Chapter 6
Susan had taken Abby's advice and not tried to talk to Carter. However about half an hour later she had a change her mind. She went to find Carter to see if he was okay but when she did she saw him talking to Abby. She couldn't believe what Abby was doing. Hadn't see told her not half an hour ago not to talk to carter and now here she was doing exactly that. Why would she do that? Susan tried to put those thoughts out of her mind and go back to work. However she couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't work out why Abby would tell her one thing and do another. What was her motive? Then it hit her. Abby wanted Carter. Maybe she didn't know it but she wanted him. The more she thought about this the more it made sense. It was as if this was the missing piece in jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly Susan could now see the bigger picture. Abby wanted Carter. The question now was whether he wanted her. She thought about this and came to the conclusion that he probably didn't know because if it did then surely he would go for it. Or would he? He had certainly wanted her in the past but did he still want her? These questions endlessly ran through Susan's mind. She didn't know what she should do. She thought that there was possibly something between her and Carter but these questions threw that into doubt. What should she do? She was disturbed from her thoughts by Abby, "Have you seen the ET tubes?"
"No."
There was silence as Abby looked through the shelves and Susan tried to decide whether or not she should say anything. "Why did you tell me not to go to talk to Carter?"
"What?" Abby was surprised by the question and how direct Susan was being.
"You said that it would be best to leave Carter alone then I see you talking to him. I want to know why."
"It was half an hour later and I just wanted to see if he was okay."
"So did I but you told he not too."
"He wanted to be left alone."
'How did you know?"
"I, I" Abby was suddenly lost for words. ", I just knew."
"Well, next time I don't want any of your advice."
"Fine. In the future I won't say anything."
"Fine." Susan had enough of the conservation and started to walk away.
Not before Abby could say, "He's okay, by the way."
Susan stopped for a moment but didn't respond then carried on.
***
Carter had come to a decision. For the first time in a long time he had decided. He knew what he wanted. The only problem was could he get it.
However for the moment he had to concentrate on his work. A woman had come into the ER because she had discovered lesions covering her skin. Apart from that the woman was apparently in excellent health. Carter didn't know what was wrong with her. He took another look at her chart and then ordered the usual series of tests. The patient seemed a little worried by the number of these tests, "Don't worry Mrs Jessup. It is just standard procedure."
She noticeably relaxed, "It's miss."
"Pardon?"
"Miss Jessup. Not Mrs."
"Oh I'm sorry." Carter made a little note on the chart.
"Don't be. I'm not." She smiled. "Do you know what is wrong with me?"
"That's what the tests are for."
"It's just that I have never seen anything like this before. Anywhere."
"Don't worry we get all sorts here."
"Okay, thanks Doc."
Carter smiled and exited the room. As soon as he was out of the room a puzzled look appeared on his face. He really didn't know what was wrong with that woman and that kind of disturbed him. However he figured that there is no one who knows every possible disease. So he would wait for the tests, maybe they could shed some light on the mystery.
He was so lost in these thoughts that he didn't see Susan approach him, "Hey Carter. Carter!"
"What?"
"Anything the matter?"
"Just a patient." He pointed to the door behind him. "A woman covered with yellow lesions especially on the joints. Do you have any idea what it could be?"
Susan thought for a moment but couldn't come up with anything, "Nope sorry. What do the tests say?"
"Just sent them off."
Susan nodded and there was silence between the two. "You okay?" She tried to sound as compassionate as she possibly could.
"Yeah I'm fine. Why?"
"Well after the trauma today."
Carter cut her off before she could finish. "I'm was just angry at losing him. And before you say it I know, 'you win some, you lose some'."
"That wasn't exactly what I was going to say but it would have sounded similar."
"I just thought I could have saved him."
"I know what you mean. You work really hard, you think you've saved them and then they go and die on you."
"Yeah."
"It's inconsiderate really." They both smiled.
Again there was silence between them. It was Susan who spoke, "Hey Carter, what you doing tonight?" She carried on without waiting for him to answer. "Because I was thinking, would you like to get something to eat?"
He looked down at the floor, "Normally I would love too but I have plans or at least I am in the process of making plans. If you know what I mean."
"Yeah I know."
"Maybe some other time."
"Sure." Susan tried hard to cover it up but Carter could see that she was upset. "I really should be going." She pointed at nowhere in particular and started to walk off in that direction. As she was leaving she said over her shoulder in a low voice, "Maybe some other time."
Carter couldn't help but felt bad about what he had just done. However he knew that it needed to be done. He couldn't go out on a date with Susan even though a part of him wanted too. He had decided, it was Abby that he wanted. He knew that. All he needed to do know was ask. The only problem was he had no idea how the hell he was going to do this.
Susan had taken Abby's advice and not tried to talk to Carter. However about half an hour later she had a change her mind. She went to find Carter to see if he was okay but when she did she saw him talking to Abby. She couldn't believe what Abby was doing. Hadn't see told her not half an hour ago not to talk to carter and now here she was doing exactly that. Why would she do that? Susan tried to put those thoughts out of her mind and go back to work. However she couldn't stop thinking about it. She couldn't work out why Abby would tell her one thing and do another. What was her motive? Then it hit her. Abby wanted Carter. Maybe she didn't know it but she wanted him. The more she thought about this the more it made sense. It was as if this was the missing piece in jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly Susan could now see the bigger picture. Abby wanted Carter. The question now was whether he wanted her. She thought about this and came to the conclusion that he probably didn't know because if it did then surely he would go for it. Or would he? He had certainly wanted her in the past but did he still want her? These questions endlessly ran through Susan's mind. She didn't know what she should do. She thought that there was possibly something between her and Carter but these questions threw that into doubt. What should she do? She was disturbed from her thoughts by Abby, "Have you seen the ET tubes?"
"No."
There was silence as Abby looked through the shelves and Susan tried to decide whether or not she should say anything. "Why did you tell me not to go to talk to Carter?"
"What?" Abby was surprised by the question and how direct Susan was being.
"You said that it would be best to leave Carter alone then I see you talking to him. I want to know why."
"It was half an hour later and I just wanted to see if he was okay."
"So did I but you told he not too."
"He wanted to be left alone."
'How did you know?"
"I, I" Abby was suddenly lost for words. ", I just knew."
"Well, next time I don't want any of your advice."
"Fine. In the future I won't say anything."
"Fine." Susan had enough of the conservation and started to walk away.
Not before Abby could say, "He's okay, by the way."
Susan stopped for a moment but didn't respond then carried on.
***
Carter had come to a decision. For the first time in a long time he had decided. He knew what he wanted. The only problem was could he get it.
However for the moment he had to concentrate on his work. A woman had come into the ER because she had discovered lesions covering her skin. Apart from that the woman was apparently in excellent health. Carter didn't know what was wrong with her. He took another look at her chart and then ordered the usual series of tests. The patient seemed a little worried by the number of these tests, "Don't worry Mrs Jessup. It is just standard procedure."
She noticeably relaxed, "It's miss."
"Pardon?"
"Miss Jessup. Not Mrs."
"Oh I'm sorry." Carter made a little note on the chart.
"Don't be. I'm not." She smiled. "Do you know what is wrong with me?"
"That's what the tests are for."
"It's just that I have never seen anything like this before. Anywhere."
"Don't worry we get all sorts here."
"Okay, thanks Doc."
Carter smiled and exited the room. As soon as he was out of the room a puzzled look appeared on his face. He really didn't know what was wrong with that woman and that kind of disturbed him. However he figured that there is no one who knows every possible disease. So he would wait for the tests, maybe they could shed some light on the mystery.
He was so lost in these thoughts that he didn't see Susan approach him, "Hey Carter. Carter!"
"What?"
"Anything the matter?"
"Just a patient." He pointed to the door behind him. "A woman covered with yellow lesions especially on the joints. Do you have any idea what it could be?"
Susan thought for a moment but couldn't come up with anything, "Nope sorry. What do the tests say?"
"Just sent them off."
Susan nodded and there was silence between the two. "You okay?" She tried to sound as compassionate as she possibly could.
"Yeah I'm fine. Why?"
"Well after the trauma today."
Carter cut her off before she could finish. "I'm was just angry at losing him. And before you say it I know, 'you win some, you lose some'."
"That wasn't exactly what I was going to say but it would have sounded similar."
"I just thought I could have saved him."
"I know what you mean. You work really hard, you think you've saved them and then they go and die on you."
"Yeah."
"It's inconsiderate really." They both smiled.
Again there was silence between them. It was Susan who spoke, "Hey Carter, what you doing tonight?" She carried on without waiting for him to answer. "Because I was thinking, would you like to get something to eat?"
He looked down at the floor, "Normally I would love too but I have plans or at least I am in the process of making plans. If you know what I mean."
"Yeah I know."
"Maybe some other time."
"Sure." Susan tried hard to cover it up but Carter could see that she was upset. "I really should be going." She pointed at nowhere in particular and started to walk off in that direction. As she was leaving she said over her shoulder in a low voice, "Maybe some other time."
Carter couldn't help but felt bad about what he had just done. However he knew that it needed to be done. He couldn't go out on a date with Susan even though a part of him wanted too. He had decided, it was Abby that he wanted. He knew that. All he needed to do know was ask. The only problem was he had no idea how the hell he was going to do this.