Disclaimer: Trust me, I don't own a thing.
Warning: This fan fiction contains dialogue spoilers for upcoming ER episodes.
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Abby stood on the roof, still steaming from overhearing Carter's conversation with Luka. Who did he think he was, anyway? He couldn't control her life. She could handle herself. She didn't need a babysitter. She nodded to herself, agreeing with her thoughts. She took a drag of her cigarette and turned when she heard the door open. She groaned when she saw him.
Carter cautiously made his way toward his female co-worker, walking until he was side-to-side with her. She avoided his eyes. He bit his lip and looked up at the afternoon sky.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"There's nothing to talk about," she replied, dryly.
"I want to help. I've been there. Come on, Abby, you've been sober for six years…"
"That was then," Abby said, cutting him off. "I just had a beer. It's under control."
"Is it? What, one beer today, two tomorrow, and by next year you're a full- fledged alcoholic again?"
"It's my decision," she replied, still not making eye contact with him.
"Oh, give me a break," Carter scoffed.
"Carter, just leave me the hell alone," Abby snapped, finally looking at him.
Carter immediately backed down when he saw the fierce look in her eyes.
"Fine," he said, quietly. He walked back to the door, and with one last look at Abby, he opened it and went back into the ER, leaving Abby to stand in the cold air of Chicago.
"What's wrong?" Susan asked Carter, seeing his grim expression.
"What?"
"You look upset."
"Oh…uh, yeah, I can't really talk about with anyone. It's a private matter."
Susan nodded. "That's okay, Carter. Don't worry about it."
An awkward silence fell between the two for a moment.
Susan took a deep breath. "So how are things going with Abby?"
John looked at her and grinned. "You're never going to give up, are you?"
Susan smiled back. "You know me…do I ever?"
He tilted his head to the side. "Never in the time I've known you."
Susan felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. She averted her eyes from her ex- boyfriend.
Carter looked down at his watch. "Uh, listen, my shift is over…"
"Oh, yeah, get out of here," Susan laughed.
Carter smiled. "Okay, then…I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure thing," Susan replied.
He got up and walked over to his locker. He took off his lab coat and replaced it with his winter coat. He grabbed his bag, gave a quick wave to Susan, and walked out the door. He made his way through the sliding doors of the ER and started walking toward the parking lot when he heard someone calling his name. He pivoted and looked around for the owner of the voice when he saw Abby rushing toward him.
"Carter!" Abby yelled, running up to him, completely out of breath.
"Abby, is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.
She took in a few deep breaths and shook her head. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for being so abrupt with you earlier."
John raised an eyebrow. "Abby, it's fine, I…"
"No, I was rude. I just don't want anybody to baby me."
"Abby…somebody should be looking out for you."
"But I don't think it should be you. It's too complicated…you know, you and me…us…"
"Us? What us? Is there an us?" Carter questioned.
"Look, like I said: it's complicated. But I appreciate your concern, I really do. Thanks."
With that, Abby gave him a small smile and ran back to the ER, while Carter stood in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to figure out what had just happened.
It was 7:00 P.M. and Carter was sitting on his couch, watching bad TV shows. Everything that was on that night was either incredibly boring or incredibly stupid. He sighed and turned the TV off. He had somehow convinced Gamma to go to sleep, despite the fact that she thought that seven was much to early to be going into a slumber. He leaned forward to grab his drink and took a sip, letting his mind wander back to what Abby had said to him earlier that day. Did she still think there was a possibility that they would someday be an "us"? He sure as hell hoped she did. He thought back earlier to when Luka had told him that Abby had moved back into her apartment. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He smiled, got up, grabbed his coat and wallet, and walked out the door.
"Luka, don't worry, I got it," Abby said, chuckling. She had gone back to Luka's place to get some more of her things and he had offered to help take the load back. She had agreed and now Luka was trying to gather all her things in one try. They had also stopped at the hardware store to pick up a new lock for her door.
"Are you sure?" Luka asked.
"I'm positive," she assured.
They walked up the flight of stairs with great difficulty and when they reached Abby's door, the put the boxes down and sighed in relief. She took out her key and unlocked the door, walking inside. She had moved back in the day before and every time she stepped foot into the living room, she felt a chill go up her spine. She shivered.
"Are you alright?" Luka asked, noticing her reaction.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just a little chilly," Abby replied, trying to cover up what she had done.
They walked back out to grab the boxes and carried them inside. Abby shut the door behind her and started to lock the door, but stopped, changing her mind.
"Do you want a drink?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah, sure, a drink would be good," Luka replied.
Abby nodded and walked to her newly restocked refrigerator. She opened the door and reached for the beer she had bought. She hesitated for a moment, but decided against her better judgment and grabbed two. She took them back into the living room and handed a bottle to Luka.
Luka looked down at the beer and looked back at Abby, who had already popped the cap on hers. She noticed him staring at her and gave him a questioning look.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, well, it's just Carter was…"
"It was a misunderstanding," Abby lied.
"Really…" Luka said, not buying it.
Warning: This fan fiction contains dialogue spoilers for upcoming ER episodes.
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Abby stood on the roof, still steaming from overhearing Carter's conversation with Luka. Who did he think he was, anyway? He couldn't control her life. She could handle herself. She didn't need a babysitter. She nodded to herself, agreeing with her thoughts. She took a drag of her cigarette and turned when she heard the door open. She groaned when she saw him.
Carter cautiously made his way toward his female co-worker, walking until he was side-to-side with her. She avoided his eyes. He bit his lip and looked up at the afternoon sky.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"There's nothing to talk about," she replied, dryly.
"I want to help. I've been there. Come on, Abby, you've been sober for six years…"
"That was then," Abby said, cutting him off. "I just had a beer. It's under control."
"Is it? What, one beer today, two tomorrow, and by next year you're a full- fledged alcoholic again?"
"It's my decision," she replied, still not making eye contact with him.
"Oh, give me a break," Carter scoffed.
"Carter, just leave me the hell alone," Abby snapped, finally looking at him.
Carter immediately backed down when he saw the fierce look in her eyes.
"Fine," he said, quietly. He walked back to the door, and with one last look at Abby, he opened it and went back into the ER, leaving Abby to stand in the cold air of Chicago.
"What's wrong?" Susan asked Carter, seeing his grim expression.
"What?"
"You look upset."
"Oh…uh, yeah, I can't really talk about with anyone. It's a private matter."
Susan nodded. "That's okay, Carter. Don't worry about it."
An awkward silence fell between the two for a moment.
Susan took a deep breath. "So how are things going with Abby?"
John looked at her and grinned. "You're never going to give up, are you?"
Susan smiled back. "You know me…do I ever?"
He tilted his head to the side. "Never in the time I've known you."
Susan felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. She averted her eyes from her ex- boyfriend.
Carter looked down at his watch. "Uh, listen, my shift is over…"
"Oh, yeah, get out of here," Susan laughed.
Carter smiled. "Okay, then…I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure thing," Susan replied.
He got up and walked over to his locker. He took off his lab coat and replaced it with his winter coat. He grabbed his bag, gave a quick wave to Susan, and walked out the door. He made his way through the sliding doors of the ER and started walking toward the parking lot when he heard someone calling his name. He pivoted and looked around for the owner of the voice when he saw Abby rushing toward him.
"Carter!" Abby yelled, running up to him, completely out of breath.
"Abby, is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.
She took in a few deep breaths and shook her head. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for being so abrupt with you earlier."
John raised an eyebrow. "Abby, it's fine, I…"
"No, I was rude. I just don't want anybody to baby me."
"Abby…somebody should be looking out for you."
"But I don't think it should be you. It's too complicated…you know, you and me…us…"
"Us? What us? Is there an us?" Carter questioned.
"Look, like I said: it's complicated. But I appreciate your concern, I really do. Thanks."
With that, Abby gave him a small smile and ran back to the ER, while Carter stood in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to figure out what had just happened.
It was 7:00 P.M. and Carter was sitting on his couch, watching bad TV shows. Everything that was on that night was either incredibly boring or incredibly stupid. He sighed and turned the TV off. He had somehow convinced Gamma to go to sleep, despite the fact that she thought that seven was much to early to be going into a slumber. He leaned forward to grab his drink and took a sip, letting his mind wander back to what Abby had said to him earlier that day. Did she still think there was a possibility that they would someday be an "us"? He sure as hell hoped she did. He thought back earlier to when Luka had told him that Abby had moved back into her apartment. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He smiled, got up, grabbed his coat and wallet, and walked out the door.
"Luka, don't worry, I got it," Abby said, chuckling. She had gone back to Luka's place to get some more of her things and he had offered to help take the load back. She had agreed and now Luka was trying to gather all her things in one try. They had also stopped at the hardware store to pick up a new lock for her door.
"Are you sure?" Luka asked.
"I'm positive," she assured.
They walked up the flight of stairs with great difficulty and when they reached Abby's door, the put the boxes down and sighed in relief. She took out her key and unlocked the door, walking inside. She had moved back in the day before and every time she stepped foot into the living room, she felt a chill go up her spine. She shivered.
"Are you alright?" Luka asked, noticing her reaction.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just a little chilly," Abby replied, trying to cover up what she had done.
They walked back out to grab the boxes and carried them inside. Abby shut the door behind her and started to lock the door, but stopped, changing her mind.
"Do you want a drink?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah, sure, a drink would be good," Luka replied.
Abby nodded and walked to her newly restocked refrigerator. She opened the door and reached for the beer she had bought. She hesitated for a moment, but decided against her better judgment and grabbed two. She took them back into the living room and handed a bottle to Luka.
Luka looked down at the beer and looked back at Abby, who had already popped the cap on hers. She noticed him staring at her and gave him a questioning look.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, well, it's just Carter was…"
"It was a misunderstanding," Abby lied.
"Really…" Luka said, not buying it.