Chapter 6: Burning Determination
A/N: I'm gonna get a LOT of hatemail for this... But save your 'you evil person!' and 'I can't believe you did that!' e-mails for when I post the next chapter. Oh, and sorry it took so long.
"Abby?" Peter said, as Abby was about to leave. Abby was glad to be torn away from her unpleasant thoughts.
"Yes?" she asked.
"What's going on? The way you reacted to that patient... And Carter and Dave in trouble..."
"Wait, who said Dave and Carter were in trouble?" Abby said, accusingly.
"Well, the way you were speaking to him and you've been so jumpy lately... I just came to the conclusion," Abby looked at her feet and Peter continued, "What's going on? I think I have a right to know! Hell, I have a good mind to fly down there right now and-"
"No, don't!" Abby cried, "Carter said-"
"What did Carter say, Abby?"
"He... He said that Dave..."
"What happened to Dave?"
"Dave was... Is trapped under... He was caught in an avalanche of fallen rocks and boulders..."
"What?" Peter asked, not sure he heard correctly.
"Dave is badly injured!" Abby screamed, sounding slightly annoyed as if Peter was almost dense, "Don't you understand English? And I'm afraid for Carter because I think he could crack any minute! Having to deal with Dave in the state he's in... It can be very difficult! Nearly impossible! I don't think he can take it! It's all my fault and I should have told them to take a car into the woods and not go in on foot because it's dangerous and easy to get lost and I should have known this would happen because I knew the way to the cabin was long on foot and that they'd get lost very easily especially if they strayed from the main road but I didn't, even though I knew Dave would find some sort of shortcut and-"
"Abby, calm down!" Peter placed his hands on her shoulders. Abby noticed her sentences had begun to run together and get muddled up. Then she realized that, after her emotional outburst, she was feeling a whole lot better than she had been five minutes ago. She had been so stressed and worried and kept it bottled up so much that she didn't even recognize that she was telling him everything that was on her mind until he had stopped her. She closed her eyes and began to take more deep breaths.
"Relax, Abby! Now, I know you're worried about Carter, and, I hate to admit it, but you could be right. But I've known him for a long time now and I have never known him to lose his head in a crisis and if he was worried about losing another friend, then I don't think he would stand by and just watch Dave die. He's a good doctor and an even better man and he knows what he is doing," Peter tried to comfort the now quaking Abby.
"Abby?" Luka came up to them, "I'm off... Let me drive you home."
"I think that would be a good idea Dr. Kovac," Peter smiled at him, then at Abby and departed. Abby looked after him. Luka took her firmly by the shoulders and made her face him.
"Abby!" He said, seriously, "Look at me!" she did, her eyes watering, "Something is wrong. If you do not want to tell me about it, that is fine, but you should tell someone."
"I... I have, Luka," she sighed, "Doctor... Dr. Benton."
"Really? Why Benton?" " Luka asked, slightly surprised that she had told Peter and not himself.
"He knows Carter well..." was all she could bring herself to say. Without warning, she lunged at Luka and swung her arms around him, "I don't want to be alone!" she sobbed into his shoulder. He hugged her back and kissed her hair.
"I know..." he breathed, "I'll always be here for you," Abby broke their embrace and looked Luka in the eyes.
"We're going to Minnesota!" she said, resolutely, "When's the next flight?" Luka was taken aback by this.
"What... Why Minnesota?"
"Because I am either going to find Dave and Carter or die trying!" there was determination in her voice. She was going to bring back her friends.
"Dave? DAVE!" Carter screamed. The world around him grew dark as Dave's breath grew shallow. Having no stethoscope, Carter leaned his ear against Dave's bare chest. The world became darker with every breath. Darker and darker, softer and softer. He listened hard for a heartbeat. Dave had lost liters of blood, but his heart had to be alive. Dave had to be alive! Carter wouldn't let this happen. Slowly, his nightmare turned into reality as Dave's faint heartbeat fell silent.
"No... NO! NO!" Carter screamed, shaking his head, tears threatening to fall, "NO!" He would not accept it, could not accept it, "Where the heck are those (G-rated words here) police?!" He shouted in anger. He kept working on Dave though he knew it would be no help. Carter began screaming every swear word he knew hoping somehow it would make Dave wake up but knowing it would do no good.
Abby ran into the chopper pulling Luka by the arm who was shaking his head.
"No, Abby, they need us here!"
"They need us there!"
"We don't even know where they are!"
"Kyle can find them!" Abby said, gesturing to the pilot of the helicopter. He wore sunglasses and saluted them.
"Where'd you find him?"
"Old friend of mine. We met in military school."
"Military school?" Luka looked at Abby, shocked. She smiled.
"I'm kidding, Luka, we met in college. He knows how to fly. Now let's go!"
"Abby..."
"Are you coming or not?" she asked, now standing on the chopper facing Luka. Luka sighed and stepped off of the roof and onto the helicopter reluctantly.
"Here we go!" she said, excitedly.
A/N: I'm gonna get a LOT of hatemail for this... But save your 'you evil person!' and 'I can't believe you did that!' e-mails for when I post the next chapter. Oh, and sorry it took so long.
"Abby?" Peter said, as Abby was about to leave. Abby was glad to be torn away from her unpleasant thoughts.
"Yes?" she asked.
"What's going on? The way you reacted to that patient... And Carter and Dave in trouble..."
"Wait, who said Dave and Carter were in trouble?" Abby said, accusingly.
"Well, the way you were speaking to him and you've been so jumpy lately... I just came to the conclusion," Abby looked at her feet and Peter continued, "What's going on? I think I have a right to know! Hell, I have a good mind to fly down there right now and-"
"No, don't!" Abby cried, "Carter said-"
"What did Carter say, Abby?"
"He... He said that Dave..."
"What happened to Dave?"
"Dave was... Is trapped under... He was caught in an avalanche of fallen rocks and boulders..."
"What?" Peter asked, not sure he heard correctly.
"Dave is badly injured!" Abby screamed, sounding slightly annoyed as if Peter was almost dense, "Don't you understand English? And I'm afraid for Carter because I think he could crack any minute! Having to deal with Dave in the state he's in... It can be very difficult! Nearly impossible! I don't think he can take it! It's all my fault and I should have told them to take a car into the woods and not go in on foot because it's dangerous and easy to get lost and I should have known this would happen because I knew the way to the cabin was long on foot and that they'd get lost very easily especially if they strayed from the main road but I didn't, even though I knew Dave would find some sort of shortcut and-"
"Abby, calm down!" Peter placed his hands on her shoulders. Abby noticed her sentences had begun to run together and get muddled up. Then she realized that, after her emotional outburst, she was feeling a whole lot better than she had been five minutes ago. She had been so stressed and worried and kept it bottled up so much that she didn't even recognize that she was telling him everything that was on her mind until he had stopped her. She closed her eyes and began to take more deep breaths.
"Relax, Abby! Now, I know you're worried about Carter, and, I hate to admit it, but you could be right. But I've known him for a long time now and I have never known him to lose his head in a crisis and if he was worried about losing another friend, then I don't think he would stand by and just watch Dave die. He's a good doctor and an even better man and he knows what he is doing," Peter tried to comfort the now quaking Abby.
"Abby?" Luka came up to them, "I'm off... Let me drive you home."
"I think that would be a good idea Dr. Kovac," Peter smiled at him, then at Abby and departed. Abby looked after him. Luka took her firmly by the shoulders and made her face him.
"Abby!" He said, seriously, "Look at me!" she did, her eyes watering, "Something is wrong. If you do not want to tell me about it, that is fine, but you should tell someone."
"I... I have, Luka," she sighed, "Doctor... Dr. Benton."
"Really? Why Benton?" " Luka asked, slightly surprised that she had told Peter and not himself.
"He knows Carter well..." was all she could bring herself to say. Without warning, she lunged at Luka and swung her arms around him, "I don't want to be alone!" she sobbed into his shoulder. He hugged her back and kissed her hair.
"I know..." he breathed, "I'll always be here for you," Abby broke their embrace and looked Luka in the eyes.
"We're going to Minnesota!" she said, resolutely, "When's the next flight?" Luka was taken aback by this.
"What... Why Minnesota?"
"Because I am either going to find Dave and Carter or die trying!" there was determination in her voice. She was going to bring back her friends.
"Dave? DAVE!" Carter screamed. The world around him grew dark as Dave's breath grew shallow. Having no stethoscope, Carter leaned his ear against Dave's bare chest. The world became darker with every breath. Darker and darker, softer and softer. He listened hard for a heartbeat. Dave had lost liters of blood, but his heart had to be alive. Dave had to be alive! Carter wouldn't let this happen. Slowly, his nightmare turned into reality as Dave's faint heartbeat fell silent.
"No... NO! NO!" Carter screamed, shaking his head, tears threatening to fall, "NO!" He would not accept it, could not accept it, "Where the heck are those (G-rated words here) police?!" He shouted in anger. He kept working on Dave though he knew it would be no help. Carter began screaming every swear word he knew hoping somehow it would make Dave wake up but knowing it would do no good.
Abby ran into the chopper pulling Luka by the arm who was shaking his head.
"No, Abby, they need us here!"
"They need us there!"
"We don't even know where they are!"
"Kyle can find them!" Abby said, gesturing to the pilot of the helicopter. He wore sunglasses and saluted them.
"Where'd you find him?"
"Old friend of mine. We met in military school."
"Military school?" Luka looked at Abby, shocked. She smiled.
"I'm kidding, Luka, we met in college. He knows how to fly. Now let's go!"
"Abby..."
"Are you coming or not?" she asked, now standing on the chopper facing Luka. Luka sighed and stepped off of the roof and onto the helicopter reluctantly.
"Here we go!" she said, excitedly.