Sound of Silence
- Chapter Two -
*Knock, knock*
Abby slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light. As she sat up she realised that she had cried herself to sleep on the floor last night.
*Knock, knock, knock*
She realised what it was that had woken her up. She got up, avoiding standing on the pieces of broken glass on the floor and walked to the door. "Ouch," she said as she failed to dodge a sharp piece of glass that pierced her foot. She reached the door and opened it slightly, making sure no one could see into the wrecked apartment. She saw Luka standing there. "Hey," she said with a smile. "What are you doing here?" "I thought I would give you a lift to work, save you walking," he offered. His face contorted into an awkward look as he noticed her peering through only a small gap in the door. He gave out a short laugh, "Is everything okay, Abby?!" "Uh-huh, but I don't think I'll be going to work today, I'm feeling slightly sick," Abby told him. "Can I smell alcohol on your breath?" Luka asked, suddenly becoming very serious. "No!" Abby snapped at him, realising that the smell must have stained her clothes. "Look, Luka, I'm not coming into work today, you can tell Weaver and Greene that I'm sick, please," she ended and shut the door in his face. Turning around with her back against the door she sighed as a tear ran down her cheek.
Later on in the day the phone started ringing. Abby remained sprawled across the couch pondering about her life, drowned in a mass of tear stained tissues. The machine picked up the message:
"Hi Abby, it's me," Luka said down the phone, "I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now...it's just, well, I'm worried about you...I don't want you to do anything...well just call me back as soon as you can," the tone of his voice was apprehensive and shaky, "Please, Abby..." he added and hung up the phone.
Lowering her head Abby felt pangs of guilt for the way she had treated Luka that morning. She lifted her eyes and gazed out of the window, the weather somehow fitted her mood. The drops of rain chased each other down the window pain. The wind howled against it, causing the raindrops to hit against the window hard. Just looking into the grey exterior she knew that it must have been freezing cold. Just like her the weather was cold and miserable. The difference was the weather often turned and you could have days of bright sunshine, Abby felt that there would never be sunshine in her life again. "How did you let yourself get like this?" she mumbled to herself, her eyes welling up.
Abby strolled into work the next day. She didn't feel like being there at all but she knew that she would be risking her job not to go. As she walked into the lounge she noticed that Carter was also there. "Hey," she said with a weak smile. Carter smiled back and approached her. "Hey, how are you, you don't look so good," he said. "Thanks for the pick-me-up," she joked with him and smiled. He became more serious, Abby noticed he had the same kind of expression that Luka had when he spoke to her the other day. She suddenly swallowed hard, knowing exactly what was coming. "I spoke to Luka," Carter informed her. "Oh, yeah?" she said, trying to keep normal. "He's really worried about you, Abby," he said, "And if it comes to Luka consulting me about it then it must be something bad!" He tried to lighten his sentence with a little joke. "I'm fine," she lied. "He said that he thinks you might be drinking again," he said, "Is it true, are you?" Abby shook her head. "No, honestly, I haven't," it was the first truth she'd told in a long time. No she hadn't been drinking, yes she wanted to though. Carter looked at her for a moment, as if he was considering her to see if she was being earnest. Susan Lewis popped her head in the lounge door, "Carter, trauma coming in, Mark said he needs you." "Okay, I'll be there in a moment," he said and Susan left. He turned back to Abby. "If you say you're fine I'm not going to contradict you." Abby nodded and smiled. "It doesn't mean that I'm not worried about you," said Carter. He walked to the door and was about to go out but he turned to say one more thing: "I think you should apologise to Luka, Abby," he advised, "I know me and Luka are not the greatest of friends, but he was only trying to help you. He cares for you, you know? Just because you've broken up doesn't mean that you both stop caring for each other." With that he left too. Abby brushed a hand through her hair and let you a deep breath. She wasn't exactly sure that she could face seeing Luka, he was the only one who could see through her and know exactly how she was feeling.
*Knock, knock*
Abby slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light. As she sat up she realised that she had cried herself to sleep on the floor last night.
*Knock, knock, knock*
She realised what it was that had woken her up. She got up, avoiding standing on the pieces of broken glass on the floor and walked to the door. "Ouch," she said as she failed to dodge a sharp piece of glass that pierced her foot. She reached the door and opened it slightly, making sure no one could see into the wrecked apartment. She saw Luka standing there. "Hey," she said with a smile. "What are you doing here?" "I thought I would give you a lift to work, save you walking," he offered. His face contorted into an awkward look as he noticed her peering through only a small gap in the door. He gave out a short laugh, "Is everything okay, Abby?!" "Uh-huh, but I don't think I'll be going to work today, I'm feeling slightly sick," Abby told him. "Can I smell alcohol on your breath?" Luka asked, suddenly becoming very serious. "No!" Abby snapped at him, realising that the smell must have stained her clothes. "Look, Luka, I'm not coming into work today, you can tell Weaver and Greene that I'm sick, please," she ended and shut the door in his face. Turning around with her back against the door she sighed as a tear ran down her cheek.
Later on in the day the phone started ringing. Abby remained sprawled across the couch pondering about her life, drowned in a mass of tear stained tissues. The machine picked up the message:
"Hi Abby, it's me," Luka said down the phone, "I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now...it's just, well, I'm worried about you...I don't want you to do anything...well just call me back as soon as you can," the tone of his voice was apprehensive and shaky, "Please, Abby..." he added and hung up the phone.
Lowering her head Abby felt pangs of guilt for the way she had treated Luka that morning. She lifted her eyes and gazed out of the window, the weather somehow fitted her mood. The drops of rain chased each other down the window pain. The wind howled against it, causing the raindrops to hit against the window hard. Just looking into the grey exterior she knew that it must have been freezing cold. Just like her the weather was cold and miserable. The difference was the weather often turned and you could have days of bright sunshine, Abby felt that there would never be sunshine in her life again. "How did you let yourself get like this?" she mumbled to herself, her eyes welling up.
Abby strolled into work the next day. She didn't feel like being there at all but she knew that she would be risking her job not to go. As she walked into the lounge she noticed that Carter was also there. "Hey," she said with a weak smile. Carter smiled back and approached her. "Hey, how are you, you don't look so good," he said. "Thanks for the pick-me-up," she joked with him and smiled. He became more serious, Abby noticed he had the same kind of expression that Luka had when he spoke to her the other day. She suddenly swallowed hard, knowing exactly what was coming. "I spoke to Luka," Carter informed her. "Oh, yeah?" she said, trying to keep normal. "He's really worried about you, Abby," he said, "And if it comes to Luka consulting me about it then it must be something bad!" He tried to lighten his sentence with a little joke. "I'm fine," she lied. "He said that he thinks you might be drinking again," he said, "Is it true, are you?" Abby shook her head. "No, honestly, I haven't," it was the first truth she'd told in a long time. No she hadn't been drinking, yes she wanted to though. Carter looked at her for a moment, as if he was considering her to see if she was being earnest. Susan Lewis popped her head in the lounge door, "Carter, trauma coming in, Mark said he needs you." "Okay, I'll be there in a moment," he said and Susan left. He turned back to Abby. "If you say you're fine I'm not going to contradict you." Abby nodded and smiled. "It doesn't mean that I'm not worried about you," said Carter. He walked to the door and was about to go out but he turned to say one more thing: "I think you should apologise to Luka, Abby," he advised, "I know me and Luka are not the greatest of friends, but he was only trying to help you. He cares for you, you know? Just because you've broken up doesn't mean that you both stop caring for each other." With that he left too. Abby brushed a hand through her hair and let you a deep breath. She wasn't exactly sure that she could face seeing Luka, he was the only one who could see through her and know exactly how she was feeling.