Home for the Holidays
Summary: Carter comes back to Chicago just in time for Christmas. Carby. Slight AU.
Author's Note: For all intents and purposes, all the Luby stuff that the actual writers are hinting at is not happening. Carby all the way!
Disclaimer: If ER was actually mine, Carter and Abby would be together.John Carter looked down at his watch again. 11:35 P.M. on Christmas Eve. He was alone in a plane on the way back to Chicago. He was only about twenty minutes away from landing. However, he would not have someone waiting for him. No one even knew that he was coming. How would they react? How would he react? Things had to have changed while he was away. There was no doubt about that.
What if too many things have changed? He knew he was an idiot for leaving. Why did he leave? To chase some cockamamie theory that he and Kem could get back together. Relations between the two of them were never the same since they lost Joshua. The two of them had changed too much over the year when they were apart. He was insane to think things could work between them.
He was even more insane to act upon his thoughts. Kem was not the woman for him. He knew it, and she knew it.
It had not started out huge. The two of them were treating a patient, and Carter called for Abby to assist them. Kem just dismissed it as Carter not having yet adjusted to the fact that they were in Africa, not County. Then Carter did it again the next week. Kem was a little less understanding, but she was still forgiving. She had to be for all that Carter gave up to be with her.
At first Carter agreed with Kem- it was just the fact that he was not used to being back in Africa. He was too used to County. But then he kept wanting to see Abby's face there. He looked for it each day. Although he knew she was thousands of miles away, Carter was still disappointed when she was not there. He found himself thinking more and more about her. He began loathing the sight of Kem for fear that he would call her Abby.
Then came the one day when he did.
He and Kem were lying in bed. They were just lying there, about to drift off to sleep, when it happened. It seemed so harmless. Kem said good-night. Carter responded with a "'Night, Abby."
Kem's lips pursed as she sat up. Her eyes hinted that she was hurt, but not surprised. She only had one response. "John, do you think this can work between us? Answer honestly, or we're just wasting time."
Carter sighed heavily. He sat up as well and took Kem's hand in his. "No," he said finally. "I'm very sorry. You're a great woman, but--""But I'm not Abby," Kem finished. "I get it, Carter."
"I--"
"Don't," Kem interrupted. "Just leave, Carter. It's better for us in the long run. If you go now, maybe you'll have a chance of getting her back." The last couple words were spoken in a tone of disgust.
Kem turned away, and Carter stood up. He kissed her hand lightly then left.
Kem's words echoed in Carter's mind. A chance of getting her back. Carter wondered how much of a chance it was. What did he know? It has been months since he was in the United States. Abby probably moved on with her life. When he left, she was with that Jake guy. Personally, he did not think it would work out, but he did not know. He could not be certain.
He glanced at his watch again. 11:50. He was almost ready to land. From there, it was a twenty minute cab drive to County. Twenty-five minutes until he would know. He did not even care if things between him and Abby would work. He had to see her.
((So, what do you think? Worth continuing?))
