Disclaimer: Must I repeat myself? I don't own anything or anyone on ER and
the storyline will not appear in an upcoming episode.
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"Carter!"
Carter turned at the sound of his name and spotted Abby jogging toward him.
"Hey, do you need something?" he asked.
"Uh, no, I just…I wanted to know if you're okay," she said.
Carter gave her a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just a little…well, you know…"
"Shocked?" she offered.
"Right," he confirmed.
They started walking down the hall.
"So…I heard your grandmother died. Is that true?"
Carter looked at her, surprised. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Um, I don't remember…so why didn't you tell me?"
He sighed. "I don't know. I wasn't exactly in the mood for a chat."
"But you talked to Susan," she reminded.
"I know, but she came to me," he replied.
She bit her lip. "So…are you guys…you know, getting back together or something?"
He raised an eyebrow. "No, what makes you think that?"
She shrugged. "I don't know…you seem to be getting closer…"
"Abby, she's one of my best friends," he laughed. "We broke up because we knew we weren't right for each other and we're not going to get back together."
"Okay," she said, nodding.
"Besides, Gamma died a few hours a few hours ago, so…"
"Then what the hell are you still doing here?"
"I still had time left on my shift."
"How much more time do you have now?"
"A couple of hours."
"Why don't you just go home? I'll get Luka or someone to cover for you."
"That's alright, Abby, I…"
"Carter, I really think that…"
"Listen, Abby," he snapped, "I don't want to go home, okay? I just want to do my job and finish what I came back to do. So please, just stop bugging me about it."
Abby's jaw dropped slightly as she watched him continue down the hallway. She turned and came face-to-face with Susan.
"Hey, Abby," Susan greeted.
"Hey," she replied, still shocked at Carter's mini-rant.
"Listen, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure," Abby agreed, following Susan into the empty suture room.
"I talked to a few of the other nurses earlier and they told me that you talked to them about Carter's…uh, 'thing,'" she said.
"Yeah…so?" Abby asked.
"Well, I don't think that was a very good idea," Susan explained.
"Why, did they say something to Carter?"
"Uh, well, no, but…they were gossiping about it, you know?"
"They always gossip, Susan, it's their nature."
"Yeah, but this isn't something to be spreading rumors about…"
"Look, I'm sorry, but it's not my fault that…"
"I'm not blaming you for it," Susan interrupted. "I'm just saying that if Carter's your friend, you shouldn't be telling people about his situation."
"I didn't even know what the situation was until a little while ago!" Abby exclaimed.
Susan sighed. "Okay, fine, just…fine. I'll see you later."
With that, Susan walked off out of the room, once again leaving Abby by herself.
"What is this, rag-on-Abby day?" she asked out loud.
"Hi, Carter," Randi said sweetly to the Chief Resident.
Carter looked up from his chart at the desk clerk.
"Uh, hi, Randi," he replied. He
"So…are you alright?" she asked, looking at him with interest.
"Yeah…why wouldn't I be?" Carter inquired, cocking his head.
"Well, it's just all this stuff you're going through right now."
He raised an eyebrow. "What stuff?"
"Oh, you know…that stuff."
"Okay…well, I'm going to pretend to know what you're talking about and say I'm fine."
"Listen, I know about that thing with you and Curtain Three and all that crap. I was wondering what happened."
Carter frowned. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Um…that's not important," Randi said quickly.
He sighed. "Well, Randi, if it wasn't so personal, I might have found the heart to tell you. But it is, so I don't."
He picked up his chart and began to walk away. He paused and turned.
"And Randi?" he called.
"Uh-huh?" she asked, blowing a bubble with her gum.
"You know when you and the nurses are gossiping? You might want to make sure that the person you're talking about isn't around. I can hear every word you're saying."
Randi's eyes widened and she turned her head quickly, burying her head in a magazine to avoid his gaze. He smirked for a second and started walking.
"Whoops! Oh, I'm sorry, Carter," Susan apologized when she bumped into him. She bent down to pick up his chart when she realized that he was doing the same thing. They bumped heads and straightened up again, rubbing the top of their heads.
"Sorry," Carter laughed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. You?"
"I'm fine. Uh, maybe I should get that," he said, bending down to grab the chart.
"You know, I just talked to Abby and she seemed a little upset…do you have any idea what that's about?"
"Oh, um, I…I kind of snapped at her a little while ago. I was going insane with everyone asking me if I was okay, and…I took it out on her. Maybe she's mad at me about that."
Susan shook her head, feeling uncertain. "I don't know, it didn't really…oh well, maybe I'm just over-analyzing it."
Carter smiled. "I think I'll go talk to her about it. Apologize, you know?"
"Yeah…hey, when do you get off?" she asked curiously.
"Umm," he started, looking at his watch, "an hour and a half. Why?"
"Well, I get off in an hour…you want some company tonight?"
"That'd be nice, I guess…are you sure?"
"Positive. I'll be waiting for you in the Lounge at 11:30."
"Thanks, Susan, I really appreciate it."
She shrugged. "It's not a problem."
He took a hold of her hand and gave it a tight, friendly squeeze. "No, really. Thanks."
He let go and went off to find Abby.
"Abby, wait up!" Carter called to the nurse.
She stopped abruptly and turned around with her hands on her hips. "Oh, first you want me to leave you alone and now you want to talk?"
"Look, Abby, I wanted to apologize. I'm pretty upset and frustrated and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that and I'm sorry."
Abby blinked. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"
"Well, I was talking to Susan, and…"
Abby rolled her eyes. "How did I know that her name would come up in this conversation?"
"Abby, I…"
"No, Carter, I really think you and Susan should get over yourselves and just get back together. It's obvious you want each other."
He shook his head. "No, Abby, listen to me, I…"
"Carter, please, I know what's going on here. I won't be upset if you and Susan become an item again. It's no skin off my back. In fact, I give you my blessing. So there. Go back to her. I'll see you later."
She quickly walked away leaving a confused Carter standing frozen in his spot. Why was Abby acting like this?
"What the hell?" he wondered to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Carter!"
Carter turned at the sound of his name and spotted Abby jogging toward him.
"Hey, do you need something?" he asked.
"Uh, no, I just…I wanted to know if you're okay," she said.
Carter gave her a lopsided smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just a little…well, you know…"
"Shocked?" she offered.
"Right," he confirmed.
They started walking down the hall.
"So…I heard your grandmother died. Is that true?"
Carter looked at her, surprised. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Um, I don't remember…so why didn't you tell me?"
He sighed. "I don't know. I wasn't exactly in the mood for a chat."
"But you talked to Susan," she reminded.
"I know, but she came to me," he replied.
She bit her lip. "So…are you guys…you know, getting back together or something?"
He raised an eyebrow. "No, what makes you think that?"
She shrugged. "I don't know…you seem to be getting closer…"
"Abby, she's one of my best friends," he laughed. "We broke up because we knew we weren't right for each other and we're not going to get back together."
"Okay," she said, nodding.
"Besides, Gamma died a few hours a few hours ago, so…"
"Then what the hell are you still doing here?"
"I still had time left on my shift."
"How much more time do you have now?"
"A couple of hours."
"Why don't you just go home? I'll get Luka or someone to cover for you."
"That's alright, Abby, I…"
"Carter, I really think that…"
"Listen, Abby," he snapped, "I don't want to go home, okay? I just want to do my job and finish what I came back to do. So please, just stop bugging me about it."
Abby's jaw dropped slightly as she watched him continue down the hallway. She turned and came face-to-face with Susan.
"Hey, Abby," Susan greeted.
"Hey," she replied, still shocked at Carter's mini-rant.
"Listen, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure," Abby agreed, following Susan into the empty suture room.
"I talked to a few of the other nurses earlier and they told me that you talked to them about Carter's…uh, 'thing,'" she said.
"Yeah…so?" Abby asked.
"Well, I don't think that was a very good idea," Susan explained.
"Why, did they say something to Carter?"
"Uh, well, no, but…they were gossiping about it, you know?"
"They always gossip, Susan, it's their nature."
"Yeah, but this isn't something to be spreading rumors about…"
"Look, I'm sorry, but it's not my fault that…"
"I'm not blaming you for it," Susan interrupted. "I'm just saying that if Carter's your friend, you shouldn't be telling people about his situation."
"I didn't even know what the situation was until a little while ago!" Abby exclaimed.
Susan sighed. "Okay, fine, just…fine. I'll see you later."
With that, Susan walked off out of the room, once again leaving Abby by herself.
"What is this, rag-on-Abby day?" she asked out loud.
"Hi, Carter," Randi said sweetly to the Chief Resident.
Carter looked up from his chart at the desk clerk.
"Uh, hi, Randi," he replied. He
"So…are you alright?" she asked, looking at him with interest.
"Yeah…why wouldn't I be?" Carter inquired, cocking his head.
"Well, it's just all this stuff you're going through right now."
He raised an eyebrow. "What stuff?"
"Oh, you know…that stuff."
"Okay…well, I'm going to pretend to know what you're talking about and say I'm fine."
"Listen, I know about that thing with you and Curtain Three and all that crap. I was wondering what happened."
Carter frowned. "How'd you find out about that?"
"Um…that's not important," Randi said quickly.
He sighed. "Well, Randi, if it wasn't so personal, I might have found the heart to tell you. But it is, so I don't."
He picked up his chart and began to walk away. He paused and turned.
"And Randi?" he called.
"Uh-huh?" she asked, blowing a bubble with her gum.
"You know when you and the nurses are gossiping? You might want to make sure that the person you're talking about isn't around. I can hear every word you're saying."
Randi's eyes widened and she turned her head quickly, burying her head in a magazine to avoid his gaze. He smirked for a second and started walking.
"Whoops! Oh, I'm sorry, Carter," Susan apologized when she bumped into him. She bent down to pick up his chart when she realized that he was doing the same thing. They bumped heads and straightened up again, rubbing the top of their heads.
"Sorry," Carter laughed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. You?"
"I'm fine. Uh, maybe I should get that," he said, bending down to grab the chart.
"You know, I just talked to Abby and she seemed a little upset…do you have any idea what that's about?"
"Oh, um, I…I kind of snapped at her a little while ago. I was going insane with everyone asking me if I was okay, and…I took it out on her. Maybe she's mad at me about that."
Susan shook her head, feeling uncertain. "I don't know, it didn't really…oh well, maybe I'm just over-analyzing it."
Carter smiled. "I think I'll go talk to her about it. Apologize, you know?"
"Yeah…hey, when do you get off?" she asked curiously.
"Umm," he started, looking at his watch, "an hour and a half. Why?"
"Well, I get off in an hour…you want some company tonight?"
"That'd be nice, I guess…are you sure?"
"Positive. I'll be waiting for you in the Lounge at 11:30."
"Thanks, Susan, I really appreciate it."
She shrugged. "It's not a problem."
He took a hold of her hand and gave it a tight, friendly squeeze. "No, really. Thanks."
He let go and went off to find Abby.
"Abby, wait up!" Carter called to the nurse.
She stopped abruptly and turned around with her hands on her hips. "Oh, first you want me to leave you alone and now you want to talk?"
"Look, Abby, I wanted to apologize. I'm pretty upset and frustrated and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that and I'm sorry."
Abby blinked. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"
"Well, I was talking to Susan, and…"
Abby rolled her eyes. "How did I know that her name would come up in this conversation?"
"Abby, I…"
"No, Carter, I really think you and Susan should get over yourselves and just get back together. It's obvious you want each other."
He shook his head. "No, Abby, listen to me, I…"
"Carter, please, I know what's going on here. I won't be upset if you and Susan become an item again. It's no skin off my back. In fact, I give you my blessing. So there. Go back to her. I'll see you later."
She quickly walked away leaving a confused Carter standing frozen in his spot. Why was Abby acting like this?
"What the hell?" he wondered to himself.
