Carter ran. Faster than he had ever ran in his life. He was running down a dark long hallway of the ER, checking every room, listening to every sound.
"Abby?" he called into one room.
"Abby?" into another.
"Abby?" No answer.
"Abby?" Time was getting shorter.
"Abby?" Places to look were running out. He ran into the lounge and opened his mouth to call her name again, but someone interrupted him.
"She's not here," said the figure on the couch with the newspaper hiding his face still. Carter looked up.
"Then where is she?" the old man looked up from his paper.
"Where is Abby?" the man repeated the question, "I have a question for you, Dr. Carter."
"I believe mine is more urgent." Carter narrowed his eyes at the man. The man ignored him.
"Where is Bobby, Dr. Carter? Aren't you still looking for him?" Carter stared at the man.
"What does he have to do with this?"
"He has everything to do with this, Dr. Carter. And where is Lucy? You haven't found her yet either, now have you?"
"Lucy has nothing to do with this either." Carter's voice was shaking and he swallowed hard.
"I'll tell you where they are, Dr. Carter. They're lost."
"I know that. I know they're lost. But I'm not looking for them right now."
"But isn't it true that in your pursuit for Abby you are looking for all of them as well? When you find Abby you will find Bobby and Lucy will you not?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do Bobby and Lucy mean to you?"
"Where's Abby?"
"Abby is... Abby is..."
"Yes?"
"Abby is lost."

Carter sat up. He had fallen asleep and he found himself on the same couch the old man had been sitting on. It was later and police were everywhere in the hospital.
He groped around for his crutch. Even though he told them he could walk fine without it, they were very insistent. He knew his leg would heal and he didn't need a crutch to help him walk. Sure, he limped a bit whenever he didn't use it but so what? It's only a limp.
Right now, Carter had bigger concerns than a little limp.
Carter slowly got to his feet and was yawning when he suddenly remembered his dream. He stopped in mid-yawn. He had mentioned Abby in his dream. And Bobby. And Lucy.

Abby was breathing hard. Not only would Luka not leave her side, but Dave was always in there too, bandaged hand and all. She didn't blame them, actually. She was terrified herself. The police were all over the hospital, circling it like vultures outside and searching like ferrets inside.
"Luka," she said, "go talk to that police man that's been waiting politely, would you?"
"But Abby-" Abby stopped him with a look as she saw the officer in the doorway sigh with relief. Luka went with him outside.
"You sure you're OK, Abby?" Dave asked.
"I'm great, Dave, really. I just have a couple scars and that's all," she was more energetic then she was before.
"OK then..." Dave's eyes began to wander after those two words and he added quickly, "I mean, I wasn't worried, or anything, I just wanted to make sure because Luka..."
"Dave," Abby interrupted.
"Yeah?"
"Give it up," she smiled at him.
"Yeah, well, I got to go, so I think Luka can take care of you fine," Dave changed the subject.
"Your mother calling, Dave?" Abby asked. Dave turned around on his way out and held up his pager.
"I wish! Just Weaver," he smiled back at her and exited, passing Luka and the cop in the hall, but Luka didn't notice. The door closed and Abby's view of Luka was blocked again. It seemed awfully cold in the exam room. Cold and empty now that Dave was gone. Abby was alone again. And she wasn't sure that that was a wise idea. Her eyes darted instantly to the window, but the night was calm and the scene was placid. She swung her clammy legs over the bed and walked on weak knees to the window. Though she was still full of energy and was aware of her surroundings, her body was still getting used to the fact she was nearly killed. Twice.
She walked to the window carefully, twisting her hospital gown between her fingers. As she approached it, she leaned over the windowsill slowly and looked down. Nothing. She looked to her left and then to her right, and then down again. Nothing still. So she looked up at the sky. The sliver of what was left of the moon was waning and the stars were like scattered fireflies in the ebony sky. She sighed. It was pretty tranquil and nothing could bother her right now. He wouldn't come back for a while... Or so she believed. The hairs on the back of her spine stood on end as a voice from behind her said:
"Abby, you shouldn't do that. You might fall."

Carter was in a daze, his dream coming slowly back to him. He saw police everywhere and Kerry talking to Dave, but he could hear nothing. He sat obliviously in a nearby chair and was completely unaware of his surroundings. He was in another world, another lifetime, where he had once known a boy called Bobby.

"Come on, just pitch!" Bobby ordered, bat in hand, "It's taking you long enough."
"Hold on, Bobby," John said, flicking off the blades of grass that were glued to the ball by water. When he was ready he threw the ball and Bobby hit it. It went high over their heads and into a tree.
"I'll climb it," Bobby said, "I hit the ball."
"No, I can get it. I'm closer anyway."
"No, seriously. You stay there, I'll be right back." Bobby scaled the tree with the ease of a monkey, his hands flying from one branch to the next. John ran up to the big tree and looked up at his brother, now camouflaged against the leaves, thanks to his green shirt.
"Bobby, you got it?" he called up.
"Almost," Bobby replied. John gasped as his grandmother was coming their way.
"John, where's your brother?" she asked, kindly. Bobby knew and didn't make a sound. Their grandmother didn't like them climbing trees, though Bobby and John did it often. She didn't think it was proper. Of course, she wasn't a baseball fan either.
"He'll be right back. He just forgot his glove somewhere. Don't worry, Gamma," John grinned. Bobby sighed. Suddenly, one of the small branches holding him up snapped and he tensed up again. Gamma looked up at the tree suspiciously.
"We saw a crows nest in that tree, Gamma," John tried desperately to make her notice him instead of the tree.
"Did you now?" she asked, eyes still on the tree. Even though Bobby was wearing his green shirt and was hidden by tons of leaves, he felt she saw straight through those things and saw him stick out like a soar thumb.
"OK, young man, now I want you out of there this instant!"
"Uh..." Bobby didn't know how to reply. Then, he saw the baseball, "Hold on, Gamma, lemme get the ball first."
"Robert, no!" Gamma cried, knowing what was going to happen. Bobby was in such a hurry, he forgot to check a branch as he moved closer towards the ball. He grabbed hold of it just before the branch under his right leg snapped. He lost his balance and found himself hanging from the branch where the ball had been. Then he heard that one creak as well.
"This must be some old tree!" Bobby muttered, right before that branch cracked as well and he tumbled to the ground. Even in immense pain, Bobby had laughed.
"What a rush!" he cried, and laughed until the pain overthrew him.

"He'd broken his leg," Carter sighed, smiling. He didn't know why he remembered that particular time, but he did. He blinked and returned to reality, with the police rushing around and the doctors just as nervous. Kerry was still talking to Dave. And Luka was still talking to that policeman. And Abby was still in her room, safe. Carter tilted his head back and sighed.

"Dave, how's your hand?"
"Is that all you wanted to ask about?"
"It's good for a start. How is it?"
"It's fine. Why'd you want to see me?" Dave looked at her, puzzled. Kerry opened her mouth to reply then stopped and sighed.
"There's a patient I want you to look at in exam five." Dave stared at her.
"What?"
"What, did you think that just because of these circumstances we'd ignore the rest of our patients?" she'd switched in to regular 'Dr. Weaver' mode again, Dave could tell. This made him relax a bit. He hadn't seen Weaver so anxious before. Not over him, anyway. He assumed it was just Abby and what had happened to her. Or maybe she was concerned about Carter, she likes him, he thought.
"Well, I mean..."
"Go on, Dave! He's waiting!" she pushed him in the direction down the hall. He was beginning to head that way when she grabbed his arm again.
"And Dave..." she said, "Don't do anything stupid."
"I haven't!" Dave defended, like he was being accused of something.
"Yes you did," Kerry smiled, "And you scared me."
"Sorry," Dave muttered, "But I had to do something! Though, I guess it was kinda stupid."
"It was also kind of brave," she smiled. Dave stared at her for a minute. Was she giving him a complement? Dr. Kerry Weaver giving him a complement? Here was an event that came once in a lifetime.
"Thanks..." he didn't know what to say. Kerry held her head high again.
"OK, now, Dave, Mr. Phillips is waiting!" Dave nodded and was off.

"So... You struggled with him and then he took the scalpel and cut into Dr. Carter's leg?"
"Yes."
"And then as Dr. Carter dragged himself out of the fight, he was about to sink it in your chest when Dr. Malucci stopped him. And then he stabbed Dr. Malucci's hand and Dr. Greene and Abby showed up again."
"Yes."
"And do you know what he looked like?"
"It was dark; I couldn't see his face clearly."
"Are you sure?"
"Dave saw him in the light. Talk to him."
"Thank you, Dr. Kovac," the officer smiled at him and shook his hand, "You've been a great help. It was nice talking to you."
"You too, officer," Luka nodded at the man, who turned and walked back towards his coworkers.

"Seriously, Abby," he said and turned her around to face him. Abby sighed with relief.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Are you OK?" Mark looked at her, worriedly.
"Great. Just a bit jumpy," Abby replied, "I mean, I was attacked by a psycho tonight, you know."
"Yeah. I noticed Luka outside and Dave's with a patient and Carter's gone somewhere... I thought you wouldn't want to be in here alone."
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine, Dr. Greene," Abby smiled at him convincingly, though her face was still pale and the scar on her forehead- a dark, brownish red color- stuck out visibly as did her other cuts. The very image of her, standing there, strong and brave, on legs that were nearly giving way beneath her, the confident smile on her face... It would be enough to give the most despairing man in the world hope. She was holding on, be it by a thread or not, she was holding on bravely, despite all the trauma she'd gone through that night.
"I admire you Abby," Mark smiled and shook his head, "Lie down." Abby did so, happily. But she was thinking... Something about Jack...
"You know... There's something familiar about him..."
"About who?" Mark asked, "Your stalker?"
"Yeah. I can't place it."
"Don't worry about it. Sleep. You need it. Luka will be in her shortly." Abby smiled at Mark as he closed the door, about to turn off the lights.
"Um, Dr. Greene?" Abby said, timidly.
"Yes?" he paused in what he was doing.
"This'll sound a bit silly, but could you leave on the lights?"
"Of course." Mark smiled reassuringly and closed the door.