Disclaimer: Go ahead: sue me! I'm sure the cardboard box and $4 dollars that are in my name would come in quite handy.
Author's Note: It still stinks, but since I had a few requests, I figured, 'What the hell? Might as well.' So here it is:
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What had happened? John began to sink back in to reality. He couldn't quite open his eyes; it hurt too much. Someone was holding his hand, and weeping. He could barely make out Abby's voice, "...could have gotten hurt. Or, even worse, I could have hurt you: my relationships are always so screwed up. With Richard, with Luka. I don't want either one of us to get hurt. But, it hurts so much not to have you in my life; I can barely stand it. I love you John." She loved him? He must be hurt a lot worse than he thought, because what he thought he heard couldn't be true, it had to be some dream, a hallucination. He could feel Abby stand up, he had to stop her, and he summoned every ounce of his strength and tried not to let go of her hand.
~~~
Benton sat in the SICU waiting room, along with all of the ER staff, Susan, Lizzie, and Romano. Cleo turned her gaze from everyone else, to his. "Peter... I'm sorry. I know Carter means a lot to you." "Yeah, he does," Peter said, considering, "He's like-- my little brother." Cleo, smiling, squeezed his hand. Suddenly, Romano's pager went off, and a team of nurses ran towards Carter's room, Benton and Romano following. "Peter," Romano warned, "You have to keep your cool... I don't need a sobbing surgeon; I need a strong one." Peter, shooting him a look that would kill most, replied, "Are you suggesting that I'm not a concrete surgeon?" Romano, shaking his head, said, "No, I'm suggesting that you're close to this kid, and it might get pretty intense in there." "I'll be fine." As they came to the door, the nurse came out, reporting, "He's awake."
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Benton, after convincing Romano to let him treat Carter, re-entered the room. Carter was pale, and was also pointing the tube in his mouth that was aiding him, implying that he wanted it out, immediately. "Ok man. Only for a little while though, then it goes back in." Carter nodded, and Benton pressed the sequence of buttons on the ventilator, and said, "On my count; One ... Two ... Three." Carter gagging for a moment, replied in a choking, pained voice, "Thank you." Recalling that those were Lucy's last words, Benton replied rather hurriedly, "No problem." Then, changing the subject and going on to a dreaded, but necessary part, he began to check to see whether or not Carter was paralyzed. Grabbing the instrument, he said, "Ok Carter, tell me when you feel this, Okay?" Carter nodded, and waited.
~~~
Peter clutching the tool, poked it into Carter's flesh. "Ouch, I felt that," was Carter's slightly pained, mostly relieved reply. "All right man, now before the police come, who did this to you?"
~~~
'Crap,' Carter thought; he couldn't tell Dr. Benton who they were, he couldn't tell anyone. No matter what. Quickly he lied, "I don't know, I never saw them." Dr. Benton, looking skeptical, said, "Okay man. You just go back to sleep now, okay?" "Okay," and as Carter watched Dr. Benton's retreating figure, he added, "Thanks Dr. Benton." Dr. Benton responded, "Get some sleep Carter," and departed to the hallway.
~~~
Peter left the room; Why didn't Carter tell him? It was obvious he was lying, he could just tell. Pondering this, Benton nearly plowed into Abby, huddled in the corridor, "Is he okay?", she questioned. "Yeah," Benton said after a long pause, "He's fine; has all feeling and function." Abby, shifting uncomfortably, added, "And mentally?" Peter paused. He wanted to lie; it was obvious from the look in Abby's eyes that she felt more for Carter than just friendship, Peter had never noticed it before; he could be kind of unconscious and ignorant when it came to that area. It had also been obvious that Carter wasn't 100% okay; which was what Benton wanted to tell Abby and himself for that matter. Finally a rather pathetic response was heard, "I can't tell."
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Ok, there it was. I, personally, don't think this should be continued. Should I continue it, or should I abandon it?
If I do continue it, what should I put in it? Ideas are useful.
So, unless there are at LEAST 30 reviews for this story by..... *thinks* .... Thursday, I won't continue it; it's completely up to y'all.
Thanks again!
~Tori
