IRSE FLOTANDO

RATING: probably PG-13[don't really know how its gonna end up :)]

SPOILERS: through season 7 to "Sailing Away"

FEEDBACK: Always appreciated at steph_2816@yahoo.com. Flames will be used to roast Luka
and praise will be used for motivation to make the next chapter!

DISCLAIMER: Read my lips . . . I DON'T OWN 'EM! All the ER characters and are owned by
the big wigs over at NBC, WB, and Amblin (more people too, just don't know their names!). If
you're gonna sue-there's really no point. I'm only a broke teen! However if you ever wanna let a
couple characters go, I'd be willing to take them off your hands. Really-even if you just wanna let
. . . even just say . . . hmm . . . Carter! I'd be completely fine with that. Okay, out of my fantasy
world and on with the story!

SUMMARY: A different version of "Sailing Away". Carby fic.

AUTHORS NOTES: This is my first fic ever so please r/r! I don't know how many chapters there
will be but hopefully a lot! Lubies BEWARE! (That's your warning!) Carby fic! I really want to
say thanks to a couple of my friends (and fellow Carbies!). First, thanks a lot to Becca for sifting
through my fic and being my "editor" (even if she does think I'm crazy!). Second, I'd like to
thank "Dr. Alex" Night Sparkle for her encouragement and Spanish translation. :) Most of all, I'd
like to thank fellow author, Jen, for all her support and writing tips. On with the story!

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BEEP!---------BEEP!---------BEEP!---------BEEP!---------BEEP!

Carter woke up and shot out of bed, all the while cursing under his breath at his alarm clock. It
was so damn loud, but it was the only way to get him up. "I am definitely not a morning
person!"Carter grumbled to himself as he fumbled to turn off the alarm clock and entered his
kitchen to find some sort of caffeine to wake him up. He discovered Rena already up, dressed,
and eating breakfast. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" Rena announced, "Isn't it a beautiful day?"
"Mmh," Carter grumbled. He knew she was young, but did she have to be so damn perky this
early in the morning? He got a mug out of the cupboard and poured in some hot coffee. Carter
then glanced over to his Felix the Cat clock, which read 5:21 am, and took one quick sip of his
coffee before rushing to his room to get dressed and ready for work.


Meanwhile, in her apartment, Abby had already been up for several hours after receiving a
disturbing phone call from her ex, Richard. It turned out her mother had ended up in some sleazy
motel room in Oklahoma for more than a month. The landlord had apparently found Richard's
number in Maggie's car. He told Richard that she wasn't answering the phone or the door and
that someone needed to get down there immediately and retrieve her. Abby didn't know what to
do. The logical thing to do would be to call an Oklahoma hospital and get someone from psych to
entice her to come out. Even after all her mother, hell she couldn't even call her mother, had put
her through she still couldn't bear to have her get dragged out of that hotel room by complete
strangers. As she thought about it more and more, she decided she would go down there herself,
and get Maggie. She didn't want to go alone, but she knew that Luka-with his sometimes
annoying logic-would just tell her to have someone in Oklahoma go and collect Maggie. She
would ask Carter, but she really couldn't keep relying on him like that. He had been such a great
friend through the whole Maggie thing last fall, and Abby genuinely liked him. She felt guilty
thinking about him when she was with Luka, but she couldn't help it. When she had transferred
down to the ER from OB, she had first noticed Carter, because he seemed more her type. But
then, she had seen Luka and her girlish fantasy immediately took over, being with a handsome,
foreign guy. Even now, when she was going out with Luka, Abby couldn't keep her eye from
wandering over to Carter sometimes. And that was not even the real reason she couldn't be
Carter's sponsor anymore. The real reason was that Luka got overjealous of Carter's dependance
on her. Luka simply couldn't comprehend how much Carter needed someone to talk to.
DING!----------DING!----------DING!----------DING!----------DING!
The ringing from her clock brought Abby back to back to reality as she realized that she should
start getting ready for work since she had to be in at 6:00 am.