As promised, here's part five only a few hours after a posted part four!
As usual, these characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for
a little while. Please R&R!
At six o'clock on the dot, John walked into the ER, ready to start his shift. Usually he wouldn't be so eager to start a twelve hour night shift, but hopefully the night shift would provide him and Abby with a few minutes along together.
"Hey. Jerry," he said approaching the desk, "how have things been around here today?"
"Not bad," Jerry replied. "Chen is finishing up a single MVA in trauma one, but otherwise things are pretty quite. Just the usual scrapes and bruises."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Carter said while looking over the messages Jerry had handed him. As he shoved the messages into his pocket, John picked up on a odd smell. Sniffing he said,
"Jerry, what's that smell?"
"Disinfectant. They completely wiped down the entire ER after the smallpox scare."
"God, that stuff stinks. Has it been this bad all day?"
"Worse, but it's better than letting the pox get to you."
"Yeah," Carter agreed heading to the lounge to put his stuff away. He pushed open the door and grinned when he saw Abby pouring over some magazine with Chuny. Abby's head popped up as soon as the door opened. She had been sitting there waiting for John to get there, jumping every time someone entered the lounge. When she saw that he had finally arrived, she mirrored his grin with her own face. As Chuny chattered on about one of her many recent one night stands, John and Abby shared a moment with each other, letting their eyes and their hearts meet.
"Abby? Abby?!"
"What?" she turned back to Chuny as she broke out of her trance.
"I asked if you're coming the nurse's night out tomorrow?"
"Oh, I don't know," Abby said, following John to his locker with her eyes. "I might have plans."
Opening his locker, John grinned at the concept that Abby wanted to go out with him again tomorrow.
"Oh, come on, Abby," Chuny urged. "I can bring that ICU nurse I told you about."
"I don't need you to bring a date for me."
"Oh, I forgot, you have a thing for the ER docs," Chuny teased as she header towards the door. This comment elicited a cough from Carter who immediately pretended to be searching for something his locker as Chuny shot him an inquisitive look. Smiling to herself she walked out the door saying,
"See you later, Abby."
As soon as she was out the door, Abby turned to John.
"Very smooth, John. Couldn't have done it better myself."
"Oh, she's got nothing on us."
"Right," Abby said skeptically.
"Ok, well maybe she's got a little bit of gossip to spread, but it won't be anything new. People have been spreading rumors about the two of us for a year."
"Yeah," Abby laughed, "Do you think the have a pool?"
"Oh, absolutely," John replied.
"So I guess it's better just to accept this as a fact of life and move on," Abby said, taking a step closer to John.
"Yeah, I think that's just what we're gonna have to do," John, closing the space between them. "We'll just go to work like we do everyday, keeping our private lives out of the work place. People will just have to accept that our relationship is completely professional."
"Completely professional," Abby agreed, as they now stood only inches apart. She grabbed his tie mischievously and reeled him in for a long kiss. Just a John was starting to let his hand wander along her back, they heard the door open and the deep grumble of that unmistakable Croatian voice. John and Abby quickly pulled apart, but it was too late. The talking had stopped just as quickly as they had. The room was completely silent. John and Abby stood by the lockers like two deer caught in the headlights. Luka stood by the table, with his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Susan, who had been debriefing Luka before going home, stood just inside the door, gaping, unsure whether she should laugh or run for dear life. Choosing the latter, she made a beeline for her locker, opening it quickly, shedding her lab coat, and grabbing her things.
"Well, Luka, I'm sure you'll have everything under control. See you all tomorrow." She headed quickly out the other door, throwing Carter and Abby a wink as she did. Still glaring at the two of them, Luka muttered something about a patient and sulked out of the door.
"Well, I'd say that maybe they have a little gossip now," John finally gasped.
"Uh, yeah."
"Luka on now?"
"All night."
"This should be fun."
Abby and John headed silently out to work, the rumor mill now steadily going to work. It continued to be a pretty slow night. A couple minor traumas came in, but the ER staff was mostly reduced to sutures and broken bones.
"I discharged the dislocated ankle in exam two," Luka announced to no one in particular. When no one responded to him, he noticed the group of nurses huddled around the desk. "Hey! Why isn't anybody working?!"
"No one to work on," Haleh said as the group fell silent.
"If that were true, than the board would be cleared," Luka retorted. "I'll take the minor burns and I want to see the rest of you getting to work!"
"I guess he's not taking it that well," Chuny said as Luka stalked off.
"Not taking what that well?" Gallant asked as he put a file away.
"Carter and Abby," Randi replied.
"Dr. Carter and Abby? Are they a couple?"
"Where have you been, man?" Malik asked.
"I guess Dr. Kovac is pretty upset, huh?"
"That's doesn't even cover it, honey," Haleh said.
"But, wait a minute," Deb butted in, "he and Abby broke up months ago. If she wants to go out with John, that's up to her."
"That's right, honey," Haleh agreed.
"So, when did this all start?" Gallant inquired, flipping through a chart.
"Well, they were definitely together this morning," Chuny winked.
"They were quarantined together for a whole night, and they both had yesterday off," Malik added.
"They sure don't waste any time do they?" Deb asked.
"They've been wasting time for the past two years, and if-" Everybody quickly shushed Haleh as Carter walked up to the desk. He was whistling a jovial tune and seemed completely oblivious to the fact that everybody was staring at him and grinning. He picked up another chart, wrote his name on the board, and headed off to an exam room. As he heard everybody as the desk start giggling, John smiled to himself. It seemed that the gossip mill was running at full force. He walked into Curtain 2 and saw Abby starting an IV on a young boy whose parents stood nervously by.
"Hi . . . Andrew," he said, checking the boy's name on the chart. "I'm Dr. Carter."
"Hi," the boy replied.
"What happened here?"
"He spilled a pot of boiling water on his arm. Second degree burns to most of the forearm" Abby filled him in, shooting him one of her fabulous smiles.
"He always helps me when I make pasta," the boy's mother explained. "I told him he could strain the water if I helped him, but he didn't wait for me and the pot was too heavy."
"I'm sorry, Mom," the boy sniffed.
"Aw, that's ok," Carter said to the boy. "I once cut my finger slicing tomatoes for a pasta."
"You cook?" Abby asked mockingly.
"I am an excellent chef," Carter replied just as mockingly. Abby smiled as she finished applying ointment to the boy's burns.
"Well, we're gonna get you all bandaged up, Andrew, and you'll be as good as new, ok?" The boy nodded back.
"Excuse us for a moment, please," Carter said to the parents. "Nurse Lockhart, can I speak to you for a minute?" Abby followed John outside.
"You're very funny, you know that?" John asked.
"I learned from the best," Abby replied.
"I can cook and I can teach."
"So, are they talking?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"What are they saying?"
"Probably that we've been having a secret affair for months and that we ran off the Las Vegas and got married yesterday."
"That would certainly be something," Abby said.
"Yeah." Suddenly, John had an idea. "Come on," he said, grabbing Abby's hand.
"Where are we going?" Abby asked as he led her down the hall.
"I hate gossip, so let's give them something real to talk about," John said with a determined look in his eye, as they stood just within the site line of all the people at the desk.
"John, what are you talking about? We have a patient that we really need to get back-" John cut Abby off with his lips. She let her body relax and threw her arms around his neck and everybody at the admid desk turned and gaped. After a suitable amount of time, John pulled away and said,
"Let them talk about THAT!"
"You're crazy," Abby said, her eyes shining.
"Carter!"
Their moment was broken as a fuming Luka yelled from the desk,
"There's work to do! Why don't you come take care of this explosive diarrhea case?"
"Wonderful," Carter grimaced.
"What did you say?" Luka asked.
"I said, I'll be right there," Carter replied, rolling his eyes.
"I'd say he's pretty pissed," Abby said, laughing.
"This isn't funny!"
"It was your idea!"
"Wish you could take it all back?"
"Nope. I would never take back kissing you. Even if it dies mean being punished by a jealous ex-boyfriend, who is technically my boss, with explosive diarrhea."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to make it up to you tomorrow night."
"You mean, you're not going to go out with Chuny's ICU nurse?" Carter asked with feigned surprise.
"Didn't you hear what she said? I have a thing for you strapping ER docs!"
To be continued . . .
At six o'clock on the dot, John walked into the ER, ready to start his shift. Usually he wouldn't be so eager to start a twelve hour night shift, but hopefully the night shift would provide him and Abby with a few minutes along together.
"Hey. Jerry," he said approaching the desk, "how have things been around here today?"
"Not bad," Jerry replied. "Chen is finishing up a single MVA in trauma one, but otherwise things are pretty quite. Just the usual scrapes and bruises."
"Let's hope it stays that way," Carter said while looking over the messages Jerry had handed him. As he shoved the messages into his pocket, John picked up on a odd smell. Sniffing he said,
"Jerry, what's that smell?"
"Disinfectant. They completely wiped down the entire ER after the smallpox scare."
"God, that stuff stinks. Has it been this bad all day?"
"Worse, but it's better than letting the pox get to you."
"Yeah," Carter agreed heading to the lounge to put his stuff away. He pushed open the door and grinned when he saw Abby pouring over some magazine with Chuny. Abby's head popped up as soon as the door opened. She had been sitting there waiting for John to get there, jumping every time someone entered the lounge. When she saw that he had finally arrived, she mirrored his grin with her own face. As Chuny chattered on about one of her many recent one night stands, John and Abby shared a moment with each other, letting their eyes and their hearts meet.
"Abby? Abby?!"
"What?" she turned back to Chuny as she broke out of her trance.
"I asked if you're coming the nurse's night out tomorrow?"
"Oh, I don't know," Abby said, following John to his locker with her eyes. "I might have plans."
Opening his locker, John grinned at the concept that Abby wanted to go out with him again tomorrow.
"Oh, come on, Abby," Chuny urged. "I can bring that ICU nurse I told you about."
"I don't need you to bring a date for me."
"Oh, I forgot, you have a thing for the ER docs," Chuny teased as she header towards the door. This comment elicited a cough from Carter who immediately pretended to be searching for something his locker as Chuny shot him an inquisitive look. Smiling to herself she walked out the door saying,
"See you later, Abby."
As soon as she was out the door, Abby turned to John.
"Very smooth, John. Couldn't have done it better myself."
"Oh, she's got nothing on us."
"Right," Abby said skeptically.
"Ok, well maybe she's got a little bit of gossip to spread, but it won't be anything new. People have been spreading rumors about the two of us for a year."
"Yeah," Abby laughed, "Do you think the have a pool?"
"Oh, absolutely," John replied.
"So I guess it's better just to accept this as a fact of life and move on," Abby said, taking a step closer to John.
"Yeah, I think that's just what we're gonna have to do," John, closing the space between them. "We'll just go to work like we do everyday, keeping our private lives out of the work place. People will just have to accept that our relationship is completely professional."
"Completely professional," Abby agreed, as they now stood only inches apart. She grabbed his tie mischievously and reeled him in for a long kiss. Just a John was starting to let his hand wander along her back, they heard the door open and the deep grumble of that unmistakable Croatian voice. John and Abby quickly pulled apart, but it was too late. The talking had stopped just as quickly as they had. The room was completely silent. John and Abby stood by the lockers like two deer caught in the headlights. Luka stood by the table, with his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Susan, who had been debriefing Luka before going home, stood just inside the door, gaping, unsure whether she should laugh or run for dear life. Choosing the latter, she made a beeline for her locker, opening it quickly, shedding her lab coat, and grabbing her things.
"Well, Luka, I'm sure you'll have everything under control. See you all tomorrow." She headed quickly out the other door, throwing Carter and Abby a wink as she did. Still glaring at the two of them, Luka muttered something about a patient and sulked out of the door.
"Well, I'd say that maybe they have a little gossip now," John finally gasped.
"Uh, yeah."
"Luka on now?"
"All night."
"This should be fun."
Abby and John headed silently out to work, the rumor mill now steadily going to work. It continued to be a pretty slow night. A couple minor traumas came in, but the ER staff was mostly reduced to sutures and broken bones.
"I discharged the dislocated ankle in exam two," Luka announced to no one in particular. When no one responded to him, he noticed the group of nurses huddled around the desk. "Hey! Why isn't anybody working?!"
"No one to work on," Haleh said as the group fell silent.
"If that were true, than the board would be cleared," Luka retorted. "I'll take the minor burns and I want to see the rest of you getting to work!"
"I guess he's not taking it that well," Chuny said as Luka stalked off.
"Not taking what that well?" Gallant asked as he put a file away.
"Carter and Abby," Randi replied.
"Dr. Carter and Abby? Are they a couple?"
"Where have you been, man?" Malik asked.
"I guess Dr. Kovac is pretty upset, huh?"
"That's doesn't even cover it, honey," Haleh said.
"But, wait a minute," Deb butted in, "he and Abby broke up months ago. If she wants to go out with John, that's up to her."
"That's right, honey," Haleh agreed.
"So, when did this all start?" Gallant inquired, flipping through a chart.
"Well, they were definitely together this morning," Chuny winked.
"They were quarantined together for a whole night, and they both had yesterday off," Malik added.
"They sure don't waste any time do they?" Deb asked.
"They've been wasting time for the past two years, and if-" Everybody quickly shushed Haleh as Carter walked up to the desk. He was whistling a jovial tune and seemed completely oblivious to the fact that everybody was staring at him and grinning. He picked up another chart, wrote his name on the board, and headed off to an exam room. As he heard everybody as the desk start giggling, John smiled to himself. It seemed that the gossip mill was running at full force. He walked into Curtain 2 and saw Abby starting an IV on a young boy whose parents stood nervously by.
"Hi . . . Andrew," he said, checking the boy's name on the chart. "I'm Dr. Carter."
"Hi," the boy replied.
"What happened here?"
"He spilled a pot of boiling water on his arm. Second degree burns to most of the forearm" Abby filled him in, shooting him one of her fabulous smiles.
"He always helps me when I make pasta," the boy's mother explained. "I told him he could strain the water if I helped him, but he didn't wait for me and the pot was too heavy."
"I'm sorry, Mom," the boy sniffed.
"Aw, that's ok," Carter said to the boy. "I once cut my finger slicing tomatoes for a pasta."
"You cook?" Abby asked mockingly.
"I am an excellent chef," Carter replied just as mockingly. Abby smiled as she finished applying ointment to the boy's burns.
"Well, we're gonna get you all bandaged up, Andrew, and you'll be as good as new, ok?" The boy nodded back.
"Excuse us for a moment, please," Carter said to the parents. "Nurse Lockhart, can I speak to you for a minute?" Abby followed John outside.
"You're very funny, you know that?" John asked.
"I learned from the best," Abby replied.
"I can cook and I can teach."
"So, are they talking?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"What are they saying?"
"Probably that we've been having a secret affair for months and that we ran off the Las Vegas and got married yesterday."
"That would certainly be something," Abby said.
"Yeah." Suddenly, John had an idea. "Come on," he said, grabbing Abby's hand.
"Where are we going?" Abby asked as he led her down the hall.
"I hate gossip, so let's give them something real to talk about," John said with a determined look in his eye, as they stood just within the site line of all the people at the desk.
"John, what are you talking about? We have a patient that we really need to get back-" John cut Abby off with his lips. She let her body relax and threw her arms around his neck and everybody at the admid desk turned and gaped. After a suitable amount of time, John pulled away and said,
"Let them talk about THAT!"
"You're crazy," Abby said, her eyes shining.
"Carter!"
Their moment was broken as a fuming Luka yelled from the desk,
"There's work to do! Why don't you come take care of this explosive diarrhea case?"
"Wonderful," Carter grimaced.
"What did you say?" Luka asked.
"I said, I'll be right there," Carter replied, rolling his eyes.
"I'd say he's pretty pissed," Abby said, laughing.
"This isn't funny!"
"It was your idea!"
"Wish you could take it all back?"
"Nope. I would never take back kissing you. Even if it dies mean being punished by a jealous ex-boyfriend, who is technically my boss, with explosive diarrhea."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to make it up to you tomorrow night."
"You mean, you're not going to go out with Chuny's ICU nurse?" Carter asked with feigned surprise.
"Didn't you hear what she said? I have a thing for you strapping ER docs!"
To be continued . . .