Disclaimer: I don't own ER or it's characters. I assume no liability or insure your enjoyment of the story, although a girl can hope!

Some things you should know: Susan is married to Chuck, they have a son name Brendan. He's three, three and a half. Susan has custody of Susie, a story that will hopefully be told in the near future. For some reason I felt like writing this one first. Other than that it should be pretty self explanatory. I'm trying some different things with the format and flow of the story. Please read and review, it's the only way we get better.

Collar Of Grace

Chapter One: What's happening?

6:54 Pm

Silently she sat in the chair, absent from the reality that continued to unfold around her. The noise that surrounded her sounded muffled and incoherent. She had finally stopped crying, now she just slightly shivered, unable to completely regain her composure. She tried to fight the images that filled her mind. They were sitting at the table, eating sandwiches and laughing. Looking at dresses and clothes, necklaces. Abby suggesting the music store. "Susie will love it." She could hear her say. "Get her a cd player and two or three cd's." "How am I suppose to know what cd's?" "Get her a gift certificate with the player then. You can take her down here and she can pick out her own, she'll love it." "Maybe you're right." "I know I'm right, and besides if we don't leave now we'll be late for work."

Shutting her eyes Susan fought back the break down that was trying to fight it's way to the surface. Exhaling she pushed the urge to throw a chair or scream. Instead she placed her head in her hands, looking down she saw the blood that covered her shirt and jeans. It had been almost an hour and it still didn't seem real. How could this have happened? How could, in an instant, things change? How could things ever be the same? She knew they were walking a tight rope, fighting to see how deep the damage would run. It was a battle Susan could do nothing to help fight, forced to be a bystander, to watch it unfold. Again the urge to lash out surfaced. This time is was subdued with tears, until the only voice she wanted to hear finally echoed through her empty thoughts.

"Susan…" Chuck hastily stated as he entered the waiting room.

"Chuck." She replied as his voice brought her back to reality. In his arms she once again began to cry.

"Baby, it's okay. It's okay, you're okay. What happened?" He asked. For the past forty minutes he had tried desperately to make it to the hospital. The only information Susan had been able to coherently convey was that she was at the hospital and something horrible had happened.

"We were at the…at the music store. We had bought some things for Susie, for her…"

"Susan…" He quietly said as he held her tight. "It's okay, tell me what happened."

"We were at the ambulance bay and Chloe was waiting. We didn't see her."

"Is she okay?" His question only prompted Susan to stop speaking and hug his neck tighter. "You have to tell me what's happened." Chuck stated trying to understand what was going on.

"She shot Abby." Luka stated from the seat in the corner.

"What?"

"Outside the ER. Chloe shot Abby."

"Oh my God." Chuck replied, rubbing his wife's back.

Susan breathed deeply and once again strengthened her grip around Chuck.

"I'm so sorry Susan." He stated, it being the only thing that came to his mind.

Author's note: The title comes from a line in a song by Gavin Degraw.