This is part 4 of my series. Sorry it took so long, but my grandmother is
in town and things have been really hectic around my house. I hope you
enjoy. Part 5 should be up sometime tomorrow or really late tonight.
Please review!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Abby woke up at 6 the next morning and jumped out of bed. The events of the night before slowly leaked back into her memory. She walked into her kitchen and opened a cabinet and pulled out a small container. She opened the lid and after pouring two pills into her hand, popped them in her mouth. She poured herself a glass of water and took a sip of the liquid and swallowed the pills. She didn't feel like eating anything and in fact almost felt ill. She walked back towards her bedroom and went into her bathroom. She turned on the shower, and after finding a good water temperature, she stripped off her clothes and stepped in. She let the water pound against her face as she struggled to remember more the night before. All she really remembered was Carter coming over and her crying. The last memory was her asking John not to leave and then nothing.
John. She closed her eyes and sighed as she thought of him. She wondered how long he stayed before going home. The bottle was missing off her kitchen table, so he must have done something with it. Twenty minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her body. As she walked into her bedroom, the phone began to ring.
"Hello?" Abby answered the phone.
"Hey, it's John."
"Oh, uh, hi." Abby answered nervously.
"I was wondering how you were. You were asleep when I left last night and you were in pretty rough shape."
"I'm fine. Really. I don't know what got into me. I was stressed and then I wanted a drink, and then I remembered I couldn't have a drink and then I was stressed again. I really shouldn't have called you. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Are you on today?"
"No. For the last two weeks I've totally maxed out and I think I'm banned from entering now."
"Well I called in sick this morning. I think we should go to a meeting."
"Carter."
"I know I can't tell you what to do, but I really think you should. You'll feel better."
"I don't know Carter." Abby spit out, trying to resist.
"I'm not going to force you, but I'm picking you up in twenty minutes."
"Now that doesn't sound like forcing at all." Abby said, being sarcastic.
"Bye."
"Bye." Abby sighed and hung up.
She walked into her closet and emerged a few moments later wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black turtleneck shirt. As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she heard her phone ring and figuring it was John again, she answered it quickly.
"Change your mind?" Abby said sarcastically.
"Abby? Is that you?"
"Mom? Wow, I haven't heard from you in a while."
"I know. But I really need to talk to you."
"What's the matter?" Abby asked.
"I'm not quite sure how to tell you this."
"What?"
"I have breast cancer. I went to the doctor last week and he found a lump. I, um, I'm having surgery next week."
"Oh my god." Abby said, sitting down on her bed.
"I don't want you to worry or anything, I just wanted you to know."
"Do you want me to be there?"
"There's no reason to make you go through all that trouble. I'll call you sometime next week to let you know how things went." Maggie said. The conversation was then interrupted by a knock on Abby's door.
"One minute." Abby called out.
"Oh, you have company.I'll let you go."
"I love you Mom. You'll get through this."
"Yeah, I love you too." Maggie said with a smile and hung up. Abby did the same and remembered Carter was probably still standing at her door. She sighed and stood up and walked towards the other room.
"Hey. Come on in, I'll be ready in a sec." Abby opened the door and said. John followed her in and shut the door.
"What's the matter? You look upset about something." John noticed as Abby went into her bedroom to grab a jacket.
"Uh, no, I'm fine. It's just been a long day." Abby said, being careful to avoid looking him straight in the face. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go." Carter responded. He waited while Abby locked her front door and then led her to his car. The ride to the meeting was silent except for John glancing several times at Abby. When they got to the recreation center, Carter pulled into a parking space and looked at Abby one more time. She was looking distractedly out the window. She didn't realize he was calling her name for a few moments.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Carter asked, still worried.
"Yeah. Come on, let's go." Abby said and opened her car door. John shook his head and got of the car as well and the two walked side by side into the building.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Abby woke up at 6 the next morning and jumped out of bed. The events of the night before slowly leaked back into her memory. She walked into her kitchen and opened a cabinet and pulled out a small container. She opened the lid and after pouring two pills into her hand, popped them in her mouth. She poured herself a glass of water and took a sip of the liquid and swallowed the pills. She didn't feel like eating anything and in fact almost felt ill. She walked back towards her bedroom and went into her bathroom. She turned on the shower, and after finding a good water temperature, she stripped off her clothes and stepped in. She let the water pound against her face as she struggled to remember more the night before. All she really remembered was Carter coming over and her crying. The last memory was her asking John not to leave and then nothing.
John. She closed her eyes and sighed as she thought of him. She wondered how long he stayed before going home. The bottle was missing off her kitchen table, so he must have done something with it. Twenty minutes later, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her body. As she walked into her bedroom, the phone began to ring.
"Hello?" Abby answered the phone.
"Hey, it's John."
"Oh, uh, hi." Abby answered nervously.
"I was wondering how you were. You were asleep when I left last night and you were in pretty rough shape."
"I'm fine. Really. I don't know what got into me. I was stressed and then I wanted a drink, and then I remembered I couldn't have a drink and then I was stressed again. I really shouldn't have called you. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Are you on today?"
"No. For the last two weeks I've totally maxed out and I think I'm banned from entering now."
"Well I called in sick this morning. I think we should go to a meeting."
"Carter."
"I know I can't tell you what to do, but I really think you should. You'll feel better."
"I don't know Carter." Abby spit out, trying to resist.
"I'm not going to force you, but I'm picking you up in twenty minutes."
"Now that doesn't sound like forcing at all." Abby said, being sarcastic.
"Bye."
"Bye." Abby sighed and hung up.
She walked into her closet and emerged a few moments later wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black turtleneck shirt. As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she heard her phone ring and figuring it was John again, she answered it quickly.
"Change your mind?" Abby said sarcastically.
"Abby? Is that you?"
"Mom? Wow, I haven't heard from you in a while."
"I know. But I really need to talk to you."
"What's the matter?" Abby asked.
"I'm not quite sure how to tell you this."
"What?"
"I have breast cancer. I went to the doctor last week and he found a lump. I, um, I'm having surgery next week."
"Oh my god." Abby said, sitting down on her bed.
"I don't want you to worry or anything, I just wanted you to know."
"Do you want me to be there?"
"There's no reason to make you go through all that trouble. I'll call you sometime next week to let you know how things went." Maggie said. The conversation was then interrupted by a knock on Abby's door.
"One minute." Abby called out.
"Oh, you have company.I'll let you go."
"I love you Mom. You'll get through this."
"Yeah, I love you too." Maggie said with a smile and hung up. Abby did the same and remembered Carter was probably still standing at her door. She sighed and stood up and walked towards the other room.
"Hey. Come on in, I'll be ready in a sec." Abby opened the door and said. John followed her in and shut the door.
"What's the matter? You look upset about something." John noticed as Abby went into her bedroom to grab a jacket.
"Uh, no, I'm fine. It's just been a long day." Abby said, being careful to avoid looking him straight in the face. "You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go." Carter responded. He waited while Abby locked her front door and then led her to his car. The ride to the meeting was silent except for John glancing several times at Abby. When they got to the recreation center, Carter pulled into a parking space and looked at Abby one more time. She was looking distractedly out the window. She didn't realize he was calling her name for a few moments.
"Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Carter asked, still worried.
"Yeah. Come on, let's go." Abby said and opened her car door. John shook his head and got of the car as well and the two walked side by side into the building.
