(OK, I have work in the morning so I have to catch a train really early, but I can't sleep so I thought I'd rush out another instalment of my story. If there are any inconsistencies just put it down to my insomnia, and I promise I will go back over the chapter and edit it later!)



1 Part 8

Abby bounded into the lounge and found herself surrounded by the ER doctors and nurses who jumped out at her from nowhere. She was so overwhelmed that the room seemed to be spinning, and amidst all the confusion of people coming up and hugging her or slapping her on the back she barely had time to register the cake on the table or the banner strung across the windows that said "Congratulations". She saw John leaning against his locker with his arms crossed against his chest and an amused look on his face.

"What's going on here?"

She had addressed the question to the room in general, but it was Carter who answered.

"Well, it seems congratulations are in order. Haleh informs us that you've gotten yourself engaged and didn't think to tell any of your friends here in the ER…"

"I didn't…that is I'm not…I mean…where did all this come from?"

"Oh, you can blame me for that." Lydia raised her hand.

"Yeah, Lydia is an expert at organising parties at the last minute," Chuni came up beside Abby as she spoke. "Haleh told us about the ring so we thought a little celebration was in order!"

"I see," she continued to look around her in bewilderment until her eyes again settled on Carter. "And your role in all this was…?"

"Who, me? I was just told to get you to come into the lounge!" He looked like he was enjoying all this immensely.

"So come on, spill it," said Chuni, "who's the guy and when are we going to meet him?"

"But I keep trying to tell you…"

At that moment the door to the lounge burst open and Kerry Weaver burst in. "Excuse me for interrupting but we've got work to do here people! The board is full and we've got an MVA pulling up in 2 minutes. I want to see everybody standing by a patient looking concerned, now!" She started to turn away, then seemed to remember something and turned. "Oh, and congratulations Abby." She then turned and left.

The room released a collective groan and everybody gradually began to filter out the door and towards the waiting patients. Soon Abby and Carter were left alone in the lounge. She crossed her arms and glared at him as she tried to speak in a tone that would imply she was mad at him:

"You're enjoying this, aren't you! How come everybody's picked up on me but nobody's said a word about you and your ring?"

"Is it my fault you're looking so beautiful and radiant? And besides, I'd be flattered if I were you. I've obviously become such a fixture around here that I'm taken for granted and nobody even bothers to notice me anymore!"

He made a little pouty face as he said this last part and she couldn't help but laugh with him. It was no good: she couldn't stay mad at him for very long, even pretend mad! She walked into Carter's waiting arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly returning his kiss.

They weren't sure how long they had remained there pressed against the lockers with their arms wrapped around each other. Their kisses had been frenzied and passionate, revealing all their frustration at being divided for the past six hours. As her fingers began to move through Carter's hair he slid his hands to her shoulders and began to pull down her scrub top.

"What if somebody comes in?" Abby managed to whisper breathlessly as Carter began to trail kisses down her neck.

"Then we'll just have to tell them the truth. That the fact you're a married woman still means you can't keep your hands off of me!"

She laughed quietly and pulled his tie to bring him closer to her for a kiss. She had just started to unbutton his shirt when they heard the sound of the handle to the lounge being turned. They looked at each other in a slight panic and began to hastily rearrange their clothing. The handle remained pressed held down but the mysterious intruder did not enter. They could hear voices, indistinct, a question being asked and answered, one the voice of a woman and one of a man. They didn't stop to ask questions as to who was talking, about what, and why. Carter and Abby took advantage of this slight delay to make themselves appear relatively normal, so that by the time Luka entered the room to put his bag into his locker he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Carter was "asleep" on the couch with his arm covering his eyes and Abby was sitting at the table flicking absently through a magazine.

If he had been paying closer attention he would have noticed that Carter's breathing was rather rapid and Abby's magazine was upside-down, but he was too preoccupied by what the nurses had just told him about Abby as he had walked in.



(Hope that wasn't too dire! I promise the staff will find out next time, its just that I'm enjoying spinning this out and I don't want it to end…I just hope I'm not in a minority of one in that respect! Don't worry that there will be any hint of a Luka comeback: I just thought I should include a little interaction with him so that I can put him in his place and prove to him once and for all the power of Carby! More soon if it is still wanted.)