~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~*~*~*
I'm sick and skipped my first two days back at school after spring break. That is why you are getting this next chapter now, even though I feel absolutely miserable. One of my very favorite episodes was on TNT this morning (Exodus) and so I started writing while I was watching. Hope you enjoy…I'm off to take more Robitusin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
Over the next two months, things went on as they had before Carter had gone with Abby to Lamaze class. They barely spoke, except for a passing greeting if they happened to cross paths in the lounge. Abby's last day before her maternity leave was two weeks into her eighth month of pregnancy in mid August. The baby shower the other nurses threw her in the ER was that day as well. Susan had helped organize the whole thing and when Abby walked into the lounge after her last shift was over, she was genuinely surprised to see the large cake and various baby objects sitting in there as well as the vast amount of people.
Even though everyone was trying to be happy, a sadness loomed in the air. Two nights before Mark Greene had been admitted and everyone knew that he wasn't going to last much longer.
"How are you going to get all this stuff home?" Jing-Mei asked Abby as she noticed all the toys, clothes, and other things that were scattered around the room.
"Uch, I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow with my car." Abby said, rolling her eyes.
"Wait, Carter brought his car today. I'm sure he could help you." Chuny smiled and replied.
"No, he left a few hours ago." Susan responded. "I don't think he was coming back either."
"It's okay. It's no problem to come back tomorrow. Trust me, I'm not doing anything." Abby smiled, settling the argument. She packed a few things into one bag and after telling everyone good-bye, started to walk out of the ER.
Suddenly the phone rang in the ER and Jerry answered it. Abby noticed his grim look as she was leaving the lounge and waited to see what had happened.
"Dr. Greene just passed away." Jerry said softly after hanging up the phone. Kerry gasped and put her hand over her mouth. There was a strange silence throughout the ER as the news began to spread.
Abby silently slipped out of the ER unnoticed and walked towards the El train. As she sat down in a seat, she let out a small sigh and looked out the window. She exited the train at her stop and started towards her apartment. As she let herself in her front door, she dropped her bags and started towards her bedroom. That's when she saw the figure sitting in the corner with his head in his hands.
"God you scared me." Abby said, slightly above a whisper, but less than a regular voice and not questioning how he had gotten into her house.
"Mark died." Carter said simply.
"I know. I was still at the hospital when they got the call." Abby answered.
"Peter called me. Elizabeth called him right after it happened." Carter said, still hanging his head. Abby continued to put her stuff away and then looked over and realized Carter had tears running down his cheeks.
"Shh. It'll be okay." Abby whispered to him and pulled a chair and sat next to him.
"I don't think so. How could this world be so cruel as to take away one of the best people on this earth?"
Abby couldn't respond. Instead she took his hands and held them in her own.
"When's the funeral?" Abby asked after a moment.
"Friday."
"I'll go with you."
"Abby, you're eight months pregnant. You shouldn't put added stress on yourself."
"I wasn't asking you. I'm telling you that I'm going." Abby announced.
"Thank you." John said quietly a moment later.
Abby stood up and placed her hands on either side of John's face and then slowly kissed him on his forehead. She went to walk into the other room, but Carter caught her hand and stood up and pulled her close to him and together, they cried.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
The next morning Abby woke up and the first thing she noticed was that she was not in her bed. Instead, she was on her sofa.
"Hmm, that's interesting." She thought to herself, rolling onto her side and going to stand up. Her foot hit something as she set it on the ground, however, and when she looked down she was shocked to see Carter lying on the floor. Stepping over him, she got up and went into the bathroom. She rinsed off her face and pulled her hair back into a ponytail and walked back into her living room. Seeing that Carter was still asleep, she walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Hearing a groan coming from the other room, Abby walked back in just in time to see John sit up.
"Good morning sunshine." Abby smiled.
"Hey." John said groggily.
"Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah. I somehow don't remember how I ended up on the floor though."
"Uh, you want some breakfast? I put coffee on for you. I can't have it, but I figured you'd want some."
"No, I'm not really hungry. Coffee would be good though. Thanks Abby."
"No problem." Abby smiled.
"Um, can I use your bathroom?" John asked a few minutes later after Abby had poured him a cup of coffee.
"Sure. It's the second door on the left." Abby pointed and continued scrambling eggs for herself.
"Is that the nursery?" Carter asked as he was coming back from the bathroom.
"Yeah." Abby said, walking towards the sound of Carter's voice with the plate of eggs in her hands. "It's not finished yet, obviously. Everything is…….shit!"
"What?" Carter asked concerned.
"Uh, I left everything at the hospital."
"Everything what?" John asked.
"Everything from my baby shower yesterday. I was going to go back today and pick it up."
"Well it's only ten o'clock. I'll drive you by."
"No. You don't have to do that. I'll do it." Abby argued.
"Need I remind you that you're eight months pregnant."
"Need I remind you that you're the one who got me this way?"
"Hey, I was only doing what you asked." Carter replied.
"Well I'm going to the hospital. I'll be back in an hour. You're welcome to stay if you want."
"No, I think I'll get going. I need to get back to my place and get cleaned up." Carter said, starting to straighten himself up. When he got to the door, he turned around. "Call me if you need anything."
Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower, Abby was ready to go. She grabbed her keys and locked her apartment as she locked the door. As she got in the car, she felt a small kick and smiled. It wasn't the first time the baby had kicked, but Abby smiled every time she felt the small movement. It somehow made the realization that she was actually going to have a child more real every time he moved.
She glanced in the side rear mirror as she merged into the street and began driving towards the hospital. As she was going through an intersection about two miles away, Abby saw a car coming straight at her from the other direction. She quickly tried to swerve to avoid getting hit by the car, but there was a car in the other lane. Pressing on the horn, Abby tried to accelerate and pass the car next to her before the car hit her from the front. Thinking it had worked, Abby almost was relaxed when the car clipped her left head light and sent the car spinning. There was a loud crash as her car hit the car that had been beside her. Thinking she was alright, Abby tried to get out of the car, only to find that the door was totally smashed. She sighed and leaned her head back and tried not to think about the sharp pain in her leg as she waited for whatever would happen next.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
I'm sick and skipped my first two days back at school after spring break. That is why you are getting this next chapter now, even though I feel absolutely miserable. One of my very favorite episodes was on TNT this morning (Exodus) and so I started writing while I was watching. Hope you enjoy…I'm off to take more Robitusin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
Over the next two months, things went on as they had before Carter had gone with Abby to Lamaze class. They barely spoke, except for a passing greeting if they happened to cross paths in the lounge. Abby's last day before her maternity leave was two weeks into her eighth month of pregnancy in mid August. The baby shower the other nurses threw her in the ER was that day as well. Susan had helped organize the whole thing and when Abby walked into the lounge after her last shift was over, she was genuinely surprised to see the large cake and various baby objects sitting in there as well as the vast amount of people.
Even though everyone was trying to be happy, a sadness loomed in the air. Two nights before Mark Greene had been admitted and everyone knew that he wasn't going to last much longer.
"How are you going to get all this stuff home?" Jing-Mei asked Abby as she noticed all the toys, clothes, and other things that were scattered around the room.
"Uch, I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow with my car." Abby said, rolling her eyes.
"Wait, Carter brought his car today. I'm sure he could help you." Chuny smiled and replied.
"No, he left a few hours ago." Susan responded. "I don't think he was coming back either."
"It's okay. It's no problem to come back tomorrow. Trust me, I'm not doing anything." Abby smiled, settling the argument. She packed a few things into one bag and after telling everyone good-bye, started to walk out of the ER.
Suddenly the phone rang in the ER and Jerry answered it. Abby noticed his grim look as she was leaving the lounge and waited to see what had happened.
"Dr. Greene just passed away." Jerry said softly after hanging up the phone. Kerry gasped and put her hand over her mouth. There was a strange silence throughout the ER as the news began to spread.
Abby silently slipped out of the ER unnoticed and walked towards the El train. As she sat down in a seat, she let out a small sigh and looked out the window. She exited the train at her stop and started towards her apartment. As she let herself in her front door, she dropped her bags and started towards her bedroom. That's when she saw the figure sitting in the corner with his head in his hands.
"God you scared me." Abby said, slightly above a whisper, but less than a regular voice and not questioning how he had gotten into her house.
"Mark died." Carter said simply.
"I know. I was still at the hospital when they got the call." Abby answered.
"Peter called me. Elizabeth called him right after it happened." Carter said, still hanging his head. Abby continued to put her stuff away and then looked over and realized Carter had tears running down his cheeks.
"Shh. It'll be okay." Abby whispered to him and pulled a chair and sat next to him.
"I don't think so. How could this world be so cruel as to take away one of the best people on this earth?"
Abby couldn't respond. Instead she took his hands and held them in her own.
"When's the funeral?" Abby asked after a moment.
"Friday."
"I'll go with you."
"Abby, you're eight months pregnant. You shouldn't put added stress on yourself."
"I wasn't asking you. I'm telling you that I'm going." Abby announced.
"Thank you." John said quietly a moment later.
Abby stood up and placed her hands on either side of John's face and then slowly kissed him on his forehead. She went to walk into the other room, but Carter caught her hand and stood up and pulled her close to him and together, they cried.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
The next morning Abby woke up and the first thing she noticed was that she was not in her bed. Instead, she was on her sofa.
"Hmm, that's interesting." She thought to herself, rolling onto her side and going to stand up. Her foot hit something as she set it on the ground, however, and when she looked down she was shocked to see Carter lying on the floor. Stepping over him, she got up and went into the bathroom. She rinsed off her face and pulled her hair back into a ponytail and walked back into her living room. Seeing that Carter was still asleep, she walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Hearing a groan coming from the other room, Abby walked back in just in time to see John sit up.
"Good morning sunshine." Abby smiled.
"Hey." John said groggily.
"Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah. I somehow don't remember how I ended up on the floor though."
"Uh, you want some breakfast? I put coffee on for you. I can't have it, but I figured you'd want some."
"No, I'm not really hungry. Coffee would be good though. Thanks Abby."
"No problem." Abby smiled.
"Um, can I use your bathroom?" John asked a few minutes later after Abby had poured him a cup of coffee.
"Sure. It's the second door on the left." Abby pointed and continued scrambling eggs for herself.
"Is that the nursery?" Carter asked as he was coming back from the bathroom.
"Yeah." Abby said, walking towards the sound of Carter's voice with the plate of eggs in her hands. "It's not finished yet, obviously. Everything is…….shit!"
"What?" Carter asked concerned.
"Uh, I left everything at the hospital."
"Everything what?" John asked.
"Everything from my baby shower yesterday. I was going to go back today and pick it up."
"Well it's only ten o'clock. I'll drive you by."
"No. You don't have to do that. I'll do it." Abby argued.
"Need I remind you that you're eight months pregnant."
"Need I remind you that you're the one who got me this way?"
"Hey, I was only doing what you asked." Carter replied.
"Well I'm going to the hospital. I'll be back in an hour. You're welcome to stay if you want."
"No, I think I'll get going. I need to get back to my place and get cleaned up." Carter said, starting to straighten himself up. When he got to the door, he turned around. "Call me if you need anything."
Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower, Abby was ready to go. She grabbed her keys and locked her apartment as she locked the door. As she got in the car, she felt a small kick and smiled. It wasn't the first time the baby had kicked, but Abby smiled every time she felt the small movement. It somehow made the realization that she was actually going to have a child more real every time he moved.
She glanced in the side rear mirror as she merged into the street and began driving towards the hospital. As she was going through an intersection about two miles away, Abby saw a car coming straight at her from the other direction. She quickly tried to swerve to avoid getting hit by the car, but there was a car in the other lane. Pressing on the horn, Abby tried to accelerate and pass the car next to her before the car hit her from the front. Thinking it had worked, Abby almost was relaxed when the car clipped her left head light and sent the car spinning. There was a loud crash as her car hit the car that had been beside her. Thinking she was alright, Abby tried to get out of the car, only to find that the door was totally smashed. She sighed and leaned her head back and tried not to think about the sharp pain in her leg as she waited for whatever would happen next.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*