Disclaimer: If I said I owned them, would you hurt me?
Warning: This fan fiction contains spoilers for upcoming ER episodes.
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Carter entered the ER the day after, still disturbed by the sight of Abby holding her beer. He went into the Lounge to find Abby making herself another cup of coffee. He thought about saying something to her, but changed his mind and strode right past her. He felt her eyes on him as he went to his locker. He heard her cough.
"Listen, Carter, about last night…" she started.
"Abby, I don't really want to hear it," he said.
She stopped talking immediately and Carter heard her rummaging around.
He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Abby. I'm just really shocked, you know?"
"I told you, Carter it's my decision," she told him.
He turned to face her. "Abby, it may be your decision but you're going to end up hurting yourself."
"I'm not a drunk!" she exclaimed. "It was just a few beers."
"I thought it was one," he challenged.
She bit her lip. After a moment, she said, "It's none of your business."
"Abby, you are my friend. If you're destroying yourself it is my business!"
"Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Carter took a few steps toward her. "Because I care about you. I don't want to see you end up in the ER on a gurney."
Abby shook her head. "It's not like that. It's not like I'm drinking ten beers a night or anything."
"How many are you drinking then?"
"Look, I stayed away from it last night."
"Well, good for you, but resisting one time doesn't mean you'll stop yourself in the future. Abby, think about it! You were sober for six years, do you really want to throw that all away?"
"I'm not throwing my life away."
"When did you start drinking again? Huh? Was it after the attack?"
"I don't want to talk about that."
"Abby, you're going to have to talk about it sometime."
She didn't reply. Carter walked up to her.
"Abby, I want you to go to an AA meeting with me," he said, quietly.
Abby quickly looked up at him, wide-eyed. "No," she said, firmly.
"Abby…"
"I said no. I can handle myself. It's under control."
"Abby, please listen to me…" Carter started, putting a hand on her shoulder. What she did next came as a complete surprise to him.
"OW! What the hell?!" Carter exclaimed. He quickly pulled his hand away from her shoulder and examined it. On his hand were Abby's teeth marks. "You bit me!"
"Yeah, so next time don't mess with me," Abby said, threateningly.
"What's going on in here?" a voice asked from the door.
Abby and Carter both turned their heads to see who it was.
"Uh, Dr. Weaver," Abby started.
"Is there a problem?" Kerry inquired.
Abby looked at Carter who glared at her for a moment. He looked at Kerry. "No, there's no problem."
"What's wrong with your hand?" Kerry asked, spotting him clutching it.
"Oh, uh, nothing, just a little mishap," Carter lied, dropping his hand to his side.
"Alright then. Both of you get to work," Kerry ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," Carter replied as she walked back out the door. He looked back at Abby. He stared at her for a moment. Finally, he just shook his head and walked out the door, leaving Abby to stand there, regretting what she had said and done.
"Okay, you're going to feel a little prick on your hand here," Carter warned the young girl he was giving a shot to. The girl had a cut on her hand that needed suturing and Carter was giving her lidocaine. "Alright, good job, Lucy. Now, I'm going to give you stitches now, okay?"
Lucy nodded, her big brown eyes looking straight into his. He smiled and she returned one.
"She's going to be okay, right?" the mother asked him.
"Yes, Mrs. Martin, she just needs the stitches and you can be on your way," Carter assured, starting on Lucy's hand.
"Mr. Stanza, I told you, no smoking! Last time someone did that, there was a result that wasn't very fun," Abby lectured her patient, snatching the cigarette out of his hand.
"What are you doing? Cigarettes don't come cheap!" the old man snapped.
"Mr. Stanza, you're 73 years old, you shouldn't be smoking," Abby told him, checking his stats.
"It's hard to quit after smoking for so long," he replied.
"You're telling me," Abby replied.
"Abby! We need you out here for a trauma!" Chuny called to her, sticking her head into the room.
"Mr. Stanza, I'll be right back. And no more cigarettes!"
"Can you grab Carter, too?" Chuny called over her shoulder, running toward Trauma 3.
Abby sighed and walked to the room he was in.
"Alright, Lucy, we're almost…" Carter began.
"Carter, we need you for a trauma," Abby said to him.
Carter looked up. "Uh, Lucy, Mrs. Martin, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"
He stood up and quickly followed Abby to the trauma room.
"What do we got?" Carter asked.
"Forty year old male, victim of a hit-and-run," Susan informed him.
Carter nodded. "Can someone get Gallant in here?"
"I'll go," Abby offered.
She ran out of the trauma room and spotted Michael at the admit desk.
"Gallant, Carter wants you in there!" Abby called to him.
Michael quickly ran to the room, with Pratt following.
"What about me?" he asked.
"I said Gallant," Abby told him. She ran back to the trauma room to find Carter instructing Gallant on how to intubate the man.
"Okay, you're doing good…do you see it?" Carter said, gently.
"Yeah, I got it," Gallant replied, concentrating. "I'm in!"
"Great job," Carter told him, smiling, as Gallant beamed proudly.
Abby smiled.
"Okay, let's get this guy up to the OR, shall we?" Carter declared.
Chuny nodded and she and Susan rolled the man to the elevators.
"You did really good, Gallant," Carter said, praising the young med student.
"Thank you, Dr. Carter," he replied.
Carter nodded. "Go take care of some more patients, huh?"
"Yes, sir," Michael agreed. He took of his gown and walked out the doors.
Carter sighed and Abby watched him take off his gown out of the corner of her eye.
"You know, you're a really good teacher," she commented.
Carter took a quick glance at her. "Uh, thanks."
"Yeah, no problem."
An uncomfortable silence fell between the co-workers.
"Uh, I have to get back to my patient," Carter said.
"Yeah, I should get back to mine, too," Abby replied.
"Yeah," Carter said.
"Yeah…"
"I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, I'll see ya," Abby agreed.
"Okay," he said, quietly. He took another glance at her and walked out the door.
Abby ran her hands through her hair and closed her eyes. She opened them again, remembering Mr. Stanza and exited the trauma room.
Warning: This fan fiction contains spoilers for upcoming ER episodes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Carter entered the ER the day after, still disturbed by the sight of Abby holding her beer. He went into the Lounge to find Abby making herself another cup of coffee. He thought about saying something to her, but changed his mind and strode right past her. He felt her eyes on him as he went to his locker. He heard her cough.
"Listen, Carter, about last night…" she started.
"Abby, I don't really want to hear it," he said.
She stopped talking immediately and Carter heard her rummaging around.
He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Abby. I'm just really shocked, you know?"
"I told you, Carter it's my decision," she told him.
He turned to face her. "Abby, it may be your decision but you're going to end up hurting yourself."
"I'm not a drunk!" she exclaimed. "It was just a few beers."
"I thought it was one," he challenged.
She bit her lip. After a moment, she said, "It's none of your business."
"Abby, you are my friend. If you're destroying yourself it is my business!"
"Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Carter took a few steps toward her. "Because I care about you. I don't want to see you end up in the ER on a gurney."
Abby shook her head. "It's not like that. It's not like I'm drinking ten beers a night or anything."
"How many are you drinking then?"
"Look, I stayed away from it last night."
"Well, good for you, but resisting one time doesn't mean you'll stop yourself in the future. Abby, think about it! You were sober for six years, do you really want to throw that all away?"
"I'm not throwing my life away."
"When did you start drinking again? Huh? Was it after the attack?"
"I don't want to talk about that."
"Abby, you're going to have to talk about it sometime."
She didn't reply. Carter walked up to her.
"Abby, I want you to go to an AA meeting with me," he said, quietly.
Abby quickly looked up at him, wide-eyed. "No," she said, firmly.
"Abby…"
"I said no. I can handle myself. It's under control."
"Abby, please listen to me…" Carter started, putting a hand on her shoulder. What she did next came as a complete surprise to him.
"OW! What the hell?!" Carter exclaimed. He quickly pulled his hand away from her shoulder and examined it. On his hand were Abby's teeth marks. "You bit me!"
"Yeah, so next time don't mess with me," Abby said, threateningly.
"What's going on in here?" a voice asked from the door.
Abby and Carter both turned their heads to see who it was.
"Uh, Dr. Weaver," Abby started.
"Is there a problem?" Kerry inquired.
Abby looked at Carter who glared at her for a moment. He looked at Kerry. "No, there's no problem."
"What's wrong with your hand?" Kerry asked, spotting him clutching it.
"Oh, uh, nothing, just a little mishap," Carter lied, dropping his hand to his side.
"Alright then. Both of you get to work," Kerry ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," Carter replied as she walked back out the door. He looked back at Abby. He stared at her for a moment. Finally, he just shook his head and walked out the door, leaving Abby to stand there, regretting what she had said and done.
"Okay, you're going to feel a little prick on your hand here," Carter warned the young girl he was giving a shot to. The girl had a cut on her hand that needed suturing and Carter was giving her lidocaine. "Alright, good job, Lucy. Now, I'm going to give you stitches now, okay?"
Lucy nodded, her big brown eyes looking straight into his. He smiled and she returned one.
"She's going to be okay, right?" the mother asked him.
"Yes, Mrs. Martin, she just needs the stitches and you can be on your way," Carter assured, starting on Lucy's hand.
"Mr. Stanza, I told you, no smoking! Last time someone did that, there was a result that wasn't very fun," Abby lectured her patient, snatching the cigarette out of his hand.
"What are you doing? Cigarettes don't come cheap!" the old man snapped.
"Mr. Stanza, you're 73 years old, you shouldn't be smoking," Abby told him, checking his stats.
"It's hard to quit after smoking for so long," he replied.
"You're telling me," Abby replied.
"Abby! We need you out here for a trauma!" Chuny called to her, sticking her head into the room.
"Mr. Stanza, I'll be right back. And no more cigarettes!"
"Can you grab Carter, too?" Chuny called over her shoulder, running toward Trauma 3.
Abby sighed and walked to the room he was in.
"Alright, Lucy, we're almost…" Carter began.
"Carter, we need you for a trauma," Abby said to him.
Carter looked up. "Uh, Lucy, Mrs. Martin, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"
He stood up and quickly followed Abby to the trauma room.
"What do we got?" Carter asked.
"Forty year old male, victim of a hit-and-run," Susan informed him.
Carter nodded. "Can someone get Gallant in here?"
"I'll go," Abby offered.
She ran out of the trauma room and spotted Michael at the admit desk.
"Gallant, Carter wants you in there!" Abby called to him.
Michael quickly ran to the room, with Pratt following.
"What about me?" he asked.
"I said Gallant," Abby told him. She ran back to the trauma room to find Carter instructing Gallant on how to intubate the man.
"Okay, you're doing good…do you see it?" Carter said, gently.
"Yeah, I got it," Gallant replied, concentrating. "I'm in!"
"Great job," Carter told him, smiling, as Gallant beamed proudly.
Abby smiled.
"Okay, let's get this guy up to the OR, shall we?" Carter declared.
Chuny nodded and she and Susan rolled the man to the elevators.
"You did really good, Gallant," Carter said, praising the young med student.
"Thank you, Dr. Carter," he replied.
Carter nodded. "Go take care of some more patients, huh?"
"Yes, sir," Michael agreed. He took of his gown and walked out the doors.
Carter sighed and Abby watched him take off his gown out of the corner of her eye.
"You know, you're a really good teacher," she commented.
Carter took a quick glance at her. "Uh, thanks."
"Yeah, no problem."
An uncomfortable silence fell between the co-workers.
"Uh, I have to get back to my patient," Carter said.
"Yeah, I should get back to mine, too," Abby replied.
"Yeah," Carter said.
"Yeah…"
"I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, I'll see ya," Abby agreed.
"Okay," he said, quietly. He took another glance at her and walked out the door.
Abby ran her hands through her hair and closed her eyes. She opened them again, remembering Mr. Stanza and exited the trauma room.