eyes glistening. She
couldn't believe Carter had left her this.

"You've had this all this time." Neela asked her.

"No, I guess Carter did and he put it in my locker."

"How did he get in?" Ray asked.

"He knows my combination." Abby answered, flicking through the rest of the
pictures. When she stopped at one of most of the ER at the Christmas party at
Susan's, she stopped, and pulled the picture out, handing the stack to Neela,
she walked over to the cupboard by the coffee machines. She took a few pieces
of tape and put the picture on there, smoothing it down.

Abby walked back to her locker as Neela handed her the pictures. She took off
her stethoscope and put it on the top shelf, along with her lab coat which
she hung in her locker. Abby took out her jacket and put the pictures in it's
pocket.

All three of them walked out and parted ways with a few goodbyes, and
comments about the day's work. As Abby walked away from the bay, all she kept
thinking about was that the next day she walks in there, Carter will not be
there to greet her.

Well this was just one chapter, which I've had in my mind since the season
finale in may, but I only just out it into writing. I hope you guys like it.