Wounded
By: *Heather*
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the show ER.
Author's note: This fic happens right after *the kiss* in "Lockdown". Don't get frustrated if you don't like the way the story goes- I assure you, it IS a carby, I just really, REALLY like angsty Abby...
Chapter 5: Too late
*~*~*~*~*
"Damn, that's depressing,"
Pratt stood leaning against the admin desk, glancing at the message board. Susan walked up behind him, catching his mumbled statement.
"What's depressing?"
"Them two." He waved his hand in the direction of Abby's room. "Don't even tell me you don't know what I'm talkin' about."
"It's really none of our business."
"That don't stop me from being curious... Any idea what happened between 'em?"
"No. All I got out the whole thing is that Abby was in a car accident."
Pratt nodded his head and looked back at the message board. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Carter's name.
"Hey, when did Carter get off?"
"I dunno, about 5 hours ago... Why?"
"Says here he's on in another hour. Has he been here since his shift ended?"
"I think so..."
Susan continued to study some clipboards when Kerry appeared.
"What room is Abby Lockhart in?"
Susan looked up in confusion.
"Curtain two I think, why?"
Kerry just nodded and made a beeline for Abby's room. She threw open the white curtain to find Carter and Abby, both fast asleep. She put the envelope she had been carrying in her pocket and gently shook Carter.
"Carter... Hey Carter, wake up..."
He slowly opened his eyes, and, remembering where he was, stood up quickly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked urgently as he checked Abby's vitals.
"No, no, it's not that. I just, um, I need to talk to Abby. Privately."
Carter looked back at Abby, who was beginning to stir and rouse from her slumber.
"She's just started to wake up... I promised her I'd be here when she woke up."
Kerry leaned against the bed and looked at Carter.
"I think you should take a break for a while. Go home Carter."
"I think I should stay."
"Did I not make myself clear?"
Carter looked at Kerry with an exhausted, defeated look in his eye. He just didn't have the strength nor will to argue. And he knew he would never win. He leaned over Abby's forehead and kissed it gently. Then he stroked her hair and whispered softly in her ear.
"Don't worry; I'm here..."
He left without looking Kerry in the eye, and Kerry kept her head aimed at the floor. She slowly took the white envelope out of her coat pocket and examined it for what seemed like the thousandth time. She limped over to the chair that was vacated by Carter and called out Abby's name.
"Abby... Abby, can you hear me?"
She opened her eyes with a newfound reassurance that she would see something good. She swore she had heard Carter's voice... But this one was different.
"Kerry?" she asked groggily.
"Yes. Abby, I know you're not fully awake, but I need you to try and look at something for me."
Abby nodded her head and tried to clear her mind of the confusion that swarmed around inside. Kerry handed her the envelope and watched as Abby opened it.
"Do you know what that is?" Kerry asked.
"It looks like... a summons...?"
Kerry nodded her head.
"The date is in 3 days. You're being sued by the owner of the vehicle you stole, and I imagine you have a fine for driving while intoxicated."
Abby just stared blankly at the piece of paper she had been handed.
"You're going to need a lawyer. I could call around for you..."
"No, no please. I wouldn't want to trouble you any further..."
Kerry stood up and sighed as she walked away. She paused just before she left when she heard Abby speak up.
"Kerry... I truly am sorry."
She looked back at Abby and smiled as best she could.
"I know, Abby. I know..."
*~*~*~*~*
Kerry was walking quickly away from the trauma room when she spied Carter coming towards her. She stopped him before he could return to Abby's beside.
"Carter, I think we should talk."
He turned around to face her, but anyone could tell his mind was elsewhere.
"Oh? About what exactly?"
"I really think you should take some time off. A week maybe. Last night was just a coincidence; we could spare you for a week at least."
"Thanks Kerry, I appreciate the offer, but..."
"John, if you don't take some time off, I will suspend you."
"That's one hell of an ultimatum..."
Kerry sighed.
"I'm having someone else take over caring for Abby. You need to leave now Carter."
"Why are you doing this? Are you forbidding me to stay?"
Kerry looked at him with an undeniable authority.
"Yes. Now go home."
Kerry stood in her exact position until Carter walked away and through the exit. It felt to her as if the entire world were holding its breath, waiting for everything to blow up in their faces.
*~*~*~*~*
"Miss Lockhart, you are charged with auto theft, driving while intoxicated, and intentional disturbance of public property. Do you deny any of these charges?"
"No, your honor, I do not."
"Then I sentence you, by this court of law, to a three week rehabilitation session in Rockford, Illinois effective tomorrow. Also, your fines come to a grand total of $762.83 payable to the city of Chicago. Court is adjourned."
Abby felt the room was spinning out of control. Her life was decided by the strike of the judge's mallet. She was completely helpless. So many things were speeding through her mind, crashing into each other like a thousand drunken car wrecks...
The courtroom was slowly emptying of all inhabitants. Yet, Abby remained. She knew she could have gotten worse. She knew she should be thankful. Maybe she would finally get the help she so badly needed. Maybe...
She got up and followed her lawyer out of the room to discuss transportation to Rockford. It was decided she would take the bus. The lawyer told her to go home and pack, and all he asked of her was to be at the bus station at 9 o'clock the next morning.
*~*~*~*~*
It seemed to Abby that the sun rose earlier just to spite her today. She had hardly slept at all last night. But she didn't dare sleep in on this day...
She got ready, grabbed her bags and hailed a cab on the street corner. She arrived at the bus stop to find her lawyer waiting for her. She could see his lips moving, but no sound was reaching her ears. Her mind was a million miles away...
She hadn't told him. She hadn't even talked to Carter since she was released from the hospital. She didn't know if he knew she was leaving or not. She figured it was best she did this on her own. But she missed him so much already... Had he really meant what he said to her in the hospital?
Impossible.
"...and call my office the second you get settled. We don't want to give the judge a reason to give you jail time..."
Abby looked blankly at the lawyer and nodded. Then she got on the bus and sat in a window seat near the back, lost in her world of painful thoughts. So lost, she failed to hear or see the man standing at the bus stop, arriving just a few precious seconds too late.
By: *Heather*
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the show ER.
Author's note: This fic happens right after *the kiss* in "Lockdown". Don't get frustrated if you don't like the way the story goes- I assure you, it IS a carby, I just really, REALLY like angsty Abby...
Chapter 5: Too late
*~*~*~*~*
"Damn, that's depressing,"
Pratt stood leaning against the admin desk, glancing at the message board. Susan walked up behind him, catching his mumbled statement.
"What's depressing?"
"Them two." He waved his hand in the direction of Abby's room. "Don't even tell me you don't know what I'm talkin' about."
"It's really none of our business."
"That don't stop me from being curious... Any idea what happened between 'em?"
"No. All I got out the whole thing is that Abby was in a car accident."
Pratt nodded his head and looked back at the message board. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of Carter's name.
"Hey, when did Carter get off?"
"I dunno, about 5 hours ago... Why?"
"Says here he's on in another hour. Has he been here since his shift ended?"
"I think so..."
Susan continued to study some clipboards when Kerry appeared.
"What room is Abby Lockhart in?"
Susan looked up in confusion.
"Curtain two I think, why?"
Kerry just nodded and made a beeline for Abby's room. She threw open the white curtain to find Carter and Abby, both fast asleep. She put the envelope she had been carrying in her pocket and gently shook Carter.
"Carter... Hey Carter, wake up..."
He slowly opened his eyes, and, remembering where he was, stood up quickly.
"Is something wrong?" he asked urgently as he checked Abby's vitals.
"No, no, it's not that. I just, um, I need to talk to Abby. Privately."
Carter looked back at Abby, who was beginning to stir and rouse from her slumber.
"She's just started to wake up... I promised her I'd be here when she woke up."
Kerry leaned against the bed and looked at Carter.
"I think you should take a break for a while. Go home Carter."
"I think I should stay."
"Did I not make myself clear?"
Carter looked at Kerry with an exhausted, defeated look in his eye. He just didn't have the strength nor will to argue. And he knew he would never win. He leaned over Abby's forehead and kissed it gently. Then he stroked her hair and whispered softly in her ear.
"Don't worry; I'm here..."
He left without looking Kerry in the eye, and Kerry kept her head aimed at the floor. She slowly took the white envelope out of her coat pocket and examined it for what seemed like the thousandth time. She limped over to the chair that was vacated by Carter and called out Abby's name.
"Abby... Abby, can you hear me?"
She opened her eyes with a newfound reassurance that she would see something good. She swore she had heard Carter's voice... But this one was different.
"Kerry?" she asked groggily.
"Yes. Abby, I know you're not fully awake, but I need you to try and look at something for me."
Abby nodded her head and tried to clear her mind of the confusion that swarmed around inside. Kerry handed her the envelope and watched as Abby opened it.
"Do you know what that is?" Kerry asked.
"It looks like... a summons...?"
Kerry nodded her head.
"The date is in 3 days. You're being sued by the owner of the vehicle you stole, and I imagine you have a fine for driving while intoxicated."
Abby just stared blankly at the piece of paper she had been handed.
"You're going to need a lawyer. I could call around for you..."
"No, no please. I wouldn't want to trouble you any further..."
Kerry stood up and sighed as she walked away. She paused just before she left when she heard Abby speak up.
"Kerry... I truly am sorry."
She looked back at Abby and smiled as best she could.
"I know, Abby. I know..."
*~*~*~*~*
Kerry was walking quickly away from the trauma room when she spied Carter coming towards her. She stopped him before he could return to Abby's beside.
"Carter, I think we should talk."
He turned around to face her, but anyone could tell his mind was elsewhere.
"Oh? About what exactly?"
"I really think you should take some time off. A week maybe. Last night was just a coincidence; we could spare you for a week at least."
"Thanks Kerry, I appreciate the offer, but..."
"John, if you don't take some time off, I will suspend you."
"That's one hell of an ultimatum..."
Kerry sighed.
"I'm having someone else take over caring for Abby. You need to leave now Carter."
"Why are you doing this? Are you forbidding me to stay?"
Kerry looked at him with an undeniable authority.
"Yes. Now go home."
Kerry stood in her exact position until Carter walked away and through the exit. It felt to her as if the entire world were holding its breath, waiting for everything to blow up in their faces.
*~*~*~*~*
"Miss Lockhart, you are charged with auto theft, driving while intoxicated, and intentional disturbance of public property. Do you deny any of these charges?"
"No, your honor, I do not."
"Then I sentence you, by this court of law, to a three week rehabilitation session in Rockford, Illinois effective tomorrow. Also, your fines come to a grand total of $762.83 payable to the city of Chicago. Court is adjourned."
Abby felt the room was spinning out of control. Her life was decided by the strike of the judge's mallet. She was completely helpless. So many things were speeding through her mind, crashing into each other like a thousand drunken car wrecks...
The courtroom was slowly emptying of all inhabitants. Yet, Abby remained. She knew she could have gotten worse. She knew she should be thankful. Maybe she would finally get the help she so badly needed. Maybe...
She got up and followed her lawyer out of the room to discuss transportation to Rockford. It was decided she would take the bus. The lawyer told her to go home and pack, and all he asked of her was to be at the bus station at 9 o'clock the next morning.
*~*~*~*~*
It seemed to Abby that the sun rose earlier just to spite her today. She had hardly slept at all last night. But she didn't dare sleep in on this day...
She got ready, grabbed her bags and hailed a cab on the street corner. She arrived at the bus stop to find her lawyer waiting for her. She could see his lips moving, but no sound was reaching her ears. Her mind was a million miles away...
She hadn't told him. She hadn't even talked to Carter since she was released from the hospital. She didn't know if he knew she was leaving or not. She figured it was best she did this on her own. But she missed him so much already... Had he really meant what he said to her in the hospital?
Impossible.
"...and call my office the second you get settled. We don't want to give the judge a reason to give you jail time..."
Abby looked blankly at the lawyer and nodded. Then she got on the bus and sat in a window seat near the back, lost in her world of painful thoughts. So lost, she failed to hear or see the man standing at the bus stop, arriving just a few precious seconds too late.