Chapter 1: Hating Her
"Is that the new ultrasound?" Carter asked.
Kem nodded her head, "See how he's sucking his thumb?" She giggled. Carter kissed her on the cheek.
A few feet away, at the admit desk, Abby stood watching the couple. She felt like she was going to puke from all the lovey-dovey-ness that she was witnessing. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for Carter, or that Kem wasn't a nice woman, it was just that—
"Anyone else need a Compazine?" Susan whispered to Abby and a few other on- lookers. She shared a quick glance with Abby. Abby half-smiled. It was nice to know that someone understood how awkward Carter's return with Kem made her feel.
"How are you doing?" Susan asked when the others were out of ear-shot.
"Just peachy," she answered sarcastically.
"Abby..."
"I'm fine, Susan, really."
"Girls' night tonight?
"I don't know..."
"We could eat pizza and rent a movie—something funny."
"I don't know..."
"Eight o'clock? Good. See you then."
Abby didn't remember agreeing, but she decided that she could stand to have a little fun.
"Abby, he's crashing," Malik shouted from down the hall in Curtain Area 2.
Speaking of fun... she thought to herself as she rushed down the hall.
* * *
"I don't think your friends like me," Kem said to Carter as he walked her out to the street so she could catch a cab back to his place while he worked.
Carter didn't know what to say. He hadn't noticed anything in particular that would suggest that the staff at County hadn't been anything less than welcoming to Kem. "What?" he said. "Of course they like you. They just don't know you very well yet. And most of them were surprised to meet you at first. I don't think any of them expected me to, uh..." he tried hard to find the right words.
"Come back with a pregnant girlfriend?" Kem added for him. He nodded his head in agreement. "What about Abby?"
"What about her?" Carter asked. He was really not in the mood to explain to Kem about his and Abby's history.
"Well, there seems to be...I don't know...tension between the two of you. Did you two...I mean were you..."
"A couple?" Carter finished for her.
"Yeah, were you?"
Carter sighed. "Yeah, we were. We broke up after I went to the Congo. We haven't really seen each other since I went back the second time."
"Oh, God, that must be awkward."
"It is. You see, we were friends for a long time before we ever got together. She was a good friend—she still is, I hope."
There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before Kem raised her hand up and flagged down a passing cab. "Will you be home for dinner?" she asked.
"If you let Emily cook."
"All right," she reluctantly agreed with a smile, "I'll see you tonight." She gave him a quick kiss before she entered the cab and the driver took off.
* * *
"—and then he had the nerve of asking me what was wrong," Susan had just finished a story that she was telling Abby and Jing-Mei in her living room.
"Are you serious?" Jing-Mei asked in disbelief.
"As if he didn't know," added Susan.
"Men just don't get it," said Jing-Mei.
Abby just sat back listening and smiling as the other two women ranted and raved about the men in their lives. Although she agreed with some of what they were saying, she hadn't really been in a relationship since she and Carter had broken up, and she kind of missed having a guy around to drive her crazy.
After their laughter died down a bit, the other two women noticed that Abby wasn't saying much.
"Are you okay, Abby?" Susan finally asked.
"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Abby answered with a hint of anger.
There was a moment of quiet before Jing-Mei replied with, "Because you don't look or act like you're fine."
"Abby, we're your friends. You can talk to us if you want, but you don't have to." Susan said gently.
Abby sighed, then she starting pouring out her feelings. "I thought I was over him. I convinced myself that I was. I finally got to the point where I wasn't always wondering when he'd come back, and now he's here. He's back. I can't seem to get away from him, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to act around him now—or her. Am I supposed to be happy for him? I guess I am on some level. It just happened so fast. I wasn't ready for him to be with someone else—for someone else to be having his baby..." Abby's voice trailed off. She wiped away a few tears. She hadn't expected to get so emotional, but this was the first time that she had ever let these feelings out.
Susan moved over to hug Abby. Jing-Mei moved over closer to the couch, where the other two were sitting. After a minute or two, Susan pulled away from Abby and asked, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I didn't want to seem as weak and pathetic as I feel," Abby answered with a slight laugh.
"You know, it's understandable how you're feeling," Jing-Mei added. "His coming back was a shock for everyone. It all happened so fast..."
"Too fast," Susan said just above a whispered. The other two women whipped around to look at her. "There's something I don't like about her," she continued.
"I know what you mean," added Jing-Mei.
"Thank you for trying to make me feel better," said Abby, "but the worst part about everything is that I can't hate her, because she's so nice."
"Too nice," said Jing-Mei.
"Yeah, mark my words, she's up to something," said Susan.
"I think it's time for There's Something About Mary..." Jing-Mei attempted to break the awkward silence. She got up to put the movie in the VCR. Abby just sat and thought about what Susan had said. Could she be right? She thought...
"Is that the new ultrasound?" Carter asked.
Kem nodded her head, "See how he's sucking his thumb?" She giggled. Carter kissed her on the cheek.
A few feet away, at the admit desk, Abby stood watching the couple. She felt like she was going to puke from all the lovey-dovey-ness that she was witnessing. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for Carter, or that Kem wasn't a nice woman, it was just that—
"Anyone else need a Compazine?" Susan whispered to Abby and a few other on- lookers. She shared a quick glance with Abby. Abby half-smiled. It was nice to know that someone understood how awkward Carter's return with Kem made her feel.
"How are you doing?" Susan asked when the others were out of ear-shot.
"Just peachy," she answered sarcastically.
"Abby..."
"I'm fine, Susan, really."
"Girls' night tonight?
"I don't know..."
"We could eat pizza and rent a movie—something funny."
"I don't know..."
"Eight o'clock? Good. See you then."
Abby didn't remember agreeing, but she decided that she could stand to have a little fun.
"Abby, he's crashing," Malik shouted from down the hall in Curtain Area 2.
Speaking of fun... she thought to herself as she rushed down the hall.
* * *
"I don't think your friends like me," Kem said to Carter as he walked her out to the street so she could catch a cab back to his place while he worked.
Carter didn't know what to say. He hadn't noticed anything in particular that would suggest that the staff at County hadn't been anything less than welcoming to Kem. "What?" he said. "Of course they like you. They just don't know you very well yet. And most of them were surprised to meet you at first. I don't think any of them expected me to, uh..." he tried hard to find the right words.
"Come back with a pregnant girlfriend?" Kem added for him. He nodded his head in agreement. "What about Abby?"
"What about her?" Carter asked. He was really not in the mood to explain to Kem about his and Abby's history.
"Well, there seems to be...I don't know...tension between the two of you. Did you two...I mean were you..."
"A couple?" Carter finished for her.
"Yeah, were you?"
Carter sighed. "Yeah, we were. We broke up after I went to the Congo. We haven't really seen each other since I went back the second time."
"Oh, God, that must be awkward."
"It is. You see, we were friends for a long time before we ever got together. She was a good friend—she still is, I hope."
There were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before Kem raised her hand up and flagged down a passing cab. "Will you be home for dinner?" she asked.
"If you let Emily cook."
"All right," she reluctantly agreed with a smile, "I'll see you tonight." She gave him a quick kiss before she entered the cab and the driver took off.
* * *
"—and then he had the nerve of asking me what was wrong," Susan had just finished a story that she was telling Abby and Jing-Mei in her living room.
"Are you serious?" Jing-Mei asked in disbelief.
"As if he didn't know," added Susan.
"Men just don't get it," said Jing-Mei.
Abby just sat back listening and smiling as the other two women ranted and raved about the men in their lives. Although she agreed with some of what they were saying, she hadn't really been in a relationship since she and Carter had broken up, and she kind of missed having a guy around to drive her crazy.
After their laughter died down a bit, the other two women noticed that Abby wasn't saying much.
"Are you okay, Abby?" Susan finally asked.
"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Abby answered with a hint of anger.
There was a moment of quiet before Jing-Mei replied with, "Because you don't look or act like you're fine."
"Abby, we're your friends. You can talk to us if you want, but you don't have to." Susan said gently.
Abby sighed, then she starting pouring out her feelings. "I thought I was over him. I convinced myself that I was. I finally got to the point where I wasn't always wondering when he'd come back, and now he's here. He's back. I can't seem to get away from him, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to act around him now—or her. Am I supposed to be happy for him? I guess I am on some level. It just happened so fast. I wasn't ready for him to be with someone else—for someone else to be having his baby..." Abby's voice trailed off. She wiped away a few tears. She hadn't expected to get so emotional, but this was the first time that she had ever let these feelings out.
Susan moved over to hug Abby. Jing-Mei moved over closer to the couch, where the other two were sitting. After a minute or two, Susan pulled away from Abby and asked, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"I didn't want to seem as weak and pathetic as I feel," Abby answered with a slight laugh.
"You know, it's understandable how you're feeling," Jing-Mei added. "His coming back was a shock for everyone. It all happened so fast..."
"Too fast," Susan said just above a whispered. The other two women whipped around to look at her. "There's something I don't like about her," she continued.
"I know what you mean," added Jing-Mei.
"Thank you for trying to make me feel better," said Abby, "but the worst part about everything is that I can't hate her, because she's so nice."
"Too nice," said Jing-Mei.
"Yeah, mark my words, she's up to something," said Susan.
"I think it's time for There's Something About Mary..." Jing-Mei attempted to break the awkward silence. She got up to put the movie in the VCR. Abby just sat and thought about what Susan had said. Could she be right? She thought...