Out in the cold night air, Carter began to shiver slightly, but not only from the cold. Was what he read true? Had Sobriki really escaped? He looked at his watch. It was eight thirty. He decided to go see Abby.
"John!" Abby was happy to see him and gave him a big hug.
Carter kissed her then asked, "Abby, did you read the newspaper today?"
"No, I haven't had the chance to yet, why?"
"Don't," Carter suggested. Abby looked puzzled.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Just don't."
"OK... I'm on until midnight, but we can get that coffee tomorrow morning, around 9:30 if you want," Abby smiled, knowing Carter was off until ten and so was she.
"All right!" Carter laughed, "That sounds great!" he gave her one last kiss, said goodbye and left.
"Hey!" Abby called after him, "That's it?"
"What's it?"
"You come here for two minutes and leave?"
"I just had to see you before the day ends," Carter explained. Abby smiled as he made his exit.
He slept dreamlessly that night, but when he woke up the next morning he could sense something was wrong. He looked at his watch.
"Ah shit!" he swore. It was 9:45 and he was on at ten and had promised Abby coffee. On top of that, there was a traffic jam and he didn't get to work until 10:30. As he ran in, he bumped into Jing-Mei Chen.
"Deb, have you seen Abby?" he asked her.
"Um... I think she was looking at a patient... exam three..." Carter stiffened at her words. Something was wrong and Carter could feel it. He ran past Jing-Mei and down to exam room three. The door was closed and the lights were out. He looked around. Everything seemed as it should be. He looked at the floor, he didn't know why, and it was plain and clean. Slowly, he opened the door.
"Abby?" he whispered as he turned on the lights. Suddenly, there was a sudden movement that surprised Carter.
"Carter! You scared me!" Abby smiled at him, turning to him. Carter hadn't seen her, sitting in a chair by the bed. Carter took a deep breath and smiled. He didn't know why he had been so nervous.
"Why were the lights out?"
"She fell asleep," Abby explained, gesturing to the teenage girl in the bed.
"Listen, I'm sorry about today, maybe we could go get coffee another time? I over slept and... well, sorry."
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Abby told him, "Come on, I could use some company. There's not much else to do. It's pretty slow today," Carter nodded and pulled up a chair.
"So, how long have you been here?"
"With this patient? About half an hour. If she wakes up and no one's here, she goes psycho. She said she wanted me to wait with her."
"How about I get you some coffee?" Carter offered, "We could finally have our coffee date, even if it is in a dark exam room."
Abby smiled, "I'd like that."
"Good," Carter stood up, exited, and closed the door behind him. As Abby watched, the figure in the bed stirred and sat up right. She tilted her head to the side, as if trying to figure Abby out, and her blond hair tumbled over her face. Abby turned to her.
"Ah, you're awake!" she said. The girl grinned viciously. Abby looked at her, puzzled. The girl threw her head back and laughed an evil laugh. Abby was beginning to become scared. The laugh was long and when she finished, she just grinned at Abby again, strands of hair shadowing her eyes. Abby stood up and began to back away towards the door. As she tried to open it, it was locked.
"How can it be locked?"
"Hello, Abby," the girl whispered through her hideous grin.
"Louise, calm down now-"
"Oh, but I'm not Louise," the girl cackled, "Don't you recognize me?" the girl pulled back her hair, put on a kind smile and stood up, "Yes, Dr. Carter, whatever you say, Dr. Carter. Of course, Dr. Carter, let me just check on Mr. Sobriki first. He could really hurt someone. What's that? You don't think he's dangerous? I guess you were wrong, weren't you, Dr. Carter?" she threw her head back and laughed again.
"This is impossible!" Abby declared.
"Is it?" the woman smiled, "I'm finally free! I have my own body again and how good it feels!"
"How did you get free?" Abby asked, "That's not possible."
"Carter suppressed me to the depths of his unconscious. He forgot me. He thought that would be the best way to get rid of me. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I escaped from his head and now, I am myself again."
"And who exactly is that?" Abby asked.
"Lucy Knight, of course!" she answered.
"No. From what I heard of Lucy Knight, you are nothing like her!"
"And never will be! Abby, haven't you learned by now? Carter made me! I am his guilt and pain. Guilt and pain so powerful, even Carter himself couldn't hide me for long. I escaped and now I'm as real as you or him. I have to put Carter out of his misery. It's what I do!"
"What happens after that? Where will you go?" Abby demanded.
"Away. Away from this crazy hospital. You can't protect him any more, Abby, now that I am alive again," Lucy snapped her fingers. The door unlocked and opened. In walked someone in a thick jacket and long pants. His face was hidden. Lucy walked over to him and whispered in his ear.
"She wants to take your organs, Paul. You know it, I know it, she knows it. You have to stop her Paul. Don't you want to protect them?"
"I have to protect them," Paul stuttered, advancing on Abby with a sharp knife, "I won't let you take them!" Abby's eyes widened with terror. What was to become of her?
"John!" Abby was happy to see him and gave him a big hug.
Carter kissed her then asked, "Abby, did you read the newspaper today?"
"No, I haven't had the chance to yet, why?"
"Don't," Carter suggested. Abby looked puzzled.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Just don't."
"OK... I'm on until midnight, but we can get that coffee tomorrow morning, around 9:30 if you want," Abby smiled, knowing Carter was off until ten and so was she.
"All right!" Carter laughed, "That sounds great!" he gave her one last kiss, said goodbye and left.
"Hey!" Abby called after him, "That's it?"
"What's it?"
"You come here for two minutes and leave?"
"I just had to see you before the day ends," Carter explained. Abby smiled as he made his exit.
He slept dreamlessly that night, but when he woke up the next morning he could sense something was wrong. He looked at his watch.
"Ah shit!" he swore. It was 9:45 and he was on at ten and had promised Abby coffee. On top of that, there was a traffic jam and he didn't get to work until 10:30. As he ran in, he bumped into Jing-Mei Chen.
"Deb, have you seen Abby?" he asked her.
"Um... I think she was looking at a patient... exam three..." Carter stiffened at her words. Something was wrong and Carter could feel it. He ran past Jing-Mei and down to exam room three. The door was closed and the lights were out. He looked around. Everything seemed as it should be. He looked at the floor, he didn't know why, and it was plain and clean. Slowly, he opened the door.
"Abby?" he whispered as he turned on the lights. Suddenly, there was a sudden movement that surprised Carter.
"Carter! You scared me!" Abby smiled at him, turning to him. Carter hadn't seen her, sitting in a chair by the bed. Carter took a deep breath and smiled. He didn't know why he had been so nervous.
"Why were the lights out?"
"She fell asleep," Abby explained, gesturing to the teenage girl in the bed.
"Listen, I'm sorry about today, maybe we could go get coffee another time? I over slept and... well, sorry."
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Abby told him, "Come on, I could use some company. There's not much else to do. It's pretty slow today," Carter nodded and pulled up a chair.
"So, how long have you been here?"
"With this patient? About half an hour. If she wakes up and no one's here, she goes psycho. She said she wanted me to wait with her."
"How about I get you some coffee?" Carter offered, "We could finally have our coffee date, even if it is in a dark exam room."
Abby smiled, "I'd like that."
"Good," Carter stood up, exited, and closed the door behind him. As Abby watched, the figure in the bed stirred and sat up right. She tilted her head to the side, as if trying to figure Abby out, and her blond hair tumbled over her face. Abby turned to her.
"Ah, you're awake!" she said. The girl grinned viciously. Abby looked at her, puzzled. The girl threw her head back and laughed an evil laugh. Abby was beginning to become scared. The laugh was long and when she finished, she just grinned at Abby again, strands of hair shadowing her eyes. Abby stood up and began to back away towards the door. As she tried to open it, it was locked.
"How can it be locked?"
"Hello, Abby," the girl whispered through her hideous grin.
"Louise, calm down now-"
"Oh, but I'm not Louise," the girl cackled, "Don't you recognize me?" the girl pulled back her hair, put on a kind smile and stood up, "Yes, Dr. Carter, whatever you say, Dr. Carter. Of course, Dr. Carter, let me just check on Mr. Sobriki first. He could really hurt someone. What's that? You don't think he's dangerous? I guess you were wrong, weren't you, Dr. Carter?" she threw her head back and laughed again.
"This is impossible!" Abby declared.
"Is it?" the woman smiled, "I'm finally free! I have my own body again and how good it feels!"
"How did you get free?" Abby asked, "That's not possible."
"Carter suppressed me to the depths of his unconscious. He forgot me. He thought that would be the best way to get rid of me. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I escaped from his head and now, I am myself again."
"And who exactly is that?" Abby asked.
"Lucy Knight, of course!" she answered.
"No. From what I heard of Lucy Knight, you are nothing like her!"
"And never will be! Abby, haven't you learned by now? Carter made me! I am his guilt and pain. Guilt and pain so powerful, even Carter himself couldn't hide me for long. I escaped and now I'm as real as you or him. I have to put Carter out of his misery. It's what I do!"
"What happens after that? Where will you go?" Abby demanded.
"Away. Away from this crazy hospital. You can't protect him any more, Abby, now that I am alive again," Lucy snapped her fingers. The door unlocked and opened. In walked someone in a thick jacket and long pants. His face was hidden. Lucy walked over to him and whispered in his ear.
"She wants to take your organs, Paul. You know it, I know it, she knows it. You have to stop her Paul. Don't you want to protect them?"
"I have to protect them," Paul stuttered, advancing on Abby with a sharp knife, "I won't let you take them!" Abby's eyes widened with terror. What was to become of her?