Disclaimer: The day that ER and everything relating to it belongs to me, is the day I will eat my hat!
Spoilers: Season 9
Summary: I wrote this ages ago and saved it in a folder which I couldn't find, and now I've found it.. so here it is.
Abby is living a happy life, away from Carter, when a visit from an old friend brings back memories and forces her to return to Chigago, and Carter. But all is far from simple when she returns home.Thanks to Mandy who was beta.
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Chapter 1Abby closes her front door and throws her keys on the table next to it.
"Mom?"
She walks through the flat she shares with her mother and her brother and picks up some empty soda cans from the floor. Just another part of her job as the sane one of the household – cleaner.
"Eric?"
As she reaches the kitchen she notices that the red light on the answer machine is flashing. She presses the button before walking over to where the rubbish bin is. It is overflowing.
Eric, I asked you to take out the trash!
"You have three new messages"
Walking back into the living room Abby unzips her coat and pulls it off.
"Message One"
"Hey Abby, its me, Eric wanted to go bowling so that's where we are now. Its so much fun, I'm totally winning. Anyway just wanted to let you know where we were. Eric wants Chinese for dinner so we'll pick that up on the way home at around five. Byeeee"
Abby forcefully throws her coat down onto the couch.
Typical. It's always about what Eric wants.
Ever since Eric had been diagnosed as bi-polar, Maggie had made him centre of attention in her life. Anything Eric wanted, she gave to him.
"Message two"
"Hi, this is a message for Abby, its Neal from work here."
A smile comes to Abby's face
"I looked at my work schedule and it turns out I am free on Friday night so we can go out then after all. Call me when you get this message. Thanks."
Abby had finally plucked up the courage to ask Neal on a date. She had asked him to go to the movies with her after he complained that he has not stepped foot in a movie theatre in over a year.
"Message three"
"Abby, It's Susan here, Susan Lewis, remember me? The blonde from Chicago? Well, I'm passing through your town on Friday night and I was wondering if you wanted to catch up? We could hit some bars, it would be like old times. My shift finishes at five so give me a call on my cell anytime after that."
Abby picked up the phone from its spot in the kitchen and wandered back through to the living room again. She started to dial a number but quickly pressed the 'cancel' button, changing her mind.
Come on, this is Susan, one of your closest friend's. You can't blow her off. But, on the other hand, you've been waiting to go out with this guy forever.
Shaking her head, Abby dialled again and this time le the phone ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Susan, Its me."
"Hey stranger, so you finally decided to return my call?"
"Yeah, what do mean 'finally'? Five hours is not long, you know, in shift-workers hours."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well anyway, what about Friday night huh?"
"Yeah, Friday night would be…"
She's your closest friend.
"Friday night would be great!"
"Ok, so how about I come to your at around five? We can go out for something to eat."
"Sounds brilliant. Do you remember the way to my place?"
"How could I forget? I have never seen so many sets of traffic lights on one road in my entire life."
Abby laughs
"You get used to it"
"Well I still think you should campaign for an El station there."
Abby hears the door to the flat being unlocked.
"Okay, I've got to go. I'll see you on Friday night at five."
"Sure, See you then. Bye"
"Bye Susan"
"Abby can you help us here?"
Abby gets up and opens the door to find Maggie and Eric weighed down by brown bags.
"How much food did you get?"
"Well, Eric couldn't decide on what he wanted so I just bought a variety." Maggie replied while pushing a bag into Abby's crossed arms.
"Hey Abby, guess what we got for dinner?" Eric asked as he pushes his way past Abby into the kitchen.
"What didn't you get?" Abby mutters under her breath.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. I don't know, what did you get?"
"Pancakes!"
"Pancakes? I thought you wanted a Chinese."
"No, I changed my mind. Isn't it great though, they're big, thin pancakes, like the ones they have in France, you know, the, the…. thingmejigers, what are they called?" Eric snaps his fingers at Abby, ordering her to give him the word he's looking for.
"Crepes?" Abby suggests
"Crepes, that's it. We're having Crepes for dinner."
"Cool"
Abby still couldn't get used to how hyper her brother had become. Even though it had been two years since he was diagnosed as being bi-polar, she still couldn't get over the fact that he was not the same, quiet little boy she brought up.
"Abby, you want some?"
Abby's thoughts are interrupted by her brother's voice.
"Abby?"
"Umm, sure, why don't you make them. I have to make a phonecall."
Abby quickly climbs the stairs to her bedroom and closes the door, blocking out the sound of her brother clattering about in the kitchen, where he is probably looking for a frying pan.
She picks up an address book from her bookcase and dials a number from it, looking at her long fingernails, she listens to the dialling tone until a voice answers.
"Hello?"
"Hi Neal? Its Abby."
"Oh, Hi."
"Listen Neal, I'm afraid I can't make it on Friday night."
"Oh"
"I'm really sorry, it's just that an old friend is in town that night, and I haven't seen her for a while…"
"Its okay Abby, you don't have to explain. We can go some other time."
"Thanks Neal, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. Thanks for phoning. Bye"
"Bye."
That wasn't too painful.
Abby breathes a sigh of relief as she puts the phone back on its hook.
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Looking at her watch, Abby sighs and puts the menu she is holding down on the table.
Susan never changes, always late, for everything!
"Can I get you anything while you are waiting?"
Abby turns around to see a handsome waiter behind her. She smiles sweetly.
"No thank you, I'm just going to wait for my friend, she shouldn't be much longer."
The waiter nods then walks away and Abby can't help but to turn round and check him out while he leaves.
"I saw that!"
Abby turns around to see that Susan is sitting across from her.
"Hey you" says Abby, smiling… "Saw what?"
"I saw you checking that cute guy out and don't deny it."
Abby coughs
"So, how are you?
"I'm great, except for that traffic, man. There was this one guy who……"
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"…and then Neal took the pen, washed it and wrote on the chart with it!" says Abby , laughing.
Susan, in hysterics, finishes the last spoonful of her chocolate sundae and places the spoon onto the plate.
The first awkward silence of the evening lasts for a few minutes until Susan interrupts it.
"Penny for them!"
Abby looks up as if she wasn't thinking about anything, before sighing.
"I was just wondering, how are things back in Chicago?"
"How is Carter?" Susan says, not missing a beat.
"Well, yeah." Abby says, smiling.
"He's umm, umm…"
The smile on Abby's face disappears.
"Susan, what's happened, is there something wrong with him?"
"Kind of. "
"What do you mean, kind of. "
"Well, the thing is, there was an accident a few weeks ago, on Christmas Eve. Don't worry, nothing happened to Carter. It was his grandmother, and his father."
Abby couldn't help but be relieved that Carter was okay.
"They were both killed, in a car accident. I was on duty, they were both DOA."
"How's he coping?"
"Not good Abby. Not good. Weaver made him take a few weeks of work, so I haven't seen him much, but I've been round to see him a couple of times and he looks terrible. I don't think he's eating, he's a wreck! He looks worse than he did when…"
"When what?" Abby interrupts.
"When you left" Susan finishes.
"I think he needs help Abby."
Abby looks down at her plate.
"Abby, could you… could you, help him?"
Abby looks up suddenly.
"No, no, no! Susan, no way."
"I'm not asking you to declare your undying love to him Abby, I'm just asking you to talk to him."
"Susan, seeing me will only push him further over the edge. You told me how bad he was when I left and to be honest I don't think I could face it either."
"I'm scared Abby, I'm scared he might do something stupid. "
Abby begins to feel that sickening feeling at the back of her throat again. The last time she felt that was five months ago.