"A Long Road to Follow" Part 2
"I should have never left her," Luka thought to himself. "She shouldn't be alone." He started to walk back towards her apartment, but he stopped. He knew that she wouldn't talk. She never talked. She never made him talk.
Luka knew all too well about not wanting to talk. He liked to keep his problems to himself. It was only with people that he really trusted that he could open up to. He trusted Abby, but he didn't want to burden her with his problems. He knew that she had a lot to deal with herself. He was determined that he was going to help her.
He was at a total loss for how to describe how much it meant to him that she was there when he needed her. He had thought it so wonderful that she didn't make him talk after he had beaten the mugger to death. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't know how to express the remorse he felt, the hurt he felt, in words. He thought that Abby being there for him was because she just understood him. That was true, on one level, but they couldn't spend their entire lives in silence.
Luka had begun to open up with Abby recently, and while she was a patient and caring listener, she never made a move to open up herself. He thought that maybe she would come to trust him more in time, but it was becoming apparent to him that she needed to open up now, or their relationship was doomed. And he didn't want that. He was in love. He suspected Abby was not quite there yet, but that she was very close to falling in love with him.
The next day when Luka went into work, he first looked for Abby. She wasn't there. He checked the schedule, and saw that she had traded for a graveyard shift. "She really is avoiding me," he thought. When he had a bit of down time, he wandered up to psych. He saw Kim Legaspi, and went to speak to her.
"Dr. Legaspi, could I have a moment?"
"Sure, I only have a few minutes, I have to meet with Dr. Romano shortly."
"I'm concerned about a friend of mine, and I was hoping that maybe you could recommend a therapist for her. She really needs to talk to someone, and I know she won't ask for help herself."
"Sure Luka, do you mind if I call you Luka?"
"Please do."
"Luka, I'll send you a list of therapists a little later. And if your friend needs someone to talk to before then, she can call me anytime."
"Thank you Dr. Legaspi."
"Please call me Kim. And really, Ab- your friend can call me. I know she needs help. I hope you can convince her to get it."
"I'll try."
Luka walked away and returned to the ER.
He decided to stop by Abby's apartment before he returned home. She wouldn't be going in for a few hours after he left, and given her condition last night, he figured that she would be home.
He knocked at the door. No answer. "She's avoiding me," he thought. He took out his keys and let himself in. Abby was still on the couch, sitting in front of the television.
"Abby."
"What do you want Luka? I have to leave for work in a little while."
"I don't like the way we left things last night. I'm worried about you."
"Don't worry, I'm not my mother. I'm not going to do anything drastic."
"I got you the names of some therapists. I really think you should talk to one. I'm thinking of going to one myself."
"Really?" She sounded genuinely surprised.
"I know that I have problems too, Abby. I know I'm not perfect."
"Luka…" she drifted off. What was the point? She didn't want to encourage him. She just wanted him to leave.
"Will you please think about it, Abby?"
"I'll think about it. But please go, Luka. I don't want to see you right now. I think that it would be better- for both of us."
"I'll go for now. I will give you your space, but I can't stop caring about you, Abby."
Luka left, this time without touching her. He didn't want her to see how upset he was.