AN: Sorry I was so long updating but I had a technical problem. The only good thing was that I got to write most of the story on paper whilst I waited for it to be fixed.
Thank you for all your comments.
The Other Side of Never
Chapter one
October 2009
Carter walked over to the admit desk from the lounge after working one of the worst graveyard shifts of his career. He buttoned up his coat and took a letter out of his pocket, which he thrust in front of Susan, who was now chief of emergency medicine.
'What?' she asked, turning to face him as she took the envelope from him. 'What's this Carter?'
'A letter' he replied
'Duh! I can see that, what's going on?' she asked
Susan touched his shoulder and steered him back into the lounge. 'Carter?' she asked.
'I need some time out' he said
'Time out, for what?'
'To find myself, get everything in perspective'
'You're not going to the Congo again, are you? I thought you had got that out of your system years ago?'
'No' he replied 'I don't want to go back there'
'Then why are you going? How long for? I just don't understand? Carter?' Susan said perplexed.
'Nothing's right. If I'm not here I'm dealing with foundation affairs and I can't seem to hold down a relationship...'
'Ah... Jenny broke up with you, did she?' Susan asked
'Jenny! Jenny and I broke up in March, I'm talking about Emma',
'Geez Carter, you have so many girlfriends, I can't keep up'
'No I don't. Last year I didn't date anyone'
'Really?'
'Really'
Susan shook her head and tried to concentrate as they had gone off the subject somewhat.
'How long do you need?' Susan finally asked him.
'A couple of months, maybe more I don't know'
'Just give me a couple of weeks to find someone to cover you'
'One'
'Fine. One'
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One week later at the admit desk.
'So he's gone for two months' Jing-Mei stated to Susan
'I'm not sure exactly, he wasn't very specific. Who was Emma by the way?'
'He met Emma in the summer when he went diving' informed Luka.
'Oh!' Susan replied 'What happened with Jenny then?'
Jing-Mei answered 'They met at a New Years party and she dumped him in March'
'Oh!' said Susan again
'Don't tell me, he's off to find his one true love' Jing-Mei said
'Well' replied Susan 'That will be difficult as she left about five and a half years ago. God only knows where she is now'
'You mean you lost touch?' asked Sam joining in the conversation
'Or she did' suggested Luka
'No. It was me' confessed Susan 'She'd email me every couple of months, then I changed my email address and I confess it slipped my mind to tell her. By the time I thought about it, well it was awkward you know when you lose touch with someone'
'When was the last time you heard from her?' asked Sam
'Umm' Susan thought and then said 'Over four years ago'
'Maybe he's tracked her down' said Connie
'No. He would have said something. He did mention Abby a while ago though and I told him that she might be happily married by now'
'Abby?' Luka and Jing-Mei said together.
'Yeah. Well it's possible. Actually I told Carter that the likelihood of finding her again was the other side of never'
'You mean like looking for a pin in a cornfield' Luka said
Everyone looked confused until Sam said 'You mean like looking for a needle in a haystack'
'Yes that's what I said' he replied.
Everyone looked at him and shook their heads.
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November 2009
Finding Abby was the last thing on Carters mind. Well not the last but definitely not the first.
He'd flown haphazardly round the country to a couple of hot locations before deciding on somewhere cooler.
Stepping on the plane he went to hire a car and chose an unsuitable fast sports car.
It had been snowing and the sky had a look about it that was hinting at more to follow, when he hit a patch of ice on the road. Where he ended up putting the car into the ditch at the side of the road.
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